Frontopolar cortex and decision-making efficiency: comparing brain activity of experts with different professional background during an exploration-exploitation task

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniella eLaureiro-Martínez

2014-01-01

Full Text Available An optimal balance between efficient exploitation of available resources and creative exploration of alternatives is critical for adaptation and survival. Previous studies associated these behavioral drives with, respectively, the dopaminergic mesocorticolimbic system and frontopolar-intraparietal networks. We study the activation of these systems in two age and gender-matched groups of experienced decision-makers differing in prior professional background, with the aim to understand the neural bases of individual differences in decision-making efficiency (performance divided by response time. We compare brain activity of entrepreneurs (who currently manage the organization they founded based on their venture idea and managers (who are constantly involved in making strategic decisions but have no venture experience engaged in a gambling-task assessing exploitative vs. explorative decision-making. Compared with managers, entrepreneurs showed higher decision-making efficiency, and a stronger activation in regions of frontopolar cortex previously associated with explorative choice. Moreover, activity across a network of regions previously linked to explore/exploit tradeoffs explained individual differences in choice efficiency. These results suggest new avenues for the study of individual differences in the neural antecedents of efficient decision-making.

Exploring differences among illegal activities in the Ugalla Game ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Exploring differences among illegal activities in the Ugalla Game Reserve of ... This study aimed to explore the differences among various illegal activities occurring in Ugalla Game Reserve, western Tanzania. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Exploring Patterns of Upstream Internationalization: The Role of Home-region ‘Stickiness’

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.R. Muller (Allan); R.J.M. van Tulder (Rob)

2005-01-01

textabstractRecent work has emphasized the importance of regional strategies downstream, adding new depth to the debate on ‘globalization’. This paper adds to the debate by exploring the regional dimension upstream for a sample of Triad-based Fortune 500 firms. We find support for our hypothesis

Geophysical and geochemical regional evaluation and geophysical model for uranium exploration in the western part of Yanliao region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Tengyao; Cui Huanmin; Chen Guoliang; Zhai Yugui

1992-01-01

The western part of Yanliao region is an important uranium metallogenic region. This paper summarizes the regional geophysical model for uranium exploration composed of prediction model for favourable area of mineralization and evaluation model for anomalies on the basis of aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric data interpretation and analysis of the data from carborane and ground gamma spectrometric survey, high accurate magnetic survey, VLF survey and α-collected film survey in mult-displiary research work. The prospective prediction for uranium metallogenesis in this region was also conducted

Competition for petroleum exploration capital in the Asia-Pacific region - implications for New Zealand and Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, A.

1995-01-01

This paper examines the future energy production and demand profiles for the Asia Pacific region and the global allocation of exploration capital made by major international petroleum companies. The implications of these factors for future government petroleum exploration policies within the region are considered, in particular the Australian and New Zealand situations, together with likely effects of such measures on the ability of exploration and production companies to raise capital. (Author)

Regional Scale Modelling for Exploring Energy Strategies for Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welsch, M.

2015-01-01

KTH Royal Institute of Technology was founded in 1827 and it is the largest technical university in Sweden with five campuses and Around 15,000 students. KTH-dESA combines an outstanding knowledge in the field of energy systems analysis. This is demonstrated by the successful collaborations with many (UN) organizations. Regional Scale Modelling for Exploring Energy Strategies for Africa include Assessing renewable energy potentials; Analysing investment strategies; ) Assessing climate resilience; Comparing electrification options; Providing web-based decision support; and Quantifying energy access. It is conclude that Strategies required to ensure a robust and flexible energy system (-> no-regret choices); Capacity investments should be in line with national & regional strategies; Climate change important to consider, as it may strongly influence the energy flows in a region; Long-term models can help identify robust energy investment strategies and pathways that Can help assess future markets and profitability of individual projects

Oil Exploration and Ethnic Militia activities in the Niger Delta Region ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

dominant source of livelihood of the people in the region. The exploration .... ranging from freedom fighting and Nationalism to activities bordering on criminality. This paper .... a kind of private army whose members are enrolled on military lives ...

Social Adversity and Regional Differences in Prescribing of ADHD Medication for School-Age Children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kildemoes, Helle Wallach; Skovgaard, Anne Mette; Thielen, Karsten

2015-01-01

Objectives: To explore whether regional variations in the initiation of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication among school-age children are explained by differences in sociodemographic composition and/or ADHD prescribing practice, especially in children who face social...... adversity (low parental education and single parenthood). Methods: A cohort of Danish school-age children (ages 5–17) without previous psychiatric conditions (N = 813,416) was followed during 2010–2011 for incident ADHD prescribing in the individual-level Danish registers. Register information was retrieved...... for both children and their parents. Regional differences were decomposed into contributions from differences in sociodemographic composition and in prescribing practices. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) of ADHD prescribing were calculated using demographically standardized...

Gender and Regional Differences in Creativity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luo, Lingling; Zhou, Chunfang; Zhang, Song

2016-01-01

in Mainland China and 703 students in Taiwan. Based on data analysis, we find common characteristics, gender differences, and regional differences in the creativity of female postgraduate students. The female students in both regions are less confident in their abilities in scientific research and innovative...

Regional differences in Dutch maternal mortality.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Graaf, J. de; Schutte, J.; Poeran, J.; Roosmalen, J. van; Bonsel, G.; Steegers, E.

2012-01-01

Please cite this paper as: de Graaf J, Schutte J, Poeran J, van Roosmalen J, Bonsel G, Steegers E. Regional differences in Dutch maternal mortality. BJOG 2012;119:582-588. Objective To study regional differences in maternal mortality in the Netherlands. Design Confidential inquiry into the causes of

Differences in regional emissions in China's transport sector: Determinants and reduction strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Bin; Lin, Boqiang

2016-01-01

With recent surge in the number of vehicles, particularly private vehicles, the transport sector has significantly contributed to the increase in energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions in China. Most of the existing researches utilized time series data to investigate the factors influencing transport sector's carbon dioxide emission at the national level while neglecting the level of regional differences. This paper adopts provincial panel data from 2000 to 2012 and panel data models to examine the key driving forces of carbon dioxide emissions in the transport sector at the regional level in China. The estimation results show that the impacts of urbanization on carbon dioxide emissions in the transport sector vary across regions and decline continuously from the western region to the eastern and central regions. Private vehicles are more important than cargo turnover in emission reduction because of its relatively inefficient and excessive growth. The role of energy efficiency improvement in mitigating carbon dioxide emissions in the three regions varies due to significant differences in research and development investment and management efficiency. Hence, in order to effectively achieve emission reduction, local governments should consider all these factors as well as regional heterogeneity in developing appropriate mitigation policies. - Highlights: • The factors of carbon dioxide emissions in China's transport sector were explored. • The impact of urbanization on carbon dioxide emissions varies across regions. • Private vehicles are more critical than cargo turnover in emission reduction. • The role of energy efficiency in the three regions is exactly the opposite.

Spatial data analysis for exploration of regional scale geothermal resources

Science.gov (United States)

Moghaddam, Majid Kiavarz; Noorollahi, Younes; Samadzadegan, Farhad; Sharifi, Mohammad Ali; Itoi, Ryuichi

2013-10-01

Defining a comprehensive conceptual model of the resources sought is one of the most important steps in geothermal potential mapping. In this study, Fry analysis as a spatial distribution method and 5% well existence, distance distribution, weights of evidence (WofE), and evidential belief function (EBFs) methods as spatial association methods were applied comparatively to known geothermal occurrences, and to publicly-available regional-scale geoscience data in Akita and Iwate provinces within the Tohoku volcanic arc, in northern Japan. Fry analysis and rose diagrams revealed similar directional patterns of geothermal wells and volcanoes, NNW-, NNE-, NE-trending faults, hotsprings and fumaroles. Among the spatial association methods, WofE defined a conceptual model correspondent with the real world situations, approved with the aid of expert opinion. The results of the spatial association analyses quantitatively indicated that the known geothermal occurrences are strongly spatially-associated with geological features such as volcanoes, craters, NNW-, NNE-, NE-direction faults and geochemical features such as hotsprings, hydrothermal alteration zones and fumaroles. Geophysical data contains temperature gradients over 100 °C/km and heat flow over 100 mW/m2. In general, geochemical and geophysical data were better evidence layers than geological data for exploring geothermal resources. The spatial analyses of the case study area suggested that quantitative knowledge from hydrothermal geothermal resources was significantly useful for further exploration and for geothermal potential mapping in the case study region. The results can also be extended to the regions with nearly similar characteristics.

Reflections on the exploration of paramilitary management in Northwest Regional Office

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye Herui; Wang Fuquan; Zhang Zijie

2013-01-01

This article aims to reflect on the exploration of paramilitary management in Northwest Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Inspection, MEP, China under current situation, so as to the improve the working style construction of the regulatory team, strengthening consciousness on nuclear safety, and to promote the level of nuclear safety regulation. (authors)

REGIONAL MAGNETOTELLURIC SURVEYS IN HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION, PARANA BASIN, BRAZIL.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanley, William D.; Saad, Antonio; Ohofugi, Walter

1985-01-01

The mangetotelluric geophysical method has been used effectively as a hydrocarbon exploration tool in the intracratonic Parana basin of South America. The 1-2 km thick surface basalts and buried diabase sills pose no problem for the magnetotelluric method because the natural electromagnetic fields used as the energy source pass easily through the basalt. Data for the regional study were taken on six profiles with sounding spaced 8 to 15 km apart. The magnetotelluric sounding data outline a linear uplift known as the Ponta Grossa arch. This major structural feature cuts across the northeast-trending intracratonic basin almost perpendicularly, and is injected with numerous diabase dikes. Significant electrical contrasts occur between the Permian sediments and older units, so that magnetotelluric measurements can give an indication of the regional thickness of the Permian and younger sediments to aid in interpreting hydrocarbon migration patterns and possible trap areas. Refs.

Distributions of Salmonella Subtypes Differ between Two U.S. Produce-Growing Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Danyluk, Michelle D.; Worobo, Randy W.; Wiedmann, Martin

2014-01-01

Salmonella accounts for approximately 50% of produce-associated outbreaks in the United States, several of which have been traced back to contamination in the produce production environment. To quantify Salmonella diversity and aid in identification of Salmonella contamination sources, we characterized Salmonella isolates from two geographically diverse produce-growing regions in the United States. Initially, we characterized the Salmonella serotype and subtype diversity associated with 1,677 samples collected from 33 produce farms in New York State (NYS). Among these 1,677 samples, 74 were Salmonella positive, yielding 80 unique isolates (from 147 total isolates), which represented 14 serovars and 23 different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) types. To explore regional Salmonella diversity associated with production environments, we collected a smaller set of samples (n = 65) from South Florida (SFL) production environments and compared the Salmonella diversity associated with these samples with the diversity found among NYS production environments. Among these 65 samples, 23 were Salmonella positive, yielding 32 unique isolates (from 81 total isolates), which represented 11 serovars and 17 different PFGE types. The most common serovars isolated in NYS were Salmonella enterica serovars Newport, Cerro, and Thompson, while common serovars isolated in SFL were Salmonella serovars Saphra and Newport and S. enterica subsp. diarizonae serovar 50:r:z. High PFGE type diversity (Simpson's diversity index, 0.90 ± 0.02) was observed among Salmonella isolates across both regions; only three PFGE types were shared between the two regions. The probability of three or fewer shared PFGE types was Salmonella isolates were considerably different between the two sampled regions. These findings suggest the potential for PFGE-based source tracking of Salmonella in production environments. PMID:24747908

Exploring climate change impacts and adaptation options for maize production in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia using different climate change scenarios and crop models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kassie, B.T.; Asseng, S.; Rotter, R.P.; Hengsdijk, H.; Ruane, A.C.; Ittersum, van M.K.

2015-01-01

Exploring adaptation strategies for different climate change scenarios to support agricultural production and food security is a major concern to vulnerable regions, including Ethiopia. This study assesses the potential impacts of climate change on maize yield and explores specific adaptation

Exploring the differences in cloud properties observed by the Terra and Aqua MODIS Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Meskhidze

2009-05-01

Full Text Available The aerosol-cloud interaction in different parts of the globe is examined here using multi-year statistics of remotely sensed data from two MODIS sensors aboard NASA's Terra (morning and Aqua (afternoon satellites. Simultaneous retrievals of aerosol loadings and cloud properties by the MODIS sensor allowed us to explore morning-to-afternoon variation of liquid cloud fraction (CF and optical thickness (COT for clean, moderately polluted and heavily polluted clouds in different seasons. Data analysis for seven-years of MODIS retrievals revealed strong temporal and spatial patterns in morning-to-afternoon variation of cloud fraction and optical thickness over different parts of the global oceans and the land. For the vast areas of stratocumulus cloud regions, the data shows that the days with elevated aerosol abundance were also associated with enhanced afternoon reduction of CF and COT pointing to the possible reduction of the indirect climate forcing. A positive correlation between aerosol optical depth and morning-to-afternoon variation of trade wind cumulus cloud cover was also found over the northern Indian Ocean, though no clear relationship between the concentration of Indo-Asian haze and morning-to-afternoon variation of COT was established. Over the Amazon region during wet conditions, aerosols are associated with an enhanced convective process in which morning shallow warm clouds are organized into afternoon deep convection with greater ice cloud coverage. Analysis presented here demonstrates that the new technique for exploring morning-to-afternoon variability in cloud properties by using the differences in data products from the two daily MODIS overpasses is capable of capturing some of the major features of diurnal variations in cloud properties and can be used for better understanding of aerosol radiative effects.

Regional cost differences of hospital supply in Germany

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Lauterbach, Karl W.

2005-04-01

Full Text Available The intended adoption of a global reimbursement system for inpatient care in Germany envisions identical payments for identical treatments at different hospitals. This may lead to losses in some hospitals and may cause problems for the supply with health care facilities in the long run if there a important regional cost differences. Cost and performance data of 1112 hospitals in Germany have been analysed for regional differences in 2001: As regional categorizations we used official classification schemes based on centrality. The investigation does not support the postulation of additional payments for selected regions in Germany accounting for level cost-differences between hospitals. Confounding influence factors like ownership and hospital size seem to be more important. We recommend further investigations to evaluate regional cost-differences on the level of medical wards and using more risk-adjusted data. The examination of the individual case is necessary.

Evaluation of different frontier-based multi-robot exploration strategies

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Benkrid Abdenour

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we focus on the problem of exploring an unknown environment by a team of mobile robots. The main objective is to compare four different coordination strategies based on frontier concept (boundaries between unexplored and explored open areas and analyze their performance in term of assignment quality, overall exploration time and computational complexity. In order to provide a suitable qualitative study we used three optimization criteria. Each strategy has been implemented and tested extensively in computerized simulation.

Regional differences of consumer preferences when shopping for regional products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jitka Kalábová

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents partial results of a research on consumer preferences when shopping for groceries. It is focused on regional products and consumer preferences in relation to the country of origin of food products. The main objective of this paper is to find the existence of spatial relationships between spatial deployment of regional products and consumer preferences for regional products. It will be necessary to create a data model for monitoring the deployment of regional products and also a data model for tracking important indicators of consumer behavior in all regions of the Czech Republic. The results are based on questionnaire survey that was conducted within the period from October 2010 to January 2011 on a sample of 3767 respondents from the Czech Republic, via both online questionnaires and their printed version. For the data collection the questionnaire system ReLa, developed by the Department of Marketing and Trade at Faculty of Business and Economics at Mendel University in Brno, was used. Data was processed with statistical software STATISTICA (ver. 10. Spatial visualisation was processed with GIS software ArcGIS (ver. 10.1. Preferences for food of Czech origin were analysed in relation to identification criteria. The research results show that the origin of food has an important role in consumer purchase decision-making. There is no significant difference in importance of this factor based on gender of consumers, however, we could prove moderate dependence on respondent’s occupation, education and age. We could also experience regional differences in levels of preferences of local products or products of Czech origin in regard of 14 regions of the Czech Republic. χ2 (N = 3767 = 245.25; p < 0.001. Value of Pearson’s coefficient of contingency is 0.334.

Spatial Heterogeneity of Typical Ecosystem Services and Their Relationships in Different Ecological–Functional Zones in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhen Xie

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Recognizing changes in ecosystem services (ES and their relationships is the basis of achieving sustainable regional development. Regional collaborative development has become the core strategy of the development of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH region. However, sub regions have different ecological changes and relationships. Here, we quantify and map ES, including water yield, sediment retention, carbon sequestration and grain productive capacity in 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015, using several biophysical models and explore the relationships of spatial correction, trade-offs and synergies among multiple ES in different spatial scales. Results across the four years show that the quality and variation tendency of ES from each region are spatially heterogeneous. The relationship between ES that are not significant in the entire region shows different correlations in individual ecological–functional zones. From the perspective of regional disparity, the effect of land use factor and correlative mechanisms among ES are analyzed. To observe the spatiotemporal variations and relationships of ES in individual regions, land use management policies are proposed on the basis of the results of the relationships among ES.

Regional differences in job satisfaction for mainland Chinese nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Hong; Zhang, Aihua; Hu, Jingchao; Zhang, Yaqing

2012-01-01

Although there is an abundance of research on nurses' job satisfaction, there is a paucity of publications on the regional differences that impact on nurses' job satisfaction. To compare the differences between northern and southern hospitals in Mainland China with respect to nurses' job satisfaction. A cross-sectional survey design was selected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t test, chi-square test, correlation, and linear regression. Nurses in northern hospitals were older, had higher educational levels yet received lower pay in comparison with their counterparts in the southern region. Despite these salary differences, those in the north consistently rated their job satisfaction greater in all areas except professional opportunities. Regional differences were related to nurses' job satisfaction. Potential contributing factors included philosophical, cultural, and economic differences between the 2 regions. The noteworthy regional differences that potentially related to nurse' job satisfaction should be investigated in future studies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Regional differences in self-reported HIV care and management in the EuroSIDA study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laut, Kamilla Grønborg; Mocroft, Amanda; Lazarus, Jeffrey

2014-01-01

INTRODUCTION: EuroSIDA has previously reported a poorer clinical prognosis for HIV-positive individuals in Eastern Europe (EE) as compared with patients from other parts of Europe, not solely explained by differences in patient characteristics. We explored regional variability in self-reported HIV...... management at individual EuroSIDA clinics, with a goal of identifying opportunities to reduce the apparent inequalities in health. METHODS: A survey (www.chip.dk/eurosida/csurvey) on HIV management was conducted in early 2014 in all currently active EuroSIDA clinics. Responders in EE were compared...... with clinics in all other EuroSIDA regions combined (non-EE). Characteristics were compared between regions using Fishers exact test. RESULTS: A total of 80/97 clinics responded (82.5%, 12/15 in EE, 68/82 in non-EE). Participating clinics reported seeing a total of 133,532 patients [a median of 1300 per clinic...

Numerical modeling of regional stress distributions for geothermal exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Guillon, Theophile; Peter-Borie, Mariane; Gentier, Sylvie; Blaisonneau, Arnold

2017-04-01

Any high-enthalpy unconventional geothermal projectcan be jeopardized by the uncertainty on the presence of the geothermal resource at depth. Indeed, for the majority of such projects the geothermal resource is deeply seated and, with the drilling costs increasing accordingly, must be located as precisely as possible to increase the chance of their economic viability. In order to reduce the "geological risk", i.e., the chance to poorly locate the geothermal resource, a maximum amount of information must be gathered prior to any drilling of exploration and/or operational well. Cross-interpretation from multiple disciplines (e.g., geophysics, hydrology, geomechanics …) should improve locating the geothermal resource and so the position of exploration wells ; this is the objective of the European project IMAGE (grant agreement No. 608553), under which the work presented here was carried out. As far as geomechanics is concerned, in situ stresses can have a great impact on the presence of a geothermal resource since they condition both the regime within the rock mass, and the state of the major fault zones (and hence, the possible flow paths). In this work, we propose a geomechanical model to assess the stress distribution at the regional scale (characteristic length of 100 kilometers). Since they have a substantial impact on the stress distributions and on the possible creation of regional flow paths, the major fault zones are explicitly taken into account. The Distinct Element Method is used, where the medium is modeled as fully deformable blocks representing the rock mass interacting through mechanically active joints depicting the fault zones. The first step of the study is to build the model geometry based on geological and geophysical evidences. Geophysical and structural geology results help positioning the major fault zones in the first place. Then, outcrop observations, structural models and site-specific geological knowledge give information on the fault

Exploring the patterns of acupuncture on mild cognitive impairment patients using regional homogeneity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenyu Liu

Full Text Available To investigate the different responses to acupuncture in MCI patients and age-matched healthy subjects reflected by the Regional Homogeneity (ReHo indices.The experiment was performed at the acupoint KI3 in 12 MCI patients and 12 healthy controls, respectively. A novel non-repeated event-related (NRER fMRI design paradigm was applied to separately detect neural activities related to different stages of acupuncture (pre-acupuncture resting state, needling manipulation and post-acupuncture resting state. ReHo values were calculated for MCI patients and healthy controls in pre- and post-acupuncture resting state. Then, a two-way ANCOVA with repeated measures with post-hoc two sample t-tests was performed to explore the different responses to acupuncture in the two groups.The ANCOVA revealed a significant main effect of group, but no significant main effect of acupuncture and interactions between group and acupuncture. During the pre-acupuncture resting state, ReHo values increased in the precentral gyrus (PCG, superior frontal gyrus (SFG, and insula (INS and decreased mainly in middle temporal gyrus (MTG, parahippocampal (PHIP and cingulate cortex in MCI patients compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, we found that the regions including precuneus (PCUN, and cingulate cortex showed increased ReHo values for MCI patients following acupuncture. For healthy controls, the medial frontal gyrus, PCG, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC and INS showed enhanced ReHo values following acupuncture. During the post-acupuncture resting state, MCI patients showed increased ReHo values mainly in the MTG, superior parietal lobule (SPL, middle frontal gyrus (MFG, supramarginal (SMG, and PCG, and decreased ReHo values mainly in the frontal regions, PHIP, and posterior cingulated cortex (PCC compared to healthy controls.Though we found some ReHo changes between MCI patients and healthy controls, the two-way ANCOVA results showed no significant effects after multiple

Microshear bonding effectiveness of different dentin regions

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Anelise F Montagner

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the influence of dentin surfaces with different tubule orientation on bond strength of a multimode adhesive system. Materials and Methods: Twenty human molars were selected and prepared in different ways in order to produce different dentin regions. The teeth were randomized (n = 5 according to the application modes of a multimode adhesive system (etch-and-rinse and self-etching and to the dentin region (occlusal and proximal - 1.5 mm depth from dentinoenamel junction. Cylindrical restorations were performed on dentin with a starch tube. The samples remained immersed in distilled water for 24 h and the microshear bond strength (μSBS test was performed. The μSBS values were expressed in MPa and analyzed with ANOVA and Tukey′s test (P < 0.05. Results: There was no significant difference in the bond strength values between the application modes of the adhesive system (P = 0.19; however, the dentin regions (P < 0.05 significantly affected the μSBS. The proximal dentin presented higher bond strength values than occlusal dentin. Conclusion: The dentin surfaces with different tubule orientation influenced the bonding effectiveness of the adhesive system tested.

Regional exploration of pulmonary function using xenon 133. Value of the gamma camera connected to a computer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moyses, B; Gerard, G; Methlin, G [Centre Paul-Strauss, 67 - Strasbourg (France); Weitzenblum, E [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, 67 - Strasbourg (France)

1978-06-17

Regional isotopic exploration of ventilation and pulmonary perfusion is not yet widely applied in clinical practice, by virtue of the complexity of the equipment required, but also because of the complicated and lengthy analysis of the results. In this respect, connection of the scintillation camera to a computer represents a major advance which other authors have already emphasized. Our own experience in this area and our method of exploration in a group of 43 cases of chronic obstructive lung disease (33 patients of the chronic bronchitis type, 10 patients with emphysema) are analysed and discussed. The results indicate the following: in chronic bronchitis, a very marked fall in ventilation of the bases with inversion of the normal vertical ventilation gradient, and a fall in the ventilation/perfusion ratio of the bases; in emphysema, a fall in ventilation, but also and above all in regional perfusion of all territories with preservation of normal or even increased regional ventilation/perfusion ratios. Regional exploration may also be of value in the detection of early stages of obstructive lung disease, and in pre-operative assessment in thoracic surgery.

Major Thought Restructuring: The Roles of Different Prefrontal Cortical Regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Seyed-Allaei, Shima; Avanaki, Zahra Nasiri; Bahrami, Bahador; Shallice, Tim

2017-07-01

An important question for understanding the neural basis of problem solving is whether the regions of human prefrontal cortices play qualitatively different roles in the major cognitive restructuring required to solve difficult problems. However, investigating this question using neuroimaging faces a major dilemma: either the problems do not require major cognitive restructuring, or if they do, the restructuring typically happens once, rendering repeated measurements of the critical mental process impossible. To circumvent these problems, young adult participants were challenged with a one-dimensional Subtraction (or Nim) problem [Bouton, C. L. Nim, a game with a complete mathematical theory. The Annals of Mathematics, 3, 35-39, 1901] that can be tackled using two possible strategies. One, often used initially, is effortful, slow, and error-prone, whereas the abstract solution, once achieved, is easier, quicker, and more accurate. Behaviorally, success was strongly correlated with sex. Using voxel-based morphometry analysis controlling for sex, we found that participants who found the more abstract strategy (i.e., Solvers) had more gray matter volume in the anterior medial, ventrolateral prefrontal, and parietal cortices compared with those who never switched from the initial effortful strategy (i.e., Explorers). Removing the sex covariate showed higher gray matter volume in Solvers (vs. Explorers) in the right ventrolateral prefrontal and left parietal cortex.

Play-fairway analysis for geothermal resources and exploration risk in the Modoc Plateau region

Science.gov (United States)

Siler, Drew; Zhang, Yingqi; Spycher, Nicolas F.; Dobson, Patrick; McClain, James S.; Gasperikova, Erika; Zierenberg, Robert A.; Schiffman, Peter; Ferguson, Colin; Fowler, Andrew; Cantwell, Carolyn

2017-01-01

The region surrounding the Modoc Plateau, encompassing parts of northeastern California, southern Oregon, and northwestern Nevada, lies at an intersection between two tectonic provinces; the Basin and Range province and the Cascade volcanic arc. Both of these provinces have substantial geothermal resource base and resource potential. Geothermal systems with evidence of magmatic heat, associated with Cascade arc magmatism, typify the western side of the region. Systems on the eastern side of the region appear to be fault controlled with heat derived from high crustal heat flow, both of which are typical of the Basin and Range. As it has the potential to host Cascade arc-type geothermal resources, Basin and Range-type geothermal resources, and/or resources with characteristics of both provinces, and because there is relatively little current development, the Modoc Plateau region represents an intriguing potential for undiscovered geothermal resources. It remains unclear however, what specific set(s) of characteristics are diagnostic of Modoc-type geothermal systems and how or if those characteristics are distinct from Basin and Range-type or Cascade arc-type geothermal systems. In order to evaluate the potential for undiscovered geothermal resources in the Modoc area, we integrate a wide variety of existing data in order to evaluate geothermal resource potential and exploration risk utilizing ‘play-fairway’ analysis. We consider that the requisite parameters for hydrothermal circulation are: 1) heat that is sufficient to drive circulation, and 2) permeability that is sufficient to allow for fluid circulation in the subsurface. We synthesize data that indicate the extent and distribution of these parameters throughout the Modoc region. ‘Fuzzy logic’ is used to incorporate expert opinion into the utility of each dataset as an indicator of either heat or permeability, and thus geothermal favorability. The results identify several geothermal prospects, areas that

Regional differences in the potential exposure of US minority populations to hazardous facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nieves, L.A. (Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)); Nieves, A.L. (Wheaton Coll., Wheaton, IL (United States) Argonne National Lab., IL (United States))

1992-01-01

In the literature that examines the distribution of environmental disamenities of various types, there is considerable documentation that minority groups and lower income groups are more likely to be exposed. Such differential exposure has been attributed to environmental racism'' by some authors, but there has been no systematic investigation of the factors and dynamics underlying this exposure pattern. This study examines regional differences in the proximity of African-American, Hispanics, Asians, and non-Hispanic Whites to a broad range facility types and explores the degree to which this may be related to urban and income factors.

Sex differences in the course of schizophrenia across diverse regions of the world

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Novick D

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Diego Novick,1 William Montgomery,2 Tamas Treuer,3 Maria Victoria Moneta,4 Josep Maria Haro4 1Eli Lilly and Company, Windlesham, Surrey, UK; 2Eli Lilly Australia Pty Ltd, West Ryde, NSW, Australia; 3Eli Lilly and Company, Neuroscience Research, Budapest, Hungary; 4Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Abstract: This study explores sex differences in the outcomes of patients with schizophrenia (clinical/functional remission and recovery across diverse regions of the world (Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, East Asia, and North Africa and the Middle East. Data (n=16,380 for this post hoc analysis were taken from the World-Schizophrenia Health Outcomes Study. In most regions, females had a later age at first service contact for schizophrenia, a lower level of overall/negative symptom severity, lower rates of alcohol/substance abuse and paid employment, and higher percentages of having a spouse/partner and independent living. Overall, females had slightly higher rates of clinical remission (58.0% vs 51.8%, functional remission (22.8% vs 16.0%, and recovery (16.5% vs 16.0% at 36 months (P<0.001 for all. This pattern was consistently observed in Southern Europe and Northern Europe even after controlling for baseline sex differences, but not in other regions. In Central and Eastern Europe, rates of clinical remission were higher in females at 36 months, but those of functional remission and recovery were similar between males and females. The opposite was observed for Latin America. In East Asia, sex differences were rarely observed for these outcomes. Finally, in North Africa and the Middle East, sex differences in these outcomes were pronounced only in regression analyses. These regional variations shed light on the importance of psychosocial and cultural factors and their effects on sex in the prognosis of schizophrenia. Keywords: sex, remission, recovery

Exploration Review

Science.gov (United States)

Wilburn, D.R.; Stanley, K.A.

2013-01-01

This summary of international mineral exploration activities for 2012 draws upon information from industry sources, published literature and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) specialists. The summary provides data on exploration budgets by region and mineral commodity, identifies significant mineral discoveries and areas of mineral exploration, discusses government programs affecting the mineral exploration industry and presents analyses of exploration activities performed by the mineral industry. Three sources of information are reported and analyzed in this annual review of international exploration for 2012: 1) budgetary statistics expressed in U.S. nominal dollars provided by SNL Metals Economics Group (MEG) of Halifax, Nova Scotia; 2) regional and site-specific exploration activities that took place in 2012 as compiled by the USGS and 3) regional events including economic, social and political conditions that affected exploration activities, which were derived from published sources and unpublished discussions with USGS and industry specialists.

Different visual exploration of tool-related gestures in left hemisphere brain damaged patients is associated with poor gestural imitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanbellingen, Tim; Schumacher, Rahel; Eggenberger, Noëmi; Hopfner, Simone; Cazzoli, Dario; Preisig, Basil C; Bertschi, Manuel; Nyffeler, Thomas; Gutbrod, Klemens; Bassetti, Claudio L; Bohlhalter, Stephan; Müri, René M

2015-05-01

According to the direct matching hypothesis, perceived movements automatically activate existing motor components through matching of the perceived gesture and its execution. The aim of the present study was to test the direct matching hypothesis by assessing whether visual exploration behavior correlate with deficits in gestural imitation in left hemisphere damaged (LHD) patients. Eighteen LHD patients and twenty healthy control subjects took part in the study. Gesture imitation performance was measured by the test for upper limb apraxia (TULIA). Visual exploration behavior was measured by an infrared eye-tracking system. Short videos including forty gestures (20 meaningless and 20 communicative gestures) were presented. Cumulative fixation duration was measured in different regions of interest (ROIs), namely the face, the gesturing hand, the body, and the surrounding environment. Compared to healthy subjects, patients fixated significantly less the ROIs comprising the face and the gesturing hand during the exploration of emblematic and tool-related gestures. Moreover, visual exploration of tool-related gestures significantly correlated with tool-related imitation as measured by TULIA in LHD patients. Patients and controls did not differ in the visual exploration of meaningless gestures, and no significant relationships were found between visual exploration behavior and the imitation of emblematic and meaningless gestures in TULIA. The present study thus suggests that altered visual exploration may lead to disturbed imitation of tool related gestures, however not of emblematic and meaningless gestures. Consequently, our findings partially support the direct matching hypothesis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer Observations of the Evolution of Massive Star-forming Regions

OpenAIRE

Koenig, X. P.; Leisawitz, D. T.; Benford, D. J.; Rebull, L. M.; Padgett, D. L.; Assef, R. J.

2012-01-01

We present the results of a mid-infrared survey of 11 outer Galaxy massive star-forming regions and 3 open clusters with data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Using a newly developed photometric scheme to identify young stellar objects and exclude extragalactic contamination, we have studied the distribution of young stars within each region. These data tend to support the hypothesis that latter generations may be triggered by the interaction of winds and radiation from th...

The Cognitive Differences According to Regionality and Mathematical Minds

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Inchan; Igarashi, Hiroya; Yamanaka, Toshimasa

The purpose of this research is to explore factors that create cognitive diversity. We studied two different ways of recognizing images in our preliminary experiment: attribute-oriented thoughts and relationship-oriented thoughts. We examined whether we could observe the divergences in recognition processes between Asian and European cultures. From the result, we found that European (Dutch and British) subjects had stronger tendencies in attribute-oriented thoughts than the Korean subjects. However, in spite of their regional similarity, the Japanese subjects had greater tendencies in attribute-oriented thoughts than Korean subjects when comparing two Asian countries. This result made us question if there would be any other factors that could create the cognitive differences. Through the consideration of the participants' educational background, we found a possibility that the mathematical thoughts of the European and Japanese subjects were greater than the Korean subjects. Furthermore, in our subsequent study, we discovered that mathematical minds (skill and interest) effected on creating attribute-oriented thoughts as factors. We found the interesting discovery of the Japanese male participants, who had different cognitive tendencies with their mathematical skills and interests; the male subjects who had high-leveled mathematical skills, and who liked mathematics showed stronger tendencies of Attribute-oriented thoughts than those who did not. Based on the result, a possibility was suggested that the Japanese males' strong mathematical minds might be one of the factors that create the cognitive difference between Japanese and Korean subjects in the preliminary experiment.

The regional exploration of pulmonary function using xenon 133. Value of the gamma camera connected to a computer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moyses, B.; Gerard, G.; Methlin, G.; Weitzenblum, E.

1978-01-01

Regional isotopic exploration of ventilation and pulmonary perfusion is not yet widely applied in clinical practice, by virtue of the complexity of the equipment required, but also because of the complicated and lengthy analysis of the results. In this respect, connection of the scintillation camera to a computer represents a major advance which other authors have already emphasized. Our own experience in this area and our method of exploration in a group of 43 cases of chronic obstructive lung disease (33 patients of the chronic bronchitis type, 10 patients with emphysema) are analysed and discussed. The results indicate the following: in chronic bronchitis, a very marked fall in ventilation of the bases with inversion of the normal vertical ventilation gradient, and a fall in the ventilation/perfusion ratio of the bases; in emphysema, a fall in ventilation, but also and above all in regional perfusion of all territories with preservation of normal or even increased regional ventilation/perfusion ratios. Regional exploration may also be of value in the detection of early stages of obstructive lung disease, and in pre-operative assessment in thoracic surgery [fr

Temporal stability of novelty exploration in mice exposed to different open field tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalueff, Allan V; Keisala, Tiina; Minasyan, Anna; Kuuslahti, Marianne; Tuohimaa, Pentti

2006-03-01

We investigated behavioural activity and temporal distribution (patterning) of mouse exploration in different open field (OF) arenas. Mice of 129S1 (S1) strain were subjected in parallel to three different OF arenas (Experiment 1), two different OF arenas in two trials (Experiment 2) or two trials of the same OF test (Experiment 3). Overall, mice demonstrated a high degree of similarity in the temporal profile of novelty-induced horizontal and vertical exploration (regardless of the size, colour and shape of the OF), which remained stable in subsequent OF exposures. In Experiments 4 and 5, we tested F1 hybrid mice (BALB/c-S1; NMRI-S1), and Vitamin D receptor knockout mice (generated on S1 genetic background), again showing strikingly similar temporal patterns of their OF exploration, despite marked behavioural strain differences in anxiety and activity. These results suggest that mice are characterised by stability of temporal organization of their exploration in different OF novelty situations.

NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration: EM302 Multibeam Survey of the Sangihe-Talaud Region, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Lobecker, M.; Malik, M.; Johnson, J. E.; Boettcher, M. S.

2010-12-01

The NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer has just completed a successful 2010 field season, including its first partnership-building mission to Indonesia, INDEX-SATAL 2010 (Indonesia Exploration Sangihe-Talaud region). The mission was part of President Obama’s initiative to build science and technology partnerships with Muslim nations. The Okeanos Explorer is equipped with progressive technology, including a Kongsberg EM302 (30 kHz) multibeam system with bottom backscatter and water column backscatter data collection capabilities. The mapping in the Sangihe-Talaud region of the Celebes Sea produced over 31,000 square kilometers of high resolution data, ranging in depth from 244 meters to more than 7000 meters. The mapped regions include the majority of the western side of the central Sangihe volcanic arc and a narrow transect across the arc in the south. A ~350 km long transect across the northern end of the central Sangihe arc was also mapped, north of the Talaud Islands, and extends eastward across the Sangihe Basin and Molucca Trench to the Philippine Trench. A recent synthesis of deep marine data by Pubellier et al. (2005)1 documents numerous active and inactive subduction zones of opposite polarity in this narrow region. The high resolution bathymetry reveals new details of the seafloor morphology in this complex tectonic regime. At least five seamounts were mapped, including an unknown 1500 meter high seamount and the volcano Kawio Barat, which rises approximately 3500 meters from the seafloor and is the site of white smokers and surprisingly dense and diverse deepwater biological communities. Several additional features were observed, including submarine channels, fans, debris aprons with blocks up to 800 meters in diameter, accretionary ridges and basins, trenches, and some flat topped seamounts. These well-defined features are consistent with the complex interactions between arc development, mass wasting, and subduction. These data provide new opportunities for

Behavior of bowhead whales of the Davis Strait and Bering/Beaufort stocks versus regional differences in human activities. Final report on Phase 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, G.W.; Davis, R.A.; Richardson, W.J.

1991-07-01

The objectives were to determine (1) whether there are differences in behavior between the Bering/Chukchi/Beaufort and the Davis Strait/Baffin Bay populations and (2), if so, whether the differences might be attributable to the long-term cumulative effects of exposure to the presumed greater amount of human activity in the former area. Phase 1 showed that there are some differences in behavior. The Phase 2 report documents the relative amounts of human activity in the two areas in 1974-86, and evaluates whether regional differences in whale behavior and in human activities may be related. Activities considered include bowhead hunting and other subsistence activities, commercial fishing and shipping, marine seismic exploration, offshore oil exploration, and low-level aircraft flights. Bering/Beaufort bowheads were subjected to at least 3-5 times as much human activity in 1974-86. Most differences in behavior between the two stocks were better explained by environmental or biological factors than by disturbance. However, for bowheads migrating in autumn, regional differences in behavior may be related to the whaling that occurs in the Beaufort Sea in autumn

Open Innovation, Triple Helix and Regional Innovation Systems: Exploring CATAPULT Centres in the UK

Science.gov (United States)

Kerry, Christopher; Danson, Michael

2016-01-01

Through the lens of UK CATAPULT Centres this conceptual paper presents an examination of the links between open innovation, the Triple Helix model and regional innovation systems. Highlighting the importance of boundary-spanning intermediaries, the combined role of these concepts is explored in detail. A conceptual model is then proposed which…

Regional differences in Dutch maternal mortality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Graaf, J.P.; Schutte, J.M.; Poeran, J.J.; van Roosmalen, J.; Bonsel, G.J.; Steegers, E.A.P.

2012-01-01

Objective To study regional differences in maternal mortality in the Netherlands. Design Confidential inquiry into the causes of maternal mortality. Setting Nationwide. Population A total of 3 108 235 live births and 337 maternal deaths. Methods Data analysis of all maternal deaths in the period

Determinants of regional differences in lung cancer mortality in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.E. Kunst (Anton); C.W.N. Looman (Caspar); J.P. Mackenbach (Johan)

1993-01-01

textabstractAlthough regional differences in lung cancer mortality are likely to be attributable to regional differences in tobacco smoking, studies in various countries found only weak relationships. This paper aimed at explaining regional differences in lung cancer mortality in the

Consistency in boldness, activity and exploration at different stages of life

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Animals show consistent individual behavioural patterns over time and over situations. This phenomenon has been referred to as animal personality or behavioural syndromes. Little is known about consistency of animal personalities over entire life times. We investigated the repeatability of behaviour in common voles (Microtus arvalis) at different life stages, with different time intervals, and in different situations. Animals were tested using four behavioural tests in three experimental groups: 1. before and after maturation over three months, 2. twice as adults during one week, and 3. twice as adult animals over three months, which resembles a substantial part of their entire adult life span of several months. Results Different behaviours were correlated within and between tests and a cluster analysis showed three possible behavioural syndrome-axes, which we name boldness, exploration and activity. Activity and exploration behaviour in all tests was highly repeatable in adult animals tested over one week. In animals tested over maturation, exploration behaviour was consistent whereas activity was not. Voles that were tested as adults with a three-month interval showed the opposite pattern with stable activity but unstable exploration behaviour. Conclusions The consistency in behaviour over time suggests that common voles do express stable personality over short time. Over longer periods however, behaviour is more flexible and depending on life stage (i.e. tested before/after maturation or as adults) of the tested individual. Level of boldness or activity does not differ between tested groups and maintenance of variation in behavioural traits can therefore not be explained by expected future assets as reported in other studies. PMID:24314274

Exploring Effects of Different Roles on Using an E-learning Service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang H.J.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to explore effects of different roles on learning satisfaction. For better hosting a e-learning service, there is a need to understand user’s satisfaction of the learning service. Data was collected from an on-line learning system. Based upon course learning activities, each course was assign to a certain role for the learner. There are six types of learning role from all course. 1 Reporter, 2 Listener, 3 Researcher, 4 Reporting Listener, 5 Reporting Researcher, 6 Report Listen Researcher; One-way ANOVA procedure was applied to exploring whether the role difference affects users satisfaction. According to the significant level less than .05, it was concluded that learning satisfaction of different roles are significant different. On the other word, learning roles affect users’ learning satisfaction.

An Interdisciplinary Exploration of the Mariana Region with the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer: Scientific Highlights from the April-July 2016 Expedition

Science.gov (United States)

Glickson, D.; Amon, D.; Pomponi, S. A.; Fryer, P. B.; Elliott, K.; Lobecker, E.; Cantwell, K. L.; Kelley, C.

2016-12-01

From April to July 2016, an interdisciplinary team of ship-based and shore-based scientists investigated the biology and geology of the Marianas region as part of the 3-year NOAA Campaign to Address the Pacific monument Science, Technology, and Ocean NEeds (CAPSTONE) using the telepresence-enabled NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer. The focus of the expedition was on the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument and the waters of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. A variety of habitats were explored, including deep-sea coral and sponge communities, bottom fisheries, mud volcanoes, hydrothermal vents, Prime Crust Zone seamounts, and the Trench subduction zone. The expedition successfully collected baseline information at 41 sites at depths from 240 to 6,000 m. High-resolution imagery was obtained along the dive tracks, both in the water column and on the seafloor. Over 130 biological and geologic samples were collected. Many of the organisms documented are likely to be new species or new records of occurrence, and dozens of observations were the first ever collected in situ. Almost 74,000 square kilometers of seafloor were mapped, greatly improving both coverage and resolution in the region. New geologic features were mapped and explored, including ridges and new lava flow fields. Public engagement was substantial, with over 3.1 million total views of the live streaming video/audio feeds. The telepresence paradigm was tested rigorously, with active participation from 100 scientists in five countries and at least nine time zones. The shore-based team provided strong scientific expertise, complementing and expanding the knowledge of the ship-based science leads.

Determinants of regional differences in lung cancer mortality in The Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kunst, A. E.; Looman, C. W.; Mackenbach, J. P.

1993-01-01

Although regional differences in lung cancer mortality are likely to be attributable to regional differences in tobacco smoking, studies in various countries found only weak relationships. This paper aimed at explaining regional differences in lung cancer mortality in the Netherlands. In a first

Internal migration and regional differences of population aging: An empirical study of 287 cities in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Rong; Xu, Ping; Li, Fen; Song, Peipei

2018-04-02

In addition to birth and death, migration is also an important factor that determines the level of population aging in different regions, especially under the current context of low fertility and low mortality in China. Drawing upon data from the fifth and sixth national population census of 287 prefecture-level cities in China, this study explored the spatial patterns of population aging and its trends from 2000 to 2010 in China. We further examined how the large-scale internal migration was related to the spatial differences and the changes of aging by using multivariate quantitative models. Findings showed that the percentage of elder cities (i.e. proportion of individuals aged 65 and above to total population is higher than 7%) increased from 50% to 90% in the total 287 cities within the decade. We also found that regional imbalances of population aging have changed since 2000 in China. The gap of aging level between East zone and the other three zones (i.e. West, Central, and North-east) has considerably narrowed down. In 2000, Eastern region had the greatest number (65) of and the largest proportion (74.7%) of elder cities among all four regions. By 2010, the proportion (87.4%) of elder cities in the eastern region was slightly lower than Central (91.4%), Western (88.2%) and North-east sectors (91.2%). Results from multivariate quantitative models showed that the regional differences of population aging appear to be affected much more by the large-scale internal migration with clear age selectivity and orientation preference than by the impact of fertility and mortality. Population aging is expected to continue in China, which will in turn exacerbate regional imbalances. Policies and implications are discussed to face the challenges that the divergent aging population may present in China.

Regional differences of the urinary proteomes in healthy Chinese individuals

OpenAIRE

Qin, Weiwei; Wu, Jianqiang; Pan, Li; Zhang, Fanshuang; Wang, Xiaorong; Zhang, Biao; Shan, Guangliang; Gao, Youhe

2017-01-01

Urine is a promising biomarker source for clinical proteomics studies. Although regional physiological differences are common in multi-center clinical studies, the presence of significant differences in the urinary proteomes of individuals from different regions remains unknown. In this study, morning urine samples were collected from healthy urban residents in three regions of China and urinary proteins were preserved using a membrane-based method (Urimem). The urine proteomes of 27 normal s...

Regional differences in waiting time to pregnancy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juul, Svend; Karmaus, W; Olsen, Jørn

1999-01-01

of the pregnancies were planned (64%) and approximately 14% were the result of contraceptive failures. The study shows that smoking, body mass index, age and parity did not explain the differences in fecundity found between the centres. Regional differences in fecundity exist and the causes may be genetic or due...

Regional Differences in Communication Process and Outcomes of Requests for Solid Organ Donation.

Science.gov (United States)

Traino, H M; Molisani, A J; Siminoff, L A

2017-06-01

Although federal mandate prohibits the allocation of solid organs for transplantation based on "accidents of geography," geographic variation of transplantable organs is well documented. This study explores regional differences in communication in requests for organ donation. Administrative data from nine partnering organ procurement organizations and interview data from 1339 family decision makers (FDMs) were compared across eight geographically distinct US donor service areas (DSAs). Authorization for organ donation ranged from 60.4% to 98.1% across DSAs. FDMs from the three regions with the lowest authorization rates reported the lowest levels of satisfaction with the time spent discussing donation and with the request process, discussion of the least donation-related topics, the highest levels of pressure to donate, and the least comfort with the donation decision. Organ procurement organization region predicted authorization (odds ratios ranged from 8.14 to 0.24), as did time spent discussing donation (OR = 2.11), the number of donation-related topics discussed (OR = 1.14), and requesters' communication skill (OR = 1.14). Standardized training for organ donation request staff is needed to ensure the highest quality communication during requests, optimize rates of family authorization to donation in all regions, and increase the supply of organs available for transplantation. © 2016 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

The implications of cross-regional differences for the design of In-vehicle Information Systems: a comparison of Australian and Chinese drivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Kristie L; Rudin-Brown, Christina M; Lenné, Michael G; Williamson, Amy R

2012-05-01

The increasing global distribution of automobiles necessitates that the design of In-vehicle Information Systems (IVIS) is appropriate for the regions to which they are being exported. Differences between regions such as culture, environment and traffic context can influence the needs, usability and acceptance of IVIS. This paper describes two studies aimed at identifying regional differences in IVIS design needs and preferences across drivers from Australia and China to determine the impact of any differences on IVIS design. Using a questionnaire and interaction clinics, the influence of cultural values and driving patterns on drivers' preferences for, and comprehension of, surface- and interaction-level aspects of IVIS interfaces was explored. Similarities and differences were found between the two regional groups in terms of preferences for IVIS input control types and labels and in the comprehension of IVIS functions. Specifically, Chinese drivers preferred symbols and Chinese characters over English words and were less successful (compared to Australians) at comprehending English abbreviations, particularly for complex IVIS functions. Implications in terms of the current trend to introduce Western-styled interfaces into other regions with little or no adaptation are discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Energy conservation programs of Pemex exploration and production, south region; Programas de ahorro de energia en Pemex exploracion y produccion, region sur

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalez Milla, Guillermo; Garcia Juarez, Francisco; Alarcon Aleman, Jose Mauricio [Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, Cuernavaca (Mexico)

1999-12-31

The technological developments of energy economizing equipment constitute a powerful tool for the conservation and saving of the electric energy in new or existing installations. Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) Exploration and Production initiated in 1997 a program for energy economizing in the South region, for which the Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, through its Unit for the Use of Energy, collaborated performing energy assessments in 115 buildings of the above mentioned region. This paper describes the employed methodology to carry on the energy assessment, which consisted in an analysis of each building and different options for energy economizing were presented, which was accompanied with cost-benefit studies. The results obtained show that the air conditioning equipment and lighting represent the most important loads permanently connected, therefore the study was concentrated in these two loads [Espanol] Los desarrollos tecnologicos de equipos ahorradores de energia constituyen una poderosa herramienta para la conservacion y el ahorro de energia electrica en instalaciones nuevas o existentes. Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) Exploracion y Produccion inicio en 1997 un programa para el ahorro de energia en la region sur, para lo cual el Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, a traves de la Unidad de Uso de Energia, colaboro realizando diagnosticos energeticos en 115 edificios de dicha region. En este documento se describe la metodologia utilizada para realizar el diagnostico energetico, el cual consistio en un analisis de cada edificio y se presentaron diversas opciones para ahorrar energia, lo cual se acompano de estudios de costo-beneficio. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que los equipos de aire acondicionado e iluminacion representan la parte mas importante de las cargas conectadas permanentemente, por lo que el estudio se concentro en estas dos cargas

Energy conservation programs of Pemex exploration and production, south region; Programas de ahorro de energia en Pemex exploracion y produccion, region sur

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalez Milla, Guillermo; Garcia Juarez, Francisco; Alarcon Aleman, Jose Mauricio [Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, Cuernavaca (Mexico)

1998-12-31

The technological developments of energy economizing equipment constitute a powerful tool for the conservation and saving of the electric energy in new or existing installations. Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) Exploration and Production initiated in 1997 a program for energy economizing in the South region, for which the Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, through its Unit for the Use of Energy, collaborated performing energy assessments in 115 buildings of the above mentioned region. This paper describes the employed methodology to carry on the energy assessment, which consisted in an analysis of each building and different options for energy economizing were presented, which was accompanied with cost-benefit studies. The results obtained show that the air conditioning equipment and lighting represent the most important loads permanently connected, therefore the study was concentrated in these two loads [Espanol] Los desarrollos tecnologicos de equipos ahorradores de energia constituyen una poderosa herramienta para la conservacion y el ahorro de energia electrica en instalaciones nuevas o existentes. Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) Exploracion y Produccion inicio en 1997 un programa para el ahorro de energia en la region sur, para lo cual el Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, a traves de la Unidad de Uso de Energia, colaboro realizando diagnosticos energeticos en 115 edificios de dicha region. En este documento se describe la metodologia utilizada para realizar el diagnostico energetico, el cual consistio en un analisis de cada edificio y se presentaron diversas opciones para ahorrar energia, lo cual se acompano de estudios de costo-beneficio. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que los equipos de aire acondicionado e iluminacion representan la parte mas importante de las cargas conectadas permanentemente, por lo que el estudio se concentro en estas dos cargas

Classification and multivariate analysis of differences in gross primary production at different elevations using biome-bgc in the páramos, ecuadorian andean region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veronica Minaya

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Gross primary production (GPP in climate change studies with multi- species and elevation variables are difficult to measure and simulate. Models tend to provide a representation of dynamic process through long-term analysis by using generalized parameterizations. Even, current approaches of modelling do not contemplate easily the variation of GPP at different elevations for different vegetation types in regions like páramos, mainly due to data unavailability. In these models information from cells is commonly averaged, and therefore average elevation, ecophysiology of vegetation, as well as other parameters is generalized. The vegetation model BIOME- BGC was applied to the Ecuadorian Andean region for elevations greater than 4000 masl with the presence of typical vegetation of páramo for 10 years of simulation (period 2000-2009. An estimation of the difference of GPP obtained using a generalized altitude and predominant type of vegetation could lead to a better estimation of the uncertainty in the magnitude of the errors in global climate models. This research explores GPP from 3 different altitudes and 3 vegetation types against 2 main climate drivers (Short Wave Radiation and Vapor Pressure Deficit. Since it is important to measure the possible errors or difference in the use of averaged meteorological and ecophysiological data, here we present a multivariate analysis of the dynamic difference of GPP in time, relative to an altitude and type of vegetation. A copula multivariable model allows us to identify and classify the changes in GPP per type of vegetation and altitude. The Frank copula model of joint distributions was our best fit between GPP and climate drivers and it allowed us to understand better the dependency of the variables. These results can explore extreme situations where averaged simplified approaches could mislead. The change of GPP over time is essential for future climate scenarios of the ecosystem storage and release

Regional Personality Differences in Great Britain

Science.gov (United States)

Rentfrow, Peter J.; Jokela, Markus; Lamb, Michael E.

2015-01-01

Recent investigations indicate that personality traits are unevenly distributed geographically, with some traits being more prevalent in certain places than in others. The geographical distributions of personality traits are associated with a range of important political, economic, social, and health outcomes. The majority of research on this subject has focused on the geographical distributions and macro-level correlates of personality across nations or regions of the United States. The aim of the present investigation was to replicate and extend that past work by examining regional personality differences in Great Britain. Using a sample of nearly 400,000 British residents, we mapped the geographical distributions of the Big Five Personality traits across 380 Local Authority Districts and examined the associations with important political, economic, social, and health outcomes. The results revealed distinct geographical clusters, with neighboring regions displaying similar personality characteristics, and robust associations with the macro-level outcome variables. Overall, the patterns of results were similar to findings from past research. PMID:25803819

Exploring Regional Variation in Roost Selection by Bats: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

François Fabianek

Full Text Available Tree diameter, tree height and canopy closure have been described by previous meta-analyses as being important characteristics in roost selection by cavity-roosting bats. However, size and direction of effects for these characteristics varied greatly among studies, also referred to as heterogeneity. Potential sources of heterogeneity have not been investigated in previous meta-analyses, which are explored by correlating additional covariates (moderator variables. We tested whether effect sizes from 34 studies were consistent enough to reject the null hypothesis that trees selected by bats did not significantly differ in their characteristics from randomly selected trees. We also examined whether heterogeneity in tree diameter effect sizes was correlated to moderator variables such as sex, bat species, habitat type, elevation and mean summer temperature.We used Hedges' g standardized mean difference as the effect size for the most common characteristics that were encountered in the literature. We estimated heterogeneity indices, potential publication bias, and spatial autocorrelation of our meta-data. We relied upon meta-regression and multi-model inference approaches to evaluate the effects of moderator variables on heterogeneity in tree diameter effect sizes.Tree diameter, tree height, snag density, elevation, and canopy closure were significant characteristics of roost selection by cavity-roosting bats. Size and direction of effects varied greatly among studies with respect to distance to water, tree density, slope, and bark remaining on trunks. Inclusion of mean summer temperature and sex in meta-regressions further explained heterogeneity in tree diameter effect sizes.Regional differences in roost selection for tree diameter were related to mean summer temperature. Large diameter trees play a central role in roost selection by bats, especially in colder regions, where they are likely to provide a warm and stable microclimate for reproductive

Multibeam Mapping and Remotely Operated Vehicle Exploration of the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Region

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, D. F.; Ten Brink, U. S.; Armstrong, R.; Chaytor, J. D.; Demopoulos, A. W.

2013-12-01

During October 2013, an ocean exploration project took place off the coast of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. This project, a collaborative effort between the Ocean Exploration Trust, the US Geological Survey, the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, the University of Rhode Island, and NOAA, was aimed at exploring regions of the US exclusive economic zone (EEZ) south of the Puerto Rico Trench axis, and north of Mona Island, Puerto Rico, and the US and British Virgin Islands, and portions of the Anegada Passage. The research vessel E/V Nautilus and the Hercules/Argus ROV system were used to expand the multibeam sonar bathymetric data coverage of the region, collect high definition video footage of seafloor features, and to collect biological and geological samples along selected transects. Particular areas of interest for targeted ROV dives included: the region where a large M7.2 1918 earthquake produced a tsunami that struck northwestern corner of Puerto Rico; a transect up the vertical wall of the Mona Rift (4000 to 1500 m depth); transects along the Septentrional fault system; dives in areas of suspected fluid flow through faults, fissures, and offshore Karst systems associated with the tilted carbonate platform north of Puerto Rico; dives in the Anegada Passage at the entry points for surface Atlantic waters that circulate into the Caribbean; and in regions to investigate and date sedimentary features offset by fault motion and potential tsunamigenic landslides. Biological sampling of many deep-sea benthic organisms (including deep water corals) have never been attempted before in this area. These samples are being used to understand more about the diversity, population dynamics, genetics, and habitat connectivity of these communities, and to provide an age constraint for disturbed sedimentary features. Until this cruise, the location and distribution of deep coral habitats in the US Caribbean was largely unknown. The available information on benthic

Lichens as indicators of the atmosphere state in the oil exploration district of Tomsk Region

Science.gov (United States)

Bolshunova, Tatiana; Ivan, Podkozlin

2013-04-01

Lichens are widespread in the vegetative cover of West Siberia, particularly in the north. They play an important role in the migration and transformation of chemical pollutants. Lichens lack waxy cuticles and are largely dependent on the atmosphere for their water and nutrient uptake. Lichens are not only studied and used as indicators, but also as accumulators, e.g. for trace and heavy metals. In fact, lichens are known for their ability to accumulate airborne substances to concentrations far greater those in the atmosphere, and the element contents of lichen thalli proved to be directly correlated with environmental levels. Monitoring of the atmosphere pollution using lichens is more efficient than that using snow cover. Because of the long lichen life it is possible to obtain persistent mean characteristics of the ecosystems state. Epiphytic lichens, growing on tree stems are more appropriate to use than that which grow on soil. Epiphytic lichens are more sensitive to changes of the chemical composition of the atmosphere. Pollutants penetrate in the lichen thalli from the atmosphere together with precipitations and dust. Moreover the precipitations are saturated with pollutants when going through crowns of trees and trickling down the steams and branches. Lichen studies are especially important in territories subjected to excessive human activity. Because a great part of Tomsk region (West Siberia, Russia) is the territory of the oil-field exploration, there the atmosphere monitoring is a necessary part of the whole environmental monitoring. The aim of this investigation is the estimation of the influence of oil exploration industry in Tomsk region on the atmosphere by means of the study of epiphytic lichens. Lichen samples were collected in August and September 2010-2011. Sampling net included seven areas distributed inside the oil-exploration districts of Tomsk region. In total 27 samples were collected. In these samples 53 chemical elements were detected by

A Regional Water Resource Planning Model to Explore the Water-Energy Nexus in the American Southwest

Science.gov (United States)

Flores-Lopez, F.; Yates, D.; Purkey, D.; Huber-lee, A. T.

2011-12-01

) Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) analysis that is being conducted independently, and for the entire United States. In addition to different energy development strategies, other development pathways can and will be explored, such as changes in municipal water demand use and patterns, and/or changes in irrigation demand.

National survey of crystalline rocks and recommendations of regions to be explored for high-level radioactive waste repository sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smedes, H.W.

1983-04-01

A reconnaissance of the geological literature on large regions of exposed crystalline rocks in the United States provides the basis for evaluating if any of those regions warrant further exploration toward identifying potential sites for development of a high-level radioactive waste repository. The reconnaissance does not serve as a detailed evaluation of regions or of any smaller subunits within the regions. Site performance criteria were selected and applied insofar as a national data base exists, and guidelines were adopted that relate the data to those criteria. The criteria include consideration of size, vertical movements, faulting, earthquakes, seismically induced ground motion, Quaternary volcanic rocks, mineral deposits, high-temperature convective ground-water systems, hydraulic gradients, and erosion. Brief summaries of each major region of exposed crystalline rock, and national maps of relevant data provided the means for applying the guidelines and for recommending regions for further study. It is concluded that there is a reasonable likelihood that geologically suitable repository sites exist in each of the major regions of crystalline rocks. The recommendation is made that further studies first be conducted of the Lake Superior, Northern Appalachian and Adirondack, and the Southern Appalachian Regions. It is believed that those regions could be explored more effectively and suitable sites probably could be found, characterized, verified, and licensed more readily there than in the other regions

National survey of crystalline rocks and recommendations of regions to be explored for high-level radioactive waste repository sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smedes, H.W.

1983-04-01

A reconnaissance of the geological literature on large regions of exposed crystalline rocks in the United States provides the basis for evaluating if any of those regions warrant further exploration toward identifying potential sites for development of a high-level radioactive waste repository. The reconnaissance does not serve as a detailed evaluation of regions or of any smaller subunits within the regions. Site performance criteria were selected and applied insofar as a national data base exists, and guidelines were adopted that relate the data to those criteria. The criteria include consideration of size, vertical movements, faulting, earthquakes, seismically induced ground motion, Quaternary volcanic rocks, mineral deposits, high-temperature convective ground-water systems, hydraulic gradients, and erosion. Brief summaries of each major region of exposed crystalline rock, and national maps of relevant data provided the means for applying the guidelines and for recommending regions for further study. It is concluded that there is a reasonable likelihood that geologically suitable repository sites exist in each of the major regions of crystalline rocks. The recommendation is made that further studies first be conducted of the Lake Superior, Northern Appalachian and Adirondack, and the Southern Appalachian Regions. It is believed that those regions could be explored more effectively and suitable sites probably could be found, characterized, verified, and licensed more readily there than in the other regions.

Regional inequalities in Espirito Santo: perspective of petroleum exploration; Desigualdades regionais no Espirito Santo: perspectivas da fronteira de exploracao petrolifera

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodrigues, Viviane Mozine [Centro Universitario Vila Velha (UVV), ES (Brazil)

2008-07-01

Do donate the subject of the present article look to know the possible impacts about the space distribution of the wealth before the tendencies of exploration of petroleum and natural gas in the Espirito Santo it goes: will it be the exploration activity and production of petroleum and natural gas an element of increase of problems of the regional inequalities? The central object is to examines the the distribution of petroleum royalties among the state region, enforcing or finishing it. (author)

Electricity consumption and economic growth: Exploring panel-specific differences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karanfil, Fatih; Li, Yuanjing

2015-01-01

In this paper, we examine the long- and short-run dynamics between electricity consumption and economic activities, using panel data of per capita electricity consumption and per capita GDP of 160 countries for the period of 1980–2010, accounting for the degree of electricity dependence and the level of urbanization. Furthermore, in order to capture the differences in this relationship, the full sample is divided into various subsamples based on countries' income levels, regional locations and OECD memberships. This framework is argued and found to be appropriate since the causal links and inferences arising therefrom differ considerably among the subsamples, which led us to conclude that the electricity-growth nexus is highly sensitive to regional differences, countries' income levels, urbanization rates and supply risks. -- Highlights: •The causal relationship between electricity consumption and GDP is investigated. •Cointegration techniques are used for 160 countries and 13 subsamples. •Urbanization and electricity trade are accounted for as additional covariates. •Causal inferences are found to be associated with panel-specific differences. •Policy issues are discussed based on the study results

Learning through Oil and Gas Exploration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Levitt, Clinton J.

I investigate the importance of learning in oil and gas exploration. I developed a tractable dynamic structural model of oil and gas exploration in which firms gradually learn about the productive qualities of different regions through exploratory drilling. Exploratory drilling is modelled...... as an information-gathering process in which each new exploratory well provides information concerning the profitability of drilling additional wells in a given area. The model is geographically based and accounts for the heterogeneity in the characteristics of oil and gas deposits that can exist across large...... the observed geography of exploratory drilling. The broader implications of my model indicate that the structure of information has important effects on drilling behaviour, and that these effects vary, depending on the specific characteristics of the regions being explored....

Exploring gender differences in attitudes of university students towards entrepreneurship

OpenAIRE

Dabić, M; Daim, T; Bayraktaroglu, E; Novak, I; Basic, M

2012-01-01

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to understand gender differences in entrepreneurial intentions as measured by perceived feasibility and perceived desirability, and to explore gender differences in perceptions of entrepreneurship education needs - in terms of programmes, activities or projects - to succeed in an entrepreneurial career from the university students’ point of view. Design/Methodology/Approach - Using data gathered from 3420 university students in more than 10 countries, an...

Exploring inter-organizational collaboration for innovation in a regional ecosystem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Radziwon, Agnieszka

2017-01-01

on an organization’s development. Nevertheless, many aspects of open innovation are not yet well explored. Relatively few studies address the challenges of open innovation from the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) perspective, especially at the level of business ecosystems. Therefore, this research aims...... at filling this gap by providing a study immersed in an open innovation context with a particular focus on the ways how SMEs contribute to the development of the ecosystem they are embedded in. A central point of attention of this study is inter-organizational collaboration between SMEs and other...... with grounded theory and action research elements. The study was conducted in a Danish regional business ecosystem. This research project was implemented in order to facilitate the improvement of SMEs’ innovation performance through inter-organizational collaboration. The main findings offer insights...

Regional differences in political trust: Comparing the Vysocina and Usti Regions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Čermák, Daniel; Mikešová, Renáta; Stachová, Jana

2016-01-01

Roč. 49, č. 2 (2016), s. 137-146 ISSN 0967-067X R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP404/12/0714 Institutional support: RVO:68378025 Keywords : Political trust * Regional differences * Czech Republic Subject RIV: AO - Sociology, Demography Impact factor: 0.607, year: 2016 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967067X16300058

Ontology-driven data integration and visualization for exploring regional geologic time and paleontological information

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chengbin; Ma, Xiaogang; Chen, Jianguo

2018-06-01

Initiatives of open data promote the online publication and sharing of large amounts of geologic data. How to retrieve information and discover knowledge from the big data is an ongoing challenge. In this paper, we developed an ontology-driven data integration and visualization pilot system for exploring information of regional geologic time, paleontology, and fundamental geology. The pilot system (http://www2.cs.uidaho.edu/%7Emax/gts/)

Exploring difference and overlap between schizophrenia, schizoaffective and bipolar disorders using resting-state brain functional networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Yuhui; Liu, Jingyu; Sui, Jing; He, Hao; Pearlson, Godfrey D; Calhoun, Vince D

2014-01-01

Schizophrenia, schizoaffective and bipolar disorders share some common symptoms. However, the biomarkers underlying those disorders remain unclear. In fact, there is still controversy about the schizoaffective disorder with respect to its validity of independent category and its relationship with schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. In this paper, based on brain functional networks extracted from resting-state fMRI using a recently proposed group information guided ICA (GIG-ICA) method, we explore the biomarkers for discriminating healthy controls, schizophrenia patients, bipolar patients, and patients with two symptom defined subsets of schizoaffective disorder, and then investigate the relationship between different groups. The results demonstrate that the discriminating regions mainly including frontal, parietal, precuneus, cingulate, supplementary motor, cerebellar, insular and supramarginal cortices perform well in distinguishing the different diagnostic groups. The results also suggest that schizoaffective disorder may be an independent disorder, although its subtype characterized by depressive episodes shares more similarity with schizophrenia.

Exploring different approaches for music genre classification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Jose Homsi Goulart

2012-07-01

Full Text Available In this letter, we present different approaches for music genre classification. The proposed techniques, which are composed of a feature extraction stage followed by a classification procedure, explore both the variations of parameters used as input and the classifier architecture. Tests were carried out with three styles of music, namely blues, classical, and lounge, which are considered informally by some musicians as being “big dividers” among music genres, showing the efficacy of the proposed algorithms and establishing a relationship between the relevance of each set of parameters for each music style and each classifier. In contrast to other works, entropies and fractal dimensions are the features adopted for the classifications.

Evaluating the Impact of Regional Marketing Projects on the Development of Regions from Different Stakeholder Perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kunze Kim-Kathrin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In the competition for economically attractive stakeholders, regions have to implement strategies to gain and adhere those interest groups. Empirical studies concerning the migration motivations show that it is not only labor market but also soft locational factors of the social environment, nature and landscape that are of high importance: A majority of the population is willing to move or rather stay at a special place because of such soft locational factors. This study examines the impact of regional marketing projects on the development of regions from the perspectives of inhabitants and tourists as well as general attributes to measure a region’s attractiveness from the perspective of high potentials. We argue that those projects that fit to the region and its unique selling propositions contribute to positioning and building location brand value. We show that projects have a socio-economic effect on the attitude towards regions and contribute to building location brand value. An analysis of group differences shows that the project influence on the region and region attractiveness are perceived in significantly different manner depending on the knowledge level of the stakeholder group. Consequently, one should increase the awareness of marketing activities and regions and focus on soft locational factors while establishing and positioning a region brand.

Student Engagement in the Caribbean Region: Exploring Its Role in the Motivation and Achievement of Jamaican Middle School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Tamica G.; Martin, Andrew J.; Evans, Paul

2017-01-01

Using an expectancy-value framework, the present investigation is the first to explore the generality of this theorizing and research in the emerging regional context of the Caribbean. Given high underachievement in the Caribbean region, we addressed the need to better understand the role of engagement in students' academic motivation and…

Regional Demographic Differences: The Effect of Laestadians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emma Terämä

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Laestadianism, a conservative revival movement inside the Lutheran church, has an estimated 100,000 followers in Finland. Laestadians have characteristics differing from the followers of the mainstream state church in areas such as religious activity, regional concentration, fertility and family planning, but these are generally not quantified due to lack of easily accessible data. This study highlights the importance of including location and religiosity, and not only religious affiliation in the study of fertility behaviour. The research uses statistical tools to study the correlations between such variables as religious density and total fertility rate. It is found that on the regional level, the total fertility rate and the increasing number of small children in the family is positively associated with the proportion of Laestadians. The regional variation of religiousness, and the subsequent effects on population structure and socioeconomics are discussed.

Gender differences in regional cerebral blood flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gur, R.E.; Gur, R.C.

1990-01-01

Gender differences have been noted in neurobehavioral studies. The 133xenon inhalation method for measuring regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) can contribute to the understanding of the neural basis of gender differences in brain function. Few studies have examined gender differences in rCBF. In studies of normal subjects, women have higher rates of CBF than men, and this is related to age. Usually by the sixth decade men and women have similar flow rates. Fewer studies on rCBF in schizophrenia have examined sex differences. The pattern of higher flows for females maintains, but its correlates with gender differences in clinical as well as other parameters of brain function remain to be examined

Characterization of Multifloral Honeys of Pervari Region with Different Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet Emre EREZ

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The quality of honey from Pervari region was almost known by all over the country in Turkey. This study was undertaken to determine (i physico-chemical parameters, (ii antimicrobial analysis and (iii pollen estimation method with expert computer system obtained from three different sites of Pervari region (Siirt/Turkey. For physico-chemical parameters; moisture, free acidity, diastase activity, hydroxyl methyl furfural (HMF, invert sugar, ash, commercial glucose and proline analysis were examined. For anti-microbial analysis disc dilution method were studied on six different bacteria species. For pollen analysis; different and new expert computer system was used for comparison of pollen of plants and honey samples. The aim of the study was to evaluate the properties of multi floral honey determined from three different locations in the same region and the way to understand to which plants were visited by the bees with comparing of pollen grains of flowers and honey by using the expert computer system. Honey samples of Pervari region were of acceptable quality based on recommended criteria of Turkish Food Codex and International Honey Commission.

Major Differences in Diet across Three Linguistic Regions of Switzerland: Results from the First National Nutrition Survey menuCH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angeline Chatelan

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Switzerland is a multilingual country located between Germany, France and Italy, which differ by dietary habits and related outcomes. We explored differences in food consumption as well as compliance to the Swiss food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG across the German-, French-, and Italian-speaking regions. The 2014–2015 nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted among a stratified random sample of 2057 adults aged 18 to 75 years. Trained dietitians assessed food consumption via two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls using the international validated software GloboDiet®. Recorded foods and beverages were classified into six groups and 31 subgroups relevant for assessing compliance to the FBDG (Swiss Food Pyramid. Usual daily intake distributions were modelled and weighted for sampling design, non-response, weekdays and season. Participation rate was 38%. Significant differences across regions were observed in 18 of 31 food subgroups (p ≤ 0.01. Weighted mean daily intakes in the German-, French- and Italian-speaking regions were, respectively, 245 g, 155 g, 140 g for soft drinks, 273 g, 214 g, 135 g for coffee, 127 g, 72 g, 109 g for milk, 32 g, 45 g, 43 g for red meat, 18 g, 29 g, 34 g for fish/seafood, 8.1 g, 6.4 g, 3.7 g for butter, and 206 g, 214 g, 168 g for vegetables. The seven FBDGs were followed by <1% of the population. Four in 10 participants met ≥3 FBDG. Eighteen percent of participants ate ≥5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, without regional differences. Food consumption substantially differed across the three linguistic regions of Switzerland. Adherence to FBDG was uniformly low. This highlights the potential influence of culture on diet. Nutritional education along with public health interventions are needed and may be most efficient if regionally targeted.

Regional differences in commuting activities of inhabitants in the Tokyo metropolitan suburb

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masaki Kawase

2004-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to elucidate gender differences and regional differences of co-mmuting activities by inhabitants in Japanese metropolitan suburbs. I found the different parts by districts in the metropolitan suburb. Regional factors cause gender differences in commuting activities and result in regional differences: In residential areas, inhabitants who work in metropolitan centers occupy much of the population. In older built-up areas, there are many “local” persons. In rural areas, motorization is progressing because access to rail-roads has been inconvenient. These regional factors influence the behavioral characteristics of commuting by married men, married women, never married men and never married women.

Does Language Matter? Exploring Chinese-Korean Differences in Holistic Perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhode, Ann K; Voyer, Benjamin G; Gleibs, Ilka H

2016-01-01

Cross-cultural research suggests that East Asians display a holistic attentional bias by paying attention to the entire field and to relationships between objects, whereas Westerners pay attention primarily to salient objects, displaying an analytic attentional bias. The assumption of a universal pan-Asian holistic attentional bias has recently been challenged in experimental research involving Japanese and Chinese participants, which suggests that linguistic factors may contribute to the formation of East Asians' holistic attentional patterns. The present experimental research explores differences in attention and information processing styles between Korean and Chinese speakers, who have been assumed to display the same attentional bias due to cultural commonalities. We hypothesize that the specific structure of the Korean language predisposes speakers to pay more attention to ground information than to figure information, thus leading to a stronger holistic attentional bias compared to Chinese speakers. Findings of the present research comparing different groups of English, Chinese, and Korean speakers provide further evidence for differences in East Asians' holistic attentional bias, which may be due to the influence of language. Furthermore, we also extend prior theorizing by discussing the potential impact of other cultural factors. In line with critical voices calling for more research investigating differences between cultures that are assumed to be culturally similar, we highlight important avenues for future studies exploring the language-culture relationship.

Does language matter? Exploring Chinese-Korean differences in holistic perception

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ann Kristin Rhode

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Cross-cultural research suggests that East Asians display a holistic attentional bias by paying attention to the entire field and to relationships between objects, whereas Westerners pay attention primarily to salient objects, displaying an analytic attentional bias. The assumption of a universal pan-Asian holistic attentional bias has however recently been challenged in experimental research involving Japanese and Chinese participants, which suggests that linguistic factors may contribute to the formation of East Asians’ holistic attentional patterns. The present experimental research explores differences in attention and information processing styles between Korean and Chinese speakers, who have been assumed to display the same attentional bias due to cultural commonalities. We hypothesize that the specific structure of the Korean language predisposes speakers to pay more attention to ground information than to figure information, thus leading to a stronger holistic attentional bias compared to Chinese speakers. Findings of the present research comparing different groups of English, Chinese, and Korean speakers provide further evidence for differences in East Asians’ holistic attentional bias, which may be due to the influence of language. Furthermore, we also extend prior theorizing by discussing the potential impact of other cultural factors. In line with critical voices calling for more research investigating differences between cultures that are assumed to be culturally similar, we highlight important avenues for future studies exploring the language-culture relationship.

Regional exploration for channel and playa uranium deposits in Western Australia using groundwater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noble, R.R.P.; Gray, D.J.; Reid, N.

2011-01-01

Shallow calcrete aquifers in the central north of the Yilgarn Craton in Western Australia are the host to numerous secondary carnotite U deposits. Sampling and analysis of approximately 1400 shallow aquifer groundwaters were conducted to test if U mineralisation of this type may be found using a >5 km sample spacing. Results show this can be achieved. All the economic deposits and most of the minor deposits and occurrences are associated with groundwater that has carnotite (KUO 2 VO 4 ) approaching or exceeding saturated conditions. Soluble U concentrations alone identified the largest deposit (Yeelirrie) and several smaller deposits, but this parameter was not as successful as the mineral saturation indices. Palaeodrainage distribution and thickness of cover combined with surface drainage and catchment boundaries provided background information of U primary sources and for areas with the highest exploration potential for channel and playa U deposits. Granites in the SE of the study area are less prospective with regard to secondary U deposits. Groundwater geochemistry in conjunction with palaeodrainage mapping may greatly improve exploration through cover where radiometric geophysics is not effective. The study of regional, shallow groundwater for U shows multiple benefits for mineral exploration, the economy and potable water quality.

E and F region study of the evening sector auroral oval: A Chatanika/Dynamics Explorer 2/NOAA 6 comparison

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senior, C.; Sharber, J.R.; Winningham, J.D.; De La Beaujardiere, O.; Heelis, R.A.; Evans, D.S.; Sugiura, M.; Hoegy, W.R.

1987-01-01

Simultaneous data obtained with the Chatanika incoherent scatter radar and the Dynamics Explorer 2 (DE 2) and NOAA 6 satellites are used to relate the locations of the precipitating particles, field-aligned currents, and E and F region ionization structures in the evening-sector auroral oval. The auroral E layer observed by the radar extends about 2 degree equatorward of the electron precipitation region, and its equatorward edge coincides with the equatorward edges of the region 2 field-aligned current and intense convection region (E ≅ 50 mV/m). It is shown that precipitating protons are responsible for part of the E region ionization within the electron precipitation region as well as south of it. E region density profiles calculated from ion spectra measured by the DE 2 and NOAA 5 satellites are in fairly good agreement with the Chatanika data. in the F region, a channel of enhanced ionization density, elongated along the east-west direction and having a width of about 100 km, marks the poleward edge of the main trough. it is colocated with the equatorward boundary of the electron precipitation from the central plasma sheet. Although enhanced fluxes of soft electrons are observed at this boundary, the energy input to the ionospheric electron gas, calculated from the radar data, shows that this ionization channel is not locally produced by this soft precipitation, but that it is rather a convected feature. In fact, both the trough and the ionization channel are located in a region where the plasma flows sunward at high speed, but the flux tubes associated with theses two features have different convective time histories. Keeping in mind that several processes operate together in the F region, the data set is consistent with the included trough and ionization channel formation mechanisms

Consumer Attitudes About Renewable Energy. Trends and Regional Differences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bird, Lori [Natural Marketing Institute, Harleysville, PA (United States); Sumner, Jenny [Natural Marketing Institute, Harleysville, PA (United States)

2011-04-01

The data in this report are taken from Natural Marketing Institute's (NMI's) Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability Consumer Trends Database. Created in 2002, the syndicated consumer database contains responses from 2,000 to 4,000 nationally representative U.S. adults (meaning the demographics of the sample are consistent with U.S. Census findings) each year. NMI used the database to analyze consumer attitudes and behavior related to renewable energy and to update previously conducted related research. Specifically, this report will explore consumer awareness, concerns, perceived benefits, knowledge of purchase options, and usage of renewable energy as well as provide regional comparisons and trends over time.

Consumer Attitudes About Renewable Energy: Trends and Regional Differences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Natural Marketing Institute, Harleysville, Pennsylvania

2011-04-01

The data in this report are taken from Natural Marketing Institute's (NMI's) Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability Consumer Trends Database. Created in 2002, the syndicated consumer database contains responses from 2,000 to 4,000 nationally representative U.S. adults (meaning the demographics of the sample are consistent with U.S. Census findings) each year. NMI used the database to analyze consumer attitudes and behavior related to renewable energy and to update previously conducted related research. Specifically, this report will explore consumer awareness, concerns, perceived benefits, knowledge of purchase options, and usage of renewable energy as well as provide regional comparisons and trends over time.

On the Regional Birth Rate Differences in Uzbekistan

OpenAIRE

Shukurov, Sobir

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate, theoretically and empirically, regional variation in crude birthrates in Uzbekistan at a provincial (viloyat) level for the period 1991-2010. Also, it offers maps showing the provincial crude birth rates for this period, and probe the ways in which regional fertility differences have arisen. A panel data analysis is also carried out to explain determinants of birth rates. The findings of this study underline that increased women’s particip...

Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer Observations of the Evolution of Massive Star-Forming Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Koenig, X. P.; Leisawitz, D. T.; Benford, D. J.; Rebull, L. M.; Padgett, D. L.; Asslef, R. J.

2012-01-01

We present the results of a mid-infrared survey of II outer Galaxy massive star-forming regions and 3 open clusters with data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Using a newly developed photometric scheme to identify young stellar objects and exclude extragalactic contamination, we have studied the distribution of young stars within each region. These data tend to support the hypothesis that latter generations may be triggered by the interaction of winds and radiation from the first burst of massive star formation with the molecular cloud material leftover from that earlier generation of stars. We dub this process the "fireworks hypothesis" since star formation by this mechanism would proceed rapidly and resemble a burst of fireworks. We have also analyzed small cutout WISE images of the structures around the edges of these massive star-forming regions. We observe large (1-3 pc size) pillar and trunk-like structures of diffuse emission nebulosity tracing excited polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules and small dust grains at the perimeter of the massive star-forming regions. These structures contain small clusters of emerging Class I and Class II sources, but some are forming only a single to a few new stars.

WIDE-FIELD INFRARED SURVEY EXPLORER OBSERVATIONS OF THE EVOLUTION OF MASSIVE STAR-FORMING REGIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koenig, X. P.; Leisawitz, D. T.; Benford, D. J.; Padgett, D. L.; Rebull, L. M.; Assef, R. J.

2012-01-01

We present the results of a mid-infrared survey of 11 outer Galaxy massive star-forming regions and 3 open clusters with data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Using a newly developed photometric scheme to identify young stellar objects and exclude extragalactic contamination, we have studied the distribution of young stars within each region. These data tend to support the hypothesis that latter generations may be triggered by the interaction of winds and radiation from the first burst of massive star formation with the molecular cloud material leftover from that earlier generation of stars. We dub this process the 'fireworks hypothesis' since star formation by this mechanism would proceed rapidly and resemble a burst of fireworks. We have also analyzed small cutout WISE images of the structures around the edges of these massive star-forming regions. We observe large (1-3 pc size) pillar and trunk-like structures of diffuse emission nebulosity tracing excited polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules and small dust grains at the perimeter of the massive star-forming regions. These structures contain small clusters of emerging Class I and Class II sources, but some are forming only a single to a few new stars.

Dissociating frontal regions that co-lateralize with different ventral occipitotemporal regions during word processing☆

Science.gov (United States)

Seghier, Mohamed L.; Price, Cathy J.

2013-01-01

The ventral occipitotemporal sulcus (vOT) sustains strong interactions with the inferior frontal cortex during word processing. Consequently, activation in both regions co-lateralize towards the same hemisphere in healthy subjects. Because the determinants of lateralisation differ across posterior, middle and anterior vOT subregions, we investigated whether lateralisation in different inferior frontal regions would co-vary with lateralisation in the three different vOT subregions. A whole brain analysis found that, during semantic decisions on written words, laterality covaried in (1) posterior vOT and the precentral gyrus; (2) middle vOT and the pars opercularis, pars triangularis, and supramarginal gyrus; and (3) anterior vOT and the pars orbitalis, middle frontal gyrus and thalamus. These findings increase the spatial resolution of our understanding of how vOT interacts with other brain areas during semantic categorisation on words. PMID:23728081

Dose estimation of interventional cardiologists in different body regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borba, Iana Q. de; Luz, Renata M. da; Capaverde, Alexandre S.; Silva, Ana M. Marques da; Caramori, Paulo Ricardo Avancini

2015-01-01

Interventional radiology is one of the medical specialties that provides the highest doses to professionals, widely used in cardiology, being called interventional cardiology. In order to contribute to the optimization of occupational radiation protection in interventional cardiology procedures, the aim of this study is to evaluate the dose estimation received in different body regions by physicians in interventional cardiology procedures. Two physicians were followed, named as A and B, during one month period, performing a total of 127 procedures (70 for A and 57 for B) of interventional cardiology. During the procedures, dosimeters in different body regions beyond the full-body dosimeter were positioned. The results showed the highest values for the estimated dose received by workers were in the right wrist and left side face regions, for the physician A, and in the left knee and left side face, for the physician B. Results demonstrate the importance of using individual protection equipment by physicians in interventional cardiology, including lead glasses, besides monitoring dosimeters for other body regions, such as wrist, face and knee. (author)

Regional differences in entrepreneurial perceptions and implications for the Romanian competitiveness policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolae Mariana

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Understanding entrepreneurship as being spatially rooted transforms it in a regional and national competitiveness factor. Despite the increasing importance of the territorial dimension in supporting economic growth at policy and declarative levels, in practice, in Romania, the territorial structure and spatial organization of the economy contributes little to the national value added. In this context, we study regional differences in entrepreneurial initiative and perception and their possible impact on the national competitiveness strategy. We use primary data collected in three Romanian regions (Centre, North-East, Bucureşti-Ilfov and conduct a statistical analysis of the data. The results indicate different comparative regional profiles. The regional differences in the intentions, motivations, barriers and limitation for entrepreneurship confirm the theoretical view that personal motivations of becoming an entrepreneur are determined by environmental conditions. We conclude that the regional differences should be taken into account in the elaboration of the competitiveness policy, corroborated with the results of other similar studies.

Comparison of different wind data interpolation methods for a region with complex terrain in Central Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Reinhardt, Katja; Samimi, Cyrus

2018-01-01

While climatological data of high spatial resolution are largely available in most developed countries, the network of climatological stations in many other regions of the world still constitutes large gaps. Especially for those regions, interpolation methods are important tools to fill these gaps and to improve the data base indispensible for climatological research. Over the last years, new hybrid methods of machine learning and geostatistics have been developed which provide innovative prospects in spatial predictive modelling. This study will focus on evaluating the performance of 12 different interpolation methods for the wind components \\overrightarrow{u} and \\overrightarrow{v} in a mountainous region of Central Asia. Thereby, a special focus will be on applying new hybrid methods on spatial interpolation of wind data. This study is the first evaluating and comparing the performance of several of these hybrid methods. The overall aim of this study is to determine whether an optimal interpolation method exists, which can equally be applied for all pressure levels, or whether different interpolation methods have to be used for the different pressure levels. Deterministic (inverse distance weighting) and geostatistical interpolation methods (ordinary kriging) were explored, which take into account only the initial values of \\overrightarrow{u} and \\overrightarrow{v} . In addition, more complex methods (generalized additive model, support vector machine and neural networks as single methods and as hybrid methods as well as regression-kriging) that consider additional variables were applied. The analysis of the error indices revealed that regression-kriging provided the most accurate interpolation results for both wind components and all pressure heights. At 200 and 500 hPa, regression-kriging is followed by the different kinds of neural networks and support vector machines and for 850 hPa it is followed by the different types of support vector machine and

Exploring child prostitution in a major city in the West African region.

Science.gov (United States)

Hounmenou, Charles

2016-09-01

The study explored the characteristics of child prostitution in a major city in the West African region. A convenience sample of children in prostitution, specifically girls below age 18 (n=243), were recruited on 83 prostitution sites identified in Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso. A survey instrument, consisting of 71 closed-ended question items, was used to explore various variables including profile of children in prostitution, factors of vulnerability to prostitution; prostitution practices, compensations and related issues in child prostitution. The findings show that most children in prostitution in the city were from Burkina Faso (63%) and Nigeria (30%), two countries that do not share borders. Most native respondents practiced prostitution for survival and to support their families. In contrast, all the respondents from Nigeria practiced prostitution as victims of international sex trafficking. An important finding was that 77% of the children in prostitution surveyed were educated. Among the respondents, there were similarities in the major life events that contributed to their situation of prostitution. These life events include early separation with parents, sexual abuse, foster care, and forced marriage. Implications for policy, practice and research are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Voxel-Based Approach to Explore Local Dose Differences Associated With Radiation-Induced Lung Damage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palma, Giuseppe [Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, National Research Council, Naples (Italy); Monti, Serena [IRCCS SDN, Naples (Italy); D' Avino, Vittoria [Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, National Research Council, Naples (Italy); Conson, Manuel [Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, National Research Council, Naples (Italy); Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Federico II University School of Medicine, Naples (Italy); Liuzzi, Raffaele [Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, National Research Council, Naples (Italy); Pressello, Maria Cristina [Department of Health Physics, S. Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Rome (Italy); Donato, Vittorio [Department of Radiation Oncology, S. Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Rome (Italy); Deasy, Joseph O. [Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (United States); Quarantelli, Mario [Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, National Research Council, Naples (Italy); Pacelli, Roberto [Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, National Research Council, Naples (Italy); Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Federico II University School of Medicine, Naples (Italy); Cella, Laura, E-mail: laura.cella@cnr.it [Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, National Research Council, Naples (Italy)

2016-09-01

Purpose: To apply a voxel-based (VB) approach aimed at exploring local dose differences associated with late radiation-induced lung damage (RILD). Methods and Materials: An interinstitutional database of 98 patients who were Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors treated with postchemotherapy supradiaphragmatic radiation therapy was analyzed in the study. Eighteen patients experienced late RILD, classified according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group scoring system. Each patient's computed tomographic (CT) scan was normalized to a single reference case anatomy (common coordinate system, CCS) through a log-diffeomorphic approach. The obtained deformation fields were used to map the dose of each patient into the CCS. The coregistration robustness and the dose mapping accuracy were evaluated by geometric and dose scores. Two different statistical mapping schemes for nonparametric multiple permutation inference on dose maps were applied, and the corresponding P<.05 significance lung subregions were generated. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC)-based test was performed on the mean dose extracted from each subregion. Results: The coregistration process resulted in a geometrically robust and accurate dose warping. A significantly higher dose was consistently delivered to RILD patients in voxel clusters near the peripheral medial-basal portion of the lungs. The area under the ROC curves (AUC) from the mean dose of the voxel clusters was higher than the corresponding AUC derived from the total lung mean dose. Conclusions: We implemented a framework including a robust registration process and a VB approach accounting for the multiple comparison problem in dose-response modeling, and applied it to a cohort of HL survivors to explore a local dose–RILD relationship in the lungs. Patients with RILD received a significantly greater dose in parenchymal regions where low doses (∼6 Gy) were delivered. Interestingly, the relation between differences in the high

New developments in the techniques of uranium exploration in Egypt. Case histories for exploration under arid conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Shazly, E.M.; Meshref, W.M.; Ammar, A.A.; El-Ghawaby, M.A.; El-Kassas, I.A.; El-Rakaiby, M.M.

1977-01-01

Exploration for radioactive mineralizations and mineral accumulations in Egypt during the last five years involved the application of new techniques and their adaptation to the prevailing semi-arid to arid environment. The mobilization of uranium and thorium, and their daughter products in the oxidation zone, is greatly influenced by this particular environment. Exploration techniques employed include the use of airborne, space-borne, ground and sub-surface methodologies. Case histories for uranium exploration have been formulated through practical experience, which can be applied in the arid regions in different parts of the world where conditions are comparable to those of Egypt. (author)

Age-and Brain Region-Specific Differences in Mitochondrial ...

Science.gov (United States)

Mitochondria are central regulators of energy homeostasis and play a pivotal role in mechanisms of cellular senescence. The objective of the present study was to evaluate mitochondrial bio­-energetic parameters in five brain regions [brainstem (BS), frontal cortex (FC), cerebellum (CER), striatum (STR), hippocampus (HIP)] of four diverse age groups [1 Month (young), 4 Month (adult), 12 Month (middle-aged), 24 Month (old age)] to understand age-related differences in selected brain regions and their contribution to age-related chemical sensitivity. Mitochondrial bioenergetics parameters and enzyme activity were measured under identical conditions across multiple age groups and brain regions in Brown Norway rats (n = 5). The results indicate age- and brain region-specific patterns in mitochondrial functional endpoints. For example, an age-specific decline in ATP synthesis (State 111 respiration) was observed in BS and HIP. Similarly, the maximal respiratory capacities (State V1 and V2) showed age-specific declines in all brain regions examined (young > adult > middle-aged > old age). Amongst all regions, HIP had the greatest change in mitochondrial bioenergetics, showing declines in the 4, 12 and 24 Month age groups. Activities of mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC) and electron transport chain (ETC) complexes I, II, and IV enzymes were also age- and brain-region specific. In general changes associated with age were more pronounced, with

Regional differences in the validity of self-reported use of health care in Belgium: selection versus reporting bias

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Van der Heyden

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Health Care Module of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS is aimed to obtain comparable information on the use of inpatient and ambulatory care in all EU member states. In this study we assessed the validity of self-reported information on the use of health care, collected through this instrument, in the Belgian Health Interview Survey (BHIS, and explored the impact of selection and reporting bias on the validity of regional differences in health care use observed in the BHIS. Methods To assess reporting bias, self-reported BHIS 2008 data were linked with register-based data from the Belgian compulsory health insurance (BCHI. The latter were compared with similar estimates from a random sample of the BCHI to investigate the selection bias. Outcome indicators included the prevalence of a contact with a GP, specialist, dentist and a physiotherapist, as well as inpatient and day patient hospitalisation. The validity of the estimates and the regional differences were explored through measures of agreement and logistic regression analyses. Results Validity of self-reported health care use varies by type of health service and is more affected by reporting than by selection bias. Compared to health insurance estimates, self-reported results underestimate the percentage of people with a specialist contact in the past year (50.5 % versus 65.0 % and a day patient hospitalisation (7.8 % versus 13.9 %. Inversely, survey results overestimated the percentage of people having visited a dentist in the past year: 58.3 % versus 48.6 %. The best concordance was obtained for an inpatient hospitalisation (kappa 0.75. Survey data overestimate the higher prevalence of a contact with a specialist [OR 1.51 (95 % CI 1.33–1.72 for self-report and 1.08 (95 % CI 1.05–1.15 for register] and underestimate the lower prevalence of a contact with a GP [ORs 0.59 (95 % CI 0.51–0.70 and 0.41 (95 % CI 0.39–0.42 respectively] in

Regional Air Pollutions in Three Different Regions of Asia From a Transcontinental Transport Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Pochanart, P.; Kanaya, Y.; Komazaki, Y.; Liu, Y.; Akimoto, H.

2007-12-01

Asia is known as one of the regions with the fastest rate of growing in industrialization and urbanization. As a result, the rapid increases of large-scale air pollution in Asia emerge as a serious concern at both domestic and international levels. Apart from the problems of air quality degradation, emission control, environmental risk, and health effect in a domestic level, evidences from scientific studies indicate that by the long-range transport, Asian air pollution is becoming a global problem. Observations and model studies confirm that air pollution from Asia could be transported to North America or farther. In this work, we investigate the Asian air pollutions, in particular ozone and some other atmospheric components such as carbon monoxide and black carbon, from the ground- based observations in the three different regions, namely 1) background region of Siberia and central Asia, 2) highly anthropogenic region in eastern China, and 3) the rim region of the Asia-Pacific. In a transcontinental transport perspective, these regions are regarded as the inflow region, source region, and outflow region of Asia, respectively. From the results, it is found that the influences from large-scale emission in East Asia are observed clearly in the source region, and to the significant extent in the outflow region. For the inflow region of Asia, our data in Siberia and Kyrgyzstan indicate that air masses in this region are mostly intact from large-scale anthropogenic emission, and remain much of the global background atmospheric pollution characteristic. When the air masses are transported to source region, the air pollutants level increased sharply and frequent episodes of extremely high pollutions have been observed. Our results show good correlation between the residence time of air masses over the source region in eastern China and the observed levels of air pollutants verifying the strong enhancements by anthropogenic emissions from industrialization and

Statistical methodology for exploring elevational differences in precipitation chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warren, W.G.; Boehm, M.; Link, D.

1992-01-01

A statistical methodology for exploring the relationships between elevation and precipitation chemistry is outlined and illustrated. The methodology utilizes maximum likelihood estimates and likelihood ratio tests with contour ellipses of assumed bivariate lognormal distributions used to assist in interpretation. The approach was illustrated using 12 NADP/NTN sites located in six study areas in the Wyoming and Colorado Rockies. These sites are part of the Rocky Mountain Deposition Monitoring Project (RMDMP), which was initiated in 1986 to investigate the relationships between elevation and the chemistry of precipitation. The results indicate differences in sulfate concentrations between airsheds, between snow and rain, and between higher and lower elevations. In general, sulfate concentrations in snow are greater at lower elevations and this difference is independent of concentration. A similar relationship for rain was not well established. In addition there is evidence that, overall, the sulfate concentrations differed between the six study areas, although pairwise differences were not always significant

Regional Differences in Food Consumption in Urban Mozambique

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barslund, Mikkel Christoffer

A nationwide household survey for Mozambique is used to estimate a large censored food demand system with 12 food groups for the sample of urban households. Using the translog indirect utility approach, the censored nature of the data is addressed by estimating a system of Tobit equations...... with a recently suggested quasi maximum likelihood estimator. Augmenting the system with demographic and geographical variables in a theoretically consistent way, I find that differences in elasticities between regions are significant. The results show that regional variation has to be taken into account when...

Effect of tax laws on mineral exploration in Canada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeYoung, Jr, J H

1977-06-01

It is concluded that tax law variations, rather than differences in commodity price changes, have been responsible for shifts in mineral exploration from one political region to another. This view is substantiated by the fact that decreasing mineral exploration in certain parts of Canada has coincided with increased mineral exploration in areas of the USA and in other parts of Canada, and with diversification by mining companies into non-mining activities. It is difficult to analyze separately the effect of all the different considerations facing the managers of the exploration budgets. These decision makers are concerned with the possibility of discovering ore deposits by using available methods; with the costs of finding, acquiring, developing, producing, and marketing mineral commodities; and with expected revenues from product sales. Budget-allocation decisions by those engaged in exploration are influenced by many characteristics of a region including: geology, topography, climate, population density, political structure, applicable legislation on zoning, taxation, and environmental controls, and transportation facilities. The decline in mineral exploration in Canada, particularly in British Columbia, which followed increases in taxes for mining companies has provided policymakers with several examples that should be considered in the development of future mineral policies. These examples are discussed.

Regional and Gender Differences and Trends in the Anesthesiologist Workforce.

Science.gov (United States)

Baird, Matthew; Daugherty, Lindsay; Kumar, Krishna B; Arifkhanova, Aziza

2015-11-01

Concerns have long existed about potential shortages in the anesthesiologist workforce. In addition, many changes have occurred in the economy, demographics, and the healthcare sector in the last few years, which may impact the workforce. The authors documented workforce trends by region of the United States and gender, trends that may have implications for the supply and demand of anesthesiologists. The authors conducted a national survey of American Society of Anesthesiologists members (accounting for >80% of all practicing anesthesiologists in the United States) in 2007 and repeated it in 2013. The authors used logistic regression analysis and Seemingly Unrelated Regression to test across several indicators under an overarching hypothesis. Anesthesiologists in Western states had markedly different patterns of practice relative to anesthesiologists in other regions in 2007 and 2013, including differences in employer type, the composition of anesthesia teams, and the time spent on monitored anesthesia care. The number and proportion of female anesthesiologists in the workforce increased between 2007 and 2013, and females differed from males in employment arrangements, compensation, and work hours. Regional differences remained stable during this time period although the reasons for these differences are speculative. Similarly, how and whether the gender difference in work hours and shift to younger anesthesiologists during this period will impact workforce needs is uncertain.

Major Differences in Diet across Three Linguistic Regions of Switzerland: Results from the First National Nutrition Survey menuCH.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatelan, Angeline; Beer-Borst, Sigrid; Randriamiharisoa, Alex; Pasquier, Jerome; Blanco, Juan Manual; Siegenthaler, Stefan; Paccaud, Fred; Slimani, Nadia; Nicolas, Genevieve; Camenzind-Frey, Esther; Zuberbuehler, Christine Anne; Bochud, Murielle

2017-10-25

Switzerland is a multilingual country located between Germany, France and Italy, which differ by dietary habits and related outcomes. We explored differences in food consumption as well as compliance to the Swiss food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) across the German-, French-, and Italian-speaking regions. The 2014-2015 nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted among a stratified random sample of 2057 adults aged 18 to 75 years. Trained dietitians assessed food consumption via two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls using the international validated software GloboDiet ® . Recorded foods and beverages were classified into six groups and 31 subgroups relevant for assessing compliance to the FBDG (Swiss Food Pyramid). Usual daily intake distributions were modelled and weighted for sampling design, non-response, weekdays and season. Participation rate was 38%. Significant differences across regions were observed in 18 of 31 food subgroups ( p ≤ 0.01). Weighted mean daily intakes in the German-, French- and Italian-speaking regions were, respectively, 245 g, 155 g, 140 g for soft drinks, 273 g, 214 g, 135 g for coffee, 127 g, 72 g, 109 g for milk, 32 g, 45 g, 43 g for red meat, 18 g, 29 g, 34 g for fish/seafood, 8.1 g, 6.4 g, 3.7 g for butter, and 206 g, 214 g, 168 g for vegetables. The seven FBDGs were followed by Nutritional education along with public health interventions are needed and may be most efficient if regionally targeted.

Exploration for uranium in Argentina: New policies of reactivation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bianchi, R.E.

2009-01-01

Full text: The policy established by the National Government of Argentina in August 2006 related to resuming the Nuclear activity in the country, lead the CNEA trough the Exploration of Raw Materials Manager (ERMM) to establish working strategies for the next 10 years. These strategies together with the assignment of an adequate budget will contribute to define new uranium resources, which together with the already known ones, will be used to supply the requirements of Nuclear Power and Research Plants in the future. Thus, the ERMM is applying a policy of human resources hiring new personnel in order to count with the minimum necessary workforce to reach these tasks. In Argentina known U resources are related to sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic environments. Considering the geology of the different regions, Argentina has been divided into 57 units in which the geological, geochemical, mineralogical and structural information is evaluated in order to estimate the uranium geological favorability of each unit. The final pursuit of this regional study is to circumscribe new areas with anomalous uranium contents in which prospection and exploration should be carried out. These studies together with prospection and exploration works are performed in the country by four exploration centers based in Salta (RN), Cordoba (R.Ce), Mendoza (R.Cu) and Trelew (RP). The works planned for each exploration center includes: Regional Noroeste, Mina Franca Deposit: peri-granitic vein- type mineralization: 25% of surface exploration has been performed. Mineralized areas: Istataco and San Buenaventura correspond to an igneous-metamorphic environment, Sierra de Vaqueria to a sedimentary one: Prospection stage. Regional Centro, Mineralized areas: El Gallo: drilling stage and Donato: prospection stage, correspond to an igneous-metamorphic environment with intra and peri-granitic anomalies. Noya: prospection stage, sedimentary environment. Regional Cuyo, Mineralized area: Western Sierra

Exploring Different Patterns of Love Attitudes among Chinese College Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Xianglong; Pan, Yiqin; Zhou, Han; Yu, Shi; Liu, Xiangping

2016-01-01

Individual differences in love attitudes and the relationship between love attitudes and other variables in Asian culture lack in-depth exploration. This study conducted cluster analysis with data regarding love attitudes obtained from 389 college students in mainland China. The result of cluster analysis based on love-attitude scales distinguished four types of students: game players, rational lovers, emotional lovers, and absence lovers. These four groups of students showed significant differences in sexual attitudes and personality traits of deliberation and dutifulness but not self-discipline. The study's implications for future studies on love attitudes in certain cultural groups were also discussed.

Synonymous genes explore different evolutionary landscapes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guillaume Cambray

2008-11-01

Full Text Available The evolutionary potential of a gene is constrained not only by the amino acid sequence of its product, but by its DNA sequence as well. The topology of the genetic code is such that half of the amino acids exhibit synonymous codons that can reach different subsets of amino acids from each other through single mutation. Thus, synonymous DNA sequences should access different regions of the protein sequence space through a limited number of mutations, and this may deeply influence the evolution of natural proteins. Here, we demonstrate that this feature can be of value for manipulating protein evolvability. We designed an algorithm that, starting from an input gene, constructs a synonymous sequence that systematically includes the codons with the most different evolutionary perspectives; i.e., codons that maximize accessibility to amino acids previously unreachable from the template by point mutation. A synonymous version of a bacterial antibiotic resistance gene was computed and synthesized. When concurrently submitted to identical directed evolution protocols, both the wild type and the recoded sequence led to the isolation of specific, advantageous phenotypic variants. Simulations based on a mutation isolated only from the synthetic gene libraries were conducted to assess the impact of sub-functional selective constraints, such as codon usage, on natural adaptation. Our data demonstrate that rational design of synonymous synthetic genes stands as an affordable improvement to any directed evolution protocol. We show that using two synonymous DNA sequences improves the overall yield of the procedure by increasing the diversity of mutants generated. These results provide conclusive evidence that synonymous coding sequences do experience different areas of the corresponding protein adaptive landscape, and that a sequence's codon usage effectively constrains the evolution of the encoded protein.

Learners with Dyslexia: Exploring Their Experiences with Different Online Reading Affordances

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chwen Jen; Keong, Melissa Wei Yin; Teh, Chee Siong; Chuah, Kee Man

2015-01-01

To date, empirically derived guidelines for designing accessible online learning environments for learners with dyslexia are still scarce. This study aims to explore the learning experience of learners with dyslexia when reading passages using different online reading affordances to derive some guidelines for dyslexia-friendly online text. The…

The Aerial Regional-Scale Environmental Surveyor (ARES): New Mars Science to Reduce Human Risk and Prepare for the Human Exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, Joel S.; Croom, Mark A.; Wright, Henry S.; Killough, B. D.; Edwards, W. C.

2012-01-01

Obtaining critical measurements for eventual human Mars missions while expanding upon recent Mars scientific discoveries and deriving new scientific knowledge from a unique near surface vantage point is the focus of the Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Surveyor (ARES) exploration mission. The key element of ARES is an instrumented,rocket-powered, well-tested robotic airplane platform, that will fly between one to two kilometers above the surface while traversing hundreds of kilometers to collect and transmit previously unobtainable high spatial measurements relevant to the NASA Mars Exploration Program and the exploration of Mars by humans.

[Learning from regional differences: online platform: http://www.versorgungsatlas.de].

Science.gov (United States)

Mangiapane, S

2014-02-01

In 2011, the Central Research Institute of Ambulatory Health Care in Germany (ZI) published the website http://www.versorgungsatlas.de, a portal that presents research results from regional health services in Germany. The Web portal provides a publicly accessible source of information and a growing number of selected analyses focusing on regional variation in health care. Each topic is presented in terms of interactive maps, tables, and diagrams and is supplemented by a paper that examines the results in detail and provides an explanation of the findings. The portal has been designed to provide a forum on which health service researchers can publish their results derived from various data sources of different institutions in Germany and can comment on results already available on http://www.versorgungsatlas.de. For health policy actors, the discussion of regional differences offers a new, previously unavailable basis for determining the region-specific treatment needs and for providing health-care management with the goal of high-quality care for each resident.

Gender and tuberculosis: a comparison of prevalence surveys with notification data to explore sex differences in case detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Borgdorff, M W; Nagelkerke, N J; Dye, C; Nunn, P

2000-02-01

To explore whether lower tuberculosis notification rates among women are due to a reduced access to health care, particularly diagnostic services, for women. Age- and sex-specific tuberculosis prevalence rates of smear-positive tuberculosis were obtained from tuberculosis prevalence surveys reported to the WHO or published in the literature. Age- and sex-specific notification rates from the same countries in 1996 were used. Prevalence data and notifications from 29 surveys in 14 countries were used. Notification rates varied strongly among countries, but the female/male ratio was below 1 and decreased with increasing age in almost all. The female/male (F/M) prevalence ratios were less than 0.5 in surveys in the South-East Asia and Western Pacific Region, and approximately 1 in the African Region. In most countries the F/M sex ratio in prevalent cases was similar or lower than that in notified cases, suggesting that F/M differences in notification rates may be largely due to epidemiological differences and not to differential access to health care. However, available data are limited as the prevalence surveys in Africa were carried out many years ago, and in Asia notification rates may be distorted by a large private sector with deficiencies in notification.

Perception of the energy question in different regions of France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fouque, B.; Villaret, J.M.

1982-01-01

The authors first outline the main variables which account for regional differences in the perception of the energy question, and go on to discuss these differences and the factors underlying them [fr

Regional differences in the incidence of tuberculosis among patients with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Bo Ram; Kang, Young Ae; Heo, Eun Young; Koo, Bo Kyung; Choi, Nam-Kyong; Hwang, Seung-Sik; Lee, Chang-Hoon

2018-04-01

There are regional differences in the burden of tuberculosis (TB). Although these differences might be explained by regional differences in the risk factors of TB, whether such risk factors are actually associated with the regional differences in the TB burden remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the risk factors of and regional differences in TB incidence. A cohort study applying nationwide claims database in Republic of Korea included patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in 2009. The main outcome was the incidence of TB defined based on the diagnostic codes combined with anti-tuberculosis treatment repeated within 90 days. Sixteen regions were categorized into 3 groups according to the age- and sex-standardized TB incidence rates. Multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for risk factors was performed to identify the determinants of the regional differences in TB incidence. Among 331 601 participants newly diagnosed with type 2 DM and with no history of previous TB, 1216 TB cases were observed. The regional TB incidence rates ranged between 2.3 and 5.9/1000 patients. Multivariate analyses did not identify any determinants of regional differences in the TB incidence among the various risk factors, including age, sex, health care utilization, co-morbidities, medication and treatment and complications of DM. Similarly, temperature, humidity and latent TB infection rate also did not affect the results. Although substantial regional differences in the TB incidence rate were observed among patients with newly diagnosed DM, no determinants of regional difference were identified among the risk factors. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Regional socioeconomic indicators and ethnicity as predictors of regional infant mortality rate in Slovakia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rosicova, Katarina; Geckova, Andrea Madarasova; van Dijk, Jitse P.; Kollarova, Jana; Rosic, Martin; Groothoff, Johan W.

2011-01-01

Objective Exploring the associations of regional differences in infant mortality with selected socioeconomic indicators and ethnicity could offer important clues for designing public health policy measures. Methods Data included perinatal and infant mortality in the 79 districts of the Slovak

Inferring social attributes from different face regions: evidence for holistic processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Isabel M; Young, Andrew W

2011-04-01

Two experiments investigated the role that different face regions play in a variety of social judgements that are commonly made from facial appearance (sex, age, distinctiveness, attractiveness, approachability, trustworthiness, and intelligence). These judgements lie along a continuum from those with a clear physical basis and high consequent accuracy (sex, age) to judgements that can achieve a degree of consensus between observers despite having little known validity (intelligence, trustworthiness). Results from Experiment 1 indicated that the face's internal features (eyes, nose, and mouth) provide information that is more useful for social inferences than the external features (hair, face shape, ears, and chin), especially when judging traits such as approachability and trustworthiness. Experiment 2 investigated how judgement agreement was affected when the upper head, eye, nose, or mouth regions were presented in isolation or when these regions were obscured. A different pattern of results emerged for different characteristics, indicating that different types of facial information are used in the various judgements. Moreover, the informativeness of a particular region/feature depends on whether it is presented alone or in the context of the whole face. These findings provide evidence for the importance of holistic processing in making social attributions from facial appearance.

Exploring the willingness to pay for forest ecosystem services by residents of the Veneto Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paola Gatto

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Forests produce a wide array of goods, both private and public. The demand for forest ecosystem services is increasing in many European countries, yet there is still a scarcity of data on values at regional scale for Alpine areas. A Choice Experiment survey has been conducted in order to explore preferences, uses and the willingness of the Veneto population to pay for ecosystem services produced by regional mountain forests. The results show that willingness to pay is significant for recreation and C-sequestration but not for biodiversity conservation, landscape and other ecosystem services. These findings question the feasibility of developing market-based mechanisms in Veneto at present and cast light on the possible role of public institutions in promoting policy actions to increase the general awareness of forest-related ecosystem services.

Deep greenhouse gas emission reductions in Europe: Exploring different options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deetman, Sebastiaan; Hof, Andries F.; Pfluger, Benjamin; Vuuren, Detlef P. van; Girod, Bastien; Ruijven, Bas J. van

2013-01-01

Most modelling studies that explore emission mitigation scenarios only look into least-cost emission pathways, induced by a carbon tax. This means that European policies targeting specific – sometimes relatively costly – technologies, such as electric cars and advanced insulation measures, are usually not evaluated as part of cost-optimal scenarios. This study explores an emission mitigation scenario for Europe up to 2050, taking as a starting point specific emission reduction options instead of a carbon tax. The purpose is to identify the potential of each of these policies and identify trade-offs between sectoral policies in achieving emission reduction targets. The reduction options evaluated in this paper together lead to a reduction of 65% of 1990 CO 2 -equivalent emissions by 2050. More bottom-up modelling exercises, like the one presented here, provide a promising starting point to evaluate policy options that are currently considered by policy makers. - Highlights: ► We model the effects of 15 climate change mitigation measures in Europe. ► We assess the greenhouse gas emission reduction potential in different sectors. ► The measures could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% below 1990 levels in 2050. ► The approach allows to explore arguably more relevant climate policy scenarios

Exploring Different Patterns of Love Attitudes among Chinese College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Xianglong; Pan, Yiqin; Zhou, Han; Yu, Shi; Liu, Xiangping

2016-01-01

Individual differences in love attitudes and the relationship between love attitudes and other variables in Asian culture lack in-depth exploration. This study conducted cluster analysis with data regarding love attitudes obtained from 389 college students in mainland China. The result of cluster analysis based on love-attitude scales distinguished four types of students: game players, rational lovers, emotional lovers, and absence lovers. These four groups of students showed significant differences in sexual attitudes and personality traits of deliberation and dutifulness but not self-discipline. The study’s implications for future studies on love attitudes in certain cultural groups were also discussed. PMID:27851784

Exploring Different Patterns of Love Attitudes among Chinese College Students.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xianglong Zeng

Full Text Available Individual differences in love attitudes and the relationship between love attitudes and other variables in Asian culture lack in-depth exploration. This study conducted cluster analysis with data regarding love attitudes obtained from 389 college students in mainland China. The result of cluster analysis based on love-attitude scales distinguished four types of students: game players, rational lovers, emotional lovers, and absence lovers. These four groups of students showed significant differences in sexual attitudes and personality traits of deliberation and dutifulness but not self-discipline. The study's implications for future studies on love attitudes in certain cultural groups were also discussed.

Socioeconomic determinants of regional mortality differences in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spijker, Jeroen Johannes Anthonius

2004-01-01

This thesis has attempted to assess the importance of various socioeconomic and other factors in mortality at the population level in three different settings: in Europe at the country level, and in the Czech Republic and the Netherlands at the regional level. Each analysis was conducted from a

City Size, Density and Sectoral Structure: Exploring Urban Sustainability in the Regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Svirejeva-Hopkins, Anastasia

2010-05-01

For the first time in history, the Global population is more urban than rural and the trend is obvious at various scales. Cities do not serve just as dynamic centres of activities, jobs and consumption markets, social interactions and cultural expressions, but also carry the weight of the main environmental problems of current times and the near future. Global Warming, air and water pollution, population growth and recourse constraints, i.e. reduction of carrying capacity of the environment are among the well known ones. The overall aim of this research is to develop mitigation (at various scales) and adaptation systems, tailored to urban settlements. They should be effective at the very local as well as regional levels, assess and introduce innovative urban technologies and policies, reduce ecological footprint of cities and increase recycling efficiency. We propose the empirical method of urban sustainability assessment, that supports our hypothesis that city functioning, the changes in its population and area growth depends on the size, average and internal densities and the geographical form. The existing cities of three regions are examined: Western and Eastern Europe (incl. Russia), Latin America and China. There are fundamental urban developmental differences and also within the first region, namely between EU countries and the Eastern part of European geographical region. The cities are considered not only as some agglomerates of areas with dense population but from the ecological point of view, namely examining inflow of food and energy and outflow of waste products across the boundaries. There are major differences between the patterns of urbanisation in the studied regions, urban systems functioning and resilience. Continuous investigation of these differenced helps building regional scenarios of cities development, population allocation and pollution management for the 21st century.

Regional energy facility siting analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eberhart, R.C.; Eagles, T.W.

1976-01-01

Results of the energy facility siting analysis portion of a regional pilot study performed for the anticipated National Energy Siting and Facility Report are presented. The question of cell analysis versus site-specific analysis is explored, including an evaluation of the difference in depth between the two approaches. A discussion of the possible accomplishments of regional analysis is presented. It is concluded that regional sitting analysis could be of use in a national siting study, if its inherent limits are recognized

Regional differences in semen qualities in the Baltic region.

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Punab, Margus; Zilaitiene, Birute; Jørgensen, Niels; Horte, Antero; Matulevicius, Valentinas; Peetsalu, Ants; Skakkebaek, Niels E

2002-08-01

Recent prospective studies of male reproductive health have shown differences between several European countries. Our objective was to evaluate the current situation in the two Baltic States Estonia and Lithuania. In 1997-99 we investigated semen parameters, levels of reproductive hormones and general health factors of 196 men from the general population in Lithuania; from Estonia, 79 men from the general population and 118 soldiers were investigated. Adjusted for interlaboratory differences and abstinence period, sperm concentration of Lithuanian and Estonian men from the general populations were shown to be 55 and 67 million/mL, respectively. The Estonian soldiers had the highest sperm concentration, 82 million/mL. The frequencies of morphologically normal spermatozoa were 6.2, 7.7 and 9.6%, respectively. In contrast to the semen qualities, highest Inhibin B levels were detected in the Lithuanians (233 pg/mL) followed by Estonian men from the general population (220 pg/mL) and Estonian soldiers (185 pg/mL). The soldiers had also the lowest level of testosterone and oestradiol. The sperm counts of the Estonian and Lithuanian men investigated here are higher than recently shown for Norwegian, Danish, Estonian and Finnish men. Comparisons should be cautiously drawn as the groups are not completely comparable. Still, even within the Baltic region, geographically close and sharing common recent social history, differences in semen quality and levels of reproductive hormones are apparent.

Regional Clinical and Biochemical Differences among Patients with Primary Hyperparathyroidism

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Özer Makay

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Environmental habitat may play a role in clinical disparities of primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT patients. Aims: To compare preoperative clinical symptoms and associated conditions and surgical findings in patients with pHPT, living in different geographical regions from the Black Sea, Mediterranean and Anatolia regions. Study Design: Retrospective, clinical-based multi-centric study of 694 patients with pHPT. Methods: Patients from 23 centers and 8 different geographical regions were included. Data related to baseline demographics, clinical, pathologic and treatment characteristics of 8 regions were collected and included age, gender, residential data, symptoms, history of fracture, existence of brown tumor, serum total Ca and p levels, serum parathormone (PTH levels, serum 25-OH vitamin D levels, bone mineral density, size of the resected abnormal parathyroid gland(s, histology, as well as the presence of ectopia, presence of dual adenoma, and multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN- or familial-related disease. Results: The median age was 54. Asymptomatic patient rate was 25%. The median PTH level was 232 pg/mL and serum total Ca was 11.4 mg/dL. Eighty-seven percent of patients had an adenoma and 90% of these had a single adenoma. Hyperplasia was detected in 79 patients and cancer in 9 patients. The median adenoma size was 16 mm. Significant parameters differing between regions were preoperative symptoms, serum Ca and p levels, and adenoma size. All patients from South-East Anatolia were symptomatic, while the lowest p values were reported from East Anatolia and the largest adenoma size, as well as highest Ca levels, were from Bulgaria. Conclusion: Habitat conditions vary between geographical regions. This affects the clinicopathological features of patients with pHPT

Distribution of protein components of wheat from different regions

African Journals Online (AJOL)

kesiena

2012-06-07

Jun 7, 2012 ... The distribution of wheat protein components in different regions was researched to ..... properties of wheat gliadins II. effects on dynamic rheoligical ... fractions properties of wheat dough depending on molecular size and.

Exploring the effects of telehealth on medical human resources supply: a qualitative case study in remote regions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duplantie Julie

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The availability of medical human resource supply is a growing concern for rural and remote communities in many countries. In the last decade, various telehealth experiences in Canada have highlighted the potential impact of this technology on professional practice. The purpose of this study was to explore physicians' and managers' perceptions regarding the potential of telehealth to support recruitment and retention of physicians in remote and rural regions. Methods A case study in Eastern Quebec was performed to explore this complex phenomenon. The analytical framework was based on two literature reviews and a Delphi study. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with 41 physicians and 22 managers. Transcripts were produced and interview content was coded independently by two judges and validated by an expert panel. Results Interviews have highlighted the potential impact of telehealth on several factors influencing the recruitment and retention of physicians in rural and remote regions. The potential effects of telehealth on physicians' choice of practice location could be seen at the professional, organizational, educational and individual levels. For instance, telehealth could improve work satisfaction by allowing a regional on-call duty system and a better follow-up of patients. However, there are also certain limits related to telehealth, such as the fear that it would eventually replace all continuing medical education activities and onsite specialists in remoteregions. Conclusion Telehealth is likely to have an impact on several factors related to medical workforce supply in remote and rural regions. However, the expected benefits will materialize if and only if this technology is properly integrated into organizations as a support to professional practice.

Narrowing sex differences in life expectancy: regional variations, 1971-1991

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Frank Trovato

2001-12-01

Full Text Available A number of industrialized nations have recently experienced some degrees of constriction in their long-standing sex differentials in life expectancy at birth. In this study we examine this phenomenon in the context of Canada’s regions between 1971 and 1991: Atlantic (Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island; Quebec, Ontario, and the West (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon and Northwest Territories. Decomposition analysis based on multiple decrement life tables is applied to address three questions: (1 Are there regional differentials in the degree of narrowing in the sex gap in life expectancy? (2 What is the relative contribution of major causes of death to observed sex differences in average length of life within and across regions? (3 How do the contributions of cause-of-death components vary across regions to either widen or narrow the sex gap in survival? It is shown that the magnitude of the sex gap is not uniform across the regions, though the differences are not large. The most important contributors to a narrowing of the sex gap in life expectancy are heart disease and external types of mortality (i.e., accidents, violence, and suicide, followed by lung cancer and other types of chronic conditions. In substantive terms these results indicate that over time men have been making sufficient gains in these causes of death as to narrow some of the gender gap in overall survival. Regions show similarity in these effects.

Antibiotic usage and resistance in different regions of the Dutch community.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bruinsma, N.; Filius, P.M.; Smet, P.A.G.M. de; Degener, J.E.; Endtz, P.; Bogaard, A.E. van den; Stobberingh, E.E.

2002-01-01

Regional differences of antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance in the fecal indicator bacteria Escherichia coli and enterococci were determined in different cities in the south, west, and north of The Netherlands. In 1999, differences in antibiotic consumption were observed between the different

Antibiotic usage and resistance in different regions of the Dutch community

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bruinsma, N; Filius, PMG; De Smet, PAGM; Degener, J; Endtz, P; Van den Bogaard, AE; Stobberingh, EE

2002-01-01

Regional differences of antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance in the fecal indicator bacteria Escherichia coli and enterococci were determined in different cities in the south, west, and north of The Netherlands. In 1999, differences in antibiotic consumption were observed between the different

Regional differences in adipocyte lactate production from glucose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newby, F.D.; Sykes, M.N.; DiGirolamo, M.

1988-01-01

Having shown that lactate is an important product of glucose metabolism by rat epididymal adipocytes, the authors investigated possible regional differences in adipocyte lactate production and the role of the animals' nutritional state and stage of development. [U- 14 C]glucose metabolism, lactate production, and response to insulin were measured in fat cells isolated from four adipose regions from young lean and older fatter rats, killed either in the fed state or after fasting for 48 h. In the absence of insulin, mesenteric fat cells from either age group metabolized significantly more glucose per cell and converted more glucose to lactate than cells from other depots, regardless of nutritional state. Adipocytes from fasted lean rats showed a significant increase in the relative glucose conversion to lactate in all depots when compared with cells from fed lean rats. Fasting of older fatter rats, however, had limited effects on the relative adipocyte glucose conversion to lactate since lactate production was already high. Mesenteric fat cells had the lowest relative response to insulin, possibly due to the high basal rate of glucose metabolism. These findings indicate that differences exist among adipose regions in the rates of glucose metabolism, lactate production and response to insulin. The anatomical location of the mesenteric adipose depot, coupled with a high metabolic rate and blood perfusion, suggests that mesenteric adipocytes may provide a unique and more direct contribution of metabolic substrates for hepatic metabolism than adipocytes from other depots

Overweight and obesity among adolescents in Poland: gender and regional differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Jodkowska, Maria; Oblacinska, Anna; Tabak, Izabela

2010-10-01

To examine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Polish adolescents in 2005 using both the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) cut-offs and a national reference; to compare this to data collected in 1995; and to assess whether there were differences in overweight or obesity by gender and place of residence in 1995-2005. BMI was calculated from measured height and weight, collected in a cross-sectional study in five regions of Poland in 2005. Adolescents were categorised as normal, overweight or obese based on IOTF cut-off values, and by national weight for stature tables, where the 90th and 97th percentiles were used as cut-off values for overweight and obesity. Population-based study set in Poland. A two-stage sampling method was used to recruit 8065 pupils (3980 boys and 4085 girls) aged 13-15 years. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 12·5 % and 1·9 %, respectively. No significant gender differences were found, either in overweight or obesity. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in 2005 had increased 2 % compared to 1995. Overweight and obesity among adolescents were not related to urban-rural residence, but there were significant regional differences. Monitoring trends in overweight and obesity among adolescents in all regions of Poland using the same reference criteria is important. Since regional differences in overweight and obesity rates among adolescents were observed both in 1995 and 2005, future research should investigate the potential causes of these differences.

Multi-region optimal deployment of renewable energy considering different interregional transmission scenarios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Ge; Zhang, Qi; Mclellan, Benjamin C.; Li, Hailong

2016-01-01

Renewable energy is expected to play much more important role in future low-carbon energy system, however, renewable energy has problems with regard to load-following and regional imbalance. This study aims to plan the deployment of intermittent renewable energy in multiple regions considering the impacts of regional natural conditions and generation capacity mix as well as interregional transmission capacity using a multi-region dynamic optimization model. The model was developed to find optimized development paths toward future smart electricity systems with high level penetration of intermittent renewable energy considering regional differences and interregional transmission at national scale. As a case study, the model was applied to plan power generation in nine interconnected regions in Japan out to 2030. Four scenarios were proposed with different supporting policies for the interregional power transmission infrastructures and different nuclear power phase-out scenarios. The analysis results show that (i) the government's support for power transmission infrastructures is vital important to develop more intermittent renewable energy in appropriate regions and utilize renewable energy more efficiently; (ii) nuclear and renewable can complement rather than replace each other if enough interregional transmission capacity is provided. - Highlights: • Plan the optimal deployment of intermittent renewable energy in multiple regions. • A multi-region dynamic optimization model was developed. • The impacts of natural conditions and interregional transmission are studied. • The government's support for transmission is vital important for renewable energy. • Nuclear and renewable can complement rather than replace each other.

Moral values are associated with individual differences in regional brain volume.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Gary J; Kanai, Ryota; Bates, Timothy C; Rees, Geraint

2012-08-01

Moral sentiment has been hypothesized to reflect evolved adaptations to social living. If so, individual differences in moral values may relate to regional variation in brain structure. We tested this hypothesis in a sample of 70 young, healthy adults examining whether differences on two major dimensions of moral values were significantly associated with regional gray matter volume. The two clusters of moral values assessed were "individualizing" (values of harm/care and fairness) and "binding" (deference to authority, in-group loyalty, and purity/sanctity). Individualizing was positively associated with left dorsomedial pFC volume and negatively associated with bilateral precuneus volume. For binding, a significant positive association was found for bilateral subcallosal gyrus and a trend to significance for the left anterior insula volume. These findings demonstrate that variation in moral sentiment reflects individual differences in brain structure and suggest a biological basis for moral sentiment, distributed across multiple brain regions.

Regional income disparities in Canada: exploring the geographical dimensions of an old debate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sébastien Breau

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The existing literature on convergence in Canada largely ignores the underlying geographical dimensions of regional disparities. By using income measures developed from census micro-data files to analyze patterns of convergence across census divisions, we show that regional disparities are increasingly clustered across the Canadian space-economy along (1 East–West and (2 urban–rural gradients. Rural census divisions in the Eastern provinces, in particular, are showing increased signs of distress in terms of differences in levels and growth rates of incomes with other regions in the country. Such findings have important policy implications which are briefly discussed.

[Regional differences in the development of hospitalizations : An effect of different demographic trends?

Science.gov (United States)

Nowossadeck, Enno; Prütz, Franziska

2018-03-01

Population aging and population decline in many regions of the Federal Republic of Germany are key elements of demographic change. In the regions concerned there is a rising number of older people and, simultaneously, a declining population. So far, the consequences of regional shrinkage and growth for inpatient care don't seem to have been analysed very well. This paper analyses the influence of population aging and declining/increasing population (demographic factors) as well as other, non-demographic factors on the number of hospitalizations in Germany and the Federal States since 2000.One result of the analysis is that there are major differences between the Federal States. The analysis shows, for example, an increase of hospitalizations in Berlin while in Saxony-Anhalt the number of hospitalizations declines. The increase in Berlin was the result of population aging and, to a lower extent, an increase in population. In Saxony-Anhalt the declining population resulted in a decreasing number of hospitalizations. Population aging and non-demographic factors were not able to compensate this trend.Overall, the effect of demographic factors on the number of hospitalizations remains constant over time. Short-term changes of hospitalizations are due to non-demographic factors, such as epidemiological trends, (for example trends of incidence or prevalence), or structural changes of health care service (for example patients shifting between different sectors of health care or the introduction of new reimbursement systems).

Neurons derived from different brain regions are inherently different in vitro: a novel multiregional brain-on-a-chip.

Science.gov (United States)

Dauth, Stephanie; Maoz, Ben M; Sheehy, Sean P; Hemphill, Matthew A; Murty, Tara; Macedonia, Mary Kate; Greer, Angie M; Budnik, Bogdan; Parker, Kevin Kit

2017-03-01

Brain in vitro models are critically important to developing our understanding of basic nervous system cellular physiology, potential neurotoxic effects of chemicals, and specific cellular mechanisms of many disease states. In this study, we sought to address key shortcomings of current brain in vitro models: the scarcity of comparative data for cells originating from distinct brain regions and the lack of multiregional brain in vitro models. We demonstrated that rat neurons from different brain regions exhibit unique profiles regarding their cell composition, protein expression, metabolism, and electrical activity in vitro. In vivo, the brain is unique in its structural and functional organization, and the interactions and communication between different brain areas are essential components of proper brain function. This fact and the observation that neurons from different areas of the brain exhibit unique behaviors in vitro underline the importance of establishing multiregional brain in vitro models. Therefore, we here developed a multiregional brain-on-a-chip and observed a reduction of overall firing activity, as well as altered amounts of astrocytes and specific neuronal cell types compared with separately cultured neurons. Furthermore, this multiregional model was used to study the effects of phencyclidine, a drug known to induce schizophrenia-like symptoms in vivo, on individual brain areas separately while monitoring downstream effects on interconnected regions. Overall, this work provides a comparison of cells from different brain regions in vitro and introduces a multiregional brain-on-a-chip that enables the development of unique disease models incorporating essential in vivo features. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Due to the scarcity of comparative data for cells from different brain regions in vitro, we demonstrated that neurons isolated from distinct brain areas exhibit unique behaviors in vitro. Moreover, in vivo proper brain function is dependent on the

Prevalence of intestinal parasites in three socioeconomically-different regions of Sivas, Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Celiksöz, Ali; Güler, Nuran; Güler, Güngör; Oztop, A Yasemin; Degerli, Serpil

2005-06-01

The study was carried out to determine the prevalence of parasites in three socioeconomically-different regions (Alibaba, Esentepe, and Cayboyu) of Sivas, Turkey, to determine the most accurate method for the diagnosis of taeniasis and enterobiasis, to determine the importance of household visits in primary healthcare to control parasitic diseases, and to treat intestinal parasitic diseases in those regions. Both stool specimens and cellophane tape (CT) samples were taken from 1,864 participants during 641 household visits in the three regions. The age groups included were pre-school [(0-6 year(s)], primary school (7-15 years), and the upper age group (16 years and above). The total prevalence of intestinal parasites in the three regions was 37.2%. Eleven intestinal parasite species were detected in both stool specimens and CT samples. Giardia intestinalis and Enterobius vermicularis were the most frequent species identified in all the three regions. Region I (Alibaba) had a higher prevalence of parasites compared to the other two regions. There was no significant difference between Region II (Esentepe) and Region III (Cayboyu) in isolation of intestinal parasites. There were statistically significant differences between the age groups when the rates of parasitic infection were compared. The highest prevalence of parasitosis was observed among the age group of 7-15 years and in the socioeconomically lowest one of the three regions. While the most accurate way of diagnosis for taeniasis was the combined usage of the CT and direct preparation methods, the CT method was the best method for the diagnosis of enterobiasis. Thus, the local administrators in cities need to pay more attention to the prevention of parasitic infections along with improvements in educational, environmental and sanitary conditions.

Exploring regional stakeholder needs and requirements in terms of Extreme Weather Event Attribution

Science.gov (United States)

Schwab, M.; Meinke, I.; Vanderlinden, J. P.; Touili, N.; Von Storch, H.

2015-12-01

Extreme event attribution has increasingly received attention in the scientific community. It may also serve decision-making at the regional level where much of the climate change impact mitigation takes place. Nevertheless, there is, to date, little known about the requirements of regional actors in terms of extreme event attribution. We have therefore analysed these at the example of regional decision-makers for climate change-related activities and/or concerned with storm surge risks at the German Baltic Sea and heat wave risks in the Greater Paris area. In order to explore if stakeholders find scientific knowledge from extreme event attribution useful and how this information might be relevant to their decision-making, we consulted a diverse set of actors engaged in the assessment, mitigation and communication of storm surge, heat wave, and climate change-related risks. Extreme event attribution knowledge was perceived to be most useful to public and political awareness-raising, but was of little or no relevance for the consulted stakeholders themselves. It was not acknowledged that it would support adaptation planning as sometimes argued in the literature. The consulted coastal protection, health, and urban adaptation planners rather needed reliable statements about possible future changes in extreme events than causal statements about past events. To enhance salience, a suitable product of event attribution should be linked to regional problems, vulnerabilities, and impacts of climate change. Given that the tolerance of uncertainty is rather low, most of the stakeholders also claimed that a suitable product of event attribution is to be received from a trusted "honest broker" and published rather later, but with smaller uncertainties than vice versa. Institutional mechanisms, like regional climate services, which enable and foster communication, translation and mediation across the boundaries between knowledge and action can help fulfill such requirements

Significant Differences in Physicochemical Properties of Human Immunoglobulin Kappa and Lambda CDR3 Regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, Catherine L; Laffy, Julie M J; Wu, Yu-Chang Bryan; Silva O'Hare, Joselli; Martin, Victoria; Kipling, David; Fraternali, Franca; Dunn-Walters, Deborah K

2016-01-01

Antibody variable regions are composed of a heavy and a light chain, and in humans, there are two light chain isotypes: kappa and lambda. Despite their importance in receptor editing, the light chain is often overlooked in the antibody literature, with the focus being on the heavy chain complementarity-determining region (CDR)-H3 region. In this paper, we set out to investigate the physicochemical and structural differences between human kappa and lambda light chain CDR regions. We constructed a dataset containing over 29,000 light chain variable region sequences from IgM-transcribing, newly formed B cells isolated from human bone marrow and peripheral blood. We also used a published human naïve dataset to investigate the CDR-H3 properties of heavy chains paired with kappa and lambda light chains and probed the Protein Data Bank to investigate the structural differences between kappa and lambda antibody CDR regions. We found that kappa and lambda light chains have very different CDR physicochemical and structural properties, whereas the heavy chains with which they are paired do not differ significantly. We also observed that the mean CDR3 N nucleotide addition in the kappa, lambda, and heavy chain gene rearrangements are correlated within donors but can differ between donors. This indicates that terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase may work with differing efficiencies between different people but the same efficiency in the different classes of immunoglobulin chain within one person. We have observed large differences in the physicochemical and structural properties of kappa and lambda light chain CDR regions. This may reflect different roles in the humoral immune response.

Exploring hubness in Regional Trade Agreements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vaal, A. de

2016-01-01

In the plethora of Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) some countries take in a more central position than others in the sense that some countries are much more engaged with other countries through RTAs. Furthermore, the position of some countries is that of a hub: they have (many) trade

Different spaces : Exploring Facebook as heterotopia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rymarczuk, R.; Derksen, Maarten

2014-01-01

In this paper we explore the space of Facebook, and use Michel Foucault’s concept of heterotopia to describe it. We show that the heterotopic nature of Facebook explains not only much of its attraction, but even more the discomfort that many people, users as well as non–users, experience in it.

Different Regions, Diverse Classrooms? a Study of Primary Classrooms in China

Science.gov (United States)

McNaught, Carmel; Lok, Beatrice; Yin, Hongbiao; Lee, John Chi-Kin; Song, Huan

2014-01-01

Classroom experience is shaped by a number of factors. In this paper, we report a classroom observation study in China, illustrating regional variation in students' classroom learning experiences. Through comparing and contrasting observed classroom practices in three different regions in China (Chongqing, Hong Kong and Shanghai), the paper…

Private health care expenditure and quality in Beveridge systems: cross-regional differences in the Italian NHS.

Science.gov (United States)

Del Vecchio, Mario; Fenech, Lorenzo; Prenestini, Anna

2015-03-01

Private health care expenditure ranges from 15% to 30% of total healthcare spending in OECD countries. The literature suggests that there should be an inverse correlation between quality of public services and private expenditures. The main objective of this study is to explore the association between quality of public healthcare and private expenditures in the Italian Regional Healthcare Systems (RHSs). The institutional framework offered by the Italian NHS allows to investigate on the differences among the regions while controlling for institutional factors. The study uses micro-data from the ISTAT Household Consumption Survey (HCS) and a rich set of regional quality indicators. The results indicate that there is a positive and significant correlation between quality and private spending per capita across regions. The study also points out the strong association between the distribution of private consumption and income. In order to account for the influence of income, the study segmented data in three socio-economic classes and computed cross-regional correlations of RHSs quality and household healthcare expenditure per capita, within each class. No correlation was found between the two variables. These findings are quite surprising and call into question the theory that better quality of public services crowds out private spending, or, at the very least, it undermines the simplistic notions that higher levels of private spending are a direct consequence of poor quality in the public sector. This suggests that policies should avoid to simplistically link private spending with judgements or assessments about the functioning or efficacy of the public system and its organizations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cultural similarities and differences in medical professionalism: a multi-region study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandratilake, Madawa; McAleer, Sean; Gibson, John

2012-03-01

Over the last two decades, many medical educators have sought to define professionalism. Initial attempts to do so were focused on defining professionalism in a manner that allowed for universal agreement. This quest was later transformed into an effort to 'understand professionalism' as many researchers realised that professionalism is a social construct and is culture-sensitive. The determination of cultural differences in the understanding of professionalism, however, has been subject to very little research, possibly because of the practical difficulties of doing so. In this multi-region study, we illustrate the universal and culture-specific aspects of medical professionalism as it is perceived by medical practitioners. Forty-six professional attributes were identified by reviewing the literature. A total of 584 medical practitioners, representing the UK, Europe, North America and Asia, participated in a survey in which they indicated the importance of each of these attributes. We determined the 'essentialness' of each attribute in different geographic regions using the content validity index, supplemented with kappa statistics. With acceptable levels of consensus, all regional groups identified 29 attributes as 'essential', thereby indicating the universality of these professional attributes, and six attributes as non-essential. The essentialness of the rest varied by regional group. This study has helped to identify regional similarities and dissimilarities in understandings of professionalism, most of which can be explained by cultural differences in line with the theories of cultural dimensions and cultural value. However, certain dissonances among regions may well be attributable to socio-economic factors. Some of the responses appear to be counter-cultural and demonstrate practitioners' keenness to overcome cultural barriers in order to provide better patient care. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

[Do regional and generational differences in attitudes toward "Luck Resource Belief" exist?].

Science.gov (United States)

Murakami, Koshi

2016-04-01

This article examines whether belief in superstitions and folklore differs by age and degree of modernization specifically. This study investigated regional and generational differences in attitudes toward "Luck Resource Belief," a notion regarding luck. The 500 Japanese participants in our sample were stratified by place of residence, age, and income. The results reflected gender differences, but not regional or generational differences with regard to the "Luck Resource Belief" scale scores. Based on these results, the hypothesis that the mass media plays a major role in the dissemination of information about superstitions and folklore is discussed in this context.

Sex differences in complex regional pain syndrome type I (CRPS-I) in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Chaoliang; Li, Juan; Tai, Wai Lydia; Yao, Weifeng; Zhao, Bo; Hong, Junmou; Shi, Si; Wang, Song; Xia, Zhongyuan

2017-01-01

Sex differences have been increasingly highlighted in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in clinical practice. In CRPS type I (CRPS-I), although inflammation and oxidative stress have been implicated in its pathogenesis, whether pain behavior and the underlying mechanism are sex-specific is unclear. In the present study, we sought to explore whether sex differences have an impact on inflammation, oxidative stress, and pain sensitivity in CRPS-I. Chronic post-ischemia pain (CPIP) was established in both male and female mice as an animal model of CRPS-I. Edema and mechanical allodynia of bilateral hind paws were assessed after reperfusion. Blood samples were analyzed for serum levels of oxidative stress markers and inflammatory cytokines. Both male and female mice developed edema. Male mice developed CPIP at day 3 after reperfusion; female mice developed CPIP at day 2 after reperfusion. Female mice displayed significantly earlier and higher mechanical allodynia in the ischemic hind paw, which was associated with higher serum levels of IL-2, TNF-α, isoprostanes, 8 OhdG, and malondialdehyde at day 2 after reperfusion. Moreover, female mice showed significantly lower SOD and IL-4 compared to male mice at day 2 after reperfusion. Our results indicate that sex differences in inflammatory and oxidative stress states may play a central role in the sex-specific nociceptive hypersensitivity in CRPS-I, and offer a new insight into pharmacology treatments to improve pain management with CRPS.

Spatial Patterns and the Regional Differences of Rural Settlements in Jilin Province, China

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Xiaoyan Li

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The spatial patterns of rural settlements are important for understanding the drivers of land use change and the relationship between human activity and environmental processes. It has been suggested that the clustering of houses decreases the negative effects on the environment and promotes the development of the countryside, but few empirical studies have quantified the spatial distribution patterns of houses. Our aim was to explore the regional differences in rural settlement patterns and expand our understanding of their geographic associations, and thus contribute to land use planning and the implementation of the policy of “building a new countryside”. We used spatial statistical methods and indices of landscape metrics to investigate different settlement patterns in three typical counties within different environments in Jilin Province, Northeast China. The results indicated that rural settlements in these three counties were all clustered, but to a varied degree. Settlement density maps and landscape metrics displayed uniformity of the settlement distributions within plain, hill, and mountainous areas. Influenced by the physical environment, the scale, form, and degree of aggregation varied. Accordingly, three types of rural settlements were summarized: a low-density, large-scale and sparse type; a mass-like and point-scattered type; and a low-density and high cluster-like type. The spatial patterns of rural settlements are the result of anthropogenic and complex physical processes, and provide an important insight for the layout and management of the countryside.

Regional differences in temperature sensation and thermal comfort in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Mayumi; Yoda, Tamae; Crawshaw, Larry I; Yasuhara, Saki; Saito, Yasuyo; Kasuga, Momoko; Nagashima, Kei; Kanosue, Kazuyuki

2008-12-01

Sensations evoked by thermal stimulation (temperature-related sensations) can be divided into two categories, "temperature sensation" and "thermal comfort." Although several studies have investigated regional differences in temperature sensation, less is known about the sensitivity differences in thermal comfort for the various body regions. In the present study, we examined regional differences in temperature-related sensations with special attention to thermal comfort. Healthy male subjects sitting in an environment of mild heat or cold were locally cooled or warmed with water-perfused stimulators. Areas stimulated were the face, chest, abdomen, and thigh. Temperature sensation and thermal comfort of the stimulated areas were reported by the subjects, as was whole body thermal comfort. During mild heat exposure, facial cooling was most comfortable and facial warming was most uncomfortable. On the other hand, during mild cold exposure, neither warming nor cooling of the face had a major effect. The chest and abdomen had characteristics opposite to those of the face. Local warming of the chest and abdomen did produce a strong comfort sensation during whole body cold exposure. The thermal comfort seen in this study suggests that if given the chance, humans would preferentially cool the head in the heat, and they would maintain the warmth of the trunk areas in the cold. The qualitative differences seen in thermal comfort for the various areas cannot be explained solely by the density or properties of the peripheral thermal receptors and thus must reflect processing mechanisms in the central nervous system.

Priority actions of the different Regional Prevention Plans: common features and innovations

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Francesca Russo

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The National Prevention Plan (NPP 2010-2012, approved by the Agreement between the Government, the Regions and Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano on 29 April 2010, called for Regions to adopt, by 31/12/2010, the Regional Prevention Plan (RPP for implementing the interventions provided by the NPP 2010-2012.This article has considered and compared the different RPP’s. In an attempt to provide an outlook on the future medical prevention plans over the next few years in Italy, a comparison has been made between the RPP from 19 Regions and the Autonomous Province of Trento. This work has been focused on the actions identified in regional plans as a priority concerning the major common and innovative elements.The analysis of each RPP revealed a common plan to chronic degenerative diseases, because of the aging of the population in every Region of Italy. Other important common targets are: surveillance systems, vaccination programs and screening programs. Toscana and Liguria, more than other Regions, are engaged in the creation of networks involving various social actors. In some Regions there are projects aimed at eliminating social, economic or gender inequities, such as the project “women’s health” in the Region of Puglia. Toscana and Emilia-Romagna Plans pay attention to environment and pollution issues.Despite social, environmental and economic differences, the various Regions have common principles, concerning: life style, surveillance, vaccination and the screening for cancer.

Promoting regional mobility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Anne

Pricing of transport has been part of EU's common transport policy since this gained momentum in the early 1990s. Since then, it has been closely connected to the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) and to rising demands of efficient mobility systems at a local, regional and Community scale....... Development of pricing policies is contested at Community level and has taken place in a clash between different policy rationalities. Significantly though, the effects of the pricing policies are closely related to regional mobility systems, e.g. through financing large trans-border infrastructure projects...... and establishing common technical charging systems thus changing the conditions for regional mobility. This paper explores how policies of infrastructure pricing shape new ways of governing mobility which influences trans-border, regional policy-making. The key findings are that there is a tendency to include...

Exploring differences in dogs’ and wolves’ preference for risk in a foraging task

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Sarah Marshall-Pescini

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Both human and non-humans species face decisions in their daily lives which may entail taking risks. At the individual level, a propensity for risk-taking has been shown to be positively correlated with explorative tendencies, whereas at the species level a more variable and less stable feeding ecology has been associated with a greater preference for risky choices. In the current study we compared two closely related species; wolves and dogs, which differ significantly in their feeding ecology and their explorative tendencies. Wolves depend on hunting for survival with a success rate of between 15 and 50%, whereas free-ranging dogs (which make up 80% of the world dog population, are largely scavengers specialized on human produce i.e. a more geographically and temporally stable resource. Here, we used a foraging paradigm, which allowed subjects to choose between a guaranteed less preferred food vs. a more preferred food, which was however delivered only 50% of the time (a stone being delivered the rest of time. We compared identically raised adult wolves and dogs and found that in line with the differing feeding ecologies of the two species and their explorative tendencies, wolves showed a higher preference for risk-taking than dogs.

Significant differences in physicochemical properties of human immunoglobulin kappa and lambda CDR3 regions

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Catherine L Townsend

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Antibody variable regions are composed of a heavy and a light chain and in humans there are two light chain isotypes: kappa and lambda. Despite their importance in receptor editing, the light chain is often overlooked in the antibody literature, with the focus being on the heavy chain CDR-H3 region. In this paper, we set out to investigate the physicochemical and structural differences between human kappa and lambda light chain CDR regions. We constructed a dataset containing over 29,000 - light chain variable region sequences from IgM-transcribing, newly formed B cells isolated from human bone marrow and peripheral blood. We also used a published human naïve dataset to investigate the CDR-H3 properties of heavy chains paired with kappa and lambda light chains, and probed the Protein Data Bank (PDB to investigate the structural differences between kappa and lambda antibody CDR regions. We found that kappa and lambda light chains have very different CDR physicochemical and structural properties, whereas the heavy chains with which they are paired do not differ significantly. We also observed that the mean CDR3 N nucleotide addition in the kappa, lambda and heavy chain gene rearrangements are correlated within donors, but can differ between donors. This indicates that TdT may work with differing efficiencies between different people, but the same efficiency in the different classes of immunoglobulin chain within one person. We have observed large differences in the physicochemical and structural properties of kappa and lambda light chain CDR regions. This may reflect different roles in the humoral immune response.

Diffusion tensor imaging tensor shape analysis for assessment of regional white matter differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Middleton, Dana M; Li, Jonathan Y; Lee, Hui J; Chen, Steven; Dickson, Patricia I; Ellinwood, N Matthew; White, Leonard E; Provenzale, James M

2017-08-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate a novel tensor shape plot analysis technique of diffusion tensor imaging data as a means to assess microstructural differences in brain tissue. We hypothesized that this technique could distinguish white matter regions with different microstructural compositions. Methods Three normal canines were euthanized at seven weeks old. Their brains were imaged using identical diffusion tensor imaging protocols on a 7T small-animal magnetic resonance imaging system. We examined two white matter regions, the internal capsule and the centrum semiovale, each subdivided into an anterior and posterior region. We placed 100 regions of interest in each of the four brain regions. Eigenvalues for each region of interest triangulated onto tensor shape plots as the weighted average of three shape metrics at the plot's vertices: CS, CL, and CP. Results The distribution of data on the plots for the internal capsule differed markedly from the centrum semiovale data, thus confirming our hypothesis. Furthermore, data for the internal capsule were distributed in a relatively tight cluster, possibly reflecting the compact and parallel nature of its fibers, while data for the centrum semiovale were more widely distributed, consistent with the less compact and often crossing pattern of its fibers. This indicates that the tensor shape plot technique can depict data in similar regions as being alike. Conclusion Tensor shape plots successfully depicted differences in tissue microstructure and reflected the microstructure of individual brain regions. This proof of principle study suggests that if our findings are reproduced in larger samples, including abnormal white matter states, the technique may be useful in assessment of white matter diseases.

Regional climate change mitigation analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rowlands, Ian H [UNEP Collaborating Centre on Energy and Environment, and Univ. of Waterloo (Canada)

1998-10-01

The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the key methodological issues that arise from an analysis of regional climate change mitigation options. The rationale for any analysis of regional mitigation activities, emphasising both the theoretical attractiveness and the existing political encouragement and the methodology that has been developed are reviewed. The differences arising from the fact that mitigation analyses have been taken from the level of the national - where the majority of the work has been completed to date - to the level of the international - that is, the `regional` - will be especially highlighted. (EG)

Regional climate change mitigation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rowlands, Ian H.

1998-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the key methodological issues that arise from an analysis of regional climate change mitigation options. The rationale for any analysis of regional mitigation activities, emphasising both the theoretical attractiveness and the existing political encouragement and the methodology that has been developed are reviewed. The differences arising from the fact that mitigation analyses have been taken from the level of the national - where the majority of the work has been completed to date - to the level of the international - that is, the 'regional' - will be especially highlighted. (EG)

Region-Urbanicity Differences in Locus of Control: Social Disadvantage, Structure, or Cultural Exceptionalism?

Science.gov (United States)

Shifrer, Dara; Sutton, April

2014-11-01

People with internal rather than external locus of control experience better outcomes in multiple domains. Previous studies on spatial differences in control within America only focused on the South, relied on aggregate level data or historical evidence, or did not account for other confounding regional distinctions (such as variation in urbanicity). Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study, we find differences in adolescents' loci of control depending on their region and urbanicity are largely attributable to differences in their social background, and only minimally to structural differences (i.e., differences in the qualities of adolescents' schools). Differences that persist net of differences across adolescents and their schools suggest the less internal control of rural Southern adolescents, and the more internal control of rural and urban Northeastern adolescents, may be due to cultural distinctions in those areas. Results indicate region is more closely associated than urbanicity with differences in locus of control, with Western and Northeastern cultures seemingly fostering more internal control than Midwestern and Southern cultures. These findings contribute to research on spatial variation in a variety of psychological traits.

Raman micro-spectroscopy analysis of different sperm regions: a species comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Amaral, S; Da Costa, R; Wübbeling, F; Redmann, K; Schlatt, S

2018-04-01

Is Raman micro-spectroscopy a valid approach to assess the biochemical hallmarks of sperm regions (head, midpiece and tail) in four different species? Non-invasive Raman micro-spectroscopy provides spectral patterns enabling the biochemical characterization of the three sperm regions in the four species, revealing however high similarities for each region among species. Raman micro-spectroscopy has been described as an innovative method to assess sperm features having the potential to be used as a non-invasive selection tool. However, except for nuclear DNA, the identification and assignment of spectral bands in Raman-profiles to the different sperm regions is scarce and controversial. Raman spectra from head, midpiece and tail of four different species were obtained. Sperm samples were collected and smeared on microscope slides. Air dried samples were subjected to Raman analysis using previously standardized procedures. Sperm samples from (i) two donors attending the infertility clinic at the Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology; (ii) two C57BL/6 -TgN (ACTbEGFP) 1Osb adult mice; (iii) two adult Cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) and (iv) two sea urchins (Arbacia punctulata) were used to characterize and compare their spectral profiles. Differences and similarities were confirmed by principal component analysis (PCA). Several novel region-specific peaks were identified. The three regions could be differentiated by distinctive Raman patterns irrespective of the species. However, regardless of the specie, their main spectral pattern remains mostly unchanged. These results were corroborated by the PCA analysis and suggest that the basic constituents of spermatozoa are biochemically similar among species. Further research should be performed in live sperm to validate the detected spectral bands and their use as markers of distinctive regions. Raman peaks that have never been described in the sperm cell were detected. Particularly important are those that

Object-based landslide detection in different geographic regions

Science.gov (United States)

Friedl, Barbara; Hölbling, Daniel; Eisank, Clemens; Blaschke, Thomas

2015-04-01

Landslides occur in almost all mountainous regions of the world and rank among the most severe natural hazards. In the last decade - according to the world disaster report 2014 published by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IRFC) - more than 9.000 people were killed by mass movements, more than 3.2 million people were affected and the total amount of disaster estimated damage accounts to more than 1.700 million US dollars. The application of remote sensing data for mapping landslides can contribute to post-disaster reconstruction or hazard mitigation, either by providing rapid information about the spatial distribution and location of landslides in the aftermath of triggering events or by creating and updating landslide inventories. This is especially valid for remote and inaccessible areas, where information on landslides is often lacking. However, reliable methods are needed for extracting timely and relevant information about landslides from remote sensing data. In recent years, novel methods such as object-based image analysis (OBIA) have been successfully employed for semi-automated landslide mapping. Several studies revealed that OBIA frequently outperforms pixel-based approaches, as a range of image object properties (spectral, spatial, morphometric, contextual) can be exploited during the analysis. However, object-based methods are often tailored to specific study areas, and thus, the transferability to regions with different geological settings, is often limited. The present case study evaluates the transferability and applicability of an OBIA approach for landslide detection in two distinct regions, i.e. the island of Taiwan and Austria. In Taiwan, sub-areas in the Baichi catchment in the North and in the Huaguoshan catchment in the southern-central part of the island are selected; in Austria, landslide-affected sites in the Upper Salzach catchment in the federal state of Salzburg are investigated. For both regions

HIV status of partners of HIV positive pregnant women in different regions of Nigeria: matters arising.

Science.gov (United States)

Sagay, A S; Onakewhor, J; Galadanci, H; Emuveyan, E E

2006-12-01

This study was conducted to determine the pattern of HIV sero-status of Partners of HIV Positive Pregnant Women in three different regions of Nigeria and to explore the implications for HIV prevention interventions. The Site Coordinators of PMTCT programs in three Nigerian cities obtained data of the HIV status of the partners of HIV positive pregnant women. The selection of Benin City, Jos and Kano was made after consideration of their ethnic, religious and cultural representation of Nigeria. Benin City represents a traditional southern Nigeria city, Kano a traditional northern city and Jos, a middle-belt, ethnically diverse cosmopolitan setting. The data were analyzed using frequencies. A total of 500 partners of HIV infected pregnant women were tested for HIV using Determine Abbott test kits. Positive results were confirmed using Western blot or a second rapid test kit. The city-by-city results showed that in Benin City (Southern Nigeria), 78.8% (104/132) of the partners were HIV negative (sero-discordant), Jos (Middle-Belt) had 48.4% (103/213) sero-discordance while Kano (Northern Nigeria) recorded a sero-discordance rate of only 7.7% (12/155). These results indicate that the dynamics of HIV transmission in marital settings in Nigeria are different in the various regions of the country. Socio-cultural and religious settings play a significant role in HIV transmission among couples. These findings should guide prevention interventions in order to achieve maximal impact.

Asian Values and Democratic Citizenship: Exploring Attitudes among South Korean Eighth Graders Using Data from the ICCS Asian Regional Module

Science.gov (United States)

Knowles, Ryan Thomas

2015-01-01

Utilizing data from the 2009 IEA International Civic and Citizenship Study Asian Regional Module, this secondary analysis explores the relationship between traditional Asian values and democratic citizenship. Findings identify two dimensions of Asian values: Asian civic values and obedience to authority. Among South Korean students, Asian civic…

Regional differences in antihyperglycemic medication are not explained by individual socioeconomic status, regional deprivation, and regional health care services. Observational results from the German DIAB-CORE consortium.

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Christina Bächle

Full Text Available This population-based study sought to extend knowledge on factors explaining regional differences in type 2 diabetes mellitus medication patterns in Germany.Individual baseline and follow-up data from four regional population-based German cohort studies (SHIP [northeast], CARLA [east], HNR [west], KORA [south] conducted between 1997 and 2010 were pooled and merged with both data on regional deprivation and regional health care services. To analyze regional differences in any or newer anti-hyperglycemic medication, medication prevalence ratios (PRs were estimated using multivariable Poisson regression models with a robust error variance adjusted gradually for individual and regional variables.The study population consisted of 1,437 people aged 45 to 74 years at baseline, (corresponding to 49 to 83 years at follow-up with self-reported type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of receiving any anti-hyperglycemic medication was 16% higher in KORA (PR 1.16 [1.08-1.25], 10% higher in CARLA (1.10 [1.01-1.18], and 7% higher in SHIP (PR 1.07 [1.00-1.15] than in HNR. The prevalence of receiving newer anti-hyperglycemic medication was 49% higher in KORA (1.49 [1.09-2.05], 41% higher in CARLA (1.41 [1.02-1.96] and 1% higher in SHIP (1.01 [0.72-1.41] than in HNR, respectively. After gradual adjustment for individual variables, regional deprivation and health care services, the effects only changed slightly.Neither comprehensive individual factors including socioeconomic status nor regional deprivation or indicators of regional health care services were able to sufficiently explain regional differences in anti-hyperglycemic treatment in Germany. To understand the underlying causes, further research is needed.

GEOLOGICAL-GEOPHYSICAL EXPLORATION OF THE BAUXITE DEPOSITS APPLICATION OF THE SHALLOW SEIZMIC REFLECTION METHOD

OpenAIRE

Ivan Dragičević; Miroslav Andrić; Ivan Blašković

1991-01-01

The exploration of bauxite deposits in the region of the carbonaceous Dinarides has been performed by using different geological and geophysical methods. Deposits laying shallower or deeper below the roof sediments have so far most often been discovered by expensive drilling methods in a corresponding grid. Complex geological explorations have led to a series of valuable data thus enabling the application of other much more economical methods as well. In the region of the bauxite sedimentary ...

Exploring gender differences in the working lives of UK hospital consultants.

Science.gov (United States)

Jefferson, Laura; Bloor, Karen; Spilsbury, Karen

2015-05-01

Internationally, increasing numbers of women are practising medicine. Gender differences in doctors' working hours, specialty choices and communication styles are well documented, but studies often neglect contextual factors such as the role of socialised gender expectations on behaviours in the workplace and the medical profession. These may be important as recent studies have reported gender differences in doctors' activity rates that cannot be explained by specialty or contracted hours, suggesting other sources of variation. This study sought to explore the working lives of hospital doctors and how their work is negotiated according to gender and context. Gender differences in the day-to-day work of hospital specialists (consultants) in the NHS were investigated using a qualitative approach, including observation and interview methods. Data were analysed inductively using qualitative observation and interview methods. Two NHS hospital trusts in England. Data were collected from 13 participants working in a variety of specialties and in a range of clinical and non-clinical settings. Various behaviours, attitudes and experiences were explored, such as doctor-patient communication, interactions with colleagues and workload. Influences at both individual and situational levels, appear to affect differentially the work of male and female doctors. Female consultants described awareness of the impact of behaviours on relationships with colleagues, and their interactions appeared to be more carefully performed. Nurses and other colleagues tend to demonstrate less cooperation with female consultants. Gender differences also exist in patient communication, feelings of work-family conflict and barriers to career progression. These variations in hospital consultants' work may have implications for both the quantity and quality of care provided by male and female consultants. This is timely and of importance to the medical workforce as the gender composition approaches

Key Ethical Issues Discussed at CDC-Sponsored International, Regional Meetings to Explore Cultural Perspectives and Contexts on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response.

Science.gov (United States)

Lor, Aun; Thomas, James C; Barrett, Drue H; Ortmann, Leonard W; Herrera Guibert, Dionisio J

2016-05-17

Recognizing the importance of having a broad exploration of how cultural perspectives may shape thinking about ethical considerations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded four regional meetings in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Eastern Mediterranean to explore these perspectives relevant to pandemic influenza preparedness and response. The meetings were attended by 168 health professionals, scientists, academics, ethicists, religious leaders, and other community members representing 40 countries in these regions. We reviewed the meeting reports, notes and stories and mapped outcomes to the key ethical challenges for pandemic influenza response described in the World Health Organization's (WHO's) guidance, Ethical Considerations in Developing a Public Health Response to Pandemic Influenza: transparency and public engagement, allocation of resources, social distancing, obligations to and of healthcare workers, and international collaboration. The important role of transparency and public engagement were widely accepted among participants. However, there was general agreement that no "one size fits all" approach to allocating resources can address the variety of economic, cultural and other contextual factors that must be taken into account. The importance of social distancing as a tool to limit disease transmission was also recognized, but the difficulties associated with this measure were acknowledged. There was agreement that healthcare workers often have competing obligations and that government has a responsibility to assist healthcare workers in doing their job by providing appropriate training and equipment. Finally, there was agreement about the importance of international collaboration for combating global health threats. Although some cultural differences in the values that frame pandemic preparedness and response efforts were observed, participants generally agreed on the key ethical principles discussed in the WHO's guidance

Male rats that differ in novelty exploration demonstrate distinct patterns of sexual behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Cummings, Jennifer A.; Clinton, Sarah M.; Perry, Adam N.; Akil, Huda; Becker, Jill B.

2014-01-01

High versus low novelty exploration predicts a variety of behavioral differences. For example, rats selectively-bred for high novelty exploration (bred High Responders, bHR) exhibit exaggerated aggression, impulsivity, and proclivity to addictive behaviors compared to low novelty-reactive rats (bred Low Responders, bLRs), which are characterized by a high anxiety/depressive-like phenotype. Since bHR/bLR rats exhibit differences in dopaminergic circuitry and differential response to rewarding stimuli (i.e., psychostimulants, food), the present study examined whether they also differ in another key hedonic behavior – sex. Thus, adult bHR/bLR males were given five 30-min opportunities to engage in sexual activity with a receptive female. Sexual behavior and motivation were examined and compared between the groups. The bHR/bLR phenotype affected both sexual motivation and behavior, with bLR males demonstrating reduced motivation for sex compared with bHR males (i.e., fewer animals copulated, longer latency to engage in sex). The bHR males required more intromissions at a faster pace per ejaculation than did bLR males. Thus, neurobiological differences that affect motivation for drugs of abuse, aggression, and impulsivity in rats also affect sexual motivation and performance. PMID:23398441

Exploring New Challenges of High-Resolution SWOT Satellite Altimetry with a Regional Model of the Solomon Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Brasseur, P.; Verron, J. A.; Djath, B.; Duran, M.; Gaultier, L.; Gourdeau, L.; Melet, A.; Molines, J. M.; Ubelmann, C.

2014-12-01

The upcoming high-resolution SWOT altimetry satellite will provide an unprecedented description of the ocean dynamic topography for studying sub- and meso-scale processes in the ocean. But there is still much uncertainty on the signal that will be observed. There are many scientific questions that are unresolved about the observability of altimetry at vhigh resolution and on the dynamical role of the ocean meso- and submesoscales. In addition, SWOT data will raise specific problems due to the size of the data flows. These issues will probably impact the data assimilation approaches for future scientific or operational oceanography applications. In this work, we propose to use a high-resolution numerical model of the Western Pacific Solomon Sea as a regional laboratory to explore such observability and dynamical issues, as well as new data assimilation challenges raised by SWOT. The Solomon Sea connects subtropical water masses to the equatorial ones through the low latitude western boundary currents and could potentially modulate the tropical Pacific climate. In the South Western Pacific, the Solomon Sea exhibits very intense eddy kinetic energy levels, while relatively little is known about the mesoscale and submesoscale activities in this region. The complex bathymetry of the region, complicated by the presence of narrow straits and numerous islands, raises specific challenges. So far, a Solomon sea model configuration has been set up at 1/36° resolution. Numerical simulations have been performed to explore the meso- and submesoscales dynamics. The numerical solutions which have been validated against available in situ data, show the development of small scale features, eddies, fronts and filaments. Spectral analysis reveals a behavior that is consistent with the SQG theory. There is a clear evidence of energy cascade from the small scales including the submesoscales, although those submesoscales are only partially resolved by the model. In parallel

Okeanos Explorer (EX1004, EM302): INDEX - Indonesia-USA Deep-Sea Exploration of the Sangihe Talaud Region

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Indonesia-U.S. Ocean Exploration Partnership (INDEX) Sangihe Talaud (SATAL) 2010 Ocean Exploration Expedition is a joint expedition between NOAA Ship Okeanos...

Stochastic rainfall synthesis for urban applications using different regionalization methods

Science.gov (United States)

Callau Poduje, A. C.; Leimbach, S.; Haberlandt, U.

2017-12-01

The proper design and efficient operation of urban drainage systems require long and continuous rainfall series in a high temporal resolution. Unfortunately, these time series are usually available in a few locations and it is therefore suitable to develop a stochastic precipitation model to generate rainfall in locations without observations. The model presented is based on an alternating renewal process and involves an external and an internal structure. The members of these structures are described by probability distributions which are site specific. Different regionalization methods based on site descriptors are presented which are used for estimating the distributions for locations without observations. Regional frequency analysis, multiple linear regressions and a vine-copula method are applied for this purpose. An area located in the north-west of Germany is used to compare the different methods and involves a total of 81 stations with 5 min rainfall records. The site descriptors include information available for the whole region: position, topography and hydrometeorologic characteristics which are estimated from long term observations. The methods are compared directly by cross validation of different rainfall statistics. Given that the model is stochastic the evaluation is performed based on ensembles of many long synthetic time series which are compared with observed ones. The performance is as well indirectly evaluated by setting up a fictional urban hydrological system to test the capability of the different methods regarding flooding and overflow characteristics. The results show a good representation of the seasonal variability and good performance in reproducing the sample statistics of the rainfall characteristics. The copula based method shows to be the most robust of the three methods. Advantages and disadvantages of the different methods are presented and discussed.

Comparison of the effectiveness of different immobilization systems in different body regions using daily megavoltage CT in helical tomotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, K-F

2014-01-01

Objective: Effective immobilization is crucial for the accurate delivery of radiotherapy. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the commonly used immobilization systems for different body regions using megavoltage CT (MVCT). Methods: Daily treatment set-up data from 212 patients treated by helical tomotherapy (Accuray, Sunnyvale, CA) in 6 body regions (52 head and neck, 41 chest, 38 abdomen, 36 pelvis, 18 breast and 27 cranium) were obtained. Based on a verification tool using the pre-treatment MVCT, set-up corrections for each patient were recorded. Mean systematic and random errors of lateral, longitudinal, vertical and roll directions and three-dimensional vectors were compared between immobilization systems of each region. Results: Smaller set-up deviations were observed in the Orfit system (Orfit Industries NV, Wijnegem, Belgium) of the head and neck region, while the performance of immobilization systems for the chest, abdomen and pelvis regions was similar. Larger differences were noted in the breast group, where the prone BodyFIX® system (Medical Intelligence, Medizintechnik GmbH, Schwabmünchen, Germany) was less stable than the supine VacLok® system (CIVCO Medical Solutions, Orange City, IA). Conclusion: Differences were found between the immobilization systems in the head and neck region, in which the Orfit system was relatively more effective, whereas the VacLok and BodyFIX systems performed similarly in the chest, abdomen and pelvis regions. For the breast case, the supine position with VacLok was much more stable than the prone breast technique. The results provided references for the estimation of clinical target volume–planning target volume margins. Advances in knowledge: This is the first article on comprehensive comparisons performed in immobilization systems for main body regions that provides some practical recommendations. PMID:24398111

The Distribution of Ice in Lunar Permanently Shadowed Regions: Science Enabling Exploration (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Hurley, D.; Elphic, R. C.; Bussey, B.; Hibbitts, C.; Lawrence, D. J.

2013-12-01

Recent prospecting indicates that water ice occurs in enhanced abundances in some lunar PSRs. That water constitutes a resource that enables lunar exploration if it can be harvested for fuel and life support. Future lunar exploration missions will need detailed information about the distribution of volatiles in lunar permanently shadowed regions (PSRs). In addition, the volatiles also offer key insights into the recent and distant past, as they have trapped volatiles delivered to the moon over ~2 Gyr. This comprises an unparalleled reservoir of past inner solar system volatiles, and future scientific missions are needed to make the measurements that will reveal the composition of those volatiles. These scientific missions will necessarily have to acquire and analyze samples of volatiles from the PSRs. For both exploration and scientific purposes, the precise location of volatiles will need to be known. However, data indicate that ice is distributed heterogeneously on the Moon. It is unlikely that the distribution will be known a priori with enough spatial resolution to guarantee access to volatiles using a single point sample. Some mechanism for laterally or vertically distributed access will increase the likelihood of acquiring a rich sample of volatiles. Trade studies will need to be conducted to anticipate the necessary range and duration of missions to lunar PSRs that will be needed to accomplish the mission objectives. We examine the spatial distribution of volatiles in lunar PSRs reported from data analyses and couple those with models of smaller scale processes. FUV and laser data from PSRs that indicate the average surface distribution is consistent with low abundances on the extreme surface in most PSRs. Neutron and radar data that probe the distribution at depth show heterogeneity at broad spatial resolution. We consider those data in conjunction with the model to understand the full, 3-D nature of the heterogeneity. A Monte Carlo technique simulates the

Analysis of regional difference on impact factors of China’s energy – Related CO2 emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Huanan; Mu, Hailin; Zhang, Ming; Gui, Shusen

2012-01-01

With the intensification of global warming, the issue of carbon emissions causes more and more attention in recent years. In this paper, China’s 30 provincial-level administrative units are divided into five emission regions according to the annual average value of provincial CO 2 emissions per capita during 1990 and 2010. The regional differences in impact factors on CO 2 emissions are discussed using STIRPAT (stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence, and technology) model. The results indicate that although GDP (Gross domestic product) per capita, industrial structure, population, urbanization and technology level have different impacts on CO 2 emissions in different emission regions, they are almost always the main factors in all emission regions. In most emission regions, urbanization and GDP per capita has a bigger impact on CO 2 emissions than other factors. Improving technology level produces a small reduction in CO 2 emissions in most emission regions, but it is still a primary way for CO 2 reduction in China. It’s noteworthy that industrial structure isn’t the main factor and improving technology level increases CO 2 emissions in high emission region. Different measures should be adopted for CO 2 reductions according to local conditions in different regions. -- Highlights: ► Regional differences of the impact factors on China’s CO 2 emissions are analyzed. ► Five macro factors like GDP per capita are almost always main influence factors in all regions. ► The impacts of different factors are different. ► Improving technology has no significant reduction on CO 2 emission in most regions. ► Policy on CO 2 reduction should be adapted to local conditions.

Heterogeneity in genetic admixture across different regions of Argentina.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Avena

Full Text Available The population of Argentina is the result of the intermixing between several groups, including Indigenous American, European and African populations. Despite the commonly held idea that the population of Argentina is of mostly European origin, multiple studies have shown that this process of admixture had an impact in the entire Argentine population. In the present study we characterized the distribution of Indigenous American, European and African ancestry among individuals from different regions of Argentina and evaluated the level of discrepancy between self-reported grandparental origin and genetic ancestry estimates. A set of 99 autosomal ancestry informative markers (AIMs was genotyped in a sample of 441 Argentine individuals to estimate genetic ancestry. We used non-parametric tests to evaluate statistical significance. The average ancestry for the Argentine sample overall was 65% European (95%CI: 63-68%, 31% Indigenous American (28-33% and 4% African (3-4%. We observed statistically significant differences in European ancestry across Argentine regions [Buenos Aires province (BA 76%, 95%CI: 73-79%; Northeast (NEA 54%, 95%CI: 49-58%; Northwest (NWA 33%, 95%CI: 21-41%; South 54%, 95%CI: 49-59%; p<0.0001] as well as between the capital and immediate suburbs of Buenos Aires city compared to more distant suburbs [80% (95%CI: 75-86% versus 68% (95%CI: 58-77%, p = 0.01]. European ancestry among individuals that declared all grandparents born in Europe was 91% (95%CI: 88-94% compared to 54% (95%CI: 51-57% among those with no European grandparents (p<0.001. Our results demonstrate the range of variation in genetic ancestry among Argentine individuals from different regions in the country, highlighting the importance of taking this variation into account in genetic association and admixture mapping studies in this population.

Heterogeneity in Genetic Admixture across Different Regions of Argentina

Science.gov (United States)

Avena, Sergio; Via, Marc; Ziv, Elad; Pérez-Stable, Eliseo J.; Gignoux, Christopher R.; Dejean, Cristina; Huntsman, Scott; Torres-Mejía, Gabriela; Dutil, Julie; Matta, Jaime L.; Beckman, Kenneth; Burchard, Esteban González; Parolin, María Laura; Goicoechea, Alicia; Acreche, Noemí; Boquet, Mariel; Ríos Part, María Del Carmen; Fernández, Vanesa; Rey, Jorge; Stern, Mariana C.; Carnese, Raúl F.; Fejerman, Laura

2012-01-01

The population of Argentina is the result of the intermixing between several groups, including Indigenous American, European and African populations. Despite the commonly held idea that the population of Argentina is of mostly European origin, multiple studies have shown that this process of admixture had an impact in the entire Argentine population. In the present study we characterized the distribution of Indigenous American, European and African ancestry among individuals from different regions of Argentina and evaluated the level of discrepancy between self-reported grandparental origin and genetic ancestry estimates. A set of 99 autosomal ancestry informative markers (AIMs) was genotyped in a sample of 441 Argentine individuals to estimate genetic ancestry. We used non-parametric tests to evaluate statistical significance. The average ancestry for the Argentine sample overall was 65% European (95%CI: 63–68%), 31% Indigenous American (28–33%) and 4% African (3–4%). We observed statistically significant differences in European ancestry across Argentine regions [Buenos Aires province (BA) 76%, 95%CI: 73–79%; Northeast (NEA) 54%, 95%CI: 49–58%; Northwest (NWA) 33%, 95%CI: 21–41%; South 54%, 95%CI: 49–59%; pcapital and immediate suburbs of Buenos Aires city compared to more distant suburbs [80% (95%CI: 75–86%) versus 68% (95%CI: 58–77%), p = 0.01]. European ancestry among individuals that declared all grandparents born in Europe was 91% (95%CI: 88–94%) compared to 54% (95%CI: 51–57%) among those with no European grandparents (p<0.001). Our results demonstrate the range of variation in genetic ancestry among Argentine individuals from different regions in the country, highlighting the importance of taking this variation into account in genetic association and admixture mapping studies in this population. PMID:22506044

Exploring racial differences in the obesity gender gap.

Science.gov (United States)

Seamans, Marissa J; Robinson, Whitney R; Thorpe, Roland J; Cole, Stephen R; LaVeist, Thomas A

2015-06-01

To investigate whether the gender gap in obesity prevalence is greater among U.S. blacks than whites in a study designed to account for racial differences in socioeconomic and environmental conditions. We estimated age-adjusted, race-stratified gender gaps in obesity (% female obese - % male obese, defined as body mass index ≥30 kg/m(2)) in the National Health Interview Survey 2003 and the Exploring Health Disparities in Integrated Communities-Southwest Baltimore 2003 study (EHDIC-SWB). EHDIC-SWB is a population-based survey of 1381 adults living in two urban, low-income, racially integrated census tracts with no race difference in income. In the National Health Interview Survey, the obesity gender gap was larger in blacks than whites as follows: 7.7 percentage points (ppts; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.4-11.9) in blacks versus -1.5 ppts (95% CI: -2.8 to -0.2) in whites. In EHDIC-SWB, the gender gap was similarly large for blacks and whites as follows: 15.3 ppts (95% CI: 8.6-22.0) in blacks versus 14.0 ppts (95% CI: 7.1-20.9) in whites. In a racially integrated, low-income urban community, gender gaps in obesity prevalence were similar for blacks and whites. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of data processing system for regional geophysical and geochemical exploration of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits based on ArcGIS Engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Shaoyang; Ke Dan; Hou Huiqun; Hu Shuiqing

2010-01-01

According to the data processing need of geophysical and geochemical exploration of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits, the function design of the regional geophysical and geochemical data processing system is completed in the paper. The geophysical and geochemical data processing software with powerful functions is also developed based on ArcGIS Engine which remedies the shortage of GIS software for performing the geophysical and geochemical data processing. The development technique route of system software and key techniques are introduced, and the development processes of system software are showed through some development examples. Application practices indicate that the interface of developed system software with friendly interface and utility functions, may quickly perform the data processing of regional geophysical and geochemical exploration and provide the helpful deep information for predicting metallogenic prospective areas of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits. The system software is of a great application foreground. (authors)

Exploring spatial patterns of vulnerability for diverse biodiversity descriptors in regional conservation planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Vimal, Ruppert; Pluvinet, Pascal; Sacca, Céline; Mazagol, Pierre-Olivier; Etlicher, Bernard; Thompson, John D

2012-03-01

In this study, we developed a multi-criteria assessment of spatial variability of the vulnerability of three different biodiversity descriptors: sites of high conservation interest by virtue of the presence of rare or remarkable species, extensive areas of high ecological integrity, and landscape diversity in grid cells across an entire region. We assessed vulnerability in relation to (a) direct threats in and around sites to a distance of 2 km associated with intensive agriculture, building and road infrastructure and (b) indirect effects of human population density on a wider scale (50 km). The different combinations of biodiversity and threat indicators allowed us to set differential priorities for biodiversity conservation and assess their spatial variation. For example, with this method we identified sites and grid cells which combined high biodiversity with either high threat values or low threat values for the three different biodiversity indicators. In these two classes the priorities for conservation planning will be different, reduce threat values in the former and restrain any increase in the latter. We also identified low priority sites (low biodiversity with either high or low threats). This procedure thus allows for the integration of a spatial ranking of vulnerability into priority setting for regional conservation planning. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring the Differences of Undergraduate Students' Perceptual Learning Styles in International Business Study

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Ning; Lin, Wei

2013-01-01

More than 45,000 international students are now studying for bachelor programs in The Netherlands. The number of Asian students increased dramatically in the past decade. The current research aims at examining the differences between Western European and Asian students' perceptual learning styles, and exploring the relationships between students'…

Mycoplasmas hyorhinis in different regions of cuba: diagnosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evelyn Lobo

2011-06-01

Full Text Available M. hyorhinis is considered one of the etiological agents of arthritis in sucking pigs, but recently as seen, some strains can produce pneumonia that could not be distinguished from the mycoplasmosis caused by M. hyopneumoniae. The study was conducted to research the presence of Mycoplasma hyorhinis (M. hyorhinis in different regions of the country from exudates of pig lungs with typical EP lesions. Exudates from 280 pig lungs with typical EP lesions were studied using molecular techniques such as PCR, real time PCR and amplification of the 16S-23S rRNA. It was detected that the 66% of the samples studied resulted positive to M. hyorhinis, and the presence of this species was detected in all the provinces. Amplification and studies on the intergenic region 16S-23S of M. hyorhinis rRNA demonstrated the existing variability among strains of a same species. This study is the first report on M. hyorhinis detection in Cuba.

Exploring Differences in Leadership Styles in Romanian Software Development Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sofia DAVID

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Leadership style is considered an important factor that influences the firm perfomance. The aim of the present paper is to explore the correlations between the gender and management level of the managers, considered as independent variables, and the managers leadership styles as dependent variables. The study was based on an empirical research undertaken on a representative sample of 80 managers from different hierarchical levels in Romanian software development companies. The research methodology involved a design of two hypotheses, tested by means of Pearson chi-square. The research results emphasize a cultural specific context and some suggestions for future research are provided.

Age- and Brain Region-Specific Differences in Mitochondrial Bioenergetics in Brown Norway Rats

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Differences in various mitochondrial bioenergetics parameters in different brain regions in different age groups. This dataset is associated with the following...

Exploring the potential impact of implementing carbon capture technologies in fossil fuel power plants on regional European water stress index levels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schakel, W.B.; Pfister, Stephan; Ramirez, C.A.

Equipping power plants with carbon capture technology can affect cooling demand and water use. This study has explored the potential impact of large scale deployment of power plants with carbon capture technologies on future regional water stress in Europe. A database including 458 of European

Regional differences in lumbar spinal posture and the influence of low back pain

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Burnett Angus F

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Spinal posture is commonly a focus in the assessment and clinical management of low back pain (LBP patients. However, the link between spinal posture and LBP is not fully understood. Recent evidence suggests that considering regional, rather than total lumbar spine posture is important. The purpose of this study was to determine; if there are regional differences in habitual lumbar spine posture and movement, and if these findings are influenced by LBP. Methods One hundred and seventy female undergraduate nursing students, with and without LBP, participated in this cross-sectional study. Lower lumbar (LLx, Upper lumbar (ULx and total lumbar (TLx spine angles were measured using an electromagnetic tracking system in static postures and across a range of functional tasks. Results Regional differences in lumbar posture and movement were found. Mean LLx posture did not correlate with ULx posture in sitting (r = 0.036, p = 0.638, but showed a moderate inverse correlation with ULx posture in usual standing (r = -0.505, p Conclusion This study supports the concept of regional differences within the lumbar spine during common postures and movements. Global lumbar spine kinematics do not reflect regional lumbar spine kinematics, which has implications for interpretation of measures of spinal posture, motion and loading. BMI influenced regional lumbar posture and movement, possibly representing adaptation due to load.

Regional differences analysis of land use efficiency and obstacle degree in Xianning-Yueyang-Jiujiang area

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Chengshun Song

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This paper established an evaluation index system for the land use efficiency from social, economic, ecological and environmental aspects, and adopted the variation coefficient TOPSIS method and obstacle degree model to analyze the regional differences of land use efficiency and obstacle degree in Xianning, Yueyang and Jiujiang. The results showed that: (1 During 2000-2010, the land use efficiency in these regions had an increasing tendency and the regional differences were small. In Yueyang and Jiujiang, there were four stages, that is low, moderate, good and excellent; while in Xianning, there were only three stages, that is low, moderate and good; (2 The economic level was the greatest obstacle factor affecting the land use efficiency in these regions, followed by the environmental quality, ecological status, social development, and the regional differences in these aspects were not so obvious; (3 Per area financial revenue, the output of comprehensive utilization of “three wastes” and per capita GDP were the top three obstacle factors and the regional differences in these aspects were not so obvious.

Regional differences in homicide patterns in five areas of Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hata, N; Kominato, Y; Shimada, I; Takizawa, H; Fujikura, T; Morita, M; Funayama, M; Yoshioka, N; Touda, K; Gonmori, K; Misawa, S; Sakairi, Y; Sakamoto, N; Tanno, K; Thaik-Oo, M; Kiuchi, M; Fukumoto, Y; Sato, Y

2001-03-01

This article describes regional differences in the homicide patterns which occurred in Sapporo City and the surrounding area, and in Akita, Ibaraki, Chiba and Toyama prefectures in Japan. Information collected from each case of homicide included factors such as age, sex of the victim and assailant, causes of death, disposition of the offender, relationship between assailant and victim, reasons for criminal action, et al. The statistical features of homicidal episodes among the five different regions showed considerable variation, as follows. The mean death rates for homicide (number of victims per 100,000 of population) during the period 1986-1995 were 0.44 (Sapporo), 0.8 (Akita), 0.58 (Toyama), 0.7 (Ibaraki) and 0.75 (Chiba), respectively. Close family relationship between the victim and assailant was observed in the homicidal acts which occurred in Sapporo, Akita and Toyama. Assailant's relationship to victim was commonly extra-familial in Ibaraki and Chiba-neighboring megalopolis Tokyo, where some events of murder by a foreigner occurred. Homicide by female assailant, murder by mentally abnormal killers and homicide-suicide events were closely associated with family members. And these factors contributed to the considerable number of victims in Sapporo, Akita and Toyama. But, this close family relationship of the victim to the assailant did not correspond with the elevation in the number of deaths, and it was rather inversely related to the higher death rates recognized in Ibaraki and Chiba. This comparative study suggested that rapid urbanization considerably affects regional differences in homicide patterns.

Studies on age-related changes, regional and bilateral differences in the skin blood flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Myung-Wook

1992-01-01

Xenon-133 clearance method was used to determine skin blood flow at different sites. The correlation between skin blood flow in the deltoid region and age was examined. In addition, regional and bilateral differences in skin blood flow were examined. The subjects were 60 men. They ranged in age from 23 to 72 years with a mean of 53.3±10.95. Fifty μCi of xenon-133 dissolved in 0.1 ml of sterile distilled water was injected into the skin area. The clearance curve over the skin was recorded for 30 minutes by a scintillation counter. Skin blood flow in the deltoid region decreased significantly with aging. Dorsal skin blood flow in the hands and feet were significantly lower than the deltoid region. Regarding skin blood flow in the deltoid regions, there was significantly bilateral difference. In the hands and feet, the dorsal skin was bilaterally nearly equal. In view of regional hemodynamics in the skin, the conditions for random-pattern skin flap and wound healing were unfavorable in the elderly as compared with younger persons. Skin blood flow decreased gradually from the upper part of the body to the lower part of the body. In skin blood flow in the dorsal skin of the hands and feet, no bilateral difference was observed. (N.K.)

Nurse training in health in different regions in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carinne Magnago

Full Text Available Abstract Objectives: to identify on the one hand whether there has been any changes in the nurse training in Brazil and on the other if regionalizing health incurred interference in this process. Methods: an exploratory research of a multiple case study in a qualitative approach developed between November 2015 and March 2017, in seven regions in Brazil. The data were collected by in-depth interviews with 16 administrators of the undergraduate courses in nursing and by documentary analysis of the Projetos Políticos Pedagógicos (Political Pedagogical Projects. Content analysis was undertaken by having the theoretical references of the Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais (National Curriculum Guidelines. Results: varied profiles of undergraduates were observed with higher tendency for the basic level in health practice or for hospital level with competencies in health care that is still fragmented and not interdisciplinary. The curricular structure of the courses focuses on isolated disciplines with little or no interdisciplinary integration and the pedagogical model is based on traditional teaching-learning strategies and additional evaluation process. There were no differences in health among the regions. Conclusions: it is necessary in concomitance with the changes that are required in the field of training to undertake efforts in the development of health units and training institutions, which has already proven to be a factor of professional retention and regional development.

Regional differences in gene expression and promoter usage in aged human brains

KAUST Repository

Pardo, Luba M.

2013-02-19

To characterize the promoterome of caudate and putamen regions (striatum), frontal and temporal cortices, and hippocampi from aged human brains, we used high-throughput cap analysis of gene expression to profile the transcription start sites and to quantify the differences in gene expression across the 5 brain regions. We also analyzed the extent to which methylation influenced the observed expression profiles. We sequenced more than 71 million cap analysis of gene expression tags corresponding to 70,202 promoter regions and 16,888 genes. More than 7000 transcripts were differentially expressed, mainly because of differential alternative promoter usage. Unexpectedly, 7% of differentially expressed genes were neurodevelopmental transcription factors. Functional pathway analysis on the differentially expressed genes revealed an overrepresentation of several signaling pathways (e.g., fibroblast growth factor and wnt signaling) in hippocampus and striatum. We also found that although 73% of methylation signals mapped within genes, the influence of methylation on the expression profile was small. Our study underscores alternative promoter usage as an important mechanism for determining the regional differences in gene expression at old age.

Exploration of the Barriers to Implementing Different Types of Sustainability Approaches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stewart, Raphaëlle Marie Marianne; Bey, Niki; Boks, Casper

2016-01-01

Integrating sustainability into business is gaining increased attention. Yet, implementing long-lasting sustainability approaches remains a complex task. Many empirical studies have identified the barriers to such implementation but the variation in challenges faced by companies, depending...... on the focus of the approach being implemented, is not addressed. The aim of this paper is i) to explore the barriers related to implementing different types of sustainability approaches and ii) to look for indications of similarities and differences across types of approaches. The research builds on data...... about the barriers, collected from a sample of twenty-two empirical studies in academic research and additional reports. The findings show that performance measurement systems and access to industry-specific information, benchmark or reference cases are common areas of difficulty across all types...

Comparison of regional gene expression differences in the brains of the domestic dog and human

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kennerly Erin

2004-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Comparison of the expression profiles of 2,721 genes in the cerebellum, cortex and pituitary gland of three American Staffordshire terriers, one beagle and one fox hound revealed regional expression differences in the brain but failed to reveal marked differences among breeds, or even individual dogs. Approximately 85 per cent (42 of 49 orthologue comparisons of the regional differences in the dog are similar to those that differentiate the analogous human brain regions. A smaller percentage of human differences were replicated in the dog, particularly in the cortex, which may generally be evolving more rapidly than other brain regions in mammals. This study lays the foundation for detailed analysis of the population structure of transcriptional variation as it relates to cognitive and neurological phenotypes in the domestic dog.

Exploring the determinants of health and wellbeing in communities living in proximity to coal seam gas developments in regional Queensland.

Science.gov (United States)

Mactaggart, Fiona; McDermott, Liane; Tynan, Anna; Gericke, Christian A

2017-08-03

There is some concern that coal seam gas mining may affect health and wellbeing through changes in social determinants such as living and working conditions, local economy and the environment. The onward impact of these conditions on health and wellbeing is often not monitored to the same degree as direct environmental health impacts in the mining context, but merits attention. This study reports on the findings from a recurrent theme that emerged from analysis of the qualitative component of a comprehensive Health Needs Assessment (HNA) conducted in regional Queensland: that health and wellbeing of communities was reportedly affected by nearby coal seam gas (CSG) development beyond direct environmental impacts. Qualitative analysis was initially completed using the Framework Method to explore key themes from 11 focus group discussions, 19 in-depth interviews, and 45 key informant interviews with health and wellbeing service providers and community members. A key theme emerged from the analysis that forms the basis of this paper. This study is part of a larger comprehensive HNA involving qualitative and quantitative data collection to explore the health and wellbeing needs of three communities living in proximity to CSG development in regional Queensland, Australia. Communities faced social, economic and environmental impacts from the rapid growth of CSG development, which were perceived to have direct and indirect effects on individual lifestyle factors such as alcohol and drug abuse, family relationships, social capital and mental health; and community-level factors including social connectedness, civic engagement and trust. Outer regional communities discussed the effects of mining activity on the fabric of their town and community, whereas the inner regional community that had a longer history of industrial activity discussed the impacts on families and individual health and wellbeing. The findings from this study may inform future health service planning in

Educational differences in cardiovascular mortality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjøllesdal, M. K. R.; Ariansen, I.; Mortensen, L. H.

2016-01-01

Aims: To explore the confounding effects of early family factors shared by siblings and cardiovascular risk factors in midlife on the educational differences in mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods: Data from national and regional health surveys in Norway (1974–2003) were linked...

Accumulation of 90Sr in sheep bones from different regions of Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acar, R.; Okay, G.; Akman, S.

1989-01-01

The accumulation of 90 Sr in front leg bones of sheep which were 1-6 years old and originated from different regions of Turkey, was investigated. It was shown that 90 Sr activity strongly depends on the age of the sheep as well as on their origin. Since 90 Sr is produced during the fissioning process of uranium isotopes in nuclear reactions, the effect of radiation due to nuclear bomb experiments, nuclear reactor accidents or other radioactive pollutants in different regions of Turkey can be concluded from results obtained. (author) 6 refs.; 3 figs.; 9 tabs

Simulated East-west differences in F-region peak electron density at Far East mid-latitude region

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Z.; Wan, W.

2017-12-01

In the present work, using Three-Dimensional Theoretical Ionospheric Model of the Earth in Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIME3D-IGGCAS), we simulated the east-west differences in Fregion peak electron density (NmF2) at Far East mid-latitude region.We found that, after removing the longitudinal variations of neutral parameters, TIME3D-IGGCAS can better represent the observed relative east-west difference (Rew) features. Rew is mainly negative (West NmF2 > East NmF2) at noon and positive (East NmF2 >West NmF2) at evening-night. The magnitude of daytime negative Rew is weak at local winter and strong at local summer, and the daytime Rew show two negative peaks around two equinoxes. With the increasing of solar flux level, the magnitude of Rew mainly become larger, and two daytime negative peaks slight shifts to June Solstice. With the decreasing of geographical latitude, Rew mainly become positive, and two daytime negative peaks slight shifts to June Solstice. Our simulation also suggested that the thermospheric zonal wind combined with the geomagnetic field configuration play a pivotal role in the formation of the ionospheric east-west differences at Far East midlatitude region.

Gender Differences in Regional Brain Activity in Patients with Chronic Primary Insomnia: Evidence from a Resting-State fMRI Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Xi-Jian; Nie, Xiao; Liu, Xuming; Pei, Li; Jiang, Jian; Peng, De-chang; Gong, Hong-Han; Zeng, Xian-Jun; Wáng, Yì-Xiáng J; Zhan, Yang

2016-03-01

To explore the regional brain activities in patients with chronic primary insomnia (PCPIs) and their sex differences. Forty-two PCPIs (27 females, 15 males) and 42 good sleepers (GSs; 24 females, 18 males) were recruited. Six PCPIs (3 males, 3 females) were scanned twice by MRI to examine the test-retest reliability. Amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method was used to assess the local brain features. The mean signal values of the different ALFF areas were analyzed with a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Simple linear regression analysis was performed to investigate the relationships between clinical features and different brain areas. Both female and male PCPIs showed higher ALFF in the temporal lobe and occipital lobe, especially in female PCPIs. Female PCPIs had lower ALFF in the bilateral cerebellum posterior lobe, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and bilateral limbic lobe; however, male PCPIs showed lower ALFF in the left occipital gyrus. The mean signal value of the cerebellum in female PCPIs showed negative correlations with negative emotions. Compared with male PCPIs, female PCPIs showed higher ALFF in the bilateral middle temporal gyrus and lower ALFF in the left limbic lobe. The different areas showed high test-retest stability (Clusters of contiguous volumes ≥ 1080 mm(3) with an intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ 0.80) and high degree of sensitivity and specificity. Female PCPIs showed more regional brain differences with higher and lower ALFF responses than male PCPIs. However, they shared analogous excessive hyperarousal mechanism and wide variations in aberrant brain areas. © 2016 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Altered relationships between rCBF in different brain regions of never-treated schizophrenics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabri, O.; Schreckenberger, M.; Cremerius, U.; Dickmann, C.; Schulz, G.; Zimny, M.; Buell, U.; Erkwoh, R.; Owega, A.; Sass, H.

1997-01-01

Aim of this study was to investigate the relations between regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) of different brain regions in acute schizophrenia and following neuroleptic treatment. Methods: Twenty-two never-treated, acute schizophrenic patients were examined with HMPAO brain SPECT and assessed psychopathologically, and reexamined following neuroleptic treatment (over 96.8 days) and psychopathological remission. rCBF was determined by region/cerebellar count quotients obtained from 98 irregular regions of interest (ROIs), summed up to 11 ROIs on each hemisphere. In acute schizophrenics, interregional rCBF correlations of each ROI to every other ROI were compared to the interregional correlations following neuroleptic treatment and to those of controls. Results: All significant correlations of rCBF ratios of different brain regions were exclusively positive in controls and patients. In controls, all ROIs of one hemisphere except the mesial temporal ROI correlated significantly to its contralateral ROI. Each hemisphere showed significant frontal-temporal correlations, as well as cortical-subcortical and some cortico-limbic. In contrast, in acute schizophrenics nearly every ROI correlated significantly with every other ROI, without a grouping or relation of the rCBF of certain ROIs as in controls. After neuroleptic treatment and clinical improvement, this diffuse pattern of correlations remained. Conclusions: These results indicate differences in the neuronal interplay between regions in schizophrenic and healthy subjects. In nevertreated schizophrenics, diffuse interregional rCBF correlations can be seen as a sign of change and dysfunction of the systems regulating specificity and diversity of the neuronal functions. Neuroleptic therapy and psychopathologic remission showed no normalizing effect on interregional correlations. (orig.) [de

IS THE POLAR REGION DIFFERENT FROM THE QUIET REGION OF THE SUN?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Hiroaki; Shiota, Daikou; Tokumaru, Munetoshi; Fujiki, Ken'ichi; Tsuneta, Saku

2010-01-01

Observations of the polar region of the Sun are critically important for understanding the solar dynamo and the acceleration of solar wind. We carried out precise magnetic observations on both the north polar region and the quiet Sun at the east limb with the spectropolarimeter of the Solar Optical Telescope aboard Hinode to characterize the polar region with respect to the quiet Sun. The average area and the total magnetic flux of the kilo-Gauss magnetic concentrations in the polar region appear to be larger than those of the quiet Sun. The magnetic field vectors classified as vertical in the quiet Sun have symmetric histograms around zero in the strengths, showing balanced positive and negative fluxes, while the histogram in the north polar region is clearly asymmetric, showing a predominance of the negative polarity. The total magnetic flux of the polar region is larger than that of the quiet Sun. In contrast, the histogram of the horizontal magnetic fields is exactly the same for both the polar region and the quiet Sun. This is consistent with the idea that a local dynamo process is responsible for the horizontal magnetic fields. A high-resolution potential field extrapolation shows that the majority of magnetic field lines from the kG-patches in the polar region are open with a fanning-out structure very low in the atmosphere, while in the quiet Sun, almost all the field lines are closed.

Chemical compositions of Cinnamomum tamala oil from two different regions of India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suresh Kumar

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Objective: This study was made to investigate the chemical composition of Cinnamomum tamala, (Buch.-Ham. Nees & Eberm (Tejpat oil (CTO which was taken from two different regions. The plant leaves were collected from two different regions of India (Southern India and Northern India. Methods: The chemical composition of the hydro distilled essential oil of Cinnamomum tamala were analyzed by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS. Results: The GCMS analysis of the oil collected from northern region (Chandigarh Botanical garden, Chandigarh showed 20 constituents of which methyl eugenol (46.65%, eugenol (26.70%, trans-cinnamyl acetate (12.48% and Beta-Caryophyllene (6.26% were found the major components. The GC-MS analysis of the oil collected from southern area showed 31 constituents of which cinnamaldehyde (44.898%, Tans-cinnamyl acetate (25.327% and Ascabin (1 5.249% were found the major components. Conclusions: The oil is used in various preparations in pharmaceutical industries so it should be used after the verifications of quality of the oil. The difference observed in the amount and type of constituents may be due to the geographical origin of the plant.

Regional differences in China's CO2 abatement cost

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Xiaoping

2015-01-01

Under a framework of output distance function with multiple outputs, the study discusses the carbon abatement cost at provincial and regional levels in China, using the shadow price analysis. The findings show that the abatement cost, reflecting the marginal opportunity cost of carbon reduction, varies greatly among the provinces. On average, the abatement cost of the eastern region was much higher than that of the mid-western region during the observed period. The findings provide evidence that the carbon prices in the current ETS pilots have been much lower than desired levels, implying inefficiency of the markets. The wide range of the abatement cost estimates supports that the equi-marginal principle does not hold for the regulations on carbon pollution at regional levels. The regional cost differences indicate the huge potential for China to minimize the total abatement cost with policy instruments that may motive the emissions moving from areas of low abatement cost to where the abatement cost is higher. For a few undeveloped provinces that are environmentally fragile and have high abatement cost, supplementary measures will be needed to reduce the negative impact of carbon cutbacks on the poor to the minimum. - Highlights: • The marginal abatement cost of CO 2 is defined by the shadow price measure. • A linear programming model based on distance function is established. • Marginal abatement costs at provincial level are empirical investigated. • The abatement cost varies across provinces and regions in China. • The findings provide evidence that the current ETS pilots are inefficient

Bye bye! : Exploring the psychological contract and commitment of different generations of hospitality workers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nije Bijvank, M.; Lub, X.D.

2010-01-01

High turnover rates are a common and costly problem for hospitality companies, even more so as a new generation of workers, Generation Y, enters the workforce. The present study explores a number of antecedents to this turnover in the light of generational differences. Data was collected in 20

College Students' Experiences and Perceptions of Harassment on Campus: An Exploration of Gender Differences

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Reason, Robert D.; Rankin, Susan R.

2006-01-01

Using a campus climate assessment instrument developed by Rankin (1998), we surveyed students (N = 7,347) from 10 campuses to explore the different experiences with harassment and campus climates reported by men and women. Both men and women reported experiencing harassment, although women experienced harassment at statistically significantly…

User experiences with different regional health information exchange systems in Finland.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyppönen, Hannele; Reponen, Jarmo; Lääveri, Tinja; Kaipio, Johanna

2014-01-01

The interest in cross-organizational Health Information Exchange (HIE) is increasing at regional, national and cross-European levels. The purpose of our study was to compare user experiences (usability) of different regional health information exchange system (RHIE) types as well as the factors related to the experienced level of success of different RHIE system types. A web-based questionnaire was sent to 95% of Finnish physicians aged between 25 and 65 years of age. RHIE systems were mainly available in the public sector and only in certain regions. Those 1693 physicians were selected from the 3929 respondents of the original study, who met these criteria. The preferred means (paper/fax vs. electronic) of cross-organizational HIE, and replies to the 11 questions measuring RHIE success were used as the main dependent variables. Two thirds (73%) of the primary care physicians and one third (33%) of the specialized care physicians replied using an electronic RHIE system rather than paper or fax as a primary means of cross-organizational HIE. Respondents from regions where a regional virtual EHR (type 3) RHIE system was employed had used electronic means rather than paper HIE to a larger extend compared to their colleagues in regions where a master patient index-type (type 1) or web distribution model (type 2) RHIE system was used. Users of three local EHR systems preferred electronic HIE to paper to a larger extend than users of other EHR systems. Experiences with an integrated RHIE system (type 3) were more positive than those with other types or RHIE systems. The study revealed User preferences for the integrated virtual RHIE-system (type 3) over the master index model (type 1) or web distribution model (type 2). Success of individual HIE tasks of writing, sending and reading were impacted by the way these functionalities were realized in the EHR systems. To meet the expectations of increased efficiency, continuity, safety and quality of care, designers of HIE

Bye bye! : Exploring the psychological contract and commitment of different generations of hospitality workers

OpenAIRE

Nije Bijvank, M.; Lub, X.D.

2010-01-01

High turnover rates are a common and costly problem for hospitality companies, even more so as a new generation of workers, Generation Y, enters the workforce. The present study explores a number of antecedents to this turnover in the light of generational differences. Data was collected in 20 hotels (N=359) of a hotel chain using an online survey. Results show generational differences in psychological contract, with Baby Boomers valuing work-life balance, Generation X job security and Genera...

RevSex duplication-induced and sex-related differences in the SOX9 regulatory region chromatin landscape in human fibroblasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Lybæk, Helle; de Bruijn, Diederik; den Engelsman-van Dijk, Anke H A; Vanichkina, Darya; Nepal, Chirag; Brendehaug, Atle; Houge, Gunnar

2014-03-01

It was recently shown that duplications of the RevSex element, located 0.5 Mb upstream of SOX9, cause XX-disorder of sex development (DSD), and that deletions cause XY-DSD. To explore how a 148 kb RevSex duplication could have turned on gonadal SOX9 expression in the absence of SRY in an XX-male, we examined the chromatin landscape in primary skin fibroblast cultures from the index, his RevSex duplication-carrier father and six controls. The ENCODE project supports the notion that chromatin state maps show overlap between different cell types, i.e., that our study of fibroblasts could be of biological relevance. We examined the SOX9 regulatory region by high-resolution ChIP-on-chip experiments (a kind of "chromatin-CGH") and DNA methylation investigations. The RevSex duplication was associated with chromatin changes predicting better accessibility of the SRY-responsive TESCO enhancer region 14-15 kb upstream of SOX9. Four kb downstream of the TESCO evolutionary conserved region, a peak of the enhancer/promoter-associated H3K4me3 mark was found together with a major dip of the repressive H3K9me3 chromatin mark. Similar differences were also found when three control males were compared with three control females. A marked male/female difference was a more open chromatin signature in males starting ~400 kb upstream of SOX9 and increasing toward the SOX9 promoter. In the RevSex duplication-carrier father, two positions of DNA hypomethylation were also found, one corresponding to the H3K4me3 peak mentioned above. Our results suggest that the RevSex duplication could operate by inducing long-range epigenetic changes. Furthermore, the differences in chromatin state maps between males and females suggest that the Y chromosome or X chromosome dosage may affect chromatin conformation, i.e., that sex-dependent gene regulation may take place by chromatin modification.

How Does a Regional Climate Model Modify the Projected Climate Change Signal of the Driving GCM: A Study over Different CORDEX Regions Using REMO

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Claas Teichmann

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Global and regional climate model simulations are frequently used for regional climate change assessments and in climate impact modeling studies. To reflect the inherent and methodological uncertainties in climate modeling, the assessment of regional climate change requires ensemble simulations from different global and regional climate model combinations. To interpret the spread of simulated results, it is useful to understand how the climate change signal is modified in the GCM-RCM modelmodelgeneral circulation model-regional climate model (GCM-RCM chain. This kind of information can also be useful for impact modelers; for the process of experiment design and when interpreting model results. In this study, we investigate how the simulated historical and future climate of the Max-Planck-Institute earth system model (MPI-ESM is modified by dynamic downscaling with the regional model REMO in different world regions. The historical climate simulations for 1950–2005 are driven by observed anthropogenic forcing. The climate projections are driven by projected anthropogenic forcing according to different Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs. The global simulations are downscaled with REMO over the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX domains Africa, Europe, South America and West Asia from 2006–2100. This unique set of simulations allows for climate type specific analysis across multiple world regions and for multi-scenarios. We used a classification of climate types by Köppen-Trewartha to define evaluation regions with certain climate conditions. A systematic comparison of near-surface temperature and precipitation simulated by the regional and the global model is done. In general, the historical time period is well represented by the GCM and the RCM. Some different biases occur in the RCM compared to the GCM as in the Amazon Basin, northern Africa and the West Asian domain. Both models project similar warming

Regionalization: A Story Map Lesson on Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Edmondson, Deborah

2018-01-01

This lesson introduces the concept of regionalization and types of regions. After a brief introductory activity, students explore a story map to learn the material. The teacher can project the story map on a screen for all students to follow or students may work individually on computers. Working individually will allow students to set their own…

Necrotising fasciitis of the submandibular region | Nyako | Ghana ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Two cases of necrotizing fasciitis (NF) complicating different conditions of the maxillofacial region, treated at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital are reported. These were managed by an early diagnosis, aggressive surgical exploration, fasciotomies and debridement of necrotic tissue. In addition, frequent irrigation within the ...

Exploring synergies between climate and air quality policies using long-term global and regional emission scenarios

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Braspenning Radu, Olivia; van den Berg, Maarten; Klimont, Zbigniew; Deetman, Sebastiaan; Janssens-Maenhout, Greet; Muntean, Marilena; Heyes, Chris; Dentener, Frank; van Vuuren, Detlef P.

Abstract In this paper, we present ten scenarios developed using the IMAGE2.4 framework (Integrated Model to Assess the Global Environment) to explore how different assumptions on future climate and air pollution policies influence emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants. These scenarios

Exploring Earthquakes in Real-Time

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Bravo, T. K.; Kafka, A. L.; Coleman, B.; Taber, J. J.

2013-12-01

Earthquakes capture the attention of students and inspire them to explore the Earth. Adding the ability to view and explore recordings of significant and newsworthy earthquakes in real-time makes the subject even more compelling. To address this opportunity, the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), in collaboration with Moravian College, developed ';jAmaSeis', a cross-platform application that enables students to access real-time earthquake waveform data. Students can watch as the seismic waves are recorded on their computer, and can be among the first to analyze the data from an earthquake. jAmaSeis facilitates student centered investigations of seismological concepts using either a low-cost educational seismograph or streamed data from other educational seismographs or from any seismic station that sends data to the IRIS Data Management System. After an earthquake, students can analyze the seismograms to determine characteristics of earthquakes such as time of occurrence, distance from the epicenter to the station, magnitude, and location. The software has been designed to provide graphical clues to guide students in the analysis and assist in their interpretations. Since jAmaSeis can simultaneously record up to three stations from anywhere on the planet, there are numerous opportunities for student driven investigations. For example, students can explore differences in the seismograms from different distances from an earthquake and compare waveforms from different azimuthal directions. Students can simultaneously monitor seismicity at a tectonic plate boundary and in the middle of the plate regardless of their school location. This can help students discover for themselves the ideas underlying seismic wave propagation, regional earthquake hazards, magnitude-frequency relationships, and the details of plate tectonics. The real-time nature of the data keeps the investigations dynamic, and offers students countless opportunities to explore.

Masked-Volume-Wise PCA and "reference Logan" illustrate similar regional differences in kinetic behavior in human brain PET study using [11C]-PIB

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Engler Henry

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Kinetic modeling using reference Logan is commonly used to analyze data obtained from dynamic Positron Emission Tomography (PET studies on patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD and healthy volunteers (HVs using amyloid imaging agent N-methyl [11C]2-(4'-methylaminophenyl-6-hydroxy-benzothiazole, [11C]-PIB. The aim of the present study was to explore whether results obtained using the newly introduced method, Masked Volume Wise Principal Component Analysis, MVW-PCA, were similar to the results obtained using reference Logan. Methods MVW-PCA and reference Logan were performed on dynamic PET images obtained from four Alzheimer's disease (AD patients on two occasions (baseline and follow-up and on four healthy volunteers (HVs. Regions of interest (ROIs of similar sizes were positioned in different parts of the brain in both AD patients and HVs where the difference between AD patients and HVs is largest. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR and discrimination power (DP were calculated for images generated by the different methods and the results were compared both qualitatively and quantitatively. Results MVW-PCA generated images that illustrated similar regional binding patterns compared to reference Logan images and with slightly higher quality, enhanced contrast, improved SNR and DP, without being based on modeling assumptions. MVW-PCA also generated additional MVW-PC images by using the whole dataset, which illustrated regions with different and uncorrelated kinetic behaviors of the administered tracer. This additional information might improve the understanding of kinetic behavior of the administered tracer. Conclusion MVW-PCA is a potential multivariate method that without modeling assumptions generates high quality images, which illustrated similar regional changes compared to modeling methods such as reference Logan. In addition, MVW-PCA could be used as a new technique, applicable not only on dynamic human brain studies but also on

An exploration of heart rate response to differing music rhythm and tempos.

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva, Ariany G; Guida, Heraldo L; Antônio, Ana Márcia Dos S; Marcomini, Renata S; Fontes, Anne M G G; Carlos de Abreu, Luiz; Roque, Adriano L; Silva, Sidney B; Raimundo, Rodrigo D; Ferreira, Celso; Valenti, Vitor E

2014-05-01

The aim of this study was to investigate acute cardiac response and heart rate variability (HRV) when listening to differing forms of music. Eleven healthy men aged between 18 and 25 years old were included in the study. HRV was recorded at rest for ten minutes with no music, then were asked to listen to classical baroque or heavy metal music for a period of 20 min. It was noted that heart rate variability did not affect HRV indices for time and frequency. In conclusion, music with different tempos does not influence cardiac autonomic regulation in men. However more studies are suggested to explore this topic in greater detail. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring Individual Differences among Novices Reading in a Specific Domain: The Case of Law.

Science.gov (United States)

Deegan, Dorothy H.

1995-01-01

Explores reading strategies used by two groups of readers differentiated in terms of academic performance subsequent to their first year in law school. Finds that students in the top quartile used different strategies than students in the bottom quartile. Suggests that attention should be paid to literacy requirements and practices as students…

Exploring the physical controls of regional patterns of flow duration curves – Part 1: Insights from statistical analyses

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S. Ye

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The flow duration curve (FDC is a classical method used to graphically represent the relationship between the frequency and magnitude of streamflow. In this sense it represents a compact signature of temporal runoff variability that can also be used to diagnose catchment rainfall-runoff responses, including similarity and differences between catchments. This paper is aimed at extracting regional patterns of the FDCs from observed daily flow data and elucidating the physical controls underlying these patterns, as a way to aid towards their regionalization and predictions in ungauged basins. The FDCs of total runoff (TFDC using multi-decadal streamflow records for 197 catchments across the continental United States are separated into the FDCs of two runoff components, i.e., fast flow (FFDC and slow flow (SFDC. In order to compactly display these regional patterns, the 3-parameter mixed gamma distribution is employed to characterize the shapes of the normalized FDCs (i.e., TFDC, FFDC and SFDC over the entire data record. This is repeated to also characterize the between-year variability of "annual" FDCs for 8 representative catchments chosen across a climate gradient. Results show that the mixed gamma distribution can adequately capture the shapes of the FDCs and their variation between catchments and also between years. Comparison between the between-catchment and between-year variability of the FDCs revealed significant space-time symmetry. Possible relationships between the parameters of the fitted mixed gamma distribution and catchment climatic and physiographic characteristics are explored in order to decipher and point to the underlying physical controls. The baseflow index (a surrogate for the collective impact of geology, soils, topography and vegetation, as well as climate is found to be the dominant control on the shapes of the normalized TFDC and SFDC, whereas the product of maximum daily precipitation and the fraction of non-rainy days

Face-selective regions differ in their ability to classify facial expressions.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hui; Japee, Shruti; Nolan, Rachel; Chu, Carlton; Liu, Ning; Ungerleider, Leslie G

2016-04-15

Recognition of facial expressions is crucial for effective social interactions. Yet, the extent to which the various face-selective regions in the human brain classify different facial expressions remains unclear. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and support vector machine pattern classification analysis to determine how well face-selective brain regions are able to decode different categories of facial expression. Subjects participated in a slow event-related fMRI experiment in which they were shown 32 face pictures, portraying four different expressions: neutral, fearful, angry, and happy and belonging to eight different identities. Our results showed that only the amygdala and the posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS) were able to accurately discriminate between these expressions, albeit in different ways: the amygdala discriminated fearful faces from non-fearful faces, whereas STS discriminated neutral from emotional (fearful, angry and happy) faces. In contrast to these findings on the classification of emotional expression, only the fusiform face area (FFA) and anterior inferior temporal cortex (aIT) could discriminate among the various facial identities. Further, the amygdala and STS were better than FFA and aIT at classifying expression, while FFA and aIT were better than the amygdala and STS at classifying identity. Taken together, our findings indicate that the decoding of facial emotion and facial identity occurs in different neural substrates: the amygdala and STS for the former and FFA and aIT for the latter. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Exploring the determinants of health and wellbeing in communities living in proximity to coal seam gas developments in regional Queensland

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Fiona Mactaggart

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is some concern that coal seam gas mining may affect health and wellbeing through changes in social determinants such as living and working conditions, local economy and the environment. The onward impact of these conditions on health and wellbeing is often not monitored to the same degree as direct environmental health impacts in the mining context, but merits attention. This study reports on the findings from a recurrent theme that emerged from analysis of the qualitative component of a comprehensive Health Needs Assessment (HNA conducted in regional Queensland: that health and wellbeing of communities was reportedly affected by nearby coal seam gas (CSG development beyond direct environmental impacts. Methods Qualitative analysis was initially completed using the Framework Method to explore key themes from 11 focus group discussions, 19 in-depth interviews, and 45 key informant interviews with health and wellbeing service providers and community members. A key theme emerged from the analysis that forms the basis of this paper. This study is part of a larger comprehensive HNA involving qualitative and quantitative data collection to explore the health and wellbeing needs of three communities living in proximity to CSG development in regional Queensland, Australia. Results Communities faced social, economic and environmental impacts from the rapid growth of CSG development, which were perceived to have direct and indirect effects on individual lifestyle factors such as alcohol and drug abuse, family relationships, social capital and mental health; and community-level factors including social connectedness, civic engagement and trust. Conclusions Outer regional communities discussed the effects of mining activity on the fabric of their town and community, whereas the inner regional community that had a longer history of industrial activity discussed the impacts on families and individual health and wellbeing. The

Exploring Differences between Self-Regulated Learning Strategies of High and Low Achievers in Open Distance Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Geduld, Bernadette

2016-01-01

Open distance students differ in their preparedness for higher education studies. Students who are less self-regulated risk failure and drop out in the challenging milieu of open distance learning. In this study, the differences between the application of self-regulated learning strategies by low and high achievers were explored. A multi-method…

Problems in Deriving Italian Regional Differences in Intelligence from 2009 PISA Data

Science.gov (United States)

Cornoldi, Cesare; Giofre, David; Martini, Angela

2013-01-01

Recent results of international assessment programs (e.g., PISA) have shown a large difference in high school students' performance between northern and southern Italy. On this basis, it has been argued that the discrepancy reflects differences in average intelligence of the inhabitants of regions and is associated with genetic factors ( and ).…

Morphology of endothelial cells from different regions of the equine cornea

OpenAIRE

Faganello, Cláudia Skilhan; Silva, Vanessa Ruiz Moura da; Andrade, Maria Cristina Caldart de; Carissimi, André Silva; Pigatto, João Antonio Tadeu

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphology of different regions of the equine cornea using optical microscopy. Both healthy eyes of eight horses, male or female, of different ages were evaluated. Corneas were stained with alizarin red vital dye and subsequently examined and photographed using optical microscopy. Corneal endothelial morphology of central, superior, inferior, temporal and nasal areas was assessed. One hundred endothelial cells from each corneal area we...

Music to the inner ears: exploring individual differences in musical imagery.

Science.gov (United States)

Beaty, Roger E; Burgin, Chris J; Nusbaum, Emily C; Kwapil, Thomas R; Hodges, Donald A; Silvia, Paul J

2013-12-01

In two studies, we explored the frequency and phenomenology of musical imagery. Study 1 used retrospective reports of musical imagery to assess the contribution of individual differences to imagery characteristics. Study 2 used an experience sampling design to assess the phenomenology of musical imagery over the course of one week in a sample of musicians and non-musicians. Both studies found episodes of musical imagery to be common and positive: people rarely wanted such experiences to end and often heard music that was personally meaningful. Several variables predicted musical imagery, including personality, musical preferences, and positive mood. Musicians tended to hear musical imagery more often, but they reported less frequent episodes of deliberately-generated imagery. Taken together, the present research provides new insights into individual differences in musical imagery, and it supports the emerging view that such experiences are common, positive, and more voluntary than previously recognized. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interaction for Innovation: Comparing Norwegian Regions

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Marina Solesvik

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Building upon insights from earlier investigations of innovation collaboration from a regional perspective as well as the triple helix perspective, local/regional innovation systems and open innovation approaches, this study explores whether cooperation between firms, universities and government increases the intensity of innovation equally for the capital city and peripheral regions. We investigate whether firms located in the capital region benefit more from public support, cooperation with universities, and cooperation with different stakeholders than firms located in peripheral regions. Using logistic binary regressions, we find that capital region firms are generally not more innovative than those located elsewhere. We also find no effect on innovation from cooperation with universities, although public support is related to engagement in product and process innovations. Our results warn against simple applications of triple helix and open innovation approaches, as many forms of collaboration seem to have little impact on innovation, regardless of regional context.

PIXE and ICP-MS analysis of fenugreek medicinal plant from different regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandrasekhar Rao, J.; Naidu, B.G.; Sarita, P.; Naga Raju, G.J.

2017-01-01

Elemental analysis of Fenugreek medicinal plant collected from different regions was carried out by Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS) techniques. The elements Li, Be, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Ag, Cd, Ba, Pb and U were identified and their concentrations were estimated. These elements were found to be in widely varying concentrations in the analyzed Fenugreek medicinal plant collected from different regions. of the. The results of the present study provide a better understanding of the pharmacological action of Fenugreek medicinal plant and it can also be used to set new standards for prescribing the dosage of herbal drugs. (author)

Who Reaps the Benefits of Social Change? Exploration and Its Socioecological Boundaries.

Science.gov (United States)

Lechner, Clemens M; Obschonka, Martin; Silbereisen, Rainer K

2017-04-01

We investigated the interplay between the personality trait exploration and objective socioecological conditions in shaping individual differences in the experience of two individual-level benefits of current social change: new lifestyle options, which arise from the societal trend toward individualization, and new learning opportunities, which accrue from the societal trend toward lifelong learning. We hypothesized that people with higher trait exploration experience a greater increase in lifestyle options and learning opportunities--but more so in social ecologies in which individualization and lifelong learning are stronger, thus offering greater latitude for exploring the benefits of these trends. We employed structural equation modeling in two parallel adult samples from Germany (N = 2,448) and Poland (N = 2,571), using regional divorce rates as a proxy for individualization and Internet domain registration rates as a proxy for lifelong learning. Higher exploration was related to a greater perceived increase in lifestyle options and in learning opportunities over the past 5 years. These associations were stronger in regions in which the trends toward individualization and lifelong learning, respectively, were more prominent. Individuals higher in exploration are better equipped to reap the benefits of current social change--but the effects of exploration are bounded by the conditions in the social ecology. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Noise Parameter Analysis of SiGe HBTs for Different Sizes in the Breakdown Region

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Chie-In Lee

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Noise parameters of silicon germanium (SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs for different sizes are investigated in the breakdown region for the first time. When the emitter length of SiGe HBTs shortens, minimum noise figure at breakdown decreases. In addition, narrower emitter width also decreases noise figure of SiGe HBTs in the avalanche region. Reduction of noise performance for smaller emitter length and width of SiGe HBTs at breakdown resulted from the lower noise spectral density resulting from the breakdown mechanism. Good agreement between experimental and simulated noise performance at breakdown is achieved for different sized SiGe HBTs. The presented analysis can benefit the RF circuits operating in the breakdown region.

Regional differences in self-reported screening, prevalence and management of cardiovascular risk factors in Switzerland

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background In Switzerland, health policies are decided at the local level, but little is known regarding their impact on the screening and management of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs). We thus aimed at assessing geographical levels of CVRFs in Switzerland. Methods Swiss Health Survey for 2007 (N = 17,879). Seven administrative regions were defined: West (Leman), West-Central (Mittelland), Zurich, South (Ticino), North-West, East and Central Switzerland. Obesity, smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes prevalence, treatment and screening within the last 12 months were assessed by interview. Results After multivariate adjustment for age, gender, educational level, marital status and Swiss citizenship, no significant differences were found between regions regarding prevalence of obesity or current smoking. Similarly, no differences were found regarding hypertension screening and prevalence. Two thirds of subjects who had been told they had high blood pressure were treated, the lowest treatment rates being found in East Switzerland: odds-ratio and [95% confidence interval] 0.65 [0.50-0.85]. Screening for hypercholesterolemia was more frequently reported in French (Leman) and Italian (Ticino) speaking regions. Four out of ten participants who had been told they had high cholesterol levels were treated and the lowest treatment rates were found in German-speaking regions. Screening for diabetes was higher in Ticino (1.24 [1.09 - 1.42]). Six out of ten participants who had been told they had diabetes were treated, the lowest treatment rates were found for German-speaking regions. Conclusions In Switzerland, cardiovascular risk factor screening and management differ between regions and these differences cannot be accounted for by differences in populations' characteristics. Management of most cardiovascular risk factors could be improved. PMID:22452881

Plant functional traits and diversity in sand dune ecosystems across different biogeographic regions

Science.gov (United States)

Mahdavi, P.; Bergmeier, E.

2016-07-01

Plant species of a functional group respond similarly to environmental pressures and may be expected to act similarly on ecosystem processes and habitat properties. However, feasibility and applicability of functional groups in ecosystems across very different climatic regions have not yet been studied. In our approach we specified the functional groups in sand dune ecosystems of the Mediterranean, Hyrcanian and Irano-Turanian phytogeographic regions. We examined whether functional groups are more influenced by region or rather by habitat characteristics, and identified trait syndromes associated with common habitat types in sand dunes (mobile dunes, stabilized dunes, salt marshes, semi-wet sands, disturbed habitats). A database of 14 traits, 309 species and 314 relevés was examined and trait-species, trait-plot and species-plot matrices were built. Cluster analysis revealed similar plant functional groups in sand dune ecosystems across regions of very different species composition and climate. Specifically, our study showed that plant traits in sand dune ecosystems are grouped reflecting habitat affiliation rather than region and species pool. Environmental factors and constraints such as sand mobility, soil salinity, water availability, nutrient status and disturbance are more important for the occurrence and distribution of plant functional groups than regional belonging. Each habitat is shown to be equipped with specific functional groups and can be described by specific sets of traits. In restoration ecology the completeness of functional groups and traits in a site may serve as a guideline for maintaining or restoring the habitat.

Age-related differences in regional brain volumes: A comparison of optimized voxel-based morphometry to manual volumetry

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Kennedy, Kristen M.; Erickson, Kirk I.; Rodrigue, Karen M.; Voss, Michelle W.; Colcombe, Stan J.; Kramer, Arthur F.; Acker, James D.; Raz, Naftali

2009-01-01

Regional manual volumetry is the gold standard of in vivo neuroanatomy, but is labor-intensive, can be imperfectly reliable, and allows for measuring limited number of regions. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) has perfect repeatability and assesses local structure across the whole brain. However, its anatomic validity is unclear, and with its increasing popularity, a systematic comparison of VBM to manual volumetry is necessary. The few existing comparison studies are limited by small samples, qualitative comparisons, and limited selection and modest reliability of manual measures. Our goal was to overcome those limitations by quantitatively comparing optimized VBM findings with highly reliable multiple regional measures in a large sample (N = 200) across a wide agespan (18–81). We report a complex pattern of similarities and differences. Peak values of VBM volume estimates (modulated density) produced stronger age differences and a different spatial distribution from manual measures. However, when we aggregated VBM-derived information across voxels contained in specific anatomically defined regions (masks), the patterns of age differences became more similar, although important discrepancies emerged. Notably, VBM revealed stronger age differences in the regions bordering CSF and white matter areas prone to leukoaraiosis, and VBM was more likely to report nonlinearities in age-volume relationships. In the white matter regions, manual measures showed stronger negative associations with age than the corresponding VBM-based masks. We conclude that VBM provides realistic estimates of age differences in the regional gray matter only when applied to anatomically defined regions, but overestimates effects when individual peaks are interpreted. It may be beneficial to use VBM as a first-pass strategy, followed by manual measurement of anatomically-defined regions. PMID:18276037

Mexico's four economies reflect regional differences, challenges

OpenAIRE

Canas, Jesus; Gutierrez, Emily

2015-01-01

The economic potential of Mexico’s four regions is defined by their industrial makeup, income per capita and how much of the labor force operates outside the formal economy. Recent government reforms could promote growth and reduce regional inequality.

Regional differences in islet distribution in the human pancreas--preferential beta-cell loss in the head region in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaojun Wang

Full Text Available While regional heterogeneity in islet distribution has been well studied in rodents, less is known about human pancreatic histology. To fill gaps in our understanding, regional differences in the adult human pancreas were quantitatively analyzed including the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D. Cadaveric pancreas specimens were collected from the head, body and tail regions of each donor, including subjects with no history of diabetes or pancreatic diseases (n = 23 as well as patients with T2D (n = 12. The study further included individuals from whom islets were isolated (n = 7 to study islet yield and function in a clinical setting of islet transplantation. The whole pancreatic sections were examined using an innovative large-scale image capture and unbiased detailed quantitative analyses of the characteristics of islets from each individual (architecture, size, shape and distribution. Islet distribution/density is similar between the head and body regions, but is >2-fold higher in the tail region. In contrast to rodents, islet cellular composition and architecture were similar throughout the pancreas and there was no difference in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in islets isolated from different regions of the pancreas. Further studies revealed preferential loss of large islets in the head region in patients with T2D. The present study has demonstrated distinct characteristics of the human pancreas, which should provide a baseline for the future studies integrating existing research in the field and helping to advance bi-directional research between humans and preclinical models.

Culture’s Influence: Regionally Differing Social Milieus and Variations in Fertility Rates

OpenAIRE

Fulda, B.

2015-01-01

How can we understand subnational differences in fertility rates? The most common explanations see the key to these differences in the socio-structural composition of a region’s population and its structural conditions. However, such explanations fail to account for fertility rate differences in regions with similar populations and structures. This paper analyzes two social milieus in southern Germany and argues that variations in their fertility rates can only be understood through their cul...

Study on Environment Performance Evaluation and Regional Differences of Strictly-Environmental-Monitored Cities in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ji Guo

2017-12-01

Full Text Available With the rapid economic growth and development, the problem of environmental pollution in China’s cities is becoming increasingly serious, and environmental pollution takes on a regional difference. There is, however, little comprehensive evaluation on the environmental performance and the regional difference of strictly-environmental-monitored cities in China. In this paper, the environmental performance of 109 strictly-environmental-monitored cities in China is evaluated in terms of natural performance, management performance, and scale performance by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA, incorporating PM2.5 and PM10 as undesirable outputs. The empirical results show that: (1 At present, the natural performance is quite high, while the management performance is noticeably low for most cities. (2 The gap between the level of economic development and environmental protection among cities in China is large, and the scale efficiency of big cities is better than that of smaller cities. The efficiency value of large-scale cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, etc. is high, equaling 1; the value of smaller cities such as Sanmenxia, Baoding, Mudanjiang, and Pingdingshan is low, close to 0, indicating that big cities are characterized by high environmental efficiency. (3 From the perspective of region, the level of environmental performance in China is very uneven. For example, the environmental efficiency level of the Pan-Pearl River Delta region is superior to that of the Pan-Yangtze River region and the Bahia Rim region, whose values of environmental efficiency are 0.858, 0.658, and 0.622 respectively. The average efficiency of the Southern Coastal Economic Zone, Eastern Coastal Comprehensive Economic Zone, and the Comprehensive Economic Zone in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River is higher than that of other regions. Finally, corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward. The method used in this paper is applicable

The Transition Region Explorer: Observing the Multi-Scale Dynamics of Geospace

Science.gov (United States)

Donovan, E.

2015-12-01

Meso- and global-scale IT remote sensing is accomplished via satellite imagers and ground-based instruments. On the ground, the approach is arrays providing extensive as possible coverage (the "net") and powerful observatories that drill deep to provide detailed information about small-scale processes (the "drill"). Always, there is a trade between cost, spatial resolution, coverage (extent), number of parameters, and more, such that in general the larger the network the sparser the coverage. Where are we now? There are important gaps. With THEMIS-ASI, we see processes that quickly evolve beyond the field of view of one observatory, but involve space/time scales not captured by existing meso- and large-scale arrays. Many forefront questions require observations at heretofore unexplored space and time scales, and comprehensive inter-hemispheric conjugate observations than are presently available. To address this, a new ground-based observing initiative is being developed in Canada. Called TREx, for Transition Region Explorer, this new facility will incorporate dedicated blueline, redline, and Near-Infrared All-Sky Imagers, together with an unprecedented network of ten imaging riometers, with a combined field of view spanning more than three hours of magnetic local time and from equatorward to poleward of typical auroral latitudes (spanning the ionospheric footprint of the "nightside transition region" that separates the highly stretched tail and the inner magnetosphere). The TREx field-of-view is covered by HF radars, and contains a dense network of magnetometers and VLF receivers, as well as other geospace and upper atmospheric remote sensors. Taken together, TREx and these co-located instruments represent a quantum leap forward in terms of imaging, in multiple parameters (precipitation, ionization, convection, and currents), ionospheric dynamics in the above-mentioned scale gap. This represents an exciting new opportunity for studying geospace at the system level

Uncovering China’s greenhouse gas emission from regional and sectoral perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Zhu; Geng, Yong; Lindner, Soeren; Guan, Dabo

2012-01-01

Understanding China’s GHG (greenhouse gas) emission status is critical for achieving the national mitigation plan. While much attention has addressed China’s national level GHG emission, less is known about its regional and sectoral emission features. In this paper China’s regional and sectoral GHG emission patterns and their driving forces were explored by using upgraded energy consumption data. We constructed a detailed GHG inventory for each province in the year 2009 which covering 28 sectors and further expanded time-serious inventories during 1997–2009. We then conducted variation and index decomposition analysis to explore its sectoral/regional disparity and features. Results showed significant differences of sectoral emission intensity among different provinces, implying a huge disparity of technology level. Since less developed provinces still apply energy intensive technologies, they had contributed to most of national emission increment during 1997–2009 and made the whole country towards carbon intensive direction. Our research outcomes indicate that the inequity of technology level among regions has already become a main barrier for China’s CO 2 mitigation. Such a reality deserves more attention from both researchers and policy makers so that appropriate carbon reduction policies can be raised. -- Highlights: ► We present spacial and sectoral disparity and drivers on green house gas (GHG) emission in 30 Chinese provinces. ► We indicated a huge difference of technology level among regions. ► Different industrial structure and development stage further result in GHG intensive in China's poor regions. ► Inequity of technology level among regions has already become a main barrier for China's GHG mitigation.

Investment in exploration-production and refining 2013

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hureau, Geoffroy; Serbutoviez, Sylvain; Silva, Constancio; Maisonnier, Guy

2013-10-01

IFPEN analyses in this study the 2013 evolution of global investment in the field of exploration-production and refining. 1 - Changes in oil and gas prices; 2 - Exploration production: a new year of growth: the increase in investments continues into 2013, exploration - Discoveries in 2013, 1978 - 2012: Investments - Production - Price; 3 - Main markets in the upstream oil equipment and services sector: introduction, drilling (Drilling activity, Number of wells drilled throughout the world, Number of onshore wells, Number of offshore wells, Drilling markets, equipment and services for wells, Onshore drilling market, Offshore drilling market, Fracking market); Geophysical market (Geophysical activity, Geophysical market); Offshore construction (Offshore construction activities, Fixed platforms (Jack-ups), Floating Platform Systems (FPS), Sub-sea constructions, Offshore construction market); Conclusion; 4 - Refining: looking for new equilibriums: falling excess capacity and regional disparities, recovery in capital spending in emerging countries, Asia is still the eldorado for investment in the downstream oil Sector (Continuing overcapacity in the medium-term, Differing investment strategies)

Regional differences of physiological functions and cancer susceptibility in the human large intestine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cats, A; DeVries, EGE; Mulder, NH; Kleibeuker, JH

1996-01-01

Regional differences in function, metabolism and morphology between proximal colon, distal colon and rectum may be important in the pathogenesis and biologic behaviour of tumours originating from these segments. Thus, the effect of primary prevention of colorectal cancer may also differ from one

Regional differences in the surface temperature of Naked Neck laying hens in a semi-arid environment.

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, João Batista Freire; de Arruda, Alex Martins Varela; Domingos, Hérica Girlane Tertulino; de Macedo Costa, Leonardo Lelis

2013-05-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the regional differences in the surface temperature of Naked Neck hens that were subjected to different temperatures in a semi-arid environment. The surface temperature was measured in four body regions (face, neck, legs and feathered area) of 60 Naked Neck hens. The following environmental variables were measured at the center of the shed: the black globe temperature (T G ), air temperature (T A ), wind speed (U) and relative humidity (R H ). The T A was divided into three classes: 1 (24.0-26.0 °C), 2 (26.1-28.9 °C) and 3 (29.0-31.0 °C). An analysis of variance was performed by the least squares method and a comparison of the means by the Tukey-Kramer test. The results showed a significant effect of T A class, the body region and the interaction between these two effects on the surface temperature. There was no significant difference between the T A classes for the face and neck. The legs and feathered area showed significant differences between the T A classes. Regarding the effect of body regions within each T A class, there was a significant difference among all regions in the three T A classes. In all T A classes the neck had the highest average followed by the face and legs. The feathered area showed the lowest average of the different T A classes. In conclusion, this study showed that there are regional differences in the surface temperature of Naked Neck hens, with the legs acting as thermal windows.

Exploring gender differences in the EFL classroom

OpenAIRE

Norma Constanza Durán

2011-01-01

This article aims to describe a case study which explores teacher and students' conceptions about gender in an EFL setting and the way they are manifested in their discourse patterns. This exploratory case study was carried out with a group of eleventh grade students and an English teacher at Liceo de la Universidad Católica high school in Bogotá Colombia. The data collected included direct observation of classroom interaction, audio and video recording of the teacher and students' interactio...

Music listening engages specific cortical regions within the temporal lobes: differences between musicians and non-musicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Angulo-Perkins, Arafat; Aubé, William; Peretz, Isabelle; Barrios, Fernando A; Armony, Jorge L; Concha, Luis

2014-10-01

Music and speech are two of the most relevant and common sounds in the human environment. Perceiving and processing these two complex acoustical signals rely on a hierarchical functional network distributed throughout several brain regions within and beyond the auditory cortices. Given their similarities, the neural bases for processing these two complex sounds overlap to a certain degree, but particular brain regions may show selectivity for one or the other acoustic category, which we aimed to identify. We examined 53 subjects (28 of them professional musicians) by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), using a paradigm designed to identify regions showing increased activity in response to different types of musical stimuli, compared to different types of complex sounds, such as speech and non-linguistic vocalizations. We found a region in the anterior portion of the superior temporal gyrus (aSTG) (planum polare) that showed preferential activity in response to musical stimuli and was present in all our subjects, regardless of musical training, and invariant across different musical instruments (violin, piano or synthetic piano). Our data show that this cortical region is preferentially involved in processing musical, as compared to other complex sounds, suggesting a functional role as a second-order relay, possibly integrating acoustic characteristics intrinsic to music (e.g., melody extraction). Moreover, we assessed whether musical experience modulates the response of cortical regions involved in music processing and found evidence of functional differences between musicians and non-musicians during music listening. In particular, bilateral activation of the planum polare was more prevalent, but not exclusive, in musicians than non-musicians, and activation of the right posterior portion of the superior temporal gyrus (planum temporale) differed between groups. Our results provide evidence of functional specialization for music processing in specific

Significant regional differences in Denmark in outcome after cochlear implants in children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Percy-Smith, Lone; Busch, Georg Walter; Sandahl, Minna

2012-01-01

The objectives of the present study were to study regional differences in outcome for a paediatric cochlear implant (CI) population after the introduction of universal neonatal hearing screening (UNHS) and bilateral implantation in Denmark....

GEOLOGICAL-GEOPHYSICAL EXPLORATION OF THE BAUXITE DEPOSITS APPLICATION OF THE SHALLOW SEIZMIC REFLECTION METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan Dragičević

1991-12-01

Full Text Available The exploration of bauxite deposits in the region of the carbonaceous Dinarides has been performed by using different geological and geophysical methods. Deposits laying shallower or deeper below the roof sediments have so far most often been discovered by expensive drilling methods in a corresponding grid. Complex geological explorations have led to a series of valuable data thus enabling the application of other much more economical methods as well. In the region of the bauxite sedimentary basin Mesihovina-Rakitno, western Herzegovina, at the site of Studena vrila - after extensive geological explorations - a conclusion was drawn that the shallow seismic reflection geophysical method as well might be successfully applied in locating new bauxite deposits. In the paper, the geological framework of the bauxite deposits occurrences, stipulating the selection of this methode, will be presented. Measurements were performed on a known deposit (L-84, Povaljenica, completely defined by exploration drilling. The obtained results justify the selection of the shallow seismic reflection method as one of the methods for exploring bauxite deposits beneath the roof beds.

Impact of connection density on regional cost differences for network operators in the Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-04-01

The Dutch Office of Energy Regulation ('Energiekamer') has an obligation to investigate the extent to which the electricity and gas distribution businesses (DNOs) in the Netherlands face different structural environments that result in regional cost differences which, in turn, could justify tariff differences. On the basis of previous studies, Energiekamer has identified 'water crossings' and 'local taxes' as allowable regional differences. To account for them, Energiekamer has introduced an adjustment to the regulated revenues formula in order to guarantee a level-playing field to the Dutch DNOs. In addition to these factors, it has been claimed that connection density may have an impact on distribution costs and that, therefore, regulated revenues should be adjusted to compensate for regional differences in connection density between DNOs. However, so far, the research in this field has been unable to identify a sufficiently robust relationship between cost and connection density to support this claim. In order to address this issue, Energiekamer has asked Frontier Economics and Consentec to further investigate the relationship between connection density and distribution costs in the Netherlands. Therefore, our analysis has aimed at determining whether, and to what extent, connection density in the Netherlands is a significant driver of the costs of electricity and gas distribution networks. The following three questions are answered: (1) Is connection density a significant cost driver in electricity and gas networks in the Netherlands?; (2) If so, which functional form (e.g. U-shaped) does this relationship have in the Netherlands?; (3) Finally, based on the evidence collected, is the influence of connection density sufficiently well-determined to be considered a regional difference in the Dutch regulatory framework?

Regional differences of outpatient physician supply as a theoretical economic and empirical generalized linear model.

Science.gov (United States)

Scholz, Stefan; Graf von der Schulenburg, Johann-Matthias; Greiner, Wolfgang

2015-11-17

Regional differences in physician supply can be found in many health care systems, regardless of their organizational and financial structure. A theoretical model is developed for the physicians' decision on office allocation, covering demand-side factors and a consumption time function. To test the propositions following the theoretical model, generalized linear models were estimated to explain differences in 412 German districts. Various factors found in the literature were included to control for physicians' regional preferences. Evidence in favor of the first three propositions of the theoretical model could be found. Specialists show a stronger association to higher populated districts than GPs. Although indicators for regional preferences are significantly correlated with physician density, their coefficients are not as high as population density. If regional disparities should be addressed by political actions, the focus should be to counteract those parameters representing physicians' preferences in over- and undersupplied regions.

Bilingualism alters brain functional connectivity between "control" regions and "language" regions: Evidence from bimodal bilinguals.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Le; Abutalebi, Jubin; Zou, Lijuan; Yan, Xin; Liu, Lanfang; Feng, Xiaoxia; Wang, Ruiming; Guo, Taomei; Ding, Guosheng

2015-05-01

Previous neuroimaging studies have revealed that bilingualism induces both structural and functional neuroplasticity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and the left caudate nucleus (LCN), both of which are associated with cognitive control. Since these "control" regions should work together with other language regions during language processing, we hypothesized that bilingualism may also alter the functional interaction between the dACC/LCN and language regions. Here we tested this hypothesis by exploring the functional connectivity (FC) in bimodal bilinguals and monolinguals using functional MRI when they either performed a picture naming task with spoken language or were in resting state. We found that for bimodal bilinguals who use spoken and sign languages, the FC of the dACC with regions involved in spoken language (e.g. the left superior temporal gyrus) was stronger in performing the task, but weaker in the resting state as compared to monolinguals. For the LCN, its intrinsic FC with sign language regions including the left inferior temporo-occipital part and right inferior and superior parietal lobules was increased in the bilinguals. These results demonstrate that bilingual experience may alter the brain functional interaction between "control" regions and "language" regions. For different control regions, the FC alters in different ways. The findings also deepen our understanding of the functional roles of the dACC and LCN in language processing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Regional differences and development tendency of livestock manure pollution in China].

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Huan-Guang; Liao, Shao-Pan; Jing, Yue; Luan, Jiang

2013-07-01

The rapid development of livestock production in China has brought livestock manure pollution as a serious environment problem, even threatens China's agriculture sustainable development. On the basis of public statistical data and field research data, this paper analyzed the magnitude of livestock manure excretion and pollution of China and different provinces in 2010, and predicted development tendencies of livestock manure excretion and pollution in 2020 through the Decision Support System for China's Agricultural Sustainable Development (CHINAGRO). The result shows that total livestock manure excretion of China in 2010 is 1 900 million tons, and livestock manure pollution is 227 million tons, while per hectare arable land of livestock manure pollution is 1.86 tons. Provinces in the southeast China, such as Guangdong and Fujian, are areas with high pressure of livestock manure pollution. Model simulation shows that China's total amount of livestock manure pollution will increase to 298 million tons in 2020 without government intervention. The pressure of livestock manure pollution will become higher in most regions of China, especially in east and south regions. The situation in central and western region is better than that in east regions although the pollution pressure will also increase in those areas. Policy intervention such as taxes and subsidies should be adopted to reduce the discharge of livestock manure pollution, and encourage livestock production transfer from eastern areas to the central and western regions.

Bacterial diversity in different regions of gastrointestinal tract of Giant African snail (Achatina fulica).

Science.gov (United States)

Pawar, Kiran D; Banskar, Sunil; Rane, Shailendra D; Charan, Shakti S; Kulkarni, Girish J; Sawant, Shailesh S; Ghate, Hemant V; Patole, Milind S; Shouche, Yogesh S

2012-12-01

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract of invasive land snail Achatina fulica is known to harbor metabolically active bacterial communities. In this study, we assessed the bacterial diversity in the different regions of GI tract of Giant African snail, A. fulica by culture-independent and culture-dependent methods. Five 16S rRNA gene libraries from different regions of GI tract of active snails indicated that sequences affiliated to phylum γ-Proteobacteria dominated the esophagus, crop, intestine, and rectum libraries, whereas sequences affiliated to Tenericutes dominated the stomach library. On phylogenetic analysis, 30, 27, 9, 27, and 25 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from esophagus, crop, stomach, intestine, and rectum libraries were identified, respectively. Estimations of the total bacterial diversity covered along with environmental cluster analysis showed highest bacterial diversity in the esophagus and lowest in the stomach. Thirty-three distinct bacterial isolates were obtained, which belonged to 12 genera of two major bacterial phyla namely γ-Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. Among these, Lactococcus lactis and Kurthia gibsonii were the dominant bacteria present in all GI tract regions. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis indicated significant differences in bacterial load in different GI tract regions of active and estivating snails. The difference in the bacterial load between the intestines of active and estivating snail was maximum. Principal component analysis (PCA) of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism suggested that bacterial community structure changes only in intestine when snail enters estivation state. © 2012 The Authors. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Exploring the mid-infrared region for urban remote sensing: seasonal and view angle effects

Science.gov (United States)

Krehbiel, C. P.; Kovalskyy, V.; Henebry, G. M.

2013-12-01

Spanning 3-5 microns, the mid-infrared (MIR) region is the mixing zone between reflected sunlight and emitted earthlight in roughly equal proportions. While the MIR has been utilized in atmospheric remote sensing, its potential in terrestrial remote sensing--particularly urban remote sensing, has yet to be realized. One major advantage of the MIR is the ability to penetrate most anthropogenic haze and smog. Green vegetation appears MIR-dark, urban building materials appear MIR-grey, and bare soil and dried vegetation appear MIR-bright. Thus, there is an intrinsic seasonality in MIR radiance dynamics due both to surface type differences and to seasonal change in insolation. These factors merit exploration into the potential applications of the MIR for monitoring urban change. We investigated MIR radiance dynamics in relation to (1) the spectral properties of land cover types, (2) time of year and (3) sensor view zenith angle (VZA). We used Aqua MODIS daily swaths for band 23 (~ 4.05 μm) at 1 km spatial resolution from 2009-2010 and the NLCD Percent Impervious Surface Area (%ISA) 30 m product from 2001 and 2006. We found the effects of time of year, sensor VZA, and %ISA to be three principal factors influencing MIR radiance dynamics. We focused on analyzing the relationship between MIR radiance and %ISA over eight major cities in the Great Plains of the USA. This region is characterized by four distinct seasons, relatively flat terrain, and isolated urban centers situated within a vegetated landscape. We used west-east transects beginning in the agricultural areas outside of each city, passing through the urban core and extending back out into the agricultural periphery to observe the spatial pattern of MIR radiance and how it changes seasonally. Sensor VZA influences radiance dynamics by affecting the proportion of surface elements detected--especially pertinent at the coarse spatial resolution (~1 km) of MODIS. For example, smaller VZAs (30°). Larger VZAs detect

Gene expression levels of elastin and fibulin-5 according to differences between carotid plaque regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Sivrikoz, Emre; Timirci-Kahraman, Özlem; Ergen, Arzu; Zeybek, Ümit; Aksoy, Murat; Yanar, Fatih; İsbir, Turgay; Kurtoğlu, Mehmet

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the gene expression levels of elastin and fibulin-5 according to differences between carotid plaque regions and to correlate it with clinical features of plaque destabilization. The study included 44 endarterectomy specimens available from operated symptomatic carotid artery stenoses. The specimens were separated according to anatomic location: internal carotid artery (ICA), external carotid artery (ECA) and common carotid artery (CCA), and then stored in liquid nitrogen. The amounts of cDNA for elastin and fibulin-5 were determined by Quantitative real-time PCR (Q-RT-PCR). Target gene copy numbers were normalized using hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT1) gene. The delta-delta CT method was applied for relative quantification. Q-RT-PCR data showed that relative fibulin-5 gene expression was increased in ICA plaque regions when compared to CCA regions but not reaching significance (p=0.061). At the same time, no differences were observed in elastin mRNA level between different anatomic plaque regions (p>0.05). Moreover, elastin and fibulin-5 mRNA expression and clinical parameters were compared in ICA plaques versus CCA and ECA regions, respectively. Up-regulation of elastin and fibulin-5 mRNA levels in ICA were strongly correlated with family history of cardiovascular disease when compared to CCA (p<0.05). Up-regulation of fibulin-5 in ICA was significantly associated with diabetes, and elevated triglycerides and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) when compared to ECA (p<0.05). The clinical significance is the differences between the proximal and distal regions of the lesion, associated with the ICA, CCA and ECA respectively, with increased fibulin-5 in the ICA region. Copyright © 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Regional Differences in the Price-Elasticity of Demand for Energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernstein, M. A.; Griffin, J.

2006-02-01

At the request of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the RAND Corporation examined the relationship between energy demand and energy prices with the focus on whether the relationships between demand and price differ if these are examined at different levels of data resolution. In this case, RAND compares national, regional, state, and electric utility levels of data resolution. This study is intended as a first step in helping NREL understand the impact that spatial disaggregation of data can have on estimating the impacts of their programs. This report should be useful to analysts in NREL and other national laboratories, as well as to policy nationals at the national level. It may help them understand the complex relationships between demand and price and how these might vary across different locations in the United States.

Use of the vacuum ultraviolet spectral region for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy-based Martian geology and exploration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radziemski, Leon; Cremers, David A.; Benelli, Katharine; Khoo, Cynthia; Harris, Ronny D.

2005-01-01

Several elements important to planetary geology (e.g. Br, C, Cl, P, S) and the human exploration of Mars (e.g. toxic elements such as As) have strong emission lines in the purge and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectral region (100-200 nm). This spectral region has not been extensively studied for space applications using geological samples. We studied emissions from the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) plasma in this region using a sample chamber filled with 7 torr (930 Pa) of CO 2 to simulate the Martian atmosphere. Pressures down to 0.02 torr were also used to evaluate the effect of the residual CO 2 on the spectra and to begin investigating the use of VUV-LIBS for airless bodies such as asteroids and the Moon. Spectra were recorded using a 0.3-m vacuum spectrometer with an intensified CCD (ICCD) camera. The effects of time delay and laser energy on LIBS detection at reduced pressure were examined. The effect of ambient CO 2 on the detection of C in soil was also evaluated. Lines useful for the spectrochemical analysis of As, Br, C, Cl, P, and S were determined and calibration curves were prepared for these elements. Although LIBS is being developed for stand-off analysis at many meters distance, the experiments reported here were aimed at in-situ (close-up) analysis

Cesium-137 inventories in undisturbed areas in different regions of Brazil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrello, Avacir C.; Appoloni, Carlos R., E-mail: acandrello@uel.b [Universidade Estadual de Londrina, PR (Brazil). Dept. de Fisica; Araujo, Ednaldo S. [EMBRAPA Agrobiologia, Seropedica, RJ (Brazil); Thomaz, Edivaldo L. [Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste - UNICENTRO, Guarapuava, PR (Brazil). Dept. de Geografia; Medeiros, Pedro Henrique Augusto [Universidade Federal do Ceara (UFC), Fortaleza, CE (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Agricola; Macedo, Iris L. [Universidade de Brasilia (UnB), DF (Brazil). Faculdade de Tecnologia. Dept. de Engenharia Civil e Ambiental

2009-07-01

Cesium-137 is an anthropogenic radionuclide introduced in the environment in the early of 1960s to the end of 1970s. The Cesium-137 has very used to assess soil redistribution in the landscape because this is very tight in the fine soil particles and its movement in the landscape is due to soil redistribution. To use Cesium-137 to assess soil redistribution is need to known the Cesium-137 inventory in an area that not has experimented soil erosion neither soil deposition. So, this work present Cesium-137 inventories in undisturbed areas in different regions of Brazil, from South to Northeast of Brazil. The inventories in these areas represent the variational deposition of Cesium-137 in the whole national territory of Brazil. The inventories of Cesium-137 varied from 200 +- 15 Bq.m{sup -2} for South region to 15 +- 2 Bq.m{sup -2} for Northeast region. Moreover, was verified that the Cesium- 137 inventories depend on latitude and altitude of the area. (author)

Cesium-137 inventories in undisturbed areas in different regions of Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrello, Avacir C.; Appoloni, Carlos R.; Thomaz, Edivaldo L.; Medeiros, Pedro Henrique Augusto; Macedo, Iris L.

2009-01-01

Cesium-137 is an anthropogenic radionuclide introduced in the environment in the early of 1960s to the end of 1970s. The Cesium-137 has very used to assess soil redistribution in the landscape because this is very tight in the fine soil particles and its movement in the landscape is due to soil redistribution. To use Cesium-137 to assess soil redistribution is need to known the Cesium-137 inventory in an area that not has experimented soil erosion neither soil deposition. So, this work present Cesium-137 inventories in undisturbed areas in different regions of Brazil, from South to Northeast of Brazil. The inventories in these areas represent the variational deposition of Cesium-137 in the whole national territory of Brazil. The inventories of Cesium-137 varied from 200 ± 15 Bq.m -2 for South region to 15 ± 2 Bq.m -2 for Northeast region. Moreover, was verified that the Cesium- 137 inventories depend on latitude and altitude of the area. (author)

Regional mission impossible? : The Twente Region and the University of Twente

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kopelyan, Sofya; Nieth, Lisa Johanna

2018-01-01

A well-functioning regional innovation system involves a lot of communication and interaction among the actors. However, sometimes the communication and interaction create tensions impeding regional development. In order to explore the reasons behind this, this study looks at the relationships

Exploration and reservoir characterization; Technology Target Areas; TTA2 - Exploration and reservoir characterisation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2008-07-01

projects are prioritised: Develop technology for frontier areas like ultra-deep water areas and/or harsh environment, sub-salt/sub-basalt exploration imaging and reservoir characterization; Address risk factors and data integration challenges in mature areas and to develop technology and know-how for making additional resources that can be tied back to exiting infrastructures; Develop a better understanding of petroleum systems and plays on a semi-regional scale by integrating basin modelling and reservoir characterization; Increase confidence in hydrocarbon volumes and subsurface geometries; Reservoir characterisation of low permeable reservoirs; Establish a consortium that will focus on integration of different disciplines ranging from seismic, rock physics, sequence stratigraphy and basin modelling. Improving the communication and exchange of results generated by these different methods; Develop and implement a higher education strategy for both exploration and reservoir characterization disciplines within the Norwegian academia to provide relevant skills and expertise within Norway and worldwide. Part of this will be a further development of the play data base available and NPD. (Author)

Regional differences in the psychological recovery of Christchurch residents following the 2010/2011 earthquakes: a longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Greaves, Lara M; Milojev, Petar; Huang, Yanshu; Stronge, Samantha; Osborne, Danny; Bulbulia, Joseph; Grimshaw, Michael; Sibley, Chris G

2015-01-01

We examined changes in psychological distress experienced by residents of Christchurch following two catastrophic earthquakes in late 2010 and early 2011, using data from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (NZAVS), a national probability panel study of New Zealand adults. Analyses focused on the 267 participants (172 women, 95 men) who were living in central Christchurch in 2009 (i.e., before the Christchurch earthquakes), and who also provided complete responses to our yearly panel questionnaire conducted in late 2010 (largely between the two major earthquakes), late 2011, and late 2012. Levels of psychological distress were similar across the different regions of central Christchurch immediately following the September 2010 earthquake, and remained comparable across regions in 2011. By late 2012, however, average levels of psychological distress in the regions had diverged as a function of the amount of property damage experienced within each given region. Specifically, participants in the least damaged region (i.e., the Fendalton-Waimairi and Riccarton-Wigram wards) experienced greater drops in psychological distress than did those in the moderately damaged region (i.e., across the Spreydon-Heathcote and Hagley-Ferrymead wards). However, the level of psychological distress reported by participants in the most damaged region (i.e., across Shirley-Papanui and Burwood-Pegasus) were not significantly different to those in the least damaged region of central Christchurch. These findings suggest that different patterns of psychological recovery emerged across the different regions of Christchurch, with the moderately damaged region faring the worst, but only after the initial shock of the destruction had passed.

Relative importance of different surface regions for thermal comfort in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Mayumi; Yoda, Tamae; Crawshaw, Larry I; Kasuga, Momoko; Uchida, Yuki; Tokizawa, Ken; Nagashima, Kei; Kanosue, Kazuyuki

2013-01-01

In a previous study, we investigated the contribution of the surface of the face, chest, abdomen, and thigh to thermal comfort by applying local temperature stimulation during whole-body exposure to mild heat or cold. In hot conditions, humans prefer a cool face, and in cold they prefer a warm abdomen. In this study, we extended investigation of regional differences in thermal comfort to the neck, hand, soles, abdomen (Experiment 1), the upper and lower back, upper arm, and abdomen (Experiment 2). The methodology was similar to that used in the previous study. To compare the results of each experiment, we utilized the abdomen as the reference area in these experiments. Thermal comfort feelings were not particularly strong for the limbs and extremities, in spite of the fact that changes in skin temperature induced by local temperature stimulation of the limbs and extremities were always larger than changes that were induced in the more proximal body parts. For the trunk areas, a significant difference in thermal comfort was not observed among the abdomen, and upper and lower back. An exception involved local cooling during whole-body mild cold exposure, wherein the most dominant preference was for a warmer temperature of the abdomen. As for the neck and abdomen, clear differences were observed during local cooling, while no significant difference was observed during local warming. We combined the results for the current and the previous study, and characterized regional differences in thermal comfort and thermal preference for the whole-body surface.

Current state of uranium exploration in central Colombia: Regional perspective and selected case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno, G.; Perez, A.

2014-01-01

The Colombian Geological Survey has been working in a regional exploration program focus on the ancients massifs of the Eastern Cordillera. The general geology distribution in these massifs (Santander and Quetame) includes a core of meta sedimentary to medium grade metamorphic rocks of pellitic origin presumed to be of Cambro – Ordovician age, intruded by Ordovician age plutons that grade from granodiorite to quartz diorite. This igneous – metamorphic core is unconformable overlain by a Devonian age sedimentary cover that includes conglomerates of continental origin, black mudstone of marine origin and red sandstones of deltaic environments with some calcareous intervals. In the Santander Massif a sequence of continental red beds of Jurasic age is present and in the Zapatoca (Santander) area contains uranium. In the Santander Massif, mineral exploration in an area on 1300 km"2 with 1235 sample locations, gives average uranium values of 5.44 ppm, an a maximum of 20 ppm, located in Ordovician plutonic rocks. In the Quetame Massif, mineral exploration in an area on 1000 km"2 with 1274 samples locations, gives average uranium values of 6.13 ppm, and a maximum of 2763 ppm, located in Devonian to Carboniferous sedimentary rocks. In the Paipa area, 140 kilometers from Bogota, the Colombian Geological Survey has undertaken exploratory drilling. As a result there is an anomalous area of 500 m"2 with values of 2000 ppm uranium and rare earth associations has been identified. The volcanic system has been studied by several authors and is important for its location and extention. In recent years, exploration by private companies was reactivated. In early 2000 several junior companies such as KPS/Energentia Resources Inc., Mega Uranium, U3O8 Corp, Energentia Resources Inc., Blue Sky Uranium Corp, Sprott Resource Corp. and UrAmericaLtd and began exploratory work in Colombia. The Berlin project, located in the central mountain range, is perhaps the most developed in the

Electron streaking in the autoionization region of H2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palacios, Alicia; González-Castrillo, Alberto; Martín, Fernando

2015-01-01

We use a UV-pump/IR-probe scheme, combining a single attosecond UV pulse and a 750 nm IR pulse, to explore laser-assisted photoionization of the hydrogen molecule in the autoionization region. The electron energy distributions exhibit unusual streaking patterns that are explored for different angles of the electron ejection with respect to the polarization vector and the molecular axis. Moreover, by controlling the time delay between the pulses, we observe that one can suppress the autoionization channel. (paper)

EX1202L1: Gulf of Mexico Exploration on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer between 20120227 and 20120314

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — EX1202 Leg I of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer (EX) is focused on exploration of North Eastern region of Gulf of Mexico using the ships’ Kongsberg EM302 multibeam...

Factors Affecting School Participation in Turkey: An Analysis of Regional Differences

Science.gov (United States)

Gumus, Sedat; Chudgar, Amita

2016-01-01

There are thousands of children who remain out of school at both primary and secondary levels in Turkey. The current disparities in access to education in Turkey are mostly driven by systematic regional differences and high gender inequalities. Although several existing studies have paid close attention to gender-based inequities in school access,…

Cluster in the Auroral Acceleration Region

Science.gov (United States)

Pickett, Jolene S.; Fazakerley, Andrew N.; Marklund, Gorun; Dandouras, Iannis; Christopher, Ivar W.; Kistler, Lynn; Lucek, Elizabeth; Masson, Arnaud; Taylor, Matthew G.; Mutel, Robert L.;

Farside explorer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mimoun, David; Wieczorek, Mark A.; Alkalai, Leon

2012-01-01

the primary differentiation and evolution of the Moon, it can be continuously monitored from the Earth-Moon L2 Lagrange point, and there is a complete lack of reflected solar illumination from the Earth. Farside Explorer will exploit these properties and make the first radio-astronomy measurements from...... the most radio-quiet region of near-Earth space, determine the internal structure and thermal evolution of the Moon, from crust to core, and quantify impact hazards in near-Earth space by the measurement of flashes generated by impact events. The Farside Explorer flight system includes two identical solar......Farside Explorer is a proposed Cosmic Vision medium-size mission to the farside of the Moon consisting of two landers and an instrumented relay satellite. The farside of the Moon is a unique scientific platform in that it is shielded from terrestrial radio-frequency interference, it recorded...

Exploring the difference between Turkish and Bosnian students in Triangular Love scale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Selvira Draganović

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Numerous studies show that different cultures experience emotions. Some cultures tend to express emotions without restrictions while some others try to suppress the expression of emotions. These differences are particularly more manifest when Eastern and Western cultures are compared. The fact that definition of love differs between different cultures makes it difficult to determine cultural differences in the concept of love. This might serve as a basis of prejudices about some nations in relation to how they perceive love. The main aim of this study is to explore differences between Turkish and Bosnian students on love scale. The term love is operationalized by Sternberg's triangular theory of love scale which includes intimacy, passion and commitment component of love. Using quasi-experimental design we tested gender differences, the length of current relationship and correlation between them on overall scale and individual subscales. The sample consisted of 87 Turkish (22 males and 65 females and 64 Bosnian students (23 males and 41 females total 151 students (N=151. Results of the study show statistically significant differences between Turkish and Bosnian students on two dimensions in Sternberg triangular love scale intimacy and passion. Bosnian students scored higher on these subscales. Study results suggest that there is no statistically significant differences between males and females in any subscale. The length of love relationship is positively correlated with intimacy, which indicates that the length of connections weakly associated with intimacy, and that is not associated with the passion and the decision of commitment, suggesting longer relationship does not mean more romantic relationship, and vice versa

A Curse of Coal? Exploring Unintended Regional Consequences of Coal Energy in The Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frantál Bohumil

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Focusing on coal energy from a geographical perspective, the unintended regional consequences of coal mining and combustion in the Czech Republic are discussed and analysed in terms of the environmental injustice and resource curse theories. The explorative case study attempts to identify significant associations between the spatially uneven distribution of coal power plants and the environmental and socioeconomic characteristics and development trends of affected areas. The findings indicate that the coal industries have contributed to slightly above average incomes and pensions, and have provided households with some technical services such as district heating. However, these positive effects have come at high environmental and health costs paid by the local populations. Above average rates of unemployment, homelessness and crime indicate that the benefits have been unevenly distributed economically. A higher proportion of uneducated people and ethnic minorities in affected districts suggest that coal energy is environmentally unjust.

Employment growth and regional development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eriksson, Rikard; Hansen, Høgni Kalsø; Winther, Lars

2017-01-01

This paper explores the potential drivers behind uneven regional development in the context of employment growth in Denmark and Sweden. In particular, we are interested in the roles of urbanization, industrial change and the rise of the new economy as manifested in the growth of the two economies...... in 2002–2007. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to analyse the impact of a number of key industrial sectors on regional employment growth in the two countries. The empirical analysis is based on longitudinal matched employer–employee data retrieved from official registers in each economy from 2002...... economies, we find that, although in general these economies react relatively similarly to changes, embarking on a narrower analysis of the individual sectors reveals marked national differences. This indicates that context matters in the analysis of regional economic dynamics in terms of structure, system...

Different Regional Approaches to Cultural diversity Interpreting the Belgian Cultural Diversity Policy Paradox

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilke Adam

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In Belgium, the authority over cultural diversity policies resulting from immigration has been devolved from the central state to the regions since 1970. Consequently, Flanders and Francophone Belgium have progressively developed divergent policy tools. By describing the divergent evolution of Francophone and Flemish cultural diversity policies, our paper demonstrates the existence of a “Belgian Cultural Diversity Paradox”, namely the existence of more multicultural minority rights in the region that has most experienced electoral success by an extreme-right anti-immigrant party (Flanders, and a more colour blind and radical secular approach in the region where anti-immigrant politicization is barely a factor (Francophone Belgium. This finding is counter-intuitive because an important strand of immigrant policy research has emphasized the relationship between the politicization of immigration and restrictive immigrant citizenship rights. Our paper demonstrates that the different degrees of politicization of immigration in Flanders and Francophone Belgium cannot fully account for divergent cultural diversity policies. By insisting on the historical path dependency of the linguistic and religious cleavages in Belgium and their overlap, this paper offers an addendum to the politicization approach. The historical linguistic and religious differences of the Belgian regions clearly mediate the impact of the politicization of immigration on both sides of the linguistic border.

Evolution of cultural traits occurs at similar relative rates in different world regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Currie, Thomas E; Mace, Ruth

2014-11-22

A fundamental issue in understanding human diversity is whether or not there are regular patterns and processes involved in cultural change. Theoretical and mathematical models of cultural evolution have been developed and are increasingly being used and assessed in empirical analyses. Here, we test the hypothesis that the rates of change of features of human socio-cultural organization are governed by general rules. One prediction of this hypothesis is that different cultural traits will tend to evolve at similar relative rates in different world regions, despite the unique historical backgrounds of groups inhabiting these regions. We used phylogenetic comparative methods and systematic cross-cultural data to assess how different socio-cultural traits changed in (i) island southeast Asia and the Pacific, and (ii) sub-Saharan Africa. The relative rates of change in these two regions are significantly correlated. Furthermore, cultural traits that are more directly related to external environmental conditions evolve more slowly than traits related to social structures. This is consistent with the idea that a form of purifying selection is acting with greater strength on these more environmentally linked traits. These results suggest that despite contingent historical events and the role of humans as active agents in the historical process, culture does indeed evolve in ways that can be predicted from general principles.

Does availability of physical activity and food outlets differ by race and income? Findings from an enumeration study in a health disparate region.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Jennie L; Chau, Clarice; Luebbering, Candice R; Kolivras, Korine K; Zoellner, Jamie

2012-09-06

Low-income, ethnic/racial minorities and rural populations are at increased risk for obesity and related chronic health conditions when compared to white, urban and higher-socio-economic status (SES) peers. Recent systematic reviews highlight the influence of the built environment on obesity, yet very few of these studies consider rural areas or populations. Utilizing a CBPR process, this study advances community-driven causal models to address obesity by exploring the difference in resources for physical activity and food outlets by block group race and income in a small regional city that anchors a rural health disparate region. To guide this inquiry we hypothesized that lower income and racially diverse block groups would have fewer food outlets, including fewer grocery stores and fewer physical activity outlets. We further hypothesized that walkability, as defined by a computed walkability index, would be lower in the lower income block groups. Using census data and GIS, base maps of the region were created and block groups categorized by income and race. All food outlets and physical activity resources were enumerated and geocoded and a walkability index computed. Analyses included one-way MANOVA and spatial autocorrelation. In total, 49 stores, 160 restaurants and 79 physical activity outlets were enumerated. There were no differences in the number of outlets by block group income or race. Further, spatial analyses suggest that the distribution of outlets is dispersed across all block groups. Under the larger CPBR process, this enumeration study advances the causal models set forth by the community members to address obesity by providing an overview of the food and physical activity environment in this region. This data reflects the food and physical activity resources available to residents in the region and will aid many of the community-academic partners as they pursue intervention strategies targeting obesity.

Does availability of physical activity and food outlets differ by race and income? Findings from an enumeration study in a health disparate region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hill Jennie L

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Low-income, ethnic/racial minorities and rural populations are at increased risk for obesity and related chronic health conditions when compared to white, urban and higher-socio-economic status (SES peers. Recent systematic reviews highlight the influence of the built environment on obesity, yet very few of these studies consider rural areas or populations. Utilizing a CBPR process, this study advances community-driven causal models to address obesity by exploring the difference in resources for physical activity and food outlets by block group race and income in a small regional city that anchors a rural health disparate region. To guide this inquiry we hypothesized that lower income and racially diverse block groups would have fewer food outlets, including fewer grocery stores and fewer physical activity outlets. We further hypothesized that walkability, as defined by a computed walkability index, would be lower in the lower income block groups. Methods Using census data and GIS, base maps of the region were created and block groups categorized by income and race. All food outlets and physical activity resources were enumerated and geocoded and a walkability index computed. Analyses included one-way MANOVA and spatial autocorrelation. Results In total, 49 stores, 160 restaurants and 79 physical activity outlets were enumerated. There were no differences in the number of outlets by block group income or race. Further, spatial analyses suggest that the distribution of outlets is dispersed across all block groups. Conclusions Under the larger CPBR process, this enumeration study advances the causal models set forth by the community members to address obesity by providing an overview of the food and physical activity environment in this region. This data reflects the food and physical activity resources available to residents in the region and will aid many of the community-academic partners as they pursue intervention

Regional Differences in Correlates of Daily Walking among Middle Age and Older Australian Rural Adults: Implications for Health Promotion

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James Dollman

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Rural Australians are less physically active than their metropolitan counterparts, and yet very little is known of the candidate intervention targets for promoting physical activity in rural populations. As rural regions are economically, socially and environmentally diverse, drivers of regular physical activity are likely to vary between regions. This study explored the region-specific correlates of daily walking among middle age and older adults in rural regions with contrasting dominant primary industries. Participants were recruited through print and electronic media, primary care settings and community organisations. Pedometers were worn by 153 adults for at least four days, including a weekend day. A questionnaire identified potential intra-personal, social and environmental correlates of physical activity, according to a social ecological framework. Regression modelling identified independent correlates of daily walking separately in the two study regions. In one region, there were independent correlates of walking from all levels of the social ecological framework. In the other region, significant correlates of daily walking were almost all demographic (age, education and marital status. Participants living alone were less likely to be physically active regardless of region. This study highlights the importance of considering region-specific factors when designing strategies for promoting regular walking among rural adults.

Exploration by radioactive fibrinogen of intrarenal coagulation phenomena. Preliminary results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simon, Jacques.

1974-01-01

The participation of fibrin deposits in kidney pathology was studied by the use of a radioactive tracer involved in the coagulation phenomenon: iodine 131-labelled fibrinogen. The isotopic exploration consists of a fibrinogen kinetics study combined with external counting over the kidney regions. The different stages of the procedure are described: separation, purification and labelling of fibrinogen; characteristics of the radioactive fibrinogen used; practical details of the examination itself; data analysis method. A chapter devoted to verifications and discussions of the procedure is followed by a report on the exploration of intrarenal coagulation phenomena in 30 kidney disease patients. In conclusion, the study of fibrinogen kinetics is considered as the most suitable method to detect local or slight intravascular coagulation phenomena. The sensitivity of the isotopic exploration is very satisfactory. The main criticism directed against this method is that the exploration is general and therefore blind [fr

Differences in the size-internal velocity relation of galactic and extragalactic HII regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Odell, C.R.

1990-01-01

The nature of the size-internal velocity relation in extragalactic HII regions is examined in order to improve their use as distance determinants. The relation between the linear size and the internal velocity was compared for HII regions in the Galaxy and in external galaxies. Data for the former are from the researcher's own studies at high spatial resolution, while the latter have been the subject of spectroscopy that includes almost the entire objects. The Galactic HII regions are corrected to values of the internal velocity that would be observed if they were at extragalactic distances. A very different size-internal velocity relation was found for the two types of objects in the sense that the extragalactic objects are some ten times larger at the same internal velocity. This is interpreted to mean that the extragalactic HII regions are actually complexes of small HII regions comparable in size to their Galactic counterparts

Countries of the Baltic Region in the Global Culinary Space

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rakhmanov A. B.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Globalisation is creating a global culinary space where culinary traditions of different countries interact and compete. The author sets out to explore characteristic features of the culinary space of nine Baltic States as part of the global culinary space. The author uses empirical data on the number of restaurants serving different national cuisines in the main cities of the region. The Baltic culinary space incorporates the world’s leading cuisines (Italian, Japanese, Chinese, etc. as well as the local cuisines of the BSR countries. The world’s leading cuisines prove to be more influential in the region than the local ones. Some countries of the Baltic Sea region (Russia, Poland, Sweden, Latvia, and Denmark have culinary sovereignty, since their residents prefer national cuisines. In some other countries of the region (Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania, the public favours the world’s leading cuisines — Italian, Japanese and American — over the local ones. The non-capital Baltic cities of Poland and Germany, as well as St. Petersburg, display a greater sense of culinary patriotism than Warsaw, Berlin, and Moscow respectively. This article attempts to explore the features of the Baltic culinary space. The author considers the environmental and socio- historical factors key determinants of the countries’ cuisines.

Perceptual load in different regions of the visual scene and its relevance for driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Marciano, Hadas; Yeshurun, Yaffa

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to better understand the role played by perceptual load, at both central and peripheral regions of the visual scene, in driving safety. Attention is a crucial factor in driving safety, and previous laboratory studies suggest that perceptual load is an important factor determining the efficiency of attentional selectivity. Yet, the effects of perceptual load on driving were never studied systematically. Using a driving simulator, we orthogonally manipulated the load levels at the road (central load) and its sides (peripheral load), while occasionally introducing critical events at one of these regions. Perceptual load affected driving performance at both regions of the visual scene. Critically, the effect was different for central versus peripheral load: Whereas load levels on the road mainly affected driving speed, load levels on its sides mainly affected the ability to detect critical events initiating from the roadsides. Moreover, higher levels of peripheral load impaired performance but mainly with low levels of central load, replicating findings with simple letter stimuli. Perceptual load has a considerable effect on driving, but the nature of this effect depends on the region of the visual scene at which the load is introduced. Given the observed importance of perceptual load, authors of future studies of driving safety should take it into account. Specifically, these findings suggest that our understanding of factors that may be relevant for driving safety would benefit from studying these factors under different levels of load at different regions of the visual scene. © 2014, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Maternal hemoglobin in Peru: regional differences and its association with adverse perinatal outcomes

OpenAIRE

Gonzales, Gustavo F.; Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Fisiológicas, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. Lima, Perú. Unidad de Reproducción, Instituto de Investigaciones de la Altura, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. Lima, Perú. Doctor en Medicina.; Tapia, Vilma; Unidad de Reproducción, Instituto de Investigaciones de la Altura, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. Lima, Perú. Obstetríz.; Gasco, Manuel; Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Fisiológicas, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. Lima, Perú. Biólogo.; Carrillo, Carlos; Unidad de Reproducción, Instituto de Investigaciones de la Altura, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. Lima, Perú. Doctor en Medicina.

2011-01-01

Objectives. To evaluate hemoglobin (Hb) levels in pregnant women from different geographical regions from Peru; to establish anemia and erythrocytocis rates and to establish the role of Hb on adverse perinatal outcomes using the Perinatal Information System (PIS) database of Peruvian Ministry of Health. Materials and methods. Data were obtained from 379,816 births of 43 maternity care units between 2000 and 2010. Anemia and erythrocytocis rates were determined in each geographical region as w...

VIP Data Explorer: A Tool for Exploring 30 years of Vegetation Index and Phenology Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Barreto-munoz, A.; Didan, K.; Rivera-Camacho, J.; Yitayew, M.; Miura, T.; Tsend-Ayush, J.

2011-12-01

Continuous acquisition of global satellite imagery over the years has contributed to the creation of long term data records from AVHRR, MODIS, TM, SPOT-VGT and other sensors. These records account for 30+ years, as these archives grow, they become invaluable tools for environmental, resources management, and climate studies dealing with trends and changes from local, regional to global scale. In this project, the Vegetation Index and Phenology Lab (VIPLab) is processing 30 years of daily global surface reflectance data into an Earth Science Data Record of Vegetation Index and Phenology metrics. Data from AVHRR (N07,N09,N11 and N14) and MODIS (AQUA and TERRA collection 5) for the periods 1981-1999 and 2000-2010, at CMG resolution were processed into one seamless and sensor independent data record using various filtering, continuity and gap filling techniques (Tsend-Ayush et al., AGU 2011, Rivera-Camacho et al, AGU 2011). An interactive online tool (VIP Data Explorer) was developed to support the visualization, qualitative and quantitative exploration, distribution, and documentation of these records using a simple web 2.0 interface. The VIP Data explorer (http://vip.arizona.edu/viplab_data_explorer) can display any combination of multi temporal and multi source data, enable the quickly exploration and cross comparison of the various levels of processing of this data. It uses the Google Earth (GE) model and was developed using the GE API for images rendering, manipulation and geolocation. These ESDRs records can be quickly animated in this environment and explored for visual trends and anomalies detection. Additionally the tool enables extracting and visualizing any land pixel time series while showing the different levels of processing it went through. User can explore this ESDR database within this data explorer GUI environment, and any desired data can be placed into a dynamic "cart" to be ordered and downloaded later. More functionalities are planned and will be

Modeling Ontario regional electricity system demand using a mixed fixed and random coefficients approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hsiao, C.; Mountain, D.C.; Chan, M.W.L.; Tsui, K.Y. (University of Southern California, Los Angeles (USA) McMaster Univ., Hamilton, ON (Canada) Chinese Univ. of Hong Kong, Shatin)

1989-12-01

In examining the municipal peak and kilowatt-hour demand for electricity in Ontario, the issue of homogeneity across geographic regions is explored. A common model across municipalities and geographic regions cannot be supported by the data. Considered are various procedures which deal with this heterogeneity and yet reduce the multicollinearity problems associated with regional specific demand formulations. The recommended model controls for regional differences assuming that the coefficients of regional-seasonal specific factors are fixed and different while the coefficients of economic and weather variables are random draws from a common population for any one municipality by combining the information on all municipalities through a Bayes procedure. 8 tabs., 41 refs.

Exploring Specialized STEM High Schools: Three Dissertation Studies Examining Commonalities and Differences Across Six Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Tofel-Grehl, Colby

This dissertation is comprised of three independently conducted analyses of a larger investigation into the practices and features of specialized STEM high schools. While educators and policy makers advocate the development of many new specialized STEM high schools, little is known about the unique features and practices of these schools. The results of these manuscripts add to the literature exploring the promise of specialized STEM schools. Manuscript 1¹ is a qualitative investigation of the common features of STEM schools across multiple school model types. Schools were found to possess common cultural and academic features regardless of model type. Manuscript 2² builds on the findings of manuscript 1. With no meaningful differences found attributable to model type, the researchers used grounded theory to explore the relationships between observed differences among programs as related to the intensity of the STEM experience offered at schools. Schools were found to fall into two categories, high STEM intensity (HSI) and low STEM intensity (LSI), based on five major traits. Manuscript 3³ examines the commonalities and differences in classroom discourse and teachers' questioning techniques in STEM schools. It explicates these discursive practices in order to explore instructional practices across schools. It also examines factors that may influence classroom discourse such as discipline, level of teacher education, and course status as required or elective. Collectively, this research furthers the agenda of better understanding the potential advantages of specialized STEM high schools for preparing a future scientific workforce. ¹Tofel-Grehl, C., Callahan, C., & Gubbins, E. (2012). STEM high school communities: Common and differing features. Manuscript in preparation. ²Tofel-Grehl, C., Callahan, C., & Gubbins, E. (2012). Variations in the intensity of specialized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) high schools. Manuscript in preparation

Exploring Differences in National and International Poverty Estimates: Is Uganda on Track to Halve Poverty by 2015?

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, Sebastian

2012-01-01

This paper explores causes of differences in estimates of poverty incidence in Uganda since the early 1990s as measured by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics and the World Bank. While both sets of estimates from the two organisations show a declining trend in poverty incidence there are important differences in the levels of poverty, the speed of the…

Common brain regions underlying different arithmetic operations as revealed by conjunct fMRI-BOLD activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fehr, Thorsten; Code, Chris; Herrmann, Manfred

2007-10-03

The issue of how and where arithmetic operations are represented in the brain has been addressed in numerous studies. Lesion studies suggest that a network of different brain areas are involved in mental calculation. Neuroimaging studies have reported inferior parietal and lateral frontal activations during mental arithmetic using tasks of different complexities and using different operators (addition, subtraction, etc.). Indeed, it has been difficult to compare brain activation across studies because of the variety of different operators and different presentation modalities used. The present experiment examined fMRI-BOLD activity in participants during calculation tasks entailing different arithmetic operations -- addition, subtraction, multiplication and division -- of different complexities. Functional imaging data revealed a common activation pattern comprising right precuneus, left and right middle and superior frontal regions during all arithmetic operations. All other regional activations were operation specific and distributed in prominently frontal, parietal and central regions when contrasting complex and simple calculation tasks. The present results largely confirm former studies suggesting that activation patterns due to mental arithmetic appear to reflect a basic anatomical substrate of working memory, numerical knowledge and processing based on finger counting, and derived from a network originally related to finger movement. We emphasize that in mental arithmetic research different arithmetic operations should always be examined and discussed independently of each other in order to avoid invalid generalizations on arithmetics and involved brain areas.

Family, money, and health: Regional differences in the determinants of life satisfaction over the life course

Science.gov (United States)

Margolis, Rachel; Myrskylä, Mikko

2013-01-01

We examine how family, money, and health explain variation in life satisfaction over the life cycle across seven global regions using data from the World Values Survey. With a life domain approach, we study whether the importance of the life domains varies by region and age groups and whether the variation explained by each factor is due to the magnitude or prevalence of each factor. Globally, family, money, and health explain a substantial fraction of life satisfaction, increasing from 12 percent in young adulthood to 15 percent in mature adulthood. Health is the most important factor, and its importance increases with age. Income is unimportant above age 50. Remarkably, the contribution of family is small across ages. Across regions health is most important in the wealthier, and income in the poorer regions of the world. Family explains a substantial fraction of life satisfaction only in Western Europe and Anglophone countries. Findings highlight that the population-level importance of family, money, and health in explaining variation in life satisfaction across regions is mainly attributable to the individual-level life satisfaction differences between people of different statuses rather than differences in the distribution of various states such as poor health across regions. PMID:24796263

Identification of directions and ways to transform the scientific and innovation space in different regions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mikhail Aleksandrovich Gusakov

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The article proposes an approach to the definition of the directions of transformation of scientific and innovation space, and ways of its development from the viewpoint of improving the interaction between different regions, expansion of the involvement of regions in the research and innovation process for ensuring greater dissemination of research findings and innovation. The research is conducted in the context of the necessity to expand the role of science in the post-industrial era. This approach is based on the author’s methodology of selecting different regions by assessing their innovation development. The methodology consists in making the statistical distribution of Russian regions by selected indicators, identifying groups of regions that are close to each other by the degree of innovation development, on the basis of the standard deviation, and establishing the link between the identified groups of regions that reflects the possibility of interaction between the groups of regions on creating scientific results and their promotion in the spatial dimension. The author analyzes directions and ways of implementation of polarization of scientific and innovation space, development of scientific-innovation activity in the regions, also in the regions with similar competitive advantages, ways of participation of a larger number of medium-sized and small towns in the scientific and innovation activities, integration of the regions’ activities seeking to increase the degree of innovation development and so on. The author identified a number of opportunities for the improvement of organization of scientific and innovation space by specifying the possible links of the groups of regions between the stages of the research and innovation process, comparison of the regions, included into one group, which gives a real opportunity to shape the innovation strategy in the regions

Impact of Regional Differences within State on the Factors Influencing Youth Entrepreneurship--A Case of Garhwal and Kumaun Regions of Uttarakhand

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Lalit

2015-01-01

Lee, Chang & Lim (2005) state that the impact of entrepreneurship education in each country is different because of each country's unique culture with regard to entrepreneurship. Going by the above argument, this research paper intends to make a formal enquiry on whether the above effect holds true for different regions within a particular…

A multidimensional approach to explore cross-cultural differences in coping behavior: comparing Druze and Jews in Israel.

Science.gov (United States)

Israelashvili, Moshe; Taubman-Ben-Ari, Orit; Hochdorf, Zipora

2011-01-01

Assuming that culture is a multidimensional variable, the current study explored the possibility that the interactions between ethnicity and other culture-related variables--rather than ethnicity alone--will better describe differences in coping behavior. In the study, cross-cultural differences among Israeli Jews and Israeli Druze in the use of various ways of coping were examined while also taking into account respondents' gender, age, self-esteem, sense of coherence, national identification, and religiosity. Comparing Israeli Jews and Israeli Druze, results indicate significant differences in levels of religiosity and coherence. Referring to coping behavior, findings show that differences in ways of coping could be attributed mainly to gender differences rather than ethnic differences Thus, at least in the case of comparing Israeli Jews vs. Israeli Druze, religiosity and gender are powerful determinants of coping behavior, while ethnicity has only a limited contribution in explaining variance in a preferred way of coping. It is suggested that ethnicity has a moderating role in shaping coping behavior, as it might influence person's self-perception and level of emotionality, which in turn shape the person's ways of coping. Future explorations among various age and ethnic groups are needed to enable generalization of the current study findings.

Consistent inter-individual differences in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) in Boldness-Shyness, Stress-Activity, and Exploration-Avoidance.

Science.gov (United States)

Šlipogor, Vedrana; Gunhold-de Oliveira, Tina; Tadić, Zoran; Massen, Jorg J M; Bugnyar, Thomas

2016-09-01

The study of animal personality, defined as consistent inter-individual differences in correlated behavioral traits stable throughout time and/or contexts, has recently become one of the fastest growing areas in animal biology, with study species ranging from insects to non-human primates. The latter have, however, only occasionally been tested with standardized experiments. Instead their personality has usually been assessed using questionnaires. Therefore, this study aimed to test 21 common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) living in three family groups, in five different experiments, and their corresponding controls. We found that behavioral differences between our animals were not only consistent over time, but also across different contexts. Moreover, the consistent behaviors formed a construct of four major non-social personality components: Boldness-Shyness in Foraging, Boldness-Shyness in Predation, Stress-Activity, and Exploration-Avoidance. We found no sex or age differences in these components, but our results did reveal differences in Exploration-Avoidance between the three family groups. As social environment can have a large influence on behavior of individuals, our results may suggest group-level similarity in personality (i.e., "group personality") in common marmosets, a species living in highly cohesive social groups. Am. J. Primatol. 78:961-973, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The genomic ancestry of individuals from different geographical regions of Brazil is more uniform than expected.

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Sérgio D J Pena

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Based on pre-DNA racial/color methodology, clinical and pharmacological trials have traditionally considered the different geographical regions of Brazil as being very heterogeneous. We wished to ascertain how such diversity of regional color categories correlated with ancestry. Using a panel of 40 validated ancestry-informative insertion-deletion DNA polymorphisms we estimated individually the European, African and Amerindian ancestry components of 934 self-categorized White, Brown or Black Brazilians from the four most populous regions of the Country. We unraveled great ancestral diversity between and within the different regions. Especially, color categories in the northern part of Brazil diverged significantly in their ancestry proportions from their counterparts in the southern part of the Country, indicating that diverse regional semantics were being used in the self-classification as White, Brown or Black. To circumvent these regional subjective differences in color perception, we estimated the general ancestry proportions of each of the four regions in a form independent of color considerations. For that, we multiplied the proportions of a given ancestry in a given color category by the official census information about the proportion of that color category in the specific region, to arrive at a "total ancestry" estimate. Once such a calculation was performed, there emerged a much higher level of uniformity than previously expected. In all regions studied, the European ancestry was predominant, with proportions ranging from 60.6% in the Northeast to 77.7% in the South. We propose that the immigration of six million Europeans to Brazil in the 19th and 20th centuries--a phenomenon described and intended as the "whitening of Brazil"--is in large part responsible for dissipating previous ancestry dissimilarities that reflected region-specific population histories. These findings, of both clinical and sociological importance for Brazil

Large differences in regional precipitation change between a first and second 2 K of global warming

Science.gov (United States)

Good, Peter; Booth, Ben B. B.; Chadwick, Robin; Hawkins, Ed; Jonko, Alexandra; Lowe, Jason A.

2016-12-01

For adaptation and mitigation planning, stakeholders need reliable information about regional precipitation changes under different emissions scenarios and for different time periods. A significant amount of current planning effort assumes that each K of global warming produces roughly the same regional climate change. Here using 25 climate models, we compare precipitation responses with three 2 K intervals of global ensemble mean warming: a fast and a slower route to a first 2 K above pre-industrial levels, and the end-of-century difference between high-emission and mitigation scenarios. We show that, although the two routes to a first 2 K give very similar precipitation changes, a second 2 K produces quite a different response. In particular, the balance of physical mechanisms responsible for climate model uncertainty is different for a first and a second 2 K of warming. The results are consistent with a significant influence from nonlinear physical mechanisms, but aerosol and land-use effects may be important regionally.

Exploration of auditory P50 gating in schizophrenia by way of difference waves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arnfred, Sidse M

2006-01-01

potentials but here this method along with low frequency filtering is applied exploratory on auditory P50 gating data, previously analyzed in the standard format (reported in Am J Psychiatry 2003, 160:2236-8). The exploration was motivated by the observation during visual peak detection that the AEP waveform......Electroencephalographic measures of information processing encompass both mid-latency evoked potentials like the pre-attentive auditory P50 potential and a host of later more cognitive components like P300 and N400.Difference waves have mostly been employed in studies of later event related...

Chironomidae feeding habits in different habitats from a Neotropical floodplain: exploring patterns in aquatic food webs.

Science.gov (United States)

Butakka, C M M; Ragonha, F H; Train, S; Pinha, G D; Takeda, A M

2016-02-01

Ecological studies on food webs have considerably increased in recent decades, especially in aquatic communities. Because Chironomidae family are highly specious, occurring in almost all aquatic habitats is considered organisms-key to initiate studies on ecological relationships and trophic webs. We tested the hypothesis that the diversity of the morphospecies diet reflects differences on both the food items available among habitats and the preferences of larval feeding. We analyzed the gut content of the seven most abundant Chironomidae morphospecies of the different habitats from the Upper Paraná River. We categorized the food items found into algae, fungal spores, fragments of plants, algae and animal fragments and sponge spicules. We observed the algae predominance in the gut content of morphospecies from lakes. Considering the different regions from each lake, we registered the highest food abundance in the littoral regions in relation to the central regions. From the variety of feeding habits (number of item kinds), we classified Chironomus strenzkei, Tanytarsus sp.1, Procladius sp.1 as generalist morphospecies. We found a nested pattern between food items and Chironomidae morphospecies, where some items were common to all taxa (e.g., Bacillariophyceae algae, especially), while others were found in specific morphospecies (e.g., animals fragments found in Procladius sp.1). The algae represented the most percentage of gut contents of Chironomidae larvae. This was especially true for the individuals from littoral regions, which is probably due to the major densities of algae associated to macrophytes, which are abundant in these regions. Therefore, the feeding behavior of these morphospecies was generalist and not selective, depending only of the available resources.

Exploring gender differences on general and specific computer self-efficacy in mobile learning adoption

OpenAIRE

Bao, Yukun; Xiong, Tao; Hu, Zhongyi; Kibelloh, Mboni

2014-01-01

Reasons for contradictory findings regarding the gender moderate effect on computer self-efficacy in the adoption of e-learning/mobile learning are limited. Recognizing the multilevel nature of the computer self-efficacy (CSE), this study attempts to explore gender differences in the adoption of mobile learning, by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with general and specific CSE. Data collected from 137 university students were tested against the research model using the structur...

Enhancing nurse satisfaction: an exploration of specialty nurse shortage in a region of NHS England.

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Gray, Keith; Wilde, Rebecca; Shutes, Karl

2018-03-22

This article offers nurse managers guidance on analysing, managing and addressing a potentially dissatisfied nursing workforce, focusing on three priority shortage specialties: emergency care, paediatrics and cardiology. The aim of the study was to explore to what extent registered nurses and healthcare assistants, referred to collectively here as 'nursing staff', are satisfied with teamworking opportunities, continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities and workplace autonomy. A survey questionnaire was developed to evaluate three derived determinants of nurse satisfaction: team working, CPD and autonomy. The NHS West Midlands region was the focus given that it is among the poorest performing regions outside London in filling nursing posts. Overall, nursing staff respondents were satisfied with teamworking, CPD and autonomy, which challenges the perception that nurses in NHS England are dissatisfied with these satisfaction determinants. The findings give a complex picture of nurse satisfaction; for example a large minority of respondents were dissatisfied with their ability to carry out duties as they see fit. When developing management systems to investigate, manage and enhance nurse satisfaction, nurse managers must recognise the complexity and subtleties of determining factors. This will increase as nursing becomes more specialised. Subsequently, nurse managers need to work closely with staff at higher education institutions and other professional agencies to commission appropriate professional development. ©2018 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

Why Do Floral Perfumes Become Different? Region-Specific Selection on Floral Scent in a Terrestrial Orchid

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Karin; Sun, Mimi; Schiestl, Florian P.

2016-01-01

Geographically structured phenotypic selection can lead to adaptive divergence. However, in flowering plants, such divergent selection has rarely been shown, and selection on floral signals is generally little understood. In this study, we measured phenotypic selection on display size, floral color, and floral scent in four lowland and four mountain populations of the nectar-rewarding terrestrial orchid Gymnadenia odoratissima in two years. We also quantified population differences in these traits and pollinator community composition. Our results show positive selection on display size and positive, negative, or absence of selection on different scent compounds and floral color. Selection on the main scent compounds was consistently stronger in the lowlands than in the mountains, and lowland plants emitted higher amounts of most of these compounds. Pollinator community composition also differed between regions, suggesting different pollinators select for differences in floral volatiles. Overall, our study is the first to document consistent regional differences in selection on floral scent, suggesting this pattern of selection is one of the evolutionary forces contributing to regional divergence in floral chemical signaling. PMID:26886766

Differences in the Thoracic Aorta by Region and Sex in a Murine Model of Marfan Syndrome

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Francesc Jiménez-Altayó

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Marfan syndrome (MFS is a hereditary disorder of the connective tissue that causes life-threatening aortic aneurysm, which initiates at the aortic root and can progress into the ascending portion. However, analysis of ascending aorta reactivity in animal models of MFS has remained elusive. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that although MFS is equally prevalent in men and women, men are at a higher risk of aortic complications than non-pregnant women. Nevertheless, there is no experimental evidence to support this hypothesis. The aim of this study was to explore whether there are regional and sex differences in the thoracic aorta function of mice heterozygous for the fibrillin 1 (Fbn1 allele encoding a missense mutation (Fbn1C1039G/+, the most common class of mutation in MFS. Ascending and descending thoracic aorta reactivity was evaluated by wire myography. Ascending aorta mRNA and protein levels, and elastic fiber integrity were assessed by qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and Verhoeff-Van Gieson histological staining, respectively. MFS differently altered reactivity in the ascending and descending thoracic aorta by either increasing or decreasing phenylephrine contractions, respectively. When mice were separated by sex, contractions to phenylephrine increased progressively from 3 to 6 months of age in MFS ascending aortas of males, whereas contractions in females were unchanged. Endothelium-dependent relaxation was unaltered in the MFS ascending aorta of either sex; an effect related to augmented endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization-type dilations. In MFS males, the non-selective cyclooxygenase (COX inhibitor indomethacin prevented the MFS-induced enhancement of phenylephrine contractions linked to increased COX-2 expression. In MFS mice of both sexes, the non-selective nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME revealed negative feedback of nitric oxide on phenylephrine contractions, which was associated with upregulation of eNOS in females. Finally

Differences in the Thoracic Aorta by Region and Sex in a Murine Model of Marfan Syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez-Altayó, Francesc; Siegert, Anna-Maria; Bonorino, Fabio; Meirelles, Thayna; Barberà, Laura; Dantas, Ana P.; Vila, Elisabet; Egea, Gustavo

2017-01-01

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a hereditary disorder of the connective tissue that causes life-threatening aortic aneurysm, which initiates at the aortic root and can progress into the ascending portion. However, analysis of ascending aorta reactivity in animal models of MFS has remained elusive. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that although MFS is equally prevalent in men and women, men are at a higher risk of aortic complications than non-pregnant women. Nevertheless, there is no experimental evidence to support this hypothesis. The aim of this study was to explore whether there are regional and sex differences in the thoracic aorta function of mice heterozygous for the fibrillin 1 (Fbn1) allele encoding a missense mutation (Fbn1C1039G/+), the most common class of mutation in MFS. Ascending and descending thoracic aorta reactivity was evaluated by wire myography. Ascending aorta mRNA and protein levels, and elastic fiber integrity were assessed by qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and Verhoeff-Van Gieson histological staining, respectively. MFS differently altered reactivity in the ascending and descending thoracic aorta by either increasing or decreasing phenylephrine contractions, respectively. When mice were separated by sex, contractions to phenylephrine increased progressively from 3 to 6 months of age in MFS ascending aortas of males, whereas contractions in females were unchanged. Endothelium-dependent relaxation was unaltered in the MFS ascending aorta of either sex; an effect related to augmented endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization-type dilations. In MFS males, the non-selective cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor indomethacin prevented the MFS-induced enhancement of phenylephrine contractions linked to increased COX-2 expression. In MFS mice of both sexes, the non-selective nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME revealed negative feedback of nitric oxide on phenylephrine contractions, which was associated with upregulation of eNOS in females. Finally, MFS ascending

Introducing the North Water: Histories of exploration, ice dynamics, living resources, and human settlement in the Thule Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Hastrup, Kirsten; Mosbech, Anders; Grønnow, Bjarne

2018-04-01

The North Water is a recurrent polynya in the High Arctic situated between Northwest Greenland and Ellesmere Island of Canada. The North Water makes a dynamic space, where various processes may enhance or obstruct each other, accelerating or halting particular modes of human-animal relations in the region, where life itself depends on the North Water. This will be discussed in four steps. The first step posits the North Water as a perceived oasis for explorers and whalers hailing from Europe or America in the nineteenth century. The second step concentrates on the diverse rhythms inherent in the ice conditions, as affected by trends that are set in motion elsewhere. The third step highlights the implications of the dynamics of the ice and sea currents for animal life in the region. The fourth step gives an overview of human settlement patterns around the North Water across the ages. The article shows how natural and social features are deeply implicated in each other, even if they are not directly co-variant.

Regional Convergence of Income: Spatial Analysis

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Vera Ivanovna Ivanova

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Russia has a huge territory and a strong interregional heterogeneity, so we can assume that geographical factors have a significant impact on the pace of economic growth in Russian regions. Therefore the article is focused on the following issues: 1 correlation between comparative advantages of geographical location and differences in growth rates; 2 impact of more developed regions on their neighbors and 3 correlation between economic growth of regions and their spatial interaction. The article is devoted to the empirical analysis of regional per capita incomes from 1996 to 2012 and explores the dynamics of the spatial autocorrelation of regional development indicator. It is shown that there is a problem of measuring the intensity of spatial dependence: factor value of Moran’s index varies greatly depending on the choice of the matrix of distances. In addition, with the help of spatial econometrics the author tests the following hypotheses: 1 there is convergence between regions for a specified period; 2 the process of beta convergence is explained by the spatial arrangement of regions and 3 there is positive impact of market size on regional growth. The author empirically confirmed all three hypotheses

Rain-season trends in precipitation and their effect in different climate regions of China during 1961-2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Yanling; Achberger, Christine; Linderholm, Hans W

2011-01-01

Using high-quality precipitation data from 524 stations, the trends of a set of precipitation variables during the main rain season (May-September) from 1961 to 2008 for different climate regions in China were analysed. However, different characteristics were displayed in different regions of China. In most temperate monsoon regions (north-eastern China), total rain-season precipitation and precipitation days showed decreasing trends; positive tendencies in precipitation intensity were, however, noted for most stations in this region. It is suggested that the decrease in rain-season precipitation is mainly related to there being fewer rain days and a change towards drier conditions in north-eastern China, and as a result, the available water resources have been negatively affected in the temperate monsoon regions. In most subtropical and tropical monsoon climate regions (south-eastern China), the rain-season precipitation and precipitation days (11-50, with > 50 mm) showed slightly positive trends. However, precipitation days with ≤ 10 mm decreased in these regions. Changes towards wetter conditions in this area, together with more frequent heavy rainfall events causing floods, have a severe impact on peoples' lives and socio-economic development. In general, the rain-season precipitation, precipitation days and rain-season precipitation intensity had all increased in the temperate continental and plateau/mountain regions of western China. This increase in rain-season precipitation has been favourable to pasture growth.

Regional differences in AIDS and non-AIDS related mortality in HIV-positive individuals across Europe and Argentina

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reekie, Joanne; Kowalska, Justyna Dominika; Karpov, Igor

2012-01-01

Differences in access to care and treatment have been reported in Eastern Europe, a region with one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics, compared to the rest of Europe. This analysis aimed to establish whether there are regional differences in the mortality rate of HIV-positive individuals acros...

Diet and Other Lifestyle Factors Associated with Prostate Cancer Differ Between the German and Italian Region of Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Richard, Aline; Faeh, David; Bopp, Matthias; Rohrmann, Sabine

2017-12-08

In Switzerland, prostate cancer mortality is higher in the German than in the Italian-speaking region. We aimed at exploring the association of living in one of the two regions with lifestyle factors presumably lowering the risk of prostate cancer. We pooled data from the Swiss Health Survey, conducted every 5 years 1992 - 2012. Information on diet (meat, fish, dairy, fruits and vegetables), alcohol, smoking, physical activity and body mass index were dichotomized into "risky" and "risk-reducing" lifestyle behaviour with respect to prostate cancer. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess associations between the German and Italian region of Switzerland and each single lifestyle factor. Living in the Italian region was associated with "risk-reducing" diet, i.e. with a higher prevalence of low dairy products and meat consumption and high fish consumption (odds ratio [OR] 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21 - 1.48; OR 3.31, 95% CI 2.94 - 3.72; OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.71 - 2.12, respectively). However, men in the Italian region were less likely to have low alcohol consumption and regular physical activity than men in the German region (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.36 - 0.52 and OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.69 - 0.86, respectively). Prostate cancer risk-reducing dietary behaviour (i.e., less dairy products, less meat and more fish) was more common in the Italian region, whereas other risk-reducing lifestyle behaviours were more common in the German region.

Different Factors of Llap as a Geographic Region

OpenAIRE

, F. Isufi; , S. Halimi; , F. Humolli

2011-01-01

In this work attempts were made to express in the best possible manner the factors which differentiate the Llap as geographic region. The Llap Region is located in the north-east of Kosovo. Within the ethnic geography, the Llap area is having peripheric position, but within the Balkan Penninsula it is having a central position, while along Llap goes the Highway which connects Kosovo and Serbia. The Llap region has important natural conditions; such as very good geographic position, running an...

Regional differences in unmet need for contraception in Kenya: insights from survey data.

Science.gov (United States)

Wafula, Sam W

2015-10-14

Women are described as experiencing unmet need for contraception if they are fecund, sexually active and wish to postpone or limit childbearing but fail to use contraception to do so. The consequences of unmet need include unwanted pregnancy, induced abortions, school dropout due to pregnancy and premature maternal deaths. Global efforts aimed at addressing the adverse effects of unmet need abound. In Kenya, one in every four married women in the reproductive age bracket (15-49 years) has unmet need for contraception. Regional differences exist but the reasons behind these differences remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which regional differentials in unmet need for contraception exists and to explain the regional differences in unmet need for contraception in Kenya. The paper used the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (2008/09) data. Unmet need for contraception was measured based on the revised estimates contained in the survey. Summary statistics were used to show the percentage differences in the values of selected covariates across the high and low unmet need zones. The dependent variable had three categories: no unmet need, unmet need for spacing and unmet need for limiting births. The categorical nature of this dependent variable which is not ordered in any way lends itself to the use of multinomial logistic regression. The paper applied the seemingly unrelated estimation (suest) test to ascertain whether the covariate coefficients between the high and low unmet need zones were different. Stata Version 13.0 was used for analysis. The percentage values of the selected covariates of unmet need for contraception were much higher in the high unmet need zone as compared to those observed in the low unmet need zones. On the overall, 15.4 % of women in the high unmet need zone had unmet need to space their next birth as compared to 8.6 % of their counterparts. Likewise, the percentage of women who wanted to limit

Genomic Mapping of Human DNA provides Evidence of Difference in Stretch between AT and GC rich regions

Science.gov (United States)

Reifenberger, Jeffrey; Dorfman, Kevin; Cao, Han

Human DNA is a not a polymer consisting of a uniform distribution of all 4 nucleic acids, but rather contains regions of high AT and high GC content. When confined, these regions could have different stretch due to the extra hydrogen bond present in the GC basepair. To measure this potential difference, human genomic DNA was nicked with NtBspQI, labeled with a cy3 like fluorophore at the nick site, stained with YOYO, loaded into a device containing an array of nanochannels, and imaged. Over 473,000 individual molecules of DNA, corresponding to roughly 30x coverage of a human genome, were collected and aligned to the human reference. Based on the known AT/GC content between aligned pairs of labels, the stretch was measured for regions of similar size but different AT/GC content. We found that regions of high GC content were consistently more stretched than regions of high AT content between pairs of labels varying in size between 2.5 kbp and 500 kbp. We measured that for every 1% increase in GC content there was roughly a 0.06% increase in stretch. While this effect is small, it is important to take into account differences in stretch between AT and GC rich regions to improve the sensitivity of detection of structural variations from genomic variations. NIH Grant: R01-HG006851.

TRANSDERMAL PERMEABILITY OF ESTRADIOL THROUGH THE HUMAN SKIN OF DIFFERENT BODY REGIONS IN VITRO

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

CHENGuo-Shen; GONGSai-Jun; DUJie; MARun-Zhen; ZHOURong-Rong; LIULiang-Chu

1989-01-01

Transdermal permeability of estradiol was carried out by using Valia-Chien double compartment permeation cells for the following regions of intact skin and skin without stratum corncum: chest, abdomen, hip, upper arm, thigh and back. The estradiol permeation rates and accumulative amounts within 72h in vitro were examined by HPLC. The results showed that the permeation rates of intact skin from different regions of the body

Regional and national differences in stressful life events: The role of cultural factors, economic development, and gender.

Science.gov (United States)

Vázquez, José Juan; Panadero, Sonia; Martín, Rosa M

2015-07-01

The study analyzed differences in the risk of experiencing stressful life events (SLE) according to cultural factors, the level of economic development of the region inhabited, and gender. Information was gathered on the number and nature of SLE experienced by a sample of 604 undergraduates from 3 regions with very different levels of economic development: Madrid (Spain), León (Nicaragua), and Bilwi (Nicaragua). The results indicated a greater risk of experiencing SLE among undergraduates from Nicaragua, but few differences attributed to the undergraduates' gender or the level of economic development in the region they inhabit within the same country. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Regional differences in the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy: a multi center study in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Drummond, Karla Rezende Guerra; Malerbi, Fernando Korn; Morales, Paulo Henrique; Mattos, Tessa Cerqueira Lemos; Pinheiro, André Araújo; Mallmann, Felipe; Perez, Ricardo Vessoni; Leal, Franz Schubert Lopes; de Melo, Laura Gomes Nunes; Gomes, Marília Brito

2018-01-01

Diabetic retinopathy has a significant impact in every healthcare system. Despite that fact, there are few accurate estimates in the prevalence of DR in Brazil's different geographic regions, particularly proliferative DR and diabetic macular edema. This study aims to determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Brazil's five continental regions and its determinant factors. This multi center, cross-sectional, observational study, conducted between August 2011 and December 2014, included patients with type 1 diabetes from the 5 Brazilian geographic regions (South, Southeast, North, Northeast and Midwest). During a clinical visit, a structured questionnaire was applied, blood sampling was collected and each patient underwent mydriatic binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy evaluation. Data was obtained from 1644 patients, aged 30.2 ± 12 years (56.1% female, 54.4% Caucasian), with a diabetes duration of 15.5 ± 9.3 years. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 242 (36.1%) in the Southeast, 102 (42.9%) in the South, 183 (29.9%) in the North and Northeast and 54 (41.7%) in the Midwest. Multinomial regression showed no difference in the prevalence of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy in each geographic region, although, prevalence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (p = 0.022), and diabetic macular edema (p = 0.003) was higher in the Midwest. Stepwise analyses reviled duration of diabetes, level of HbA1c and hypertension as independent variables. The prevalence of non proliferative diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 1 diabetes was no different between each geographic region of Brazil. The Midwest presented higher prevalence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. Duration of DM and glycemic control is of central importance to all. Hypertension is another fundamental factor to every region, at special in the South and Southeast. Glycemic control and patients in social and economic vulnerability deserves

Intraspecific Variation among Social Insect Colonies: Persistent Regional and Colony-Level Differences in Fire Ant Foraging Behavior.

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Alison A Bockoven

Full Text Available Individuals vary within a species in many ecologically important ways, but the causes and consequences of such variation are often poorly understood. Foraging behavior is among the most profitable and risky activities in which organisms engage and is expected to be under strong selection. Among social insects there is evidence that within-colony variation in traits such as foraging behavior can increase colony fitness, but variation between colonies and the potential consequences of such variation are poorly documented. In this study, we tested natural populations of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, for the existence of colony and regional variation in foraging behavior and tested the persistence of this variation over time and across foraging habitats. We also reared single-lineage colonies in standardized environments to explore the contribution of colony lineage. Fire ants from natural populations exhibited significant and persistent colony and regional-level variation in foraging behaviors such as extra-nest activity, exploration, and discovery of and recruitment to resources. Moreover, colony-level variation in extra-nest activity was significantly correlated with colony growth, suggesting that this variation has fitness consequences. Lineage of the colony had a significant effect on extra-nest activity and exploratory activity and explained approximately half of the variation observed in foraging behaviors, suggesting a heritable component to colony-level variation in behavior.

Case history of the discovery of the Jabiluka uranium deposits, East Alligator River region, Northern Territory of Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rowntree, J.C.; Mosher, D.V.

1976-01-01

Pancontinental Mining Limited acquired exploration rights over an area in the East Alligator River Region, Northern Territory, Australia, in 1970. Subsequently, Getty Oil Development Company Limited acquired a substantial minority interest in the property. The Jabiluka deposits were discovered during the course of exploration and are currently the largest of the four major uranium deposits in the East Alligator River Region. This region at present contains 24% of the western world's reasonably assured resources of uranium. The exploration techniques employed during primary and secondary exploration on the property between 1971 and 1975 and during the delineation of the Jabiluka deposits are discussed in detail. The case history illustrates the exploration philosophy which was successfully employed on the Jabiluka property. The philosophy encompasses the following points: The need for an assessment on the limits of airborne radiometric surveys; the necessity for detection and evaluation of point source anomalies; the necessity for exploration along extensions of favourable lithologies; and the desirability of modification of exploration techniques on different types of anomalies. Some aspects of this philosophy may be useful in exploration for similar stratabound uranium deposits in other areas. (author)

Using cluster analysis to organize and explore regional GPS velocities

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Robert W.; Thatcher, Wayne; Savage, James C.

2012-01-01

Cluster analysis offers a simple visual exploratory tool for the initial investigation of regional Global Positioning System (GPS) velocity observations, which are providing increasingly precise mappings of actively deforming continental lithosphere. The deformation fields from dense regional GPS networks can often be concisely described in terms of relatively coherent blocks bounded by active faults, although the choice of blocks, their number and size, can be subjective and is often guided by the distribution of known faults. To illustrate our method, we apply cluster analysis to GPS velocities from the San Francisco Bay Region, California, to search for spatially coherent patterns of deformation, including evidence of block-like behavior. The clustering process identifies four robust groupings of velocities that we identify with four crustal blocks. Although the analysis uses no prior geologic information other than the GPS velocities, the cluster/block boundaries track three major faults, both locked and creeping.

Development of the rational scheme of geological exploration process, its analysis and significance for prospecting and exploration of hydrocarbons at the russian sector of the Caspian sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. V. Bystrova

2017-12-01

Full Text Available To conduct a justified assessment of the perspective resources of the Caspian Sea and adjacent territories, the authors develop a rational scheme of the geological exploration process with its analysis and identification of significance for hydrocarbon exploration in the northern part of the Caspian Sea. The paper outlines the methodological approaches and concepts of introducing this scheme in search for oil and gas. This allows us to justify and select the optimal set of research methods at various stages of oil and gas production. The system of structure and principles of organization scheme of the geological prospecting process allow to identify the optimal complexes of methods of geological-geophysical and other studies for these stages. The article provides information confirming the necessity of developing and implementing this scheme in the geological exploration process of the studied territory. The necessary development of opportunities in carrying out this work fundamentally changes the qualitative aspect of the geological exploration process. The facts presented in the article allow to study in detail the structures of the shelf zone, the thicknesses and composition of productive subsalt deposits, and to trace their interrelation with continental structural elements. The paper shows the importance of providing, at different levels, a rationale and choice of an optimal set of research methods at different stages of oil and gas prospecting during the development of a rational geological exploration scheme for hydrocarbons in water areas. This paper presents a proposed block diagram of a marine geological prospecting process for hydrocarbons. It describes the sequence of performing the types of work at the regional, exploratory and exploration stages. For each stage of the study, the authors set the tasks, determine the objects of research, methods of geological and geophysical research and their results, and determine methods for

Assisted outpatient treatment in New York: regional differences in New York's assisted outpatient treatment program.

Science.gov (United States)

Robbins, Pamela Clark; Keator, Karli J; Steadman, Henry J; Swanson, Jeffrey W; Wilder, Christine M; Swartz, Marvin S

2010-10-01

This study sought to describe the implementation of "Kendra's Law" in New York State and examine regional differences in the application of the program. Between February 2007 and April 2008, interviews were conducted with 50 key informants across New York State. Key informants included assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) county coordinators, county directors of community services, judges, attorneys from the Mental Hygiene Legal Service (MHLS), psychiatrists, treatment providers, peer advocates, family members, and other referred individuals. Additional analyses were conducted using AOT program administrative and evaluation databases and client history data. From program inception in 1999 through 2007, a total of 8,752 initial AOT orders and 5,684 renewals were granted. Notable regional differences were found in the use of two distinct models of AOT: AOT First and Enhanced Voluntary Services First. Regional differences were also found in how the AOT program was implemented and administered. Other variations stemmed from the court proceedings themselves, the continuity and interest of the presiding judge, and the attitudes of the MHLS attorneys. Many regional adaptations of the AOT program were found. Many were the result of lack of guidance in implementing Kendra's Law. Policy makers may want to consider whether the law should change to allow for these differences or whether additional support from a central source is warranted to ensure more uniformity in the implementation of AOT and thus the fairness of its application across the state.

Self-reported harassment and bullying in Australian universities: explaining differences between regional, metropolitan and elite institutions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skinner, Timothy C.; Peetz, David; Strachan, Glenda

2015-01-01

© 2015 Association for Tertiary Education Management and the LH Martin Institute for Tertiary Education Leadership and Management. We analyse data from the largest survey of university staff in Australia to determine whether bullying and harassment are more common in regional than metropolitan...... of harassment. This probably reflected the labour market and resource context of regional universities. Binary logistic regression indicated that a perceived lack of support for professional development partially explained the effect of regional status on differences in the rates of harassment/bullying across...... university types. Markers of organisational culture only partially account for differences in the rates of harassment/bullying between university types....

Exploring the motivation jungle: Predicting performance on a novel task by investigating constructs from different motivation perspectives in tandem

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nuland, H.J.C. van; Dusseldorp, E.; Martens, R.L.; Boekaerts, M.

2010-01-01

Different theoretical viewpoints on motivation make it hard to decide which model has the best potential to provide valid predictions on classroom performance. This study was designed to explore motivation constructs derived from different motivation perspectives that predict performance on a novel

Beyond SHARP-- Primary Formaldehyde from Oil and Gas Exploration and Production in the Gulf of Mexico Region

Science.gov (United States)

Olaguer, E. P.

2010-12-01

Formaldehyde has been named by the EPA as a hazardous air pollutant that may be carcinogenic and also cause irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and lung. Moreover, it is a powerful radical and ozone precursor. The 2009 Study of Houston Atmospheric Radical Precursors (SHARP) was conceived by the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) on behalf of the Texas Environmental Research Consortium (TERC) to examine the relative importance of primary and secondary formaldehyde (HCHO) and nitrous acid (HONO) in ozone formation. SHARP confirmed that primary combustion sources of HCHO, such as flares end engines, may be underestimated (by an order of magnitude or more) in official emission inventories used for the purpose of air quality modeling in highly industrialized areas such as Houston. This presentation provides recently generated modeling and observational evidence that the same may be true in both rural and urban areas with oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) activities, such as the Upper Green River Basin of Wyoming and the Barnett Shale of Texas. Oil and gas E&P is increasing in the Gulf of Mexico region, particularly in the Barnett, Haynesville, Eagle Ford, Cana-Woodford, and Fayetteville shale basins. In the Barnett Shale, E&P activities are moving into urban neighborhoods, and may affect the ability to bring the Dallas-Ft. Worth region into attainment of the federal ozone standard. Data concerning formaldehyde emissions from drill rig and pipeline compressor engines, flares, and glycol or amine reboilers, should be obtained in order to more accurately model air quality in the Gulf of Mexico region.

Regional deposition of saline aerosols of different tonicities in normal and asthmatic subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phipps, P.R.; Gonda, I.; Anderson, S.D.; Bailey, D.; Bautovich, G.

1994-01-01

Nonisotonic aerosols are frequently used in the diagnosis and therapy of lung disease. The purpose of this work was to study the difference in the pattern of deposition of aerosols containing aqueous solutions of different tonicities. 99m Technetium-diethyltriaminepentaacetic acid ( 99m Tc-DTPA)-labelled saline aerosols, with mass median aerodynamic diameter 3.7-3.8 μm and geometric standard deviation 1.4, were inhaled under reproducible breathing conditions on two occasions. Hypotonic and hypertonic solutions were used in 11 normals subjects, isotonic and hypertonic solutions in 9 asthmatics. The regional deposition was quantified by a penetration index measured with the help of a tomographic technique. There was a small but significant increase (6.7%) in the penetration index of the hypotonic as compared to the hypertonic aerosols in the normal subjects. The region that was markedly affected was the trachea. The differences in the penetration of the isotonic and hypertonic aerosols in the asthmatics appeared to be strongly dependent on the state of the airways at the time of the study. These findings can be interpreted in terms of effects of growth or shrinkage of nonisotonic aerosols, as well as of airway narrowing, on regional deposition of aerosols. Tonicity of aerosols appears to affect their deposition both through physical and physiological mechanisms. This should be taken into account when interpreting the effects of inhaled aqueous solutions of various tonicities in patients in vivo. (au) (44 refs.)

Regional differences in endothelial cell cytoskeleton, junctional proteins and phosphorylated tyrosine labeling in the porcine vortex vein system.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Priscilla Ern Zhi; Yu, Paula K; Yang, Hongfang; Cringle, Stephen J; Yu, Dao-Yi

2018-07-01

We previously demonstrated endothelial phenotype heterogeneity in the vortex vein system. This study is to further determine whether regional differences are present in the cytoskeleton, junctional proteins and phosphorylated tyrosine labeling within the system. The vortex vein system of twenty porcine eyes was perfused with labels for f-actin, claudin-5, VE-Cadherin, phosphorylated tyrosine and nucleic acid. The endothelial cells of eight different regions (choroidal veins, pre-ampulla, anterior ampulla, mid-ampulla, posterior ampulla, post-ampulla, intra-scleral canal and the extra-ocular vortex vein) were studied using confocal microscopy. There were regional differences in the endothelial cell structures. Cytoskeleton labeling was relatively even in intensity throughout Regions 1 to 6. Overall VE-Cadherin had a non-uniform distribution and thicker width endothelial cell border staining than claudin-5. Progressing downstream there was an increased variation in thickness of VE-cadherin labeling. There was an overlap in phosphorylated tyrosine and VE-Cadherin labeling in the post-ampulla, intra-scleral canal and extra-ocular vortex vein. Intramural cells were observed that were immune-positive for VE-Cadherin and phosphorylated tyrosine. There were significant differences in the number of intramural cells in different regions. Significant regional differences with endothelial cell labeling of cytoskeleton, junction proteins, and phosphorylated tyrosine were found within the vortex vein system. These findings support existing data on endothelial cell phenotype heterogeneity, and may aid in the knowledge of venous pathologies by understanding regions of vulnerability to endothelial damage within the vortex vein system. It could be valuable to further investigate and characterize the VE-cadherin and phosphotyrosine immune-positive intramural cells. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

CH(+) Destruction by Reaction with H: Computing Quantum Rates To Model Different Molecular Regions in the Interstellar Medium.

Science.gov (United States)

Bovino, S; Grassi, T; Gianturco, F A

2015-12-17

A detailed analysis of an ionic reaction that plays a crucial role in the carbon chemistry of the interstellar medium (ISM) is carried out by computing ab initio reactive cross sections with a quantum method and by further obtaining the corresponding CH(+) destruction rates over a range of temperatures that shows good overall agreement with existing experiments. The differences found between all existing calculations and the very-low-T experiments are discussed and explored via a simple numerical model that links these cross section reductions to collinear approaches where nonadiabatic crossing is expected to dominate. The new rates are further linked to a complex chemical network that models the evolution of the CH(+) abundance in the photodissociation region (PDR) and molecular cloud (MC) environments of the ISM. The abundances of CH(+) are given by numerical solutions of a large set of coupled, first-order kinetics equations that employs our new chemical package krome. The analysis that we carry out reveals that the important region for CH(+) destruction is that above 100 K, hence showing that, at least for this reaction, the differences with the existing laboratory low-T experiments are of essentially no importance within the astrochemical environments discussed here because, at those temperatures, other chemical processes involving the title molecule are taking over. A detailed analysis of the chemical network involving CH(+) also shows that a slight decrease in the initial oxygen abundance might lead to higher CH(+) abundances because the main chemical carbon ion destruction channel is reduced in efficiency. This might provide an alternative chemical route to understand the reason why general astrochemical models fail when the observed CH(+) abundances are matched with the outcomes of their calculations.

An fMRI study of sex differences in regional activation to a verbal and a spatial task.

Science.gov (United States)

Gur, R C; Alsop, D; Glahn, D; Petty, R; Swanson, C L; Maldjian, J A; Turetsky, B I; Detre, J A; Gee, J; Gur, R E

2000-09-01

Sex differences in cognitive performance have been documented, women performing better on some phonological tasks and men on spatial tasks. An earlier fMRI study suggested sex differences in distributed brain activation during phonological processing, with bilateral activation seen in women while men showed primarily left-lateralized activation. This blood oxygen level-dependent fMRI study examined sex differences (14 men, 13 women) in activation for a spatial task (judgment of line orientation) compared to a verbal-reasoning task (analogies) that does not typically show sex differences. Task difficulty was manipulated. Hypothesized ROI-based analysis documented the expected left-lateralized changes for the verbal task in the inferior parietal and planum temporal regions in both men and women, but only men showed right-lateralized increase for the spatial task in these regions. Image-based analysis revealed a distributed network of cortical regions activated by the tasks, which consisted of the lateral frontal, medial frontal, mid-temporal, occipitoparietal, and occipital regions. The activation was more left lateralized for the verbal and more right for the spatial tasks, but men also showed some left activation for the spatial task, which was not seen in women. Increased task difficulty produced more distributed activation for the verbal and more circumscribed activation for the spatial task. The results suggest that failure to activate the appropriate hemisphere in regions directly involved in task performance may explain certain sex differences in performance. They also extend, for a spatial task, the principle that bilateral activation in a distributed cognitive system underlies sex differences in performance. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Are autism spectrum conditions more prevalent in an information-technology region? A school-based study of three regions in the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Roelfsema, Martine T; Hoekstra, Rosa A; Allison, Carrie; Wheelwright, Sally; Brayne, Carol; Matthews, Fiona E; Baron-Cohen, Simon

2012-05-01

We tested for differences in the prevalence of autism spectrum conditions (ASC) in school-aged children in three geographical regions in the Netherlands. Schools were asked to provide the number of children enrolled, the number having a clinical diagnosis of ASC and/or two control neurodevelopmental conditions. Prevalence was evaluated by negative binomial regression and adjustments were made for non-response and size of the schools. The prevalence estimates of ASC in Eindhoven was 229 per 10,000, significantly higher than in Haarlem (84 per 10,000) and Utrecht (57 per 10,000), whilst the prevalence for the control conditions were similar in all regions. Phase two is planned to validate school-reported cases using standardized diagnostic methods and to explore the possible causes for these differences.

Regional differences, socio-demographics, and hidden population of HIV/AIDS in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Rajeev; Suar, Damodar; Singh, Sanjay Kumar

2017-02-01

This study examines the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in different regions of India, their socio-demographic indicators, and the presence of hidden population infected with HIV. Secondary data analyzed were obtained from national and international agencies. Considering the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in India, the low-prevalence regions in the last decade have shown a steady increase in recent years. Productive age, urbanization, male gender, lower level of education, minority religions, low income, and mobile occupations are associated with HIV pandemic. The hidden population vulnerable to HIV/AIDS are: street children, homeless population, and refugees. These observations can help map the high-risk behavior groups and formulate targeted strategies to curb the HIV menace.

Growth status of children 6-12 years from two different geographic regions of Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Peña Reyes, M E; Cárdenas Barahona, E E; Cahuich, M B; Barragán, A; Malina, R M

2002-01-01

The purposes of the study are to assess the growth status of urban Mexican children living in different geographic areas of the country, to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity, and to explore secular trends in body size. Cross-sectional surveys of 293 children 6-11 years from Sonora in the north-west of the country (155 boys, 138 girls), and 356 children 7-12 years from Veracruz on the Gulf Coast (194 boys, 162 girls) were undertaken in 1992 and 1993, respectively. Height and weight were measured; the body mass index (BMI, kg m(-2)) was calculated. Growth status was compared to USA reference data and to samples of Mexican children in 1926 and 1975. The prevalence of overweight (BMI > or = 85th and or = 95th percentile) was estimated. Girls and boys from Sonora and Veracruz do not differ in height, weight and the BMI. Mean heights are at (girls) or below (boys) the medians of USA growth charts, while mean weights are at (boys) or just below (girls) the 75th percentiles at most ages. As a result, mean BMIs are above (boys) and below (girls) the 75th percentiles over the age range studied. The prevalence of overweight and obesity is 40% in boys and 35% in girls, whereas the prevalence of obesity per se is 23% in boys and 17% in girls. Compared to urban Mexican children in the Federal District surveyed in 1926, children in the present sample are taller and heavier, but the secular trend in body weight is more pronounced since the mid-1960s. Heights of the current samples are similar to those of well-off children in Mexico City in the early 1970s, but weights are heavier. The gap in height between well-off and lower socioeconomic status children in different regions of Mexico has been reduced, but there is an increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity.

Job stress and burnout in hospital employees: comparisons of different medical professions in a regional hospital in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Li-Ping; Li, Chung-Yi; Hu, Susan C

2014-01-01

Objectives To explore the prevalence and associated factors of burnout among five different medical professions in a regional teaching hospital. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Hospital-based survey. Participants A total of 1329 medical professionals were recruited in a regional hospital with a response rate of 89%. These voluntary participants included 101 physicians, 68 physician assistants, 570 nurses, 216 medical technicians and 374 administrative staff. Primary and secondary outcome measures Demographic data included gender, age, level of education and marital status, and work situations, such as position, work hours and work shifts, were obtained from an electronic questionnaire. Job strain and burnout were measured by two validated questionnaires, the Chinese version of the Job Content Questionnaire and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Results Among the five medical professions, the prevalence of high work-related burnout from highest to lowest was nurses (66%), physician assistants (61.8%), physicians (38.6%), administrative staff (36.1%) and medical technicians (31.9%), respectively. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that job strain, overcommitment and low social support explained the most variance (32.6%) of burnout. Conclusions Physician assistant is an emerging high burnout group; its severity is similar to that of nurses and far more than that of physicians, administrative staff and medical technicians. These findings may contribute to the development of feasible strategies to reduce the stress which results in the burnout currently plaguing most hospitals in Taiwan. PMID:24568961

The Argyre Region as a Prime Target for in situ Astrobiological Exploration of Mars.

Science.gov (United States)

Fairén, Alberto G; Dohm, James M; Rodríguez, J Alexis P; Uceda, Esther R; Kargel, Jeffrey; Soare, Richard; Cleaves, H James; Oehler, Dorothy; Schulze-Makuch, Dirk; Essefi, Elhoucine; Banks, Maria E; Komatsu, Goro; Fink, Wolfgang; Robbins, Stuart; Yan, Jianguo; Miyamoto, Hideaki; Maruyama, Shigenori; Baker, Victor R

2016-02-01

At the time before ∼3.5 Ga that life originated and began to spread on Earth, Mars was a wetter and more geologically dynamic planet than it is today. The Argyre basin, in the southern cratered highlands of Mars, formed from a giant impact at ∼3.93 Ga, which generated an enormous basin approximately 1800 km in diameter. The early post-impact environment of the Argyre basin possibly contained many of the ingredients that are thought to be necessary for life: abundant and long-lived liquid water, biogenic elements, and energy sources, all of which would have supported a regional environment favorable for the origin and the persistence of life. We discuss the astrobiological significance of some landscape features and terrain types in the Argyre region that are promising and accessible sites for astrobiological exploration. These include (i) deposits related to the hydrothermal activity associated with the Argyre impact event, subsequent impacts, and those associated with the migration of heated water along Argyre-induced basement structures; (ii) constructs along the floor of the basin that could mark venting of volatiles, possibly related to the development of mud volcanoes; (iii) features interpreted as ice-cored mounds (open-system pingos), whose origin and development could be the result of deeply seated groundwater upwelling to the surface; (iv) sedimentary deposits related to the formation of glaciers along the basin's margins, such as evidenced by the ridges interpreted to be eskers on the basin floor; (v) sedimentary deposits related to the formation of lakes in both the primary Argyre basin and other smaller impact-derived basins along the margin, including those in the highly degraded rim materials; and (vi) crater-wall gullies, whose morphology points to a structural origin and discharge of (wet) flows.

Exploring differences in inpatient drug purchasing cost between two pediatric hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Nydert, Per; Poole, Robert

2012-10-01

In this study, the hospital cost of purchasing drugs at two children's hospitals is explored with respect to high-cost drugs and drug classes and discussed with regard to differences in hospital setting, drug price, or number of treatments. The purchasing costs of drugs at the two hospitals were retrieved and analyzed. All information was connected to the Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical code and compared in a Microsoft Access database. The 6-month drug purchasing costs at Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital (ALCH), Stockholm, Sweden, and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford (LPCH), Palo Alto, California, are similar and result in a cost per patient day of US $149 and US $136, respectively. The hospital setting and choice of drug products are factors that influence the drug cost in product-specific ways. Several problems are highlighted when only drug costs are compared between hospitals. For example, the comparison does not take into account the amount of waste, risk of adverse drug events, local dosing strategies, disease prevalence, and national drug-pricing models. The difference in cost per inpatient day at ALCH may indicate that cost could be redistributed in Sweden to support pediatric pharmacy services. Also, when introducing new therapies seen at the comparison hospital, it may be possible to extrapolate the estimated increase in cost.

Regional Analysis of Energy, Water, Land and Climate Interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Tidwell, V. C.; Averyt, K.; Harriss, R. C.; Hibbard, K. A.; Newmark, R. L.; Rose, S. K.; Shevliakova, E.; Wilson, T.

2014-12-01

Energy, water, and land systems interact in many ways and are impacted by management and climate change. These systems and their interactions often differ in significant ways from region-to-region. To explore the coupled energy-water-land system and its relation to climate change and management a simple conceptual model of demand, endowment and technology (DET) is proposed. A consistent and comparable analysis framework is needed as climate change and resource management practices have the potential to impact each DET element, resource, and region differently. These linkages are further complicated by policy and trade agreements where endowments of one region are used to meet demands in another. This paper reviews the unique DET characteristics of land, energy and water resources across the United States. Analyses are conducted according to the eight geographic regions defined in the 2014 National Climate Assessment. Evident from the analyses are regional differences in resources endowments in land (strong East-West gradient in forest, cropland and desert), water (similar East-West gradient), and energy. Demands likewise vary regionally reflecting differences in population density and endowment (e.g., higher water use in West reflecting insufficient precipitation to support dryland farming). The effect of technology and policy are particularly evident in differences in the energy portfolios across the eight regions. Integrated analyses that account for the various spatial and temporal differences in regional energy, water and land systems are critical to informing effective policy requirements for future energy, climate and resource management. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Validation of the Regional Climate Model ALARO with different dynamical downscaling approaches and different horizontal resolutions

Science.gov (United States)

Berckmans, Julie; Hamdi, Rafiq; De Troch, Rozemien; Giot, Olivier

2015-04-01

At the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (RMI), climate simulations are performed with the regional climate model (RCM) ALARO, a version of the ALADIN model with improved physical parameterizations. In order to obtain high-resolution information of the regional climate, lateral bounary conditions (LBC) are prescribed from the global climate model (GCM) ARPEGE. Dynamical downscaling is commonly done in a continuous long-term simulation, with the initialisation of the model at the start and driven by the regularly updated LBCs of the GCM. Recently, more interest exists in the dynamical downscaling approach of frequent reinitializations of the climate simulations. For these experiments, the model is initialised daily and driven for 24 hours by the GCM. However, the surface is either initialised daily together with the atmosphere or free to evolve continuously. The surface scheme implemented in ALARO is SURFEX, which can be either run in coupled mode or in stand-alone mode. The regional climate is simulated on different domains, on a 20km horizontal resolution over Western-Europe and a 4km horizontal resolution over Belgium. Besides, SURFEX allows to perform a stand-alone or offline simulation on 1km horizontal resolution over Belgium. This research is in the framework of the project MASC: "Modelling and Assessing Surface Change Impacts on Belgian and Western European Climate", a 4-year project funded by the Belgian Federal Government. The overall aim of the project is to study the feedbacks between climate changes and land surface changes in order to improve regional climate model projections at the decennial scale over Belgium and Western Europe and thus to provide better climate projections and climate change evaluation tools to policy makers, stakeholders and the scientific community.

Study on the Adsorption Capacities for Airborne Particulates of Landscape Plants in Different Polluted Regions in Beijing (China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei-Kang Zhang

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Urban landscape plants are an important component of the urban ecosystem, playing a significant role in the adsorption of airborne particulates and air purification. In this study, six common landscape plants in Beijing were chosen as research subjects, and the adsorption capacities for each different plant leaf and the effects of the leaf structures for the adsorption capacities for particulates were determined. Preliminary results show that needle-leaved tree species adsorbed more airborne particulates than broad-leaved tree species for the same leaf area. Pinus tabuliformis exhibits the highest adsorption capacity, at 3.89 ± 0.026 μg·cm−2, almost two times as much as that of Populus tomentosa (2.00 ± 0.118 μg·cm−2. The adsorption capacities for PM10 of the same tree species leaves, in different polluted regions had significant differences, and the adsorption capacities for PM10 of the tree species leaf beside the Fifth Ring Road were higher than those of the tree species leaves in the Botanical Garden, although the adsorption capacities for PM2.5 of the same tree species in different polluted regions had no significant differences. By determining the soluble ion concentrations of the airborne particulates in two regions, it is suggested that the soluble ion concentrations of PM10 in the atmosphere in the Botanical Garden and beside the Fifth Ring Road have significant differences, while those of PM2.5 in the atmosphere had no significant differences. In different polluted regions there are significant adaptive changes to the leaf structures, and when compared with slightly polluted region, in the seriously polluted region the epidermis cells of the plant leaves shrinked, the surface textures of the leaves became rougher, and the stomas’ frequency and the pubescence length increased. Even though the plant leaves exposed to the seriously polluted region changed significantly, these plants can still grow normally and healthily.

Insertion and crossing region design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wienands, U.; Beloshitsky, P.

2001-01-01

This article is the summary of the 5-afternoon tutorial on insertions for circular machines. Roughly half the course (Part 1) was spent discussing interaction regions, We start by recapitulating basic beam optics including building blocks. This provides the tools to analyze the basic structure of interaction regions and explore the parameter space. This simple example is then successively refined and made more realistic. Examples of realized interaction regions for both hadron and electron machines are shown and their salient features and differences explained. A brief discussion of solenoid-decoupling brings Part 1 to a close. In Part 2 we discussed various utility sections. Dispersion suppressors are presented in detail discussing the principles as well as the practical implementation of flexible suppressors using LEP as an example. Injection schemes, both single-turn and multi-turn stacking, are presented in depth. The matching of wiggler and undulator insertions and a discussion of the impact of these devices on beam parameters closes out Part 2

Regional differences in brain glucose metabolism determined by imaging mass spectrometry

OpenAIRE

André Kleinridders; Heather A. Ferris; Michelle L. Reyzer; Michaela Rath; Marion Soto; M. Lisa Manier; Jeffrey Spraggins; Zhihong Yang; Robert C. Stanton; Richard M. Caprioli; C. Ronald Kahn

2018-01-01

Objective: Glucose is the major energy substrate of the brain and crucial for normal brain function. In diabetes, the brain is subject to episodes of hypo- and hyperglycemia resulting in acute outcomes ranging from confusion to seizures, while chronic metabolic dysregulation puts patients at increased risk for depression and Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, we aimed to determine how glucose is metabolized in different regions of the brain using imaging mass spectrometry (IMS). Metho...

Analysis of changes of demographic parameters in different groups of Chernigiv region population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gridzhuk, M.Yu.

1998-01-01

To perform comparison of the changes in different social and age groups of the population of Chernigiv region, Kozeletsky district in particular, which was exposed to considerable radioactive contamination, during the recent 20 years (beginning from 1977). The Chernobyl accident together with social and other unfavorable factors caused negative demographic changes in the contaminated districts. Reduction in the number of different social groups of the population is expected

Issues in regional planning and development in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oladayo Ramon Ibrahim

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Till date,Nigeria can not boast of a specific, well-formulated, clear regional development policy framework despite several urban planning, development and governance initiatives including passage of regulations at both federal and state government levels that have been undertaken since independence by successive post- colonial governments. Most of the country's claims of regional development are products of other policies, and intentions, which do not have any bearing on, deliberate regional planning policies. Policy and decision-making on development planning often do not incorporate the implications of the ways in which we use land and the consequences for different places (economic planning. The neglect of place, in particular, the way that different policies combine to affect places in different ways (regional planning, has contributed to a range of negative economic, social and environmental outcomes. This paper relies mainly on the secondary data and literature exploration to demonstrate that the little role accorded to spatial planning, especially, regional planning, in the development efforts is largely responsible for the underdevelopment, imbalance, and inequalities in the country, as well as poverty of the citizens. The conclusion of the paper is that regional planning should be an integral part and complementary to economic planning in the national development planning of the country. For regional planning to aid in the development of the country and promote the well-being of the citizens, appropriate recommendations have been included in the paper.

Regional differences in the mid-Victorian diet and their impact on health.

Science.gov (United States)

Greaves, Peter

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of regional diets on the health of the poor in mid-Victorian Britain. Contemporary surveys of regional diets and living condition were reviewed. This information was compared with mortality data from Britain over the same period. Although there was an overall improvement in life expectancy during the latter part of the 19th century, there were large regional differences in lifestyle, diet and mortality rates. Dietary surveys showed that the poor labouring population in isolated rural areas of England, in the mainland and islands of Scotland and in the west of Ireland enjoyed the most nutritious diets. These regions also showed the lowest mortality rates in Britain. This was not simply the result of better sanitation and less mortality from food and waterborne infections but also fewer deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis, which is typically associated with better nutrition. These more isolated regions where a peasant-style culture provided abundant locally produced cheap foodstuffs such as potatoes, vegetables, whole grains, and milk and fish, were in the process of disappearing in the face of increasing urbanisation. This was to the detriment of many rural poor during the latter half of the century. Conversely, increasing urbanisation, with its improved transport links, brought greater availability and diversity of foods to many others. It was this that that led to an improved nutrition and life expectancy for the majority in urbanising Britain, despite the detrimental effects of increasing food refinement.

50 CFR 37.22 - Approval of exploration plan.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... § 37.21(b), the Regional Director shall promptly publish notice of the application and text of the plan... exploration plan shall be approved by the Regional Director if he determines that it satisfies the....11(b), or minimize adverse impacts on subsistence uses, the Regional Director may approve or...

Classifying Dementia Using Local Binary Patterns from Different Regions in Magnetic Resonance Images

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Ketil Oppedal

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Dementia is an evolving challenge in society, and no disease-modifying treatment exists. Diagnosis can be demanding and MR imaging may aid as a noninvasive method to increase prediction accuracy. We explored the use of 2D local binary pattern (LBP extracted from FLAIR and T1 MR images of the brain combined with a Random Forest classifier in an attempt to discern patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD, Lewy body dementia (LBD, and normal controls (NC. Analysis was conducted in areas with white matter lesions (WML and all of white matter (WM. Results from 10-fold nested cross validation are reported as mean accuracy, precision, and recall with standard deviation in brackets. The best result we achieved was in the two-class problem NC versus AD + LBD with total accuracy of 0.98 (0.04. In the three-class problem AD versus LBD versus NC and the two-class problem AD versus LBD, we achieved 0.87 (0.08 and 0.74 (0.16, respectively. The performance using 3DT1 images was notably better than when using FLAIR images. The results from the WM region gave similar results as in the WML region. Our study demonstrates that LBP texture analysis in brain MR images can be successfully used for computer based dementia diagnosis.

Regionalism and political pepresentation in comparativeperspective: the European Union and MERCOSUL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Paula Tostes

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to explore the consequences of institutionalization in regional integration processes. More specifically, it explores the creation of representative regional institutions which strengthen integration, while at the same time affecting the distribution of sovereign and representative powers among the players involved in the policy-making process within member states. The premise is that institutionalization at a regional level brings gains in strategic actions and more efficient mechanisms of collective international action, on one hand, but on the other, it can have a democratic cost, in terms of a society's participation and control over collective decisions which impact the national decision-making process. In the case of the Latin American integration process, the initiative of setting up a regional parliament for MERCOSUL, the PARLASUL, must be understood within the problematic context of the effects of regional representation on national sovereignty. Thus, although with some limitations, the European experience serves as a parallel to the initiatives of establishing regional parliaments. The paper is divided into three sections: the first is historical and theoretical; it covers the origin and transformations of the modern sovereign state system, along with the changes that have occurred over time from regional integration events and their differences. Some concepts and classic theoretical approaches on the topic are reference sources, such as the contributions of Schmitter (1970, Mattli (1999 and Fawcett and Hurrell (2003, for example. In the second section, one of the characteristics of the new regionalism is explored: institutional innovation (HURRELL, 1995. In this case, the aim is to further verify the impact of regional integration on national politics, the role of the regional parliaments and the purpose of extra-state representation, its different models and its consequences for national sovereignty of states involved

Significance analysis of the regional differences on icing time of water onto fire protective clothing

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, L. Z.; Jing, L. S.; Zhang, X. Z.; Xia, J. J.; Chen, Y.; Chen, T.; Hu, C.; Bao, Z. M.; Fu, X. C.; Wang, R. J.; Wang, Y.; Wang, Y. J.

2017-09-01

The object of this work was to determine the icing temperature in icing experiment. Firstly, a questionnaire investigation was carried out on 38 fire detachments in different regions. These Statistical percentage results were divided into northern east group and northern west group. Secondly, a significance analysis between these two results was made using Mann-Whitney U test. Then the icing temperature was determined in different regions. Thirdly, the icing experiment was made in the environment of -20°C in Daxing’an Mountain. The anti-icing effect of new fire protective clothing was verified in this icing.

An Evolutionary Approach to Regional Systems of Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gunnarsson, Jan Sture Gunnar; Wallin, Torsten

This article examines how the birth and the development of regional systems of innovation are connected with economic selection and points to implications for regional-level policies. The research questions are explored using an evolutionary model, which emphasises geographical spaces and product......This article examines how the birth and the development of regional systems of innovation are connected with economic selection and points to implications for regional-level policies. The research questions are explored using an evolutionary model, which emphasises geographical spaces...

An evolutionary approach to regional systems of innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gunnarsson, Jan Sture Gunnar; Wallin, Torsten

2011-01-01

This article examines how the birth and the development of regional systems of innovation are connected with economic selection and points to implications for regional-level policies. The research questions are explored using an evolutionary model, which emphasises geographical spaces and product......This article examines how the birth and the development of regional systems of innovation are connected with economic selection and points to implications for regional-level policies. The research questions are explored using an evolutionary model, which emphasises geographical spaces...

Preliminary results of teleseismic double-difference relocation of earthquakes around Indonesian archipelago region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nugraha, Andri Dian, E-mail: andridn104@gmail.com; Widiyantoro, Sri [Global Geophysical Research Group, Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung (Indonesia); Shiddiqi, Hasbi Ash [Earth Sciences Graduate Program, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology, Institut Teknologi Bandung (Indonesia); Ramdhan, Mohamad; Wandono,; Sutiyono,; Handayani, Titi; Nugroho, Hendro [Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG), Jakarta (Indonesia)

2015-04-24

Indonesian archipelago region is located in active tectonic setting and high seismicity zone. During the last decade, Indonesian was experienced with destructive major earthquakes causing damage and victims. The information of precise earthquake location parameters are very important in partular for earthquake early warning to the society and for advance seismic studies. In this study, we attempted to improve hypocenter location compiled by BMKG for time periods of April, 2009 up to June, 2014 for about 22,000 earthquake events around Indonesian region. For the firts time, we applied teleseismic double-difference relocation algorithm (teletomoDD) to improve hypocenter region in Indonesia region combining regional and teleseismic stations. Hypocenter relocation was performed utilizing local, regional, and teleseismic P-wave arrival time data. Our relocation result show that travel-time RMS errors were greatly reduced compared to the BMKG catalog. Seismicity at shallower depth (less than 50 km) shows significantly improvement especially in depth, and refined shallow geological structures, e.g. trench and major strike slip faults. Clustered seismicity is also detected beneath volcanic region, and probably related volcano activities and also major faults nearby. In the Sunda arc region, seismicity at shallower depth centered at two major distributions parallel to the trench strike direction, i.e. around fore-arc and in mainland that related to major fault, e.g. the Sumatran fault, and volcanic fronts. Below Central Java region, relocated hypocenter result showed double seismic zone pattern. A seismic gap is detected around the Sunda-Banda transition zone where transition between oceanic subduction to continental crust collision of Australian plate occurs. In Eastern Indonesia region, shallow earthquakes are observed related to major strike slip faults, e.g. Sorong and Palu-Koro fault, volcanism, and shallow part of subduction and collision zones. We also compare our

Flash Floods Simulation using a Physical-Based Hydrological Model at Different Hydroclimatic Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Saber, Mohamed; Kamil Yilmaz, Koray

2016-04-01

Currently, flash floods are seriously increasing and affecting many regions over the world. Therefore, this study will focus on two case studies; Wadi Abu Subeira, Egypt as arid environment, and Karpuz basin, Turkey as Mediterranean environment. The main objective of this work is to simulate flash floods at both catchments considering the hydrometeorological differences between them which in turn effect their flash flood behaviors. An integrated methodology incorporating Hydrological River Basin Environmental Assessment Model (Hydro-BEAM) and remote sensing observations was devised. Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMAP) were compared with the rain gauge network at the target basins to estimate the bias in an effort to further use it effectively in simulation of flash floods. Based on the preliminary results of flash floods simulation on both basins, we found that runoff behaviors of flash floods are different due to the impacts of climatology, hydrological and topographical conditions. Also, the simulated surface runoff hydrographs are reasonably coincide with the simulated ones. Consequently, some mitigation strategies relying on this study could be introduced to help in reducing the flash floods disasters at different climate regions. This comparison of different climatic basins would be a reasonable implication for the potential impact of climate change on the flash floods frequencies and occurrences.

The environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis for water pollution. Do regions matter?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Chien-Chiang; Chiu, Yi-Bin [Department of Finance, National Sun Yat-Sen University Kaohsiung (China); Sun, Chia-Hung [Department of Economics, National Chung Cheng University (China)

2010-01-15

This study revisits the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for water pollution by using a recent dynamic technique, which is the generalized method of moments (GMM) approach, for a board sample of 97 countries during the period 1980-2001. On a global scale, as we cannot obtain the EKC relationship between real income and biological oxygen demand (BOD) emissions, this paper further classifies these countries into four regional groups - Africa, Asia and Oceania, America, and Europe - to explore whether the different regions have different ECK relationships. The empirical results show evidence of the inverted U-shaped EKC relationships' existence in America and Europe, but not in Africa and Asia and Oceania. Thus, the regional difference of EKC for water pollution is supported. Furthermore, the estimated turning points are, approximately, US$13,956 and US$38,221 for America and Europe, respectively. (author)

The environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis for water pollution: Do regions matter?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, C.-C., E-mail: leecc@seed.net.t [Department of Finance, National Sun Yat-Sen University Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Chiu, Y.-B. [Department of Finance, National Sun Yat-Sen University Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Sun, C.-H. [Department of Economics, National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan (China)

2010-01-15

This study revisits the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for water pollution by using a recent dynamic technique, which is the generalized method of moments (GMM) approach, for a board sample of 97 countries during the period 1980-2001. On a global scale, as we cannot obtain the EKC relationship between real income and biological oxygen demand (BOD) emissions, this paper further classifies these countries into four regional groups - Africa, Asia and Oceania, America, and Europe - to explore whether the different regions have different ECK relationships. The empirical results show evidence of the inverted U-shaped EKC relationships' existence in America and Europe, but not in Africa and Asia and Oceania. Thus, the regional difference of EKC for water pollution is supported. Furthermore, the estimated turning points are, approximately, US$13,956 and US$38,221 for America and Europe, respectively.

The environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis for water pollution: Do regions matter?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, C.-C.; Chiu, Y.-B.; Sun, C.-H.

2010-01-01

This study revisits the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for water pollution by using a recent dynamic technique, which is the generalized method of moments (GMM) approach, for a board sample of 97 countries during the period 1980-2001. On a global scale, as we cannot obtain the EKC relationship between real income and biological oxygen demand (BOD) emissions, this paper further classifies these countries into four regional groups - Africa, Asia and Oceania, America, and Europe - to explore whether the different regions have different ECK relationships. The empirical results show evidence of the inverted U-shaped EKC relationships' existence in America and Europe, but not in Africa and Asia and Oceania. Thus, the regional difference of EKC for water pollution is supported. Furthermore, the estimated turning points are, approximately, US$13,956 and US$38,221 for America and Europe, respectively.

Technologies for the exploration of highly mineralized geothermal resources

Science.gov (United States)

Alkhasov, A. B.; Alkhasova, D. A.; Ramazanov, A. Sh.; Kasparova, M. A.

2017-09-01

The prospects of the integrated processing of the high-parameter geothermal resources of the East Ciscaucasia of artesian basin (ECAB) with the conversion of their heat energy into electric energy at a binary geoPP and the subsequent extraction of solved chemical compounds from thermal waters are evaluated. The most promising areas for the exploration such resources are overviewed. The integrated exploration of hightemperature hydrogeothermal brines is a new trend in geothermal power engineering, which can make it possible to significantly increase the production volume of hydrogeothermal resources and develop the geothermal field at a higher level with the realization of the energy-efficient advanced technologies. The large-scale exploration of brines can solve the regional problems of energy supply and import substitution and fulfill the need of Russia in food and technical salt and rare elements. The necessity of the primary integrated exploration of the oil-field highly mineralized brines of the South Sukhokumskii group of gas-oil wells of Northern Dagestan was shown in view of the exacerbated environmental problems. Currently, the oil-field brines with the radioactive background exceeding the allowable levels are discharged at disposal fields. The technological solutions for their deactivation and integrated exploration are proposed. The realization of the proposed technological solutions provides 300 t of lithium carbonate, 1650 t of caustic magnesite powder, 27300 t of chemically precipitated chalk, 116100 t of food salt, and up to 1.4 mln m3 of desalinated water from oil-field brines yearly. Desalinated water at the output of a geotechnological complex can be used for different economic needs, which is important for the arid North Caucasus region, where the fresh water deficiency is acute, especially in its plain part within the ECAB.

Green's function matching method for adjoining regions having different masses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgenstern Horing, Norman J

2006-01-01

We present a primer on the method of Green's function matching for the determination of the global Schroedinger Green's function for all space subject to joining conditions at an interface between two (or more) separate parts of the region having different masses. The object of this technique is to determine the full space Schroedinger Green's function in terms of the individual Green's functions of the constituent parts taken as if they were themselves extended to all space. This analytical method has had successful applications in the theory of surface states, and remains of interest for nanostructures

More Similar than Different? Exploring Cultural Models of Depression among Latino Immigrants in Florida

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinorah (Dina Martinez Tyson

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The Surgeon General's report, “Culture, Race, and Ethnicity: A Supplement to Mental Health,” points to the need for subgroup specific mental health research that explores the cultural variation and heterogeneity of the Latino population. Guided by cognitive anthropological theories of culture, we utilized ethnographic interviewing techniques to explore cultural models of depression among foreign-born Mexican (n=30, Cuban (n=30, Columbian (n=30, and island-born Puerto Ricans (n=30, who represent the largest Latino groups in Florida. Results indicate that Colombian, Cuban, Mexican, and Puerto Rican immigrants showed strong intragroup consensus in their models of depression causality, symptoms, and treatment. We found more agreement than disagreement among all four groups regarding core descriptions of depression, which was largely unexpected but can potentially be explained by their common immigrant experiences. Findings expand our understanding about Latino subgroup similarities and differences in their conceptualization of depression and can be used to inform the adaptation of culturally relevant interventions in order to better serve Latino immigrant communities.

EPSTEIN–BARR VIRUS IN THE POPULATION OF TWO GEOGRAPHICALLY DIFFERENT REGIONS OF RUSSIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. B. Senyuta

2017-01-01

Full Text Available It is well known that the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV being widely spread in the human population is also the etiologic agent for a number of malignancies. A notable feature of tumors associated with EBV is their different incidence in various geographical regions, that, as suggested, related with mutational events in multiple loci of the EBV genome and its oncogene, the latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1, associated with the transforming potential of the virus. Given the multi-ethnic composition of Russian population and the diversity of geographical areas and conditions of their residence, it was relevant to examine the representatives of different geographical regions for the nature of their relationship with EBV. To solve this task the antibody response to locally circulating EBV strains, determined by indirect immunofluorescence, was studied in residents of the Central, North Caucasus and Far Eastern Federal Districts, represented by healthy individuals and patients with various head and neck tumors. The levels of antibody titers obtained were compared with the incidence rates of nasopharyngeal tumors (NPT in population of above Districts. In order to determine possible structural modifications in LMP1 gene of EBV strains persisting in selected geographic regions, samples of the gene have been amplified from a biological material collected by “nested” PCR and sequenced. The results obtained have shown that levels of antibody response to EBV among representatives of the regions included in the study vary significantly. It was found that in residents of the Dagestan and the Chechen Republics, the inhabitants of the North Caucasus Federal District, the correlation between enhanced humoral response to EBV and increased incidence of NPT was detected. Since among NPT the EBV-associated form of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPCEBV is dominated, the findings allow us to suggest that the population of these Republics have genetic

Determinants of health disparities between Italian regions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giannoni Margherita

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Among European countries, Italy is one of the countries where regional health disparities contribute substantially to socioeconomic health disparities. In this paper, we report on regional differences in self-reported poor health and explore possible determinants at the individual and regional levels in Italy. Methods We use data from the "Indagine Multiscopo sulle Famiglie", a survey of aspects of everyday life in the Italian population, to estimate multilevel logistic regressions that model poor self-reported health as a function of individual and regional socioeconomic factors. Next we use the causal step approach to test if living conditions, healthcare characteristics, social isolation, and health behaviors at the regional level mediate the relationship between regional socioeconomic factors and self-rated health. Results We find that residents living in regions with more poverty, more unemployment, and more income inequality are more likely to report poor health and that poor living conditions and private share of healthcare expenditures at the regional level mediate socioeconomic disparities in self-rated health among Italian regions. Conclusion The implications are that regional contexts matter and that regional policies in Italy have the potential to reduce health disparities by implementing interventions aimed at improving living conditions and access to quality healthcare.

Differences in regional muscle distribution in football players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nešić N.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine whether there are differences in regional distribution of muscle mass between a dominant and a non-dominant side and between an injured and an uninjured side. The study involved 31 participant with the following characteristics: aged 22±5 years, body height (TV 184±13 cm, body weight (TM 80±13 kg, average body fat weight (BF 14,35 kg, body mass index (BMI 24,8±4, and average percentage of body fat 15,5% (PBF. Of the total number of participants, 16 players (TIM 1 are playing football in the Croatian Second Division and 15 players (TIM 2 are playing in the Second County League. Measurements of muscle mass were conducted in two ways - measurements with bioelectrical impedance (BIA and anthropometric measurements. The girth was measured at eight different places - left and right forearm and upper arm, left and right leg and thigh. Additionally, the skin folds were measured on each side of the body: the skin fold on posterior side of the upper arm (triceps, on lateral side of the forearm, on anterior side of the thigh and on medial side of the lower leg. Data on muscle mass of individual segments of the left and right sides of the body were obtained with GAIA 359 device. The results of the statistical test showed a statistically significant difference among all groups except the differences between the dominant and non-dominant hand in TIM-1. In TIM-2, the average value of difference in muscle mass for arms is 0,012 kg and for legs 0,268 kg, both values in favor of the dominant hand. In TIM-1, the average value of difference in muscle mass is 0,087 kg in favor of non-dominant leg; the reason could be in a greater number of injuries on the dominant side. When it comes to injuries, both teams have seven players who suffered different injuries, of that number all the injuries were on the dominant leg in the TIM-1, whereas only two injuries were on the dominant side in TIM-2. The difference between the

Endotoxin predictors and associated respiratory outcomes differ with climate regions in the U.S.

Science.gov (United States)

Mendy, Angelico; Wilkerson, Jesse; Salo, Pӓivi M; Cohn, Richard D; Zeldin, Darryl C; Thorne, Peter S

2018-03-01

Although endotoxin is a recognized cause of environmental lung disease, how its relationship with respiratory outcomes varies with climate is unknown. To examine the endotoxin predictors as well as endotoxin association with asthma, wheeze, and sensitization to inhalant allergens in various US climate regions. We analyzed data on 6963 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Endotoxin measurements of house dust from bedroom floor and bedding were performed at the University of Iowa. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to identify endotoxin predictors and assess endotoxin association with health outcomes. The overall median house dust endotoxin was 16.2 EU/mg; it was higher in mixed-dry/hot-dry regions (19.7 EU/mg) and lower in mixed-humid/marine areas (14.8 EU/mg). Endotoxin predictors and endotoxin association with health outcomes significantly differed across climate regions. In subarctic/very cold/cold regions, log 10 -endotoxin was significantly associated with higher prevalence of wheeze outcomes (OR:1.48, 95% CI:1.19-1.85 for any wheeze, OR:1.48, 95% CI:1.22-1.80 for exercise-induced wheeze, OR:1.50, 95% CI:1.13-1.98 for prescription medication for wheeze, and OR:1.95, 95% CI:1.50-2.54 for doctor/ER visit for wheeze). In hot-humid regions, log 10 -endotoxin was positively associated with any wheeze (OR:1.66, 95% CI:1.04-2.65) and current asthma (OR:1.56, 95% CI:1.11-2.18), but negatively with sensitization to any inhalant allergens (OR:0.83, 95% CI:0.74-0.92). Endotoxin predictors and endotoxin association with asthma and wheeze differ across U.S. climate regions. Endotoxin is associated positively with wheeze or asthma in cold and hot-humid regions, but negatively with sensitization to inhalant allergens in hot-humid climates. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

F region electron density irregularity spectra near Auroral acceleration and shear regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, S.; Basu, S.; MacKenzie, E.; Coley, W.R.; Hanson, W.B.; Lin, C.S.

1984-01-01

Spectral characteristics of auroral F region irregularities were studied by the use of high-resolution (approx.35 m) density measurements made by the retarding potential analyzer (RPA) on board the Atmosphere Explorer D (AE-D) satellite during two orbits when the satellite was traversing the high-latitude ionosphere in the evening sector. Coordinated DMSP passes provided synoptic coverage of auroral activity. The auroral energy input was estimated by intergrating the low-energy electron (LEE) data on AE-D. It was found that the one-dimensional in situ spectral index (p 1 ) of the irregularities at scale lengths of 1 values of approx.-3. This is interpreted as resulting from the effects of E region conductivity on the F region irregularity structure. The regions in between the precipitation structures, where presumably the E region conductivity was small, were generally associated with large shears in the horizontal E-W drifts and large velocities, as measured by the ion drift meter on board AE-D. The maximum drifts measured were approx.2 km s -1 , corresponding to an electric field of 100 mV m -1 . The large-velocity regions were also associated with substantial ion heating and electron density depletions. The largest shear magnitudes observed were approx.80 m s -1 km -1 , and the shear gradient scale lengths were approx.10 km, which was approximately the resolution of the ion drift meter data set used. The spectral characteristics of irregularities in the large, variable flow regions were very different, with p 1 being approx.-1

Investigating 100% renewable energy supply at regional level using scenario analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annicka Waenn

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Energy modelling work in Ireland to date has mainly taken place at a national level. A regional modelling approach is necessary however, for Ireland to reach the ambitious targets for renewable energy and emissions reduction. This paper explores the usefulness of the energy modelling tool EnergyPLAN in investigating the energy system of the South West Region of Ireland. This paper estimates a 10.5% current renewable energy share of energy use, with 40% renewable electricity. We build and assess a reference scenario and three renewable energy scenarios from a technological and resources perspective. The results show that sufficient resources are available for the South West Region energy system to become 100% renewable and quantifies the land-use implications. Moreover, EnergyPLAN can be a useful tool in exploring different technical solutions. However, thorough investigations of as many alternatives as possible, is necessary before major investments are made in a future energy system.

Isolation of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica strains from different sources in Izmir region, Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Bozcal, Elif; Uzel, Atac; Aydemir, Sohret; Skurnik, Mikael

2015-11-01

Yersinia enterocolitica is a foodborne pathogen that is very rarely encountered in Turkey. In this work, several human, porcine, and environmental samples collected from Izmir region in Turkey were examined for the presence of Y. enterocolitica using different cultivation and enrichment methods. A total of nine pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains were isolated; five strains from pig stool and manure samples and four strains from waste water samples. On the other hand, no Y. enterocolitica was isolated from human diarrheal stool samples (n = 102) and from 12 gulf, canal, municipal pool, and well water samples. Biochemical and serological characterization of the nine Y. enterocolitica strains revealed that they belonged to three different bioserotypes: 4/O:3, 2/O:9, and 2/O:5,27. All the strains were deemed pathogenic based on virulence factor-specific PCR analysis. Detection of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains from the pig and waste water samples from the Izmir region indicates that Y. enterocolitica is a potential risk for public health.

Farmers' suicides in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India: a qualitative exploration of their causes.

Science.gov (United States)

Dongre, Amol R; Deshmukh, Pradeep R

2012-01-01

To explore the various perceived reasons for farmers' suicides in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, their common factors, and to suggest solutions. The present formative research was undertaken in the 23 villages surrounding the Anji Primary Health Centre, located in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India. A triangulation of free list and pile sort exercises was used. The data was analyzed by Anthropac 4.98.1/X software. This was followed by a semi-structured focus group discussion. To increase the validity of the results, these findings were presented to the participants and later they were circulated to the 26 farmers' clubs in the villages for comment and discussion during their monthly, village-based meetings. Farmers perceived debt, addiction, environmental problems, poor prices for farm produce, stress and family responsibilities, government apathy, poor irrigation, increased cost of cultivation, private money lenders, use of chemical fertilizers and crop failure as the reasons for farmers' suicides. Participants suggested solutions such as self-reliance and capacity building among farmers, a monitoring and support system for vulnerable farmers, support and counseling services, a village-level, transparent system for the disbursement of relief packages. Farmers' suicides in Vidarbha are caused by the complex interplay of social, political and environmental constraints. Hence, a comprehensive intervention to ensure self-reliance and capacity building among farmers in modern farming techniques , monitoring and support system for vulnerable farmers, a village-level, transparent system for disbursement of relief packages is required to prevent farmer suicides in the near future. Apart from this, there is a need to strengthen the National Mental Health Program at primary health care level to offer support and counseling to vulnerable farmers in rural area.

Definition of prospective terrains for industrial polymineralic placers in the Mississippi embayment region by use of uranium exploration data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grosz, A.E.; Greenwood, W.J.; Schruben, P.G.; Grossman, J.N.

1997-01-01

Titanium, Zr, Hf, rare-earth element (REE), Th, and U data from the Hydrogeochemical Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) database, and Th and U from the airborne spectral gamma-ray radiation data base of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) program are diagnostic of, and may predict the presence of, commercially important concentrations of industrial heavy minerals. An analysis of these data from the Mississippi embayment region shows that regionally anomalous concentrations of these elements in sediment samples and intensifies in airborne radiation surveys can indicate the presence and relative abundance of important industrial heavy minerals such as ilmenite, rutile, zircon, and monazite. Plots of samples with statistically anomalous concentrations of these elements coincide with known placer deposits of industrial heavy minerals. Cretaceous and younger sediments are indicated as likely hosts to undiscovered economic deposits. Volcanic, plutonic, and metamorphic rocks are the sources of the minerals found in these sediments, and thus valley-fill sediments within the crystalline terranes may also host concentrations of placer minerals. Fe/Ti ratios ≤ 1.17 in sediment samples are shown to be sensitive indicators of weathered ilmenite (> 52.7 wt% TiO 2 ); locations of such samples are coincident with Cretaceous and younger sediments in the study area. The data outline large areas suitable for Ti-Hf-REE-bearing placer exploration. Evidence for potential Ti-Hf-REE placer deposits is given for unconsolidated sediments in the floodplain of the Mississippi River. Good correlations between the abundances of Ce and La, Ce and Th, and Th and U in the sediment samples show how the geographically more extensive NURE airborne spectral gamma-ray data base can be used to outline areas favorable for monazite-bearing placer exploration. (author)

Governance in regional development planning?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Galland, Daniel

2008-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to lay part of the groundwork for a new project aimed at exploring governance aspects concerned with regional development planning (RDP) in Denmark. The fundamental objective is to help establish and clarify a number of research questions to delve into the conditions...... and opportunities for anchoring and implementing such RDP. The paper mainly adopts a descriptive approach to portray tentative pathways to explore and discuss regional governance structures, procedures and practices that are being developed in establishing new RDP processes, strategies and plans....

Large differences in regional precipitation change between a first and second 2 K of global warming

Science.gov (United States)

Good, Peter; Booth, Ben B. B.; Chadwick, Robin; Hawkins, Ed; Jonko, Alexandra; Lowe, Jason A.

2016-01-01

For adaptation and mitigation planning, stakeholders need reliable information about regional precipitation changes under different emissions scenarios and for different time periods. A significant amount of current planning effort assumes that each K of global warming produces roughly the same regional climate change. Here using 25 climate models, we compare precipitation responses with three 2 K intervals of global ensemble mean warming: a fast and a slower route to a first 2 K above pre-industrial levels, and the end-of-century difference between high-emission and mitigation scenarios. We show that, although the two routes to a first 2 K give very similar precipitation changes, a second 2 K produces quite a different response. In particular, the balance of physical mechanisms responsible for climate model uncertainty is different for a first and a second 2 K of warming. The results are consistent with a significant influence from nonlinear physical mechanisms, but aerosol and land-use effects may be important regionally. PMID:27922014

Regional differences in system usage charges. Impediment to a fair energy transition?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plenz, Maik; Meister, Moritz; Doliwa, Martin; Obbelode, Felix

2014-01-01

The conversion of the German electricity supply system to production from renewable resources under the national energy transition policy is making it necessary to expand and restructure the distribution networks. Based on the expansion goals of the federal government, expectations are that thinly populated regions with low conflict potential will see a continued growth in distributed generation. This will increase the geographic asymmetry that exists between the production of renewable energy in rural, peripheral regions and its consumption predominantly in urban regions, thus enlarging the regional differences in system usage charges seen already today. The geographic disparity between production and consumption may grow larger still with the continuing installation of new and repowering of existing renewable energy plants. Of the possibilities discussed so far for reforming the scheme of charges, some would only have a weak impact, while others would even exacerbate the problem. The solution proposed in the present article takes account of the costs incurred through upstream supply networks in accordance with Article 14 Section 1 Sentence 1 of the Ordinance on System Usage Charges. In effect it leads to an allocation of costs according to the user-pays principle, thus protecting consumers connected to rural distribution networks against an undue cost burden and charging a fair share of the costs to consumers in urban and industrial distribution networks.

Exploring differences of soil quality as related to management in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

soil, vegetation and biodiversity) and productivity. Vegetation condition in contrasting land-use management systems is well documented in semiarid rangelands, but relatively little information is available on soil quality. This study explores soil ...

Earthquake hazard analysis for the different regions in and around Ağrı

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bayrak, Erdem, E-mail: erdmbyrk@gmail.com; Yilmaz, Şeyda, E-mail: seydayilmaz@ktu.edu.tr [Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon (Turkey); Bayrak, Yusuf, E-mail: bayrak@ktu.edu.tr [Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University, Ağrı (Turkey)

2016-04-18

We investigated earthquake hazard parameters for Eastern part of Turkey by determining the a and b parameters in a Gutenberg–Richter magnitude–frequency relationship. For this purpose, study area is divided into seven different source zones based on their tectonic and seismotectonic regimes. The database used in this work was taken from different sources and catalogues such as TURKNET, International Seismological Centre (ISC), Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) and The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) for instrumental period. We calculated the a value, b value, which is the slope of the frequency–magnitude Gutenberg–Richter relationship, from the maximum likelihood method (ML). Also, we estimated the mean return periods, the most probable maximum magnitude in the time period of t-years and the probability for an earthquake occurrence for an earthquake magnitude ≥ M during a time span of t-years. We used Zmap software to calculate these parameters. The lowest b value was calculated in Region 1 covered Cobandede Fault Zone. We obtain the highest a value in Region 2 covered Kagizman Fault Zone. This conclusion is strongly supported from the probability value, which shows the largest value (87%) for an earthquake with magnitude greater than or equal to 6.0. The mean return period for such a magnitude is the lowest in this region (49-years). The most probable magnitude in the next 100 years was calculated and we determined the highest value around Cobandede Fault Zone. According to these parameters, Region 1 covered the Cobandede Fault Zone and is the most dangerous area around the Eastern part of Turkey.

The Regional Dimension

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eskjær, Mikkel Fugl

2013-01-01

is largely dependent on regional media systems, yet the role this regional dimension plays has been largely overlooked. This article presents a comparative study of climate-change coverage in three geo-cultural regions, The Middle East, Scandinavia, and North America, and explores the link between global......Global perspectives and national approaches have dominated studies of climate-change communication, reflecting the global nature of climate change as well as the traditional research focus on national media systems. In the absence of a global public sphere, however, transnational issue attention...... climate-change communication and regional media systems. It finds that regional variations in climate-change communication carry important communicative implications concerning perceptions of climate change's relevance and urgency...

Exploring the fate, transport and risk of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) in a coastal region of China using a multimedia model.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shijie; Lu, Yonglong; Xie, Shuangwei; Wang, Tieyu; Jones, Kevin C; Sweetman, Andrew J

2015-12-01

Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and related substances have been widely applied in both industrial processes and domestic products in China. Exploring the environmental fate and transport of PFOS using modeling methods provides an important link between emission and multimedia diffusion which forms a vital part in the human health risk assessment and chemical management for these substances. In this study, the gridded fugacity based BETR model was modified to make it more suitable to model transfer processes of PFOS in a coastal region, including changes to PFOS partition coefficients to reflect the influence of water salinity on its sorption behavior. The fate and transport of PFOS in the Bohai coastal region of China were simulated under steady state with the modified version of the model. Spatially distributed emissions of PFOS and related substances in 2010 were estimated and used in these simulations. Four different emission scenarios were investigated, in which a range of half-lives for PFOS related substances were considered. Concentrations of PFOS in air, vegetation, soil, fresh water, fresh water sediment and coastal water were derived from the model under the steady-state assumption. The median modeled PFOS concentrations in fresh water, fresh water sediment and soil were 7.20ng/L, 0.39ng/g and 0.21ng/g, respectively, under Emission Scenario 2 (which assumed all PFOS related substances immediately degrade to PFOS) for the whole region, while the maximum concentrations were 47.10ng/L, 4.98ng/g and 2.49ng/g, respectively. Measured concentration data for PFOS in the Bohai coastal region around the year of 2010 were collected from the literature. The reliability of the model results was evaluated by comparing the range of modeled concentrations with the measured data, which generally matched well for the main compartments. Fate and transfer fluxes were derived from the model based on the calculated inventory within the compartments, transfer fluxes between

Genetic diversity in cattle from eight regions in Costa Rica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cordero-Solorzano, Juan Miguel; Leon-Rodriguez, Bernal; Chacon-Gonzalez, Idania; Vargas-Leiton, Bernardo; Martinez-Pichardo, Marco

2016-01-01

The degree of inter-regional genetic diversity is explored in cattle of Costa Rica. 1498 DNA samples were collected of eight different regions of the country during the year 2013. Allelic frequencies and major population genetic parameters are calculated for eighteen microsatellite markers. An analysis of molecular variance is performed. The genetic distances between cattle of different regions are calculated. A high degree of diversity, with an average number of 14,6±1,01 alleles observed and 5,6+0,37 effective alleles per marker is observed at the national level. The heterozygosity observed (Ho) has been 0,76±0,01 and the expected (He) 0,81±0,01. Polymorphic information content (PIC) and inbreeding index (F_I_S) have been of 0,79±0,06 and 0,06±0,004, respectively. At the regional level, HO has varied from 0,73 ± 0,02 in the Central Sur region to 0,78 ±0,01 in the Huetar Norte region. Three clearly differentiated groups are shown by the dendrogram , with the Central Metropolitana and Central Occidental regions in a group: Huetar Caribe, Central Sur, Pacifico Central and Chorotega in a second group; and Huetar Norte and Brunca in a third intermediate group. Estimates of genetic differentiation R_S_T have been significant between regions of different groups and among regions of the same group have remained without being significant. Genetic differences between regions are related with differentiated proliferation of racial types according to their adaptability to the agroecological conditions and production systems prevailing in each region. (author) [es

Comparison of different methods for assessment of left ventricular regional motility using the gated blood pool method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neumann, P.; Schicha, H.; Karsch, K.R.; Kreuzer, H.; Emrich, D.

1983-01-01

The following methods of evaluation were compared: qualitative analysis of cine mode; qualitative analysis of parametric scans obtained by Fourier analysis including the phase histogram; quantitative analysis of regional ejection fraction (EF). Regional wall motion abnormalities of high degree (akinesia, dyskinesia) were recognized by all three methods with a high sensitivity of 89.7-96.6% without statistically significant differences. The sensitivity for detecting hypokinetic segments was significantly lower (50.0-68.2%) without statistically significant differences between the three methods. Sensitivity for all kinds of wall motion abnormalities could be increased by combining the quantitative method of regional EF with the qualitative evaluation after Fourier analysis

Challenges in authorization of exploration and exploitation of radioactive minerals in Slovakia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janova, V.; Turner, M.

2014-01-01

Slovakia has a long tradition in the peaceful use of nuclear energy which dates back to the 1950s of last century. In parallel with the development of nuclear power uranium exploitation has started. Whereas the development of nuclear power has continued without interruption the uranium exploitation has been suspended during the political and economic restructuralization until 2005. There is also a difference in the acceptance of nuclear power by the local authorities in comparison with uranium exploration and exploitation. Permitting process of exploration activities in the Slovak Republic is regulated by geological law and falls within the competence of the Ministry of Environment. Radioactive minerals are considered as exclusive minerals and their survey is allowed to the applicant only in exploration territory. The exploration area is determined for four years and then extended for additional periods. The opinions of the affected municipalities and self governing regions (which reflect the compliance of the geological project with the objectives and priorities of the economic and social development programs and with the land-use planning documentation) have to be submitted with the application. Meanwhile, the affected municipality and the self governing region are the parties of administrative procedure of designation, change or cancellation of exploration area for radioactive minerals and they have a right of veto. In case, that affected municipality or autonomous region disagree with proposal, the Ministry of the Environment recommends a modification of proposed exploration area. Extraction of minerals is regulated by the mining act that falls under the competency of the Ministry of Economy. The right to mine exclusive deposits has the organization which has got mining license and which a mining area has been determined to. Preferential right for mining area determination has the company, that exploration area was determined and the research was carried out at

Regional energy and environment exploration in Belgium 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciujpers, C.

1994-01-01

The prospects for energy consumption and related emission of NO x , SO 2 , and CO 2 gases for the year 2000 are reported for three regions (the Flanders, Brussels Metropolitan, and Wallonie region) in Belgium. Two scenarios were developed: a reference scenario in which the policy of 1990 is continued on the one hand and a policy making scenario in which the energy and carbon taxes, proposed by the European Commission are introduced on the other hand. This methodology allows to estimate the impact of the energy and carbon taxes on energy consumption and the emission of greenhouse gases. In conclusion is stated that at continued policy, primary energy consumption in Belgium will rise 22.4 percent from 1990 to 2000. The introduction of energy and carbon taxes will result in a reduction of the primary energy consumption with 5.9 percent. At a continued policy NO X , SO 2 emissions will reduce respectively 27.2 percent, 18.8 percent while CO 2 emissions will increase 21.4 percent from 1990 till 2000. Compared to the continued scenario, the introduction of energy and carbon taxes in Belgium will lead to additional NO X and CO 2 emissions of respectively 6.5 and 13.6 percent, while the CO 2 emission will be reduced by 9.5 percent in 2000. It is concluded that the proposed energy and carbon taxes are important impulses for the realization of the Belgian objective to reduce the CO 2 -emission from 1990 to 2000 by five percent. (A.S.) 5 Figs. 9 Tabs

[Maternal hemoglobin in Peru: regional differences and its association with adverse perinatal outcomes].

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzales, Gustavo F; Tapia, Vilma; Gasco, Manuel; Carrillo, Carlos

2011-01-01

To evaluate hemoglobin (Hb) levels in pregnant women from different geographical regions from Peru; to establish anemia and erythrocytocis rates and to establish the role of Hb on adverse perinatal outcomes using the Perinatal Information System (PIS) database of Peruvian Ministry of Health. Data were obtained from 379,816 births of 43 maternity care units between 2000 and 2010. Anemia and erythrocytocis rates were determined in each geographical region as well as rates of adverse perinatal outcomes. To analyze data the STATA program (versión 10.0,Texas, USA) was used. The results were considered significant at panemia rate was higher in the coast (25.8%) and low forest (26.2%). Moderate/severe anemia rate in low forest was 2.6% and at the coast was 1.0%. In the highland, the highest rate of moderate/severe anemia was in the southern highlands (0.6%). The highest rate of erythrocytocis was found in the central highland (23.7%), 11.9% in the southern highland and 9.5% in the north highland. Severe anemia and erythrocytocis were associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. There are differences by Peruvian geographical region in anemia rates. In the central highlands were found the highest rates of erythrocytocis due to hypoxia effect in the high altitudes; however in the southern highlands, erythrocytocis was lower. Severe anemia and erythrocytosis were associated with increased adverse perinatal outcomes.

Ecophysiological Traits of Leaves of Three Marsilea Species Distributed in Different Geographical Regions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tai-Chung Wu

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Marsilea, an amphibian fern genus (containing ca. 80 species characterized by their unusual leaves and reproductive structures, is distributed over the five continents. To investigate the adaptation traits of three Marsilea species (M. crenata, M. quadrifolia, and M. schelpiana, distributed in different geographic regions, to terrestrial conditions, we compared morphological features, optical properties and photosynthetic performance of leaflets of the three species grown in terrestrial environment. The results showed that leaflets of the three species had significant differences in some of the ecophysiogical traits. Among the three species, M. quadrifolia (distributed in temperate region where receiving low precipitation had the highest trichome density on its leaflet surface and the highest water use efficiency, M. schelpiana (mainly in southern Africa where accepting high level of solar irradiance had the tallest petiole and the highest leaf dissection index, total stomatal pore area index, PSII electron transport rate and photosaturated photosynthetic rate, M. crenata (mainly in southeastern Asia region where receiving high precipitation and with high humidity had the lowest leaf dissection index and water use efficiency. Accordingly, leaf characteristics of the three Marsilea species reflect the climate pattern of their habitats. The results also suggest that water availability and light intensity are two of the important factors contributing to the geographic distribution of the three species.

Atlantic Region

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elands, B.H.M.; Bell, S.; Blok, J.

2010-01-01

Chapter 2 explores recreation and tourism practices in forest areas in the Atlantic region, which refers to the geographical area close to the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic countries described in this section are Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, the

Regional differences in actomyosin contraction shape the primary vesicles in the embryonic chicken brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filas, Benjamen A; Oltean, Alina; Majidi, Shabnam; Bayly, Philip V; Taber, Larry A; Beebe, David C

2012-01-01

In the early embryo, the brain initially forms as a relatively straight, cylindrical epithelial tube composed of neural stem cells. The brain tube then divides into three primary vesicles (forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain), as well as a series of bulges (rhombomeres) in the hindbrain. The boundaries between these subdivisions have been well studied as regions of differential gene expression, but the morphogenetic mechanisms that generate these constrictions are not well understood. Here, we show that regional variations in actomyosin-based contractility play a major role in vesicle formation in the embryonic chicken brain. In particular, boundaries did not form in brains exposed to the nonmuscle myosin II inhibitor blebbistatin, whereas increasing contractile force using calyculin or ATP deepened boundaries considerably. Tissue staining showed that contraction likely occurs at the inner part of the wall, as F-actin and phosphorylated myosin are concentrated at the apical side. However, relatively little actin and myosin was found in rhombomere boundaries. To determine the specific physical mechanisms that drive vesicle formation, we developed a finite-element model for the brain tube. Regional apical contraction was simulated in the model, with contractile anisotropy and strength estimated from contractile protein distributions and measurements of cell shapes. The model shows that a combination of circumferential contraction in the boundary regions and relatively isotropic contraction between boundaries can generate realistic morphologies for the primary vesicles. In contrast, rhombomere formation likely involves longitudinal contraction between boundaries. Further simulations suggest that these different mechanisms are dictated by regional differences in initial morphology and the need to withstand cerebrospinal fluid pressure. This study provides a new understanding of early brain morphogenesis. (paper)

Increased frequency of retinopathy of prematurity over the last decade and significant regional differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmström, Gerd; Tornqvist, Kristina; Al-Hawasi, Abbas; Nilsson, Åsa; Wallin, Agneta; Hellström, Ann

2018-03-01

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) causes childhood blindness globally in prematurely born infants. Although increased levels of oxygen supply lead to increased survival and reduced frequency of cerebral palsy, increased incidence of ROP is reported. With the help of a Swedish register for ROP, SWEDROP, national and regional incidences of ROP and frequencies of treatment were evaluated from 2008 to 2015 (n = 5734), as well as before and after targets of provided oxygen changed from 85-89% to 91-95% in 2014. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) was found in 31.9% (1829/5734) of all infants with a gestational age (GA) of <31 weeks at birth and 5.7% of the infants (329/5734) had been treated for ROP. Analyses of the national data revealed an increased incidence of ROP during the 8-year study period (p = 0.003), but there was no significant increase in the frequency of treatment. There were significant differences between the seven health regions of Sweden, regarding both incidence of ROP and frequency of treatment (p < 0.001). Comparison of regional data before and after the new oxygen targets revealed a significant increase in treated ROP in one region [OR: 2.24 (CI: 1.11-4.49), p = 0.024] and a borderline increase in one other [OR: 3.08 (CI: 0.99-9.60), p = 0.052]. The Swedish national ROP register revealed an increased incidence of ROP during an 8-year period and significant regional differences regarding the incidence of ROP and frequency of treatment. © 2017 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Developmental toxicity in flounder embryos exposed to crude oils derived from different geographical regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Jee-Hyun; Lee, Eun-Hee; Choi, Kwang-Min; Yim, Un Hyuk; Ha, Sung Yong; An, Joon Geon; Kim, Moonkoo

2017-06-01

Crude oils from distinct geographical regions have distinct chemical compositions, and, as a result, their toxicity may be different. However, developmental toxicity of crude oils derived from different geographical regions has not been extensively characterized. In this study, flounder embryos were separately exposed to effluents contaminated by three crude oils including: Basrah Light (BLO), Pyrenees (PCO), and Sakhalin Vityaz (SVO), in addition to a processed fuel oil (MFO-380), to measure developmental toxicity and for gene expressions. Each oil possessed a distinct chemical composition. Edema defect was highest in embryos exposed to PCO and MFO-380 that both have a greater fraction of three-ring PAHs (33% and 22%, respectively) compared to BLO and SVO. Observed caudal fin defects were higher in embryos exposed to SVO and MFO-380, which are both dominated by naphthalenes (81% and 52%, respectively). CYP1A gene expressions were also highest in embryos exposed to SVO and MFO-380. Higher incidence of cardiotoxicity and lower nkx 2.5 expression were detected in embryos exposed to PCO. Unique gene expression profiles were observed in embryos exposed to crude oils with distinct compositions. This study demonstrates that crude oils of different geographical origins with different compositional characteristics induce developmental toxicity to different degrees. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A study on biological activity of marine fungi from different habitats in coastal regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Songlin; Wang, Min; Feng, Qi; Lin, Yingying; Zhao, Huange

2016-01-01

In recent years, marine fungi have become an important source of active marine natural products. Former researches are limited in habitats selection of fungi with bioactive compounds. In this paper were to measure antibacterial and antitumor cell activity for secondary metabolites of marine fungi, which were isolated from different habitats in coastal regions. 195 strains of marine fungi were isolated and purified from three different habitats. They biologically active experiment results showed that fungi isolation from the mangrove habitats had stronger antibacterial activity than others, and the stains isolated from the estuarial habitats had the least antibacterial activity. However, the strains separated from beach habitats strongly inhibited tumor cell proliferation in vitro, and fungi of mangrove forest habitats had the weakest activity of inhibiting tumor. Meanwhile, 195 fungal strains belonged to 46 families, 84 genera, 142 species and also showed 137 different types of activity combinations by analyzing the inhibitory activity of the metabolites fungi for 4 strains of pathogenic bacteria and B-16 cells. The study investigated the biological activity of marine fungi isolated from different habitats in Haikou coastal regions. The results help us to understand bioactive metabolites of marine fungi from different habitats, and how to selected biological activity fungi from various marine habitats effectively.

Comparative analysis of the microbial communities in raw milk produced in different regions of Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, In Seon; Hur, Yoo Kyung; Kim, Eun Ji; Ahn, Young-Tae; Kim, Jong Geun; Choi, Yun-Jaie; Huh, Chul Sung

2017-11-01

The control of psychrotrophic bacteria causing milk spoilage and illness due to toxic compounds is an important issue in the dairy industry. In South Korea, Gangwon-do province is one of the coldest terrains in which eighty percent of the area is mountainous regions, and mainly plays an important role in the agriculture and dairy industries. The purposes of this study were to analyze the indigenous microbiota of raw milk in Gangwon-do and accurately investigate a putative microbial group causing deterioration in milk quality. We collected raw milk from the bulk tank of 18 dairy farms in the Hoengseong and Pyeongchang regions of Gangwon-do. Milk components were analyzed and the number of viable bacteria was confirmed. The V3 and V4 regions of 16S rRNA gene were amplified and sequenced on an Illumina Miseq platform. Sequences were then assigned to operational taxonomic units, followed by the selection of representative sequences using the QIIME software package. The milk samples from Pyeongchang were higher in fat, protein, lactose, total solid, and solid non-fat, and bacterial cell counts were observed only for the Hoengseong samples. The phylum Proteobacteria was detected most frequently in both the Hoengseong and Pyeongchang samples, followed by the phyla Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. Notably, Corynebacterium, Pediococcus, Macrococcus, and Acinetobacter were significantly different from two regions. Although the predominant phylum in raw milk is same, the abundances of major genera in milk samples were different between Hoengseong and Pyeongchang. We assumed that these differences are caused by regional dissimilar farming environments such as soil, forage, and dairy farming equipment so that the quality of milk raw milk from Pyeongchang is higher than that of Hoengseong. These results could provide the crucial information for identifying the microbiota in raw milk of South Korea.

Family medicine training in Saudi Arabia: Are there any variations among different regions?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ammar R Abu Zuhairah

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Aims: The aim was to compare Eastern, Makkah, and Asir regions in term of residents′ perception of the achievement of training objectives, and to assess various rotations based on residents′ perception. Settings and Design: This cross-sectional study was done among family medicine residents in the Eastern, Makkah, and Asir regions. Methodology: A questionnaire was developed by the investigator and validated by two experts. All residents, except R1 residents, were included. All data were collected by the investigator by direct contact with the residents. Statistical Analysis Used: Cronbach′s alpha, analysis of variance, t-test, and univariate regression model as appropriate, were used. Results: Reliability of the questionnaire was found to be 75.4%. One hundred and seven (response rate: 83.6% residents completed the questionnaire. There were 51 (47.7%, 27 (25.2%, and 29 (27.1% residents in the program in the Eastern region, Makkah, and Asir, respectively. The mean age was 29.1 ± 2.5 years; half of the residents were male, most of (83.2% were married, and more than half (54.2% of had worked in primary health care before joining the program. Overall, 45% of the residents perceived that they had achieved the training objectives. The highest rotations as perceived by the residents were psychiatry and otolaryngology while the lowest were orthopedics and ophthalmology. There were significant differences among the study regions with regard to the rotations in family medicine, internal medicine, orthopedics, general surgery, and emergency medicine. Conclusions: Overall, a good percentage of the residents perceived that they had achieved the training objectives. The rotations differed in the studied regions. Psychiatry and otolaryngology had the highest percentage of family medicine residents who perceived that they had achieved the training objectives while lowest was in internal medicine and obstetrics and gynecology. The highest rotations as

INTEGRATED EXPLORATION OF GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. B. Alkhasov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim. The aim is to develop the energy efficient technologies to explore hydro geothermal resources of different energy potential.Methods. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the proposed technologies has been carried out with the use of physical and mathematical, thermodynamic and optimization methods of calculation and the physical and chemical experimental research.Results. We propose the technology of integrated exploration of low-grade geothermal resources with the application of heat and water resource potential on various purposes. We also argue for the possibility of effective exploration of geothermal resources by building a binary geothermal power plant using idle oil and gas wells. We prove the prospect of geothermal steam and gas technologies enabling highly efficient use of thermal water of low energy potential (80 - 100 ° C degrees to generate electricity; the prospects of complex processing of high-temperature geothermal brine of Tarumovsky field. Thermal energy is utilized in a binary geothermal power plant in the supercritical Rankine cycle operating with a low-boiling agent. The low temperature spent brine from the geothermal power plant with is supplied to the chemical plant, where the main chemical components are extracted - lithium carbonate, magnesium burning, calcium carbonate and sodium chloride. Next, the waste water is used for various water management objectives. Electricity generated in the binary geothermal power plant is used for the extraction of chemical components.Conclusions. Implementation of the proposed technologies will facilitate the most efficient development of hydro geothermal resources of the North Caucasus region. Integrated exploration of the Tarumovsky field resources will fully meet Russian demand for lithium carbonate and sodium chloride.

Differential Cytotoxic Activity of Essential Oil of Lippia citriodora from Different Regions in Morocco.

Science.gov (United States)

Oukerrou, Moulay Ali; Tilaoui, Mounir; Mouse, Hassan Ait; Bouchmaa, Najat; Zyad, Abdelmajid

2017-07-01

The aim of this work was to investigate the cytotoxic effect of the essential oil of dried leaves of Lippia citriodora (H.B. & K.) harvested in different regions of Morocco. This effect was evaluated against the P815 murine mastocytoma cell line using the MTT assay. Interestingly, this work demonstrated for the first time that these essential oils exhibited a strong cytotoxic activity against the P815 cell line, with IC 50 values ranging from 7.75 to 13.25 μg/ml. This cytotoxicity began early and increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The chemical profile of these essential oils was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Importantly, the difference in terms of major components' contents was not significant suggesting probably that the differential cytotoxicity between these essential oils could be attributed to the difference in the content of these essential oils in minor compounds, which could interact with each other or with the main molecules. Finally, this study demonstrated for the first time that essential oils of L. citriodora from different regions in Morocco induced apoptosis against P815 tumor cell line. © 2017 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

Exploring approaches to dietetic assessment of a common task across different universities through assessment moderation.

Science.gov (United States)

Palermo, C; Volders, E; Gibson, S; Kennedy, M; Wray, A; Thomas, J; Hannan-Jones, M; Gallegos, D; Beck, E

2018-02-01

Assessment presents one of the greatest challenges to evaluating health professional trainee performance, as a result of the subjectivity of judgements and variability in assessor standards. The present study aimed to test a moderation procedure for assessment across four independent universities and explore approaches to assessment and the factors that influence assessment decisions. Assessment tasks designed independently by each of the four universities to assess student readiness for placement were chosen for the present study. Each university provided four student performance recordings for moderation. Eight different academic assessors viewed the student performances and assessed them using the corresponding university assessment instrument. Assessment results were collated and presented back to the assessors, together with the original university assessment results. Results were discussed with assessors to explore variations. The discussion was recorded, transcribed, thematically analysed and presented back to all assessors to achieve consensus on the emerging major learnings. Although there were differences in absolute scores, there was consistency (12 out of 16 performances) in overall judgement decisions regarding placement readiness. Proficient communication skills were considered a key factor when determining placement readiness. The discussion revealed: (i) assessment instruments; (ii) assessor factors; and (iii) the subjectivity of judgement as the major factors influencing assessment. Assessment moderation is a useful method for improving the quality of assessment decisions by sharing understanding and aligning standards of performance. © 2017 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Implementing the first regional hospice palliative care program in Ontario: the Champlain region as a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, José; Contant, Jocelyne; Barton, Gwen; Klinger, Christopher

2016-07-26

Regionalization promotes planning and coordination of services across settings and providers to meet population needs. Despite the potential advantages of regionalization, no regional hospice palliative care program existed in Ontario, Canada, as of 2010. This paper describes the process and early results of the development of the first regional hospice palliative care program in Ontario. The various activities and processes undertaken and the formal agreements, policies and documents are described. A participative approach, started in April 2009, was used. It brought together over 26 health service providers, including residential hospices, a palliative care unit, community and hospital specialist consultation teams, hospitals, community health and social service agencies (including nursing), individual health professionals, volunteers, patients and families. An extensive stakeholder and community vetting process was undertaken that included work groups (to explore key areas such as home care, the hospital sector, hospice and palliative care unit beds, provision of care in rural settings, e-health and education), a steering committee and input from over 320 individuals via e-mail and town-halls. A Transitional Leadership Group was elected to steer the implementation of the Regional Program over the summer of 2010. This group established the by-laws and details regarding the governance structure of the Regional Program, including its role, responsibilities, reporting structures and initial performance indicators that the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) approved. The Regional Program was formally established in November 2010 with a competency-based Board of 14 elected members to oversee the program. Early work involved establishing standards and performance indicators for the different sectors and settings in the region, and identifying key clinical needs such as the establishment of more residential hospice capacity in Ottawa and a rural framework to ensure

Differences in regional grey matter volumes in currently ill patients with anorexia nervosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillipou, Andrea; Rossell, Susan Lee; Gurvich, Caroline; Castle, David Jonathan; Abel, Larry Allen; Nibbs, Richard Grant; Hughes, Matthew Edward

2018-01-01

Neurobiological findings in anorexia nervosa (AN) are inconsistent, including differences in regional grey matter volumes. Methodological limitations often contribute to the inconsistencies reported. The aim of this study was to improve on these methodologies by utilising voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis with the use of diffeomorphic anatomic registration through an exponentiated lie algebra algorithm (DARTEL), in a relatively large group of individuals with AN. Twenty-six individuals with AN and 27 healthy controls underwent a T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. AN participants were found to have reduced grey matter volumes in a number of areas including regions of the basal ganglia (including the ventral striatum), and parietal and temporal cortices. Body mass index (BMI) and global scores on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) were also found to correlate with grey matter volumes in a region of the brainstem (including the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area) in AN, and predicted 56% of the variance in grey matter volumes in this area. The brain regions associated with grey matter reductions in AN are consistent with regions responsible for cognitive deficits associated with the illness including anhedonia, deficits in affect perception and saccadic eye movement abnormalities. Overall, the findings suggest reduced grey matter volumes in AN that are associated with eating disorder symptomatology. © 2017 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reduced regional cerebral blood flow in SPG4-linked hereditary spastic paraplegia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scheuer, Kristin H; Nielsen, Jørgen E; Krabbe, Katja

2005-01-01

flow (rCBF) as an indirect marker of regional neuronal activity. Eighteen SPG4 patients and 18 matched control subjects were studied. Resting state rCBF was measured using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and the (15)O-labelled water bolus technique and relative group differences were explored using...

Attenuation of monkeypox virus by deletion of genomic regions

Science.gov (United States)

Lopera, Juan G.; Falendysz, Elizabeth A.; Rocke, Tonie E.; Osorio, Jorge E.

2015-01-01

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is an emerging pathogen from Africa that causes disease similar to smallpox. Two clades with different geographic distributions and virulence have been described. Here, we utilized bioinformatic tools to identify genomic regions in MPXV containing multiple virulence genes and explored their roles in pathogenicity; two selected regions were then deleted singularly or in combination. In vitro and in vivostudies indicated that these regions play a significant role in MPXV replication, tissue spread, and mortality in mice. Interestingly, while deletion of either region led to decreased virulence in mice, one region had no effect on in vitro replication. Deletion of both regions simultaneously also reduced cell culture replication and significantly increased the attenuation in vivo over either single deletion. Attenuated MPXV with genomic deletions present a safe and efficacious tool in the study of MPX pathogenesis and in the identification of genetic factors associated with virulence.

The evaluation of the earthquake hazard using the exponential distribution method for different seismic source regions in and around Ağrı

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bayrak, Yusuf, E-mail: ybayrak@agri.edu.tr [Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University, Ağrı/Turkey (Turkey); Türker, Tuğba, E-mail: tturker@ktu.edu.tr [Karadeniz Technical University, Department of Geophysics, Trabzon/Turkey (Turkey)

2016-04-18

The aim of this study; were determined of the earthquake hazard using the exponential distribution method for different seismic sources of the Ağrı and vicinity. A homogeneous earthquake catalog has been examined for 1900-2015 (the instrumental period) with 456 earthquake data for Ağrı and vicinity. Catalog; Bogazici University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (Burke), National Earthquake Monitoring Center (NEMC), TUBITAK, TURKNET the International Seismological Center (ISC), Seismological Research Institute (IRIS) has been created using different catalogs like. Ağrı and vicinity are divided into 7 different seismic source regions with epicenter distribution of formed earthquakes in the instrumental period, focal mechanism solutions, and existing tectonic structures. In the study, the average magnitude value are calculated according to the specified magnitude ranges for 7 different seismic source region. According to the estimated calculations for 7 different seismic source regions, the biggest difference corresponding with the classes of determined magnitudes between observed and expected cumulative probabilities are determined. The recurrence period and earthquake occurrence number per year are estimated of occurring earthquakes in the Ağrı and vicinity. As a result, 7 different seismic source regions are determined occurrence probabilities of an earthquake 3.2 magnitude, Region 1 was greater than 6.7 magnitude, Region 2 was greater than than 4.7 magnitude, Region 3 was greater than 5.2 magnitude, Region 4 was greater than 6.2 magnitude, Region 5 was greater than 5.7 magnitude, Region 6 was greater than 7.2 magnitude, Region 7 was greater than 6.2 magnitude. The highest observed magnitude 7 different seismic source regions of Ağrı and vicinity are estimated 7 magnitude in Region 6. Region 6 are determined according to determining magnitudes, occurrence years of earthquakes in the future years, respectively, 7.2 magnitude was in 158

The social life of regions : salmon farming and the regionalization of development in Chilean Patagonia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blanco Wells, G.E.

2009-01-01

This thesis explores a sociological approach towards understanding the contemporary process by which certain territorial relations are grouped under the notion of region. The research adopts an ethnographic perspective to reconstruct the social life of regions by focusing not only on the processes

Regional magnetic and gravity surveys: an aid for uranium exploration - case study from Renigunta and surrounding areas, Chitoor district, Andhra Pradesh, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narasimha Rao, B.; Rama Krishna, P.; Markandeyulu, A.; Dwivedy, K.K.

1998-01-01

Regional magnetic and gravity data of Papanaidupet area, Chitoor district, are discussed in the light of bore hole information for selection of target areas for uranium exploration. The low-pass filtered magnetic data shows a 'smooth' picture suppressing the high frequency components in the original data. The amplitude maxima of analytic signal outline the magnetic source at depth. The Bouguer gravity residual anomaly corresponding to a double sill-like model beneath is used to explain the borehole intercepts, after petro-physical studies of the borehole samples. (author)

Electrospun meshes possessing region-wise differences in fiber orientation, diameter, chemistry and mechanical properties for engineering bone-ligament-bone tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Samavedi, Satyavrata; Vaidya, Prasad; Gaddam, Prudhvidhar; Whittington, Abby R; Goldstein, Aaron S

2014-12-01

Although bone-patellar tendon-bone (B-PT-B) autografts are the gold standard for repair of anterior cruciate ligament ruptures, they suffer from drawbacks such as donor site morbidity and limited supply. Engineered tissues modeled after B-PT-B autografts are promising alternatives because they have the potential to regenerate connective tissue and facilitate osseointegration. Towards the long-term goal of regenerating ligaments and their bony insertions, the objective of this study was to construct 2D meshes and 3D cylindrical composite scaffolds - possessing simultaneous region-wise differences in fiber orientation, diameter, chemistry and mechanical properties - by electrospinning two different polymers from off-set spinnerets. Using a dual drum collector, 2D meshes consisting of an aligned polycaprolactone (PCL) fiber region, randomly oriented poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) fiber region and a transition region (comprised of both PCL and PLGA fibers) were prepared, and region-wise differences were confirmed by microscopy and tensile testing. Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) cultured on these meshes exhibited random orientations and low aspect ratios on the random PLGA regions, and high aspect ratios and alignment on the aligned PCL regions. Next, meshes containing an aligned PCL region flanked by two transition regions and two randomly oriented PLGA regions were prepared and processed into 3D cylindrical composite scaffolds using an interpenetrating photo-crosslinkable polyethylene glycol diacrylate hydrogel to recapitulate the shape of B-PT-B autografts. Tensile testing indicated that cylindrical composites were mechanically robust, and eventually failed due to stress concentration in the aligned PCL region. In summary, this study demonstrates a process to fabricate electrospun meshes possessing region-wise differences in properties that can elicit region-dependent cell responses, and be readily processed into scaffolds with the shape of B-PT-B autografts. �

Alligator Rivers Region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

An introduction to the Alligator Rivers Region is presented. It contains general information regarding the physiography, climate, hydrology and mining of the region. The Alligator Rivers Region is within an ancient basin, the Pine Creek Geosyncline, which has an area of approximately 66000 km 2 . The Geosyncline has a history of mineral exploitation dating back to 1865, during which time 16 metals have been extracted (silver, arsenic, gold, bismuth, cadmium, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, lead, tin, tantalum, uranium, tungsten, zinc). Uranium exploration in the Pine Creek Geosyncline was stimulated by the discovery in 1949 of secondary uranium mineralisation near Rum June, 70 km south-east of Darwin. This was followed by a decade of intense exploration activity resulting in the discoveries of economic uranium ore bodies at Rum Jungle and in the upper reaches of the South Alligator River Valley. All the known major uranium deposits of the East Alligator River uranium field have been discovered since 1969. The present known resources of the Geosyncline are approximately 360 000 tonnes of contained U 3 O 8 . 2 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

Exploring the links between social metabolism and biodiversity distribution across landscape gradients: A regional-scale contribution to the land-sharing versus land-sparing debate

OpenAIRE

Marull López, Joan; Tello, Enric; Bagaria Morató, Guillem; Font i Castell, Xavier; Cattaneo, Claudio; Pino i Vilalta, Joan

2018-01-01

The debate about the relative merits of the 'land-sparing' and 'land-sharing' approaches to biodiversity conservation is usually addressed at local scale. Here, however, we undertake a regional-scale approach to this issue by exploring the association between the Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production (HANPP) and biodiversity components (plants, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals) across a gradient of human-transformed landscapes in Catalonia, Spain. We propose an Intermediate Dis...

Exploring the nearly degenerate stop region with sbottom decays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An, Haipeng [Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology,1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125 (United States); Gu, Jiayin [Center for Future High Energy Physics, Institute of High Energy Physics,19B YuquanLu, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 (China); DESY,Notkestraße 85, Hamburg, D-22607 (Germany); Wang, Lian-Tao [Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago,5640 S Ellis Ave., Chicago, IL, 60637 (United States); Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, University of Chicago,5640 S Ellis Ave., Chicago, IL, 60637 (United States)

2017-04-13

A light stop with mass almost degenerate with the lightest neutralino has important connections with both naturalness and dark matter relic abundance. This region is also very hard to probe at colliders. In this paper, we demonstrate the potential of searching for such stop particles at the LHC from sbottom decays, focusing on two channels with final states 2ℓ+E{sub T}{sup miss} and 1b1ℓ+E{sub T}{sup miss}. We found that, if the lightest sbottom has mass around or below 1 TeV and has a significant branching ratio to decay to stop and W (b̃→t̃ W), a stop almost degenerate with neutralino can be excluded up to about 500–600 GeV at the 13 TeV LHC with 300 fb{sup −1} data. The searches we propose are complementary to other SUSY searches at the LHC and could have the best sensitivity to the stop-bino coannihilation region. Since they involve final states which have already been used in LHC searches, a reinterpretation of the search results already has sensitivity. Further optimization could deliver the full potential of these channels.

Exploring the nearly degenerate stop region with sbottom decays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An, Haipeng [California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States). Walter Burke Inst. for Theoretical Physics; Gu, Jiayin [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China). Inst. of High Energy Physics; Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Wang, Lian-Tao [Chicago Univ., IL (United States). Enrico Fermi Inst.; Chicago Univ., IL (United States). Kavli Inst. for Cosmological Physics

2016-11-15

A light stop with mass almost degenerate with the lightest neutralino has important connections with both naturalness and dark matter relic abundance. This region is also very hard to probe at colliders. In this paper, we demonstrate the potential of searching for such stop particles at the LHC from sbottom decays, focusing on two channels with final states 2l+E{sup miss}{sub T} and 1b1l+E{sup miss}{sub T}. We found that, if the lightest sbottom has mass around or below 1 TeV and has a significant branching ratio to decay to stop and W (b→tW), a stop almost degenerate with neutralino can be excluded up to about 500-600 GeV at the 13 TeV LHC with 300 fb{sup -1} data. The searches we propose are complementary to other SUSY searches at the LHC and could have the best sensitivity to the stop-bino coannihilation region. Since they involve final states which have already been used in LHC searches, a reinterpretation of the search results already has sensitivity. Further optimization could deliver the full potential of these channels.

Context Dependent Effect of Landscape on the Occurrence of an Apex Predator across Different Climate Regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujita, Go; Azuma, Atsuki; Nonaka, Jun; Sakai, Yoshiaki; Sakai, Hatsumi; Iseki, Fumitaka; Itaya, Hiroo; Fukasawa, Keita; Miyashita, Tadashi

2016-01-01

In studies of habitat suitability at landscape scales, transferability of species-landscape associations among sites are likely to be critical because it is often impractical to collect datasets across various regions. However, limiting factors, such as prey availability, are not likely to be constant across scales because of the differences in species pools. This is particularly true for top predators that are often the target for conservation concern. Here we focus on gray-faced buzzards, apex predators of farmland-dominated landscapes in East Asia. We investigated context dependency of "buzzard-landscape relationship", using nest location datasets from five sites, each differing in landscape composition. Based on the similarities of prey items and landscape compositions across the sites, we determined several alternative ways of grouping the sites, and then examined whether buzzard-landscape relationship change among groups, which was conducted separately for each way of grouping. As a result, the model of study-sites grouping based on similarities in prey items showed the smallest ΔAICc. Because the terms of interaction between group IDs and areas of broad-leaved forests and grasslands were selected, buzzard-landscape relationship showed a context dependency, i.e., these two landscape elements strengthen the relationship in southern region. The difference in prey fauna, which is associated with the difference in climate, might generate regional differences in the buzzard-landscape associations.

Context Dependent Effect of Landscape on the Occurrence of an Apex Predator across Different Climate Regions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Go Fujita

Full Text Available In studies of habitat suitability at landscape scales, transferability of species-landscape associations among sites are likely to be critical because it is often impractical to collect datasets across various regions. However, limiting factors, such as prey availability, are not likely to be constant across scales because of the differences in species pools. This is particularly true for top predators that are often the target for conservation concern. Here we focus on gray-faced buzzards, apex predators of farmland-dominated landscapes in East Asia. We investigated context dependency of "buzzard-landscape relationship", using nest location datasets from five sites, each differing in landscape composition. Based on the similarities of prey items and landscape compositions across the sites, we determined several alternative ways of grouping the sites, and then examined whether buzzard-landscape relationship change among groups, which was conducted separately for each way of grouping. As a result, the model of study-sites grouping based on similarities in prey items showed the smallest ΔAICc. Because the terms of interaction between group IDs and areas of broad-leaved forests and grasslands were selected, buzzard-landscape relationship showed a context dependency, i.e., these two landscape elements strengthen the relationship in southern region. The difference in prey fauna, which is associated with the difference in climate, might generate regional differences in the buzzard-landscape associations.

Implementation of a guideline for local health policy making by regional health services: exploring determinants of use by a web survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuunders, Theo J M; Jacobs, Monique A M; Goor, Ien A M van de; Bon-Martens, Marja J H van; Oers, Hans A M van; Paulussen, Theo G W M

2017-08-15

Previous evaluation showed insufficient use of a national guideline for integrated local health policy by Regional Health Services (RHS) in the Netherlands. The guideline focuses on five health topics and includes five checklists to support integrated municipal health policies. This study explores the determinants of guideline use by regional Dutch health professionals. A web survey was send to 304 RHS health professionals. The questionnaire was based on a theory- and research-based framework of determinants of public health innovations. Main outcomes were guideline use and completeness of use, defined as the number of health topics and checklists used. Associations between determinants and (completeness of) guideline use were explored by multivariate regression models. The survey was started by 120 professionals (39%). Finally, results from 73 respondents (24%) were eligible for analyses. All 28 Dutch RHS organizations were represented in the final dataset. About half of the respondents (48%) used the guideline. The average score for completeness of use (potential range 1-10) was 2.37 (sd = 1.78; range 1-7). Knowledge, perceived task responsibility and usability were significantly related to guideline use in univariate analyses. Only usability remained significant in the multivariate model on guideline use. Only self-efficacy accounted for significant proportions of variance in completeness of use. The results imply that strategies to improve guideline use by RHSs should primarily target perceived usability. Self-efficacy appeared the primary target for improving completeness of guideline use. Methods for targeting these determinants in RHSs are discussed.

Regional Differences in Tear Film Stability and Meibomian Glands in Patients With Aqueous-Deficient Dry Eye.

Science.gov (United States)

Koh, Shizuka; Ikeda, Chikako; Fujimoto, Hisataka; Oie, Yoshinori; Soma, Takeshi; Maeda, Naoyuki; Nishida, Kohji

2016-07-01

To noninvasively investigate regional differences in tear film stability and meibomian glands in patients with aqueous-deficient dry eye. Forty-nine dry eyes and 31 normal eyes were analyzed. A corneal topographer with a tear film scanning function was used for noninvasive tear film break-up time (NI-TFBUT) measurements and meibomian gland observations. The NI-TFBUT values and location of the first tear film break-up point were recorded in four quadrants. Meibomian gland loss was graded for each eyelid using meiboscores. Lid margin abnormality was scored from zero to four according to the number of existing abnormalities. The NI-TFBUT values and meiboscores were compared between two groups, and regional differences in NI-TFBUT values and meiboscores were analyzed. Also, the correlation between the NI-TFBUT and ocular surface examination results were investigated. The NI-TFBUT values and meiboscores were significantly lower and higher, respectively, for the dry eye group than for the normal group. In the dry eye group, the occurrence rate for first tear film break-up was the highest in the inferior nasal quadrant, and the mean meiboscore was significantly higher for the upper eyelids than for the lower eyelids. The NI-TFBUT and lid margin abnormality scores showed a weak negative correlation, and the NI-TFBUT values and meiboscores showed no correlation. Compared to normal eyes, aqueous-deficient dry eyes show significant regional differences in tear film stability and meibomian glands. Considering these regional differences, the overall observation of the ocular surface, including both upper and lower eyelids, will aid clinicians in understanding this condition better.

Reliability of shell carbon isotope composition of different land snail species as a climate proxy: A case study in the monsoon region of China

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Rui; Sheng, Xuefen; Teng, Henry H.; Ji, Junfeng

2018-05-01

Carbon isotope compositions of land snail shells (δ13Cshell) are shown to be indicative of local climate conditions. However, it is largely unknown how the responses of δ13Cshell to climatic factors changes amongst different species. In this study, we collected 3 species of land snail shells across the East Asian monsoon region of China to explore the overall relationship between δ13Cshell as well as the response of individual species to the regional climate. Results show that, whereas all species collectively can provide a consensus relation between δ13Cshell and local climatic factors such as temperature and precipitation; the response of individual species to the fluctuations of these factors is not uniform. Specifically, while the southerly species Bradybaena similaris exhibits robust δ13Cshell - mean precipitation correlation in both linearity and sensitivity, a common northerly species, Cathaica fasciola, only finds limited utility as a climate indicator, particularly for precipitation. Meanwhile, the south-central species Acusta ravida appears to be able to faithfully record past climate conditions despite showing a wider distribution and a broader habitat. Such species-dependent nature in the relations between δ13Cshell and local climatic factors can be attributed to the effect of ingested carbonate and variations in eco-physiological factors of different species, and is expected to be widespread, suggesting the need to be taken into consideration for future studies.

Quantifying China's regional economic complexity

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Jian; Zhou, Tao

2018-02-01

China has experienced an outstanding economic expansion during the past decades, however, literature on non-monetary metrics that reveal the status of China's regional economic development are still lacking. In this paper, we fill this gap by quantifying the economic complexity of China's provinces through analyzing 25 years' firm data. First, we estimate the regional economic complexity index (ECI), and show that the overall time evolution of provinces' ECI is relatively stable and slow. Then, after linking ECI to the economic development and the income inequality, we find that the explanatory power of ECI is positive for the former but negative for the latter. Next, we compare different measures of economic diversity and explore their relationships with monetary macroeconomic indicators. Results show that the ECI index and the non-linear iteration based Fitness index are comparative, and they both have stronger explanatory power than other benchmark measures. Further multivariate regressions suggest the robustness of our results after controlling other socioeconomic factors. Our work moves forward a step towards better understanding China's regional economic development and non-monetary macroeconomic indicators.

Regional differences in the lateral mobility of plasma membrane lipids in a molluscan embryo

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Speksnijder, J.E.; Dohmen, M.R.; Tertoolen, L.G.J.; Laat, S.W. de

1985-01-01

Regional and temporal differences in plasma membrane lipid mobility have been analyzed during the first three cleavage cycles of the embryo of the polar-lobe-forming mollusc Nassarius reticulatus by the fluorescence photobleaching recovery (FPR) method, using 1,1′-ditetradecyl

Regional differences in the pituitary distribution of luteinizing hormone in the gonadectomized and proestrous female rat

Science.gov (United States)

Previous data have shown regional differences in the presence of anterior pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) that generally correlate with comparable disparities in the distribution of gonadotropes throughout the gland. In female rats, the differences are apparent over the estro...

Regional innovation systems in the Lisbon strategy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bruijn, P.J.M. de; Lagendijk, A.

2005-01-01

This contribution explores the framing of the concept of Regional Innovation Systems (RISs) within European ecoruomic policies. Regional innovation systems are analytically and empirically assessed within the policy corltext of the Lisbon strategy, with special reference to regional dimensions in

Individual differences in personality traits reflect structural variance in specific brain regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gardini, Simona; Cloninger, C Robert; Venneri, Annalena

2009-06-30

Personality dimensions such as novelty seeking (NS), harm avoidance (HA), reward dependence (RD) and persistence (PER) are said to be heritable, stable across time and dependent on genetic and neurobiological factors. Recently a better understanding of the relationship between personality traits and brain structures/systems has become possible due to advances in neuroimaging techniques. This Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) study investigated if individual differences in these personality traits reflected structural variance in specific brain regions. A large sample of eighty five young adult participants completed the Three-dimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) and had their brain imaged with MRI. A voxel-based correlation analysis was carried out between individuals' personality trait scores and grey matter volume values extracted from 3D brain scans. NS correlated positively with grey matter volume in frontal and posterior cingulate regions. HA showed a negative correlation with grey matter volume in orbito-frontal, occipital and parietal structures. RD was negatively correlated with grey matter volume in the caudate nucleus and in the rectal frontal gyrus. PER showed a positive correlation with grey matter volume in the precuneus, paracentral lobule and parahippocampal gyrus. These results indicate that individual differences in the main personality dimensions of NS, HA, RD and PER, may reflect structural variance in specific brain areas.

Determination of optimum insulation thicknesses of the external walls and roof (ceiling) for Turkey's different degree-day regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sisman, Nuri; Kahya, Emin; Aras, Nil; Aras, Haydar

2007-01-01

The external walls and roof of a building are the interface between its interior and the outdoor environment. Insulation of the external walls and roof is the most cost-effective way of controlling the outside elements to make homes more comfortable. Although insulation is generally accepted as a factor increasing the building costs, with the calculations we have shown that this is not the case. Fuel consumption and operational costs are reduced by increasing the thickness of the external walls and roof (ceiling), despite an increase in the investment costs. According to Turkish Standard Number 825 (TS 825), there are four different degree-day (DD) regions, and the required heat loads for the buildings in these regions exhibit large differences. Therefore, a method based on costs is needed for the determination of optimum insulation thicknesses of different DD regions. In this study, optimum insulation thicknesses for different DD regions of Turkey, namely, Izmir (DD: 1450), Bursa (DD: 2203), Eskisehir (DD: 3215) and Erzurum (DD: 4856), have been determined for a lifetime of N years, maximizing the present worth value of annual energy savings for insulated external walls

A Pilot Study Exploring Gender Differences in Residents’ Strategies for Establishing Mentoring Relationships

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Megan C. McNamara, M.D., MSc

2008-01-01

Full Text Available AbstractBackground Mentoring is important throughout a physician’s career and has been noted to be particularly important during residency training. Other studies suggest that women may experience difficulty in finding mentors.Purpose This study explored gender-specific differences in residents’ mentoring experiences.Methods The authors conducted two focus groups at the University of Pittsburgh in July, 2004. One group was composed of 12 female residents; the other was composed of nine male residents. Discussions were audiotaped and transcribed. Two investigators coded the transcripts and identified emerging themes.Results Residents of both genders cited multiple barriers to mentoring. Men´s strategies for findingmentors were more numerous than women´s and included identifying mentors through research,similar interests, friendship, and networking. Female strategies were limited and included identifying mentors through “word of mouth” and work experiences. Women described more passiveapproaches for finding a mentor than men.Conclusions Female residents may lack strategies and initiatives for finding mentors. Residency programs should create opportunities for residents to develop mentoring relationships, with special attention paid to gender differences

The Flexible Learning Needs and Preferences of Regional Occupational Therapy Students In Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Zeldenryk, Lynne; Bradey, Scott

2013-01-01

This study aimed to explore the flexible learning needs and preferences of occupational therapy students from a regional Australian university. Participants ("n"?=?170) were surveyed using a quantitative survey tool. Findings were analysed using SPSS to determine significant differences between variable attributes of the student cohort.…

Are Pain-Related Fears Mediators for Reducing Disability and Pain in Patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1? An Explorative Analysis on Pain Exposure Physical Therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Barnhoorn, Karlijn J.; Staal, J. Bart; van Dongen, Robert T. M.; Frölke, Jan Paul M.; Klomp, Frank P.; van de Meent, Henk; Samwel, Han; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria W. G.

2015-01-01

Objective To investigate whether pain-related fears are mediators for reducing disability and pain in patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1 when treating with Pain Exposure Physical Therapy. Design An explorative secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial. Participants Fifty-six patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1. Interventions The experimental group received Pain Exposure Physical Therapy in a maximum of five treatment sessions; the control group received conventional treatment following the Dutch multidisciplinary guideline. Outcome measures Levels of disability, pain, and pain-related fears (fear-avoidance beliefs, pain catastrophizing, and kinesiophobia) were measured at baseline and after 3, 6, and 9 months follow-up. Results The experimental group had a significantly larger decrease in disability of 7.77 points (95% CI 1.09 to 14.45) and in pain of 1.83 points (95% CI 0.44 to 3.23) over nine months than the control group. The potential mediators pain-related fears decreased significantly in both groups, but there were no significant differences between groups, which indicated that there was no mediation. Conclusion The reduction of pain-related fears was comparable in both groups. We found no indication that pain-related fears mediate the larger reduction of disability and pain in patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1 treated with Pain Exposure Physical Therapy compared to conventional treatment. Trial registration International Clinical Trials Registry NCT00817128 PMID:25919011

Are Happiness and Life Satisfaction Different Across Religious Groups? Exploring Determinants of Happiness and Life Satisfaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngamaba, Kayonda Hubert; Soni, Debbie

2017-09-26

This study explores whether different religions experience different levels of happiness and life satisfaction and in case this is affected by country economic and cultural environment. Using World Value Survey (from 1981 to 2014), this study found that individual religiosity and country level of development play a significant role in shaping people's subjective well-being (SWB). Protestants, Buddhists and Roman Catholic were happier and most satisfied with their lives compared to other religious groups. Orthodox has the lowest SWB. Health status, household's financial satisfaction and freedom of choice are means by which religious groups and governments across the globe can improve the SWB of their citizens.