Two Responses to Hastings on Labeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Somogyi, Katherine M. M.; And Others

1995-01-01

Two comments respond to an R. P. Hastings article on labeling of individuals with mental retardation. The first comment notes that diagnoses should not be used as labels but as identifications of disorders a person has. The second comment calls for people to come forth with synonyms for "mental retardation" that will not immediately be stigmatic.…

Agreement between T2 and haste sequences in the evaluation of thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Mankin, Joseph M; Hecht, Silke; Thomas, William B

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare half-Fourier-acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) and T2-weighted (T2-W) sequences in dogs with thoracolumbar disc extrusion. MRI studies in 60 dogs (767 individual intervertebral disc spaces) were evaluated. Agreement between T2-W and HASTE sequences was assessed for two criteria: presence of an extradural lesion and treatment recommendation. There was moderate agreement between T2-W and HASTE sequences as to presence of an extradural lesion (kappa = 0.575). HASTE was in agreement in 96.1% of the sites where no extradural lesion was identified on T2-W images, but only in 58.1% of the sites where extradural lesions were identified on T2-W images. There was also moderate agreement between T2-W and HASTE sequences as to treatment recommendations (kappa = 0.476). HASTE was in agreement in 98.4% of the sites where a lesion was considered nonsurgical on T2 but only 82.1% of sites a lesion was considered surgical on T2. In 1.0% of sites considered not surgical and in 9.8% of sites considered equivocal based on T2-W images, a surgical lesion was identified on HASTE. Acquisition of a HASTE sequence in addition to conventional sequences may be beneficial in determining the severity of spinal cord compression in some cases when evaluating the canine spine.

Fracturas de clavícula. Tratamiento quirúrgico con clavos intramedulares flexibles

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Roberto Joaquín Del Gordo D'amato

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Se realizó un estudio de tipo descriptivo en una serie de casos en el cual se presentan los resultados de 12 fracturas de clavícula tratadas en forma quirúrgica mediante clavos intramedulares flexibles. Todos los pacientes fueron tratados por los autores en la Clínica El Prado del D.T.C.H. de la Ciudad de Santa Marta mediante reducción cerrada bajo control radioscópico. Presentando resultados excelentes y buenos en todos los casos. Así mismo, se evidenció consolidación clínica a las cuatro semanas con reintegro a la vida laboral alrededor de las seis semanas. Todos los pacientes mostraron alto grado de satisfacción con el resultado obtenido. Se concluye que el tratamiento empleado es una alternativa terapéutica a tener en cuenta en aquellas fracturas desplazadas, sean estas del tercio externo, medio o interno que permite consolidación sin las complicaciones que con alguna frecuencia se presentan con el tratamiento conservador. (Duazary 2006; 2:115-120

Clinical application of Half Fourier Acquisition Single Shot Turbo Spin Echo (HASTE) imaging accelerated by simultaneous multi-slice acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Schulz, Jenni; P Marques, José; Ter Telgte, Annemieke; van Dorst, Anouk; de Leeuw, Frank-Erik; Meijer, Frederick J A; Norris, David G

2018-01-01

As a single-shot sequence with a long train of refocusing pulses, Half-Fourier Acquisition Single-Shot Turbo-Spin-Echo (HASTE) suffers from high power deposition limiting use at high resolutions and high field strengths, particularly if combined with acceleration techniques such as simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) imaging. Using a combination of multiband (MB)-excitation and PINS-refocusing pulses will effectively accelerate the acquisition time while staying within the SAR limitations. In particular, uncooperative and young patients will profit from the speed of the MB-PINS HASTE sequence, as clinical diagnosis can be possible without sedation. Materials and MethodsMB-excitation and PINS-refocusing pulses were incorporated into a HASTE-sequence with blipped CAIPIRINHA and TRAPS including an internal FLASH reference scan for online reconstruction. Whole brain MB-PINS HASTE data were acquired on a Siemens 3T-Prisma system from 10 individuals and compared to a clinical HASTE protocol. ResultsThe proposed MB-PINS HASTE protocol accelerates the acquisition by about a factor 2 compared to the clinical HASTE. The diagnostic image quality proved to be comparable for both sequences for the evaluation of the overall aspect of the brain, the detection of white matter changes and areas of tissue loss, and for the evaluation of the CSF spaces although artifacts were more frequently encountered with MB-PINS HASTE. ConclusionsMB-PINS HASTE enables acquisition of slice accelerated highly T2-weighted images and provides good diagnostic image quality while reducing acquisition time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

75 FR 45011 - MainStreet Savings Bank, FSB, Hastings, MI; Notice of Appointment of Receiver

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-30

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Thrift Supervision MainStreet Savings Bank, FSB, Hastings, MI... section 5(d)(2) of the Home Owners' Loan Act, the Office of Thrift Supervision has duly appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as sole Receiver for MainStreet Savings Bank, Hastings, Michigan...

Resultados clínico-radiológicos en pacientes jóvenes con fractura articular completa de radio distal tratados con placa palmar bloqueada. [Clinical and radiological results in young patients with complete articular distal radius fractures treated with volar locked plate.

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Pablo De Carli

2016-02-01

Conclusión: El tratamiento de las fracturas de radio distal tipo C en pacientes jóvenes con placa palmar bloqueada muestra resultados clínicos y radiológicos favorables con corrección de la mayoría de los escalones articulares.

High Altitude Supersonic Target (HAST), Phase 2

Science.gov (United States)

1974-08-01

consists of a padded cradle assembly and a tubular steel stand with lockable swivel casters on the front wheels . c Tne recovery module lifting handle is...eds no modification of the ordnance fired at it in order to function. With the HAST system a target will be provided to evaluate the most advanced...Components were tested under environmental extremes. With the completion of the preflight readiness tests and with modification incorporated during the

Haste intramedular polimérica bioreabsorvível (PLLA/PHBV para uso na recuperação de fraturas ósseas Intramedullary bioresorbable polymeric pin (PLLA/PHBV for use in bone fracture recuperation

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Betina M. P. Ferreira

2008-01-01

Full Text Available A crescente utilização de materiais poliméricos bioreabsorvíveis em medicina, tem estimulado pesquisadores na área ortopédica na busca de soluções mais biológicas, substituindo artefatos tais como fios, hastes e placas metálicas por polímeros bioreabsorvíveis no tratamento de fraturas. Para tanto, resolveu-se estudar implantes da blenda de PLLA/PHBV (dois polímeros bioreabsorvíveis moldados em uma mini-injetora. Esses implantes foram utilizados para recuperação de fraturas de fêmur de coelhos e avaliados em comparação ao fio de Steinmann (aço inox, usado comercialmente. Após eutanásia com 6, 12 e 24 semanas de implantação dos artefatos, os ossos foram estudados com radiografias, exame histológico e ensaio mecânico, enquanto os implantes poliméricos foram submetidos a microscopia eletrônica de varredura (SEM, ensaio mecânico e calorimetria diferencial de varredura modular (MDSC. As radiografias mostraram calos ósseos bem formados, tanto com o uso da haste de polímero como com o controle metálico. O estudo histológico mostrou ausência de reações inflamatórias ou osteólise. O ensaio mecânico mostrou que a consolidação óssea ocorreu nos dois grupos. Tanto no ensaio mecânico como na calorimetria observou-se que a haste polimérica apresentou sinais de degradação progressiva no tempo estudado. Com os dados obtidos neste estudo, podemos afirmar que o implante PLLA/PHBV demonstrou ser efetivo na reparação de fraturas do fêmur de coelhos quando comparado com o controle metálico.The growing interest in medicine with the use of bioreabsorbable polymeric materials has been stimulating researchers from orthopedic area to develop more biological solutions, substituting threads, stems and metallic plates for bioreabsorbable polymers in the treatment of fractures. So, we decided to study implants of the PLLA/PHBV blends (two bioreabsorbable polymers moulded in a mini-injector. Those implants were used for

Cerebral perfusion MR imaging using FAIR-HASTE in chronic carotid occlusive disease. Comparison with dynamic susceptibility contrast-perfusion MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ida, Kentaro; Akaki, Shiro; Sei, Tetsuro; Kanazawa, Susumu; Tsunoda, Masatoshi

2006-01-01

To determine the efficacy of flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery using half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin-echo (FAIR-HASTE) in detecting cerebral hypoperfusion in chronic carotid occlusive disease, we subjected 12 patients with various degrees of cervical internal carotid artery stenoses and/or occlusion (Stenosis group) and 24 volunteers (Normal group) to FAIR-HASTE. In addition, 10 out of 12 patients in the Stenosis group underwent dynamic susceptibility contrast-perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-pMRI) before and after revascularization in the dominantly affected side. The absolute asymmetry indexes (AIs) of both cerebral hemispheres in the Normal and Stenosis groups were compared in FAIR-HASTE. In addition, the AIs were compared with those in the Stenosis group before and after revascularization in both FAIR-HASTE and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), calculated with DSC-pMRI. A statistically significant difference was recognized between the AIs in the Normal and Stenosis groups (AI=2.25±1.92, 8.09±4.60, respectively; p<0.0001). Furthermore, in the Stenosis group the AIs on both FAIR-HASTE (8.88±4.93, 2.22±1.79, respectively; p=0.0003) and rCBF (7.13±3.57, 1.25±1.33, respectively; p=0.0003) significantly decreased after revascularization. In the Stenosis group, before revascularization, signal intensity on both FAIR-HASTE and rCBF had a tendency to be lower in the dominantly affected side. FAIR-HASTE imaging was useful in the detection and evaluation of cerebral hypoperfusion in chronic occlusive carotid disease. (author)

Clinical evaluation of pulmonary perfusion MRI using FAIR (flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery)-HASTE (Half-Fourier Single-Shot TurboSE) method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Togami, Izumi; Sasai, Nobuya; Tsunoda, Masatoshi; Sei, Tetsurou; Sato, Shuhei; Yabuki, Takayuki; Hiraki, Yoshio

2002-01-01

The FAIR-HASTE method is a kind of noninvasive perfusion MR imaging obtained without the use of contrast media. By subtracting a flow-insensitive image from a flow-sensitive image, contrast enhancement of inflowing blood achieved. In the present study, we applied pulmonary perfusion FAIR-HASTE sequence for 23 patients with various pulmonary diseases, and compared the findings with those by pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy and Gadolinium perfusion MRI. Pulmonary perfusion imaging with the FAIR-HASTE method was possible in all clinical cases, and the findings corresponded well to those obtained by perfusion MRI using contrast media or pulmonary scintigraphy. The FAIR-HASTE method is a promising method for the evaluation of pulmonary perfusion. (author)

Uso de sacarose nas soluções de manutenção de hastes florais de gérberas de corte

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Fernanda Schmitt

2013-02-01

Full Text Available As flores de corte são produtos altamente perecíveis e sua vida pós-colheita deve ser prolongada ao máximo para garantir a fidelidade dos consumidores. Uma possível medida para ampliar o período pós-colheita é a adição de fontes exógenas de carboidratos na solução de manutenção das hastes florais. Neste sentido, no presente trabalho avaliou-se a resposta de hastes florais à adição de sacarose nas soluções de manutenção. Foram utilizadas hastes de gérberas (Gerbera jamesonii ‘Essandre’ colhidas em produtor comercial. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado com três repetições e cinco hastes florais por unidade sob condições ambiente de 19,4 °C e umidade relativa superior a 80% experimental. Foram aplicados tratamentos com soluções de sacarose a 2, 2,5 e 5% (p/v em recipientes de vidro (3,3 L e contendo um litro de solução. As hastes foram avaliadas para longevidade determinada pelo número de dias de qualidade comercial da flor. Determinou-se também o pH da solução, alongamento das hastes após período de vida em vaso, conteúdo de substâncias de reserva e unidades formadoras de colônia (UFC.g-1 em tecidos das hastes. A adição de sacarose não contribui para o aumento da longevidade de pós-colheita das hastes florais de gérbera ‘Essandre’. A concentração de 2,5% de sacarose resulta em maior quantidade de substâncias de reserva nas hastes florais. Não houve diferença no número de colônias bacterianas com relação a adição de sacarose. O pH das soluções com adição de sacarose apresenta uma queda, a partir do terceiro dia após o início das avaliações.

Osteosíntesis percutánea con placas volares bloqueadas en fracturas metafisarias distales de radio Descripción de la técnica y resultados preliminares. [Percutaneous volar locked plate fixation in metaphyseal fractures of distal radius: technical description and preliminary results].

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia del Milagro Gutierrez Olivera

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Objetivo Evaluar resultados objetivos y subjetivos obtenidos luego de realizar osteosíntesis con placas en T bloqueadas volares, colocadas con técnica mínimamente invasiva, en fracturas del radio distal con extensión metafisaria. Material y Métodos Evaluación retrospectiva de seis pacientes adultos que presentaron fracturas inestables de radio distal, extra-articulares o articulares parciales, con extensión  metafisaria, tratadas quirúrgicamente con placas en T largas de compresión bloqueadas volares, mediante  técnica mínimamente invasiva, entre 2007 y  2012. Edad promedio 40,6 años. Todas las fracturas fueron cerradas, clasificadas como tipo 23A3 (n: 5 y 23B1 (n: 1 según el Sistema AO/ASIF. Se realizó reducción indirecta de la fractura, bajo visión radioscópica, a través de dos pequeñas incisiones se deslizó en forma percutánea una placa bloqueada volar en T. Se analizaron  parámetros radiológicos (angulación volar, inclinación radial y altura radial, el rango de movimiento y la fuerza. Los resultados subjetivos fueron evaluados usando la Escala de DASH y la Escala Visual Análoga. Resultados Tiempo de consolidaron promedio de 2,3 meses. Los resultados radiográficos no mostraron diferencias significativas entre el primer y el último control radiográfico al año de seguimiento. Flexión y extensión promedio 70° y 60°, pronación y supinación 79° y 80° respectivamente. Fuerza de prensión promedio 78,4%. El score de DASH 19,84 puntos y el EVA 1,5 puntos. Conclusión Las técnicas mínimamente invasivas reducen el daño quirúrgico y complicaciones. Son una opción en pacientes con daño severo de partes blandas, conminución metafisaria y trauma de alta energía. Pequeñas incisiones alejadas del sitio de fractura respetan los tejidos blandos y la biología ósea, contribuyendo a lograr la consolidación. La colocación de placas volares bloqueadas percutáneas es un procedimiento técnicamente demandante

TrueFisp versus HASTE sequences in 3T cine MRI: Evaluation of image quality during phonation in patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulinna-Cosentini, Christiane; Czerny, Christian; Weber, Michael; Baumann, Arnulf; Sinko, Klaus

2016-01-01

To evaluate the image quality of two fast dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences: True fast imaging with steady state precession (TrueFisp) was compared with half-Fourier acquired single turbo-spin-echo (HASTE) sequence for the characterization of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) in repaired cleft palate patients. Twenty-two patients (10 female and 12 male; mean age, 17.7 ± 10.6 years; range, 9-31) with suspected VPI underwent 3-T MRI using TrueFisp and HASTE sequences. Imaging was performed in the sagittal plane at rest and during phonation of ''ee'' and ''k'' to assess the velum, tongue, posterior pharyngeal wall and a potential VP closure. The results were analysed independently by one radiologist and one orthodontist. HASTE performed better than TrueFisp for all evaluated items, except the tongue evaluation by the orthodontist during phonation of ''k'' and ''ee''. A statistically significant difference in favour of HASTE was observed in assessing the velum at rest and during phonation of ''k'' and ''ee'', and also in assessing VP closure in both raters (p < 0.05). TrueFisp imaging was twice as fast as HASTE (0.36 vs. 0.75 s/image). Dynamic HASTE images were of superior quality to those obtained with TrueFisp, although TrueFisp imaging was twice as fast. (orig.)

Calculation of T2 relaxation time from ultrafast single shot sequences for differentiation of liver tumors. Comparison of echo-planar, HASTE, and spin-echo sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abe, Yasuko; Yamashita, Yasuyuki; Tang, Yi; Namimoto, Tomohiro; Takahashi, Mutsumasa

2000-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of T2 calculation from single shot imaging sequences such as echo-planar imaging (EPI) and half-Fourier single shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) imaging. For the phantom study, we prepared vials containing different concentrations of agarose, copper sulfate, and nickel chloride. The temperature of the phantom was kept at 22 deg C. MR images were obtained with a 1.5-Tesla superconductive magnet. Spin-echo (SE)-type EPI and HASTE sequences with different TEs were obtained for T2 calculation, and the T2 values were compared with those obtained from the Carr-Purcell-Meiborm-Gill (CPMG) sequence. The clinical study group consisted of 30 consecutive patients referred for MR imaging to characterize focal liver lesions. A total of 40 focal liver lesions were evaluated, including 25 primary or metastatic solid masses and 15 non-solid lesions. Single shot SE-type EPI and HASTE were both performed with TEs of 64 and 90 msec. In the phantom study, the T2 values obtained from both single shot sequences showed significant correlations with those from the CPMG sequence (T2 on EPI vs. T2 on CPMG: r=0.98, p<0.01; T2 on HASTE vs. T2 on CPMG: r=0.99, p<0.01). In the clinical study, mean T2 values for liver calculated from EPI (42 msec) were significantly shorter than those calculated from the HASTE sequence (58 msec) (p<0.001). Mean T2 values for solid tumors were 95 msec with HASTE and 72 msec with EPI, and mean T2 values for non-solid lesions were 128 msec with HASTE and 159 msec with EPI. Although mean T2 values between solid and non-solid lesions were significantly different for both EPI and HASTE sequences (p=0.01 for HASTE, p<0.001 for EPI), the overlap of solid and non-solid lesions was less frequent in EPI than in HASTE. With single shot sequences, it is possible to obtain the T2 values that show excellent correlation with the CPMG sequence. Although both HASTE and EPI are useful to calculate T2 values, EPI appears to be more

Hastes florais de helicônia sob deficiência de macronutrientes Flower stems postharvest characteristics of heliconia under macronutrients deficiency

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Ana Cecília Ribeiro de Castro

2007-09-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar características pós-colheita da primeira haste floral de plantas de Heliconia psittacorum x H. spathocircinata Aristeguieta, cultivar Golden Torch, sob deficiência de macronutrientes. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, mediante técnica do elemento faltante. As inflorescências produzidas do tratamento sob omissão de N apresentaram coloração laranja-pálido e deformação nas hastes florais. O comprimento e o diâmetro da haste floral e o comprimento da inflorescência foram reduzidos nos tratamentos com omissão de N, P ou K em até 31,23%, em relação ao tratamento completo. A massa de matéria seca e a durabilidade pós-colheita das hastes florais foram reduzidas em 67 e 38,46%, respectivamente, em ambos os tratamentos com omissão de N ou K. As deficiências desses macronutrientes reduziram, ainda, a produção de hastes florais, a partir do segundo perfilho emitido. Hastes florais com maior massa de matéria seca e diâmetro apresentaram maior durabilidade pós-colheita. O teor de carboidrato na parte subterrânea mostrou correlação positiva (0,90 com a massa de matéria seca das hastes florais. Hastes florais com maior teor de carboidratos solúveis nas folhas retardaram a emissão da inflorescência.The objective of this work was to evaluate Heliconia psittacorum x H. spathocircinata Aristeguieta 'Golden Torch' first flower stem morphological and physiological characteristics as well as postharvest longevity, under macronutrients omissions. A greenhouse experiment was conducted under the technique of the lacking element. Inflorescences produced under N omission treatment showed a pale orange color and floral stem deformation. Stem length and diameter as well as inflorescence length were reduced under omission of N, P or K, down to 31.23% when compared to the complete solution treatment. Floral stem dry matter and postharvest longevity were reduced on 67% and 38

Excretory MR urography using breathhold three-dimensional FISP: comparison with MR urography using HASTE technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Won Kue; Lee, Jeong Min; Jin, Kong Young; Hwang, Ho keung; Han, Young Min [Chonbuk Narional University Hospital, Chonju (Korea, Republic of); Ym, Seong Hee [Namwon Medical Center, Chonju (Korea, Republic of)

2000-09-01

To compare the usefulness of gadolinium-enhanced excretory MR urography using breath-hold three-dimensional fast imaging with steady state precession (3-D FISP) with conventional MR urography using the half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) sequence in the evaluation of obstructive uropathy. Twenty-three patients in whom ultrasonography (US) and/or intravenous urography (IVU) revealed signs of urinary obstruction were enrolled in this study. Fifteen were men and eight were women, and their mean age was 54 (range, 21-80) years. All MR images were obtained using a 1.5T MR unit. MR urography using the HASTE technique (MRU) and gadolinium-enhanced excretory MR urography using the 3D-FISP technique were performed, and in all cases, reconstructions involved maximum intensity projection. For contrast-enhanced MR urography(CEMRU), images were obtained 3, 5, 20, and 30 minutes after the administration of intravenous contrast media, and for selected cases, additional images were obtained until 24 hours after contrast media injection. For qualitative analysis, two experienced radiologists compared CEMRU and MRU in terms of their diagnostic value as regards the level and cause of urinary obstruction, and morphologic accuracy. In addition, signal to noise ration(SNR) and contrast to noise ration (CNR) of the urinary tract at each anatomic level were quantitatively analysed. Quantitative analysis showed that in terms of SNR and CNR of the urinary tract at the level of the mid and distal ureter, CEMRU using 3-D FISP was better than MRU using HASTE (p less than 0.05). Qualitative analysis indicated that for the depiction of the whole length of normal ureter, and detection of the level of obstruction, anatomic anomalies and intrinsic tumors, 3-D FISP was superior to HASTE. There was, however, no difference between these two modalities in the diagnosis of ureteral stone and the degree of hydronephrosis. In addition, 3-D FISP was better than HASTE for the

Excretory MR urography using breathhold three-dimensional FISP: comparison with MR urography using HASTE technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Won Kue; Lee, Jeong Min; Jin, Kong Young; Hwang, Ho keung; Han, Young Min; Ym, Seong Hee

2000-01-01

To compare the usefulness of gadolinium-enhanced excretory MR urography using breath-hold three-dimensional fast imaging with steady state precession (3-D FISP) with conventional MR urography using the half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) sequence in the evaluation of obstructive uropathy. Twenty-three patients in whom ultrasonography (US) and/or intravenous urography (IVU) revealed signs of urinary obstruction were enrolled in this study. Fifteen were men and eight were women, and their mean age was 54 (range, 21-80) years. All MR images were obtained using a 1.5T MR unit. MR urography using the HASTE technique (MRU) and gadolinium-enhanced excretory MR urography using the 3D-FISP technique were performed, and in all cases, reconstructions involved maximum intensity projection. For contrast-enhanced MR urography(CEMRU), images were obtained 3, 5, 20, and 30 minutes after the administration of intravenous contrast media, and for selected cases, additional images were obtained until 24 hours after contrast media injection. For qualitative analysis, two experienced radiologists compared CEMRU and MRU in terms of their diagnostic value as regards the level and cause of urinary obstruction, and morphologic accuracy. In addition, signal to noise ration(SNR) and contrast to noise ration (CNR) of the urinary tract at each anatomic level were quantitatively analysed. Quantitative analysis showed that in terms of SNR and CNR of the urinary tract at the level of the mid and distal ureter, CEMRU using 3-D FISP was better than MRU using HASTE (p less than 0.05). Qualitative analysis indicated that for the depiction of the whole length of normal ureter, and detection of the level of obstruction, anatomic anomalies and intrinsic tumors, 3-D FISP was superior to HASTE. There was, however, no difference between these two modalities in the diagnosis of ureteral stone and the degree of hydronephrosis. In addition, 3-D FISP was better than HASTE for the

Abdominal MR imaging using a HASTE sequence : image comparison on the different echo times

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Kwang Bo; Lee, Moon Gyu; Lim, Tae Hwan; Jeong, Yoong Ki; Ha, Hyun Kwon; Kim, Pyo Nyun; Auh, Yong Ho

1999-01-01

To determine the optimal parameters of abdominal HASTE imaging by means of a comparison of intermediate and long TE (echo time). We evaluated 30 consecutive patients who had undergone liver MR during a three-month period. Twelve patients were diagnosed as normal, four as having liver cirrhosis, and 14 were found to be suffering form hepatic hemangioma. On the basis of measured signal intensity of the liver, spleen, pancreas and gallbladder, and of fat, muscle, hemangioma, and background, we calculated the ratios of signal to noise (S/N), signal difference to noise (SD/N), and signal intensity (SI). Image quality was compared using these three ratios, and using two HASTE sequences with TEs of 90 msec and 134 msec, images were qualitatively evaluated. S/N ratio of the liver was higher when TE was 90 msec(p<.05), though S/N, SD/N and SI rations of the spleen, gallbladder, and pancreas-and of hemangiom-were higher when TE was 134 msec (p<.05). However, in muscle, all these three ratios were higher at a TE of 90 msec. SD/N ratio and SI of fat were higher at a TE of 134 msec. Overall image quality was better at a TE of 134 msec than at one of 90msec. A HASTE sequence with a TE of 134msec showed greater tissue contrast and stronger T2-weighted images than one with a TE of 90msec

FAST MUSIC SPECTRUM PEAK SEARCH VIA METROPOLIS-HASTINGS SAMPLER

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Guo Qinghua; Liao Guisheng

2005-01-01

A fast MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) spectrum peak search algorithm is devised, which regards the power of the MUSIC spectrum function as target distribution up to a constant of proportionality, and uses Metropolis-Hastings (MH) sampler, one of the most popular Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques, to sample from it. The proposed method reduces greatly the tremendous computation and storage costs in conventional MUSIC techniques i.e., about two and four orders of magnitude in computation and storage costs under the conditions of the experiment in the paper respectively.

High-Dimensional Exploratory Item Factor Analysis by a Metropolis-Hastings Robbins-Monro Algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Li

2010-01-01

A Metropolis-Hastings Robbins-Monro (MH-RM) algorithm for high-dimensional maximum marginal likelihood exploratory item factor analysis is proposed. The sequence of estimates from the MH-RM algorithm converges with probability one to the maximum likelihood solution. Details on the computer implementation of this algorithm are provided. The…

Osteosíntesis mini-invasiva con placas bloqueadas en fracturas metafisarias distales de tibia. Resultados clínico-funcionales. [Minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis in distal metaphyseal fractures of tibia. Comparison of results between fractures AO 43A and AO 43C.

OpenAIRE

Juan Manuel Yañez Arauz; Ignacio Arzac Ulla; Javier Del Vecchio; Andres Eksarho; Leandro Civetta; Rodrigo Perez Davila

2015-01-01

Introducción Las fracturas distales de tibia son un desafío para el tratamiento debido a la escasa cobertura y particular vascularización. Los objetivos del presente estudio son analizar los resultados clínicos y funcionales de los pacientes con fractura de tibia distal; tratados con técnica MIPO (minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis) con placas bloqueadas; comparar los resultados del grupo de fracturas tipo AO 43A con las tipo AO 43C1-C2; y comparar los resultados MIPO con el tratamie...

T2-weighted MR imaging of liver lesions: a prospective evaluation comparing turbo spin-echo, breath-hold turbo spin-echo and half-Fourier turbo spin-echo (HASTE) sequences; Estudio de lesiones hepaticas con imagenes de resonancia magnetica potenciadas en T2: evaluacion prospectiva comparando secuencias turbo eco del espin, turbo eco del espin con respiracion sostenida y half-Fourier turbo eco del espin (HASTE)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, J.; Villajos, M.; Oses, M. J.; Veintemillas, M.; Rue, M.; Puig, J.; Sentis, M. [Fundacion Parc Tauli. Sabadell (Spain)

2000-07-01

To compare turbo spin-echo (TSE), breath-hold TSE and half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) sequences quantitatively and qualitatively in T2-weighted images of liver lesions. The authors evaluated prospectively 89 liver lesions in 73 patients using a 1.0-T magnetic resonance system to compare TSE, breath-hold TSE and HASTE sequences. The quantitative parameters were: lesion-to-liver contrast and lesion-to-liver contrast-to-noise ratio. The qualitative analysis was performed by two observers in consensus who examined four parameters: respiratory artifacts, lesion edge definition, intrahepatic vessel definition and image quality. Repeated measures analysis of variance was utilized to compare the quantitative variables and Friedman's nonparametric test for the qualitative parameters. In quantitative terms, the lesion-to-liver contrast was similar in TSE and breath-hold TSE sequences (2.45{+-}1.44 versus 2.60{+-}1.66), both of which were significantly better than the HASTE sequence (1.12{+-}0.72; p<0.001). The lesion-to-liver contrast-to-noise ratio was significantly higher in the TSE sequence (62.60{+-}46.40 versus 40.22{+-}25.35 versus 50.90{+-}32.10 for TSE, breath-hold TSE and HASTE sequences, respectively; p<0.001). In the qualitative comparisons, the HASTE sequence was significantly better than the TSE and breath-hold TSE sequences (p<0.001) in terms of artifacts and definition of lesion edge and intrahepatic vessels. Image quality was also significantly greater in the HASTE sequence (p<0.001). In quantitative terms, the TSE sequence is better than the breath-hold TSE and HASTE sequences, but there are no movement artifacts in the HASTE sequence, which is also significantly superior to TSE and breath-hold TSE sequences in qualitative terms and, thus, can be employed for T2-weighted images in liver studies. (Author) 17 refs.

T2-weighted MR imaging of liver lesions: a prospective evaluation comparing turbo spin-echo, breath-hold turbo spin-echo and half-Fourier turbo spin-echo (HASTE) sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, J.; Villajos, M.; Oses, M. J.; Veintemillas, M.; Rue, M.; Puig, J.; Sentis, M.

2000-01-01

To compare turbo spin-echo (TSE), breath-hold TSE and half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) sequences quantitatively and qualitatively in T2-weighted images of liver lesions. The authors evaluated prospectively 89 liver lesions in 73 patients using a 1.0-T magnetic resonance system to compare TSE, breath-hold TSE and HASTE sequences. The quantitative parameters were: lesion-to-liver contrast and lesion-to-liver contrast-to-noise ratio. The qualitative analysis was performed by two observers in consensus who examined four parameters: respiratory artifacts, lesion edge definition, intrahepatic vessel definition and image quality. Repeated measures analysis of variance was utilized to compare the quantitative variables and Friedman's nonparametric test for the qualitative parameters. In quantitative terms, the lesion-to-liver contrast was similar in TSE and breath-hold TSE sequences (2.45±1.44 versus 2.60±1.66), both of which were significantly better than the HASTE sequence (1.12±0.72; p<0.001). The lesion-to-liver contrast-to-noise ratio was significantly higher in the TSE sequence (62.60±46.40 versus 40.22±25.35 versus 50.90±32.10 for TSE, breath-hold TSE and HASTE sequences, respectively; p<0.001). In the qualitative comparisons, the HASTE sequence was significantly better than the TSE and breath-hold TSE sequences (p<0.001) in terms of artifacts and definition of lesion edge and intrahepatic vessels. Image quality was also significantly greater in the HASTE sequence (p<0.001). In quantitative terms, the TSE sequence is better than the breath-hold TSE and HASTE sequences, but there are no movement artifacts in the HASTE sequence, which is also significantly superior to TSE and breath-hold TSE sequences in qualitative terms and, thus, can be employed for T2-weighted images in liver studies. (Author) 17 refs

Propriedades físico-hídricas do solo e demanda energética de haste escarificadora em Argissolo compactado.

OpenAIRE

MENTGES, M. I.; REICHERT, J. M.; ROSA, D. P. da; VIEIRA, D. A.; ROSA, V. T. da; REINERT, D. J.

2010-01-01

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da compactação nos atributos físico-hídricos do solo e na demanda energética da haste escarificadora, além de avaliar as propriedades físico-hídricas abaixo da profundidade de trabalho da haste. O trabalho foi conduzido em Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo de textura francoarenosa, com os seguintes tratamentos: plantio direto por 13 anos; plantio direto por 13 anos em solo escarificado; plantio direto em solo com compactação adicional; e plantio direto ...

Metropolis-Hastings Algorithms in Function Space for Bayesian Inverse Problems

KAUST Repository

Ernst, Oliver

2015-01-07

We consider Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods adapted to a Hilbert space setting. Such algorithms occur in Bayesian inverse problems where the solution is a probability measure on a function space according to which one would like to integrate or sample. We focus on Metropolis-Hastings algorithms and, in particular, we introduce and analyze a generalization of the existing pCN-proposal. This new proposal allows to exploit the geometry or anisotropy of the target measure which in turn might improve the statistical efficiency of the corresponding MCMC method. Numerical experiments for a real-world problem confirm the improvement.

Metropolis-Hastings Algorithms in Function Space for Bayesian Inverse Problems

KAUST Repository

Ernst, Oliver

2015-01-01

We consider Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods adapted to a Hilbert space setting. Such algorithms occur in Bayesian inverse problems where the solution is a probability measure on a function space according to which one would like to integrate or sample. We focus on Metropolis-Hastings algorithms and, in particular, we introduce and analyze a generalization of the existing pCN-proposal. This new proposal allows to exploit the geometry or anisotropy of the target measure which in turn might improve the statistical efficiency of the corresponding MCMC method. Numerical experiments for a real-world problem confirm the improvement.

A Monte Carlo Metropolis-Hastings Algorithm for Sampling from Distributions with Intractable Normalizing Constants

KAUST Repository

Liang, Faming; Jin, Ick-Hoon

2013-01-01

Simulating from distributions with intractable normalizing constants has been a long-standing problem inmachine learning. In this letter, we propose a new algorithm, the Monte Carlo Metropolis-Hastings (MCMH) algorithm, for tackling this problem. The MCMH algorithm is a Monte Carlo version of the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. It replaces the unknown normalizing constant ratio by a Monte Carlo estimate in simulations, while still converges, as shown in the letter, to the desired target distribution under mild conditions. The MCMH algorithm is illustrated with spatial autologistic models and exponential random graph models. Unlike other auxiliary variable Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms, such as the Møller and exchange algorithms, the MCMH algorithm avoids the requirement for perfect sampling, and thus can be applied to many statistical models for which perfect sampling is not available or very expensive. TheMCMHalgorithm can also be applied to Bayesian inference for random effect models and missing data problems that involve simulations from a distribution with intractable integrals. © 2013 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A Monte Carlo Metropolis-Hastings Algorithm for Sampling from Distributions with Intractable Normalizing Constants

KAUST Repository

Liang, Faming

2013-08-01

Simulating from distributions with intractable normalizing constants has been a long-standing problem inmachine learning. In this letter, we propose a new algorithm, the Monte Carlo Metropolis-Hastings (MCMH) algorithm, for tackling this problem. The MCMH algorithm is a Monte Carlo version of the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. It replaces the unknown normalizing constant ratio by a Monte Carlo estimate in simulations, while still converges, as shown in the letter, to the desired target distribution under mild conditions. The MCMH algorithm is illustrated with spatial autologistic models and exponential random graph models. Unlike other auxiliary variable Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms, such as the Møller and exchange algorithms, the MCMH algorithm avoids the requirement for perfect sampling, and thus can be applied to many statistical models for which perfect sampling is not available or very expensive. TheMCMHalgorithm can also be applied to Bayesian inference for random effect models and missing data problems that involve simulations from a distribution with intractable integrals. © 2013 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A Bootstrap Metropolis-Hastings Algorithm for Bayesian Analysis of Big Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Faming; Kim, Jinsu; Song, Qifan

2016-01-01

Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods have proven to be a very powerful tool for analyzing data of complex structures. However, their computer-intensive nature, which typically require a large number of iterations and a complete scan of the full dataset for each iteration, precludes their use for big data analysis. In this paper, we propose the so-called bootstrap Metropolis-Hastings (BMH) algorithm, which provides a general framework for how to tame powerful MCMC methods to be used for big data analysis; that is to replace the full data log-likelihood by a Monte Carlo average of the log-likelihoods that are calculated in parallel from multiple bootstrap samples. The BMH algorithm possesses an embarrassingly parallel structure and avoids repeated scans of the full dataset in iterations, and is thus feasible for big data problems. Compared to the popular divide-and-combine method, BMH can be generally more efficient as it can asymptotically integrate the whole data information into a single simulation run. The BMH algorithm is very flexible. Like the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, it can serve as a basic building block for developing advanced MCMC algorithms that are feasible for big data problems. This is illustrated in the paper by the tempering BMH algorithm, which can be viewed as a combination of parallel tempering and the BMH algorithm. BMH can also be used for model selection and optimization by combining with reversible jump MCMC and simulated annealing, respectively.

A Bootstrap Metropolis–Hastings Algorithm for Bayesian Analysis of Big Data

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jinsu; Song, Qifan

2016-01-01

Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods have proven to be a very powerful tool for analyzing data of complex structures. However, their computer-intensive nature, which typically require a large number of iterations and a complete scan of the full dataset for each iteration, precludes their use for big data analysis. In this paper, we propose the so-called bootstrap Metropolis-Hastings (BMH) algorithm, which provides a general framework for how to tame powerful MCMC methods to be used for big data analysis; that is to replace the full data log-likelihood by a Monte Carlo average of the log-likelihoods that are calculated in parallel from multiple bootstrap samples. The BMH algorithm possesses an embarrassingly parallel structure and avoids repeated scans of the full dataset in iterations, and is thus feasible for big data problems. Compared to the popular divide-and-combine method, BMH can be generally more efficient as it can asymptotically integrate the whole data information into a single simulation run. The BMH algorithm is very flexible. Like the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, it can serve as a basic building block for developing advanced MCMC algorithms that are feasible for big data problems. This is illustrated in the paper by the tempering BMH algorithm, which can be viewed as a combination of parallel tempering and the BMH algorithm. BMH can also be used for model selection and optimization by combining with reversible jump MCMC and simulated annealing, respectively. PMID:29033469

A Behavioral Synthesis Frontend to the Haste/TiDE Design Flow

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Sune Fallgaard; Sparsø, Jens; Jensen, Jonas Braband

2009-01-01

This paper presents a complete design tool which performs automatic behavioral synthesis of asynchronous circuits (resource sharing, scheduling and binding). The tool targets a traditional control-datapath-style template architecture. Within the limitations set by this template architecture...... and a controller. The tool may be seen as an add-on to the Haste/TiDE tool flow, and it can be used to automatically optimize parts of a design and to quickly xplore alternative optimizations. The paper outlines the design flow, explains key elements of the design tool, and presents a number of benchmark results....

Gadolinium-enhanced excretory MR urography: comparison with MR urography using HASTE technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Gong Yong; Lee, Jeong Min; Han, Young Min; Cheong, Gyung Ho; Oh, Hee Sul; Kim, Chong Soo; Park, Sung Kwang; Kim, Young Gon

2000-01-01

To compare the feasibility of gadolinium-enhanced excretory MR urography (GEMRU) and conventional MR urography using the half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) sequence in patients with hydronephrosis or non-visualized kidney. Fifteen patients with hydronephrosis or non-visualized kidney, as demonstrated by ultrasonography or intravenous urography, were enrolled in this study. Nine were men and six were women, and their age ranged from 18 to 77 (mean, 60.6) years. For all MR examinations, a 1.5T MR unit was employed. For breath-hold MR urography, the HASTE technique (MRU) was used, and reconstruction involved the use of a maximum intensity-projection (MIP) algorithm. For gadolinium-enhanced excretory MR urography, the fast low angle shot (FLASH) 3-D method was used and images were obtained at 5, 10, 20, and 30 minutes, and reconstruction again involved the use of MIP algorithm. In some cases, additional GEMRU was obtained 24 hour after contrast material injection, and an MIP algorithm was used for reconstruction. MRU and GEMRU were independently interpreted by two radiologists who for quantitative analysis compared SNR with CNR, and at each anatomic level qualitatively analyzed morphologic accuracy and diagnostic value of the lesions. In quantitative analysis, SNR and CNR differences between the two sequences at the renal pelvis and the level of the ureter were not significant (p greater than 0.05). In qualitative analysis, GEMRU was superior to MRU for the assessment of evaluated ureter at each level (p less than 0.05), anatomic anomaly and intrinsic tumor. Ureteral stones, however, were more easily diagnosed with MRU. For assessment of the ureter GEMRU is superior to MRU and has the advantage of evaluating renal function. We believe that for evaluation of the urinary tract, especially the distal ureter, GEMRU may be a valuable adjunct to routine MR urography. (author)

Progresso da seca da haste (Botrytis cinerea do hibisco (Hibiscus sabdariffa em quatro épocas e dois métodos de plantio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Alberto de Oliveira

2013-06-01

Full Text Available O progresso da seca da haste em hibisco foi estudado em quatro épocas e dois métodos de plantio. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições e os oito tratamentos foram dispostos em esquema fatorial 4 (épocas de plantio x 2 (métodos de plantio, sendo: semeadura direta em 05/02/03, 06/03/03, 05/04/03 e 15/05/03; transplantio de mudas em 24/12/02, 25/01/03, 24/02/03 e 25/03/03. Imediatamente após o surgimento dos sintomas, avaliou-se a doença a cada 10 dias até o final do ciclo, aos 205 dias, calculando-se a porcentagem de hastes infectadas por planta. Calculou-se a área abaixo da curva de progresso para a incidência (AACPI. As curvas de progresso da doença dos tratamentos foram submetidas ao ajuste dos modelos linear, exponencial, monomolecular, logístico e Gompertz. Houve interação significativa de métodos e épocas de plantio na incidência da doença. Constatou-se menor incidência da seca da haste em transplantio de mudas comparado à semeadura direta em todas as épocas de plantio. Verificou-se aumento da incidência proporcionado pelo atraso na época de plantio nos dois métodos. O modelo exponencial foi o que melhor descreveu o comportamento da doença em todos os tratamentos. As diferenças estatísticas entre os tratamentos, considerando a taxa de progresso, não refletiram a intensidade da doença no campo. Na mesma época de plantio, as quantidades inicial e máxima da doença, observadas na semeadura direta, foram superiores aos tratamentos referentes ao transplantio de mudas, coerentes com os valores da AACPI. Registrou-se uma relação direta entre queda de temperatura e aumento da incidência da seca da haste.

Fast MR Imaging of the Paediatric Abdomen with CAIPIRINHA-Accelerated T1w 3D FLASH and with High-Resolution T2w HASTE: A Study on Image Quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mengxia Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to explore the applicability of fast MR techniques to routine paediatric abdominopelvic MRI at 1.5 Tesla. “Controlled Aliasing in Parallel Imaging Results in Higher Acceleration-” (CAIPIRINHA- accelerated contrast-enhanced-T1w 3D FLASH imaging was compared to standard T1w 2D FLASH imaging with breath-holding in 40 paediatric patients and to respiratory-triggered T1w TSE imaging in 10 sedated young children. In 20 nonsedated patients, we compared T2w TIRM to fat-saturated T2w HASTE imaging. Two observers performed an independent and blinded assessment of overall image quality. Acquisition time was reduced by the factor of 15 with CAIPIRINHA-accelerated T1w FLASH and by 7 with T2w HASTE. With CAIPIRINHA and with HASTE, there were significantly less motion artefacts in nonsedated patients. In sedated patients, respiratory-triggered T1w imaging in general showed better image quality. However, satisfactory image quality was achieved with CAIPIRINHA in two sedated patients where respiratory triggering failed. In summary, fast scanning with CAIPIRINHA and HASTE presents a reliable high quality alternative to standard sequences in paediatric abdominal MRI. Paediatric patients, in particular, benefit greatly from fast image acquisition with less breath-hold cycles or shorter sedation.

The Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, a handy tool for the practice of environmental model estimation : illustration with biochemical oxygen demand data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franck Torre

2001-02-01

Full Text Available Environmental scientists often face situations where: (i stimulus-response relationships are non-linear; (ii data are rare or imprecise; (iii facts are uncertain and stimulus-responses relationships are questionable. In this paper, we focus on the first two points. A powerful and easy-to-use statistical method, the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, allows the quantification of the uncertainty attached to any model response. This stochastic simulation technique is able to reproduce the statistical joint distribution of the whole parameter set of any model. The Metropolis-Hastings algorithm is described and illustrated on a typical environmental model: the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD. The aim is to provide a helpful guideline for further, and ultimately more complex, models. As a first illustration, the MH-method is also applied to a simple regression example to demonstrate to the practitioner the ability of the algorithm to produce valid results.

Osteossíntese com parafuso intramedular nas fraturas proximais do quinto metatarsiano do atleta Intramedullary screw fixation of proximal fifth metatarsal fractures in athletes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Maria Teixeira de Oliveira Massada

2012-01-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Avaliar os resultados clínicos e radiológicos da osteossíntese com parafuso de compressão intramedular nas fraturas proximais do quinto metatarsiano no atleta. MÉTODOS: Foram incluídos no estudo 11 homens e seis mulheres com diagnóstico de fratura das zonas II e III do quinto metatarsiano. Quinze dos pacientes praticavam esporte a nível profissional ou de alto rendimento (futebol: n=11; basquetebol: n=1; atletismo: n=3 e dois praticavam atividade esportiva regular a nível recreacional. Foram submetidos a fixação cirúrgica com parafuso canulado de compressão (4.5mm de diâmetro. Todos os pacientes foram avaliados clinicamente e através da revisão do processo clínico e dos estudos imagiológicos. O tempo médio de seguimento após a cirurgia foi 54 meses (38-70. RESULTADOS: O tempo médio de consolidação (como demonstrado pelo estudo radiológico e de retorno à atividade esportiva foi 7.3 e 7.5 semanas, respectivamente. Todos os atletas retornaram aos níveis de atividade prévios. Não verificamos atrasos de consolidação, não-união ou refraturas à data do estudo. CONCLUSÃO: A osteossíntese com parafuso de compressão intramedular nas fraturas proximais do quinto metatarsiano demonstrou, nos nossos pacientes, ser um procedimento eficaz com taxas de morbilidade muito reduzidas e que permite ao atleta um retorno precoce à atividade esportiva. Nível de evidência I, Série de Casos.OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to review the short- and long-term clinical and radiological results of intramedullary compression screw fixation of proximal fifth metatarsal fractures in athletes. METHODS: Eleven male and six female active patients with fifth metatarsal zone II and zone III fractures fixed with a 4.5-mm cannulated compression screw were evaluated by chart review, review of radiographs, and clinical evaluation. Fifteen of the patients were high-level athletes (soccer: n=11; basketball: n=1; track and field: n

Número e espaçamento entre hastes de guia de onda para medida da umidade do solo com TDR Number and spacing between wave guide rods for measurement of soil water content with TDR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugênio F. Coelho

2003-08-01

Full Text Available Com este trabalho, objetivou-se avaliar o desempenho de diferentes modelos matemáticos para ajuste dos dados de umidade, em função da constante dielétrica aparente do solo, e a viabilidade de uso de guias de onda de duas e três hastes, com diferentes espaçamentos. Amostras de solo deformadas foram acondicionadas em segmentos de tubos de PVC de 0,075 m de diâmetro. Construíram-se 24 guias de onda com capacitor e 24 guias de onda sem capacitor, sendo que, para cada tipo, 12 guias de onda de duas hastes e 12 de três hastes, com espaçamento entre hastes de 0,009 a 0,022 m, de impedâncias previamente determinadas, foram inseridas no solo, após a saturação em cada segmento de tubo. Dados de umidade do solo determinados por gravimetria e da constante dielétrica aparente obtidos pelo analisador Trase System, foram tomados em cada recipiente durante a secagem do solo de 0,31 a 0,13 m³ m-3. Cinco modelos matemáticos foram ajustados aos dados de umidade em função da correspondente constante dielétrica aparente do solo e o efeito dos modelos na obtenção da umidade do solo, em função da constante dielétrica aparente, foi avaliado estatisticamente. O modelo de Malicki foi o de melhor ajuste dos dados da constante dielétrica aparente, em função da umidade do solo. As guias de onda de três hastes, de diâmetro 0,003 m, comprimento 0,15 m, com espaçamentos entre hastes de 0,017 m, foram as de melhor desempenho, enquanto as guias de onda de três hastes sem capacitor indicaram melhor desempenho na determinação da umidade do solo, comparadas com as de duas hastes sem capacitor. As guias de onda de três hastes sem capacitor apresentaram melhor desempenho na determinação da umidade do solo que as de três hastes com capacitor.The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of different mathematical models to adjust the humidity data as a function of the apparent dielectric constant of the soil and to evaluate the

Avaliação da endotelização de hastes de stents em artérias ilíacas de coelhos

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Celso Kiyochi Takimura

Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: A rápida endotelização pós-implante de stent é ocorrência desejável por teoricamente reduzir a possibilidade de trombose do stent. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a extensão da endotelização de hastes de stents eluidores de sirolimus (liberados da face luminal e abluminal e abluminal exclusivamente em artérias ilíacas de coelhos. MÉTODOS: Foram implantados em artérias ilíacas de 10 coelhos quatro stents eluidores de sirolimus na face luminal e abluminal, três stents eluidores de sirolimus na face abluminal, seis stents recobertos com polímero e quatro stents sem recobrimento. Após quatro semanas, foi realizada eutanásia e utilizou-se microscopia eletrônica de varredura para quantificação da área de hastes de stent exposta e da porcentagem de endotelização. RESULTADOS: A área (média ± DP (mm² de hastes expostas de stent sem recobrimento, stent recoberto com polímero, stent eluidor de sirolimus na face luminal e abluminal e stent eluidor de sirolimus na face abluminal foi de 0,12 ± 0,08; 0,09 ± 0,12; 0,60 ± 0,67 e 0,05 ± 0,04 respectivamente (p = 0,120. A porcentagem de endotelização (média ± DP (% de stent sem recobrimento, stent recoberto com polímero, stent eluidor de sirolimus na face luminal e abluminal e stent eluidor de sirolimus na face abluminal foi de 99 ± 01; 99 ± 0; 97 ± 03 e 99 ± 0 respectivamente (p = 0,133. CONCLUSÃO: Após quatro semanas de implante em artérias ilíacas de coelhos, os stents com liberação de sirolimus tanto da face luminal e abluminal quanto da face abluminal exclusivamente apresentaram taxas de endotelização de hastes de stent semelhantes aos apresentados nos demais tipos de stents sem eluição de medicamento.

A constrained Metropolis-Hastings search for EMRIs in the Mock LISA Data Challenge 1B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gair, Jonathan R; Porter, Edward; Babak, Stanislav; Barack, Leor

2008-01-01

We describe a search for the extreme-mass-ratio inspiral sources in the Round 1B Mock LISA Data Challenge data sets. The search algorithm is a Monte Carlo search based on the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, but also incorporates simulated, thermostated and time annealing, plus a harmonic identification stage designed to reduce the chance of the chain locking onto secondary maxima. In this paper, we focus on describing the algorithm that we have been developing. We give the results of the search of the Round 1B data, although parameter recovery has improved since that deadline. Finally, we describe several modifications to the search pipeline that we are currently investigating for incorporation in future searches

Porta-enxertos para tomateiro conduzido com quatro hastes

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Rafaelle Fazzi Gomes

Full Text Available RESUMO Uma das formas de melhoria da qualidade e da produção do tomateiro é a adoção de técnicas adequadas de manejo da cultura, destacando-se o uso da enxertia e o método de condução das plantas. Contudo, no Brasil, há falta de informações que estimulem essas práticas. Por isso, este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o desempenho de porta-enxertos para tomateiro, com vigoroso sistema radicular, conduzido com quatro hastes, em fibra da casca de coco, em ambiente protegido. Adotou-se o espaçamento de 2,0 m entrelinhas e 0,40 m entre plantas. Para isso, foi utilizado o delineamento em blocos casualizados, com quatro tratamentos e seis repetições, sendo, os tratamentos, dois porta-enxertos (‘Maxifort’ e ‘Multifort’, autoenxertia (‘Alambra’ em ‘Alambra’, e o pé franco (‘Alambra’. Cada parcela foi constituída de 20 plantas, sendo avaliadas as 14 plantas centrais. Não houve efeito significativo no uso dos porta-enxertos sobre as características de produção e de qualidade dos frutos. Na avaliação do estado nutricional, houve diferenças para os teores de P, Mg e Ca em plantas enxertadas. Portanto, os porta-enxertos ‘Maxifort’ e ‘Multifort’, cultivados nas condições em que o experimento foi realizado, não proporcionaram aumento da produção e da qualidade dos frutos.

Chaos control of Hastings-Powell model by combining chaotic motions.

Science.gov (United States)

Danca, Marius-F; Chattopadhyay, Joydev

2016-04-01

In this paper, we propose a Parameter Switching (PS) algorithm as a new chaos control method for the Hastings-Powell (HP) system. The PS algorithm is a convergent scheme that switches the control parameter within a set of values while the controlled system is numerically integrated. The attractor obtained with the PS algorithm matches the attractor obtained by integrating the system with the parameter replaced by the averaged value of the switched parameter values. The switching rule can be applied periodically or randomly over a set of given values. In this way, every stable cycle of the HP system can be approximated if its underlying parameter value equalizes the average value of the switching values. Moreover, the PS algorithm can be viewed as a generalization of Parrondo's game, which is applied for the first time to the HP system, by showing that losing strategy can win: "losing + losing = winning." If "loosing" is replaced with "chaos" and, "winning" with "order" (as the opposite to "chaos"), then by switching the parameter value in the HP system within two values, which generate chaotic motions, the PS algorithm can approximate a stable cycle so that symbolically one can write "chaos + chaos = regular." Also, by considering a different parameter control, new complex dynamics of the HP model are revealed.

Efeito de variáveis ambientais, épocas e métodos de plantio na intensidade da seca da haste (Botrytis cinerea em Hibiscus sabdariffa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Alberto de Oliveira

2011-06-01

Full Text Available O presente estudo objetivou avaliar o efeito da temperatura (15, 20, 25 e 30ºC, do período de molhamento foliar (0, 6, 12 e 24 h, de épocas (setembro, outubro, novembro e dezembro e métodos de plantio (semeadura direta e transplantio de mudas, na intensidade da seca da haste (Botrytis cinerea do hibisco (Hibiscus sabdariffa. As variáveis ambientais foram avaliadas em condições controladas com inoculação artificial e as épocas e métodos de plantio foram avaliados em condições de infecção natural em campo. Os dados de frequência de infecção analisados, como área abaixo da curva de progresso da frequência de infecção (AACPF e comprimento de lesões relacionados às variáveis ambientais, foram submetidos à análise de variância e regressão e, em seguida, plotadas as superfícies de resposta. Os dados de incidência (AACPI relacionados às épocas e métodos de plantio foram submetidos à análise de variância, utilizando-se o programa estatístico Sisvarâ/UFLA. A interação da temperatura e da duração do período de molhamento foliar influenciou a frequência de infecção e o comprimento de lesões da seca da haste. Houve aumento na frequência de infecção e no comprimento de lesões com o incremento do período de molhamento foliar e redução da temperatura. As lesões apresentaram maior tamanho na temperatura de 15ºC e 24 horas de molhamento foliar. Na ausência de molhamento foliar houve manifestação de sintomas somente a 15ºC. A 30ºC houve dependência de maior período de molhamento foliar para a manifestação de sintomas. Houve interação significativa de métodos e épocas de plantio na incidência da doença. Constatou-se menor incidência da seca da haste em transplantio de mudas comparado à semeadura direta em todas as épocas de plantio. Verificou-se aumento da incidência proporcionado pelo atraso na época de plantio nos dois métodos. Registrou-se uma relação direta entre queda de

Efeitos da dieta proteica na cicatrização de fraturas distais de fêmur imobilizadas com pinos intramedulares em cão

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Silveira Iandara Silva

1997-01-01

Full Text Available No presente experimento vinte cães sem raça definida, pesando em média 6kg, com idade variando entre 4 e 12 anos, vindos do Biotério Central da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM, foram distribuidos em dois grupos com 10 animais, cada grupo dividido em dois subgrupos com 5 cães, denominados 1A, 1B, 2A e 2B. Os animais do grupo 1 receberam tratamento por 90 dias, e os do grupo 2 por 60 dias após a cirurgia. O subgrupo A correspondem a tratamento com ração crescimento contendo 27% de proteina bruta e o subgrupo B ração manutenção com 21% de proteina bruta. Todos os cães sofreram fratura distal de fêmur, experimental, reduzidas com dois pinos intramedulares, introduzidos através da superfície articular da tróclea. Os cães ficaram confinados em canis individuais até a remoção dos pontos e em canis comuns para no máximo 5 cães até o término do experimento. Foi feita avaliação clínica, radiográfica e histológica da evolução da cicatrização óssea a qual demonstrou que o tratamento com ração com maior teor de proteina proporcionou melhor regeneração e que a técnica de osteossíntese utilizada manteve estabilidade na linha de fratura.

Post harvest of pink ginger floral stems treated with silver thiosulphate, sucrose, and calcium Pós-colheita de hastes de alpínia tratadas com tiossulfato de prata, sacarose e cálcio

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Antonio Tarciso C da Silva

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The Brazilian market of tropical flowers has been growing broadly with a strong participation of the Northeast Region, where the State of Alagoas stands out. Among the exporting tropical cut flowers, pink ginger (Alpinia purpurata (Vieill K. Schum has been one of the most promising species. Aiming at delaying senescence in floral stems of pink ginger, two laboratory experiments were carried out at the Agricultural Science Center of the Federal University of Alagoas. In the first experiment, three different exposure periods (30; 60, and 120 minutes to silver thiosulphate 1 mM were tested, followed or not by pulsing in a 20% sucrose solution, for 12 hours. In the second experiment, we evaluated the effect of adding calcium sulphate 50 and 100 mM, sodium silicate 1.25 and 2.5 mM, and the combination of calcium sulphate 50mM + sodium silicate 1.25mM on the hydric status and longevity of floral stems. In both experiments, the control treatment consisted of keeping stems in distilled water. Fresh biomass and quality of floral stems were determined every other day. Silver thiosulphate applied in pulsing for 60 minutes or more led to stem dehydration, whereas calcium sulphate improved both stem hydration and commercial durability.O mercado brasileiro de flores tropicais encontra-se em franco crescimento, com uma importante participação da região Nordeste, destacando-se o estado de Alagoas. Dentre as flores tropicais de corte para exportação, a alpínia (Alpiniapurpurata (Vieill K. Schum ocupa posição de destaque. Visando retardar a senescência das hastes florais de alpínia, cultivar Pink Ginger, foram conduzidos dois experimentos em laboratório no CCA da Universidade Federal de Alagoas. No primeiro, foram testados três tempos (30; 60 e 120 minutos de exposição ao tiossulfato de prata 1 mM, seguido ou não de pulsing em sacarose a 20%, por 12 horas. No segundo experimento foram verificados os efeitos nas relações hídricas e longevidade

Avaliação do emprego da haste femoral curta na fratura trocantérica instável do fêmur Evaluating the use of a proximal femoral nail in unstable trochanteric fracture of the femur

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João Antonio Matheus Guimarães

2008-09-01

, devido a uma redução inadequada em varo, ocorreu um cutout que necessitou de revisão cirúrgica. Outro caso de fratura do tipo 31A2, evoluiu para necrose avascular da cabeça femoral, após consolidação da fratura. Por fim, um caso de fratura do tipo 31A3, devido a redução inadequada no plano sagital, evoluiu para retarde de consolidação, com quebra da haste após 13 meses da cirurgia. CONCLUSÃO: A osteossíntese com haste proximal, como tratamento da fratura trocantérica instável do fêmur realizada em pacientes com idade superior a 60 anos, resultou na consolidação da maioria dos casos. As complicações foram distintas nos dois subgrupos estudados. A redução adequada da fratura antes da introdução da haste intramedular é fundamental para o sucesso do procedimento.OBJECTIVE: Identifying the rate of healing of unstable trochanteric fractures submitted to osteosynthesis with a proximal femoral nail (PFN® - AO/ASIF, in patients operated on between November 1999 and March 2004. METHODS: 45 patients were analyzed, ages ranging from 60 to 93, with unstable trochanteric fractures of the femur submitted to osteosynthesis with short PFN®, with indirect reduction in a traction device guided by radioscopy. The fractures were classified according to the AO/OTA classification. Bone quality was evaluated by the Singh index in the post-operative radiographic routine. The quality of the reduction achieved and the positioning of the implant were evaluated by post-operative anteroposterior and profile X-ray of the proximal femur, with analysis of the cervicodiaphyseal angle and the distance between the tip of the sliding nail and the center of the femoral head, the so-called "tip apex distance" (TAD. RESULTS: The mean age of patients studied was 80.8 years (60-93. Females prevailed, with 37 cases (82.2%. The right side was involved in 22 cases (48.89% and the left side, in 23 (51.1%. All fractures were unstable, 22 of them of the type 31A2 (48.8%, and 23, of the

Relação entre solo e haste sulcadora de semeadora em Latossolo escarificado em diferentes épocas Soil and planter shank relation in an Oxisol chiseled at different times

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David Peres da Rosa

2008-03-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a duração dos efeitos da escarificação em Latossolo Vermelho argiloso, pelo estudo da relação entre solo e haste sulcadora de semeadora. Os tratamentos foram: solo sob semeadura direta há 13 anos; solo escarificado há quatro anos (2001; solo escarificado há dois anos (2003; e solo escarificado há seis meses (2005, todos com ou sem tráfego de máquinas agrícolas. Dados de esforço vertical, momento associado à haste sulcadora, área de solo efetivamente mobilizada, resistência específica operacional, macroporosidade, microporosidade, porosidade total e densidade do solo foram coletados, e o esforço de tração na haste sulcadora foi calculado. A demanda de esforços aumentou com o incremento no decurso do tempo de execução da escarificação, e o solo escarificado há seis meses apresentou a menor demanda. O solo escarificado há quatro anos apresentou comportamento similar ao solo sob semeadura direta, e ofereceu a menor área mobilizada e a maior resistência operacional. Nos parâmetros físicos, diferenças foram observadas apenas na camada 0-0,10 m, onde o solo recém escarificado apresentou a maior macroporosidade, e menor microporosidade e densidade do solo. Após quatro anos, não se evidenciou mais o efeito da escarificação na relação entre solo e haste sulcadora.The objective of this study was to evaluate the chiseling effect duration in an Oxisol, based on the study of soil and planter shank relation. The treatments were: no-till for 13 years; four years since chiseling (2001; two years since chiseling (2002; and six months since chiseling (2005, where all treatments were submitted or not to traffic with agricultural machinery. Data about vertical force and moment associated to: shank, soil mobilized area, specific operational resistance, macroporosity, microporosity, total porosity and soil density, were collected, and draught on shank was calculated. Increasing of time since

Osteossíntese de úmero em pombos domésticos (Columba livia associando-se pinos metálicos e polimetilmetacrilato intramedulares após osteotomia diafisária Humerus osteosynthesis using intramedullary pins and polymethylmethacrylate in domestic pigeons (Columba livia

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M.M. Alievi

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Foram utilizadas 28 aves adultas, separadas aleatoriamente em quatro grupos. Os pombos foram anestesiados com isoflurano para a realização da osteotomia diafisária transversa do úmero direito. No grupo I, a osteossíntese foi realizada associando-se dois pinos de Kirschner e polimetilmetacrilato, intramedulares; no grupo II, os pinos de Kirschner foram substituídos por pinos de Schanz; no grupo III, foram utilizados apenas dois pinos de Kirschner; e, no grupo IV, apenas dois pinos de Shanz. Os tempos médios para a consolidação óssea foram de 29±4,04 dias no grupo I; 24±5,29 dias no grupo II; 33±3,74 dias no grupo III; e 32,9±5,21 dias no grupo IV. Foi observada migração dos pinos em 42,9% dos animais do grupo I, em 0% nos do grupo II, em 85,7% nos do grupo III, e em 28,6% nos do grupo IV. Em duas aves dos grupos I, III e IV notou-se incapacidade de voar. Os resultados demonstram que a associação de dois pinos de Schanz e polimetilmetacrilato, ambos intramedulares, é um método efetivo para osteossíntese de úmero em pombos domésticos (Columba livia, proporcionando rápida consolidação óssea e mínimas complicações.Twenty-eight adult domestic pigeons (Columba livia were randomly divided into four groups of seven birds each. Anesthesia was performed with isoflurane and oxygen, and an osteotomy of the right humerus midshaft was performed with an electric cutter. On the sequence, one of the following treatments was chosen: group I, two Kirschner pins and polymethylmethacrylate intramedullary; group II, two Schanz pins and polymethylmethacrylate intramedullary; group III, two Kirschner pins only; and group IV, two Schanz pins only. The mean time ± standard deviation for fracture healing was 29±4.04 days in group I; 24±5.29 days in group II; 33±3.74 days in group III; 32.9±5.21 days in group IV. Pin migration was observed in 42.9% of the group I animals, 0% of group II, 85.7% of group III, and 28.6% of group IV. Two

Fratura periprotética da tíbia combinada com fratura de fadiga da haste tibial de artroplastia total do joelho Tibial periprosthetic fracture combined with tibial stem stress fracture from total knee arthroplasty

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Fernando Fonseca

2011-01-01

Full Text Available As complicações das artroplastias totais do joelho relacionadas com o próprio material são muito raras, exceto o desgaste do polietileno. Neste artigo os autores reportam o caso de uma paciente do sexo feminino de 58 anos referenciada ao pronto-socorro do nosso hospital por uma fratura periprotética tibial (tipo I da classificação da Mayo Clinic. Uma observação mais cuidadosa mostrou a presença concomitante da referida fratura da tíbia associada à fratura de fadiga da haste tibial. A prótese com a haste foi remetida a um laboratório de biomecânica independente onde foi avaliada e efetuada uma reconstrução com uso de sistema de elementos finitos em CAD de modo a verificar a existência de algum defeito de fabricação e as eventuais causas para o sucedido. Depois de avaliadas diversas hipóteses, concluiu-se que a fratura do material foi provocada por uma sobrecarga na zona de transição prato/haste secundária à falência óssea prévia (fratura. Da avaliação do caso ressalta-se novamente a necessidade de efetuar uma avaliação adequada da mineralização óssea e, em caso de dúvida, utilizar uma haste longa.Total knee arthroplasty complications related to the prosthetic material are very rare, except for polyethylene wear. We report the case of a 58-year-old woman who came to the emergency service of our hospital with a periprosthetic tibial fracture (Mayo Clinic type I. Careful examination showed that this fracture was concomitantly associated with a tibial stem fatigue fracture. The prosthesis and the stem were sent to an independent biomechanics laboratory for evaluation. A finite-element CAD system was used to make a reconstruction, so as to ascertain whether there had been any manufacturing defect and what the causes of the event might have been. After evaluation of several hypotheses, it was concluded that the fracture in the prosthetic material had been caused by overloading at the plate/stem transition zone

Boro e nitrogênio na incidência de hastes ocas e no rendimento de brócolis Boron and nitrogen on hollow stem and yield of broccoli

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Rafael Campagnol

2009-12-01

Full Text Available A incidência de hastes ocas em brócolis (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenck depende de vários fatores que afetam a absorção e o transporte de B, elemento responsável pelo aparecimento dessa desordem fisiológica. O trabalho avaliou os efeitos de quatro níveis de nitrogênio e dois níveis de boro e da interação entre eles na incidência de hastes ocas e na produção de brócolis. As doses de N (100, 150, 200 e 250 kg ha-1 foram divididas em quatro aplicações iguais aos 15, 30, 45 e 60 dias após o transplante. O boro (0, 4 e 8 kg ha-1 foi aplicado metade no plantio e a outra metade em cobertura aos 45 dias após o transplante. A massa média das inflorescências e a produção total foram diminuídas com a aplicação de B em função do crescimento mais lento das plantas provocado pela toxicidade desse elemento. Contudo, nas áreas não adubadas com B, a porcentagem de plantas com hastes ocas foi, em média, de 44,14%, sendo que a incidência dessa anomalia sofreu drástica redução com a aplicação de B, onde a maior dose (8 kg ha-1 resultou em apenas 4,52% de inflorescências afetadas. Doses de N superiores a 215,4 kg ha-1 aumentaram o número de plantas com hastes ocas somente nas áreas que não receberam B.The incidence of hollow stem in broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenck depends on several factors that affect the absorption and transport of boron, which is the element responsible for the appearance of this physiological disorder. This study evaluated the effects of four levels of nitrogen and two levels of boron and the interaction between them in the incidence of hollow stem and yield of broccoli. The levels of N (100, 150, 200 and 250 kg ha-1 were divided into four applications equal to 15, 30, 45, and 60 days after transplant. Half of the boron (0, 4 and 8 kg ha-1 was applied at planting and half in coverage at 45 days after transplanting. Average mass and total yield were reduced with B application

Efeitos do carbonato de lodenafila na consolidaÃÃo de fraturas da diÃfise femoral de Ratos tratados com haste intramedular

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Gisele FaÃanha Diogenes Teixeira

2010-01-01

O objetivo do estudo foi verificar os efeitos do carbonato de lodenafil no processo de consolidaÃÃo Ãssea nos fÃmures de ratos reduzidos com fio de Kirshner. Os fatores vasculares sÃo extremamente importantes para a formaÃÃo do calo Ãsseo. O carbonato de lodenafil causa efeitos vasodilatadores, pertence ao grupo dos inibidores da fosfodiesterase seletiva para o tipo 5 (PDE5), enzima que hidrolisa monofosfato de guanosina cÃclico (GMPc). O GMPc induz o relaxamento da musculatura lisa, sendo ut...

Osteosíntesis con clavos flexibles intramedulares retrógrados para el manejo de las fracturas diafisiarias del fémur en niños entre 6-12 años

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Alejandro Uribe Ríos

2005-02-01

Full Text Available En el Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paúl (HUSVP de Medellín, Colombia, se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo y prospectivo tipo serie de casos, de fracturas diafisiarias del fémur en niños entre 6 y 12 años tratadas con clavos flexibles intramedulares de acero. Se trataron 70 pacientes en el período comprendido entre mayo de 2000 y 1 de enero de 2004. Se revisaron los pacientes y las radiografías en el servicio de consulta externa del Hospital Infantil del HUSVP con un seguimiento mínimo de 6 meses. La mayoría de los 70 pacientes eran del sexo masculino (74%, el mecanismo más frecuente de trauma fue el accidente de tránsito (66%, el promedio de edad fue de 8.3 años, el promedio de estancia hospitalaria fue de 7.8 días atribuible a causas administrativas y a presentar traumas asociados. A 59 pacientes se les retiraron los clavos en un tiempo promedio de 5.1 meses, sin complicaciones; los 11 restantes todavía tienen el material de osteosíntesis en el momento del análisis. Se encontraron 3 pacientes con discrepancia de longitud a expensas de la extremidad fracturada y 2 con deformidad angular; ninguno de ellos, hasta la fecha, ha requerido tratamiento médico o quirúrgico adicional. Los resultados de esta técnica, relativamente nueva en Medellín, Colombia, son alentadores; además, en este proyecto participaron 15 ortopedistas lo que muestra la facilidad de la técnica, con la que hemos obtenido resultados tan buenos como los reportados en la literatura mundial.

Low temperature storage of NAA, GA3 and 2,4-D treated citrus budsticks Armazenamento em baixa temperatura de hastes porta-borbulhas de citros tratadas com ANA, GA3 e 2,4-D

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Luiz Carlos Chamhum Salomão

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Cold storage allows citrus budstick conservation for several months, although gradual bud viability loss and abscission of leaf petioles is observed. This study aimed to maintain bud viability reducing leaf petiole abscission in budsticks of 'Baianinha' and 'Valencia' sweet oranges (C. sinensis Osbeck, 'Tahiti' lime (C. latifolia Tanaka, and 'Murcott' tangor (C. sinensis × C. reticulata, using NAA, GA3, 2,4-D, and low temperature storage. After a 15-minutes-immersion in distilled water and NAA and GA3 solutions at concentrations of 10, 100, 500 and 1000 µmol L-1, and 2,4-D solutions at concentrations of 1, 10, 50 and 100 µmol L-1, the shoots were stored in polyethylene bags at 5 ± 1ºC for 74 days. Percentage of leaf petiole abscission, fresh and dry matter losses, bud viability, and growth flush were evaluated. NAA and 2,4-D had the highest efficiency for petiole abscission inhibition, reaching almost 99% of success. The packaging system and shoot storage under low temperature efficiently reduced fresh and dry matter losses. Bud viability of 'Baianinha', 'Valencia' and 'Murcott' shoots was not reduced by storage, maintaining above 95% of grafting success. NAA, GA3 and 2,4-D treatments had no influence on sprout growth.O armazenamento refrigerado possibilita a conservação de hastes porta-borbulhas de citros por vários meses, embora ocorra perda gradual da viabilidade das borbulhas e abscisão dos pecíolos foliares. Este estudo objetivou manter a viabilidade das borbulhas e reduzir a abscisão dos pecíolos foliares das hastes porta-borbulhas das laranjeiras 'Baianinha' e 'Valência'(C. sinensis Osbeck, da lima ácida 'Tahiti'(C. latifolia Tanaka e da tangoreira 'Murcote' (C. sinensis × C. reticulata por meio do tratamento com ANA, GA3, 2,4-D e armazenamento refrigerado. As hastes foram imersas por 15 minutos em água destilada e em soluções com os reguladores de crescimento ANA e GA3 nas concentrações 10, 100, 500 e 1000 µmol L-1 e

Redução de haste verde e retenção foliar na soja em razão de maior disponibilidade de nitrogênio pelo tratamento de sementes

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Fernando Fávero

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Problemas relacionados à retenção foliar e maturação desuniforme na cultura da soja têm sido relatados em várias regiões do país, inclusive no Estado do Paraná, desafiando pesquisadores brasileiros. Várias hipóteses já foram levantadas sobre o desequilíbrio nutricional das plantas e intensificação do problema, porém nenhuma com conclusão definitiva. Com o objetivo de avaliar como a disponibilidade de N via inoculação e uso de Co e Mo no tratamento de sementes, associado ao uso de fungicida e inseticida, pode minimizar a retenção foliar e haste verde, instalou-se um ensaio no campo da Estação Experimental da Copacol, em Cafelândia, PR. Oito combinações de produtos foram usadas no tratamento de sementes de soja, considerando a presença ou ausência de Co e Mo, inoculante e inseticida/fungicida. Avaliaram-se o teor de N foliar, a frequência de plantas anormais por ocasião da colheita, a porcentagem de vagens, com 0, 1, 2, 3 e 4 grãos formados, o peso de 1000 grãos, o teor de umidade, a impureza na colheita e o rendimento de grãos. O uso do Co e Mo e a inoculação de sementes promoveram aumento do teor de N foliar na soja e reduziram o número de plantas anormais, refletindo positivamente no rendimento e seus componentes. Os resultados evidenciaram efeito positivo da melhor nutrição das plantas de soja com relação ao N na redução de haste verde e reafirmaram a necessidade do uso do Co e Mo e da inoculação de sementes.

Crescimento e produção de hastes florais de gladíolo cultivado sob diferentes tensões de água no solo Growth and production of gladiolus floral stems under different soil water tensions

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Joelma Rezende Durão Pereira

2009-08-01

Full Text Available As plantas ornamentais, em geral, e o gladíolo, em particular, são bastante suscetíveis às variações do nível de água no solo. No presente estudo foram avaliados os efeitos de diferentes níveis de tensão de água no solo sobre o crescimento e produção do gladíolo, em experimento realizado em casa-de-vegetação em Lavras, Minas Gerais. Esses efeitos foram caracterizados nas fases de crescimento vegetativo, espigamento e floração, por análises das seguintes medidas de crescimento: altura da planta, tamanho da haste floral e número de flores. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado em esquema de faixas, avaliando-se quatro níveis de tensão de água no solo (15, 25, 40 e 60 kPa em cada uma das três fases fenológicas da cultura, totalizando doze tratamentos e seis repetições. Os resultados mostraram que a altura da planta, tamanho da haste floral e o número de flores foram significativamente reduzidos pelo aumento dos níveis de tensão de água no solo, sendo os efeitos mais intensos nas fases de crescimento e espigamento. Os melhores resultados em relação ao tamanho da planta, da haste floral e número de flores, foram obtidos mantendo-se a tensão de água no solo próxima à capacidade de campo.The ornamental plants in general, and specially the gladiolus, are susceptible to variations of the soil water level. The effects of different soil water tensions on growth and production of gladiolus were evaluated in an experiment carried out in a greenhouse located in Lavras, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. These effects were characterized during the stages of vegetative growth, pre-flowering and flowering by analyzing plant height, floral stem length and number of flowers. The experimental design was completely randomized in a strip outline of four levels of soil water tensions (15, 25, 40 and 60 kPa on each growth stage, totalizing twelve treatments and six replications. The results demonstrated that plant

Hastes instrumentadas para a mensuração da resistência mecânica do solo Instrumented shanks for soil mechanical resistance measurements

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Viacheslav I. Adamchuk

2006-04-01

Full Text Available A presença de camada de solo compactada pode significar sérios problemas ao desenvolvimento do sistema radicular das culturas em geral. A correção pode ser feita por métodos biológicos ou mecânicos. Uma das formas de diagnóstico da sua presença é com o uso de penetrômetros que exigem tempo considerável para a obtenção de dados. Com o advento dos recursos de espacialização das informações na forma de mapas, a necessidade de amostragem passou a ser ainda maior. Este trabalho reporta a busca de uma solução alternativa ao uso do penetrômetro. Envolve a geração de mapas de resistência mecânica do solo ao deslocamento de uma haste em três profundidades, baseado em três hastes instrumentadas, um receptor de GPS e um sistema de aquisição de dados. O sistema é acoplado a uma barra porta-ferramenta montada no engate de três pontos do trator. A configuração mostrou ser mecanicamente bastante simples e confiável. Dados de um teste inicial em campo demonstraram que o sistema pode produzir mapas que denotam a variabilidade espacial da referida resistência nas áreas amostradas, com alta resolução, densidade de amostragem elevada e com capacidade operacional ainda mais elevada se comparada com levantamentos feitos com métodos convencionais.The presence of soil compaction may be considered a serious problem for the development of crop root systems. It can be alleviated by biological or mechanical methods (such as tillage. One of the most popular diagnostic methods is based on standardized cone penetrometer measurements, which requires a considerable amount of time to obtain the data. With the advent of site-specific field management, high-density measurements have become a necessity. This work reports on an alternative approach to use a cone penetromenter. It involves the generation of maps of soil mechanical resistance at three depths using three instrumented blades, a GPS receiver and a data logger. The system is attached

Centrically reordered inversion recovery half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin-echo sequence: improvement of the image quality of oxygen-enhanced MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohno, Yoshiharu; Hatabu, Hiroto; Higashino, Takanori; Kawamitsu, Hideaki; Watanabe, Hirokazu; Takenaka, Daisuke; Cauteren, Marc van; Sugimura, Kazuro

2004-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the study presented here was to determine the improvement in image quality of oxygen-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) subtraction imaging obtained with a centrically reordered inversion recovery half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin-echo (c-IR-HASTE) sequence compared with that obtained with a conventional sequentially reordered inversion recovery single-shot HASTE (s-IR-HASTE) sequence for pulmonary imaging. Materials and methods: Oxygen-enhanced MR imaging using a 1.5 T whole body scanner was performed on 12 healthy, non-smoking volunteers. Oxygen-enhanced MR images were obtained with the coronal two-dimensional (2D) c-IR-HASTE sequence and 2D s-IR-HASTE sequence combined with respiratory triggering. For a 256x256 matrix, 132 phase-encoding steps were acquired including four steps for phase correction. Inter-echo spacing for each sequence was 4.0 ms. The effective echo time (TE) for c-IR-HASTE was 4.0 ms, and 16 ms for s-IR-HASTE. The inversion time (TI) was 900 ms. To determine the improvement in oxygen-enhanced MR subtraction imaging by c-IR-HASTE, CNRs of subtraction image, overall image quality, and image degradation of the c-IR-HASTE and s-IR-HASTE techniques were statistically compared. Results: CNR, overall image quality, and image degradation of c-IR-HASTE images showed significant improvement compared to those s-IR-HASTE images (P<0.05). Conclusion: Centrically reordered inversion recovery half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin-echo (c-IR-HASTE) sequence enhanced the signal from the lung and improved the image quality of oxygen-enhanced MR subtraction imaging

Structure of a Human Astrovirus Capsid-Antibody Complex and Mechanistic Insights into Virus Neutralization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bogdanoff, Walter A.; Campos, Jocelyn; Perez, Edmundo I.; Yin, Lu; Alexander, David L.; DuBois, Rebecca M. (UCSC)

2016-11-02

Human astroviruses (HAstVs) are a leading cause of viral diarrhea in young children, the immunocompromised, and the elderly. There are no vaccines or antiviral therapies against HAstV disease. Several lines of evidence point to the presence of protective antibodies in healthy adults as a mechanism governing protection against reinfection by HAstV. However, development of anti-HAstV therapies is hampered by the gap in knowledge of protective antibody epitopes on the HAstV capsid surface. Here, we report the structure of the HAstV capsid spike domain bound to the neutralizing monoclonal antibody PL-2. The antibody uses all six complementarity-determining regions to bind to a quaternary epitope on each side of the dimeric capsid spike. We provide evidence that the HAstV capsid spike is a receptor-binding domain and that the antibody neutralizes HAstV by blocking virus attachment to cells. We identify patches of conserved amino acids that overlap the antibody epitope and may comprise a receptor-binding site. Our studies provide a foundation for the development of therapies to prevent and treat HAstV diarrheal disease.

IMPORTANCEHuman astroviruses (HAstVs) infect nearly every person in the world during childhood and cause diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. Despite the prevalence of this virus, little is known about how antibodies in healthy adults protect them against reinfection. Here, we determined the crystal structure of a complex of the HAstV capsid protein and a virus-neutralizing antibody. We show that the antibody binds to the outermost spike domain of the capsid, and we provide evidence that the antibody blocks virus attachment to human cells. Importantly, our findings suggest that a subunit-based vaccine focusing the immune system on the HAstV capsid spike domain could be effective in protecting children against HAstV disease.

Efeito da profundidade de trabalho das hastes sulcadoras de uma semeadora-adubadora na patinagem, na força de tração e no consumo de combustível de um trator agrícola Effects of work operation depth of shanks in a seeder-fertilizer on slip, traction force and fuel consumption of a tractor

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Marcos Antonio Zambillo Palma

2010-10-01

Full Text Available A consolidação do sistema de semeadura direta trás grandes benefícios ao meio ambiente e, também, é notável a redução dos custos de produção devido a desnecessidade das operações como aração, subsolagem, escarificação e gradagem. Porém, nesse sistema se têm muitos problemas relacionados a compactação das camadas superficiais em função do tráfego de máquinas e a consorciação lavoura-pecuária. A solução encontrada pelos agricultores tem sido a substituição, na semeadora-adubadora, do sulcador disco duplo pela haste sulcadora que atua em profundidades superiores. O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar diferentes profundidades de trabalho da haste sulcadora, analisando o consumo de combustível, força de tração, índice de patinagem, potência na barra de tração, consumo específico de combustível e capacidade de campo teórica de um trator agrícola tracionando uma semeadora-adubadora em solo compactado pela integração lavoura-pecuária. Os tratamentos foram 100, 150, 200 e 250 mm de profundidade de trabalho da haste sulcadora, sendo os ensaios desenvolvidos no Departamento de Engenharia da Universidade Federal de Lavras, utilizando delineamento experimental de blocos, casualisados, composto por quatro tratamentos e três repetições. Dessa forma, conclui-se que o aumento da profundidade de trabalho da haste sulcadora em semeadoras-adubadoras de semeadura direta de milho em solos compactados ocorre o aumento no consumo de combustível, no índice de patinagem e no esforço de tração dos tratores agrícolas. Porém, quando a ponteira da haste sulcadora trabalhou posicionada 50 mm abaixo da camada mais compactada se teve reduções nos parâmetros força de tração e índice de patinagem, aumentando a capacidade de campo teórica.The direct sowing system brings many benefits to the environment and also reduction in production costs, since operations such as plowing, subsoiling, chiseling and harrowing

Osteosíntesis mini-invasiva con placas bloqueadas en fracturas metafisarias distales de tibia. Resultados clínico-funcionales. [Minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis in distal metaphyseal fractures of tibia. Comparison of results between fractures AO 43A and AO 43C.

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Juan Manuel Yañez Arauz

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Introducción Las fracturas distales de tibia son un desafío para el tratamiento debido a la escasa cobertura y particular vascularización. Los objetivos del presente estudio son analizar los resultados clínicos y funcionales de los pacientes con fractura de tibia distal; tratados con técnica MIPO (minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis con placas bloqueadas; comparar los resultados del grupo de fracturas tipo AO 43A con las tipo AO 43C1-C2; y comparar los resultados MIPO con el tratamiento abierto convencional.   Material y métodos Entre 2004 y 2012, se evaluaron 32 fracturas de tibia distal tratadas con técnica MIPO. 20 varones y 12 mujeres. Edad promedio: 40,1 años. El 59,4% presentó fracturas tipo AO 43A; y el 40,6% AO 43C. Tiempo trauma/cirugía: 6,8 días promedio. 24 casos presentaron fractura de peroné. Estadía hospitalaria: 1,5 días promedio. Seguimiento promedio: 39,6 meses, mediante score AOFAS y radiología. Se consignaron complicaciones. Se compararon resultados de grupos  tipo AO A y los tipo AO C.   Resultados Incremento del score AOFAS entre pre y post-operatorio: 73,3 puntos promedio. El grupo AO tipo A: media de 95,89 puntos AOFAS PO. El grupo AO tipo C1-2: media de 92,15 puntos PO. Carga del peso corporal: a las 8,7 semanas promedio. Comparando A= 43A y AO 43C: p: 0,46 (no significativa. Retorno a actividad previa a la lesión:9.3 meses promedio. Comparando tipo A y tipo C: p=0,16 (no significativa. Hubo 18,75% de complicaciones y retiro de osteosíntesis en 14 casos.  Conclusiones  La osteosíntesis mínimamente invasiva con placa y tornillos, es una buena opción para las fracturas de tibia distal; con buena evolución clínico-funcional, y escasas complicaciones comparadas a la cirugía abierta. Las fracturas 43A presentan menos complicaciones mayores que las 43C, tratadas con técnica MIPO.

Desenvolvimento vegetativo em diferentes hastes da planta de mandioca em função da época de plantio Vegetative development on different stems of cassava as a function of planting date

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Lovane Klein Fagundes

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Estudos sobre o desenvolvimento vegetativo da mandioca cultivada nas condições subtropicais do Brasil são escassos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar o filocrono e o número final de folhas na haste principal e nas ramificações simpodiais de uma variedade de mandioca em diferentes épocas de plantio, em condições de clima subtropical. Um experimento de campo foi conduzido em Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul (RS, com quatro datas de plantio: 26/09/2006, 18/10/2006, 08/11/2006 e 28/11/2006. A variedade usada foi a FEPAGRO RS13, com caule do tipo simpodial tricotômico, no delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, com quatro tratamentos (datas de plantio e quatro parcelas de 4,0 x 9,0m, com cinco fileiras e espaçamento 0,80 x 0,80m. Em seis plantas por parcela selecionadas aleatoriamente, foi feita a contagem semanal do número de folhas visíveis (NF e do número final de folhas (NFF da haste principal (HP e das ramificações simpodiais de primeira (RS1 e de segunda (RS2 ordem. O filocrono (°C dia folha-1 foi estimado para HP, RS1 e RS2 pelo inverso do coeficiente angular da regressão linear entre NF e soma térmica acumulada, considerando a temperatura base de 14°C. O filocrono aumentou na seqüência HPRS1>RS2. Ambos filocrono e NFF variaram com a época de plantio, sendo o fotoperíodo uma possível causa da variação. Dentro das ramificações simpodiais RS1 e RS2, o filocrono e o NFF não são diferentes entre as hastes.Studies on the vegetative development of cassava grown in subtropical conditions of Brazil are scarce. The objective of this study was to determine the phyllochron and the final leaf number on the main stem and on sympodial branches of a cassava variety grown in different planting dates in a subtropical climate. A field experiment was conducted in Santa Maria, RS, with four planting dates: 09/26/2006, 10/18/2006, 11/08/2006 and 11/28/2006. The variety FEPAGRO RS13, with tricotomic growth habit, was

Resultados de revisão de artroplastia total do joelho com haste não cimentada "Press-fit" Results of revision total knee arthroplasty using press-fit cementless stem

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Maurício Masasi Iamaguchi

2013-02-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Mostrar nossa experiência com haste não-cimentadas press-fit e fixação metafisária com cimento em série selecionada de pacientes que realizaram revisão de artroplastia total do joelho. MÉTODOS: Trinta e quatro pacientes (35 joelhos foram submetidos a revisão de artroplastia total do joelho usando técnica "press-fit". Seguimento mínimo foi de um ano (média de 2,2 anos e máximo de três anos. RESULTADOS: Dos 34 pacientes, 20 foram mulheres e 14 foram homens. Houve um óbito por causa não relacionada a artroplastia e perda de seguimento de um paciente. Não houve nenhum caso em que fosse necessária nova revisão. Os pacientes que foram submetidos à revisão apresentaram melhora clínica e funcional demonstrado pelos resultados do KSS, resultados do questionário de qualidade de vida SF-36, através do ganho de amplitude de movimento e da melhora no alinhamento do membro. CONCLUSÃO: Houve melhora clínica e funcional no pós-operatório em relação ao pré-operatório na revisão de artroplastia total do Joelho com haste não cimentada "press-fit". Nível de Evidência IV, Série de casos.OBJECTIVE: To show our experience with press-fit cementless stem and metaphyseal fixation with cement in a selected series of patients who underwent revision total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: Thirty-four patients (35 knees underwent revision total knee arthroplasty using the press-fit technique. Minimum follow-up was one year (mean 2.2 years with a maximum length of three years. RESULTS: Of 34 patients, 20 were women and 14 were men. There was one death due to causes not related to arthroplasty and one patient dropout. There were no cases in which further review was necessary. Patients who underwent revision had clinical and functional improvement demonstrated by the results of the KSS, results of the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire, through gains in range of motion and improved limb alignment. CONCLUSION: There was postoperative

Épocas de colheita de umbelas e comprimento da haste floral no rendimento e no potencial fisiológico de sementes de cebola Harvesting period of umbels and seed stalk length on seed yield and on physiological potential of onion seed

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Marie Y. Reghin

2004-06-01

Full Text Available O estado do Paraná contribui significativamente para o abastecimento de cebola no Brasil. Apesar disso, ainda não ocorre produção de sementes, o que demanda necessidade de pesquisa nessa área. Avaliou-se épocas de colheita e presença ou não de haste floral nas umbelas sobre o rendimento e potencial fisiológico de sementes de cebola. Os tratamentos resultaram da combinação de três épocas de colheita (com cápsulas ainda verdes, no início de abertura das cápsulas e com 10% de sementes expostas, combinadas com umbelas de haste floral com comprimento de 15 cm ou sem haste floral, arranjados em esquema fatorial 3x2. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. Os bulbos da cultivar Crioula foram provenientes da EPAGRI (SC e plantados em julho/2002, em Imbituva (PR, sob cultivo protegido de plástico de polietileno, usando estrutura modelo Londrina. Na fase de florescimento, quatro umbelas por parcela foram etiquetadas para as avaliações. Em cada uma das umbelas colhidas, foram separados e contados o número total de flores fecundadas (cápsulas e de flores não fecundadas. As sementes foram retiradas das cápsulas e posteriormente contadas, obtendo-se o número total de sementes e de sementes por cápsula. Foram avaliadas a massa total de sementes por umbela, massa de 100 sementes e conduzidos os testes de germinação e vigor. A colheita das umbelas com haste de 15 cm não influiu no rendimento nem no potencial fisiológico das sementes. A época de colheita das umbelas influiu na quantidade e na qualidade das sementes. A colheita realizada no início de abertura das cápsulas ou com 10% de sementes expostas resultou em maior número de sementes por umbela, mais semente por cápsula, maior rendimento por umbela e maior massa de sementes. O rendimento médio foi de 2,9 g/umbela. Além disso, resultou em maior vigor e germinação (90,25% e 85,25%, respectivamente. Na prática, é desej

Comentários neurocirúrgicos e fisiológicos sobre a secção da haste pituitária em seres humanos (miscotomia

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J. Le Beau

1967-12-01

Full Text Available Nossa primeira hipofisectomia para tratamento de carcinoma metastático do seio foi feita em novembro de 1951 e a secção da haste pituitária (miscotomia para o mesmo fim foi iniciada em novembro de 1956. Quando se consegue impedir a regeneração vascular hipotálamo-hipofisária os resultados gerais da miscotomia são pouco diferentes daqueles obtidos com a hipofisectomia. Empregamos a miscotomia sempre que, por condições locais ou gerais, a remoção total da hipófise parece constituir grande risco cirúrgico. Temos publicado estudos anatomo-fisiológicos desde 1958 mostrando: (a as variações da necrose do lobo anterior da hipófise que não são totais nem definitivas (regeneração pituitária e a importância das artérias trabeculares a este respeito; b a grande capacidade de regeneração vascular a partir do hipctálamo e dirigindo-se para a parte restante do lobo anterior da hipófise, o que constitui um novo sistema anatomo-funcional portal; c após isolamento permanente da pituitária ocorre proliferação das células de prolactina (células orangeófilas e hipertrofia compensadora da pars tuberalis. A remoção cirúrgica de tecido hipofisário normal nos permitiu descrever, pela primeira vez no ser humano, as células ACTH (1964 e as células FSH (1966.

Resistência mecânica do solo e força de tração em hastes sulcadoras de semeadoras-adubadoras em sistema de integração lavoura-pecuária Mechanical resistance of soil and traction force by planter chisel type openers in crop-livestock system

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Osmar Conte

2008-12-01

Full Text Available A integração lavoura-pecuária, realizada mediante a implantação de pastagens no inverno e a semeadura de milho ou soja no verão, constitui-se numa alternativa para a diversificação de atividades e ampliação dos lucros. Animais em pastejo, principalmente em áreas agrícolas manejadas sob semeadura direta, podem resultar na compactação adicional do solo, diagnosticada geralmente pelo aumento de resistência do solo à penetração (RP. Com o objetivo de avaliar a correlação entre RP e força de tração (FT medida em hastes sulcadoras de semeadoras-adubadoras, nos anos de 2004 e 2005, foi conduzido um experimento em São Miguel das Missões - RS, em Latossolo Vermelho (0.540 kg kg-1 de argila. Os tratamentos consistiram em quatro intensidades de pastejo, que resultaram em alturas de pastagem de 10; 20; 30 e 40 cm, e de testemunha sem pastejo, organizados em DBC, com três repetições. Avaliou-se a RP, no final do período de pastejo, e na semeadura da soja, obteve-se a FT exigida nas hastes sulcadoras de semeadoras-adubadoras. A RP e a FT aumentaram com o incremento na intensidade de pastejo. A correlação entre essas variáveis foi significativa, comprovando que é possível avaliar o estado de compactação do solo por meio da medição da FT requerida pelas hastes sulcadoras de semeadoras-adubadoras.The use of crop-livestock integration systems, with forage implantation during winter and corn or soybean sown during summer, has become an alternative to activity diversification while magnifying profits. Cattle grazing, mainly in agricultural areas under no-tillage, can result in additional soil compaction, which can usually be diagnosed by increases in soil resistance to penetration (RP. Aiming to evaluate the correlation between RP and traction force (FT measured with cutting shafts, in the years of 2004 and 2005, an experiment was conducted in São Miguel das Missões - RS, Brazil, in an Oxisoil (0.540 kg kg-1 clay content

What is Mine is Yours: The Art of Operational Integration

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-10

141 Dorn, Walkout, 67-68. 142 Stilwell, The Stilwell Papers, 77. 143 Max Hastings, Retribution (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008), 216. 144...impose the urgency of the situation in Burma on 152 Stilwell, The Stilwell Papers, 90. 153 Hastings, Retribution , 216. 154 Dorn, Walkout, 86. 155...to the Rhine, 33. 171 Tombin, With Utmost Spirit, 385,388. 172 Hastings, Retribution , 216. 173 Davies, Dragon by the Tail, 262. 174 Bagby

Structural Basis for Escape of Human Astrovirus from Antibody Neutralization: Broad Implications for Rational Vaccine Design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bogdanoff, Walter A.; Perez, Edmundo I.; López, Tomás; Arias, Carlos F.; DuBois, Rebecca M. (UNAM-Mexico); (UCSC)

2017-10-25

Human astroviruses are recognized as a leading cause of viral diarrhea worldwide in children, immunocompromised patients, and the elderly. There are currently no vaccines available to prevent astrovirus infection; however, antibodies developed by healthy individuals during previous infection correlate with protection from reinfection, suggesting that an effective vaccine could be developed. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism by which several strains of human astrovirus serotype 2 (HAstV-2) are resistant to the potent HAstV-2-neutralizing monoclonal antibody PL-2 (MAb PL-2). Sequencing of the HAstV-2 capsid genes reveals mutations in the PL-2 epitope within the capsid's spike domain. To understand the molecular basis for resistance from MAb PL-2 neutralization, we determined the 1.35-Å-resolution crystal structure of the capsid spike from one of these HAstV-2 strains. Our structure reveals a dramatic conformational change in a loop within the PL-2 epitope due to a serine-to-proline mutation, locking the loop in a conformation that sterically blocks binding and neutralization by MAb PL-2. We show that mutation to serine permits loop flexibility and recovers MAb PL-2 binding. Importantly, we find that HAstV-2 capsid spike containing a serine in this loop is immunogenic and elicits antibodies that neutralize all HAstV-2 strains. Taken together, our results have broad implications for rational selection of vaccine strains that do not contain prolines in antigenic loops, so as to elicit antibodies against diverse loop conformations.

IMPORTANCEHuman astroviruses (HAstVs) infect nearly every person in the world during childhood and cause diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. In this study, we investigated how several strains of HAstV are resistant to a virus-neutralizing monoclonal antibody. We determined the crystal structure of the capsid protein spike domain from one of these HAstV strains and found that

First detection of a human astrovirus type 8 in a child with diarrhea in Belém, Brazil: comparison with other strains worldwide and identification of possible three lineages

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Yvone B Gabbay

2007-06-01

Full Text Available This study describes the genetic relationships of the first human astrovirus type-8 (HAstV-8 detected in Belém-Brazil, during a public hospital-based study. This strain was compared with other HAstV-8 strains identified elsewhere which have sequences available at GeneBank. The regions ORF1a (primers Mon348/Mon340 and ORF2 (primers Mon269/Mon270 were analyzed by nucleotide sequencing and a high similarity rate was observed among the Belém strain and other HAstV-8 strains. In ORF1a, homology values of 93-100% were detected, and in ORF2 96-99%. Considering the sequence variation (7% observed in ORF2 region, it was suggested that HAstV-8 strains could be divided in three different lineages.

Clinical evaluation of further-developed MRCP sequences in comparison with standard MRCP sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hundt, W.; Scheidler, J.; Reiser, M.; Petsch, R.

2002-01-01

The purpose of this study was the comparison of technically improved single-shot magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) sequences with standard single-shot rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE) and half-Fourier acquired single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) sequences in evaluating the normal and abnormal biliary duct system. The bile duct system of 45 patients was prospectively investigated on a 1.5-T MRI system. The investigation was performed with RARE and HASTE MR cholangiography sequences with standard and high spatial resolutions, and with a delayed-echo half-Fourier RARE (HASTE) sequence. Findings of the improved MRCP sequences were compared with the standard MRCP sequences. The level of confidence in assessing the diagnosis was divided into five groups. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test at a level of p<0.05 was applied. In 15 patients no pathology was found. The MRCP showed stenoses of the bile duct system in 10 patients and choledocholithiasis and cholecystolithiasis in 16 patients. In 12 patients a dilatation of the bile duct system was found. Comparison of the low- and high spatial resolution sequences and the short and long TE times of the half-Fourier RARE (HASTE) sequence revealed no statistically significant differences regarding accuracy of the examination. The diagnostic confidence level in assessing normal or pathological findings for the high-resolution RARE and half-Fourier RARE (HASTE) was significantly better than for the standard sequences. For the delayed-echo half-Fourier RARE (HASTE) sequence no statistically significant difference was seen. The high-resolution RARE and half-Fourier RARE (HASTE) sequences had a higher confidence level, but there was no significant difference in diagnosis in terms of detection and assessment of pathological changes in the biliary duct system compared with standard sequences. (orig.)

Emissão e expansão foliar em três genótipos de tomateiro (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. Leaf emergence and expansion in three tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. genotypes

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Carina Rejane Pivetta

2007-10-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar o filocrono na haste principal e em hastes laterais de primeira ordem e estimar a área foliar a partir do número de folhas em três genótipos de tomateiro cultivados em estufa plástica. Um experimento foi conduzido em estufa plástica na área experimental do Departamento de Fitotecnia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS. Foram utilizados três genótipos de tomate: "Kátia", "Durino" e "Emperor". O transplante das mudas com 3-4 folhas definitivas foi realizado em 31/10/2005. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições, compostas de duas fileiras de oito plantas. Em seis plantas de cada repetição foram realizadas observações do número de folhas na haste principal e em hastes laterais de primeira ordem e em duas plantas de cada repetição foram medidos o comprimento e a largura das folhas na haste principal. O filocrono foi estimado pelo inverso do coeficiente angular da regressão linear entre o número de folhas acumuladas na haste e a soma térmica acumulada após o transplante. O filocrono da haste principal foi menor do que o filocrono das hastes laterais de primeira ordem. A área foliar do tomateiro em uma haste pode ser estimada através do número de folhas acumuladas nesta haste.This study was aimed at estimating the phyllochron on the main stem and on first order lateral branches, and estimate leaf area from leaf number in three tomato genotypes grown inside a plastic green-house. An experiment was conducted inside a plastic greenhouse at the experimental area of the Plant Science Department of the Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. Three tomato genotypes were used: 'Kátia', 'Durino', and 'Emperor'. Three to four-leaf seedlings were transplanted on 10/31/2005. The experimental design was a complete randomized block with four replications composed of two 8-plants rows. The number of leaves on the main stem and

El Estado Autonómico y el procedimiento electoral en España: Reforma de la Ley Electoral de Castilla-La Manch

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María Martín Sánchez

2010-07-01

Full Text Available El Sistema Electoral de Castilla-La Mancha es un sistema de listas cerradas y bloqueadas, en el que la circunscripción es la provincia, y que se rige por un criterio mixto de representación territorial y poblacional, en atención a la exigencia constitucional del artículo 152.CE. Está regulado en su norma institucional básica, Estatuto de Autonomía de Castilla-La Mancha, y desarrollado mediante la Ley Electoral de 23 de diciembre de Castilla-La Mancha, reformada recientemente por Ley 12/2007, de 8 de noviembre.

Negative Emotional Reactions to Challenging Behaviour and Staff Burnout: Two Replication Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, David; Horne, Sharon; Rose, John L.; Hastings, Richard P.

2004-01-01

Background: Hastings, R. P. ["American Journal on Mental Retardation" (2002) Vol. 107, pp. 455-467] hypothesized that staff negative emotional reactions to challenging behaviour might accumulate over time to affect staff well-being. Only one previous study (Mitchell, G.& Hastings, R. P. ["American Journal on Mental…

76 FR 35866 - Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

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2011-06-20

... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nelson Hastings, NIST Voting... issues. The full meeting agenda will be posted in advance at http://vote.nist.gov . All sessions of this... disability accommodation, such as the need for Sign Language Interpretation, please contact Nelson Hastings...

75 FR 77858 - Sunshine Act Notice

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-14

... this notice. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nelson Hastings, NIST Voting Program, Information... posted in advance at http://vote.nist.gov . All sessions of this meeting will be open to the public. A... for Sign Language Interpretation, please contact Nelson Hastings by c.o.b. Thursday, January 6, 2011...

Wisdom from the Factory Floor: For Best Results, Limit Initiatives, Build Capacity, and Monitor Progress

Science.gov (United States)

Dumas, Chad; Kautz, Craig

2014-01-01

In the Hastings Nebraska Public schools, two of the eight schools have been identified as national models of educational effectiveness. In seven of eight buildings, in just four years, student test scores have increased from around 60% proficiency to around 80% proficiency or better. At Hastings, central office leaders emphasize three key…

Breath-hold MR imaging of focal liver lesions: comparison of fast and ultrafast techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaa, J.; Fischer, H.

1996-01-01

The performance of breath-hold MR imaging using two T2-weighted hybrid sequences (TSE, TGSE), two T2-weighted single-shot sequences (HASTE, EPI-SE), and one T1-weighted gradient-echo sequence (FLASH) was compared with a standard conventional T2-weighted SE sequence in 20 patients with focal liver lesions. Liver signal-to-noise ratio was highest for the FLASH sequence (54.3±8.3) and the HASTE (41.1±12.5) sequence, whereas the highest spleen-liver contrast-to-noise ratio was obtained by the TSE sequence (38.9±20.7). Lesion-liver CNR was highest with the TSE sequence (63.9±21.4). With both TSE and HASTE significantly (p<0.01) more lesions were detected as compared with SE and EPI-SE sequences. Our results indicate that breath-hold TSE and HASTE sequences will eventually replace conventional T2-weighted SE techniques due to their insensitivity to motion artifacts, superior lesions detectability and inherently short acquisition times. (orig.)

Quem chega com velocidade maior?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Catelli

2009-01-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7941.2008v25n3p546 Apoiando uma das extremidades de uma haste no chão, e deixando- a cair, junto com uma esfera, colocada inicialmente a uma altura igual à extremidade livre da haste, quem chega com velocidade maior ao solo: a extremidade livre da haste ou a esfera? Neste trabalho são apresentadas diversas soluções, em níveis crescentes de complexidade. Conclui-se que questões como essa podem propiciar o desenvolvimento de atividades investigativas no ambiente da sala de aula e, eventualmente, despertar em alguns estudantes vocações para a carreira tecnológica.

Mission Command During The Falklands War: Opportunities And Limitations

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-26

Military Studies Henry A. Arnold III, COL Accepted this 10th day of May 2016 by: _____________________________________, Director, Graduate Degree Programs...Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins , The Battle for the Falklands (New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, 1984), 65. 8...Falklands: The Battalion at War. London: Buchan & Enright, 1983. Hastings, Max, and Simon Jenkins . The Battle for the Falklands. New York: W. W. Norton

Seizing the Lodgment: Forcible Entry Lessons from Panama and the Falklands

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-10

Advanced Military Studies Henry A. Arnold III, COL Accepted this 10th day of May 2016 by ________________________________________, Director, Graduate...Falkland Islands Source: Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins , The Battle for the Falklands (New York: WW Norton & Company, 1983), 95. The British strategy...Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1992), 98-99. 127 Ibid., 184, 270. 128 Freedman, 421. 129 Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins , The Battle for the

Efeito de ácido giberélico, GA3, e GA4 + GA7 em pós-colheita de crisântemo e solidago.

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Denise Laschii

1999-05-01

Full Text Available O experimento foi instalado no laboratório do Departamento de Horticultura da FCA/ UNESP, no período de 14 de novembro a 3 de dezembro de 1998. As hastes de crisântemo (Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev e solidago (Solidago canadensis L. foram selecionadas e colocadas em solução de "pulsing", por 24 horas, visando avaliar as respostas aos seguintes tratamentos: Água (testemunha, GA3 10 mg.L-1 (Pro-Gibb; GA3 20 mg.L-I; GA3 30 mg.L-I; GA4 + GA7 10 mg.L-1 (Pro-Vibe, GA4 + GA7 20 mg.L-1 e GA4 + GA7 30 mg.L-1. Após os tratamentos de "pulsing", as hastes foram colocadas em recipientes contendo 1.000 mL de água, que foi trocada a cada dois dias. Avaliou-se o número de dias até o descarte, tanto para hastes de solidago quanto para crisântemo, para cada tratamento testado. Avaliou--se também a qualidade das folhas de solidago conforme o seguinte critério: índice de qualidade (IQ = 3 (folhas verdes, IQ = 2 (folhas em início de amarelecimento e IQ = 1 (folhas amarelas ou queimadas. Pelos resultados concluiu-se que: hastes cortadas de solidago e crisântemo diferiram quanto às respostas aos tratamentos pós-colheita, em relação ao tipo de giberelina utilizada; GA4 + GA7 10 mg.L-1 foi eficiente na manutenção da qualidade de hastes cortadas de solidago, e GA3 nas concentrações utilizadas no experimento apresentaram efeito deletério nas folhas de solidago; GA3 10 e 20 mg.L-1 foram mais eficientes na manutenção da qualidade pós-colheita de hastes de crisântemo.

Poder, emprego e política econômica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RUBENS R. SAWAYA

2015-12-01

Full Text Available resumo A discussão sobre o crescimento econômico e o emprego no Brasil está bloqueada por uma teoria importada, baseada nas "taxas naturais" de emprego, ideia criada por Friedman que hoje invade a teoria econômica no mundo. Essa visão equivocada está impondo ao país uma brutal recessão com crescimento do desemprego e queda na produção agregada sem qualquer sucesso naquilo que se propõe: recuperar uma credibilidade metafísica por parte das empresas. Trata-se de uma questão de poder político de um determinado grupo social que hoje extravasa os partidos políticos.

The psychology of autonomy.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-01

In May 2016, right around the time that this issue of the Hastings Center Report should be published, The Hastings Center is holding a conference in New York City titled "Bioethics Meets Moral Psychology." The goal of the conference is to consider the lessons that bioethicists should learn from the raft of literature now accumulating on how the mental processes of perception, emotion, and thinking affect things that bioethicists care about, from the education of health care professionals to the conflicts that arise in clinical care, the "culture wars" over bioethical policy issues, the status of different cultures' value systems, and the very understanding of the values that are foundational in moral thinking. The articles in this issue simply provide more evidence that bioethics is meeting moral psychology. © 2016 The Hastings Center.

Miniplacas de titânio na redução de fraturas mandibulares em cães e gatos: estudo de seis casos

OpenAIRE

Gomes, Cristiano; Gouvêa, Aline Silva; Alievi, Marcelo Meller; Contesini, Emerson Antonio; Pippi, Ney Luis

2010-01-01

Fraturas de mandíbula e maxila são comuns em cães e gatos, correspondendo a cerca de 3 a 6% de todas as fraturas. Muitos tratamentos são propostos para a correção desse defeito, como o uso de pino intramedular, a fixação esquelética externa, a cerclagem e o uso de acrílicos e placas ósseas. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o uso das mini e microplacas de titânio do sistema 2,0 e 1,5mm no tratamento de fraturas mandibulares, em cães e gatos, respectivamente. Os parafusos e as miniplacas ...

Miniplacas de titânio na redução de fraturas mandibulares em cães e gatos: estudo de seis casos Titanium miniplates in mandibular fracture repair in dogs and cats: study of 6 cases

OpenAIRE

Cristiano Gomes; Aline Silva Gouvêa; Marcelo Meller Alievi; Emerson Antonio Contesini; Ney Luis Pippi

2010-01-01

Fraturas de mandíbula e maxila são comuns em cães e gatos, correspondendo a cerca de 3 a 6% de todas as fraturas. Muitos tratamentos são propostos para a correção desse defeito, como o uso de pino intramedular, a fixação esquelética externa, a cerclagem e o uso de acrílicos e placas ósseas. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o uso das mini e microplacas de titânio do sistema 2,0 e 1,5mm no tratamento de fraturas mandibulares, em cães e gatos, respectivamente. Os parafusos e as miniplacas ...

Miniplacas de titânio na redução de fraturas mandibulares em cães e gatos: estudo de seis casos

OpenAIRE

Gomes, Cristiano; Gouvea, Aline Silva; Alievi, Marcelo Meller; Contesini, Emerson Antônio; Pippi, Ney Luis

2009-01-01

Fraturas de mandíbula e maxila são comuns em cães e gatos, correspondendo a cerca de 3 a 6% de todas as fraturas. Muitos tratamentos são propostos para a correção desse defeito, como o uso de pino intramedular, a fixação esquelética externa, a cerclagem e o uso de acrílicos e placas ósseas. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o uso das mini e microplacas de titânio do sistema 2,0 e 1,5mm no tratamento de fraturas mandibulares, em cães e gatos, respectivamente. Os parafusos e as miniplacas ...

Lithothamnium calcareum no tratamento de osteotomia experimental em coelhos (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

OpenAIRE

Ucrós, N.S.; Ferreira, W.M.; Torres, R.C.S; Borges, N.F.; Silveira, S.S.; Rezende, C.M.F

2012-01-01

Avaliaram-se os efeitos da suplementação com Lithothamnium calcareum na consolidação de osteotomia experimental em coelhos, por meio de exames radiográfico e histológico. Utilizaram-se 10 coelhos machos da raça Nova Zelândia, de quatro a cinco meses de idade, com massa corporal média de 2,5kg, os quais foram submetidos à osteotomia do terço médio da tíbia direita e à fixação interna com dois pinos intramedulares. Os coelhos foram distribuídos aleatoriamente em dois grupos experimentais (A e B...

The Diagnostic Utility of MR cholangiography before laparoscopic cholecystectomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Hyung Jin; Lee, Jae Mun; Jung, Seung Eun; Kim, Eung Kook; Kim, Jae Kwang; Han, Sung Tae

2000-01-01

The purpose of this study was to prospectively compare the clinical applicability of magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) with that of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) in the evaluation of combined choledocholithiasis in patients with gall stones who were candidates for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Twenty-seven patients with gall stones underwent fast spin-echo MR cholangiography using the half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin echo (HASTE) method, and half-Fourier rapid acquisition using the relaxation enhancement (RARE) method. Within five hours the same patients underwent ERC. The results of MRC was reviewed by two radiologists blinded to the results of ERC. The number and size of CBD stones and gall stones, and the degree of CBD dilatation, as seen on HASTE and RARE images, were compared with the results of ERC. MRC depicted common bile duct stones in 10 of 11 patients shown by ERC to have stones, while in the 16 patients in whom ERC did not reveal stones, MRC demonstrated the same finding. The number of CBD stones was exactly demonstrated by HASTE imaging in eight of eleven patients (73%) and by RARE imaging in ten of eleven patients (91%) in whom ERC revealed choledocholithiasis. The size of common bile duct stones visualized by ERC correlated in nine of eleven patients (82%) on HASTE images and in seven of eleven (64%) on RARE images. MRC showed CBD dilatation in all patients in whom dilatation was demonstrated by ERC. For the evaluation of choledocholithiasis before laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with gall stones, MRC and ERC are equally accurate. A comparison of HASTE imaging with RARE imaging, as used in the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis, revealed no significant differences. (author)

Does secretin stimulation add to magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in characterising pancreatic cystic lesions as side-branch intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purysko, Andrei S.; Gandhi, Namita S.; Veniero, Joseph C.; Walsh, R.M.; Obuchowski, Nancy A.

2014-01-01

To assess the value of secretin during magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in demonstrating communication between cystic lesions and the pancreatic duct to help determine the diagnosis of side-branch intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (SB-IPMN). This is an IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant retrospective study of 29 SB-IPMN patients and 13 non-IPMN subjects (control) who underwent secretin-enhanced MRCP (s-MRCP). Two readers blinded to the final diagnosis reviewed three randomised image sets: (1) pre-secretin HASTE, (2) dynamic s-MRCP and (3) post-secretin HASTE. Logistic regression, generalised linear models and ROC analyses were used to compare pre- and post-secretin results. There was no significant difference in median scores for the pre-secretin [reader 1: 1; reader 2: 2 (range -2 to 2)] and post-secretin HASTE [reader 1: 1; reader 2: 1 (range -2 to 2)] in the SB-IPMN group (P = 0.14), while the scores were lower for s-MRCP [reader 1: 0.5 (range -2 to 2); reader 2: 0 (range -1 to 2); P = 0.016]. There was no significant difference in mean maximum diameter of SB-IPMN on pre- and post-secretin HASTE, and s-MRCP (P > 0.05). Secretin stimulation did not add to MRCP in characterising pancreatic cystic lesions as SB-IPMN. (orig.)

Estudo comparativo entre os diagnósticos mielográfico anátomo-cirúrgico nas afecções raquemedulares

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Celso Pereira da Silva

1959-12-01

Full Text Available O presente trabalho visa apreciar a exatidão das imagens mielográficas consideradas típicas pela maioria dos autores. Para êste fim os mielogramas de 161 casos operados foram divididos em 9 grupos, dos quais 7 (no total de 137 casos com imagens consideradas típicas e 2 (contendo 24 casos com imagens atípicas ou não conclusivas. Os diagnósticos mielográficos foram, a seguir, confrontados com os achados anátomo-cirúrgicos, obtendo-se uma concordância de 75% para o grupo dos angiomas, de 67,4% para o de hérnia de núcleo pulposo, de 59,2% para o de tumor extradural, de 45,4% para o de tumor intradural, de 33,3% para o de tumor intramedular, de 32,2% para o de aracnoidite e de 22,2% para o de hipertrofia do ligamento amarelo. A parte discordante em cada grupo abrangeu diagnósticos anátomo-cirúrgicos os mais variados. A análise estatística mostrou significância apenas para os grupos de tumor intramedular e hipertrofia do ligamento amarelo. A conclusão é a de que a imagem mielográfica pode contribuir para o diagnóstico da natureza das lesões obstrutivas dos espaços subaracnóideos; a sua exatidão porém não é absoluta, mas apenas relativa, sendo variável para cada entidade. A denominação habitualmente usada de "imagem típica" deve, por isso, ser substituída pela de "imagem sugestiva" de um determinado processo lesional.

Conservação pós-colheita de Sorvetão (Zingiber spectabile Griff. utilizando filme plástico em diferentes pontos de colheitas.

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Robson Assunção Cavalcante

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Hastes florais de sorvetão (Zingiber spectabile Griff. colhidas no Câmpus Experimental da Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, situada em Fortaleza (CE,; em dois estádios de colheita: inflorescências com abertura completa e abertura incompleta na região apical, foram submetidas ao processo de limpeza e imersas em solução fúngica. Em seguida, procedeu-se ao corte basal das hastes (mantendo comprimento padrão de 40 cm e hidratação, realizada por um período de uma hora em recipientes contendo água. As hastes foram colhidas no estádio 1 (inflorescências com abertura completa na região apical e no estádio 2 (inflorescências que apresentavam abertura incompleta na região apical, embaladas ou não em filme de PVC de 15 ?m de espessura. Em seguida, colocadas em caixas de papelão, tipo telescópio, usadas comercialmente (dimensões de 1,0 m de comprimento; 0,32 m de largura e 0,2 m de altura e armazenadas em câmaras frias em temperatura de 15 ºC e 85% de UR. Diariamente foram avaliadas perda de massa, aparência visual, além da longevidade floral. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 2x2, e o primeiro fator referiu-se aos dois pontos de colheita e o segundo,ao uso ou não do filme de PVC; com três repetições e cinco hastes por repetição. Não houve interação significativa entre os fatores pontos de colheita e uso ou não de filme de PVC para as variáveis estudadas. O revestimento das hastes florais com filme de PVC foi eficiente na redução da perda de massa para ambos os pontos de colheita. As maiores notas para aparência visual e maior longevidade floral foram atingidas em hastes florais colhidas no estádio 1 revestidas com filme de PVC. Não houve diferenças significativas entre os pontos de colheita para perda de massa e longevidade floral.

Empresariado extracomunitario en Almería: estructuras de oportunidad, características del grupo y estrategias étnicas.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ángeles Arjona Garrido

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Este trabajo se centra en analizar el origen, particularidades y movilización de recursos del empresariado étnico en Almería. Para ello utilizamos el modelo interactivo de desarrollo de negocios étnicos, ideado por Waldinger, Aldrich y Ward (1990. Este modelo aúna dos importantes elementos de análisis: las estructuras de oportunidad y las características del grupo. De la conjunción de estos factores emergen una serie de estrategias étnicas que posibilitan al emprendedor mantener abierto su negocio y defenderse frente a los ataques externos ?movilidad bloqueada, políticas gubernamentales, clientes, etc.? en un mercado de trabajo muy competitivo donde las microempresas tienen un margen de beneficio reducido.

Poda apical para uniformizar a colheita de flores de ?tango?

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Francine Lorena Cuquel

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho testou a poda apical das hastes de tango 4 e 6 semanas após a roçada, para homogeneizar a colheita que, comercialmente, necessita ser feita por um período de aproximadamente 5 dias numa mesma área. Foram avaliados altura média das plantas no primeiro dia de colheita, número médio de hastes colhidas/planta e a média do peso de matéria seca colhida/haste. Só foi verificada diferença significativa para altura média das plantas no primeiro dia de colheita, não se conseguindo reduzir o número de colheitas necessárias por planta. Existem indicações de que há necessidade de reduzir a variabilidade genética da população para homogeneizar a colheita de inflorescências de tango.

Avaliação pós-colheita de priprioca (Cyperus articulatus L..

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael C. Robles

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Os objetivos deste trabalho foram verificar o uso de hastes de priprioca (Cyperus articulatus L. como folhagem de corte ornamental e desenvolver técnicas de conservação pós-colheita para essa espécie. Hastes de priprioca podem ser usadas em substituição a outras espécies de Cyperus utilizadas como ornamentais. Testes com uso de sacarose não tiveram efeito sobre a longevidade. O tratamento pós-colheita indicado é a hidratação das hastes imediatamente após a colheita e em seguida em solução de “pulsing” (água e 100 mg L-1 de GA3 por 24 horas. Pulverização com cera de carnaúba também pode ser utilizada na pós-colheita dessa espécie, no entanto, os resultados com uso de GA3 foram superiores quando comparados com esse tratamento.

Bioethics and Science.

Science.gov (United States)

2018-03-01

Bioethics comes in for furious criticism in Stephen Pinker's new book, Enlightenment Now. Pinker argues that scientists are making human lives better and better, and that lives would get still better even faster if bioethicists did not use ideas like informed consent, dignity, sacredness, and social justice to hobble the scientists. Daniel Callahan, a cofounder of The Hastings Center and arguably of bioethics, is perhaps the best living embodiment of a bioethicist who has written about medical progress, and the March-April 2018 issue of the Hastings Center Report turns to him for a review of Pinker's book. In his essay, Callahan describes bioethics as guiding science, addressing problems generated by scientific developments and attempting to head off possible problems, rather than as broadly opposing science. That description of bioethics serves as well as anything to convey the flavor of much of this issue of the Report. © 2018 The Hastings Center.

What is the best MR sepuence to evaluate normal structures of kidney?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Hwan Hoon; Seol, Young Hae; Park, Chul Min; Kim, Jung Hyuk; Kim, Yun Hwan; Lee, Nam Jun; Chung, Kyoo Byung; Suh, Won Hyuk [Korea Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2001-01-01

To determine the best MR sequence for evaluation of the anatomical structures of normal kidney. Twenty normal volunteers (M:F = 15:5) took part in this study, and for each, seven sequences were performed. The T1 weighed sequences were conventional spin echo T1 (Conv-SET1), turbo spin echo T1 (TSET1), and fast low angle shot (FLASH), while the T2 weighted sequences were turbo spin echo T2 (TSET2), half-Fourier acquisition single -shot turbo spin echo (HASTE), true-fast imaging with steadystate precession (True-FISP), and echoplanar imaging (EPI). The study involved quantitative and puantitative analysis. In quantitative analysis, CNRs between cortex and adjacent fat tissue, and between cortex and medulla were calculated from SNR (signal to noise ratio), and the CNRs of sequences were statistcally compared. In quantative analysis, three radiologists collectively evaluated kidney outline, cortico-medullary division, the renal vessels, the pelvis/ureter, and artifacts. For each sequence a grade was assigned, and for each parameter the grades were compared. Between cortex and adjacent fat, the highest CNR was shown by TSET1, followed by Conv-SET1, while among T2 sequences, the CNR shown by TSET2 was highest. Between cortex and medulla, the CNR demonstarted by the three T1 sequences showed no statistically significant differance. Among T2 sequences, however, HASTE showed the highest CNR, followed by EPI, and sttistcally, the findings for these two were significantly differnt from those of other T2 sepuences. Among T1 sequences, FLASH provided the best kidney outline, though among T2-sequences there was no statiscally significant difference. FLASH was also the best for cortico-medullary distinstion, while for tis purpose the best T2 sequence was HASTE. True -FISP was best for the evaluation of renal vessels, and HASTE for evaulating the pelvis and ureter. Artifacts were most prominent on Conv SET1. For evaluating the shape of the kidney, the best T2 sequence was TSET2

Características morfológicas e fitossanitárias de variedades de roseira na etapa de classificação Morphological and fitossanitary characteristics in rose varieties on classification stage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatriz Meireles Barguil

2010-07-01

Full Text Available A qualidade da haste floral de roseira é afetada por inúmeros defeitos, como botão pequeno ou presença de doenças e ferimentos. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar as características morfológicas (comprimento e retidão da haste e do botão floral e fitossanitárias (incidência de míldio, oídio, mofo cinzento e dano causado por lagarta de sete variedades de roseira cultivadas em ambiente protegido. As características foram observadas em três avaliações. O comprimento médio de haste floral variou de 56,1 a 83,3cm, enquanto que o comprimento médio dos botões variou de 4,7 a 5,2cm. Foram observados sintomas de míldio, oídio, mofo cinzento e injúria causada por lagarta nas hastes florais, sendo o oídio o principal problema fitossanitário observado, tendo afetado de 2,9 a 41,3% das hastes, dependendo da variedade. Cerca de 70% das hastes de cada variedade apresentaram características do tipo de C ou D durante a etapa de classificação. Esses resultados reforçam a necessidade da avaliação das diversas características das variedades adquiridas, antes da implementação do cultivo comercial.The quality of the rose's floral stem can be affected by numerous faults as small button or diseases and injuries. This study aimed to evaluate the morphological (length and rightness of stem and rose bud and fitossanitary (downy mildew, powdery mildew, gray mold and caterpillar damage characteristics in seven varieties of rose grown in a greenhouse. The characteristics were analyzed three times. The average length of floral stems ranged from 56.1 to 83.3cm, while the average length of buttons ranged from 4.7 to 5.2cm in the varieties evaluated. Symptoms of downy mildew, powdery mildew, gray mold and damage caused by caterpillar were observed, although powdery mildew were the main problem witch affect from 2,9 to 41,3% of floral stems. About 70% of the stems of all varieties showed characteristics of type C or D during the

What is the best MR sepuence to evaluate normal structures of kidney?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Hwan Hoon; Seol, Young Hae; Park, Chul Min; Kim, Jung Hyuk; Kim, Yun Hwan; Lee, Nam Jun; Chung, Kyoo Byung; Suh, Won Hyuk

2001-01-01

To determine the best MR sequence for evaluation of the anatomical structures of normal kidney. Twenty normal volunteers (M:F = 15:5) took part in this study, and for each, seven sequences were performed. The T1 weighed sequences were conventional spin echo T1 (Conv-SET1), turbo spin echo T1 (TSET1), and fast low angle shot (FLASH), while the T2 weighted sequences were turbo spin echo T2 (TSET2), half-Fourier acquisition single -shot turbo spin echo (HASTE), true-fast imaging with steadystate precession (True-FISP), and echoplanar imaging (EPI). The study involved quantitative and puantitative analysis. In quantitative analysis, CNRs between cortex and adjacent fat tissue, and between cortex and medulla were calculated from SNR (signal to noise ratio), and the CNRs of sequences were statistcally compared. In quantative analysis, three radiologists collectively evaluated kidney outline, cortico-medullary division, the renal vessels, the pelvis/ureter, and artifacts. For each sequence a grade was assigned, and for each parameter the grades were compared. Between cortex and adjacent fat, the highest CNR was shown by TSET1, followed by Conv-SET1, while among T2 sequences, the CNR shown by TSET2 was highest. Between cortex and medulla, the CNR demonstarted by the three T1 sequences showed no statistically significant differance. Among T2 sequences, however, HASTE showed the highest CNR, followed by EPI, and sttistcally, the findings for these two were significantly differnt from those of other T2 sepuences. Among T1 sequences, FLASH provided the best kidney outline, though among T2-sequences there was no statiscally significant difference. FLASH was also the best for cortico-medullary distinstion, while for tis purpose the best T2 sequence was HASTE. True -FISP was best for the evaluation of renal vessels, and HASTE for evaulating the pelvis and ureter. Artifacts were most prominent on Conv SET1. For evaluating the shape of the kidney, the best T2 sequence was TSET2

Caracterização de dezesseis acessos de Lippia alba (Mill) N.E Brown, no Distrito Federal

OpenAIRE

Jannuzzi, Hermes

2006-01-01

Com o objetivo de identificar o perfil aromático de dezesseis acessos de Lippia alba da coleção da Universidade de Brasília e avaliar o potencial de rendimento desses genótipos, foi conduzido um experimento de campo em latossolo vermelho, sob irrigação por gotejamento, na região do cerrado do Distrito Federal. Foram avaliados os seguintes parâmetros: época de florescimento; habito de crescimento; área foliar; comprimento da haste; massa fresca na colheita (folhas e hastes); massa da folha sec...

The detectability lemma and its applications to quantum Hamiltonian complexity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aharonov, Dorit; Arad, Itai; Vazirani, Umesh; Landau, Zeph

2011-01-01

Quantum Hamiltonian complexity, an emerging area at the intersection of condensed matter physics and quantum complexity theory, studies the properties of local Hamiltonians and their ground states. In this paper we focus on a seemingly specialized technical tool, the detectability lemma (DL), introduced in the context of the quantum PCP challenge (Aharonov et al 2009 arXiv:0811.3412), which is a major open question in quantum Hamiltonian complexity. We show that a reformulated version of the lemma is a versatile tool that can be used in place of the celebrated Lieb-Robinson (LR) bound to prove several important results in quantum Hamiltonian complexity. The resulting proofs are much simpler, more combinatorial and provide a plausible path toward tackling some fundamental open questions in Hamiltonian complexity. We provide an alternative simpler proof of the DL that removes a key restriction in the original statement (Aharonov et al 2009 arXiv:0811.3412), making it more suitable for the broader context of quantum Hamiltonian complexity. Specifically, we first use the DL to provide a one-page proof of Hastings' result that the correlations in the ground states of gapped Hamiltonians decay exponentially with distance (Hastings 2004 Phys. Rev. B 69 104431). We then apply the DL to derive a simpler and more intuitive proof of Hastings' seminal one-dimensional (1D) area law (Hastings 2007 J. Stat. Mech. (2007) P8024) (both these proofs are restricted to frustration-free systems). Proving the area law for two and higher dimensions is one of the most important open questions in the field of Hamiltonian complexity, and the combinatorial nature of the DL-based proof holds out hope for a possible generalization. Indeed, soon after the first publication of the methods presented here, they were applied to derive exponential improvements to Hastings' result (Arad et al 2011, Aharonov et al 2011) in the case of frustration-free 1D systems. Finally, we also provide a more general

Produção de helicônia Golden Torch influenciada pela adubação mineral e orgânica Production of helicônia Golden Torch as influenced by the mineral and organic manure

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Abel W. de Albuquerque

2010-10-01

Full Text Available A agrofloricultura alagoana demanda ações articuladas nos segmentos da cadeia produtiva, a fim de reduzir os custos com insumos como os adubos minerais, que representam um percentual significativo. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar os componentes de produção da Helicônia Golden Torch submetidos às adubações mineral, orgânica e organomineral. As variáveis analisada foram: número de perfilhos por touceira, número de haste floral, comprimento da haste floral, diâmetro da haste floral, comprimento da bráctea, número de folhas por haste floral e área foliar por haste floral. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que a adubação orgânica e a organomineral proporcionaram as maiores produtividade. A adubação orgânica promoveu maior produtividade dos componentes de produção que o tratamento não adubado e a associação das adubações mineral e orgânica são uma prática que contribuiu para a otimização da adubação da cultura.The cut tropical flower market in Alagoas-Brazil demands articulate actions in the production chain to reduce costs with mineral fertilizers that represent a significant percentage of the production costs. This work had the objective of evaluating the production components of the tropical flower heliconia Golden Torch submitted to mineral, organic and organic-mineral fertilization. The following variables were evaluated: number of the offshoots per plant, number of flowers stalk per bunch, length and diameter of the flowers stalk, length of the bracts, number of the leaves and leaf area per plant. The results showed that organic and organic-mineral fertilization promoted the highest harvest of flower stalks. The organic fertilization promoted higher yield of the production components in comparison to control and the organic-mineral fertilization treatments. The association of mineral fertilized and organic manure improved the fertilization practice in this crop.

Produtividade da Heliconia psittacorum x Heliconia pathocircinada cv. Golden Torch sob diferentes fontes de adubação orgânica Productivity of Heliconia psittarum x Hiliconia pathocircinada cv. Golden Torch under different sources of organic fertilizer

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Alonso P. de Farias

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Este estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de se avaliar a produtividade da Heliconia psittacorum x Heliconia spathocircinada cv. Golden Torch, quando submetida a diferentes fontes de adubação orgânica. O experimento foi conduzido na Escola Agrotécnica Federal, no município de Satuba, AL. O delineamento utilizado foi em blocos casualizados, com 5 repetições e 10 tratamentos ficando os tratamentos assim definidos: T1 Testemunha, sem adubação; T2 Adubo mineral; T3 Esterco de gado; T4 Cama de frango; T5 Torta de filtro; T6 Composto de lixo urbano; T7 Esterco de gado + adubo mineral; T8 Cama de frango + adubo mineral; T9 Torta de filtro + adubo mineral e T10 Composto de lixo urbano + adubo mineral. Avaliaram-se as seguintes variáveis: número de perfilhos por touceira, início da floração, número de haste floral por touceira, comprimento da haste floral, diâmetro da haste floral, comprimento da bráctea, intervalo de floração, número de folhas por haste floral e área foliar por haste floral. A adubação organomineral proporcionou um aumento significativo para as variáveis: número de perfilho, haste floral, comprimento da bráctea, haste floral, diâmetro da bráctea e área foliar, contribuindo também para a precocidade da colheita e menor intervalo de floração, quando comparado com os adubos orgânicos e a testemunha.The present study was aimed to evaluate the productivity of Heliconia psittacorum x Heliconia pathocircinada, cv. Golden Torch, when submitted to different sources of organic manure. The experiment was conducted at Escola Agrotécnica Federal, in Satuba, Alagoas State (Brazil. The experimental design was randomized blocks with 5 replications and 10 treatments: T1 control, without fertilization; T2 mineral fertilizer; T3 farm yard manure; T4 chicken bedding; T5 filter cake; T6 urban garbage compound; T7 farm yard manure + mineral fertilizer; T8 chicken bedding + mineral fertilizer; T9 filter cake + mineral

Blind haste: As light decreases, speeding increases.

Science.gov (United States)

de Bellis, Emanuel; Schulte-Mecklenbeck, Michael; Brucks, Wernher; Herrmann, Andreas; Hertwig, Ralph

2018-01-01

Worldwide, more than one million people die on the roads each year. A third of these fatal accidents are attributed to speeding, with properties of the individual driver and the environment regarded as key contributing factors. We examine real-world speeding behavior and its interaction with illuminance, an environmental property defined as the luminous flux incident on a surface. Drawing on an analysis of 1.2 million vehicle movements, we show that reduced illuminance levels are associated with increased speeding. This relationship persists when we control for factors known to influence speeding (e.g., fluctuations in traffic volume) and consider proxies of illuminance (e.g., sight distance). Our findings add to a long-standing debate about how the quality of visual conditions affects drivers' speed perception and driving speed. Policy makers can intervene by educating drivers about the inverse illuminance‒speeding relationship and by testing how improved vehicle headlights and smart road lighting can attenuate speeding.

Blind haste: As light decreases, speeding increases.

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Emanuel de Bellis

Full Text Available Worldwide, more than one million people die on the roads each year. A third of these fatal accidents are attributed to speeding, with properties of the individual driver and the environment regarded as key contributing factors. We examine real-world speeding behavior and its interaction with illuminance, an environmental property defined as the luminous flux incident on a surface. Drawing on an analysis of 1.2 million vehicle movements, we show that reduced illuminance levels are associated with increased speeding. This relationship persists when we control for factors known to influence speeding (e.g., fluctuations in traffic volume and consider proxies of illuminance (e.g., sight distance. Our findings add to a long-standing debate about how the quality of visual conditions affects drivers' speed perception and driving speed. Policy makers can intervene by educating drivers about the inverse illuminance‒speeding relationship and by testing how improved vehicle headlights and smart road lighting can attenuate speeding.

Business ethics in ethics committees?

Science.gov (United States)

Boyle, P

1990-01-01

The "Ethics committees" column in this issue of the Hastings Center Report features an introduction by Cynthia B. Cohen and four brief commentaries on the roles hospital ethics committees may play in the making of institutional and public health care policy in the 1990s. The pros and cons of a broader, more public role for ethics committees in reconciling the business and patient care aspects of health care delivery are debated by Cohen in "Ethics committees as corporate and public policy advocates," and by Philip Boyle in this article. Boyle is an associate for ethical studies at The Hastings Center.

Uso de soluções de manutenção contendo ácido cítrico, cloro ou 8-HQC na conservação pós-colheita de flores cortadas de gérbera ‘Suzanne’

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Maria Fernanda Berlingieri Durigan

2013-02-01

Full Text Available No presente trabalho foram utilizados diferentes compostos químicos em diferentes concentrações, comumente usados por produtores e indicados comercialmente, com o objetivo de aumentar a vida de vaso e proporcionar a manutenção das boas características qualitativas e observar seus efeitos sobre a fisiologia de hastes cortadas de gérberas ‘Suzanne’. Após o tratamento de “pulsing”, feito na área de produção (cloro a 100 mg.L-1, por 4 horas, as flores recém-cortadas foram levadas ao laboratório e colocadas em diferentes soluções de manutenção (tratamentos. O experimento foi conduzido segundo um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial, com seis tratamentos, quatro épocas de análise e três repetições, com três hastes cada uma. Foram utilizadas, durante o armazenamento, as seguintes soluções: 1 Água destilada; 2 Ácido cítrico à 64 g.L-1; 3 Cloro à 25 mg.L-14 Cloro à 50 mg.L-1 5 8 – Hidroxiquinolina (8-HQC à 25 mg.L-1 ; 6 8-HQC à 50 mg.L-1. As hastes foram mantidas sob condições controladas de laboratório (20°C; 70% UR. A cada cinco dias elas foram analisadas quanto à atividade respiratória, perda de massa fresca, perda de massa seca, conteúdo relativo de água (CRA, quantidade de solução absorvida pelas hastes (absorção, cor (luminosidade, ângulo de cor e cromaticidade, teores de carboidratos solúveis e redutores e de pigmentos (carotenoides. Também foram qualificadas quanto à aparência e quantificadas quanto à porcentagem de hastes tombadas e longevidade das flores. Este experimento possibilitou verificar a baixa eficiência do ácido cítrico na concentração usada e o menor efeito prejudicial do cloro e da 8-HQC em concentrações mais baixas que as usualmente recomendadas, o que levou à manutenção da boa qualidade das flores por um maior período de tempo.

Fast T1- and T2-weighted pulmonary MR-imaging in patients with bronchial carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Both, M.; Schultze, J.; Reuter, M.; Bewig, B.; Hubner, R.; Bobis, I.; Noth, R.; Heller, M.; Biederer, J.

2005-01-01

Purpose: A prospective study to evaluate the diagnostic potential and limitations of three fast MRI sequences in patients with bronchial carcinoma based on the comparison with spiral CT. Material and methods: Three fast chest MRI sequences from 20 patients with central or peripheral bronchial carcinoma were evaluated by two observers for relation of tumour to adjacent structures, lymph node enlargement, additional pulmonary lesions and artefacts. The information from MR-imaging was compared with the results from spiral CT. MRI comprised a T1-3D-GRE breath-hold examination ('VIBE', TR/TE 4.5/1.9 ms, flip-angle 12 deg., matrix 502 x 512, 2.5 mm coronal slices), a breath-hold, T2-HASTE sequence (TR/TE 2000/43 ms, matrix 192 x 256, 10 mm coronal slices) and a respiration-triggered T2-TSE sequence (TR/TE 3000-6000/120 ms, matrix 270 x 512, 6 mm transverse slices). The FOV was adapted individually (380-480 mm). Results: The presence of the primary bronchial carcinoma and infiltration of thoracic structures by tumour tissue could be demonstrated by all sequences. VIBE sequence was more suitable for detecting small pulmonary nodules than the other MRI examinations, but compared to CT still 20% of these lesions were missed. Contrary to VIBE and T2-weighted TSE scans, HASTE sequence was limited in imaging mediastinal lymph nodes due to missing relevant findings in 2/20 patients. HASTE images significantly provided the lowest rate of artefacts in imaging lung parenchyma (P < 0.001 in peripheral parenchyma), but spatial resolution was limited in this sequence. Concerning the differentiation between tumour and adjacent atelectasis (n = 8), T2-weighted TSE imaging was superior to CT and VIBE in all cases and to HASTE sequence in 4/8 patients. Conclusion: The combination of VIBE and HASTE sequence allows for an adequate imaging of thoracic processes in patients with bronchial carcinoma, limited only in visualizing small pulmonary nodules. To obtain more detail resolution and to

The usefulness of T2-weighted MR urography and contrast enhanced MR urography in the evaluation of obstructive uropathy: comparisonal study with antegrade pyelography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Chang Hoon; Lee, Jeong Min; Jin, Kong Yong; Chung, Gyung Ho; Cho, Seung Il; Lee, Sang Hun; Kim, Young Kon; Oh, Gyung Jae

2002-01-01

To compare the efficacy of contrast-enhanced and T2-weighted magnetic resonance urography (MRU) for the depiction of obstruction and evaluation of the causes of obstructive uropathy with that of antegrade pyelography. Twenty-five patients with obstructive uropathy who underwent percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) and antegrade pyelography( AGP) were included in the study. We performed MR urography, comprising half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) T2- weighted imaging and 3-D fast imaging with steady state precession (3-D FISP) T1-weighted imaging after gadolinium enhancement and compared the quality of the images of both the HASTE and 3-D FISP MRU technique in terms of their depiction of the dilated pelvocalyceal system, and the level, type, and causes of obstruction. In terms of anatomical depiction of the pelvocalyceal system (p=0.002) and the causes of obstruction (p=0.003). T1-weighted MRU using 3D-FISP was significantly better than T2-weighted MRU using the HASTE sequence. Regarding level of obstruction, T2-weighted MRU using the HASTE sequence and contrast enhanced T1-weighted MRU using 3D-FISP showed an accuracy of 76% (19/25) and 84% (21/25), respectively. In terms of type of obstruction, the accuracy of T2-weighted MRU and T1-weighted CEMRU was 72% (18/25) and 88% (22/25), respectively. T2-weighted MRU and Ta-weighted CEMRU provided both anatomical information and that relating to impaired renal function. The two modelities played a complementary role and their use could decrease the unnecessary use of invasive diagnostic examination for the evaluation of obstructive uropathy

What is the most suitable MR signal index for quantitative evaluation of placental function using Half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo compared with T2-relaxation time?

Science.gov (United States)

Kameyama, Kyoko Nakao; Kido, Aki; Himoto, Yuki; Moribata, Yusaku; Minamiguchi, Sachiko; Konishi, Ikuo; Togashi, Kaori

2018-06-01

Background Half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) imaging is now widely used for placental and fetal imaging because of its rapidity and low sensitivity to fetal movement. If placental dysfunction is also predicted by quantitative value obtained from HASTE image, then it might be beneficial for evaluating placental wellbeing. Purpose To ascertain the most suitable magnetic resonance (MR) signal indexes reflecting placental function using HASTE imaging. Material and Methods This retrospective study included 37 consequent patients who had given informed consent to MR imaging (MRI) examinations. All had undergone MRI examinations between February 2014 and June 2015. First, the correlation between T2-relaxation time of normal placenta and gestational age (GA) was examined. Second, correlation between signal intensity ratios (SIRs) using HASTE imaging and placental T2-relaxation time were assessed. The SIRs were calculated using placental signal intensity (SI) relative to the SI of the amniotic fluid, fetal ocular globes, gastric fluid, bladder, maternal psoas major muscles, and abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue. Results Among the 37 patients, the correlation between T2-relaxation time of the 25 normal placentas and GA showed a moderately strong correlation (Spearman rho = -0.447, P = 0.0250). The most significant correlation with placental T2-relaxation time was observed with the placental SIR relative to the maternal psoas major muscles (SIR pl./psoas muscle ) (Spearman rho = -0.531, P = 0.0007). Conclusion This study revealed that SIR pl./psoas muscle showed the best correlation to placental T2-relaxation time. Results show that SIR pl./psoas muscle might be optimal as a clinically available quantitative index of placental function.

Resistance to stem canker, frogeye leaf spot and powdery mildew of soybean lines lacking lipoxigenases in the seeds Resistência ao cancro-da-haste, à cercosporiose e ao oídio de linhagens de soja sem lipoxigenases nas sementes

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Carlos Alberto Osório Martins

2002-12-01

ãos. A presença de gosto de feijão cru tem sido limitante para o consumo de derivados de soja pelos povos ocidentais. Esse sabor característico é proporcionado pelas enzimas lipoxigenases (Lox1, Lox2 e Lox3. A eliminação dessas enzimas, pela manipulação genética dos alelos que as codificam, é a maneira mais adequada de contornar os problemas associados ao sabor desagradável. Visando elucidar a participação das lipoxigenases, no processo de resistência da soja a patógenos, variedades normais de soja (FT-Cristalina RCH, Doko RC e IAC-12 e suas respectivas linhagens obtidas por retrocruzamentos, sem as três lipoxigenases nas sementes (triplo-nulas - TN e com as três lipoxigenases (triplo-positivas - TP, foram testadas quanto às suas resistências ao cancro-da-haste (Diaporthe phaseolorum f.sp. meridionalis, à cercosporiose (Cercospora sojina Hara e ao oídio (Microsphaera diffusa Cke. & Pk.. Todos os materiais genéticos foram resistentes ao cancro-da-haste. Com relação à cercosporiose, FT-Cristalina RCH e Doko-RC e suas respectivas linhagens com ou sem lipoxigenases mostraram-se resistentes, enquanto IAC-12 e suas linhagens derivadas mostraram índices de doença mais elevados, sendo que as linhagens IAC-12 TP e TN foram mais suscetíveis, indicando perda de gene de resistência nos retrocruzamentos. Não houve relação entre retirada dos genes que codificam lipoxigenases nas sementes com a resistência à cercosporiose. No caso do oídio, as linhagens TP ou TN apresentaram-se similares ou pouco mais resistentes que seus respectivos progenitores recorrentes, os quais se mostraram suscetíveis na seguinte ordem: IAC-12, menos suscetível, Doko-RC, intermediário e FT-Cristalina RCH, mais suscetível.

Emprego de fixador externo circular no tratamento de complicações de fraturas do rádio e ulna em cães de raças pequenas Use of circular external fixator in the treatment of fracture complications of radius and ulna in small breed dogs

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Sheila Canevese Rahal

2005-10-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o método de Ilizarov no tratamento de complicações de fraturas do rádio e ulna em cães de raças pequenas. Um fixador de Ilizarov miniatura composto por anéis de alumínio e hastes de aço foi usado em três cães da raça poodle miniatura (casos 1, 2 e 3 e em um pinscher (caso 4. Os cães 1 e 4 apresentavam consolidação atrasada das porções médio-distal e distal, respectivamente, devido a prévio tratamento com tala externa. Foi aplicada uma montagem constituída por dois anéis proximais e um distal. Ambas as fraturas consolidaram, sendo que a do poodle apresentou leve desvio cranial das extremidades fraturadas. Os outros dois casos (2 e 3 consistiam de fraturas previamente tratadas por procedimento cirúrgico. O caso 2 apresentava rotação lateral do membro torácico e não-união do aspecto distal da diáfise radial com presença de pino intramedular e dois fios de cerclagem. O pino intramedular e um dos fios de cerclagem foram removidos e realizou-se a derrotação do foco da fratura. O aparelho foi montado como nos casos 1 e 4. A consolidação da fratura foi obtida com moderado desvio caudal do eixo ósseo. No caso 3, havia reabsorção óssea na diáfise do rádio e ulna devido ao emprego inadequado de fixador externo resina-pino. Empregou-se o transporte ósseo com o fixador de Ilizarov para induzir a regeneração óssea. Entretanto, este foi interrompido por falta de resposta. Manteve-se o fixador e o defeito ósseo foi tratado com enxerto esponjoso autólogo e biomateriais. A ulna ocupou parte do defeito segmentar do rádio. Foi possível concluir que o método de Ilizarov pode ser usado no tratamento de consolidação atrasada e não-união, mas o fixador externo circular é de difícil aplicação em cães de raças pequenas.The aim of this study was to evaluate the Ilizarov’s method for treating complications of radius and ulna fractures in small breed dogs. A miniature Ilizarov�

ESTIMASI BAYESIAN PADA MODEL PERSAMAAN STRUKTURAL DENGAN VARIABEL KATEGORIK TERURUT

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Rini Yunita

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract  This article explains about parameter estimation of structural equation model with ordered categorical variable using Bayes method. The basic assumptions of SEM are the data type is continuous, minimum scale is interval, and it has to satisfy the normality assumption. The categorical data is ordinal data which the observation is in discrete form, and to treat the categorical data as normally distributed continuous data is by finding threshold parameter for each categorical data. Bayes method only focuses on individual data by combining sample data and the research data before (prior information, in order to minimize the error rate. Hence, the parameter estimation of structural equation model can be obtained well. In this estimation process, it is done numerically by using Monte Carlo method, i.e. Gibbs Sampling and Metropolis Hasting. Keywords:   Structural Equation Modeling ,categorical data, Threshold, Gibbs Sampling, Metropolis Hasting. Abstrak Dalam artikel ini dijelaskan tentang estimasi parameter dari model persamaan struktural dengan variabel kategorik terurut dengan menggunakan metode Bayes. Asumsi dasar dari SEM adalah  jenis datanya kontinu dan minimal berskala interval serta memenuhi asumsi normalitas. Sementara data kategorik merupakan data ordinal dengan pengamatan dalam bentuk diskrit, untuk dapat memperlakukan data kategorik sebagai data kontinu berdistribusi normal yaitu dengan mencari treshold paramater untuk masing-masing data kategorik. Metode Bayes  hanya berfokus pada data individu dengan menggabungkan antara data sampel dengan data penelitian sebelumnya (informasi prior, dengan tujuan untuk meminimalkan tingkat kesalahan. Sehingga estimasi parameter dari model persamaan struktural dapat dihasilkan dengan baik. Dalam proses estimasi, hal ini dilakukan secara numerik dengan menggunakan metode Monte Carlo, yaitu Gibbs Sampling dan Metropolis Hasting. Kata Kunci:  Model Persamaan Struktural, data kategorik

Physical properties of highly active liquor containing molybdate solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunnett, B.; Ward, T.; Roberts, R.; Cheeseright, J.

2016-01-01

The reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel at Sellafield produces a nitric acid based Highly Active Liquor (HAL) waste. The liquor, containing fission products and process additives, is concentrated in an evaporator in order to reduce the volume and is then stored in Highly Active Storage Tanks (HASTs) prior to vitrification. Caesium phosphomolybdate (CPM) is precipitated during the evaporation process and can convert to zirconium molybdate (ZM) during storage. During Post Operational Clean Out (POCO) of the HASTs, it is expected that their highly active content will be reduced by repeated cycles of washing using nitric acid and other reagents. Initial washings are likely to have a chemical composition comparable to concentrated HAL, becoming more dilute during the wash-out process. It is expected that the wash-out process will also recover significant quantities of molybdate solids (ZM, CPM or a mixture) from the HASTs. In order to determine the processing challenges from such washings during POCO, the physical properties of varying concentrations of non-active HAL simulants containing molybdate solids have recently been measured by the UK's National Nuclear Laboratory. The following measurements are presented and discussed: Particle size distribution; Density; Settling behaviour of solids; Voidage of settled sediment beds; Viscosity; Yield stress; And influence of ZM morphology on physical properties. (authors)

Physical properties of highly active liquor containing molybdate solids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunnett, B.; Ward, T.; Roberts, R. [National Nuclear Laboratory, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria, CA20 1PG (United Kingdom); Cheeseright, J. [Sellafield Ltd, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria, CA20 1PG (United Kingdom)

2016-07-01

The reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel at Sellafield produces a nitric acid based Highly Active Liquor (HAL) waste. The liquor, containing fission products and process additives, is concentrated in an evaporator in order to reduce the volume and is then stored in Highly Active Storage Tanks (HASTs) prior to vitrification. Caesium phosphomolybdate (CPM) is precipitated during the evaporation process and can convert to zirconium molybdate (ZM) during storage. During Post Operational Clean Out (POCO) of the HASTs, it is expected that their highly active content will be reduced by repeated cycles of washing using nitric acid and other reagents. Initial washings are likely to have a chemical composition comparable to concentrated HAL, becoming more dilute during the wash-out process. It is expected that the wash-out process will also recover significant quantities of molybdate solids (ZM, CPM or a mixture) from the HASTs. In order to determine the processing challenges from such washings during POCO, the physical properties of varying concentrations of non-active HAL simulants containing molybdate solids have recently been measured by the UK's National Nuclear Laboratory. The following measurements are presented and discussed: Particle size distribution; Density; Settling behaviour of solids; Voidage of settled sediment beds; Viscosity; Yield stress; And influence of ZM morphology on physical properties. (authors)

MR cholangiopancreatography. Comparison of images obtained with 1.0 and 1.5 tesla units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasui, Masayasu; Ito, Katsuyoshi; Koike, Shinji; Matsunaga, Naofumi

2002-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the image quality and visualization obtained in MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) using different high-field strength (1.0 vs. 1.5 Tesla) MR units and to assess the effect of field strength on MRCP. This study population included 10 healthy volunteers and 37 patients suspected of having pancreatobiliary diseases. MRCP images were obtained using two MR units with different high-field strengths (1.0 and 1.5 Tesla), with half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) and rapid acquisition by relaxation enhancement (RARE) sequences. The image quality and visualization of each portion of the pancreatobiliary system were graded and recorded using a four-point scale. Additionally, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were measured. The SNR and CNR in HASTE sequences acquired with the 1.5 Tesla (T) unit were significantly higher than those acquired with the 1.0 T unit (p=0.001). In qualitative analysis, there were no statistically significant differences in image quality or visualization of the ducts in either HASTE or RARE sequences between 1.0 T and 1.5 T. Our study showed that visual image quality provided by MRCP was equivalent at 1.0 and 1.5 T. (author)

Isast, Pojast ja Pühast Arhitektuurist / Toivo Tammik

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Tammik, Toivo

2006-01-01

Dokumentaalfilmist Saaremaalt pärit ameerika arhitektist Louis Kahnist "My Architect : A Son's Journey" (režissöör Nathaniel Kahn, produtsent Susan Behr, USA, 2003, 116 min.) ja viibimisest Philadelphias seoses Louis Kahni päevade ettevalmistamisega

Kivist kuningas Kanut. Tallinna Kanuti gildi maja hiliskeskaegsest pühakureljeefist ja selle tehnilistest uuringutest = The Stone King Kanute. Late medieval stone relief from St Canute's Guild Hall in Tallinn and its technical investigations / Merik

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kurisoo, Merike, 1977-

2012-01-01

Eesti Kunstimuuseumi skulptuurikogusse kuuluvast polükroomsest paereljeefist, mis kujutab Tallinna Kanuti gildi kaitsepühakut püha Kanutit. Kanuti gildi hoonest. Pühast Kanutist ja tema ikonograafiast.

75 FR 32502 - National Register of Historic Places; Notification of Pending Nominations and Related Actions

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-08

..., 5935 Hohman Ave, Hammond, 10000376 Porter County Haste-Crumpacker House, 208 N Michigan St, Valparaiso..., 1170 8th Ave, Bethlehem, 10000401 Northampton County Heller, Michael and Margaret, House, 1890-1892...

Monitoring of injected CO2 at two commercial geologic storage sites with significant pressure depletion and/or re-pressurization histories: A case study

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Dayanand Saini

2017-03-01

The monitoring technologies that have been used/deployed/tested at both the normally pressured West Hastings and the subnormally pressured Bell Creek storage sites appear to adequately address any of the potential “out of zone migration” of injected CO2 at these sites. It would be interesting to see if any of the collected monitoring data at the West Hastings and the Bell Creek storage sites could also be used in future to better understand the viability of initially subnormally pressured and subsequently depleted and re-pressurized oil fields as secure geologic CO2 storage sites with relatively large storage CO2 capacities compared to the depleted and re-pressurized oil fields that were initially discovered as normally pressured.

Employment of the adhesive buthyl-2-cyanoacrylate in the fixation of bone fragments in femural fractures in dogs. Radiologic study; Emprego de adesivo butil-2-cianoacrilato na fixaçäo de esquírolas em fraturas de fêmur de cäes. Aspectos radiológicos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borges, A. P.B.; Rezende, C. M.F.; Sampaio, R.; Oliveira, H. P.; Ponpermayer, L. G.

1992-02-15

The butyl-2-cyanoacrylate adhesive was utilized in the fixation of bone fragments in femoral fractures in 30 clinically healthy dogs of both sexes. All animals were anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital and the left femur exposed and fractured at the middle third of the bone. A triangular bone fragment, approximately of 2.0 cm in length was taken off from the proximal fragment of the femur. The fracture was immediately reduced and immobilized using an intramedular Steinman pin. The bone fragment was then reintroduced in the same position and glued on with the adhesive butyl-2-cyanoacrylate, applied in droplets at a distance of 8 mm approximately. Healing was assessed through radiographs at 10 day intervals, when it was observed, in all animals, the bone fragment in place right after the surgical procedure. At the end of the experiment 6.67% of animals showed the bone fragment shifted from the focus of fracture. In 30% of the animals the fracture did not consolidate [Portuguese] O adesivo butil-2-cianoacrilato foi empregado na fixaçäo de esquírolas, em fraturas de fêmur de 30 cäes clinicamente sadios, de ambos os sexos. Os animais foram anestesiados com pentobarbital sódico e tiveram o fêmur esquerdo exposto e fraturado no seu terço médio. Uma esquírola, de aproximadamente 20 mm e de forma triangular, foi retirada do fragmento proximal do fêmur. A fratura foi imediatamente reduzida e imobilizada, utilizando-se pino intramedular de Steinmann. A esquírola foi recolocada em oposiçäo e fixada pelo adesivo butil-2-cianoacrilato, aplicado em gotículas, espaçadas cerca de 8 mm. A consolidaçäo foi avaliada através de radiografias (crânio-caudal e médio-lateral) a intervalos de 10 dias, onde observou-se, em todos os animais, a esquírola em oposiçäo logo após o ato cirúrgico. No final do experimento observou-se, em 6,6//dos casos, a esquírola afastada do foco da fratura. Em 30//dos animais näo houve consolidaçäo da fratura.

Reconstruction and calibration strategies for the LHCb RICH detector

CERN Multimedia

2006-01-01

- LHCb particle identification - LHCb ring pattern recognition algorithm requirements - RICH pattern recognition - Cherenkov angle reconstruction online - Online PID - Hough transform - Metropolis- Hastings Markov chains - PID online: physics performances - Rich PID Callibration

Probabilistic learning of nonlinear dynamical systems using sequential Monte Carlo

Science.gov (United States)

Schön, Thomas B.; Svensson, Andreas; Murray, Lawrence; Lindsten, Fredrik

2018-05-01

Probabilistic modeling provides the capability to represent and manipulate uncertainty in data, models, predictions and decisions. We are concerned with the problem of learning probabilistic models of dynamical systems from measured data. Specifically, we consider learning of probabilistic nonlinear state-space models. There is no closed-form solution available for this problem, implying that we are forced to use approximations. In this tutorial we will provide a self-contained introduction to one of the state-of-the-art methods-the particle Metropolis-Hastings algorithm-which has proven to offer a practical approximation. This is a Monte Carlo based method, where the particle filter is used to guide a Markov chain Monte Carlo method through the parameter space. One of the key merits of the particle Metropolis-Hastings algorithm is that it is guaranteed to converge to the "true solution" under mild assumptions, despite being based on a particle filter with only a finite number of particles. We will also provide a motivating numerical example illustrating the method using a modeling language tailored for sequential Monte Carlo methods. The intention of modeling languages of this kind is to open up the power of sophisticated Monte Carlo methods-including particle Metropolis-Hastings-to a large group of users without requiring them to know all the underlying mathematical details.

Ciclo de produção de cultivares de framboeseiras (Rubus idaeus submetidas à poda drástica nas condições do sul de Minas Gerais

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luana Aparecida Castilho Maro

2012-06-01

Full Text Available O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o ciclo de produção de cultivares de framboeseiras submetidas à poda drástica nas condições edafoclimáticas do sul de Minas Gerais. As cultivares escolhidas Batum, Autumn Bliss, Heritage e Golden Bliss foram avaliadas nas condições edafoclimáticas do sul de Minas Gerais desde a poda drástica até a produção e desenvolvimento de frutos nas hastes primárias e secundárias, e nas gemas subapicais. As hastes emitidas após a poda de inverno foram marcadas e avaliadas quanto ao início e término das fases de florescimento e frutificação. Para a determinação da curva de desenvolvimento dos frutos, foram feitas amostragens semanais desde o início da formação do fruto até a colheita. Conclui-se que ocorre a emissão de dois surtos de crescimento de rebentos oriundos do sistema radicular. As cultivares diferem quanto ao ciclo de produção nas hastes primárias e secundárias. As gemas subapicais mostram baixa capacidade de brotação e florescimento. Os frutos das diferentes cultivares apresentam padrão de crescimento sigmoidal simples.

Comparison of gadolinium-EOB-DTPA-enhanced and diffusion-weighted liver MRI for detection of small hepatic metastases.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimada, Kotaro; Isoda, Hiroyoshi; Hirokawa, Yuusuke; Arizono, Shigeki; Shibata, Toshiya; Togashi, Kaori

2010-11-01

To compare the accuracy of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced MRI with that of diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) in the detection of small hepatic metastases (2 cm or smaller). Forty-five patients underwent abdominal MRI at 3 T, including T1-weighted imaging (T1WI), T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), heavily T2WI (HASTE), DWI with a b-value of 500 s/mm(2) and contrast-enhanced MRI with Gd-EOB-DTPA. Two groups were assigned and compared: group A (T1WI, T2WI, HASTE and contrast-enhanced study with Gd-EOB-DTPA), and group B (T1WI, T2WI, HASTE and DWI). Two observers independently interpreted the images obtained in a random order. For all hepatic metastases, the diagnostic performance using each imaging set was evaluated by receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. A total of 51 hepatic metastases were confirmed. The area under the ROC curve (Az) of group A was larger than that of group B, and the difference in the mean Az values between the two image sets was statistically significant, whereas, there were three metastases that lay near thin vessels or among multiple cysts and were better visualised in group B than in group A. Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI showed higher accuracy in the detection of small metastases than DWI.

Deciphering the Diversities of Astroviruses and Noroviruses in Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluents by a High-Throughput Sequencing Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Prevost, B; Lucas, F S; Ambert-Balay, K; Pothier, P; Moulin, L; Wurtzer, S

2015-10-01

Although clinical epidemiology lists human enteric viruses to be among the primary causes of acute gastroenteritis in the human population, their circulation in the environment remains poorly investigated. These viruses are excreted by the human population into sewers and may be released into rivers through the effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In order to evaluate the viral diversity and loads in WWTP effluents of the Paris, France, urban area, which includes about 9 million inhabitants (approximately 15% of the French population), the seasonal occurrence of astroviruses and noroviruses in 100 WWTP effluent samples was investigated over 1 year. The coupling of these measurements with a high-throughput sequencing approach allowed the specific estimation of the diversity of human astroviruses (human astrovirus genotype 1 [HAstV-1], HAstV-2, HAstV-5, and HAstV-6), 7 genotypes of noroviruses (NoVs) of genogroup I (NoV GI.1 to NoV GI.6 and NoV GI.8), and 16 genotypes of NoVs of genogroup II (NoV GII.1 to NoV GII.7, NoV GII.9, NoV GII.12 to NoV GII.17, NoV GII.20, and NoV GII.21) in effluent samples. Comparison of the viral diversity in WWTP effluents to the viral diversity found by analysis of clinical data obtained throughout France underlined the consistency between the identified genotypes. However, some genotypes were locally present in effluents and were not found in the analysis of the clinical data. These findings could highlight an underestimation of the diversity of enteric viruses circulating in the human population. Consequently, analysis of WWTP effluents could allow the exploration of viral diversity not only in environmental waters but also in a human population linked to a sewerage network in order to better comprehend viral epidemiology and to forecast seasonal outbreaks. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Kristian Smedsi projekt viib Brüsselisse Eesti näitlejad / Andres Laasik

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Laasik, Andres, 1960-2016

2008-01-01

11. veebr. 2009 esietendub Brüsselis Kristian Smedsi rahvusvaheline projekt "Trans-Euroopa komöödia Pühast Vihast" (dramaturg Ivo Kuyl, kunstnik Jurate Paulekaite). Eestist osalevad projektis Juhan Ulfsak ja Eva Klemets

Temperatura base, plastocrono e número final de nós no malmequer-do-campo Base temperature, plastochron and final node number in yellow calendula

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joelma Dutra Fagundes

2008-12-01

Full Text Available O malmequer-do-campo (Aspilia montevidensis é uma planta herbácea perene, nativa do Sul e Sudeste do Brasil, cuja biologia tem sido pouco estudada. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a temperatura base, o plastocrono e o número final de nós de A. montevidensis. Para tanto, foi conduzido um experimento em Santa Maria, RS, com seis épocas de cultivo (20/12/2005, 14/02/2006, 06/03/2006, 04/04/2006, 05/05/2006 e 08/06/2006 no delineamento inteiramente casualizado. A unidade experimental foi uma planta cultivada em vasos preenchidos com substrato comercial. O número de nós visíveis foi registrado na haste principal e nas hastes laterais de primeira e segunda ordem. A temperatura base de emissão de nós foi estimada pela metodologia do menor Quadrado Médio do Erro. A soma térmica diária foi calculada a partir do transplante e o plastocrono foi estimado para cada haste. A temperatura base estimada para emissão de nós de A. montevidensis foi de 0°C. O plastocrono e o número final de nós variam entre hastes e épocas de cultivo, com os menores valores de plastocrono e maiores valores de número final de nós observados na haste principal.Yellow calendula (Aspilia montevidensis is a perenium herbaceous plant native of South and Southeast Brazil that has been little studied about its biology. The objective of this study was to determine the base temperature, the plastochron and the final node number in A. montevidensis. An experiment was conducted in Santa Maria, RS, with six planting dates (12/20/2005, 02/14/2006, 03/06/2006, 04/04/2006, 05/05/2006 and 06/08/2006. The experimental design was completely randomized and the experimental unit was one plant grown in pots filled with commercial substratum. The number of visible nodes were measured on the maim stem and on first and second order lateral branches. The base temperature for node appearance was estimated with the mean square error approach. The daily thermal unit was calculated

Recobrimento da liga Ti-6Al-4V com hidroxiapatita pelo método sol-gel e sua aplicação a hastes femorais não-cimentadas Coating of Ti-6Al-4V alloy with hydroxyapatite by using sol-gel method and its application to non-cemented femoral stem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. P. Avés

2008-12-01

Full Text Available O recobrimento de ligas metálicas com cerâmicas bioativas visa acelerar a formação óssea ao redor do implante, contribuindo para a sua estabilização. Neste trabalho estudou-se a fase cerâmica de hidroxiapatita depositada pelo processo sol-gel em chapas da liga metálica Ti-6Al-4V. A camada de recobrimento foi caracterizada por microscopia eletrônica de varredura, por difração de raios X e sua adesão ao substrato foi avaliada pelo teste de cisalhamento O teste de citocompatibilidade mostrou que o processo de recobrimento por sol-gel não promoveu morte celular significativamente maior que o controle (p > 0,05. Além disso, hastes femorais removidas de pacientes (explantes foram adequadamente recobertas utilizando-se o processo sol-gel.The coating of metallic alloys with bioactive ceramics aims to accelerate bone formation around the implant, contributing to its fixation. In this paper, the deposition of hydroxyapatite ceramic on Ti-6Al-4V alloy sheets by the sol-gel method was studied. The coating layer was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and its adhesion to substrate was evaluated by shear testing. The citocompatibility test shows that the sol-gel coating did not provoke the cell death significantly higher than the control (p > 0.05. Moreover, femoral stems removed from patient (explants were adequately coated using the sol-gel process.

Paraskeva pühastest ja reede kultusest Satserinna kiriklikus traditsioonis / Kai Kuusing

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kuusing, Kai

2005-01-01

Saatse kirikust pärit Paraskeva pühaste (ikoonide) ikonograafia- ja hagiograafiaalasest materjalist ning Paraskeva kultusega seotud kahest erinevast traditsioonist Saatse kirikus - Ikonioni Paraskeva mälestuspäeva ja Eelija reede pühitsemisest

Magnetic resonance imaging of pulmonary infection in immunocompromised children: comparison with multidetector computed tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ozcan, H.N.; Gormez, Aysegul; Oguz, Berna; Haliloglu, Mithat [Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Ankara (Turkey); Ozsurekci, Yasemin; Ceyhan, Mehmet [Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Ankara (Turkey); Karakaya, Jale [Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Department of Biostatistics, Ankara (Turkey); Unal, Sule; Cetin, Mualla [Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Hematology, Ankara (Turkey)

2017-02-15

Computed tomography (CT) is commonly used to detect pulmonary infection in immunocompromised children. To compare MRI and multidetector CT findings of pulmonary abnormalities in immunocompromised children. Seventeen neutropaenic children (6 girls; ages 2-18 years) were included. Non-contrast-enhanced CT was performed with a 64-detector CT scanner. Axial and coronal non-enhanced thoracic MRI was performed using a 1.5-T scanner within 24 h of the CT examination (true fast imaging with steady-state free precession, fat-saturated T2-weighted turbo spin echo with motion correction, T2-weighted half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin echo [HASTE], fat-saturated T1-weighted spoiled gradient echo). Pulmonary abnormalities (nodules, consolidations, ground glass opacities, atelectasis, pleural effusion and lymph nodes) were evaluated and compared among MRI sequences and between MRI and CT. The relationship between MRI sequences and nodule sizes was examined by chi- square test. Of 256 CT lesions, 207 (81%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 76-85%) were detected at MRI. Of 202 CT-detected nodules, 157 (78%, 95% CI 71-83%) were seen at motion-corrected MRI. Of the 1-5-mm nodules, 69% were detected by motion-corrected T2-weighted MRI and 38% by HASTE MRI. Sensitivity of MRI (both axial fat-saturated T2-weighted turbo spin echo with variable phase encoding directions (BLADE) images and HASTE sequences) to detect pulmonary abnormalities is promising. (orig.)

Magnetic resonance imaging of pulmonary infection in immunocompromised children: comparison with multidetector computed tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozcan, H Nursun; Gormez, Ayşegul; Ozsurekci, Yasemin; Karakaya, Jale; Oguz, Berna; Unal, Sule; Cetin, Mualla; Ceyhan, Mehmet; Haliloglu, Mithat

2017-02-01

Computed tomography (CT) is commonly used to detect pulmonary infection in immunocompromised children. To compare MRI and multidetector CT findings of pulmonary abnormalities in immunocompromised children. Seventeen neutropaenic children (6 girls; ages 2-18 years) were included. Non-contrast-enhanced CT was performed with a 64-detector CT scanner. Axial and coronal non-enhanced thoracic MRI was performed using a 1.5-T scanner within 24 h of the CT examination (true fast imaging with steady-state free precession, fat-saturated T2-weighted turbo spin echo with motion correction, T2-weighted half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin echo [HASTE], fat-saturated T1-weighted spoiled gradient echo). Pulmonary abnormalities (nodules, consolidations, ground glass opacities, atelectasis, pleural effusion and lymph nodes) were evaluated and compared among MRI sequences and between MRI and CT. The relationship between MRI sequences and nodule sizes was examined by chi- square test. Of 256 CT lesions, 207 (81%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 76-85%) were detected at MRI. Of 202 CT-detected nodules, 157 (78%, 95% CI 71-83%) were seen at motion-corrected MRI. Of the 1-5-mm nodules, 69% were detected by motion-corrected T2-weighted MRI and 38% by HASTE MRI. Sensitivity of MRI (both axial fat-saturated T2-weighted turbo spin echo with variable phase encoding directions (BLADE) images and HASTE sequences) to detect pulmonary abnormalities is promising.

Magnetic resonance imaging of pulmonary infection in immunocompromised children: comparison with multidetector computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozcan, H.N.; Gormez, Aysegul; Oguz, Berna; Haliloglu, Mithat; Ozsurekci, Yasemin; Ceyhan, Mehmet; Karakaya, Jale; Unal, Sule; Cetin, Mualla

2017-01-01

Computed tomography (CT) is commonly used to detect pulmonary infection in immunocompromised children. To compare MRI and multidetector CT findings of pulmonary abnormalities in immunocompromised children. Seventeen neutropaenic children (6 girls; ages 2-18 years) were included. Non-contrast-enhanced CT was performed with a 64-detector CT scanner. Axial and coronal non-enhanced thoracic MRI was performed using a 1.5-T scanner within 24 h of the CT examination (true fast imaging with steady-state free precession, fat-saturated T2-weighted turbo spin echo with motion correction, T2-weighted half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin echo [HASTE], fat-saturated T1-weighted spoiled gradient echo). Pulmonary abnormalities (nodules, consolidations, ground glass opacities, atelectasis, pleural effusion and lymph nodes) were evaluated and compared among MRI sequences and between MRI and CT. The relationship between MRI sequences and nodule sizes was examined by chi- square test. Of 256 CT lesions, 207 (81%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 76-85%) were detected at MRI. Of 202 CT-detected nodules, 157 (78%, 95% CI 71-83%) were seen at motion-corrected MRI. Of the 1-5-mm nodules, 69% were detected by motion-corrected T2-weighted MRI and 38% by HASTE MRI. Sensitivity of MRI (both axial fat-saturated T2-weighted turbo spin echo with variable phase encoding directions (BLADE) images and HASTE sequences) to detect pulmonary abnormalities is promising. (orig.)

Comparison of the kinetics of different Markov models for ligand binding under varying conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martini, Johannes W. R.; Habeck, Michael

2015-01-01

We recently derived a Markov model for macromolecular ligand binding dynamics from few physical assumptions and showed that its stationary distribution is the grand canonical ensemble [J. W. R. Martini, M. Habeck, and M. Schlather, J. Math. Chem. 52, 665 (2014)]. The transition probabilities of the proposed Markov process define a particular Glauber dynamics and have some similarity to the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. Here, we illustrate that this model is the stochastic analog of (pseudo) rate equations and the corresponding system of differential equations. Moreover, it can be viewed as a limiting case of general stochastic simulations of chemical kinetics. Thus, the model links stochastic and deterministic approaches as well as kinetics and equilibrium described by the grand canonical ensemble. We demonstrate that the family of transition matrices of our model, parameterized by temperature and ligand activity, generates ligand binding kinetics that respond to changes in these parameters in a qualitatively similar way as experimentally observed kinetics. In contrast, neither the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm nor the Glauber heat bath reflects changes in the external conditions correctly. Both converge rapidly to the stationary distribution, which is advantageous when the major interest is in the equilibrium state, but fail to describe the kinetics of ligand binding realistically. To simulate cellular processes that involve the reversible stochastic binding of multiple factors, our pseudo rate equation model should therefore be preferred to the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm and the Glauber heat bath, if the stationary distribution is not of only interest

Comparison of the kinetics of different Markov models for ligand binding under varying conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martini, Johannes W. R., E-mail: jmartin2@gwdg.de [Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen (Germany); Felix Bernstein Institute for Mathematical Statistics in the Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen (Germany); Habeck, Michael, E-mail: mhabeck@gwdg.de [Felix Bernstein Institute for Mathematical Statistics in the Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen (Germany); Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen (Germany)

2015-03-07

We recently derived a Markov model for macromolecular ligand binding dynamics from few physical assumptions and showed that its stationary distribution is the grand canonical ensemble [J. W. R. Martini, M. Habeck, and M. Schlather, J. Math. Chem. 52, 665 (2014)]. The transition probabilities of the proposed Markov process define a particular Glauber dynamics and have some similarity to the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. Here, we illustrate that this model is the stochastic analog of (pseudo) rate equations and the corresponding system of differential equations. Moreover, it can be viewed as a limiting case of general stochastic simulations of chemical kinetics. Thus, the model links stochastic and deterministic approaches as well as kinetics and equilibrium described by the grand canonical ensemble. We demonstrate that the family of transition matrices of our model, parameterized by temperature and ligand activity, generates ligand binding kinetics that respond to changes in these parameters in a qualitatively similar way as experimentally observed kinetics. In contrast, neither the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm nor the Glauber heat bath reflects changes in the external conditions correctly. Both converge rapidly to the stationary distribution, which is advantageous when the major interest is in the equilibrium state, but fail to describe the kinetics of ligand binding realistically. To simulate cellular processes that involve the reversible stochastic binding of multiple factors, our pseudo rate equation model should therefore be preferred to the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm and the Glauber heat bath, if the stationary distribution is not of only interest.

LEACHING BOUNDARY IN CEMENT-BASED WASTE FORMS

Science.gov (United States)

Cement-based fixation systems are among the most commonly employed stabilization/solidification techniques. These cement haste mixtures, however, are vulnerable to ardic leaching solutions. Leaching of cement-based waste forms in acetic acid solutions with different acidic streng...

Modelling maximum river flow by using Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo

Science.gov (United States)

Cheong, R. Y.; Gabda, D.

2017-09-01

Analysis of flood trends is vital since flooding threatens human living in terms of financial, environment and security. The data of annual maximum river flows in Sabah were fitted into generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution. Maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) raised naturally when working with GEV distribution. However, previous researches showed that MLE provide unstable results especially in small sample size. In this study, we used different Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) based on Metropolis-Hastings algorithm to estimate GEV parameters. Bayesian MCMC method is a statistical inference which studies the parameter estimation by using posterior distribution based on Bayes’ theorem. Metropolis-Hastings algorithm is used to overcome the high dimensional state space faced in Monte Carlo method. This approach also considers more uncertainty in parameter estimation which then presents a better prediction on maximum river flow in Sabah.

Cultivar de soja BRS 66

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bertagnolli Paulo Fernando

2002-01-01

Full Text Available BRS 66, oriunda do cruzamento BR 83-147 x FT-Abyara, é indicada para cultivo no Rio Grande do Sul. Na média de 21 ambientes no RS, no período de 1993/94 a 1995/96, essa cultivar apresentou rendimento médio de grãos de 2.883 kg/ha. Apresenta resistência ao cancro-da-haste, à podridão-parda-da-haste, à mancha-olho-de-rã, à raça 1 de Phytophthora sojae, à pústula-bacteriana e ao oídio. Tem flor branca, pubescência marrom, tegumento da semente amarelo-fosco, hilo marrom e tipo de crescimento determinado. É de ciclo médio e apresenta estatura da planta de média a alta, com boa resistência ao acamamento.

Research Article Special Issue

African Journals Online (AJOL)

pc

2018-03-07

Mar 7, 2018 ... in doing things, as haste, like other instincts and desires has been implanted as a .... have many consequences, which in some cases will be hard to compensate. ... thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.

Evaluating staff training : Taking account of interactions between staff and clients with intellectual disability and challenging behaviour

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Oorsouw, W.M.W.J.; Embregts, P.J.C.M.; Bosman, A.M.T.

2013-01-01

Background Hastings (2010) has recently emphasised 3 aspects in the training of staff who serve clients with mild to moderate intellectual disability and challenging behaviour (CB): Staff attitudes, self-awareness, and clients' perspectives. This study investigates whether programs include these

Determinação do ponto de colheita e indução à abertura floral do crisântemo cultivar White Polaris em diferentes concentrações de sacarose Stage of harvest and flower opening induction at different sucrose concentrations in spray chrysánthemum cv. White Polaris

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor Julio Flórez Roncancio

1995-01-01

Full Text Available Realizou-se pesquisa objetivando determinar o melhor entre quatro pontos de colheita da haste floral de crisântemos de maço do tipo pompom cv. White Polaris a concentração mais adequada de sacarose para tratamento de "pulsing" dessas hastes: estas foram colhidas em estufa de produção comercial, nos pontos preestabelecidos e transportadas para laboratório, onde foram totalmente imersas em água de torneira, à sombra, durante três horas. Selecionaram-se as hastes pela uniformidade do seu desenvolvimento e cortaram-nas sob água na base do caule, entre 50 e 60 cm, e identificadas, o que permitiu avaliar as mudanças morfológicas associadas às inflorescências individuais. As hastes foram distribuídas e mantidas nos diferentes tratamentos de "pulsing" durante 24 horas, à luz branca contínua de 1.500 lux, 60 a 90% de umidade relativa do ar e temperatura ambiente de 25 ± 2°C. Após o tratamento de "pulsing", as hastes foram transferidas para água destilada, permanecendo por 10 horas sob luz branca contínua, nas mesmas condições de laboratório citadas. A vida floral em vaso começou a ser avaliada na instalação do experimento, após o tratamento de "pulsing", e terminou quando as folhas e pétalas perderam a turgescência e o valor decorativo. As hastes colhidas em estádio de botão (25 e 50% de abertura das inflorescências apicais não alcançaram o ponto de abertura adequado em nenhuma das seis concentrações de sacarose (0 a 146,07 mol/m³; as concentrações de 116,9 146,1 mol/m³, porém, estimularam, em geral, a abertura de botões. Os pontos de colheita 1 e 2 (100 e 75% de abertura das inflorescências apicais respectivamente apresentaram bons resultados em todas as concentrações de sacarose.Flowers of spray chrysanthemum cv. White Polaris were cut at 4 stages and treated in pulsing solutions of distilled water plus 0 to 146.1 mol/m³ sucrose. The flowers were harvested in local commercial greenhouses, at various

Frontoparietal white matter integrity predicts haptic performance in chronic stroke

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra L. Borstad

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Frontoparietal white matter supports information transfer between brain areas involved in complex haptic tasks such as somatosensory discrimination. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the relationship between microstructural integrity of frontoparietal network white matter and haptic performance in persons with chronic stroke and to compare frontoparietal network integrity in participants with stroke and age matched control participants. Nineteen individuals with stroke and 16 controls participated. Haptic performance was quantified using the Hand Active Sensation Test (HASTe, an 18-item match-to-sample test of weight and texture discrimination. Three tesla MRI was used to obtain diffusion-weighted and high-resolution anatomical images of the whole brain. Probabilistic tractography was used to define 10 frontoparietal tracts total; Four intrahemispheric tracts measured bilaterally 1 thalamus to primary somatosensory cortex (T–S1, 2 thalamus to primary motor cortex (T–M1, 3 primary to secondary somatosensory cortex (S1 to SII and 4 primary somatosensory cortex to middle frontal gyrus (S1 to MFG and, 2 interhemispheric tracts; S1–S1 and precuneus interhemispheric. A control tract outside the network, the cuneus interhemispheric tract, was also examined. The diffusion metrics fractional anisotropy (FA, mean diffusivity (MD, axial (AD and radial diffusivity (RD were quantified for each tract. Diminished FA and elevated MD values are associated with poorer white matter integrity in chronic stroke. Nine of 10 tracts quantified in the frontoparietal network had diminished structural integrity poststroke compared to the controls. The precuneus interhemispheric tract was not significantly different between groups. Principle component analysis across all frontoparietal white matter tract MD values indicated a single factor explained 47% and 57% of the variance in tract mean diffusivity in stroke and control groups respectively

Frontoparietal white matter integrity predicts haptic performance in chronic stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Borstad, Alexandra L; Choi, Seongjin; Schmalbrock, Petra; Nichols-Larsen, Deborah S

2016-01-01

Frontoparietal white matter supports information transfer between brain areas involved in complex haptic tasks such as somatosensory discrimination. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the relationship between microstructural integrity of frontoparietal network white matter and haptic performance in persons with chronic stroke and to compare frontoparietal network integrity in participants with stroke and age matched control participants. Nineteen individuals with stroke and 16 controls participated. Haptic performance was quantified using the Hand Active Sensation Test (HASTe), an 18-item match-to-sample test of weight and texture discrimination. Three tesla MRI was used to obtain diffusion-weighted and high-resolution anatomical images of the whole brain. Probabilistic tractography was used to define 10 frontoparietal tracts total; Four intrahemispheric tracts measured bilaterally 1) thalamus to primary somatosensory cortex (T-S1), 2) thalamus to primary motor cortex (T-M1), 3) primary to secondary somatosensory cortex (S1 to SII) and 4) primary somatosensory cortex to middle frontal gyrus (S1 to MFG) and, 2 interhemispheric tracts; S1-S1 and precuneus interhemispheric. A control tract outside the network, the cuneus interhemispheric tract, was also examined. The diffusion metrics fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD) were quantified for each tract. Diminished FA and elevated MD values are associated with poorer white matter integrity in chronic stroke. Nine of 10 tracts quantified in the frontoparietal network had diminished structural integrity poststroke compared to the controls. The precuneus interhemispheric tract was not significantly different between groups. Principle component analysis across all frontoparietal white matter tract MD values indicated a single factor explained 47% and 57% of the variance in tract mean diffusivity in stroke and control groups respectively. Age

Norovirus diversity in diarrheic children from an African-descendant settlement in Belém, Northern Brazil.

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Glicélia Cruz Aragão

Full Text Available Norovirus (NoV, sapovirus (SaV and human astrovirus (HAstV are viral pathogens that are associated with outbreaks and sporadic cases of gastroenteritis. However, little is known about the occurrence of these pathogens in relatively isolated communities, such as the remnants of African-descendant villages ("Quilombola". The objective of this study was the frequency determination of these viruses in children under 10 years, with and without gastroenteritis, from a "Quilombola" Community, Northern Brazil. A total of 159 stool samples were obtained from April/2008 to July/2010 and tested by an enzyme immunoassay (EIA and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR to detect NoV, SaV and HAstV, and further molecular characterization was performed. These viruses were detected only in the diarrheic group. NoV was the most frequent viral agent detected (19.7%-16/81, followed by SaV (2.5%-2/81 and HAstV (1.2%-1/81. Of the 16 NoV-positive samples, 14 were sequenced with primers targeting the B region of the polymerase (ORF1 and the D region of the capsid (ORF2. The results showed a broad genetic diversity of NoV, with 12 strains being classified as GII-4 (5-41.7%, GII-6 (3-25%, GII-7 (2-16.7%, GII-17 (1-8.3% and GI-2 (1-8.3%, as based on the polymerase region; 12 samples were classified, based on the capsid region, as GII-4 (6-50%, being 3-2006b variant and 3-2010 variant, GII-6 (3-25%, GII-17 (2-16.7% and GII-20 (1-8.3%. One NoV-strain showed dual genotype specificity, based on the polymerase and capsid region (GII-7/GII-20. This study provides, for the first time, epidemiological and molecular information on the circulation of NoV, SaV and HAstV in African-descendant communities in Northern Brazil and identifies NoV genotypes that were different from those detected previously in studies conducted in the urban area of Belém. It remains to be determined why a broader NoV diversity was observed in such a semi-isolated community.

Fundamentos e métodos de medidas de energia dinâmica no SPT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Belincanta

2000-05-01

Full Text Available Discutem-se neste trabalho os métodos disponíveis no Brasil e no exterior para a medida da energia transferida às hastes no SPT, apresentando-se inclusive registros típicos dos eventos dinâmicos correspondentes

South African Journal of Animal Science - Vol 17, No 2 (1987)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

sterilized blood meal as measured in combination with whey protein · EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT. T.E.H. Downes, L.D. Nourse, F.K. Siebrits, J.W. Hastings, 55-58 ...

No sliding in time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shtengel, Kirill; Nayak, Chetan; Bishara, Waheb; Chamon, Claudio

2005-01-01

In this letter, we analyse the following apparent paradox: as has been recently proved by Hastings (2004 Phys. Rev. 69 104431), under a general set of conditions, if a local Hamiltonian has a spectral gap above its (unique) ground state (GS), all connected equal-time correlation functions of local operators decay exponentially with distance. On the other hand, statistical mechanics provides us with examples of 3D models displaying so-called sliding phases (O'Hern et al 1999 Phys. Rev. Lett. 83 2745) which are characterized by the algebraic decay of correlations within 2D layers and exponential decay in the third direction. Interpreting this third direction as time would imply a gap in the corresponding (2+1)D quantum Hamiltonian which would seemingly contradict Hastings' theorem. The resolution of this paradox lies in the non-locality of such a quantum Hamiltonian. (letter to the editor)

Uma versão compacta do motor elétrico de Faraday para demonstração em sala de aula

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Osmar Henrique Moura Silva

2013-06-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7941.2013v30n2p385 O “motor” elétrico de Michael Faraday (1791-1867 é versado como o precursor dos motores elétricos atuais e um equipamento interessante no estudo introdutório do assunto. Um trabalho anterior divulgou uma montagem deste motor mais bem adaptada aos ambientes educativos não formais, abrangendo suas duas variantes: uma, com haste móvel e ímã fixo; outra, com haste fixa e ímã móvel. Apresenta-se aqui uma elaboração desse motor na primeira destas variantes que se diferencia nas dimensões e peso, sendo de fácil transporte e uso em sala de aula por apropriação da energia elétrica padrão de 127V.

Assessment of the image quality and tumor detectability of breath-hold T2-weighted imaging of liver tumors using a fast gradient MR system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Kotaro; Suto, Yuji; Sugihara, Shuji; Tokuda, Yukiko

1996-01-01

Fourteen patients with various types of focal liver tumors were imaged with turbo spin-echo (TSE), breath-hold TSE (BH-TSE) and half-Fourier single-shot TSE (HASTE) pulse sequences using a fast gradient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. We compared the T2-weighted images of the liver with the TSE, BH-TSE, HASTE and conventional spin-echo (SE) pulse sequences in order to determine whether those fast T2-weighted images, including fat suppressed images, could replace SE images. In quantitative and qualitative analysis, the fast T2-weighted images were slightly superior to the SE images, but they were inferior in the conspicuousness of liver tumor to the SE images. These findings suggest that the fast T2-weighted images can shorten the examination time of the liver MRI, but cannot replace the T2-weighted SE images because of the low conspicuousness. (author)

Diffusion tensor imaging of the spinal cord: a review Imagen de difusión tensora de la médula espinal: una revisión Imagem da medula espinal por tensor de difusão

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aditya Vedantam

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI is a magnetic resonance technique capable of measuring the magnitude and direction of water molecule diffusion in various tissues. The use of DTI is being expanded to evaluate a variety of spinal cord disorders both for prognostication and to guide therapy. The purpose of this article is to review the literature on spinal cord DTI in both animal models and humans in different neurosurgical conditions. DTI of the spinal cord shows promise in traumatic spinal cord injury, cervical spondylotic myelopathy, and intramedullary tumors. However, scanning protocols and image processing need to be refined and standardized.La técnica de imagen por difusión tensora (DTI, Diffusion tensor imaging es una técnica de resonancia magnética que mide la magnitud y dirección de la difusión de moléculas de agua en varios tejidos. El uso de DTI se ha expandido para evaluar una variedad de disturbios de la columna vertebral tanto para pronóstico como para orientación de la terapia. La finalidad de este artículo es revisar la literatura sobre DTI de la médula espinal tanto en modelos animales como en humanos en diferentes condiciones neuroquirúrgicas. La DTI de la médula espinal se muestra promisora en las lesiones traumáticas de la médula, en la mielopatía espondilótica cervical y en los tumores intramedulares. Sin embargo, los protocolos de barrido y el procesamiento de imágenes necesitan ser refinados y estandarizados.O exame por imagem de ressonância magnética utilizando a técnica de tensores de difusão (DTI, Diffusion tensor imaging consegue medir a magnitude e direção da difusão de moléculas de água em vários tecidos. A DTI está começando a ser usada para avaliar uma série de patologias da medula espinal, tanto para prognósticos como para orientar o tratamento. O presente artigo revisa a literatura sobre DTI da medula espinhal, em modelos animais e humanos, em diferentes condições neurocirúrgicas. A

Suggested safeguards and limitations for effective and permissible ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal/Potchefstroomse Elektroniese Regsblad ... offers will be elucidated in the following pages.1 As parenting coordination has been implemented in haste and in an unsystematic and uncoordinated fashion, it has given rise to considerable confusion and both ethical and practice dilemmas.

AFRREV IJAH, Vol.2 (1) February, 2012

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

exercise that was done in haste to protect British interest and not sincerely for the indigenes of ... Uzere is within the flood plains of the low land area of. Abolition of ..... 1897‖ Ph.D Thesis, University of Hamburg, Germany, 2001,. Chapter Four ...

International Journal of Arts and Humanities(IJAH) Bahir Dar- Ethiopia

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prof

The trend has made the democratic process of the people selecting their own .... not limit their corrupting influence to Rome but also swayed their allies. 'They were .... friends with presents, and then to win new ones — in short, to make haste to ...

Model Checking Structured Infinite Markov Chains

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Remke, Anne Katharina Ingrid

2008-01-01

In the past probabilistic model checking hast mostly been restricted to finite state models. This thesis explores the possibilities of model checking with continuous stochastic logic (CSL) on infinite-state Markov chains. We present an in-depth treatment of model checking algorithms for two special

'Tom & Viv' ehk Elulugu kunstiks / Jaak Rähesoo

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Rähesoo, Jaak, 1941-

1996-01-01

Mängufilm Thomas Stearns Eliotist Michael Hastingsi näidendi põhjal, stsenaristid Michael Hastings ja Adrian Hodges, re̓issöör Brian Gilbert : Suurbritannia, 1994. Ka autori suhtumisest Madis Kõivu ja Jaan Krossi biograafilistesse teostesse. Järg: 26. jaan., lk. 12

Representing chemicals using OWL, description graphs and rules

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Hastings, J

2010-06-01

Full Text Available OWL, Description Graphs and Rules Janna Hastings1;2;3?, Michel Dumontier4, Duncan Hull1, Matthew Horridge5, Christoph Steinbeck1, Ulrike Sattler5, Robert Stevens5, Tertia H orne2, and Katarina Britz2;3 1 European Bioinformatics Institute, UK 2...

Representing chemicals using OWL, description graphs and rules

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Hastings, J

2010-06-01

Full Text Available , Description Graphs and Rules Janna Hastings1;2;3?, Michel Dumontier4, Duncan Hull1, Matthew Horridge5, Christoph Steinbeck1, Ulrike Sattler5, Robert Stevens5, Tertia H orne2, and Katarina Britz2;3 1 European Bioinformatics Institute, UK 2 University...

Fetal anatomy revealed with fast MR sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, D; Hatabu, H; Gaa, J; Atkinson, M W; Edelman, R R

1996-10-01

Although all the imaging studies in this pictorial essay were done for maternal rather than fetal indications, fetal anatomy was well visualized. However, when scans are undertaken for fetal indications, fetal motion in between scout views and imaging sequences may make specific image planes difficult to obtain. Of the different techniques described in this review, we preferred the HASTE technique and use it almost exclusively for scanning pregnant patients. The T2-weighting is ideal for delineating fetal organs. Also, the HASTE technique allows images to be obtained in 430 msec, limiting artifacts arising from maternal and fetal motion. MR imaging should play a more important role in evaluating equivocal sonographic cases as fast scanning techniques are more widely used. Obstetric MR imaging no longer will be limited by fetal motion artifacts. When complex anatomy requires definition in a complicated pregnant patient, MR imaging should be considered as a useful adjunct to sonography.

Non-parametric Bayesian inference for inhomogeneous Markov point processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berthelsen, Kasper Klitgaard; Møller, Jesper; Johansen, Per Michael

is a shot noise process, and the interaction function for a pair of points depends only on the distance between the two points and is a piecewise linear function modelled by a marked Poisson process. Simulation of the resulting posterior using a Metropolis-Hastings algorithm in the "conventional" way...

77 FR 298 - Endangered Species Receipt of Applications for Permit

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-04

... fruit bat (Pteropus rodricensis) Applicant: Disney's Animal Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, FL; PRT-812907... applicant over a 5-year period. Applicant: Feld Entertainment Inc., Vienna, VA; PRT-702230 The applicant... Anderson, Hastings, NE; PRT-59366A The applicant requests a permit to import a sport-hunted trophy of one...

9 CFR 151.9 - Recognized breeds and books of record.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... By whom published 1101 Aberdeen-Angus Aberdeen-Angus Herd Book Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society, Hugh R... Aberdeen-Angus Herd Book New Zealand Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Breeders' Association, Post Office Box 83, Hastings, New Zealand. 116 ......do Irish Angus Herd Book Irish Angus Cattle Society Ltd., John L. Murphy...

GeneRecon—A coalescent based tool for fine-scale association mapping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mailund, Thomas; Schierup, Mikkel Heide; Pedersen, Christian Nørgaard Storm

2006-01-01

GeneRecon is a tool for fine-scale association mapping using a coalescence model. GeneRecon takes as input case-control data from phased or unphased SNP and micro-satellite genotypes. The posterior distribution of disease locus position is obtained by Metropolis Hastings sampling in the state space...

Management of Pediatric Tumor Lysis Syndrome

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Urate oxidase in prevention and treatment of hyperuricemia associated with lymphoid malignancies. Leukemia. 1997. Nov;11(11):1813-6. 43. Elitek [package insert]. Bridgewater, NJ: Sanofi-. Aventis US LLC; 2009. 44. Pui CH, Mahmoud HH, Wiley JM, Woods GM,. Leverger G, Camitta B, Hastings C, Blaney SM, Relling.

Acoustic Sensor Network Design for Position Estimation

Science.gov (United States)

2009-05-01

A., Pollock, S., Netter, B., and Low, B. S. 2005. Anisogamy, expenditure of reproductive effort, and the optimality of having two sexes. Operations...Research 53, 3, 560–567. Evans, M., Hastings, N., and Peacock , B. 2000. Statistical distributions. Ed. Wiley & Sons. New York. Feeney, L. and Nilsson, M

A Comparison of Japanese and British Colonial Policy in Asia and their Effect on Indigenous Educational Systems Through 1930

Science.gov (United States)

1992-07-01

local workforce for use in the economic development of Burma. The Japanese, on the other hand, used the university more as a tool of appeasement; it...Administration Frances Hastings 1813-1823 William Amherst 1823-1828 William Bentinck 1828-1835 George Auckland 1835-1842 Edward Ellenborough 1842-1844 Charles

The Rule of Law against the Rule of Greed: Edmund Burke against the East India Company

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Jakob Fortunat Stagl

2012-01-01

Full Text Available At the end of the 18th century Bengal suddenly came under the rule of the East India Company. The former trading company had become the sovereign, first, of a country the size of France, and eventually of the whole Indian subcontinent. The Company was not controlled by any positive law, be it Indian, British or international. As a consequence, the Company’s individual and corporate greed reigned supreme, with the most dire consequences for the native Indian population. The Indian question aroused the interest of Edmund Burke. He saw in India a metaphor for his native Ireland and was suspicious of the corruption of British politics by the money and influence that the Company’s men had gained in India. He therefore made it the aim of his life to fight the Company’s unrestrained avarice by fostering an impeachment trial against Warren Hastings, the first Governor General of Bengal. In order to get Hastings convicted it was necessary to show that he had infringed the law. But which law should Hastings’ judges apply? He resorted to Natural Law and Roman Law. Thence he took the maxim »Eundem negotiatorem et dominum«, that is to say, commerce which aims at profit, and government which aims at the welfare of the population, are irreconcilable. Though after many years Hastings was acquitted, Burke contributed by this trial to civilising British rule in India. Burke’s stance has recently been criticised by the post-colonial school: He should have pleaded for the British to quit India rather than improving their rule and thereby prolonging its existence.

Visualization of morphological parenchymal changes in emphysema: Comparison of different MRI sequences to 3D-HRCT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ley-Zaporozhan, Julia; Ley, Sebastian; Eberhardt, Ralf; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Heussel, Claus Peter

2010-01-01

Purpose: Thin-section CT is the modality of choice for morphological imaging the lung parenchyma, while proton-MRI might be used for functional assessment. However, the capability of MRI to visualize morphological parenchymal alterations in emphysema is undetermined. Thus, the aim of the study was to compare different MRI sequences with CT. Materials and methods: 22 patients suffering from emphysema underwent thin-section MSCT serving as a reference. MRI (1.5 T) was performed using three different sequences: T2-HASTE in coronal and axial orientation, T1-GRE (VIBE) in axial orientation before and after application of contrast media (ce). All datasets were evaluated by four chest radiologists in consensus for each sequence separately independent from CT. The severity of emphysema, leading type, bronchial wall thickening, fibrotic changes and nodules was analyzed visually on a lobar level. Results: The sensitivity for correct categorization of emphysema severity was 44%, 48% and 41% and the leading type of emphysema was identical to CT in 68%, 55% and 60%, for T2-HASTE, T1-VIBE and T1-ce-VIBE respectively. A bronchial wall thickening was found in 43 lobes in CT and was correctly seen in MRI in 42%, 33% and 26%. Of those 74 lobes presented with fibrotic changes in CT were correctly identified by MRI in 39%, 35% and 58%. Small nodules were mostly underdiagnosed in MRI. Conclusion: MRI matched the CT severity classification and leading type of emphysema in half of the cases. All sequences showed a similar diagnostic performance, however a combination of HASTE and ce-VIBE should be recommended.

MR enterography sequence evaluation for patients with Crohn's disease; Sequenz-Evaluation fuer die MR-Enterografie fuer Patienten mit Morbus Crohn

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schleder, S.; Dendle, L.M.; Friedrich, C.; Wiggermann, P.; Stroszczynski, C.; Schreyer, A.G. [Universitaetsklinikum Regensburg (Germany). Inst. fuer Roentgendiagnostik; Pawlik, M. [Caritas-Krankenhaus St. Josef, Regensburg (Germany). Klinik fuer Anaesthesiologie, Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin; Ott, C. [Universitaetsklinikum Regensburg (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Innere Medizin I; Agha, A. [Universitaetsklinikum Regensburg (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Chirurgie

2013-05-15

Purpose: To evaluate a routine MR enterography (MRE) protocol for patients with Crohn's disease (CD) in order to assess and rank the subjectively most important sequences regarding diagnostic decisions. Materials and Methods: We prospective ly examined 84 patients (42 male) with known CD using a coronal T2/T1-weighted balanced SSFP (TrueFISP), axial T2-weighted single shot TSE (HASTE) as well as an axial T1-weighted gradient-echo sequence (2D-FLASH) before intravenous contrast application and a 2D-FLASH sequence with axial and coronal orientation after in travenous contrast application. 4 experienced radiologists subjectively evaluate d the sequences independently using a scale between 1 and 5 (1 = excellent; 5 = non-diagnostic) regarding their diagnostic significance for a final radiologic d ecision. The ranking of the different sequences was statistically tested by the Friedman analysis. Results: The following ranking was found: HASTE sequences wer e ranked prior to contrast-enhanced axial gradient-echo (2D-FLASH). The third to fifth ranking was TrueFISP, the axial contrast-enhanced 2D-FLASH and the 2D-FLA SH without contrast, respectively. Differences between the first and second rank were significant (p < 0.05), and all other differences were highly significant (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The stable and fast T2-weighted MR sequences without intravenous contrast represented by axial HASTE and coronal TrueFISP were ranked as number 1 and 3. The examination protocol should be completed by a coronal T 1-weighted gradient-echo-sequence after contrast injection, which can be supplemented by an axial acquisition. The T1-weighted gradient-echo sequence without contrast could be omitted. (orig.)

Extended Mixed-Efects Item Response Models with the MH-RM Algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Chalmers, R. Philip

2015-01-01

A mixed-effects item response theory (IRT) model is presented as a logical extension of the generalized linear mixed-effects modeling approach to formulating explanatory IRT models. Fixed and random coefficients in the extended model are estimated using a Metropolis-Hastings Robbins-Monro (MH-RM) stochastic imputation algorithm to accommodate for…

Turisten og det mobile medie

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jens F.

2010-01-01

Gennem det sidste årti har de mobile medier - og ikke mindst mobiltelefonen - udviklet sig med stor hast. Mobiltelefonen er ikke alene det medie, der har haft den hurtigste vækst i verdenshistorien, den er også allerede det mest udbredte medie med over 4 milliarder mobiltelefoner på verdensplan....

Improving access and quality of care in a TB control programme ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Five HIV/AIDS/sexually transmitted infections/TB (HAST) evaluations were conducted from 2008 to 2010, with interviews with 99 facility managers and a folder review of over 850 client records per evaluation cycle. The data were used in a local quality improvement process: sub-district workshops identified key weaknesses ...

Research Article Special Issue

African Journals Online (AJOL)

pc

2018-02-24

Feb 24, 2018 ... 3Div. of Food Technology, Fac.of Engineering and Agro-Industry, Maejo University, Chiang ... real dollars (adjusted by the Consumer Price Index, with 1982-1984 being ... The lifestyle of people who want to be convenient, fast, hassle, haste, ..... Quality and Intensity on Stomatal Behavior of Three Petunia ...

"Reading" Mixed Methods Research: Contexts for Criticism

Science.gov (United States)

Freshwater, Dawn

2007-01-01

Health and social care researchers, in their haste to "belong" to academia, have adopted the system of mixed methodology research, overestimating its ability to reveal the truth and occasionally imprisoning their thought in one system. In this article, some of the assumptions underpinning mixed methodology research and its discourse are subjected…

Research Article Special Issue

African Journals Online (AJOL)

pc

2018-03-07

Mar 7, 2018 ... in doing things, as haste, like other instincts and desires has been implanted as .... Indeed, many ordinary people are hasty both in doing the good and in .... The realization of any goal and program requires its appropriate time. ..... acquisition, charity and donations, because such actions may be admired by ...

Military Review. Volume 91, Number 3, May-June 2011

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-01

REVIEW unexamined haste.10 An article in Newsweek in September 2009 went so far as to categorize the drones as “weapons porn .”11 This view of surgical... Porn : The Greatest, Weirdest, Coolest Hardware in the American Arsenal,” Newsweek, 23 September 2009, <http://www.newsweek. com/id/215823>. 12. Kathy

Por um outro princípio da realidade: o sentido formativo da estética em H. Marcuse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vivian Baroni

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Tendo por base a filosofia de Herbert Marcuse, o presente artigo objetiva demonstrar a possibilidade de superação do princípio da realidade por meio dos pressupostos fornecidos pela educação estética. Centrada na formação do sujeito como um todo, a educação estética de Marcuse aproxima-se do conceito de Bildung, focando-se na tarefa de trazer de volta à racionalidade moderna as dimensões humanísticas que foram bloqueadas pelo processo da racionalização instrumental. Ao rechaçar a lógica competitiva e dar ênfase à libertação instintual, a educação estética seria capaz ainda de fomentar uma nova estrutura da experiência, que modificaria de modo essencial a relação dos indivíduos com os objetos e com o meio. Desse modo, a educação estética poderia projetar uma tecnologia livre para a realização do seu telos original: a preservação da vida.

Contrast-enhanced MR enterography as a stand-alone tool to evaluate Crohn's disease in a paediatric population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spieler, B.; Hindman, N.; Levy, J.; Zabrieski, K.; Sahlein, D.; Seuss, C.; Kim, S.

2013-01-01

Aim: To assess the performance of contrast-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) alone in the evaluation of Crohn's disease in comparison to all magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) imaging sequences together in an attempt to suggest limitation of the number of overall unenhanced sequences need for the follow-up evaluation. Materials and methods: Twenty-five paediatric patients (mean age 14.1 ± 3.7 years, male = 12, female = 13) underwent MRE at 1.5 T for evaluation of Crohn's disease. Two radiologists reviewed only contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images in consensus on the first session. Whole images including unenhanced (steady-state free precession, single-shot fast spin-echo (HASTE), fat-suppressed T2-weighted) and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted sequences were reviewed in consensus during the second session with a 1 month interval, which was used as a reference standard. The readers evaluated the presence or absence of disease in 10 bowel segments in each patient. For the abnormal bowel segments, the readers then evaluated for active versus inactive disease and for the presence or absence of abscess. Sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy were calculated for detecting active inflammation. Results: There were 53/250 bowel segments with active inflammation using the reference standard imaging method. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for diagnosing active inflammation using contrast-enhanced images alone were 83.3%, 86.9%, and 84.9%. In five of the false-positive cases of detecting abscess from contrast-enhanced imaging alone, absence of abscesses was confirmed on the non-fat-suppressed HASTE images. Conclusion: The number of MRE sequences in paediatric Crohn's patients can be decreased while maintaining diagnostic accuracy using contrast-enhanced T1 and non-fat-suppressed HASTE images

Comparison of different magnetic resonance cholangiography techniques in living liver donors including Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced T1-weighted sequences.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonja Kinner

Full Text Available Preoperative evaluation of potential living liver donors (PLLDs includes the assessment of the biliary anatomy to avoid postoperative complications. Aim of this study was to compare T2-weighted (T2w and Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced T1-weighted (T1w magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC techniques in the evaluation of PLLDs.30 PLLDs underwent MRC on a 1.5 T Magnetom Avanto (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany using (A 2D T2w HASTE (Half Fourier Acquisition Single Shot Turbo Spin Echo fat saturated (fs in axial plane, (B 2D T2w HASTE fs thick slices in coronal plane, (C free breathing 3D T2w TSE (turbo spin echo RESTORE (high-resolution navigator corrected plus (D maximum intensity projections (MIPs, (E T2w SPACE (sampling perfection with application optimized contrasts using different flip angle evolutions plus (F MIPs and (G T2w TSE BLADE as well as Gd-EOB-DTPA T1w images without (G and with (H inversion recovery. Contrast enhanced CT cholangiography served as reference imaging modality. Two independent reviewers evaluated the biliary tract anatomy on a 5-point scale subjectively and objectively. Data sets were compared using a Mann-Whitney-U-test. Kappa values were also calculated.Source images and maximum intensity projections of 3D T2w TSE sequences (RESTORE and SPACE proved to be best for subjective and objective evaluation directly followed by 2D HASTE sequences. Interobserver variabilities were good to excellent (k = 0.622-0.804.3D T2w sequences are essential for preoperative biliary tract evaluation in potential living liver donors. Furthermore, our results underline the value of different MRCP sequence types for the evaluation of the biliary anatomy in PLLDs including Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced T1w MRC.

75 FR 69666 - Change in Bank Control Notices; Acquisitions of Shares of a Bank or Bank Holding Company

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-15

... Memorial Drive, Kansas City, Missouri 64198-0001: 1. Kenneth L. Morrison, Hastings, Nebraska; to acquire... Holding Company The notificants listed below have applied under the Change in Bank Control Act (12 U.S.C... paragraph 7 of the Act (12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(7)). The notices are available for immediate inspection at the...

Report: GPU Based Massive Parallel Kawasaki Kinetics In Monte Carlo Modelling of Lipid Microdomains

OpenAIRE

Lis, M.; Pintal, L.

2013-01-01

This paper introduces novel method of simulation of lipid biomembranes based on Metropolis Hastings algorithm and Graphic Processing Unit computational power. Method gives up to 55 times computational boost in comparison to classical computations. Extensive study of algorithm correctness is provided. Analysis of simulation results and results obtained with classical simulation methodologies are presented.

Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences

African Journals Online (AJOL)

If the work overlaps two or more journal sections then it can be submitted as an .... The user experiences of pre-school children on the use of multi touch hand ..... Haste, its types, and consequences from the perspective of quranic verses and .... Association of capillaroscopy findings in nailfold with color doppler changes in ...

Facts, values, and journalism.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, Susan

2017-03-01

At a time of fake news, hacks, leaks, and unverified reports, many people are unsure whom to believe. How can we communicate in ways that make individuals question their assumptions and learn? My colleagues at The Hastings Center and many journalists and scientists are grappling with this question and have, independently, reached the same first step: recognize that facts can't be fully understood without probing their connection to values. "Explaining the basics is important, of course, but we also need to diversify our approach to the coverage of science-particularly as it intersects with the matrix of cultural, religious, social, and political values of our readers," said an article in Undark, an online magazine of science journalism. An editorial in Nature called for scientists to engage directly with citizens in debates over climate change and genome editing, noting that "the ethical issues can be critically dependent on the science, for example, in understanding where the boundaries between non-heritable and heritable genome modifications might be." We're here to help. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

Fetal magnetic resonance imaging in prenatal diagnosis of central nervous system abnormalities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morioka, Takato; Hashiguchi, Kimiaki; Kawamura, Tadao; Mihara, Futoshi; Hikino, Shunji; Nagata, Hideaki; Iwaki, Toru; Sasaki, Tomio

2005-01-01

The diagnostic value of fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), performed in 42 pregnant women whose fetuses had structural abnormalities of the central nervous system identified with transabdominal ultrasonography from 1995 through 2002, was analyzed retrospectively. Half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) T 2 -weighted imaging clearly delineated the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) space and the malformed brain and spinal cord and provided valuable information for the diagnosis of structural abnormalities related to the CSF space, such as spina bifida with Chiari type II malformation (7 cases), colpocephaly with agenesis of the corpus callosum (7 cases), holoprosencephaly (6 cases), porencephaly (2 cases), lissencephaly with hydrocephalus (2 cases), and middle fossa arachnoid cyst (1 case). However, some difficulty was encountered in the diagnosis of rare pathologic conditions that were not related to the CSF space, such as epignathus, multiple arteriovenous fistulae, trapped suboccipital meningocele, and Turner syndrome. We conclude that HASTE T 2 -weighted imaging, which provides useful diagnostic images in a reasonable time, is a useful adjunct to ultrasonography to confirm or exclude certain abnormalities related to the CSF space. (author)

Inscribed matter as an energy-efficient means of communication with an extraterrestrial civilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Christopher; Wright, Gregory

2004-09-02

It is well known that electromagnetic radiation-radio waves-can in principle be used to communicate over interstellar distances. By contrast, sending physical artefacts has seemed extravagantly wasteful of energy, and imagining human travel between the stars even more so. The key consideration in earlier work, however, was the perceived need for haste. If extraterrestrial civilizations existed within a few tens of light years, radio could be used for two-way communication on timescales comparable to human lifetimes (or at least the longevities of human institutions). Here we show that if haste is unimportant, sending messages inscribed on some material can be strikingly more energy efficient than communicating by electromagnetic waves. Because messages require protection from cosmic radiation and small messages could be difficult to find among the material clutter near a recipient, 'inscribed matter' is most effective for long archival messages (as opposed to potentially short "we exist" announcements). The results suggest that our initial contact with extraterrestrial civilizations may be more likely to occur through physical artefacts-essentially messages in a bottle-than via electromagnetic communication.

Authenticity, Best Interest, and Clinical Nudging.

Science.gov (United States)

Holm, Søren

2017-03-01

In this issue of the Hastings Center Report, Moti Gorin, Steven Joffe, Neal Dickert, and Scott Halpern offer a comprehensive defense of the use of nudging techniques in the clinical context, with the aim of promoting the best interests of patients. Their argument is built on three important claims: Nudging is ubiquitous and inescapable in clinical choice situations, and there is no neutral way of informing patients about their treatment choices; many patients do not have authentic (preexisting) preferences concerning their treatment choices, and those that do can easily resist nudging; and, finally, since many people lack authentic preferences and those that do can still act on their preferences, nudging in the patients' best interest is justified. I agree with the authors that if these three claims stand up to scrutiny, then they will provide a justification for many types of clinical nudging. I am, however, skeptical as to whether the claims can be sustained, despite the valiant efforts of Gorin and colleagues. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

Avaliação prospectiva da evolução clínica, radiográfica e funcional do tratamento das fraturas trocantéricas instáveis do fêmur com haste cefalomedular Prospective assessment of the clinical, radiographic and functional evolution of treatment for unstable trochanteric fractures of the femur using a cephalomedullary nail

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Armelin Borger

2011-01-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Avaliar, durante um ano de seguimento pós-operatório, a evolução clínica, radiográfica e funcional das fraturas trocantéricas instáveis do fêmur submetidas à osteossíntese com haste cefalomedular. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 14 homens e 23 mulheres com idade média de 77,7 anos, 27 destes com fraturas AO/ASIF 31A2 e 10, 31A3. Os pacientes foram avaliados clinicamente, radiograficamente e funcionalmente com uma semana, duas semanas, um mês, dois meses, seis meses e um ano de pós-operatório. RESULTADOS: Nas complicações clínicas, verificaram-se cinco casos de óbito, um caso de úlcera de calcâneo, um caso de obstrução arterial aguda e dois casos de trombose venosa profunda. Na avaliação radiográfica, o ângulo cervicodiafisário médio no pós-operatório imediato foi de 132,5°. O índice ponta-ápice médio foi de 22,8mm. Após um ano, o ângulo cervicodiafisário médio foi de 131,7. A consolidação da fratura foi verificada em todos os pacientes após seis meses de pós-operatório, exceto em um caso que apresentou cut out. Não houve casos de fratura abaixo do implante. A avaliação funcional através do escore de Harris após um ano apresentou uma média de 69,3 pontos. A avaliação da progressão da marcha identificou que, após um ano, 40,6% dos pacientes apresentavam a mesma capacidade de deambulação prévia. Através da escala visual analógica de dor, identificamos diminuição importante das queixas álgicas, passando de 5,19 com uma semana para 2,25 após um ano. CONCLUSÃO: A osteossíntese com haste cefalomedular resultou em baixas complicações clínicas, mecânicas e resultados funcionais adequados.OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical, radiological and functional evolution of osteosynthesis using a cephalomedullary nail, in unstable trochanteric fractures of the femur, over a one-year postoperative follow-up. METHODS: Fourteen men and 23 women of mean age 77.7 years were evaluated. Twenty -seven

Improved bathymetric datasets for the shallow water regions in the Indian Ocean

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Sindhu, B.; Suresh, I.; Unnikrishnan, A.S.; Bhatkar, N.V.; Neetu, S.; Michael, G.S.

(http://www.bodc.ac.uk/data/online- delivery/gebco). GRASS Development Team 2005 GRASS 6.0 Users Man- ual ITC-irst, Trento, Italy (http://grass.itc.it/grass60/ manuals/html60-user). Hastings D A, Dunbar P K, Elphingstone G M, Bootz M, Murakami H, Holland P, Bryant N A, Logan T L, Muller J P...

Insecticide susceptibility status of human biting mosquitoes in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Matowo Pc

91.5% (n=483) and An. funestus group was 8.5% (n=45). ..... Chitnis, N., Churcher, T., Donnelly, M.J., Ghani, A.C., Godfray, H.C.J., Gould, F., Hastings, ... Efficacy, persistence and vector susceptibility to pirimiphos-methyl (Actellic® 300CS) insecticide ... Macoris, M.L., Andrighetti, M.T.M., Wanderley, D.M.V. & Ribolla, P.E.M. ...

Earth, Wind, Flu, Flood and Fire: Early Evolution of U.S. National Policy for Natural Disaster Response

Science.gov (United States)

2009-12-11

Man-made disasters include engineering failures, transportation accidents, industrial accidents, or weapons of mass destruction. Historical...chemical, biological , radiological, nuclear, and high yield explosive incidents. Another exemption is Commander’s Emergency Authority, which authorizes...Pandemic.” In From Birth to Death and Bench to Clinic: The Hastings Center Bioethics Briefing Book for Journalists, Policymakers, and Campaigns. ed. Mary

77 FR 62498 - Advisory Council on Dependents' Education; Meeting Cancellation Notice and Open Meeting Notice

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-15

..., October 16, 2012, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time; Stuttgart and Wiesbaden...-Aleutian Standard Time (H-AST); Peachtree City, Georgia, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDST) has been cancelled. Under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972...

More Haste, Less Speed: Could Public-Private Partnerships Advance Cellular Immunotherapies?

Science.gov (United States)

Bubela, Tania; Bonter, Katherine; Lachance, Silvy; Delisle, Jean-Sébastien; Gold, E Richard

2017-01-01

Cellular immunotherapies promise to transform cancer care. However, they must overcome serious challenges, including: (1) the need to identify and characterize novel cancer antigens to expand the range of therapeutic targets; (2) the need to develop strategies to minimize serious adverse events, such as cytokine release syndrome and treatment-related toxicities; and (3) the need to develop efficient production/manufacturing processes to reduce costs. Here, we discuss whether these challenges might better be addressed through forms of public-private research collaborations, including public-private partnerships (PPPs), or whether these challenges are best addressed by way of standard market transactions. We reviewed 14 public-private relationships and 25 underlying agreements for the clinical development of cancer cellular immunotherapies in the US. Most were based on bilateral research agreements and pure market transactions in the form of service contracts and technology licenses, which is representative of the commercialization focus of the field. We make the strategic case that multiparty PPPs may better advance cancer antigen discovery and characterization and improved cell processing/manufacturing and related activities. In the rush toward the competitive end of the translational continuum for cancer cellular immunotherapy and the attendant focus on commercialization, many gaps have appeared in our understanding of cellular biology, immunology, and bioengineering. We conclude that the model of bilateral agreements between leading research institutions and the private sector may be inadequate to efficiently harness the interdisciplinary skills and knowledge of the public and private sectors to bring these promising therapies to the clinic for the benefit of cancer patients.

Longevidade pós-colheita de alpínia [Alpinia purpurata (Vieill. K. Schum.] tratada com soluções de sacarose e extratos aquosos naturais Postharvest longevity of red ginger [Alpinia purpurata (Vieill. K. Schum.] treated with sucrose solutions and natural water extracts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H.L.S. Sant'Anna

2010-09-01

Full Text Available A alpínia (Alpinia purpurata é uma planta tropical encontrada em diversas regiões do Brasil com excelente potencial para a comercialização como flor de corte. Entretanto, a senescência das hastes pela exaustão da sacarose é um dos principais fatores que afetam a durabilidade comercial, sendo suprimida através da adição de sacarose nas soluções de pulsing. O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar o efeito de extratos aquosos de estévia (Stevia rebaudiana, anis estrelado (Illicium verum e sacarose em solução de pulsing na manutenção da qualidade pós-colheita de inflorescências de alpínia. Hastes florais uniformizadas em tamanho foram submetidas à solução de pulsing, por 12 horas, nas concentrações de 0,5; 1,0; 2,0 e 3,0%, tendo água destilada como controle. A melhor qualidade comercial das inflorescências foi obtida quando as hastes foram colocadas em pulsing em extratos de anis estrelado e estévia 1% e em solução de sacarose 2%, não apresentando diferença estatística entre si. A longevidade total das hastes não foi influenciada pelos tratamentos. A solução de sacarose pode ser substituída pelos extratos das plantas medicinais estudadas, na conservação pós-colheita de inflorescências de alpínia.Red ginger (Alpinia purpurata is a tropical plant found in several Brazilian regions with excellent potential for commercialization as cut flower. However, the senescence of flower stems due to the exhaustion of sucrose is a major factor that affects commercial durability and is suppressed through addition of sucrose in pulsing solutions. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of water extracts from stevia (Stevia rebaudiana, star anise (Illicium verum and sucrose in pulsing solution on the postharvest quality maintenance of red ginger inflorescences. Flower stems of uniform size were subjected to the pulsing solution for 12h at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0% concentrations, with distilled water as control. The best

Produção do tomateiro em função dos sistemas de condução de plantas Fruits production of tomatoes as a result of plant training systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anderson Fernando Wamser

2007-06-01

Full Text Available O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito dos métodos de tutoramento e de condução de plantas sobre a produtividade e qualidade de frutos em quatro cultivares de tomate. Dois experimentos foram realizados nas safras 2004/05 e 2005/06 em Caçador (SC. Os tratamentos consistiram na combinação de duas cultivares (Carmen e Débora Max, em 2004/05, e Nemo Netta e San Vito, em 2005/06, quatro métodos de tutoramento (cruzado, mexicano, vertical com bambu e vertical com fitilho e dois métodos de condução de plantas (com uma e duas hastes por planta mantendo o mesmo número de hastes por área, dispostos no delineamento de parcelas sub-subdivididas, com quatro repetições. Não houve interação entre cultivar, método de tutoramento e de condução. O método de tutoramento vertical com bambu foi superior aos demais métodos e todos os métodos de condução vertical foram superiores ao método cruzado na produção total e comercial de frutos. A condução de uma haste por planta obteve maior produção total e comercial de frutos, em relação à condução de duas hastes por planta.The effect of plant staking and training methods was studied on fruit yield and quality of four tomato cultivars. Two experiments were carried out in 2004/2005 and 2005/2006, in Caçador, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. The treatments were a combination of two cultivars (Carmen and Débora Max, in 2004/05, and Nemo Netta and San Vito, in 2005/06, four staking methods (crossed fence, Mexican, vertical staking with bamboo and vertical staking with polypropylene cord and two training methods (one and two stems per plant keeping the same number of stems per area, using the sub subplots experimental design. There was no statistical interaction between cultivars, training methods and among staking methods. The vertical staking with bamboo increased the production of fruits, when compared with other staking methods, and all vertical-staking methods increased

Locais e período de alimentação da cigarrinha vetora de Xylella fastidiosa, Bucephalogonia xanthophis (Berg (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae, em mudas cítricas Feeding sites and food intake of Bucephalogonia xanthophis (Berg (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae, a sharpshooter vector of Xylella fastidiosa, on citrus plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo Pedreira de Miranda

2008-12-01

Full Text Available A cigarrinha Bucephalogonia xanthophis (Berg (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae é um importante vetor da bactéria Xylella fastidiosa, agente causal da clorose variegada dos citros. Este trabalho teve como objetivo identificar o local preferido de alimentação e o período de maior atividade alimentar desta cigarrinha em citros, no sentido de elucidar o comportamento alimentar relacionado à transmissão da bactéria. O local de alimentação foi estudado em ensaio de escolha, no qual 30 insetos adultos foram liberados em gaiolas de observação (n = 10 contendo uma muda de laranja-doce [Citrus sinensis (L. Osbeck]. Após 1; 15; 21; 25; 39; 45 e 49 h da liberação, contaram-se os insetos na parte superior (ramos com brotações e inferior (haste principal, até H"40 cm de altura da muda. Nos ramos da parte superior, avaliou-se a preferência entre a haste, o pecíolo e o limbo foliar. Em um segundo ensaio, 20 machos e 20 fêmeas de B. xanthophis foram confinados individualmente sobre a haste de 'seedlings' de laranja-doce para determinar os períodos de alimentação, quantificando-se a excreção de 'honeydew' (medida indireta da ingestão em períodos sucessivos de dia e noite, durante 48 h. A maioria dos indivíduos de B. xanthophis preferiu a haste dos ramos novos (62%, na parte superior da muda cítrica (91%. Nos 'seedlings', observou-se maior volume de excreção e proporção de indivíduos excretando durante a fotofase, independentemente do sexo. Portanto, em estudos de transmissão de X. fastidiosa, deve-se considerar a preferência de B. xanthophis pela haste de brotações cítricas e sua maior atividade alimentar durante a fotofase.The sharpshooter Bucephalogonia xanthophis (Berg (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae is an important vector of Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterium that causes citrus variegated chlorosis. This study aimed to identify the preferred feeding sites and periods of this vector on citrus, in order to improve our understanding of the

INFERENCE BUILDING BLOCKS

Science.gov (United States)

2018-02-15

expressed a variety of inference techniques on discrete and continuous distributions: exact inference, importance sampling, Metropolis-Hastings (MH...without redoing any math or rewriting any code. And although our main goal is composable reuse, our performance is also good because we can use...control paths. • The Hakaru language can express mixtures of discrete and continuous distributions, but the current disintegration transformation

Magnetic resonance imaging of clinically stable late pregnancy bleeding: beyond ultrasound

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Masselli, Gabriele; Gualdi, Gianfranco [Sapienza University, Radiology Dea Department, Umberto I Hospital, Rome (Italy); Brunelli, Roberto; Perrone, Giuseppina [Sapienza University, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Umberto I Hospital, Rome (Italy); Parasassi, Tiziana [Institute of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine, National Research Council, Rome (Italy)

2011-09-15

To compare the accuracy of magnetic resonance (MRI) and colour Doppler-ultrasound (US) in the diagnosis of late pregnancy bleeding and to assess the accuracy of the different MR sequences in visualizing the origin of haemorrhage. 42 patients in the third trimester of pregnancy underwent to US and MRI for the evaluation of painless vaginal bleeding. Multiplanar HASTE, True Fisp, 3D T1 GRE and sagittal DWI sequences were acquired. Two radiologists, blinded to the results of US, reviewed each case, resolving by consensus any discrepancy. Reference standards were surgical and pathological findings. The reference standards identified 22 placenta previa, 11 placental abruptions (1 coincident with a placental chorioangioma), 1 thrombohaematoma and 1 fibroma with haemorrhagic degeneration. MRI identified correctly all these condition with an interobserver agreement of 0.955. DWI and T1 weighted sequences were statistically superior to Haste and True Fisp sequences in detecting the cause of bleeding (p <.001). US had 6 false negatives and 2 false positive results, its diagnostic accuracy resulting lower than MRI (p =.001). MRI accurately evaluates pregnancy bleeding with an excellent interobserver agreement and can grant new and additional data when US is negative. (orig.)

Magnetic resonance imaging of clinically stable late pregnancy bleeding: beyond ultrasound

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masselli, Gabriele; Gualdi, Gianfranco; Brunelli, Roberto; Perrone, Giuseppina; Parasassi, Tiziana

2011-01-01

To compare the accuracy of magnetic resonance (MRI) and colour Doppler-ultrasound (US) in the diagnosis of late pregnancy bleeding and to assess the accuracy of the different MR sequences in visualizing the origin of haemorrhage. 42 patients in the third trimester of pregnancy underwent to US and MRI for the evaluation of painless vaginal bleeding. Multiplanar HASTE, True Fisp, 3D T1 GRE and sagittal DWI sequences were acquired. Two radiologists, blinded to the results of US, reviewed each case, resolving by consensus any discrepancy. Reference standards were surgical and pathological findings. The reference standards identified 22 placenta previa, 11 placental abruptions (1 coincident with a placental chorioangioma), 1 thrombohaematoma and 1 fibroma with haemorrhagic degeneration. MRI identified correctly all these condition with an interobserver agreement of 0.955. DWI and T1 weighted sequences were statistically superior to Haste and True Fisp sequences in detecting the cause of bleeding (p <.001). US had 6 false negatives and 2 false positive results, its diagnostic accuracy resulting lower than MRI (p =.001). MRI accurately evaluates pregnancy bleeding with an excellent interobserver agreement and can grant new and additional data when US is negative. (orig.)

Deskripsi Pola Kegagalan Pengajuan Verifikasi Karya Tulis Akhir Mahasiswa UGM dalam Unggah Mandiri

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janu Saptari

2016-12-01

/ rejected based on the level of study program, i.e. diploma, undergraduate, master, doctoral; (2 the proportion of document in the process of submission directly approved /rejected by the faculty; (3 distribution on the quantity of the documents not approved /rejected in the submission based on the level of study (4 distribution on the number of the documents not approved /rejected in self-submission based on faculty; (5 patterns of errors in the process of self-submission; and (6. problems experienced by students in the submission of documents. The study used observational descriptive approach. The population of the study comprised files of documents uploaded. Samples were document files verified by 3 officers for one month. The results of the study showed: (1 average quantity of documents rejected was 49.28%; (2. errors occured in a pattern submission were incomplete manuscript (43.5%, incomplete metadata (22.1% , and incomplete manuscript and metadata ( 33.5%; (3 causes of errors in self-submission were inaccuracy (35.5%, haste (13.4%, drawbacks in application (11.6%, and haste as well as inaccuracy in understanding the existing guidance (27.7%.

Comparison of sampling techniques for Bayesian parameter estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Allison, Rupert; Dunkley, Joanna

2014-02-01

The posterior probability distribution for a set of model parameters encodes all that the data have to tell us in the context of a given model; it is the fundamental quantity for Bayesian parameter estimation. In order to infer the posterior probability distribution we have to decide how to explore parameter space. Here we compare three prescriptions for how parameter space is navigated, discussing their relative merits. We consider Metropolis-Hasting sampling, nested sampling and affine-invariant ensemble Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling. We focus on their performance on toy-model Gaussian likelihoods and on a real-world cosmological data set. We outline the sampling algorithms themselves and elaborate on performance diagnostics such as convergence time, scope for parallelization, dimensional scaling, requisite tunings and suitability for non-Gaussian distributions. We find that nested sampling delivers high-fidelity estimates for posterior statistics at low computational cost, and should be adopted in favour of Metropolis-Hastings in many cases. Affine-invariant MCMC is competitive when computing clusters can be utilized for massive parallelization. Affine-invariant MCMC and existing extensions to nested sampling naturally probe multimodal and curving distributions.

The need to get smarter on smart grid projects: four Lessons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-10-15

Significant investments are being made in gadgets and technologies, sometimes without proper analysis of the costs and potential benefits, often without much thought on how the various components of the effort would interface with one another. As often happen when things are done in great haste, there have been setbacks in a number of these initiatives, three of which are highlighted in the article.

Shaping Columbia’s Stability through Strategic Communication: Evaluating U.S. Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

2009-05-21

marketing principles to earning popular support in theaters of operations.62 The report suggests use of social marketing as a method for achieving these...113-114. The authors have adapted the 10 Step framework for military applicability from Philip Kotler , Ned Roberto, and Nancy Lee, Social Marketing ... Principles of Strategic Communication. U.S. Department of Defense, Principles of Strategic Communication, by Robert T. Hastings, Principal Deputy

Improving fitness of elite handball players: small-sided games vs. high-intensity intermittent training.

Science.gov (United States)

Iacono, Antonio Dello; Eliakim, Alon; Meckel, Yoav

2015-03-01

The present study was designed to compare the effects of high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT) and small-sided games (SSGs) training on fitness variables of elite handball players. Eighteen highly trained players (mean age ± SD: 25.6 ± 0.5 years) were assigned to either HIIT or SSGs group training protocols twice per week for 8 weeks. The HIIT consisted of 12-24 × 15 seconds of high-intensity runs interspersed by 15 seconds of recovery. The SSGs training consisted of 3 against 3 small-sided handball games. Both training methods were matched for exercise duration and recovery at each training session. Before and after 8-week training, the following fitness variables were assessed-speed: 10- and 20-m sprint time, agility: handball agility specific test (HAST), upper arm strength: 1 repetition maximum (1RM) bench press test, lower limb power: counter-movement jump tests with (CMJarm) and without (CMJ) arm movement, and aerobic fitness (yo-yo intermittent recovery test level 1 [YYIRTL1]). Significant improvement was found in the YYIRTL1 (23.3 and 26.3%, respectively), 10-m sprint (2.3 and 4.1%, respectively) and 20-m sprint (2.1 and 4%, respectively), HAST (1.1 and 2.2%, respectively), 1RM bench press (6.8 and 12.3%, respectively), CMJ (7.4 and 10.8%, respectively), and CMJarm (6.4 and 8.9%, respectively) following training in both groups (p ≤ 0.05 for all). There was a significantly greater improvement in 10- and 20-m sprint, HAST, 1RM, CMJ, and CMJarm following the SSGs training compared with the HIIT (p ≤ 0.05 for all). These results indicated that both HIIT and SSGs are effective training methods for fitness development among elite adult handball players. However, SSGs training may be considered as the preferred training regimen for improving handball-specific fitness variables during the in-season period.

Construction of high-quality Caco-2 three-frame cDNA library and its application to yeast two-hybrid for the human astrovirus protein-protein interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Wei; Li, Xin; Liu, Wen-Hui; Zhao, Jian; Jin, Yi-Ming; Sui, Ting-Ting

2014-09-01

Human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells are widely used as an in vitro model of the human small intestinal mucosa. Caco-2 cells are host cells of the human astrovirus (HAstV) and other enteroviruses. High quality cDNA libraries are pertinent resources and critical tools for protein-protein interaction research, but are currently unavailable for Caco-2 cells. To construct a three-open reading frame, full length-expression cDNA library from the Caco-2 cell line for application to HAstV protein-protein interaction screening, total RNA was extracted from Caco-2 cells. The switching mechanism at the 5' end of the RNA transcript technique was used for cDNA synthesis. Double-stranded cDNA was digested by Sfi I and ligated to reconstruct a pGADT7-Sfi I three-frame vector. The ligation mixture was transformed into Escherichia coli HST08 premium electro cells by electroporation to construct the primary cDNA library. The library capacity was 1.0×10(6)clones. Gel electrophoresis results indicated that the fragments ranged from 0.5kb to 4.2kb. Randomly picked clones show that the recombination rate was 100%. The three-frame primary cDNA library plasmid mixture (5×10(5)cfu) was also transformed into E. coli HST08 premium electro cells, and all clones were harvested to amplify the cDNA library. To detect the sufficiency of the cDNA library, HAstV capsid protein as bait was screened and tested against the Caco-2 cDNA library by a yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) system. A total of 20 proteins were found to interact with the capsid protein. These results showed that a high-quality three-frame cDNA library from Caco-2 cells was successfully constructed. This library was efficient for the application to the Y2H system, and could be used for future research. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic evaluation of chronic inflammatory intestinal diseases in children and adolescents: MRI with true-FISP as new gold standard?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hohl, C.; Haage, P.; Krombach, G.A.; Schmidt, T.; Guenther, R.W.; Staatz, G.; Ahaus, M.

2005-01-01

Purpose: to evaluate the impact of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with use of True-FISP sequences in the evaluation of inflammatory bowel-wall changes in children and adolescents with Crohn's disease. Furthermore, the diagnostic procedure in children and adolescents with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) will be discussed in light of the relevant literature. Material and methods: twenty-four children and adolescents aged between 7 and 21 years with suspected or known IBD underwent MRI on a 1.5T-scanner (Philips ACS-NT, Best, Netherlands). One hour after 11 of a 2.5% mannitol solution was given orally, MR imaging was performed using coronal HASTE-M2D, coronal fat-suppressed T2-TSE, axial dynamic T1-weighted GE-sequences before and after i.v.-contrast material injection (0.1 mmol/kg Gd-DTPA) and using a 2D-balanced-FFE-sequence (True-FISP) before and after i.v.-contrast material injection in coronal and axial planes. The MR-images were correlated with endoscopy and the clinical findings. In 14 patients, a recently performed conventional radiographic enteroclysis was available. Each performed MRI sequence was evaluated by three experienced radiologists regarding the sensitivity and specificity of each sequence in the detection of inflammatory bowel wall changes. In addition, the image quality was assessed regarding the different tissue contrasts and the susceptibility to artifacts. The distension of the bowel wall and the patients' acceptance of the MRI examination were recorded. Results: with a sensitivity in detecting inflammatory small bowel changes of 93.3% (axial pre-contrast, coronal post-contrast) and 100% (axial post-contrast, coronal pre-contrast), the True-FISP outnumbers the other performed sequences (T1 = 80%, HASTE = 13.3% and T2-TSE = 53.3%). The difference between True-FISP and contrast-enhanced T1 was not statistically significant, whereas the difference between True-FISP and HASTE and T2-TSE, respectively. (orig.)

Sintomas da injúria por frio em Heliconia spp

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GUSTAVO JONNAS S. M. BEZERRA

2008-07-01

Full Text Available As helicônias, entre as flores tropicais, têm se destacado no mercado internacional (Europa e Estados Unidos devido à beleza, diversidade de cores e formas e durabilidade. No entanto, para a comercialização a longas distâncias é necessário adotar formas de transporte que inibam o processo de senescência das flores e conservem a qualidade pós-colheita. O transporte de flores em temperaturas baixas é o mais utilizado, no entanto, em “flores tropicais” podem causar danos de injúria por frio. O objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever os sintomas causados pela injúria por frio em hastes florais de três genótipos de helicônia (H. bihai, H. wagneriana e H. caribaea x H. bihai cv. Carib Flame. As hastes florais de helicônia foram submetidas, por 72 horas, a três condições de temperatura: refrigerador expositor (2 ºC em caixa de papelão (embalagem padrão para transporte; refrigerador expositor (2 ºC sem caixa de papelão; e laboratório a 25 ºC e U.R. 60% (testemunha. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, com três tratamentos e sete repetições na primeira avaliação e cinco repetições na segunda avaliação. Os sintomas da injúria por frio foram descritos a partir da comparação do aspecto visual das hastes florais submetidas a 2 °C com as testemunhas. A temperatura de 2 ºC, com ou sem a embalagem de transporte, provocou sintomas como: aspecto de queimadura no centro das brácteas, manchas escurecidas na área de inserção das brácteas na ráquis e murchamento das extremidades dos pecíolos das folhas e da base das inflorescências.

Magnetic resonance urography in pediatrics: utilization of ultrafast single-shot spin echo sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, C.; Martin, J.; Duran, C.; Rigol, S.; Rojo, J. C.

1999-01-01

To determine the value of magnetic resonance urography (MRU) using ultrafast single-shot (SS) rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE) and half-Fourier (HF) SS-RARE (SS-HF-RARE or HASTE) in the evaluation of congenital urinary tract anomalies in pediatric patients, and their possible application as alternatives to intravenous urography (IVU). Eighteen children (11 boys and 7 girls) aged 2 months to 15 years (mean: 5 years) with a total of 19 congenital urinary tract anomalies were studies by MU using SS-RARE and HASTE sequences in a 1 Tesla scanner. All the patients had previously been studies by ultrasound (US) and IVU. Twelve patients required anesthesia. The images were acquired by means of a HASTE sequence with multisection technique (TR, infinite; TE e f, 87 msec; echo train, 128; interval between echoes, 10.9 msec; total acquisition time, 13 sections/12 seconds), and SS-RARE (TR, infinite; TE e f, 1.100 msec; echo train, 240, and acquisition time, 7 seconds). Four radiologists evaluated the images independently; two who reviewed the IV images in consensus and two who reviewed the MRU images in consensus. The images were evaluated to assess the dilatation of the urinary tract and their utility in detecting the level and cause of the obstruction. MRU images revealed the urinary tract dilation, the level of the obstruction and the type of anomaly in 18 patients (100%), while IVU provided this information in only 10 [ sensitivity, 53%, 95% confidence interval (29%, 76%)]. The mean time required for MRU was 20 minutes (range: 7 to 30 minutes), while that of IVU was 1,242 minutes (range: 45 to 1,440 minutes). MRU using ultrafast single-short spin echo sequences is a rapid and effective technique that permits and excellent evaluation of congenital urinary tract anomalies in pediatric patients and does not require the administration of contrast media or ionizing radiation. (Author) 10 refs

Cuotas de género y tipo de lista en América Latina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nélida Archenti

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Las reformas electorales llevadas a cabo en algunos países de América Latina, a partir de los '90, han producido resultados cuyo análisis es ineludible para la comprensión del acceso de las mujeres a los cargos electivos. En la actualidad, no existe un consenso respecto a cómo afectan los elementos del sistema electoral a la participación política femenina bajo las leyes de cuotas, en particular en lo referente al tipo de lista (bloqueada o desbloqueada y la magnitud de distrito. Este artículo intenta, a través del análisis de los resultados electorales de esas provincias, aportar nuevos elementos empíricos al debate sobre los efectos del tipo de lista en el acceso de las mujeres a los legislativos, en sistemas con cuotas de género.The electoral reforms implemented in some Latin American countries at the 90's have had a strong impact over the women access to elected positions, although there is not a consensus about the electoral systems ' components that affect the women participation in politics through especific electoral laws. This article analyses the effects of electoral mechanisms on women's participation in politics in some municiaplities in Argentina.

Soluções de manutenção na pós-colheita de Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. Dragon Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. Dragon postharvest maintenance solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poliana Cristina Spricigo

2010-10-01

Full Text Available O desenvolvimento e uso de técnicas que prolonguem a durabilidade das flores, mantendo a qualidade do produto, é imprescindível para redução de perdas pós-colheita. Objetivou-se, neste trabalho, avaliar soluções de manutenção, associadas ou não a sacarose, na manutenção da qualidade pós-colheita de hastes de crisântemos. O experimento foi conduzido sob delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial, com cinco tratamentos e três repetições, com 2 hastes florais cada uma. Os tratamentos utilizaram água destilada; 8-HQC a 100 mg L-1; 8-HQC a 100 mg L-1 + sacarose a 50 g L-1, 8-HQC a 200 mg L-1; 8-HQC a 200 mg L-1 + sacarose a 50 g L-1. Foram feitas avaliações físicas: coloração, massa fresca e conteúdo relativo de água (CRA; avaliações químicas: açúcares redutores e pigmentos; e avaliações qualitativas: turgescência, cor das flores, e número de botões, flores entreabertas e abertas. A combinação de 8-HQC 200 mg L-1 + sacarose a 50 g L-1 foi a que apresentou melhor desempenho para a manutenção da qualidade das hastes florais, favorecendo a abertura de botões e a turgescência das lígulas. A sacarose contribuiu para uma melhor manutenção de substâncias de reserva na haste, que tiveram a sua vida de vaso estendida.The development and use of techniques that extend the life vase of the flowers, maintaining the quality of the product, is essential for reducing postharvest losses. The objective of this work was to evaluate different solutions for maintenance, associated or not to sucrose, in maintaining the postharvest quality of chrysanthemum stems. The treatments used distilled water, 8-HQC to 100 mg L-1, 8-HQC to 100 mg L-1 + sucrose 50 g L-1, 8-HQC to 200 mg L-1, 8-HQC to 200 mg L-1 + sucrose 50 g L-1. Physical assessments were made: color, fresh mass and relative water content; chemical evaluations: reducing sugars and pigments, and qualitative assessments: turgidity, color of the flowers, and

Detection of liver lesions with gadolinium-enhanced VIBE sequence in comparison with SPIO-enhanced MRI; Detektion von Leberlaesionen mit der Gadolinium-verstaerkten VIBE-Sequenz im Vergleich zur SPIO-verstaerkten MRT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heim, P.; Steiner, P.; Dieckmann, C.; Adam, G. [Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie; Schoder, V. [Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany). Inst. fuer Medizinische Biometrie und Epidemiologie; Kuhlencordt, R. [Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Allgemein-, Viszeral-, und Thoraxchirurgie

2003-10-01

Purpose: Detection of malignant liver lesions with gadolinium-enhanced volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) in comparison with SPIO-enhanced MRT (four different SPIO-enhanced T2w sequences) and histological and imaging follow-up in non-cirrhotic livers at 1.5 T. Patients and methods: Twenty-two patients with suspected focal liver lesions prospectively underwent a gadolinium-enhanced 3D VIBE. Four T2w sequences (HASTE sequence, fast spin-echo-sequence with and without fat-saturation, FLASH 2D gradient echo-sequence) after administration of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) served as gold standard combined with histological work-up in 17 patients and histological and imaging follow-up in five patients. The image quality was evaluated and the detectability of intrahepatic lesions was rated by the alternative free-response receiver operating characteristic (AFROC) analysis. In addition, the contrast-to-noise ration was compared. Results: Altogether 49 malignant and 35 benign liver lesions were found. Concerning the image quality, VIBE turned out to be of slightly poorer image quality than the SPIO-enhanced examination with HASTE sequence (4.95 vs. 5.0). The fast spin-echo-sequence without fat-saturation demonstrated the highest contrast-to-noise ratio. All sequences showed a comparable certainty in detecting lesion (area under the curve 0.68-0.74) and identifying malignant liver lesions. Conclusions: Despite the small number of patients, VIBE seems to be a comparable, inexpensive and fast method in diagnosing malignant liver lesions. (orig.) [German] Ziel: Detektion maligner Leberlaesionen mit der Gadolinium-verstaerkten 3D-Gradientenecho-Sequenz in Atemanhaltetechnik (VIBE-Sequenz) im Vergleich mit der SPIO-verstaerkten MRT (vier verschiedene SPIO-verstaerkte T2-gew. Sequenzen) sowie histologischen und bildgebenden (Verlaufs-) Untersuchungen in nicht-zirrhotischen Lebern bei 1,5 T. Patienten und Methoden: 22 Patienten mit Verdacht auf maligne

Deficiência nutricional em bastão-do-imperador (Etlingera elatior (Jack R. M. Smith: efeito na produção de matéria seca e índices biométricos Nutritional deficiency in torch ginger (Etlingera elatior (Jack R. M. Smith: effect on dry matter production and biometrical index

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jussara Ellen Morais Frazão

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Neste trabalho, objetivou-se avaliar os efeitos de omissões de nutrientes na produção de matéria seca e nos parâmetros de crescimento do bastão-do-imperador. O trabalho foi realizado em casa de vegetação da área experimental do Departamento de Ciência do Solo da Universidade Federal de Lavras (Lavras, MG, no período de janeiro de 2007 a janeiro de 2008. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizados com quatro repetições e oito tratamentos: Solução Hoagland & Arnon completa, soluções nutritivas com as omissões de N, de P, de K, de Ca, de Mg, de S e de B. Foram avaliadas a altura das plantas, diâmetro das hastes, número de hastes, número de folhas por hastes e volume da raiz. Posteriormente, as plantas foram divididas em folhas, hastes, rizoma e raiz para determinação da massa de matéria seca de cada parte. A omissão de nutrientes afetou os parâmetros de crescimento das plantas e a produção de matéria seca. Observou-se que o bastão-do-imperador mostrou-se mais exigente em B, K, N, P e S na fase inicial de crescimento do que em Ca e Mg. A redução da matéria seca total das plantas foi influenciada na seguinte ordem: B > K > N > P > S > Mg > Ca.The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of simple and multiple nutrient omissions on the dry matter production and growth parameters of torch ginger plants. The experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions at the Soil Science Department of Federal University of Lavras (Lavras-MG. The experiment was started in January 2007 and lasted for 12 months, following a completely randomized design, with four replicates and eight treatments: Complete Hoagland & Arnon nutrient solution, and nutrient solutions without N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, and B. Plant height, stem diameter, number of stems, number of leaves per stem, and volume of root were evaluated. Subsequently the plants were divided into leaf + pseudostem, rhizome, root and tillers for dry matter

Child malnutrition and the Millennium Development Goals: much haste but less speed?

Science.gov (United States)

Oruamabo, Raphael S

2015-02-01

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) provide a framework for measuring the progress of nations. Several of these goals relate to child malnutrition, which remains an important contributor to child morbidity and mortality, accounting for approximately 45% of child deaths globally. A high proportion of undernourished children still live in Africa and parts of Asia, and the uneven rate of reduction in the prevalence of various types of child malnutrition among different income groups worldwide is worrying. Attempts to reduce child malnutrition should therefore begin from the grassroots by improving primary healthcare services in developing countries with particular focus on basic requirements. Adequate nutrition should be provided from birth, through infancy, preschool and early childhood to adolescence. The overall strategy should be one of careful and meticulous planning involving all development sectors with an emphasis on a bottom-up approach within a stable and disciplined polity; the MDGs will be only be useful if they are seen not as narrow objectives with unidirectional interventions but as multifaceted and co-ordinated. The setting of deadlines, whether 2015 or 2035, should not be emphasised so as to avoid hasty decision making. The top priority should be the implementation of the essential social services of basic education, primary healthcare, nutrition, reproductive health care, water and sanitation in partnership with the developed economies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Ethics: A Selected Bibliography

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-01

Today. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. 338pp. (BT304.2 .C69 2004) Coyle, Sean. From Positivism to Idealism: A Study of the Moral Dimensions of... Legality . Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2007. 187pp. (K331 .C59 2007) Delsol, Chantal. Unjust Justice: Against the Tyranny of International Law. Translated...ProQuest) Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Law Center. Quarterly. (Wilson OmniFile) Hastings Center

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam, Aum Shinrikyo, Al Qaeda, and the Syrian Crisis: Nonstate Actors Acquiring WMD

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-01

Future of Lethal Gases That Threaten Our World (Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2010), 126–127; David Bamber, Chris Hastings, and Rajeev Syal, “Bin...86 David Albright and Holly Higgins , “Pakistani Nuclear Scientists: How Much Nuclear Assistance to Al Qaeda?” August 30, 2002, Institute...6, 2002. Nautilus Institute. http://www.nautilus.org/archives/for a/Special-Policy-Forum/47_Albright.html. Albright, David and Holly Higgins

AN AFFINE-INVARIANT SAMPLER FOR EXOPLANET FITTING AND DISCOVERY IN RADIAL VELOCITY DATA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou Fengji; Hogg, David W.; Goodman, Jonathan; Weare, Jonathan; Schwab, Christian

2012-01-01

Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) proves to be powerful for Bayesian inference and in particular for exoplanet radial velocity fitting because MCMC provides more statistical information and makes better use of data than common approaches like chi-square fitting. However, the nonlinear density functions encountered in these problems can make MCMC time-consuming. In this paper, we apply an ensemble sampler respecting affine invariance to orbital parameter extraction from radial velocity data. This new sampler has only one free parameter, and does not require much tuning for good performance, which is important for automatization. The autocorrelation time of this sampler is approximately the same for all parameters and far smaller than Metropolis-Hastings, which means it requires many fewer function calls to produce the same number of independent samples. The affine-invariant sampler speeds up MCMC by hundreds of times compared with Metropolis-Hastings in the same computing situation. This novel sampler would be ideal for projects involving large data sets such as statistical investigations of planet distribution. The biggest obstacle to ensemble samplers is the existence of multiple local optima; we present a clustering technique to deal with local optima by clustering based on the likelihood of the walkers in the ensemble. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the sampler on real radial velocity data.

Saving Science by Doing Less of It?

Science.gov (United States)

Kaebnick, Gregory E

2016-11-01

In the current issue of The New Atlantis, Daniel Sarewitz, professor of science and society at Arizona State University, argues that science is broken because it is managed and judged by scientists themselves, operating under Vannevar Bush's famous 1945 declaration that scientific progress depends on the "free play of free intellects … dictated by their curiosity." With that scientific agenda, society ends up with a lot of unnecessary, uncoordinated, and unproductive research. To save science, holds Sarewitz, we need to put it in the hands of people who are looking for practical solutions to specific problems. In one article in this issue of the Hastings Center Report (November-December 2016), Kirstin Borgerson poses a question in this same conceptual space: are there too many clinical trials? Other pieces in the issue cover a mix of topics: the lead article addresses some of the challenges that will have to be faced as "artificial organs" become available, a third article looks at how crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe can be used to make public appeals for medical funding, and a special report found in a supplement to the issue offers a round of analysis and recommendations about the provision of medical care to professional football players. © 2016 The Hastings Center.

Non-echoplanar diffusion-weighted MRI in children and adolescents with cholesteatoma: reliability and pitfalls in comparison to middle ear surgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalle, Thekla von; Amrhein, Peter; Koitschev, Assen

2015-01-01

Currently, there is only limited and contradictory evidence of the role of diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) in the management of children with cholesteatoma. To provide surgically controlled data that may allow to replace second-look surgery by non-echoplanar DW-MRI in children. Fifty-five children and adolescents with a median age of 8.6 years (2.2-17.7 years) underwent 61 preoperative half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) DW-MRI of their petrous bone. Surgical interventions followed within 24 h (79%), within 5 months (20%) or at 18 months (1 case). Surgery detected a cholesteatoma or retraction pocket in 41 of 61 cases (67%). In 49 cases (80%), the MR result was confirmed by surgical findings. Two MR findings were false-positive and 10 false-negative (including cholesteatomas <4 mm). HASTE DW-MRI alone had a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 90%. The positive predictive value was 94%, the negative predictive value 64%. In combination with preoperative otoscopy, sensitivity was 90% and negative predictive value 82%. DW-MRI correctly detected the majority of lesions but could not reliably exclude small cholesteatomas and empty retraction pockets. We would therefore not generally recommend MR as a substitute for second-look surgery. (orig.)

Non-echoplanar diffusion-weighted MRI in children and adolescents with cholesteatoma: reliability and pitfalls in comparison to middle ear surgery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalle, Thekla von [Olgahospital Klinikum Stuttgart, Pediatric Radiology, Radiologisches Institut, Stuttgart (Germany); Amrhein, Peter; Koitschev, Assen [Olgahospital Klinikum Stuttgart, Division of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology and Otology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Stuttgart (Germany)

2015-07-15

Currently, there is only limited and contradictory evidence of the role of diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) in the management of children with cholesteatoma. To provide surgically controlled data that may allow to replace second-look surgery by non-echoplanar DW-MRI in children. Fifty-five children and adolescents with a median age of 8.6 years (2.2-17.7 years) underwent 61 preoperative half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) DW-MRI of their petrous bone. Surgical interventions followed within 24 h (79%), within 5 months (20%) or at 18 months (1 case). Surgery detected a cholesteatoma or retraction pocket in 41 of 61 cases (67%). In 49 cases (80%), the MR result was confirmed by surgical findings. Two MR findings were false-positive and 10 false-negative (including cholesteatomas <4 mm). HASTE DW-MRI alone had a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 90%. The positive predictive value was 94%, the negative predictive value 64%. In combination with preoperative otoscopy, sensitivity was 90% and negative predictive value 82%. DW-MRI correctly detected the majority of lesions but could not reliably exclude small cholesteatomas and empty retraction pockets. We would therefore not generally recommend MR as a substitute for second-look surgery. (orig.)

Prenatal diagnosis of fetal lung maturity by magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Hitoshi; Kakizaki, Dai; Nagai, Atsushi; Akutagawa, Osamu; Itokazu, Isao; Iso, Kazuo; Abe, Kimihiko; Takayama, Masaomi; Nohira, Tomoyoshi

2003-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for prenatal diagnosis of fetal lung maturity. The subjects comprised 28 singleton fetuses, and underwent MRI in the third trimester (32.71±3.00 wks). After obtaining axial and coronal scout images of the whole pelvis, we obtained a transverse image, a coronal image and a sagittal image of fetuses with a half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo-spin-echo (HASTE) sequence, determined the intensity level of the fetal lung (right lung intensity level: RL, left lung intensity level: LL). The intensity level of background outside of the maternal body was obtained as the control intensity level (CL). The contrast value (CV) of each fetal lung was calculated by the numerical formula; CV=(RL or LL-CL)/CL. We evaluated the changes of CV during the third trimester and relationship between CV and gestational weeks. There was no significant correlation between gestational weeks and RL (P=.3887), LL (P=.2367). There was a significant increase in both right and left CV (RCV=(RL-CL)/CL: P=.0108, LCV=(LL-CL)/CL: P=.0165) with gestational age. It was suggested that the fetal lung maturation could be diagnosed with HASTE using the CV formula. (author)

Prenatal diagnosis of fetal lung maturity by magnetic resonance imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Itoh, Hitoshi; Kakizaki, Dai; Nagai, Atsushi; Akutagawa, Osamu; Itokazu, Isao; Iso, Kazuo; Abe, Kimihiko; Takayama, Masaomi [Tokyo Medical Coll. (Japan); Nohira, Tomoyoshi [Tokyo Medical Coll. (Japan). Hachioji Medical Center

2003-04-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for prenatal diagnosis of fetal lung maturity. The subjects comprised 28 singleton fetuses, and underwent MRI in the third trimester (32.71{+-}3.00 wks). After obtaining axial and coronal scout images of the whole pelvis, we obtained a transverse image, a coronal image and a sagittal image of fetuses with a half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo-spin-echo (HASTE) sequence, determined the intensity level of the fetal lung (right lung intensity level: RL, left lung intensity level: LL). The intensity level of background outside of the maternal body was obtained as the control intensity level (CL). The contrast value (CV) of each fetal lung was calculated by the numerical formula; CV=(RL or LL-CL)/CL. We evaluated the changes of CV during the third trimester and relationship between CV and gestational weeks. There was no significant correlation between gestational weeks and RL (P=.3887), LL (P=.2367). There was a significant increase in both right and left CV (RCV=(RL-CL)/CL: P=.0108, LCV=(LL-CL)/CL: P=.0165) with gestational age. It was suggested that the fetal lung maturation could be diagnosed with HASTE using the CV formula. (author)

Reconciling Patient Safety and Epistemic Humility: An Ethical Use of Opioid Treatment Plans.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Anita

2017-05-01

In this issue of the Hastings Center Report, Joshua Rager and Peter Schwartz suggest using opioid treatment agreements as public health monitoring tools to inform patients about "the requirements entailed by undergoing opioid therapy," rather than as contractual agreements to alter patients' individual behavior or to benefit them directly. Because Rager and Schwartz's argument presents suspected OTA violations as a justification to stop providing opioids yet does not highlight the broader epistemic and systemic context within which clinicians prescribe these medications, their proposal may perpetuate a climate of distrust and stigmatization without correcting systemic factors that may have placed patients and others at risk in the first place. Given the context of epistemic uncertainty regarding opioid safety and efficacy, insufficient training for opioid prescribers, and inadequate patient education, I propose replacing OTAs, which have a narrow focus on patient behaviors, with opioid treatment plans, which would promote mutual, collaborative, and shared decision-making on the most appropriate pain management program. An OTP can be ethically justified as a tool to prevent and treat iatrogenic addiction under a specific paradigm-one that adopts a default position of professional epistemic humility and holds all collaborative parties accountable in chronic pain management. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

Usefulness of MR imaging for diseases of the small intestine: comparison with CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Ji Hoon; Ha, Hyun Kwon; Sohn, Min Jae; Shin, Byung Suck; Lee, Young Suk; Chung, Soo Yoon; Kim, Pyo Nyun; Lee, Moon Gyu; Auh, Yong Ho [Ulsan University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2000-03-01

To evaluate the usefulness of MR imaging for diseases of the small intestine, emphasizing a comparison with CT. Thirty-four patients who underwent both CT and MR imaging using FLASH 2D and HASTE sequences were analyzed. All patients had various small bowel diseases with variable association of peritoneal lesions. We compared the detectabilities of CT and MR imaging using different MR pulse sequences. The capability for analyzing the characteristics of small intestinal disease was also compared. MR imaging was nearly equal to CT for detecting intraluminal or peritoneal masses, lesions in the bowel and mesentery, and small bowel obstruction, but was definitely inferior for detecting omental lesions. The most successful MR imaging sequence was HASTE for demonstrating bowel wall thickening, coronal FLASH 2D for mesenteric lesions, and axial FLASH 2D for omental lesions. MR imaging yielded greater information than CT in six of 12 inflammatory bowel diseases, while it was equal to CT in six of seven neoplasms and inferior in five of seven mesenteric ischemia. In determining the primary causes of 15 intestinal obstructions, MR imaging was correct in 11 (73%) and CT in nine (60%) patients. MR imaging can serve as an alternative diagnostic tool for patients with suspected inflammatory bowel disease, small intestinal neoplasm or obstruction.

Non-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the small bowel at 7 Tesla in comparison to 1.5 Tesla: First steps towards clinical application.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahnemann, Maria L; Kraff, Oliver; Maderwald, Stefan; Johst, Soeren; Orzada, Stephan; Umutlu, Lale; Ladd, Mark E; Quick, Harald H; Lauenstein, Thomas C

2016-06-01

To perform non-enhanced (NE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the small bowel at 7 Tesla (7T) and to compare it with 1.5 Tesla (1.5T). Twelve healthy subjects were prospectively examined using a 1.5T and 7T MRI system. Coronal and axial true fast imaging with steady-state precession (TrueFISP) imaging and a coronal T2-weighted (T2w) half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) sequence were acquired. Image analysis was performed by 1) visual evaluation of tissue contrast and detail detectability, 2) measurement and calculation of contrast ratios and 3) assessment of artifacts. NE MRI of the small bowel at 7T was technically feasible. In the vast majority of the cases, tissue contrast and image details were equivalent at both field strengths. At 7T, two cases revealed better detail detectability in the TrueFISP, and better contrast in the HASTE. Susceptibility artifacts and B1 inhomogeneities were significantly increased at 7T. This study provides first insights into NE ultra-high field MRI of the small bowel and may be considered an important step towards high quality T2w abdominal imaging at 7T MRI. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Heroes for a Wicked World: Enders Game as a Case for Fiction in PME

Science.gov (United States)

2015-06-10

Sengers, “Narrative Intelligence,” 3. 84. Blair, D. and Meyer, T. “Tools for an Interactive Virtual Cinema .” Creating Personalities for Synthetic Actors...Conflict . . . in Space. Historian Max Hastings writes, “It was the Japanese people’s ill-fortune that it became feasible to bomb them just when American...2012). Blair, D. and Meyer, T. “Tools for an Interactive Virtual Cinema .” Creating Personalities for Synthetic Actors: Towards Autonomous Personality

23 CFR Appendix A to Part 658 - National Network-Federally-Designated Routes

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Logan. IA 130 US 61/67 Davenport I-80. IA 133 US 30 Nevada. IA 136 ECL Delmar WCL Lost Nation. IA 136.... US 61 WI State Line MN 60 Wabasha. US 61 MN 55 Hastings I-94 St. Paul. US 61 I-35 Duluth CH 2 Two... 32 Thief River Falls. MN 3 MN 110 Inver Grove Hts I-94 St. Paul. MN 5 MN 22 Gaylord US 212. MN 7 US...

Oil in Ice Project Final Report

Science.gov (United States)

2018-03-01

Great Lakes, as well as technology exclusively demonstrated in the Arctic (RDC, 2012; GPC, 2012; Hansen, 2012; Hansen, et al., 2014; Story et. al. 2015...2010. Story , J., Tripp, S., Jenkins, S., Decker, D., Hastings, D.J., and Dunn, S. (2015) “After Action Report – Arctic Technology Evaluation 2015...The CG needs better technologies for responding to oil spills in these extreme cold weather environments both in the Arctic and the northern

Molecular Epidemiology of Viral Gastroenteritis in Hajj pilgrimage

KAUST Repository

Padron Regalado, Eriko

2014-05-01

Hajj is the annual gathering of Islam practitioners in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. During the event, gastrointestinal infections are usually experienced and outbreaks have always been a concern; nevertheless, a deep and integrative study of the etiological agents has never been carried out. Here, I describe for the first time the epidemiology of pathogenic enteric viruses during Hajj 2011, 2012 and 2013. The focus of this study was the common enteric viruses Astrovirus, Norovirus, Rotavirus and Adenovirus. An enzyme Immunoassay established their presence in 14.9%, 15.0% and 6.6% of the reported cases of acute diarrhea for 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively. For the three years of study, Astrovirus accounted for the majority of the viral infections. To our knowledge, this is the first time an epidemiological study depicts Astrovirus as the main viral agent of gastroenteritis in a mass gathering event. Hajj is rich in strains of Astrovirus, Norovirus and Rotavirus. A first screening by RT-PCR resulted in ten different genotypes. Strains HAstV 2, HAstV 1 and HAstV 5 were identified for Astrovirus. GI.6, GII.3, GII.4 and GII.1 were described for Norovirus and G1P[8], G4P[8] and G3P[8] were found for Rotavirus. The majority of the Astrovirus isolates could not be genotyped suggesting the presence of a new variant(s). Cases like this encourage the use of metagenomics (and nextgeneration sequencing) as a state-of-the-art technology in clinical diagnosis. A sample containing Adenovirus particles is being used to standardize a process for detection directly from stool samples and results will be obtained in the near future. The overall findings of the present study support the concept of Hajj as a unique mass gathering event that potentiates the transmission of infectious diseases. The finding of Norovirus GII.4 Sydney, a variant originated from Australia, suggests that Hajj is a receptor of infectious diseases worldwide. This work is part of the Hajj project, a collaborative

Lung MRI at 1.5 and 3 Tesla: observer preference study and lesion contrast using five different pulse sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Fink, Christian; Puderbach, Michael; Biederer, Juergen; Fabel, Michael; Dietrich, Olaf; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Reiser, Maximilian F; Schönberg, Stefan O

2007-06-01

To compare the image quality and lesion contrast of lung MRI using 5 different pulse sequences at 1.5 T and 3 T. Lung MRI was performed at 1.5 T and 3 T using 5 pulse sequences which have been previously proposed for lung MRI: 3D volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE), true fast imaging with steady-state precession (TrueFISP), half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE), short tau inversion recovery (STIR), T2-weighted turbo spin-echo (TSE). In addition to 4 healthy volunteers, 5 porcine lungs were examined in a dedicated chest phantom. Lung pathology (nodules and infiltrates) was simulated in the phantom by intrapulmonary and intrabronchial injections of agarose. CT was performed in the phantom for correlation. Image quality of the sequences was ranked in a side-by-side comparison by 3 blinded radiologists regarding the delineation of pulmonary and mediastinal anatomy, conspicuity of pulmonary nodules and infiltrates, and presence of artifacts. The contrast of nodules and infiltrates (CNODULES and CINFILTRATES) defined by the ratio of the signal intensities of the lesion and adjacent normal lung parenchyma was determined. There were no relevant differences regarding the preference for the individual sequences between both field strengths. TSE was the preferred sequence for the visualization of the mediastinum at both field strengths. For the visualization of lung parenchyma the observers preferred TrueFISP in volunteers and TSE in the phantom studies. At both field strengths VIBE achieved the best rating for the depiction of nodules, whereas HASTE was rated best for the delineation of infiltrates. TrueFISP had the fewest artifacts in volunteers, whereas STIR showed the fewest artifacts in the phantom. For all but the TrueFISP sequence the lesion contrast increased from 1.5 T to 3 T. At both field strengths VIBE showed the highest CNODULES (6.6 and 7.1) and HASTE the highest CINFILTRATES (6.1 and 6.3). The imaging characteristics of different

Sea Ice Movements from Synthetic Aperture Radar

Science.gov (United States)

1981-12-01

correlating these components. B-l8 These correlations are also plotted in figure l1. 5.3.3.2 AUlications of the space correlation. The spatial...aperture radar. To appear in J. of Geophys. Res. Hastings, A. D. Jr., 1971. Surface climate of the Arctic Basin. Report ETL- TR-71-5, Earth Sciences Division...Administration Grant NA50-AA-D-00015, which was funded in part by the Global Atmospheric Research Program and the Office of Climate Dynarics, Divisic

Optimal channel choice for collaborative ad-hoc dissemination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Liang; Boudec, J-Y. L.; Vojnovic, M.

2010-01-01

Collaborative ad-hoc dissemination of information has been proposed as an efficient means to disseminate information among devices in a wireless ad-hoc network. Devices help in forwarding the information channels to the entire network, by disseminating the channels they subscribe to, plus others...... by a Metropolis-Hastings sampling algorithm. We also give a variant that accounts for battery level. This leads to a practical channel selection and re-selection algorithm that can be implemented without any central control....

MCMC for parameters estimation by bayesian approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ait Saadi, H.; Ykhlef, F.; Guessoum, A.

2011-01-01

This article discusses the parameter estimation for dynamic system by a Bayesian approach associated with Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods (MCMC). The MCMC methods are powerful for approximating complex integrals, simulating joint distributions, and the estimation of marginal posterior distributions, or posterior means. The MetropolisHastings algorithm has been widely used in Bayesian inference to approximate posterior densities. Calibrating the proposal distribution is one of the main issues of MCMC simulation in order to accelerate the convergence.

Ecological impacts of tributyltin on estuarine communities in the Hastings River, NSW Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roach, A.C.; Wilson, S.P.

2009-01-01

Oyster (Saccostrea commercialis) biomonitoring, assessment of oyster and gastropod (Bembicium auratum) abundance, and gastropod imposex were used to measure the significance of tributyltin (TBT) contamination in an intertidal mangrove forest. We studied the bioavailable levels of TBT in oysters approximately 1 km downstream and 2 km upstream from a TBT waste disposal site. We found observable declines in the abundance of oysters and gastropods correlated with the bioavailable TBT and these findings were confirmed by mapping oyster beds. Oyster cover near the disposal site ranged from 0% to 5% while downstream and upstream populations ranged in cover from 25-50% to 5-25%, respectively. Similarly, gastropod abundances at the disposal site were only 7% of the downstream population and 17% of the upstream population. Imposex was present in 90% of female B. auratum from populations near the disposal site but this effect declined more sharply than the population level effects.

Osseointegração clínica-radiológica do compósito hidroxiapatita-lignina entre implante metálico e tecido ósseo em coelho Clinical-radiographic osseointegration of hydroxyapatite-lignin composite between metallic implant and bone tissue in rabbit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.M. Martinez

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Para avaliar o compósito hidroxiapatita-lignina na osseointegração entre implante metálico e o tecido ósseo, foram utilizados 20 coelhos adultos, nos quais foi realizada uma falha óssea na face lateral proximal de ambas as tíbias. Na tíbia esquerda, introduziu-se, no canal medular, um pino intramedular de Schanz revestido com o compósito em sua parte rosqueada, após o preenchimento daquele com 1000mg do compósito. A falha cortical foi preenchida com o compósito. O mesmo foi feito na tíbia direita, porém sem a utilização do compósito, servindo como controle. A avaliação clínica baseou-se na deiscência, claudicação, sensibilidade dolorosa e circunferência tibial. Foram realizadas radiografias imediatamente após a cirurgia e aos oito, 30, 60, 90 e 120 dias do pós-operatório. A maioria dos animais apresentou evolução clínica normal. Nas radiografias do grupo tratado, houve decréscimo da radiopacidade no defeito e no espaço medular até tornar-se semelhante à do osso circunvizinho, quadro inverso ao do grupo-controle. Conclui-se que o compósito hidroxiapatita-lignina não mostrou indícios clínicos de rejeição e que o tecido visualizado na altura da falha óssea e ao redor do pino intramedular tinha radiopacidade semelhante à do osso circunvizinho, o que sugere que o material promoveu a integração com o tecido ósseo.This study evaluated a sinthetic hydroxyapatite-lignin composite for osseoingration between metallic implant and bone tissue. Twenty New Zealand rabbits were used. A defect was made a the proximal region of lateral surfaces of both tibias. An intramedullary pin was inserted in the medullary cavity of the left tibia after filling the cavity with 1,000mg of the composite and covering the thread part of the pin with the composite. The same procedure was made in control tibias without the composite. Clinical evaluation was based on inflammatory reaction, dehiscence, lameness, pain, and tibial

Morphologic assessment of thoracic deformities for the preoperative evaluation of pectus excavatum by magnetic resonance imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lollert, A.; Funk, J.; Tietze, N.; Laudemann, K.; Dueber, C.; Staatz, G. [Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Section Pediatric Radiology, Mainz (Germany); Turial, S. [Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Mainz (Germany)

2014-10-15

To assess whether MRI is a suitable modality for the preoperative assessment and quantification of pectus excavatum. A total of 69 patients (57 male, 12 female; median age 15 years, range 5-35 years) with pectus excavatum were evaluated preoperatively using standardized MRI sequences on 1.5- and 3-Tesla systems (T2-HASTE/inspiration and expiration, T1-VIBE, T2-TRUFI free-breathing, T2-BLADE). The MR sequences were analysed for quality semiquantitatively. The Haller index, correction index, sternal rotation angle and asymmetry index were assessed; correlations between these indices and changes in inspiration and expiration were evaluated. T2-HASTE was the best sequence to assess pectus excavatum morphology, with a higher quality at 3 T than at 1.5 T. All indices could be assessed in every patient. A total of 37 patients had a symmetric deformity, 32 patients an asymmetric deformity. The Haller index correlated significantly (p < 0.001) with the correction index, both becoming higher in expiration. The asymmetry index correlated with the sternal rotation angle (p < 0.001) and did not change significantly in expiration (p = 0.28). Thoracic MRI is suitable for the preoperative evaluation of patients with pectus excavatum. An exact morphologic assessment is possible without radiation exposure as well as the determination of several indices to quantify the deformities. (orig.)

Ácido giberélico (GA3 no crisântemo (Dedranthema grandiflora Tzvelev. de corte 'viking': cultivo verão/outono

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schmidt Claudinei Márcio

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a ação do ácido giberélico (AG3 em plantas crisântemo de corte 'Viking' quanto a parâmetros fenométricos, melhor época e concentração da aplicação para obter-se hastes de melhor qualidade no cultivo de verão/outono. Avaliou-se o efeito de cinco épocas de aplicação (sem aplicação, aplicação na segunda, quarta, oitava e décima semana após o plantio e quatro concentrações (0, 100, 200 e 300 mg.L-1 de GA3. Verificou-se que as maiores alturas foram obtidas com as aplicações na segunda e quarta semanas de cultivo e nas concentrações entre 200 a 300 mg.L-1. O maior diâmetro de haste e pedúnculo floral foram obtidos com a aplicação de 100 a 200 mg.L-1 GA3 na quarta semana. A concentração de 200 mg.L-1 de GA3, independente da época de aplicação proporcionou a antecipação do florescimento em cinco dias, todas as concentrações aplicadas a partir da oitava semana provocaram o clareamento do disco floral.

The Moral Hazard of La Celestina. A Legal-Economic and Literary Interdiscursive Analysis on the Circularity of Goods

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Carlota Fernández-Jáuregui Rojas

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The connection between elements of legal-economic and the literary work is proposed as to the case of La Celestina. An interdiscursive analysis is achieved in order to explain a legal-economic component which is necessary for the textual and literary constitution of this work. The chain of chance in La Celestina is a commercial chain built up upon a series of contracts that outcome with an ironic structure and purpose: the equalisation between the haste in living and the haste in dying ends up in the innate misfortune that the gift provides in order to receive a counter-gift. The general misfortune in the work is a consequence of that inverse gift and this conversion will explain the ironical deaths of Melibea (the only character who, without any will, has a desire to die and Celestina (since she will not be a part of the chain created by herself. The love business, to which every character is thrown into, is considered in terms of “moral hazard”, concept used regularly in insurance’s vocabulary. Therefore, “moral hazard” as a concept will be brought to the interpretative field of interdiscursive studies in order to consider the risks of economical gift in relation to the goods and the legal spoken exchange of promises.

Telos versus Praxis in Bioethics.

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, Tod S

2016-09-01

The authors of "A Conceptual Model for the Translation of Bioethics Research and Scholarship" argue that bioethics must respond to institutional pressures by demonstrating that it is having an impact in the world. Any impact, the authors observe, must be "informed" by the goals of the discipline of bioethics. The concept of bioethics as a discipline is central to their argument. They begin by citing an essay that Daniel Callahan wrote in the first issue of Hastings Center Studies. Callahan argued in this 1973 piece that bioethics had yet to attain the status of a discipline, and he lauded the freedom of being able to define a new discipline. Callahan's essay shares with Mathews and colleague's a peculiarity: neither ever defines what it means to refer to something as a "discipline." To define a discipline does mean attending to the intended end product of scholarly activity, so I concur with Mathews et al.'s focus on outcomes. But I am concerned that in their argument they confusingly entangle their understanding of an academic discipline's internal goals, its telos, with its potential to have an impact on the external world, its praxis. The confusion that this can bring exposes what I believe is a profound problem within bioethics, the discipline's peculiar and at times intellectually hazardous relationship with its institutional hosts. © 2016 The Hastings Center.

Gozo Philatelic Society Newsletter : no. 51 : January-March 2013

OpenAIRE

Gozo Philatelic Society

2013-01-01

Contents: GPS Diary by Antoine Vassallo - [In the “WHO’S (& Was) WHO on Malta Stamps” series] Cachia to Charlton by Antoine Vassallo - [In the “Post Haste: an irregular series about the interesting story of the Post” series] Home of the Caribs? (part A)by Antoine Vassallo - The 13th Annual General Meeting : Secretary's Report by Antoine Vassallo - Treasurer's Report For Year Ending 2013 by Michael Refalo - [In the “Promoting Gozo Through Philately” series] Fontana by Antoine Vassallo - [In th...

Worldwide Report, Arms Control.

Science.gov (United States)

1985-11-22

dinosaurs (and a large number of other species which disappeared "simultaneously") might have become extinct because a large comet hit the earth’s...clear yet aeain the reasons why Washington is in such haste in the arms race for "star wars" and why it refuses to assume a commitment not to be...Kolesnichenko says: [Begin Kolesnichenko recording in Russian with English translation] In an effort to calm the American public and provide a logical reason

Production of alfalfa hay under different drying methods Produção de feno de alfafa sob diferentes métodos de desidratação

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Marcela Abbado Neres

2010-08-01

Full Text Available This trial aimed at determining the dehydration curve at nine times (0, 3, 6, 9, 24, 27, 30, 33 and 46 hours after cuting of the plants; the leaf/stem ratio and number of leaves per stem in alfalfa submitted to four managements during the drying process. It was also evaluated the bromatologic composition and in vitro digestibility of the dry matter and cell wall of alfalfa hay before storage. The drying methods applied for alfalfa were the following: drying in the field until 50% DM and drying conclusion in an airy shed; drying in the field without turning; drying with only one turning and drying with two turnings. The experimental design was completely randomized with four drying methods and five replications. Leaf dehydration was faster when compared to the stems in all drying methods. Drying in the shed promoted the lesser re-hydration of the plants at night due to dew. It was also verified that alfalfa hays that remained under the sun and were turned showed the worst quality with reduction in crude protein contents and increase in NDF, ADF, NDIN and ADIN. However, in vitro dry matter digestibility and cell wall digestibility did not suffer any alteration because of the different dehydration methods (69.79 and 41.39%, respectively. There is a market fall of leaves and a reduction on the number of leaves per stem with the turnings.Os objetivos do trabalho foram estimar a curva de desidratação em nove tempos (0, 3, 6, 9, 24, 27, 30, 33 e 46 horas após o corte, a relação folha/haste, número de folhas por haste de alfafa submetida a quatro manejos no processo de secagem. Também foram avaliadas a composição bromatológica e digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca e parede celular do feno antes do armazenamento. Os métodos de secagem da alfafa foram: secagem a campo até 50% de MS e término da secagem em galpão arejado, secagem a campo sem nenhuma viragem; secagem com apenas uma viragem; secagem com duas viragens. O delineamento

Desempenho de diferentes guias de ondas para uso com o analisador de umidade TRASE Performance of different waveguides for use with the TRASE water content analyser

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Eugênio F. Coelho

2001-04-01

Full Text Available O trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a relação entre a umidade e a constante dielétrica aparente do solo e diferentes guias de onda para uso com o analisador de umidade Trase, que opera de acordo com o princípio da reflectometria no domínio do tempo - TDR. Amostras indeformadas e deformadas de duas manchas de textura diferente de um Latossolo Amarelo Distrófico foram retiradas do campo e acondicionadas em recipientes de 10 L, perfazendo quatro repetições para cada textura e estrutura. Foram construídas três diferentes guias de onda, com hastes de 0,15 m, sendo uma com capacitor e uma sem capacitor no início da guia, com espaçamento de 0,009 m entre hastes e outra sem capacitor, com espaçamento de 0,022 m entre hastes. Essas guias de onda, juntamente com guias originais do fabricante com hastes de 0,20 m, espaçadas 0,022 m, foram inseridas individualmente em cada recipiente. Dados de umidade obtidos gravimetricamente e pelo analisador TRASE, e da constante dielétrica, foram tomados usando-se todas as guias de onda em cada recipiente durante a secagem do solo, de 0,35 m³ m-3 a 0,10 m³ m-3. Três modelos matemáticos foram ajustados aos dados de umidade e da correspondente constante dielétrica do solo gerados pelas guias de onda do fabricante. Um modelo exponencial foi considerado como mais adequado para estimativas dos teores de água, em função da constante dielétrica para a guia de onda do fabricante. Todas as guias de onda avaliadas apresentam viabilidade de uso, desde que previamente calibradas.The objective of this work was to evaluate the relations between soil water content and the soil bulk dielectric constant, and to study different waveguides of a TRASE soil water content analyzer that operates according to TDR principles. Non-destructive and destructive samples of two sites of different texture of a Dystrophic Yellow Latossol were collected and packed into 10 L containers, resulting in four replications for each

Fracturas de tibia, tratamiento con CIMB no fresados

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Roberto Del Gordo D´Amato

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Se realizó un estudio descriptivo tipo serie de casos en el cual se analizan diversos aspectos inherentes al tratamiento quirúrgico de 92 fracturas de tibia diafisiarias cerradas y abiertas tipo I y II de Gustillo, tratadas con Clavos Intramedulares Bloqueados No Fresados (CIMBNF de las 125 atendidas servicio de ortopedia y traumatología de la Clínica El Prado de la Ciudad de Santa Marta D.T.C.H., entre diciembre del 2005 y diciembre del 2007. Se excluyeron de este estudio 33 casos en los cuales por diversas causas se realizó otro tipo de tratamiento fuera ortopédico o quirúrgico mediante colocación de fijadores externos. Utilizamos la clasificación del AO en la cual a este tipo de lesiones corresponde el número 42. Encontramos una alta incidencia en accidentes de transito como factor productor de este tipo de lesión y dentro de ellos la motocicleta como vehículo mas frecuente. Fueron evaluados 86 de los 92 pacientes que corresponde al 93.5% y dentro de ellos se presentaron complicaciones mayores en el 4.6%, cabe mencionar Infecciones post operatorias y deformidades a nivel proximal y distal por diversas causas, las cuales fueron corregidas con procedimientos ulteriores. (Duazary 2008; 1: 4 - 8

Echocardiographic identification of ventricular septal rupture caused by acute stent thrombosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Garg, Scot; Bourantas, Christos V; Thackray, Simon; Alamgir, Mohamed F

2010-05-01

Coronary stenting is an increasingly common procedure. Complications are rare. However, when they do occur, they often require urgent invasive treatment. Investigations that are critical for establishing a diagnosis as well as such guide treatment as a detailed assessment of myocardial morphology and function using transthoracic echocardiography may be overlooked in the haste to treat the patient. We present a case report of subacute drug-eluting stent thrombosis in which a meticulous echocardiographic examination allowed the identification of a ventricular septal rupture, which ultimately modified treatment.

Wissenshäppchen als Facebook Instant Article – ein durchaus mögliches Zukunftsszenario

OpenAIRE

Fleck, Rika

2018-01-01

„Hast Du Schwierigkeiten, die richtige Ansprache für Millennials zu finden?“ Dann empfiehlt die Onlinemarketingplattform www.onlinemarketing.de sich die perfekte Videowerbung für die Generation Y anzusehen. Im Video sind „hippe, junge Menschen in Zeitlupe“ zu sehen, die fröhlich sind, sich frei fühlen, lachen, bunte Haare haben, gern mit Freunden zusammen sind und Spaß an der Konversation haben, fotografieren, posten, liken und teilen. Natürlich werden im Video die Klischees überzogen und auc...

Astrovirus Pathogenesis

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Cydney Johnson

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Astroviruses are a major cause of diarrhea in the young, elderly, and the immunocompromised. Since the discovery of human astrovirus type 1 (HAstV-1 in 1975, the family Astroviridae has expanded to include two more human clades and numerous mammalian and avian-specific genotypes. Despite this, there is still little known about pathogenesis. The following review highlights the current knowledge of astrovirus pathogenesis, and outlines the critical steps needed to further astrovirus research, including the development of animal models of cell culture systems.

Particle Markov Chain Monte Carlo Techniques of Unobserved Component Time Series Models Using Ox

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nonejad, Nima

This paper details Particle Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques for analysis of unobserved component time series models using several economic data sets. PMCMC combines the particle filter with the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. Overall PMCMC provides a very compelling, computationally fast...... and efficient framework for estimation. These advantages are used to for instance estimate stochastic volatility models with leverage effect or with Student-t distributed errors. We also model changing time series characteristics of the US inflation rate by considering a heteroskedastic ARFIMA model where...

Ocorrência e sintomas da mancha de Ascochyta em feijão-vagem Occurrence and symptoms of Ascochyta blight on snap bean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Aparecida de Souza Tanaka

1996-01-01

Full Text Available A mancha de ascochita (Ascochyta phaseolorum Sacc. foi identificada como uma das principais doenças do feijão-vagem (Phaseolus vulgaris L., na região de Itatiba (SP, em levantamento realizado de abril de 1991 a março de 92. Seus sintomas são manchas foliares arredondadas, tipicamente zonadas e de tamanho variável, necrosando, às vezes, extensas áreas do limbo e provocando desfolha prematura. Associado a esse sintoma foliar, o patógeno pode causar lesões nas hastes, pecíolos e vagens, assumindo proporções severas. As lesões necróticas das hastes podem estrangula-las e provocar a morte da planta acima da região afetada. Nas vagens, as lesões tendem a ser circulares e zonadas, como as das folhas, porém os anéis concêntricos são menos evidentes. Isolamentos, características culturais e morfológicas e testes de patogenicidade permitiram diagnosticar a moléstia, que vinha sendo confundida com a mancha foliar de alternária, ou com a podridão de macrofomina, quando atacava a parte inferior da haste. A identificação do patógeno, por ter permitido o diagnóstico preciso da doença. poderá embasar o emprego de métodos adequados de controle.A severe Ascochyta blight (Ascochyta phaseolorum Sacc., was found during a survey carried out in farmer's fields of snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. at Itatiba county, São Paulo State, Brazil. Foliar lesions were usually circular to irregular shaped, brown to dark brown and usually contained concentric circles of picnidia. These lesions often blighted the entire leaves, that die and fall. The pathogen also infected the stems, petioles and pods, and the disease incidence ranged from trace to severe. The stems and petioles lesions were elongated and cankerous, often girdling them, killing the plant above the infected region. The pod lesions were initially circular and zonate, as the foliar spots, but the concentric circles are of little evidence. Diagnosis were confirmed by isolation

Prospective navigator-echo-based real-time triggering of fetal head movement for the reduction of artifacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonel, H.; Frei, K.A.; Raio, L.; Meyer-Wittkopf, M.; Remonda, L.; Wiest, R.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the neuroimaging quality and accuracy of prospective real-time navigator-echo acquisition correction versus untriggered intrauterine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. Twenty women in whom fetal motion artifacts compromised the neuroimaging quality of fetal MRI taken during the 28.7 ± 4 week of pregnancy below diagnostic levels were additionally investigated using a navigator-triggered half-Fourier acquired single-shot turbo-spin echo (HASTE) sequence. Imaging quality was evaluated by two blinded readers applying a rating scale from 1 (not diagnostic) to 5 (excellent). Diagnostic criteria included depiction of the germinal matrix, grey and white matter, CSF, brain stem and cerebellum. Signal-difference-to-noise ratios (SDNRs) in the white matter and germinal zone were quantitatively evaluated. Imaging quality improved in 18/20 patients using the navigator echo technique (2.4 ± 0.58 vs. 3.65 ± 0.73 SD, p < 0.01 for all evaluation criteria). In 2/20 patients fetal movement severely impaired image quality in conventional and navigated HASTE. Navigator-echo imaging revealed additional structural brain abnormalities and confirmed diagnosis in 8/20 patients. The accuracy improved from 50% to 90%. Average SDNR increased from 0.7 ± 7.27 to 19.83 ± 15.71 (p < 0.01). Navigator-echo-based real-time triggering of fetal head movement is a reliable technique that can deliver diagnostic fetal MR image quality despite vigorous fetal movement. (orig.)

Prospective navigator-echo-based real-time triggering of fetal head movement for the reduction of artifacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonel, H; Frei, K A; Raio, L; Meyer-Wittkopf, M; Remonda, L; Wiest, R

2008-04-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the neuroimaging quality and accuracy of prospective real-time navigator-echo acquisition correction versus untriggered intrauterine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. Twenty women in whom fetal motion artifacts compromised the neuroimaging quality of fetal MRI taken during the 28.7 +/- 4 week of pregnancy below diagnostic levels were additionally investigated using a navigator-triggered half-Fourier acquired single-shot turbo-spin echo (HASTE) sequence. Imaging quality was evaluated by two blinded readers applying a rating scale from 1 (not diagnostic) to 5 (excellent). Diagnostic criteria included depiction of the germinal matrix, grey and white matter, CSF, brain stem and cerebellum. Signal-difference-to-noise ratios (SDNRs) in the white matter and germinal zone were quantitatively evaluated. Imaging quality improved in 18/20 patients using the navigator echo technique (2.4 +/- 0.58 vs. 3.65 +/- 0.73 SD, p < 0.01 for all evaluation criteria). In 2/20 patients fetal movement severely impaired image quality in conventional and navigated HASTE. Navigator-echo imaging revealed additional structural brain abnormalities and confirmed diagnosis in 8/20 patients. The accuracy improved from 50% to 90%. Average SDNR increased from 0.7 +/- 7.27 to 19.83 +/- 15.71 (p < 0.01). Navigator-echo-based real-time triggering of fetal head movement is a reliable technique that can deliver diagnostic fetal MR image quality despite vigorous fetal movement.

Prospective navigator-echo-based real-time triggering of fetal head movement for the reduction of artifacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bonel, H. [University Hospital Berne-Inselspital, Freiburgstrasse, Institute of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology, Bern (Switzerland); Frei, K.A.; Raio, L.; Meyer-Wittkopf, M. [University of Berne, Women' s' Hospital, Bern (Switzerland); Remonda, L.; Wiest, R. [University of Berne, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology (DIN), Inselspital, Bern (Switzerland)

2008-04-15

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the neuroimaging quality and accuracy of prospective real-time navigator-echo acquisition correction versus untriggered intrauterine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. Twenty women in whom fetal motion artifacts compromised the neuroimaging quality of fetal MRI taken during the 28.7 {+-} 4 week of pregnancy below diagnostic levels were additionally investigated using a navigator-triggered half-Fourier acquired single-shot turbo-spin echo (HASTE) sequence. Imaging quality was evaluated by two blinded readers applying a rating scale from 1 (not diagnostic) to 5 (excellent). Diagnostic criteria included depiction of the germinal matrix, grey and white matter, CSF, brain stem and cerebellum. Signal-difference-to-noise ratios (SDNRs) in the white matter and germinal zone were quantitatively evaluated. Imaging quality improved in 18/20 patients using the navigator echo technique (2.4 {+-} 0.58 vs. 3.65 {+-} 0.73 SD, p < 0.01 for all evaluation criteria). In 2/20 patients fetal movement severely impaired image quality in conventional and navigated HASTE. Navigator-echo imaging revealed additional structural brain abnormalities and confirmed diagnosis in 8/20 patients. The accuracy improved from 50% to 90%. Average SDNR increased from 0.7 {+-} 7.27 to 19.83 {+-} 15.71 (p < 0.01). Navigator-echo-based real-time triggering of fetal head movement is a reliable technique that can deliver diagnostic fetal MR image quality despite vigorous fetal movement. (orig.)

Desenvolvimento de um penetrômetro manual eletrônico - doi: 10.4025/actascitechnol.v33i1.5914

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Cesar Tieppo

2011-03-01

Full Text Available O excesso de tráfego de máquinas pode causar compactação prejudicial ao desenvolvimento da cultura. Uma das maneiras de se obter um indicativo de compactação é a resistência do solo à penetração (RSP. Assim, desenvolveu-se um penetrômetro eletrônico, seguindo a norma S313.2 ASAE (1998, tendo a haste 0,0095 m de diâmetro e o cone de 30° com 0,01283 m de diâmetro na base. Para o desenvolvimento do penetrômetro, utilizou-se um sistema para aquisição de dados, sensor de distância, sensor de força e barras circulares de aço inox para confecção da haste e do cone. O aparelho armazena os dados coletados a campo em uma frequência de 4 Hz, sendo estes posteriormente transferidos para um microcomputador, via interface RS232. Por meio de uma planilha eletrônica, os dados podem ser processados de acordo com a necessidade do usuário. Os sensores apresentaram confiabilidade em sua utilização, os arquivos de dados gerados pelo aparelho proporcionaram conforto e confiança no processamento de dados e os dados puderam ser reorganizados conforme a necessidade do usuário para, assim, evitar o erro de leitura pelo processo visual.

Sensitivity of MRI in detecting alveolar infiltrates. Experimental studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biederer, J.; Busse, I.; Grimm, J.; Reuter, M.; Heller, M.; Muhle, C.; Freitag, S.

2002-01-01

Purpose: An experimental study using porcine lung explants and a dedicated chest phantom to evaluate the signal intensity of artificial alveolar infiltrates with T 1 - and T 2 -weighted MRI sequences. Material and Methods: 10 porcine lung explants were intubated, transferred into the cavity of a MRI-compatible chest phantom and inflated by continuous evacuation of the artificial pleural space. All lungs were examined with MRI at 1.5 T before and after intra-tracheal instillation of either 100 or 200 ml gelatine-stabilised liquid to simulate alveolar infiltrates. MR-examination comprised gradient echo (2D- and 3D-GRE) and fast spin echo sequences (T 2 -TSE and T 2 -HASTE). The signal intensity of lung parenchyma was evaluated at representative cross sections using a standardised scheme. Control studies were acquired with helical CT. Results: The instilled liquid caused patchy confluent alveolar infiltrates resembling the findings in patients with pneumonia or ARDS. CT revealed typical ground-glass opacities. Before the application of the liquid, only T 2 -HASTE and T 2 -TSE displayed lung parenchyma signals with a signal/noise ratio of 3.62 and 1.39, respectively. After application of the liquid, both T 2 -weighted sequences showed clearly visible infiltrates with an increase in signal intensity of approx. 30% at 100 ml (p 2 -weighted sequences detects artificial alveolar infiltrates with high signal intensity and may be a highly sensitive tool to detect pneumonia in patients. (orig.) [de

“Donde tu hermosura se ensombra”: problemas morfosemánticos en el “Comentario VII”, de Juan Gelman

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Aldo García Ávila

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Con las herramientas que brinda la descripción morfológica, en el presente trabajo se describen formal y semánticamente las licencias poéticas y arcaísmos que se encuentran en el poema “Comentario vii”, de Juan Gelman; esto es, aquellas palabras ocasionales que el poeta acuña con una finalidad emotiva y poética, así como las palabras que han caído en desuso y se han revitalizado en su poesía. El análisis toma como punto de partida el concepto de transparencia y opacidad morfológica, en virtud de que la formación de palabras en este poema estará condicionada, entre otras cosas, por el hecho de que el lector pueda identificar la palabra base de la licencia poética, situación que le permitirá determinar el significado de la misma. Además, algunas de estas licencia poéticas rivalizarán con palabras establecidas de la lengua, de manera que la licencia poética no será bloqueada, porque a partir de la transparencia Juan Gelman logrará restituir los significados básicos o prototípicos que las palabras establecidas han dejado de expresar. Finalmente, se muestra cómo se favorece la argumentación literaria con el empleo de herramientas propias de la descripción lingüística.

[Physician and autonomy: on time perception and job satisfaction].

Science.gov (United States)

Huisman, Frank G

2015-01-01

Is it true that haste is sneaking into medicine? In this article, it is argued that it mainly concerns the perception of being rushed, which is caused by a loss of autonomy of the modern physician. In the fifties, physicians were busy as well, but because they enjoyed a greater degree of autonomy compared to their contemporary colleagues, they did not experience this in a negative way. Due to increased bureaucracy and the introduction of market dynamics, the medical profession has lost autonomy, which in turn led to a loss of job satisfaction.

The Analytic Hierarchy Process: Enhancing Operational Level Decision Making

Science.gov (United States)

1993-03-10

USN 13 TPEOFWO713b. ?WE COVERED 4L. DAT! OF, RIM" ( fta *. NWkO Isi P*MA 001MFAMo to__ / izI 16. SUP"LE MNIARY NOTATION A p ibaikitted the Pl Faat o b...TakQrce The FaajdsWar,.9-82 (New York: Viking Penguin , Inc, Rev. ed., 1988). 26 1. MISSION. To seize the Falkland Islands and eject Argentinian...Falklands War4 1982 (New York: Viking Penguin , Inc, Rev. ed., 1988). Max Hastings and Simon Jenkins, The Battle for the Falklands (New York: W. W. Norton

Preventive Medicine in World War 2. Volume 6. Communicable Diseases. Malaria

Science.gov (United States)

1963-01-01

attributable to the use of screened Uirntcks and betl nets. Tw» medical officers of the Trinidud Sector ami Hast« Command were sent to Aninpii from the U.S...spray apparatus was installed on a Piper Cub plane. It was first used for evaluating the effectiveness of aerial spraying in heavy jungle areas of the...done with a Piper Cub plane and the Husmann spray unit. Later tests with CWS tanks (M-10) on A-21*s with a metal disk in front of the glass disk .vere

On the use of stochastic approximation Monte Carlo for Monte Carlo integration

KAUST Repository

Liang, Faming

2009-03-01

The stochastic approximation Monte Carlo (SAMC) algorithm has recently been proposed as a dynamic optimization algorithm in the literature. In this paper, we show in theory that the samples generated by SAMC can be used for Monte Carlo integration via a dynamically weighted estimator by calling some results from the literature of nonhomogeneous Markov chains. Our numerical results indicate that SAMC can yield significant savings over conventional Monte Carlo algorithms, such as the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, for the problems for which the energy landscape is rugged. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF THE HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENT IN AN ICE SLURRY GENERATOR

OpenAIRE

EPIFANIO MAMANI TICONA

2003-01-01

Um sistema térmico de armazenamento da energia com pasta de cristais de gelo foi desenvolvido para aplicações de condicionamento de ar e resfriamento de processos. O sistema usa um evaporador orbital de haste, um trocador de calor vertical do tipo tubo e carcaça com intensificação mecânica de transferência de calor. A pasta de gelo é produzida continuamente sem acumulação no evaporador e é compatível com unidades condensadoras convencionais, tanques de a...

Patience.

Science.gov (United States)

Akhtar, Salman

2015-02-01

Patience is a multifaceted phenomenon consisting of acceptance of inner and outer reality, absence of resentment, retention of hope, and capacity to wait for better times without restlessness and haste. It originates in the childhood advance from pleasure principle to reality principle, though the attainment of secure attachment, object constancy, and frustration tolerance also contribute to it. Psychopathology involving patience generally manifests as endless waiting or chronic hurrying. Both the normative and morbid trajectories of patience have implications for psychoanalytic technique, which are illustrated here with the help of clinical vignettes.

Row spacing and pruning regimes on organically grown cherry tomato Espaçamento e sistema de condução de tomate cereja em cultivo orgânico

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Vlamir F de Azevedo

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The effects of branch number and plant densities on organically grown cherry tomato yield and fruit quality were studied. Labor costs for pruning were also assessed. The essay was conducted at the experimental fields of the Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from September 2004 to January 2005. A factorial design was used combining three row spacings (0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 m, two cherry tomato cultivars (hybrid 'Super-Sweet' and a local self pollinated 'Perinha' and three pruning regimes (free growth, one branch per plant and two branches per plant. The row spacing treatment of 0.6 x 1.5 m resulted in lower number of fruits when compared to the 0.4 x 1.5 m treatment, however, producing fruits with higher individual average mass, which resulted in similar final yield. These yields were higher than the 0.8 m treatment. Yield increases due to the higher number of plants per area were mostly due to the increase of fruit number, which compensated for the decrease of fruit size and mass. The 'free growth' treatment yielded similarly to the two branches per plant treatment. The labor costs were lower under 'free growth' due to the absence of pruning. Both cultivars responded similarly to plant population and pruning regimes.Com o objetivo de se avaliar o efeito do manejo e da densidade de plantio na produtividade de frutos e no custo com mão de obra em sistema orgânico de produção de tomate cereja, foi realizado um experimento no Departamento de Fitotecnia da UFRRJ, Seropédica-RJ, de setembro de 2004 a janeiro de 2005. Foram avaliados os efeitos da combinação de três sistemas de condução (sem tutoramento e sem limitação do número de hastes por planta; tutoramento com condução de uma haste por planta e, tutoramento com condução de duas hastes por planta, três espaçamentos entre plantas (0,4; 0,6 e 0,8 m e duas cultivares de tomate cereja (Perinha Água Branca e Super Sweet. O tratamento com espaçamento de 0,6 x 1,5 m

Ensaios mecânicos de um sistema de fixação pedicular com barra transversal Mechanical assay of a pedicular fixation system with transversal rod

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Helton Luiz Aparecido Defino

2001-12-01

Full Text Available Foi realizado estudo biomecânico de um protótipo de sistema de fixação vertebral que utiliza o pedículo vertebral como ponto de ancoragem dos implantes, associado a hastes que conectam transversalmente os parafusos pediculares. De modo diferente dos sistemas convencionais, nos quais os parafusos são conectados no sentido longitudinal, no sistema desenvolvido as hastes são conectadas transversalmente aos parafusos. Foram realizados ensaios mecânicos (flexo-compressão, flexão lateral e torção utilizando-se corpos de prova de madeira em máquina universal de testes, com a finalidade de comparar a resistência desse sistema de fixação com o sistema convencionalmente utilizado. Os testes biomecânicos mostraram que o sistema desenvolvido apresentou menor resistência nos ensaios mecânicos realizados, quando comparado com o sistema de fixação convencional.A biomechanical study of a spine fixation prototype was performed. This system uses vertebral pedicle as anchor point of the implants in association with transversally connecting rods. This is different form the usual systems where longitudinally placed rods connect the pedicular screws. Mechanical assays were performed (flexo-compression, lateral flexion, torsion using probe wood pieces in an universal testing machine, aiming to compare the resistance of this system of fixation to the conventionally used ones. Biomechanical tests showed that the system was less resistant to the mechanical assays when compared to conventional systems.

The primary applications of Gd-DTPA as an oral negative gastrointestinal contrast agent for MRCP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yanping; Zhang Xuelin; Cheng Guanxun; Chang Renmin; Zhang Yuzhong; Cang Peng; Xia Qiong

2003-01-01

Objective: Using oral Gd-DTPA as a negative contrast agent to null the bowel signal during MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) to improve the quality of MRCP. Methods: A phantom study was performed to select the optimal concentration of Gd-DTPA to be used as an oral negative contrast agent in MRCP. 15 patients suspected of biliary tract and pancreatic disease were performed with MRCP before and after using 250 ml oral contrast agents (1:5 diluted Gd-DTPA, 1.488 g/L). All MR images were acquired using a 1.5 T whole body MR scanner (Vision Plus, Siemens). MRCP was acquired using two-dimensional single slice fast spin-echo sequence and HASTE (half-fourier acquisition single-shot fast spin echo) sequence. Results: The phantom study showed that the dilution ratio 1:5 of Gd-DTPA oral contrast agent was best in decreasing the signal intensity both in T 2 WI (59.3%) and in HASTE sequence (82.45%). All the dilution ratio of Gd-DTPA oral contrast agent decreased the signal intensity up to 90% on single slice MRCP. In all the patients the high signal intensity from the stomach and intestinal fluid was completely suppressed. The depictions of common bile duct and pancreatic duct were markedly improved by the oral contrast agent (P<0.05). Conclusion: 1:5 diluted (1.488 g/L) oral MR contrast agent Gd-DTPA can be an effective and safe negative contrast agent in eliminating signal intensity of the gastrointestinal tract, thus improving the depiction of the biliary system in MRCP

Contribuição das ramificações e a evolução do índice de área foliar em cultivares modernas de soja

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Alencar Junior Zanon

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Os objetivos neste trabalho foram quantificar a contribuição das ramificações e a evolução do índice de área foliar em cultivares modernas de soja com diferentes grupos de maturação, tipos de crescimento, semeadas em diferentes épocas e regiões produtoras de soja no Rio Grande do Sul. Experimentos de campo foram conduzidos durante o ano agrícola 2013/2014 em Santa Maria, Júlio de Castilhos e em três lavouras comerciais de soja nos municípios de Restinga Sêca, Tupanciretã e Água Santa. Avaliaram-se (data de ocorrência os estágios reprodutivos e a determinação do índice de área foliar total, máximo, da haste principal e das ramificações em treze cultivares de soja. O índice de área foliar das ramificações contribui com cerca de 31%, 12,3% e 11% do índice de área foliar total nas cultivares determinadas, e com 20,2%, 11,8% e 9% do índice de área foliar total nas cultivares indeterminadas nas semeaduras de setembro, novembro e fevereiro, respectivamente, em Santa Maria. A maioria das cultivares apresentou uma redução no índice de área foliar total, máximo, da haste principal e das ramificações com o atraso da época de semeadura, independentemente do grupo de maturação e tipo de crescimento.

The efficacy of unenhanced MR imaging for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis: a performance comparison versus abdominal ultrasonography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seok, Ji Eun; Min, Seon Jeong; Cho, Seong Whi [Kandong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)] (and others)

2008-02-15

To evaluate the efficacy of unenhanced MR imaging compared to the diagnostic accuracy, advantage, and limitations of abdominal ultrasonography in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. The study included 40 patients suspected of having acute appendicitis and who were subjected to an unenhanced MR image, as well as an abdominal ultrasonography. A T1 FLASH in an axial image, a chemical shift-selective fat suppressed T2 HASTE in an axial image, as well as a T2 HASTE in an axial and coronal image were obtained as unenhanced MR images. The diagnosis was established based on a surgical or clinical follow-up of the unenhanced MR results, which were then statistically compared to the ultrasonographic results. The surgical or clinical follow-up results revealed that 25 patients were positively diagnosed with appendicitis. Of these, 7 patients had symptoms of acute appendicitis with no pathologic diagnoses, whereas the 8 remaining patients were diagnosed with another condition. The sensitivity and accuracy of the unenhanced MR imaging was 92% and 90%, compared to ultrasonography which was 68% and 72.5% accurate, respectively. The differences in sensitivity and accuracy between the two methods were found to be statistically significant ({rho} < 0.05, chi-square test). Based on these results, unenhanced MR imaging was superior to sonography for the diagnosis of appendicitis. Unenhanced MR imaging may be a useful modality for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, especially for suboptimal or nondiagnostic sonographies, as well as patients that are particularity sensitive to radiation exposure.

Diversity in the enteric viruses detected in outbreaks of gastroenteritis from Mumbai, Western India.

Science.gov (United States)

Chitambar, Shobha; Gopalkrishna, Varanasi; Chhabra, Preeti; Patil, Pooja; Verma, Harsha; Lahon, Anismrita; Arora, Ritu; Tatte, Vaishali; Ranshing, Sujata; Dhale, Ganesh; Kolhapure, Rajendra; Tikute, Sanjay; Kulkarni, Jagannath; Bhardwaj, Renu; Akarte, Sulbha; Pawar, Sashikant

2012-03-01

Faecal specimens collected from two outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis that occurred in southern Mumbai, India in March and October, 2006 were tested for seven different enteric viruses. Among the 218 specimens tested, 95 (43.6%) were positive, 73 (76.8%) for a single virus and 22 (23.2%) for multiple viruses. Single viral infections in both, March and October showed predominance of enterovirus (EV, 33.3% and 40%) and rotavirus A (RVA, 33.3% and 25%). The other viruses detected in these months were norovirus (NoV, 12.1% and 10%), rotavirus B (RVB, 12.1% and 10%), enteric adenovirus (AdV, 6.1% and 7.5%), Aichivirus (AiV, 3% and 7.5%) and human astrovirus (HAstV, 3% and 0%). Mixed viral infections were largely represented by two viruses (84.6% and 88.9%), a small proportion showed presence of three (7.7% and 11%) and four (7.7% and 0%) viruses in the two outbreaks. Genotyping of the viruses revealed predominance of RVA G2P[4], RVB G2 (Indian Bangladeshi lineage), NoV GII.4, AdV-40, HAstV-8 and AiV B types. VP1/2A junction region based genotyping showed presence of 11 different serotypes of EVs. Although no virus was detected in the tested water samples, examination of both water and sewage pipelines in gastroenteritis affected localities indicated leakages and possibility of contamination of drinking water with sewage water. Coexistence of multiple enteric viruses during the two outbreaks of gastroenteritis emphasizes the need to expand such investigations to other parts of India.

Genetics and bioethics: how our thinking has changed since 1969.

Science.gov (United States)

Walters, LeRoy

2012-02-01

In 1969, the field of human genetics was in its infancy. Amniocentesis was a new technique for prenatal diagnosis, and a newborn genetic screening program had been established in one state. There were also concerns about the potential hazards of genetic engineering. A research group at the Hastings Center and Paul Ramsey pioneered in the discussion of genetics and bioethics. Two principal techniques have emerged as being of enduring importance: human gene transfer research and genetic testing and screening. This essay tracks the development and use of these techniques and considers the ethical issues that they raise.

A Hybrid MCMC Sampler for Unconditional Quantile Based on Influence Function

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El Moctar Laghlal

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In this study, we provide a Bayesian estimation method for the unconditional quantile regression model based on the Re-centered Influence Function (RIF. The method makes use of the dichotomous structure of the RIF and estimates a non-linear probability model by a logistic regression using a Gibbs within a Metropolis-Hastings sampler. This approach performs better in the presence of heavy-tailed distributions. Applied to a nationally-representative household survey, the Senegal Poverty Monitoring Report (2005, the results show that the change in the rate of returns to education across quantiles is substantially lower at the primary level.

La “modernización” católica en la prensa de la época garciana (1860-1875)

OpenAIRE

Hidalgo Pérez, María Eugenia

2017-01-01

En este trabajo buscamos indicios de los factores históricos sociales, políticos y económicos que configuraron la naturaleza de la naciente prensa moderna ecuatoriana y cómo estos pudieron contribuir a formar la opinión pública sobre algunos aspectos puntuales del proceso de modernización del país, que sustenta su modernidad en una racionalidad de signo católico, durante el periodo cronológico que comprende los regímenes de Gabriel García Moreno, desde que empezó su primer mandato (1860) hast...

Studying stellar binary systems with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna using delayed rejection Markov chain Monte Carlo methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trias, Miquel; Vecchio, Alberto; Veitch, John

2009-01-01

Bayesian analysis of Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) data sets based on Markov chain Monte Carlo methods has been shown to be a challenging problem, in part due to the complicated structure of the likelihood function consisting of several isolated local maxima that dramatically reduces the efficiency of the sampling techniques. Here we introduce a new fully Markovian algorithm, a delayed rejection Metropolis-Hastings Markov chain Monte Carlo method, to efficiently explore these kind of structures and we demonstrate its performance on selected LISA data sets containing a known number of stellar-mass binary signals embedded in Gaussian stationary noise.

Discrete Spin Vector Approach for Monte Carlo-based Magnetic Nanoparticle Simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Senkov, Alexander; Peralta, Juan; Sahay, Rahul

The study of magnetic nanoparticles has gained significant popularity due to the potential uses in many fields such as modern medicine, electronics, and engineering. To study the magnetic behavior of these particles in depth, it is important to be able to model and simulate their magnetic properties efficiently. Here we utilize the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm with a discrete spin vector model (in contrast to the standard continuous model) to model the magnetic hysteresis of a set of protected pure iron nanoparticles. We compare our simulations with the experimental hysteresis curves and discuss the efficiency of our algorithm.

Padé approximations for Painlevé I and II transcendents

Science.gov (United States)

Novokshenov, V. Yu.

2009-06-01

We use a version of the Fair-Luke algorithm to find the Padé approximate solutions of the Painlevé I and II equations. We find the distributions of poles for the well-known Ablowitz-Segur and Hastings-McLeod solutions of the Painlevé II equation. We show that the Boutroux tritronquée solution of the Painleé I equation has poles only in the critical sector of the complex plane. The algorithm allows checking other analytic properties of the Painlevé transcendents, such as the asymptotic behavior at infinity in the complex plane.

Sampling Methods for Wallenius' and Fisher's Noncentral Hypergeometric Distributions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fog, Agner

2008-01-01

the mode, ratio-of-uniforms rejection method, and rejection by sampling in the tau domain. Methods for the multivariate distributions include: simulation of urn experiments, conditional method, Gibbs sampling, and Metropolis-Hastings sampling. These methods are useful for Monte Carlo simulation of models...... of biased sampling and models of evolution and for calculating moments and quantiles of the distributions.......Several methods for generating variates with univariate and multivariate Wallenius' and Fisher's noncentral hypergeometric distributions are developed. Methods for the univariate distributions include: simulation of urn experiments, inversion by binary search, inversion by chop-down search from...

Estudo prospectivo dos efeitos da amiodarona na função tiroidiana de pacientes chagásicos em área de deficiência de iodo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Aparecida Enes de Barros

1994-09-01

Full Text Available Com o objetivo de avaliar a junção tiroidiana após uso crônico da amiodarona, em área de deficiência de iodo e endemia chagásica, 24 pacientes foram analisados antes e após três e nove meses de uso da droga. A avaliação constou de exame clínico, dosagem sérica de T4, T3, rT3, TSH, anticorpo antitiroglobulina e TSH 30 minutos após infusão venosa de uma ampola de 200µg de TRH. A captação do iodo radioativo 131 e a cintilografia datiróide foram realizadas antes e aos 9 meses após tratamento. Disfunção tiroidiana ocorreu em 20,8% dos pacientes sendo 12,5% de hipertiroidismo e 8,3% de hipotiroidismo, com anticorpos antitiroglobulina negativos. Captação do iodo radioativo 131 foi positiva em um paciente hipertiroideo com bócio. O diagnóstico de hipertiroidismo foi melhor evidenciado pela resposta reduzida ou bloqueada do TSH ao TRH e não pela concentração do T3 no soro e o de hipotiroidismo pela concentração elevada do TSH. O TSH elevado desde o início do tratamento pode predispor ao aparecimento de bócio. Concluímos que o uso da amiodarona em nossa região deve serjudiciosamente analisado, sendo a função tiroidiana cuidadosamente monitorizada antes e durante o tratamento.

Pancreatic MRI for the surveillance of cystic neoplasms: Comparison of a short with a comprehensive imaging protocol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pozzi-Mucelli, Raffaella Maria; Kartalis, Nikolaos [C1-46 Karolinska University Hospital, Division of Medical Imaging and Technology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet and Department of Radiology, Stockholm (Sweden); Rinta-Kiikka, Irina [Tampere University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Medical Imaging Centre of Pirkanmaa Hospital District, Tampere (Finland); Wuensche, Katharina [St. Olavs University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Trondheim (Norway); Laukkarinen, Johanna [Tampere University Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology and Alimentary Tract Surgery, Tampere (Finland); Labori, Knut Joergen [Oslo University Hospital, Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Oslo (Norway); Aanonsen, Kim [Oslo University Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology, Oslo (Norway); Verbeke, Caroline [Oslo University Hospital, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Oslo (Norway); Karolinska University Hospital, Department of Pathology, Stockholm (Sweden); Del Chiaro, Marco [Karolinska University Hospital, Division of Surgery, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet and Center for Digestive Diseases, Stockholm (Sweden)

2017-01-15

The study aims were to evaluate: (1) whether a short-protocol (SP) MRI for the surveillance of pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCN) provides equivalent clinical information as a comprehensive-protocol (CP), and (2) the cost reduction from substituting CP with SP for patient surveillance. This retrospective study included 154 consecutive patients (median age: 66, 52 % men) with working-diagnosis of PCN and available contrast-enhanced MRI/MRCP. Three radiologists evaluated independently two imaging sets (SP/CP) per patient. The CP included: T2-weighted (HASTE/MRCP), DWI and T1-weighted (chemical-shift/pre-/post-contrast) images [acquisition time (AT) ∼ 35 min], whereas the SP included: T2-weighted HASTE and T1-weighted pre-contrast images (AT ∼ 8 min). Mean values of largest cyst/main pancreatic duct diameter (D{sub C}/D{sub MPD}) were compared. Agreement regarding presence/absence of cystic/MPD mural nodules (MN{sub C}/MN{sub MPD}), inter-observer agreement and cost differences between SP/CP were calculated. For D{sub C} and D{sub MPD}, mean values with SP/CP were 21.4/21.7 mm and 3.52/3.58 mm, while mean differences SP-CP were 0.3 mm (p = 0.02) and 0.06 mm (p = 0.12), respectively. For presence/absence of MN{sub C} and MN{sub MPD}, SP/CP coincided in 93 % and 98 % of cases, respectively. Inter-observer agreement was strong for SP/CP. SP-cost was 25 % of CP-cost. For the surveillance of PCN, short-protocol MRI provides information equivalent to the more time-consuming and costly comprehensive-protocol. (orig.)

Pancreatic MRI for the surveillance of cystic neoplasms: Comparison of a short with a comprehensive imaging protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pozzi-Mucelli, Raffaella Maria; Kartalis, Nikolaos; Rinta-Kiikka, Irina; Wuensche, Katharina; Laukkarinen, Johanna; Labori, Knut Joergen; Aanonsen, Kim; Verbeke, Caroline; Del Chiaro, Marco

2017-01-01

The study aims were to evaluate: (1) whether a short-protocol (SP) MRI for the surveillance of pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCN) provides equivalent clinical information as a comprehensive-protocol (CP), and (2) the cost reduction from substituting CP with SP for patient surveillance. This retrospective study included 154 consecutive patients (median age: 66, 52 % men) with working-diagnosis of PCN and available contrast-enhanced MRI/MRCP. Three radiologists evaluated independently two imaging sets (SP/CP) per patient. The CP included: T2-weighted (HASTE/MRCP), DWI and T1-weighted (chemical-shift/pre-/post-contrast) images [acquisition time (AT) ∼ 35 min], whereas the SP included: T2-weighted HASTE and T1-weighted pre-contrast images (AT ∼ 8 min). Mean values of largest cyst/main pancreatic duct diameter (D_C/D_M_P_D) were compared. Agreement regarding presence/absence of cystic/MPD mural nodules (MN_C/MN_M_P_D), inter-observer agreement and cost differences between SP/CP were calculated. For D_C and D_M_P_D, mean values with SP/CP were 21.4/21.7 mm and 3.52/3.58 mm, while mean differences SP-CP were 0.3 mm (p = 0.02) and 0.06 mm (p = 0.12), respectively. For presence/absence of MN_C and MN_M_P_D, SP/CP coincided in 93 % and 98 % of cases, respectively. Inter-observer agreement was strong for SP/CP. SP-cost was 25 % of CP-cost. For the surveillance of PCN, short-protocol MRI provides information equivalent to the more time-consuming and costly comprehensive-protocol. (orig.)

The Future of Reproductive Autonomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Josephine; Zacharias, Rachel L

2017-12-01

In a project The Hastings Center is now running on the future of prenatal testing, we are encountering clear examples, both in established law and in the practices of individual providers, of failures to respect women's reproductive autonomy: when testing is not offered to certain demographics of women, for instance, or when the choices of women to terminate or continue pregnancies are prohibited or otherwise not supported. But this project also raises puzzles for reproductive autonomy. We have learned that some clinicians and patients do not discuss the fact that prenatal testing can lead to a decision about whether to terminate a pregnancy-they just don't talk about it. And while the decision whether to agree to prenatal screening and diagnostic testing is to be made with women's free and informed consent, many screening tests have been routinized in such a way that some women do not even recall agreeing to testing, while others feel that agreeing to testing is what their clinicians expect of them or that the testing is necessary to protect themselves and their families from the significant financial hardship of raising a child with a disability. In the face of these pressures, can one really say that women are freely choosing to undergo testing or are freely choosing to continue or terminate a pregnancy following receipt of test results? The reality of these pressures is requiring us to consider expanding the scope of our investigation beyond the clinical encounter to the broader context-to think harder about what reproductive autonomy means and how best to enhance it. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

Diversity in the Enteric Viruses Detected in Outbreaks of Gastroenteritis from Mumbai, Western India

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Renu Bhardwaj

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Faecal specimens collected from two outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis that occurred in southern Mumbai, India in March and October, 2006 were tested for seven different enteric viruses. Among the 218 specimens tested, 95 (43.6% were positive, 73 (76.8% for a single virus and 22 (23.2% for multiple viruses. Single viral infections in both, March and October showed predominance of enterovirus (EV, 33.3% and 40% and rotavirus A (RVA, 33.3% and 25%. The other viruses detected in these months were norovirus (NoV, 12.1% and 10%, rotavirus B (RVB, 12.1% and 10%, enteric adenovirus (AdV, 6.1% and 7.5%, Aichivirus (AiV, 3% and 7.5% and human astrovirus (HAstV, 3% and 0%. Mixed viral infections were largely represented by two viruses (84.6% and 88.9%, a small proportion showed presence of three (7.7% and 11% and four (7.7% and 0% viruses in the two outbreaks. Genotyping of the viruses revealed predominance of RVA G2P[4], RVB G2 (Indian Bangladeshi lineage, NoV GII.4, AdV-40, HAstV-8 and AiV B types. VP1/2A junction region based genotyping showed presence of 11 different serotypes of EVs. Although no virus was detected in the tested water samples, examination of both water and sewage pipelines in gastroenteritis affected localities indicated leakages and possibility of contamination of drinking water with sewage water. Coexistence of multiple enteric viruses during the two outbreaks of gastroenteritis emphasizes the need to expand such investigations to other parts of India.

Resposta de calâncoe a reguladores de crescimento

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MARCELLE MICHELOTTI BETTONI

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana é uma planta ornamental envasada de destaque na floricultura nacional. O mercado demanda que ela apresente um crescimento vigoroso, porte pequeno (máximo 21 cm de altura com, no mínimo, dez flores abertas por vaso. Para produzirem plantas de primeira qualidade, os produtores de kalanchoe utilizam reguladores vegetais inibidores da síntese de giberelina. O CCC (Cloreto de Chlormequat é um inibidor da síntese de giberelina pouco usado em kalanchoe, porém, em outras ornamentais, tem sido relacionado com a obtenção de plantas mais atrativas para o mercado consumidor, por serem mais compactas, com hastes mais fortes e folhas mais verdes. Entre os reguladores vegetais, a aplicação de citocinina tem sido relacionada com aumento do número de hastes e de botões florais. Visando a reduzir o porte e aumentar o número de flores por planta, esta pesquisa avaliou o efeito da aplicação em kalanchoe do inibidor de giberelina Tuval® (contendo 100g L-1 de CCC e do extrato da alga Ascophyllum. Nodosum (composto contendo citocinina natural, em três épocas diferentes. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que o Tuval®, nas concentrações de 1000 e 2000 mg L-1, reduziu o porte de kalanchoe; entretanto, a redução não foi suficiente para que as plantas pudessem ser consideradas como de primeira qualidade, e o efeito do extrato de A. nodosum na concentração de2000 mg L-1 associado ao CCC não ficou caracterizado.

The art of the cover.

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Nora

2017-07-01

Often, it's difficult to match up our cover artwork with the subjects of our lead articles and special reports. Of necessity, we sometimes turn to pure abstraction. How else to illustrate technical policy articles on subjects such as changing research protocols or informed consent, or abstract ideas like congruence, duality, imbalance, causality? At such times, we have to be pretty creative, and my search for cover art can be long and challenging. In the end, we hope that the reader will make the connection between cover and content. However, at other times, the subject of a lead article or special report overflows with artistic possibilities. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

Bayesian model discrimination for glucose-insulin homeostasis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Kim Emil; Brooks, Stephen P.; Højbjerre, Malene

In this paper we analyse a set of experimental data on a number of healthy and diabetic patients and discuss a variety of models for describing the physiological processes involved in glucose absorption and insulin secretion within the human body. We adopt a Bayesian approach which facilitates...... as parameter uncertainty. Markov chain Monte Carlo methods are used, combining Metropolis Hastings, reversible jump and simulated tempering updates to provide rapidly mixing chains so as to provide robust inference. We demonstrate the methodology for both healthy and type II diabetic populations concluding...... that whilst both populations are well modelled by a common insulin model, their glucose dynamics differ considerably....

MR pancreatography (MRP) for mucin-producing pancreatic tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Usuki, Noriaki; Nishimoto, Masaoki; Shima, Tomoko; Hirokawa, Keiko; Tashiro, Takahiko; Saiwai, Shigeo; Miyamoto, Takeshi; Okabe, Sumihiro

1997-01-01

MR pancreatography was performed in 11 patients with mucin-producing pancreatic tumor (main duct type: four and branch duct type: seven) using HASTE with a body phased array coil on a 1.5-T unit. The results of MR pancreatography were compared with imaging of endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP). In all cases, MR pancreatography demonstrated all dilated pancreatic ducts and cysts. ERP did not completely demonstrate dilated ducts and cysts because of mucinous materials. Conspicuity of an intraductal tumor was more excellent by ER pancreatography than MR pancreatography. Therefore MR pancreatography and ER pancreatography are complementary methods in diagnosis for mucin-producing pancreatic tumors. (author)

A brief history of the introduction of generalized ensembles to Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations

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Berg, Bernd A.

2017-03-01

The most efficient weights for Markov chain Monte Carlo calculations of physical observables are not necessarily those of the canonical ensemble. Generalized ensembles, which do not exist in nature but can be simulated on computers, lead often to a much faster convergence. In particular, they have been used for simulations of first order phase transitions and for simulations of complex systems in which conflicting constraints lead to a rugged free energy landscape. Starting off with the Metropolis algorithm and Hastings' extension, I present a minireview which focuses on the explosive use of generalized ensembles in the early 1990s. Illustrations are given, which range from spin models to peptides.

Characterization for coating processes of imidazole powders using an ultrasonic atomizer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jun Sik; Kim, Jun Ki [Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Mok Soon [Inha University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jong Hyun [Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2010-01-15

Imidazole-curing accelerator powders were coated with stearic acid to increase the pot life of anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) formulations. To accomplish an efficient coating process, the coating was tested using an ultrasonic atomizer after mixing imidazole powders with a molten coating agent. Design of experiments analysis was organized to elucidate the effect of process parameters and to determine the most crucial parameter. The final formulation incorporating well-processed imidazole loaded powders indicated longer pot life, higher shear strength, and excellent highly accelerated stress test (HAST) reliability. Results show that the coating process using an ultrasonic atomizer is effective in increasing the pot life of ACA formulations

Bayesian and Classical Estimation of Stress-Strength Reliability for Inverse Weibull Lifetime Models

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Qixuan Bi

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we consider the problem of estimating stress-strength reliability for inverse Weibull lifetime models having the same shape parameters but different scale parameters. We obtain the maximum likelihood estimator and its asymptotic distribution. Since the classical estimator doesn’t hold explicit forms, we propose an approximate maximum likelihood estimator. The asymptotic confidence interval and two bootstrap intervals are obtained. Using the Gibbs sampling technique, Bayesian estimator and the corresponding credible interval are obtained. The Metropolis-Hastings algorithm is used to generate random variates. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to compare the proposed methods. Analysis of a real dataset is performed.

Adaptive Metropolis Sampling with Product Distributions

Science.gov (United States)

Wolpert, David H.; Lee, Chiu Fan

2005-01-01

The Metropolis-Hastings (MH) algorithm is a way to sample a provided target distribution pi(z). It works by repeatedly sampling a separate proposal distribution T(x,x') to generate a random walk {x(t)}. We consider a modification of the MH algorithm in which T is dynamically updated during the walk. The update at time t uses the {x(t' less than t)} to estimate the product distribution that has the least Kullback-Leibler distance to pi. That estimate is the information-theoretically optimal mean-field approximation to pi. We demonstrate through computer experiments that our algorithm produces samples that are superior to those of the conventional MH algorithm.

Sensitivity of MRI in detecting alveolar infiltrates. Experimental studies; Sensitivitaet der MRT fuer alveolaere Infiltrate. Experimentelle Untersuchungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biederer, J.; Busse, I.; Grimm, J.; Reuter, M.; Heller, M. [Kiel Univ. (Germany). Klinikum fuer Diagnostische Radiologie; Muhle, C. [Kiel Univ. (Germany). Klinik fuer Nuklearmedizin; Freitag, S. [Kiel Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Medizinische Informatik und Statistik

2002-08-01

Purpose: An experimental study using porcine lung explants and a dedicated chest phantom to evaluate the signal intensity of artificial alveolar infiltrates with T{sub 1}- and T{sub 2}-weighted MRI sequences. Material and Methods: 10 porcine lung explants were intubated, transferred into the cavity of a MRI-compatible chest phantom and inflated by continuous evacuation of the artificial pleural space. All lungs were examined with MRI at 1.5 T before and after intra-tracheal instillation of either 100 or 200 ml gelatine-stabilised liquid to simulate alveolar infiltrates. MR-examination comprised gradient echo (2D- and 3D-GRE) and fast spin echo sequences (T{sub 2}-TSE and T{sub 2}-HASTE). The signal intensity of lung parenchyma was evaluated at representative cross sections using a standardised scheme. Control studies were acquired with helical CT. Results: The instilled liquid caused patchy confluent alveolar infiltrates resembling the findings in patients with pneumonia or ARDS. CT revealed typical ground-glass opacities. Before the application of the liquid, only T{sub 2}-HASTE and T{sub 2}-TSE displayed lung parenchyma signals with a signal/noise ratio of 3.62 and 1.39, respectively. After application of the liquid, both T{sub 2}-weighted sequences showed clearly visible infiltrates with an increase in signal intensity of approx. 30% at 100 ml (p<0.01) and 60% at 200 ml (p<0.01). With 2D- and 3D-GRE the infiltrates were not visible, although the lung parenchyma signal increase was statistically significant. On 2D-GRE the increase in signal intensity reached 0.74% (p=0.32) after 100 ml and 5.6% (p<0.01) after 200 ml for 3D-GRE: 2.2% [p=0.02] at 100 ml and 4.4% at 200 ml [p<0.001]. The CT controls revealed a significant increase of lung density of 17. H.E. at 100 ml (p=0.02) and 75 H.E. at 200 ml (p<0.01). Conclusions: MRI with T{sub 2}-weighted sequences detects artificial alveolar infiltrates with high signal intensity and may be a highly sensitive tool to

Qualidade e teores de nutrientes de palmeira-rápis em substrato com fibra de coco Quality and nutrient content of lady palm in coconut fiber substrate

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Flávia dos S Alves

2010-03-01

Full Text Available As avaliações foram realizadas em quatro substratos compostos de mistura de fibra de coco triturada (FC e substrato comercial Plantmax HT® (SC, nas proporções de 0, 25, 50 e 75% de FC, em vasos com capacidade para 35 L, em delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições e três vasos por parcela, com uma planta por vaso. A adubação das plantas foi feita alternando-se, a cada três meses, 25 g de 4-14-8 com 10 g de uréia por vaso, a partir do plantio e durante os 24 meses do período experimental. O crescimento foi avaliado medindo-se a altura da haste inicial (da base do caule à inserção da última folha completamente expandida, número de folhas da haste inicial, número de perfilhos, número de folhas dos perfilhos, altura dos perfilhos e teores de nutrientes da última folha completamente expandida da haste inicial. A qualidade foi avaliada através de análise sensorial visual, baseado nos critérios "gostei"(muito ou pouco e "compraria"(sim ou não. Não houve diferença entre os tratamentos sobre as características de crescimento, exceto para o número de folhas da haste inicial. As plantas com melhor aceitação foram aquelas cultivadas na mistura com 50% FC e 50% SC. Nenhuma das plantas apresentou sintoma visual de deficiência de nutrientes, sendo os teores foliares encontrados em plantas sadias com padrão de qualidade para comercialização de: 17,80 - 18,29 g kg-1 de N; 0,66 - 0,81 g kg-1 de NO-3; 2,02 - 2,34 g kg-1 de P; 18,11 - 20,40 g kg-1 de K; 11,63 - 13,84 g kg-1 de Cl; 2,69 - 4,04 g kg-1 de Ca; 1,61 - 2,07 g kg-1 de S; 1,98 - 2,64 g kg-1 de Mg.It was evaluated the quality and nutrient content of lady palm in four substrates made up of a mixture of shredded coconut fiber (FC and commercial substrate Plantmax HT® (SC, in proportions of 0, 25, 50 and 75% of FC, in 35 liters containers, in a randomized block experiment with four replicates and three pots per plot, with one plant per pot. The plants were

Haste makes waste but condition matters: molt rate-feather quality trade-off in a sedentary songbird.

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Csongor I Vágási

Full Text Available The trade-off between current and residual reproductive values is central to life history theory, although the possible mechanisms underlying this trade-off are largely unknown. The 'molt constraint' hypothesis suggests that molt and plumage functionality are compromised by the preceding breeding event, yet this candidate mechanism remains insufficiently explored.The seasonal change in photoperiod was manipulated to accelerate the molt rate. This treatment simulates the case of naturally late-breeding birds. House sparrows Passer domesticus experiencing accelerated molt developed shorter flight feathers with more fault bars and body feathers with supposedly lower insulation capacity (i.e. shorter, smaller, with a higher barbule density and fewer plumulaceous barbs. However, the wing, tail and primary feather lengths were shorter in fast-molting birds if they had an inferior body condition, which has been largely overlooked in previous studies. The rachis width of flight feathers was not affected by the treatment, but it was still condition-dependent.This study shows that sedentary birds might face evolutionary costs because of the molt rate-feather quality conflict. This is the first study to experimentally demonstrate that (1 molt rate affects several aspects of body feathers as well as flight feathers and (2 the costly effects of rapid molt are condition-specific. We conclude that molt rate and its association with feather quality might be a major mediator of life history trade-offs. Our findings also suggest a novel advantage of early breeding, i.e. the facilitation of slower molt and the condition-dependent regulation of feather growth.

Haste Makes Waste but Condition Matters: Molt Rate–Feather Quality Trade-Off in a Sedentary Songbird

Science.gov (United States)

Vágási, Csongor I.; Pap, Péter L.; Vincze, Orsolya; Benkő, Zoltán; Marton, Attila; Barta, Zoltán

2012-01-01

Background The trade-off between current and residual reproductive values is central to life history theory, although the possible mechanisms underlying this trade-off are largely unknown. The ‘molt constraint’ hypothesis suggests that molt and plumage functionality are compromised by the preceding breeding event, yet this candidate mechanism remains insufficiently explored. Methodology/Principal Findings The seasonal change in photoperiod was manipulated to accelerate the molt rate. This treatment simulates the case of naturally late-breeding birds. House sparrows Passer domesticus experiencing accelerated molt developed shorter flight feathers with more fault bars and body feathers with supposedly lower insulation capacity (i.e. shorter, smaller, with a higher barbule density and fewer plumulaceous barbs). However, the wing, tail and primary feather lengths were shorter in fast-molting birds if they had an inferior body condition, which has been largely overlooked in previous studies. The rachis width of flight feathers was not affected by the treatment, but it was still condition-dependent. Conclusions/Significance This study shows that sedentary birds might face evolutionary costs because of the molt rate–feather quality conflict. This is the first study to experimentally demonstrate that (1) molt rate affects several aspects of body feathers as well as flight feathers and (2) the costly effects of rapid molt are condition-specific. We conclude that molt rate and its association with feather quality might be a major mediator of life history trade-offs. Our findings also suggest a novel advantage of early breeding, i.e. the facilitation of slower molt and the condition-dependent regulation of feather growth. PMID:22808221

Tumores dermóides e epidermóides intra-espinhas

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Oscar Fontenelle Filho

1971-03-01

Full Text Available São relatados dois casos de tumores epidermóides e um de tumor dermóide, todos intrarraquianos. Este último era de localização epidural ao nível da coluna torácica (caso 3; os dois tumores epidermóides situavam-se na coluna tóraco-lombar (caso 1 e lombar (caso 2, respectivamente, sendo o primeiro intramedular e o segundo intradural. Em dois casos (casos 2 e 3 os tumores associavam-se a fístula dérmica congênita. Um paciente (caso 3 foi operado aos dois meses de idade; a descoberta do tumor deveu-se à realização da raquimanometria que revelou bloqueio, apesar do paciente não apresentar qualquer sinal neurológico de compressão medular. Os autores são de opinião que, em presença de fístula dérmica congênita ao nível da coluna vertebral, principalmente quando localizada acima do segmento lombosacro, deve-se sempre suspeitar da possibilidade do tumor epidermóide ou dermóide intrarraquiano, mesmo na ausência de sinais neurológicos. A combinação de sintomas neurológicos de longa duração, a evidência radiológica de erosão e alargamento do canal raquiano e a história de fístula dérmica congênita proporcionaram o diagnóstico pré-operatório correto no caso 2.

Reconstrucción funcional de brazo en fractura abierta III C de húmero

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M. Mendieta-Espinosa

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Las fracturas abiertas de alta energía tipo III C de Gustilo requieren un abordaje multidisciplinario en el que intervendrán distintas especialidades médicas, personal paramédico y demás profesionales de la salud, a fin de lograr una adecuada evolución del paciente y la restauración de su extremidad. La selección del procedimiento reconstructivo de cobertura dependerá de la localización y magnitud del defecto; pero se necesita una adecuada coordinación para llevar a cabo de forma oportuna la revascularización, la estabilización ósea y la cobertura de tejidos blandos que son la base de un procedimiento exitoso que prevenga la infección, favorezca la consolidación de la fractura y proteja las estructuras óseas, cartilaginosas, tendinosas y neurovasculares. Presentamos el caso de un paciente varón de 20 años de edad con fractura abierta de húmero III C según la clasificación de Gustilo, tratado con revascularización mediante colocación de injertos de vena safena a vasos braquiales, y secuencialmente, fijación intramedular de húmero y cobertura con colgajo músculo-cutáneo de dorsal ancho. Tras 10 días de estancia hospitalaria, el paciente logró una adecuada cobertura de la zona de la fractura abierta y restablecimiento de la función de flexión del codo.

CRESCIMENTO INICIAL DE GENÓTIPOS DE PINHÃO MANSO REPRODUZIDOS ASSEXUADAMENTE

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Amanda Macedo Facirolli

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 21 false false false PT-BR X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabela normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar o crescimento inicial de genótipos de pinhão manso reproduzidos via propagação assexuada. O experimento constitui-se de dezoito tratamentos (dezoito genótipos de pinhão manso dispostos em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. Avaliou-se altura de planta, diâmetro de colmo, índice de pegamento, número de hastes, número de cachos, e índice de clorofila por planta. Houve significância da interação entre os genótipos, ao nível de 1% de probabilidade para todas as características avaliadas. Os genótipo 1, 4, e 17 mostraram-se superiores sobre os demais pois apresentaram maiores número de hastes e de cachos por planta, maior diâmetro do colmo, índice de pegamento e maior índice de clorofila, podendo ser apontados como genótipos promissores para futuros programas de melhoramento genéticos.

Produtividade e Qualidade de Frutos de Melancia em Função de Alterações na Relação Fonte-Dreno

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Hamurábi Anízio Lins

2013-10-01

Full Text Available As hortaliças de frutos são cultivadas em todas as regiões do Brasil, e no nordeste, em que as condições de solo e clima favorecem o crescimento e desenvolvimento das plantas e dos frutos, o cultivo de plantas da família das Cucurbitáceas tem se destacado proporcionando a obtenção de plantas com alta produtividade e qualidade dos frutos colhidos. A melancieira é uma planta que permite várias formas de manipulação da relação entre a fonte e o dreno. Estas alterações na fonte e no dreno exercem influência na produtividade e qualidade dos frutos na colheita. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a produtividade e qualidade de frutos de melancieira em função de alterações na relação entre fonte e o dreno. No experimento os tratamentos constaram da condução da poda da haste dominante em diferentes épocas de cultivo (25, 30, 35 e 40 dias após o transplante - DAT e do número de frutos por planta (1 e 2. O experimento foi instalado no DBC em parcelas subdivididas com quatro repetições. As modificações induzidas na planta de melancieira por meio de podas e raleio de frutos proporcionaram alterações na relação fonte e dreno sendo benéfica para as características de produtividade e qualidade dos frutos. A poda da haste principal aos 35 DAT elevou a massa dos frutos e produtividade independente do número de frutos na planta. Plantas conduzidas com dois frutos proporcionaram redução na massa do fruto e dos sólidos solúveis e elevação na produtividade da cultura.

TU-F-BRF-06: 3D Pancreas MRI Segmentation Using Dictionary Learning and Manifold Clustering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gou, S; Rapacchi, S; Hu, P; Sheng, K

2014-01-01

Purpose: The recent advent of MRI guided radiotherapy machines has lent an exciting platform for soft tissue target localization during treatment. However, tools to efficiently utilize MRI images for such purpose have not been developed. Specifically, to efficiently quantify the organ motion, we develop an automated segmentation method using dictionary learning and manifold clustering (DLMC). Methods: Fast 3D HASTE and VIBE MR images of 2 healthy volunteers and 3 patients were acquired. A bounding box was defined to include pancreas and surrounding normal organs including the liver, duodenum and stomach. The first slice of the MRI was used for dictionary learning based on mean-shift clustering and K-SVD sparse representation. Subsequent images were iteratively reconstructed until the error is less than a preset threshold. The preliminarily segmentation was subject to the constraints of manifold clustering. The segmentation results were compared with the mean shift merging (MSM), level set (LS) and manual segmentation methods. Results: DLMC resulted in consistently higher accuracy and robustness than comparing methods. Using manual contours as the ground truth, the mean Dices indices for all subjects are 0.54, 0.56 and 0.67 for MSM, LS and DLMC, respectively based on the HASTE image. The mean Dices indices are 0.70, 0.77 and 0.79 for the three methods based on VIBE images. DLMC is clearly more robust on the patients with the diseased pancreas while LS and MSM tend to over-segment the pancreas. DLMC also achieved higher sensitivity (0.80) and specificity (0.99) combining both imaging techniques. LS achieved equivalent sensitivity on VIBE images but was more computationally inefficient. Conclusion: We showed that pancreas and surrounding normal organs can be reliably segmented based on fast MRI using DLMC. This method will facilitate both planning volume definition and imaging guidance during treatment

Mecanismos de abertura do sulco e da adubação nitrogenada em arroz de terras altas

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Vagner do Nascimento

2013-12-01

Full Text Available A cultura do arroz adapta-se pouco ao sistema plantio direto (SPD em razão da maior compactação da camada superficial do solo, devido ao intenso tráfego de máquinas e não mobilização do solo. Nesse caso, o mecanismo utilizado na semeadora para a abertura dos sulcos com a finalidade de deposição do adubo pode ter grande importância para facilitar a penetração das raízes e aumentar a porosidade do solo. Diante disso, propôs-se este estudo com o objetivo de avaliar o desenvolvimento e a produtividade do arroz de terras altas em sistema plantio direto, em razão de mecanismos de distribuição do adubo na semeadura e de doses de N em cobertura, em Selvíria, Mato Grosso do Sul. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualizados, utilizando-se um esquema fatorial 2 x 6, constituído por mecanismos de distribuição do adubo (haste escarificadora e disco duplo e de doses de N em cobertura (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 e 125 kg ha-1, com quatro repetições. Concluiu-se que os mecanismos de distribuição do fertilizante não interferiram na produtividade de grãos do arroz de terras altas; o mecanismo do tipo haste escarificadora promoveu maior altura de plantas e maior número de grãos cheios nos dois anos de cultivo; a aplicação de nitrogênio em cobertura interferiu em algumas características agronômicas, produtivas e em componentes de rendimento de engenho; a produtividade do arroz aumentou até a dose de 69 kg ha-1 de N, no primeiro ano de cultivo.

Evaluation of Data Retention and Imprint Characteristics of FRAMs Under Environmental Stresses for NASA Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Asbok K.; Teverovsky, Alexander; Dowdy, Terry W.; Hamilton, Brett

2002-01-01

A major reliability issue for all advanced nonvolatile memory (NVM) technology devices including FRAMs is the data retention characteristics over extended period of time, under environmental stresses and exposure to total ionizing dose (TID) radiation effects. For this testing, 256 Kb FRAMs in 28-pin plastic DIPS, rated for industrial grade temperature range of -40 C to +85 C, were procured. These are two-transistor, two-capacitor (2T-2C) design FRAMs. In addition to data retention characteristics, the parts were also evaluated for imprint failures, which are defined as the failure of cells to change from a "preferred" state, where it has been for a significant period of time to an opposite state (e.g., from 1 to 0, or 0 to 1). These 256 K FRAMs were subjected to scanning acoustic microscopy (C-SAM); 1,000 temperature cycles from -65 C to +150 C; high temperature aging at 150 C, 175 C, and 200 C for 1,000 hours; highly accelerated stress test (HAST) for 500 hours; 1,000 hours of operational life test at 125 C; and total ionizing dose radiation testing. As a preconditioning, 10 K read/write cycles were performed on all devices. Interim electrical measurements were performed throughout this characterization, including special imprint testing and final electrical testing. Some failures were observed during high temperature aging test at 200 C, during HAST testing, and during 1,000 hours of operational life at 125 C. The parts passed 10 Krad exposure, but began showing power supply current increases during the dose increment from 10 Krad to 30 Krad, and at 40 Krad severe data retention and parametric failures were observed. Failures from various environmental group testing are currently being analyzed.

TU-F-BRF-06: 3D Pancreas MRI Segmentation Using Dictionary Learning and Manifold Clustering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gou, S; Rapacchi, S; Hu, P; Sheng, K [UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2014-06-15

Purpose: The recent advent of MRI guided radiotherapy machines has lent an exciting platform for soft tissue target localization during treatment. However, tools to efficiently utilize MRI images for such purpose have not been developed. Specifically, to efficiently quantify the organ motion, we develop an automated segmentation method using dictionary learning and manifold clustering (DLMC). Methods: Fast 3D HASTE and VIBE MR images of 2 healthy volunteers and 3 patients were acquired. A bounding box was defined to include pancreas and surrounding normal organs including the liver, duodenum and stomach. The first slice of the MRI was used for dictionary learning based on mean-shift clustering and K-SVD sparse representation. Subsequent images were iteratively reconstructed until the error is less than a preset threshold. The preliminarily segmentation was subject to the constraints of manifold clustering. The segmentation results were compared with the mean shift merging (MSM), level set (LS) and manual segmentation methods. Results: DLMC resulted in consistently higher accuracy and robustness than comparing methods. Using manual contours as the ground truth, the mean Dices indices for all subjects are 0.54, 0.56 and 0.67 for MSM, LS and DLMC, respectively based on the HASTE image. The mean Dices indices are 0.70, 0.77 and 0.79 for the three methods based on VIBE images. DLMC is clearly more robust on the patients with the diseased pancreas while LS and MSM tend to over-segment the pancreas. DLMC also achieved higher sensitivity (0.80) and specificity (0.99) combining both imaging techniques. LS achieved equivalent sensitivity on VIBE images but was more computationally inefficient. Conclusion: We showed that pancreas and surrounding normal organs can be reliably segmented based on fast MRI using DLMC. This method will facilitate both planning volume definition and imaging guidance during treatment.

The Lake Charles CCS Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doug Cathro

2010-06-30

The Lake Charles CCS Project is a large-scale industrial carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project which will demonstrate advanced technologies that capture and sequester carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) emissions from industrial sources into underground formations. Specifically the Lake Charles CCS Project will accelerate commercialization of large-scale CO{sub 2} storage from industrial sources by leveraging synergy between a proposed petroleum coke to chemicals plant (the LCC Gasification Project) and the largest integrated anthropogenic CO{sub 2} capture, transport, and monitored sequestration program in the U.S. Gulf Coast Region. The Lake Charles CCS Project will promote the expansion of EOR in Texas and Louisiana and supply greater energy security by expanding domestic energy supplies. The capture, compression, pipeline, injection, and monitoring infrastructure will continue to sequester CO{sub 2} for many years after the completion of the term of the DOE agreement. The objectives of this project are expected to be fulfilled by working through two distinct phases. The overall objective of Phase 1 was to develop a fully definitive project basis for a competitive Renewal Application process to proceed into Phase 2 - Design, Construction and Operations. Phase 1 includes the studies attached hereto that will establish: the engineering design basis for the capture, compression and transportation of CO{sub 2} from the LCC Gasification Project, and the criteria and specifications for a monitoring, verification and accounting (MVA) plan at the Hastings oil field in Texas. The overall objective of Phase 2, provided a successful competitive down-selection, is to execute design, construction and operations of three capital projects: (1) the CO{sub 2} capture and compression equipment, (2) a Connector Pipeline from the LLC Gasification Project to the Green Pipeline owned by Denbury and an affiliate of Denbury, and (3) a comprehensive MVA system at the Hastings oil field.

Building test data from real outbreaks for evaluating detection algorithms.

Science.gov (United States)

Texier, Gaetan; Jackson, Michael L; Siwe, Leonel; Meynard, Jean-Baptiste; Deparis, Xavier; Chaudet, Herve

2017-01-01

Benchmarking surveillance systems requires realistic simulations of disease outbreaks. However, obtaining these data in sufficient quantity, with a realistic shape and covering a sufficient range of agents, size and duration, is known to be very difficult. The dataset of outbreak signals generated should reflect the likely distribution of authentic situations faced by the surveillance system, including very unlikely outbreak signals. We propose and evaluate a new approach based on the use of historical outbreak data to simulate tailored outbreak signals. The method relies on a homothetic transformation of the historical distribution followed by resampling processes (Binomial, Inverse Transform Sampling Method-ITSM, Metropolis-Hasting Random Walk, Metropolis-Hasting Independent, Gibbs Sampler, Hybrid Gibbs Sampler). We carried out an analysis to identify the most important input parameters for simulation quality and to evaluate performance for each of the resampling algorithms. Our analysis confirms the influence of the type of algorithm used and simulation parameters (i.e. days, number of cases, outbreak shape, overall scale factor) on the results. We show that, regardless of the outbreaks, algorithms and metrics chosen for the evaluation, simulation quality decreased with the increase in the number of days simulated and increased with the number of cases simulated. Simulating outbreaks with fewer cases than days of duration (i.e. overall scale factor less than 1) resulted in an important loss of information during the simulation. We found that Gibbs sampling with a shrinkage procedure provides a good balance between accuracy and data dependency. If dependency is of little importance, binomial and ITSM methods are accurate. Given the constraint of keeping the simulation within a range of plausible epidemiological curves faced by the surveillance system, our study confirms that our approach can be used to generate a large spectrum of outbreak signals.

Building test data from real outbreaks for evaluating detection algorithms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gaetan Texier

Full Text Available Benchmarking surveillance systems requires realistic simulations of disease outbreaks. However, obtaining these data in sufficient quantity, with a realistic shape and covering a sufficient range of agents, size and duration, is known to be very difficult. The dataset of outbreak signals generated should reflect the likely distribution of authentic situations faced by the surveillance system, including very unlikely outbreak signals. We propose and evaluate a new approach based on the use of historical outbreak data to simulate tailored outbreak signals. The method relies on a homothetic transformation of the historical distribution followed by resampling processes (Binomial, Inverse Transform Sampling Method-ITSM, Metropolis-Hasting Random Walk, Metropolis-Hasting Independent, Gibbs Sampler, Hybrid Gibbs Sampler. We carried out an analysis to identify the most important input parameters for simulation quality and to evaluate performance for each of the resampling algorithms. Our analysis confirms the influence of the type of algorithm used and simulation parameters (i.e. days, number of cases, outbreak shape, overall scale factor on the results. We show that, regardless of the outbreaks, algorithms and metrics chosen for the evaluation, simulation quality decreased with the increase in the number of days simulated and increased with the number of cases simulated. Simulating outbreaks with fewer cases than days of duration (i.e. overall scale factor less than 1 resulted in an important loss of information during the simulation. We found that Gibbs sampling with a shrinkage procedure provides a good balance between accuracy and data dependency. If dependency is of little importance, binomial and ITSM methods are accurate. Given the constraint of keeping the simulation within a range of plausible epidemiological curves faced by the surveillance system, our study confirms that our approach can be used to generate a large spectrum of outbreak

Usefulness of enteral contrast media in MR evaluation of pelvic mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hun; Kim, Jung Sik; Kim, Hong; Shon, Chul Ho; Lee, Hee Jung; Lee, Sung Moon; Woo, Sung Ku; Suh, Soo Jhi

1999-01-01

To assess the value of enteral contrast media for the evaluation of pelvic masses by MR imaging. Between April and July 1998, 16 women with pelvic masses were examined by MRI. The origin of the lesion was the ovary in twelve cases, the uterus in three, and the sigmoid in one. Using a 1.5T scanner(Magnetom Vision, Siemens), T1-weighted axial spin echo(SE), T2-weighted turbo spin echo(TSE), two dimensional fast low-angle shot(FLASH 2D), and half-Fourier TSE(HASTE) images were obtained in all patients after the administration of Magnevist Enteral (Shering, Berlin, Germany). In each MR imagine sequence, distinction between the lesion and adjacent bowel (1, not distinguished; 2, partly distinguished; 3, clearly distinguished), artifact (0, absent; 1, mild; 2, severe), image quality (1, poor; 2, fair; 3, good), were compared before and after the use of enteral contrast media. Changes in MRI impression after the use of enteral contrast media were also evaluated. Two radiologists reached a consensus after reviewing the images. Statistical significance was determined by Wilcoxon's signed ranked test. For distinguishing lesions, SE T1WI and FLASH 2D with enteral contrast media were significantly superior to SE T1WI without enteral contrast media (p < 0.05). With regard to image quality, FLASH 2D and HASTE, both with enteral contrast media, were significantly superior to SE T1WI and TSE T2WI, respectively, both without enteral contrast media (p < 0.05). Artefacts were more frequently found after the application of enteral contrast media in conventional sequences but were not present in breathhold sequences. In two patients, MRI impression changed after the application of enteral contrast media. In a limited number of cases, enteral contrast media improved lesion detection, image quality and diagnostic accuracy when breathhold fast MR imaging was applied

BRS Milena: cultivar de soja de ciclo médio de alta produtividade para o Cerrado BRS Milena: a mid-cycle high productivity soybean cultivar for the Brazilian Savannah

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

PLÍNIO ITAMAR DE M. DE SOUZA

2000-08-01

Full Text Available A produtividade da soja no Cerrado torna a região competitiva nacional e internacionalmente. Entretanto, para atingir estabilidade produtiva e aprimorar o sistema de produção de grãos, torna-se necessária a obtenção de cultivares com resistência a doenças, como o cancro-da-haste, e com ciclo menor. Como resultado dos esforços da pesquisa, selecionou-se a cultivar BRS Milena. Os resultados, em todos os testes, mostram uma elevada produtividade e estabilidade em relação às cultivares usadas como testemunhas. O número de dias para maturação a classifica como uma cultivar de ciclo médio. Apresenta altura de plantas adequada à mecanização, e à ausência de acamamento nas condições em que tem sido testada. A `BRS Milena' apresenta resistência às principais doenças da soja, tais como o cancro-da-haste, a mancha-olho-de-rã, o oídio e a pústula bacteriana.The high productivity of soybeans in the Brazilian Savannah (Cerrado has turned the region into a major grain producer, at local and international competitive levels. To achieve yield stability and improve the production systems, however, the acquisition of disease-resistant and early maturity cultivars is necessary. `BRS Milena' was selected as a result of research efforts. Results over the tests have shown it is highly productive and stable, in relation to cultivars commonly grown in the region (controls. Number of days to maturity defines it as a mid-cycle cultivar, with suitable plant height for mechanical harvest and nonlodging under the environments of testing. In addition, `BRS Milena' is resistant to the main soybean diseases, like stem cancker, frogeye leaf spot, powdery mildew and bacterial pustule.

Technical Barriers and Development of Cu Wirebonding in Nanoelectronics Device Packaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. L. Gan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Bondpad cratering, Cu ball bond interface corrosion, IMD (intermetal dielectric cracking, and uncontrolled post-wirebond staging are the key technical barriers in Cu wire development. This paper discusses the UHAST (unbiased HAST reliability performance of Cu wire used in fine-pitch BGA package. In-depth failure analysis has been carried out to identify the failure mechanism under various assembly conditions. Obviously green mold compound, low-halogen substrate, optimized Cu bonding parameters, assembly staging time after wirebonding, and anneal baking after wirebonding are key success factors for Cu wire development in nanoelectronic packaging. Failure mechanisms of Cu ball bonds after UHAST test and CuAl IMC failure characteristics have been proposed and discussed in this paper.

Understanding the agreements and controversies surrounding childhood psychopharmacology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnston Josephine

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract The number of children in the US taking prescription drugs for emotional and behavioral disturbances is growing dramatically. This growth in the use of psychotropic drugs in pediatric populations has given rise to multiple controversies, ranging from concerns over off-label use and long-term safety to debates about the societal value and cultural meaning of pharmacological treatment of childhood behavioral and emotional disorders. This commentary summarizes the authors' eight main findings from the first of five workshops that seek to understand and produce descriptions of these controversies. The workshop series is convened by The Hastings Center, a bioethics research institute located in Garrison, New York, U.S.A.

No-compromise reptation quantum Monte Carlo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuen, W K; Farrar, Thomas J; Rothstein, Stuart M

2007-01-01

Since its publication, the reptation quantum Monte Carlo algorithm of Baroni and Moroni (1999 Phys. Rev. Lett. 82 4745) has been applied to several important problems in physics, but its mathematical foundations are not well understood. We show that their algorithm is not of typical Metropolis-Hastings type, and we specify conditions required for the generated Markov chain to be stationary and to converge to the intended distribution. The time-step bias may add up, and in many applications it is only the middle of a reptile that is the most important. Therefore, we propose an alternative, 'no-compromise reptation quantum Monte Carlo' to stabilize the middle of the reptile. (fast track communication)

Molecular dynamics simulations of field emission from a planar nanodiode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torfason, Kristinn; Valfells, Agust; Manolescu, Andrei [School of Science and Engineering, Reykjavik University, Menntavegur 1, IS-101 Reykjavik (Iceland)

2015-03-15

High resolution molecular dynamics simulations with full Coulomb interactions of electrons are used to investigate field emission in planar nanodiodes. The effects of space-charge and emitter radius are examined and compared to previous results concerning transition from Fowler-Nordheim to Child-Langmuir current [Y. Y. Lau, Y. Liu, and R. K. Parker, Phys. Plasmas 1, 2082 (1994) and Y. Feng and J. P. Verboncoeur, Phys. Plasmas 13, 073105 (2006)]. The Fowler-Nordheim law is used to determine the current density injected into the system and the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm to find a favourable point of emission on the emitter surface. A simple fluid like model is also developed and its results are in qualitative agreement with the simulations.

Gender, identity, and bioethics.

Science.gov (United States)

Dietz, Elizabeth A

2016-07-01

Transgender people and issues have come to the forefront of public consciousness over the last year. Caitlyn Jenner' very public transition, heightened media coverage of the murders of transgender women of color, and the panicked passage of North Carolina's "bathroom bill" (House Bill 2), mean that conversations about transgender health and well-being are no longer happening only within small communities. The idea that transgender issues are bioethical issues is not new, but I think that increased public awareness of transgender people and the ways that their health is affected by systems that bioethics already engages with offers an opportunity for scholarship that works to improve transgender health in meaningful ways. © 2016 The Hastings Center.

Characterization of barium titanate powder doped with sodium and potassium ions by using Rietveld refining; Caracterizacao do po de titanato de bario dopado com ions sodio e potasio com o refinamento de Rietveld

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrade, M.C.; Assis, J.T.; Pereira, F.R., E-mail: mcalixto@iprj.uerj.b [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (IPRJ/UERJ), Nova Friburgo, RJ (Brazil). Instituto Politecnico; Araujo, J.C. [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FFP/UERJ), Sao Goncalo, RJ (Brazil). Fac. de Formacao de Professores; Moreira, E.L.; Moraes, V.C.A.; Lopes, A.R. [Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas (CBPF/MCT), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2009-07-01

A solid-reaction synthesis of doped barium titanate was done by employing barium carbonates, sodium, potassium and titanium oxides with classic procedures. Rietveld refining of X ray diffraction data of perovskite samples with tetragonal symmetry was applying and show good agreement. Besides, the treatment performed from 600 deg C produces nanocrystals of barium titanate with average size of 33 nm. The presence of endothermic peaks related to BaTiO{sub 3} formation at relatively low temperatures was determined by thermal analysis. A pseudo-Voigt Thompson-Cox-Hastings function was used to fit the standard samples of barium titanate. The Rietveld method has showed be efficient to detect the influences of temperature and doping on barium titanate microstructures. (author)

Characterization of barium titanate powder doped with sodium and potassium ions by using Rietveld refining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrade, M.C.; Assis, J.T.; Pereira, F.R.

2009-01-01

A solid-reaction synthesis of doped barium titanate was done by employing barium carbonates, sodium, potassium and titanium oxides with classic procedures. Rietveld refining of X ray diffraction data of perovskite samples with tetragonal symmetry was applying and show good agreement. Besides, the treatment performed from 600 deg C produces nanocrystals of barium titanate with average size of 33 nm. The presence of endothermic peaks related to BaTiO 3 formation at relatively low temperatures was determined by thermal analysis. A pseudo-Voigt Thompson-Cox-Hastings function was used to fit the standard samples of barium titanate. The Rietveld method has showed be efficient to detect the influences of temperature and doping on barium titanate microstructures. (author)

Tip 2 Diabetes Mellituslu Hastalarda Mikroalbuminüri, İnsülin Direnci ve Kardiyovasküler Risk

OpenAIRE

ERSOY, Canan; TAŞLI, Babürşah; YILDIZ, Abdülmecit; İMAMOĞLU, Şazi

2006-01-01

Son çalışmalar tip 2 diyabette mikroalbuminüri (MAU) varlığı ile hedef organ hasarları ve kardiyovasküler hastalık riski arasındaki ilişkilere yönelmişlerdir. Bu çalışmada, Tip 2 diabetes mellituslu (DM) hastalarda MAU ile glisemik kontrol, insülin direnci (İR) ve diğer kardiyovasküler risk faktörleri arasındaki ilişki değerlendirilmiştir. İnsülin gereksinimi olmayan, normal renal fonksiyonlu 29 mikroalbuminürik ve 68 normoalbuminürik tip 2 DM'lu hasta çalışmaya dahil edildi. Tüm hast...

Stable schemes for dissipative particle dynamics with conserved energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stoltz, Gabriel, E-mail: stoltz@cermics.enpc.fr

2017-07-01

This article presents a new numerical scheme for the discretization of dissipative particle dynamics with conserved energy. The key idea is to reduce elementary pairwise stochastic dynamics (either fluctuation/dissipation or thermal conduction) to effective single-variable dynamics, and to approximate the solution of these dynamics with one step of a Metropolis–Hastings algorithm. This ensures by construction that no negative internal energies are encountered during the simulation, and hence allows to increase the admissible timesteps to integrate the dynamics, even for systems with small heat capacities. Stability is only limited by the Hamiltonian part of the dynamics, which suggests resorting to multiple timestep strategies where the stochastic part is integrated less frequently than the Hamiltonian one.

„Nun sag, wie hast du‘s mit der Religion?“. Am Beispiel jugendlicher Religiosität.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilse Kögler

2014-07-01

Full Text Available ENGLISH: When Gretchen wants to know about her future beau‘s attitude to religion, Faust doesnʼt react in a traditional-denominational way. Instead his answers are religious-based. Similar ones could describe many varieties of contemporary adolescent religiosity. The article initially refers to transformations in the religious area, whose influences become noticeable in everyday denominational RE (religious education as well as in selected results of (Austrian empirical researches concerning the religiosity of young people. Following this, it outlines by what concepts of religion insights into the religiosity of adolescents are gained. Finally the relevance of „Gretchenʼs Question“ in denominational RE is shortly discussed. DEUTSCH: Wenn Gretchen ihren Faust mit der Frage nach seiner Einstellung zur Religion konfrontiert, antwortet er nicht religiös im traditionell- konfessionellen Sinn, doch immer noch in einer Art religiösen Haltung. Ähnlich könnten heute viele Formen jugendlicher Religiosität beschrieben werden. Der Artikel nennt zunächst Wandlungen im religiösen Feld, deren Einfluss sich tagtäglich im Religionsunterricht bemerkbar machen, sowie ausgewählte Ergebnisse (österreichischer empirischer Untersuchungen zur Religiosität Jugendlicher. Anschließend wird skizziert, mit welchen Bestimmungen von Religion Einsichten zur Religiosität Jugendlicher gewonnen werden, und zuletzt wird die Bedeutung der Gretchenfrage für den Religionsunterricht kurz aufgezeigt.

Uso de água residuária de origem urbana no cultivo de gérberas: efeito nos componentes de produção Wastewater use of urban origin in cultivation of gerberas: effect on production components

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salomão de S. Medeiros

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Com este trabalho, teve-se o objetivo de determinar a viabilidade de quatro lâminas de águas residuárias de origem urbana (75; 100; 125 e 150% da evapotranspiração da cultura na produção de gérbera (Gerbera jamesonni, tipo comercial Rambo, comparando-se os resultados com os obtidos por meio da adoção do manejo convencional (adubação orgânica, química e irrigação com água de abastecimento equivalente a 100% da evapotranspiração. O experimento foi realizado em casa de vegetação, na Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, de fevereiro a julho de 2006, abrangendo um ciclo completo de produção. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, com três repetições, e as variáveis monitoradas foram: número de botões florais emitidos e intervalo de emissão; número de flores colhidas e intervalo entre colheitas; diâmetro das flores e comprimento das hastes. Para as variáveis monitoradas, apenas o comprimento das hastes foi afetado significativamente pelas lâminas de água residuária aplicadas. A adoção do manejo com água residuária foi melhor que o convencional, em todas as variáveis, com exceção de comprimento das hastes, constatando-se que esse tipo de água constitui recurso importante no suprimento hídrico e de nutrientes para a cultura da gérbera, potencializando produtividade compatível ou melhor que o uso de técnicas de produção convencional.The objective of the present study was to evaluate the viability of four depths (equivalent to 75; 100; 125 and 150% of crop evapotranspiration of wastewater from urban origin in production of gerbera (Gerbera jamesonni, commercial type Rambo and contrast the results obtained with those adopting conventional management (organic and chemical manuring and irrigation with urban supply water equivalent to 100% evapotranspiration. The experiment was conducted on a greenhouse of Universidade Federal de Campina Grande - PB - Brazil, during February to July 2006

Just What Is the Disability Perspective on Disability?

Science.gov (United States)

Shakespeare, Tom

2016-05-01

In the helpful article "Why Bioethics Needs a Disability Moral Psychology," Joseph Stramondo adds to the critique of actually existing bioethics and explains why disability activists and scholars so often find fault with the arguments of bioethicists. He is careful not to stereotype either community-rightly, given that bioethicists endorse positions as disparate as utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, and feminist ethics, among others. Although Stramondo never explicitly mentions utilitarians or liberals, it seems probable that these are the main targets of his discontent. The disability community, as he concedes, is also a broad church. Yet for this reason, I do not believe that you can read off positions on bioethics questions from either disability embodiment or disability organization affiliation. © 2016 The Hastings Center.

Poland: biomedical ethics in a socialist state.

Science.gov (United States)

Szawarski, Zbigniew

1987-06-01

In one of a Hastings Center Report series of four country reports, a professor of ethics discusses the Polish approach to ethical issues in health care. Szawarski begins by outlining five factors that influence the practice of medicine in Poland: a socialist form of government, the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, an ongoing economic crisis, the legacy of the Nazi death camps, and a lack of formal instruction in biomedical ethics. He then discusses three current ethical concerns of physicians, patients, and the public: regulation of physician conduct, abortion, and in vitro fertilization. There is little formal public debate of the issues, however, and physicians seem committed to upholding traditional medical codes of ethics without analyzing underlying moral principles and justifications.

“Swedish Freemasonry in the Caribbean: How St. Barthélemy turned into an Island of the IXth Province”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Önnerfors

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Este artículo examina la organización de la masonería en San Bartolomé, sus relacion es con la Gran Logia de Suecia, su estructura y actividades. Relaciones que hast a ahora nunca han sido analizadas. El estudio se centra principalmente entre los años 1797-1807, periodo en donde abundan documentos acerca de los rituales de trabajo, la organización y las ideologías de las logias. Por último, un aporte fundame ntal de esta investigación está en que por primera son utilizadas fuentes acerca de la orden masónica sueca presentes en los archivos de la logia La Sudermanie de la capital de San Bartolomé, Gustavia.

Applications of chaos control techniques to a three-species food chain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomes, A.A.; Manica, E.; Varriale, M.C.

2008-01-01

We achieve control of deterministic chaos in an ecosystem model, involving three first-order nonlinear differential equations with a control parameter, recently proposed by Hastings and Powell (HP) in order to describe the dynamical behavior of a three-species food chain. After identifying a chaotic attractor corresponding to a particular value of the parameter of this ecological model, we locate periodic saddle orbits embedded in it. By applying the Ott-Grebogi-Yorke (OGY) method of controlling chaos, which introduces small time-dependent perturbations on the system parameter, we stabilize two of the saddle orbits. Furthermore, we check the versatility of the OGY method, as the system behavior is allowed to switch between 'no control' and 'control' about one or other of different stabilized periodic orbits

A game-theoretic formulation of the homogeneous self-reconfiguration problem

KAUST Repository

Pickem, Daniel; Egerstedt, Magnus; Shamma, Jeff S.

2015-01-01

In this paper we formulate the homogeneous two- and three-dimensional self-reconfiguration problem over discrete grids as a constrained potential game. We develop a game-theoretic learning algorithm based on the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm that solves the self-reconfiguration problem in a globally optimal fashion. Both a centralized and a fully decentralized algorithm are presented and we show that the only stochastically stable state is the potential function maximizer, i.e. the desired target configuration. These algorithms compute transition probabilities in such a way that even though each agent acts in a self-interested way, the overall collective goal of self-reconfiguration is achieved. Simulation results confirm the feasibility of our approach and show convergence to desired target configurations.

The Student Production System: A Study of Encoding Knowledge in Production Systems

Science.gov (United States)

1975-10-01

iridicatedi prphuc<Pr0d;l,r;li’?: replaCe LHS 0f prod 𔃻G inclica,edi ^serts REPLHSRprod). P(:PRHSu)rod,rhist ): replace RHS; asserts RCPRHSRprod...uirini’iv{v [ r,) » HLSn^’v: VII !• I Ml.iwi vi IAH () ■> It’ TWIMI.’ VIH If WIVlAit.) ,j UF W (ft/S^Kl) ♦ I OA’(A-;i) ■) w OCVIAVF.) » IW«.iW(WIF:) t 1...sf.PBicsitipei) » HAsrnsiwicyw) » K’.Tisriir^pqrwpai ».c»i»t PH?) * S’.l ISt ll’7(>IN((rniAl p,l)ll M v) ,,) » H,ASfxrR(ci.yuni,HAStXPP(C,’X.V7

A game-theoretic formulation of the homogeneous self-reconfiguration problem

KAUST Repository

Pickem, Daniel

2015-12-15

In this paper we formulate the homogeneous two- and three-dimensional self-reconfiguration problem over discrete grids as a constrained potential game. We develop a game-theoretic learning algorithm based on the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm that solves the self-reconfiguration problem in a globally optimal fashion. Both a centralized and a fully decentralized algorithm are presented and we show that the only stochastically stable state is the potential function maximizer, i.e. the desired target configuration. These algorithms compute transition probabilities in such a way that even though each agent acts in a self-interested way, the overall collective goal of self-reconfiguration is achieved. Simulation results confirm the feasibility of our approach and show convergence to desired target configurations.

School handbooks from yesterday to today: Thefrench example

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alain CHOPPIN

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The school handbook has been for a long time devaluated for bibliographers, archivists and even for the historian community, but durign the last decades and increasing interest hast emerged among educational and textbook historians. First of all, the author the reasons of a textbook as an important source for the historian and the motives of such an unexpected interest for this subject, and afterwards make a brief historical review of the French school edition, specially focoused to the evolution of the handbook as a pedagogical tool. He tries to enlighten the different parameters that could have been successively implicated in the concept and use of handbooks in France, joining it closely current questions (increasingly complex handbooks, incidence of advanced technologies, teacher's training.

Importance sampling of rare events in chaotic systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leitão, Jorge C.; Parente Lopes, João M.Viana; Altmann, Eduardo G.

2017-01-01

space of chaotic systems. As examples of our general framework we compute the distribution of finite-time Lyapunov exponents (in different chaotic maps) and the distribution of escape times (in transient-chaos problems). Our methods sample exponentially rare states in polynomial number of samples (in......Finding and sampling rare trajectories in dynamical systems is a difficult computational task underlying numerous problems and applications. In this paper we show how to construct Metropolis-Hastings Monte-Carlo methods that can efficiently sample rare trajectories in the (extremely rough) phase...... both low- and high-dimensional systems). An open-source software that implements our algorithms and reproduces our results can be found in reference [J. Leitao, A library to sample chaotic systems, 2017, https://github.com/jorgecarleitao/chaospp]....

Las políticas públicas y la necesidad de una verdadera política social en Venezuela

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Elys Gilbrando Mora Belandria

2002-01-01

Full Text Available El propósito de este artículo consiste en plantear algunos problemas que bloquean el camino hacia el desarrollo político y constituyen tarea urgente para el gobierno. Asimismo se trata de hacer un aporte abordando áreas estratégicas importantes en las estructuras del poder como es el caso de las políticas públicas, tal vez la más reciente e innovadora corriente de análisis presente en la Ciencia Política, incluyendo la política social como una de las exigencias de los ciudadanos frente al Estado y la democracia. Bajo este punto de vista las políticas públicas son consideradas una estrategia básica para legitimar el rendimiento del gobierno. Por último se abordan ciertos resultados de la mala política y sus efectos sobre la democracia pues, así lo entendemos, en Venezuela las tareas del gobierno en materia de políticas públicas han estado marcadas por una visión formalmente bien intencionada, pero que operativamente ha sido bloqueada por factores perturbadores como por ejemplo: la inconsistencia en la toma de decisiones, el centralismo, la corta visión para acercarse a los parámetros de una gerencia pública moderna, la excesiva politización de los trámites administrativos para emprender acciones concretas y la relación asimétrica entre el tamaño del Estado y la calidad del Estado, todo lo cual impide la realización correcta de los procedimientos para profundizar en la tarea obtener logros efectivos y eficientes en materia de política social y el avance hacia la modernización del sector público. .

Fractura de radio distal: abordaje mininvasivo con preservación del pronador cuadrado. [Distal radius fracture: minimally invasive approach with pronator quadrates preservation.

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Gabriel Clembosky

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Objetivo Describir y analizar una técnica de osteosíntesis palmar de radio distal con preservación del pronador cuadrado. Material y Métodos Se revisaron, en forma retrospectiva, 24 pacientes operados con esta técnica (16 mujeres y 8 hombres; edad promedio 65 años. Doce fracturas eran de tipo A; 7, de tipo B y 5, de tipo C. La técnica quirúrgica consiste en practicar una incisión cutánea de 25 mm y profundizar hasta observar el pronador cuadrado. Sin seccionarlo, se realiza una disección de su borde distal, a fin de introducir la placa bloqueada volar por debajo del músculo. Se colocan los tornillos distales bajo visión directa y los tornillos proximales, en forma percutánea. La evaluación posoperatoria se llevó a cabo mediante análisis clínico-funcional y radiográfico. Resultados En el último control, todos los pacientes presentaban signos clínicos y radiográficos de consolidación ósea. El puntaje en la escala DASH fue, en promedio, de 4,8. Se observó una inclinación palmar posoperatoria de la superficie articular del radio de 14,3º promedio y una inclinación radial de 26,3º promedio. No se detectaron complicaciones relacionadas con la fractura, el implante o la herida quirúrgica en ninguno de los controles posoperatorios. Conclusiones Sin bien no existe bibliografía que demuestre que la técnica mininvasiva sea superior, sostenemos que el hecho de obtener resultados similares con ambos abordajes (mininvasivo y convencional justifica llevar a cabo esta técnica con preservación del pronador cuadrado, sobre todo en los pacientes preocupados por el aspecto cosmético de la cicatriz.

Cuerpo, Emociones y Discapacidad: la experiencia de un “desahucio” vital

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Miguel Ferreyra

2014-04-01

Full Text Available La modernidad nos ha constituido como “individuos”: individuos políticos, dotados de derechos y deberes, e individuos económicos, portadores de un interés egoísta instrumental. Es una individualidad contradictoria, dado que su primera dimensión ha de orientarse hacia el bien común, lo público, y la segunda hacia el privado. Son conjugables porque, además de individuos, somos sujetos dotados de racionalidad. A través de nuestro pensamiento racional podemos evaluar y decidir a qué darle prioridad, desde una racionalidad weberiana de carácter finitista más bien que instrumental, en cada momento. Ese individuo-sujeto moderno no tiene cuerpo ni emociones, actúa bajo principios neutros, asépticos, de carácter deliberativo, es un ser abstracto dotado de voluntarismo racional. Pero lo cierto es que muchas veces no pensamos lo que hacemos. Las personas con discapacidad han quedado excluidas de esa doble imputación y revelan, desde la “desnudez” de su pura condición de personas, la fisura entre la imputación y la existencia real. Tomando como referencia dos historias de vida veremos como emerge en ellas una condición emocional y corporal en situación de “desahucio”. Suprimidos el voluntarismo y el egoísmo del individuo moderno, así como la racionalidad del sujeto moderno, las emociones quedan bloqueadas y los cuerpos manifiestan, en su condición ineficiente (no por serlo de hecho, sino habérseles adscrito dicha asignación, la precaria condición de nuestra existencia. Cuerpos y emociones, doblegados por el capitalismo neoliberal-global, a través de la discapacidad indican las claves estructurales de nuestro cotidiano sometimiento.

Cuerpo, Emociones y Discapacidad: la experiencia de un “desahucio” vital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel A. V. Ferreira

2015-05-01

Full Text Available La modernidad nos ha constituido como “individuos”: individuos políticos, dotados de derechos y deberes, e individuos económicos, portadores de un interés egoísta instrumental. Es una individualidad contradictoria, dado que su primera dimensión ha de orientarse hacia el bien común, lo público, y la segunda hacia el privado. Son conjugables porque, además de individuos, somos sujetos dotados de racionalidad. A través de nuestro pensamiento racional podemos evaluar y decidir a qué darle prioridad, desde una racionalidad weberiana de carácter finitista más bien que instrumental, en cada momento. Ese individuo-sujeto moderno no tiene cuerpo ni emociones, actúa bajo principios neutros, asépticos, de carácter deliberativo, es un ser abstracto dotado de voluntarismo racional. Pero lo cierto es que muchas veces no pensamos lo que hacemos. Las personas con discapacidad han quedado excluidas de esa doble imputación y revelan, desde la “desnudez” de su pura condición de personas, la fisura entre la imputación y la existencia real. Tomando como referencia dos historias de vida veremos cómo emerge en ellas una condición emocional y corporal en situación de “desahucio”. Suprimidos el voluntarismo y el egoísmo del individuo moderno, así como la racionalidad del sujeto moderno, las emociones quedan bloqueadas y los cuerpos manifiestan, en su condición ineficiente (no por serlo de hecho, sino por habérseles adscrito dicha asignación, la precaria condición de nuestra existencia. Cuerpos y emociones, doblegados por el capitalismo neoliberal-global, a través de la discapacidad indican las claves estructurales de nuestro cotidiano sometimiento.

Democratização e reforma do Estado: o desenvolvimento institucional dos tribunais de contas no Brasil recente Democratization and state reform: the institutional development of the courts of accounts in recent Brazil

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Maria Rita Loureiro

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Este artigo analisa as transformações das últimas décadas nos tribunais de contas no Brasil, à luz da discussão da temática do desenvolvimento institucional. Essa perspectiva analítica permite olhar os processos de mudanças nas arenas políticas, no longo prazo, enfatizando não só a resistência dos atores institucionais ou sociais com poder de veto e os mecanismos de path dependence, mas igualmente as conjunturas críticas que permitem levar adiante as transformações, mesmo que de forma incremental. No caso em estudo, a conjuntura crítica da democratização e da Constituição de 1988 trouxe mudanças, mas estas foram neutralizadas pela capacidade de veto da elite dirigente especialmente em alguns tribunais. Por outro lado, a nova conjuntura crítica representada pela Lei de Responsabilidade Fiscal, de 2000, alterou a dinâmica política e institucional, permitindo que, até muito recentemente, as mudanças que permaneciam bloqueadas começassem, a partir de então, a ser efetivadas diante da menor capacidade de exercício de tais vetos.This article analyzes the transformations of Brazilian courts of account since the democratization process occurred in the 1980s. The theoretical perspective of institutional development allows us to consider the long-term processes of political change, stressing not only the resistance of institutional and social actors, the situation of path dependence, but also the critical junctures. In this article, the changes brought by the 1988 Constitution in the courts of accounts structure were neutralized by the veto of powerful actors. Only a new critical juncture of the 2000 Fiscal Responsibility Law could alter the political and institutional dynamics and put into practice new changes in these institutions.

Efeitos de sistemas de preparo do solo na erosão e na produtividade da acácia-negra (Acacia mearnsii de Wild..

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Renato A. Dedecek

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Os plantios homogêneos de acácia-negra nem sempre são feitos em solos adequados às exigências da espécie, seja pelo valor da terra ou proximidade da indústria. Diferentes sistemas de preparo podem melhorar as condições do solo, evitar problemas de erosão e diminuir custos de implantação. Em áreas de propriedade da TANAGRO S.A e da SETA S.A., nos municípios de Piratini e Butiá, RS, em dois tipos de solos distintos - Neossolo Litólico e Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo, foram testados sistemas de preparo do solo com diferentes níveis de movimentação para plantio de acácia-negra: plantio de mudas em covas e plantio após subsolagens com duas, três e cinco hastes e uso de gradagens. Foram avaliados o crescimento em DAP e altura, anualmente, e produção de biomassa aérea no corte raso. Os solos foram caracterizados química e fisicamente em seus horizontes superficiais. Nas plantas, após sete anos, foram coletadas amostras de discos em seis posições no tronco para avaliação das densidades básicas. Preparo do solo com subsolador de cinco hastes apresentou maiores perdas de solo, que foram mensuráveis apenas até 18 meses após o plantio. Essas perdas de solo são extremamente importantes na sustentabilidade da produção do Neossolo Litólico, composto em 80% de calhaus e cascalho. O preparo reduzido do solo, com a abertura de covas manual e mecanicamente para plantio da acácia negra, não diminuiu o crescimento das plantas em ambos os solos estudados. No entanto, o desenvolvimento inicial das plantas de acácia negra, plantadas em sistema de preparo reduzido, foi mais lento (altura e DAP, defasagem que permaneceu até os 24 meses após o plantio.

An Introduction to Thinking about Trustworthy Research into the Genetics of Intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Parens, Erik; Appelbaum, Paul S

2015-01-01

The advent of new technologies has rekindled some hopes that it will be possible to identify genetic variants that will help to explain why individuals are different with respect to complex traits. At least one leader in the development of "whole genome sequencing"-the Chinese company BGI-has been quite public about its commitment to using the technique to investigate the genetics of intelligence in general and high intelligence in particular. Because one needs large samples to detect the small effects associated with small genetic differences in the sequence of those base pairs, to make headway with the new sequencing technologies, one also needs to enlist much larger numbers of study participants than geneticists have enrolled before. In an effort to increase the size of a sample, one team of researchers approached the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University. They wanted to gain access to records concerning participants in CTY's ongoing Study of Exceptional Talent, and they wanted to approach those individuals to see if they would be willing to share samples of their DNA. We agreed that CTY's dilemma about whether to give the researchers access to those records raised larger questions about the ethics of research into the genetics of intelligence, and we decided to hold a workshop at The Hastings Center that could examine those questions. Our purpose was to create what, borrowing from Sarah Richardson, we came to call a "transformative conversation" about research into the genetics of general cognitive ability-a conversation that would take a wide and long view and would involve a diverse group of stakeholders, including both people who have been highly critical of the research and people who engage in it. This collection of essays, which grew out of that workshop, is intended to provide an introduction to and exploration of this complex and important area. © 2015 The Hastings Center.

SME should Know"More Haste,Less Speed"%中小企业营销忌拔苗助长

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

刘根

2013-01-01

There are many manifestations of destructive enthusiasm of small and medium-sized enterprises' marketing, which has big harms, deserves alert. Small and medium-sized enterprises' marketing should return to primitive, achieve that make the consumers as the center, gradually form the marketing style, launch marketing in a planned way. To suppress destructive enthusiasm, we must improve the small medium-sized enterprises' growth environment, strengthen leaders' marketing quality, perfect marketing decision-making mechanism, build marketing warning system.%　　中小企业营销拔苗助长的表现形式多样，危害大，值得警惕。中小企业营销应回归本原，做到以消费者为中心，逐步形成营销风格，有计划开展营销。要遏制中小企业营销拔苗助长行为，应改善中小企业成长环境，增强中小企业领导者营销素质，完善营销决策机制，建立营销预警制度。

La Locura y el Buen Sentir de Don Quijote de la Mancha.

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Adolfo de Francisco Zea

2005-10-01

La identidad de Alonso Quijano fue trazada borrosamente por Cervantes en la primera parte de su magistral novela. Tan sólo representa la imagen de uno de tantos hidalgos de una aldea española del siglo XVI: un hombre sencillo, bueno por antonomasia, “de complexión recia, seco de carnes, enjuto de rostro, gran madrugador y amigo de la caza”, y un lector fervoroso en sus horas de ocio y hastío que sólo llega a alcanzar con plenitud su identidad absoluta cuando tiene el vigor de transformarse en caballero andante de otros tiempos, en el Caballero de la Triste Figura como le llamó Sancho, en el valiente Caballero de la aventura de los leones, o simplemente en Don Quijote...

Bioethics and Populism: How Should Our Field Respond?

Science.gov (United States)

Solomon, Mildred Z; Jennings, Bruce

2017-03-01

Across the world, an authoritarian and exclusionary form of populism is gaining political traction. Historically, some populist movements have been democratic and based on a sense of inclusive justice and the common good. But the populism on the rise at present speaks and acts otherwise. It is challenging constitutional democracies. The polarization seen in authoritarian populism goes beyond the familiar left-right political spectrum and generates disturbing forms of extremism, including the so-called alternative right in the United States and similar ethnic and nationalistic political movements in other countries. The field of bioethics will be profoundly affected if authoritarian populism displaces constitutional democracy. But the field has a significant contribution to make to rebuilding the communal and civic foundations upon which constitutional democracy rests. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

Doğrusal ivmelendirici cihazlarının NCRP–151 raporuna göre zırhlanması

OpenAIRE

ÇATAK, Mehmet Nuri

2012-01-01

   Bu tez çalışmasında, ALARA (gerekçeli olarak verilebilecek en düşük doz) ilkesine uygun olarak zırhlanan doğrusal hızlandırıcı (Linac)  cihazları için kullanılan malzemeler ve zırhlama hesaplamaları hakkında bilgi verilmiştir. 

   Zırhlama hesaplamaları, Electa Synergy cihazı için yapılmıştır. 18 MV’lik x-ışınları için kabul edilen iş yükü; her haftada 5 gün, her günde 8 saat, her 8 saatte 20 hasta ve her hast...

Hamiltonian Markov Chain Monte Carlo Methods for the CUORE Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Sensitivity

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Eleanor; Cuore Collaboration

2017-09-01

The CUORE experiment is a large-scale bolometric detector seeking to observe the never-before-seen process of neutrinoless double beta decay. Predictions for CUORE's sensitivity to neutrinoless double beta decay allow for an understanding of the half-life ranges that the detector can probe, and also to evaluate the relative importance of different detector parameters. Currently, CUORE uses a Bayesian analysis based in BAT, which uses Metropolis-Hastings Markov Chain Monte Carlo, for its sensitivity studies. My work evaluates the viability and potential improvements of switching the Bayesian analysis to Hamiltonian Monte Carlo, realized through the program Stan and its Morpho interface. I demonstrate that the BAT study can be successfully recreated in Stan, and perform a detailed comparison between the results and computation times of the two methods.

Quasiparticle explanation of ``weak thermalization'' regime under quench in a non-integrable quantum spin chain

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Cheng-Ju; Motrunich, Olexei

Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis provides one picture of thermalization in a quantum system by looking at individual eigenstates. However, it is also important to consider how local observables reach equilibrium values dynamically. Quench protocol is one of the settings to study such questions. A recent numerical study [Banuls, Cirac, and Hastings, Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 050405 (2011)] of a nonintegrable quantum Ising model with longitudinal field under such quench setting found different behaviors under different initial quantum states. One particular case termed ``weak thermalization'' regime showed apparently persistent oscillations of some observables. Here we provide an explanation of such oscillations. We use perturbation theory near the ground state of the model, and identify the oscillation frequency as the quasiparticle mass. With this quasiparticle picture, we can then address the long-time behavior of the oscillations.

Bayesian estimation of the hydraulic and solute transport properties of a small-scale unsaturated soil column

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moreira Paulo H. S.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In this study the hydraulic and solute transport properties of an unsaturated soil were estimated simultaneously from a relatively simple small-scale laboratory column infiltration/outflow experiment. As governing equations we used the Richards equation for variably saturated flow and a physical non-equilibrium dual-porosity type formulation for solute transport. A Bayesian parameter estimation approach was used in which the unknown parameters were estimated with the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC method through implementation of the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. Sensitivity coefficients were examined in order to determine the most meaningful measurements for identifying the unknown hydraulic and transport parameters. Results obtained using the measured pressure head and solute concentration data collected during the unsaturated soil column experiment revealed the robustness of the proposed approach.

80 aastat tagasi : Detsember 1927 / Mati Märtin

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Märtin, Mati

2007-01-01

Muusikasündmustest 80 aastat tagasi: Pidulikul jumalateenistusel 11. dets. Tallinna Jaani kirikus kõlas Händeli oratoorium "Messias" koguduse koori, Estonia orkestri ja solistide L. Talviku, A. Kivisilla, H. Kubu ja K. Viitoli esituses (juhatas Enn Võrk, orelil August Topman), 18. dets. Tallinna Toomkirikus esinesid meeskoor ja organist A. Topman, 4. dets. Estonia kontserdisaalis tähistati Oleviste kiriku muusikajuhi Valter Sewighi 25aastast muusikalise tegevuse juubelit, kus esinesid Oleviste laulukoor ja Tallinna Saksa Meeslaulu Ühing Valter Sewighi juhatusel (esitati F. Liszti oratoorium "Legend Pühast Elisabethist"), 13. dets. korraldas Tallinna Loomakaitse Selts kontsert-jumalateenistuse Tallinna Püha-Vaimu kirikus, 11. dets. tähistati Jüri kiriku aastapäeva kontsert-jumalateenistusega, kus esinesid ühendkoorina Rae, Lagedi ja Lehmja laulukoorid (juhatas H. Mets) ja organist Paul Pressnikoff

Smart Contracting: A Multidisciplinary and Proactive Approach for the EU Digital Single Market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Solarte-Vásquez María Claudia

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Smart contracting (SC is a proactive proposal to operationalize the relational contract theory for the upgrade and improvement of legally relevant exchange. The dynamic institutional environment of the European Union (EU is a suitable framework for this proposal. SC addresses the interests of the business management, law and information technology practices with a perspective of influence in digital exchange, communication processes and other human and human-machine interactions. This position paper restates the advantages of the concept by highlighting the practical transition pathway SC offers to moderate the growing haste towards the embeddedness of exchange in automated and distributed models. This theoretical contribution supports the systematization of the proactive and legal design research field, and explains the characterization, operationalization and specification of the SC concept.

Rendimento do milho em diferentes condições físicas de solo e quantidade de resíduo na ausência ou na presença de irrigação Corn response in different physical conditions of soil and amount soil cover residues with or without irrigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Osmar Conte

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Visando avaliar o efeito do tráfego de máquinas, da profundidade de atuação da haste sulcadora de adubo e da quantidade de resíduos presentes na superfície do solo sobre o desempenho do milho, com e sem irrigação, foi conduzido um experimento, em semeadura direta, sobre um Argissolo Vermelho Distrófico. O delineamento foi de blocos casualizados (DBC, com 36 parcelas, sendo 18 irrigadas e 18 sem irrigação. Os tratamentos consistiram de seis doses de resíduos de aveia preta consorciada com ervilhaca (0, 2, 4, 5, 6 e 8Mg ha-1, duas profundidades teóricas de atuação da haste sulcadora de adubo da semeadora (6 e 12cm e duas condições de tráfego de máquinas (trator e colhedora, sendo enquadrados numa análise trifatorial com três repetições. A semeadura do milho foi realizada em 10 de dezembro de 2005, com densidade de 62.000 sementes por hectare. A adubação usada foi de 400kg ha-1 da formulação NPK 5-20-20 e duas aplicações de nitrogênio, totalizando 180kg ha-1. Foram avaliados o rendimento de grãos, a população e a matéria seca de raízes. Tanto a população de plantas, quanto o rendimento de grãos do milho, foram influenciados pela presença ou não de irrigação. A profundidade de atuação das hastes sulcadoras não interferiu em nenhumas das variáveis avaliadas no milho. A condição de tráfego de rodado afetou a produtividade e a população de plantas.This study evaluates the effect of machine traffic, soil mobilization, soil cover by crop residues and water supply on corn under no tillage on a Paleudult. Machine traffic intensity, working depth of driller shank furrow opener for fertilizer deposition and amount of residues covering the soil surface, with and without irrigation, were evaluated. The experimental design used was split plot, with 36 plots being 18 with irrigation and 18 without irrigation. The treatments were quantities (0, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8Mg ha-1 of black oats (Avena strigosa and vetch

Lithothamnium calcareum no tratamento de osteotomia experimental em coelhos (Oryctolagus cuniculus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.S. Ucrós

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Avaliaram-se os efeitos da suplementação com Lithothamnium calcareum na consolidação de osteotomia experimental em coelhos, por meio de exames radiográfico e histológico. Utilizaram-se 10 coelhos machos da raça Nova Zelândia, de quatro a cinco meses de idade, com massa corporal média de 2,5kg, os quais foram submetidos à osteotomia do terço médio da tíbia direita e à fixação interna com dois pinos intramedulares. Os coelhos foram distribuídos aleatoriamente em dois grupos experimentais (A e B com cinco animais cada. O grupo A recebeu diariamente dieta contendo 0,75% de L. calcareum, e o grupo B constituiu o controle sem tratamento adicional à fixação da osteotomia. A evolução clínica ocorreu sem intercorrências. As radiografias foram realizadas antes do estudo e em intervalos de 15 dias até o final do experimento, e a histologia foi realizada aos 60 dias. As avaliações radiográficas permitiram acompanhar a evolução do processo de consolidação que ocorreu em todos os casos. Histologicamente, verificou-se consolidação completa em todos os animais do grupo B (controle e em 75% do grupo A. Dos resultados pode-se concluir que, embora tenha ocorrido a consolidação clínica e a radiográfica aos 60 dias em todos os casos, histologicamente o grupo-controle (B foi melhor, mostrando que o organismo sadio não necessita de estímulo para o processo de reparação óssea. Novas pesquisas devem ser realizadas para avaliar o efeito da suplementação mineral em animais portadores de deficiências nutricionais.

The neighborhood MCMC sampler for learning Bayesian networks

Science.gov (United States)

Alyami, Salem A.; Azad, A. K. M.; Keith, Jonathan M.

2016-07-01

Getting stuck in local maxima is a problem that arises while learning Bayesian networks (BNs) structures. In this paper, we studied a recently proposed Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampler, called the Neighbourhood sampler (NS), and examined how efficiently it can sample BNs when local maxima are present. We assume that a posterior distribution f(N,E|D) has been defined, where D represents data relevant to the inference, N and E are the sets of nodes and directed edges, respectively. We illustrate the new approach by sampling from such a distribution, and inferring BNs. The simulations conducted in this paper show that the new learning approach substantially avoids getting stuck in local modes of the distribution, and achieves a more rapid rate of convergence, compared to other common algorithms e.g. the MCMC Metropolis-Hastings sampler.

Bayesian phylogeny analysis via stochastic approximation Monte Carlo

KAUST Repository

Cheon, Sooyoung

2009-11-01

Monte Carlo methods have received much attention in the recent literature of phylogeny analysis. However, the conventional Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms, such as the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, tend to get trapped in a local mode in simulating from the posterior distribution of phylogenetic trees, rendering the inference ineffective. In this paper, we apply an advanced Monte Carlo algorithm, the stochastic approximation Monte Carlo algorithm, to Bayesian phylogeny analysis. Our method is compared with two popular Bayesian phylogeny software, BAMBE and MrBayes, on simulated and real datasets. The numerical results indicate that our method outperforms BAMBE and MrBayes. Among the three methods, SAMC produces the consensus trees which have the highest similarity to the true trees, and the model parameter estimates which have the smallest mean square errors, but costs the least CPU time. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Religious voices in biotechnology: the case of gene patenting.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanson, M J

1999-01-01

On 18 May 1995, nearly 200 religious leaders joined with leading biotechnology critic Jeremy Rifkin in a press conference named the "Joint Appeal against Human and Animal Patenting," a move that many within the biotechnology industry could only interpret as seeking to inhibit biotechnological advance. What moral and religious concerns motivated this challenge to patenting? How could the biotechnology industry understand and respectfully attend to these concerns? What values were at play in the debates that followed the joint appeal? What lessons for future dialogue can be learned from attempts at conversation between the opposing positions? This essay is a report from a Hastings Center research project that accepted the task of addressing these questions. Specifically, the project focused on the patenting of human genetic material, a subset of the issues raised by the joint appeal.

Podridão em cravo causada por Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora no Brasil.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irene M. G. Almeida

2000-05-01

Full Text Available De fevereiro a abril de 1999, coletaram-se estacas e mudas de cravo (Dianthus caryophyllus em propriedades dos municípios paulistas de Atibaia e Santo Antônio de Posse. Esse material apresentava sintomas caracterizados por não-emissão de raízes ou por podridão de raízes, colo e folhas basais, diferindo daqueles da doença denominada "slow wilt" e dos de escurecimento de vasos e necrose na região do colo, haste e folhas, já relatados em cravo. A partir de material com tais sintomas, isolaram-se bactérias, caracterizadas, mediante testes bioquímicos, culturais, fisiológicos e de patogenicidade, como Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora. Trata-se do primeiro relato desse patógeno em cravo no Brasil.

A Bayesian Analysis of Unobserved Component Models Using Ox

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Charles S. Bos

2011-05-01

Full Text Available This article details a Bayesian analysis of the Nile river flow data, using a similar state space model as other articles in this volume. For this data set, Metropolis-Hastings and Gibbs sampling algorithms are implemented in the programming language Ox. These Markov chain Monte Carlo methods only provide output conditioned upon the full data set. For filtered output, conditioning only on past observations, the particle filter is introduced. The sampling methods are flexible, and this advantage is used to extend the model to incorporate a stochastic volatility process. The volatility changes both in the Nile data and also in daily S&P 500 return data are investigated. The posterior density of parameters and states is found to provide information on which elements of the model are easily identifiable, and which elements are estimated with less precision.

Magnetic resonance studies of intercalation compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, G.R.

1990-01-01

During the last three or four years, nearly tow hundred papers have been published that used NMR or ESR spectroscopy to study compounds formed by the intercalation of molecules or ions into the van der Waals gap of a layered hast compound. The host lattices have ranged from the simple, such as graphite, to the complex, such as clay. In many cases, magnetic resonance techniques now enable one to obtain quite detailed information on even fairly complex intercalated species, on the nature of the changes in the host lattice accompanying intercalation, and on the nature of the interactions between the intercalant species and the host lattice. Magnetic resonance is used in conunction with many other techniques to obtain a fuller picture of these interesting systems, but this review will limit its focus to the use of NMR and ESR techniques. (author). 51 refs

Magnetic resonance imaging of placenta accreta

Science.gov (United States)

Varghese, Binoj; Singh, Navdeep; George, Regi A.N; Gilvaz, Sareena

2013-01-01

Placenta accreta (PA) is a severe pregnancy complication which occurs when the chorionic villi (CV) invade the myometrium abnormally. Optimal management requires accurate prenatal diagnosis. Ultrasonography (USG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the modalities for prenatal diagnosis of PA, although USG remains the primary investigation of choice. MRI is a complementary technique and reserved for further characterization when USG is inconclusive or incomplete. Breath-hold T2-weighted half-Fourier rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE) and balanced steady-state free precession imaging in the three orthogonal planes is the key MRI technique. Markedly heterogeneous placenta, thick intraplacental dark bands on half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE), and disorganized abnormal intraplacental vascularity are the cardinal MRI features of PA. MRI is less reliable in differentiating between different degrees of placental invasion, especially between accreta vera and increta. PMID:24604945

Magnetic resonance imaging of placenta accreta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varghese, Binoj; Singh, Navdeep; George, Regi A.N; Gilvaz, Sareena

2013-01-01

Placenta accreta (PA) is a severe pregnancy complication which occurs when the chorionic villi (CV) invade the myometrium abnormally. Optimal management requires accurate prenatal diagnosis. Ultrasonography (USG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the modalities for prenatal diagnosis of PA, although USG remains the primary investigation of choice. MRI is a complementary technique and reserved for further characterization when USG is inconclusive or incomplete. Breath-hold T2-weighted half-Fourier rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE) and balanced steady-state free precession imaging in the three orthogonal planes is the key MRI technique. Markedly heterogeneous placenta, thick intraplacental dark bands on half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE), and disorganized abnormal intraplacental vascularity are the cardinal MRI features of PA. MRI is less reliable in differentiating between different degrees of placental invasion, especially between accreta vera and increta

Reproductive technology: in Britain, the debate after the Warnock Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillon, Raanan

1987-06-01

Gillon contributes an article on Great Britain to the Hastings Center Report series on reproductive technologies outside the United States. In 1984 the Warnock Committee's report represented the first attempt by a national government to formulate a policy on reproductive issues such as artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, surrogate mothers, and research on human embryos. Reaction to the Warnock report has focused on its recommendations to ban commercial surrogacy and to allow experimentation on embryos up to 14 days after fertilization. Legislation on surrogacy was passed in 1985, while bills banning embryo research failed in 1986. A 1986 government consultation paper called for discussion of other aspects of the Warnock report, including its recommendation that a statutory licensing authority to regulate reproductive technologies be established. Gillon predicts that no new legislation will be enacted under the present government.

[Mourning and depression, from the attachment theory perspective].

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfberg, Elsa; Ekboir, Alberto; Faiman, Graciela; Finzi, Josefina; Freedman, Margarita; Heath, Adela; Martínez de Cipolatti, María C

2011-01-01

Since depression, according to OMS, is such a worldwide condition, it is necessary to be able to distinguish a normal mourning from a pathological mourning and a depression, so as to qualify patients and health professionals to be able to support a normal mourning without medicating it nor hurrying (hasting) it, as well as being able to treat a depression adequately when it appears as a complication. Attachment theory focuses on mourning after loss with notions such as 1- acceptance of search for the lost person as a normal fact; 2- that mourning in children may have non-pathological outcomes; 3- that a non-processed mourning may be transmitted in an intergenerational way, and 4- also defines which elements may determine a pathological mourning or a depression. A clinical case is presented with an analysis of these notions.

Genetic Information, the Principle of Rescue, and Special Obligations.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, S Matthew; Mackenzie, Jordan

2018-05-01

In "Genetic Privacy, Disease Prevention, and the Principle of Rescue," Madison Kilbride argues that patients have a duty to warn biological family members about clinically actionable adverse genetic findings. The duty does not stem from the special obligations that we may have to family members, she argues, but rather follows from the principle of rescue, which she understands as the idea that one ought to prevent, reduce, or mitigate the risk of harm to another person when the expected harm is serious and the cost or risk to oneself is sufficiently moderate. We doubt, however, whether the principle of rescue can ground a duty to warn in the cases Kilbride envisages, and we suggest that Kilbride may have underappreciated the role that special obligations could play in generating a duty to warn family members. © 2018 The Hastings Center.

A Robust Non-Gaussian Data Assimilation Method for Highly Non-Linear Models

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Elias D. Nino-Ruiz

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we propose an efficient EnKF implementation for non-Gaussian data assimilation based on Gaussian Mixture Models and Markov-Chain-Monte-Carlo (MCMC methods. The proposed method works as follows: based on an ensemble of model realizations, prior errors are estimated via a Gaussian Mixture density whose parameters are approximated by means of an Expectation Maximization method. Then, by using an iterative method, observation operators are linearized about current solutions and posterior modes are estimated via a MCMC implementation. The acceptance/rejection criterion is similar to that of the Metropolis-Hastings rule. Experimental tests are performed on the Lorenz 96 model. The results show that the proposed method can decrease prior errors by several order of magnitudes in a root-mean-square-error sense for nearly sparse or dense observational networks.

Fetal magnetic resonance imaging: indications, technique, anatomical considerations and a review of fetal abnormalities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ertl-Wagner, Birgit [Department of Radiology, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377 Munich (Germany); Present address: Institute of Clinical Radiology, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377 Munich (Germany); Lienemann, Andreas; Reiser, Maximilian F. [Department of Radiology, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377 Munich (Germany); Strauss, Alexander [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377 Munich (Germany)

2002-08-01

Fetal MR imaging often poses a diagnostic challenge for the radiologist. Both fetal anatomy and pathology differ decidedly from pediatric and adult MR imaging. While ultrasound remains the method of choice for screening examinations of the fetus, MR imaging is playing an increasingly important role in the detection and classification of malformations not diagnosable by ultrasonography alone. Recently, advances in fast single-shot MR sequences have allowed high-resolution, high-quality imaging of the moving fetus. Preferable sequences to be applied are a true fast imaging steady precession (true-FISP) or a half-Fourier acquired single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) sequence. Premedication is generally no longer required. In all fetal MR imaging, every aspect of fetal anatomy has to be scrutinized. Subsequently, any abnormalities need to be described and classified. A close collaboration with the referring obstetrician is of paramount importance. (orig.)

Application of a Bayesian algorithm for the Statistical Energy model updating of a railway coach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sadri, Mehran; Brunskog, Jonas; Younesian, Davood

2016-01-01

into account based on published data on comparison between experimental and theoretical results, so that the variance of the theory is estimated. The Monte Carlo Metropolis Hastings algorithm is employed to estimate the modified values of the parameters. It is shown that the algorithm can be efficiently used......The classical statistical energy analysis (SEA) theory is a common approach for vibroacoustic analysis of coupled complex structures, being efficient to predict high-frequency noise and vibration of engineering systems. There are however some limitations in applying the conventional SEA...... the performance of the proposed strategy, the SEA model updating of a railway passenger coach is carried out. First, a sensitivity analysis is carried out to select the most sensitive parameters of the SEA model. For the selected parameters of the model, prior probability density functions are then taken...

A sampling algorithm for segregation analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henshall John

2001-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Methods for detecting Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL without markers have generally used iterative peeling algorithms for determining genotype probabilities. These algorithms have considerable shortcomings in complex pedigrees. A Monte Carlo Markov chain (MCMC method which samples the pedigree of the whole population jointly is described. Simultaneous sampling of the pedigree was achieved by sampling descent graphs using the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. A descent graph describes the inheritance state of each allele and provides pedigrees guaranteed to be consistent with Mendelian sampling. Sampling descent graphs overcomes most, if not all, of the limitations incurred by iterative peeling algorithms. The algorithm was able to find the QTL in most of the simulated populations. However, when the QTL was not modeled or found then its effect was ascribed to the polygenic component. No QTL were detected when they were not simulated.

No haste, more taste: An EMA study of the effects of stress, negative and positive emotions on eating behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Reichenberger, Julia; Kuppens, Peter; Liedlgruber, Michael; Wilhelm, Frank H; Tiefengrabner, Martin; Ginzinger, Simon; Blechert, Jens

2018-01-01

Stress and emotions alter eating behavior in several ways: While experiencing negative or positive emotions typically leads to increased food intake, stress may result in either over- or undereating. Several participant characteristics, like gender, BMI and restrained, emotional, or external eating styles seem to influence these relationships. Thus far, most research relied on experimental laboratory studies, thereby reducing the complexity of real-life eating episodes. The aim of the present study was to delineate the effects of stress, negative and positive emotions on two key facets of eating behavior, namely taste- and hunger-based eating, in daily life using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Furthermore, the already mentioned individual differences as well as time pressure during eating, an important but unstudied construct in EMA studies, were examined. Fifty-nine participants completed 10days of signal-contingent sampling and data were analyzed using multilevel modeling. Results revealed that higher stress led to decreased taste-eating which is in line with physiological stress-models. Time pressure during eating resulted in less taste- and more hunger-eating. In line with previous research, stronger positive emotions went along with increased taste-eating. Emotional eating style moderated the relationship between negative emotions and taste-eating as well as hunger-eating. BMI moderated the relationship between negative as well as positive emotions and hunger-eating. These findings emphasize the importance of individual differences for understanding eating behavior in daily life. Experienced time pressure may be an important aspect for future EMA eating studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Haste makes waste: accelerated molt adversely affects the expression of melanin-based and depigmented plumage ornaments in house sparrows.

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Csongor I Vágási

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Many animals display colorful signals in their integument which convey information about the quality of their bearer. Theoretically, these ornaments incur differential production and/or maintenance costs that enforce their honesty. However, the proximate mechanisms of production costs are poorly understood and contentious in cases of non-carotenoid-based plumage ornaments like the melanin-based badge and depigmented white wing-bar in house sparrows Passer domesticus. Costly life-history events are adaptively separated in time, thus, when reproduction is extended, the time available for molt is curtailed and, in turn, molt rate is accelerated.We experimentally accelerated the molt rate by shortening the photoperiod in order to test whether this environmental constraint is mirrored in the expression of plumage ornaments. Sparrows which had undergone an accelerated molt developed smaller badges and less bright wing-bars compared to conspecifics that molted at a natural rate being held at natural-like photoperiod. There was no difference in the brightness of the badge or the size of the wing-bar.These results indicate that the time available for molt and thus the rate at which molt occurs may constrain the expression of melanin-based and depigmented plumage advertisements. This mechanism may lead to the evolution of honest signaling if the onset of molt is condition-dependent through the timing of and/or trade-off between breeding and molt.

Sistemas de tutoramento e condução do tomateiro visando produção de frutos para consumo in natura Tomato plant staking and training systems for fresh fruit production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno G. Marim

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Os sistemas de tutoramento e condução influem no desenvolvimento da planta do tomateiro e na qualidade do fruto produzido. Para avaliar a influência de três sistemas de tutoramento e dois de condução da planta do tomateiro na produção classificada de frutos comercializáveis, foram conduzidos dois experimentos, de agosto a dezembro/1999 (exp. 1 e de 2000 (exp. 2 em Viçosa (MG. O delineamento foi em blocos ao acaso com três repetições, no esquema fatorial 3x2, tutoramento e condução, respectivamente. Avaliaram-se os seguintes métodos de tutoramento: T1, tradicional (V invertido, T2, triangular e T3, vertical e duas formas de condução, com uma e duas hastes por planta. Independentemente do tratamento, as plantas foram podadas acima do sexto cacho. Observaram-se diferenças entre os sistemas de tutoramento, condução e entre os anos de cultivo em relação às características avaliadas, sendo que ocorreu interação entre estes efeitos apenas para as características produção de frutos comercializáveis e produção total. O tutoramento vertical proporcionou aumento na produção de frutos de tamanho grande e diminuição na produção de frutos de tamanho médio e frutos não comercializáveis, quando comparado com os outros métodos de tutoramento. Independentemente do sistema de tutoramento, o tomateiro cultivado com uma haste produziu mais frutos de tamanho grande, de maior valor comercial, enquanto as plantas conduzidas com duas hastes produziram mais frutos de tamanho médio e pequeno.The main reason for staking and training tomato plants is to keep plants and fruits off the ground to reduce losses and to improve the quality of the production. To evaluate the influence of three plant staking and two training systems of the tomato production for fresh market, two experiments were conducted during the period of August 1999 (exp.1 and 2000 (exp.2 in Viçosa, Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized complete block

Produção e qualidade de rosas em razão de doses de boro aplicadas no substrato

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Luiz Antônio Zanão Júnior

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Muitos trabalhos têm demonstrado os efeitos da aplicação do boro (B em variadas culturas; entretanto, poucos registros demonstram seus efeitos na produção de rosas. Objetivou-se com este experimento avaliar os efeitos de doses de B na produção e qualidade de rosas (Rosa hybrida cv. Shiny Terrazza® em vaso. Os tratamentos foram cinco doses de B (0, 1, 4, 8 e 16 mg kg-1, aplicadas no substrato, em delineamento de blocos casualizados, com cinco repetições. Foram avaliados: número de flores por planta; número de folhas por haste floral; produção de matéria seca de raízes, folhas e flores; altura da planta; número de dias para o florescimento; comprimento do botão floral; e diâmetro e longevidade floral. Além disso, foram determinados os teores foliares de clorofila total e B e os sintomas de toxidez desse elemento. Verificou-se efeito significativo das doses de B na maioria das variáveis avaliadas, excetuando-se a altura das plantas, o número de flores por planta, a longevidade floral e a produção de matéria seca de raízes. O teor foliar de B aumentou linearmente em função das doses desse elemento. Houve incremento na produção e qualidade das flores com a aplicação do B, com redução do número de dias para o florescimento. Foram verificados sintomas de toxidez causado pelo B a partir da dose de 4 mg kg-1. Esses sintomas foram caracterizados por manchas do tipo encharcamento, iniciando nas margens do limbo foliar, com essas evoluindo para clorose e posterior necrose; na maior dose ocorreu queda de folhas. Essa queda foi responsável pela diminuição do número de folhas por haste no final do ciclo, a partir da dose de 8 mg kg-1 de B. As plantas com sintomas de toxidez apresentaram teores foliares de B acima de 200 mg kg-1, enquanto as sadias (controle, de 65 a 89 mg kg-1.

Projeto de aterramento para sistema monofilar com retorno pelo terra Grounding project for single wire earth return system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Humberto C Bertolo

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho apresenta o projeto de aterramento elétrico para Sistema Monofilar com Retorno pela Terra (MRT, em solicitações de baixas frequências, utilizando-se o método das imagens e considerando a simplificação do método dos potenciais constantes. Simulou-se o comportamento de três diferentes configurações de aterramento: hastes em triângulo, em quadrado vazio e para nove hastes, formando uma malha com quatro quadrados. A partir da simulação obtiveram-se o valor da resistência de aterramento para cada configuração e os potenciais gerados na superfície do solo. Com base nesses resultados foi possível comparar os valores tabelados para resistências mínimas, em função da potência do transformador, aplicados para diferentes concessionárias de energia que utilizam o Sistema MRT, com os valores calculados que mantêm os potenciais no solo em níveis seguros para seres humanos e animais. Os resultados mostraram que é possível utilizar aterramentos mais simples e mais baratos, pois os gradientes de tensões no solo se mantiveram em níveis seguros.This work presents a grounding project for a Single Wire Earth Return (SWER system in low frequency applications, through the use of the image method, a simplification of the constant potential method. The responses of three different grounding configurations were simulated: electrodes in triangular format, electrodes placed in the corners of a square and nine electrodes placed in the corners of a grid with four squares. With the mentioned simulation it was possible to calculate the ground resistance and the surface voltage of each configuration. Based on these results, it was possible to compare the values for minimal resistance, depending on the power of the transformer, applied to various power utilities that use the SWER system with the values that hold the potential in the soil at safe levels for human beings and animals. Results showed that it is possible to use simpler and

Ideias versus redes sociais: ativismo à distância na Inglaterra do século XVIII Ideas versus social networks: long-distance activism in eighteenth-century England

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Peter Stamatov

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Quais são as fontes históricas das mobilizações em torno de questões distantes - uma característica típica da modernidade? Este artigo examina a dinâmica social que produziu os primeiros casos de campanhas sustentadas em torno de questões distantes na Grã-Bretanha do século XVIII. O surgimento dessas campanhas é muitas vezes entendido como determinado pela ascensão nesse período de novas ideologias de compaixão humanitária. Para testar o papel dessas ideologias, comparo dois conjuntos de campanhas: o impeachment de Warrant Hastings por Edmund Burke e a série de mobilizações religiosas iniciada com o movimento contra o tráfico de escravos colonial. Embora ambos os conjuntos fossem impulsionados por idiomas culturais de preocupação humanitária semelhantes, a iniciativa de Burke falhou em produzir engajamento popular e as campanhas religiosas foram capazes de mobilizar amplas audiências de apoiadores. Essa diferença surpreendente destaca a importância das redes associativas religiosas para o surgimento dos primeiros casos modernos de mobilização em torno de questões distantes.What are the historical sources for mobilizations around distant issues - one of the characteristic features of modernity? This article examines the social dynamics that led to the first sustained campaigns on distant issues in late eighteenth-century Britain. Their emergence is often understood to have been determined by the rise of new ideologies of humanitarian compassion during the period. To test the role of these ideologies, I compare two sets of campaigns: Edmund Burke's impeachment of Warrant Hastings and the series of religious mobilizations initiated with the movement against the colonial slave trade. While both campaigns were driven by similar cultural idioms of humanitarian concern, Burke's initiative failed to produce popular engagement, while the religious campaigns were able to mobilize wide groups of public supporters. This striking

Post-harvest longevity of Oncidium varicosum (Orchidaceae flowers/ Longevidade pós-colheita de flores de Oncidium varicosum (Orchidaceae

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Ricardo Tadeu Faria

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Oncidium varicosum from the Orchidaceae family has been widely used as pot flower, and, most recently, as cut flower. The objective of this work was to evaluate the longevity of the Oncidium varicosum, due to its low post-harvest resistance, after being conditioned in preservation solutions with different concentrations of sucrose. Oncidium varicosum stems grown in Holambra (SP were transported to Londrina (PR in climatized trucks at 5-7oC. Pre-treatment with pulsing (15% sucrose for 24 hours followed by conditioning in maintenance solution (1, 2, 3, and 4% of sucrose as well as conditioning in maintenance solution without pre-treatment were evaluated. Flower stems were distributed in an entirely casualized design, with ten treatments and five replications. Flowers were evaluated daily, using a score system developed to compare and verify the conservation of visual aspects. No treatment was superior to the control in maintaining the longevity of the flowers.A orquídea Oncidium varicosum é bastante utilizada como flor de vaso e atualmente vem se destacando como flor de corte. Devido sua baixa resistência pós-colheita, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a longevidade de Oncidium varicosum após o acondicionamento em soluções conservantes com diferentes concentrações de sacarose. As hastes de Oncidium varicosum, produzidas em Holambra (SP, foram transportadas para Londrina (PR em caminhão climatizado a 5-7°C. Foram avaliadas a utilização de prétratamento com “pulsing” (15% de sacarose por 24 horas seguido de acondicionamento em solução de manutenção (1, 2, 3 e 4% de sacarose e o acondicionamento em solução de manutenção sem prétratamento. As hastes florais foram distribuídas em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com dez tratamentos e cinco repetições. As avaliações das flores foram diárias, sob critério de notas definido para comparar e verificar a conservação dos aspectos visuais. Nenhum dos tratamentos

A world without Roe: how different would it be?

Science.gov (United States)

Glendon, M A

1989-01-01

In anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (3 Jul 1989), this issue of the Hastings Center Report includes articles by Glendon, M. Mahowald, and N. Rhoden under the unifying title "Abortion: searching for common ground." Each author acknowledges the polarization of public and political opinion after the Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, and seeks to establish a common ground in the abortion debate upon which a regulatory structure could be built. Glendon, author of the monograph Abortion and Divorce in Western Law: American Failures, European Challenges (Harvard; 1987), describes Roe as the most permissive abortion law in the industrializled West. She suggests that the United States might look to European laws as models where experience has shown that political compromise is possible when regulating abortion in countries where public opinion on the issue is deeply divided.

Magnetic resonance imaging of placenta accreta

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Binoj Varghese

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Placenta accreta (PA is a severe pregnancy complication which occurs when the chorionic villi (CV invade the myometrium abnormally. Optimal management requires accurate prenatal diagnosis. Ultrasonography (USG and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI are the modalities for prenatal diagnosis of PA, although USG remains the primary investigation of choice. MRI is a complementary technique and reserved for further characterization when USG is inconclusive or incomplete. Breath-hold T2-weighted half-Fourier rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE and balanced steady-state free precession imaging in the three orthogonal planes is the key MRI technique. Markedly heterogeneous placenta, thick intraplacental dark bands on half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE, and disorganized abnormal intraplacental vascularity are the cardinal MRI features of PA. MRI is less reliable in differentiating between different degrees of placental invasion, especially between accreta vera and increta.

[Nutrition habits of students of University of Economics in Wroclaw].

Science.gov (United States)

Kowalska, Anna

2010-01-01

The aim of a paper was an assessment of Wroclaw University of Economics students nutritional habits. Purposeful sample group selection was opted in this surrey. The method Ch2 was used to analyses questionnaire data. Obtained results confirm, that most of student don't nourish properly. Irregular breakfast before leaving home is the most frequent incorrectness, as well as irregular second breakfast or resignation from second breakfast at work or on classes breaks. Dinners consumption for large group of polled was irregular too. Lack of proper nutrition habits among young people is the cause of this state. Young people haste and limited finance causing that most of polled. Students consume only one course meal, mostly preparing by themselves. Basic foodstuffs i.e. meat, fishes, poultry, dairy products and fruits and vegetables or more often. Large group of students (especially women) declared eating sweets to often.

Groundhog Day for Medical Artificial Intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

London, Alex John

2018-05-01

Following a boom in investment and overinflated expectations in the 1980s, artificial intelligence entered a period of retrenchment known as the "AI winter." With advances in the field of machine learning and the availability of large datasets for training various types of artificial neural networks, AI is in another cycle of halcyon days. Although medicine is particularly recalcitrant to change, applications of AI in health care have professionals in fields like radiology worried about the future of their careers and have the public tittering about the prospect of soulless machines making life-and-death decisions. Medicine thus appears to be at an inflection point-a kind of Groundhog Day on which either AI will bring a springtime of improved diagnostic and predictive practices or the shadow of public and professional fear will lead to six more metaphorical weeks of winter in medical AI. © 2018 The Hastings Center.

The case for conserving oil resources: the fundamentals of supply and demand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynolds, D.B.

2000-01-01

This article summarises the evidence for an oil price shock and argues that oil producers, both OPEC and non-OPEC, need to cut back oil production more, in order to conserve oil for the future and to avert sudden extreme movements in oil prices in the next five-to-ten years. Four physical fundamentals determine long-run changes in oil prices: supply, demand, technology and substitutes. We show that supply, technology and substitutes are limited and demand is growing strongly. As demand pushes against supply, prices will rise rapidly. It would be better to conserve oil now, in order to have a smoother transition to higher-priced oil in the future. In addition, oil is such a valuable resource for the worlds economies in general, that we should conserve it for future generations. The world, in its haste for economic growth, should support OPEC conservation efforts. (author)

Mass Shootings, Mental Illness, and Gun Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Philpott-Jones, Sean

2018-03-01

In the wake of the Stoneman Douglas School shooting, Republican and Democratic leaders-like the American electorate they represent-remain sharply divided in their responses to gun violence. They are united in their condemnation of these mass shootings, but they disagree about whether stricter or looser gun control laws are the answer. Those on the right side of the political aisle suggest that the issue is one of mental illness rather than gun control. Conversely, those who are more liberal or progressive in their political learnings are quick to condemn attempts to reframe the issue of mass shootings as a mental health problem. Both sides are wrong. Mass shootings are indeed partially a mental health problem, albeit one poorly addressed by our current laws and policies. But the solution to mass shootings also needs to consider strategies that may reduce gun violence in general. © 2018 The Hastings Center.

Markov Chain Monte Carlo from Lagrangian Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Shiwei; Stathopoulos, Vasileios; Shahbaba, Babak; Girolami, Mark

2015-04-01

Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) improves the computational e ciency of the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm by reducing its random walk behavior. Riemannian HMC (RHMC) further improves the performance of HMC by exploiting the geometric properties of the parameter space. However, the geometric integrator used for RHMC involves implicit equations that require fixed-point iterations. In some cases, the computational overhead for solving implicit equations undermines RHMC's benefits. In an attempt to circumvent this problem, we propose an explicit integrator that replaces the momentum variable in RHMC by velocity. We show that the resulting transformation is equivalent to transforming Riemannian Hamiltonian dynamics to Lagrangian dynamics. Experimental results suggests that our method improves RHMC's overall computational e ciency in the cases considered. All computer programs and data sets are available online (http://www.ics.uci.edu/~babaks/Site/Codes.html) in order to allow replication of the results reported in this paper.

Relics, miracles and furta sacra: A contribution to the study of Serbo-Bulgarian relations in the 1230s

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marjanović-Dušanić Smilja

2009-01-01

's lifetime, the holy body of Sava, who passed away shortly afterwards, joined the most highly treasured relics of the Second Bulgarian Empire deposited in the church of the Forty Martyrs. The decision of Bulgarian tsar John II Asen to have Sava buried in his own foundation dedicated to the Forty Martyrs seems to have conveyed unequivocal symbolic messages. Not only that the hagiographer uses the topos of Christ-like haste, a quality of the ideal ruler, to depict the tsar's devout haste (to have Sava's tomb built in stone and marked with imperial insignia but he also employs the device of connecting the tsar's actions with the well-established pattern of the ruler standing firm in the faith of Christ to build an imago pietatis as well known and required in that particular place in the text. The latter obviously helps the holy remains-referred to in both hagiographies much before the reference to the revelation of hero's sanctity through the elevation of his incorrupt body-to obtain the status of relic. In that respect, the power of sepulchral dust constitutes a distinctive feature of Sava's sanctity-it testifies to the miraculous power of the place itself even after the body was removed, continuing until the ban placed on Sava's cult after the death of John Asen (1241. The ultimate proof of sanctity is the discovery of the incorrupt body after its elevatio. That is exactly what happened, after the holy one himself had appeared in the tsar's dream prompting the translation and thus the elevation of the body from the first grave. The apparition of the holy one in the form of 'a terrifying vision' came as a consequence of the request made by the Serbian side: king Vladislav, the tsar's son-in-law, had come to Tirnovo to solicit Sava's return to Serbia. As the Bulgarian side was unwilling to part with the prestigious relics, preparations for their translation began clandestinely and in great haste. To describe the events that ensued, Domentijan, the writer of the earlier of Sava

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BURNOUT SYNDROME IN INTERNAL MEDICINE RESIDENTS, THEIR REPORT OF THE SUBOPTIMAL CARE PRACTICES AND PATIENTS’ REPORT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ISABEL CASTAÑO

2006-10-01

Full Text Available This investigation pretended to establish the association between the Burnout Syndrome in internal medicine residents,the report of their sub optimal medical practices and the report of their hospitalized patients in charge, by using amultitrait-multimethod with a concurrent design that allows the research of two objects in the same investigation withconvergent results. The translated version by Moreno (2004 of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI and the semistructured interview were used in medical residents, and a questionnaire to patients based on the scales proposed byMcKinley, Manku-Scott, Hastings, French and Baker (1997 in their research. The results showed no associationbetween the Burnout Syndrome and the report of the sub optimal practices from residents and patients. On thecontrary, it was found a significant association between the communication category and the report of patients. Finally,suggestions are formulated for improvements of these sub optimal practices and complementary studiesare proposed.

The root cause of ability and inability to assemble and install components using written manual with or without diagrams among non-native English speakers: Root cause analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Shukri, S. Ahmad; Millar, R.; Gratton, G.; Garner, M.; Noh, H. Mohd

2017-12-01

Documentation errors and human errors are often claimed to be the contributory factors for aircraft maintenance mistakes. This paper highlights the preliminary results of the third phase of a four-phased research on communication media that are utilised in an aircraft maintenance organisation. The second phase has looked into the probability of success and failure in completing a task by 60 subjects while in this third phase, the same subjects have been interviewed immediately after completing the task by using Root Cause Analysis (RCA) method. It is discovered that the root cause of their inability to finish the task while using only written manual is the absence of diagrams. However, haste is identified to be the root cause for the incompletion of the task when both manual and diagram are given to the participants. It is observed that those who are able to complete the task is due to their reference to both manual and diagram, simultaneously.

Health Disparities among LGBT Older Adults and the Role of Nonconscious Bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Foglia, Mary Beth; Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I

2014-09-01

This paper describes the significance of key empirical findings from the recent and landmark study Caring and Aging with Pride: The National Health, Aging and Sexuality Study (with Karen I. Fredriksen-Goldsen as the principal investigator), on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender aging and health disparities. We will illustrate these findings with select quotations from study participants and show how nonconscious bias (i.e., activation of negative stereotypes outside conscious awareness) in the clinical encounter and health care setting can threaten shared decision-making and perpetuate health disparities among LGBT older adults. We recognize that clinical ethicists are not immune from nonconscious bias but maintain that they are well situated to recognize bias and resulting injustice by virtue of their training. Further, we discuss how clinical ethicists can influence the organization's ethical culture and environment to improve the quality and acceptability of health care for LGBT older adults. © 2014 by The Hastings Center.

Coercivity enhancement of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets by chemical bath deposition of TbCl{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Shuai, E-mail: gshuai@nimte.ac.cn; Zhang, Xiaofeng; Ding, Guangfei; Chen, Renjie; Yan, Aru [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Application Technology, Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Lee, Don [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio 45469 (United States)

2014-05-07

The chemical bath deposition (CBD) and the grain boundary diffusion method were combined to diffuse the heavy rare earth for obtain the thick magnets with high coercivity and low heavy rare earth. The jet mill powders were soaked into the alcohol solution of 0.2 wt. % TbCl{sub 3}. A thin layer of TbCl{sub 3} was wrapped to the surface of (PrNd){sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B powder particles. The coercivity of magnet is increased from 11.89 kOe to 14.72 kOe without significant reduction of remanence after grain boundary diffusion in the sintering and the annealing processes. The temperature coefficients of the remanence and the coercivity are improved by the substitution of PrNd by Tb in the surface of grains. The highly accelerated temperature/humidity stress test (HAST) results indicate that the CBD magnet has poor corrosion resistance, attributing to the present of Cl atoms in the grain boundaries.

Research with Pregnant Women: New Insights on Legal Decision-Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Mastroianni, Anna C; Henry, Leslie Meltzer; Robinson, David; Bailey, Theodore; Faden, Ruth R; Little, Margaret O; Lyerly, Anne Drapkin

2017-05-01

U.S. researchers and scholars often point to two legal factors as significant obstacles to the inclusion of pregnant women in clinical research: the Department of Health and Human Services' regulatory limitations specific to pregnant women's research participation and the fear of liability for potential harm to children born following a pregnant woman's research participation. This article offers a more nuanced view of the potential legal complexities that can impede research with pregnant women than has previously been reflected in the literature. It reveals new insights into the role of legal professionals throughout the research pathway, from product conception to market, and it highlights a variety of legal factors influencing decision-making that may slow or halt research involving pregnant women. Our conclusion is that closing the evidence gap created by the underrepresentation and exclusion of pregnant women in research will require targeted attention to the role of legal professionals and the legal factors that influence their decisions. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

A new species of freshwater eel-tailed catfish of the genus Tandanus (Teleostei: Plotosidae) from coastal rivers of mid-northern New South Wales, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Welsh, Stuart A.; Jerry, Dean R.; Burrows, Damien; Rourke, Meaghan L.

2017-01-01

Tandanus bellingerensis, new species, is described based on specimens from four river drainages (Bellinger, Macleay, Hastings, and Manning rivers) of the mid-northern coast of New South Wales, Australia. Previously, three species were recognized in the genus Tandanus: T. tropicanus of the wet tropics region of northeast Queensland, T. tandanus of the Murray-Darling drainage and coastal streams of central-southern Queensland and New South Wales, and T. bostocki of southwestern Western Australia. The new species is distinguished from all congeners by a combination of the following morphologic characters: a high count of rays in the continuous caudodorsal and anal fins (range 153–169, mode 159), a high count of gill rakers on the first arch (range 35–39, mode 36), and strongly recurved posterior serrae of the pectoral-fin spine. Additionally, results from previously conducted genetic studies corroborate morphologic and taxonomic distinctness of the new species.

Cervical cancer. Application of MR imaging in brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebe, Kazuyu; Matsunaga, Naofumi

1996-01-01

For the purpose of application of MRI in arrangement of brachytherapy of cervical cancer, a method was proposed to see the radiation doses in surrounding tissues by superimposing the dose distribution pattern of the radiation source on the MR image. The applicator for the source was filled with water to get its T2-weighted image and was inserted in the patients. The MRI apparatus was Siemens Magnetom Vision (1.5T) with phased array coil. T2-weighted sagittal and coronary images were taken by turbospin echo and HASTE methods. The section thickness was 5 mm. The dose distribution pattern was superimposed on the frontal and lateral images by Siemens Mevaplan to see the doses in surrounding tissues. In 4 patients, it was possible to estimate the radiation dose in the posterior wall of bladder, anterior wall of rectum and urinary duct. The method is promising for arranging brachytherapy of cervical cancer. (K.H.)

Parallelization Experience with Four Canonical Econometric Models Using ParMitISEM

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Nalan Baştürk

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the parallel computing implementation of the MitISEM algorithm, labeled Parallel MitISEM. The basic MitISEM algorithm provides an automatic and flexible method to approximate a non-elliptical target density using adaptive mixtures of Student-t densities, where only a kernel of the target density is required. The approximation can be used as a candidate density in Importance Sampling or Metropolis Hastings methods for Bayesian inference on model parameters and probabilities. We present and discuss four canonical econometric models using a Graphics Processing Unit and a multi-core Central Processing Unit version of the MitISEM algorithm. The results show that the parallelization of the MitISEM algorithm on Graphics Processing Units and multi-core Central Processing Units is straightforward and fast to program using MATLAB. Moreover the speed performance of the Graphics Processing Unit version is much higher than the Central Processing Unit one.

System for quantitative measurements of methane emission from dairy cattle in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hellwing, Anne Louise Frydendahl; Lund, Peter; Johannes, Maike

the chamber air. The system constitutes of four chambers, flow meters and gas sensors for measuring methane, oxygen and carbon dioxide. The outside measurements of chambers are approximately 1.45 * 3.9 * 2.45 meters. Inside there is a platform to give the cows a comfortable laying area, space for feeding bin......, water bowl and draining of urine and faeces. The air flow out of the chambers can be controlled individually by a motor controller. The outlet is in the top of the chambers through a filter box to reduce the dust content before the flow meter (Teledyne Hastings, delivered by Columbus instruments, Ohio......, USA), which can measure flow rates up to 3000 standard liters per minute. After the air has passed the flow meter an air sample is drawn. A manifold, drying system, oxygen sensor, carbon dioxide sensor, methane sensor, and data program for management were delivered by Columbus instruments (Ohio, USA...

Bioethics and "Rightness".

Science.gov (United States)

Frank, Arthur W

2017-03-01

If bioethics seeks to affect what people do and don't do as they respond to the practical issues that confront them, then it is useful to take seriously people's sense of rightness. Rightness emerges from the fabric of a life-including the economy of its geography, the events of its times, its popular culture-to be what the sociologist Pierre Bourdieu calls a predisposition. It is the product of a way of life and presupposes continuing to live that way. Rightness is local and communal, holding in relationship those who share the same predisposing sense of how to experience. Rightness is an embodied way of evaluating what is known to matter and choosing among possible responses. Bioethics spends considerable time on what people should do and on the arguments that support recommended actions. It might spend more time on what shapes people's sense of the rightness of what they feel called to do. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

A high Reliability Module with Thermoelectric Device by Molding Technology for M2M Wireless Sensor Network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagawa, K; Tanaka, T; Suzuki, T

2014-01-01

This paper presents the fabrication of a new energy harvesting module that used the thermoelectric device (TED) by using molding technology. The output voltage per heater temperature of the TED module at 20 °C ambient temperature is 8mV/K and similar to the result with the aluminium heat sink which is almost the same fin size as the TED module. The accelerated environmental tests are performed on damp heat test that is an aging test under high temperature and high humidity, cold test and highly accelerated temperature and humidity stress test (HAST) for the purpose of evaluating the electrical reliability in harsh environments. Every result of tests indicates that the TED and circuit board can be properly protected from harsh temperature and humidity by using molding technology, because the output voltage of after tested modules is reduced by less than 5%.This study presents a novel fabrication method for a high reliability TED-installed module appropriate for Machine to Machine wireless sensor networks

Ending DACA Has Pragmatic and Ethical Implications for U.S. Health Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaidi, Danish; Kuczewski, Mark

2017-11-01

In 2012, Loyola University Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine became the first medical school in the United States to actively recruit and accept undocumented immigrants who received protections granted under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that was established by presidential memorandum. By 2016, sixty-one medical schools were considering applications from DACA recipients for admission, and more than 110 students applied. According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, sixty-five DACA recipients matriculated in U.S. medical schools in the 2016-2017 school year. These students contribute both diversity and talent to our medical community; they could also have a significant impact on the care of underserved and immigrant populations. The recent decision by the Trump administration to rescind DACA therefore comes with serious pragmatic and ethical ramifications, impeding our medical community's efforts to develop a diverse and representative workforce committed to improving access to quality care for all patients. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

Foreign Relations.

Science.gov (United States)

De La Hoz, Alejandro; Díaz, Eduardo; Feinstein, Max Moses

2017-05-01

In a large Colombian teaching hospital, a fifty-five-year-old woman complaining of stomach pain is examined by a foreign-exchange medical student from the United States. Speaking in Spanish, the student elicits a medical history that suggests a possible recurrence of gallstones, but nothing further. Upon discussing the patient's case in private with the attending physician, the student is shocked to learn that the patient is suffering from terminal, metastatic gastric cancer but is unaware of her diagnosis. The attending physician explains that the patient's husband instructed the health care providers not to tell the patient what her diagnosis is. The medical student feels uncomfortable withholding the diagnosis from the patient. The thought of disclosure feels equally uncomfortable, however, as it would mean contradicting the instructions of the attending physician at the host hospital as well as violating what the student suspects, but is not sure, may be acceptable medical practice in Colombia. How should the medical student proceed? © 2017 The Hastings Center.

Organ Transplantation and the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act: A Fifty-Year Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadler, Blair L; Sadler, Alfred M

2018-03-01

Fifty years ago this summer, the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act was adopted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and approved by the American Bar Association. The UAGA has provided a sound and stable legal platform on which to base an effective nationwide organ donation system. The cardinal principles of altruism, autonomy, and public trust are still important. At a time when confidence and trust in our government and many private institutions has declined, maintaining trust and confidence in our health care system and its commitment to "first, do no harm" has never been more important. Any policies that override these core ethical principles could cause irreparable damage to the public's faith in our transplant system. While progress has been made to increase organ registration and the number of organs transplanted, much more must be done to realize the potential of life-saving therapy without jeopardizing ethical principles. © 2018 The Hastings Center.

Bayesian uncertainty quantification for flows in heterogeneous porous media using reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo methods

KAUST Repository

Mondal, A.

2010-03-01

In this paper, we study the uncertainty quantification in inverse problems for flows in heterogeneous porous media. Reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms (MCMC) are used for hierarchical modeling of channelized permeability fields. Within each channel, the permeability is assumed to have a lognormal distribution. Uncertainty quantification in history matching is carried out hierarchically by constructing geologic facies boundaries as well as permeability fields within each facies using dynamic data such as production data. The search with Metropolis-Hastings algorithm results in very low acceptance rate, and consequently, the computations are CPU demanding. To speed-up the computations, we use a two-stage MCMC that utilizes upscaled models to screen the proposals. In our numerical results, we assume that the channels intersect the wells and the intersection locations are known. Our results show that the proposed algorithms are capable of capturing the channel boundaries and describe the permeability variations within the channels using dynamic production history at the wells. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Empirical study of the GARCH model with rational errors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Ting Ting; Takaishi, Tetsuya

2013-01-01

We use the GARCH model with a fat-tailed error distribution described by a rational function and apply it to stock price data on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. To determine the model parameters we perform Bayesian inference to the model. Bayesian inference is implemented by the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm with an adaptive multi-dimensional Student's t-proposal density. In order to compare our model with the GARCH model with the standard normal errors, we calculate the information criteria AIC and DIC, and find that both criteria favor the GARCH model with a rational error distribution. We also calculate the accuracy of the volatility by using the realized volatility and find that a good accuracy is obtained for the GARCH model with a rational error distribution. Thus we conclude that the GARCH model with a rational error distribution is superior to the GARCH model with the normal errors and it can be used as an alternative GARCH model to those with other fat-tailed distributions

Optimal timing for managed relocation of species faced with climate change

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald Madden, Eve; Runge, Michael C.; Possingham, Hugh P.; Martin, Tara G.

2011-01-01

Managed relocation is a controversial climate-adaptation strategy to combat negative climate change impacts on biodiversity. While the scientific community debates the merits of managed relocation1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12, species are already being moved to new areas predicted to be more suitable under climate change13,14. To inform these moves, we construct a quantitative decision framework to evaluate the timing of relocation in the face of climate change. We find that the optimal timing depends on many factors, including the size of the population, the demographic costs of translocation and the expected carrying capacities over time in the source and destination habitats. In some settings, such as when a small population would benefit from time to grow before risking translocation losses, haste is ill advised. We also find that active adaptive management15,16 is valuable when the effect of climate change on source habitat is uncertain, and leads to delayed movement.

Even an old technique is suitable in the molecular world of science: the everted sac preparation turns 60 years old.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, Kirk L

2014-04-15

An old proverb states "necessity is the mother of invention." This certainly holds true in science as one pursues research questions. Experimental techniques have evolved as scientists have asked more specific research questions. Indeed, techniques such as the Ussing chamber, the perfused renal tubule preparation, patch-clamp, polymerase chain reaction, and site-directed mutagenesis have been developed over the past 60 years. However, sometimes, simple techniques may be useful and still very informative, and this certainly applies to intestinal physiology. Indeed, Gerald Wiseman and Thomas Hastings Wilson described the intestinal everted sac preparation some 60 years ago. Since then, this technique has been used for numerous research purposes including determining ion, amino acid, water and solute transport across the intestinal epithelium; and drug metabolism, absorption, and interactions in pharmaceutical/pharmacological research and even in education. This article provides a historical review of the development of the in vitro intestinal preparation that led to the everted sac preparation and its use in science.

Finite element model updating of concrete structures based on imprecise probability

Science.gov (United States)

Biswal, S.; Ramaswamy, A.

2017-09-01

Imprecise probability based methods are developed in this study for the parameter estimation, in finite element model updating for concrete structures, when the measurements are imprecisely defined. Bayesian analysis using Metropolis Hastings algorithm for parameter estimation is generalized to incorporate the imprecision present in the prior distribution, in the likelihood function, and in the measured responses. Three different cases are considered (i) imprecision is present in the prior distribution and in the measurements only, (ii) imprecision is present in the parameters of the finite element model and in the measurement only, and (iii) imprecision is present in the prior distribution, in the parameters of the finite element model, and in the measurements. Procedures are also developed for integrating the imprecision in the parameters of the finite element model, in the finite element software Abaqus. The proposed methods are then verified against reinforced concrete beams and prestressed concrete beams tested in our laboratory as part of this study.

Searching for massive black hole binaries in the first Mock LISA Data Challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cornish, Neil J; Porter, Edward K

2007-01-01

The Mock LISA Data Challenge is a worldwide effort to solve the LISA data analysis problem. We present here our results for the massive black hole binary (BBH) section of round 1. Our results cover challenge 1.2.1, where the coalescence of the binary is seen, and challenge 1.2.2, where the coalescence occurs after the simulated observational period. The data stream is composed of Gaussian instrumental noise plus an unknown BBH waveform. Our search algorithm is based on a variant of the Markov chain Monte Carlo method that uses Metropolis-Hastings sampling and thermostated frequency annealing. We present results from the training data sets where we know the parameter values a priori and the blind data sets where we were informed of the parameter values after the challenge had finished. We demonstrate that our algorithm is able to rapidly locate the sources, accurately recover the source parameters and provide error estimates for the recovered parameters

Osteoma osteoide no osso ilíaco: relato de dois casos Osteoid osteoma in the iliac bone: report on two cases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elmano de Araújo Loures

2012-04-01

Full Text Available O osteoma osteoide é um tumor benigno do osso que se apresenta geralmente com dor noturna em adultos jovens, aliviada por repouso e salicilatos. Pode acometer qualquer osso, mas sua ocorrência no ilíaco é infrequente. Os autores descrevem dois casos de osteoma osteoide intramedular, localizado junto à articulação sacroilíaca, com sintomas que simulavam dor ciática e cujo diagnóstico se deu de forma tardia, apesar de o exame radiológico inicial mostrar lesão esclerótica em ambos os casos. O diagnóstico foi ratificado por tomografia computadorizada e o tratamento proposto foi a ressecção em bloco da lesão, com excisão do nidus. O diagnóstico definitivo foi confirmado pelo exame histopatológico. No seguimento de longo prazo, ambos estão assintomáticos e observou-se completa remodelação óssea no sítio cirúrgico. Os autores enfatizam as características típicas do tumor, a localização não usual, o diagnóstico diferencial e o tratamento.Osteoid osteoma is a benign bone tumor that generally presents with nighttime pain among young adults and is relieved by rest and salicylates. It can affect any bone, but occurrences in the iliac are unusual. The authors describe two cases of intramedullary osteoid osteoma next to the sacroiliac joint, with symptoms that simulated sciatic pain. The cases were diagnosed late, although the initial radiographs showed sclerotic lesions in both cases. The diagnosis was confirmed by means of CT scan and the nidus was excised surgically through en bloc resection. The definitive diagnosis was given by means of histopathological examination. Over long-term follow-up, both cases remained asymptomatic and complete bone remodeling at the surgical site was observed. The authors highlight the typical characteristics of the tumor, the unusual location, the differential diagnosis and the treatment.

Estudio comparativo de la osteogénesis a distracción mediante fijación externa asistida de clavo intramedular (FEACI) y fijación externa aislada (FEA)

OpenAIRE

Salcedo Cánovas, César

2016-01-01

INTRODUCCIÓN: El Cirujano Ortopédico, ya sea Infantil como de Adultos, en su práctica clínica frecuentemente se encuentran casos que precisan aplicar técnicas de distracción ósea para su resolución. Las complicaciones en las elongaciones siguen siendo numerosas y de gravedad variable, siendo las más frecuentes el excesivo tiempo de permanencia del fijador externo en el paciente, los problemas provocados por los tornillos o agujas transfixiando planos musculares y provocando intolerancias o...

ANÁLISES GENÉTICAS EM POPULAÇÕES DE SOJA RESISTENTES AO CANCRO DA HASTE E DESTINADAS PARA ÁREAS CANAVIEIRAS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivana Marino Bárbaro

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The present work aimed to estimate some genotypic and phenotypic parameters of eleven agronomic characters in five soybean populations in the generations F5 and F6, as well as recommending the more promising selection criterion. The populations were conducted using the family design with intercalated checks in the agricultural years 2003/04 and 2004/05, in sugar cane reform areas, in Jaboticabal, SP. The results showed that the averages of the populations were superior or very close to witnesses averages. For number of days for maturation, the selection for precocity and the occurrence of the Asian rust in the later F5 genotypes were responsible for cycle reduction. In relation to the other traits appropriate values were obtained for use as rotation crop with the sugarcane. The heritabilities estimates, broad and narrow sense, were close, indicating that most of the genetic variance is addictive, mainly for the secondary characters of the production. The selection is recommended among families, according to analysis of variance components, being verified that the populations productive capacity should be better, by imposition of selective process, with elimination of the inferior families.

Desenvolvimento de um penetrômetro manual eletrônico = Development of an electronic manual penetrometer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Cesar Tieppo

2011-01-01

Full Text Available O excesso de tráfego de máquinas pode causar compactação prejudicial ao desenvolvimento da cultura. Uma das maneiras de se obter um indicativo de compactação é a resistência do solo à penetração (RSP. Assim, desenvolveu-se um penetrômetro eletrônico, seguindo a norma S313.2 ASAE (1998, tendo a haste 0,0095 m de diâmetro e o cone de 30° com 0,01283 m de diâmetro na base. Para o desenvolvimento do penetrômetro, utilizou-se um sistema para aquisição de dados, sensor de distância, sensor de força e barras circulares de aço inox para confecção da haste e do cone. O aparelho armazena os dados coletados a campo em uma frequência de 4 Hz, sendo estes posteriormente transferidos para um microcomputador, via interface RS232. Por meio de uma planilha eletrônica, os dados podem ser processados de acordo com a necessidade do usuário. Os sensores apresentaram confiabilidade em sua utilização, os arquivos de dados gerados pelo aparelhoproporcionaram conforto e confiança no processamento de dados e os dados puderam ser reorganizados conforme a necessidade do usuário para, assim, evitar o erro de leitura pelo processo visual.Excess machine traffic can cause compaction that is harmful for crop growth. One way to obtain evidence of soil compaction is to check the mechanical resistance of soil. Thus, an electronic penetrometer was developed according to ASAE (1998 Standard S313.2, featuring a 9.53mm wide diving shaft and a 30° circular stainless steel cone with a 12.83 mm base diameter. The penetrometer was outfitted with a data acquisition system, distance and force sensors, and stainless steel circular bars to construct the diving shaft and cone. The device stores field data collected at a frequency of 4 Hz, which are later transferred onto a microcomputer via a RS232 interface. The collected data can be processed using an electronic spreadsheet according to user needs. The sensors proved reliable during use, and the data files

Mecanismos de abertura do sulco e adubação nitrogenada no cultivo do feijoeiro em sistema plantio direto Furrows opening mechanism for nitrogen fertilizer application in common bean crop under no-tillage

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Orivaldo Arf

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Algumas culturas têm pouca adaptação ao sistema plantio direto, em vista da maior compactação da camada superficial do solo e, nesse caso, o mecanismo utilizado na semeadora para a abertura dos sulcos para deposição do fertilizante pode ter grande importância no sentido de facilitar a penetração das raízes. Este experimento foi desenvolvido em Selvíria (MS, com o objetivo de avaliar a produtividade do feijão de inverno cultivado em sistema plantio direto, em função da utilização de mecanismos de abertura para distribuição de fertilizantes na semeadura e da adubação nitrogenada em cobertura. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualizados, utilizando-se esquema fatorial 2 x 6, constituído por mecanismos de distribuição de fertilizante (haste escarificadora e disco duplo e doses de N em cobertura (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 e 125 kg ha-1, com quatro repetições. Recomenda-se o uso da haste escarificadora como mecanismo de distribuição do fertilizante, para o cultivo do feijoeiro de inverno. A adubação nitrogenada em cobertura proporciona incrementos à produtividade do feijoeiro de inverno.Some crops have shown no adaptation to no-tillage system as a function of compaction soil superficial layer. In way, the mechanism used in seeder to open furrows for deposition of fertilizer can have great importance to facilitate the penetration of roots. This experiment was carried in Selvíria (MS, with the objective to evaluate the winter common bean crop yield under no-tillage system, as function of fertilizer distribution opening mechanisms in sowing (chisel and coulter blade and sidedressing nitrogen application (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 kg ha-1. The experimental design was a randomized block, arranged in a 2 x 6 factorial scheme, constituted by fertilizer distribution opening mechanisms in sowing (chisel and coulter blade and sidedressing nitrogen doses (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 kg ha-1, with four replications

Avaliação agronômica e identificação de quimiotipos de erva cidreira no Distrito Federal Agronomic evaluation and identification of Lippia alba chemotypes from Distrito Federal, Brazil

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Hermes Jannuzzi

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Com o objetivo de avaliar o comportamento agronômico, o potencial de rendimento de óleo essencial e identificar os quimiotipos de 16 acessos de Lippa alba (erva cidreira da coleção da Universidade de Brasília foi conduzido um experimento de campo em Latossolo Vermelho, sob irrigação por gotejamento na região do Cerrado do Distrito Federal. Foram avaliados a época de florescimento, hábito de crescimento, área foliar, comprimento da haste, massa fresca de folhas e hastes, massa foliar seca, teor e rendimento de óleo essencial e perfil aromático. O óleo essencial foi extraído por hidrodestilação em aparelho de Clevenger modificado e os constituintes identificados e quantificados através de cromatografia em fase gasosa acoplada a espectrometria de massas. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi de blocos ao acaso, com três repetições, contendo três plantas úteis por parcela. Foram identificados os quimiotipos citral-limoneno, citral-mirceno, limoneno-carvona, citral, linalol, mirceno e linalol-limoneno. Os acessos apresentaram teores máximos de linalol de 89,8% (L.16; mirceno de 47,6% (L.37; limoneno de 36,0%, carvona de 46,9% (L.27 e citral de 56,7% (L.17. Os genótipos com maiores áreas foliares e maiores comprimentos de hastes tenderam a apresentar maiores teores de óleo e maior concentração de linalol. A concentração de óleo foi inversamente proporcional à produção de massa foliar seca. Os acessos que apresentaram os maiores rendimentos dos compostos majoritários do óleo essencial foram: L.16 (0,77 g pl-1, como fonte potencial para a produção de linalol; L.17 (0,17 g pl-1, como fonte de mirceno; L. 27 (0,17 g pl-1, como fonte de limoneno e de carvona (0,21 g pl-1 e L.38 (0,24 g pl-1, como fonte de citral.The main objective of this work was to describe the essential oil profile of 16 genotypes of Lippia alba from the germplasm collection of the Universidade de Brasília and to analyze its potential of

Potencial discriminatório dos N-alcanos em plantas forrageiras tropicais por análises multivariadas Discriminatory potential of the N-alkanes in tropical forages by multivariate analysis

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Cristiano Côrtes

2005-08-01

Full Text Available O potencial dos n-alcanos em discriminar frações ou espécies de gramíneas (Brachiaria brizantha Stapf. cv. Marandu, Cynodon dactylon Pers. cv. Coast-cross 1 e Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Tanzânia 1 e leguminosas tropicais (Arachis pintoi Koprov & Gregory. cv. Amarillo e Glycine wightii Verdc. Soja Perene foi avaliado neste estudo. As forrageiras foram amostradas na primavera, no verão e inverno, com quatro repetições por espécie. Utilizaram-se nas análises os n-alcanos C24 a C35, sendo o C32 e C34 padrões internos. As concentrações dos n-alcanos nas diferentes espécies e respectivas frações (lâminas foliares, haste porções superior e inferior e matéria morta, para gramíneas; folhas, caule porções superior e inferior e matéria morta para leguminosas foram avaliadas mediante análises multivariadas. O potencial discriminatório dos n-alcanos foi determinado pela análise de variáveis canônicas. As espécies e frações foram divididas em grupos por meio da análise de agrupamento. Os alcanos com menor potencial discriminatório foram: C26, C29, C25, C27 e C28 (primavera, C26, C28, C27, C30 e C29 (verão e C28, C26, C25, C29 e C27 (inverno. Nos períodos de primavera e inverno, a técnica de n-alcanos permitiu distinguir a lâmina foliar do coastcross das hastes superior e inferior, bem como das gramíneas e leguminosas. Em pastagens exclusivas de Brachiaria brizantha, no período de verão, seria possível discriminar as frações de importância nutricional, lâmina foliar e haste superior, pela determinação dos n-alcanos. As análises multivariadas, as variáveis canônicas e a análise de agrupamento representam boas alternativas de cálculo para melhorar a aplicabilidade da técnica dos n-alcanos na discriminação das dietas de herbívoros.The discriminatory potential of n-alkanes in tropical grasses (Brachiaria brizantha Stapf. cv. Marandu, Cynodon dactylon Pers. cv. Coast-cross 1 and Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Tanz

Caracterização Morfológica de Três Espécies de Broca-da-Haste em Chuchuzeiro (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae, Lamiinae)

OpenAIRE

SOUZA FILHO, MIGUEL F. DE; GABRIEL, DALVA; AZEVEDO FILHO, JOAQUIM A. DE

2001-01-01

A ocorrência simultânea de Adetus analis (Haldeman), Adetus fuscoapicalis Breuning e Plerodia syrinx (Bates) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae, Lamiinae), broqueando ramos de chuchuzeiro Sechium edule (Jaqc.) Sw., é relatada. A. analis é sinônima de A. muticus (Thomson), que foi referida por diversos autores no Brasil. A. analis e A. fuscoapicalis são muito semelhantes quanto aos aspectos morfológicos e etológicos. Assim foi realizada uma descrição detalhada e ilustrações de ambas espécies a fim de p...

Diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis: prospective comparison of MR cholangiography with endoscopic retrograde cholangiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oberholzer, K.; Mildenberger, P.; Grebe, P.; Bantelmann, M.; Thelen, M.; Lohse, A.W.; Schadeck, T.

1998-01-01

Purpose: To assess the accuracy of MR cholangiography (MRC) in the diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in comparison to endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC). Method: 20 patients with PSC were examined by ERC and MRC (1.0 T. HASTE sequence). Visualization and pathologic changes of the extra- and intrahepatic bile ducts were evaluated with both methods. Results: Mural irregularities of the common bile duct were seen with MRC in 6/7 cases, stenoses and dilatation of the common bile duct were detected correctly in all patients. Diffuse, multifocal strictures of the intrahepatic bile duct were the most common intrahepatic findings and correctly diagnosed in all patients. Mural irregularities of the intrahepatic ducts in early stages may be missed by MRC because of the limited spatial resolution. MRC is superior to ERC in visualization of nonopacified intrahepatic ducts. Conclusions: MRC is a reliable, non-invasive method to detect typical diagnostic features of PSC. It should be considered as an adjunct to ERC in patients with suspected PSC for primary diagnosis and as an alternate method for follow-up studies. (orig.) [de

Comportamento da cajazeira enxertada sobre umbuzeiro em Pacajus-CE

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Souza Francisco Xavier de

2002-01-01

Full Text Available A cajazeira é uma fruteira da família Anacardiaceae, explorada extrativamente, cujos frutos são nuculânios amarelos, de sabor agridoce, perfumados, ricos em carotenóides, açúcares, vitaminas A e C, denominados de taperebá, cajá-mirim ou cajá e muito utilizados na alimentação humana. Os problemas mais limitantes ao cultivo da cajazeira são a inexistência de clones recomendados para cultivo comercial e o elevado porte da planta. A cajazeira enxertada sobre umbuzeiro apresenta compatibilidade e afinidade entre as partes enxertadas e pouco interfere na forma de crescimento da planta, que é muito semelhante à de planta oriunda de semente, ou seja, tendência em formar caule de haste única e copa alta. A cultura ainda exige estudos sobre as modalidades e épocas de realização das podas para o controle do crescimento da planta e formação de copas que se enquadrem dentro de modelos de exploração intensiva.

MR assessment of fetal pulmonary hypoplasia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuwashima, Shigeko; Kohno, Atsushi; Saiki, Natoru; Iimura, Fumitoshi; Kohno, Tatsuo; Hashimoto, Teisuke; Fujioka, Mutsuhisa [Dokkyo Univ. School of Medicine, Mibu, Tochigi (Japan)

2000-08-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate pulmonary hypoplasia of the fetus using MRI. The subjects consisted of 36 fetuses (18 to 40 weeks' gestation). All fetuses or mothers had major anomalies diagnosed on fetal ultrasonography. MR imaging was performed with a 1.5-T magnet and HASTE (half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo) sequence. MR images were evaluated with special attention to the intensity of the lung. A diagnosis of pulmonary hypoplasia was based on the clinical, surgical, and autopsy findings. All fetuses with normal pulmonary development showed high intensity in the lung, while all fetuses with pulmonary hypoplasia showed a low intensity in the lung, obscured pulmonary vessels and a small thorax. There was a close correlation between the lung intensity and pulmonary growth. MR assessment of lung intensity may facilitate the diagnosis of pulmonary hypoplasia, particularly after 26 weeks' gestation. Some of the normally developing lung showed a low intensity from 20 to 24 weeks of gestational age. The change to normal lung intensity may occur during this period. (author)

The effect of cellular aging on the dynamics of spiral waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Min-Yi; Chen Xi-Qiong; Tang Guo-Ning

2014-01-01

Cellular aging can result in deterioration of electrical coupling, the extension of the action potential duration, and lower excitability of the cell. Those factors are introduced into the Greenberg—Hastings cellular automaton model and the effects of the cellular aging on the dynamics of spiral waves are studied. The numerical results show that a 50% reduction of the coupling strength of aging cells has a little influence on spiral waves. If the coupling strength of aging cells equals zero, the ability for the medium to maintain spiral waves will be reduced by approximately 50% when the aging cell ratio increases from 0 to 0.5, where the reduction of cell excitability plays a major role in inducing disappearance of spiral waves. When the relevant parameters are properly chosen, the cellular aging can lead to the meandering of spiral waves, the emergence of the binary spiral waves, and even the disappearance of spiral waves via the stopping rotation or shrinkage of wave. Physical mechanisms of the above phenomena are analyzed briefly. (general)

A bayesian hierarchical model for classification with selection of functional predictors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Hongxiao; Vannucci, Marina; Cox, Dennis D

2010-06-01

In functional data classification, functional observations are often contaminated by various systematic effects, such as random batch effects caused by device artifacts, or fixed effects caused by sample-related factors. These effects may lead to classification bias and thus should not be neglected. Another issue of concern is the selection of functions when predictors consist of multiple functions, some of which may be redundant. The above issues arise in a real data application where we use fluorescence spectroscopy to detect cervical precancer. In this article, we propose a Bayesian hierarchical model that takes into account random batch effects and selects effective functions among multiple functional predictors. Fixed effects or predictors in nonfunctional form are also included in the model. The dimension of the functional data is reduced through orthonormal basis expansion or functional principal components. For posterior sampling, we use a hybrid Metropolis-Hastings/Gibbs sampler, which suffers slow mixing. An evolutionary Monte Carlo algorithm is applied to improve the mixing. Simulation and real data application show that the proposed model provides accurate selection of functional predictors as well as good classification.

A consideration of the operation of automatic production machines.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoshi, Toshiro; Sugimoto, Noboru

2015-01-01

At worksites, various automatic production machines are in use to release workers from muscular labor or labor in the detrimental environment. On the other hand, a large number of industrial accidents have been caused by automatic production machines. In view of this, this paper considers the operation of automatic production machines from the viewpoint of accident prevention, and points out two types of machine operation - operation for which quick performance is required (operation that is not permitted to be delayed) - and operation for which composed performance is required (operation that is not permitted to be performed in haste). These operations are distinguished by operation buttons of suitable colors and shapes. This paper shows that these characteristics are evaluated as "asymmetric on the time-axis". Here, in order for workers to accept the risk of automatic production machines, it is preconditioned in general that harm should be sufficiently small or avoidance of harm is easy. In this connection, this paper shows the possibility of facilitating the acceptance of the risk of automatic production machines by enhancing the asymmetric on the time-axis.

Four planting devices for planting no-till maize

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Osei Bonsu Patterson

2015-05-01

Full Text Available An experiment was conducted at the CSIR-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI Experimental station at Ejura in Ghana to compare the efficiency of four devices for planting no-till maize: Tractor drawn seeder, Chinese made jab planter, Locally made jab planter and a Cutlass. It took two (2 hours 48 minutes to plant one hectare of maize with the tractor drawn seeder, which was significantly (p less than 1% faster than all the planting methods. Cutlass was the slowest planting device lasting more than 14 hours per hectare. There was no significant difference in planting time between the Chinese planter and local planter. Economic analysis showed that cutlass planting produced the highest net benefit, whilst tractor drawn seeder produced the least benefit. In this study cutlass planting was done with precision by collaborating farmers. In actual farm situation however, hired laborers (planting gangs often plant in haste which often results in poor plant population leading to low yields. Tractor drawn seeders or jab planters could reduce drudgery in planting and encourage farm expansion.

(Mis)understanding Science: The Problem with Scientific Breakthroughs.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, James P

2016-09-01

On Saturday morning, February 28, 1953, the mystery of heredity appeared secure. Humans hadn't the faintest idea of how genetic information was transmitted-how the uncanny resemblance between mother and daughter, grandfather and grandson was conveyed across generations. Yet, by that Saturday afternoon, two individuals, James Watson and Francis Crick, had glimpsed the solution to these mysteries. The story of Watson and Crick's great triumph has been told and retold and has rightly entered the pantheon of scientific legend. But Watson and Crick's breakthrough was just that: a rupture and dramatic discontinuity in human knowledge that solved a deep mystery, the likes of which occurs, perhaps, a couple of times each century. And that's the problem. The story is just so good and so irresistible that it has misled generations of scientists about what to expect regarding a life in science. And more damaging, the resulting breakthrough mentality misleads the public, the media, and society's decision-makers about how science really works, all to the detriment of scientific progress and our society's well-being. © 2016 The Hastings Center.

Biodegradation of RDX within soil-water slurries using a combination of differing redox incubation conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waisner, S.; Hansen, L.; Fredrickson, H.; Nestler, C.; Zappi, M.; Banerji, S.; Bajpai, R.

2002-01-01

Biodegradation of 14 C-tagged hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) was studied in aerobic, anaerobic, and anaerobic/aerobic slurries to identify the conditions maximizing RDX-mineralization in Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant (CAAP, NE) groundwater. Supplementation with phosphate and adequate quantities of acetate caused 25% mineralization of RDX in 3 weeks by microorganisms native to CAAP. Under anaerobic conditions, the same supplementation resulted in 20% mineralization in 3 weeks and 30% mineralization in 6 weeks. The highest degree of mineralization (50%) was obtained under aerobic conditions when the contaminated groundwater was augmented with a consortium of three microbes isolated from another RDX contaminated soil (Hastings, NE) in addition to supplemented with phosphate and acetic acid. Use of complex organic sources (potato or corn starch) slowed down the rates of mineralization under anaerobic conditions, but rapid mineralization ensued as soon as the aerobic conditions were created. Final RDX concentrations in aqueous phase were below detection limit under most conditions. Assimilation of RDX by the cells was negligible

IN10 data processing on the Rutherford Laboratory IBM 360

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howells, W.S.; Anderson, I.S.

1978-09-01

This report described modifications made to some of the IN10 spectrometer data analysis programs in use at the Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble in order that they may be used on the IBM 360 system at the Rutherford Laboratory. Fuller descriptions of the programs are contained in the original manual (Users' Guide to Processing IN10 Data by W S Howells, ILL Internal Report (1977). Programs discussed are: a) FAST. A program for fitting Lorentzians to raw data. This is a modification of the ILL programs FAST and HAST. b) SUPER. A convolution program for fitting quasielastic peaks to corrected data. This program is based on the ILL program SUPER. c) SAND. A convolution program for fitting an elastic and a Quasielastic peak to data. This is similar to the ILL version of SAND. d) SWIFT. A program similar to SUPER but faster. It is based on the ILL program CONTTY. Before using these programs users must consult the NBRU in order to obtain an account number and a user identifier. (U.K.)

Evaluation of urogenital fistulas by magnetic resonance urography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamere, Augusto Elias; Coelho, Rafael Darahem Souza; Cecin, Alexandre Oliveira; Feltrin, Leonir Terezinha; Lucchesi, Fabiano Rubiao; Seabra, Daniel

2008-01-01

Objective: Vesicovaginal and ureterovaginal fistulas are unusual complications secondary to pelvic surgery or pelvic diseases. The therapeutic success in these cases depends on an appropriate preoperative evaluation for diagnosis and visualization of the fistulous tract. The present study is aimed at demonstrating the potential of magnetic resonance urography for the diagnosis of vesicovaginal and ureterovaginal fistulas as well as for defining the fistulous tracts. Materials And Methods: Seven female patients clinically diagnosed with vesicovaginal or ureterovaginal fistulas had their medical records, radiological and magnetic resonance images retrospectively reviewed. Magnetic resonance urography included 3D-HASTE sequences with fat saturation. Results: Six patients presented vesicovaginal fistulas and, in one patient, a right-sided ureterovaginal fistula was diagnosed. Magnetic resonance urography allowed the demonstration of the fistulous tract in six (85.7%) of the seven patients evaluated in the present study, without the need of bladder catheterization or contrast injection. Conclusion: This study demonstrates both the potential and applicability of magnetic resonance urography in the evaluation of these types of fistulas. (author)

International Capacity-Building Initiatives for National Bioethics Committees.

Science.gov (United States)

Gefenas, Eugenijus; Lukaseviciene, Vilma

2017-05-01

During the last two decades, national bioethics committees have been established in many countries all over the world. They vary with respect to their structure, composition, and working methods, but the main functions are similar. They are supposed to facilitate public debate on controversial bioethical issues and produce opinions and recommendations that can help inform the public and policy-makers. The dialogue among national bioethics committees is also increasingly important in the globalized world, where biomedical technologies raise ethical dilemmas that traverse national borders. It is not surprising, therefore, that the committees are established and active in the technologically advanced countries. There have also been a few international capacity-building initiatives in bioethics that have had a dual task: networking among existing national bioethics committees and helping establish such committees in those countries that still lack them. The problem is that, due to a lack of information, it is not clear what problems and challenges committees face in the transitioning societies often characterized as low- and middle-income countries. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

The Pedagogical Challenges of Teaching High School Bioethics: Insights from the Exploring Bioethics Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Solomon, Mildred Z; Vannier, David; Chowning, Jeanne Ting; Miller, Jacqueline S; Paget, Katherine F

2016-01-01

A belief that high school students have the cognitive ability to analyze and assess moral choices and should be encouraged to do so but have rarely been helped to do so was the motivation for developing Exploring Bioethics, a six-module curriculum and teacher guide for grades nine through twelve on ethical issues in the life sciences. A multidisciplinary team of bioethicists, science educators, curriculum designers, scientists, and high school biology teachers worked together on the curriculum under a contract between the National Institutes of Health and Education Development Center, a nonprofit research and development organization with a long history of innovation in science education. At the NIH, the Department of Bioethics within the Clinical Center and the Office of Science Education within the Office of the Director guided the project.Our overarching goal for Exploring Bioethics was to introduce students to bioethics as a field of inquiry and to enable them to develop ethical reasoning skills so they could move beyond "gut reactions" to more nuanced positions. © 2016 The Hastings Center.

Bayesian approach for the reliability assessment of corroded interdependent pipe networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ait Mokhtar, El Hassene; Chateauneuf, Alaa; Laggoune, Radouane

2016-01-01

Pipelines under corrosion are subject to various environment conditions, and consequently it becomes difficult to build realistic corrosion models. In the present work, a Bayesian methodology is proposed to allow for updating the corrosion model parameters according to the evolution of environmental conditions. For reliability assessment of dependent structures, Bayesian networks are used to provide interesting qualitative and quantitative description of the information in the system. The qualitative contribution lies in the modeling of complex system, composed by dependent pipelines, as a Bayesian network. The quantitative one lies in the evaluation of the dependencies between pipelines by the use of a new method for the generation of conditional probability tables. The effectiveness of Bayesian updating is illustrated through an application where the new reliability of degraded (corroded) pipe networks is assessed. - Highlights: • A methodology for Bayesian network modeling of pipe networks is proposed. • Bayesian approach based on Metropolis - Hastings algorithm is conducted for corrosion model updating. • The reliability of corroded pipe network is assessed by considering the interdependencies between the pipelines.

Workshop on crystals and focusing

Science.gov (United States)

Berreman, D. W.

1980-12-01

The purpose of the workshop on crystals and focusing was to exchange and pool the experience and information that the participants could contribute on the design and construction of monochromators for EXAFS with optimum speed, resolution and versatility. The panel was chaired by D.W. Berreman of BTL and included G. G. Cohen of NBS, S. Heald of Brookhaven National Labs and Lu Kun-quan of U. of Washington. Written contributions for the workshop were made by R. J. Emrich and J. R. Katzer of U. of Delaware, R. C. Gamble of Cal. Tech., J. Crane of Cal. Tech., and T. Matsushita of S. S. R. L. G. Bunker of U. of Washington was recording secretary, G. G. Cohen and S. Heald gave invited papers on the main program that were relevant to the workshop. Other contributors were R. Hänsel of U. of Kiel, W. Germany, G. Christoff of Ohio State and D. Hempstead of Rigaku/USA Inc., J. Holben of Marconi Avionics, Hertfordshire, England and J. Hastings of Brookhaven N. L.

Motor tic disorder and traumatic cervical myelopathy: a case report Trastorno de tic motor y mielopatía cervical traumática: relato de caso Transtorno de tique motor e mielopatia cervical traumática: relato de caso

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ericson Sfredo

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The association between motor tics and cervical myelopathy is rare and not well understood. Only a few papers in the literature reported this disorder until the present date. This is a case report of a cervical myelopathy case secondary to a motor tic disorder. A 23-year-old male with a 10-year history of motor tic disorder, involving sudden forced extension of the head and cervical spine. Disturbed tactile sensation and kinetic posturing that progressed to the Lhermitte sign every time he made the movement were detected over the last six months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI showed hyperintense intramedullary lesion at C2-C3, degeneration at C3-C4, and no signs of spinal cord compression. On sagittal view, functional MRI with head extension showed anterior compression with protrusion of the intervertebral disc and posterior compression of the yellow ligaments causing spinal cord stenosis. Anterior discectomy and fixation of C3-C4 were performed. There were no complications. The patient showed improvement and the motor tics were controlled by haloperidol. The patient remains symptom-free after 2 years of follow-up. Uncontrolled motor tics can compromise spinal cord function. Functional MRI can reproduce the abnormal movements and clarify the physiopathology.La asociación entre tics motores y mielopatía cervical es rara y no es bien comprendida. Pocos estudios, que analizan este disturbio, han sido encontrados en la literatura hasta el momento. Este es el relato de un caso de mielopatía cervical secundaria a tics motores. Paciente masculino de 23 años con historial de trastorno de tic motor desde hace diez años, involucrando extensión forzada de la cabeza y columna cervical. En los últimos seis meses, se diagnosticaron deficiencias de sensaciones táctiles y postura cinética que progresaron hacia la señal de Lhermitte, cada vez que el paciente se movía. La Resonancia Magnética (RM reveló lesión intramedular hiperintensa al nivel de

Crescimento do maracujazeiro-doce propagado por sementes em função da calagem Growth of sweet passion fruit seedlings as a function of liming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elda Bonilha Assis Fonseca

2003-08-01

Full Text Available Objetivou-se avaliar as respostas em crescimento do maracujazeiro-doce (Passiflora alata Dryand. propagado por sementes, quando cultivado sob diferentes níveis de saturação por bases em solos representativos das regiões produtoras de Minas Gerais. O experimento foi conduzido em casa-de-vegetação do Departamento de Agricultura da Universidade Federal de Lavras-UFLA. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental de blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial (2 x 4 + 2, com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos envolveram dois solos (LATOSSOLO VERMELHO AMARELO distrófico - LVAd e LATOSSOLO VERMELHO distrófico - LVd, quatro níveis de saturação por bases (40, 60, 80 e 100% mais dois tratamentos adicionais (LVAd sem calagem e LVd sem calagem. Aos 150 dias, determinaram-se o comprimento das hastes, número de folhas por haste, pesos de matéria seca de parte aérea e de raízes e relação raiz/parte aérea. Concluiu-se que, até 150 dias, o maracujazeiro-doce propagado por sementes apresentou maior crescimento vegetativo quando cultivado no LVd, em comparação ao LVAd, com ou sem calagem, e tolerou solos com baixos níveis de saturação por bases; o aumento do nível de saturação por bases no LVd reduziu o crescimento vegetativo do maracujazeiro-doce propagado por sementes, enquanto no LVAd, não influenciou o crescimento vegetativo.ABSTRACT - The objective for this work was to evaluate the growth of sweet passion fruit seedlings (Passiflora alata Dryand. under different base saturation levels in representative soils of Minas Gerais. The experiment was carried in the greenhouse of the Agriculture Department of the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA. The statistical design used was randomized blocks in a factorial scheme (2 x 4 + 2, with four repetitions. The treatments involved two soil classes (Distrophic Red-Yellow Latosol - LVAd and Distrophic Red Latosol - LVd, four base saturation levels (40, 60, 80 and 100% and two more additional treatments

How Do Pharmacists Assist Medicare Beneficiaries with Limited Income? A Cross-Sectional Study of Community Pharmacies in Alabama.

Science.gov (United States)

Westrick, Salisa C; Hastings, Tessa J; McFarland, Stuart J; Hohmann, Lindsey A; Hohmann, Natalie S

2016-09-01

assistance programs for limited-income individuals and the role of ADRCs in helping to screen individuals for benefits and complete applications warrants immediate attention. Improving pharmacists' knowledge on this topic may be an effective mechanism for providing a long-term solution for their patients. This study was funded by the Alabama Department of Senior Services. The sponsor played no active role in the design, methods, data collection, analysis, or preparation of this manuscript. The authors have nothing to disclose. This paper was presented at the American Pharmacists Association meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2016. Study concept and design were contributed by Westrick. Hastings and McFarland were responsible for data collection, along with Westrick. Data interpretation was performed by Westrick, L. Hohmann, and Hastings, with assistance from McFarland. All authors were involved with manuscript preparation.

The Time Is Now: Bioethics and LGBT Issues.

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Powell, Tia; Foglia, Mary Beth

2014-09-01

Our goal in producing this special issue is to encourage our colleagues to incorporate topics related to LGBT populations into bioethics curricula and scholarship. Bioethics has only rarely examined the ways in which law and medicine have defined, regulated, and often oppressed sexual minorities. This is an error on the part of bioethics. Medicine and law have served in the past as society's enforcement arm toward sexual minorities, in ways that robbed many people of their dignity. We feel that bioethics has an obligation to discuss that history and to help us as a society take responsibility for it. We can address only a small number of topics in this special issue of the Hastings Center Report, and we selected topics we believe will stimulate discourse. Andrew Solomon offers an elegant overview of the challenges that bioethics faces in articulating a solid basis for LGBT rights. Timothy F. Murphy asks whether bioethics still faces issues related to lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, given the deletion of homosexuality as a disease and the progress toward same-sex marriage. Jamie Lindemann Nelson's essay addresses the search for identity for transgender persons and the role of science in that search. Two articles, those by Brendan S. Abel and by Jack Drescher and Jack Pula, take up the complex issue of medical treatment for children who reject their assigned birth gender. Celia B. Fisher and Brian Mustanski address the special challenges of engaging LGBT youth in research, balancing the need for better information about this vulnerable group against the existing restrictions on research involving children. Tia Powell and Edward Stein consider the merits of legal bans on psychotherapies intended to change sexual orientation, particularly in the light of current research on orientation. Mary Beth Foglia and Karen I. Fredricksen-Goldsen highlight health disparities and resilience among LGBT older adults and then discuss the role of nonconscious bias in perpetuating

Penetrômetro de impacto stolf - programa computacional de dados em EXCEL-VBA

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Rubismar Stolf

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Há dois principais tipos de penetrômetro, o estático e o dinâmico. No primeiro, uma haste com uma ponta cônica é introduzida contínua e lentamente (quase estático, registrando-se concomitantemente a força de reação que é igual à resistência do solo. No segundo, utiliza-se a mesma haste. Contudo, esta é introduzida por meio da promoção de uma massa de impacto em queda livre. Dessa forma, a teoria pode ser tratada pela dinâmica newtoniana para obtenção da resistência. O objetivo do programa é proporcionar uma ferramenta rápida, facilitadora da computação de dados de resistência do solo, para esse último penetrômetro, resultando tabelas e gráficos já no formato científico. Desenvolvido em linguagem de programação Visual Basic Aplication (VBA, escolheu-se o aplicativo Excel como interface com o usuário pela sua popularidade. É constituído por quatro planilhas, duasauxiliares, sendo duas delas essenciais, Plan1 e 2: Plan1 - dados de entrada (número de impactos e profundidade. Concomitante à digitação, a tabela de resistência é confeccionada com o respectivo gráfico, podendo tabelar 40 perfis. Plan2 - cumpre função especial de equalizar, ou seja, padronizar a profundidade em camadas constantes, permitindo unificar todos os perfis em uma única tabela. Para tal, escolhe-se uma espessura de camada (exemplo: 5 cm; em seguida, o programa coleta os dados de resistência (MPa da Plan1 e interpola os valores para a profundidade de 5 em 5 cm. Após realizar esse procedimento para todas as tabelas da Plan1, o programa gera, na Plan2, uma única tabela com todos os perfis, a média geral e os respectivos gráficos. É possível selecionar os perfis; por exemplo, apenas os medidos na linha ou entrelinha de plantio e eliminar perfis a critério do usuário. Como objetivo complementar, descreve-se a evolução do projeto "Penetrômetro de impacto", iniciado em 1982, cuja técnica passou a ser adotada no meio cient

Seeding quality and soybean yields from using different furrowers and operation speedsQualidade de semeadura e produtividade da soja sob diferentes sulcadores e velocidades de operação

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Alcir José Modolo

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The sowing process for annual no-till crops affects the physical soil conditions around the seeds by exposing them to adverse conditions that may limit initial plant development and reduce potential yield. The use of seed drills that are not compatible with field conditions and the use of inappropriate seed drill speeds affect sowing performance. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effect of different seed drill types and operating speeds on soybean quality parameters and yield components. Two furrow opener (double disc and chisel and four operating speed (0.86; 1.22; 1.47 and 1.94 m s-1 treatments were used. The following variables were evaluated: mean number of days until emergence, plant distribution uniformity, sowing depth, area of the soil disturbed, crop stand and grain yield. Overall, the chisel furrow opener provided a greater sowing depth and increased the disturbed soil area more than the double disc furrow opener. Increased operating speeds reduced crop stands and yields and increased the disturbed soil area. Em culturas anuais submetidas ao sistema plantio direto o processo de semeadura afeta o condicionamento físico do solo ao redor das sementes expondo as mesmas a condições adversas, podendo limitar o desenvolvimento inicial das plantas e minimizar o potencial produtivo. O uso de sulcadores não condizentes com a situação de campo e de velocidades inadequadas são fatores que afetam o bom desempenho da semeadura. Nesse contexto, este trabalho teve por objetivo, avaliar o efeito de diferentes sulcadores e velocidades de operação sobre parâmetros de qualidade de semeadura e componentes de produtividade da cultura da soja. Os tratamentos foram compostos pela combinação entre dois sulcadores (disco e haste e quatro velocidades de operação (0,86; 1,22; 1,47 e 1,94 m s-1. Foram avaliados: o número médio de dias para a emergência, a uniformidade de distribuição de plantas, a profundidade de semeadura, a área de

Estimativa do plastocrono em meloeiro (Cucumis melo L. cultivado em estufa plástica em diferentes épocas do ano

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Streck Nereu Augusto

2005-01-01

Full Text Available O meloeiro (Cucumis melo L. é uma hortaliça de alto valor econômico. A emissão de nós é um componente importante em modelos matemáticos de simulação do crescimento e desenvolvimento de culturas de hábito de crescimento decumbente como o meloeiro e outras cucurbitáceas. A emissão de nós pode ser calculada utilizando-se o conceito do plastocrono, que é o intervalo de tempo entre o aparecimento de nós sucessivos em uma haste de dicotiledôneas. Quando a soma térmica é usada como medida de tempo fisiológico em plantas, o plastocrono tem como unidades degreesC dia nó-1. Estudos anteriores mostraram que o plastocrono em meloeiro varia com o genótipo e a época de cultivo. Este trabalho teve por objetivo estimar o plastocrono em meloeiro transplantado em diferentes épocas de cultivo no interior de estufa plástica. Foram realizadas 12 épocas de semeadura e transplante no interior de uma estufa plástica de 10m X 25m, coberta com polietileno transparente de baixa densidade, localizada no Campo Experimental do Departamento de Fitotecnia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS. O híbrido utilizado foi o HY-MARK (grupo Cantaloupe. Em 12 plantas etiquetadas por época de transplante, contou-se o número de nós visíveis (NN na haste principal da planta duas vezes por semana. A soma térmica diária (STd, degreesC dia foi calculada levando-se em conta as temperaturas cardinais de aparecimento de nós em meloeiro (10, 34 e 45degreesC. A soma térmica acumulada (STa, degreesC dia, a partir da data de transplante das plântulas, foi calculada somando-se a STd. O plastocrono foi calculado como sendo o inverso do coeficiente angular da regressão linear entre NN e STa para cada época. O plastocrono calculado variou entre as épocas de cultivo de 13,4 a 21,8degreesC dia nó-1, com um valor médio de 18,6 (?2,3degreesC dia nó-1. Esta diferença de plastocrono entre as épocas de cultivo pode representar vários dias do calendário civil

Severidade da mela da soja causada por Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IA em função de doses de potássio Severity of hte foliar blight of the soylean caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IA infunction of doses of potassium

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Marco Antonio Basseto

2007-03-01

Full Text Available O fungo Rhizoctonia solani pertencente ao grupo de anastomose 1 IA (AG-1 IA é um dos patógenos mais importantes afetando a cultura da soja no Brasil. Este fungo causa queima da folha e/ou mela em soja, para a qual medidas de manejo cultural são consideradas alternativas importantes para controle antes do estabelecimento da doença. Há evidências de que a adubação potássica diminui substancialmente a severidade dos sintomas de várias doenças da soja como a queima foliar (Cercospora kikuchii, a seca da haste e da vagem (Phomopsis phaseoli var. sojae e o cancro da haste (Diaporthe phaseolorum f. sp. meridionalis. Apesar das evidências do efeito do potássio no controle de várias doenças da soja, não há informação na literatura sobre o efeito desse nutriente no controle da mela. A hipótese testada foi que a mela da soja pode ser controlada através de incrementos na adubação potássica. De maneira geral, concluiu-se que, sob condições de casa de vegetação, o incremento de K no solo não resultou no controle da mela da soja. É necessário, entretanto, confirmar esta observação conduzindo-se experimentos sob condições de campo, podendo-se incluir a avaliação do efeito da doença sob aspectos da produção.The fungus Rhizoctonia solani, belonging to anastomosis group 1IA (AG-1 IA is one of the most important pathogens affecting soybean in Brazil. This fungus causes aerial or foliar blight of soybean, and cultural measures are thought as important choices for the control before the establishment of the disease. Based on evidences that potassium amendments can substantially reduce the severity of several soybean diseases such as Cercospora leaf blight (Cercospora kikuchii, pod and stem blight (Phomopsis phaseoli var. sojae and stem canker (Diaporthe phaseolorum f. sp. meridionalis. Despite all evidence, there is no information in the literature about the effect of potassium controlling the soybean foliar blight. The

Selección de progenitores en espárrago Parent selection in asparagus

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I. Gatti

2003-06-01

Full Text Available O objetivo principal deste trabalho foi determinar as variáveis que melhor explicam a variação entre indivíduos dentro da população de aspargos originária da cultivar Argenteüil e selecionar plantas superiores para compor novas populações. O ensaio, composto por 1280 plantas, foi instalado no campo experimental da Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias de la Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, em 1996. Durante os anos de 1997 e 1998, foram avaliadas as variáveis: número de turiões por planta (TU; peso médio do turião (PM; diâmetro do turião (DI; produção total por planta (RE; produção comercial por planta (RM; número de dias para início da colheita (DAC; número de hastes por planta (NUTA; altura da haste principal (ALT e peso fresco da massa verde (MASAV. De acordo com a análise de componentes principais, as variáveis RE, RM, PM, DI e TU, são responsáveis por 60% da variação existente dentro da população avaliada. A análise de agrupamento baseada nestas variáveis, permitiu a identificação de cinco grupos distintos para os dois sexos. Os grupos G5 de plantas estaminadas e G5 de plantas pistiladas (7,51% da população total apresentaram as melhores características de RE e qualidade. Destes grupos, foram selecionadas 6 plantas estaminadas e 8 plantas pistiladas para serem utilizadas como genitores no programa de melhoramento de aspargos.The principal aim of this experiment was to ascertain what the variables are which best explain the variations among individuals within the populations of asparagus which originates from the cultivar Argenteüil and as a result select better plants to form new populations. The test, using 1,280 plants, was carried out at he experimental farm in the Facultad Ciencias Agrarias de la Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Santa Fé, Argentina, in 1996. During 1997 and 1998 the number of spears per plant (TU, the mean weight of spears (PM, mean diameter of spears (DI total yield

Bayesian Inference of a Multivariate Regression Model

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Marick S. Sinay

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We explore Bayesian inference of a multivariate linear regression model with use of a flexible prior for the covariance structure. The commonly adopted Bayesian setup involves the conjugate prior, multivariate normal distribution for the regression coefficients and inverse Wishart specification for the covariance matrix. Here we depart from this approach and propose a novel Bayesian estimator for the covariance. A multivariate normal prior for the unique elements of the matrix logarithm of the covariance matrix is considered. Such structure allows for a richer class of prior distributions for the covariance, with respect to strength of beliefs in prior location hyperparameters, as well as the added ability, to model potential correlation amongst the covariance structure. The posterior moments of all relevant parameters of interest are calculated based upon numerical results via a Markov chain Monte Carlo procedure. The Metropolis-Hastings-within-Gibbs algorithm is invoked to account for the construction of a proposal density that closely matches the shape of the target posterior distribution. As an application of the proposed technique, we investigate a multiple regression based upon the 1980 High School and Beyond Survey.

Noninvasive study of anatomic variations of the bile and pancreatic duct using magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, E.; Falco, J.; Campo, R.; Martin, J.; Brullet, E.; Espinos, J.

1999-01-01

To identify anatomic variations of the bile duct and pancreatic duct and papillary anomalies by means of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and determine their correlation with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) findings. Eighty-five patients were selected by means of a prospective study comparing MRCP and ERCP. Coronal and axial HASTE images and coronal and oblique coronal RARE images were acquired in all the patients. Four of the studies (6%) were excluded because of poor technical quality. Anatomic variations were observed in 26 cases (30.5%), including trifurcation (n=7; 27%), right hepatic duct draining into left hepatic duct (n=2, 7.7%), right hepatic duct draining into common bile duct (n=4; 15.4%), extrahepatic confluence (n=2; 7.7%), medial cystic duct (n=2; 7.7%), parallel cystic duct (n=3; 11.5%), juxtapapillary duodenal diverticulum (n=3; 11.5%) and pancreas divisum (n=3; 11.5%). A good correlation was observed between the MRCP and ERCP findings. The introduction of MRCP into the noninvasive study of biliary disease may be useful in the detection of anatomic variations relevant to laparoscopic surgery and other endoscopic and interventional techniques. (Author) 11 refs

Noninvasive study of anatomic variations of the bile and pancreatic duct using magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography; Estudio no invasivo de variantes anatomicas de la via biliar y pancreatica mediante colangiopancreatografia por resonancia magnetica (CPRM)

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Fernandez, E.; Falco, J.; Campo, R.; Martin, J.; Brullet, E. [SDI-UDIAT Corporacio Sanitaria Parc Tauli. Sabadell (Spain); Espinos, J. [Hospital Mutua de Tarrasa (Spain)

1999-07-01

To identify anatomic variations of the bile duct and pancreatic duct and papillary anomalies by means of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and determine their correlation with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) findings. Eighty-five patients were selected by means of a prospective study comparing MRCP and ERCP. Coronal and axial HASTE images and coronal and oblique coronal RARE images were acquired in all the patients. Four of the studies (6%) were excluded because of poor technical quality. Anatomic variations were observed in 26 cases (30.5%), including trifurcation (n=7; 27%), right hepatic duct draining into left hepatic duct (n=2, 7.7%), right hepatic duct draining into common bile duct (n=4; 15.4%), extrahepatic confluence (n=2; 7.7%), medial cystic duct (n=2; 7.7%), parallel cystic duct (n=3; 11.5%), juxtapapillary duodenal diverticulum (n=3; 11.5%) and pancreas divisum (n=3; 11.5%). A good correlation was observed between the MRCP and ERCP findings. The introduction of MRCP into the noninvasive study of biliary disease may be useful in the detection of anatomic variations relevant to laparoscopic surgery and other endoscopic and interventional techniques. (Author) 11 refs.

Virtual goods recommendations in virtual worlds.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kuan-Yu; Liao, Hsiu-Yu; Chen, Jyun-Hung; Liu, Duen-Ren

2015-01-01

Virtual worlds (VWs) are computer-simulated environments which allow users to create their own virtual character as an avatar. With the rapidly growing user volume in VWs, platform providers launch virtual goods in haste and stampede users to increase sales revenue. However, the rapidity of development incurs virtual unrelated items which will be difficult to remarket. It not only wastes virtual global companies' intelligence resources, but also makes it difficult for users to find suitable virtual goods fit for their virtual home in daily virtual life. In the VWs, users decorate their houses, visit others' homes, create families, host parties, and so forth. Users establish their social life circles through these activities. This research proposes a novel virtual goods recommendation method based on these social interactions. The contact strength and contact influence result from interactions with social neighbors and influence users' buying intention. Our research highlights the importance of social interactions in virtual goods recommendation. The experiment's data were retrieved from an online VW platform, and the results show that the proposed method, considering social interactions and social life circle, has better performance than existing recommendation methods.

A brief introduction to computer-intensive methods, with a view towards applications in spatial statistics and stereology.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattfeldt, Torsten

2011-04-01

Computer-intensive methods may be defined as data analytical procedures involving a huge number of highly repetitive computations. We mention resampling methods with replacement (bootstrap methods), resampling methods without replacement (randomization tests) and simulation methods. The resampling methods are based on simple and robust principles and are largely free from distributional assumptions. Bootstrap methods may be used to compute confidence intervals for a scalar model parameter and for summary statistics from replicated planar point patterns, and for significance tests. For some simple models of planar point processes, point patterns can be simulated by elementary Monte Carlo methods. The simulation of models with more complex interaction properties usually requires more advanced computing methods. In this context, we mention simulation of Gibbs processes with Markov chain Monte Carlo methods using the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. An alternative to simulations on the basis of a parametric model consists of stochastic reconstruction methods. The basic ideas behind the methods are briefly reviewed and illustrated by simple worked examples in order to encourage novices in the field to use computer-intensive methods. © 2010 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2010 Royal Microscopical Society.

Algunas consideraciones patológicas sobre la llamada cirrosis cardiaca

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Alfonso Uribe Uribe

1939-10-01

Full Text Available La enferma que presento es una mujer de edad aproximada a los 48 años. Casada y madre de un hijo, nacido a término y que siempre ha gozado de buena salud. El marido murió no sabe ella de que enfermedad. Siempre ha ejercido oficios domésticos. No recuerda como enfermedades anteriores otras que la fiebre tifoidea y un reumatismo acaecido en la época de la pubertad. Hasta hace dos años estuvo bien de salud. Fue entonces cuando comenzó a sentir disnea de esfuerzo y a observer cianosis, y edemas declives vesperales. Estas tres manifestaciones fueron las únicas de su enfermedad haste el dia en que sufrió una caida en la que se golpeó el vientre. Desde entonces notó que este aumentaba de volumen a la vez que los síntomas anteriores se intensificaban, haciéndose permanente el edema de los miembros inferiores. Observó entonces oliguria acompañada de poliakiuria, con orinas muy rojas y con sedimento rojo. El médico que la vío le aconsejó hospitalización.

National Bioethics Commissions as Educators.

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Lee, Lisa M

2017-05-01

As has become tradition, executive directors of United States' presidential bioethics committees offer reflections about their experience shortly after the orderly shutdown of the commission staff. After the records are filed according to government records regulations; after all the staff members, who are hired into temporary positions that must be renewed every two years, have secured permanent employment; after preparations are made to ensure that the next commission staff (should there be one) has a budget and standard operating procedures in order to begin its work in a timely manner; after the lights are turned out for the last time, the executive director makes the final climb up the stairs into the sunlight and reflects on the whirlwind. There is much about my work with the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues that deserves comment, but one aspect of the commission that has been especially valuable to me is its work to educate the nation on bioethical issues. This is, moreover, a contribution in which the commission staff was central, and it is one that, as an ethics educator myself, I will cherish deeply. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography findings of pancreatic diseases: quantitative analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Jun; Lu Jianping; Wang Jian; Wang Fei; Liu Qi; Wang Li; Gong Jianguo; Jin Aiguo; Zeng Hao

2004-01-01

Objective: To study the MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) characteristics of different pancreatic diseases, and to identify the diagnostic value of MRCP for pancreatic diseases. Methods: One hundred and eleven patients with suspected pancreatic diseases underwent MRCP examination. The MRCP sequences included thick-slice turbo spin echo (TSE) and thin-slice half-Fourier acquisition single shot turbo spin echo (HASTE) sequences. The pancreatic diseases included pancreatic carcinoma (n=46), chronic pancreatitis (n=39), peri-ampullar carcinoma (n=23), and choledocholith (n=3). Results: (1) The abnormal manifestation of pancreatic duct was observed in 37 cases of pancreatic carcinoma, 24 cases of chronic pancreatitis, and 12 cases of peri-ampullar carcinoma. Dilated pancreatic duct with smooth and regular caliber was observed in 33 cases of pancreatic carcinoma, 0 case of chronic pancreatitis, and 12 cases of peri-ampullar carcinoma, and statistical analysis showed significant difference (χ 2 =57.911, P 2 =60.343, P 2 =61.217, P 2 =34.654, P 2 =54.593, P<0.01). Conclusion: Different MRI characteristics were observed in various pancreatic diseases respectively. MRCP can show the subtle differences among the pancreatic diseases, and is very helpful in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of pancreatic diseases

A theoretical approach to calibrate radiation portal monitor (RPM) systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nafee, Sherif S.; Abbas, Mahmoud I.

2008-01-01

Radiation portal monitor (RPM) systems are widely used at international border crossings, where they are applied to the task of detecting nuclear devices, special nuclear material, and radiation dispersal device materials that could appear at borders. The requirements and constraints on RPM systems deployed at high-volume border crossings are significantly different from those at weapons facilities or steel recycling plants, the former being required to rapidly detect localized sources of radiation with a very high detection probability and low false-alarm rate, while screening all of the traffic without impeding the flow of commerce [Chambers, W.H., Atwater, H.F., Fehlau, P.E., Hastings, R.D., Henry, C.N., Kunz, W.E., Sampson, T.E., Whittlesey, T.H., Worth, G.M., 1974. Portal Monitor for Diversion Safeguards. LA-5681, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM]. In the present work, compact analytical formulae are derived and used to calibrate two RPM systems with isotropic radiating sources: (i) polyvinyltoluene (PVT) or plastic and (ii) thallium-doped crystalline sodium iodide, NaI(Tl), gamma-ray detector materials. The calculated efficiencies are compared to measured values reported in the literatures, showing very good agreement

Local perturbations perturb—exponentially–locally

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Roeck, W.; Schütz, M.

2015-01-01

We elaborate on the principle that for gapped quantum spin systems with local interaction, “local perturbations [in the Hamiltonian] perturb locally [the groundstate].” This principle was established by Bachmann et al. [Commun. Math. Phys. 309, 835–871 (2012)], relying on the “spectral flow technique” or “quasi-adiabatic continuation” [M. B. Hastings, Phys. Rev. B 69, 104431 (2004)] to obtain locality estimates with sub-exponential decay in the distance to the spatial support of the perturbation. We use ideas of Hamza et al. [J. Math. Phys. 50, 095213 (2009)] to obtain similarly a transformation between gapped eigenvectors and their perturbations that is local with exponential decay. This allows to improve locality bounds on the effect of perturbations on the low lying states in certain gapped models with a unique “bulk ground state” or “topological quantum order.” We also give some estimate on the exponential decay of correlations in models with impurities where some relevant correlations decay faster than one would naively infer from the global gap of the system, as one also expects in disordered systems with a localized groundstate

Influência da contaminação do solo por cobre no crescimento e qualidade de mudas de açoita-cavalo (Luehea divaricata Mart. & Zucc. e aroeira-vermelha (Schinus therebinthifolius Raddi

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Rodrigo Ferreira da Silva

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Copper contamination has become common in areas of mining and grape culture in Rio Grande do Sul. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the dose of copper on growth and seedling quality of acoita-cavalo and aroeira-vermelha. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial scheme (2 x 5, using two forestry species and five copper doses: 0, 64, 128, 192 and 256 mg kg-1 of soil, with five replications. Plant height, collar diameter, dry mass weight of root system and shoot, length and surface specific area of root system and index of seedlings quality were evaluated and relation between shoot height and haste diameter, shoot height and shoot dry mass weight and Dickson quality index were assessed. The results showed that the copper doses tested did not change the quality of aroeira-vermelha seedlings but acoita-cavalo displayed better quality with the application of 64 mg kg-1 Cu. Copper primarily affected the acoita cavalo and aroeira-vermelha root system. Aroeira vermelha was more tolerant to copper toxicity than acoita-cavalo and displayed better quality at higher copper doses.

The High Flux Beam Reactor at Brookhaven National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shapiro, S.M.

1994-01-01

Brookhaven National Laboratory's High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR) was built because of the need of the scientist to always want 'more'. In the mid-50's the Brookhaven Graphite reactor was churning away producing a number of new results when the current generation of scientists, led by Donald Hughes, realized the need for a high flux reactor and started down the political, scientific and engineering path that led to the BFBR. The effort was joined by a number of engineers and scientists among them, Chemick, Hastings, Kouts, and Hendrie, who came up with the novel design of the HFBR. The two innovative features that have been incorporated in nearly all other research reactors built since are: (i) an under moderated core arrangement which enables the thermal flux to peak outside the core region where beam tubes can be placed, and (ii) beam tubes that are tangential to the core which decrease the fast neutron background without affecting the thermal beam intensity. Construction began in the fall of 1961 and four years later, at a cost of $12 Million, criticality was achieved on Halloween Night, 1965. Thus began 30 years of scientific accomplishments

Diffusion-weighted imaging of skeletal muscle lymphoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Surov, Alexey; Behrmann, Curd

2014-01-01

Muscle lymphoma (ML) is a relatively uncommon condition. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ML can manifest with a broad spectrum of radiological features. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the features of DW images of muscle lymphoma (ML). In our database, ten patients (six women and four men) with ML were identified who were investigated by magnetic resonance imaging including acquisition of DW images. DW images were obtained using a multi-shot SE-EPI pulse sequence. Apparent diffusion constant (ADC) maps were also calculated. Furthermore, fusion images were generated manually from DW and HASTE or T2W images. On T2W images, all recognized lesions were hyperintense in comparison to unaffected musculature and on T1W images they were homogeneously hypointense. All lesions demonstrated low signal intensity on ADC images. The calculated ADC values ranged from 0.60 to 0.90 mm 2 s -1 (mean value 0.76 ± 0.10; median value 0.78). On fusion images, all lesions showed high signal intensity. ML demonstrated low ADC values and high signal intensity on fusion images suggesting high cellularity of the lesions. (orig.)

Stochastic tracking of infection in a CF lung.

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Sara Zarei

Full Text Available Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI and Computed Tomography (CT scan are the two ubiquitous imaging sources that physicians use to diagnose patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF or any other Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD. Unfortunately the cost constraints limit the frequent usage of these medical imaging procedures. In addition, even though both CT scan and MRI provide mesoscopic details of a lung, in order to obtain microscopic information a very high resolution is required. Neither MRI nor CT scans provide micro level information about the location of infection in a binary tree structure the binary tree structure of the human lung. In this paper we present an algorithm that enhances the current imaging results by providing estimated micro level information concerning the location of the infection. The estimate is based on a calculation of the distribution of possible mucus blockages consistent with available information using an offline Metropolis-Hastings algorithm in combination with a real-time interpolation scheme. When supplemented with growth rates for the pockets of mucus, the algorithm can also be used to estimate how lung functionality as manifested in spirometric tests will change in patients with CF or COPD.

Effective gravitational coupling in modified teleparallel theories

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Abedi, Habib; Capozziello, Salvatore; D'Agostino, Rocco; Luongo, Orlando

2018-04-01

In the present study, we consider an extended form of teleparallel Lagrangian f (T ,ϕ ,X ) , as function of a scalar field ϕ , its kinetic term X and the torsion scalar T . We use linear perturbations to obtain the equation of matter density perturbations on sub-Hubble scales. The gravitational coupling is modified in scalar modes with respect to the one of general relativity, albeit vector modes decay and do not show any significant effects. We thus extend these results by involving multiple scalar field models. Further, we study conformal transformations in teleparallel gravity and we obtain the coupling as the scalar field is nonminimally coupled to both torsion and boundary terms. Finally, we propose the specific model f (T ,ϕ ,X )=T +∂μϕ ∂μϕ +ξ T ϕ2 . To check its goodness, we employ the observational Hubble data, constraining the coupling constant, ξ , through a Monte Carlo technique based on the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. Hence, fixing ξ to its best-fit value got from our numerical analysis, we calculate the growth rate of matter perturbations and we compare our outcomes with the latest measurements and the predictions of the Λ CDM model.

MR evaluation of fetal demise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Victoria, Teresa; Chauvin, Nancy Anne; Johnson, Ann M.; Kramer, Sandra Sue; Epelman, Monica; Capilla, Elena

2011-01-01

Fetal demise is an uncommon event encountered at MR imaging. When it occurs, recognition by the interpreting radiologist is important to initiate appropriate patient management. To identify MR findings of fetal demise. Following IRB approval, a retrospective search of the radiology fetal MR database was conducted searching the words ''fetal demise'' and ''fetal death.'' Fetuses with obvious maceration or no sonographic confirmation of death were excluded. Eleven cases formed the study group. These were matched randomly to live fetuses of similar gestational age. Images were reviewed independently by three pediatric radiologists. The deceased fetus demonstrates decreased MR soft-tissue contrast and definition of tissue planes, including loss of gray-white matter differentiation in the brain. The signal within the cardiac chambers, when visible, is bright on HASTE sequences from the stagnant blood; the heart is small. Pleural effusions and decreased lung volumes may be seen. Interestingly, the fetal orbits lose their anatomical round shape and become smaller and more elliptical; a dark, irregular rim resembling a mask may be seen. Although fetal demise is uncommonly encountered at MR imaging, radiologists should be aware of such imaging findings so prompt management can be instituted. (orig.)

Nursing's Code of Ethics, Social Ethics, and Social Policy.

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Fowler, Marsha D

2016-09-01

Modern American nursing arose during the Civil War and subsequently adopted the Nightingale educational model in the 1870s. By 1889, the journal Trained Nurse and Hospital Review had been established. It published a six-part series on ethics in nursing. With the establishment of the American Nurses Association in 1893, the articles of incorporation gave the organization its first charge: "to establish and maintain a code of ethics." While the rich and enduring tradition of nursing's ethics has been concerned about individual patients and their relational nexus, nursing ethics has from the beginning been a social ethics, intimately concerned both for the shape of society and for social change. This concern has been for health, conceived broadly and not focused specifically on disease and its treatment, but including the social causes of disease. Nightingale herself was an ardent social reformer, instituting a wide range of types of army sanitation reform, sanitation reform in India, and hospital and nursing reform. Despite her gender, her wealth and privilege granted her access to men in power who furthered her policy and reform agenda. From the start, then, modern nursing was imbued with a social reformist bias. © 2016 The Hastings Center.

CORRELAÇÃO DE LONGA-DURAÇÃO E ANALÍSE BAYESIANA DA EVOLUÇÃO TEMPORAL DOS TERREMOTOS AO LONGO DA FALHA DE SAMAMBAIA, NORDESTE DO BRASIL

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Daniel Brito de Freitas

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Uma aproximação Bayesiana é adotada para analisar a seqüência de eventos sísmicos e suas magnitudes próximo a João Câmara que ocorreram principalmente de 1983 a 1998 ao longo da Falha de Samambaia. Neste trabalho, nós escolhemos um modelo Bayesiano para o processo de tempo de ocorrência condicional sobre os valores de magnitudes observadas seguindo o mesmo procedimento proposto por Stavrakakis e Tselentis (1987. Os parâmetros do modelo são determinados sobre uma base de informações físicas e históricas. Nós geramos uma amostra a posteriori a partir de sua distribuição através de uma variante do algoritmo Metropolis-Hastings. Nós usamos os resultados em uma variedade de aplicações, incluindo a construção de um intervalo de confiança para a intensidade condicional do processo como uma função de tempo, como também, uma distribuição a posteriori como uma função da má ocorrência por unidade de tempo.

Contaminação microbiana de punhos de jalecos durante a assistência à saúde

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Carla Auxiliadora Margarido

2014-01-01

Full Text Available O estudo objetivou avaliar a contaminação bacteriana em jalecos de acadêmicos de enfermagem após a sua utilização em práticas assistenciais à saúde. Realizou-se estudo quantitativo e descritivo, no qual os jalecos dos acadêmicos foram recolhidos, lavados e passados de forma padronizada e usados durante quatro horas em atividades assistenciais. Subsequentemente, coletaram-se amostras dos punhos com hastes de algodão estéreis para serem incubadas; analisando-se posteriormente o crescimento microbiano por meio de análise morfológica pelo método Gram e antibiograma. Observou-se crescimento bacteriano dos microrganismos Staphylococcus aureuse Staphylococcus epidermidis em 50% das amostras coletadas, sendo que o Staphylococcus aureus, encontrado no ambulatório de atendimento a portadores de feridas, apresentou resistência aos antibióticos Vancomicina, Cloranfenicol e Sulfonamidas. Os dados demonstraram que os jalecos utilizados durante as atividades assistenciais, mesmo em curtos períodos, são contaminados por cepas resistentes a antibióticos e que potencialmente podem ser causadores de infecção relacionada a assistência à saúde

Trump's Abortion-Promoting Aid Policy.

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Latham, Stephen R

2017-07-01

On the fourth day of his presidency, Donald Trump reinstated and greatly expanded the "Mexico City policy," which imposes antiabortion restrictions on U.S. foreign health aid. In general, the policy has prohibited U.S. funding of any family-planning groups that use even non-U.S. funds to perform abortions; prohibited aid recipients from lobbying (again, even with non-U.S. money) for liberalization of abortion laws; prohibited nongovernment organizations from creating educational materials on abortion as a family-planning method; and prohibited health workers from referring patients for legal abortions in any cases other than rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. The policy's prohibition on giving aid to any organization that performs abortions is aimed at limiting alleged indirect funding of abortions. The argument is that if U.S. money is used to fund nonabortion programs of an abortion-providing NGO, then the NGO can simply shift the money thus saved into its abortion budget. Outside the context of abortion, we do not reason this way. And the policy's remaining three prohibitions are deeply troubling. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

Sampling microcanonical measures of the 2D Euler equations through Creutz’s algorithm: a phase transition from disorder to order when energy is increased

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potters, Max; Vaillant, Timothee; Bouchet, Freddy

2013-01-01

The 2D Euler equations are basic examples of fluid models for which a microcanonical measure can be constructed from first principles. This measure is defined through finite-dimensional approximations and a limiting procedure. Creutz’s algorithm is a microcanonical generalization of the Metropolis–Hastings algorithm (to sample Gibbs measures, in the canonical ensemble). We prove that Creutz’s algorithm can sample finite-dimensional approximations of the 2D Euler microcanonical measures (incorporating fixed energy and other invariants). This is essential as microcanonical and canonical measures are known to be inequivalent at some values of energy and vorticity distribution. Creutz’s algorithm is used to check predictions from the mean-field statistical mechanics theory of the 2D Euler equations (the Robert–Sommeria–Miller theory). We find full agreement with theory. Three different ways to compute the temperature give consistent results. Using Creutz’s algorithm, a first-order phase transition never observed previously and a situation of statistical ensemble inequivalence are found and studied. Strikingly, and in contrast to the usual statistical mechanics interpretations, this phase transition appears from a disordered phase to an ordered phase (with fewer symmetries) when the energy is increased. We explain this paradox. (paper)

Bayesian Analysis for Dynamic Generalized Linear Latent Model with Application to Tree Survival Rate

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Yu-sheng Cheng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Logistic regression model is the most popular regression technique, available for modeling categorical data especially for dichotomous variables. Classic logistic regression model is typically used to interpret relationship between response variables and explanatory variables. However, in real applications, most data sets are collected in follow-up, which leads to the temporal correlation among the data. In order to characterize the different variables correlations, a new method about the latent variables is introduced in this study. At the same time, the latent variables about AR (1 model are used to depict time dependence. In the framework of Bayesian analysis, parameters estimates and statistical inferences are carried out via Gibbs sampler with Metropolis-Hastings (MH algorithm. Model comparison, based on the Bayes factor, and forecasting/smoothing of the survival rate of the tree are established. A simulation study is conducted to assess the performance of the proposed method and a pika data set is analyzed to illustrate the real application. Since Bayes factor approaches vary significantly, efficiency tests have been performed in order to decide which solution provides a better tool for the analysis of real relational data sets.

The Virtues of National Ethics Committees.

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Montgomery, Jonathan

2017-05-01

The United Kingdom has many bodies that play their part in carrying out the work of national ethics committees, but its nearest equivalent of a U.S. presidential bioethics commission is the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, established in 1991. The Council is charged with examining ethical questions raised by developments in biological and medical research, publishing reports, and making representations to appropriate bodies in order to respond to or anticipate public concern. It is a nongovernment organization with no defined or guaranteed channels of influence. It has no authority merely by virtue of the position it holds. Rather, it has established relational authority based on its reputation. Unlike the U.S. bioethics commission, it is not part of executive government, nor is it constituted to contribute to the legislative branch, as does the French Comité Consultatif National d'Ethique. Its nongovernmental status notwithstanding, the Nuffield Council's work affects the U.K. government and the British public, and the Council has achieved international recognition for its reports. I was the chairperson from 2012 to 2017 and draw on my experience in this piece to consider three key audiences: governments, publics, and the international community. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

Ethical and equity issues in lung transplantation and lung volume reduction surgery.

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Glanville, A R

2006-01-01

New medical and scientific disciplines are often developed in haste with rampant enthusiasm and scant regard for the balance between action and thoughtful deliberation. Driven by the desire to prolong life and provide a better quality of life for desperately sick individuals, the twin modalities of lung transplantation and lung volume reduction therapy have only just reached their majority. Both are invested with the capacity to help and to harm so it is right to consider carefully their ethical and equitable distribution. Much has been learned in the last 20 years to assist in these deliberations. First, how can we ensure equity of access to transplant services and equality of outcomes? How do we balance resource allocation of a precious and scarce resource with individual recipient needs? Does the concept of distributive justice prevail in our daily work in this field? How do we honour the donor and their family? How do we as practitioners avoid ethical dilemmas related to personal bias and justifiable reward for services rendered? Finally, how do we learn to incorporate ethical forethought and planning guided by experts in the area into everyday behaviour?

Sampling from stochastic reservoir models constrained by production data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hegstad, Bjoern Kaare

1997-12-31

When a petroleum reservoir is evaluated, it is important to forecast future production of oil and gas and to assess forecast uncertainty. This is done by defining a stochastic model for the reservoir characteristics, generating realizations from this model and applying a fluid flow simulator to the realizations. The reservoir characteristics define the geometry of the reservoir, initial saturation, petrophysical properties etc. This thesis discusses how to generate realizations constrained by production data, that is to say, the realizations should reproduce the observed production history of the petroleum reservoir within the uncertainty of these data. The topics discussed are: (1) Theoretical framework, (2) History matching, forecasting and forecasting uncertainty, (3) A three-dimensional test case, (4) Modelling transmissibility multipliers by Markov random fields, (5) Up scaling, (6) The link between model parameters, well observations and production history in a simple test case, (7) Sampling the posterior using optimization in a hierarchical model, (8) A comparison of Rejection Sampling and Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, (9) Stochastic simulation and conditioning by annealing in reservoir description, and (10) Uncertainty assessment in history matching and forecasting. 139 refs., 85 figs., 1 tab.

Abortion Bans, Doctors, and the Criminalization of Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Oberman, Michelle

2018-03-01

January 2018, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology issued a position statement opposing the punishment of women for self-induced abortion. To those unfamiliar with emerging trends in abortion in the United States and worldwide, the need for the declaration might not be apparent. Several studies suggest that self-induced abortion is on the rise in the United States. Simultaneously, prosecutions of pregnant women for behavior thought to harm the fetus are increasing. The ACOG statement responds to both trends by urging doctors to honor the integrity and confidentiality inherent in the doctor-patient relationship. Seen in the context of the larger battle over legal abortion, the statement has far broader implications. By acknowledging the role doctors play in enforcing pregnancy-related crimes, the ACOG position statement wisely anticipates the ways in which doctors will be implicated should access to legal abortion be further restricted. To understand the need for the ACOG directive, you must first understand that the story of what will happen if abortion becomes a crime in the United States is not to be found in history books; it is staring at us across our southern border. © 2018 The Hastings Center.

Diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of experimental breast cancer bone metastases – A correlation study with histology

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Merz, Maximilian [Department of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Seyler, Lisa; Bretschi, Maren; Semmler, Wolfhard [Department of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Bäuerle, Tobias, E-mail: tobias.baeuerle@uk-erlangen.de [Department of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Institute of Radiology, University Medical Center Erlangen, Palmsanlage 5, 90154 Erlangen (Germany)

2015-04-15

Purpose: To validate imaging parameters from diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI with immunohistology and to non-invasively assess microstructure of experimental breast cancer bone metastases. Materials and methods: Animals bearing breast cancer bone metastases were imaged in a clinical 1.5 T MRI scanner. HASTE sequences were performed to calculate apparent diffusion coefficients. Saturation recovery turbo FLASH sequences were conducted while infusing 0.1 mmol/l Gd–DTPA for dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI to quantify parameters amplitude A and exchange rate constant k{sub ep}. After imaging, bone metastases were analyzed immunohistologically. Results: We found correlations of the apparent diffusion coefficients from diffusion-weighted imaging with tumor cellularity as assessed with cell nuclei staining. Histological vessel maturity was correlated negatively with parameters A and k{sub ep} from dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. Tumor size correlated inversely with cell density and vessel permeability as well as positively with mean vessel calibers. Parameters from the rim of bone metastases differed significantly from values of the center. Conclusion: In vivo diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in experimental bone metastases provide information about tumor cellularity and vascularity and correlate well with immunohistology.

Learn-as-you-go acceleration of cosmological parameter estimates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aslanyan, Grigor; Easther, Richard; Price, Layne C.

2015-01-01

Cosmological analyses can be accelerated by approximating slow calculations using a training set, which is either precomputed or generated dynamically. However, this approach is only safe if the approximations are well understood and controlled. This paper surveys issues associated with the use of machine-learning based emulation strategies for accelerating cosmological parameter estimation. We describe a learn-as-you-go algorithm that is implemented in the Cosmo++ code and (1) trains the emulator while simultaneously estimating posterior probabilities; (2) identifies unreliable estimates, computing the exact numerical likelihoods if necessary; and (3) progressively learns and updates the error model as the calculation progresses. We explicitly describe and model the emulation error and show how this can be propagated into the posterior probabilities. We apply these techniques to the Planck likelihood and the calculation of ΛCDM posterior probabilities. The computation is significantly accelerated without a pre-defined training set and uncertainties in the posterior probabilities are subdominant to statistical fluctuations. We have obtained a speedup factor of 6.5 for Metropolis-Hastings and 3.5 for nested sampling. Finally, we discuss the general requirements for a credible error model and show how to update them on-the-fly

A dependência da política: Fernando Henrique Cardoso e a sociologia no Brasil

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Afrânio Garcia Jr.

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Este artigo analisa a trajetória social, intelectual e profissional de Fernando Henrique Cardoso para entender os diferentes recursos sociais e disposições pessoais utilizados em sua carreira como sociólogo e em suas atividades como especialista da política. Busca demonstrar que os capitais sociais e as disposições responsáveis pelo prestígio como pesquisador e professor de ciências sociais foram distintos dos aplicados no domínio da política, permitindo sua rápida ascensão à presidência da República. Depois de estudar suas origens familiares, focaliza seus investimentos escolares e a escolha do ofício de sociólogo, a carreira promissora sendo bloqueada pelo golpe de 1964. O exílio permitiu a extensão das atividades e o reconhecimento internacional, reinvestidos em novo concurso para a USP; o AI-5 o conduzirá à dupla condição de cientista social e de um dos líderes da frente de oposições aos militares. Por fim, analisa-se a reconversão de seus recursos sociais e pessoais na profissão política.This article analyzes Fernando Henrique Cardoso's social, intellectual and professional trajectory in order to understand the different social resources and personal dispositions carried out in his career as sociologist or in his activities as a professional politician. It seeks to prove that the social capitals and the dispositions that might explain his prestige as researcher and professor of social sciences were very different from those required in the political domain, the ones allowing his fast rise to be the president of the Republic. After having examined his family origins, it focuses his scholar investments and the choice of the sociologist's occupation, a promising career suddenly blocked by the 1964 military coup. The exile encouraged new initiatives and brought him international appraisal, this moment being crowned with his access to the chair of political science at the University of São Paulo; the AI-5 enforced

Impacto do manejo dos resíduos da colheita, do preparo do solo e da adubação na produtividade de eucalipto

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Frederico Alfenas Silva Valente Paes

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Tem sido cada vez maior a preocupação das empresas do setor florestal em adotar práticas pautadas na conservação do solo e da água. Nesse sentido, este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o impacto do manejo dos resíduos da colheita, do preparo do solo e do uso de resíduos industriais, na fertilidade do solo e produtividade de eucalipto. O experimento foi iniciado após o corte raso de um plantio comercial de EUCALYPTUS GRANDIS, onde os resíduos da colheita foram manejados (retirada de todo o resíduo; remoção da casca e dos galhos com diâmetro superior a 3,0 cm; e manutenção de todos os resíduos na superfície do solo. Em seguida, realizaram-se o preparo do solo (com subsolador de uma e três hastes, a aplicação dos resíduos industriais (resíduo de celulose e cinzas na superfície do solo e o plantio de mudas de EUCALYPTUS GRANDIS X E. UROPHYLLA Foi utilizado o delineamento em blocos ao acaso, contendo oito tratamentos e quatro repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram da combinação dos diferentes tipos de manejo dos resíduos da colheita, preparo do solo e aplicação dos resíduos industriais. Cada parcela experimental foi composta por cinco linhas com 19 plantas cada. Aos 83 meses após o plantio, foram medidos o DAP (diâmetro à altura do peito e a altura das árvores, para cálculo do volume de madeira. A fertilização e a manutenção dos resíduos da colheita florestal elevaram os teores de Ca2+ e Mg2+ trocáveis no solo. A manutenção total dos resíduos vegetais na área após a colheita resultou em aumento de 71,7 m³ ha-1 de madeira, quando comparado à remoção de todos os resíduos. Não houve diferença entre os modos de preparo do solo com subsolador de uma e três hastes, quanto ao volume de madeira. Os maiores volumes de madeira foram obtidos dos tratamentos que receberam as maiores quantidades de resíduo de celulose e cinzas, ao mesmo tempo em que foi mantida parte do resíduo vegetal após a colheita

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of liver and brain in haematologic-organic patients with fever of unknown origin; Magnetresonanztomographie (MRT) der Leber und des Gehirns bei haematologisch-onkologischen Patienten mit Fieber unbekannter Ursache

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Heussel, C.P.; Kauczor, H.U.; Poguntke, M.; Schadmand-Fischer, S.; Mildenberger, P.; Thelen, M. [Mainz Univ. (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Radiologie; Heussel, G. [Mainz Univ. (Germany). 3. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik

1998-08-01

To examine the advantage of liver and brain MRI in clinically anomalous haematological patients with fever of unknown origin. Material and Methods: Twenty liver MRI (T{sub 2}-TSE, T{sub 2}-HASTE, T{sub 1}-FLASH{+-}Gd dynamic) and 16 brain MRI (T{sub 2}-TSE, FLAIR, T{sub 1}-TSE{+-}Gd) were performed searching for a focus of fever with a suspected organ system. Comparison with clinical follow-up. Results: suspected organ system. Comparison with clinical follow-up. Results: A focus was detected in 11/20 liver MRI. Candidiasis (n=3), mycobacteriosis (n=2), relapse of haematological disease (n=3), graft versus host disease (n=1), non-clarified (n=2). The remaining 9 cases with normal MRI were not suspicious of infectious hepatic disease during follo-wup. In brain MRI, 3/16 showed a focus (toxoplasmosis, aspergillosis, mastoiditis). Clinical indication for an infectious involvement of the brain was found in 4/16 cases 2--5 months after initially normal brain MRI. No suspicion of an infectious involvement of brain was present in the remaining 9/16 cases. Conclusion: In case of fever of unknown origin and suspicion of liver involvement, MRI of the liver should be performed due to data given in literature and its sensitivity of 100%. Because of the delayed detectability of cerebral manifestations, in cases of persisting suspicion even a previously normal MRI of the brain should be repeated. (orig.) [Deutsch] Untersuchung des Nutzens der MRT der Leber und des Gehirns bei klinisch auffaelligen haematologischen Patienten mit Fieber unbekannter Ursache. Material und Methoden: Es wurden 20 MRT der Leber (T{sub 2}-TSE, T{sub 2}-HASTE, T{sub 1}-FLASH{+-}Gd dynamisch) und 16 MRT des Gehirns (T{sub 2}-TSE, FLAIR, T{sub 1}-TSE{+-}Gd) zur Fokussuche bei Infektionsverdacht und Organhinweisen durchgefuehrt. Es erfolgte der Abgleich mit dem weiteren klinischen Verlauf. Ergebnisse: 11/20 MRT-Untersuchungen der Leber zeigten einen Herdbefund: Candidiasis (n=3), Mykobakteriose (n=2

Vida de vaso de inflorescências de Epidendrum ibaguense Kunth tratadas com inibidores de etileno

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MARCELO AMARAL DE MOURA

2010-12-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência de inibidores da síntese e ação do etileno, incluindo ácido aminooxiacético (AOA, ácido aminoetoxivinilglicina (AVG, ácido acetilsalicílico (AAS e tiossulfato de prata (STS, aplicados na forma de pulverização ou solução de condicionamento sobre a qualidade de flores cortadas de Epidendrum ibaguense. As hastes foram colhidas e imediatamente submetidas aos seguintes tratamentos: (1 pulverização com 1,0 mM de AOA; (2 pulverização com 1,0 mM de AVG; (3 pulverização com 1,0 mM de AAS; (4 pulsing com 2,0 mM de STS, por 30 minutos; (5 pulverização com 1,0 mM de AOA + pulsing com 2,0 mM de STS, por 30 minutos; (6 pulverização com 1,0 mM de AVG + pulsing com 2,0 mM de STS; (7 pulverização com 1,0 mM de AAS + pulsing com 2,0 mM de STS; (8 pulverização + pulsing com água desionizada (controle. Após os tratamentos, as hastes foram mantidas em vasos com água desionizada, renovada a cada dois dias, para evitar o desenvolvimento de microrganismos. Ao final da longevidade, o qual variou de acordo com o tratamento, as inflorescências submetidas ao AVG e AVG + STS mostraram a maior porcentagem de abertura floral, visto que promoveram aumento de 49 e 88% em relação ao controle. A taxa de abscisão também foi influenciada pelos tratamentos, pois ao oitavo dia, as inflorescências controle apresentaram cerca de 51% de queda das flores, cujo início ocorreu, principalmente, a partir do quinto dia. As inflorescências tratadas ao AAS, AOA, STS, AVG, STS + AAS, STS + AOA e STS + AVG mostraram redução de 11, 39, 47, 71, 38, 61 e 86%, respectivamente. Além disso, houve atraso de 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 3 e 8 dias para o início da abscisão, respectivamente. A longevidade de E. ibaguense foi afetada pelos inibidores do etileno, mas com exceção de AAS e AOA, os demais tratamentos foram significativamente maiores que o controle. O STS, AVG, AAS + STS, AOA + STS e AVG + STS tiveram longevidade

Longevidade de inflorescências de Epidendrum ibaguense tratadas com aminoetoxivinilglicina Extending vase life of cut Epidendrum ibaguense inflorescences with aminoethoxyvinylglycine

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Ana Maria Mapeli

2009-03-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência do inibidor da síntese de etileno aminoetoxivinilglicina (AVG aplicado na forma de solução de condicionamento e pulverização sobre a abscisão e longevidade de inflorescências de Epidendrum ibaguense Kunth. As hastes foram colhidas e imediatamente condicionadas em solução com 0, 0,5, 1, 1,5 e 2 mM de AVG por 6, 12, 18 e 24 horas. Os mesmos tratamentos foram aplicados na forma de pulverização até o molhamento completo da inflorescência. O experimento foi conduzido em um esquema fatorial entre tempo de aplicação e doses de AVG, mais doses de AVG aplicadas em pulverização nas flores, e o delineamento foi em blocos ao acaso, com cinco repetições, com três hastes por unidade experimental. Independentemente do modo de aplicação do AVG, as concentrações utilizadas promoveram aumento da longevidade das flores em aproximadamente 70% em comparação ao controle, com resposta máxima nas concentrações de 1,5 e 2 mM. Apercentagem de abscisão de flores foi reduzida em todos os tratamentos com AVG, principalmente quando se utilizou pulverização, com decréscimo na abscisão acumulada superior a 80% nas concentrações entre 1 e 2 mM de AVG.A aplicação de AVG prolongaa longevidadee reduz a abscisãode flores de Epidendrum ibaguense.This work evaluated the influence of the aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG, an inhibitor of ethylene synthesis, when applied in pulsing solution or sprayed, on the abscission and longevity of cut star orchid (Epidendrum ibaguense Kunth inflorescences. The cut stems were placed in solutions with 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 mM AVG concentrations immediately after the harvest for periods of 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours. The same treatment concentrations were sprayed on the inflorescences until runoff. The experiment had a randomized complete block design with factorial treatments of rate and duration plus rate of application to the flowers, with five replicates, with three

Identification and colonization of endophytic fungi from soybean (Glycine max (L. Merril under different environmental conditions

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Ida Chapaval Pimentel

2006-09-01

Full Text Available A total of 297 endophytic fungi were isolated from 1728 leaf and stem fragments collected about twenty and forty days after germination from soybean (Glycine max (L. Merril plants grown in the field and a greenhouse. The fungi belonged to eight groups, six dematiaceous genera (Alternaria, Cladosporium, Chaetomium, Curvularia, Drechslera and Scopulariopsis and the non-dematiaceous genera Acremonium, Aspergillus, Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Paecilomyces and Penicillium along with some Mycelia sterilia.. There were qualitative and quantitative differences in the type and number of isolates obtained from greenhouse and field-grown plants, with more isolates being obtained from the latter. No difference was found in the number of fungi isolated from leaves and stems irrespective of where the plants was grown. For was field-grown plants, the number of isolates decreased as the plants aged and more fungi were found in tissues near the soil, while for greenhouse-grown plants the number of isolates increased as the plants aged but in this case no more fungi were isolated from those tissues nearer the soil. These results could have biotechnological relevance for the biological control of pests or plant growth promotion.A partir de 1728 fragmentos de hastes e folhas de soja (Glycine max (L. Merril. provenientes de plantas do campo e de casa de vegetação, coletadas cerca de 20 e 40 dias após a germinação das sementes, 297 fungos endofíticos foram isolados. Os gêneros encontrados foram: Alternaria, Cladosporium, Curvularia, Chaetomium, Scopulariopsis, Drechslera (todos dematiáceos além de Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Acremonium, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Paecilomyces e Mycelia sterilia. Foram detectadas diferenças qualitativas e quantitativas entre os isolados, em relação a micobiota de hospedeiros provenientes do campo e de casa de vegetação com maior frequência de fungos isolados de plantas no campo em comparação com as de casa de vegeta

Cold forging stem of total hip prosthesis with hybrid mechanical properties; Forjamento a frio de hastes de protese total de quadril com propriedades mecanicas hibridas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopes, E.S.N.; Contieri, R.J.; Cardoso, F.F.; Cremasco, A.; Button, S.T.; Caram, R., E-mail: ederlopes@fem.unicamp.b [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (FEM/UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Fac. de Engenharia Mecanica. Dept. de Engenharia de Materiais

2010-07-01

Type {beta} Ti alloy is one of the most versatile groups of materials with regard to mechanical properties. Aspects such as alloying elements selection, mechanical processing and heat treatment routes empower these materials in applications where hybrid mechanical behavior is necessary. The aim of this study is to produce stems of total hip prostheses with hybrid mechanical properties using Ti-Nb alloys. Ingots were produced by using arc melting. Following, samples were subjected to specific heat treatment aiming to make cold forging. Sample characterization includes X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Vickers hardness tests and tensile test. The experiments performed allowed to examine the effects of heat treatment parameters on the microstructure and mechanical behavior. Finally, results obtained show that the application of specific heat treatments of quenching and aging makes feasible the manufacturing of orthopedic devices with hybrid mechanical properties with regions where high mechanical strength was prioritized, while in others, low elastic modulus was the main concern. (author)

Fixador esquelético pino-resina acrílica e enxerto ósseo esponjoso no tratamento de complicações secundárias à imobilização inadequada de fratura do rádio e ulna em cães Acrylic-pin external fixator and cancellous bone graft in the treatment of complications caused by inadequate immobilization of radius and ulna fracture in dogs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheila Canevese Rahal

2005-10-01

Full Text Available O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a eficácia do fixador esquelético pino-resina, configuração tipo II, coadjuvado pelo enxerto ósseo esponjoso autólogo, no tratamento das complicações secundárias à imobilização inadequada de fraturas do rádio e ulna em 10 cães, com peso entre 1,8 e 33,6 kg. Detectou-se não-união (n=4, osteomielite (n=1, má-união (n=1, falência ou quebra de implante (n=4, sendo 60% das lesões referente ao uso prévio de pino intramedular no rádio. A montagem do fixador foi realizada com transfixação de pinos lisos em sua maioria angulados, cujas extremidades excedentes foram dobradas e estabilizadas com resina acrílica. Em todos os casos, utilizou-se enxerto esponjoso autólogo fresco, após debridamento do foco de fratura. O tempo de permanência do aparelho variou entre 45 dias e 5 meses e a maior complicação foi o afrouxamento dos pinos transfixantes. A consolidação das fraturas ocorreu por formação de calo periosteal de mínimo a moderado, indicando boa rigidez da montagem.The aim of this study was to evaluate the acrylic-pin external fixator, type II-configuration, and cancellous bone autograft for treating complications of radius and ulna fractures in 10 dogs weighing between 1.8 and 33.6 kg. Nonunion (n=4, osteomyelitis (n=1, malunion (n=1, failure or breakage of implant (n=4 were detected, and 60 % of them were associated with previous intramedullary pin placement in the radius. The fixator frame was constructed using most of the smooth transfixation pins angled. The fixation rods were constructed by placing acrylic resin over the ends of the transfixation pins that were previously bent. In all cases fresh cancellous bone autograft was used after cleaning of the fracture site. The permanence time of the external fixator ranged from 45 days to 5 months, and the most important complication was pin loosening. Fracture healing was by minimal to moderate periosteal callus, suggesting good rigidity

A newly developed MR simulation system for intracavitary brachytherapy for cervical cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ebe, Kazuyu; Matsunaga, Naofumi [Yamaguchi Univ., Ube (Japan). School of Medicine

1997-03-01

We have developed a prototype system for a magnetic resonance (MR) simulation to accurately estimate radiation doses to the tumor and surrounding normal tissues during brachytherapy for cervical cancer. Six patients with cervical cancer underwent MR simulation prior to intracavitary high-dose-rate brachytherapy using Co-60 sources. Tandem and ovoid applicators filled with tap-water were placed in the uterine cavity and vaginal fornix, then MR imaging examinations were performed. Frontal and lateral images of maximum intensity projection (MIP) of applicators generated from a data set of half-Fourier single shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) images were chosen for processing by the treatment planning computer system. Then, isodose curves on the coronal or sagittal plane of the tandem section were superimposed on corresponding T2-weighted images derived from a turbo spin-echo technique. Doses to the tumor, the posterior wall of the urinary bladder, the anterior wall of the rectum, and the urethra were read from isodose curves superimposed on the T2-weighted sagittal image. Phantom experiments were done to evaluate geometrical errors. The possible distortion of the lattice image on the phantom was small. This system promises to be useful in customizing the dose distribution corresponding to the tumor and surrounding normal tissues. (author)

A newly developed MR simulation system for intracavitary brachytherapy for cervical cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebe, Kazuyu; Matsunaga, Naofumi

1997-01-01

We have developed a prototype system for a magnetic resonance (MR) simulation to accurately estimate radiation doses to the tumor and surrounding normal tissues during brachytherapy for cervical cancer. Six patients with cervical cancer underwent MR simulation prior to intracavitary high-dose-rate brachytherapy using Co-60 sources. Tandem and ovoid applicators filled with tap-water were placed in the uterine cavity and vaginal fornix, then MR imaging examinations were performed. Frontal and lateral images of maximum intensity projection (MIP) of applicators generated from a data set of half-Fourier single shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) images were chosen for processing by the treatment planning computer system. Then, isodose curves on the coronal or sagittal plane of the tandem section were superimposed on corresponding T2-weighted images derived from a turbo spin-echo technique. Doses to the tumor, the posterior wall of the urinary bladder, the anterior wall of the rectum, and the urethra were read from isodose curves superimposed on the T2-weighted sagittal image. Phantom experiments were done to evaluate geometrical errors. The possible distortion of the lattice image on the phantom was small. This system promises to be useful in customizing the dose distribution corresponding to the tumor and surrounding normal tissues. (author)

Comportamento produtivo do girassol em função de doses de nitrogênio

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João Felinto dos Santos

2013-08-01

Full Text Available 800x600 O girassol (Helianthus annuus L. surge como uma cultura alternativa para a região semiárida paraibana, pelo emprego do seu óleo e possibilidade de uso na produção do biodiesel, grande rusticidade, boa adaptação às variações do meio ambiente, podendo ser cultivado em sistema de agricultura familiar. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o efeito de doses de nitrogênio sobre o desempenho produtivo do girassol. O experimento foi conduzido na Estação Experimental da Emepa-PB, em Lagoa Seca, Paraíba, em 2010. O ensaio foi delineado em blocos ao acaso com cinco doses de N (0, 30, 60, 90 e 120 kg. ha-1  em quatro repetições. Houve respostas dos caracteres: altura de planta, diâmetro da haste planta, diâmetro do capitulo, massa de capítulo e produtividade de aquênios às doses de nitrogênio. A máxima eficiência técnica da produtividade de aquênios (864 kg ha-1 é alcançada com 112,43 kg ha-1 Normal 0 21 false false false PT-BR X-NONE X-NONE

Intraoperative radiotherapy in primary rectal cancer; Intraoperative Radiotherapie des primaeren Rektumkarzinoms

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Mund, Christian

2013-06-17

According to the results of several studies intraoperative radiotherapy seems to influence local control for primary rectal cancer in UICC-Stage II / III positively, though recommendations in therapy cannot be given as studies of high evidence level do not exist. As IORT is rarely available and makes patient recruitment difficult, prospective randomised trials have not been carried out yet. This emphasizes the importance of non-randomised trials for an evaluation of IORT. A comparison of 21 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who had been treated with intraoperative radiation therapy and 21 similar cases without an application of IORT could not show any significant improvements in prognosis (recurrences, metastases and disease-specific survival). Nevertheless the employment of intraoperative radiation showed a trend in improvement of local control. This hast been shown by several other studies before. Thus the application of IORT in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer is considered a useful part in multimodal treatment and should further be evaluated in specialized centres. In case-control studies 1:1-matching leads to a good comparability of groups and renders conclusions of high internal validity possible. To gain a sufficient power, this type of trials should however primarily be carried out by centres with a high number of cases.

Quantification of renal allograft perfusion using arterial spin labeling MRI: initial results.

Science.gov (United States)

Lanzman, Rotem S; Wittsack, Hans-Jörg; Martirosian, Petros; Zgoura, Panagiota; Bilk, Philip; Kröpil, Patric; Schick, Fritz; Voiculescu, Adina; Blondin, Dirk

2010-06-01

To quantify renal allograft perfusion in recipients with stable allograft function and acute decrease in allograft function using nonenhanced flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR)-TrueFISP arterial spin labeling (ASL) MR imaging. Following approval of the local ethics committee, 20 renal allograft recipients were included in this study. ASL perfusion measurement and an anatomical T2-weighted single-shot fast spin-echo (HASTE) sequence were performed on a 1.5-T scanner (Magnetom Avanto, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). T2-weighted MR urography was performed in patients with suspected ureteral obstruction. Patients were assigned to three groups: group a, 6 patients with stable allograft function over the previous 4 months; group b, 7 patients with good allograft function who underwent transplantation during the previous 3 weeks; group c, 7 allograft recipients with an acute deterioration of renal function. Mean cortical perfusion values were 304.8 +/- 34.4, 296.5 +/- 44.1, and 181.9 +/- 53.4 mg/100 ml/min for groups a, b and c, respectively. Reduction in cortical perfusion in group c was statistically significant. Our results indicate that ASL is a promising technique for nonenhanced quantification of cortical perfusion of renal allografts. Further studies are required to determine the clinical value of ASL for monitoring renal allograft recipients.

Mitochondrial Replacement Techniques, Scientific Tourism, and the Global Politics of Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Sarah; Palacios-González, César; De Jesús Medina Arellano, María

2017-09-01

The United Kingdom is the first and so far only country to pass explicit legislation allowing for the licensed use of the new reproductive technology known as mitochondrial replacement therapy. The techniques used in this technology may prevent the transmission of mitochondrial DNA diseases, but they are controversial because they involve the manipulation of oocytes or embryos and the transfer of genetic material. Some commentators have even suggested that MRT constitutes germline genome modification. All eyes were on the United Kingdom as the most likely location for the first MRT birth, so it was a shock when, on September 27, 2016, an announcement went out that the first baby to result from use of the intervention had already been born. In New York City, United States-based scientist John Zhang used maternal spindle transfer (one of the recognized MRT methods) to generate five embryos for a woman carrying oocytes with deleterious mutations of the mitochondrial DNA. Zhang then shipped the only euploid embryo to Mexico, where it was transferred to the mother's uterus. Zhang's team's travel across international borders to carry out experimental procedures represents a form of scientific tourism that has not been properly ethically explored; it can, however, have seriously detrimental effects for developing countries. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

Combined staging at one stop using MR mammography. Evaluation of an extended protocol to screen for distant metastasis in primary breast cancer. Initial results and diagnostic accuracy in a prospective study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dietzel, M.; Zoubi, R.; Burmeister, H.P.; Kaiser, W.A.; Baltzer, P.A.T. [Jena Univ. (Germany). Inst. of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology; Runnebaum, I.B. [University Hospital Jena (Germany). Dept. of Gynecology and Obstetrics

2012-07-15

Purpose: Accurate staging of primary breast cancer is essential for the therapeutic approach. Modern whole-body MR scanners would allow local and distant staging during a single examination. Accordingly, we designed a dedicated protocol for this purpose and prospectively evaluated the diagnostic accuracy. Materials and Methods: 65 consecutive breast cancer patients underwent pre-therapeutic MRI (1.5 T). A bilateral breast protocol (axial: T1w/GRE dynamic contrast-enhanced, T2w/TSE; TA: 10 min) was extended to screen for distant metastasis at one stop without repositioning (coronal: T2w/HASTE, T1w/VIBE; FOV: thorax, abdomen and spine; TA: 90 sec; multichannel surface coils). The standard of reference was S3 guideline-compliant staging examinations. Global assessment regarding the presence of distant metastasis was performed independently by two experienced and blinded radiologists (five-level confidence score). Inter-rater agreement (weighted kappa) and observer scoring were analyzed (contingency tables). Results: The prevalence of synchronous metastases was 7.7 % (n = 5). The protocol enabled global assessment regarding the presence of distant metastasis with high accuracy (sensitivity: 100 %; specificity: 98.3 %) and inter-rater agreement (kappa: 0.92). Conclusion: Applying the extended MRI protocol, accurate screening for distant metastasis was possible in combination with a dedicated breast examination. (orig.)

Fetal cleft lip with and without cleft palate: Comparison between MR imaging and US for prenatal diagnosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Guangbin, E-mail: wgb7932596@hotmail.com [Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, 324 Jingwu Road, Jinan, 250021 (China); Shan Ruiqin [Jinan Maternity and Child Care Hospital, Jinan (China); Zhao Lianxin; Zhu Xiangyu; Zhang Xinjuan [Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, 324 Jingwu Road, Jinan, 250021 (China)

2011-09-15

Objective: To describe the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings of fetal CL/CP and evaluate its diagnostic value. Methods and materials: Twelve fetuses with CL/CP diagnosed by transabdominal US underwent MR imaging within 2 days of US. Half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin echo (HASTE) sequence on T2-weighted images was performed on sagittal, coronal, and axial planes anatomic to the fetuses during maternal breath holding. US and MR imaging findings were compared with final diagnoses obtained from post-natal physical examination or fetal autopsy. Results: Final diagnoses confirmed incomplete midline cleft lip (n = 1), unilateral cleft lip and palate (n = 7), bilateral cleft lip and palate (n = 1), midline cleft lip and palate (n = 3). US and MR imaging diagnosed all 12 fetuses with cleft lip and the laterality. 5 (45.5%) of 11 cleft palates were identified with US, 2 of 7 fetuses with unilateral cleft palate, 2 of 3 fetuses with midline cleft palate, and one fetus with bilateral cleft palate. On MR imaging, 10 (91%) of 11 cleft palates were correctly detected. One fetus with unilateral cleft palate was not detected. No false-positives occurred. Conclusion: MR imaging is valuable for diagnosis of fetal CL/CP. It can demonstrate additional findings and provide more information compared with US.

Quantification of renal allograft perfusion using arterial spin labeling MRI: initial results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lanzman, Rotem S.; Wittsack, Hans-Joerg; Bilk, Philip; Kroepil, Patric; Blondin, Dirk; Martirosian, Petros; Schick, Fritz; Zgoura, Panagiota; Voiculescu, Adina

2010-01-01

To quantify renal allograft perfusion in recipients with stable allograft function and acute decrease in allograft function using nonenhanced flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR)-TrueFISP arterial spin labeling (ASL) MR imaging. Following approval of the local ethics committee, 20 renal allograft recipients were included in this study. ASL perfusion measurement and an anatomical T2-weighted single-shot fast spin-echo (HASTE) sequence were performed on a 1.5-T scanner (Magnetom Avanto, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). T2-weighted MR urography was performed in patients with suspected ureteral obstruction. Patients were assigned to three groups: group a, 6 patients with stable allograft function over the previous 4 months; group b, 7 patients with good allograft function who underwent transplantation during the previous 3 weeks; group c, 7 allograft recipients with an acute deterioration of renal function. Mean cortical perfusion values were 304.8 ± 34.4, 296.5 ± 44.1, and 181.9 ± 53.4 mg/100 ml/min for groups a, b and c, respectively. Reduction in cortical perfusion in group c was statistically significant. Our results indicate that ASL is a promising technique for nonenhanced quantification of cortical perfusion of renal allografts. Further studies are required to determine the clinical value of ASL for monitoring renal allograft recipients. (orig.)

Pharmaceutical Company Corruption and the Moral Crisis in Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Batt, Sharon

2016-07-01

A much-debated series of articles in the New England Journal of Medicine in May 2015 labeled the pharmaceutical industry's critics "pharmascolds." Having followed the debate for two decades, I count myself among the scolds. The weight of the evidence overwhelmingly supports the claim that pharmaceutical policy no longer serves the public interest; the central questions now are how this happened and what to do about it. I approached three of the most recent books on the industry with these questions in mind. Deadly Medicine and Organized Crime (CRC Press, 2013), by Peter Gøtzsche, Bad Pharma (Faber & Faber, 2013), by Ben Goldacre, and Good Pharma (Palgrave MacMillan, 2015), by Donald Light and Antonio Maturo, all situate their critical assessments in high-income countries globally, depicting the problem of pharmaceuticals as too many drugs approved with too little evidence, causing too many needless deaths, and prices spiraling to heights unimaginable just a decade ago. Light and Maturo, while no less critical of the status quo than Gøtzsche and Goldacre, take a different tack: they detail the success of an alternative model for pharmaceutical research, the Mario Negri Institute in Italy, citing it as proof positive that we can indeed defy capitalism's profit imperative. © 2016 The Hastings Center.

Conflating Capacity & Authority: Why We're Asking the Wrong Question in the Adolescent Decision-Making Debate.

Science.gov (United States)

Salter, Erica K

2017-01-01

Whether adolescents should be allowed to make their own medical decisions has been a topic of discussion in bioethics for at least two decades now. Are adolescents sufficiently capacitated to make their own medical decisions? Is the mature-minor doctrine, an uncommon legal exception to the rule of parental decision-making authority, something we should expand or eliminate? Bioethicists have dealt with the curious liminality of adolescents-their being neither children nor adults-in a variety of ways. However, recently there has been a trend to rely heavily, and often exclusively, on emerging neuroscientific and psychological data to answer these questions. Using data from magnetic resonance imaging and functional MRI studies on the adolescent brain, authors have argued both that the adolescent brain isn't sufficiently mature to broadly confer capacity on this population and that the adolescent brain is sufficiently mature to assume adolescent capacity. Scholars then accept these data as sufficient for concluding that adolescents should or should not have decision-making authority. Two critical mistakes are being made here. The first is the expectation that neuroscience or psychology is or will be able to answer all our questions about capacity. The second, and more concerning, mistake is the conflation of decision-making capacity with decision-making authority. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

A new moving strategy for the sequential Monte Carlo approach in optimizing the hydrological model parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Gaofeng; Li, Xin; Ma, Jinzhu; Wang, Yunquan; Liu, Shaomin; Huang, Chunlin; Zhang, Kun; Hu, Xiaoli

2018-04-01

Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) samplers have become increasing popular for estimating the posterior parameter distribution with the non-linear dependency structures and multiple modes often present in hydrological models. However, the explorative capabilities and efficiency of the sampler depends strongly on the efficiency in the move step of SMC sampler. In this paper we presented a new SMC sampler entitled the Particle Evolution Metropolis Sequential Monte Carlo (PEM-SMC) algorithm, which is well suited to handle unknown static parameters of hydrologic model. The PEM-SMC sampler is inspired by the works of Liang and Wong (2001) and operates by incorporating the strengths of the genetic algorithm, differential evolution algorithm and Metropolis-Hasting algorithm into the framework of SMC. We also prove that the sampler admits the target distribution to be a stationary distribution. Two case studies including a multi-dimensional bimodal normal distribution and a conceptual rainfall-runoff hydrologic model by only considering parameter uncertainty and simultaneously considering parameter and input uncertainty show that PEM-SMC sampler is generally superior to other popular SMC algorithms in handling the high dimensional problems. The study also indicated that it may be important to account for model structural uncertainty by using multiplier different hydrological models in the SMC framework in future study.

Upheavals of Emotions, Madness of Form: Mary M. Talbot’s and Bryan Talbot’s Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes and a Transdiegetised (AutoBiographical Commix

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kusek Robert

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In 2012, Mary M. Talbot and Bryan Talbot joined the likes of Richard Ellmann, Gordon Bowker and Michael Hastings and in their graphic memoir Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes (2012 offered a new re-telling of James Joyce’s life, focusing, in particular, on the difficult relationship between the great Irish writer, and his daughter Lucia. However, the story of a complicated emotional bond between Joyce and Lucia was only a framework for an autobiographical coming-of age narrative about Mary M. Talbot herself and her violent relationship with James S. Atherton, a celebrated Joycean scholar and her very own “cold mad feary father”. Following Martha C. Nussbaum’s conception about cognitive and narrative structure of emotions postulated in Love’s Knowledge (1990 and Upheavals of Thoughts (2001, this article wishes to argue in favour of an organic connection between the volume’s thematic concerns and its generic affiliation. In other words, it discusses how a specific class of emotions pertaining to Lucia’s gradual mental disintegration can be adequately told only in a specific literary form, i.e. in a transdiegetised “commix”, an (autobiographical account which occupies a threshold space between a comic and a novel, fiction and non-fiction, biography and autobiography, words and pictures.

The search for massive black hole binaries with LISA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cornish, Neil J; Porter, Edward K

2007-01-01

In this work we focus on the search and detection of massive black hole binary (MBHB) systems, including systems at high redshift. As well as expanding on previous works where we used a variant of Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), called Metropolis-Hastings Monte Carlo, with simulated annealing, we introduce a new search method based on frequency annealing which leads to a more rapid and robust detection. We compare the two search methods on systems where we do and do not see the merger of the black holes. In the non-merger case, we also examine the posterior distribution exploration using a 7D MCMC algorithm. We demonstrate that this method is effective in dealing with the high correlations between parameters, has a higher acceptance rate than previously proposed methods and produces posterior distribution functions that are close to the prediction from the Fisher information matrix. Finally, after carrying out searches where there is only one binary in the data stream, we examine the case where two black hole binaries are present in the same data stream. We demonstrate that our search algorithm can accurately recover both binaries, and more importantly showing that we can safely extract the MBHB sources without contaminating the rest of the data stream

A Hamiltonian Monte–Carlo method for Bayesian inference of supermassive black hole binaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porter, Edward K; Carré, Jérôme

2014-01-01

We investigate the use of a Hamiltonian Monte–Carlo to map out the posterior density function for supermassive black hole binaries. While previous Markov Chain Monte–Carlo (MCMC) methods, such as Metropolis–Hastings MCMC, have been successfully employed for a number of different gravitational wave sources, these methods are essentially random walk algorithms. The Hamiltonian Monte–Carlo treats the inverse likelihood surface as a ‘gravitational potential’ and by introducing canonical positions and momenta, dynamically evolves the Markov chain by solving Hamilton's equations of motion. This method is not as widely used as other MCMC algorithms due to the necessity of calculating gradients of the log-likelihood, which for most applications results in a bottleneck that makes the algorithm computationally prohibitive. We circumvent this problem by using accepted initial phase-space trajectory points to analytically fit for each of the individual gradients. Eliminating the waveform generation needed for the numerical derivatives reduces the total number of required templates for a 10 6 iteration chain from ∼10 9 to ∼10 6 . The result is in an implementation of the Hamiltonian Monte–Carlo that is faster, and more efficient by a factor of approximately the dimension of the parameter space, than a Hessian MCMC. (paper)

Clinical application for cardiovascular diseases using 1.5 T senior MR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Shihua; Lu Minjie; Zhang Yan; Jiang Shiliang; Huang Lianjun; Wang Hongyu; Wu Yanling; Du Mojia; Liu Yuqing

2005-01-01

Objective: To assess the clinical value of 1.5 T senior magnet for cardiovascular diseases. Methods: A total of 355 cases with cardiovascular diseases were studied. One stop shop scanning included HASTE and TSE for morphology, TrueFisp for cine-MRI, TurboFlash for fist pass myocardial perfusion, PSIR TrueFisp and PSIR Turbo Flash for late enhancement, as well as Flash3D plus multiple planar reconstruction for contrast enhanced MR angiography. Results: Abnormal findings were reported in 158 cases in the present study. Those positive patients had 35 cases with coronary heart diseases, of which normal or slightly enlarged left ventricular cavity (n=19), considerably enlarged left ventricular cavity (n=16), aneurysum (n=13), regional wall thinning (n=30), hypokinesia or akinesia (n=33), myocardial perfusion defect (n=20) and late enhancement (n=25) were demonstrated. Others included cardiomyopathy (n=52), pericardial diseases (n=9), vessel diseases (n=34), valvular diseases (n=6), high blood pressure (n=6), congenital heart diseases (n=5), pulmonary embolism (n=4), cardiac tumors (n=7), respectively. Conclusion: One stop shop scanning with 1.5 T senior magnet can provide well- qualified images of the heart and great vessels for the morphology, wall motion and myocardial viability. (authors)

A high reliability module with thermoelectric device by molding technology for M2M wireless sensor network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagawa, K; Tanaka, T; Suzuki, T

2015-01-01

This paper presents the fabrication of a new energy harvesting module that uses a thermoelectric device (TED) by using molding technology. Through molding technology, the TED and circuit board can be properly protected and a heat-radiating fin structure can be simultaneously constructed. The output voltage per heater temperature of the TED module at 20 °C ambient temperature is 8 mV K −1 , similar to the result with the aluminum heat sink which is almost the same fin size as the TED module. The accelerated environmental tests are performed on a damp heat test, which is an aging test under high temperature and high humidity, highly accelerated temperature, and humidity stress test (HAST) for the purpose of evaluating the electrical reliability in harsh environments, cold test and thermal cycle test to evaluate degrading characteristics by cycling through two temperatures. All test results indicate that the TED and circuit board can be properly protected from harsh temperature and humidity by using molding technology because the output voltage of after-tested modules is reduced by less than 5%. This study presents a novel fabrication method for a high reliability TED-installed module appropriate for Machine to Machine wireless sensor networks. (paper)

Oral Administration of Astrovirus Capsid Protein Is Sufficient To Induce Acute Diarrhea In Vivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria A. Meliopoulos

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The disease mechanisms associated with the onset of astrovirus diarrhea are unknown. Unlike other enteric virus infections, astrovirus infection is not associated with an inflammatory response or cellular damage. In vitro studies in differentiated Caco-2 cells demonstrated that human astrovirus serotype 1 (HAstV-1 capsid protein alone disrupts the actin cytoskeleton and tight junction complex, leading to increased epithelial barrier permeability. In this study, we show that oral administration of purified recombinant turkey astrovirus 2 (TAstV-2 capsid protein results in acute diarrhea in a dose- and time-dependent manner in turkey poults. Similarly to that induced by infectious virus, TAstV-2 capsid-induced diarrhea was independent of inflammation or histological changes but was associated with increased intestinal barrier permeability, as well as redistribution of sodium hydrogen exchanger 3 (NHE3 from the membrane to the cytoplasm of the intestinal epithelium. Unlike other viral enterotoxins that have been identified, astrovirus capsid induces diarrhea after oral administration, reproducing the natural route of infection and demonstrating that ingestion of intact noninfectious capsid protein may be sufficient to provoke acute diarrhea. Based on these data, we hypothesize that the astrovirus capsid acts like an enterotoxin and induces intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction.

Closed Financial Loops: When They Happen in Government, They're Called Corruption; in Medicine, They're Just a Footnote.

Science.gov (United States)

De Jesus-Morales, Kevin; Prasad, Vinay

2017-05-01

Many physicians are involved in relationships that create tension between a physician's duty to work in her patients' best interest at all times and her financial arrangement with a third party, most often a pharmaceutical manufacturer, whose primary goal is maximizing sales or profit. Despite the prevalence of this threat, in the United States and globally, the most common reaction to conflicts of interest in medicine is timid acceptance. There are few calls for conflicts of interest to be banned, and, to our knowledge, no one calls for conflicted practitioners to be reprimanded. Contrast our attitudes in medicine with public attitudes toward financial conflicts among government employees. When enforcement of rules against conflict of interest slackens in the public sector, news organizations investigate and publish their criticism. Yet even when doctors are quoted in the media promoting specific drugs, their personal financial ties to the drug maker are rarely mentioned. Policies for governmental employees are strict, condemnation is strong, and criminal statutes exist (allowing for corruption charges). Yet the evidence that conflict is problematic is, if anything, stronger in medicine than in the public sector. Policies against conflicts of interest in medicine should be at least as strong as those already existing in the public sector. © 2017 The Hastings Center.

Moderate Baseline Vagal Tone Predicts Greater Prosociality in Children

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Jonas G.; Kahle, Sarah; Hastings, Paul D.

2016-01-01

Vagal tone is widely believed to be an important physiological aspect of emotion regulation and associated positive behaviors. However, there is inconsistent evidence for relations between children’s baseline vagal tone and their helpful or prosocial responses to others (Hastings & Miller, 2014). Recent work in adults suggests a quadratic association (inverted U-shape curve) between baseline vagal tone and prosociality (Kogan et al., 2014). The present research examined whether this nonlinear association was evident in children. We found consistent evidence for a quadratic relation between vagal tone and prosociality across 3 samples of children using 6 different measures. Compared to low and high vagal tone, moderate vagal tone in early childhood concurrently predicted greater self-reported prosociality (Study 1), observed empathic concern in response to the distress of others and greater generosity toward less fortunate peers (Study 2), and longitudinally predicted greater self-, mother-, and teacher-reported prosociality 5.5 years later in middle childhood (Study 3). Taken together, our findings suggest that moderate vagal tone at rest represents a physiological preparedness or tendency to engage in different forms of prosociality across different contexts. Early moderate vagal tone may reflect an optimal balance of regulation and arousal that helps prepare children to sympathize, comfort, and share with others. PMID:27819463

Optimization of Markov chains for a SUSY fitter: Fittino

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prudent, Xavier [IKTP, Technische Universitaet, Dresden (Germany); Bechtle, Philip [DESY, Hamburg (Germany); Desch, Klaus; Wienemann, Peter [Universitaet Bonn (Germany)

2010-07-01

A Markov chains is a ''random walk'' algorithm which allows an efficient scan of a given profile and the search of the absolute minimum, even when this profil suffers from the presence of many secondary minima. This property makes them particularly suited to the study of Supersymmetry (SUSY) models, where minima have to be found in up-to 18-dimensional space for the general MSSM. Hence the SUSY fitter ''Fittino'' uses a Metropolis*Hastings Markov chain in a frequentist interpretation to study the impact of current low -energy measurements, as well as expected measurements from LHC and ILC, on the SUSY parameter space. The expected properties of an optimal Markov chain should be the independence of final results with respect to the starting point and a fast convergence. These two points can be achieved by optimizing the width of the proposal distribution, that is the ''average step length'' between two links in the chain. We developped an algorithm for the optimization of the proposal width, by modifying iteratively the width so that the rejection rate be around fifty percent. This optimization leads to a starting point independent chain as well as a faster convergence.

Fetal cleft lip with and without cleft palate: Comparison between MR imaging and US for prenatal diagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Guangbin; Shan Ruiqin; Zhao Lianxin; Zhu Xiangyu; Zhang Xinjuan

2011-01-01

Objective: To describe the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings of fetal CL/CP and evaluate its diagnostic value. Methods and materials: Twelve fetuses with CL/CP diagnosed by transabdominal US underwent MR imaging within 2 days of US. Half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin echo (HASTE) sequence on T2-weighted images was performed on sagittal, coronal, and axial planes anatomic to the fetuses during maternal breath holding. US and MR imaging findings were compared with final diagnoses obtained from post-natal physical examination or fetal autopsy. Results: Final diagnoses confirmed incomplete midline cleft lip (n = 1), unilateral cleft lip and palate (n = 7), bilateral cleft lip and palate (n = 1), midline cleft lip and palate (n = 3). US and MR imaging diagnosed all 12 fetuses with cleft lip and the laterality. 5 (45.5%) of 11 cleft palates were identified with US, 2 of 7 fetuses with unilateral cleft palate, 2 of 3 fetuses with midline cleft palate, and one fetus with bilateral cleft palate. On MR imaging, 10 (91%) of 11 cleft palates were correctly detected. One fetus with unilateral cleft palate was not detected. No false-positives occurred. Conclusion: MR imaging is valuable for diagnosis of fetal CL/CP. It can demonstrate additional findings and provide more information compared with US.

Itô-SDE MCMC method for Bayesian characterization of errors associated with data limitations in stochastic expansion methods for uncertainty quantification

Science.gov (United States)

Arnst, M.; Abello Álvarez, B.; Ponthot, J.-P.; Boman, R.

2017-11-01

This paper is concerned with the characterization and the propagation of errors associated with data limitations in polynomial-chaos-based stochastic methods for uncertainty quantification. Such an issue can arise in uncertainty quantification when only a limited amount of data is available. When the available information does not suffice to accurately determine the probability distributions that must be assigned to the uncertain variables, the Bayesian method for assigning these probability distributions becomes attractive because it allows the stochastic model to account explicitly for insufficiency of the available information. In previous work, such applications of the Bayesian method had already been implemented by using the Metropolis-Hastings and Gibbs Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. In this paper, we present an alternative implementation, which uses an alternative MCMC method built around an Itô stochastic differential equation (SDE) that is ergodic for the Bayesian posterior. We draw together from the mathematics literature a number of formal properties of this Itô SDE that lend support to its use in the implementation of the Bayesian method, and we describe its discretization, including the choice of the free parameters, by using the implicit Euler method. We demonstrate the proposed methodology on a problem of uncertainty quantification in a complex nonlinear engineering application relevant to metal forming.

Altering risky decision-making: Influence of impulsivity on the neuromodulation of prefrontal cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Gordon L F; Lee, Tatia M C

2016-01-01

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) subserves complex cognitive abilities, including risky decision-making; the modulation of this brain area is shown to alter the way people take risks. Yet, neuromodulation of the PFC in relation to risk-taking behavior remains relatively less well-studied. Moreover, the psychological variables that influence such neuromodulation remain poorly understood. To address these issues, 16 participants took part in 3 experimental sessions on separate days. They received: (i) left anodal-right cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS); (ii) left cathodal-right anodal stimulation; or (iii) sham stimulation while they completed two risk-taking tasks. They also measured on several cognitive-affective abilities and personality traits. It was revealed that left cathodal-right anodal stimulation led to significantly reduced risk-taking under a context of haste. The reduction of risk-taking (relative to sham) correlated with state and trait impulsivity, such that the effect was larger in more impulsive individuals. For these individuals, the tDCS effect size was considered to be large (generalized partial η(2) > .17). The effect of prefrontal-neuromodulation in reducing risk-taking was influenced by baseline impulsivity, reflecting a state-dependent effect of neuromodulation on the PFC. The results of this study carry important insights into the use of neuromodulation to alter higher cognition.

Water imaging (hydrography) in the fetus: the value of a heavily T2-weighted sequence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kline-Fath, Beth M.; Calvo-Garcia, Maria A.; O' Hara, Sara M.; Racadio, Judy M. [University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH (United States)

2007-02-15

Since the development of fast imaging sequences, MR has proved to be a helpful tool in the evaluation of fetal pathology. Because of the high water content of fetal tissues and pathology, hydrography imaging (MR fetography) can provide additional diagnostic information. To demonstrate the benefit of MR fetography in fetal imaging. From 2004 to 2005, 126 fetal MR examinations were performed for evaluation of an abnormality depicted on an antenatal sonogram. Single-shot fast spin-echo MR imaging and MR fetography were performed through the area of fetal pathology. The two studies were retrospectively compared. The primary diagnosis was not changed with the addition of MR fetography. New findings, particularly in the kidneys and spine, were identified in 9% of the patients. When fetal pathology was of high water content (80% patients), the MR fetography imaging increased diagnostic confidence. In 11% of the patients, those with cardiovascular or low water pathology, the MR fetography was not beneficial. The mainstay of fetal imaging is currently the HASTE and SSFSE sequences. However, MR fetography is an excellent adjunct that highlights fetal pathology by reinforcing the diagnosis, identifying additional findings, and providing high-contrast high-resolution images that are helpful when counseling clinicians and patients. (orig.)

Progress: Its Glories and Pitfalls.

Science.gov (United States)

Callahan, Daniel

2018-03-01

Steven Pinker, a cognitive psychologist and linguist at Harvard and a savant of big ideas, is one of the latest to take on the idea of progress. He does it under the aegis of "enlightenment," which comes down to a kind of holy trinity of reason, science, and humanism. His new book, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress, is ambitious and cantankerous and heady with hope. On the whole, Pinker makes a good case for the benefits of progress, but with an overdose of feel-good prose. His greatest failure comes in exaggerating the threats to science and in avoiding some problems altogether. He ignores its complexity, its shadows, its creation of new problems raised by its solutions to old ones. Pinker has a particular animus against bioethics, and he misses what has been, I would argue, at the heart of bioethics from its beginning fifty or so years ago. Bioethics was prompted by a new class of medical dilemmas that require a difficult balancing of harms and benefits. Most of them are still with us, and most of them are the result of the progress of postwar medical research and fast-changing clinical practices. © 2018 The Hastings Center.