The iMTA Productivity Cost Questionnaire: A Standardized Instrument for Measuring and Valuing Health-Related Productivity Losses.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouwmans, Clazien; Krol, Marieke; Severens, Hans; Koopmanschap, Marc; Brouwer, Werner; Hakkaart-van Roijen, Leona

2015-09-01

Productivity losses often contribute significantly to the total costs in economic evaluations adopting a societal perspective. Currently, no consensus exists on the measurement and valuation of productivity losses. We aimed to develop a standardized instrument for measuring and valuing productivity losses. A group of researchers with extensive experience in measuring and valuing productivity losses designed an instrument suitable for self-completion, building on preknowledge and evidence on validity. The instrument was designed to cover all domains of productivity losses, thus allowing quantification and valuation of all productivity losses. A feasibility study was performed to check the questionnaire's consistency and intelligibility. The iMTA Productivity Cost Questionnaire (iPCQ) includes three modules measuring productivity losses of paid work due to 1) absenteeism and 2) presenteeism and productivity losses related to 3) unpaid work. Questions for measuring absenteeism and presenteeism were derived from existing validated questionnaires. Because validated measures of losses of unpaid work are scarce, the questions of this module were newly developed. To enhance the instrument's feasibility, simple language was used. The feasibility study included 195 respondents (response rate 80%) older than 18 years. Seven percent (n = 13) identified problems while filling in the iPCQ, including problems with the questionnaire's instructions and routing (n = 6) and wording (n = 2). Five respondents experienced difficulties in estimating the time that would be needed for other people to make up for lost unpaid work. Most modules of the iPCQ are based on validated questions derived from previously available instruments. The instrument is understandable for most of the general public. Copyright © 2015 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

AC power losses in Bi-2223/Ag HTS tapes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savvides, N.; Reilly, D.; Mueller, K.-H.; Herrmann, J.

1998-01-01

Full text: We report measurements at 77 K of the transport ac losses of Bi-2223/Ag composite tapes. The investigated tapes vary from single filament to multifilament construction and include both conventional tapes and other conductor shapes with twisted filaments. The self-field ac losses were determined at 77 K and 60 Hz as a function of ac current amplitude (0 - 100 A). We observe different behaviour among tapes depending on their quality and strain history. For 'good' virgin tapes the experimental data are well described by the Norris equations for the dependence of power loss P on the amplitude I m of the transport current. The data of good monofilament tapes are fitted to the Norris equation P ∼ I m n for an elliptical cross section (ie. n = 3) and the data of good multifilament tapes are fitted to the Norris equation for a rectangular strip (ie. n = 4). Many specimens, however, show a range of behaviour with lower values of n. Based on our work on the effect of strain on the dc transport properties of tapes, we carried out detailed investigations of the effect of controlled applied bend strain on the ac loss. Our results show that irreversible damage to superconducting filaments (ie. cracks) cause the ac loss to rise and n to decrease with increasing strain. In addition, applied strains much greater than the irreversible strain limit cause the ac loss to increase by several orders of magnitude and become ohmic in character with n = 2. Theoretical work is in progress to model the observed behaviour

IE Bulletin No. 79-01: Environmental qualification of Class IE equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

The intent of IE Circular 78-08 was to highlight to all licensees important lessons learned from environmental qualification deficiencies reported by individual licensees. In this regard, licensees were requested to examine installed safety-related electrical equipment and determine that proper documentation existed which provided assurance that this equipment would function under postulated accident conditions. The intent of this Bulletin is to raise the threshold of IE Circular 78-08 to the level of a Bulletin; i.e., action requiring a licensee response. Inspections conducted to date by the NRC of licensees' activities in response to IE Circular 78-08 have identified one component which licensees have found to be unqualified for service within the LOCA environment. Specifically, unqualified stem mounted limit switches (SMLS), other than those identified in previously issued IE Bulletin 78-04, were found to be installed on safety-related valves inside containment at both Duane Arnold and Quad Cities 1 and 2 Nuclear Generating Stations. According to the manufacturer, these switches are designed only for general purpose applications and are not considered suitable devices for service in the LOCA environment. Consequently, switches are being replaced at the above power plants with qualified components

Stochasticity in economic losses increases the value of reputation in indirect reciprocity.

Science.gov (United States)

dos Santos, Miguel; Placì, Sarah; Wedekind, Claus

2015-12-14

Recent theory predicts harsh and stochastic conditions to generally promote the evolution of cooperation. Here, we test experimentally whether stochasticity in economic losses also affects the value of reputation in indirect reciprocity, a type of cooperation that is very typical for humans. We used a repeated helping game with observers. One subject (the "Unlucky") lost some money, another one (the "Passer-by") could reduce this loss by accepting a cost to herself, thereby building up a reputation that could be used by others in later interactions. The losses were either stable or stochastic, but the average loss over time and the average efficiency gains of helping were kept constant in both treatments. We found that players with a reputation of being generous were generally more likely to receive help by others, such that investing into a good reputation generated long-term benefits that compensated for the immediate costs of helping. Helping frequencies were similar in both treatments, but players with a reputation to be selfish lost more resources under stochastic conditions. Hence, returns on investment were steeper when losses varied than when they did not. We conclude that this type of stochasticity increases the value of reputation in indirect reciprocity.

Silver Nanowire/MnO2 Nanowire Hybrid Polymer Nanocomposites: Materials with High Dielectric Permittivity and Low Dielectric Loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeraati, Ali Shayesteh; Arjmand, Mohammad; Sundararaj, Uttandaraman

2017-04-26

This study reports the fabrication of hybrid nanocomposites based on silver nanowire/manganese dioxide nanowire/poly(methyl methacrylate) (AgNW/MnO 2 NW/PMMA), using a solution casting technique, with outstanding dielectric permittivity and low dielectric loss. AgNW was synthesized using the hard-template technique, and MnO 2 NW was synthesized employing a hydrothermal method. The prepared AgNW:MnO 2 NW (2.0:1.0 vol %) hybrid nanocomposite showed a high dielectric permittivity (64 at 8.2 GHz) and low dielectric loss (0.31 at 8.2 GHz), which are among the best reported values in the literature in the X-band frequency range (8.2-12.4 GHz). The superior dielectric properties of the hybrid nanocomposites were attributed to (i) dimensionality match between the nanofillers, which increased their synergy, (ii) better dispersion state of AgNW in the presence of MnO 2 NW, (iii) positioning of ferroelectric MnO 2 NW in between AgNWs, which increased the dielectric permittivity of nanodielectrics, thereby increasing dielectric permittivity of the hybrid nanocomposites, (iv) barrier role of MnO 2 NW, i.e., cutting off the contact spots of AgNWs and leading to lower dielectric loss, and (v) AgNW aligned structure, which increased the effective surface area of AgNWs, as nanoelectrodes. Comparison of the dielectric properties of the developed hybrid nanocomposites with the literature highlights their great potential for flexible capacitors.

Valuing productivity loss due to absenteeism: firm-level evidence from a Canadian linked employer-employee survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei; Sun, Huiying; Woodcock, Simon; Anis, Aslam H

2017-12-01

In health economic evaluation studies, to value productivity loss due to absenteeism, existing methods use wages as a proxy value for marginal productivity. This study is the first to test the equality between wage and marginal productivity losses due to absenteeism separately for team workers and non-team workers. Our estimates are based on linked employer-employee data from Canada. Results indicate that team workers are more productive and earn higher wages than non-team workers. However, the productivity gap between these two groups is considerably larger than the wage gap. In small firms, employee absenteeism results in lower productivity and wages, and the marginal productivity loss due to team worker absenteeism is significantly higher than the wage loss. No similar wage-productivity gap exists for large firms. Our findings suggest that productivity loss or gain is most likely to be underestimated when valued according to wages for team workers. The findings help to value the burden of illness-related absenteeism. This is important for economic evaluations that seek to measure the productivity gain or loss of a health care technology or intervention, which in turn can impact policy makers' funding decisions.

Loss-Aversion or Loss-Attention: The Impact of Losses on Cognitive Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Yechiam, Eldad; Hochman, Guy

2013-01-01

Losses were found to improve cognitive performance, and this has been commonly explained by increased weighting of losses compared to gains (i.e., loss aversion). We examine whether effects of losses on performance could be modulated by two alternative processes: an attentional effect leading to increased sensitivity to task incentives; and a…

12-month mortality and loss-to-program in antiretroviral-treated children: The IeDEA pediatric West African Database to evaluate AIDS (pWADA, 2000-2008

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Peterson Kevin

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The IeDEA West Africa Pediatric Working Group (pWADA was established in January 2007 to study the care and treatment of HIV-infected children in this region. We describe here the characteristics at antiretroviral treatment (ART initiation and study the 12-month mortality and loss-to-program of HIV-infected children followed in ART programs in West Africa. Methods Standardized data from HIV-infected children followed-up in ART programs were included. Nine clinical centers from six countries contributed to the dataset (Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Mali and Senegal. Inclusion criteria were the followings: age 0-15 years and initiated triple antiretroviral drug regimens. Baseline time was the date of ART initiation. WHO criteria was used to define severe immunosuppression based on CD4 count by age or CD4 percent 6 months after ART initiation and factors associated with these two outcomes. Results Between June 2000 and December 2007, 2170 children were included. Characteristics at ART initiation were the following: median age of 5 years (Interquartile range (IQR: 2-9 and median CD4 percentage of 13% (IQR: 7-19. The most frequent drug regimen consisted of two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and one non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (62%. During the first 12 months, 169 (7.8% children died and 461(21.2% were lost-to-program. Overall, in HIV-infected children on ART, the 12-month probability of death was 8.3% (95% Confidence Interval (CI: 7.2-9.6%, and of loss-to-program was 23.1% (95% CI: 21.3-25.0%. Both mortality and loss-to program were associated with advanced clinical stage, CD4 percentage 2005 of ART initiation. Conclusion Innovative and sustainable approaches are needed to better document causes of death and increase retention in HIV pediatric clinics in West Africa.

Application of the extreme value theory to beam loss estimates in the SPIRAL2 linac based on large scale Monte Carlo computations

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R. Duperrier

2006-04-01

Full Text Available The influence of random perturbations of high intensity accelerator elements on the beam losses is considered. This paper presents the error sensitivity study which has been performed for the SPIRAL2 linac in order to define the tolerances for the construction. The proposed driver aims to accelerate a 5 mA deuteron beam up to 20   A MeV and a 1 mA ion beam for q/A=1/3 up to 14.5 A MeV. It is a continuous wave regime linac, designed for a maximum efficiency in the transmission of intense beams and a tunable energy. It consists in an injector (two   ECRs   sources+LEBTs with the possibility to inject from several sources+radio frequency quadrupole followed by a superconducting section based on an array of independently phased cavities where the transverse focalization is performed with warm quadrupoles. The correction scheme and the expected losses are described. The extreme value theory is used to estimate the expected beam losses. The described method couples large scale computations to obtain probability distribution functions. The bootstrap technique is used to provide confidence intervals associated to the beam loss predictions. With such a method, it is possible to measure the risk to loose a few watts in this high power linac (up to 200 kW.

CO2 content of electricity losses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daví-Arderius, Daniel; Sanin, María-Eugenia; Trujillo-Baute, Elisa

2017-01-01

Countries are implementing policies to develop greener energy markets worldwide. In Europe, the ¨2030 Energy and Climate Package¨ asks for further reductions of green house gases, renewable sources integration, and energy efficiency targets. But the polluting intensity of electricity may be different in average than when considering market inefficiencies, in particular losses, and therefore the implemented policy must take those differences into account. Precisely, herein we study the importance in terms of CO2 emissions the extra amount of energy necessary to cover losses. With this purpose we use Spanish market and system data with hourly frequency from 2011 to 2013. Our results show that indeed electricity losses significantly explain CO2 emissions, with a higher CO2 emissions rate when covering losses than the average rate of the system. Additionally, we find that the market closing technologies used to cover losses have a positive and significant impact on CO2 emissions: when polluting technologies (coal or combined cycle) close the market, the impact of losses on CO2 emissions is high compared to the rest of technologies (combined heat and power, renewables or hydropower). To the light of these results we make some policy recommendations to reduce the impact of losses on CO2 emissions. - Highlights: • Electricity losses significantly explain CO2 emissions. • Policies aimed to reducing losses have a positive impact on CO2 emissions. • The market closing technology used to cover losses have impacts on CO2 emissions. • Pollutant technologies that close the market should be replaced by renewables.

Dental health state utility values associated with tooth loss in two contrasting cultures.

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Nassani, M Z; Locker, D; Elmesallati, A A; Devlin, H; Mohammadi, T M; Hajizamani, A; Kay, E J

2009-08-01

The study aimed to assess the value placed on oral health states by measuring the utility of mouths in which teeth had been lost and to explore variations in utility values within and between two contrasting cultures, UK and Iran. One hundred and fifty eight patients, 84 from UK and 74 from Iran, were recruited from clinics at University-based faculties of dentistry. All had experienced tooth loss and had restored or unrestored dental spaces. They were presented with 19 different scenarios of mouths with missing teeth. Fourteen involved the loss of one tooth and five involved shortened dental arches (SDAs) with varying numbers of missing posterior teeth. Each written description was accompanied by a verbal explanation and digital pictures of mouth models. Participants were asked to indicate on a standardized Visual Analogue Scale how they would value the health of their mouth if they had lost the tooth/teeth described and the resulting space was left unrestored. With a utility value of 0.0 representing the worst possible health state for a mouth and 1.0 representing the best, the mouth with the upper central incisor missing attracted the lowest utility value in both samples (UK = 0.16; Iran = 0.06), while the one with a missing upper second molar the highest utility values (0.42, 0.39 respectively). In both countries the utility value increased as the tooth in the scenario moved from the anterior towards the posterior aspect of the mouth. There were significant differences in utility values between UK and Iranian samples for four scenarios all involving the loss of anterior teeth. These differences remained after controlling for gender, age and the state of the dentition. With respect to the SDA scenarios, a mouth with a SDA with only the second molar teeth missing in all quadrants attracted the highest utility values, while a mouth with an extreme SDA with both missing molar and premolar teeth in all quadrants attracted the lowest utility values. The study

SU-G-IeP2-12: The Effect of Iterative Reconstruction and CT Tube Voltage On Hounsfield Unit Values of Iodinated Contrast

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ogden, K; Greene-Donnelly, K; Vallabhaneni, D; Scalzetti, E [SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To investigate the effects of changing iterative reconstruction strength and tube voltage on Hounsfield Unit (HU) values of varying concentrations of Iodinated contrast medium in a phantom. Method: Iodinated contrast (Omnipaque 300, GE Healthcare, Princeton NJ) was diluted with distilled water to concentrations of 0.6, 0.9, 1.8, 3.6, 7.2, and 10.8 mg/mL of Iodine. The solutions were scanned in a patient equivalent water phantom on two MDCT scanners: VCT 64 slice (GE Medical Systems, Waukesha, WI) and an Aquilion One 320 slice scanner (Toshiba America Medical Systems, Tustin CA). The phantom was scanned at 80, 100, 120, 140 kV using 400, 255, 180, and 130 mAs, respectively, for the VCT scanner, and 80, 100, 120, and 135 kV using 400, 250, 200, and 150 mAs, respectively, on the Aquilion One. Images were reconstructed at 2.5 mm (VCT) and 0.5 mm (Aquilion One). The VCT images were reconstructed using Advanced Statistical Iterative Reconstruction (ASIR) at 6 different strengths: 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%. Aquilion One images were reconstructed using Adaptive Iterative Dose Reduction (AIDR) at 4 strengths: no AIDR, Weak AIDR, Standard AIDR, and Strong AIDR. Regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn on the images to measure the HU values and standard deviations of the diluted contrast. Second order polynomials were used to fit the HU values as a function of Iodine concentration. Results: For both scanners, there was no significant effect of changing the iterative reconstruction strength. The polynomial fits yielded goodness-of-fit (R2) values averaging 0.997. Conclusion: Changing the strength of the iterative reconstruction has no significant effect on the HU values of Iodinated contrast in a tissue-equivalent phantom. Fit values of HU vs Iodine concentration are useful in quantitative imaging protocols such as the determination of cardiac output from time-density curves in the main pulmonary artery.

The impact of a and b value uncertainty on loss estimation in the reinsurance industry

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R. Streit

2000-06-01

Full Text Available In the reinsurance industry different probabilistic models are currently used for seismic risk analysis. A credible loss estimation of the insured values depends on seismic hazard analysis and on the vulnerability functions of the given structures. Besides attenuation and local soil amplification, the earthquake occurrence model (often represented by the Gutenberg and Richter relation is a key element in the analysis. However, earthquake catalogues are usually incomplete, the time of observation is too short and the data themselves contain errors. Therefore, a and b values can only be estimated with uncertainties. The knowledge of their variation provides a valuable input for earthquake risk analysis, because they allow the probability distribution of expected losses (expressed by Average Annual Loss (AAL to be modelled. The variations of a and b have a direct effect on the estimated exceeding probability and consequently on the calculated loss level. This effect is best illustrated by exceeding probability versus loss level and AAL versus magnitude graphs. The sensitivity of average annual losses due to different a to b ratios and magnitudes is obvious. The estimation of the variation of a and b and the quantification of the sensitivity of calculated losses are fundamental for optimal earthquake risk management. Ignoring these uncertainties means that risk management decisions neglect possible variations of the earthquake loss estimations.

Losses and nutritional value of elephant grass silage with inclusion levels of cottonseed meal - doi: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v35i2.13736

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Mauro Pereira de Figueiredo

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The experiment was conducted to evaluate losses and nutritive value of elephant grass silage containing increasing levels of cottonseed meal. The experimental design was completely randomized, with five treatments: 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28% inclusion of cottonseed meal, and four replications. The material was chopped and packed in PVC silos and stored for 80 days. The pH and dry matter (DM, crude protein, lignin and ether extract of the silages increased linearly with the addition of cottonseed meal, while the levels of acid detergent insoluble nitrogen, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, cellulose and hemicellulose decreased linearly. The addition of 28% cottonseed meal reduced the in situ disappearance of DM (48h to values lower than those of silage without additives. The concentration of ammonia nitrogen and the losses from gases and effluent were reduced. The inclusion of 28% cottonseed meal in elephant grass silage containing 18.4% DM improved the fermentation characteristics of silage more efficiently by reducing the moisture content and effluent losses, starting at the 7% level of inclusion.

Estimating environmental value losses from earth materials excavation and infilling for large-scale airport construction: a case of Dalian Offshore Airport, Dalian, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Hua-Kun; Wang, Nuo; Wu, Nuan; Song, Nan-Qi; Zhu, Dao-Li

2017-09-01

Large-scale airport construction removes large quantities of earth materials, resulting in serious environmental pollution and ecosystem damage. However, studies of environmental concerns caused by the materials used in airport construction are still preliminary, and those case studies on the impacts of large-scale offshore airport development are very limited. China's Dalian Offshore Airport is considered here to study the environmental value loss from 240 million m 3 of materials excavations and 21 km 2 of artificial island infillings. The findings show that the calculated annual environmental value loss for the development of the Dalian Offshore Airport is approximately US$7.75 million, including US$1.81 million and US$1.47 million of direct economic loss of timber resources and marine biology resources, respectively, and US$1.53 million and US$2.79 million value losses of forest and marine ecosystem services damaged caused by materials excavation and infilling, respectively. The conclusions of this study provide an important foundation to quantitatively analyse the environmental impact of the Dalian Offshore Airport's development and can be used as a reference for similar engineering and environment impact assessment programs.

Valuing productivity loss due to absenteeism: firm-level evidence from a Canadian linked employer-employee survey

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Wei; Sun, Huiying; Woodcock, Simon; Anis, Aslam H.

2017-01-01

In health economic evaluation studies, to value productivity loss due to absenteeism, existing methods use wages as a proxy value for marginal productivity. This study is the first to test the equality between wage and marginal productivity losses due to absenteeism separately for team workers and non-team workers. Our estimates are based on linked employer-employee data from Canada. Results indicate that team workers are more productive and earn higher wages than non-team workers. However, t...

Estimating milk yield and value losses from increased somatic cell count on US dairy farms.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadrich, J C; Wolf, C A; Lombard, J; Dolak, T M

2018-04-01

Milk loss due to increased somatic cell counts (SCC) results in economic losses for dairy producers. This research uses 10 mo of consecutive dairy herd improvement data from 2013 and 2014 to estimate milk yield loss using SCC as a proxy for clinical and subclinical mastitis. A fixed effects regression was used to examine factors that affected milk yield while controlling for herd-level management. Breed, milking frequency, days in milk, seasonality, SCC, cumulative months with SCC greater than 100,000 cells/mL, lactation, and herd size were variables included in the regression analysis. The cumulative months with SCC above a threshold was included as a proxy for chronic mastitis. Milk yield loss increased as the number of test days with SCC ≥100,000 cells/mL increased. Results from the regression were used to estimate a monetary value of milk loss related to SCC as a function of cow and operation related explanatory variables for a representative dairy cow. The largest losses occurred from increased cumulative test days with a SCC ≥100,000 cells/mL, with daily losses of $1.20/cow per day in the first month to $2.06/cow per day in mo 10. Results demonstrate the importance of including the duration of months above a threshold SCC when estimating milk yield losses. Cows with chronic mastitis, measured by increased consecutive test days with SCC ≥100,000 cells/mL, resulted in higher milk losses than cows with a new infection. This provides farm managers with a method to evaluate the trade-off between treatment and culling decisions as it relates to mastitis control and early detection. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Diagnostic value of selective anorexia in pathological weight loss].

Science.gov (United States)

Braquet, P; Mercier, G; Reynes, J; Jeandel, C; Pinzani, V; Guilpain, P; Rivière, S; Le Quellec, A

2016-02-01

The diagnostic value of selective anorexia is debated. Some authors have suggested an association between meat aversion and cancer, but most do not use it as a diagnostic tool. We aimed to characterize anorexia of different diseases to search for an association between selective aversions and diagnostic groups. All the patients admitted to three departments of a teaching hospital were included consecutively for 22months if they had more than 10 % weight loss in less than one year. Patients were excluded if history taking was not reliable, or if they suffered from anorexia nervosa. We compiled diagnoses at discharge and validated them six months later. We used logistic regression to identify independent factors associated with selective anorexia. Inclusion criteria were met in 106patients (female 44 %, median age 65years). Most frequent diagnoses were: cancer (36 %), infection (35 %), digestive diseases (19 %), non organic diseases (21 %). Recent selective anorexia was found in 46 % of the cases. It was significantly associated with female gender (P=0.002), marginally with young age (P=0.069) and long duration of weight loss (P=0.079). Opioid use at admission was negatively associated with selective anorexia (P=0.001). No specific diagnostic category was found to be associated. Selective anorexia does not appear to be a useful symptom to investigate pathological weight loss. It behaves more like a non-specific reactivation by current disease of earlier latent personal food aversions. Copyright © 2015 Société nationale française de médecine interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Baculovirus IE2 Stimulates the Expression of Heat Shock Proteins in Insect and Mammalian Cells to Facilitate Its Proper Functioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Tung, Hsuan; Wei, Sung-Chan; Lo, Huei-Ru; Chao, Yu-Chan

2016-01-01

Baculoviruses have gained popularity as pest control agents and for protein production in insect systems. These viruses are also becoming popular for gene expression, tissue engineering and gene therapy in mammalian systems. Baculovirus infection triggers a heat shock response, and this response is crucial for its successful infection of host insect cells. However, the viral protein(s) or factor(s) that trigger this response are not yet clear. Previously, we revealed that IE2-an early gene product of the baculovirus-could form unique nuclear bodies for the strong trans-activation of various promoters in mammalian cells. Here, we purified IE2 nuclear bodies from Vero E6 cells and investigated the associated proteins by using mass spectrometry. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) were found to be one of the major IE2-associated proteins. Our experiments show that HSPs are greatly induced by IE2 and are crucial for the trans-activation function of IE2. Interestingly, blocking both heat shock protein expression and the proteasome pathway preserved the IE2 protein and its nuclear body structure, and revived its function. These observations reveal that HSPs do not function directly to assist the formation of the nuclear body structure, but may rather protect IE2 from proteasome degradation. Aside from functional studies in mammalian cells, we also show that HSPs were stimulated and required to determine IE2 protein levels, in insect cells infected with baculovirus. Upon inhibiting the expression of heat shock proteins, baculovirus IE2 was substantially suppressed, resulting in a significantly suppressed viral titer. Thus, we demonstrate a unique feature in that IE2 can function in both insect and non-host mammalian cells to stimulate HSPs, which may be associated with IE2 stabilization and lead to the protection of the its strong gene activation function in mammalian cells. On the other hand, during viral infection in insect cells, IE2 could also strongly stimulate HSPs and

Antibiotic losses from unprotected manure stockpiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Dolliver, Holly A S; Gupta, Satish C

2008-01-01

Manure management is a major concern in livestock production systems. Although historically the primary concerns have been nutrients and pathogens, manure is also a source of emerging contaminants, such as antibiotics, to the environment. There is a growing concern that antibiotics in manure are reaching surface and ground waters and contributing to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance in the environment. One such pathway is through leaching and runoff from manure stockpiles. In this study, we quantified chlortetracycline, monensin, and tylosin losses in runoff from beef manure stockpiles during two separate but consecutive experiments representing different weather conditions (i.e., temperature and precipitation amount and form). Concentrations of chlortetracycline, monensin, and tylosin in runoff were positively correlated with initial concentrations of antibiotics in manure. The highest concentrations of chlortetracycline, monensin, and tylosin in runoff were 210, 3175, and 2544 microg L(-1), respectively. Relative antibiotic losses were primarily a function of water losses. In the experiment that had higher runoff water losses, antibiotic losses ranged from 1.2 to 1.8% of total extractable antibiotics in manure. In the experiment with lower runoff water losses, antibiotic losses varied from 0.2 to 0.6% of the total extractable antibiotics in manure. Manure analysis over time suggests that in situ degradation is an important mechanism for antibiotic losses. Degradation losses during manure stockpiling may exceed cumulative losses from runoff events. Storing manure in protected (i.e., covered) facilities could reduce the risk of aquatic contamination associated with manure stockpiling and other outdoor manure management practices.

A fusion protein of HCMV IE1 exon4 and IE2 exon5 stimulates potent cellular immunity in an MVA vaccine vector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Z.; Zhou, W.; Srivastava, T.; La Rosa, C.; Mandarino, A.; Forman, S.J.; Zaia, J.A.; Britt, W.J.; Diamond, D.J.

2008-01-01

A therapeutic CMV vaccine incorporating an antigenic repertoire capable of eliciting a cellular immune response has yet to be successfully implemented for patients who already have acquired an infection. To address this problem, we have developed a vaccine candidate derived from modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) that expresses three immunodominant antigens (pp65, IE1, IE2) from CMV. The novelty of this vaccine is the fusion of two adjacent exons from the immediate-early region of CMV, their successful expression in MVA, and robust immunogenicity in both primary and memory response models. Evaluation of the immunogenicity of the viral vaccine in mouse models shows that it can stimulate primary immunity against all three antigens in both the CD4 + and CD8 + T cell subsets. Evaluation of human PBMC from healthy CMV-positive donors or patients within 6 months of receiving hematopoietic cell transplant shows robust stimulation of existing CMV-specific CD4 + and CD8 + T cell subsets

Cross-cultural comparisons of delay discounting of gain and loss.

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Ishii, Keiko; Gang, Lili; Takahashi, Taiki

2016-11-01

People generally tend to discount future outcomes in favor of smaller but immediate gains (i.e., delay discounting). The present research examined cultural similarities and differences in delay discounting of gain and loss between Chinese and Japanese, based on a q-exponential model of intertemporal choice. Using a hypothetical situation, we asked 65 Japanese participants and 51 Chinese participants to choose between receiving (or paying) a different amount of money immediately or with a specified delay (1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, and 25 years). For each delay, participants completed a series of 40 binary choices for gain or loss. Regardless of cultures, the q-exponential model was the optimal model. Both impulsivity and time-inconsistency were higher for future gains than for future losses. In addition to the cultural similarities, Chinese participants discounted future gains and losses more steeply than did Japanese. In contrast, Japanese participants were more time-inconsistent in delay discounting than were Chinese, suggesting that the reduction in their subjective value depended relatively on delay.

Loss of CIB2 Causes Profound Hearing Loss and Abolishes Mechanoelectrical Transduction in Mice

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Yanfei Wang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Calcium and integrin-binding protein 2 (CIB2 belongs to a protein family with four known members, CIB1 through CIB4, which are characterized by multiple calcium-binding EF-hand domains. Among the family members, the Cib1 and Cib2 genes are expressed in mouse cochlear hair cells, and mutations in the human CIB2 gene have been associated with nonsyndromic deafness DFNB48 and syndromic deafness USH1J. To further explore the function of CIB1 and CIB2 in hearing, we established Cib1 and Cib2 knockout mice using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR-associated Cas9 nuclease (CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technique. We found that loss of CIB1 protein does not affect auditory function, whereas loss of CIB2 protein causes profound hearing loss in mice. Further investigation revealed that hair cell stereocilia development is affected in Cib2 knockout mice. Noticeably, loss of CIB2 abolishes mechanoelectrical transduction (MET currents in auditory hair cells. In conclusion, we show here that although both CIB1 and CIB2 are readily detected in the cochlea, only loss of CIB2 results in profound hearing loss, and that CIB2 is essential for auditory hair cell MET.

The value of success: acquiring gains, avoiding losses, and simply being successful.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samantha M Mowrer

Full Text Available A large network of spatially contiguous, yet anatomically distinct regions in medial frontal cortex is involved in reward processing. Although it is clear these regions play a role in critical aspects of reward-related learning and decision-making, the individual contributions of each component remains unclear. We explored dissociations in reward processing throughout several key regions in the reward system and aimed to clarify the nature of previously observed outcome-related activity in a portion of anterior medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC. Specifically, we tested whether activity in anterior mOFC was related to processing successful actions, such that this region would respond similarly to rewards with and without tangible benefits, or whether this region instead encoded only quantifiable outcome values (e.g., money. Participants performed a task where they encountered monetary gains and losses (and non-gains and non-losses during fMRI scanning. Critically, in addition to the outcomes with monetary consequences, the task included trials that provided outcomes without tangible benefits (participants were simply told that they were correct or incorrect. We found that anterior mOFC responded to all successful outcomes regardless of whether they carried tangible benefits (monetary gains and non-losses or not (controls. These results support the hypothesis that anterior mOFC processes rewards in terms of a common currency and is capable of providing reward-based signals for everything we value, whether it be primary or secondary rewards or simply a successful experience without objectively quantifiable benefits.

New method of measuring low values of dielectric loss in the near millimetre wavelength region using untuned cavities

Science.gov (United States)

Llewellyn-Jones, D. T.; Knight, R. J.; Moffat, P. H.; Gebbie, H. A.

1980-11-01

In the near millimeter-wavelength region, low values of dielectric loss in a material can be readily measured by inserting a sample into an untuned cavity resonator. The high-Q values of the cavities give the technique great sensitivity to low values of loss tangent and, in contrast to other techniques, place very few restrictions on the shape, size, and position of the sample. The technique is demonstrated by measurements at 156 GHz on several polymer materials whose low loss factors are of practical interest. It is shown that the loading of an untuned cavity by a solid sample of low loss is proportional to its absorption cross section, which is the product of its volume and its linear absorption coefficient in the trivial case of n = 1. In the usual case of n greater than 1, reflection at the boundaries will affect the measured cross section in a way that has been investigated experimentally for a number of shapes, both simple and complex, and theoretically for the specific cases of slabs and cubes.

Illness related wage and productivity losses: Valuing 'presenteeism'.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei; Sun, Huiying; Woodcock, Simon; Anis, Aslam

2015-12-01

One source of productivity loss due to illness is the reduced "quantity" or "quality" of labor input while working, often referred to as presenteeism. Illness-related presenteeism has been found to be potentially more costly than absenteeism. To value presenteeism, existing methods use wages as a proxy for marginal productivity at the firm level. However, wage may not equal marginal productivity in some scenarios. One instance is when a job involves team production and perfect substitutes for workers are not readily available. Using a Canadian linked employer-employee survey (2001-2005), we test whether relative wage equals relative marginal productivity among team workers and non-team workers with different frequencies of presenteeism (reduction at work due to illness). For the pooled cross-sectional estimates (2001, 2003, 2005) we obtain 13,755 observations with 6842 unique workplaces. There are 6490 observations for the first differences estimates from the odd years and 5263 observations for the first differences estimates from 2001 to 2002 and 2003 to 2004. We find that in both small and large firms, team workers with frequent reductions at work are less productive but earn similarly compared with non-team workers without reductions. We also find that in small firms, workers with occasional work reductions are more productive than workers without reductions, but the reverse is true in large firms. The study findings partially support the literature stating that productivity loss resulting from employee presenteeism could exceed wages if team work is involved. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Valuing ecosystem and economic services across land-use scenarios in the Prairie Pothole Regions of the Dakotas, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Gascoigne, William R.; Hoag, Dana; Koontz, Lynne; Tangen, Brian A.; Shaffer, Terry L.; Gleason, Robert A.

2011-01-01

This study uses biophysical values derived for the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North and South Dakota, in conjunction with value transfer methods, to assess environmental and economic tradeoffs under different policy-relevant land-use scenarios over a 20-year period. The ecosystem service valuation is carried out by comparing the biophysical and economic values of three focal services (i.e. carbon sequestration, reduction in sedimentation, and waterfowl production) across three focal land uses in the region [i.e. native prairie grasslands, lands enrolled in the Conservation Reserve and Wetlands Reserve Programs (CRP/WRP), and cropland]. This study finds that CRP/WRP lands cannot mitigate (hectare for hectare) the loss of native prairie from a social welfare standpoint. Land use scenarios where native prairie loss was minimized, and CRP/WRP lands were increased, provided the most societal benefit. The scenario modeling projected native prairie conversion to cropland over the next 20 years would result in a social welfare loss valued at over $4 billion when considering the study's three ecosystem services, and a net loss of about $3.4 billion when reductions in commodity production are accounted for.

The relation between crossover of the intergrain loss-peak temperature-field characteristics of the Ag-Bi[sub 2]Sr[sub 2]CaCu[sub 2]O[sub x] screen-printed tapes and their J[sub C] values

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noji, H [IRC in Superconductivity, Univ. of Cambridge (United Kingdom); Glowacki, B A [IRC in Superconductivity, Univ. of Cambridge (United Kingdom) Dept. of Materials Science and Metallurgy, Univ. of Cambridge (United Kingdom); Oota, A [Dept. of Electric and Electronic Engineering, Toyohashi Univ. of Tech., (Japan)

1993-05-10

A study of the influence of the processing conditions of Ag-Bi[sub 2]Sr[sub 2]CaCu[sub 2]O[sub x] screen-printed tapes on the temperature, field and frequency dependence of their a.c. susceptibility has been conducted. Samples have been prepared by melt-solidification and subsequent sintering on silver substrates under the same conditions but with different cooling procedures and reannealing. These procedures lead to different Tc values and field dependency of the loss peak temperature T[sub M], which cause the crossover in the T[sub M] versus applied field characteristics. It was established that the above crossover phenomenon is correlated to the crossover in the J[sub C] versus temperature characteristics. (orig.)

My loss is your loss ... Sometimes: loss aversion and the effect of motivational biases.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Robyn S; Arvai, Joseph L; Arkes, Hal R

2008-08-01

Findings from previous studies of individual decision-making behavior predict that losses will loom larger than gains. It is less clear, however, if this loss aversion applies to the way in which individuals attribute value to the gains and losses of others, or if it is robust across a broad spectrum of policy and management decision contexts. Consistent with previous work, the results from a series of experiments reported here revealed that subjects exhibited loss aversion when evaluating their own financial gains and losses. The presence of loss aversion was also confirmed for the way in which individuals attribute value to the financial gains and losses of others. However, similar evaluations within social and environmental contexts did not exhibit loss aversion. In addition, research subjects expected that individuals who were unknown to them would significantly undervalue the subjects' own losses across all contexts. The implications of these findings for risk-based policy and management are many. Specifically, they warrant caution when relying upon loss aversion to explain or predict the reaction of affected individuals to risk-based decisions that involve moral or protected values. The findings also suggest that motivational biases may lead decisionmakers to assume that their attitudes and beliefs are common among those affected by a decision, while those affected may expect unfamiliar others to be unable to identify and act in accordance with shared values.

Measuring Values in Environmental Research: A Test of an Environmental Portrait Value Questionnaire

Science.gov (United States)

Bouman, Thijs; Steg, Linda; Kiers, Henk A. L.

2018-01-01

Four human values are considered to underlie individuals’ environmental beliefs and behaviors: biospheric (i.e., concern for environment), altruistic (i.e., concern for others), egoistic (i.e., concern for personal resources) and hedonic values (i.e., concern for pleasure and comfort). These values are typically measured with an adapted and shortened version of the Schwartz Value Survey (SVS), to which we refer as the Environmental-SVS (E-SVS). Despite being well-validated, recent research has indicated some concerns about the SVS methodology (e.g., comprehensibility, self-presentation biases) and suggested an alternative method of measuring human values: The Portrait Value Questionnaire (PVQ). However, the PVQ has not yet been adapted and applied to measure values most relevant to understand environmental beliefs and behaviors. Therefore, we tested the Environmental-PVQ (E-PVQ) – a PVQ variant of E-SVS –and compared it with the E-SVS in two studies. Our findings provide strong support for the validity and reliability of both the E-SVS and E-PVQ. In addition, we find that respondents slightly preferred the E-PVQ over the E-SVS (Study 1). In general, both scales correlate similarly to environmental self-identity (Study 1), energy behaviors (Studies 1 and 2), pro-environmental personal norms, climate change beliefs and policy support (Study 2). Accordingly, both methodologies show highly similar results and seem well-suited for measuring human values underlying environmental behaviors and beliefs. PMID:29743874

Transepidermal water loss in cats: comparison of three differently clipped sites to assess the influence of hair coat on transepidermal water loss values.

Science.gov (United States)

Momota, Yutaka; Shimada, Kenichiroh; Takami, Akina; Akaogi, Harumi; Takasaki, Mariko; Mimura, Kana; Azakami, Daigo; Ishioka, Katsumi; Nakamura, Yuka; Sako, Toshinori

2013-08-01

The measurement of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is one of the parameters that can be used to assess skin barrier function. The variability and reliability of TEWL measurements in dogs have been controversial, and the hair coat has been considered as one of the factors that may cause variation of TEWL values. The aims of the study were to establish a suitable procedure for measuring feline TEWL, to evaluate the influence of hair coat on TEWL measurements and to assess variations of TEWL at different anatomical sites. Transepidermal water loss was measured using a closed-chamber evaporimeter, the VapoMeter(®). We compared three adjacent sites in the groin area of 10 clinically normal, domestic short hair cats. One site was unclipped, the second was trimmed with scissors and the third was shaved using electric clippers. Values of TEWL were obtained for 48 h after trimming with scissors and clippers. Five sites were clipped (upper back, lumbar back, lateral thigh, axillae and groin), and the TEWL was measured. The mean and SD of TEWL values of the clipper-trimmed site were the smallest, followed in order by the site trimmed with scissors and the unclipped site. The TEWL values were statistically constant in the clipper-trimmed site, while the values in the unclipped sites were not. There was no statistically significant difference in TEWL values between all of the anatomical sites except for the axillae. Hair clipping of sites with electric clippers is recommended for TEWL measurement in cats. © 2013 ESVD and ACVD.

Weight loss strategies: association with consumption of sugary beverages, snacks and values about food purchases.

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Bleich, Sara N; Wolfson, Julia A

2014-07-01

To examine whether weight loss strategies are associated with consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), snacks or food values. Cross-sectional analysis of 24-h dietary recall data obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2010 (N=9440). Adults trying to lose weight consumed roughly 2000 total calories, 250 calories from SSBs, 225 calories from salty snacks, and 350 calories from sweet snacks. Adults not trying to lose weight consumed roughly 2300 total calories, 300 calories from SSBs, 250 calories from salty snacks, and 380 calories from sweet snacks. While overweight and obese adults trying to lose weight consumed fewer calories than those who were not, heavier adults trying to lose weight using dietary strategies or a combination of diet and physical activity consumed more calories than healthy weight adults using that same weight loss strategy (pPrice (>70%) and nutrition (>50%) were most when making food choices (psnack consumption in the clinical setting may be important for weight loss, particularly among heavier individuals. Clinicians should consider values related to food purchasing to identify concrete behavioral targets. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Weight loss strategies: Association with consumption of sugary beverages, snacks and values about food purchases

Science.gov (United States)

Bleich, Sara N.; Wolfson, Julia A.

2014-01-01

Objective To examine whether weight loss strategies are associated with consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), snacks or food values. Design and Methods Cross-sectional analysis of 24-hour dietary recall data obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2010 (N=9,440). Results Adults trying to lose weight consumed roughly 2000 total calories, 250 calories from SSBs, 225 calories from salty snacks, and 350 calories from sweet snacks. Adults not trying to lose weight consumed roughly 2300 total calories, 300 calories from SSBs, 250 calories from salty snacks, and 380 calories from sweet snacks. While overweight and obese adults trying to lose weight consumed fewer calories than those who were not, heavier adults trying to lose weight using dietary strategies or a combination of diet and physical activity consumed more calories than healthy weight adults using that same weight loss strategy (p Price (>70%) and nutrition (>50%) were most when making food choices (p snack consumption in the clinical setting may be important for weight loss, particularly among heavier individuals. Clinicians should consider values related to food purchasing to identify concrete behavioral targets. PMID:24801411

Beam Loss Monitoring for Run 2 of the LHC

CERN Document Server

Kalliokoski, Matti; Dehning, Bernd; Domingues Sousa, Fernando; Effinger, Ewald; Emery, Jonathan; Grishin, Viatcheslav; Holzer, Eva Barbara; Jackson, Stephen; Kolad, Blazej; Nebot Del Busto, Eduardo; Picha, Ondrej; Roderick, Chris; Sapinski, Mariusz; Sobieszek, Marcin; Zamantzas, Christos

2015-01-01

The Beam Loss Monitoring (BLM) system of the LHC consists of over 3600 ionization chambers. The main task of the system is to prevent the superconducting magnets from quenching and protect the machine components from damage, as a result of critical beam losses. The BLM system therefore requests a beam abort when the measured dose in the chambers exceeds a threshold value. During Long Shutdown 1 (LS1) a series of modifications were made to the system. Based on the experience from Run 1 and from improved simulation models, all the threshold settings were revised, and modified where required. This was done to improve the machine safety at 7 TeV, and to reduce beam abort requests when neither a magnet quench or damage to machine components is expected. In addition to the updates of the threshold values, about 800 monitors were relocated. This improves the response to unforeseen beam losses in the millisecond time scale due to micron size dust particles present in the vacuum chamber. This contribution will discuss...

On the descriptive value of loss aversion in decisions under risk: Six clarifications

OpenAIRE

Eyal Ert; Ido Erev

2013-01-01

Previous studies of loss aversion in decisions under risk have led to mixed results. Losses appear to loom larger than gains in some settings, but not in others. The current paper clarifies these results by highlighting six experimental manipulations that tend to increase the likelihood of the behavior predicted by loss aversion. These manipulations include: (1) framing of the safe alternative as the status quo; (2) ensuring that the choice pattern predicted by loss aversion maximizes the pro...

Natural course of visual field loss in patients with Type 2 Usher syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Fishman, Gerald A; Bozbeyoglu, Simge; Massof, Robert W; Kimberling, William

2007-06-01

To evaluate the natural course of visual field loss in patients with Type 2 Usher syndrome and different patterns of visual field loss. Fifty-eight patients with Type 2 Usher syndrome who had at least three visual field measurements during a period of at least 3 years were studied. Kinetic visual fields measured on a standard calibrated Goldmann perimeter with II4e and V4e targets were analyzed. The visual field areas in both eyes were determined by planimetry with the use of a digitalizing tablet and computer software and expressed in square inches. The data for each visual field area measurement were transformed to a natural log unit. Using a mixed model regression analysis, values for the half-life of field loss (time during which half of the remaining field area is lost) were estimated. Three different patterns of visual field loss were identified, and the half-life time for each pattern of loss was calculated. Of the 58 patients, 11 were classified as having pattern type I, 12 with pattern type II, and 14 with pattern type III. Of 21 patients whose visual field loss was so advanced that they could not be classified, 15 showed only a small residual central field (Group A) and 6 showed a residual central field with a peripheral island (Group B). The average half-life times varied between 3.85 and 7.37 for the II4e test target and 4.59 to 6.42 for the V4e target. There was no statistically significant difference in the half-life times between the various patterns of field loss or for the test targets. The average half-life times for visual field loss in patients with Usher syndrome Type 2 were statistically similar among those patients with different patterns of visual field loss. These findings will be useful for counseling patients with Type 2 Usher syndrome as to their prognosis for anticipated visual field loss.

NLP modeling for the optimization of LiBr-H_2O absorption refrigeration systems with exergy loss rate, heat transfer area, and cost as single objective functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mussati, Sergio F.; Gernaey, Krist V.; Morosuk, Tatiana; Mussati, Miguel C.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A NLP model is used for simultaneous optimization of sizes and operating conditions. • Total exergy loss rate and transfer area are optimized as single objective functions. • Theoretical and practical bounds for cost optimization problems are computed. • A systematic solution strategy is proposed for total annual cost optimization. • Relevance of components is ranked by heat transfer area, exergy loss rate, and cost. - Abstract: Based on a nonlinear mathematical programming model, the sizes and operating conditions of the process units of single-effect absorption refrigeration systems operating with a LiBr–H_2O solution are optimized for a specified cooling capacity by minimizing three single objective functions: the total exergy loss rate, the total heat transfer area, and the total annual cost of the system. It was found that the optimal solution obtained by minimization of the total exergy loss rate provides “theoretical” upper bounds not only for the total heat transfer area of the system but also for each process unit and all stream temperatures, while the optimal solution obtained by minimization of the total heat transfer area provides the lower bounds for these model variables, to solve a cost optimization problem. The minimization of the total exergy loss rate by varying parametrically the available total heat transfer area between these bounds was also performed, allowing to see how the optimal distribution of the available total heat transfer area among the system components, as well as the operating conditions (stream temperature, pressure, composition, and mass flow rate) and heat loads, vary qualitatively and quantitatively with increasing available total heat transfer area. These optimization results allowed to find a “practical” value of the total heat transfer area, i.e. no benefits can be obtained by increasing the available total heat transfer area above this value since the minimal total exergy loss value cannot

Evaluation of torque loss value of MAD/MAM zirconia abutments with prefabricated titanium abutments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marzieh Alikhasi

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Background and Aims: In response to esthetic demand of patients, ceramic abutments have been developed. Despite esthetic of zirconia abutments, machining accuracy of these abutments has always been a question. Any misfit in the abutment-implant interface connection can lead to detorque and screw loosening. The aim of this study was to compare torque loss value of manually aided design/manually aided manufacture (MAD/MAM zirconia abutments with prefabricated titanium abutments. Materials and Methods: Seven titanium abutments (Branemark RP, Easy abutment and seven copy milled abutments which were duplicated from the prefabricated Zirkonzhan (ZirkonZahn, Sand in Taufers, Italy were prepared. After sintering process of zirconia abutment, all abutments were fastened with a torque screw under 35 Ncm. Detorque measurements were performed per group pushing the reverse button of the Torque controller soon after screw tightening with values registered. The mean torque loss were calculated and compared using Student's t test. Results: The mean of torque loss was 12.71 Ncm with standard deviation of 1.70 for prefabricated titanium abutments and 15.50 Ncm with standard deviation of 4.67 for MAD-MAM abutments. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P=0.23. Conclusion: Within the limitation of this study, MAD-MAM ceramic abutments could maintain the applied torque comparing to the prefabricated abutments.

Evaluate of head loss, sediment value and copper removal in sand media (rapid sand filter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daneshi Navab

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Along with the technology development and increasing consumption of water resources, we are experiencing low qualities in the mentioned resources. Copper brings about serious environment al pollution, threatening human health and ecosystem. This metal found variously in water resources and industrial activities. Therefore, it needs to treat the water resources from these excessive amounts. Different methods have used for this reason but the most used method during recent years has been the absorption by economic absorbers such as sand. Rapid sand filters usually used in water and wastewater treatment plants for water clarification. In this research, a single layer gravity rapid sand filter has used to reduce different concentrations of copper. sediment value and head loss arising in filter media is simulated by using combination of Carman-Kozeny, Rose and Gregory models in different discharges of rapid sand filter. Results have shown that with increasing in discharge and decreasing in input copper concentration, arriving time to given head loss, is increasing. In addition, results demonstrated that with increasing in copper concentration in influent, removal efficiency is decreasing somewhat. Results of this research can applied in an appropriate design of rapid sand filter to copper removal, a prediction of rapid sand filter ability to copper removal and an estimation of arising head loss during filter work thus evaluating of time interval backwash. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i2.10641 International Journal of the Environment Vol.3(2 2014: 276-286

Mechanisms of hearing loss in neurofibromatosis type 2.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashok R Asthagiri

Full Text Available Patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2 develop bilateral cochleovestibular schwannomas (CVSs that cause binaural deafness in most individuals. Hearing loss occurs in an unpredictable manner and the underlying mechanisms are not known. To gain insight into the pathophysiologic basis for hearing loss in NF2, we performed a prospective cross-sectional study of untreated ears in NF2 patients.One hundred consecutive NF2 patients in a prospective natural history study were included. Clinical and audiometric data were analyzed for treatment naïve ears. In addition to standard MR-imaging sequences, alterations in intralabyrinthine protein content were determined utilizing high resolution FLAIR, the presence of cochlear aperture obstruction was determined by examining 3D T2 sequences, and endolymphatic hydrops was identified on delayed post-contrast FLAIR sequences.Eighty-nine ears harboring 84 untreated CVSs in 56 consecutive NF2 patients (age 30 ± 16 years were analyzed. Thirty-four (38% ears had varying degrees of hearing loss. Elevated intralabyrinthine protein was identified in 70 (75% ears by FLAIR MR-imaging and was strongly associated with the presence of hearing loss (32/34 hearing loss ears; 94%(Fisher's exact test; P= .005. Elevated intralabyrinthine protein was associated with the presence of CVS-associated cochlear aperture obstruction (64 of 67 ears with elevated protein; 96%(Fisher's exact test; P<0.0001 in both normal and hearing loss ears. Elevated intralabyrinthine protein was not identified in ears without CVS (5 ears. While larger tumor size was associated with hearing loss (P=0.006, 16 hearing loss ears (47% harbored CVSs less than 0.5 cm(3, including 14 ears (88% with block of the cochlear aperture and elevated protein.These findings are consistent with a model in which hearing loss develops as a result of cochlear aperture obstruction and accumulation of intralabyrinthine protein. MRI based identification of elevated

The cost of vision loss in Canada. 2. Results.

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Cruess, Alan F; Gordon, Keith D; Bellan, Lorne; Mitchell, Scott; Pezzullo, M Lynne

2011-08-01

This study was conducted to provide the financial underpinnings necessary for effective planning for the provision of eye health services in Canada. Canada is facing an aging demographic and all the major eye diseases are diseases associated with aging. It is essential that we have information based on the best available data to support national and provincial vision health plans. The design associated with the prevalence-based approach used in this study was outlined previously in detail in The Cost of Vision Loss in Canada: Methodology. The methods associated with the prevalence-based approach used in this study were previously outlined in detail in The Cost of Vision Loss in Canada: Methodology. The financial cost of VL in Canada in 2007 was estimated to be $15.8 billion per annum: $8.6 billion (54.6%) represents direct health system expenditure; $4.4 billion (28.0%) was productivity lost due to lower employment, higher absenteeism, and premature death of Canadians with VL; $1.8 billion (11.1%) was the dead weight losses (DWL) from transfers including welfare payments and taxation forgone; $0.7 billion (4.4%) was the value of the care for people with VL; $305 million (1.9%) was other indirect costs such as aids and home modifications and the bring forward of funeral costs. Additionally, the value of the lost well-being (disability and premature death) was estimated at a further $11.7 billion. In per capita terms, this amounts to a financial cost of $19370 per person with VL per annum. Including the value of lost well-being, the cost is $33704 per person per annum. There is a growing awareness in Canada and around the world of the impact of VL on health costs and on the economy in general. This awareness is supported by the growing number of independent studies on the cost of vision loss both nationally and globally. Because most of these studies are limited by the minimal amount of available data, the overall cost of vision loss is likely underestimated

Irradiation Effects Test Series: Test IE-2. Test results report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allison, C.M.; Croucher, D.W.; Ploger, S.A.; Mehner, A.S.

1977-08-01

The report describes the results of a test using four 0.97-m long PWR-type fuel rods with differences in diametral gap and cladding irradiation. The objective of this test was to provide information about the effects of these differences on fuel rod behavior during quasi-equilibrium and film boiling operation. The fuel rods were subjected to a series of preconditioning power cycles of less than 30 kW/m. Rod powers were then increased to 68 kW/m at a coolant mass flux of 4900 kg/s-m 2 . After one hour at 68 kW/m, a power-cooling-mismatch sequence was initiated by a flow reduction at constant power. At a flow of 2550 kg/s-m 2 , the onset of film boiling occurred on one rod, Rod IE-011. An additional flow reduction to 2245 kg/s-m 2 caused the onset of film boiling on the remaining three rods. Data are presented on the behavior of fuel rods during quasiequilibrium and during film boiling operation. The effects of initial gap size, cladding irradiation, rod power cycling, a rapid power increase, and sustained film boiling are discussed. These discussions are based on measured test data, preliminary postirradiation examination results, and comparisons of results with FRAP-T3 computer model calculations

Partial Adaptation of Obtained and Observed Value Signals Preserves Information about Gains and Losses.

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, Christopher J; Baddeley, Michelle; Tobler, Philippe N; Schultz, Wolfram

2016-09-28

Given that the range of rewarding and punishing outcomes of actions is large but neural coding capacity is limited, efficient processing of outcomes by the brain is necessary. One mechanism to increase efficiency is to rescale neural output to the range of outcomes expected in the current context, and process only experienced deviations from this expectation. However, this mechanism comes at the cost of not being able to discriminate between unexpectedly low losses when times are bad versus unexpectedly high gains when times are good. Thus, too much adaptation would result in disregarding information about the nature and absolute magnitude of outcomes, preventing learning about the longer-term value structure of the environment. Here we investigate the degree of adaptation in outcome coding brain regions in humans, for directly experienced outcomes and observed outcomes. We scanned participants while they performed a social learning task in gain and loss blocks. Multivariate pattern analysis showed two distinct networks of brain regions adapt to the most likely outcomes within a block. Frontostriatal areas adapted to directly experienced outcomes, whereas lateral frontal and temporoparietal regions adapted to observed social outcomes. Critically, in both cases, adaptation was incomplete and information about whether the outcomes arose in a gain block or a loss block was retained. Univariate analysis confirmed incomplete adaptive coding in these regions but also detected nonadapting outcome signals. Thus, although neural areas rescale their responses to outcomes for efficient coding, they adapt incompletely and keep track of the longer-term incentives available in the environment. Optimal value-based choice requires that the brain precisely and efficiently represents positive and negative outcomes. One way to increase efficiency is to adapt responding to the most likely outcomes in a given context. However, too strong adaptation would result in loss of precise

Radiographs and low field MRI (0.2T) as predictors of efficacy in a weight loss trial in obese women with knee osteoarthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gudbergsen, Henrik; Boesen, Mikael; Christensen, Robin

2011-01-01

To study the predictive value of baseline radiographs and low-field (0.2T) MRI scans for the symptomatic outcome of clinically significant weight loss in obese patients with knee osteoarthritis.......To study the predictive value of baseline radiographs and low-field (0.2T) MRI scans for the symptomatic outcome of clinically significant weight loss in obese patients with knee osteoarthritis....

Values in a Science of Social Work: Values-Informed Research and Research-Informed Values

Science.gov (United States)

Longhofer, Jeffrey; Floersch, Jerry

2014-01-01

While social work must be evaluative in relation to its diverse areas of practice and research (i.e., values-informed research), the purpose of this article is to propose that values are within the scope of research and therefore research on practice should make values a legitimate object of investigation (i.e., research-informed values). In this…

The value of knowing better - Losses from natural hazards

Science.gov (United States)

Mysiak, J.; Galarraga, I.,; Garrido, A.; Interwies, E.; van Bers, C.; Vandenberghe, V.; Farinosi, F.; Foudi, S.; Görlitz, S.; Hernández-Mora, N.; Gil, M.; Grambow, C.

2012-04-01

flood reference cases are more uniformly distributed both intra- and interannually. They include Jan-Feb 2003 and Mar-Apr 2007 flood in the Ebro basin, the Oct 2000 flood in Po basin, Jul 2002 flood in Weser basin and Nov 2010 flood in the Scheldt. We have identified significant knowledge gaps in the current accounts of the impacts inflicted by the above disaster strikes. Almost no information is available about intangible, indirect and environmental costs. The structural damage is only partly examined. The existing assessment studies are based either on self-reported losses of the affected subjects and methodologies yielding divergent results about the extent (or even order of magnitude) of the losses suffered. The studies are rarely subjected to a critical analysis and quality check. Uncertainty surrounding the damage estimates is either omitted or reported only as a range of the likely magnitude of the disaster costs. Our analysis offers a systematic review of the damage across the affected sectors and communities. A number of assessment techniques were applied and their, pros and cons discussed. The paper highlights the value of an in-depth assessment of significantly damaging events for a better understanding of vulnerability, that is likely to be amplified as a result of anthropogenic climate change and economic development in the hazard-prone areas.

Improved Correction of IR Loss in Diffuse Shortwave Measurements: An ARM Value-Added Product

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Younkin, K; Long, CN

2003-11-01

Simple single black detector pyranometers, such as the Eppley Precision Spectral Pyranometer (PSP) used by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program, are known to lose energy via infrared (IR) emission to the sky. This is especially a problem when making clear-sky diffuse shortwave (SW) measurements, which are inherently of low magnitude and suffer the greatest IR loss. Dutton et al. (2001) proposed a technique using information from collocated pyrgeometers to help compensate for this IR loss. The technique uses an empirically derived relationship between the pyrgeometer detector data (and alternatively the detector data plus the difference between the pyrgeometer case and dome temperatures) and the nighttime pyranometer IR loss data. This relationship is then used to apply a correction to the diffuse SW data during daylight hours. We developed an ARM value-added product (VAP) called the SW DIFF CORR 1DUTT VAP to apply the Dutton et al. correction technique to ARM PSP diffuse SW measurements.

Structure of the phosphotransferase domain of the bifunctional aminoglycoside-resistance enzyme AAC(6')-Ie-APH(2'')-Ia.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Clyde A; Toth, Marta; Bhattacharya, Monolekha; Frase, Hilary; Vakulenko, Sergei B

2014-06-01

The bifunctional acetyltransferase(6')-Ie-phosphotransferase(2'')-Ia [AAC(6')-Ie-APH(2'')-Ia] is the most important aminoglycoside-resistance enzyme in Gram-positive bacteria, conferring resistance to almost all known aminoglycoside antibiotics in clinical use. Owing to its importance, this enzyme has been the focus of intensive research since its isolation in the mid-1980s but, despite much effort, structural details of AAC(6')-Ie-APH(2'')-Ia have remained elusive. The structure of the Mg2GDP complex of the APH(2'')-Ia domain of the bifunctional enzyme has now been determined at 2.3 Å resolution. The structure of APH(2'')-Ia is reminiscent of the structures of other aminoglycoside phosphotransferases, having a two-domain architecture with the nucleotide-binding site located at the junction of the two domains. Unlike the previously characterized APH(2'')-IIa and APH(2'')-IVa enzymes, which are capable of utilizing both ATP and GTP as the phosphate donors, APH(2'')-Ia uses GTP exclusively in the phosphorylation of the aminoglycoside antibiotics, and in this regard closely resembles the GTP-dependent APH(2'')-IIIa enzyme. In APH(2'')-Ia this GTP selectivity is governed by the presence of a `gatekeeper' residue, Tyr100, the side chain of which projects into the active site and effectively blocks access to the adenine-binding template. Mutation of this tyrosine residue to a less bulky phenylalanine provides better access for ATP to the NTP-binding template and converts APH(2'')-Ia into a dual-specificity enzyme.

26 CFR 1.469-2 - Passive activity loss.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... well) the value of which is directly enhanced by any drilling, logging, seismic testing, or other... landowners. In 1993, P drills a well on its tract, and A's distributive share of P's losses from drilling the... drilling site and drilling the well, P develops information indicating that the reservior in which the well...

Factor value determination and applicability evaluation of universal soil loss equation in granite gneiss region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-hai Zhang

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Six types of runoff plots were set up and an experimental study was carried out to examine natural rate of soil and water loss in the granite gneiss region of northern Jiangsu Province in China. Through correlation analysis of runoff and soil loss during 364 rainfall events, a simplified and convenient mathematical formula suitable for calculating the rainfall erosivity factor (R for the local region was established. Other factors of the universal soil loss equation (USLE model were also determined. Relative error analysis of the soil loss of various plots calculated by the USLE model on the basis of the observed values showed that the relative error ranged from -3.5% to 9.9% and the confidence level was more than 90%. In addition, the relative error was 5.64% for the terraced field and 12.36% for the sloping field in the practical application. Thus, the confidence level was above 87.64%. These results provide a scientific basis for forecasting and monitoring soil and water loss, for comprehensive management of small watersheds, and for soil and water conservation planning in the region.

Losses through gases and effluent and nutritional value of Brachiaria decumbens with addition of soybean hulls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Clayton Oliveira Dantas

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the losses of nutrient through gases and effluents, the nutrient recovery, fermentation parameters and the chemical parameters of silages of Brachiaria decumbens with the addition of soybean hulls, testing five levels of inclusion: 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40% (as is, with five replications per treatment. After the standardization cut of the forage, performed at 5 cm from the soil level, the soil was fertilized with nitrogen and potassium in the form of ammonium sulfate and potassium chloride, respectively, at 60 kg/ha. After 60 days, the grass was cut at 10 cm from the soil and ensiled. Experimental silos with capacity of 10 liters with Bunsen valve were used. Silos had 3 kg of sand conditioned at the bottom for retention of the effluents. The results show that the contents of dry matter, crude protein, acid detergent insoluble fiber and total digestible nutrients presented positive linear behavior with the inclusion of soybean hulls. In the grass silages with addition of soybean hulls, there was greater recovery of dry matter in relation to the control silage, which is a reflection of the negative linear behavior for the values of losses of gases and effluent. There was quadratic behavior in the pH values and negative linear behavior for the ammonia N values and buffering capacity with the inclusion of the additive in the grass silage. Inclusion of soybean hulls is sufficient to improve the fermentation pattern and minimize the losses through gases and effluents, contributing to the nutrient recovery, in addition to promoting overall improvement of the nutritional value of Brachiaria grass silages.

Missed losses loom larger than missed gains: Electrodermal reactivity to decision choices and outcomes in a gambling task.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yin; Van Dijk, Eric; Aitken, Mike; Clark, Luke

2016-04-01

Loss aversion is a defining characteristic of prospect theory, whereby responses are stronger to losses than to equivalently sized gains (Kahneman & Tversky Econometrica, 47, 263-291, 1979). By monitoring electrodermal activity (EDA) during a gambling task, in this study we examined physiological activity during risky decisions, as well as to both obtained (e.g., gains and losses) and counterfactual (e.g., narrowly missed gains and losses) outcomes. During the bet selection phase, EDA increased linearly with bet size, highlighting the role of somatic signals in decision-making under uncertainty in a task without any learning requirement. Outcome-related EDA scaled with the magnitudes of monetary wins and losses, and losses had a stronger impact on EDA than did equivalently sized wins. Narrowly missed wins (i.e., near-wins) and narrowly missed losses (i.e., near-losses) also evoked EDA responses, and the change of EDA as a function of the size of the missed outcome was modestly greater for near-losses than for near-wins, suggesting that near-losses have more impact on subjective value than do near-wins. Across individuals, the slope for choice-related EDA (as a function of bet size) correlated with the slope for outcome-related EDA as a function of both the obtained and counterfactual outcome magnitudes, and these correlations were stronger for loss and near-loss conditions than for win and near-win conditions. Taken together, these asymmetrical EDA patterns to objective wins and losses, as well as to near-wins and near-losses, provide a psychophysiological instantiation of the value function curve in prospect theory, which is steeper in the negative than in the positive domain.

Measurement value analysis overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) packaging process in line 2 (Case Study of PT. MBI Tbk)

Science.gov (United States)

Rimawan, Erry; Kholil, Muhammad; Hendri

2018-03-01

PT. MBI Tbk is engaged in the manufacture of beverage industry, where the company’s production is based on the magnitude of customer demand that is marketing offices that had been scattered in various regions of Indonesia. In the packaging process steps in PT.MBI through the line 3 lines including racking, canning line, bottling line. In the canning process to existing packing on Line 2 (canning line), there are some machines that are used continuously, among other Depalletizer machine, filler machine, can seamer machine, pasteurizer machine, machine FLD, Wrap Around engine, engine Shrink Wrap. Due to the large demand from customers that is relentless, therefore the calculation of overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) as a whole on line 2 (canning line) is needed in order to make improvements continuously (Continuous Improvement) at line 2 (canning line). This study aims to determine the value of overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and Losses of the most influential of the big six OEE Losses focused on equipment or machinery as a whole into a single unit that is on the line 2, which will then be known root cause of the losses that occur from the research over the field. From the calculation of overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), there are two ratios are still poor and under world-class standards, while the ratio of the availability of 88.85% of the world-class standards by 90% and the performance ratio of 78.51% of the standard world class by 95%, whereas for quality ratio has entered the world-class standard that is equal to 99.90%. Thus the value of OEE on Line 2 line is below world class standards. In this study there were only five losses, which can be identified, and while the losses were very influential, namely the Speed Reduced Losses, losses, these losses accounted for the largest percentage of the value of the rate of 19.12%, of the results of this study losses occurred due to poor surveillance systems (less good) that causes the employee or

Transmucosal gas-loss rates in middle ears initially filled with O2 or CO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Kania, Romain E; Vérillaud, Benjamin; Ars, Bernard; Tran Ba Huy, Patrice; Herman, Philippe; Ar, Amos

2016-10-01

This study investigates the role of different gases in clearance of gas in the middle ear cavity (ME) by its mucosal blood flow. A rat model was used to measure gas volume changes in the ME cavity at constant pressure without ventilation. We disturbed the normal gas composition of the ME by filling it with O 2 or CO 2 , measured the consequent changes in gas volume over time and compared these results with previously obtained ones for air and N 2 . The first 5 min of the primary transient phase (phase I) for O 2 or CO 2 was characterized by a volume loss decrease of -0.49 ± 0.34 μL and -46.28 ± 8.49 μL, respectively, with volume loss increase for air and N 2 differing greatly, at +0.17 ± 0.17 and +2.31 ± 0.81, respectively. The CO 2 value of -46.28 μL showed that a volume of gas equivalent to that of the ME cleft volume was eliminated within the first 5 min. In the second phase (phase II), all gases showed a linear decrease in volume, which presumably represents a steady-state gas loss rate. However, the gas loss rate of -0.307 ± 0.170 μL min -1 for O 2 -filled MEs was significantly higher than the mean of -0.124 μL min -1 for all other gases. We used a previously established mathematical model to calculate the effective ME mucosal blood flow rate under steady-state (phase II) conditions. The blood flow results for O 2 -filled MEs differed greatly from those of the other gases (89.0 ± 49.28 vs. 26.5 μL min -1 , on average), which suggest that the model used to calculate blood flow should be modified if used with O 2 -filled MEs. Further work should involve a comparison of our method with different methods to verify ME blood flow rate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Local intelligent electronic device (IED) rendering templates over limited bandwidth communication link to manage remote IED

Science.gov (United States)

Bradetich, Ryan; Dearien, Jason A; Grussling, Barry Jakob; Remaley, Gavin

2013-11-05

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for remote device management. According to various embodiments, a local intelligent electronic device (IED) may be in communication with a remote IED via a limited bandwidth communication link, such as a serial link. The limited bandwidth communication link may not support traditional remote management interfaces. According to one embodiment, a local IED may present an operator with a management interface for a remote IED by rendering locally stored templates. The local IED may render the locally stored templates using sparse data obtained from the remote IED. According to various embodiments, the management interface may be a web client interface and/or an HTML interface. The bandwidth required to present a remote management interface may be significantly reduced by rendering locally stored templates rather than requesting an entire management interface from the remote IED. According to various embodiments, an IED may comprise an encryption transceiver.

Human-technology interaction for standoff IED detection

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Evan; Zou, Yiyang; Zachrich, Liping; Fulton, Jack

2011-03-01

IEDs kill our soldiers and innocent people every day. Lessons learned from Iraq and Afghanistan clearly indicated that IEDs cannot be detected/defeated by technology alone; human-technology interaction must be engaged. In most cases, eye is the best detector, brain is the best computer, and technologies are tools, they must be used by human being properly then can achieve full functionality. In this paper, a UV Raman/fluorescence, CCD and LWIR 3 sensor fusion system for standoff IED detection and a handheld fusion system for close range IED detection are developed and demonstrated. We must train solders using their eyes or CCD/LWIR cameras to do wide area search while on the move to find small suspected area first then use the spectrometer because the laser spot is too small, to scan a one-mile long and 2-meter wide road needs 185 days although our fusion system can detect the IED in 30m with 1s interrogating time. Even if the small suspected area (e.g., 0.5mx0.5m) is found, human eyes still cannot detect the IED, soldiers must use or interact with the technology - laser based spectrometer to scan the area then they are able to detect and identify the IED in 10 minutes not 185 days. Therefore, the human-technology interaction approach will be the best solution for IED detection.

Loss of coolant analysis for the tower shielding reactor 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radcliff, T.D.; Williams, P.T.

1990-06-01

The operational limits of the Tower Shielding Reactor-2 (TSR-2) have been revised to account for placing the reactor in a beam shield, which reduces convection cooling during a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA). A detailed heat transfer analysis was performed to set operating time limits which preclude fuel damage during a LOCA. Since a LOCA is survivable, the pressure boundary need not be safety related, minimizing seismic and inspection requirements. Measurements of reactor component emittance for this analysis revealed that aluminum oxidized in water may have emittance much higher than accepted values, allowing higher operating limits than were originally expected. These limits could be increased further with analytical or hardware improvements. 5 refs., 7 figs

'Shrink' losses in commercially sized corn silage piles: Quantifying total losses and where they occur.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, P H; Swanepoel, N; Heguy, J M; Price, T; Meyer, D M

2016-01-15

Silage 'shrink' (i.e., loss of fresh chopped crop between ensiling and feedout) represents a nutrient loss which can degrade air quality as volatile carbon compounds, degrade surface waterways due to seepage, or degrade aquifers due to seepage. Virtually no research has documented shrink in large silage piles. The term 'shrink' is often ill defined, but can be expressed as losses of wet weight (WW), oven dry matter (oDM), and oDM corrected for volatiles lost in the drying oven (vcoDM). Corn silage piles (4 wedge, 2 rollover/wedge, 1 bunker) from 950 to 12,204 tonnes as built, on concrete (4), soil (2) and a combination (1) in California's San Joaquin Valley, using a bacterial inoculant, covered within 24 h with an oxygen barrier inner film and black/white outer plastic, fed out using large front end loaders through an electronic feed tracking system, and from the 2013 crop year, were used. Shrink as WW, oDM and vcoDM were 90±17, 68±18 and 28±21 g/kg, suggesting that much WW shrink is water and much oDM shrink is volatiles lost during analytical oven drying. Most shrink occurred in the silage mass with losses from exposed silage faces, as well as between exposed face silage removal and the total mixed ration mixer, being low. Silage bulk density, exposed silage face management and face use rate did not have obvious impacts on any shrink measure, but age of the silage pile during silage feedout impacted shrink losses ('older' silage piles being higher), but most strongly for WW shrink. Real shrink losses (i.e., vcoDM) of large well managed corn silage piles are low, the exposed silage face is a small portion of losses, and many proposed shrink mitigations appeared ineffective, possibly because shrink was low overall and they are largely directed at the exposed silage face. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A simple formulation and solution to the replacement problem: a practical tool to assess the economic cow value, the value of a new pregnancy, and the cost of a pregnancy loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabrera, V E

2012-08-01

This study contributes to the research literature by providing a new formulation for the cow replacement problem, and it also contributes to the Extension deliverables by providing a user-friendly decision support system tool that would more likely be adopted and applied for practical decision making. The cow value, its related values of a new pregnancy and a pregnancy loss, and their associated replacement policies determine profitability in dairy farming. One objective of this study was to present a simple, interactive, dynamic, and robust formulation of the cow value and the replacement problem, including expectancy of the future production of the cow and the genetic gain of the replacement. The proven hypothesis of this study was that all the above requirements could be achieved by using a Markov chain algorithm. The Markov chain model allowed (1) calculation of a forward expected value of a studied cow and its replacement; (2) use of a single model (the Markov chain) to calculate both the replacement policies and the herd statistics; (3) use of a predefined, preestablished farm reproductive replacement policy; (4) inclusion of a farmer's assessment of the expected future performance of a cow; (5) inclusion of a farmer's assessment of genetic gain with a replacement; and (6) use of a simple spreadsheet or an online system to implement the decision support system. Results clearly demonstrated that the decision policies found with the Markov chain model were consistent with more complex dynamic programming models. The final user-friendly decision support tool is available at http://dairymgt.info/ → Tools → The Economic Value of a Dairy Cow. This tool calculates the cow value instantaneously and is highly interactive, dynamic, and robust. When a Wisconsin dairy farm was studied using the model, the solution policy called for replacing nonpregnant cows 11 mo after calving or months in milk (MIM) if in the first lactation and 9 MIM if in later lactations. The

CO2 Losses from Terrestrial Organic Matter through Photodegradation

Science.gov (United States)

Rutledge, S.; Campbell, D. I.; Baldocchi, D. D.; Schipper, L. A.

2010-12-01

Net ecosystem exchange (NEE) is the sum of CO2 uptake by plants and CO2 losses from both living plants and dead organic matter. In all but a few ecosystem scale studies on terrestrial carbon cycling, losses of CO2 from dead organic matter are assumed to be the result of microbial respiration alone. Here we provide evidence for an alternative, previously largely underestimated mechanism for ecosystem-scale CO2 emissions. The process of photodegradation, the direct breakdown of organic matter by solar radiation, was found to contribute substantially to the ecosystem scale CO2 losses at both a bare peatland in New Zealand, and a summer-dead grassland in California. Comparisons of daytime eddy covariance (EC) data with data collected at the same time using an opaque chamber and the CO2 soil gradient technique, or with night-time EC data collected during similar moisture and temperature conditions were used to quantify the direct effect of exposure of organic matter to solar radiation. At a daily scale, photodegradation contributed up to 62% and 92% of summer mid-day CO2 fluxes at the de-vegetated peatland and at the grassland during the dry season, respectively. Irradiance-induced CO2 losses were estimated to be 19% of the total annual CO2 loss at the peatland, and almost 60% of the dry season CO2 loss at the grassland. Small-scale measurements using a transparent chamber confirmed that CO2 emissions from air-dried peat and grass occurred within seconds of exposure to light when microbial activity was inhibited. Our findings imply that photodegradation could be important for many ecosystems with exposed soil organic matter, litter and/or standing dead material. Potentially affected ecosystems include sparsely vegetated arid and semi-arid ecosystems (e.g. shrublands, savannahs and other grasslands), bare burnt areas, agricultural sites after harvest or cultivation (especially if crop residues are left on the surface), deciduous forests after leaf fall, or ecosystems

Low Loss 1×2 Optical Coupler Based on Cosine S-bend with Segmented Waveguides

Science.gov (United States)

Yulianti, Ian; Sahmah, Abu; Supa'at, M.; Idrus, Sevia M.; Ridwanto, Muhammad; Al-hetar, Abdulaziz M.

2011-05-01

This paper presents an optimization of 1×2 polymer Y-junction optical coupler. The optimized optical coupler comprises straight polymer waveguide as the input waveguide, tapered waveguide, modified cosine S-bend and linear waveguide. At the branching point, N short waveguides with small width are introduced to reduce evanescent field. At operating wavelength of 1550 nm the excess loss of the coupler is ˜0.18 dB. In term of polarization dependence loss (PDL), the proposed coupler also shows a good performance with PDL value of less than 0.015 dB for wavelength range of 1470 nm-1550 nm. The proposed coupler could reduce excess loss more than 25% compared to conventional Y junction optical coupler.

ELER software - a new tool for urban earthquake loss assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Hancilar, U.; Tuzun, C.; Yenidogan, C.; Erdik, M.

2010-12-01

Rapid loss estimation after potentially damaging earthquakes is critical for effective emergency response and public information. A methodology and software package, ELER-Earthquake Loss Estimation Routine, for rapid estimation of earthquake shaking and losses throughout the Euro-Mediterranean region was developed under the Joint Research Activity-3 (JRA3) of the EC FP6 Project entitled "Network of Research Infrastructures for European Seismology-NERIES". Recently, a new version (v2.0) of ELER software has been released. The multi-level methodology developed is capable of incorporating regional variability and uncertainty originating from ground motion predictions, fault finiteness, site modifications, inventory of physical and social elements subjected to earthquake hazard and the associated vulnerability relationships. Although primarily intended for quasi real-time estimation of earthquake shaking and losses, the routine is also equally capable of incorporating scenario-based earthquake loss assessments. This paper introduces the urban earthquake loss assessment module (Level 2) of the ELER software which makes use of the most detailed inventory databases of physical and social elements at risk in combination with the analytical vulnerability relationships and building damage-related casualty vulnerability models for the estimation of building damage and casualty distributions, respectively. Spectral capacity-based loss assessment methodology and its vital components are presented. The analysis methods of the Level 2 module, i.e. Capacity Spectrum Method (ATC-40, 1996), Modified Acceleration-Displacement Response Spectrum Method (FEMA 440, 2005), Reduction Factor Method (Fajfar, 2000) and Coefficient Method (ASCE 41-06, 2006), are applied to the selected building types for validation and verification purposes. The damage estimates are compared to the results obtained from the other studies available in the literature, i.e. SELENA v4.0 (Molina et al., 2008) and

Predicting the economic costs and property value losses attributed to sudden oak death damage in California (2010-2020).

Science.gov (United States)

Kovacs, Kent; Václavík, Tomáš; Haight, Robert G; Pang, Arwin; Cunniffe, Nik J; Gilligan, Christopher A; Meentemeyer, Ross K

2011-04-01

Phytophthora ramorum, cause of sudden oak death, is a quarantined, non-native, invasive forest pathogen resulting in substantial mortality in coastal live oak (Quercus agrifolia) and several other related tree species on the Pacific Coast of the United States. We estimate the discounted cost of oak treatment, removal, and replacement on developed land in California communities using simulations of P. ramorum spread and infection risk over the next decade (2010-2020). An estimated 734 thousand oak trees occur on developed land in communities in the analysis area. The simulations predict an expanding sudden oak death (SOD) infestation that will likely encompass most of northwestern California and warrant treatment, removal, and replacement of more than 10 thousand oak trees with discounted cost of $7.5 million. In addition, we estimate the discounted property losses to single family homes of $135 million. Expanding the land base to include developed land outside as well as inside communities doubles the estimates of the number of oak trees killed and the associated costs and losses. The predicted costs and property value losses are substantial, but many of the damages in urban areas (e.g. potential losses from increased fire and safety risks of the dead trees and the loss of ecosystem service values) are not included. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Uni- and multi-variable modelling of flood losses: experiences gained from the Secchia river inundation event.

Science.gov (United States)

Carisi, Francesca; Domeneghetti, Alessio; Kreibich, Heidi; Schröter, Kai; Castellarin, Attilio

2017-04-01

Flood risk is function of flood hazard and vulnerability, therefore its accurate assessment depends on a reliable quantification of both factors. The scientific literature proposes a number of objective and reliable methods for assessing flood hazard, yet it highlights a limited understanding of the fundamental damage processes. Loss modelling is associated with large uncertainty which is, among other factors, due to a lack of standard procedures; for instance, flood losses are often estimated based on damage models derived in completely different contexts (i.e. different countries or geographical regions) without checking its applicability, or by considering only one explanatory variable (i.e. typically water depth). We consider the Secchia river flood event of January 2014, when a sudden levee-breach caused the inundation of nearly 200 km2 in Northern Italy. In the aftermath of this event, local authorities collected flood loss data, together with additional information on affected private households and industrial activities (e.g. buildings surface and economic value, number of company's employees and others). Based on these data we implemented and compared a quadratic-regression damage function, with water depth as the only explanatory variable, and a multi-variable model that combines multiple regression trees and considers several explanatory variables (i.e. bagging decision trees). Our results show the importance of data collection revealing that (1) a simple quadratic regression damage function based on empirical data from the study area can be significantly more accurate than literature damage-models derived for a different context and (2) multi-variable modelling may outperform the uni-variable approach, yet it is more difficult to develop and apply due to a much higher demand of detailed data.

An attempt to estimate the economic value of the loss of human life due to landslide and flood events in Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Salvati, Paola; Bianchi, Cinzia; Hussin, Haydar; Guzzetti, Fausto

2013-04-01

Landslide and flood events in Italy cause wide and severe damage to buildings and infrastructure, and are frequently involved in the loss of human life. The cost estimates of past natural disasters generally refer to the amount of public money used for the restoration of the direct damage, and most commonly do not account for all disaster impacts. Other cost components, including indirect losses, are difficult to quantify and, among these, the cost of human lives. The value of specific human life can be identified with the value of a statistical life (VLS), defined as the value that an individual places on a marginal change in their likelihood of death This is different from the value of an actual life. Based on information of fatal car accidents in Italy, we evaluate the cost that society suffers for the loss of life due to landslide and flood events. Using a catalogue of fatal landslide and flood events, for which information about gender and age of the fatalities is known, we determine the cost that society suffers for the loss of their life. For the purpose, we calculate the economic value in terms of the total income that the working-age population involved in the fatal events would have earned over the course of their life. For the computation, we use the pro-capita income calculated as the ratio between the GDP and the population value in Italy for each year, since 1980. Problems occur for children and retired people that we decided not to include in our estimates.

On the calculation of steady-state loss probabilities in the GI/G/2/0 queue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Igor N. Kovalenko

1994-01-01

Full Text Available This paper considers methods for calculating the steady-state loss probability in the GI/G/2/0 queue. A previous study analyzed this queue in discrete time and this led to an efficient, numerical approximation scheme for continuous-time systems. The primary aim of the present work is to provide an alternative approach by analyzing the GI/ME/2/0 queue; i.e., assuming that the service time can be represented by a matrix-exponential distribution. An efficient computational scheme based on this method is developed and some numerical examples are studied. Some comparisons are made with the discrete-time approach, and the two methods are seen to be complementary.

Spatiotemporal Assessment of PM2.5-Related Economic Losses from Health Impacts during 2014–2016 in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Yang

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Particulate air pollution, especially PM2.5, is highly correlated with various adverse health impacts and, ultimately, economic losses for society, however, few studies have undertaken a spatiotemporal assessment of PM2.5-related economic losses from health impacts covering all of the main cities in China. Methods: PM2.5 concentration data were retrieved for 190 Chinese cities for the period 2014–2016. We used a log-linear exposure–response model and monetary valuation methods, such as value of a statistical life (VSL, amended human capital (AHC, and cost of illness to evaluate PM2.5-related economic losses from health impacts at the city level. In addition, Monte Carlo simulation was used to analyze uncertainty. Results: The average economic loss was 0.3% (AHC to 1% (VSL of the total gross domestic product (GDP of 190 Chinese cities from 2014 to 2016. Overall, China experienced a downward trend in total economic losses over the three-year period, but the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei, Shandong Peninsula, Yangtze River Delta, and Chengdu-Chongqing regions experienced greater annual economic losses. Conclusions: Exploration of spatiotemporal variations in PM2.5-related economic losses from long-term health impacts could provide new information for policymakers regarding priority areas for PM2.5 pollution prevention and control in China.

Spatial Durbin model analysis macroeconomic loss due to natural disasters

Science.gov (United States)

Kusrini, D. E.; Mukhtasor

2015-03-01

Magnitude of the damage and losses caused by natural disasters is huge for Indonesia, therefore this study aimed to analyze the effects of natural disasters for macroeconomic losses that occurred in 115 cities/districts across Java during 2012. Based on the results of previous studies it is suspected that it contains effects of spatial dependencies in this case, so that the completion of this case is performed using a regression approach to the area, namely Analysis of Spatial Durbin Model (SDM). The obtained significant predictor variable is population, and predictor variable with a significant weighting is the number of occurrences of disasters, i.e., disasters in the region which have an impact on other neighboring regions. Moran's I index value using the weighted Queen Contiguity also showed significant results, meaning that the incidence of disasters in the region will decrease the value of GDP in other.

THRESHOLD PARAMETER OF THE EXPECTED LOSSES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Josip Arnerić

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of extreme value analysis is to quantify the probabilistic behavior of unusually large losses using only extreme values above some high threshold rather than using all of the data which gives better fit to tail distribution in comparison to traditional methods with assumption of normality. In our case we estimate market risk using daily returns of the CROBEX index at the Zagreb Stock Exchange. Therefore, it’s necessary to define the excess distribution above some threshold, i.e. Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD is used as much more reliable than the normal distribution due to the fact that gives the accent on the extreme values. Parameters of GPD distribution will be estimated using maximum likelihood method (MLE. The contribution of this paper is to specify threshold which is large enough so that GPD approximation valid but low enough so that a sufficient number of observations are available for a precise fit.

Design and characterization of low-loss 2D grating couplers for silicon photonics integrated circuits

Science.gov (United States)

Lacava, C.; Carrol, L.; Bozzola, A.; Marchetti, R.; Minzioni, P.; Cristiani, I.; Fournier, M.; Bernabe, S.; Gerace, D.; Andreani, L. C.

2016-03-01

We present the characterization of Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) photonic-crystal based 2D grating-couplers (2D-GCs) fabricated by CEA-Leti in the frame of the FP7 Fabulous project, which is dedicated to the realization of devices and systems for low-cost and high-performance passives-optical-networks. On the analyzed samples different test structures are present, including 2D-GC connected to another 2D-GC by different waveguides (in a Mach-Zehnder like configuration), and 2D-GC connected to two separate 2D-GCs, so as to allow a complete assessment of different parameters. Measurements were carried out using a tunable laser source operating in the extended telecom bandwidth and a fiber-based polarization controlling system at the input of device-under-test. The measured data yielded an overall fiber-to-fiber loss of 7.5 dB for the structure composed by an input 2D-GC connected to two identical 2D-GCs. This value was obtained at the peak wavelength of the grating, and the 3-dB bandwidth of the 2D-GC was assessed to be 43 nm. Assuming that the waveguide losses are negligible, so as to make a worst-case analysis, the coupling efficiency of the single 2D-GC results to be equal to -3.75 dB, constituting, to the best of our knowledge, the lowest value ever reported for a fully CMOS compatible 2D-GC. It is worth noting that both the obtained values are in good agreement with those expected by the numerical simulations performed using full 3D analysis by Lumerical FDTD-solutions.

Losses as ecological guides: minor losses lead to maximization and not to avoidance.

Science.gov (United States)

Yechiam, Eldad; Retzer, Matan; Telpaz, Ariel; Hochman, Guy

2015-06-01

Losses are commonly thought to result in a neuropsychological avoidance response. We suggest that losses also provide ecological guidance by increasing focus on the task at hand, and that this effect may override the avoidance response. This prediction was tested in a series of studies. In Study 1a we found that minor losses did not lead to an avoidance response. Instead, they guided participants to make advantageous choices (in terms of expected value) and to avoid disadvantageous choices. Moreover, losses were associated with less switching between options after the first block of exploration. In Study 1b we found that this effect was not simply a by-product of the increase in visual contrast with losses. In Study 1c we found that the effect of losses did not emerge when alternatives did not differ in their expected value but only in their risk level. In Study 2 we investigated the autonomic arousal dynamics associated with this behavioral pattern via pupillometric responses. The results showed increased pupil diameter following losses compared to gains. However, this increase was not associated with a tendency to avoid losses, but rather with a tendency to select more advantageously. These findings suggest that attention and reasoning processes induced by losses can out-weigh the influence of affective processes leading to avoidance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrolyte loss mechanism of molten carbonate fuel cells. 2.; Application to the cell with matrix electrolyte layer; Yoyu tansan`engata nenryo denchi ni okeru denkaishitsu loss kiko ni tsuite. 2.; Matrix gata denkaishitsuso wo yusuru denchi eno oyo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sonai, A; Murata, K [Toshiba Research and Development Center, Kawasaki (Japan)

1993-11-01

A single cell of molten carbonate fuel cell using a matrix electrolyte layer fabricated by using the doctor blade process has been operated for several thousand hours, measured of electrolyte loss amount, and analyzed by using a new electrolyte loss mechanism. The result may be summarized as follows: according to a result of measuring the matrix layer pore distribution, the average pore size has increased little by little; pores with diameters greater than 2 {mu}m at which no electrolyte retention becomes possible remain at nearly constant ratio up to 1800 hours, but increased after 2500 hours; the pore capacity in ports with the largest electrolyte retaining diameter of 2 {mu}m or less showed slight decrease with time in the anode, and an initial decrease followed by flatness, and then a sharp decrease after 1800 hours in the matrix layer; the electrolyte loss measurement values have remained nearly constant for 25 hours to 1800 hours, but increased sharply thereafter; and the electrolyte loss in this single cell due to pore capacity decrease in pores as power generating parts with diameters smaller than 2 {mu}m was explained quantitatively by a new electrolyte loss mechanism. 11 refs., 6 figs.

Comparison of rate of En masse retraction and anchorage loss in conventional labial appliance with labial and lingual force: A clinical study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dilshad Quraishi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Aims: The rate of en masse retraction and anchorage loss were compared between labial appliance with lingual force and conventional labial appliance. Subjects and Methods: The sample consists of 14 patients and they were divided into two groups. In Group 1 – labial appliance with lingual force, elastomeric chain was placed from the palatal surface of the canines to the palatal surface of the molars. In Group 2 – labial appliance with labial force, elastomeric chain was placed from the crimpable hook distal to lateral incisor to the molar tube hooks. The rate of en masse retraction and anchorage loss was calculated for both the groups during retraction in dental casts (R0, initial; R1, 4 weeks; R2, 8 weeks; and R3, 12 weeks. Statistical Analysis Used: Student's paired t-test. Results: The rate of retraction was faster and anchorage loss was lower with labial appliance with lingual force, i.e., Group 1. The difference of anchorage loss in Group 1 and Group 2 shows t = 4.824 and P value= 0.000, which is statistically highly significant. The difference of rate of retraction in Group 1 and Group 2 shows t = 3.573 and P value = 0.004, which is statistically signifcant. Conclusions: The rate of retraction was faster and anchorage loss was lower with labial appliance with lingual force, thus indicating that this new technique of space closure utilizes biomechanical advantage of lingual force in conventional labial appliance.

Evaluation of torque loss value of MAD/MAM zirconia abutments with prefabricated titanium abutments

OpenAIRE

Marzieh Alikhasi; Roshanak Baghaie; Nasim khosronejad

2013-01-01

Background and Aims: In response to esthetic demand of patients, ceramic abutments have been developed. Despite esthetic of zirconia abutments, machining accuracy of these abutments has always been a question. Any misfit in the abutment-implant interface connection can lead to detorque and screw loosening. The aim of this study was to compare torque loss value of manually aided design/manually aided manufacture (MAD/MAM) zirconia abutments with prefabricated titanium abutments. Materials and ...

The Impact of Impulsivity on Weight Loss Four Years after Bariatric Surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathrin Schag

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Bariatric surgery has serious implications on metabolic health. The reasons for a failure of bariatric surgery, i.e., limited weight loss, are multifactorial and include psychological factors. We established a theoretical model of how impulsivity is related to weight loss outcome. We propose that depressive symptoms act as a mediator between impulsivity and pathological eating behavior, and that pathological eating behavior has a direct impact on weight loss outcome. We calculated excessive weight loss (%EWL and assessed self-reported impulsivity (using the Baratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-15 total score, depressive symptoms (the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9 score, and pathological eating behavior (the Eating Disorder Inventory 2 (EDI-2 total score in 65 patients four years after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Regression and mediation analyses were computed to validate the theoretical model. The BIS-15, PHQ-9, and EDI-2 have medium to high correlations between each other, and EDI-2 correlated with %EWL. The mediation analysis yielded that the PHQ-9 represents a significant mediator between BIS-15 and EDI-2. The regression model between EDI-2 and %EWL was also significant. These results support our theoretical model, i.e., suggest that impulsivity has an indirect impact on weight loss outcome after bariatric surgery, mediated by depression and transferred through pathological eating behavior. Thus, the underlying psychological factors should be addressed in post-operative care to optimize weight loss outcome.

Loss of Cdx2 expression in primary tumors and lymph node metastases is specific for mismatch repair-deficiency in colorectal cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heather eDawson

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Approximately 20% of all colorectal cancers are hypothesized to arise from the serrated pathway characterized by mutation in BRAF, high-level CpG Island Methylator Phenotype (CIMP and microsatellite instability/mismatch repair (MMR-deficiency. MMR-deficient cancers show frequent losses of Cdx2, a homeodomain transcription factor. Here, we determine the predictive value of Cdx2 expression for MMR-deficiency and investigate changes in expression between primary cancers and matched lymph node metastases. Methods: Immunohistochemistry for Cdx2, Mlh1, Msh2, Msh6, and Pms2 was performed on whole tissue sections from 201 patients with primary colorectal cancer and 59 cases of matched lymph node metastases. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC curve analysis and Area under the Curve (AUC were investigated; association of Cdx2 with clinicopathological features and patient survival was carried out.Results Loss of Cdx2 expression was associated with higher tumor grade (p=0.0002, advanced pT (p=0.0166, and perineural invasion (p=0.0228. Cdx2 loss was an unfavorable prognostic factor in univariate (p=0.0145 and multivariate (p=0.0427; HR (95%CI: 0.58 (0.34-0.98 analysis. The accuracy (AUC for discriminating MMR-proficient and –deficient cancers was 87% (OR (95%CI:0.96 (0.95-0.98; p<0.0001. Specificity and negative predictive value for MMR-deficiency was 99.1% and 96.3%. 174 patients had MMR-proficient cancers, of which 60 (34.5% showed Cdx2 loss. Cdx2 loss in metastases was related to MMR-deficiency (p<0.0001. There was no difference in expression between primary tumors and matched metastases.Conclusion: Loss of Cdx2 is a sensitive and specific predictor of MMR-deficiency, but is not limited to these tumors, suggesting that events upstream of the development of MSI may impact Cdx2 expression.

26 CFR 1.996-2 - Ordering rules for losses.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 10 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ordering rules for losses. 1.996-2 Section 1.996-2 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Domestic International Sales Corporations § 1.996-2 Ordering rules for losses. (a...

Measuring and modelling interception loss by an isolated olive tree in a traditional olive grove - pasture system

Science.gov (United States)

Nóbrega, Cristina; Pereira, Fernando L.; Valente, Fernanda

2015-04-01

Water losses associated to the rainfall interception process by trees can be an important component of the local hydrologic balance and must be accounted for when implementing any sustainable water management programme. In many dry areas of the Mediterranean region where agro-forestry systems are common, those programmes are crucial to foster adequate water conservation measures. Recent studies have shown that the evaluation of interception loss in sparse forests or tree plantations should be made for individual trees, being the total value determined as the sum of the individual contributions. Following this approach, rainfall interception was measured and modelled over two years, in an isolated Olea europeaea L. tree, in a traditional low-density olive grove in Castelo Branco, central Portugal. Total interception loss over the experimental period was 243.5 mm, on a tree crown projected area basis, corresponding to 18.0% of gross rainfall (Pg). Modelling made for each rainfall event using the sparse version of the Gash model, slightly underestimated interception loss with a value of 240.5 mm, i.e., 17.8 % ofPg. Modelling quality, evaluated according to a number of criteria, was good, allowing the conclusion that the methodology used was adequate. Modelling was also made on a daily basis, i.e., assuming a single storm per rainday. In this case, interception loss was overestimated by 12%, mostly because 72% of all rainfall events lasted for more than a day.

Photoelectron energy-loss study of the Bi2CaSr2Cu2O8 superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, Z.; Lindberg, P.A.P.; Dessau, D.S.; Lindau, I.; Spicer, W.E.; Mitzi, D.B.; Bozovic, I.; Kapitulnik, A.

1989-01-01

Using energy-loss spectroscopy of photoelectrons from a single crystal of Bi 2 CaSr 2 Cu 2 O 8 , we show that the electronic structure of the near-surface region is the same as that of the bulk. Utilizing the fact that photoelectrons of different elements are excited at different locations in the unit cell, we identify the energy-loss features as due to valence plasmon excitations, and one-electron excitations by comparing the photoelectron energy-loss spectra of the different elements

Reduced turning frequency and delayed poultry manure addition reduces N loss from sugarcane compost.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryndum, S; Muschler, R; Nigussie, A; Magid, J; de Neergaard, A

2017-07-01

Composting is an effective method to recycle biodegradable waste as soil amendment in smallholder farming systems. Although all essential plant nutrients are found in compost, a substantial amount of nitrogen is lost during composting. This study therefore investigated the potential of reducing N losses by (i) delaying the addition of nitrogen-rich substrates (i.e. poultry manure), and (ii) reducing the turning frequency during composting. Furthermore, we tested the effect of compost application method on nitrogen mineralization. Sugarcane-waste was composted for 54days with addition of poultry manure at the beginning (i.e. early addition) or after 21days of composting (delayed addition). The compost pile was then turned either every three or nine days. Composts were subsequently applied to soil as (i) homogeneously mixed, or (ii) stratified, and incubated for 28days to test the effect of compost application on nitrogen mineralization. The results showed that delayed addition of poultry manure reduced total nitrogen loss by 33% and increased mineral nitrogen content by >200% compared with early addition. Similarly, less frequent turning reduced total N loss by 12% compared with frequent turning. Stratified placement of compost did not enhance N mineralization compared to a homogeneous mixing. Our results suggested that simple modifications of the composting process (i.e. delayed addition and/or turning frequency) could significantly reduce N losses and improve the plant-nutritional value of compost. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tax-Optimal Step-Up and Imperfect Loss Offset

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markus Diller

2012-05-01

Full Text Available In the field of mergers and acquisitions, German and international tax law allow for several opportunities to step up a firm's assets, i.e., to revaluate the assets at fair market values. When a step-up is performed the taxpayer recognizes a taxable gain, but also obtains tax benefits in the form of higher future depreciation allowances associated with stepping up the tax base of the assets. This tax-planning problem is well known in taxation literature and can also be applied to firm valuation in the presence of taxation. However, the known models usually assume a perfect loss offset. If this assumption is abandoned, the depreciation allowances may lose value as they become tax effective at a later point in time, or even never if there are not enough cash flows to be offset against. This aspect is especiallyrelevant if future cash flows are assumed to be uncertain. This paper shows that a step-up may be disadvantageous or a firm overvalued if these aspects are not integrated into the basic calculus. Compared to the standard approach, assets should be stepped up only in a few cases and - under specific conditions - at a later point in time. Firm values may be considerably lower under imperfect loss offset.

P2P Network Lending, Loss Given Default and Credit Risks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guangyou Zhou

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Peer-to-peer (P2P network lending is a new mode of internet finance that still holds credit risk as its main risk. According to the internal rating method of the New Basel Accord, in addition to the probability of default, loss given default is also one of the important indicators of evaluation credit risks. Proceeding from the perspective of loss given default (LGD, this paper conducts an empirical study on the probability distribution of LGDs of P2P as well as its influencing factors with the transaction data of Lending Club. The results show that: (1 the LGDs of P2P loans presents an obvious unimodal distribution, the peak value is relatively high and tends to concentrate with the decrease of the borrower’s credit rating, indicating that the distribution of LGDs of P2P lending is similar to that of unsecured bonds; (2 The total asset of the borrower has no significant impact on LGD, the credit rating and the debt-to-income ratio exert a significant negative impact, while the term and amount of the loan produce a relatively strong positive impact. Therefore, when evaluating the borrower’s repayment ability, it is required to pay more attention to its assets structure rather than the size of its total assets. When carrying out risk control for the P2P platform, it is necessary to give priority to the control of default rate.

Anomalous delayed loss of trapped D-D fusion products in TFTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zweben, S.J.; Darrow, D.S.; Fredrickson, E.D.; Mynick, H.E.

1993-02-01

A new anomalous delayed loss of D-D fusion products has been measured at the bottom of the TFRR vessel. This loss is delayed by ∼ 0.2 sec with respect to the usual prompt first-orbit loss, and has a correspondingly lower energy, i.e. about half the fusion product birth energy. This loss process dominates the total fusion product loss measured 90 degrees below the midplane for plasma currents. I≥ 1.8 MA and major radii near R=2.45 m, e.g. for recent TFTR supershots. This delayed feature can occur without large coherent MED activity, although it can be strongly modulated by such activity. Several possible causes for this phenomenon are discussed, but no clear explanation for this delayed loss has yet been found

Colorectal Carcinomas With Isolated Loss of PMS2 Staining by Immunohistochemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Alpert, Lindsay; Pai, Reetesh K; Srivastava, Amitabh; McKinnon, Wendy; Wilcox, Rebecca; Yantiss, Rhonda K; Arcega, Ramir; Wang, Hanlin L; Robert, Marie E; Liu, Xiuli; Pai, Rish K; Zhao, Lei; Westerhoff, Maria; Hampel, Heather; Kupfer, Sonia; Setia, Namrata; Xiao, Shu-Yuan; Hart, John; Frankel, Wendy L

2018-04-01

- Isolated loss of PMS2 staining is an uncommon immunophenotype in colorectal carcinomas, accounting for approximately 4% of tumors with microsatellite instability. Limited information regarding these tumors is available in the literature. - To compare the clinicopathologic features of colorectal carcinomas with isolated PMS2 loss by immunohistochemistry to those with other forms of mismatch repair deficiency. - Ninety-three colorectal carcinomas with isolated PMS2 loss by immunohistochemistry and 193 with other forms of mismatch repair deficiency were identified. Forty (43%) of the isolated PMS2 loss cases and 35 control cases (18%) had a known germline mutation or a clinical diagnosis of Lynch syndrome. - Overall, isolated PMS2-loss tumors occurred in significantly younger patients ( P PMS2-loss group also exhibited increased odds of disease-specific death (odds ratio [OR], 3.09; 95% CI, 1.41-6.85; P = .007). When the analysis was restricted to germline mutation/Lynch syndrome cases and controls, no significant differences were detected for age, sex, tumor location, tumor grade, histologic features, or distant metastases, although a trend toward increased odds of disease-specific death in the isolated PMS2-loss group was evident (OR, 3.87; 95% CI, 0.89-27.04; P = .10). - Unusual clinicopathologic features observed in colorectal carcinomas with isolated PMS2 loss are likely related to the high proportion of cases caused by germline mutations. Isolated PMS2-loss tumors may demonstrate more aggressive behavior than other tumors with microsatellite instability, but larger studies are needed to investigate that possibility further.

An Optimized IES Method and Its Inhibitory Effects and Mechanisms on Food Intake and Body Weight in Diet-Induced Obese Rats: IES for Obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Xinyue; Yin, Jieyun; Foreman, Robert; Chen, Jiande D Z

2017-12-01

This paper aims to optimize stimulation parameters and durations for intestinal electrical stimulation (IES) and to explore the effects and mechanisms of chronic IES with optimized methodology in obesity rats. Sixteen diet-induced obese (DIO) rats were tested for food intake with four different sets of IES parameters each lasting 1 week. Then, another 12 DIO rats were used to test the effect of IES on food intake with different stimulation durations. Finally, 16 DIO rats were treated with IES or sham-IES for 4 weeks. Meal patterns, food intake, and body weight were observed. Mechanisms involving gastrointestinal motility, ghrelin, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) were studied. (1) Acute IES with different parameters showed different inhibitory effects on food intake, and the most effective parameters were 0.6 s on, 0.9 s off, 80 Hz, 2 ms, and 4 mA with which 26.3% decrease in food intake was noted (p fasting and postprandial plasma levels of GLP-1 but not ghrelin. Twelve-hour daily IES using optimized stimulation parameters reduces food intake and body weight in DIO rats by altering gastrointestinal motility and GLP-1. The IES methodology derived in this study may have a therapeutic potential for obesity.

D IE NEDERLANDSEGELOOFSBEL YDEN IS ASS IM BOL IE SEGE ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Test

M aar aan die ander kant, as dit vir U blyk dat ons onskuldig is, wees ons dan n steun en n toevlug teen die geweld van onse vyande. W ant helaas, genadigste Heer, as mens alleen maar kan beskuldig terwyl aan die beskuldigde elke weg en middel van verdediging ontneem word, wie sal dan regverdig bevind word? W ie.

‘Shrink’ losses in commercially sized corn silage piles: Quantifying total losses and where they occur

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, P.H.; Swanepoel, N.; Heguy, J.M.; Price, T.; Meyer, D.M., E-mail: phrobinson@ucdavis.edu [Department of Animal Science, UCCE Stanislaus, San Joaquin & Merced Counties, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (United States)

2016-01-15

Silage ‘shrink’ (i.e., loss of fresh chopped crop between ensiling and feedout) represents a nutrient loss which can degrade air quality as volatile carbon compounds, degrade surface waterways due to seepage, or degrade aquifers due to seepage. Virtually no research has documented shrink in large silage piles. The term ‘shrink’ is often ill defined, but can be expressed as losses of wet weight (WW), oven dry matter (oDM), and oDM corrected for volatiles lost in the drying oven (vcoDM). Corn silage piles (4 wedge, 2 rollover/wedge, 1 bunker) from 950 to 12,204 tonnes as built, on concrete (4), soil (2) and a combination (1) in California's San Joaquin Valley, using a bacterial inoculant, covered within 24 h with an oxygen barrier inner film and black/white outer plastic, fed out using large front end loaders through an electronic feed tracking system, and from the 2013 crop year, were used. Shrink as WW, oDM and vcoDM were 90 ± 17, 68 ± 18 and 28 ± 21 g/kg, suggesting that much WW shrink is water and much oDM shrink is volatiles lost during analytical oven drying. Most shrink occurred in the silage mass with losses from exposed silage faces, as well as between exposed face silage removal and the total mixed ration mixer, being low. Silage bulk density, exposed silage face management and face use rate did not have obvious impacts on any shrink measure, but age of the silage pile during silage feedout impacted shrink losses (‘older’ silage piles being higher), but most strongly for WW shrink. Real shrink losses (i.e., vcoDM) of large well managed corn silage piles are low, the exposed silage face is a small portion of losses, and many proposed shrink mitigations appeared ineffective, possibly because shrink was low overall and they are largely directed at the exposed silage face. - Highlights: • Corn silage piles were used to measure ‘shrink’ from construction to feedout • Shrink was wet weight, dry weight (oDM) and oDM volatiles corrected

Thermal Loss in High-Q Antennas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barrio, Samantha Caporal Del; Bahramzy, Pevand; Svendsen, Simon

2014-01-01

Tunable antennas are very promising for future generations of mobile communications, where antennas are required to cover a wide range operating bands. This letter aims at characterizing the loss mechanism of tunable antennas. Tunable antennas typically exhibit a high Quality factor (Q), which ca...... lead to thermal loss due to the conductivity of the metal. The investigation shows that copper loss is non-negligible for high Q values. In the proposed design the copper loss is 2 dB, for a Q of 260 at 700 MHz....

Water loss from terrestrial planets with CO2-rich atmospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wordsworth, R. D.; Pierrehumbert, R. T.

2013-01-01

Water photolysis and hydrogen loss from the upper atmospheres of terrestrial planets is of fundamental importance to climate evolution but remains poorly understood in general. Here we present a range of calculations we performed to study the dependence of water loss rates from terrestrial planets on a range of atmospheric and external parameters. We show that CO 2 can only cause significant water loss by increasing surface temperatures over a narrow range of conditions, with cooling of the middle and upper atmosphere acting as a bottleneck on escape in other circumstances. Around G-stars, efficient loss only occurs on planets with intermediate CO 2 atmospheric partial pressures (0.1-1 bar) that receive a net flux close to the critical runaway greenhouse limit. Because G-star total luminosity increases with time but X-ray and ultraviolet/ultravoilet luminosity decreases, this places strong limits on water loss for planets like Earth. In contrast, for a CO 2 -rich early Venus, diffusion limits on water loss are only important if clouds caused strong cooling, implying that scenarios where the planet never had surface liquid water are indeed plausible. Around M-stars, water loss is primarily a function of orbital distance, with planets that absorb less flux than ∼270 W m –2 (global mean) unlikely to lose more than one Earth ocean of H 2 O over their lifetimes unless they lose all their atmospheric N 2 /CO 2 early on. Because of the variability of H 2 O delivery during accretion, our results suggest that many 'Earth-like' exoplanets in the habitable zone may have ocean-covered surfaces, stable CO 2 /H 2 O-rich atmospheres, and high mean surface temperatures.

Determinants of weight loss after vertical banded gastroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Westerterp, K R; Saris, W H; Soeters, P B; ten Hoor, F

1991-08-01

Weight loss after gastric partition is highly variable even when the operation itself has been successful. We studied changes in body composition in relation to energy expenditure before and one year after surgery in one woman and five men, age 20-38 years, and BMI 42-62 kg/m2. Observations were performed shortly before, and 6, 12, 27 and 54 weeks after surgery. Body composition was measured with hydrostatic weighing and isotope dilution, and energy expenditure over 24 h (24EE) and during complete rest (sleeping metabolic rate (SMR)) with a respiration chamber and in five of the six subjects under daily living conditions over two-week intervals with doubly labeled water (average daily metabolic rate (ADMR). Weight loss and fat loss over the full observation period until 54 weeks after surgery was 54 +/- 8 and 43 +/- 9 kg (mean +/- s.e.m.), respectively. There was a more than three-fold difference in fat loss between the subject losing most, i.e. 70 kg, and the subject losing least, i.e. 20 kg. Fat loss was not related to initial fat mass in this group of six subjects but there was a significant negative relation with the loss of protein mass. There was a strong negative relation between fat loss and activity level of the subjects expressed as the quotient ADMR/SMR. These results show the contrary from what would be expected. Reduction of fat mass after successful gastric partition is highest in those subjects having the lowest physical activity level (before and) after surgery; these subjects lose less fat-free mass.

SU-G-IeP2-08: Investigation On Signal Detectability in Volumetric Cone Beam CT Images with Anatomical Background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, M; Baek, J

2016-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the slice direction dependent detectability in cone beam CT images with anatomical background. Methods: We generated 3D anatomical background images using breast anatomy model. To generate 3D breast anatomy, we filtered 3D Gaussian noise with a square root of 1/f"3, and then assigned the attenuation coefficient of glandular (0.8cm"−"1) and adipose (0.46 cm"−"1) tissues based on voxel values. Projections were acquired by forward projection, and quantum noise was added to the projection data. The projection data were reconstructed by FDK algorithm. We compared the detectability of a 3 mm spherical signal in the image reconstructed from four different backprojection Methods: Hanning weighted ramp filter with linear interpolation (RECON1), Hanning weighted ramp filter with Fourier interpolation (RECON2), ramp filter with linear interpolation (RECON3), and ramp filter with Fourier interpolation (RECON4), respectively. We computed task SNR of the spherical signal in transverse and longitudinal planes using channelized Hotelling observer with Laguerre-Gauss channels. Results: Transverse plane has similar task SNR values for different backprojection methods, while longitudinal plane has a maximum task SNR value in RECON1. For all backprojection methods, longitudinal plane has higher task SNR than transverse plane. Conclusion: In this work, we investigated detectability for different slice direction in cone beam CT images with anatomical background. Longitudinal plane has a higher task SNR than transverse plane, and backprojection with hanning weighted ramp filter with linear interpolation method (i.e., RECON1) produced the highest task SNR among four different backprojection methods. This research was supported by the MSIP (Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning), Korea, under the IT Consilience Creative Programs(IITP-2015-R0346-15-1008) supervised by the IITP (Institute for Information & Communications Technology Promotion), Basic Science

SU-G-IeP2-08: Investigation On Signal Detectability in Volumetric Cone Beam CT Images with Anatomical Background

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, M; Baek, J [Yonsei University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To investigate the slice direction dependent detectability in cone beam CT images with anatomical background. Methods: We generated 3D anatomical background images using breast anatomy model. To generate 3D breast anatomy, we filtered 3D Gaussian noise with a square root of 1/f{sup 3}, and then assigned the attenuation coefficient of glandular (0.8cm{sup −1}) and adipose (0.46 cm{sup −1}) tissues based on voxel values. Projections were acquired by forward projection, and quantum noise was added to the projection data. The projection data were reconstructed by FDK algorithm. We compared the detectability of a 3 mm spherical signal in the image reconstructed from four different backprojection Methods: Hanning weighted ramp filter with linear interpolation (RECON1), Hanning weighted ramp filter with Fourier interpolation (RECON2), ramp filter with linear interpolation (RECON3), and ramp filter with Fourier interpolation (RECON4), respectively. We computed task SNR of the spherical signal in transverse and longitudinal planes using channelized Hotelling observer with Laguerre-Gauss channels. Results: Transverse plane has similar task SNR values for different backprojection methods, while longitudinal plane has a maximum task SNR value in RECON1. For all backprojection methods, longitudinal plane has higher task SNR than transverse plane. Conclusion: In this work, we investigated detectability for different slice direction in cone beam CT images with anatomical background. Longitudinal plane has a higher task SNR than transverse plane, and backprojection with hanning weighted ramp filter with linear interpolation method (i.e., RECON1) produced the highest task SNR among four different backprojection methods. This research was supported by the MSIP (Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning), Korea, under the IT Consilience Creative Programs(IITP-2015-R0346-15-1008) supervised by the IITP (Institute for Information & Communications Technology Promotion

Assessing the effectiveness of intuitive eating for weight loss - pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Anglin, Judith Camele

2012-04-01

The obesity epidemic is widely recognized as a major public health issue resulting in chronic diseases. Calorie restriction (CR) is frequently used for most weight loss programs. The intuitive eating (IE) approach uses an individual's response to internal cues of hunger, satiety, and appetite and replaces CR. The study was a randomized controlled trial with two groups that assessed the anthropometric measurements of obese adults using CR and IE to achieve weight loss. The participants were sedentary obese individuals with no history of chronic diseases. They engaged in physical activity three times per week for 30 minutes and recorded their daily food intake in a food diary. Instructions were given for the CR and IE at the start and midpoint of the study. The duration of the study was 6 weeks. Weight and waist circumference were measured and body mass index calculated. total weight loss was significantly (p=0.03) lower in the CR group than in the IE group. The CR group lost weight consistently throughout the study, whereas weight loss in the IE group was significantly less at the endpoint than at the midpoint. Calorie restriction is a superior approach to weight management than IE.

Soil losses in rural watersheds with environmental land use conflicts.

Science.gov (United States)

Pacheco, F A L; Varandas, S G P; Sanches Fernandes, L F; Valle Junior, R F

2014-07-01

Soil losses were calculated in a rural watershed where environmental land use conflicts developed in the course of a progressive invasion of forest and pasture/forest lands by agriculture, especially vineyards. The hydrographic basin is located in the Douro region where the famous Port wine is produced (northern Portugal) and the soil losses were estimated by the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) in combination with a Geographic Information System (GIS). Environmental land use conflicts were set up on the basis of land use and land capability maps, coded as follows: 1-agriculture, 2-pasture, 3-pasture/forest, and 4-forest. The difference between the codes of capability and use defines a conflict class, where a negative or nil value means no conflict and a positive i value means class i conflict. The reliability of soil loss estimates was tested by a check of these values against the frequency of stone wall instabilities in vineyard terraces, with good results. Using the USLE, the average soil loss (A) was estimated in A=12.2 t·ha(-1)·yr(-1) and potential erosion risk areas were found to occupy 28.3% of the basin, defined where soil losses are larger than soil loss tolerances. Soil losses in no conflict regions (11.2 t·ha(-1)·yr(-1)) were significantly different from those in class 2 (6.8 t·ha(-1)·yr(-1)) and class 3 regions (21.3 t·ha(-1)·yr(-1)) that in total occupy 2.62 km(2) (14.3% of the basin). When simulating a scenario of no conflict across the entire basin, whereby land use in class 2 conflict regions is set up to permanent pastures and in class 3 conflict regions to pine forests, it was concluded that A=0.95 t·ha(-1)·yr(-1) (class 2) or A=9.8 t·ha(-1)·yr(-1) (class 3), which correspond to drops of 86% and 54% in soil loss relative to the actual values. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Virginity loss and pregnancy in U.S. and Dutch teen girl magazines: a content-analytic comparison

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Joshi, S.P.; Peter, J.; Valkenburg, P.M.

2014-01-01

Using Hofstede’s cultural dimension of masculinity/femininity, this quantitative content analysis investigated the coverage of virginity loss (i.e., occurrence, tone, and association with negative consequences) and pregnancy (i.e., occurrence, tone, and negative consequence of sex) in 2,496 feature

Hair loss and hyperprolactinemia in women

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

In the literature of the past 30 years there are only some publications concerned with hair loss and hyperprolactinemia in women. Therefore, the relevance of hyperprolactinemia was evaluated in 40 women with diffuse alopecia. Hair loss was assessed by clinical appearance and the pluck trichogram. 82.5% of the female patients had diffuse hair loss and 17.5% had androgenetic alopecia. The highest prolactin values measured were 1390 ng/ml and 255 ng/ml. Six patients had values between 150–80.4 ng/ml and 10 between 79.1–51.7 ng/ml. All others had prolactin values below 50 ng/ml. Fifteen untreated patients with elevated prolactin levels could be followed up. Without any prolactin-inhibiting drugs, reductions and normalizations beside moderate fluctuations could be detected. Thyroid-specific diagnostics showed in 95% of the patients a normal thyroid function. 2.5% had a slight hyperthyreoidism and 2.5% had a slight hypothyreoidism. No female patient had clinical signs of androgenization and the determined androgens testosterone, androstendione and dihydroepiandrostendione were in the normal range. According to these results, moderate elevated prolactin levels in association with diffuse or androgenetic hair loss can be neglected as causative for the hair loss, because there is no evidence that they have an influence to the pattern, the extent or the duration of the hair loss. These results are supported by investigations of other authors who described only in high doses of prolactin an inhibiting effect on human hair follicles in vitro. Nevertheless, moderate constantly elevated prolactin levels should induce further diagnostics to exclude a prolactin-producing tumor of the pituitary gland. PMID:22870355

Differing causes of pregnancy loss in type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Cundy, Tim; Gamble, Greg; Neale, Leonie; Elder, Rose; McPherson, Paul; Henley, Patrick; Rowan, Janet

2007-10-01

Women with type 2 and type 1 diabetes have differing risk factors for pregnancy loss. We compared the rates and causes of pregnancy loss in women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. We utilized prospectively collected data on all pregnancies in a 20-year period (1986-2005) from a single center with a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Pregnancy losses included terminations for medical reasons and deaths up to 1 month postpartum but not spontaneous pregnancy losses pregnancies in women with known diabetes (330 with type 1 and 540 with type 2 diabetes) and 325 in women with diabetes diagnosed in pregnancy but persisting postpartum (97% type 2 diabetes). The rate of pregnancy loss was similar in type 1 and type 2 diabetes (2.6 vs. 3.7%, P = 0.39), but the causes of pregnancy loss differed. In type 1 diabetes >75% were attributable to major congenital anomalies or prematurity; in type 2 diabetes >75% were attributable to stillbirth or chorioamnionitis (P = 0.017). Women with type 2 and type 1 diabetes had similar A1C at presentation and near term, but the former were older (P causes of pregnancy loss in women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The higher rates of stillbirth in women with type 2 diabetes, suggest that other features, such as obesity, contribute significantly to pregnancy losses.

Pandemic risk: how large are the expected losses?

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Victoria Y; Jamison, Dean T; Summers, Lawrence H

2018-02-01

There is an unmet need for greater investment in preparedness against major epidemics and pandemics. The arguments in favour of such investment have been largely based on estimates of the losses in national incomes that might occur as the result of a major epidemic or pandemic. Recently, we extended the estimate to include the valuation of the lives lost as a result of pandemic-related increases in mortality. This produced markedly higher estimates of the full value of loss that might occur as the result of a future pandemic. We parametrized an exceedance probability function for a global influenza pandemic and estimated that the expected number of influenza-pandemic-related deaths is about 720 000 per year. We calculated that the expected annual losses from pandemic risk to be about 500 billion United States dollars - or 0.6% of global income - per year. This estimate falls within - but towards the lower end of - the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's estimates of the value of the losses from global warming, which range from 0.2% to 2% of global income. The estimated percentage of annual national income represented by the expected value of losses varied by country income grouping: from a little over 0.3% in high-income countries to 1.6% in lower-middle-income countries. Most of the losses from influenza pandemics come from rare, severe events.

The Historical Loss Scale: Longitudinal measurement equivalence and prospective links to anxiety among North American indigenous adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Armenta, Brian E; Whitbeck, Les B; Habecker, Patrick N

2016-01-01

Thoughts of historical loss (i.e., the loss of culture, land, and people as a result of colonization) are conceptualized as a contributor to the contemporary distress experienced by North American Indigenous populations. Although discussions of historical loss and related constructs (e.g., historical trauma) are widespread within the Indigenous literature, empirical efforts to understand the consequence of historical loss are limited, partially because of the lack of valid assessments. In this study we evaluated the longitudinal measurement properties of the Historical Loss Scale (HLS)-a standardized measure that was developed to systematically examine the frequency with which Indigenous individuals think about historical loss-among a sample of North American Indigenous adolescents. We also test the hypothesis that thoughts of historical loss can be psychologically distressing. Via face-to-face interviews, 636 Indigenous adolescents from a single cultural group completed the HLS and a measure of anxiety at 4 time-points, which were separated by 1- to 2-year intervals (Mage = 12.09 years, SD = .86, 50.0% girls at baseline). Responses to the HLS were explained well by 3-factor (i.e., cultural loss, loss of people, and cultural mistreatment) and second-order factor structures. Both of these factor structures held full longitudinal metric (i.e., factor loadings) and scalar (i.e., intercepts) equivalence. In addition, using the second-order factor structure, more frequent thoughts of historical loss were associated with increased anxiety. The identified 3-factor and second-order HLS structures held full longitudinal measurement equivalence. Moreover, as predicted, our results suggest that historical loss can be psychologically distressing for Indigenous adolescents. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Power transformer additional load losses separation procedure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kostić Miloje M.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The proposed procedure is based on the fact that total transformer losses (PLL1,n, determined by short circuit test, can be separated into two components: the eddy current losses in the windings (PEC1,n and stray flux losses (PSL1,n in iron parts of construction as well as in the transformer tank walls. The total additional load losses, PLLd1 and PLLdh, are determined by short circuit test results, conducted at rated frequency (f1 and at increased harmonic frequency (fh=h*f1. Using so obtained total additional load losses, PLLd1 and PLLdh, which can be expressed in the form PLLdh=PEC1,n*h2 + PSL1,n*h, the corresponding rate additional load losses values PEC1,n and PSL1,n are derived. At the end, for given load with predefined high harmonics content, (Ih/I1n, relative to rated current, the total additional load losses value ΣPLLdh > PLLd1, is found. In such a way all harmonics up to hmax are taken into account.

AC losses in multilayer power transmission cables comprised of YBCO tapes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noji, H.

2011-01-01

I calculate AC properties in YBCO cable by an electric circuit model. The optimal helical pitches are determined by the calculation. The layer's current distribution is uniform on the optimal helical pitches. The calculation is useful as a first approximation of AC losses. AC losses in multilayer power transmission cables can be reduced by adjusting the helical winding pitch of each layer to make the layer's current distribution uniform. The optimum helical pitch can be estimated using an electric circuit (EC) model based on the expression that calculates the losses in the superconducting tapes composing the cable. It is known that the losses in a monolayer cable depend on the cable parameters (i.e., the gap between neighboring tapes, number of tapes N, diameter of the cable former and width of the tape). However, regarding Amemiya et al.'s measurement on the losses in monolayer cables, the numerical results of the losses calculated using the Norris formula for an isolated thin strip N times are close to the experimental results. Then, to determine the losses in a three-layer cable that Mukoyama et al. have reported, the losses are calculated by the EC model based on the Norris formula. The helical pitch of each layer is adjusted to make the layer's current distribution uniform in the cable reported by Mukoyama et al. The optimum helical pitches are calculated using the condition where the standard deviation of the layer currents is minimum, and the losses of the cable at the optimum helical pitches are calculated at 1 kA rms . By comparing the results of these calculations with the previously measured results, it was found that the mean error of the calculated values relative to the measured values is 23.7%, which indicates that the calculation using the EC model is useful as a first approximation.

Relations of hedonic hunger and behavioral change to weight loss among adults in a behavioral weight loss program utilizing meal-replacement products.

Science.gov (United States)

Theim, Kelly R; Brown, Joshua D; Juarascio, Adrienne S; Malcolm, Robert R; O'Neil, Patrick M

2013-11-01

Greater self-regulatory behavior usage is associated with greater weight loss within behavioral weight loss treatments. Hedonic hunger (i.e., susceptibility to environmental food cues) may impede successful behavior change and weight loss. Adult men and women (N = 111, body mass index M ± SD = 35.89 ± 6.97 kg/m(2)) were assessed before and after a 15-week lifestyle change weight loss program with a partial meal-replacement diet. From pre- to post-treatment, reported weight control behavior usage improved and hedonic hunger decreased, and these changes were inversely related. Individuals with higher hedonic hunger scores at baseline showed the greatest weight loss. Similarly, participants with lower baseline use of weight control behaviors lost more weight, and increased weight control behavior usage was associated with greater weight loss-particularly among individuals with low baseline hedonic hunger. Further study is warranted regarding the significance of hedonic hunger in weight loss treatments.

Differential effects of daily snack food intake on the reinforcing value of food in obese and nonobese women123

OpenAIRE

Temple, Jennifer L; Bulkley, Alison M; Badawy, Rebecca L; Krause, Nicole; McCann, Sarah; Epstein, Leonard H

2009-01-01

Background: Food reinforcement, ie, motivation to obtain food, is associated with energy intake and obesity. Finding ways to decrease the reinforcing value of unhealthy foods may help with adherence to diets and maintenance of weight loss. Our previous study in nonobese adults showed that daily consumption of the same snack food (food consumed apart from meals) for 14 d significantly decreased its reinforcing value.

Ozone Induced Premature Mortality and Crop Yield Loss in China

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Y.; Jiang, F.; Wang, H.

2017-12-01

Exposure to ambient ozone is a major risk factor for health impacts such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cause damage to plant and agricultural crops. But these impacts were usually evaluated separately in earlier studies. We apply Community Multi-scale Air Quality model to simulate the ambient O3 concentration at a resolution of 36 km×36 km across China. Then, we follow Global Burden of Diseases approach and AOT40 (i.e., above a threshold of 40 ppb) metric to estimate the premature mortalities and yield losses of major grain crops (i.e., winter wheat, rice and corn) across China due to surface ozone exposure, respectively. Our results show that ozone exposure leads to nearly 67,700 premature mortalities and 145 billion USD losses in 2014. The ozone induced yield losses of all crop production totaled 78 (49.9-112.6)million metric tons, worth 5.3 (3.4-7.6)billion USD, in China. The relative yield losses ranged from 8.5-14% for winter wheat, 3.9-15% for rice, and 2.2-5.5% for maize. We can see that the top four health affected provinces (Sichuan, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu) are also ranking on the winter wheat and rice crop yield loss. Our results provide further evidence that surface ozone pollution is becoming urgent air pollution in China, and have important policy implications for China to alleviate the impacts of air pollution.

Economic Loan Loss Provision and Expected Loss

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Hlawatsch

2010-10-01

Full Text Available The intention of a loan loss provision is the anticipation of the loan's expected losses by adjusting the book value of the loan. Furthermore, this loan loss provision has to be compared to the expected loss according to Basel II and, in the case of a difference, liable equity has to be adjusted. This however assumes that the loan loss provision and the expected loss are based on a similar economic rationale, which is only valid conditionally in current loan loss provisioning methods according to IFRS. Therefore, differences between loan loss provisions and expected losses should only result from different approaches regarding the parameter estimation within each model and not due to different assumptions regarding the outcome of the model. The provisioning and accounting model developed in this paper overcomes the before-mentioned shortcomings and is consistent with an economic rationale of expected losses. Additionally, this model is based on a close-to-market valuation of the loan that is in favor of the basic idea of IFRS. Suggestions for changes in current accounting and capital requirement rules are provided.

Preliminary report on electron energy-loss measurements for CCl3, CCl2F2, CCl3F

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bushnell, D.L. Jr.; Huebner, R.H.; Celotta, R.J.; Mielczarek, S.R.

1975-01-01

Currently, nation-wide research efforts are devoted to studying the possible ozone (O 3 ) depletion in the stratosphere by the chemical action of chlorine atoms released from CCl 2 F 2 or CCl 3 F upon absorption of ultraviolet radiation. Since electron-impact data taken in the forward scattering direction can be used to derive oscillator strengths and thus to yield apparent photoabsorption cross sections, such an analysis for CCl 2 F 2 , CCLl 3 F, and CClF 3 was carried out. Oscillator-strength distributions were obtained between 5 and 20 eV and are compared to available photoabsorption data. Certain photoabsorption values agree very well with these electron-impact data, but other optical studies deviate in some spectral regions by as much as a factor of 5. Also, the electron energy-loss spectrum reveals electronic transitions previously undetected by photoabsorption

Profits and losses from changes in fair value, executive cash compensation and managerial power: Evidence from A-share listed companies in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruiqing Shao

2012-12-01

Full Text Available According to optimal contracting theory, compensation contracts are effective in solving the agency problem between stockholders and managers. Executive compensation is naturally related to firm performance. However, contracts are not always perfect. Managers may exert influence on the formulation and implementation of compensation contracts by means of their managerial power. As fair value has been introduced into the new accounting standards in China, new concerns have arisen over the relationship between profits and losses from changes in fair value (CFV and levels of executive compensation. In this study, we find that executive compensation is significantly related to CFV. However, this sensitivity is asymmetric in that increases to compensation due to profits from changes in fair value (PCFV are higher than reductions to compensation due to losses from changes in fair value (LCFV. Furthermore, we find that managerial power determines the strength of this asymmetry.

Ablation of whirlin long isoform disrupts the USH2 protein complex and causes vision and hearing loss.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Yang

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Mutations in whirlin cause either Usher syndrome type II (USH2, a deafness-blindness disorder, or nonsyndromic deafness. The molecular basis for the variable disease expression is unknown. We show here that only the whirlin long isoform, distinct from a short isoform by virtue of having two N-terminal PDZ domains, is expressed in the retina. Both long and short isoforms are expressed in the inner ear. The N-terminal PDZ domains of the long whirlin isoform mediates the formation of a multi-protein complex that includes usherin and VLGR1, both of which are also implicated in USH2. We localized this USH2 protein complex to the periciliary membrane complex (PMC in mouse photoreceptors that appears analogous to the frog periciliary ridge complex. The latter is proposed to play a role in photoreceptor protein trafficking through the connecting cilium. Mice carrying a targeted disruption near the N-terminus of whirlin manifest retinal and inner ear defects, reproducing the clinical features of human USH2 disease. This is in contrast to mice with mutations affecting the C-terminal portion of whirlin in which the phenotype is restricted to the inner ear. In mice lacking any one of the USH2 proteins, the normal localization of all USH2 proteins is disrupted, and there is evidence of protein destabilization. Taken together, our findings provide new insights into the pathogenic mechanism of Usher syndrome. First, the three USH2 proteins exist as an obligatory functional complex in vivo, and loss of one USH2 protein is functionally close to loss of all three. Second, defects in the three USH2 proteins share a common pathogenic process, i.e., disruption of the PMC. Third, whirlin mutations that ablate the N-terminal PDZ domains lead to Usher syndrome, but non-syndromic hearing loss will result if they are spared.

Selective visual attention and motivation: the consequences of value learning in an attentional blink task.

Science.gov (United States)

Raymond, Jane E; O'Brien, Jennifer L

2009-08-01

Learning to associate the probability and value of behavioral outcomes with specific stimuli (value learning) is essential for rational decision making. However, in demanding cognitive conditions, access to learned values might be constrained by limited attentional capacity. We measured recognition of briefly presented faces seen previously in a value-learning task involving monetary wins and losses; the recognition task was performed both with and without constraints on available attention. Regardless of available attention, recognition was substantially enhanced for motivationally salient stimuli (i.e., stimuli highly predictive of outcomes), compared with equally familiar stimuli that had weak or no motivational salience, and this effect was found regardless of valence (win or loss). However, when attention was constrained (because stimuli were presented during an attentional blink, AB), valence determined recognition; win-associated faces showed no AB, but all other faces showed large ABs. Motivational salience acts independently of attention to modulate simple perceptual decisions, but when attention is limited, visual processing is biased in favor of reward-associated stimuli.

Increasing losses caused by natural disasters: what are the drivers, how is the insurance industry affected, what has to be done?

Science.gov (United States)

Hoppe, P.

2016-12-01

Losses caused by natural disasters are a major factor influencing the balance sheet of insurers, especially reinsurers. Such events have a high potential of creating extreme accumulation losses by affecting different business lines at the same time. The basis for long term profitable business in the insurance industry is to be able to calculate and also get risk adequate premiums for the covers of natural perils. Risk adequate means that on average over several years the losses occurring can be paid by the premium income. Losses caused by natural disasters have increased tremendously worldwide in the last decades. The main drivers have been changes in the exposed values, i.e. growth of population and wealth in affected regions. For the insurance industry this loss increasing process in general is not a problem as the premiums normally are proportional to the sum insured, i.e. the exposed value. These factors can be quantified and the loss trends can be adjusted for these changes. Munich Re just recently has developed a very sophisticated method for such a normalisation of losses. After this normalization in respect to exposed values a still residual loss trend can be either driven by changes in the vulnerability of assets or on the hazard side. Trends in both factors are not automatically considered in the premiums, they have to be detected, quantified and then built into the risk models of the insurers. Many studies as well as data from the Munich Re NatCatSERVICE suggest that weather related hazards already have changed for some perils and in some regions. Climate research implies that due to global warming such trends will increase in the coming decades. Very little quantitative data, however, on such changes still is available to allow the adjustment of the risk models of insurers. In order to do this, data with high regional resolution and also probabilities of certain scenarios would be necessary. The other gap of information is quantitative data on changes

Water loss from terrestrial planets with CO{sub 2}-rich atmospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wordsworth, R. D.; Pierrehumbert, R. T., E-mail: rwordsworth@uchicago.edu [Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, 60637 IL (United States)

2013-12-01

Water photolysis and hydrogen loss from the upper atmospheres of terrestrial planets is of fundamental importance to climate evolution but remains poorly understood in general. Here we present a range of calculations we performed to study the dependence of water loss rates from terrestrial planets on a range of atmospheric and external parameters. We show that CO{sub 2} can only cause significant water loss by increasing surface temperatures over a narrow range of conditions, with cooling of the middle and upper atmosphere acting as a bottleneck on escape in other circumstances. Around G-stars, efficient loss only occurs on planets with intermediate CO{sub 2} atmospheric partial pressures (0.1-1 bar) that receive a net flux close to the critical runaway greenhouse limit. Because G-star total luminosity increases with time but X-ray and ultraviolet/ultravoilet luminosity decreases, this places strong limits on water loss for planets like Earth. In contrast, for a CO{sub 2}-rich early Venus, diffusion limits on water loss are only important if clouds caused strong cooling, implying that scenarios where the planet never had surface liquid water are indeed plausible. Around M-stars, water loss is primarily a function of orbital distance, with planets that absorb less flux than ∼270 W m{sup –2} (global mean) unlikely to lose more than one Earth ocean of H{sub 2}O over their lifetimes unless they lose all their atmospheric N{sub 2}/CO{sub 2} early on. Because of the variability of H{sub 2}O delivery during accretion, our results suggest that many 'Earth-like' exoplanets in the habitable zone may have ocean-covered surfaces, stable CO{sub 2}/H{sub 2}O-rich atmospheres, and high mean surface temperatures.

Investigation and Determination of Corn Combine Harvester Losses to Introduce Appropriate Methods to Reduce Losses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.R Mostofi Sarkari

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Corn harvesting involves some losses. These losses result in decreased benefits. It is almost impossible to lower losses to zero percent but it can be controlled in an acceptable level. As a result of this research, appropriate methods are introduced to decrease losses and reduce waste. In this project, losses in different part of combine were measured and evaluated according to the available standard method (ASAE S396.2 & S343.3. Harvesting losses include preharvest and during harvest losses comprising ear loss and kernal loss in the header, cylinder and cleaning losses. This project was conducted on farmers’ lands in Gazvin province. Some assessments related to yield factors were evaluated in different parts of farm with specified area, e.g. Plant height, ear number, stem diameter, ear diameter, cob diameter, row/ear and seed/row. All losses evaluated in three treatments which they were: seed moisture content (w.b. in three levels of 19%, 23% and 27%, ground speed in three levels of 0.8, 1.2 and 1.6 ms-1 and cylinder speed of 400, 600 and 800 rpm. The split plot experimental design based on the randomised complete block design (RCBD was used to evaluate treatments. Measured losses compared with standard values to introduce the proper methods to decrease losses and proper adjustments. The results show that appropriate seed moisture content, cylinder and ground speed were 23%, 400 rpm and 1.2 ms-1, respectively. They had minimum total loss which WAS 1.55%, 2.65% and 2.34%, respectivily. The results also show that there was an ear loss in preharvest loss (because of bad weather condition that was 0.95-5.42%, also kernal loss on the header and cylinder loss which all related to improper adjustment of combine but total loss was in an acceptable level and standard. It was variable from 1.55% to 4.02%. Other parameters such as using inexperienced driver, improper combine adjustment, and also nonuniformity of field and ear moisture content in

Neural markers of loss aversion in resting-state brain activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Canessa, Nicola; Crespi, Chiara; Baud-Bovy, Gabriel; Dodich, Alessandra; Falini, Andrea; Antonellis, Giulia; Cappa, Stefano F

2017-02-01

Neural responses in striatal, limbic and somatosensory brain regions track individual differences in loss aversion, i.e. the higher sensitivity to potential losses compared with equivalent gains in decision-making under risk. The engagement of structures involved in the processing of aversive stimuli and experiences raises a further question, i.e. whether the tendency to avoid losses rather than acquire gains represents a transient fearful overreaction elicited by choice-related information, or rather a stable component of one's own preference function, reflecting a specific pattern of neural activity. We tested the latter hypothesis by assessing in 57 healthy human subjects whether the relationship between behavioral and neural loss aversion holds at rest, i.e. when the BOLD signal is collected during 5minutes of cross-fixation in the absence of an explicit task. Within the resting-state networks highlighted by a spatial group Independent Component Analysis (gICA), we found a significant correlation between strength of activity and behavioral loss aversion in the left ventral striatum and right posterior insula/supramarginal gyrus, i.e. the very same regions displaying a pattern of neural loss aversion during explicit choices. Cross-study analyses confirmed that this correlation holds when voxels identified by gICA are used as regions of interest in task-related activity and vice versa. These results suggest that the individual degree of (neural) loss aversion represents a stable dimension of decision-making, which reflects in specific metrics of intrinsic brain activity at rest possibly modulating cortical excitability at choice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developing a Global Model of Accounting Education and Examining IES Compliance in Australia, Japan, and Sri Lanka

Science.gov (United States)

Watty, Kim; Sugahara, Satoshi; Abayadeera, Nadana; Perera, Luckmika

2013-01-01

The introduction of International Education Standards (IES) signals a clear move by the International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB) to ensure high quality standards in professional accounting education at a global level. This study investigated how IES are perceived and valued by member bodies and academics in three counties:…

Measurement and CFD calculation of spacer loss coefficient for a tight-lattice fuel bundle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In, Wang Kee; Shin, Chang Hwan; Kwack, Young Kyun; Lee, Chi Young

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Experiment and CFD analysis evaluated the pressure drop in a spacer grid. • The measurement and CFD errors for the spacer loss coefficient were estimated. • The spacer loss coefficient for the dual-cooled annular fuel bundle was determined. • The CFD prediction agrees with the measured spacer loss coefficient within 8%. - Abstract: An experiment and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis were performed to evaluate the pressure drop in a spacer grid for a dual-cooled annular fuel (DCAF) bundle. The DCAF bundle for the Korean optimum power reactor (OPR1000) is a 12 × 12 tight-lattice rod array with a pitch-to-diameter ratio of 1.08 owing to a larger outer diameter of the annular fuel rod. An experiment was conducted to measure the pressure drop in spacer grid for the DCAF bundle. The test bundle is a full-size 12 × 12 rod bundle with 11 spacer grid. The test condition covers a Reynolds number range of 2 × 10 4 –2 × 10 5 by changing the temperature and flow rate of water. A CFD analysis was also performed to predict the pressure drop through a spacer grid using the full-size and partial bundle models. The pressure drop and loss coefficient of a spacer grid were predicted and compared with the experimental results. The CFD predictions of spacer pressure drop and loss coefficient agree with the measured values within 8%. The spacer loss coefficient for the DCAF bundle is estimated to be approximately 1.50 at a nominal operating condition of OPR1000, i.e., Re = 4 × 10 5

Noise and Vibration Monitoring for Premium Efficiency IE 3 Three-Phase Induction Motors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

NISTOR, C. G.

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the original SV-100 platform that enables low-cost and very high accuracy determinations of noise and vibration levels. The aim of the proposed platform is to achieve an effective integration of the two topics of this analysis: vibrations and noises. To the best of our knowledge, no low price, dedicated compact platform with embedded measuring instruments exists. For proving the practical utility of the proposed platform, two induction motors of 7.5 kW and 11 kW, respectively, in single-layer winding, at 1000 rpm, with IE3 premium efficiency were analyzed. This analysis is required because, according to IEC60034-30 standard, the IE3 efficiency standard has become mandatory for induction motors of rated power greater than 7.5 kW. Therefore, in order to improve the motor operating efficiency, the power losses caused by noises and vibrations have to be reduced. Several variants of supply were studied, i.e., by the three-phase 50 Hz network and by a three-phase inverter at 40, 50 and 60 Hz, respectively. The experimental determinations of noises are presented comparatively, by using a Bruel&Kjaer sonometer and by using the new platform SV-100. The results are compared with the IEC60034 standard.

Virginity Loss and Pregnancy in U.S. and Dutch Teen Girl Magazines: A Content-Analytic Comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Joshi, Suchi P.; Peter, Jochen; Valkenburg, Patti M.

2014-01-01

Using Hofstede's cultural dimension of masculinity/femininity, this quantitative content analysis investigated the coverage of virginity loss (i.e., occurrence, tone, and association with negative consequences) and pregnancy (i.e., occurrence, tone, and negative consequence of sex) in 2,496 feature stories from all issues of three U.S. and three…

Structure of the phosphotransferase domain of the bifunctional aminoglycoside-resistance enzyme AAC(6′)-Ie-APH(2′′)-Ia

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Clyde A.; Toth, Marta; Bhattacharya, Monolekha; Frase, Hilary; Vakulenko, Sergei B.

2014-01-01

The bifunctional acetyltransferase(6′)-Ie-phosphotransfer­ase(2′′)-Ia [AAC(6′)-Ie-APH(2′′)-Ia] is the most important aminoglycoside-resistance enzyme in Gram-positive bacteria, conferring resistance to almost all known aminoglycoside antibiotics in clinical use. Owing to its importance, this enzyme has been the focus of intensive research since its isolation in the mid-1980s but, despite much effort, structural details of AAC(6′)-Ie-APH(2′′)-Ia have remained elusive. The structure of the Mg2GDP complex of the APH(2′′)-Ia domain of the bifunctional enzyme has now been determined at 2.3 Å resolution. The structure of APH(2′′)-Ia is reminiscent of the structures of other aminoglycoside phosphotransferases, having a two-domain architecture with the nucleotide-binding site located at the junction of the two domains. Unlike the previously characterized APH(2′′)-IIa and APH(2′′)-IVa enzymes, which are capable of utilizing both ATP and GTP as the phosphate donors, APH(2′′)-Ia uses GTP exclusively in the phosphorylation of the aminoglycoside antibiotics, and in this regard closely resembles the GTP-dependent APH(2′′)-IIIa enzyme. In APH(2′′)-Ia this GTP selectivity is governed by the presence of a ‘gatekeeper’ residue, Tyr100, the side chain of which projects into the active site and effectively blocks access to the adenine-binding template. Mutation of this tyrosine residue to a less bulky phenylalanine provides better access for ATP to the NTP-binding template and converts APH(2′′)-Ia into a dual-specificity enzyme. PMID:24914967

Heat loss from Buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karlsson, Kenneth; Næraa, Rikke

1997-01-01

Determination of heat loss coefficients for buildings in Denmark. The coefficient are determined for 15 building groups and 3 year intervals. They are based on the BBR-registre and assumptions of U-values(W/K*m2)and computed in a simple spreed sheet model.The results are used in the REVEILLE...

Vertical segregation among pathways mediating nitrogen loss (N2 and N2O production) across the oxygen gradient in a coastal upwelling ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Galán, Alexander; Thamdrup, Bo; Saldías, Gonzalo S.; Farías, Laura

2017-10-01

The upwelling system off central Chile (36.5° S) is seasonally subjected to oxygen (O2)-deficient waters, with a strong vertical gradient in O2 (from oxic to anoxic conditions) that spans a few metres (30-50 m interval) over the shelf. This condition inhibits and/or stimulates processes involved in nitrogen (N) removal (e.g. anammox, denitrification, and nitrification). During austral spring (September 2013) and summer (January 2014), the main pathways involved in N loss and its speciation, in the form of N2 and/or N2O, were studied using 15N-tracer incubations, inhibitor assays, and the natural abundance of nitrate isotopes along with hydrographic information. Incubations were developed using water retrieved from the oxycline (25 m depth) and bottom waters (85 m depth) over the continental shelf off Concepción, Chile. Results of 15N-labelled incubations revealed higher N removal activity during the austral summer, with denitrification as the dominant N2-producing pathway, which occurred together with anammox at all times. Interestingly, in both spring and summer maximum potential N removal rates were observed in the oxycline, where a greater availability of oxygen was observed (maximum O2 fluctuation between 270 and 40 µmol L-1) relative to the hypoxic bottom waters ( multiple N-cycling processes are modulating the isotopic nitrate composition over the shelf off central Chile during spring and summer. N removal processes in this coastal system appear to be related to the availability and distribution of oxygen and particles, which are a source of organic matter and the fuel for the production of other electron donors (i.e. ammonium) and acceptors (i.e. nitrate and nitrite) after its remineralization. These results highlight the links between several pathways involved in N loss. They also establish that different mechanisms supported by alternative N substrates are responsible for substantial accumulation of N2O, which are frequently observed as hotspots in the

AC loss performance of cable-in-conduit conductor. Influence of cable mechanical property on coupling loss reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsui, Kunihiro; Koizumi, Norikiyo; Isono, Takaaki; Hamada, Kazuya; Nunoya, Yoshihiko

2003-01-01

The ITER Central Solenoid (CS) model coil, CS Insert and Nb 3 Al Insert were developed and tested from 2000 to 2002. The AC loss performances of these coils were investigated in various experiments. In addition, the AC losses of the CS and Nb 3 Al Insert conductors were measured using short CS and Nb 3 Al Insert conductors before the coil tests. The coupling time constants of these conductors were estimated to be 30 and 120 ms, respectively. On the other hand, the test results of the CS and Nb 3 Al Inserts show that the coupling currents induced in these conductors had multiple decay time constants. In fact, the existence of the coupling currents with long decay time constants, the order of which was in the thousands of seconds, was directly observed with hall sensors and voltage taps. Moreover, the AC loss test results show that electromagnetic force decreases coupling losses with exponential decay constants. This is because the weak sinter among the strands, which originated during heat treatment, was broken due to the electromagnetic force, and then the contact resistance among strands increased. It was found that this exponential decay constant was the function of a gap (i.e., a mechanical property of the cable) created between the cable and conduit due to electromagnetic force. The gap can be estimated by pressure drop, measured under the electromagnetic force. The pressure drop can easily be measured at an initial trial charge, and then it is possible to estimate the exponential decay constant before normal coil operation. Accordingly, it is possible to predict promptly how many times the trial operations are necessary to decrease the coupling losses to the designed value by measuring the coupling losses and the pressure drop during the initial coil operation trial. (author)

TU-H-CAMPUS-IeP2-01: Quantitative Evaluation of PROPELLER DWI Using QIBA Diffusion Phantom

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yung, J; Ai, H; Liu, H; Stafford, R [The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the quantitative variability of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values when varying imaging parameters in a diffusion-weighted (DW) fast spin echo (FSE) sequence with Periodically Rotated Overlapping ParallEL Lines with Enhanced Reconstruction (PROPELLER) k-space trajectory. Methods: Using a 3T MRI scanner, a NIST traceable, quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diffusion phantom (High Precision Devices, Inc, Boulder, Colorado) consisting of 13 vials filled with various concentrations of polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in aqueous solution was imaged with a standard Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance (QIBA) DWI spin echo, echo planar imaging (SE EPI) acquisition. The same phantom was then imaged with a DWI PROPELLER sequence at varying echo train lengths (ETL) of 8, 20, and 32, as well as b-values of 400, 900, and 2000. QIBA DWI phantom analysis software was used to generate ADC maps and create region of interests (ROIs) for quantitative measurements of each vial. Mean and standard deviations of the ROIs were compared. Results: The SE EPI sequence generated ADC values that showed very good agreement with the known ADC values of the phantom (r2 = 0.9995, slope = 1.0061). The ADC values measured from the PROPELLER sequences were inflated, but were highly correlated with an r2 range from 0.8754 to 0.9880. The PROPELLER sequence with an ETL=20 and b-value of 0 and 2000 showed the closest agreement (r2 = 0.9034, slope = 0.9880). Conclusion: The DW PROPELLER sequence is promising for quantitative evaluation of ADC values. A drawback of the PROPELLER sequence is the longer acquisition time. The 180° refocusing pulses may also cause the observed increase in ADC values compared to the standard SE EPI DW sequence. However, the FSE sequence offers an advantage with in-plane motion and geometric distortion which will be investigated in future studies.

QoE loss score value for service migration in context aware environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saeed, Aamir; Pedersen, Jens Myrup; Olsen, Rasmus Løvenstein

2014-01-01

. This paper has identified the factors that contribute to the loss of user experience for seamless application migration in a context aware environment. These are the context information updates, transfer time and resumption time. To quantify the loss of user experience, a Quality of experience (QoE) Loss...

Solution Path for Pin-SVM Classifiers With Positive and Negative $\\tau $ Values.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xiaolin; Shi, Lei; Suykens, Johan A K

2017-07-01

Applying the pinball loss in a support vector machine (SVM) classifier results in pin-SVM. The pinball loss is characterized by a parameter τ . Its value is related to the quantile level and different τ values are suitable for different problems. In this paper, we establish an algorithm to find the entire solution path for pin-SVM with different τ values. This algorithm is based on the fact that the optimal solution to pin-SVM is continuous and piecewise linear with respect to τ . We also show that the nonnegativity constraint on τ is not necessary, i.e., τ can be extended to negative values. First, in some applications, a negative τ leads to better accuracy. Second, τ = -1 corresponds to a simple solution that links SVM and the classical kernel rule. The solution for τ = -1 can be obtained directly and then be used as a starting point of the solution path. The proposed method efficiently traverses τ values through the solution path, and then achieves good performance by a suitable τ . In particular, τ = 0 corresponds to C-SVM, meaning that the traversal algorithm can output a result at least as good as C-SVM with respect to validation error.

Establishing soil loss tolerance: an overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Costanza Di Stefano

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Soil loss tolerance is a criterion for establishing if a soil is potentially subjected to erosion risk, productivity loss and if a river presents downstream over-sedimentation or other off-site effects are present at basin scale. At first this paper reviews the concept of tolerable soil loss and summarises the available definitions and the knowledge on the recommended values and evaluating criteria. Then a threshold soil loss value, at the annual temporal scale, established for limiting riling was used for defining the classical soil loss tolerance. Finally, some research needs on tolerable soil loss are listed.

Electron-energy-loss and optical-transmittance investigation of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Y.; Feng, G.; Ritter, A.L.

1990-01-01

The energy-loss function Im(-1/ε) of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 has been measured over the range E loss =0.8 to 80 eV by transmission electron-energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) (nonimaging). The energy and momentum resolution were 0.1 eV and 0.04 A -1 , respectively. The low-energy spectra (E loss ≤3 eV) were studied as a function of momentum transfer (0.1 A -1 ≤q≤0.3 A -1 ). A well-defined peak in the loss function at E loss ∼1 eV is observed to disperse with momentum proportional to q 2 . This excitation is analyzed in terms of both an intracell, charge-transfer exciton model and the free-carrier (plasmon) model. The derived effective mass of the exciton m tot /m congruent 1.0 is far too small for a localized exciton. Using the free-carrier model and random-phase-approximation expressions for the dispersion coefficient, the carrier density and carrier effective mass can be determined separately. From our data and similar measurements by Nuecker et al. [Phys. Rev. B 39, 12 379 (1989)], it is found that the effective mass roughly scales with carrier density. A heuristic model is introduced based on the assumption that low-energy gaps exist in portions of the Fermi surface due to structural instabilities. The model suggests how the effective mass could appear to scale with carrier density and why a single Drude term (with frequency-independent effective mass) does not describe the mid- to far-infrared optical spectra. Finally, the optical transmittance of the EELS sample was measured and the spectra analyzed in terms of the free-carrier model

Modeling effects of conservation grassland losses on amphibian habitat

Science.gov (United States)

Mushet, David M.; Neau, Jordan L.; Euliss, Ned H.

2014-01-01

Amphibians provide many ecosystem services valued by society. However, populations have declined globally with most declines linked to habitat change. Wetlands and surrounding terrestrial grasslands form habitat for amphibians in the North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). Wetland drainage and grassland conversion have destroyed or degraded much amphibian habitat in the PPR. However, conservation grasslands can provide alternate habitat. In the United States, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is the largest program maintaining grasslands on agricultural lands. We used an ecosystem services model (InVEST) parameterized for the PPR to quantify amphibian habitat over a six-year period (2007–2012). We then quantified changes in availability of amphibian habitat under various land-cover scenarios representing incremental losses (10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) of CRP grasslands from 2012 levels. The area of optimal amphibian habitat in the four PPR ecoregions modeled (i.e., Northern Glaciated Plains, Northwestern Glaciated Plains, Lake Agassiz Plain, Des Moines Lobe) declined by approximately 22%, from 3.8 million ha in 2007 to 2.9 million ha in 2012. These losses were driven by the conversion of CRP grasslands to croplands, primarily for corn and soybean production. Our modeling identified an additional 0.8 million ha (26%) of optimal amphibian habitat that would be lost if remaining CRP lands are returned to crop production. An economic climate favoring commodity production over conservation has resulted in substantial losses of amphibian habitat across the PPR that will likely continue into the future. Other regions of the world face similar challenges to maintaining amphibian habitats.

Establishing soil loss tolerance: an overview

OpenAIRE

Costanza Di Stefano; Vito Ferro

2016-01-01

Soil loss tolerance is a criterion for establishing if a soil is potentially subjected to erosion risk, productivity loss and if a river presents downstream over-sedimentation or other off-site effects are present at basin scale. At first this paper reviews the concept of tolerable soil loss and summarises the available definitions and the knowledge on the recommended values and evaluating criteria. Then a threshold soil loss value, at the annual temporal scale, established for limiting rilin...

Protective Effects of Vildagliptin against Pioglitazone-Induced Bone Loss in Type 2 Diabetic Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Eom, Young Sil; Gwon, A-Ryeong; Kwak, Kyung Min; Kim, Ju-Young; Yu, Seung Hee; Lee, Sihoon; Kim, Yeun Sun; Park, Ie Byung; Kim, Kwang-Won; Lee, Kiyoung; Kim, Byung-Joon

2016-01-01

Long-term use of thiazolidinediones (TZDs) is associated with bone loss and an increased risk of fracture in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Incretin-based drugs (glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists and dipeptidylpeptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors) have several benefits in many systems in addition to glycemic control. In a previous study, we reported that exendin-4 might increase bone mineral density (BMD) by decreasing the expression of SOST/sclerostin in osteocytes in a T2DM animal model. In this study, we investigated the effects of a DPP-4 inhibitor on TZD-induced bone loss in a T2DM animal model. We randomly divided 12-week-old male Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats into four groups; control, vildagliptin, pioglitazone, and vildagliptin and pioglitazone combination. Animals in each group received the respective treatments for 5 weeks. We performed an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) before and after treatment. BMD and the trabecular micro-architecture were measured by DEXA and micro CT, respectively, at the end of the treatment. The circulating levels of active GLP-1, bone turnover markers, and sclerostin were assayed. Vildagliptin treatment significantly increased BMD and trabecular bone volume. The combination therapy restored BMD, trabecular bone volume, and trabecular bone thickness that were decreased by pioglitazone. The levels of the bone formation marker, osteocalcin, decreased and that of the bone resorption marker, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) 5b increased in the pioglitazone group. These biomarkers were ameliorated and the pioglitazone-induced increase in sclerostin level was lowered to control values by the addition of vildagliptin. In conclusion, our results indicate that orally administered vildagliptin demonstrated a protective effect on pioglitazone-induced bone loss in a type 2 diabetic rat model.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STIFFNESS LOSSES AND LOSSES IN BEARINGS OF ROPE BLOCKS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. M. Bohomaz

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To determine the efficiency of rope blocks, it is necessary to determine the stiffness coefficient of the ropes of blocks, taking into account the classification group of the mechanism and the wrapping angle of a block by a rope. At this one should use well-tested values of the efficiency coefficients of the rope blocks, taking into account the wrapping angle of a block by a rope and the analytically found friction coefficients of the rolling bearings given to the trunnion. Methodology. The work presents the analytical method of determining the coefficient of bearing resistance of the block when it is rotated by both the inner and outer cages, as well as the design scheme of the bearing of the block. Findings. The analysis of the lubrication method effect, the operating mode of the mechanism and the wrapping angle of a block by a rope on losses in bearings was carried out for rope blocks. The corresponding comparative tables of losses are given. Analysis of the obtained calculation results allows us to establish: 1 the main resistance affecting the cable blocks efficiency is the resistance in bearings; 2 the second largest component is the stiffness losses, depending on the operating mode, the wrapping angle of a block by a rope, the type of bearing lubrication; 3 the block efficiency when rotating the inner cage is higher than rotating the outer one by about 3% with thick lubrication and 1M mode; 4 in the sequential location of assemblies with a rolling bearing, it is necessary to strive for the design of the assembly in which the inner cage rotates; 5 with the number of blocks up to 5, one can use the recommended definitions of block bearings in the literature with an error in the efficiency value of up to 10%. Originality. The authors obtained values of resistances in the rolling bearings of the rope blocks and stiffness losses due to the girth of the block by the rope. In this case, dependences were used to determine the coefficient

1,2-Dichlorohexafluoro-Cyclobutane (1,2-c-C4F6Cl2, R-316c) a Potent Ozone Depleting Substance and Greenhouse Gas: Atmospheric Loss Processes, Lifetimes, and Ozone Depletion and Global Warming Potentials for the (E) and (Z) stereoisomers

Science.gov (United States)

Papadimitriou, Vassileios C.; McGillen, Max R.; Smith, Shona C.; Jubb, Aaron M.; Portmann, Robert W.; Hall, Bradley D.; Fleming, Eric L.; Jackman, Charles H.; Burkholder, James B.

2013-01-01

The atmospheric processing of (E)- and (Z)-1,2-dichlorohexafluorocyclobutane (1,2-c-C4F6Cl2, R-316c) was examined in this work as the ozone depleting (ODP) and global warming (GWP) potentials of this proposed replacement compound are presently unknown. The predominant atmospheric loss processes and infrared absorption spectra of the R-316c isomers were measured to provide a basis to evaluate their atmospheric lifetimes and, thus, ODPs and GWPs. UV absorption spectra were measured between 184.95 to 230 nm at temperatures between 214 and 296 K and a parametrization for use in atmospheric modeling is presented. The Cl atom quantum yield in the 193 nm photolysis of R- 316c was measured to be 1.90 +/- 0.27. Hexafluorocyclobutene (c-C4F6) was determined to be a photolysis co-product with molar yields of 0.7 and 1.0 (+/-10%) for (E)- and (Z)-R-316c, respectively. The 296 K total rate coefficient for the O(1D) + R-316c reaction, i.e., O(1D) loss, was measured to be (1.56 +/- 0.11) × 10(exp -10)cu cm/ molecule/s and the reactive rate coefficient, i.e., R-316c loss, was measured to be (1.36 +/- 0.20) × 10(exp -10)cu cm/molecule/s corresponding to a approx. 88% reactive yield. Rate coefficient upper-limits for the OH and O3 reaction with R-316c were determined to be model to be 74.6 +/- 3 and 114.1 +/-10 years, respectively, where the estimated uncertainties are due solely to the uncertainty in the UV absorption spectra. Stratospheric photolysis is the predominant atmospheric loss process for both isomers with the O(1D) reaction making a minor, approx. 2% for the (E) isomer and 7% for the (Z) isomer, contribution to the total atmospheric loss. Ozone depletion potentials for (E)- and (Z)-R-316c were calculated using the 2-D model to be 0.46 and 0.54, respectively. Infrared absorption spectra for (E)- and (Z)-R-316c were measured at 296 K and used to estimate their radiative efficiencies (REs) and GWPs; 100-year time-horizon GWPs of 4160 and 5400 were obtained for (E)- and (Z

Peritoneal transport in CAPD patients with permanent loss of ultrafiltration capacity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heimbuerger, O.W.; Waniewski, J.; Werynski, A.; Tranaeus, A.; Lindholm, B.

1990-01-01

During a 10 year period, 14 out of 227 patients (6.2%) undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) developed permanent loss of ultrafiltration capacity (UFC). The risk of UFC loss increased from 2.6% after one year to 30.9% after six years of treatment. A six hour, single dwell study with glucose 3.86% dialysis fluid was carried out in nine of the UFC loss patients and in 18 CAPD patients with normal UFC. Intraperitoneal dialysate volumes were calculated using 131I-tagged albumin (RISA) as volume marker with a correction applied for its elimination from the peritoneal cavity. The RISA elimination coefficient (KE), which can serve as an estimation of the upper limit of the lymphatic flow, was also calculated. Diffusive mass transport coefficients (KBD) for investigated solutes (glucose, creatinine, urea, potassium, total protein, albumin and beta 2-microglobulin) were calculated during a period of dialysate isovolemia. Two patterns of UFC loss were observed: (a) seven patients had high KBD values for small solutes resulting in rapid uptake of glucose, whereas KBD values for proteins were normal; (b) two patients had normal KBD values but a threefold increase both in the fluid reabsorption rate and KE. We conclude that loss of the osmotic driving force (due to increased diffusive mass transport for small solutes) and increased fluid reabsorption (possibly due to increased lymphatic reabsorption) are the two major causes of permanent loss of UFC in CAPD patients

Extending Value Logic Thinking to Value Logic Portfolios

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Poul Houman; Ritter, Thomas

2014-01-01

Based on value creation logic theory (Stabell & Fjeldstad, 1998), this paper suggests an extension of the original Stabell & Fjeldstad model by an additional fourth value logic, the value system logic. Furthermore, instead of only allowing one dominant value creation logic for a given firm...... or transaction, an understanding of firms and transactions as a portfolio of value logics (i.e. an interconnected coexistence of different value creation logics) is proposed. These additions to the original value creation logic theory imply interesting avenues for both, strategic decision making in firms...

Ipsilateral distortion product otoacoustic emission (2 f1-f2) suppression in children with sensorineural hearing loss

Science.gov (United States)

Abdala, Carolina; Fitzgerald, Tracy S.

2003-08-01

Distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) ipsilateral suppression has been applied to study cochlear function and maturation in laboratory animals and humans. Although DPOAE suppression appears to be sensitive to regions of specialized cochlear function and to cochlear immaturity, it is not known whether it reflects permanent cochlear damage, i.e., sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), in a reliable and systematic manner in humans. Eight school-aged children with mild-moderate SNHL and 20 normal-hearing children served as subjects in this study. DPOAE (2 f1-f2) suppression data were collected at four f2 frequencies (1500, 3000, 4000, and 6000 Hz) using moderate-level primary tones. Features of the DPOAE iso-suppression tuning curves and suppression growth were analyzed for both subject groups. Results show that DPOAE suppression tuning curves from hearing-impaired subjects can be reliably recorded. DPOAE suppression tuning curves were generally normal in appearance and shape for six out of eight hearing-impaired subjects but showed subtle abnormalities in at least one feature. There was not one single trend or pattern of abnormality that characterized all hearing-impaired subjects. The most prominent patterns of abnormality included: broadened tuning, elevated tip, and downward shift of tip frequency. The unique patterns of atypical DPOAE suppression in subjects with similar audiograms may suggest different patterns of underlying sensory cell damage. This speculation warrants further investigation.

Atmospheric photochemical loss of H and H2 from formaldehyde

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Jens Bæk; Rusteika, Nerijus; Johnson, Matthew Stanley

2008-01-01

We have performed ab initio calculations to examine the potential energy along the normal modes of ground-state HCHO and along the reaction coordinates for loss of H2 and atomic hydrogen, respectively. This exploration showed that there are no specific features that will lead to reaction on the e......We have performed ab initio calculations to examine the potential energy along the normal modes of ground-state HCHO and along the reaction coordinates for loss of H2 and atomic hydrogen, respectively. This exploration showed that there are no specific features that will lead to reaction...... on the excited-state surfaces for excitations that are relevant to the troposphere and stratosphere. The calculations did however lead to the localization of a conical intersection point through which a specific loss of H2 could take place. However, the conical intersection lies at 5.4 eV relative to the ground...

Nitrogen loss from high N-input vegetable fields - a) direct N2O emissions b) Spatiotemporal variability of N species (N2O, NH4+, NO3-) in soils

Science.gov (United States)

Pfab, H.; Ruser, R.; Palmer, I.; Fiedler, S.

2009-04-01

Nitrous oxide is a climate relevant trace gas. It contributes 7.9 % to the total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission and it is also involved in stratospheric ozone depletion. Approximately 85 % of the anthropogenic N2O emissions result from agricultural activities, more than 50 % are produced during microbial N-turnover processes in soils. Especially soils with high N-input (N-fertilizer and high amount of N in plant residues) like vegetable cropped soils are assumed to cause high N2O losses. The aims of the study presented were (i) to quantify the N2O loss from a vegetable field (lettuce-cauliflower crop rotation), (ii) to calculate an emission factor for the study site in Southwest Germany and to compare this factor with the default value provided by the IPCC (2006) and (iii) to test the emission reduction potential (Ammonium Sulfate Nitrate fertilizer, ASN either by reduced N-fertilization) in comparison with common N doses used for good agricultural practice or by the use of a nitrification inhibitor (DMPP), a banded N-application (lettuce) or a depot fertilization measure (pseudo-CULTAN in order to suppress nitrification). N2O fluxes determined with the closed chamber method were highly variable in time with strongly increased flux rates after N-fertilization in combination with rainfall or irrigation measures and after the incorporation of cauliflower crop residues. Using the mean soil nitrate contents of the top soil of our investigated treatments (0-25 cm depth), we could explain approximately 60 % of the variability of the cumulative N2O losses during the vegetation period of lettuce and cauliflower. The cumulative N2O emissions ranged between 0,99 kg N2O-N ha-1 from the unfertilized control plots (vegetation period) and 6,81 kg N2O-N ha-1 from the plots with the highest N-dose. Based on the guidelines of the IPCC (2006), we calculated an emission factor around 0,9 % for the cropping season. This value is in good agreement with the default value of the

Proximal alveolar bone loss in a longitudinal radiographic investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolin, A.; Lavstedt, S.; Henrikson, C.O.; Frithiof, L.

1986-01-01

In Sweden people in all age groups now have more remaining teeth than previosly. An investigation has been made to identify some predictors of alveolar bone loss in a 10-year period in subjects with at least 20 remaining teeth. The material consisted of 349 individuals, examined radiographically, clinically and by interview in 1970 and in 1980. These subjects, born in 1904-1952, constituted a subgroup, with regard to remaining teeth, of an unselected sample of the population of the old county of Stockholm. In the unselected sample statistically significant predictors of alveolar bone loss found in a stepwise multiple regression analysis were 1) alveolar bone loss in 1970, 2) age, 3) number of lost teeth and 4) Russell's Periodontol Index (PI). In the subgroup the predictors were in the order 1) Russell's PI and 2) smoking. The prediction values (R 2 ) of further variables were marginal. The analyses showed that there was an interaction between PI and smoking, implying that the effect of smoking on alveolar bone loss was increased in individuals with high PI values. Furthermore, a tendency was found for a dose-response effect of tobacco consumption. This tendency almost disappeared when controlling for PI

Self-reported hearing loss in baby boomers from the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study: audiometric correspondence and predictive value.

Science.gov (United States)

Swanepoel, De Wet; Eikelboom, Robert H; Hunter, Michael L; Friedland, Peter L; Atlas, Marcus D

2013-06-01

The baby boomer population will become high users of the health-care system in coming years. Self-report of hearing loss at a primary health-care visit may offer timely referrals to audiological services, but there has been no population-based study of self-reported hearing loss in the baby boomer generation. To determine the clinical value and audiometric correspondence of self-reported hearing loss as a screening tool for the baby boomer population. A population-based study, Busselton Healthy Ageing Study (BHAS), surveying baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964 from the shire of Busselton, Western Australia. A randomized sample of noninstitutionalized baby-boomers listed on the electoral roll (n = 6690) and resident in the shire are eligible to participate. This study reports on data from the first 1004 attendees (53.5% female) with a mean age of 56.23 (SD = 5.43). Data from a self-report question on hearing loss and diagnostic pure tone audiometry was utilized for this study. Analysis included screening performance measures of self-report compared to audiometric cut-offs, receiver operator curve (ROC) to determine optimal level, analysis of variance to compare hearing status to self-report, and binary logistic regression to determine best audiometric predictors. Of the sample, 16% self-reported hearing loss (72.1% males). Logistic regression indicated 4000 Hz as the most important individual frequency related to self-report while the four-frequency average (500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz) >25 dB in the worse ear was the most significant averaged cutoff with 68% sensitivity and 87% specificity. Of those who self-reported a hearing loss, 80% had either a four-frequency average hearing loss >25 dB in the worse ear or a high-frequency average (4000 and 8000 Hz) hearing loss greater than 35 dB in the worse ear. Baby boomer adults who self-report hearing impairment on direct inquiry are most likely to have a hearing loss. A simple question at a primary health care

Value determination of ZrO2 in-house reference material (RM) candidate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Susanna Tuning Sunanti; Samin; Supriyanto C

2013-01-01

The value determination of zirconium oxide in-house reference materials (RM) candidate has been done by referring to ISO:35-2006 standard. The raw material of RM was 4 kg of ZrO 2 , Merck, that was dried at 90°C for 2×6 hours in a closed room. The samples were crushed with stainless steel (SS) pestle to pass ≤ 200 mesh sieve, homogenized in a homogenizer for 3×6 hours to obtain the powdered, dried and homogenous samples. The gravimetric method was performed to test the moisture content, while XRF and AAS methods were used to test the homogeneity and stability of samples candidates. Reference material (RM) candidates of ZrO 2 powder were put into polyethylene bottles, each weighing 100 g. Samples were distributed to 10 testing laboratories that have been accredited for testing the composition of the oxide contents and loss of ignition (LOI) using variety of analytical methods that have been validated such as AAS, XRF, NAA, and UV-Vis. The testing results of oxide content and loss of ignition parameters from various laboratories were analyzed using statistical methods. The testing data of oxide concentration in zirconium oxide RM candidates obtained from various laboratories were ZrO 2 : 97.7334 ± 0.0016%, HfO 2 : 1.7329 ± 0.0024%, SiO 2 : 30.1224 ± 0.0053%, Al 2 O 3 : 0.0245 ± 0.0015%, TiO 2 : 0.0153 ± 0.0006%, Fe 2 O 3 : 0.0068 ± 0.0005%, CdO: 3.1798 ± 0.00006 ppm, and the LOI results was = 0.0217 ± 0.00022%. (author)

Riflessioni sull’evoluzione del prostorečie russo

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Valentina Benigni

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Some Remarks On the Development of Russian Prostorečie The paper provides a brief outline of Russian prostorečie (urban popular language, which is the supraregional language variety spoken by uneducated or half educated urban population, that doesn’t know the norms of standard language. Phonetic, morphosyntactic and lexical peculiarities of this language variety are illustrated by means of a real sample of Russian prostorečie: a letter written by an 80-year-old woman. The article also focuses attention on the development of a new prostorečie, which, with respect to old prostorečie, is characterized exclusively on lexical plane, and is the source by which slang and professional elements penetrate into the standard language.

Resistant Hypertension, Time-Updated Blood Pressure Values and Renal Outcome in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Viazzi, Francesca; Piscitelli, Pamela; Ceriello, Antonio; Fioretto, Paola; Giorda, Carlo; Guida, Pietro; Russo, Giuseppina; De Cosmo, Salvatore; Pontremoli, Roberto

2017-09-22

Apparent treatment resistant hypertension (aTRH) is highly prevalent in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and entails worse cardiovascular prognosis. The impact of aTRH and long-term achievement of recommended blood pressure (BP) values on renal outcome remains largely unknown. We assessed the role of aTRH and BP on the development of chronic kidney disease in patients with T2D and hypertension in real-life clinical practice. Clinical records from a total of 29 923 patients with T2D and hypertension, with normal baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate and regular visits during a 4-year follow-up, were retrieved and analyzed. The association between time-updated BP control (ie, 75% of visits with BP hypertension. BP control is not associated with a more-favorable renal outcome in aTRH. The relationship between time-updated BP and renal function seems to be J-shaped, with optimal systolic BP values between 120 and 140 mm Hg. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Attitudes toward older adults: A matter of cultural values or personal values?

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xin; Xing, Cai; Guan, Yanjun; Song, Xuan; Melloy, Robert; Wang, Fei; Jin, Xiaoyu

2016-02-01

The current research aimed to address the inconsistent findings regarding cultural differences in attitudes toward older adults by differentiating the effects of personal and cultural values. In Study 1, we used data from the sixth wave of the World Values Survey to examine attitudes toward older adults across cultures, and how different personal values (i.e., communal vs. agentic) and cultural values (i.e., individualism) predicted these attitudes. The results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses showed that after controlling for potential covariates, personal communal values positively correlated with positive attitudes toward older adults; however, cultural individualistic values did not. To further examine the causal effects of personal values (vs. cultural values), we conducted an experimental study and confirmed that priming personal values rather than cultural values had significant effects on ageism attitudes. The present studies help to reconcile conflicting results on cultural differences in attitudes toward older adults. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Electron capture, electron loss, and deexcitation of fast H(2 2S) and H(1 2S) atoms in collisions with molecular hydrogen and inert gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roussel, F.; Pradel, P.; Spiess, G.

1977-01-01

Collisions of ground-state (1 2 S) and metastable (2 2 S) hydrogen atoms with rare gases and molecular hydrogen have been studied in the energy range 0.5--3.0 keV. For an acceptance angle of 55 mrad, the electron loss and the electron-capture cross sections of both H(1 2 S) and H(2 2 S) have been measured and compared with previous experimental values. The deexcitation cross section for H(2 2 S) has been deduced with the help of previously measured total-quenching cross sections for H(2 2 S). The ratio of the electron-capture cross sections for H(2 2 S) relative to H(1 2 S) is found to be very large for argon at low energies. The effects of large-angle scattering and of highly excited states of H are discussed

Sweat loss prediction using a multi-model approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xiaojiang; Santee, William R

2011-07-01

A new multi-model approach (MMA) for sweat loss prediction is proposed to improve prediction accuracy. MMA was computed as the average of sweat loss predicted by two existing thermoregulation models: i.e., the rational model SCENARIO and the empirical model Heat Strain Decision Aid (HSDA). Three independent physiological datasets, a total of 44 trials, were used to compare predictions by MMA, SCENARIO, and HSDA. The observed sweat losses were collected under different combinations of uniform ensembles, environmental conditions (15-40°C, RH 25-75%), and exercise intensities (250-600 W). Root mean square deviation (RMSD), residual plots, and paired t tests were used to compare predictions with observations. Overall, MMA reduced RMSD by 30-39% in comparison with either SCENARIO or HSDA, and increased the prediction accuracy to 66% from 34% or 55%. Of the MMA predictions, 70% fell within the range of mean observed value ± SD, while only 43% of SCENARIO and 50% of HSDA predictions fell within the same range. Paired t tests showed that differences between observations and MMA predictions were not significant, but differences between observations and SCENARIO or HSDA predictions were significantly different for two datasets. Thus, MMA predicted sweat loss more accurately than either of the two single models for the three datasets used. Future work will be to evaluate MMA using additional physiological data to expand the scope of populations and conditions.

Prognostic value of HER2 gene amplification detected by chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) in metastatic breast cancer.

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Todorović-Raković, Natasa; Jovanović, Danica; Nesković-Konstantinović, Zora; Nikolić-Vukosavljević, Dragica

2007-06-01

After so many years of research, clinical value of HER2 (Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) is unclear. Perhaps the main reason is variability of testing methods that produce controversial results. There is a lack of studies regarding prognostic value of CISH especially in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) when risk evaluation is based on different parameters than for primary breast cancer. Aim of this study was to compare prognostic relevance of HER2 status in MBC tested by two different methods i.e. immunohistochemistry (IHC) and chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH). HER2 status of the same group of 107 MBC patients was determined by IHC (protein overexpression) and by CISH (gene amplification). HER2 results obtained by IHC and CISH showed significant correlation, beside the existence of discrepancies. Beside the significant correlation in two methods, there was a difference in prognostic values of compared methods during the course of metastatic disease. There was a significant difference in progression-free interval (PFI) between HER2 non-amplified and HER2 amplified cases determined by CISH, in postmenopausal subgroup and node-positive subgroup, but no significant difference for IHC stratified MBC patients. CISH seems to be accurate and more informative method than IHC regarding prognostic value of HER2 in metastatic breast cancer.

Loss Factor Characterization Methodology for Piezoelectric Ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhuang Yuan; Ural, Seyit O; Uchino, Kenji

2011-01-01

The key factor for the miniaturization of piezoelectric devices is power density, which is limited by the heat generation or loss mechanisms. There are three loss components for piezoelectric vibrators, i.e., dielectric, elastic and piezoelectric losses. The mechanical quality factor, determined by these three factors, is the figure of merit in the sense of loss or heat generation. In this paper, quality factors of resonance and antiresonance for k 31 , k 33 , and k 15 vibration modes are derived, and the methodology to determine loss factors in various directions is provided. For simplicity, we focus on materials with ∞mm (equivalent to 6mm) crystal symmetry for deriving the loss factors of polycrystalline ceramics, and 16 different loss factors among total 20 can be obtained from the admittance/ impedance measurements.

Modelling the economic losses of historic and present-day high-impact winter storms in Switzerland

Science.gov (United States)

Welker, Christoph; Stucki, Peter; Bresch, David; Dierer, Silke; Martius, Olivia; Brönnimann, Stefan

2014-05-01

Severe winter storms such as "Vivian" in February 1990 and "Lothar" in December 1999 are among the most destructive meteorological hazards in Switzerland. Disaster severity resulting from such windstorms is attributable, on the one hand, to hazardous weather conditions such as high wind gust speeds; and on the other hand to socio-economic factors such as population density, distribution of values at risk, and damage susceptibility. For present-day winter storms, the data basis is generally good to describe the meteorological development and wind forces as well as the associated socio-economic impacts. In contrast, the information on historic windstorms is overall sparse and the available historic weather and loss reports mostly do not provide quantitative information. This study illustrates a promising technique to simulate the economic impacts of both historic and present winter storms in Switzerland since end of the 19th century. Our approach makes use of the novel Twentieth Century Reanalysis (20CR) spanning 1871-present. The 2-degree spatial resolution of the global 20CR dataset is relatively coarse. Thus, the complex orography of Switzerland is not realistically represented, which has considerable ramifications for the representation of wind systems that are strongly influenced by the local orography, such as Föhn winds. Therefore, a dynamical downscaling of the 20CR to 3 km resolution using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was performed, for in total 40 high-impact winter storms in Switzerland since 1871. Based on the downscaled wind gust speeds and the climada loss model, the estimated economic losses were calculated at municipality level for current economic and social conditions. With this approach, we find an answer to the question what would be the economic losses of e.g. a hazardous Föhn storm - which occurred in northern Switzerland in February 1925 - today, i.e. under current socio-economic conditions. Encouragingly, the pattern of

Loss of Trx-2 enhances oxidative stress-dependent phenotypes in Drosophila.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuda, Manabu; Ootaka, Ryousuke; Ohkura, Chiaki; Kishita, Yoshihito; Seong, Ki-Hyeon; Matsuo, Takashi; Aigaki, Toshiro

2010-08-04

Overexpression of thioredoxin (TRX) confers oxidative stress resistance and extends lifespan in mammals and insects. However, less is known about phenotypes associated with loss of TRX. We investigated loss-of-function phenotypes of Trx-2 in Drosophila, and found that the mutant flies are hyper-susceptible to paraquat, a free radical generator, but not to hydrogen peroxide. They contain a high amount of protein carbonyl, which dramatically increases with age. Trx-2 mutants express high levels of anti-oxidant genes, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione synthetase. This is the first demonstration of biochemical and physiological consequences caused by loss of Trx-2 in Drosophila. Copyright (c) 2010 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes of heart: the switch-value method for assessing value uncertainty.

Science.gov (United States)

John, Leslie K; Fischhoff, Baruch

2010-01-01

Medical choices often evoke great value uncertainty, as patients face difficult, unfamiliar tradeoffs. Those seeking to aid such choices must be able to assess patients' ability to reduce that uncertainty, to reach stable, informed choices. The authors demonstrate a new method for evaluating how well people have articulated their preferences for difficult health decisions. The method uses 2 evaluative criteria. One is internal consistency, across formally equivalent ways of posing a choice. The 2nd is compliance with principles of prospect theory, indicating sufficient task mastery to respond in predictable ways. Subjects considered a hypothetical choice between noncurative surgery and palliative care, posed by a brain tumor. The choice options were characterized on 6 outcomes (e.g., pain, life expectancy, treatment risk), using a drug facts box display. After making an initial choice, subjects indicated their willingness to switch, given plausible changes in the outcomes. These changes involved either gains (improvements) in the unchosen option or losses (worsening) in the chosen one. A 2 x 2 mixed design manipulated focal change (gains v. losses) within subjects and change order between subjects. In this demonstration, subjects' preferences were generally consistent 1) with one another: with similar percentages willing to switch for gains and losses, and 2) with prospect theory, requiring larger gains than losses, to make those switches. Informed consent requires understanding decisions well enough to articulate coherent references. The authors' method allows assessing individuals' success in doing so.

Analysis of LOFT loss-of-coolant experiments L2-2, L2-3, and L3-0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leach, L.P.; Linebarger, J.H.

1979-01-01

A summary of results from Loss-of-Coolant Experiments (LOCE) L2-2, L2-3, and L3-0, conducted in the Loss-of-Fluid Test (LOFT) facility, and conclusions from posttest analyses of the experimental data are presented. LOCEs L2-2 and L2-3 were nuclear large break experiments and were dominated by a core-wide fuel rod cladding rewet, which limited the maximum fuel temperature. Analytical models only conservatively predicted the measured fuel rod temperatures and will require improvements to provide best estimate predictions in this area. Analysis of a large commercial pressurized water reactor (PWR) indicates that the cladding rewet observed in LOFT is also likely to occur in a large PWR, and that, therefore, safety analysis calculations of large loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCA) are more conservative than previously thought. LOCE L3-0 was an isothermal small break (top of pressurizer) experiment and illustrated that the pressurizer fills after the primary system fluid saturates someplace other than the pressurizer itself, that the indicated pressurizer level is higher than the actual level, and that additional model development and assessment work is necessary in order to predict small LOCAs as accurately as large LOCAs

Study of aac(6'Ie-aph(2″Ia Gene in Clinical Strain of Enterococci and Identification of High-Level Gentamicin Resistante Enterococci

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N. Dadfarma

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction & Objective: Enterococci have emerged as the leading nosocomial pathogens. In addition to natural resistance to many agents, enterococci have also developed plasmid- and transposon-mediated resistance to high concentrations of aminoglycosides. High-level gentamicin resistance (HLGR of enterococci results in the failure of drug synergism with an aminoglycoside plus cell-wall-active agents. HLGR (MIC=500μg/ml strains is usually due to the presence of the aac(6'Ie-aph(2″Ia gene . Materials & Methods: In the present experimental study 142 enterococci were isolated from the patients’ species. Identification was done by using standard methods and antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed by disc diffusion technique. MIC of Gentamicin was determined by a broth micro dilution method (NCCLS. PCR was performed to detect the aac(6'Ie-aph(2″Ia gene .Presence of the gene aac(6'-Ie-aph(2″-Ia was confirmed by digest with Sca1 enzyme. A PCR product was sequenced and BLAST analyzed at the NCBI database to be confirmed. Results: 62(43.7% out of the 142 isolates, were found to exhibit HLGR phenotype. MIC ranging from 512 to >1024 μg/ml in 55 HLGR isolates. All resistant isolates except one, were found to harbor the aac(6'Ie-aph(2″Ia gene. In our strain collection, 42% of E. faecalis and 44% of E. faecium were HLGR. In the HLGR isolates the prevalence of resistance to other antibiotics and Multi Drug Resistance (MDR was higher than non–HLGR.This prevalence in E.faecium was higher than E.faecalis. The sequence was compared with a published sequence and confirmed. Conclusion: Our results indicate that high prevalence of MDR and HLGR enterococcal colonization is an important problem in our medical centers.Spread of the aac(6'-Ie-aph(2″-Ia gene was responsible for HLGR among enterococci isolated from the patients in Tehran. (Sci J Hamadan Univ Med Sci 2010;17(3:25-32

Study of Three-Dimensional Image Brightness Loss in Stereoscopy

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Hsing-Cheng Yu

2015-10-01

Full Text Available When viewing three-dimensional (3D images, whether in cinemas or on stereoscopic televisions, viewers experience the same problem of image brightness loss. This study aims to investigate image brightness loss in 3D displays, with the primary aim being to quantify the image brightness degradation in the 3D mode. A further aim is to determine the image brightness relationship to the corresponding two-dimensional (2D images in order to adjust the 3D-image brightness values. In addition, the photographic principle is used in this study to measure metering values by capturing 2D and 3D images on television screens. By analyzing these images with statistical product and service solutions (SPSS software, the image brightness values can be estimated using the statistical regression model, which can also indicate the impact of various environmental factors or hardware on the image brightness. In analysis of the experimental results, comparison of the image brightness between 2D and 3D images indicates 60.8% degradation in the 3D image brightness amplitude. The experimental values, from 52.4% to 69.2%, are within the 95% confidence interval

Aging and loss decision making: increased risk aversion and decreased use of maximizing information, with correlated rationality and value maximization.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurnianingsih, Yoanna A; Sim, Sam K Y; Chee, Michael W L; Mullette-Gillman, O'Dhaniel A

2015-01-01

We investigated how adult aging specifically alters economic decision-making, focusing on examining alterations in uncertainty preferences (willingness to gamble) and choice strategies (what gamble information influences choices) within both the gains and losses domains. Within each domain, participants chose between certain monetary outcomes and gambles with uncertain outcomes. We examined preferences by quantifying how uncertainty modulates choice behavior as if altering the subjective valuation of gambles. We explored age-related preferences for two types of uncertainty, risk, and ambiguity. Additionally, we explored how aging may alter what information participants utilize to make their choices by comparing the relative utilization of maximizing and satisficing information types through a choice strategy metric. Maximizing information was the ratio of the expected value of the two options, while satisficing information was the probability of winning. We found age-related alterations of economic preferences within the losses domain, but no alterations within the gains domain. Older adults (OA; 61-80 years old) were significantly more uncertainty averse for both risky and ambiguous choices. OA also exhibited choice strategies with decreased use of maximizing information. Within OA, we found a significant correlation between risk preferences and choice strategy. This linkage between preferences and strategy appears to derive from a convergence to risk neutrality driven by greater use of the effortful maximizing strategy. As utility maximization and value maximization intersect at risk neutrality, this result suggests that OA are exhibiting a relationship between enhanced rationality and enhanced value maximization. While there was variability in economic decision-making measures within OA, these individual differences were unrelated to variability within examined measures of cognitive ability. Our results demonstrate that aging alters economic decision-making for

System Losses and Assessment Trade Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David Shropshire; Steve Piet; Nick Soelberg; Robert Cherry; Roger Henry; David Meikrantz; Greg Teske; Eric Shaber; Candido Pereira

2009-09-01

This Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) study has developed new analysis methods to examine old and new technology options toward the goal of improving fuel cycle systems. We have integrated participants and information from AFCI Systems Analysis, Transmutation Fuels, Separations, and Waste Form Campaigns in the Systems Losses and Assessment Trade Study. The initial objectives of this study were to 1) increase understanding of system interdependencies and thereby identify system trade-offs that may yield important insights, 2) define impacts of separations product purity on fuel manufacture and transmutation reactivity, 3) define impacts from transuranic (TRU) losses to waste, 4) identify the interrelationships involved in fuels and separations technology performance, and 5) identify system configuration adjustments with the greatest potential for influencing system losses. While bounding and analyzing this initial problem, we also identified significantly higher-level programmatic drivers with broad implications to the current fuel cycle research charter and the general issue of a DOE complex wide need for a comprehensive and integrated nuclear material management as addressed by the new DOE Order 410.2 titled “Management of Nuclear Materials”. The initial modeling effort developed in this study for a much smaller subset of material (i.e., commercial fuel) and a selected transmutation scheme (i.e., fast reactor recycling) is a necessary first step towards examining a broader set of nuclear material management options, dispositioning strategies and integrated waste management options including potential areas of research leverage. The primary outcome from this initial study has been an enhanced integration among Campaigns and associated insights and analysis methods. Opportunities for improved understanding between the groups abound. The above lanthanide-actinide example highlights the importance of evaluating options via integration across the Campaigns

Modulating the neural bases of persuasion: why/how, gain/loss, and users/non-users

Science.gov (United States)

Katzman, Perri L.; Ames, Daniel L.; Falk, Emily B.; Lieberman, Matthew D.

2017-01-01

Abstract Designing persuasive content is challenging, in part because people can be poor predictors of their actions. Medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) activation during message exposure reliably predicts downstream behavior, but past work has been largely atheoretical. We replicated past results on this relationship and tested two additional framing effects known to alter message receptivity. First, we examined gain- vs. loss-framed reasons for a health behavior (sunscreen use). Consistent with predictions from prospect theory, we observed greater MPFC activity to gain- vs. loss-framed messages, and this activity was associated with behavior. This relationship was stronger for those who were not previously sunscreen users. Second, building on theories of action planning, we compared neural activity during messages regarding how vs. why to enact the behavior. We observed rostral inferior parietal lobule and posterior inferior frontal gyrus activity during action planning (“how” messages), and this activity was associated with behavior; this is in contrast to the relationship between MPFC activity during the “why” (i.e., gain and loss) messages and behavior. These results reinforce that persuasion occurs in part via self-value integration—seeing value and incorporating persuasive messages into one's self-concept—and extend this work to demonstrate how message framing and action planning may influence this process. PMID:27521303

Information loss for 2 × 2 tables with missing cell counts: binomial case

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eisinga, R.N.

2008-01-01

We formulate likelihood-based ecological inference for 2 × 2 tables with missing cell counts as an incomplete data problem and study Fisher information loss by comparing estimation from complete and incomplete data. In so doing, we consider maximum-likelihood (ML) estimators of probabilities

Information loss for 2×2 tables with missing cell counts : binomial case

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eisinga, Rob

2008-01-01

We formulate likelihood-based ecological inference for 2×2 tables with missing cell counts as an incomplete data problem and study Fisher information loss by comparing estimation from complete and incomplete data. In so doing, we consider maximum-likelihood (ML) estimators of probabilities governed

Glycemic control and alveolar bone loss progression in type 2 diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, G W; Burt, B A; Becker, M P; Genco, R J; Shlossman, M

1998-07-01

This study tested the hypothesis that the risk for alveolar bone loss is greater, and bone loss progression more severe, for subjects with poorly controlled (PC) type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM) compared to those without type 2 DM or with better controlled (BC) type 2 DM. The PC group had glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1) > or = 9%; the BC group had HbA1 or = 75% were used to identify the worst bone score (WBS) in the dentition. Change in worst bone score at follow-up, the outcome, was specified on a 4-category ordinal scale as no change, or a 1-, 2-, 3-, or 4-category increase over baseline WBS (WBS1). Poorly controlled diabetes, age, calculus, time to follow-up examination, and WBS1 were statistically significant explanatory variables in ordinal logistic regression models. Poorly controlled type 2 DM was positively associated with greater risk for a change in bone score (compared to subjects without type 2 DM) when the covariates were included in the model. The cumulative odds ratio (COR) at each threshold of the ordered response was 11.4 (95% CI = 2.5, 53.3). When contrasted with subjects with BC type 2 DM, the COR for those in the PC group was 5.3 (95% CI = 0.8, 53.3). The COR for subjects with BC type 2 DM was 2.2 (95% CI = 0.7, 6.5), when contrasted to those without type 2 DM. These results suggest that poorer glycemic control leads to both an increased risk for alveolar bone loss and more severe progression over those without type 2 DM, and that there may be a gradient, with the risk for bone loss progression for those with better controlled type 2 DM intermediate to the other 2 groups.

High-resolution parallel electron energy-loss spectroscopy of MnL2,3-edges in inorganic manganese compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garvie, L.A.J.; Craven, A.J.

1994-01-01

Parallel electron energy-loss spectroscopy (PEELS) in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) was used to record the Mn L 2,3 -edges from a range of natural and synthetic manganese containing materials, covering valences 0, II, III, IV and VII, with an energy resolution of ca. 0.5 eV. The Mn L 2,3 electron-loss near-edge structure (ELNES) of these edges provided a sensitive fingerprint of its valence. The Mn 2+ L 2,3 -edges show little sensitivity to the local site symmetry of the ligands surrounding the manganese. This is illustrated by comparing the Mn L 2,3 -edges from 4-, 6-and 8-fold coordinated Mn 2+ . In contrast, the Mn L 3 -edges from Mn 3+ and Mn 4+ containing minerals exhibited ELNES that are interpreted in terms of a crystals-field splitting of the 3d electrons, governed by the symmetry of the surrounding ligands. The Mn L 3 -edges for octahedrally coordinated Mn 2+ , Mn 3+ and Mn 4+ showed variations in their ELNES that were sensitive to the crystal-field strength. The crystal-field strength (10Q) was measured from these edges and compared very well with published optically determinted values. The magnitude of 10Dq measured from the Mn L 3 -edges and their O K-edge prepeaks of the manganese oxides were almost identical. This further confirms that the value of 10Dq measured at the Mn L 3 -edge is correct. Selected spectra are compared with theoretical 2p atomic multiplet spectra and the differences and similarities are explained in terms of the covalency and site symmetry of the manganese. The Mn L 3 -edges allow the valence of the manganese to be ascertained, even in multivalent state materials, and can also be used to dtermin 10Dq. (orig.)

Alternating current loss calculation in a high-TC superconducting transmission cable considering the magnetic field distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noji, H; Haji, K; Hamada, T

2003-01-01

We have calculated the alternating current (ac) losses of a 114 MVA high-T C superconducting (HTS) transmission cable using an electric-circuit (EC) model. The HTS cable is fabricated by Tokyo Electric Power Company and Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. The EC model is comprised of a resistive part and an inductive part. The resistive part is obtained by the approximated Norris equation for a HTS tape. The Norris equation indicates hysteresis losses due to self-fields. The inductive part has two components, i.e. inductances related to axial fields and those related to circumferential fields. The layer currents and applied fields of each layer were calculated by the EC model. By using both values, the ac losses of the one-phase HTS cable were obtained by calculation considering the self-field, the axial field and the circumferential field of the HTS tape. The measured ac loss transporting 1 kA rms is 0.7 W m -1 ph -1 , which is equal to the calculation. The distribution of each layer loss resembles in shape the distribution of the circumferential field in each layer, which indicates that the circumferential fields strongly influence the ac losses of the HTS cable

Environmental Impacts and Hotspots of Food Losses: Value Chain Analysis of Swiss Food Consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Beretta, Claudio; Stucki, Matthias; Hellweg, Stefanie

2017-10-03

Reducing food losses and waste is crucial to making our food system more efficient and sustainable. This is the first paper that quantifies the environmental impacts of food waste by distinguishing the various stages of the food value chain, 33 food categories that represent the whole food basket in Switzerland, and including food waste treatment. Environmental impacts are expressed in terms of climate change and biodiversity impacts due to water and land use. Climate change impacts of food waste are highest for fresh vegetables, due to the large amounts wasted, while the specific impact per kg is largest for beef. Biodiversity impacts are mainly caused by cocoa and coffee (16% of total) and by beef (12%). Food waste at the end of the food value chain (households and food services) causes almost 60% of the total climate impacts of food waste, because of the large quantities lost at this stage and the higher accumulated impacts per kg of product. The net environmental benefits from food waste treatment are only 5-10% of the impacts from production and supply of the wasted food. Thus, avoiding food waste should be a first-line priority, while optimizing the method of treatment is less relevant.

The Effect of Elevated Ozone Concentrations with Varying Shading on Dry Matter Loss in a Winter Wheat-Producing Region in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jingxin; Zheng, Youfei; He, Yuhong; Wu, Rongjun; Mai, Boru; Kang, Hanqing

2016-01-01

Surface-level ozone pollution causes crop production loss by directly reducing healthy green leaf area available for carbon fixation. Ozone and its precursors also affect crop photosynthesis indirectly by decreasing solar irradiance. Pollutants are reported to have become even more severe in Eastern China over the last ten years. In this study, we investigated the effect of a combination of elevated ozone concentrations and reduced solar irradiance on a popular winter wheat Yangmai13 (Triticum aestivum L.) at field and regional levels in China. Winter wheat was grown in artificial shading and open-top-chamber environments. Treatment 1 (T1, i.e., 60% shading with an enhanced ozone of 100±9 ppb), Treatment 2 (T2, i.e., 20% shading with an enhanced ozone of 100±9 ppb), and Control Check Treatment (CK, i.e., no shading with an enhanced ozone of 100±9 ppb), with two plots under each, were established to investigate the response of winter wheat under elevated ozone concentrations and varying solar irradiance. At the field level, linear temporal relationships between dry matter loss and cumulative stomatal ozone uptake were first established through a parameterized stomatal-flux model. At the regional level, ozone concentrations and meteorological variables, including solar irradiance, were simulated using the WRF-CMAQ model (i.e., a meteorology and air quality modeling system). These variables were then used to estimate cumulative stomatal ozone uptake for the four major winter wheat-growing provinces. The regional-level cumulative ozone uptake was then used as the independent variable in field data-based regression models to predict dry matter loss over space and time. Field-level results showed that over 85% (T1: R(2) = 0.85 & T2: R(2) = 0.89) of variation in dry matter loss was explained by cumulative ozone uptake. Dry matter was reduced by 3.8% in T1 and 2.2% in T2 for each mmol O3·m(-2) of cumulative ozone uptake. At the regional level, dry matter loss in winter

The Effect of Elevated Ozone Concentrations with Varying Shading on Dry Matter Loss in a Winter Wheat-Producing Region in China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jingxin Xu

Full Text Available Surface-level ozone pollution causes crop production loss by directly reducing healthy green leaf area available for carbon fixation. Ozone and its precursors also affect crop photosynthesis indirectly by decreasing solar irradiance. Pollutants are reported to have become even more severe in Eastern China over the last ten years. In this study, we investigated the effect of a combination of elevated ozone concentrations and reduced solar irradiance on a popular winter wheat Yangmai13 (Triticum aestivum L. at field and regional levels in China. Winter wheat was grown in artificial shading and open-top-chamber environments. Treatment 1 (T1, i.e., 60% shading with an enhanced ozone of 100±9 ppb, Treatment 2 (T2, i.e., 20% shading with an enhanced ozone of 100±9 ppb, and Control Check Treatment (CK, i.e., no shading with an enhanced ozone of 100±9 ppb, with two plots under each, were established to investigate the response of winter wheat under elevated ozone concentrations and varying solar irradiance. At the field level, linear temporal relationships between dry matter loss and cumulative stomatal ozone uptake were first established through a parameterized stomatal-flux model. At the regional level, ozone concentrations and meteorological variables, including solar irradiance, were simulated using the WRF-CMAQ model (i.e., a meteorology and air quality modeling system. These variables were then used to estimate cumulative stomatal ozone uptake for the four major winter wheat-growing provinces. The regional-level cumulative ozone uptake was then used as the independent variable in field data-based regression models to predict dry matter loss over space and time. Field-level results showed that over 85% (T1: R(2 = 0.85 & T2: R(2 = 0.89 of variation in dry matter loss was explained by cumulative ozone uptake. Dry matter was reduced by 3.8% in T1 and 2.2% in T2 for each mmol O3·m(-2 of cumulative ozone uptake. At the regional level, dry matter

Improving MODPRESS heat loss calculations for PWR pressurizers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramos, Natalia V.; Lira, Carlos A. Brayner O.; Castrillho, Lazara S.

2009-01-01

The improvement of heat loss calculations in MODPRESS transient code for PWR pressurizer analysis is the main focus of this investigation. Initially, a heat loss model was built based on heat transfer coefficient (HTC) correlations obtained in handbooks of thermal engineering. A hand calculation for Neptunus experimental test number U47 yielded a thermal power loss of 11.2 kW against 17.3 kW given by MODPRESS at the same conditions, while the experimental estimate is given as 17 kW. This comparison is valid only for steady state or before starting the transient experiment, because MODPRESS does not update HTC's when the transient phase begins. Furthermore, it must be noted that MODPRESS heat transfer coefficients are adjusted to reproduce the experimental value of the specific type of pressurizer. After inserting the new routine for HTC's into MODPRESS, the heat loss was calculated as 11.4 kW, a value very close to the first estimate but far below 17 kW found in the U47 experiment. In this paper, the heat loss model and results will be described. Further research is being developed to find a more general HTC that allows the analysis of the effects of heat losses on transient behavior of Neptunus and IRIS pressurizers. (author)

OPTIMIZAREA DETERMINĂRII CAPACITĂŢII DE INHIBIŢIE A APELOR NATURALE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladislav BLONSCHI

2018-03-01

Full Text Available În lucrare sunt prezentate rezultatele studiului multianual ce ţin de optimizarea determinării capacităţii de inhibiţie, obţinute în urma prelucrării statistice a datelor empirice din perioada anilor 2008-2017. În rezultatul prelucrării statistice a datelor multianuale, a fost propusă valoarea medie a vitezei de decolorare a indicatorului PNDMA în apă distilată, care optimizează calcularea capacităţii de inhibiţie a apelor. OPTIMIZE DETERMINATION OF NATURAL WATER INHIBITION CAPACITYThis paper contain the results of multi-annual study on the optimization of inhibition capacity determination, obtained after statistical processing of empirical data from 2008-2017. Thereafter of statistical processing of multi-annual data, it was proposed the average value of fading speed of PNDMA indicator in distilled water, that optimize computation of the inhibition capacity of waters. 

Direct band gap measurement of Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 thin films using high-resolution reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heo, Sung; Lee, Hyung-Ik; Park, Jong-Bong; Ko, Dong-Su; Chung, JaeGwan; Kim, KiHong; Kim, Seong Heon; Yun, Dong-Jin; Ham, YongNam; Park, Gyeong Su; Song, Taewon; Lee, Dongho; Nam, Junggyu; Kang, Hee Jae; Choi, Pyung-Ho; Choi, Byoung-Deog

2015-01-01

To investigate the band gap profile of Cu(In 1−x ,Ga x )(Se 1−y S y ) 2 of various compositions, we measured the band gap profile directly as a function of in-depth using high-resolution reflection energy loss spectroscopy (HR-REELS), which was compared with the band gap profile calculated based on the auger depth profile. The band gap profile is a double-graded band gap as a function of in-depth. The calculated band gap obtained from the auger depth profile seems to be larger than that by HR-REELS. Calculated band gaps are to measure the average band gap of the spatially different varying compositions with respect to considering its void fraction. But, the results obtained using HR-REELS are to be affected by the low band gap (i.e., out of void) rather than large one (i.e., near void). Our findings suggest an analytical method to directly determine the band gap profile as function of in-depth

The Dehydration of Water Worlds via Atmospheric Losses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, Chuanfei; Bhattacharjee, Amitava; Huang, Zhenguang; Tóth, Gábor; Gombosi, Tamas; Lingam, Manasvi

2017-01-01

We present a three-species multi-fluid magnetohydrodynamic model (H"+, H_2O"+, and e "−), endowed with the requisite atmospheric chemistry, that is capable of accurately quantifying the magnitude of water ion losses from exoplanets. We apply this model to a water world with Earth-like parameters orbiting a Sun-like star for three cases: (i) current normal solar wind conditions, (ii) ancient normal solar wind conditions, and (iii) one extreme “Carrington-type” space weather event. We demonstrate that the ion escape rate for (ii), with a value of 6.0 × 10"2"6 s"−"1, is about an order of magnitude higher than the corresponding value of 6.7 × 10"2"5 s"−"1 for (i). Studies of ion losses induced by space weather events, where the ion escape rates can reach ∼10"2"8 s"−"1, are crucial for understanding how an active, early solar-type star (e.g., with frequent coronal mass ejections) could have accelerated the depletion of the exoplanet’s atmosphere. We briefly explore the ramifications arising from the loss of water ions, especially for planets orbiting M-dwarfs where such effects are likely to be significant.

Does Successful Weight Loss in an Internet-Based Worksite Weight Loss Program Improve Employee Presenteeism and Absenteeism?

Science.gov (United States)

Harden, Samantha M.; You, Wen; Almeida, Fabio A.; Hill, Jennie L.; Linnan, Laura A.; Allen, Kacie C.; Estabrooks, Paul A.

2017-01-01

Certain risk factors associated with overweight and obesity may lead to reduced productivity in the workforce (i.e., increased absenteeism and presenteeism). Participants in a large, Internet-based worksite weight loss intervention, who were present at follow-up (N = 1,030), completed a self-reported productivity measure (World Health Organization’s Health and Work Performance Questionnaire) at baseline and postintervention. Twenty-two percent of the participants lost a clinically meaningful amount of weight (≥5% weight loss). There were no statistically significant (p absenteeism or for absolute or relative presenteeism. Within a modestly successful Internet-based, worksite weight loss intervention, weight loss did not improve self-reported absenteeism or presenteeism. Further studies are needed to explore the sensitivity of the World Health Organization’s Health and Work Performance Questionnaire and the long-term effects of weight loss on productivity. PMID:25842385

Anomalous loss of DT alpha particles in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herrmann, Hans W. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

1997-09-01

An escaping alpha collector probe has been developed for TFTR`s DT phase. Energy distributions of escaping alphas have been determined by measuring the range of α-particles implanted into nickel foils located within the alpha collector. Results at 1.0 MA of plasma current are in good agreement with predictions for first orbit alpha loss. Results at 1.8 MA, however, show a significant anomalous loss of partially thermalized alphas (in addition to the expected first orbit loss), which is not observed with the lost alpha scintillator detectors in DT plasmas, but does resemble the anomalous delayed loss seen in DD plasmas. None of the candidate explanations proposed thus far are fully consistent with the anomalous loss observations. An experiment designed to study the effect of plasma major radius shifts on α-particle loss has led to a better understanding of α-particle dynamics in tokamaks. Intuitively, one might suppose that confined marginally passing α-particles forced to move toward higher magnetic field during an inward major radius shift (i.e., compression) would mirror and become trapped particles, leading to increased alpha loss. Such an effect was looked for during the shift experiment, however, no significant changes in alpha loss to the 90° lost alpha scintillator detector were observed during the shifts. It is calculated that the energy gained by an α-particle during the inward shift is sufficient to explain this result. However, an unexpected loss of partially thermalized α-particles near the passing/trapped boundary was observed to occur between inward and outward shifts at an intermediate value of plasma current (1.4 MA). This anomalous loss feature is not yet understood.

Study on fast ion loss in HL-2A tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yi; Sun Tengfei; Ji Xiaoquan

2012-01-01

Experiments with a high-energy deuterium neutral beam (NB) injection (30 keV, about 0.6 MW) were performed on the HL-2A tokamak. Analysis of neutron decay following the NB 'blip' injection indicates that tangentially injected beam ions are well confined, slowing down classically in the HL-2A. Anomalous losses of beam ions were observed when a beta-induced Alfven acoustic (BAAE) mode was present in the plasma. Such a high energetic particle driven mode led to fast-ion loss, showing a strong influence of the energetic particle driven mode on the fast-ion transport. (authors)

Depreciation Test of Fixed Assets – Necessity, Indices of Value Loss, Certainty and Frequency of Assessment Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marinela Manea

2010-12-01

Full Text Available With the promulgation of IAS 36 "Depreciation of Assets" to ensure a consistent approach of reversible loss of value, removing the specific nationals practices and such the differences what appear as a result of the different treatments. In the chain of procedures for determining the depreciation of an asset/cash generating unit is required first the crossing phase of identification to an possible impaired assets, being necessary for the strict professional reasoning to each business. Applying the test impairment is not random and not to all assets of an enterprise. In general, the standard requires for companies to make the impairment tests when there are signs that an asset may be impaired (but annually for intangible assets with an indefinite useful life and commercial fund. The opportunity given by IAS 36 " Depreciation of Assets" to choose in determining of recoverable amount, between two values is not accidental. It is considered that the company can recover the value of its assets through use or market capitalization. However measurement of the two values is a complex process, very expensive for many businesses, own estimates based on Management Company with a strong subjective load, which is reflected on the certainty and reliability of obtained data.

Sound transmission loss of composite sandwich panels

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Ran

Light composite sandwich panels are increasingly used in automobiles, ships and aircraft, because of the advantages they offer of high strength-to-weight ratios. However, the acoustical properties of these light and stiff structures can be less desirable than those of equivalent metal panels. These undesirable properties can lead to high interior noise levels. A number of researchers have studied the acoustical properties of honeycomb and foam sandwich panels. Not much work, however, has been carried out on foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels. In this dissertation, governing equations for the forced vibration of asymmetric sandwich panels are developed. An analytical expression for modal densities of symmetric sandwich panels is derived from a sixth-order governing equation. A boundary element analysis model for the sound transmission loss of symmetric sandwich panels is proposed. Measurements of the modal density, total loss factor, radiation loss factor, and sound transmission loss of foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels with different configurations and thicknesses are presented. Comparisons between the predicted sound transmission loss values obtained from wave impedance analysis, statistical energy analysis, boundary element analysis, and experimental values are presented. The wave impedance analysis model provides accurate predictions of sound transmission loss for the thin foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels at frequencies above their first resonance frequencies. The predictions from the statistical energy analysis model are in better agreement with the experimental transmission loss values of the sandwich panels when the measured radiation loss factor values near coincidence are used instead of the theoretical values for single-layer panels. The proposed boundary element analysis model provides more accurate predictions of sound transmission loss for the thick foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels than either the wave impedance analysis model or the

Velocity-space particle loss in field-reversed theta pinches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsiao, M.Y.

1983-01-01

A field-reversed theta pinch (FRTP) is a compact device for magnetic fusion. It has attracted much attention in recent years since encouraging experimental results have been obtained. However, the definite causes for the observed particle loss rate and plasma rotation are not well known. In this work, we study the velocity-space particle loss (VSPL), i.e., particle loss due to the existence of a loss region in velocity space, in FRTP's in order to have a better understanding about the characteristics of this device

Different Institutions and Different Values: Exploring First-Generation Student Fit at 2-Year Colleges.

Science.gov (United States)

Tibbetts, Yoi; Priniski, Stacy J; Hecht, Cameron A; Borman, Geoffrey D; Harackiewicz, Judith M

2018-01-01

First-generation (FG) college students (students for whom neither parent has a 4-year degree) face a number of challenges as they attempt to obtain a post-secondary degree. They are more likely to come from working-class backgrounds or poverty (Reardon, 2011) and attend lower quality high schools (Warburton et al., 2001) while not benefiting from the guidance of a parent who successfully navigated the path to higher education. FG college students also contend with belonging or "fitting in" concerns due a perceived mismatch between their own values and the values implicit in institutions of higher education (Stephens et al., 2012a). Specifically, prior research has demonstrated that FG college students face an unseen disadvantage that can be attributed to the fact that middle-class norms of independence reflected in American institutions of higher education can be experienced as threatening by many FG students who have been socialized with more interdependent values commonly espoused in working-class populations. The present research examines this theory (cultural mismatch theory) in the understudied context of 2-year colleges and tests if a values-affirmation intervention (i.e., an intervention that has shown promise in addressing identity threats and belonging concerns) can be effective for FG college students at these 2-year campuses. By considering the tenets of cultural mismatch theory in the creation of the values-affirmation interventions we were able to vary different aspects of the intervention in order to examine how its effectiveness may depend on the nature and magnitude of a perceived cultural mismatch. Results from surveying faculty and students at 2-year colleges indicated that compared to traditional 4-year institutions, the norms of 2-year colleges and the motivations of FG students may be different. That is, FG student motives may be more consistent (and thus less mismatched) with the cultural context of 2-year colleges which could result in fewer

Different Institutions and Different Values: Exploring First-Generation Student Fit at 2-Year Colleges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoi Tibbetts

2018-04-01

Full Text Available First-generation (FG college students (students for whom neither parent has a 4-year degree face a number of challenges as they attempt to obtain a post-secondary degree. They are more likely to come from working-class backgrounds or poverty (Reardon, 2011 and attend lower quality high schools (Warburton et al., 2001 while not benefiting from the guidance of a parent who successfully navigated the path to higher education. FG college students also contend with belonging or “fitting in” concerns due a perceived mismatch between their own values and the values implicit in institutions of higher education (Stephens et al., 2012a. Specifically, prior research has demonstrated that FG college students face an unseen disadvantage that can be attributed to the fact that middle-class norms of independence reflected in American institutions of higher education can be experienced as threatening by many FG students who have been socialized with more interdependent values commonly espoused in working-class populations. The present research examines this theory (cultural mismatch theory in the understudied context of 2-year colleges and tests if a values-affirmation intervention (i.e., an intervention that has shown promise in addressing identity threats and belonging concerns can be effective for FG college students at these 2-year campuses. By considering the tenets of cultural mismatch theory in the creation of the values-affirmation interventions we were able to vary different aspects of the intervention in order to examine how its effectiveness may depend on the nature and magnitude of a perceived cultural mismatch. Results from surveying faculty and students at 2-year colleges indicated that compared to traditional 4-year institutions, the norms of 2-year colleges and the motivations of FG students may be different. That is, FG student motives may be more consistent (and thus less mismatched with the cultural context of 2-year colleges which could

Different Institutions and Different Values: Exploring First-Generation Student Fit at 2-Year Colleges

Science.gov (United States)

Tibbetts, Yoi; Priniski, Stacy J.; Hecht, Cameron A.; Borman, Geoffrey D.; Harackiewicz, Judith M.

2018-01-01

First-generation (FG) college students (students for whom neither parent has a 4-year degree) face a number of challenges as they attempt to obtain a post-secondary degree. They are more likely to come from working-class backgrounds or poverty (Reardon, 2011) and attend lower quality high schools (Warburton et al., 2001) while not benefiting from the guidance of a parent who successfully navigated the path to higher education. FG college students also contend with belonging or “fitting in” concerns due a perceived mismatch between their own values and the values implicit in institutions of higher education (Stephens et al., 2012a). Specifically, prior research has demonstrated that FG college students face an unseen disadvantage that can be attributed to the fact that middle-class norms of independence reflected in American institutions of higher education can be experienced as threatening by many FG students who have been socialized with more interdependent values commonly espoused in working-class populations. The present research examines this theory (cultural mismatch theory) in the understudied context of 2-year colleges and tests if a values-affirmation intervention (i.e., an intervention that has shown promise in addressing identity threats and belonging concerns) can be effective for FG college students at these 2-year campuses. By considering the tenets of cultural mismatch theory in the creation of the values-affirmation interventions we were able to vary different aspects of the intervention in order to examine how its effectiveness may depend on the nature and magnitude of a perceived cultural mismatch. Results from surveying faculty and students at 2-year colleges indicated that compared to traditional 4-year institutions, the norms of 2-year colleges and the motivations of FG students may be different. That is, FG student motives may be more consistent (and thus less mismatched) with the cultural context of 2-year colleges which could result in

The influence of select losses components on induction squirrel-cage motor efficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dabala, K. [Electrical Machines Dept., Electrotechnical Inst., Warsaw (Poland)

2000-07-01

There is taken into consideration the influence of measured core and friction and windage losses on induction squirrel-cage motor in this paper. This paper presents a way of exact core losses determination in full-load motor. There are also compared efficiencies obtained for three core losses values: from no-load test (IEC 34-2); from draft IEC 2G/102/CDV; from presented in this paper method. This paper presents the influence of the friction and windage losses determined from no-load test and the mechanical losses appeared under the rated speed on the efficiency, too. There is compared the influence of the core and mechanical losses sum on the efficiency dependently on the way of this losses components determination. (orig.)

Measurement of transepidermal water loss in localized scleroderma.

Science.gov (United States)

Ďurčanská, Veronika; Jedličková, Hana; Vašků, Vladimír

2016-05-01

Localized scleroderma (LS) is a disease characterized by fibrotic changes in the dermis. Connective tissue growth factor and transforming growth factor β2 are the main mediators of fibrogenesis; this, along with excessive connective tissue production, affects epidermal keratinocytes, and thereby contributes to the changed quality of skin barrier. The objective of this article was to study the objective measurement of the skin barrier quality in LS with transepidermal water loss (TEWL) meter. The measurements of TEWL were performed on LS plaques in all three stages of various body locations. Control measurements were made on the contralateral side of healthy skin. The difference between TEWL in LS area and the contralateral side of the healthy skin was evaluated. A higher average TEWL 7.86 g/m(2) /h (SD 5.29) was observed on LS plaques compared with the control measurements on healthy skin 6.39 g/m(2) /h (SD 2.77). TEWL average values decreased from the inflammatory stage, through the sclerotic and to the atrophic stage. The mean difference 1.301 g/m(2) /h (SD 5.16) was found between TEWL on LS plaques and on the contralateral healthy skin in 82 measurements, i.e., a higher TEWL was observed in LS. The difference was statistically significant with p = 0.0250. Although fibrogenesis in scleroderma is localized in dermis, the skin barrier changes can be detected. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Configuration of the Beam Loss Monitors for the LHC arcs

CERN Document Server

Arauzo-Garcia, A

2000-01-01

A revised configuration for a beam loss detection system is given for the arcs of the LHC. The last modifications of the LHC arc layout have been taken into account, LHC optics version 6.2. A set of 6 Loss Detectors will be placed outside the cryostat around each short straight section. Quench alarm thresholds are estimated for each detector in all possible LHC arc layout configurations. Threshold values are proposed for top and injection energy beam loss.

Autochthonous tumors driven by Rb1 loss have an ongoing requirement for the RBP2 histone demethylase.

Science.gov (United States)

McBrayer, Samuel K; Olenchock, Benjamin A; DiNatale, Gabriel J; Shi, Diana D; Khanal, Januka; Jennings, Rebecca B; Novak, Jesse S; Oser, Matthew G; Robbins, Alissa K; Modiste, Rebecca; Bonal, Dennis; Moslehi, Javid; Bronson, Roderick T; Neuberg, Donna; Nguyen, Quang-De; Signoretti, Sabina; Losman, Julie-Aurore; Kaelin, William G

2018-04-17

Inactivation of the retinoblastoma gene ( RB1 ) product, pRB, is common in many human cancers. Targeting downstream effectors of pRB that are central to tumorigenesis is a promising strategy to block the growth of tumors harboring loss-of-function RB1 mutations. One such effector is retinoblastoma-binding protein 2 (RBP2, also called JARID1A or KDM5A), which encodes an H3K4 demethylase. Binding of pRB to RBP2 has been linked to the ability of pRB to promote senescence and differentiation. Importantly, genetic ablation of RBP2 is sufficient to phenocopy pRB's ability to induce these cellular changes in cell culture experiments. Moreover, germline Rbp2 deletion significantly impedes tumorigenesis in Rb1 +/- mice. The value of RBP2 as a therapeutic target in cancer, however, hinges on whether loss of RBP2 could block the growth of established tumors as opposed to simply delaying their onset. Here we show that conditional, systemic ablation of RBP2 in tumor-bearing Rb1 +/- mice is sufficient to slow tumor growth and significantly extend survival without causing obvious toxicity to the host. These findings show that established Rb1 -null tumors require RBP2 for growth and further credential RBP2 as a therapeutic target in human cancers driven by RB1 inactivation.

AC losses of single-core MgB{sub 2} wires with different metallic sheaths

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kováč, J., E-mail: elekjkov@savba.sk; Šouc, J.; Kováč, P.; Hušek, I.

2015-12-15

Highlights: • AC losses in single-core MgB{sub 2} wires with different metallic sheaths have been measured. • It has been shown that metallic sheath can affect the measured AC loss considerably. • GlidCop and Stainless Steel have negligible effect to the overall loss. • Strong contribution of eddy currents has been found in the wire with well conductive copper sheath. • Due to Monel sheath AC loss of MgB{sub 2} core is not visible. - Abstract: AC losses of single-core MgB{sub 2} superconductors with different metallic sheaths (Cu, GlidCop, stainless steel and Monel) have been measured and analyzed. These wires were exposed to external magnetic field with frequencies 72 and 144 Hz and amplitudes up to 0.1 T at temperatures ranged from 18 to 40 K. The obtained results have shown that applied metallic sheath can affect the measured AC loss considerably. In the case of GlidCop and Stainless Steel a negligible small effect of metallic sheath was observed. Strong contribution of eddy currents has been found in the wire with well conductive copper sheath. In the case of Monel sheath, the hysteresis loss of magnetic sheath is dominated and AC loss of MgB{sub 2} core is practically not visible.

2-µm wavelength-range low-loss inhibited-coupling hollow-core PCF

Science.gov (United States)

Maurel, M.; Chafer, M.; Delahaye, F.; Amrani, F.; Debord, B.; Gerome, F.; Benabid, F.

2018-02-01

We report on the design and fabrication of inhibited-coupling guiding hollow-core photonic crystal fiber with a transmission band optimized for low loss guidance around 2 μm. Two fibers design based on a Kagome-lattice cladding have been studied to demonstrate a minimum loss figure of 25 dB/km at 2 μm associated to an ultra-broad transmission band spanning from the visible to our detection limit of 3.4 μm. Such fibers could be an excellent tool to deliver and compress ultra-short pulse laser systems, especially for the emerging 2-3 μm spectral region.

Does Successful Weight Loss in an Internet-Based Worksite Weight Loss Program Improve Employee Presenteeism and Absenteeism?

Science.gov (United States)

Harden, Samantha M; You, Wen; Almeida, Fabio A; Hill, Jennie L; Linnan, Laura A; Allen, Kacie C; Estabrooks, Paul A

2015-12-01

Certain risk factors associated with overweight and obesity may lead to reduced productivity in the workforce (i.e., increased absenteeism and presenteeism). Participants in a large, Internet-based worksite weight loss intervention, who were present at follow-up (N = 1,030), completed a self-reported productivity measure (World Health Organization's Health and Work Performance Questionnaire) at baseline and postintervention. Twenty-two percent of the participants lost a clinically meaningful amount of weight (≥5% weight loss). There were no statistically significant (p absenteeism or for absolute or relative presenteeism. Within a modestly successful Internet-based, worksite weight loss intervention, weight loss did not improve self-reported absenteeism or presenteeism. Further studies are needed to explore the sensitivity of the World Health Organization's Health and Work Performance Questionnaire and the long-term effects of weight loss on productivity. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

La Inversion Extranjera Directa (IED, teorias y practicas.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

De la Garza, U.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available En éste articulo, analizaremos algunas de las principales teorías relacionadas con la IED. Se destacarán principalmente los aportes teóricos en cuanto a posibles efectos positivos y negativos de la llegada de IED a economías receptoras. Al mismo tiempo, se tratará de resaltar y justificar la importancia de la llegada de nuevas inversiones a países en desarrollo como México, destacando los principales factores que propician la llegada de IED en países en desarrollo.

Alternating current losses of a 10 metre long low loss superconducting cable conductor determined from phase sensitive measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Søren Krüger; Kühle (fratrådt), Anders Van Der Aa; Træholt, Chresten

1999-01-01

The ac loss of a superconducting cable conductor carrying an ac current is small. Therefore the ratio between the inductive (out-of-phase) and the resistive (in-phase) voltages over the conductor is correspondingly high. In vectorial representations this results in phase angles between the current......-in amplifiers can be exploited. In this paper we present the results from ac-loss measurements on a low loss 10 metre long high temperature superconducting cable conductor using such a correction scheme. Measurements were carried out with and without a compensation circuit that could reduce-the inductive...... voltage. The 1 mu V cm(-1) critical current of the conductor was 3240 A at 77 K. At an rms current of 2 kA (50 Hz) the ac loss was derived to be 0.6 +/- 0.15 W m(-1). This is, to the best of our knowledge, the lowest value of ac loss of a high temperature superconducting cable conductor reported so far...

Aging and loss decision making: increased risk aversion and decreased use of maximizing information, with correlated rationality and value maximization

OpenAIRE

Kurnianingsih, Yoanna A.; Sim, Sam K. Y.; Chee, Michael W. L.; Mullette-Gillman, O?Dhaniel A.

2015-01-01

We investigated how adult aging specifically alters economic decision-making, focusing on examining alterations in uncertainty preferences (willingness to gamble) and choice strategies (what gamble information influences choices) within both the gains and losses domains. Within each domain, participants chose between certain monetary outcomes and gambles with uncertain outcomes. We examined preferences by quantifying how uncertainty modulates choice behavior as if altering the subjective valu...

Identification of LHC beam loss mechanism: a deterministic treatment of loss patterns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsili, A.

2012-01-01

The goal of this work was to identify patterns in the beam loss profiles, both in their spatial distribution and time evolution. CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the largest device ever built, with a total circumference of 26.7 km; and it is the most powerful accelerator ever, both in beam energy and beam intensity. The main magnets are superconducting, and contain the particles into two counter circulating beams which collide in four interaction points. CERN and the LHC will be described in chapter 1. The superconducting magnets of the LHC have to be protected against particle losses. Depending on the number of lost particles, the coils of the magnets could become normal conducting and/or will be damaged. To avoid these events a beam loss monitoring (BLM) system was installed to measure the particle loss rates. If the predefined safe thresholds of loss rates are exceeded, the beams are directed out of the accelerator ring towards the beam dump. The detectors of the BLM system are mainly ionization chambers located outside of the cryostats. In total, about 3600 ionisation chambers are installed. Further challenges include the high dynamical range of losses (chamber currents ranging between 2 pA and 1 mA). The BLM system will be further described in chapter 2. The subject of this thesis is to study the loss patterns and nd the origin of the losses in a deterministic way, by comparing measured losses to well understood loss scenarios. This is done through a case study: different techniques were used on a restrained set of loss scenarios, as a proof of concept of the possibility to extract information from a loss profile. Finding the origin of the losses should allow acting in response. A justification of the doctoral work will be given at the end of chapter 2. This thesis will then focus on the theoretical understanding and the implementation of the decomposition of a measured loss profile as a linear combination of the reference scenarios; and the evaluation of

Climate change and predicting soil loss from rainfall

Science.gov (United States)

Kinnell, Peter

2017-04-01

Conceptually, rainfall has a certain capacity to cause soil loss from an eroding area while soil surfaces have a certain resistance to being eroded by rainfall. The terms "rainfall erosivity' and "soil erodibility" are frequently used to encapsulate the concept and in the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), the most widely used soil loss prediction equation in the world, average annual values of the R "erosivity" factor and the K "erodibility" factor provide a basis for accounting for variation in rainfall erosion associated with geographic variations of climate and soils. In many applications of RUSLE, R and K are considered to be independent but in reality they are not. In RUSLE2, provision has been made to take account of the fact that K values determined using soil physical factors have to be adjusted for variations in climate because runoff is not directly included as a factor in determining R. Also, the USLE event erosivity index EI30 is better related to accounting for event sediment concentration than event soil loss. While the USLE-M, a modification of the USLE which includes runoff as a factor in determining the event erosivity index provides better estimates of event soil loss when event runoff is known, runoff prediction provides a challenge to modelling event soil loss as climate changes

Low-loss single mode light waveguides in polymer

Science.gov (United States)

Sieber, Heinrich; Boehm, Hans-Jürgen; Hollenbach, Uwe; Mohr, Jürgen; Ostrzinski, Ute; Pfeiffer, Karl; Szczurowski, Marcin; Urbanczyk, Waclaw

2012-06-01

We report on the development of a UV-lithography manufacturing process for low loss single mode light waveguides in a novel polymer and the characterization of the fabricated components in a broad wavelength range from 808 nm to 1550 nm. The main focus of this work lies in providing a quick and cost efficient production technique for single mode waveguides and low loss integrated optical circuits. To achieve this goal we chose a novel photo-structurable polymer host-guest-system consisting of SU8 and a low refractive dopant monomer. Near and far-field measurements at different wavelengths show that the mode propagating within a well designed integrated waveguide structure and the mode of a standard fiber can exhibit a mode overlap value of approximately 1 and suffer only very low coupling losses. We demonstrate excess loss of 0.14 dB/cm for 808 nm, 0.33 dB/cm for 1310 nm and 2.86 dB/cm for 1550 nm. Typical insertion loss values of straight waveguides with a length of 36 mm are 0.9 dB for 808 nm, 1.5 dB for 1310 nm and 10.4 dB for 1550 nm. Polarization dependent loss was found to be less than 0.2 dB on sets of test structures of 36 mm length. We measured material attenuation in the novel polymer material before cross-linking of approximately 0.04 dB/cm for 808 nm and around 0.20 dB/cm for 1310 nm respectively. The presented production technique is suitable to provide low loss and low cost integrated optical circuits for sensor and communication applications in a broad wavelength range.

Quantifying food losses and the potential for reduction in Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Beretta, Claudio; Stoessel, Franziska; Baier, Urs; Hellweg, Stefanie

2013-03-01

A key element in making our food systems more efficient is the reduction of food losses across the entire food value chain. Nevertheless, food losses are often neglected. This paper quantifies food losses in Switzerland at the various stages of the food value chain (agricultural production, postharvest handling and trade, processing, food service industry, retail, and households), identifies hotspots and analyses the reasons for losses. Twenty-two food categories are modelled separately in a mass and energy flow analysis, based on data from 31 companies within the food value chain, and from public institutions, associations, and from the literature. The energy balance shows that 48% of the total calories produced (edible crop yields at harvest time and animal products, including slaughter waste) is lost across the whole food value chain. Half of these losses would be avoidable given appropriate mitigation measures. Most avoidable food losses occur at the household, processing, and agricultural production stage of the food value chain. Households are responsible for almost half of the total avoidable losses (in terms of calorific content). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Energy loss of carbon transmitted 1-MeV H2+ ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fritz, M.; Kimura, K.; Susuki, Y.; Mannami, M.

1994-01-01

Energy losses of 1-MeV H 2 + ions passing through carbon foils of 2-8 μg/cm 2 thickness have been measured and show besides the linear increase with target thickness a 0.4 keV offset. The stopping power derived from the observed energy losses is 1.15 times as large as the sum of the stopping powers for two single H + of the same velocity. Calculations of the stopping powers for H 2 + ions and diprotons, using first Born approximation, indicate that the H 2 + ions lose the binding electron upon entrance into the foil, traverse the target as diprotons and recapture target electrons at the exit surface, a scenario also supported by the 0.4 keV offset at zero thickness. (author)

Cocaine dependent individuals discount future rewards more than future losses for both cocaine and monetary outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Matthew W; Bruner, Natalie R; Johnson, Patrick S

2015-01-01

Cocaine dependence and other forms of drug dependence are associated with steeper devaluation of future outcomes (delay discounting). Although studies in this domain have typically assessed choices between monetary gains (e.g., receive less money now versus receive more money after a delay), delay discounting is also applicable to decisions involving losses (e.g., small loss now versus larger delayed loss), with gains typically discounted more than losses (the "sign effect"). It is also known that drugs are discounted more than equivalently valued money. In the context of drug dependence, however, relatively little is known about the discounting of delayed monetary and drug losses and the presence of the sign effect. In this within-subject, laboratory study, delay discounting for gains and losses was assessed for cocaine and money outcomes in cocaine-dependent individuals (n=89). Both cocaine and monetary gains were discounted at significantly greater rates than cocaine and monetary losses, respectively (i.e., the sign effect). Cocaine gains were discounted significantly more than monetary gains, but cocaine and monetary losses were discounted similarly. Results suggest that cocaine is discounted by cocaine-dependent individuals in a systematic manner similar to other rewards. Because the sign effect was shown for both cocaine and money, delayed aversive outcomes may generally have greater impact than delayed rewards in shaping present behavior in this population. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Modulating the neural bases of persuasion: why/how, gain/loss, and users/non-users.

Science.gov (United States)

Vezich, I Stephanie; Katzman, Perri L; Ames, Daniel L; Falk, Emily B; Lieberman, Matthew D

2017-02-01

Designing persuasive content is challenging, in part because people can be poor predictors of their actions. Medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) activation during message exposure reliably predicts downstream behavior, but past work has been largely atheoretical. We replicated past results on this relationship and tested two additional framing effects known to alter message receptivity. First, we examined gain- vs. loss-framed reasons for a health behavior (sunscreen use). Consistent with predictions from prospect theory, we observed greater MPFC activity to gain- vs. loss-framed messages, and this activity was associated with behavior. This relationship was stronger for those who were not previously sunscreen users. Second, building on theories of action planning, we compared neural activity during messages regarding how vs. why to enact the behavior. We observed rostral inferior parietal lobule and posterior inferior frontal gyrus activity during action planning ("how" messages), and this activity was associated with behavior; this is in contrast to the relationship between MPFC activity during the "why" (i.e., gain and loss) messages and behavior. These results reinforce that persuasion occurs in part via self-value integration-seeing value and incorporating persuasive messages into one's self-concept-and extend this work to demonstrate how message framing and action planning may influence this process. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Enhanced O2 Loss at Mars Due to an Ambipolar Electric Field from Electron Heating

Science.gov (United States)

Ergun, R. E.; Andersson, L. A.; Fowler, C. M.; Woodson, A. K.; Weber, T. D.; Delory, G. T.; Andrews, D. J.; Eriksson, A. I.; Mcenulty, T.; Morooka, M. W.;

P.J. Ie Roux·

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ses groepe van 45 volwasse Karakoelooie is met 40 mg MAP sponse vir 15 dae behandel. Vyf van die groepe het 400 IE DMS twee dae voor sponsonttrekking ontvang. AI die ooie is gepaar 12 uur na aanvang van oestrus en weer 9 tot 10 uur later. ofkunsmatig. Of deur middel van natuurlike paring. Een van die groepe is ...

Anthropogenic disturbance in tropical forests can double biodiversity loss from deforestation.

Science.gov (United States)

Barlow, Jos; Lennox, Gareth D; Ferreira, Joice; Berenguer, Erika; Lees, Alexander C; Mac Nally, Ralph; Thomson, James R; Ferraz, Silvio Frosini de Barros; Louzada, Julio; Oliveira, Victor Hugo Fonseca; Parry, Luke; Solar, Ricardo Ribeiro de Castro; Vieira, Ima C G; Aragão, Luiz E O C; Begotti, Rodrigo Anzolin; Braga, Rodrigo F; Cardoso, Thiago Moreira; de Oliveira, Raimundo Cosme; Souza, Carlos M; Moura, Nárgila G; Nunes, Sâmia Serra; Siqueira, João Victor; Pardini, Renata; Silveira, Juliana M; Vaz-de-Mello, Fernando Z; Veiga, Ruan Carlo Stulpen; Venturieri, Adriano; Gardner, Toby A

2016-07-07

Concerted political attention has focused on reducing deforestation, and this remains the cornerstone of most biodiversity conservation strategies. However, maintaining forest cover may not reduce anthropogenic forest disturbances, which are rarely considered in conservation programmes. These disturbances occur both within forests, including selective logging and wildfires, and at the landscape level, through edge, area and isolation effects. Until now, the combined effect of anthropogenic disturbance on the conservation value of remnant primary forests has remained unknown, making it impossible to assess the relative importance of forest disturbance and forest loss. Here we address these knowledge gaps using a large data set of plants, birds and dung beetles (1,538, 460 and 156 species, respectively) sampled in 36 catchments in the Brazilian state of Pará. Catchments retaining more than 69–80% forest cover lost more conservation value from disturbance than from forest loss. For example, a 20% loss of primary forest, the maximum level of deforestation allowed on Amazonian properties under Brazil’s Forest Code, resulted in a 39–54% loss of conservation value: 96–171% more than expected without considering disturbance effects. We extrapolated the disturbance-mediated loss of conservation value throughout Pará, which covers 25% of the Brazilian Amazon. Although disturbed forests retained considerable conservation value compared with deforested areas, the toll of disturbance outside Pará’s strictly protected areas is equivalent to the loss of 92,000–139,000 km2 of primary forest. Even this lowest estimate is greater than the area deforested across the entire Brazilian Amazon between 2006 and 2015 (ref. 10). Species distribution models showed that both landscape and within-forest disturbances contributed to biodiversity loss, with the greatest negative effects on species of high conservation and functional value. These results demonstrate an urgent need

GEANT 4.8.2, 9.2 and 9.4 simulations versus experimental proton energy loss in thick absorbers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Evseev, Ivan; Schelin, Hugo R.; Ahmann, Francielle; Milhoretto, Edney; Paschuk, Sergei A., E-mail: evseev@utfpr.edu.b, E-mail: schelin@utfpr.edu.b, E-mail: sergei@utfpr.edu.b [Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana (UTFPR), Curitiba, PR (Brazil); Yevseyeva, Olga; Assis, Joaquim T. de; Ievsieieva, Ievgeniia, E-mail: yevseveva@iprj.uerj.b, E-mail: joaquim@iprj.uerj.b [Instituto Politecnico do Rio de Janeiro (IPRJ/UERJ), Nova Friburgo, RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Modelagem Computacional; Hormaza, Joel M., E-mail: jmesa@ibb.unesp.b [Universidade Estadual Paulista (IBB/UNESP), Botucatu, SP (Brazil). Inst. de Biociencias; Diaz, Katherin S. [Centro de Aplicaciones Tecnologicas y Desarrollo Nuclear, Havana (Cuba); Lopes, Ricardo T. [Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao de Engenharia (LIN/COPPE/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Lab. de Instrumentacao Nuclear

2011-07-01

Monte Carlo simulations are a powerful tool to estimate the proton energy loss and straggling in medical applications. The physics of proton interaction with matter for thick absorbers (like a human body) has a well-established theory for the so-called Bethe-Bloch domain, and the basic principles of Monte Carlo simulation for such processes are well known since the middle of the past century. However, in spite of GEANT4 has been validated against proton stopping powers from the NIST PSTAR, the evolution of the code leads to some result instability within the various code releases. In this work, we present the recent results for the comparison of our GEANT4 simulations against experimental proton energy loss for some thick absorbers. All the simulations were performed using the GEANT4 Hadrontherapy Advanced Example. The GEANT4 versions 4.8.2, 4.9.2, and 4.9.4 were tested with different simulation parameters, such as varied cut values. In addition to the Standard model, some other models for the electromagnetic processes from the GEANT4 Low Energy Extension Pack were tested as well. Experimental data were taken from for polyethylene, and from for aluminum and gold absorbers. The theoretical predictions for the spectra were calculated using the self-consistent Gaussian solution of the Boltzmann kinetic equation in the Fokker-Plank form. In order to compare the GEANT4 simulations with other popular codes, the same spectra were simulated by TRIM/SRIM2011 and MCNPX2.4.0. The simultaneous comparison of the results obtained for different materials at various initial proton energies were done using the reduced calibration curve approach. (author)

A reverse Monte Carlo method for deriving optical constants of solids from reflection electron energy-loss spectroscopy spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Da, B.; Sun, Y.; Ding, Z. J.; Mao, S. F.; Zhang, Z. M.; Jin, H.; Yoshikawa, H.; Tanuma, S.

2013-01-01

A reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) method is developed to obtain the energy loss function (ELF) and optical constants from a measured reflection electron energy-loss spectroscopy (REELS) spectrum by an iterative Monte Carlo (MC) simulation procedure. The method combines the simulated annealing method, i.e., a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling of oscillator parameters, surface and bulk excitation weighting factors, and band gap energy, with a conventional MC simulation of electron interaction with solids, which acts as a single step of MCMC sampling in this RMC method. To examine the reliability of this method, we have verified that the output data of the dielectric function are essentially independent of the initial values of the trial parameters, which is a basic property of a MCMC method. The optical constants derived for SiO 2 in the energy loss range of 8-90 eV are in good agreement with other available data, and relevant bulk ELFs are checked by oscillator strength-sum and perfect-screening-sum rules. Our results show that the dielectric function can be obtained by the RMC method even with a wide range of initial trial parameters. The RMC method is thus a general and effective method for determining the optical properties of solids from REELS measurements.

technical note: technical note: on the correctness of load loss factor ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

eobe

Load Loss Factor (LLF) is a function of the estimate of the losses between the grid supply point and the consumers. estimate ... i.e. the ratio of average demand to peak demand, and using this ratio to determine an approximation to the. LLF via ...

Performance evaluation of a biomass boiler on the basis of heat loss method and total heat values of steam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munir, A.; Alvi, J.Z.; Ashfaq, S.; Ghafoor, A.

2014-01-01

Pakistan being an agricultural country has large resources of biomass in the form of crop residues like wood, wheat straw, rice husk, cotton sticks and bagasse. Power generation using biomass offers an excellent opportunity to overcome current scenario of energy crises. Of the all biomass resources, bagasse is one of the potential energy sources which can be successfully utilized for power generation. During the last decade, bagasse fired boilers attained major importance due to increasing prices of primary energy (e.g. fossil fuels). Performance of a bagasse fired boiler was evaluated at Shakarganj Sugar Mill, Bhone-Jhang having steam generation capacity of 80 tons h/sup -1/at 25 bar working pressure. The unit was forced circulation and bi-drum type water tube boiler which was equipped with all accessories like air heater, economizer and super-heater. Flue gas analyzer and thermocouples were used to record percent composition and temperature of flue gases respectively. Physical analysis of bagasse showed gross calorific value of bagasse as 2326 kCal kg/sup -1/. Ultimate analysis of bagasse was performed and the actual air supplied to the boiler was calculated to be 4.05 kg per kg of bagasse under the available resources of the plant. Performance evaluation of the boiler was carried out and a complete heat balance sheet was prepared to investigate the different sources of heat losses. The efficiency of the boiler was evaluated on the basis of heat losses through boiler and was found to be 56.08%. It was also determined that 2 kg of steam produced from 1 kg of bagasse under existing condition of the boiler. The performance evaluation of the boiler was also done on the basis of total heat values of steam and found to be 55.98%. The results obtained from both the methods were found almost similar. Effects of excess air, stack and ambient temperature on the efficiency of boiler have also been evaluated and presented in the manuscript. (author)

Comparative study of the sensitivity of ADC value and T2 relaxation time for early detection of Wallerian degeneration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Fan; Lu Guangming; Zee Chishing

2011-01-01

Background and purpose: Wallerian degeneration (WD), the secondary degeneration of axons from cortical and subcortical injuries, is associated with poor neurological outcome. There is some quantitative MR imaging techniques used to estimate the biologic changes secondary to delayed neuronal and axonal losses. Our purpose is to assess the sensitivity of ADC value and T 2 relaxation time for early detection of WD. Methods: Ten male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to establish in vivo Wallerian degeneration model of CNS by ipsilateral motor-sensory cortex ablation. 5 days after cortex ablation, multiecho-T 2 relaxometry and multi-b value DWI were acquired by using a 7 T MR imaging scanner. ADC-map and T 2 -map were reconstructed by post-processing. ROIs are selected according to pathway of corticospinal tract from cortex, internal capsule, cerebral peduncle, pons, medulla oblongata to upper cervical spinal cord to measure ADC value and T 2 relaxation time of healthy side and affected side. The results were compared between the side with cortical ablation and the side without ablation. Results: Excluding ablated cortex, ADC values of the corticospinal tract were significantly increased (P 2 relaxation time was observed between the affected and healthy sides. Imaging findings were correlated with histological examinations. Conclusion: As shown in this animal experiment, ADC values could non-invasively demonstrate the secondary degeneration involving descending white matter tracts. ADC values are more sensitive indicators for detection of early WD than T 2 relaxation time.

Ion heat conduction losses in Extrap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tennfors, E.

1989-08-01

The classical ion heat conduction losses in Extrap discharges are calculated using polynomial magnetic field profiles and compared to the power input. For polynomials matched to magnetic field profiles measured in present experiments, these losses are small. By varying the coefficients of the polynomials, a region is found, where the power input can balance the classical heat conduction losses. Each set of coefficients corresponds to values of the parameters F and Θ used in RFP physics. The region determines a region in an F-Θ diagram, including the usual RFP region but extending to higher values of Θ and βΘ

Ductility loss of ion-irradiated zircaloy-2 in iodine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimada, M.; Terasawa, M.; Yamamoto, S.; Kamei, H.; Koizumi, K.

1981-01-01

An ion bombardment simulation technique for neutron irradiation was applied to 'thick' materials to study the effect of radiation damage on the ductility change in Zircaloy-2 in an iodine environment. Specimens were prepared from actual cladding tubes and, prior to the irradiation, they were heat-treated in vacuo at 450, 580, and 700/degree/C for 2 h. Irradiation was performed by 52-MeV alpha particles up to the 0.32 displacements per atom (dpa) at 340/degree/C. Ductility loss begins to appear after 0.03 dpa irradiation, both in iodine and argon gas environments. The iodine presence resulted in ductility reduction, compared with the argon result in all irradiation dose ranges examined. The stress applied during irradiation caused ductility loss to commence at lower dosage than in the case of stress-free irradiation. These results are discussed in relation to the existing stress corrosion cracking models

Does Successful Weight Loss in an Internet-Based Worksite Weight Loss Program Improve Employee Presenteeism and Absenteeism?

Science.gov (United States)

Harden, Samantha M.; You, Wen; Almeida, Fabio A.; Hill, Jennie L.; Linnan, Laura A.; Allen, Kacie C.; Estabrooks, Paul A.

2015-01-01

Certain risk factors associated with overweight and obesity may lead to reduced productivity in the workforce (i.e., increased absenteeism and presenteeism). Participants in a large, Internet-based worksite weight loss intervention, who were present at follow-up (N = 1,030), completed a self-reported productivity measure (World Health…

AC losses in (Bi,Pb) 2Sr 2Ca 2Cu 3O x tapes

Science.gov (United States)

D'Anna, G.; Indenbom, M. V.; André, M.-O.; Benoit, W.; Grivel, J.-C.; Hensel, B.; Flükiger, R.

1994-05-01

A double peak structure is observed in the AC losses of (Bi,Pb) 2Sr 2Ca 2Cu 3O x silver-sheathed tapes using a torsion-pendulum oscillator. The low-temperature peak is associated to the intragrain flux expulsion, while the high-temperature peak results from a macroscopic current path around the whole sample due to a well-coupled fraction of the grains. The flux pinning by the dislocations forming small-angle grain boundaries is suggested to control the transport current.

Biochemical characterization of CK2alpha and alpha' paralogues and their derived holoenzymes: evidence for the existence of a heterotrimeric CK2alpha'-holoenzyme forming trimeric complexes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Birgitte; Rasmussen, Tine; Niefind, Karsten

2008-01-01

Altogether 2 holoenzymes and 4 catalytic CK2 constructs were expressed and characterized i.e. CK2alpha (2) (1-335) beta(2); CK2alpha'-derived holoenzyme; CK2alpha(1-335); MBP-CK2alpha'; His-tagged CK2alpha and His-tagged CK2alpha'. The two His-tagged catalytic subunits were expressed in insect...... cells, all others in Escherichia coli. IC(50) studies involving the established CK2 inhibitors DMAT, TBBt, TBBz, apigenin and emodin were carried out and the K(i) values calculated. Although the differences in the K(i) values found were modest, there was a general tendency showing that the CK2...... holoenzymes were more sensitive towards the inhibitors than the free catalytic subunits. Thermal inactivation experiments involving the individual catalytic subunits showed an almost complete loss of activity after only 2 min at 45 degrees C. In the case of the two holoenzymes, the CK2alpha...

Assessment of heat loss for RSG-GAS primary cooling system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dibyo, S.

1998-01-01

Heat Loss is part term of energy balance equation of system, therefore heat loss very important thing in the thermal dynamic analysis. Heat energy loosed from the surface pipe to the air in the room was calculated. Heat energy pass through by conduction, convection and radiation. The convection process are caused by moving of air density, i.e up flow of the hot air return to be down flow. The heat transfer phenomenon could be determined by empirical correlation of Heilman. The primary cooling system is consisted to the 3 zone : 1). Zone of (safety valves-heat exchanger), 2). Zone of heat exchanger surfaces, 3). Zone of heat exchanger-reactor pool. By using input data of air temperature are about 25 o C, temperature of primary coolant about 45 o C, The heat Loss along the pipes to the air are 23.9 k watt or 0.1%

Illusory correlations despite equated category frequencies: A test of the information loss account.

Science.gov (United States)

Weigl, Michael; Mecklinger, Axel; Rosburg, Timm

2018-06-14

Illusory correlations (IC) are the perception of covariation, where none exists. For example, people associate majorities with frequent behavior and minorities with infrequent behavior even in the absence of such an association. According to the information loss account, ICs result from greater fading of infrequent group-behavior combinations in memory. We conducted computer simulations based on this account which showed that ICs are expected under standard conditions with skewed category frequencies (i.e. 2:1 ratio for positive and negative descriptions), but not under conditions with equated category frequencies (i.e. 1:1 ratio for positive and negative descriptions). Contrary to these simulations, our behavioral experiments revealed an IC under both conditions, which did not decrease over time. Thus, information loss alone is not sufficient as an explanation for the formation of ICs. These results imply that negative items contribute to ICs not only due to their infrequency, but also due to their emotional salience. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Filament bundle location influence on coupling losses in superconducting composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Daisuke; Koizumi, Misao; Hamajima, Takataro; Nakane, Fumoto.

1983-01-01

The ac losses in multifilamentary superconducting composites with different superconducting filament bundle positions have been measured using the magnetization method in order to reveal the relation between filament bundle position and coupling losses. Loss components depending on dB/dt in a mixed matrix superconducting composite, whose filament bundle is located in a central region surrounded by an outer stabilizing copper sheath, has been compared with another superconducting composite whose stabilizing copper is located in a central region surrounded by an outer filament bundle. In both conductors, key parameters, such as filament twistpitch, wire diameter and amount of copper stabilizer, were almost the same. Applied magnetic field is 2 Tesla with 0.05-2 Tesla/sec field change rate. Experimental results indicate that coupling losses between filaments in the composite with the filament bundle located in the central region is smaller than the composite with the filament bundle located in the outer region. A similar conclusion was reached theoretically by B. Truck. Coupling loss values obtained by the experiment show good agreement with calculated values with the equations proposed by B. Truck. It is also pointed out that a copper stabilizer, divided by the CuNi barrier into small regions, like a honeycomb, causes anomalous increasing in the copper resistivity due to Ni diffusion during heat treatment. (author)

Macrophage inflammatory protein-1α shows predictive value as a risk marker for subjects and sites vulnerable to bone loss in a longitudinal model of aggressive periodontitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fine, Daniel H; Markowitz, Kenneth; Fairlie, Karen; Tischio-Bereski, Debbie; Ferrandiz, Javier; Godboley, Dipti; Furgang, David; Gunsolley, John; Best, Al

2014-01-01

Improved diagnostics remains a fundamental goal of biomedical research. This study was designed to assess cytokine biomarkers that could predict bone loss (BL) in localized aggressive periodontitis. 2,058 adolescents were screened. Two groups of 50 periodontally healthy adolescents were enrolled in the longitudinal study. One group had Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), the putative pathogen, while the matched cohort did not. Cytokine levels were assessed in saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). Participants were sampled, examined, and radiographed every 6 months for 2-3 years. Disease was defined as radiographic evidence of BL. Saliva and GCF was collected at each visit, frozen, and then tested retrospectively after detection of BL. Sixteen subjects with Aa developed BL. Saliva from Aa-positive and Aa-negative healthy subjects was compared to subjects who developed BL. GCF was collected from 16 subjects with BL and from another 38 subjects who remained healthy. GCF from BL sites in the 16 subjects was compared to healthy sites in these same subjects and to healthy sites in subjects who remained healthy. Results showed that cytokines in saliva associated with acute inflammation were elevated in subjects who developed BL (i.e., MIP-1α MIP-1β IL-α, IL-1β and IL-8; p<0.01). MIP-1α was elevated 13-fold, 6 months prior to BL. When MIP-1α levels were set at 40 pg/ml, 98% of healthy sites were below that level (Specificity); whereas, 93% of sites with BL were higher (Sensitivity), with comparable Predictive Values of 98%; p<0.0001; 95% C.I. = 42.5-52.7). MIP-1α consistently showed elevated levels as a biomarker for BL in both saliva and GCF, 6 months prior to BL. MIP-1α continues to demonstrate its strong candidacy as a diagnostic biomarker for both subject and site vulnerability to BL.

Predictors of Diet-Induced Weight Loss in Overweight Adults with Type 2 Diabetes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirsten A Berk

Full Text Available A very low calorie diet improves the metabolic regulation of obesity related type 2 diabetes, but not for all patients, which leads to frustration in patients and professionals alike. The aim of this study was to develop a prediction model of diet-induced weight loss in type 2 diabetes.192 patients with type 2 diabetes and BMI>27 kg/m2 from the outpatient diabetes clinic of the Erasmus Medical Center underwent an 8-week very low calorie diet. Baseline demographic, psychological and physiological parameters were measured and the C-index was calculated of the model with the largest explained variance of relative weight loss using backward linear regression analysis. The model was internally validated using bootstrapping techniques.Weight loss after the diet was 7.8±4.6 kg (95%CI 7.2-8.5; p<0.001 and was independently associated with the baseline variables fasting glucose (B = -0.33 (95%CI -0.49, -0.18, p = 0.001, anxiety (HADS; B = -0.22 (95%CI -0.34, -0.11, p = 0.001, numb feeling in extremities (B = 1.86 (95%CI 0.85, 2.87, p = 0.002, insulin dose (B = 0.01 (95%CI 0.00, 0.02, p = 0.014 and waist-to-hip ratio (B = 6.79 (95%CI 2.10, 11.78, p = 0.003. This model explained 25% of the variance in weight loss. The C-index of this model to predict successful (≥5% weight loss was 0.74 (95%CI 0.67-0.82, with a sensitivity of 0.93 (95% CI 0.89-0.97 and specificity of 0.29 (95% CI 0.16-0.42. When only the obese T2D patients (BMI≥30 kg/m2; n = 181 were considered, age also contributed to the model (B = 0.06 (95%CI 0.02, 0.11, p = 0.008, whereas waist-to-hip ratio did not.Diet-induced weight loss in overweight adults with T2D was predicted by five baseline parameters, which were predominantly diabetes related. However, failure seems difficult to predict. We propose to test this prediction model in future prospective diet intervention studies in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Stable Carbon Isotope Characterization of CO2 Loss in Acid Mine Drainage Impacted Stream Water: Observations from a Laboratory Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, H. N.; Atekwana, E. A.

2007-05-01

Water from an acid mine drainage spring, ground water from a mine tailings pile, stream water and tap water were acidified to simulate acid mine drainage (AMD) contamination. The objective was to determine how acidification of stream water by AMD affected DIC loss and carbon isotope fraction. Two 20 L HDP containers (reactors) containing samples from each source were left un-acidified and allowed to evolve under ambient conditions for several weeks in the laboratory and two others were acidified. Acidification was carried out progressively with sulfuric acid to pH <3. For acidified samples, one reactor was acidified open to the atmosphere and the other closed from contact with atmosphere and CO2(g) was collected under vacuum. The un-acidified samples did not show significant alkalinity and DIC loss, and the 13C of DIC was enriched with time. The acidified samples showed decrease in alkalinity and DIC and increase in the 13C of DIC and CO2(g) with progressive acidification. The enrichment of 13C of DIC for un-acidified samples was due to exchange with atmospheric CO2. On the other hand, the 13C enrichment in the acidified samples was due to fractionation during dehydration of HCO3- and diffusive loss of CO2(g) from the aqueous phase. The actual values measured depended on the amount of CO2 lost from the aqueous phase during acidification. Samples with greater CO2 loss (closed acidification) had greater 13C enrichment. Beyond the HCO3- titration end point, the δ13C of DIC and CO2(g) was similar and nearly constant. The result of this study suggests that AMD effects on DIC can be modeled as a first order kinetic reaction and the isotope enrichment modeled using Rayleigh distillation.

Complex study of transport AC loss in various 2G HTS racetrack coils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Yiran, E-mail: yc315@cam.ac.uk [University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA (United Kingdom); Zhang, Min; Chudy, Michal; Matsuda, Koichi; Coombs, Tim [University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA (United Kingdom)

2013-04-15

Highlights: ► Comparing transport AC losses of two types of 2G HTS racetrack coils. ► The magnetic substrate in the MAG RABITS coil is the main difference. ► Experimental data agree well with simulation results. ► The transport AC loss in the MAG RABITS coil is 36% higher than that in the IBAD coil. ► It is better to keep all the substrate non-magnetic. -- Abstract: HTS racetrack coils are becoming important elements of an emerging number of superconducting devices such as generators or motors. In these devices the issue of AC loss is crucial, as performance and cooling power are derived from this quantity. This paper presents a comparative study of transport AC loss in two different types of 2G HTS racetrack coils. In this study, both experimental measurements and computer simulation approaches were employed. All the experiments were performed using classical AC electrical method. The finite-element computer model was used to estimate electromagnetic properties and calculate transport AC loss. The main difference between the characterized coils is covered inside tape architectures. While one coil uses tape based on RABITS magnetic substrate, the second coil uses a non-magnetic tape. Ferromagnetic loss caused by a magnetic substrate is an important issue involved in the total AC loss. As a result, the coil with the magnetic substrate surprised with high AC loss and rather low performance.

Energy loss of pions and electrons of 1 to 6 GeV/c in drift chambers operated with Xe,CO2(15\\%)

CERN Document Server

Andronic, A; Braun-Munzinger, P; Bucher, D; Busch, O; Catanescu, V; Ciobanu, M; Daues, H W; Emschermann, D; Fateev, O V; Foka, Y; Garabatos, C; Gunji, T; Herrmann, N; Inuzuka, M; Kislov, E; Lindenstruth, V; Ludolphs, W; Mahmoud, T; Petracek, V; Petrovici, M; Rusanov, I R; Sandoval, A; Santo, R; Schicker, R; Simon, R S; Smykov, L P; Soltveit, H K; Stachel, J; Stelzer, H; Tsiledakis, G; Vulpescu, B; Wessels, J P; Windelband, B; Xu, C; Zaudtke, O; Zanevsky, Yu; Yurevich, V

2004-01-01

We present measurements of the energy loss of pions and electrons in drift chambers operated with a Xe,CO2(15%) mixture. The measurements are carried out for particle momenta from 1 to 6 GeV/c using prototype drift chambers for the ALICE TRD. Microscopic calculations are performed using input parameters calculated with GEANT3. These calculations reproduce well the measured average and most probable values for pions, but a higher Fermi plateau is required in order to reproduce our electron data. The widths of the measured distributions are smaller for data compared to the calculations. The electron/pion identification performance using the energy loss is also presented.

[Hearing loss and idoneity--the segnalation of noise-induced hearing loss hearing Loss].

Science.gov (United States)

Albera, Roberto; Dagna, Federico; Cassandro, Claudia; Canale, Andrea

2011-01-01

Work idoneity in hearing loss must be related to working ability and evolution risks. Working ability is referred to the difficulties found in speech comprehension and in signals perception. As regards hearing loss evolution it is necessary to define if the subject is affected by conductive or neurosensorial hearing loss. In conductive hearing loss it is necessary to evaluate entity and frequential distribution of the deficit. In neurosensorial hearing loss it is necessary to distinguish between noise-induced hearing loss and extraprofessional hearing loss. In noise-induced hearing loss the evolution risk is high if the noise exposure is less than 10-15 years or the actual noise exposure is louder than the former. In case of extraprofessional hearing loss the evolution risk is higher in presbycusis, endolymphatic hydrops and toxic hearing loss. The necessity to report the presence on professionale noise-induced hearing loss arises if audiometric threshold is more than 25 dB at 0.5-1-2-3-4 kHz and if it is verified the professional origine of hearing loss.

Transmission Loss Calculation using A and B Loss Coefficients in Dynamic Economic Dispatch Problem

Science.gov (United States)

Jethmalani, C. H. Ram; Dumpa, Poornima; Simon, Sishaj P.; Sundareswaran, K.

2016-04-01

This paper analyzes the performance of A-loss coefficients while evaluating transmission losses in a Dynamic Economic Dispatch (DED) Problem. The performance analysis is carried out by comparing the losses computed using nominal A loss coefficients and nominal B loss coefficients in reference with load flow solution obtained by standard Newton-Raphson (NR) method. Density based clustering method based on connected regions with sufficiently high density (DBSCAN) is employed in identifying the best regions of A and B loss coefficients. Based on the results obtained through cluster analysis, a novel approach in improving the accuracy of network loss calculation is proposed. Here, based on the change in per unit load values between the load intervals, loss coefficients are updated for calculating the transmission losses. The proposed algorithm is tested and validated on IEEE 6 bus system, IEEE 14 bus, system IEEE 30 bus system and IEEE 118 bus system. All simulations are carried out using SCILAB 5.4 (www.scilab.org) which is an open source software.

Postirradiation examination results for the Irradiation Effects Test Series IE-ST-2, Rod IE-002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murdock, B.A.

1977-12-01

A postirradiation examination was conducted on a zircaloy-clad, UO 2 -fueled, pressurized water reactor (PWR) type rod which had been tested in the Power Burst Facility as part of the Irradiation Effects Test Series of the Thermal Fuels Behavior Program. The fuel rod, previously irradiated to a burnup of 15,800 MWd/t was subjected to a power ramp from 28 to 55 kW/m peak power at an average ramp rate of 4 kW/m/min. Posttest fuel restructuring and relocation, fission product redistribution, and fuel rod cladding deformation were evaluated and analyzed

Loss of attributes of femininity, anxiety and value crisis. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome compared to women after mastectomy and in menopause

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorota Mącik

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS is a relatively widespread disease and a main cause of fertility problems. The disease diagnosis is frequently related to changes in the value hierarchy. However, it can be treated as a “loss of/threat to” femininity. Similar aspects of the loss of part of femininity are connected with menopause and mastectomy. Participants and procedure One hundred and forty-five women were examined in total: 42 with the PCOS diagnosis, 20 after mastectomy, 42 in menopause and 41 healthy women (reference group. Standard measurement methods were used: the Value Crisis Questionnaire by P. Oleś and the IPAT Anxiety Scale – Self Analysis Form by R. B. Cattell. Results Women suffering from PCOS obtained significantly higher indexes of both crisis and anxiety compared to other groups, whereas women after mastectomy and in menopause did not differ between one another in tested variables, and they did not differ from healthy women either. It was noted that the most relationships between variables were observed in the group of women in menopause (significant correlations between almost all dimensions, while there are few relationships in women after mastectomy. In women with PCOS (a relatively small number of correlations relationships of the greatest strength relate to the relationships of negative self-esteem and guilt proneness with all dimensions of the value crisis. Conclusions Polycystic ovary syndrome, despite having a relatively non-threatening course, is experienced much more strongly by women compared to mastectomy and menopause. It is associated with strong internal anxiety and degradation of the value hierarchy.

Optimization of fuel cycles: marginal loss values; Optimisation des cycles de combustibles: valeurs marginales des pertes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaussens, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, 75 - Paris (France); Lasteyrie, B de; Doumerc, J [Compagnie pour l' Etude et la Realisation de Combustibles Atomiques, 75 - Paris (France)

1965-07-01

Uranium processing from the pit to the fuel element rod entails metal losses at every step. These losses become more and more expensive with the elaboration of the metal. Some of the uranium must be accepted as definitely lost whilst the rest could be recovered and recycled. The high cost of these losses, whether they are recycled or not, and the fact that the higher the enrichment is the higher their costs are, make it necessary to take them into account when optimizing fuel cycles. It is therefore felt important to determine their most desirable level from an economic point of view at the various nuclear fuel processing stages. However, in France as in some other countries, fissile material production is a state concern, whilst fuel element fabrication is carried out by private enterprise. Optimization criteria and the economic value of losses are therefore different for each of the two links in the fabrication chain. One can try in spite of this to reach an optimum which would conform to public interest, without interfering with the firm's sales policy. This entails using the fact that for a given output marginal costs are equal at the optimum. One can therefore adjust the level of the losses to attain this equation of marginal costs, as these are easier to obtain from the firm than a justification of the actual prices. One notices moreover that, although mainly concerned with losses, this global analysis can bring both the state and the firm to a better use of other production factors. An account is given of the theory of this economic optimization method and practical applications in the field of natural uranium-graphite moderated and CO{sub 2} cooled reactor fuel element fabrication are offered. (authors) [French] L'elaboration de l'uranium, de la mine a la cartouche d'element combustible, s'accompagne, a tous les stades, de pertes, de plus en plus onereuses, a mesure que le metal devient plus elabore. Une certaine proportion de l'uranium doit etre consideree

Optimization of fuel cycles: marginal loss values; Optimisation des cycles de combustibles: valeurs marginales des pertes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaussens, J. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, 75 - Paris (France); Lasteyrie, B. de; Doumerc, J. [Compagnie pour l' Etude et la Realisation de Combustibles Atomiques, 75 - Paris (France)

1965-07-01

Uranium processing from the pit to the fuel element rod entails metal losses at every step. These losses become more and more expensive with the elaboration of the metal. Some of the uranium must be accepted as definitely lost whilst the rest could be recovered and recycled. The high cost of these losses, whether they are recycled or not, and the fact that the higher the enrichment is the higher their costs are, make it necessary to take them into account when optimizing fuel cycles. It is therefore felt important to determine their most desirable level from an economic point of view at the various nuclear fuel processing stages. However, in France as in some other countries, fissile material production is a state concern, whilst fuel element fabrication is carried out by private enterprise. Optimization criteria and the economic value of losses are therefore different for each of the two links in the fabrication chain. One can try in spite of this to reach an optimum which would conform to public interest, without interfering with the firm's sales policy. This entails using the fact that for a given output marginal costs are equal at the optimum. One can therefore adjust the level of the losses to attain this equation of marginal costs, as these are easier to obtain from the firm than a justification of the actual prices. One notices moreover that, although mainly concerned with losses, this global analysis can bring both the state and the firm to a better use of other production factors. An account is given of the theory of this economic optimization method and practical applications in the field of natural uranium-graphite moderated and CO{sub 2} cooled reactor fuel element fabrication are offered. (authors) [French] L'elaboration de l'uranium, de la mine a la cartouche d'element combustible, s'accompagne, a tous les stades, de pertes, de plus en plus onereuses, a mesure que le metal devient plus elabore. Une certaine proportion de l

Fusion-product transport in axisymmetric tokamaks: losses and thermalization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hively, L.M.

1980-01-01

High-energy fusion-product losses from an axisymmetric tokamak plasma are studied. Prompt-escape loss fluxes (i.e. prior to slowing down) are calculated including the non-separable dependence of flux as a function of poloidal angle and local angle-of-incidence at the first wall. Fusion-product (fp) thermalization and heating are calculated assuming classical slowing down. The present analytical model describes fast ion orbits and their distribution function in realistic, high-β, non-circular tokamak equilibria. First-orbit losses, trapping effects, and slowing-down drifts are also treated

Study on classical and excess eddy currents losses of Terfenol-D

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Talebian, Soheil; Hojjat, Yousef [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ghodsi, Mojtaba [Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat (Oman); Karafi, Mohammad Reza [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-08-15

In the present paper, classical and excess eddy currents losses of Terfenol-D are studied and effects of magnetic field frequency, peak of magnetic flux density and diameter of Terfenol-D on the eddy currents losses are investigated. To provide reliable data for the purpose of the paper, an experimental laboratory is fabricated and used to obtain major and minor hysteresis loops of Terfenol-D at different frequencies. In theoretical study, initially an analytical model based on uniform distribution of magnetic flux is developed which yields to calculation of classical eddy currents losses. Then, another eddy currents model based on non-uniform distribution of magnetic flux and nonlinear diffusion of electromagnetic fields is presented. The difference between output values of the two models is identified as excess eddy currents losses. Obtained results show that the values of excess losses are generally larger than classical losses and applying just classical model leads to wrong calculation of actual value of eddy currents losses. For the results obtained from two above models, empirical models with respect to the magnetic field frequency and the peak value of magnetic flux density are achieved which can predict the eddy currents losses precisely. To validate the empirical relations, experiments are repeated at a new frequency and values of power losses calculated from analytical equations are compared with the predicted values of the empirical models. The results point towards possibility to use the obtained empirical relations in order to calculate the classical and excess eddy currents losses of Terfenol-D at the frequencies below 200 Hz and different values of magnetic flux density. - Highlights: • Classical eddy currents loss of Terfenol-D is studied using Maxwell's laws. • Excess eddy currents loss of Terfenol-D is studied using Mayergoyz nonlinear model. • Effects of Terfenol-D geometry on the eddy currents losses are investigated. • Power

Heterozygote loss of ACE2 is sufficient to increase the susceptibility to heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wang; Patel, Vaibhav B; Parajuli, Nirmal; Fan, Dong; Basu, Ratnadeep; Wang, Zuocheng; Ramprasath, Tharmarajan; Kassiri, Zamaneh; Penninger, Josef M; Oudit, Gavin Y

2014-08-01

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) metabolizes Ang II into Ang 1-7 thereby negatively regulating the renin-angiotensin system. However, heart disease in humans and in animal models is associated with only a partial loss of ACE2. ACE2 is an X-linked gene; and as such, we tested the clinical relevance of a partial loss of ACE2 by using female ACE2(+/+) (wildtype) and ACE2(+/-) (heterozygote) mice. Pressure overload in ACE2(+/-) mice resulted in greater LV dilation and worsening systolic and diastolic dysfunction. These changes were associated with increased myocardial fibrosis, hypertrophy, and upregulation of pathological gene expression. In response to Ang II infusion, there was increased NADPH oxidase activity and myocardial fibrosis resulting in the worsening of Ang II-induced diastolic dysfunction with a preserved systolic function. Ang II-mediated cellular effects in cultured adult ACE2(+/-) cardiomyocytes and cardiofibroblasts were exacerbated. Ang II-mediated pathological signaling worsened in ACE2(+/-) hearts characterized by an increase in the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 and STAT-3 pathways. The ACE2(+/-) mice showed an exacerbated pressor response with increased vascular fibrosis and stiffness. Vascular superoxide and nitrotyrosine levels were increased in ACE2(+/-) vessels consistent with increased vascular oxidative stress. These changes occurred with increased renal fibrosis and superoxide production. Partial heterozygote loss of ACE2 is sufficient to increase the susceptibility to heart disease secondary to pressure overload and Ang II infusion. Heart disease in humans with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy is associated with a partial loss of ACE2. Heterozygote female ACE2 mutant mice showed enhanced susceptibility to pressure overload-induced heart disease. Heterozygote female ACE2 mutant mice showed enhanced susceptibility to Ang II-induced heart and vascular diseases. Partial loss of ACE2 is sufficient to enhance the susceptibility to

SIX2 haploinsufficiency causes conductive hearing loss with ptosis in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Jing; Wang, Dayong; Cao, Wenjian; Zhao, Yali; Du, Renqian; Yuan, Hu; Liu, Qiong; Lan, Lan; Zong, Liang; Yang, Ju; Yin, Zifang; Han, Bing; Zhang, Feng; Wang, Qiuju

2016-11-01

The ossicles represent one of the most fundamental morphological features in evolutionary biology of the mammalians. The mobile ossicular morphology abnormalities result in the severe conductive hearing loss. Development and patterning of the middle ear malformation depend on genetic and environmental causes. However, the genetic basis for the risk of congenital ossicle malformation is poorly understood. We show here nine affected individuals in a Chinese pedigree who had bilateral conductive hearing loss with ptosis. We performed whole-genome sequencing and array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) analysis on DNA samples from the Chinese pedigree. We confirmed the presence of a novel 60 kb heterozygous deletion in size, encompassing SIX2 in our family. Mutation screening in 169 sporadic cases with external ear and middle ear malformations identified no pathogenic variant or polymorphism. We suggest SIX2 haploinsufficiency as a potential congenital factor could be attributed to developmental malformation of the middle ear ossicles and upper eyelid. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to provide a description of copy number variation in the SIX2 gene resulting in syndromic conductive hearing loss.

Store Personality as a Source of Customer Value

OpenAIRE

Willems, Kim; Leroi-Werelds, Sara; Streukens, Sandra

2012-01-01

Customer value has been considered a strategic imperative in the retail environment, since the customer is more value conscious than ever before (Sweeney and Soutar 2001). In this study, the authors investigate store personality as a potential source of value. Furthermore, they examine the mediating role of customer value in the relationship between store personality and two key outcome variables (i.e., satisfaction and loyalty). Additionally, they investigate self-congruence (i.e., the match...

The value of carbon sequestration and storage in coastal habitats

Science.gov (United States)

Beaumont, N. J.; Jones, L.; Garbutt, A.; Hansom, J. D.; Toberman, M.

2014-01-01

Coastal margin habitats are globally significant in terms of their capacity to sequester and store carbon, but their continuing decline, due to environmental change and human land use decisions, is reducing their capacity to provide this ecosystem service. In this paper the UK is used as a case study area to develop methodologies to quantify and value the ecosystem service of blue carbon sequestration and storage in coastal margin habitats. Changes in UK coastal habitat area between 1900 and 2060 are documented, the long term stocks of carbon stored by these habitats are calculated, and the capacity of these habitats to sequester CO2 is detailed. Changes in value of the carbon sequestration service of coastal habitats are then projected for 2000-2060 under two scenarios, the maintenance of the current state of the habitat and the continuation of current trends of habitat loss. If coastal habitats are maintained at their current extent, their sequestration capacity over the period 2000-2060 is valued to be in the region of £1 billion UK sterling (3.5% discount rate). However, if current trends of habitat loss continue, the capacity of the coastal habitats both to sequester and store CO2 will be significantly reduced, with a reduction in value of around £0.25 billion UK sterling (2000-2060; 3.5% discount rate). If loss-trends due to sea level rise or land reclamation worsen, this loss in value will be greater. This case study provides valuable site specific information, but also highlights global issues regarding the quantification and valuation of carbon sequestration and storage. Whilst our ability to value ecosystem services is improving, considerable uncertainty remains. If such ecosystem valuations are to be incorporated with confidence into national and global policy and legislative frameworks, it is necessary to address this uncertainty. Recommendations to achieve this are outlined.

Effect of weight loss on the postprandial response to high-fat and high-carbohydrate meals in obese women.

Science.gov (United States)

Dallongeville, J; Gruson, E; Dallinga-Thie, G; Pigeyre, M; Gomila, S; Romon, M

2007-06-01

To assess the effect of weight loss on the plasma lipid and remnant-like lipoprotein cholesterol (RLPc) response to a high-fat or a high-carbohydrate meal in a population of obese women. Nutritional intervention study. Sixteen obese women (mean body mass index (BMI): 37.6+/-5 kg/m(2)). Subjects were asked to follow an energy-restricted diet (800 kcal/day) for 7 weeks, followed by a 1-week maintenance diet. Before and after weight loss, each participant was given (in random order) two iso-energetic meals containing either 80% fat and 20% protein (the high-fat meal) or 80% carbohydrate and 20% protein (the high-carbohydrate meal). Blood samples were collected over the following 10-h period. A two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to assess the effect of the meal and postprandial time on biological variables and postprandial responses (notably RLPc levels). Weight loss was associated with a significant decrease in fasting triglyceride (P=0.0102), cholesterol (Pfat meal was less intense after weight reduction than before (interaction Pcarbohydrate meal was biphasic (i.e. with two peaks, 1 and 6 h after carbohydrate intake). After adjustment on baseline values, weight reduction was associated with a trend towards a reduction in the magnitude of the second triglyceride peak (interaction Ploss, again after adjustment on baseline levels. Our data suggest that weight loss preferentially affects postprandial triglyceride metabolism.

Assessing the effect of weight and weight loss in obese persons with type 2 diabetes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bradley Curtis

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Bradley Curtis1, Risa P Hayes1, Sheri Fehnel2, Laurie Zografos21Global Health Outcomes, Eli Lilly and Co, Indianapolis, IN, USA; 2RTI Health Solutions, Research Triangle Park, NC, USAAbstract: The objective of this study was to assess specific areas of life in which obesity affects individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM, and changes that obese persons with T2DM experience with weight loss of varying degrees. Thirty in-depth interviews were conducted in persons identified as: age ≥40 years, diagnosed with T2DM for ≥2 years, on oral antihyperglycemic medications >3 months, BMI 30–35 kg/m2, having attempted to lose weight in the last 2 years. Participants (60% female, mean age 53 years, 53% Caucasian, mean BMI 32.2 kg/m2 agreed that 5% weight loss, while not reflective of an ultimate goal, would be meaningful and important; benefits were expected to accrue in physical functioning, self-confidence, blood glucose levels, and motivation to keep losing weight. Participants reported the greatest effect of weight loss on energy, physical activity, mobility, pain, and clothes/appearance. Participants reported weight affecting mood, with feelings of depression and frustration most commonly described. This research indicates that weight loss is likely to affect health-related quality of life in obese individuals with T2DM. Given the purported weight loss benefits of many emerging diabetic medications, it will be important to include measures of weight-related quality of life in future clinical trials of these agents.Keywords: health-related quality of life, obesity, type 2 diabetes, weight loss, patient-reported outcomes

Losses in magnetic flux compression generators: Part 2, Radiation losses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fowler, C.M.

1988-06-01

This is the second monograph devoted to the analysis of flux losses in explosive driven magnetic flux compression generators. In the first monograph, flux losses from magnetic field penetration into conductor walls was studied by conventional diffusion theory. In the present report flux loss by radiation from the outer conductor walls is treated. Flux leakage rates through walls of finite thickness are first obtained by diffusion theory. It is shown, for normal wall thicknesses, that flux leakage is determined essentially by the wall conductance, defined as the product of wall thickness and wall conductivity. This remains true when the wall thickness is reduced to zero at unchanged conductance. In this case the wall is said to be coalesced. Solutions for a cavity bounded by a perfect conductor on one side and a coalesced wall on the other are then obtained using the complete Maxwell wave equations in both the cavity and free space beyond the coalesced wall. Several anomalies, noted earlier, that arise from diffusion analysis are resolved by the wave treatment. Conditions for the validity of the diffusion treatment are noted, and an expression is obtained within the framework of diffusion theory for energy radiated into space from the cavity walls. The free space wave equations are solved by using the method of characteristics in both the cavity and free space regions. An extension of the characteristic method to situations where the constitutive relations are non-linear is outlined in an appendix. For a special class of these relations, Riemann-like invariants are determined explicitly and used to solve a particular example

Power loss analysis of n-PASHA cells validated by 2D simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Janssen, G.J.M.; Gutjahr, A.; Burgers, A.R.; Saynova, D.S.; Cesar, I.; Romijn, I.G.

2013-10-15

To reach >21% efficiency for the n-Pasha (passivated all sides H-pattern) cell of ECN, reliable power-loss analyses are essential. A power-loss analysis is presented that is based on experimental data but validated and completed by 2D simulations. The analysis is used to identify the key factors that will contribute most to achieving >21% efficiency.

Abandoning weight-loss programmes | Van Staden | South African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

"ies in maintaining weight loss. A study of unsuccessful dieters focused on a group of 50 obese subjects who had previously joined a slimming organisation, but who had dropped out. They were interviewed with emphasis on factors relating to ...

Precise measurements of energy loss straggling for swift heavy ions in polymers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rani, Bindu [Department of Physics, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra 136 119 (India); Neetu [Department of Physics, S.D College, Panipat 132103 (India); Sharma, Kalpana [Department of Physics, CMR Institute of Technology, Bangalore 560037 (India); Diwan, P.K. [Department of Applied Sciences, UIET, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra 136 119 (India); Kumar, Shyam, E-mail: profshyam@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra 136 119 (India)

2016-11-15

The energy loss straggling measurements for heavy ions with Z = 3–22 (∼0.2–2.5 MeV/u) in PEN (C{sub 7}H{sub 5}O{sub 2}) and PET (C{sub 10}H{sub 8}O{sub 4}) polymers have been carried out utilizing the swift heavy ion beam facility from 15UD Pelletron accelerator at Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), New Delhi, India. The recorded spectra are analyzed in such a way that the Straggling associated with energy loss process could be measured in a systematic manner at any selected value of energy, in terms of per unit thickness of the absorber, at any desired energy intervals. The measured values have been compared with the calculated values obtained from the most commonly used Bethe-Livingston formulations applicable for collisional straggling. The results are tried to be understood in terms of the effective charge on the impinging ion within the absorber. Some interesting trends are observed.

Precise measurements of energy loss straggling for swift heavy ions in polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Rani, Bindu; Neetu; Sharma, Kalpana; Diwan, P. K.; Kumar, Shyam

2016-11-01

The energy loss straggling measurements for heavy ions with Z = 3-22 (∼0.2-2.5 MeV/u) in PEN (C7H5O2) and PET (C10H8O4) polymers have been carried out utilizing the swift heavy ion beam facility from 15UD Pelletron accelerator at Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), New Delhi, India. The recorded spectra are analyzed in such a way that the Straggling associated with energy loss process could be measured in a systematic manner at any selected value of energy, in terms of per unit thickness of the absorber, at any desired energy intervals. The measured values have been compared with the calculated values obtained from the most commonly used Bethe-Livingston formulations applicable for collisional straggling. The results are tried to be understood in terms of the effective charge on the impinging ion within the absorber. Some interesting trends are observed.

Direct band gap measurement of Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S){sub 2} thin films using high-resolution reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heo, Sung [Analytical Engineering Group, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, 130 Samsung-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 443-803 (Korea, Republic of); College of Information and Communication Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Cheoncheon-dong 300, Jangan-gu, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Hyung-Ik; Park, Jong-Bong; Ko, Dong-Su; Chung, JaeGwan; Kim, KiHong; Kim, Seong Heon; Yun, Dong-Jin; Ham, YongNam; Park, Gyeong Su [Analytical Engineering Group, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, 130 Samsung-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 443-803 (Korea, Republic of); Song, Taewon [Energy lab, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, 130 Samsung-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 443-803 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Dongho, E-mail: dhlee0333@gmail.com; Nam, Junggyu [PV Development Team, Energy Solution Business Division, Samsung SDI, 467 Beonyeong-ro, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do 331-330 (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Hee Jae [Department of Physics, Chungbuk National University, Gaesin-dong, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, 361-763 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Pyung-Ho; Choi, Byoung-Deog, E-mail: bdchoi@skku.edu [College of Information and Communication Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Cheoncheon-dong 300, Jangan-gu, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-06-29

To investigate the band gap profile of Cu(In{sub 1−x},Ga{sub x})(Se{sub 1−y}S{sub y}){sub 2} of various compositions, we measured the band gap profile directly as a function of in-depth using high-resolution reflection energy loss spectroscopy (HR-REELS), which was compared with the band gap profile calculated based on the auger depth profile. The band gap profile is a double-graded band gap as a function of in-depth. The calculated band gap obtained from the auger depth profile seems to be larger than that by HR-REELS. Calculated band gaps are to measure the average band gap of the spatially different varying compositions with respect to considering its void fraction. But, the results obtained using HR-REELS are to be affected by the low band gap (i.e., out of void) rather than large one (i.e., near void). Our findings suggest an analytical method to directly determine the band gap profile as function of in-depth.

Predictors of flourishing among children with hearing loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Nabors, Laura; Odar Stough, Cathleen; Merianos, Ashley; Peugh, James

2016-12-01

To examine parent report of flourishing in children with hearing impairments compared to children without hearing impairments, and to explore whether school engagement and bullying related to child flourishing. Participants were 655 children with hearing impairments and 44, 618 children without hearing impairments who were 10-17 years of age. Caregivers completed telephone interviews about their child's functioning for the National Survey of Children's Health. Children without hearing loss had higher parent-reported flourishing compared to children with hearing loss when controlling for child demographics (i.e., race, age, sex). School engagement was positively related to flourishing of children with hearing loss. Bullying behaviors were not related to flourishing of children with hearing loss. Improving school engagement may increase flourishing of children with hearing loss, which is critical given that children with hearing loss experience lower flourishing than children without hearing loss. Examining the relationships among other risk and resilience factors and flourishing for children with hearing loss will provide information for interventions to enhance the adaptation of these children. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

48 CFR 52.248-2 - Value Engineering-Architect-Engineer.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... cycle cost consistent with required performance, reliability, quality, and safety. Value engineering... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Value Engineering... Clauses 52.248-2 Value Engineering—Architect-Engineer. As prescribed in 48.201(f), insert the following...

Cannabinoid CB1 /CB2 receptor agonists attenuate hyperactivity and body weight loss in a rat model of activity-based anorexia.

Science.gov (United States)

Scherma, Maria; Satta, Valentina; Collu, Roberto; Boi, Maria Francesca; Usai, Paolo; Fratta, Walter; Fadda, Paola

2017-08-01

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious psychiatric condition characterized by excessive body weight loss and disturbed perceptions of body shape and size, often associated with excessive physical activity. There is currently no effective drug-related therapy of this disease and this leads to high relapse rate. Clinical data suggest that a promising therapy to treat and reduce reoccurrence of AN may be based on the use of drugs that target the endocannabinoid (EC) system, which appears dysregulated in AN patients. The activity-based anorexia (ABA) rodent model mimics the severe body weight loss and increased physical activity, as well as the neuroendocrine disturbances (i.e. hypoleptinaemia and hypercortisolaemia) in AN. This study investigated whether cannabinoid agonists can effectively modify anorexic-like behaviours and neuroendocrine changes in rats subjected to a repeated ABA regime that mimics the human condition in which patients repeatedly undergo a recovery and illness cycle. Our data show that subchronic treatment with both the natural CB 1 /CB 2 receptor agonist Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol and the synthetic CB 1 /CB 2 receptor agonist CP-55,940 significantly reduced body weight loss and running wheel activity in ABA rats. These behavioural effects were accompanied by an increase in leptin signalling and a decrease in plasma levels of corticosterone. Taken together, our results further demonstrate the involvement of the EC system in AN pathophysiology and that strategies which modulate EC signalling are useful to treat this disorder, specifically in patients where physical hyperactivity plays a central role in its progression and maintenance. © 2017 The British Pharmacological Society.

Cultural value orientations, internalized homophobia, and accommodation in romantic relationships

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gaines, S.O.; Henderson, M.C.; Kim, M.; Gilstrap, S.; Yi, J.; Rusbult, C.E.; Hardin, D.P.; Gaertner, L.A.

2005-01-01

In the present study, we examined the impact of cultural value orientations (i.e., the personally oriented value of individualism, and the socially oriented values of collectivism, familism, romanticism, and spiritualism) on accommodation (i.e., voice and loyalty, rather than exit and neglect,

Design of preventive maintenance system using the reliability engineering and maintenance value stream mapping methods in PT. XYZ

Science.gov (United States)

Sembiring, N.; Panjaitan, N.; Angelita, S.

2018-02-01

PT. XYZ is a company owned by non-governmental organizations engaged in the field of production of rubber processing becoming crumb rubber. Part of the production is supported by some of machines and interacting equipment to achieve optimal productivity. Types of the machine that are used in the production process are Conveyor Breaker, Breaker, Rolling Pin, Hammer Mill, Mill Roll, Conveyor, Shredder Crumb, and Dryer. Maintenance system in PT. XYZ is corrective maintenance i.e. repairing or replacing the engine components after the crash on the machine. Replacement of engine components on corrective maintenance causes the machine to stop operating during the production process is in progress. The result is in the loss of production time due to the operator must replace the damaged engine components. The loss of production time can impact on the production targets which were not reached and lead to high loss costs. The cost for all components is Rp. 4.088.514.505. This cost is really high just for maintaining a Mill Roll Machine. Therefore PT. XYZ is needed to do preventive maintenance i.e. scheduling engine components and improving maintenance efficiency. The used methods are Reliability Engineering and Maintenance Value Stream Mapping (MVSM). The needed data in this research are the interval of time damage to engine components, opportunity cost, labor cost, component cost, corrective repair time, preventive repair time, Mean Time To Opportunity (MTTO), Mean Time To Repair (MTTR), and Mean Time To Yield (MTTY). In this research, the critical components of Mill Roll machine are Spier, Bushing, Bearing, Coupling and Roll. Determination of damage distribution, reliability, MTTF, cost of failure, cost of preventive, current state map, and future state map are done so that the replacement time for each critical component with the lowest maintenance cost and preparation of Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) are developed. For the critical component that has been

Loss-of-benefits analysis for nuclear power plant shutdowns: methodology and illustrative case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peerenboom, J.P.; Buehring, W.A.; Guziel, K.A.

1983-11-01

A framework for loss-of-benefits analysis and a taxomony for identifying and categorizing the effects of nuclear power plant shutdowns or accidents are presented. The framework consists of three fundamental steps: (1) characterizing the shutdown; (2) identifying benefits lost as a result of the shutdown; and (3) quantifying effects. A decision analysis approach to regulatory decision making is presented that explicitly considers the loss of benefits. A case study of a hypothetical reactor shutdown illustrates one key loss of benefits: net replacement energy costs (i.e., change in production costs). Sensitivity studies investigate the responsiveness of case study results to changes in nuclear capacity factor, load growth, fuel price escalation, and discount rate. The effects of multiple reactor shutdowns on production costs are also described

A Versatile Beam Loss Monitoring System for CLIC

CERN Document Server

Kastriotou, Maria; Farabolini, Wilfrid; Holzer, Eva Barbara; Nebot Del Busto, Eduardo; Tecker, Frank; Welsch, Carsten

2016-01-01

The design of a potential CLIC beam loss monitoring (BLM) system presents multiple challenges. To successfully cover the 48 km of beamline, ionisation chambers and optical fibre BLMs are under investigation. The former fulfils all CLIC requirements but would need more than 40000 monitors to protect the whole facility. For the latter, the capability of reconstructing the original loss position with a multi-bunch beam pulse and multiple loss locations still needs to be quantified. Two main sources of background for beam loss measurements are identified for CLIC. The two-beam accelerator scheme introduces so-called crosstalk, i.e. detection of losses originating in one beam line by the monitors protecting the other. Moreover, electrons emitted from the inner surface of RF cavities and boosted by the high RF gradients may produce signals in neighbouring BLMs, limiting their ability to detect real beam losses. This contribution presents the results of dedicated experiments performed in the CLIC Test Facility to qu...

Steganography based on pixel intensity value decomposition

Science.gov (United States)

Abdulla, Alan Anwar; Sellahewa, Harin; Jassim, Sabah A.

2014-05-01

This paper focuses on steganography based on pixel intensity value decomposition. A number of existing schemes such as binary, Fibonacci, Prime, Natural, Lucas, and Catalan-Fibonacci (CF) are evaluated in terms of payload capacity and stego quality. A new technique based on a specific representation is proposed to decompose pixel intensity values into 16 (virtual) bit-planes suitable for embedding purposes. The proposed decomposition has a desirable property whereby the sum of all bit-planes does not exceed the maximum pixel intensity value, i.e. 255. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed technique offers an effective compromise between payload capacity and stego quality of existing embedding techniques based on pixel intensity value decomposition. Its capacity is equal to that of binary and Lucas, while it offers a higher capacity than Fibonacci, Prime, Natural, and CF when the secret bits are embedded in 1st Least Significant Bit (LSB). When the secret bits are embedded in higher bit-planes, i.e., 2nd LSB to 8th Most Significant Bit (MSB), the proposed scheme has more capacity than Natural numbers based embedding. However, from the 6th bit-plane onwards, the proposed scheme offers better stego quality. In general, the proposed decomposition scheme has less effect in terms of quality on pixel value when compared to most existing pixel intensity value decomposition techniques when embedding messages in higher bit-planes.

Cost Allocation of Transmission Losses in Electric Market Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erwin Dermawan

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a new method to calculate cost allocation of transmission losses (losses, based on a certain price of energy (i.e. a marginal price of system. Here is developed a mathematic model through manipulating of the network equation to separate losses. This model uses complex power injection and, does not use approximations and assumptions in determining the cost allocation of losses. Its calculation begins from the results of load flow calculation and then is continued to calculate power distribution from a generator to every load and every line. Finally, to be calculated separating of losses and cost allocation of losses. The proposed method is easy to be understood and applied. An illustration results on IEEE 14-bus system show that the method is always consistent with expectancies and somewhat different with a few reference methods.

Loss-induced limits to phase measurement precision with maximally entangled states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rubin, Mark A.; Kaushik, Sumanth

2007-01-01

The presence of loss limits the precision of an approach to phase measurement using maximally entangled states, also referred to as NOON states. A calculation using a simple beam-splitter model of loss shows that, for all nonzero values L of the loss, phase measurement precision degrades with increasing number N of entangled photons for N sufficiently large. For L above a critical value of approximately 0.785, phase measurement precision degrades with increasing N for all values of N. For L near zero, phase measurement precision improves with increasing N down to a limiting precision of approximately 1.018L radians, attained at N approximately equal to 2.218/L, and degrades as N increases beyond this value. Phase measurement precision with multiple measurements and a fixed total number of photons N T is also examined. For L above a critical value of approximately 0.586, the ratio of phase measurement precision attainable with NOON states to that attainable by conventional methods using unentangled coherent states degrades with increasing N, the number of entangled photons employed in a single measurement, for all values of N. For L near zero this ratio is optimized by using approximately N=1.279/L entangled photons in each measurement, yielding a precision of approximately 1.340√(L/N T ) radians

A lattice-valued linguistic decision model for nuclear safeguards applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruan, D.; Liu, J.; Carchon, R.

2001-01-01

In this study, we focus our attention on decision making models to process uncertainty-based information directly without transforming them into any particular membership function, i.e., directly using linguistic information (linguistic values) instead of numbers (numerical values). By analyzing the feature of linguistic values ordered by their means of common usage, we argue that the set of linguistic values should be characterized by a lattice structure. We propose the lattice structure based on a logical algebraic structure i.e., lattice implication algebra. Finally, we obtain a multi-objective decision-making model by extending Yager's multi-objective model from the following aspects: (1) extension of linguistic information: from a set of linear ordered linguistic labels (values) to that of lattice-valued linguistic labels; (2) extension of the combination function M, which is used to combine the individual ratings with the weights of criteria. We propose an implication operation form of M. The implication operation can be drawn from lattice implication algebra. As an illustration, we will finally apply this decision model to the evaluation problem in safeguard relevant information. (orig.)

Hittite huelpi- “Young, tender, fresh” and ie +Hulp-, +Hlup-

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Metka Furlan

1984-12-01

Full Text Available The following contribution offers a new etymology of the Hittite term huelpi- which can through  IE root +Huelep- be related to IE +Hulp-, +Hlup- »fox, wolf, cat«.The relation indicates that the old expression for naming offerings to the gods is hidden in the IE forms +Hulp-, +Hlup-.

Loss of maternal measles antibody in black South African infants in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

acquired specific antibodies over time are reported. Subjects and methods ... 2 FEB 1991. The predicted values were obtained from the centrai distribution function of a .... The adjusted coefficient of determination was r2 = 0,99, i.e.. 99% of the variation ... distribution in the log transformed data, the probability of an individual.

Modeling Nitrogen Losses in Conventional and Advanced Soil-Based Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems under Current and Changing Climate Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Ivan; Cooper, Jennifer; Amador, José A; Boving, Thomas B

2016-01-01

Most of the non-point source nitrogen (N) load in rural areas is attributed to onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS). Nitrogen compounds cause eutrophication, depleting the oxygen in marine ecosystems. OWTS rely on physical, chemical and biological soil processes to treat wastewater and these processes may be affected by climate change. We simulated the fate and transport of N in different types of OWTS drainfields, or soil treatment areas (STA) under current and changing climate scenarios, using 2D/3D HYDRUS software. Experimental data from a mesocosm-scale study, including soil moisture content, and total N, ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-) concentrations, were used to calibrate the model. A water content-dependent function was used to compute the nitrification and denitrification rates. Three types of drainfields were simulated: (1) a pipe-and-stone (P&S), (2) advanced soil drainfields, pressurized shallow narrow drainfield (PSND) and (3) Geomat (GEO), a variation of SND. The model was calibrated with acceptable goodness-of-fit between the observed and measured values. Average root mean square error (RSME) ranged from 0.18 and 2.88 mg L-1 for NH4+ and 4.45 mg L-1 to 9.65 mg L-1 for NO3- in all drainfield types. The calibrated model was used to estimate N fluxes for both conventional and advanced STAs under current and changing climate conditions, i.e. increased soil temperature and higher water table. The model computed N losses from nitrification and denitrification differed little from measured losses in all STAs. The modeled N losses occurred mostly as NO3- in water outputs, accounting for more than 82% of N inputs in all drainfields. Losses as N2 were estimated to be 10.4% and 9.7% of total N input concentration for SND and Geo, respectively. The highest N2 losses, 17.6%, were estimated for P&S. Losses as N2 increased to 22%, 37% and 21% under changing climate conditions for Geo, PSND and P&S, respectively. These findings can provide practitioners

UCP2 expression is associated with weight loss after hypocaloric diet intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Cortes-Oliveira, C; Nicoletti, C F; de Souza Pinhel, M A; de Oliveira, B A P; Quinhoneiro, D C G; Noronha, N Y; Marchini, J S; da Silva Júnior, W A; Júnior, W S; Nonino, C B

2017-03-01

Although energy restriction contributes to weight loss, it may also reduce energy expenditure, limiting the success of weight loss in the long term. Studies have described how genetics contributes to the development of obesity, and uncoupling proteins 1 and 2 (UCP1 and UCP2) and beta-3-adrenoceptor (ADRB3) have been implicated in the metabolic pathways that culminate in this condition. This study aimed to evaluate how the UCP1, UCP2 and ADRB3 genes influence weight loss in severely obese women submitted to hypocaloric dietary intervention. This longitudinal study included 21 women divided into two groups: Group 1 (Dietary intervention (G1)) consisted of 11 individuals with severe obesity (body mass index (BMI) ⩾40 kg/m 2 ), selected for dietary intervention and Group 2 (Control (G2)) consisted of 10 normal-weight women (BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m 2 ). Evaluation included weight (kg), height (m), waist circumference (cm), body composition, resting metabolic rate (RMR, kcal) and abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue collection. The dietary intervention required that G1 patients remained hospitalized in the university hospital for 6 weeks receiving a hypocaloric diet (1200 kcal per day). The statistical analyses included t-test for paired samples, Spearman correlation and multivariate linear regressions, with the level of significance set at Phypocaloric diet intervention.

Stable dielectric response of low-loss aromatic polythiourea thin films on Pt/SiO2 substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Eršte

2016-03-01

Full Text Available We have investigated dielectric properties of aromatic polythiourea (ArPTU, a polar polymer containing high dipolar moments with very low defect levels thin films that were developed on Pt/SiO2 substrate. The detected response is compared to the response of commercially available polymers, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE and polypropylene (PP, which are at present used in foil capacitors. Stable values of the dielectric constant ε′≈5 (being twice higher than in HDPE and PP over broad temperature and frequency ranges and dielectric losses as low as in commercial systems suggest ArPTU as a promising candidate for future use in a variety of applications.

Emotion regulation reduces loss aversion and decreases amygdala responses to losses.

Science.gov (United States)

Sokol-Hessner, Peter; Camerer, Colin F; Phelps, Elizabeth A

2013-03-01

Emotion regulation strategies can alter behavioral and physiological responses to emotional stimuli and the neural correlates of those responses in regions such as the amygdala or striatum. The current study investigates the brain systems engaged when using an emotion regulation technique during financial decisions. In decision making, regulating emotion with reappraisal-focused strategies that encourage taking a different perspective has been shown to reduce loss aversion as observed both in choices and in the relative arousal responses to actual loss and gain outcomes. In the current study, we find using fMRI that behavioral loss aversion correlates with amygdala activity in response to losses relative to gains. Success in regulating loss aversion also correlates with the reduction in amygdala responses to losses but not to gains. Furthermore, across both decisions and outcomes, we find the reappraisal strategy increases baseline activity in dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the striatum. The similarity of the neural circuitry observed to that seen in emotion regulation, despite divergent tasks, serves as further evidence for a role of emotion in decision making, and for the power of reappraisal to change assessments of value and thereby choices.

Evolution of loss tangent with structural ordering of the perovskite-type Ba_3CaNb_2O_9 ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigues, J.E.F.S.; Correr, W.R.; Hernandes, A.C.; Castro, P.J.; Pizani, P.S.

2016-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the microwave dielectric properties considering the de-gree of disorder, which plays a fundamental role in the values of dielectric loss, for the perovskite-type Ba_3CaNb_2O_9 ceramics. Dense ceramics were prepared by con-ventional method in solid state reactions and their dielectric properties were then ob-tained as a function of sintering time. The coexistence of domains in the 1:1 (cubic) and the 1:2 (trigonal) ordering types in all samples was realized. Specifically, the in-crease of sintering time tends to reduce the domains 1:1, raising the unloaded quality factor (Q_u). The domain (1:1) acts as a lattice vibration damping, thus increasing the dielectric loss at resonance. The best performance was recorded in sintered ceramic at 1500° C for 32 h: ε_r = 43 (relative permittivity), Q_u × f_R = 15,752 GHz (resonant frequency f_R = 7.76 GHz) and τ_f = 278 ppm/deg C (coefficient of resonant frequency variation with temperature). (author)

Accidents of loss of flow for the ETTR-2 reactor; deterministic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Messiry, A.M.

2000-01-01

The main objective for reactor safety is to keep the fuel in a thermally safe condition with adequate safety margins during all operational modes (normal-abnormal and accidental states). To achieve this purpose an accident analysis of different design base accident (DBA) as loss of flow accident (LOFA), is required assessing reactor safety. The present work concerns this transients applied to Egypt Test and Research Reactor ETRR-3 (new reactor). An accident analysis code FLOWTR is developed to investigate the thermal behaviour of the core during such flow transients. The active core is simulated by two channels: 1 - hot channel (HC), and 2 - average channel (AC) representing the remainder of the core. Each channel is divided into four axial sections. The external loop, core plenums, and core chimney are simulated by different dynamic loops. The code includes modules for pump cast down, flow regimes, decay heat, temperature distributions, and feedback coefficients. FLOWTR is verified against results from RETRAN code, THERMIC code and commissioning tests for null transient case. The comparison shows a good agreement. The study indicates that for LOFA transients, provided the scram system is available, the core is shutdown safely by low flow signal (496.6 kg/s) at 1.4 s were the HC temperature reaches the maximum value, 45.64 o C after shutdown. On the other hand, if the scram system is unavailable, and at t = 47.33 s, the core flow decreases to 67.41 kg/s, the HC temperature increases to 164.02 o C, and the HC clad surface heat flux exceeds its critical value of 400.00 W/cm 2 resulting of fuel burnout. (author)

Intentional Weight Loss and Longevity in Overweight Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Køster-Rasmussen, Rasmus; Simonsen, Mette Kildevæld; Siersma, Volkert

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the influence of weight loss on long-term morbidity and mortality in overweight (BMI≥25 kg/m2) patients with type 2 diabetes, and tested the hypothesis that therapeutic intentional weight loss supervised by a medical doctor prolongs life and reduces the risk...... for cardiovascular disease in these patients. METHODS: This is a 19 year cohort study of patients in the intervention arm of the randomized clinical trial Diabetes Care in General Practice. Weight and prospective intentions for weight loss were monitored every third month for six years in 761 consecutive patients...... (≥40 years) newly diagnosed with diabetes in general practices throughout Denmark in 1989-92. Multivariable Cox regression was used to estimate the association between weight change during the monitoring period (year 0 to 6) and the outcomes during the succeeding 13 years (year 6 to 19) in 444 patients...

Attitudes toward Face-to-Face and Online Counseling: Roles of Self-Concealment, Openness to Experience, Loss of Face, Stigma, and Disclosure Expectations among Korean College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Bathje, Geoff J.; Kim, Eunha; Rau, Ellen; Bassiouny, Muhammad Adam; Kim, Taehoon

2014-01-01

This study examined attitudes toward face-to-face (f2f) and online counseling among 228 Korean college students. In addition, it tested a hypothesized model proposing that general propensities (i.e., self-concealment, openness to experience, and loss of face) would influence counseling-specific expectations (i.e., self-stigma and disclosure…

[Changes in the nutritive value of food products after thermal culinary handling].

Science.gov (United States)

Skurikhin, I M

1985-01-01

The data were summarized for the first time concerning the losses of the basic food substances (protein, fats, carbohydrates, Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, vitamins A, B1, B2, PP, C) and caloric value as a result of the different methods of culinary treatment: cooking, frying, stewing, baking, and so forth. It was shown that the greatest losses of vegetable foods are observed during frying, those of animal foods during cooking. It was also shown that the least losses of nutritive substances of vegetable foods are observed during cooking without water pouring off. The losses of nutritive substances of animal foods were minimal during stewing, baking and cooking in the form of cutlets. For rough estimation of the daily diet the losses during thermal culinary treatment may be assumed on the average as 6% (proteins), 12% (fats), 9% (carbohydrates), and 10% (the caloric value).

Comparative study of the sensitivity of ADC value and T{sub 2} relaxation time for early detection of Wallerian degeneration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Fan [Department of Radiology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Clinical School of Medical College of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210002 (China); Lu Guangming, E-mail: cjr.luguangming@vip.163.com [Department of Radiology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Clinical School of Medical College of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210002 (China); Zee Chishing, E-mail: chishing@usc.edu [Department of Radiology, USC Keck School of Medicine (United States)

2011-07-15

Background and purpose: Wallerian degeneration (WD), the secondary degeneration of axons from cortical and subcortical injuries, is associated with poor neurological outcome. There is some quantitative MR imaging techniques used to estimate the biologic changes secondary to delayed neuronal and axonal losses. Our purpose is to assess the sensitivity of ADC value and T{sub 2} relaxation time for early detection of WD. Methods: Ten male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to establish in vivo Wallerian degeneration model of CNS by ipsilateral motor-sensory cortex ablation. 5 days after cortex ablation, multiecho-T{sub 2} relaxometry and multi-b value DWI were acquired by using a 7 T MR imaging scanner. ADC-map and T{sub 2}-map were reconstructed by post-processing. ROIs are selected according to pathway of corticospinal tract from cortex, internal capsule, cerebral peduncle, pons, medulla oblongata to upper cervical spinal cord to measure ADC value and T{sub 2} relaxation time of healthy side and affected side. The results were compared between the side with cortical ablation and the side without ablation. Results: Excluding ablated cortex, ADC values of the corticospinal tract were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in affected side compared to the unaffected, healthy side; no difference in T{sub 2} relaxation time was observed between the affected and healthy sides. Imaging findings were correlated with histological examinations. Conclusion: As shown in this animal experiment, ADC values could non-invasively demonstrate the secondary degeneration involving descending white matter tracts. ADC values are more sensitive indicators for detection of early WD than T{sub 2} relaxation time.

Analysis of pressure losses in the diffuser of a control valve

Science.gov (United States)

Turecký, Petr; Mrózek, Lukáš; Tajč, Ladislav; Kolovratník, Michal

The pressure loss in the diffuser of a control valve is evaluated by using CFD computations. Pressure ratios and lifts of a cone for the recommended flow characteristics of an experimental turbine are considered. The pressure loss in a valve is compared with the pressure loss in a nozzle, i.e. the embodiment of the valve without a cone. Computations are carried out for the same mass flow. Velocity profiles are evaluated in both versions of computations. Comparison of computed pressure losses, with the loss evaluated by using relations for diffusers with the ideal velocity conditions in the input cross-section, is carried out.

Analysis of pressure losses in the diffuser of a control valve

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Turecký Petr

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The pressure loss in the diffuser of a control valve is evaluated by using CFD computations. Pressure ratios and lifts of a cone for the recommended flow characteristics of an experimental turbine are considered. The pressure loss in a valve is compared with the pressure loss in a nozzle, i.e. the embodiment of the valve without a cone. Computations are carried out for the same mass flow. Velocity profiles are evaluated in both versions of computations. Comparison of computed pressure losses, with the loss evaluated by using relations for diffusers with the ideal velocity conditions in the input cross-section, is carried out.

An analytical turn-on power loss model for 650-V GaN eHEMTs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shen, Yanfeng; Wang, Huai; Shen, Zhan

2018-01-01

This paper proposes an improved analytical turn-on power loss model for 650-V GaN eHEMTs. The static characteristics, i.e., the parasitic capacitances and transconductance, are firstly modeled. Then the turn-on process is divided into multiple stages and analyzed in detail; as results, the time-d......-domain solutions to the drain-source voltage and drain current are obtained. Finally, double-pulse tests are conducted to verify the proposed power loss model. This analytical model enables an accurate and fast switching behavior characterization and power loss prediction.......This paper proposes an improved analytical turn-on power loss model for 650-V GaN eHEMTs. The static characteristics, i.e., the parasitic capacitances and transconductance, are firstly modeled. Then the turn-on process is divided into multiple stages and analyzed in detail; as results, the time...

Alveolar bone-loss area localization in periodontitis radiographs based on threshold segmentation with a hybrid feature fused of intensity and the H-value of fractional Brownian motion model.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, P L; Huang, P W; Huang, P Y; Hsu, H C

2015-10-01

Periodontitis involves progressive loss of alveolar bone around the teeth. Hence, automatic alveolar bone-loss (ABL) measurement in periapical radiographs can assist dentists in diagnosing such disease. In this paper, we propose an effective method for ABL area localization and denote it as ABLIfBm. ABLIfBm is a threshold segmentation method that uses a hybrid feature fused of both intensity and texture measured by the H-value of fractional Brownian motion (fBm) model, where the H-value is the Hurst coefficient in the expectation function of a fBm curve (intensity change) and is directly related to the value of fractal dimension. Adopting leave-one-out cross validation training and testing mechanism, ABLIfBm trains weights for both features using Bayesian classifier and transforms the radiograph image into a feature image obtained from a weighted average of both features. Finally, by Otsu's thresholding, it segments the feature image into normal and bone-loss regions. Experimental results on 31 periodontitis radiograph images in terms of mean true positive fraction and false positive fraction are about 92.5% and 14.0%, respectively, where the ground truth is provided by a dentist. The results also demonstrate that ABLIfBm outperforms (a) the threshold segmentation method using either feature alone or a weighted average of the same two features but with weights trained differently; (b) a level set segmentation method presented earlier in literature; and (c) segmentation methods based on Bayesian, K-NN, or SVM classifier using the same two features. Our results suggest that the proposed method can effectively localize alveolar bone-loss areas in periodontitis radiograph images and hence would be useful for dentists in evaluating degree of bone-loss for periodontitis patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic Linkage Analysis of DFNB2 Locus with Autosomal Recessive Hearing Loss in Families Negative for GJB2 Mutations in Khuzestan Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parisa Tahmasebi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Hearing loss is a common sensory impairment in humans which half of its causes are genetic reasons. Genetic hearing loss can be divided into the two types of syndromic and non-syndromic, which 80% of non-syndromic cases is Autosomal Recessive Non-Syndromic Hearing Loss. The aim of the present research is to determine the contribution of DFNB2 locus (MYO7A gene in causing an autosomal recessive hearing loss in the one group of the deaf families of Khuzestan province. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 26 families with autosomal recessive hearing loss (with 4 patients and negative for GJB2 mutations in Khuzestan province. 22 families suffered from ARNSHL and 4 families suffered from Usher syndrome. Linkage analysis was performed by using STR (Short Tandem Repeat markers related to DFNB2 locus. Each family’s genotype was determined by PCR-PAGE method. Furthermore, haplotypes drawing and LOD score calculations were performed. Results: From 26 families with hearing loss participating in this research, following genetic linkage analysis and haplotypes drawing, two families (7.7% of the families showed linkage to DFNB2 locus. One family (4.5% suffered from ARNSHL and another family suffered from Usher syndrome. Conclusion: The results of the present research show that the contribution of DFNB2 locus in causing hearing loss in the population of Khuzestan province was similar to other studies conducted in Iran and this locus with other important loci should be considered to check in the hearing loss panel.

Stochastic LMP (Locational marginal price) calculation method in distribution systems to minimize loss and emission based on Shapley value and two-point estimate method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azad-Farsani, Ehsan; Agah, S.M.M.; Askarian-Abyaneh, Hossein; Abedi, Mehrdad; Hosseinian, S.H.

2016-01-01

LMP (Locational marginal price) calculation is a serious impediment in distribution operation when private DG (distributed generation) units are connected to the network. A novel policy is developed in this study to guide distribution company (DISCO) to exert its control over the private units when power loss and green-house gases emissions are minimized. LMP at each DG bus is calculated according to the contribution of the DG to the reduced amount of loss and emission. An iterative algorithm which is based on the Shapley value method is proposed to allocate loss and emission reduction. The proposed algorithm will provide a robust state estimation tool for DISCOs in the next step of operation. The state estimation tool provides the decision maker with the ability to exert its control over private DG units when loss and emission are minimized. Also, a stochastic approach based on the PEM (point estimate method) is employed to capture uncertainty in the market price and load demand. The proposed methodology is applied to a realistic distribution network, and efficiency and accuracy of the method are verified. - Highlights: • Reduction of the loss and emission at the same time. • Fair allocation of loss and emission reduction. • Estimation of the system state using an iterative algorithm. • Ability of DISCOs to control DG units via the proposed policy. • Modeling the uncertainties to calculate the stochastic LMP.

Human values and beliefs and concern about climate change: a Bayesian longitudinal analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Prati, Gabriele; Pietrantoni, Luca; Albanesi, Cinzia

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of human values on beliefs and concern about climate change using a longitudinal design and Bayesian analysis. A sample of 298 undergraduate/master students filled out the same questionnaire on two occasions at an interval of 2 months. The questionnaire included measures of beliefs and concern about climate change (i.e., perceived consequences, risk perception, and skepticism) and human values (i.e., the Portrait Values Questionnaire). After controlling for gender and the respective baseline score, universalism at Time 1 was associated with higher levels of perceived consequences of climate change and lower levels of climate change skepticism. Self-direction at Time 1 predicted Time 2 climate change risk perception and perceived consequences of climate change. Hedonism at Time 1 was associated with Time 2 climate change risk perception. The other human values at Time 1 were not associated with any of the measures of beliefs and concern about climate change at Time 2. The results of this study suggest that a focus on universalism and self-direction values seems to be a more successful approach to stimulate public engagement with climate change than a focus on other human values.

Aging and loss decision making: increased risk aversion and decreased use of maximizing information, with correlated rationality and value maximization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoanna Arlina Kurnianingsih

2015-05-01

Full Text Available We investigated how adult aging specifically alters economic decision-making, focusing on examining alterations in uncertainty preferences (willingness to gamble and choice strategies (what gamble information influences choices within both the gains and losses domains. Within each domain, participants chose between certain monetary outcomes and gambles with uncertain outcomes. We examined preferences by quantifying how uncertainty modulates choice behavior as if altering the subjective valuation of gambles. We explored age-related preferences for two types of uncertainty, risk and ambiguity. Additionally, we explored how aging may alter what information participants utilize to make their choices by comparing the relative utilization of maximizing and satisficing information types through a choice strategy metric. Maximizing information was the ratio of the expected value of the two options, while satisficing information was the probability of winning.We found age-related alterations of economic preferences within the losses domain, but no alterations within the gains domain. Older adults (OA; 61 to 80 years old were significantly more uncertainty averse for both risky and ambiguous choices. OA also exhibited choice strategies with decreased use of maximizing information. Within OA, we found a significant correlation between risk preferences and choice strategy. This linkage between preferences and strategy appears to derive from a convergence to risk neutrality driven by greater use of the effortful maximizing strategy. As utility maximization and value maximization intersect at risk neutrality, this result suggests that OA are exhibiting a relationship between enhanced rationality and enhanced value maximization. While there was variability in economic decision-making measures within OA, these individual differences were unrelated to variability within examined measures of cognitive ability. Our results demonstrate that aging alters economic

JRC-IE's research of safety of Gen IV systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsige-Tamirat, H.; Ranguelova, V.; Feutterer, M.; Ammirabile, L.; Carlsson, J.; D'Agata, E.; Laurie, M.; Magallon, D.

2010-01-01

The Institute for Energy (IE), one of the seven scientific Institutes of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, has the mission to provide scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of community policies related to energy. To accomplish its mission, IE performs research in the areas of renewable energies, safety and sustainability of nuclear energy for current and future reactor systems, energy technic/economic assessment, and security of energy supply. The Generation IV International Forum (GIF) is a cooperative international endeavour organized to carry out R and D needed to establish the feasibility and performance capabilities of the next generation nuclear energy systems and support the progress towards their realization. The EU, represented by EURATOM and with the JRC as implementing agent, is working together with other GIF partners to perform pre-competitive R and D on key technologies to be implemented in future nuclear systems. IE is engaged in experimental research, simulation and modeling, scientific, feasibility and engineering studies on innovative nuclear reactor systems needed to support the EURATOM contribution to GEN IV initiative, in particular in assessment of innovative fuels and materials, development of new reactor core concepts and safety solutions and knowledge management and preservation. IE's research activities on Generation IV reactor systems are focused on the assessment of the potential of such systems to meet long term EU energy needs with respect to economical advantages, enhanced safety, sustainability, and proliferation resistance. IE participates in international collaborations and has bilateral research cooperation both with European and non-European partners. This paper gives an overview of IE's current research activities on the Gen IV reactor systems related to safety. (authors)

Unpleasant odors increase aversion to monetary losses.

Science.gov (United States)

Stancak, Andrej; Xie, Yuxin; Fallon, Nicholas; Bulsing, Patricia; Giesbrecht, Timo; Thomas, Anna; Pantelous, Athanasios A

2015-04-01

Loss aversion is the tendency to prefer avoiding losses over acquiring gains of equal nominal values. Unpleasant odors not only influence affective state but have also been shown to activate brain regions similar to those mediating loss aversion. Therefore, we hypothesized a stronger loss aversion in a monetary gamble task if gambles were associated with an unpleasant as opposed to pleasant odor. In thirty human subjects, unpleasant (methylmercaptan), pleasant (jasmine), and neutral (clean air) odors were presented for 4 s. At the same time, uncertain gambles offering an equal chance of gain or loss of a variable amount of money, or a prospect of an assured win were displayed. One hundred different gambles were presented three times, each time paired with a different odor. Loss aversion, risk aversion, and logit sensitivity were evaluated using non-linear fitting of individual gamble decisions. Loss aversion was larger when prospects were displayed in the presence of methylmercaptan compared to jasmine or clean air. Moreover, individual differences in changes in loss aversion to the unpleasant as compared to pleasant odor correlated with odor pleasantness but not with odor intensity. Skin conductance responses to losses during the outcome period were larger when gambles were associated with methylmercaptan compared to jasmine. Increased loss aversion while perceiving an unpleasant odor suggests a dynamic adjustment of loss aversion toward greater sensitivity to losses. Given that odors are biological signals of hazards, such adjustment of loss aversion may have adaptive value in situations entailing threat or danger. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stress effects on framed decisions: there are differences for gains and losses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephan ePabst

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Recent studies have shown that acute stress can lead to riskier decision making. Yet, the underlying mechanisms of the stress effects on decisions under risk remain poorly understood. To gain a better understanding of decision-making processes and potential strategy application under stress, we investigated decision making in pure gain and loss domains with unequal expected values across alternatives. We conducted an experimental study with a 2 × 2 design (stress vs. no stress and gain domain vs. loss domain. The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST was utilized to induce acute stress. Controls performed the placebo-TSST. To validate the stress response we measured salivary cortisol and alpha amylase concentrations. We used a modified version of the Game of Dice Task (GDT to assess decision-making performance in a gain and a loss domain. Results showed that non-stressed participants of the gain domain decided less risky compared to those of the loss domain. This behavior is in accordance with previous studies and indicates the stability of the framing effect in even more complex tasks with changing expected values across alternatives. Stress did not alter risk taking behavior in the gain domain. Yet, in the loss domain stressed participants decided less risky compared to controls. Additionally, the data support earlier findings of longer reaction times in loss compared to gain domains due to higher cognitive effort for loss-framed decisions. It is discussed that stress may lead to reduced amygdala activation, which has been found to reduce riskier decisions in a loss domain. With respect to earlier results of riskier decisions in tasks that unite both gain and loss domains, it is discussed whether stress leads to a stronger evaluation of high gains and a neglect of losses.

Quantitative assessment of gastrointestinal blood loss with anti-inflammatory drugs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dahanukar, S.A.; Sheth, U.K.; Bhiwankar, N.T.; Ramnath, S.R.; Mehta, B.C.; Katoch, D.S.

1980-01-01

A comparative study of gastrointestinal blood loss caused by aspirin, flurbiprofen and RH-8 was carried out in 24 normal volunteers in whom erythrocytes were labelled with radioactive chromium i.e. Cr 51 . Blood loss was estimated by counting radio-activity in vitro taking total amount of faeces. The method used was independent of distribution of radio-activity in the faeces, which does not require homogenization. Significant increase in blood loss occurred with aspirin, flurbiprofen and RH-8; only the difference between RH-8 and flurbiprofen group is significant. (auth.)

A mutation in synaptojanin 2 causes progressive hearing loss in the ENU-mutagenised mouse strain Mozart.

Science.gov (United States)

Manji, Shehnaaz S M; Williams, Louise H; Miller, Kerry A; Ooms, Lisa M; Bahlo, Melanie; Mitchell, Christina A; Dahl, Hans-Henrik M

2011-03-15

Hearing impairment is the most common sensory impairment in humans, affecting 1:1,000 births. We have identified an ENU generated mouse mutant, Mozart, with recessively inherited, non-syndromic progressive hearing loss caused by a mutation in the synaptojanin 2 (Synj2), a central regulatory enzyme in the phosphoinositide-signaling cascade. The hearing loss in Mozart is caused by a p.Asn538Lys mutation in the catalytic domain of the inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase synaptojanin 2. Within the cochlea, Synj2 mRNA expression was detected in the inner and outer hair cells but not in the spiral ganglion. Synj2(N538K) mutant protein showed loss of lipid phosphatase activity, and was unable to degrade phosphoinositide signaling molecules. Mutant Mozart mice (Synj2(N538K/N538K)) exhibited progressive hearing loss and showed signs of hair cell degeneration as early as two weeks of age, with fusion of stereocilia followed by complete loss of hair bundles and ultimately loss of hair cells. No changes in vestibular or neurological function, or other clinical or behavioral manifestations were apparent. Phosphoinositides are membrane associated signaling molecules that regulate many cellular processes including cell death, proliferation, actin polymerization and ion channel activity. These results reveal Synj2 as a critical regulator of hair cell survival that is essential for hair cell maintenance and hearing function.

“Virtual IED sensor” at an rf-biased electrode in low-pressure plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bogdanova, M. A.; Zyryanov, S. M. [Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow State University, SINP MSU, Moscow (Russian Federation); Faculty of Physics, Moscow State University, MSU, Moscow (Russian Federation); Lopaev, D. V.; Rakhimov, A. T. [Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow State University, SINP MSU, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2016-07-15

Energy distribution and the flux of the ions coming on a surface are considered as the key-parameters in anisotropic plasma etching. Since direct ion energy distribution (IED) measurements at the treated surface during plasma processing are often hardly possible, there is an opportunity for virtual ones. This work is devoted to the possibility of such indirect IED and ion flux measurements at an rf-biased electrode in low-pressure rf plasma by using a “virtual IED sensor” which represents “in-situ” IED calculations on the absolute scale in accordance with a plasma sheath model containing a set of measurable external parameters. The “virtual IED sensor” should also involve some external calibration procedure. Applicability and accuracy of the “virtual IED sensor” are validated for a dual-frequency reactive ion etching (RIE) inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reactor with a capacitively coupled rf-biased electrode. The validation is carried out for heavy (Ar) and light (H{sub 2}) gases under different discharge conditions (different ICP powers, rf-bias frequencies, and voltages). An EQP mass-spectrometer and an rf-compensated Langmuir probe (LP) are used to characterize plasma, while an rf-compensated retarded field energy analyzer (RFEA) is applied to measure IED and ion flux at the rf-biased electrode. Besides, the pulsed selfbias method is used as an external calibration procedure for ion flux estimating at the rf-biased electrode. It is shown that pulsed selfbias method allows calibrating the IED absolute scale quite accurately. It is also shown that the “virtual IED sensor” based on the simplest collisionless sheath model allows reproducing well enough the experimental IEDs at the pressures when the sheath thickness s is less than the ion mean free path λ{sub i} (s < λ{sub i}). At higher pressure (when s > λ{sub i}), the difference between calculated and experimental IEDs due to ion collisions in the sheath is observed in the low

Overexpression of c-erbB-2 and loss of p16 have molecular diagnostic relevance but no prognostic value in lung cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Xiao-li; Li, Ling; Gao, Yan-ning; Zhang, Jian-jun; Xiao, Ting; Ying, Jian-ming; Gao, Ji-dong; Sun, Yun-tian; Cheng, Shu-jun

2011-03-01

This study was designed to evaluate the expression of C-erbB-2 and p16 in lung cancers using tissue microarray technology and to determine their clinical and pathological significance. Immunohistochemical C-erbB-2 and p16 expressions and their associations with clinical and pathological features were analyzed in two tissue microarrays. The membranous and cytoplasmic expression rates of C-erbB-2 were 40.5 and 66.5% in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs), and 0 and 9.5% in small cell lung cancers (SCLCs), respectively. The nuclear and cytoplasmic expression rates of p16 were 11.5 and 32.2% in NSCLs, and 45 and 80% in SCLCs, respectively. The cytoplasmic expression of both C-erbB-2 and p16 was more frequent than the membranous expression of C-erbB-2 and the nuclear expression of p16. The rates of overexpression of C-erbB-2 and loss of p16 expression were significantly higher in NSCLCs than in SCLCs (P < 0.05). Neither C-erbB-2 nor p16 expression was significantly associated with age, tumor grade or stage, presence of lymph node metastasis or survival duration. The abnormal expressions of p16 and C-erbB-2 may play a role in the progression of lung cancers. The variations in the expression patterns of C-erbB-2 and p16 between NSCLCs and SCLCs may aid the molecular classification of lung cancer. The abnormal expression of p16 may be involved in the development of NSCLCs, and the overexpression of C-erbB-2 in NSCLCs indicates that it can be a candidate target for gene therapy.

Risk factors for islet loss during culture prior to transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kin, Tatsuya; Senior, Peter; O'Gorman, Doug; Richer, Brad; Salam, Abdul; Shapiro, Andrew Mark James

2008-11-01

Culturing islets can add great flexibility to a clinical islet transplant program. However, a reduction in the islet mass has been frequently observed during culture and its degree varies. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with a significant islet loss during culture. One-hundred and four islet preparations cultured in an attempt to use for transplantation constituted this study. After culture for 20 h (median), islet yield significantly decreased from 363 309 +/- 12 647 to 313 035 +/- 10 862 islet equivalent yield (IE) (mean +/- SE), accompanied by a reduction in packed tissue volume from 3.9 +/- 0.1 to 3.0 +/- 0.1 ml and islet index (IE/islet particle count) from 1.20 +/- 0.04 to 1.05 +/- 0.04. Culture did not markedly alter islet purity or percent of trapped islet. Morphology score and viability were significantly improved after culture. Of 104 islet preparations, 37 suffered a substantial islet loss (> 20%) over culture. Factors significantly associated with risk of islet loss identified by univariate analysis were longer cold ischemia time, two-layer method (TLM) preservation, lower islet purity, and higher islet index. Multivariate analysis revealed that independent predictors of islet loss were higher islet index and the use of TLM. This study provides novel information on the link between donor- isolation factors and islet loss during culture.

On a covariant 2+2 formulation of the initial value problem in general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smallwood, J.

1980-03-01

The initial value problems in general relativity are considered from a geometrical standpoint with especial reference to the development of a covariant 2+2 formalism in which space-time is foliated by space-like 2-surfaces under the headings; the Cauchy problem in general relativity, the covariant 3+1 formulation of the Cauchy problem, characteristic and mixed initial value problems, on locally imbedding a family of null hypersurfaces, the 2+2 formalism, the 2+2 formulation of the Cauchy problem, the 2+2 formulation of the characteristic and mixed initial value problems, and a covariant Lagrangian 2+2 formulation. (U.K.)

Power loss separation in Fe-based composite materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kollar, Peter, E-mail: peter.kollar@upjs.sk [Institute of Physics, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Park Angelinum 9, 04154 Kosice (Slovakia); Bircakova, Zuzana; Fuezer, Jan [Institute of Physics, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Park Angelinum 9, 04154 Kosice (Slovakia); Bures, Radovan; Faberova, Maria [Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 04001 Kosice (Slovakia)

2013-02-15

The frequency dependence of total losses measured in the frequency range from dc to 1 kHz of two Fe-based soft magnetic composites (prepared by compaction of an ASC 100.29 iron powder mixture with 10 vol% of commercial thermoset resin and of a Somaloy{sup Registered-Sign} 700 powder) was analyzed. We found out that hysteresis losses (per volume unit) are higher for the composite with lower volume concentration of iron particles (i.e. mixture of iron with resin) and consequently weaker magnetic interaction between particles. On the other hand, higher specific resistivity of the sample with lower magnetic fraction causes lower contribution of eddy current losses to the total losses. A linear dependence of the total energy losses on frequency was observed and from them the contribution of excess losses was obtained. The detailed study of the excess losses resulted in an explanation of the frequency dependence of these losses in composite materials. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It was observed that excess losses in SMC depend on the frequency linearly. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Two components of eddy current losses (inter- and intra-particle) were analyzed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Larger amount of insulator causes the eddy current inside ferromagnetic particles.

Association of testosterone and antimüllerian hormone with time to pregnancy and pregnancy loss in fecund women attempting pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sjaarda, Lindsey A; Mumford, Sunni L; Kuhr, Daniel L; Holland, Tiffany L; Silver, Robert M; Plowden, Torie C; Perkins, Neil J; Schisterman, Enrique F

2018-03-01

To examine whether higher T and/or antimüllerian hormone (AMH) was associated with anovulation, time to pregnancy (TTP), or pregnancy loss risk among healthy, fecund women without diagnosed polycystic ovary syndrome. Prospective cohort study conducted as a secondary analysis from the Effects of Aspirin in Gestation and Reproduction randomized trial. University medical centers. A total of 1,198 healthy, eumenorrheic women aged 18-40 years attempting spontaneous pregnancy with one to two prior pregnancy losses were included. Women were categorized by baseline antimüllerian hormone (AMH), as a surrogate marker of antral follicle count, and T concentrations; the highest quartile for each was "high," and below the top quartile (i.e., lower 75% of values) was "norm," forming four groups: norm T/norm AMH (n = 742), norm T/high AMH (n = 156), high T/norm AMH (n = 157), and high T/high AMH (n = 143). Not applicable. Anovulation, pregnancy incidence, TTP, and pregnancy loss incidence. Women with high T/high AMH had a greater anovulation risk (risk ratio 1.58, 95% confidence interval 1.13-2.22) compared with women with norm T/norm AMH, but with imprecise differences in incidence of pregnancy, TTP, or pregnancy loss. Women with higher T and AMH had more frequent anovulatory cycles but with marginal impacts on TTP or pregnancy loss. A continuum of mild inefficiency in reproductive function may be related to higher T and AMH, including in fecund women with normal menstrual cycles and no clinical diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome, but with unclear effects on fecundability and pregnancy loss. NCT00467363. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Characteristics of HIV-2 and HIV-1/HIV-2 Dually Seropositive Adults in West Africa Presenting for Care and Antiretroviral Therapy: The IeDEA-West Africa HIV-2 Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ekouevi, Didier K; Balestre, Eric; Coffie, Patrick A; Minta, Daouda; Messou, Eugene; Sawadogo, Adrien; Minga, Albert; Sow, Papa Salif; Bissagnene, Emmanuel; Eholie, Serge P; Gottlieb, Geoffrey S; Dabis, François; Zannou, Djimon Marcel; Ahouada, Carin; Akakpo, Jocelyn; Ahomadegbé, Christelle; Bashi, Jules; Gougounon-Houéto, Alice; Azon-Kouanou, Angèle; Houngbé, Fabien; Koumakpaï, Sikiratou; Alihonou, Florence; d'Almeida, Marcelline; Hodonou, Irvine; Hounhoui, Ghislaine; Sagbo, Gracien; Tossa-Bagnan, Leïla; Adjide, Herman; Drabo, Joseph; Bognounou, René; Dienderé, Arnaud; Traore, Eliezer; Zoungrana, Lassane; Zerbo, Béatrice; Sawadogo, Adrien Bruno; Zoungrana, Jacques; Héma, Arsène; Soré, Ibrahim; Bado, Guillaume; Tapsoba, Achille; Yé, Diarra; Kouéta, Fla; Ouedraogo, Sylvie; Ouédraogo, Rasmata; Hiembo, William; Gansonré, Mady; Messou, Eugène; Gnokoro, Joachim Charles; Koné, Mamadou; Kouakou, Guillaume Martial; Bosse, Clarisse Amani; Brou, Kouakou; Assi, Achi Isidore; Chenal, Henri; Hawerlander, Denise; Soppi, Franck; Minga, Albert; Abo, Yao; Bomisso, Germain; Eholié, Serge Paul; Amego, Mensah Deborah Noelly; Andavi, Viviane; Diallo, Zelica; Ello, Frédéric; Tanon, Aristophane Koffi; Koule, Serge Olivier; Anzan, Koffi Charles; Guehi, Calixte; Aka, Edmond Addi; Issouf, Koffi Ladji; Kouakou, Jean-Claude; N'gbeche, Marie-Sylvie; Touré, Pety; Avit-Edi, Divine; Kouakou, Kouadio; Moh, Magloire; Yao, Valérie Andoblé; Folquet, Madeleine Amorissani; Dainguy, Marie-Evelyne; Kouakou, Cyrille; Méa-Assande, Véronique Tanoh; Oka-Berete, Gladys; Zobo, Nathalie; Acquah, Patrick; Kokora, Marie-Berthe; Eboua, Tanoh François; Timité-Konan, Marguerite; Ahoussou, Lucrèce Diecket; Assouan, Julie Kebé; Sami, Mabéa Flora; Kouadio, Clémence; Renner, Lorna; Goka, Bamenla; Welbeck, Jennifer; Sackey, Adziri; Owiafe, Seth Ntiri; Wejse, Christian; Silva, Zacarias José Da; Paulo, Joao; Rodrigues, Amabelia; da Silva, David; Medina, Candida; Oliviera-Souto, Ines; Ostergaard, Lars; Laursen, Alex; Sodemann, Morten; Aaby, Peter; Fomsgaard, Anders; Erikstrup, Christian; Eugen-Olsen, Jesper; Maïga, Moussa Y; Diakité, Fatoumata Fofana; Kalle, Abdoulaye; Katile, Drissa; Traore, Hamar Alassane; Minta, Daouda; Cissé, Tidiani; Dembelé, Mamadou; Doumbia, Mohammed; Fomba, Mahamadou; Kaya, Assétou Soukho; Traoré, Abdoulaye M; Traoré, Hamady; Toure, Amadou Abathina; Dicko, Fatoumata; Sylla, Mariam; Berthé, Alima; Traoré, Hadizatou Coulibaly; Koïta, Anta; Koné, Niaboula; N'diaye, Clémentine; Coulibaly, Safiatou Touré; Traoré, Mamadou; Traoré, Naïchata; Charurat, Man; Ajayi, Samuel; Dapiap, Stephen; Otu; Igbinoba, Festus; Benson, Okwara; Adebamowo, Clément; James, Jesse; Obaseki; Osakede, Philip; Olasode, John; Sow, Papa Salif; Diop, Bernard; Manga, Noël Magloire; Tine, Judicael Malick; Signate Sy, Haby; Ba, Abou; Diagne, Aida; Dior, Hélène; Faye, Malick; Gueye, Ramatoulaye Diagne; Mbaye, Aminata Diack; Patassi, Akessiwe; Kotosso, Awèrou; Kariyare, Benjamin Goilibe; Gbadamassi, Gafarou; Komi, Agbo; Mensah-Zukong, Kankoé Edem; Pakpame, Pinuwe; Lawson-Evi, Annette Koko; Atakouma, Yawo; Takassi, Elom; Djeha, Améyo; Ephoévi-Gah, Ayoko; Djibril, Sherifa El-Hadj; Dabis, François; Bissagnene, Emmanuel; Arrivé, Elise; Coffie, Patrick; Ekouevi, Didier; Jaquet, Antoine; Leroy, Valériane; Lewden, Charlotte; Sasco, Annie; Azani, Jean-Claude; Allou, Gérard; Balestre, Eric; Bohossou, Franck; Karcher, Sophie; Gonsan, Jules Mahan; Carrou, Jérôme Le; Lenaud, Séverin; Nchot, Célestin; Malateste, Karen; Yao, Amon Roseamonde; Siloué, Bertine; Clouet, Gwenaelle; Djetouan, Hugues; Doring, Alexandra; Kouakou, Adrienne; Rabourdin, Elodie; Rivenc, Jean; Anglaret, Xavier; Ba, Boubacar; Essanin, Jean Bosco; Ciaranello, Andrea; Datté, Sébastien; Desmonde, Sophie; Diby, Jean-Serge Elvis; Gottlieb, Geoffrey S; Horo, Apollinaire Gninlgninrin; Kangah, Serge N'zoré; Malvy, Denis; Meless, David; Mounkaila-Harouna, Aida; Ndondoki, Camille; Shiboski, Caroline; Thiébaut, Rodolphe; Pac-Ci; Abidjan

2013-01-01

HIV-2 is endemic in West Africa. There is a lack of evidence-based guidelines on the diagnosis, management and antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-2 or HIV-1/HIV-2 dual infections. Because of these issues, we designed a West African collaborative cohort for HIV-2 infection within the framework of the International epidemiological Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA). We collected data on all HIV-2 and HIV-1/HIV-2 dually seropositive patients (both ARV-naive and starting ART) and followed-up in clinical centres in the IeDEA-WA network including a total of 13 clinics in five countries: Benin, Burkina-Faso Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal, in the West Africa region. Data was merged for 1,754 patients (56% female), including 1,021 HIV-2 infected patients (551 on ART) and 733 dually seropositive for both HIV-1 and HIV 2 (463 on ART). At ART initiation, the median age of HIV-2 patients was 45.3 years, IQR: (38.3-51.7) and 42.4 years, IQR (37.0-47.3) for dually seropositive patients (p = 0.048). Overall, 16.7% of HIV-2 patients on ART had an advanced clinical stage (WHO IV or CDC-C). The median CD4 count at the ART initiation is 166 cells/mm(3), IQR (83-247) among HIV-2 infected patients and 146 cells/mm(3), IQR (55-249) among dually seropositive patients. Overall, in ART-treated patients, the CD4 count increased 126 cells/mm(3) after 24 months on ART for HIV-2 patients and 169 cells/mm(3) for dually seropositive patients. Of 551 HIV-2 patients on ART, 5.8% died and 10.2% were lost to follow-up during the median time on ART of 2.4 years, IQR (0.7-4.3). This large multi-country study of HIV-2 and HIV-1/HIV-2 dual infection in West Africa suggests that routine clinical care is less than optimal and that management and treatment of HIV-2 could be further informed by ongoing studies and randomized clinical trials in this population.

Characteristics of HIV-2 and HIV-1/HIV-2 Dually Seropositive Adults in West Africa Presenting for Care and Antiretroviral Therapy: The IeDEA-West Africa HIV-2 Cohort Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Didier K Ekouevi

Full Text Available HIV-2 is endemic in West Africa. There is a lack of evidence-based guidelines on the diagnosis, management and antiretroviral therapy (ART for HIV-2 or HIV-1/HIV-2 dual infections. Because of these issues, we designed a West African collaborative cohort for HIV-2 infection within the framework of the International epidemiological Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA.We collected data on all HIV-2 and HIV-1/HIV-2 dually seropositive patients (both ARV-naive and starting ART and followed-up in clinical centres in the IeDEA-WA network including a total of 13 clinics in five countries: Benin, Burkina-Faso Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal, in the West Africa region.Data was merged for 1,754 patients (56% female, including 1,021 HIV-2 infected patients (551 on ART and 733 dually seropositive for both HIV-1 and HIV 2 (463 on ART. At ART initiation, the median age of HIV-2 patients was 45.3 years, IQR: (38.3-51.7 and 42.4 years, IQR (37.0-47.3 for dually seropositive patients (p = 0.048. Overall, 16.7% of HIV-2 patients on ART had an advanced clinical stage (WHO IV or CDC-C. The median CD4 count at the ART initiation is 166 cells/mm(3, IQR (83-247 among HIV-2 infected patients and 146 cells/mm(3, IQR (55-249 among dually seropositive patients. Overall, in ART-treated patients, the CD4 count increased 126 cells/mm(3 after 24 months on ART for HIV-2 patients and 169 cells/mm(3 for dually seropositive patients. Of 551 HIV-2 patients on ART, 5.8% died and 10.2% were lost to follow-up during the median time on ART of 2.4 years, IQR (0.7-4.3.This large multi-country study of HIV-2 and HIV-1/HIV-2 dual infection in West Africa suggests that routine clinical care is less than optimal and that management and treatment of HIV-2 could be further informed by ongoing studies and randomized clinical trials in this population.

Health-related profiles of people with lower limb loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Amtmann, Dagmar; Morgan, Sara J; Kim, Jiseon; Hafner, Brian J

2015-08-01

To construct profiles of self-reported health indicators to examine differences and similarities between people with lower limb loss and a normative sample (hereafter called the norm) and to compare health indicators between subgroups based on level and etiology of limb loss. Survey. General community. Adults with unilateral lower limb loss (N=1091) participated in this study. Eligibility criteria included lower limb loss due to trauma or dysvascular complications and regular use of a prosthesis. Not applicable. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System 29-item Health Profile version 1.0 measures physical function, pain interference, fatigue, sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, and satisfaction with participation in social roles. The norm includes 5239 individuals representative of the U.S. general population in sex, age, race, ethnicity, and education. People with lower limb loss reported statistically significantly worse physical function, pain interference, and satisfaction with participation in social roles and significantly less fatigue than did the norm. People with transfemoral (ie, above-knee) amputation significantly differed in physical function from people with transtibial (ie, below-knee) amputation. Similarly, people with amputation due to trauma and dysvascular etiology significantly differed in physical function and satisfaction with social roles after adjusting for relevant clinical characteristics. People with lower limb loss generally report worse physical function, pain interference, and satisfaction with social roles than do the norm. People with dysvascular amputation reported worse physical function and satisfaction with social roles than did people with traumatic amputation. Health indicator profiles are an efficient way of providing clinically meaningful information about numerous aspects of self-reported health in people with lower limb loss. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by

A methodology aimed at fostering and sustaining the development processes of an IE-based industry

Science.gov (United States)

Corallo, Angelo; Errico, Fabrizio; de Maggio, Marco; Giangreco, Enza

In the current competitive scenario, where business relationships are fundamental in building successful business models and inter/intra organizational business processes are progressively digitalized, an end-to-end methodology is required that is capable of guiding business networks through the Internetworked Enterprise (IE) paradigm: a new and innovative organizational model able to leverage Internet technologies to perform real-time coordination of intra and inter-firm activities, to create value by offering innovative and personalized products/services and reduce transaction costs. This chapter presents the TEKNE project Methodology of change that guides business networks, by means of a modular and flexible approach, towards the IE techno-organizational paradigm, taking into account the competitive environment of the network and how this environment influences its strategic, organizational and technological levels. Contingency, the business model, enterprise architecture and performance metrics are the key concepts that form the cornerstone of this methodological framework.

Enhanced magnetic domain relaxation frequency and low power losses in Zn{sup 2+} substituted manganese ferrites potential for high frequency applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Praveena, K., E-mail: praveenaou@gmail.com [Department of Physics, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 11677, Taiwan (China); Chen, Hsiao-Wen [Department of Physics, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 11677, Taiwan (China); Liu, Hsiang-Lin, E-mail: hliu@ntnu.edu.tw [Department of Physics, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 11677, Taiwan (China); Sadhana, K., E-mail: sadhana@osmania.ac.in [Department of Physics, Osmania University, Saifabad, Hyderabad, 500004 (India); Murthy, S.R. [Department of Physics, Osmania University, Hyderabad, 500007 (India)

2016-12-15

Nowadays electronic industries prerequisites magnetic materials, i.e., iron rich materials and their magnetic alloys. However, with the advent of high frequency applications, the standard techniques of reducing eddy current losses, using iron cores, were no longer efficient or cost effective. Current market trends of the switched mode power supplies industries required even low energy losses in power conversion with maintenance of adequate initial permeability. From the above point of view, in the present study we aimed at the production of Manganese–Zinc ferrites prepared via solution combustion method using mixture of fuels and achieved low loss, high saturation magnetization, high permeability, and high magnetic domain relaxation frequency. The as-synthesized Zn{sup 2+} substituted MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The fractions of Mn{sup 2+}, Zn{sup 2+} and Fe{sup 2+} cations occupying tetrahedral sites along with Fe occupying octahedral sites within the unit cell of all ferrite samples were estimated by Raman scattering spectroscopy. The magnetic domain relaxation was investigated by inductance spectroscopy (IS) and the observed magnetic domain relaxation frequency (f{sub r}) was increased with the increase in grain size. The real and imaginary part of permeability (μ′ and μ″) increased with frequency and showed a maximum above 100 MHz. This can be explained on the basis of spin rotation and domain wall motion. The saturation magnetization (M{sub s}), remnant magnetization (M{sub r}) and magneton number (µ{sub B}) decreased gradually with increasing Zn{sup 2+} concentration. The decrease in the saturation magnetization was discussed with Yafet–Kittel (Y–K) model. The Zn{sup 2+} concentration increases the relative number of ferric ions on the A sites, reduces the A–B interactions. The frequency dependent total power losses decreased as the zinc concentration increased

The value of multivariate model sophistication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rombouts, Jeroen; Stentoft, Lars; Violante, Francesco

2014-01-01

We assess the predictive accuracies of a large number of multivariate volatility models in terms of pricing options on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. We measure the value of model sophistication in terms of dollar losses by considering a set of 444 multivariate models that differ in their spec....... In addition to investigating the value of model sophistication in terms of dollar losses directly, we also use the model confidence set approach to statistically infer the set of models that delivers the best pricing performances.......We assess the predictive accuracies of a large number of multivariate volatility models in terms of pricing options on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. We measure the value of model sophistication in terms of dollar losses by considering a set of 444 multivariate models that differ...

Earnings Management, Value Relevance Of Earnings and Book Value of Equity

OpenAIRE

Subekti, Imam

2013-01-01

Previous studies examining relationship between earnings management and value relevance of accounting information show that earnings management decrease value relevance of accounting information. Generally, the studies apply accruals earnings management. In contrast, the present study applies integrated earnings management proxies i.e. real and accruals earnings manage-ment. Real earnings management proxies are measured by abnormal cash flow of operation, ab-normal production cost, and abnorm...

Combining aesthetic with ecological values for landscape sustainability.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Dewei; Luo, Tao; Lin, Tao; Qiu, Quanyi; Luo, Yunjian

2014-01-01

Humans receive multiple benefits from various landscapes that foster ecological services and aesthetic attractiveness. In this study, a hybrid framework was proposed to evaluate ecological and aesthetic values of five landscape types in Houguanhu Region of central China. Data from the public aesthetic survey and professional ecological assessment were converted into a two-dimensional coordinate system and distribution maps of landscape values. Results showed that natural landscapes (i.e. water body and forest) contributed positively more to both aesthetic and ecological values than semi-natural and human-dominated landscapes (i.e. farmland and non-ecological land). The distribution maps of landscape values indicated that the aesthetic, ecological and integrated landscape values were significantly associated with landscape attributes and human activity intensity. To combine aesthetic preferences with ecological services, the methods (i.e. field survey, landscape value coefficients, normalized method, a two-dimensional coordinate system, and landscape value distribution maps) were employed in landscape assessment. Our results could facilitate to identify the underlying structure-function-value chain, and also improve the understanding of multiple functions in landscape planning. The situation context could also be emphasized to bring ecological and aesthetic goals into better alignment.

Wind energy development and perceived real estate values in Ontario, Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chad Walker

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on public concerns about real estate value loss in communities in the vicinity of wind turbines. There are some conflicting results in recent academic and non-academic literatures on the issue of property values in general—yet little has been studied about how residents near turbines view the value of their own properties. Using both face-to-face interviews (n = 26 and community survey results (n = 152 from two adjacent communities, this exploratory mixed-method study contextualizes perceived property value loss. Interview results suggest a potential connection between perceived property value loss and actual property value loss, whereby assumed property degradation from turbines seem to lower both asking and selling prices. This idea is reinforced by regression results which suggest that felt property value loss is predicted by health concerns, visual annoyances and community-based variables. Overall, the findings point to the need for greater attention to micro-level local, and interconnected impacts of wind energy development.

AC loss characteristics of Bi2223/Ag sheathed tape wires subjected to mechanical strains and stresses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsukamoto, Osami; Li, Z

2007-01-01

The influence of uniaxial tensile stress-strain on the AC loss characteristics of multifilamentary Bi2223/Ag sheathed tape wires was investigated. The uniaxial tensile stress-strain was applied to the sample wire in liquid nitrogen at atmospheric pressure, and the AC losses (transport, magnetization and total losses) were measured by an electric method. Two kinds of wire, oxide-dispersion strengthened Ag-alloy sheathed and Ag-alloy sheathed wires, were tested. The stress-strain curves of the tested wires were divided in three regions, i.e. elastic deformation, continuous plastic deformation and serrated-like plastic deformation regions, though the ranges of those regions were different for different kinds of wire. In the elastic and continuous plastic regions, the stress-strain curve was smooth and continuous, and in the serrated-like plastic region, the curve was rough. In the serrated-like plastic region, the wires kept elongating, while increase of the tensile stress was suspended. Dependences of the critical currents on the stress-strain were generally as follows. While decreases of the wire critical currents were in the range of less than 4% of the original values of the no-stress condition, the critical currents of the wires were reversible, that is, the critical currents recovered the original values at zero stress when the stress were released, regardless of whether the wires were in the elastic or continuous plastic region. In the continuous plastic region, the critical currents decreased up to 10%-15% of the original values and the critical currents were irreversible when the degradations of the critical currents exceeded about 4%. In the serrated-like plastic regions, the critical currents were more severely degraded. The AC loss characteristics of the wires are different in those regions. In the elastic and continuous plastic regions, the absolute values of AC losses were dependent on the stress-strain. However, the dependences of those normalized

Modeling the Losses of Dissolved CO(2) from Laser-Etched Champagne Glasses.

Science.gov (United States)

Liger-Belair, Gérard

2016-04-21

Under standard champagne tasting conditions, the complex interplay between the level of dissolved CO2 found in champagne, its temperature, the glass shape, and the bubbling rate definitely impacts champagne tasting by modifying the neuro-physicochemical mechanisms responsible for aroma release and flavor perception. On the basis of theoretical principles combining heterogeneous bubble nucleation, ascending bubble dynamics, and mass transfer equations, a global model is proposed, depending on various parameters of both the wine and the glass itself, which quantitatively provides the progressive losses of dissolved CO2 from laser-etched champagne glasses. The question of champagne temperature was closely examined, and its role on the modeled losses of dissolved CO2 was corroborated by a set of experimental data.

Hurricane Loss Analysis Based on the Population-Weighted Index

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grzegorz Kakareko

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses different measures for quantifying regional hurricane loss. The main measures used in the past are normalized percentage loss and dollar value loss. In this research, we show that these measures are useful but may not properly reflect the size of the population influenced by hurricanes. A new loss measure is proposed that reflects the hurricane impact on people occupying the structure. For demonstrating the differences among these metrics, regional loss analysis was conducted for Florida. The regional analysis was composed of three modules: the hazard module stochastically modeled the wind occurrence in the region; the vulnerability module utilized vulnerability functions developed in this research to calculate the loss; and the financial module quantified the hurricane loss. In the financial module, we calculated three loss metrics for certain region. The first metric is the average annual loss (AAL which represents the expected loss per year in percentage. The second is the average annual dollar loss which represents the expected dollar amount loss per year. The third is the average annual population-weighted loss (AAPL—a new measure proposed in this research. Compared with the AAL, the AAPL reflects the number of people influenced by the hurricane. The advantages of the AAPL are illustrated using three different analysis examples: (1 conventional regional loss analysis, (2 mitigation potential analysis, and (3 forecasted future loss analysis due to the change in population.

Interoceptive ability predicts aversion to losses.

Science.gov (United States)

Sokol-Hessner, Peter; Hartley, Catherine A; Hamilton, Jeffrey R; Phelps, Elizabeth A

2015-01-01

Emotions have been proposed to inform risky decision-making through the influence of affective physiological responses on subjective value. The ability to perceive internal body states, or "interoception" may influence this relationship. Here, we examined whether interoception predicts participants' degree of loss aversion, which has been previously linked to choice-related arousal responses. Participants performed both a heartbeat-detection task indexing interoception and a risky monetary decision-making task, from which loss aversion, risk attitudes and choice consistency were parametrically measured. Interoceptive ability correlated selectively with loss aversion and was unrelated to the other value parameters. This finding suggests that specific and separable component processes underlying valuation are shaped not only by our physiological responses, as shown in previous findings, but also by our interoceptive access to such signals.

Making concrete construals mindful: a novel approach for developing mindfulness and self-compassion to assist weight loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Mantzios, Michail; Wilson, J C

2014-01-01

Research on the usefulness of mindfulness and self-compassion for dieting has focused on meditative practices. However, meditation can be difficult to maintain, especially while dieting. Thus, the present research attempted to induce mindfulness and self-compassion by using food diaries that required the participant to either focus on concrete (i.e. how they are eating) construals or abstract (i.e. why they are eating) construals. The concrete construals were expected to increase mindfulness and self-compassion, as well as decrease avoidance and negative thoughts (which would further aid the development of mindfulness and self-compassion). Study 1 found that mindfulness and self-compassion mediated the inverse relationship of avoidance and negative thoughts with weight loss. Study 2 showed that concrete construal diaries increased mindfulness and self-compassion, decreased avoidance and negative thoughts, and supported weight loss significantly more than the abstract construal diaries. Study 3, then, compared the concrete construal diaries with a mindful self-compassionate meditation programme. There was no difference in weight loss at the end of the intervention, but at a three-month follow-up, the diaries performed better at weight maintenance. Thus, the concrete construal diaries may promote mindfulness and self-compassion and potentially promote long-term weight loss.

Potential short-term losses of N2O and N2 from high concentrations of biogas digestate in arable soils

Science.gov (United States)

Fiedler, Sebastian Rainer; Augustin, Jürgen; Wrage-Mönnig, Nicole; Jurasinski, Gerald; Gusovius, Bertram; Glatzel, Stephan

2017-09-01

Biogas digestate (BD) is increasingly used as organic fertilizer, but has a high potential for NH3 losses. Its proposed injection into soils as a countermeasure has been suggested to promote the generation of N2O, leading to a potential trade-off. Furthermore, the effect of high nutrient concentrations on N2 losses as they may appear after injection of BD into soil has not yet been evaluated. Hence, we performed an incubation experiment with soil cores in a helium-oxygen atmosphere to examine the influence of soil substrate (loamy sand, clayey silt), water-filled pore space (WFPS; 35, 55, 75 %) and application rate (0, 17.6 and 35.2 mL BD per soil core, 250 cm3) on the emission of N2O, N2 and CO2 after the usage of high loads of BD. To determine the potential capacity for gaseous losses, we applied anaerobic conditions by purging with helium for the last 24 h of incubation. Immediate N2O and N2 emissions as well as the N2 / (N2O+N2) product ratio depended on soil type and increased with WFPS, indicating a crucial role of soil gas diffusivity for the formation and emission of nitrogenous gases in agricultural soils. However, emissions did not increase with the application rate of BD. This is probably due to an inhibitory effect of the high NH4+ content of BD on nitrification. Our results suggest a larger potential for N2O formation immediately following BD injection in the fine-textured clayey silt compared to the coarse loamy sand. By contrast, the loamy sand showed a higher potential for N2 production under anaerobic conditions. Our results suggest that short-term N losses of N2O and N2 after injection may be higher than probable losses of NH3 following surface application of BD.

Prediction of transmission loss through an aircraft sidewall using statistical energy analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Ming, Ruisen; Sun, Jincai

1989-06-01

The transmission loss of randomly incident sound through an aircraft sidewall is investigated using statistical energy analysis. Formulas are also obtained for the simple calculation of sound transmission loss through single- and double-leaf panels. Both resonant and nonresonant sound transmissions can be easily calculated using the formulas. The formulas are used to predict sound transmission losses through a Y-7 propeller airplane panel. The panel measures 2.56 m x 1.38 m and has two windows. The agreement between predicted and measured values through most of the frequency ranges tested is quite good.

Ionisation Chambers for the LHC Beam Loss Detection

CERN Document Server

Gschwendtner, E; Dehning, B; Ferioli, G; Kain, V

2003-01-01

At the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) a beam loss system will be used to prevent and protect superconducting magnets against coil quenches and coil damages. Since the stored particle beam intensity is 8 orders of magnitude larger than the lowest quench level value particular attention is paid to the design of the secondary particle shower detectors. The foreseen ionisation chambers are optimised in geometry simulating the probable loss distribution along the magnets and convoluting the loss distribution with the secondary particle shower distributions. To reach the appropriate coverage of a particle loss and to determine the quench levels with a relative accuracy of 2 the number of the detectors and their lengths is weighted against the particle intensity density variation. In addition attention is paid to the electrical ionisation chamber signal to minimise the ion tail extension. This optimisation is based on time resolved test measurements in the PS booster. A proposal for a new ionisation chamber will be pre...

Evaluation of levee setbacks for flood-loss reduction, Middle Mississippi River, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Dierauer, Jennifer; Pinter, Nicholas; Remo, Jonathan W. F.

2012-07-01

SummaryOne-dimensional hydraulic modeling and flood-loss modeling were used to test the effectiveness of levee setbacks for flood-loss reduction along the Middle Mississippi River (MMR). Four levee scenarios were assessed: (1) the present-day levee configuration, (2) a 1000 m levee setback, (3) a 1500 m levee setback, and (4) an optimized setback configuration. Flood losses were estimated using FEMA's Hazus-MH (Hazards US Multi-Hazard) loss-estimation software on a structure-by-structure basis for a range of floods from the 2- to the 500-year events. These flood-loss estimates were combined with a levee-reliability model to calculate probability-weighted damage estimates. In the simplest case, the levee setback scenarios tested here reduced flood losses compared to current conditions for large, infrequent flooding events but increased flood losses for smaller, more frequent flood events. These increases occurred because levee protection was removed for some of the existing structures. When combined with buyouts of unprotected structures, levee setbacks reduced flood losses for all recurrence intervals. The "optimized" levee setback scenario, involving a levee configuration manually planned to protect existing high-value infrastructure, reduced damages with or without buyouts. This research shows that levee setbacks in combination with buyouts are an economically viable approach for flood-risk reduction along the study reach and likely elsewhere where levees are widely employed for flood control. Designing a levee setback around existing high-value infrastructure can maximize the benefit of the setback while simultaneously minimizing the costs. The optimized levee setback scenario analyzed here produced payback periods (costs divided by benefits) of less than 12 years. With many aging levees failing current inspections across the US, and flood losses spiraling up over time, levee setbacks are a viable solution for reducing flood exposure and flood levels.

Radiological impact of a loss of coolant accident at Angra 2 reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dias, W.

1992-01-01

A loss of coolant accident is analyzed which comprises a double ended rupture of a main primary system line. The accident sequence is described and the main assumptions as to the activity release are presented. On the basis of site specific meteorological data, the atmospheric dispersion factors are calculated using the Gaussian plume diffusion model and the doses are then determined at the boundary of the low population zone. The resulting values for the effective dose equivalent are more than one order of magnitude below that due to the average background radiation received in one year. (author)

Is rumination after bereavement linked with loss avoidance? Evidence from eye-tracking.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maarten C Eisma

Full Text Available Rumination is a risk factor in adjustment to bereavement. It is associated with and predicts psychopathology after loss. Yet, the function of rumination in bereavement remains unclear. In the past, researchers often assumed rumination to be a maladaptive confrontation process. However, based on cognitive avoidance theories of worry in generalised anxiety disorder (GAD and rumination after post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, others have suggested that rumination may serve to avoid painful aspects of the loss, thereby contributing to complicated grief. To examine if rumination is linked with loss avoidance, an eye-tracking study was conducted with 54 bereaved individuals (27 high and 27 low ruminators. On 24 trials, participants looked for 10 seconds at a picture of the deceased and a picture of a stranger, randomly combined with negative, neutral or loss-related words. High ruminators were expected to show initial vigilance followed by subsequent disengagement for loss stimuli (i.e., picture deceased with a loss word in the first 1500 ms. Additionally, we expected high ruminators to avoid these loss stimuli and to show attentional preference for non-loss-related negative stimuli (i.e., picture stranger with a negative word on longer exposure durations (1500-10000 ms. Contrary to expectations, we found no evidence for an effect of rumination on vigilance and disengagement of loss stimuli in the first 1500 ms. However, in the 1500-10000 ms interval, high ruminators showed shorter gaze times for loss stimuli and longer gaze times for negative (and neutral non-loss-related stimuli, even when controlling for depression and complicated grief symptom levels. Effects of rumination on average fixation times mirrored these findings. This suggests that rumination and loss avoidance are closely associated. A potential clinical implication is that rumination and grief complications after bereavement may be reduced through the use of exposure and acceptance

Prognostic value of circulating VEGFR2+ bone marrow-derived progenitor cells in patients with advanced cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Massard, Christophe; Borget, Isabelle; Le Deley, Marie Cécile; Taylor, Melissa; Gomez-Roca, Carlos; Soria, Jean Charles; Farace, Françoise

2012-06-01

We hypothesised that host-related markers, possibly reflecting tumour aggressiveness, such as circulating endothelial cells (CEC) and circulating VEGFR2(+) bone marrow-derived (BMD) progenitor cells, could have prognostic value in patients with advanced cancer enrolled in early anticancer drug development trials. Baseline CECs (CD45(-)CD31(+)CD146(+)7AAD(-) cells) and circulating VEGFR2(+)-BMD progenitor cells (defined as CD45(dim)CD34(+)VEGFR2(+)7AAD(-) cells) were measured by flow-cytometry in 71 and 58 patients included in phase 1 trials testing novel anti-vascular or anti-angiogenic agents. Correlations between levels of CECs, circulating VEGFR2(+)-BMD progenitor cells, clinical and biological prognostic factors (i.e. the Royal Marsden Hospital (RMH) score), and overall survival (OS) were studied. The median value of CECs was 12 CEC/ml (range 0-154/ml). The median level of VEGFR2(+)-BMD progenitor cells was 1.3% (range 0-32.5%) of circulating BMD-CD34(+) progenitors. While OS was not correlated with CEC levels, it was significantly worse in patients with high VEGFR2(+)-BMD progenitor levels (>1%) (median OS 9.0 versus 17.0 months), and with a RMH prognostic score >0 (median OS 9.0 versus 24.2 months). The prognostic value of VEGFR2(+)-BMD progenitor levels remained significant (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.3, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1-4.6, p = 0.02) after multivariate analysis. A composite VEGFR2(+)-BMD progenitor level/RHM score ≥ 2 was significantly associated with an increased risk of death compared to scores of 0 or 1 (median OS 9.0 versus 18.4 months, HR = 2.6 (95%CI, 1.2-5.8, p = 0.02)). High circulating VEGFR2(+)-BMD progenitor levels are associated with poor prognostics and when combined to classical clinical and biological parameters could provide a new tool for patient selection in early anticancer drug trials. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perdas e valor nutritivo de silagens de milho, sorgo-sudão, sorgo forrageiro e girassol Losses and nutritional value of corn, Sudan sorghum, forage sorghum and sunflower silages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leandro Barbosa de Oliveira

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar as perdas e o valor nutritivo de silagens de diferentes forrageiras (milho, sorgo-sudão, sorgo forrageiro e girassol ensiladas no momento ideal de cada cultura. Utilizou-se um delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com quatro forrageiras e cinco repetições. As forragens foram ensiladas em silos de PVC com 50 cm de altura e 10 cm de diâmetro, providos de válvula de Bunsen, que foram armazenados por 60 dias. As perdas por gases e por efluente foram avaliadas por diferença de peso antes e após a ensilagem. As perdas por gases foram relativamente pequenas em comparação às perdas por efluente. A silagem de milho se destacou por apresentar menores perdas, enquanto as de girassol e sorgo-sudão apresentaram maiores perdas por efluente. A silagem de sorgo-sudão possui menor valor nutritivo, em decorrência dos maiores teores das frações fibrosas, enquanto a de milho destaca-se positivamente pelo seu valor nutricional.The objective of this study was to assess the losses and nutritional value of silages of different forage crops (corn, Sudan sorghum, forage sorghum and sunflower ensiled at the ideal time for each crop. A randomized complete design was used, with four forage crops and five replications. The forages were ensiled in PVC silos, 50 cm high and 10 cm in diameter, equipped with a Bunsen valve, that were stored for 60 days. The losses through gases and effluent were assessed for difference in weight before and after ensilaging. The losses by gases were relatively small compared with the losses by effluent. The corn silage stood out because it presented smaller losses, while the sunflower and Sudan sorghum presented greater losses by effluent. The Sudan sorghum silage presents the lowest nutritional value, due to the greater contents of the fibrous fractions, while the corn silage stand out positively because of its nutritional value.

Alternating current losses of a 10 metre long low loss superconducting cable conductor determined from phase sensitive measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krueger Olsen, S.; Kuehle, A.; Traeholt, C.; C Rasmussen, C.; Toennesen, O.; Daeumling, M.; Rasmussen, C.N.; Willen, D.W.A.

1999-01-01

The ac loss of a superconducting cable conductor carrying an ac current is small. Therefore the ratio between the inductive (out-of-phase) and the resistive (in-phase) voltages over the conductor is correspondingly high. In vectorial representations this results in phase angles between the current and the voltage over the cable close to 90 degrees. This has the effect that the loss cannot be derived directly using most commercial lock-in amplifiers due to their limited absolute accuracy. However, by using two lock-in amplifiers and an appropriate correction scheme the high relative accuracy of such lock-in amplifiers can be exploited. In this paper we present the results from ac-loss measurements on a low loss 10 metre long high temperature superconducting cable conductor using such a correction scheme. Measurements were carried out with and without a compensation circuit that could reduce the inductive voltage. The 1 μV cm -1 critical current of the conductor was 3240 A at 77 K. At an rms current of 2 kA (50 Hz) the ac loss was derived to be 0.6±0.15 W m -1 . This is, to the best of our knowledge, the lowest value of ac loss of a high temperature superconducting cable conductor reported so far at these high currents. (author)

Histone H2AFX Links Meiotic Chromosome Asynapsis to Prophase I Oocyte Loss in Mammals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey M Cloutier

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Chromosome abnormalities are common in the human population, causing germ cell loss at meiotic prophase I and infertility. The mechanisms driving this loss are unknown, but persistent meiotic DNA damage and asynapsis may be triggers. Here we investigate the contribution of these lesions to oocyte elimination in mice with chromosome abnormalities, e.g. Turner syndrome (XO and translocations. We show that asynapsed chromosomes trigger oocyte elimination at diplonema, which is linked to the presence of phosphorylated H2AFX (γH2AFX. We find that DNA double-strand break (DSB foci disappear on asynapsed chromosomes during pachynema, excluding persistent DNA damage as a likely cause, and demonstrating the existence in mammalian oocytes of a repair pathway for asynapsis-associated DNA DSBs. Importantly, deletion or point mutation of H2afx restores oocyte numbers in XO females to wild type (XX levels. Unexpectedly, we find that asynapsed supernumerary chromosomes do not elicit prophase I loss, despite being enriched for γH2AFX and other checkpoint proteins. These results suggest that oocyte loss cannot be explained simply by asynapsis checkpoint models, but is related to the gene content of asynapsed chromosomes. A similar mechanistic basis for oocyte loss may operate in humans with chromosome abnormalities.

Histone H2AFX Links Meiotic Chromosome Asynapsis to Prophase I Oocyte Loss in Mammals

Science.gov (United States)

Cloutier, Jeffrey M.; Mahadevaiah, Shantha K.; ElInati, Elias; Nussenzweig, André; Tóth, Attila; Turner, James M. A.

2015-01-01

Chromosome abnormalities are common in the human population, causing germ cell loss at meiotic prophase I and infertility. The mechanisms driving this loss are unknown, but persistent meiotic DNA damage and asynapsis may be triggers. Here we investigate the contribution of these lesions to oocyte elimination in mice with chromosome abnormalities, e.g. Turner syndrome (XO) and translocations. We show that asynapsed chromosomes trigger oocyte elimination at diplonema, which is linked to the presence of phosphorylated H2AFX (γH2AFX). We find that DNA double-strand break (DSB) foci disappear on asynapsed chromosomes during pachynema, excluding persistent DNA damage as a likely cause, and demonstrating the existence in mammalian oocytes of a repair pathway for asynapsis-associated DNA DSBs. Importantly, deletion or point mutation of H2afx restores oocyte numbers in XO females to wild type (XX) levels. Unexpectedly, we find that asynapsed supernumerary chromosomes do not elicit prophase I loss, despite being enriched for γH2AFX and other checkpoint proteins. These results suggest that oocyte loss cannot be explained simply by asynapsis checkpoint models, but is related to the gene content of asynapsed chromosomes. A similar mechanistic basis for oocyte loss may operate in humans with chromosome abnormalities. PMID:26509888

Step Tracking with Goals Increases Children's Weight Loss in Behavioral Intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Staiano, Amanda E; Beyl, Robbie A; Hsia, Daniel S; Jarrell, Amber R; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Mantzor, Savarra; Newton, Robert L; Tyson, Patrice

2017-08-01

This study examined the influence of step goals with pedometers to improve children's weight loss, physical activity, and psychosocial health during obesity treatment. Overweight and obese children ages 8-17 years (n = 105) participated in a 10-week family-based weight management intervention, including physical activity, nutrition, and behavioral modification. A quasi-experimental design was used to group eight cohorts into three conditions: no pedometer (n = 24), pedometer only (n = 25), and pedometer with step goals (i.e., 500 steps/day weekly increase above baseline; n = 56). Height and weight were measured at baseline and week 10 and used to calculate BMI. Analysis of covariance was performed to examine difference by condition for change in weight, BMI, and BMI z-score, controlling for age and baseline value. Differences in steps per day and psychosocial health were compared between the two pedometer conditions. Participants were 12.4 ± 2.5 years of age, including 70% girls and 64% African Americans. The pedometer with goals condition significantly reduced BMI (p = 0.02) and BMI z-score (p = 0.01) compared with the no-pedometer group. The pedometer with goals condition significantly increased steps per day (+1185 ± 425 steps/day) compared with the pedometer-only condition (-162 ± 620 steps/day; p goals was an effective approach to produce weight loss. Further work is needed to increase the strength of interventions to achieve clinically meaningful weight reduction for children with obesity.

Evaluation of a cryostable low-loss conductor for pulsed field applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wollan, J.J.; Walker, M.S.; Zeitlin, B.A.; Pollack, D.A.; Shen, S.S.

1980-01-01

A cryostable, low loss conductor as the basic strand in a 50 kA cable for a 20 MJ prototype, tokamak induction heating coil has been developed, fabricated, and evaluated. The conductor has a copper matrix multifilamentary NbTi core surrounded by a CuNi ring and stabilizing copper segmented by radial CuNi fins. Pulsed loss measurements have been made up to 2.2 T and for decay times from 0.7 to 278 ms. Measurements made on samples with various twists and portions etched away have allowed accurate evaluation of the loss components. Stability measurements were also made on insulated and uninsulated single strands and on subcables. Measured recovery heat flux for the bare strand is about 0.3 W/cm 2 ; however, the application of a 0.0005 in. layer of Omega insulation increases the value to about 0.5 W/cm 2

Identification of Hip BMD Loss and Fracture Risk Markers Through Population-Based Serum Proteomics: HIP BMD LOSS & FRACTURE RISK MARKERS BY POPULATION-BASED SERUM PROTEOMICS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nielson, Carrie; Wiedrick, Jack; Shen, Jian; Jacobs, Jon M.; Baker, Erin M.; Baraff, Aaron; Piehowski, Paul D.; Lee, Christine; Baratt, Arie; Petyuk, Vladislav A.; Mcweeney, Shannon K.; Lim, Jeong Youn; Bauer, Douglas C.; Lane, Nancy E.; Cawthon, Peggy M.; Smith, Richard D.; Lapidus, Jodi; Orwoll, Eric S.

2017-04-06

Accelerated bone loss significantly increases the risk of osteoporosis and fracture. The mechanisms underlying bone loss remain incompletely understood, and there are few available biomarkers. We utilized a novel proteomics approach to identify serum peptides and proteins associated with bone loss in 1967 older men who were randomly chosen from the Osteoporotic Fracture in Men Study (MrOS study) (age ≥ 65 yrs). Men had 2-3 measures of femoral neck BMD over an average follow-up of 4.6 years. Change in BMD was estimated and then categorized into three groups: maintained BMD (n=453), expected loss (n=1185) and accelerated loss (n=237). A liquid chromatography–ion mobility separation-mass spectrometry (LC-IMS-MS) proteomics platform was used to identify and quantify peptides from serum proteins. The whole cohort was randomly divided into discovery (N= 960) and validation (N= 915) sub-cohorts. Linear regression models and a random forest approach were used to discover differentially abundant individual peptides and a proteomic signature that distinguished individuals with accelerated bone loss from those who maintained BMD. Network analyses were performed using the MetaCore knowledgebase. We identified 12 peptides that were associated with BMD loss in both discovery (P< 0.1 FDR) and replication sub-cohorts (P<0.05). Those 12 peptides mapped to the following proteins: ALS, LYVE1, RNAS1, C2, ICOSL, C163A, C7, HEMO, CD14, CERU, CRAC1 and CD59. Meta-analysis of peptidesassociated with bone loss identified 6 additional proteins including GRP78, IGF-2, SHBG, ENPP2, IBP2 and IBP6. We also identified a proteomic signature that was predictive of BMD loss with a discriminative value similar to serum bone marker carboxy-terminal collagen crosslink peptide (CTX). Interestingly, combining the proteomic signature with CTX significantly improved the ability to discriminate men with accelerated loss. In summary, we have identified potential new biomarkers for bone loss that provide

Assessment of current NRC/IE professional training program and recommendations for improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartley, H.J.; Hagerup, J.E.; Harrison, O.J.; Heyer, F.H.K.; Kaas, I.W.; Schwartz, E.G.

1978-05-01

This document is the General Research Corporation (GRC) report on Task III: to assess the current NRC/IE professional training program and to provide recommendations for improvement. The major objectives of this task were to determine the overall effectiveness of the NRC/IE training program and to provide recommendations for improvements where appropriate. The research involved a review of course manuals and of student critiques, observation in the classroom and person to person interviews; it also included an evaluation of the assignment of instructors to the Career Management Branch. Findings addressed refresher training, retread training and initial training--with emphasis on the last of these. Conclusions are that: (1) The curriculum provides, in general, types and levels of training needed; (2) the mix of training methods used is correct; and (3) the training management is effective. However, the training facilities do not reflect a commitment to quality instruction nor is assignment as instructor to the Career Management Branch attractive to inspectors. Recommendations presented in the report are based upon the findings; all lie within the implementing authority of Headquarters NRC/IE

Value of digit ratio 2D:4D, a biomarker of prenatal hormone exposure, is stable across the menstrual cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Klimek, Magdalena; Marcinkowska, Urszula M; Jasienska, Grazyna

2017-07-01

Digit ratio (2D:4D) is used as a marker of prenatal hormone exposure and, consequently, as a predictor of many characteristics throughout a woman's lifespan. A previous study has suggested that values of 2D:4D vary across menstrual cycles and further questioned the reliability of a single measurement of 2D:4D among cycling women, while another study failed to confirm these results. However, these studies estimated the timing of cycle phases based on a date of menstruation reported by participants and also had small sample sizes. For our study, we evaluated potential changes in 2D:4D values across a menstrual cycle in a group of women among whom the phases of the menstrual cycle were determined by hormonal (luteinizing hormone based) ovulation tests. We studied 32 naturally cycling women aged 22-37 from rural Poland. Lengths of second and fourth digits were measured based on scans of both hands taken three times (i.e. in the follicular phase, peri-ovulatory phase and luteal phase of the cycle) for each participant. No differences in 2D:4D value across the menstrual cycle were detected either when right-hand, left-hand, and mean 2D:4D for both hands were analysed, nor when difference in the 2D:4D value between hands (D left-right ) was evaluated. We documented that 2D:4D is independent of the phase of the menstrual cycle and these findings suggest that among naturally cycling women, a value of 2D:4D can be reliably obtained from measurements taken during any day of the menstrual cycle. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prestressed Containments - Prestress losses and the effects of re-tensioning tendons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundqvist, P.; Edin, M.; Persson, P.; Frisk, A.

2015-01-01

In Sweden the design of nuclear reactor containments, the structure which encloses the reactor vessel, is that of a concrete cylinder prestressed both horizontally and vertically. The main purpose of the containment is to prevent any radioactive discharge to the environment in case of e.g. an internal accident mainly through the induced compressive forces from the prestressing system. Since the tendon forces decrease with time due to long-term mechanism in the materials the remaining tendon forces are measured at regular intervals. In this paper the results from these measurements in the Swedish nuclear power plant Forsmark are presented. In addition, the losses in the cylinder walls were calculated using the models in Eurocode 2, which were modified based on the climatic conditions inside the reactor building. The results from the tendon force measurements showed that the prestress losses are low, between 5 % and 10 %, i.e. the margin to the lowest acceptable limit is currently sufficient. The effects of increasing the tendon forces were also investigated. Results from subsequent measurements on tendons where the tendon forces have been increased indicate that the development of the prestress losses may increase significantly when the tendon forces are increased to levels exceeding those of the original tensioning. The calculated prestress losses were in relatively good agreement with the measured losses, generally, the models somewhat overestimated the measured losses. (authors)

Structure-related bulk losses in ZrO sub 2 optical thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duparre, A; Welsch, E; Walther, H G [Sektion Physik, Friedrich-Schiller-Univ. Jena (German Democratic Republic); Kaiser, N; Mueller, H [Physikalisch-Technisches Inst. der Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR, Jena (German Democratic Republic); Hacker, E; Lauth, H; Meyer, J; Weissbrodt, P [Kombinat VEB Carl Zeiss, Jena (German Democratic Republic)

1990-06-01

Results of measurements of bulk scattering as well as absorption losses of evaporated ZrO{sub 2} single-layer films are presented. A special layer design was used to eliminate the losses originating from the film interfaces. The scattering and absorption measurements are performed at {lambda}=515 nm by means of total integrated scattering and photoacoustic techniques, respectively. Transmission electron micrographs of C-Pt replicas of cross-sections and electron diffraction studies reveal the correlations between bulk losses and morphology. The compositional depth profiles of the films were investigated by secondary neutral mass spectrometry. The observed absorption can be explained by contaminations homogeneously distributed throughout the film thicknss. The results are discussed with respect to different deposition conditions and post-deposition annealing. (orig.).

The Commonality of Loss Aversion across Procedures and Stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sang; Lee, Myung J; Kim, Byoung W; Gilman, Jodi M; Kuster, John K; Blood, Anne J; Kuhnen, Camelia M; Breiter, Hans C

2015-01-01

Individuals tend to give losses approximately 2-fold the weight that they give gains. Such approximations of loss aversion (LA) are almost always measured in the stimulus domain of money, rather than objects or pictures. Recent work on preference-based decision-making with a schedule-less keypress task (relative preference theory, RPT) has provided a mathematical formulation for LA similar to that in prospect theory (PT), but makes no parametric assumptions in the computation of LA, uses a variable tied to communication theory (i.e., the Shannon entropy or information), and works readily with non-monetary stimuli. We evaluated if these distinct frameworks described similar LA in healthy subjects, and found that LA during the anticipation phase of the PT-based task correlated significantly with LA related to the RPT-based task. Given the ease with which non-monetary stimuli can be used on the Internet, or in animal studies, these findings open an extensive range of applications for the study of loss aversion. Furthermore, the emergence of methodology that can be used to measure preference for both social stimuli and money brings a common framework to the evaluation of preference in both social psychology and behavioral economics.

Pharmacological study of the possible protective effect of certain natural products against irradiation-induced bone loss in female rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elsabbagh, W.M.A.

2007-01-01

osteoporosis is a common human bone disease characterized by decreased bone mass and increased risk of fractures . it is associated with numerous risk factors; post menopausal oestrogen loss is the major factor. on another hand, exposure to γ -radiation may be responsible for the late reduction in bone mass following radiotherapy. research in nutrition suggests that diet can help to achieve optimal health specifically that human diet that contain macro nutrients and phytochemicals which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. the present study has been constructed to identify the effect of radiation exposure on bone, and to investigate the possible protective effect of garlic oil and parsley extract against bone loss induced in female virgin rats(180-200 g) either by ovariectomization or by exposure to γ -radiation. a pilot lest was carried first in this study on 2 groups of female virgin rats to estimate the degree of bone loss induced by exposure to fractionated doses of γ -radiation . the 1 st group's rats were normal non-irradiated and served as control normal group. in the 2 nd group, female rats were exposed to total dose of 15 Gy fractionated over 5 weeks (1 Gy 3 times weekly for 5 weeks), and measurements of urinary calcium and urinary hydroxyproline were carried out periodically after 4,8,11 and 15 weeks from the 1 st day of exposure to γ -radiation doses . the highest values were detected after 11 weeks i.e. after 6 weeks from the last exposure to γ -radiation

Weak value distributions for spin 1/2

Science.gov (United States)

Berry, M. V.; Dennis, M. R.; McRoberts, B.; Shukla, P.

2011-05-01

The simplest weak measurement is of a component of spin 1/2. For this observable, the probability distributions of the real and imaginary parts of the weak value, and their joint probability distribution, are calculated exactly for pre- and postselected states uniformly distributed over the surface of the Poincaré-Bloch sphere. The superweak probability, that the real part of the weak value lies outside the spectral range, is 1/3. This case, with just two eigenvalues, complements our previous calculation (Berry and Shukla 2010 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 43 354024) of the universal form of the weak value probability distribution for an operator with many eigenvalues.

Weak value distributions for spin 1/2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berry, M V; Dennis, M R; McRoberts, B; Shukla, P

2011-01-01

The simplest weak measurement is of a component of spin 1/2. For this observable, the probability distributions of the real and imaginary parts of the weak value, and their joint probability distribution, are calculated exactly for pre- and postselected states uniformly distributed over the surface of the Poincare-Bloch sphere. The superweak probability, that the real part of the weak value lies outside the spectral range, is 1/3. This case, with just two eigenvalues, complements our previous calculation (Berry and Shukla 2010 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 43 354024) of the universal form of the weak value probability distribution for an operator with many eigenvalues.

Fractional-moment CAPM with loss aversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Yahao; Wang Xiaotian; Wu Min

2009-01-01

In this paper, we present a new fractional-order value function which generalizes the value function of Kahneman and Tversky [Kahneman D, Tversky A. Prospect theory: an analysis of decision under risk. Econometrica 1979;47:263-91; Tversky A, Kahneman D. Advances in prospect theory: cumulative representation of uncertainty. J. Risk Uncertainty 1992;4:297-323], and give the corresponding fractional-moment versions of CAPM in the cases of both the prospect theory [Kahneman D, Tversky A. Prospect theory: an analysis of decision under risk. Econometrica 1979;47:263-91; Tversky A, Kahneman D. Advances in prospect theory: cumulative representation of uncertainty. J. Risk Uncertainty 1992;4:297-323] and the expected utility model. The models that we obtain can be used to price assets when asset return distributions are likely to be asymmetric stable Levy distribution during panics and stampedes in worldwide security markets in 2008. In particular, from the prospect theory we get the following fractional-moment CAPM with loss aversion: E(R i -R 0 )=(E[(W-W 0 ) + -0.12 (R i -R 0 )]+2.25E[(W 0 -W) + -0.12 (R i -R 0 )])/ (E[(W-W 0 ) + -0.12 (W-R 0 )]+2.25E[(W 0 -W) + -0.12 (W-R 0 )]) .E(W-R 0 ), where W 0 is a fixed reference point distinguishing between losses and gains.

Natural history of vestibular schwannomas and hearing loss in NF2 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Peyre, M; Bernardeschi, D; Sterkers, O; Kalamarides, M

2015-07-13

Bilateral vestibular schwannomas are the hallmark of neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2), occurring in 95% of patients. These tumors are associated with significant morbidity due to hearing loss, tinnitus, imbalance and facial weakness. As radiosurgery and chemotherapy have been recently introduced in the treatment armamentarium in addition to surgery, a thorough evaluation of vestibular schwannoma natural history is mandatory to determine the role and timing of each treatment modality. An exhaustive review of the literature was performed using the PubMed database concerning the natural history of tumor growth and hearing loss in NF2 patients with vestibular schwannomas. Although some aspects of vestibular schwannoma natural history remain uncertain (pattern of tumor growth, mean tumor growth rate), factors influencing growth such as age at presentation and paracrine factors are well established. Studies focusing on the natural history of hearing have highlighted different patterns of hearing loss and the possible role of intralabyrinthine tumors. The polyclonality of vestibular schwannomas in NF2 was recently unveiled, giving a new perspective to their growth mechanisms. An uniform evaluation of tumor growth using volumetric evaluation and hearing with standard classifications will ensure the use of common endpoints and should improve the quality of clinical trials as well as foster comparison among studies while ensuring more consistency in decision-making. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Water Loss Reduction as the Basis of Good Water Supply Companies’ Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ociepa-Kubicka Agnieszka

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Companies using water distribution systems to reduce the operating costs and increase the reliability of water supply systems, as well as to protect disposable water resources, must search for ways to reduce water losses. The article points out the economic and environmental aspects of water losses. The possibilities of using international water loss assessment standards have been analysed. The reflections presented in the paper refer to the current trends and world standards in the field of water distribution systems management. The article presents the results and analysis of water losses for the water supply network operated by the Water Supply and Sewerage Company in Gliwice (Przedsiębiorstwo Wodociągów i Kanalizacji w Gliwicach, PWiK. The losses were determined on the basis of numerous indicators and compared with other distribution systems. At present, most indicators of water loss are at a very good or good level. The Infrastructure Leakage Index (ILI, as one of the most reliable loss indicators for the surveyed distribution system, assumed values from 3.33 in 2012 to 2.06 in 2015. The recent drop in ILI values indicates the effectiveness of the Company's strategy for water leakage reduction. The success comprises a number of undertakings, such as ongoing monitoring, pressure reduction and stabilisation, repairs and replacement of the most emergency wires.

Water Loss Reduction as the Basis of Good Water Supply Companies' Management

Science.gov (United States)

Ociepa-Kubicka, Agnieszka; Wilczak, Krzysztof

2017-10-01

Companies using water distribution systems to reduce the operating costs and increase the reliability of water supply systems, as well as to protect disposable water resources, must search for ways to reduce water losses. The article points out the economic and environmental aspects of water losses. The possibilities of using international water loss assessment standards have been analysed. The reflections presented in the paper refer to the current trends and world standards in the field of water distribution systems management. The article presents the results and analysis of water losses for the water supply network operated by the Water Supply and Sewerage Company in Gliwice (Przedsiębiorstwo Wodociągów i Kanalizacji w Gliwicach, PWiK). The losses were determined on the basis of numerous indicators and compared with other distribution systems. At present, most indicators of water loss are at a very good or good level. The Infrastructure Leakage Index (ILI), as one of the most reliable loss indicators for the surveyed distribution system, assumed values from 3.33 in 2012 to 2.06 in 2015. The recent drop in ILI values indicates the effectiveness of the Company's strategy for water leakage reduction. The success comprises a number of undertakings, such as ongoing monitoring, pressure reduction and stabilisation, repairs and replacement of the most emergency wires.

Experiment data report for LOFT large-break loss-of-coolant experiment L2-5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayless, P.D.; Divine, J.M.

1982-08-01

Selected pertinent and uninterpreted data from the third nuclear large break loss-of-coolant experiment (Experiment L2-5) conducted in the Loss-of-Fluid Test (LOFT) facility are presented. The LOFT facility is a 50-MW(t) pressurized water reactor (PWR) system with instruments that measure and provide data on the system thermal-hydraulic and nuclear conditions. The operation of the LOFT system is typical of large [approx. 1000 MW(e)] commercial PWR operations. Experiment L2-5 simulated a double-ended offset shear of a cold leg in the primary coolant system. The primary coolant pumps were tripped within 1 s after the break initiation, simulating a loss of site power. Consistent with the loss of power, the starting of the high- and low-pressure injection systems was delayed. The peak fuel rod cladding temperature achieved was 1078 +- 13 K. The emergency core cooling system re-covered the core and quenched the cladding. No evidence of core damage was detected

The effect of functional hearing loss and age on long- and short-term visuospatial memory: evidence from the UK biobank resource.

Science.gov (United States)

Rönnberg, Jerker; Hygge, Staffan; Keidser, Gitte; Rudner, Mary

2014-01-01

The UK Biobank offers cross-sectional epidemiological data collected on >500,000 individuals in the UK between 40 and 70 years of age. Using the UK Biobank data, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of functional hearing loss and hearing aid usage on visuospatial memory function. This selection of variables resulted in a sub-sample of 138,098 participants after discarding extreme values. A digit triplets functional hearing test was used to divide the participants into three groups: poor, insufficient and normal hearers. We found negative relationships between functional hearing loss and both visuospatial working memory (i.e., a card pair matching task) and visuospatial, episodic long-term memory (i.e., a prospective memory task), with the strongest association for episodic long-term memory. The use of hearing aids showed a small positive effect for working memory performance for the poor hearers, but did not have any influence on episodic long-term memory. Age also showed strong main effects for both memory tasks and interacted with gender and education for the long-term memory task. Broader theoretical implications based on a memory systems approach will be discussed and compared to theoretical alternatives.

The Effect of Functional Hearing Loss and Age on Long- and Short-term Visuospatial Memory: Evidence from the UK Biobank Resource

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jerker eRönnberg

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The UK Biobank offers cross-sectional epidemiological data collected on > 500 000 individuals in the UK between 40 and 70 years of age. Using the UK Biobank data, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of functional hearing loss and hearing aid usage on visuospatial memory function. This selection of variables resulted in a sub-sample of 138 098 participants after discarding extreme values. A digit triplets functional hearing test was used to divide the participants into three groups: poor, insufficient and normal hearers. We found negative relationships between functional hearing loss and both visuospatial working memory (i.e., a card pair matching task and visuospatial, episodic long-term memory (i.e., a prospective memory task, with the strongest association for episodic long-term memory. The use of hearing aids showed a small positive effect for working memory performance for the poor hearers, but did not have any influence on episodic long-term memory. Age also showed strong main effects for both memory tasks and interacted with gender and education for the long-term memory task. Broader theoretical implications based on a memory systems approach will be discussed and compared to theoretical alternatives.

Macrophage inflammatory protein-1α shows predictive value as a risk marker for subjects and sites vulnerable to bone loss in a longitudinal model of aggressive periodontitis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel H Fine

Full Text Available Improved diagnostics remains a fundamental goal of biomedical research. This study was designed to assess cytokine biomarkers that could predict bone loss (BL in localized aggressive periodontitis. 2,058 adolescents were screened. Two groups of 50 periodontally healthy adolescents were enrolled in the longitudinal study. One group had Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa, the putative pathogen, while the matched cohort did not. Cytokine levels were assessed in saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF. Participants were sampled, examined, and radiographed every 6 months for 2-3 years. Disease was defined as radiographic evidence of BL. Saliva and GCF was collected at each visit, frozen, and then tested retrospectively after detection of BL. Sixteen subjects with Aa developed BL. Saliva from Aa-positive and Aa-negative healthy subjects was compared to subjects who developed BL. GCF was collected from 16 subjects with BL and from another 38 subjects who remained healthy. GCF from BL sites in the 16 subjects was compared to healthy sites in these same subjects and to healthy sites in subjects who remained healthy. Results showed that cytokines in saliva associated with acute inflammation were elevated in subjects who developed BL (i.e., MIP-1α MIP-1β IL-α, IL-1β and IL-8; p<0.01. MIP-1α was elevated 13-fold, 6 months prior to BL. When MIP-1α levels were set at 40 pg/ml, 98% of healthy sites were below that level (Specificity; whereas, 93% of sites with BL were higher (Sensitivity, with comparable Predictive Values of 98%; p<0.0001; 95% C.I. = 42.5-52.7. MIP-1α consistently showed elevated levels as a biomarker for BL in both saliva and GCF, 6 months prior to BL. MIP-1α continues to demonstrate its strong candidacy as a diagnostic biomarker for both subject and site vulnerability to BL.

Conjugal transfer of aac(6')Ie-aph(2″)Ia gene from native species and mechanism of regulation and cross resistance in Enterococcus faecalis MCC3063 by real time-PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaimee, G; Halami, P M

2017-09-01

High level aminoglycoside resistance (HLAR) in the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) derived from food animals is detrimental. The aim of this study was to investigate the localization and conjugal transfer of aminoglycoside resistance genes, aac(6')Ie-aph(2″)Ia and aph(3')IIIa in different Enterococcus species. The cross resistance patterns in Enterococcus faecalis MCC3063 to clinically important aminoglycosides by real time PCR were also studied. Southern hybridization experiments revealed the presence of aac(6')Ie-aph(2 ″ )Ia and aph(3')IIIa genes conferring HLAR in high molecular weight plasmids except in Lactobacillus plantarum. The plasmid encoded bifunctional aac(6')Ie-aph(2″)Ia gene was transferable from Enterococcus avium (n = 2), E. cecorum (n = 1), E. faecalis (n = 1) and Pediococcus lolii (n = 1) species into the recipient strain; E. faecalis JH2-2 by filter mating experiments thus indicating the possible risks of gene transfer into pathogenic strains. Molecular analysis of cross resistance patterns in native isolate of E. faecalis MCC3063 carrying aac(6')Ie-aph(2″)Ia and aph(3')IIIa gene was displayed by quantification of the mRNA levels in this study. For this, the culture was induced with increasing concentrations of gentamicin, kanamycin and streptomycin (2048, 4096, 8192, 16384 μg/mL) individually. The increasing concentrations of gentamicin and kanamycin induced the expression of the aac(6')Ie-aph(2″)Ia and aph(3')IIIa resistance genes, respectively. Interestingly, it was observed that induction with streptomycin triggered a significant fold increase in the expression of the aph(3')IIIa gene which otherwise was not known to modify the aminoglycoside. This is noteworthy as streptomycin was found to confer cross resistance to structurally unrelated kanamycin. Also, expression of the aph(3')IIIa gene when induced with streptomycin, revealed that bacteria harbouring this gene will be able to overcome streptomycin bactericidal action at

Systematic Review of the Mediterranean Diet for Long-Term Weight Loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Mancini, Joseph G; Filion, Kristian B; Atallah, Renée; Eisenberg, Mark J

2016-04-01

Although the long-term health benefits of the Mediterranean diet are well established, its efficacy for weight loss at ≥12 months in overweight or obese individuals is unclear. We therefore conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to determine the effect of the Mediterranean diet on weight loss and cardiovascular risk factor levels after ≥12 months. We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library of Clinical Trials for RCTs published in English or French and with follow-up ≥12 months that examined the effect of the Mediterranean diet on weight loss and cardiovascular risk factor levels in overweight or obese individuals trying to lose weight. Five RCTs (n = 998) met our inclusion criteria. Trials compared the Mediterranean diet to a low-fat diet (4 treatment arms), a low-carbohydrate diet (2 treatment arms), and the American Diabetes Association diet (1 treatment arm). The Mediterranean diet resulted in greater weight loss than the low-fat diet at ≥12 months (range of mean values: -4.1 to -10.1 kg vs 2.9 to -5.0 kg), but produced similar weight loss as other comparator diets (range of mean values: -4.1 to -10.1 kg vs -4.7 to -7.7 kg). Moreover, the Mediterranean diet was generally similar to comparator diets at improving other cardiovascular risk factor levels, including blood pressure and lipid levels. Our findings suggest that the Mediterranean diet results in similar weight loss and cardiovascular risk factor level reduction as comparator diets in overweight or obese individuals trying to lose weight. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The value of innovation under value-based pricing

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Santiago G.; Ray, Joshua A.

2016-01-01

Objective The role of cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) in incentivizing innovation is controversial. Critics of CEA argue that its use for pricing purposes disregards the ‘value of innovation’ reflected in new drug development, whereas supporters of CEA highlight that the value of innovation is already accounted for. Our objective in this article is to outline the limitations of the conventional CEA approach, while proposing an alternative method of evaluation that captures the value of innovation more accurately. Method The adoption of a new drug benefits present and future patients (with cost implications) for as long as the drug is part of clinical practice. Incidence patients and off-patent prices are identified as two key missing features preventing the conventional CEA approach from capturing 1) benefit to future patients and 2) future savings from off-patent prices. The proposed CEA approach incorporates these two features to derive the total lifetime value of an innovative drug (i.e., the value of innovation). Results The conventional CEA approach tends to underestimate the value of innovative drugs by disregarding the benefit to future patients and savings from off-patent prices. As a result, innovative drugs are underpriced, only allowing manufacturers to capture approximately 15% of the total value of innovation during the patent protection period. In addition to including the incidence population and off-patent price, the alternative approach proposes pricing new drugs by first negotiating the share of value of innovation to be appropriated by the manufacturer (>15%?) and payer (price that satisfies this condition. Conclusion We argue for a modification to the conventional CEA approach that integrates the total lifetime value of innovative drugs into CEA, by taking into account off-patent pricing and future patients. The proposed approach derives a price that allows manufacturers to capture an agreed share of this value, thereby incentivizing

The value of innovation under value-based pricing.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Santiago G; Ray, Joshua A

2016-01-01

The role of cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) in incentivizing innovation is controversial. Critics of CEA argue that its use for pricing purposes disregards the 'value of innovation' reflected in new drug development, whereas supporters of CEA highlight that the value of innovation is already accounted for. Our objective in this article is to outline the limitations of the conventional CEA approach, while proposing an alternative method of evaluation that captures the value of innovation more accurately. The adoption of a new drug benefits present and future patients (with cost implications) for as long as the drug is part of clinical practice. Incidence patients and off-patent prices are identified as two key missing features preventing the conventional CEA approach from capturing 1) benefit to future patients and 2) future savings from off-patent prices. The proposed CEA approach incorporates these two features to derive the total lifetime value of an innovative drug (i.e., the value of innovation). The conventional CEA approach tends to underestimate the value of innovative drugs by disregarding the benefit to future patients and savings from off-patent prices. As a result, innovative drugs are underpriced, only allowing manufacturers to capture approximately 15% of the total value of innovation during the patent protection period. In addition to including the incidence population and off-patent price, the alternative approach proposes pricing new drugs by first negotiating the share of value of innovation to be appropriated by the manufacturer (>15%?) and payer (price that satisfies this condition. We argue for a modification to the conventional CEA approach that integrates the total lifetime value of innovative drugs into CEA, by taking into account off-patent pricing and future patients. The proposed approach derives a price that allows manufacturers to capture an agreed share of this value, thereby incentivizing innovation, while supporting health

Weight Loss Nutritional Supplements

Science.gov (United States)

Eckerson, Joan M.

Obesity has reached what may be considered epidemic proportions in the United States, not only for adults but for children. Because of the medical implications and health care costs associated with obesity, as well as the negative social and psychological impacts, many individuals turn to nonprescription nutritional weight loss supplements hoping for a quick fix, and the weight loss industry has responded by offering a variety of products that generates billions of dollars each year in sales. Most nutritional weight loss supplements are purported to work by increasing energy expenditure, modulating carbohydrate or fat metabolism, increasing satiety, inducing diuresis, or blocking fat absorption. To review the literally hundreds of nutritional weight loss supplements available on the market today is well beyond the scope of this chapter. Therefore, several of the most commonly used supplements were selected for critical review, and practical recommendations are provided based on the findings of well controlled, randomized clinical trials that examined their efficacy. In most cases, the nutritional supplements reviewed either elicited no meaningful effect or resulted in changes in body weight and composition that are similar to what occurs through a restricted diet and exercise program. Although there is some evidence to suggest that herbal forms of ephedrine, such as ma huang, combined with caffeine or caffeine and aspirin (i.e., ECA stack) is effective for inducing moderate weight loss in overweight adults, because of the recent ban on ephedra manufacturers must now use ephedra-free ingredients, such as bitter orange, which do not appear to be as effective. The dietary fiber, glucomannan, also appears to hold some promise as a possible treatment for weight loss, but other related forms of dietary fiber, including guar gum and psyllium, are ineffective.

Epitaxial Al2O3 capacitors for low microwave loss superconducting quantum circuits

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K.-H. Cho

2013-10-01

Full Text Available We have characterized the microwave loss of high-Q parallel plate capacitors fabricated from thin-film Al/Al2O3/Re heterostructures on (0001 Al2O3 substrates. The superconductor-insulator-superconductor trilayers were grown in situ in a hybrid deposition system: the epitaxial Re base and polycrystalline Al counterelectrode layers were grown by sputtering, while the epitaxial Al2O3 layer was grown by pulsed laser deposition. Structural analysis indicates a highly crystalline epitaxial Al2O3 layer and sharp interfaces. The measured intrinsic (low-power, low-temperature quality factor of the resonators is as high as 3 × 104. These results indicate that low-loss grown Al2O3 is an attractive candidate dielectric for high-fidelity superconducting qubit circuits.

Simulation of small break loss of coolant accident using relap 5/ MOD 2 computer code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Megahed, M.M.

1992-01-01

An assessment of relap 5 / MOD 2/Cycle 36.05 best estimate computer code capabilities in predicting the thermohydraulic response of a PWR following a small break loss of coolant accident is presented. The experimental data base for the evaluation is the results of Test S-N H-3 performed in the semi scale MOD-2 c Test facility which modeled a 0.5% small break loss of coolant accident with an accompanying failure of the high pressure injection emergency core cooling system. A conclusion was reached that the code is capable of making small break loss of coolant accident calculations efficiently. However, some of the small break loss of coolant accident related phenomena were not properly predicted by the code, suggesting a need for code improvement.9 fig., 3 tab

Vertex Accentuation in Female Pattern Hair Loss in Asians

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Chavalit Supsrisunjai

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Background: The most common cause of hair loss seen in women is female pattern hair loss (FPHL, also known as female androgenetic alopecia. It affects the central part of the scalp, but spares the frontal hairline. Frontal accentuation was also described by Olsen. In Asian women, vertex thinning patterns are frequently developed, but there has been no report about vertex thinning pattern in female pattern hair loss. Objective: To find prevalence of vertex accentuation in female pattern hair loss (FPHL in Asian women. Methods: Scalp hair counting (n/cm2 were measured at 3 different areas; vertex, mid scalp and frontal area respectively by digital dermoscope (Dino digital AM-413T. Visual counting and photography were performed. Outcomes were evaluated by gross appearance of vertex thinning and/or hair density <120 /cm2 in any of 3 areas. Results: 143 patients were evaluated. Mean age was 45.54 years. Of the hair loss type, 36.4% were mid-scalp, 33.6% were vertex accentuation and 30.1% were frontal accentuation, respectively. Age was not significantly different among the 3 types of hair loss (P- value 0.859. Conclusion: Although the most common female pattern hair loss type is diffuse type (Ludwig type, vertex accentuation pattern is the second most common pattern in this study. This study is the first to mention “Vertex accentuation” to be another pattern for FPHL.

Measurements of Plasma Power Losses in the C-2 Field-Reversed Configuration Experiment

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Korepanov, Sergey; Smirnov, Artem; Garate, Eusebio; Donin, Alexandr; Kondakov, Alexey; Singatulin, Shavkat

2013-10-01

A high-confinement operating regime with plasma lifetimes significantly exceeding past empirical scaling laws was recently obtained by combining plasma gun edge biasing and tangential Neutral Beam Injection in the C-2 field-reversed configuration (FRC) experiment. To analyze the power balance in C-2, two new diagnostic instruments - the pyroelectric (PE) and infrared (IR) bolometers - were developed. The PE bolometer, designed to operate in the incident power density range from 0.1-100 W/cm2, is used to measure the radial power loss, which is dominated by charge-exchange neutrals and radiation. The IR bolometer, which measures power irradiated onto a thin metal foil inserted in the plasma, is designed for the power density range from 0.5-5 kW/cm2. The IR bolometer is used to measure the axial power loss from the plasma near the end divertors. The maximum measurable pulse duration of ~ 10 ms is limited by the heat capacitance of the IR detector. Both detectors have time resolution of about 10-100 μs and were calibrated in absolute units using a high power neutral beam. We present the results of first direct measurements of axial and radial plasma power losses in C-2.

Loss of expression and promoter methylation of SLIT2 are associated with sessile serrated adenoma formation.

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Andrew D Beggs

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Serrated adenomas form a distinct subtype of colorectal pre-malignant lesions that may progress to malignancy along a different molecular pathway than the conventional adenoma-carcinoma pathway. Previous studies have hypothesised that BRAF mutation and promoter hypermethylation plays a role, but the evidence for this is not robust. We aimed to carry out a whole-genome loss of heterozygosity analysis, followed by targeted promoter methylation and expression analysis to identify potential pathways in serrated adenomas. An initial panel of 9 sessile serrated adenomas (SSA and one TSA were analysed using Illumina Goldengate HumanLinkage panel arrays to ascertain regions of loss of heterozygosity. This was verified via molecular inversion probe analysis and microsatellite analysis of a further 32 samples. Methylation analysis of genes of interest was carried out using methylation specific PCR (verified by pyrosequencing and immunohistochemistry used to correlate loss of expression of genes of interest. All experiments used adenoma samples and normal tissue samples as control. SSA samples were found on whole-genome analysis to have consistent loss of heterozygosity at 4p15.1-4p15.31, which was not found in the sole TSA, adenomas, or normal tissues. Genes of interest in this region were PDCH7 and SLIT2, and combined MSP/IHC analysis of these genes revealed significant loss of SLIT2 expression associated with promoter methylation of SLIT2. Loss of expression of SLIT2 by promoter hypermethylation and loss of heterozygosity events is significantly associated with serrated adenoma development, and SLIT2 may represent a epimutated tumour suppressor gene according to the Knudson "two hit" hypothesis.

Inhibition of corrosion of carbon steel by heptane sulphonic acid – Zn2+ system

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C. MARY ANBARAS

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Corrosion inhibition of carbon steel in dam water by sodium heptane sulphonate (SHS and zinc ion system was investigated using weight loss and potentiodynamic polarization methods. Results of weight loss method indicated that inhibition efficiency (IE increased as the inhibitor concentration increased. A synergistic effect existed between SHS and Zn2+. The influence of sodium potassium tartrate (SPT on the IE of the SHS-Zn2+ system was evaluated. As the immersion period increased, the IE decreased. Polarization study revealed that SHS-Zn2+ system functioned as a cathodic inhibitor. AC impedance spectra revealed that a protective film was formed on the metal surface. The nature of the metal surface was analyzed by FTIR spectra, SEM and AFM analyses.

Avoided losses on LV networks as a result of microgeneration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costa, Paulo Moises [Escola Superior Tecnologia Viseu, Instituto Politecnico Viseu, Campus Politecnico Repeses, 3504-510 Viseu (Portugal); Matos, Manuel A. [INESC Porto, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Porto (Portugal)

2009-04-15

In the scope of the discussions about microgeneration (and microgrids), the avoided electrical losses are often pointed out as an important value to be credited to those entities. Therefore, methods to assess the impact of microgeneration on losses must be developed in order to support the definition of a suitable regulatory framework for the economic integration of microgeneration on distribution networks. This paper presents an analytical method to quantify the value of avoided losses that microgeneration may produce on LV networks. Intervals of expected avoided losses are used to account for the variation of avoided losses due to the number, size and location of microgenerators, as well as for the kind of load distribution on LV networks. (author)

Epileptiform electroencephalogram abnormality in children with congenital sensorineural hearing loss.

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El-Badry, Mohamed Mohamed; Hamdy, Nermin Aly; Sobhy, Sayed; Gamal, Reham

2014-04-01

This work was designed to study electroencephalogram findings in children with congenital sensorineural hearing loss and correlate these findings with the SNHL parameters as duration, etiology, severity, and type. Ninety children with bilateral congenital sensorineural hearing loss served as the study group. They were free from any neurological disorders or symptoms that are commonly associated with abnormal electroencephalogram as convulsions or loss of consciousness. Twenty children having normal hearing with no history of otological or neurological disorders served as the control group. All children participating in the study were subjected to full medical and audiological history, otological examination, neurological examination, audiological evaluation and electroencephalogram recording. Mean age of the children in the control group was 3.56 ± 2.1 years and mean age of the children in the study group was 3.8 ± 2.2 years. While none of the control children had abnormal electroencephalogram, 38 (42.2%) of children with congenital SNHL had epileptiform electroencephalogram abnormality. The epileptiform abnormality was generalized in 14 children (36.8%), focal temporal in 17 children (44.7%) and focal other than temporal in 7 children (18.4%). According to the hemispheric side affected, the abnormality was right in 14 children (36.8%), left in 10 children (26.3%) and bilateral in 14 children (36.8%). No statistically significant predominance of specific site or side of the epileptiform abnormality was found. Similarly, no statistical significant prevalent of the epileptiform abnormality was found in relation to the age or sex of children, duration of hearing loss or etiology of hearing loss (i.e., genetic vs. neonatal insults). On the other hand, the epileptiform abnormality was statistically prevalent in children with moderate degree of hearing loss, and in children with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder. The epileptiform electroencephalogram abnormality is

Amygdala damage eliminates monetary loss aversion.

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De Martino, Benedetto; Camerer, Colin F; Adolphs, Ralph

2010-02-23

Losses are a possibility in many risky decisions, and organisms have evolved mechanisms to evaluate and avoid them. Laboratory and field evidence suggests that people often avoid risks with losses even when they might earn a substantially larger gain, a behavioral preference termed "loss aversion." The cautionary brake on behavior known to rely on the amygdala is a plausible candidate mechanism for loss aversion, yet evidence for this idea has so far not been found. We studied two rare individuals with focal bilateral amygdala lesions using a series of experimental economics tasks. To measure individual sensitivity to financial losses we asked participants to play a variety of monetary gambles with possible gains and losses. Although both participants retained a normal ability to respond to changes in the gambles' expected value and risk, they showed a dramatic reduction in loss aversion compared to matched controls. The findings suggest that the amygdala plays a key role in generating loss aversion by inhibiting actions with potentially deleterious outcomes.

NPP Krsko analysis of the loss of the RHR system during mid-loop operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bencik, V.; Feretic, D.; Debrecin, N.

2002-01-01

In the paper the results of the NPP Krsko analysis of the loss of the Residual Heat Removal (RHR) system at mid-loop conditions using RELAP5/MOD 3.2.2 Gamma and RELAP5/MOD 3.3 Beta code are presented. Both pressurizer and Steam Generator (SG) 1 manway were open. The facility was open to the containment atmosphere and filled with air above liquid level. Loss of the RHR system when Reactor Coolant System (RCS) is open causes quick boiling in the core and loss of the inventory available for the cooling of the core through the openings. Aims of the analysis were threefold. First, the consequences of the transient for NPP Krsko, i.e., the time to core uncovery was determined. Secondly, the influence of the applied RELAP5 code version (MOD 3.2.2 Gamma and MOD 3.3 Beta) in the analysis of that particular transient with noncondensable gases was assessed. Third, the analysis with SG secondary sides under wet lay-up conditions was performed in order to assess the influence of condensation in the SG U tubes on liquid inventory in the system and core cooling capability.(author)

Clinical Application of Screening for GJB2 Mutations before Cochlear Implantation in a Heterogeneous Population with High Rate of Autosomal Recessive Nonsyndromic Hearing Loss

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Masoud Motasaddi Zarandy

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Clinical application of mutation screening and its effect on the outcome of cochlear implantation is widely debated. We investigated the effect of mutations in GJB2 gene on the outcome of cochlear implantation in a population with a high rate of consanguineous marriage and autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss. Two hundred and one children with profound prelingual sensorineural hearing loss were included. Forty-six patients had 35delG in GJB2. Speech awareness thresholds (SATs and speech recognition thresholds (SRTs improved following implantation, but there was no difference in performance between patients with GJB2-related deafness versus control (all >0.10. Both groups had produced their first comprehensible words within the same period of time following implantation (2.27 months in GJB2-related deaf versus 2.62 months in controls, =0.22. Although our findings demonstrate the need to uncover unidentified genetic causes of hereditary deafness, they do not support the current policy for genetic screening before cochlear implantation, nor prove a prognostic value.

Statistical Modeling of Large-Scale Signal Path Loss in Underwater Acoustic Networks

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Manuel Perez Malumbres

2013-02-01

Full Text Available In an underwater acoustic channel, the propagation conditions are known to vary in time, causing the deviation of the received signal strength from the nominal value predicted by a deterministic propagation model. To facilitate a large-scale system design in such conditions (e.g., power allocation, we have developed a statistical propagation model in which the transmission loss is treated as a random variable. By applying repetitive computation to the acoustic field, using ray tracing for a set of varying environmental conditions (surface height, wave activity, small node displacements around nominal locations, etc., an ensemble of transmission losses is compiled and later used to infer the statistical model parameters. A reasonable agreement is found with log-normal distribution, whose mean obeys a log-distance increases, and whose variance appears to be constant for a certain range of inter-node distances in a given deployment location. The statistical model is deemed useful for higher-level system planning, where simulation is needed to assess the performance of candidate network protocols under various resource allocation policies, i.e., to determine the transmit power and bandwidth allocation necessary to achieve a desired level of performance (connectivity, throughput, reliability, etc..

Changes in weight control behaviors and hedonic hunger during a 12-week commercial weight loss program.

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O'Neil, Patrick M; Theim, Kelly R; Boeka, Abbe; Johnson, Gail; Miller-Kovach, Karen

2012-12-01

Greater use of key self-regulatory behaviors (e.g., self-monitoring of food intake and weight) is associated with greater weight loss within behavioral weight loss treatments, although this association is less established within widely-available commercial weight loss programs. Further, high hedonic hunger (i.e., susceptibility to environmental food cues) may present a barrier to successful behavior change and weight loss, although this has not yet been examined. Adult men and women (N=111, body mass index M±SD=31.5±2.7kg/m(2)) were assessed before and after participating in a 12-week commercial weight loss program. From pre- to post-treatment, reported usage of weight control behaviors improved and hedonic hunger decreased, and these changes were inversely associated. A decrease in hedonic hunger was associated with better weight loss. An improvement in reported weight control behaviors (e.g., self-regulatory behaviors) was associated with better weight loss, and this association was even stronger among individuals with high baseline hedonic hunger. Findings highlight the importance of specific self-regulatory behaviors within weight loss treatment, including a commercial weight loss program developed for widespread community implementation. Assessment of weight control behavioral skills usage and hedonic hunger may be useful to further identify mediators of weight loss within commercial weight loss programs. Future interventions might specifically target high hedonic hunger and prospectively examine changes in hedonic hunger during other types of weight loss treatment to inform its potential impact on sustained behavior change and weight control. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PECULIARITIES OF CONSTRUCTION OF INSTITUTIONS OF SECONDARY EDUCATION IN MOSCOW IN THE 1920IES AND 1930IES

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Byzova Ol'ga Mikhaylovna

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Actions aimed at the generality of elementary education in the course of the period days of the industrialization and cultural revolution in the USSR is under discussion in the proposed paper. On the basis of the archived documents, organization of construction of school buildings in Moscow in the 20ies and 30ies of the 20th century is analyzed. It is noteworthy that industrialization in the periods of the first, second and third five-year plans reshaped the country and Moscow as its capital. Former suburbs turned into large industrial areas that had giant factories and housing built around them to accommodate workers. Thus, the population of Moscow grew in numbers. The need for competent staff facilitated construction of new schools. Peculiarities of school construction in Moscow within the first five-year plan are considered in article on the basis of a school building in Likhobory in 1932. The school building design, work progress, assembly and interior, deadlines and problems of construction are specified. It is noteworthy that, despite any difficulties, 19 new school buildings were completed in Moscow in the years of the first five-year plan. Classes were organized according to the principle of two shifts to implement the general education programme in 1932.

Loss-Chasing, Alexithymia and Impulsivity: Alexithymia as a precursor to loss-chasing when gambling.

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Peter Anthony Bibby

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To examine the relationship between loss-chasing, the propensity to continue gambling to recover from losses, alexithymia, a personality trait associated poor emotional processing and impulsivity, the tendency to act quickly without reflection or consideration of the consequences.Method: Two experiments are reported (E1: N=60, Males, 11; Age, 21.6 years. E2: N=49, Males, 22; Age, 21.1 years. In experiment 1, two groups (low alexithymia, high alexithymia completed the Cambridge Gambling Task. Loss-chasing behaviour was investigated. In experiment 2, both alexithymia (low, high and impulsivity (low, high were examined also using the CGT. A further change was the order of bet proportion from ascending to descending. Results: Experiment 1 shows loss-chasing behaviour in participants high in alexithymia but not those low in alexithymia (η_p^2=.09. Experiment 2 shows loss-chasing behaviour in participants both low and high in alexithymia but it was greater for participants high in alexithymia (η_p^2=.09. The effect of impulsivity was not statistically significant (η_p^2=.01. Loss-chasing behaviour was correlated with the emotional facets of alexithymia but not the cognitive facet. Conclusions: Alexithymia is a precursor to loss-chasing when gambling and loss-chasing reflects the cognitive and emotional aspects of gambling. Specifically, the tendency to loss-chase depends on the need to recoup previous losses and failure to process the emotional consequences of those losses.

Volatile element loss during planetary magma ocean phases

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Dhaliwal, Jasmeet K.; Day, James M. D.; Moynier, Frédéric

2018-01-01

Moderately volatile elements (MVE) are key tracers of volatile depletion in planetary bodies. Zinc is an especially useful MVE because of its generally elevated abundances in planetary basalts, relative to other MVE, and limited evidence for mass-dependent isotopic fractionation under high-temperature igneous processes. Compared with terrestrial basalts, which have δ66Zn values (per mille deviation of the 66Zn/64Zn ratio from the JMC-Lyon standard) similar to some chondrite meteorites (∼+0.3‰), lunar mare basalts yield a mean δ66Zn value of +1.4 ± 0.5‰ (2 st. dev.). Furthermore, mare basalts have average Zn concentrations ∼50 times lower than in typical terrestrial basaltic rocks. Late-stage lunar magmatic products, including ferroan anorthosite, Mg- and Alkali-suite rocks have even higher δ66Zn values (+3 to +6‰). Differences in Zn abundance and isotopic compositions between lunar and terrestrial rocks have previously been interpreted to reflect evaporative loss of Zn, either during the Earth-Moon forming Giant Impact, or in a lunar magma ocean (LMO) phase. To explore the mechanisms and processes under which volatile element loss may have occurred during a LMO phase, we developed models of Zn isotopic fractionation that are generally applicable to planetary magma oceans. Our objective was to identify conditions that would yield a δ66Zn signature of ∼+1.4‰ within the lunar mantle. For the sake of simplicity, we neglect possible Zn isotopic fractionation during the Giant Impact, and assumed a starting composition equal to the composition of the present-day terrestrial mantle, assuming both the Earth and Moon had zinc 'consanguinity' following their formation. We developed two models: the first simulates evaporative fractionation of Zn only prior to LMO mixing and crystallization; the second simulates continued evaporative fractionation of Zn that persists until ∼75% LMO crystallization. The first model yields a relatively homogenous bulk solid

P2X7 receptor regulates osteoclast function and bone loss in a mouse model of osteoporosis.

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Wang, Ning; Agrawal, Ankita; Jørgensen, Niklas Rye; Gartland, Alison

2018-02-22

Post-menopausal osteoporosis is a condition that affects millions worldwide and places a huge socio-economic burden on society. Previous research has shown an association of loss of function SNPs in the gene for the purinergic receptor P2X7R with low bone mineral density, increased rates of bone loss and vertebral fractures in post-menopausal women. In this study we use a mouse model of oestrogen deficiency-induced bone loss and the BALB/cJ P2X7R -/- to show that absence of the P2X7R resulted in increased bone loss. Osteoclast precursors were isolated from both BALB/cJ P2X7R -/- and BALB/cJ P2X7R +/+ mice and then cultured in vitro to form mature resorbing osteoclasts. The BALB/cJ P2X7R -/- derived precursors generated slightly more osteoclasts but with a significant reduction in the amount of resorption per osteoclast. Furthermore, when using modified culture conditions osteoclast activity was additionally increased in the absence of the P2X7R suggest that P2X7R may regulate the lifespan and activity of osteoclasts. Finally using mechanical loading as an anabolic stimulus for bone formation, we demonstrated that the increased oestrogen-deficient bone loss could be rescued, even in the absence of P2X7R. This study paves the way for clinical intervention for women with post-menopausal osteoporosis and P2XR7 loss of function polymorphisms.

The Dehydration of Water Worlds via Atmospheric Losses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, Chuanfei; Bhattacharjee, Amitava [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Huang, Zhenguang; Tóth, Gábor; Gombosi, Tamas [Center for Space Environment Modeling, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Lingam, Manasvi, E-mail: dcfy@princeton.edu [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2017-09-20

We present a three-species multi-fluid magnetohydrodynamic model (H{sup +}, H{sub 2}O{sup +}, and e {sup −}), endowed with the requisite atmospheric chemistry, that is capable of accurately quantifying the magnitude of water ion losses from exoplanets. We apply this model to a water world with Earth-like parameters orbiting a Sun-like star for three cases: (i) current normal solar wind conditions, (ii) ancient normal solar wind conditions, and (iii) one extreme “Carrington-type” space weather event. We demonstrate that the ion escape rate for (ii), with a value of 6.0 × 10{sup 26} s{sup −1}, is about an order of magnitude higher than the corresponding value of 6.7 × 10{sup 25} s{sup −1} for (i). Studies of ion losses induced by space weather events, where the ion escape rates can reach ∼10{sup 28} s{sup −1}, are crucial for understanding how an active, early solar-type star (e.g., with frequent coronal mass ejections) could have accelerated the depletion of the exoplanet’s atmosphere. We briefly explore the ramifications arising from the loss of water ions, especially for planets orbiting M-dwarfs where such effects are likely to be significant.

Thermal Stress-Induced Depolarization Loss in Conventional and Panda-Shaped Photonic Crystal Fiber Lasers

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Mousavi, Seyedeh Laleh; Sabaeian, Mohammad

2016-10-01

We report on the modeling of the depolarization loss in the conventional and panda-shaped photonic crystal fiber lasers (PCFLs) due to the self-heating of the fiber, which we call it thermal stress-induced depolarization loss (TSIDL). We first calculated the temperature distribution over the fiber cross sections and then calculated the thermal stresses/strains as a function of heat load per meter. Thermal stress-induced birefringence (TSIB), which is defined as | n x - n y |, in the core and cladding regions was calculated. Finally, TSIDL was calculated for the conventional and panda-shaped PCFLs as a function of fiber length and, respectively, saturated values of 22 and 25 % were obtained which were independent of heat load per meter. For panda-shaped PCFLs, prior to being saturated, an oscillating and damping behavior against the fiber length was seen where in some lengths reached 35 %. The results are close to an experimental value of 30 % reported for a pulsed PCFL (Limpert et al., Opt Express 12:1313-1319, 2004) where the authors reported a degree of polarization of 70 % (i.e., a depolarization of 30 %). The most important result of this work is a saturation behavior of TSIDL at long-enough lengths of the fiber laser which is independent of heat load per meter. To our knowledge, this the first report of TSIBL for PCFLs.

Behavioral Economic Predictors of Overweight Children's Weight Loss

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Best, John R.; Theim, Kelly R.; Gredysa, Dana M.; Stein, Richard I.; Welch, R. Robinson; Saelens, Brian E.; Perri, Michael G.; Schechtman, Kenneth B.; Epstein, Leonard H.; Wilfley, Denise E.

2012-01-01

Objective: Our goal was to determine whether behavioral economic constructs--including impulsivity (i.e., steep discounting of delayed food and monetary rewards), the relative reinforcing value of food (RRV[subscript food]), and environmental enrichment (i.e., the presence of alternatives to unhealthy foods in the home and neighborhood…

Magnetic losses in composite materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramprecht, J; Sjoeberg, D

2008-01-01

We discuss some of the problems involved in homogenization of a composite material built from ferromagnetic inclusions in a nonmagnetic background material. The small signal permeability for a ferromagnetic spherical particle is combined with a homogenization formula to give an effective permeability for the composite material. The composite material inherits the gyrotropic structure and resonant behaviour of the single particle. The resonance frequency of the composite material is found to be independent of the volume fraction, unlike dielectric composite materials. The magnetic losses are described by a magnetic conductivity which can be made independent of frequency and proportional to the volume fraction by choosing a certain bias. Finally, some concerns regarding particles of small size, i.e. nanoparticles, are treated and the possibility of exciting exchange modes are discussed. These exchange modes may be an interesting way to increase losses in composite materials

Adipose gene expression prior to weight loss can differentiate and weakly predict dietary responders.

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David M Mutch

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The ability to identify obese individuals who will successfully lose weight in response to dietary intervention will revolutionize disease management. Therefore, we asked whether it is possible to identify subjects who will lose weight during dietary intervention using only a single gene expression snapshot. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The present study involved 54 female subjects from the Nutrient-Gene Interactions in Human Obesity-Implications for Dietary Guidelines (NUGENOB trial to determine whether subcutaneous adipose tissue gene expression could be used to predict weight loss prior to the 10-week consumption of a low-fat hypocaloric diet. Using several statistical tests revealed that the gene expression profiles of responders (8-12 kgs weight loss could always be differentiated from non-responders (<4 kgs weight loss. We also assessed whether this differentiation was sufficient for prediction. Using a bottom-up (i.e. black-box approach, standard class prediction algorithms were able to predict dietary responders with up to 61.1%+/-8.1% accuracy. Using a top-down approach (i.e. using differentially expressed genes to build a classifier improved prediction accuracy to 80.9%+/-2.2%. CONCLUSION: Adipose gene expression profiling prior to the consumption of a low-fat diet is able to differentiate responders from non-responders as well as serve as a weak predictor of subjects destined to lose weight. While the degree of prediction accuracy currently achieved with a gene expression snapshot is perhaps insufficient for clinical use, this work reveals that the comprehensive molecular signature of adipose tissue paves the way for the future of personalized nutrition.

Energy loss straggling in Aluminium foils for Li and C ions in fractional energy loss limits (ΔE/E) ∼10-60%

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Diwan, P. K.; Kumar, Sunil; Kumar, Shyam; Sharma, V.; Khan, S. A.; Avasthi, D. K.

2016-02-01

The energy loss straggling of Li and C ions in Al foils of various thicknesses has been measured, within the fractional energy loss limit (∆E/E) ∼ 10-60%. These measurements have been performed using the 15UD Pelletron accelerator facility available at Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), New Delhi, India. The measured straggling values have been compared with the corresponding predicted values adopting popularly used collisional straggling formulations viz Bohr, Lindhard and Scharff, Bethe-Livingston, Titeica. In addition, the experimental data has been compared to the Yang et al. empirical formula and Close Form Model, recently proposed by Montanari et al. The straggling values derived by Titeica theory were found to be in better agreement with the measured values as compared to other straggling formulations. The charge-exchange straggling component has been estimated from the measured data based on Titeica's theory. Finally, a function of the ion effective charge and the energy loss fraction within the target has been fitted to the latter straggling component.

The value of blood serotonin for effective weight loss in obese women

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Natal'ya Vadimovna Anikina

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Obesity is a disorder of energy balance, which leads to excessive accumulation of fat. In recent years, many important discoveries were made in this field, including the discovery of hormones produced by adipose tissue and the identification of many of the central and peripheral pathways of energy balance. Objective. To study the levels of hormones that affect appetite and metabolism in women with obesity baseline and after weight loss while taking sibutramine. Materials and methods. The study included 56 women aged 42,9±9,5 years, with a BMI of 34,6±6,1 kg/m2. All patients underwent clinical, laboratory and instrumental examination. Hormonal study included determination of serotonin, leptin, ghrelin, endothelin-1, adiponectin. Results: In women with obesity we identified hyperleptinemia and increased serotonin levels. The decrease in body weight in patients receiving sibutramine was accompanied by lower levels of serotonin, leptin, ghrelin, endothelin-1, and increase of adiponectin. Conclusions: Obese patients have significantly elevated levels of leptin, serotonin, ghrelin compared to women of normal weight. Sibutramine treatment leads to a decrease in serotonin, leptin, ghrelin and is more effective in women with a BMI less than 36,5 kg/m2.

Comparing flood loss models of different complexity

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Schröter, Kai; Kreibich, Heidi; Vogel, Kristin; Riggelsen, Carsten; Scherbaum, Frank; Merz, Bruno

2013-04-01

Any deliberation on flood risk requires the consideration of potential flood losses. In particular, reliable flood loss models are needed to evaluate cost-effectiveness of mitigation measures, to assess vulnerability, for comparative risk analysis and financial appraisal during and after floods. In recent years, considerable improvements have been made both concerning the data basis and the methodological approaches used for the development of flood loss models. Despite of that, flood loss models remain an important source of uncertainty. Likewise the temporal and spatial transferability of flood loss models is still limited. This contribution investigates the predictive capability of different flood loss models in a split sample cross regional validation approach. For this purpose, flood loss models of different complexity, i.e. based on different numbers of explaining variables, are learned from a set of damage records that was obtained from a survey after the Elbe flood in 2002. The validation of model predictions is carried out for different flood events in the Elbe and Danube river basins in 2002, 2005 and 2006 for which damage records are available from surveys after the flood events. The models investigated are a stage-damage model, the rule based model FLEMOps+r as well as novel model approaches which are derived using data mining techniques of regression trees and Bayesian networks. The Bayesian network approach to flood loss modelling provides attractive additional information concerning the probability distribution of both model predictions and explaining variables.

Effect of high-energy electron irradiation of chicken meat on thiobarbituric acid values, shear values, odor, and cooked yield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heath, J.L.; Owens, S.L.; Tesch, S.; Hannah, K.W.

1990-01-01

Experiments were conducted to determine whether electron-beam irradiation would affect shear values, yield, odor, and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values of chicken tissues. Broiler breasts (pectoralis superficialis) and whole thighs were irradiated with an electron-beam accelerator at levels to produce adsorbed doses of 100, 200, and 300 krads on the surface of the sample. The thigh samples were stored for 2, 4, and 8 days before testing for TBA values. The depth to which the radiation had penetrated the pectoralis superficialis muscle was also determined. Radiation penetrated 22 mm into slices of pectoralis superficialis muscle when 100 krad was absorbed by the surface of the tissue. The dose absorbed beneath the tissue surface to a depth of 10 mm was larger than the dose absorbed at the surface. The absorbed dose decreased as the depth of penetration increased. For cooked breast tissue, the shear values and moisture content were not affected by the absorbed radiation. Cooking losses of aged breast tissue were not affected by irradiation, but cooking losses were reduced in breast tissue that had not been aged. Irradiating uncooked thigh and uncooked breast samples produced a characteristic odor that remained after the thighs were cooked but was not detectable after the breast samples were cooked. With two exceptions, no significantly different TBA values were found that could be attributed to irradiation

Meal replacements for weight loss in type 2 diabetes in a community setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Keogh, Jennifer B; Clifton, Peter M

2012-01-01

Background. There is limited information on the effectiveness of meal replacements (MRs) as a weight-loss strategy in an unsupervised community setting. Aim. To evaluate the use of MR compared with a diet book for 6 months. Subjects and Methods. Obese subjects (n = 120) with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited from the community in Adelaide, South Australia, and randomised to intervention or control. Subjects in the intervention were advised to consume 2 MR/day for 3 months and 1 MR/day for 3 months and follow the manufacturers' instructions from printed material and the website. Subjects in the control arm were given a commercially available diet book. Results. Consumption of 2 MR for 3 months and 1 MR for the subsequent 3 months led to weight loss of 5.5 kg (5%) and a 0.26% decrease in HbA1c while the diet book group had a weight loss of 3 kg (3%) (P = 0.027 for difference between groups) and a decrease in HbA1c of 0.15% (between group ns) in those who completed the 6-month study. On intention-to-treat (last observation carried forward) weight loss at 6 months was 3.4 kg in MR and 1.8 kg in control (P = 0.07). Decreases in HbA1c were 0.22% and 0.12%, respectively (P = ns). HDL cholesterol increased by 4% in MR and decreased by 1% in control (P = 0.004). Blood pressure decreased equally in both groups. There were reductions in fasting glucose in both groups at 6 months with no changes in LDL-cholesterol or triglyceride concentrations. Conclusion. MR confers benefits in HbA1C reduction and weight loss at 6 months in those who completed the study.

48 CFR 1852.234-2 - Earned Value Management System.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Earned Value Management... and Clauses 1852.234-2 Earned Value Management System. As prescribed in 1834.203-70(b) insert the following clause: Earned Value Management System (NOV 2006) (a) In the performance of this contract, the...

Preservative loss from silicone tubing during filling processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Saller, Verena; Matilainen, Julia; Rothkopf, Christian; Serafin, Daniel; Bechtold-Peters, Karoline; Mahler, Hanns-Christian; Friess, Wolfgang

2017-03-01

Significant loss of preservative was observed during filling of drug products during filling line stops. This study evaluated the losses of three commonly used preservatives in protein drugs, i.e. benzyl alcohol, phenol, and m-cresol. Concentration losses during static incubation were quantified and interpreted with regard to the potential driving forces for the underlying sorption, diffusion, and desorption steps. Partitioning from the solution into the silicone polymer was identified as the most decisive parameter for the extent of preservative loss. Additionally, the influence of tubing inner diameter, starting concentration as well as silicone tubing type was evaluated. Theoretical calculations assuming equilibrium between solution and tubing inner surface and one-directional diffusion following Fick's first law were used to approximate experimental data. Since significant losses were found already after few minutes, adequate measures must be taken to avoid deviations during filling of preservative-containing protein solutions that may impact product quality or antimicrobial efficacy. As a possible alternative to the highly permeable silicone tubing, a specific make of fluoropolymer tubing was identified being suitable for peristaltic pumps and not showing any preservative losses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.