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Sample records for infant development 2nd

  1. Selected Abstracts of the 3rd Edition of Transport of High Risk Infants; Oxford (UK); August 31st-September 2nd, 2017

    OpenAIRE

    --- Various Authors

    2017-01-01

    Selected Abstracts of the 3rd Edition of Transport of High Risk Infants; Oxford (UK); August 31st-September 2nd, 2017ABS 1. MORTALITY RATE IN 23-30 WEEKS PRE­MATURE BORN IN LEVEL 2 HOSPITAL IN COMPARISON TO THOSE BORN IN TERTIARY-CARE HOSPITAL • J.P. Doray, J.L. DorayABS 2. THE QUEBEC AEROMEDICAL EXPERIENCE: EVACUATION OF NEONATES FROM AREAS IN EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS – IN­NOVATIONS IN SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY • É. Notebaert, J. Provencher, R. Bernier, S. Côté, S. KindABS 3. NASAL HIGH FLOW S...

  2. Effects of parenting role and parent-child interaction on infant motor development in Taiwan Birth Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiang, Yi-Chen; Lin, Dai-Chan; Lee, Chun-Yang; Lee, Meng-Chih

    2015-04-01

    Previous studies have rarely focused on healthy infants' motor development, and nationwide birth cohort studies in Taiwan are limited. It has been shown that parent-child interactions significantly influence infant motor development and the effect of mother-infant attachment on infant development is stronger than father-infant attachment. However, it is not well understood that whether the mother-infant or father-infant interaction has the confounding effect on infant motor development. To understand healthy infant motor development in Taiwan; and to investigate the effects of parenting roles and parent-child interactions on infant motor development. Data were derived from the 1st through the 2nd waves of the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study-Pilot Database. Infants were classified into two categories (complete or incomplete development) according to their developmental milestones. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) and random effects models were used to clarify the possible long-term effects. The rate of infants who completed development in 6 months was 30.50%; however the rate was increased in 18 month-old children (80.01%). A mother's perceived infant care competence was the most important factor for infant motor development. "Whether or not the infant was the only baby in the family" and "parent-child interaction" had slightly significant effect on infant motor development. In conclusion, the mother's perceived competence must be strengthened and parent-infant interactions should be emphasized on a daily basis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. A psychometric study of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development - 3rd Edition for term and preterm Taiwanese infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Yen-Ting; Hsieh, Wu-Shiun; Hsu, Chyong-Hsin; Chen, Li-Chiou; Lee, Wang-Tso; Chiu, Nan-Chang; Wu, Ying-Chin; Jeng, Suh-Fang

    2013-11-01

    The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development - 3rd Edition (Bayley-III) was updated to enhance its usefulness for contemporary child developmental assessment. However, recent data in Western countries have implicated the overestimation of child development by the new instrument. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric features of the Bayley-III for term and preterm infants in Taiwan. Forty-seven term infants and 167 preterm infants were prospectively examined with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development - 2nd Edition (BSID-II) and the Bayley-III at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age (corrected for prematurity). The psychometric properties examined included reliability, construct validity, and known-group validity. The intra- and inter-rater reliabilities of the Bayley-III were good to excellent. The correlations between the BSID-II and Bayley-III raw scores were good to excellent for the cognitive and motor items and low to excellent for the language items. Term infants achieved higher composite scores than preterm infants on all of the Bayley-III scales (pcognitive, language, and motor delay, respectively, as defined by the BSID-II index score<70. The Bayley-III is a reliable instrument that extends its previous edition, especially in early language assessment. However, the upward adjustment of its cut-off score is recommended for the accurate identification of developmental delay in term and preterm Taiwanese infants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Modeling Dexterity Development in 2nd-4th-grade Boys by Means of Active Games

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Марченко

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The objective is to optimize the mode of using game for dexterity development in the 2nd-4th-grade boys. Materials & methods: to conduct the experiment, there were eight test groups (n=48 formed in each class. The total number of such test groups was 24. The research relied on the following methods: theoretical analysis and collation of scientific and methodological literature; pedagogical testing; methods of mathematical experiment planning (complete factorial experiment 23; modeling method. Results: the research has determined that to develop dexterity, the 2nd-4th-grade boys need to participate in up to five games. The number of repetitions for the 2nd-3rd-graders is two, and for the 4th-graders – three, with 30–40-second rest intervals. The 2nd-4th-grade boys showed effective development during 40 classes, and the 3rd-grade boys – during 20 classes. After that, we recommend to use other means. The game duration varies from one to two minutes. Conclusions: the analysis of the scientific and methodological literature has revealed that the level of motor readiness, dexterity being one of its main components, largely determines the state of children’s physical and mental health. The research has found that the natural development of coordination abilities in boys aged between 7 and 10 is 22.5–80.0% (56.2% on average. Game actions play a particular role in dexterity development in junior schoolers. The 23 complete factorial experiment made it possible to study the multi-factorial structure of game load for the 2nd-4th-graders; to specify the relations between factors for their use during dexterity development in the 2nd-4th-grade boys in physical education classes. They can serve as an objective tool for the educational process optimization. The given regression equations are models that can be used to determine the optimal game means ratio in the academic process of the 2nd-4th-graders.

  5. Effect of the home environment on motor and cognitive behavior of infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miquelote, Audrei F; Santos, Denise C C; Caçola, Priscila M; Montebelo, Maria Imaculada de L; Gabbard, Carl

    2012-06-01

    Although information is sparse, research suggests that affordances in the home provide essential resources that promote motor and cognitive skills in young children. The present study assessed over time, the association between motor affordances in the home and infant motor and cognitive behavior. Thirty-two (32) infants were assessed for characteristics of their home using the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development--Infant Scale and motor and cognitive behavior with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development--III. Infant's home and motor behavior were assessed at age 9 months and 6 months later with the inclusion of cognitive ability. Results for motor ability indicated that there was an overall improvement in performance from the 1st to the 2nd assessment. We found significant positive correlations between the dimensions of the home (daily activities and play materials) and global motor performance (1st assessment) and fine-motor performance on the 2nd assessment. In regard to cognitive performance (2nd assessment), results indicated a positive association with fine-motor performance. Our results suggest that motor affordances can have a positive impact on future motor ability and speculatively, later cognitive behavior in infants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Development of a Hydrologic Characterization Technology for Fault Zones Phase II 2nd Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karasaki, Kenzi [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Doughty, Christine [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Gasperikova, Erika [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Peterson, John [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Conrad, Mark [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Cook, Paul [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Tiemi, Onishi [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2011-03-31

    This is the 2nd report on the three-year program of the 2nd phase of the NUMO-LBNL collaborative project: Development of Hydrologic Characterization Technology for Fault Zones under NUMO-DOE/LBNL collaboration agreement. As such, this report is a compendium of the results by Kiho et al. (2011) and those by LBNL.

  7. Performance of 2-year-old children after early surgery for congenital heart disease on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Suzanne H; Galea, Mary P; Eldridge, Beverley J; Harris, Susan R

    2012-08-01

    Previous research on developmental outcomes of infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) has shown delays in both cognitive and motor skills. To describe outcomes on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition (Bayley-III) for infants with CHD and to compare those findings to published results for similar samples of infants assessed on the 2nd edition of the Bayley Scales (BSID-II). Prospective cohort. Of 50 infants with CHD who participated in this longitudinal study (2006-2008) at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, 47 were assessed on the Bayley-III (median age=24.5 months), administered by a psychologist or neonatologist. Although neither assessor was blind to the CHD diagnosis, they were unaware of results of previous developmental assessments conducted in this longitudinal study. For the Bayley-III cognitive composite score, 17.0% of infants showed mild delays (1-2 SD below the mean), 2.1% had moderate delays (2-3 SD below the mean), and none had severe delays (greater than 3 SD below the mean). Motor composite scores showed mild delays in 10.9% of infants and moderate delays in 2.2%; none had severe motor delays. These findings differ from study results using the BSID-II in similar infants. The Bayley-III may underestimate developmental delay in 2-year-old children with CHD when compared to results of similar children tested at 12-36 months of age on the BSID-II. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. [Employment and education in the 2nd economic and social development plan of Togo].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dovi-sodemekou, F B

    1985-01-01

    Togo is a developing country whose population is increasing at the rapid rate of 2.7%/year. Economic development is therefore a necessity to ensure at least an average standard of living. Plans of development include objectives of structural societal changes, including improvements in education and employment. This study analyzes the evolution of population activities. It identifies obstacles to the improvement of education and employment. The investigation examines the employment and education situation before adoption of the 2nd plan of Togo and predicts the probable evolution of the situation. Despite the priority accorded to agriculture, the 2nd plan appears to give greater importance to industry. The industrial and commercial sector has witnessed a 65.2% investment increase, whereas the rural sector had an investment increase of 11.8%. The 2nd plan, in view of its relation to the evolution of economic activities, took into account the demand for manual labor. In the private sector, industries should occupy an important position. The dualism of a modern and a traditional sector is considered a cause of underdevelopment. The modern sector should be developed in order to suppress the traditional sector and allow progress in society. As a result of this approach, agriculture is given a 2ndary role.

  9. Physical growth and psychomotor development of infants exposed to antiepileptic drugs in utero.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arulmozhi, T; Dhanaraj, M; Rangaraj, R; Vengatesan, A

    2006-03-01

    To evaluates the physical growth and psychomotor development of infants born to women with epilepsy on regular Anti Epileptic Drugs (AEDs). Govt. Stanley Medical College and Hospital, Tertiary care referral centre, Chennai. Open prospective cohort study with a control group. Consecutive women with epilepsy who were on regular anticonvulsants were followed up from their first trimester. Their babies were examined at birth and anthropometric measurements including anterior fontanelle size were noted. They were followed up till one year and periodically evaluated at 1st, 6th and 12th month of age. Development testing using Griffith scale was done at 2nd, 6th and 12th month. An equal number of control babies were also studied using the same scale for one year at the specified intervals. The results in both the groups were compared. 30 babies were enrolled in the case and control group. The AEDs received by the mothers with epilepsy were Phenytoin, Carbamazepine, and Sodium valproate. At birth and 1st month the weight, head circumference and length of case and control babies were equal. At 6th and 12th month reduction in the above 3 parameters were noted in the case babies ( P < 0.01). Area of anterior fontanelle (AF) was larger in the study group particularly in those exposed to phenytoin in utero (P < 0.001). In the case babies reduction in the sitting, prone and erect progression of the locomotor scores was observed at 2nd month (P < 0.001). Prone progression alone improved by 12th month and other two remained less than the control (P < 0.001). No difference was observed in reaching behaviour and personal/social scores in both groups. Infants exposed to Phenytoin monotherapy had a negative impact on sitting progression. Among infants exposed to AEDs in utero physical growth was equal to that of control at birth but reduced at 6th and 12th month probably due to extraneous factors. The Locomotor scores showed reduction in all areas in 2nd, 6th and 12th month except

  10. Lanthanite-(Nd), Nd2(CO3)3·8H2O

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrison, Shaunna M.; Andrade, Marcelo B.; Wenz, Michelle D.; Domanik, Kenneth J.; Downs, Robert T.

    2013-01-01

    Lanthanite-(Nd), ideally Nd2(CO3)3·8H2O [dineodymium(III) tricarbonate octa­hydrate], is a member of the lanthanite mineral group characterized by the general formula REE 2(CO3)3·8H2O, where REE is a 10-coordinated rare earth element. Based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction of a natural sample from Mitsukoshi, Hizen-cho, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan, this study presents the first structure determination of lanthanite-(Nd). Its structure is very similar to that of other members of the lanthanite group. It is composed of infinite sheets made up of corner- and edge-sharing of two NdO10-polyhedra (both with site symmetry ..2) and two carbonate triangles (site symmetries ..2 and 1) parallel to the ab plane, and stacked perpendicular to c. These layers are linked to one another only through hydrogen bonding involving the water mol­ecules. PMID:23476479

  11. Stunting and wasting are associated with poorer psychomotor and mental development in HIV-exposed Tanzanian infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonald, Christine M; Manji, Karim P; Kupka, Roland; Bellinger, David C; Spiegelman, Donna; Kisenge, Rodrick; Msamanga, Gernard; Fawzi, Wafaie W; Duggan, Christopher P

    2013-02-01

    Infants born to HIV-infected women are at increased risk of impaired neurodevelopment, but little research has attempted to identify modifiable risk factors. The objective of this prospective cohort analysis was to identify maternal, socioeconomic, and child correlates of psychomotor and mental development in the first 18 mo of life among Tanzanian infants born to HIV-infected women. We hypothesized that child HIV infection, morbidity, and undernutrition would be associated with lower developmental status when taking into consideration maternal health and socioeconomic factors. Baseline maternal characteristics were recorded during pregnancy, birth characteristics were collected immediately after delivery, infant micronutrient status was measured at 6 wk and 6 mo, and anthropometric measurements and morbidity histories were performed at monthly follow-up visits. The Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) and Mental Development Index (MDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd edition (BSID-II) were used to assess developmental functioning at 6, 12, and 18 mo of age. Multivariate repeated regression models with time-varying covariates were used to estimate adjusted mean MDI and PDI scores for each level of the variables. A total of 311 infants contributed ≥1 BSID-II assessments for 657 PDI and 655 MDI measurements. Of infants, 51% were male, 23% were born preterm, 7% were low birth weight, and 10% were HIV-positive at 6 wk. Preterm birth, child HIV infection, stunting, and wasting were independently associated with lower PDI and MDI scores. Strategies to lower mother-to-child transmission of HIV, prevent preterm birth, and enhance child growth could contribute to improved child psychomotor and mental development.

  12. Does duration of caffeine therapy in preterm infants born ≤1250 g at birth influence neurodevelopmental (ND) outcomes at 3 years of age?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lodha, A; Rabi, Y; Soraisham, A; Dobry, J; Lodha, Arijit; Amin, H; Awad, E Al; Tang, S; Sahai, A; Bhandari, V

    2018-05-08

    To evaluate the effect of duration of caffeine use on long-term neurodevelopmental (ND) outcomes at 3 years corrected age (CA) in preterm infants with birthweights (BW) ≤ 1250 g. All surviving infants with BW ≤ 1250 g admitted to the Foothills Medical Center neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) from January 2002 to December 2009 who received the first dose of caffeine in the first week of life and were followed up at three years CA were included in the study. Demographics and follow-up outcomes were compared based on early cessation of caffeine ≤ 14 days (ECC), intermediate cessation of caffeine 15-30 days (ICC), and late cessation of caffeine >30 days (LCC). The primary outcome of ND impairment was present if a child had any one of the following: cerebral palsy, cognitive delay, visual impairment, or hearing impairment or deafness. Univariate and logistic regression analyses were performed. Of the 508 eligible infants, 448 (88%) were seen at 3 years CA at follow-up. ECC (n = 139), ICC (n = 122) and LCC (n = 187) groups had a median (range) BW of 979 (560-1250), 1010 (530-1250), and 980 (520-1250) g (p = 0.524) and median (range) gestational age (GA) of 27 (23-33), 28 (24-33), and 27 (24-32) weeks, respectively (p = 0.034). In logistic regression models adjusting for GA, maternal smoking, and each neonatal risk factor separately (IVH, NEC, sepsis, blood transfusions, BPD, postnatal dexamethasone, SNAP-II, and ventilator days), none of the models showed a statistically significant association between caffeine duration and ND impairment. The duration of caffeine use in premature infants in the NICU does not impact on long-term ND outcomes at 3 years CA.

  13. Does a triplet birth pose a special risk for infant development? Assessing cognitive development in relation to intrauterine growth and mother-infant interaction across the first 2 years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feldman, Ruth; Eidelman, Arthur I

    2005-02-01

    To examine whether a triplet birth per se poses a risk to the development of infants' cognitive competencies and to the mother-infant relationship. Twenty-three sets of triplets were matched with 23 sets of twins and 23 singleton infants (n = 138) with respect to gestational age, birth weight, and medical and demographic features. Infants with perinatal asphyxia, intraventricular hemorrhage of grade 3 or 4, periventricular leukomalacia, or central nervous system infection were excluded from the study. At 6, 12, and 24 months of age, mother-infant interaction was observed and infants' cognitive development was tested with the Bayley II test. Mothers of triplets displayed lower levels of sensitivity at 6, 12, and 24 months and infants were less socially involved at 6 and 24 months, compared with singletons and twins. Triplets scored lower than singletons and twins on the Bayley Mental Developmental Index at 6, 12, and 24 months. A weight discordance of >15% was found for 15 triplet sets (65.2%). The discordant triplets showed decreased cognitive skills at 12 and 24 months, compared with their siblings, and received the lowest scores for maternal sensitivity. Hierarchical multivariate regression analysis revealed that greater medical risk at birth, multiple-birth status, lower maternal sensitivity, and reduced infant social involvement in the first 2 years were each predictive of lower cognitive outcomes at 2 years (R2 = 0.33). Triplets appear to be at higher risk for cognitive delays in the first 2 years of life, and discordant infants are at especially high risk. This delay is related in part to the difficulty of providing sensitive mothering to 3 infants at the same time. The findings may assist practitioners in guiding prenatal and postpartum parental care and management.

  14. Introductory statement to the 2nd scientific forum on sustainable development: A role for nuclear power?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    ElBaradei, M.

    1999-01-01

    In his Introductory Statement to the 2nd Scientific Forum on 'Sustainable Development - A Role for Nuclear Power?' (Vienna, 28 September 1999), the Director General of the IAEA focussed on the the main aspects concerning the development of nuclear power: safety, competitiveness, and public support

  15. Concurrent validity between instruments of assessment of motor development in infants exposed to HIV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegle, Cristhina Bonilha Huster; Dos Santos Cardoso de Sá, Cristina

    2018-02-01

    Exposure to HIV during pregnancy is a risks to development. Exposed child should have assessed its development since birth. Alberta Infant Motor Scale is a tool which assess gross motor skills, with easy application and low cost. Up to now, this scale had not proven its validity for the population exposed to HIV. It's necessary to compare its with a gold standard tool, Bayley scale, which assess gross and fine motor skills, has a high cost and longer application time required. Studies compare results of Alberta with Bayley's total motor score (gross + fine). However, it's also necessary to compare Alberta's result with only Bayley's gross motor result, because it's what both evaluate in common. to verify the concurrent validity of AIMS in infants exposed to HIV; to verify the correlation of AIMS and BSITD III for this population and to compare if these coefficients differ in the central age groups and extremities of the AIMS. 82 infants exposed to HIV evaluated in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th, 12th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th months, with Alberta Infant Motor Scale and Bayley Scale (motor subscale). For analysis of concurrent validity, results of raw scores of the scales were compared with the correlation analysis. First analysis: Alberta's score with Bayley's total (gross + fine) motor score. Second analysis: Alberta's score with Bayley's gross motor score. In the first correlation analysis, results were: r = 0.62 in 1 st month, r = 0.64 in 2nd month, r = 0.08 in 3rd month, r = 0.45 in 4th month; r = 0.62 in 8th month, r = 0.60 in the 12th month. In the second correlation analysis, results were: r = 0.69 in 1 st month; r = 0.58 in 2nd month; r = 0.25 in 3rd month; r = 0.45 in the 4th month; r = 0.77 in 8th month; r = 0.73 in 12th month. Analyzes of the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th months couldn't be performed because at these ages all the children had already reached the maximum score in the AIMS. Results were

  16. 2nd UNet conference

    CERN Document Server

    Menasche, Daniel; Sabir, Essaïd; Pellegrini, Francesco; Benjillali, Mustapha

    2017-01-01

    This volume offers the proceedings of the 2nd UNet conference, held in Casablanca May 30 - June 1, 2016. It presents new trends and findings in hot topics related to ubiquitous computing/networking, covered in three tracks and three special sessions: Main Track 1: Context-Awareness and Autonomy Paradigms Track Main Track 2: Mobile Edge Networking and Virtualization Track Main Track 3: Enablers, Challenges and Applications Special Session 1: Smart Cities and Urban Informatics for Sustainable Development Special Session 2: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles From Theory to Applications Special Session 3: From Data to Knowledge: Big Data applications and solutions.

  17. Exogenous attention enhances 2nd-order contrast sensitivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbot, Antoine; Landy, Michael S.; Carrasco, Marisa

    2011-01-01

    Natural scenes contain a rich variety of contours that the visual system extracts to segregrate the retinal image into perceptually coherent regions. Covert spatial attention helps extract contours by enhancing contrast sensitivity for 1st-order, luminance-defined patterns at attended locations, while reducing sensitivity at unattended locations, relative to neutral attention allocation. However, humans are also sensitive to 2nd-order patterns such as spatial variations of texture, which are predominant in natural scenes and cannot be detected by linear mechanisms. We assess whether and how exogenous attention—the involuntary and transient capture of spatial attention—affects the contrast sensitivity of channels sensitive to 2nd-order, texture-defined patterns. Using 2nd-order, texture-defined stimuli, we demonstrate that exogenous attention increases 2nd-order contrast sensitivity at the attended location, while decreasing it at unattended locations, relative to a neutral condition. By manipulating both 1st- and 2nd-order spatial frequency, we find that the effects of attention depend both on 2nd-order spatial frequency of the stimulus and the observer’s 2nd-order spatial resolution at the target location. At parafoveal locations, attention enhances 2nd-order contrast sensitivity to high, but not to low 2nd-order spatial frequencies; at peripheral locations attention also enhances sensitivity to low 2nd-order spatial frequencies. Control experiments rule out the possibility that these effects might be due to an increase in contrast sensitivity at the 1st-order stage of visual processing. Thus, exogenous attention affects 2nd-order contrast sensitivity at both attended and unattended locations. PMID:21356228

  18. Innovations: Infant and Toddler Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albrecht, Kay; Miller, Linda G.

    This book provides teachers of infants and toddlers with an in-depth guide to infant and toddler development, theories of growth and development, and best practices in early childhood education. The chapters are: (1) "Innovations: Infant and Toddler Development," looking at the underlying principles of developmental and interactional…

  19. Solubility of NaNd(CO3)2.6H2O(c) in concentrated Na2CO3 and NaHCO3 solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rao, L.; Rai, D.; Felmy, A.R.; Fulton, R.W.; Novak, C.F.

    1996-01-01

    NaNd(CO 3 ) 2 x 6 H 2 O(c) was identified to be the final equilibrium solid phase in suspensions containing concentrated sodium carbonate (0.1 to 2.0 M) and sodium bicarbonate (0.1 to 1.0 M), with either NaNd(CO 3 ) 2 x 6 H 2 O(c) or Nd 2 (CO 3 ) 3 x xH 2 O(s) as initial solids. A thermodynamic model, based on Pitzer's specific into-interaction approach, was developed to interpret the solubility of NaNd(CO 3 ) 2 x 6 H 2 O(c) as functions of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate concentrations. In this model, the solubility data of NaNd(CO 3 ) 2 x 6 H 2 O(c) were explained by assuming the formation of NdCO 3 + , Nd(CO 3 ) 2 - and Nd(CO 3 ) 3 3- species and invoking the specific ion interactions between Na + and Nd(CO 3 ) 3 3- . Ion interaction parameters for Na + -Nd(CO 3 ) 3 3- were developed to fit the solubility data. Based on the model calculations, Nd(CO 3 ) 3 3- was the predominant aqueous neodymium species in 0.1 to 2 M sodium carbonate and 0.1 to 1 M sodium bicarbonate solutions. The logarithm of the NaNd(CO 3 ) 2 x 6 H 2 O solubility product (NaNd(CO 3 ) 2 x 6 H 2 O(c)=Na + +Nd 3+ +2 CO 3 2- +6 H 2 O) was calculated to be -21.39. This model also provided satisfactory interpretation of the solubility data of the analogous Am(III) system in less concentrated carbonate and bicarbonate solutions. (orig.)

  20. Porous Na2O-B2O3-Nd2O3 material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Villiers, D R; Res, M A; Richter, P W

    1986-12-01

    Substitution of SiO2 by Nd2O3 in the sodium borosilicate system produced glasses containing up to 50 mass% Nd2O3. Sodium borate was leached out of some of the materials to produce either a porous Nd2O3-rich glass or a porous glass-ceramic containing NdBO3, depending on the starting material. Surface areas of up to 190 mS g- were measured. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the NdBO3 to be the high-temperature form with low symmetry.

  1. The Sleeping Infant Brain Anticipates Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedrich, Manuela; Wilhelm, Ines; Mölle, Matthias; Born, Jan; Friederici, Angela D

    2017-08-07

    From the age of 3 months, infants learn relations between objects and co-occurring words [1]. These very first representations of object-word pairings in infant memory are considered as non-symbolic proto-words comprising specific visual-auditory associations that can already be formed in the first months of life [2-5]. Genuine words that refer to semantic long-term memory have not been evidenced prior to 9 months of age [6-9]. Sleep is known to facilitate the reorganization of memories [9-14], but its impact on the perceptual-to-semantic trend in early development is unknown. Here we explored the formation of word meanings in 6- to 8-month-old infants and its reorganization during the course of sleep. Infants were exposed to new words as labels for new object categories. In the memory test about an hour later, generalization to novel category exemplars was tested. In infants who took a short nap during the retention period, a brain response of 3-month-olds [1] was observed, indicating generalizations based on early developing perceptual-associative memory. In those infants who napped longer, a semantic priming effect [15, 16] usually found later in development [17-19] revealed the formation of genuine words. The perceptual-to-semantic shift in memory was related to the duration of sleep stage 2 and to locally increased sleep spindle activity. The finding that, after the massed presentation of several labeled category exemplars, sleep enabled even 6-month-olds to create semantic long-term memory clearly challenges the notion that immature brain structures are responsible for the typically slower lexical development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. C-type Nd2Se3

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available The title compound, neodymium sesquiselenide, is isotypic with the other known rare-earth metal(III selenides M2Se3 (M = La–Pr and Sm–Lu with the cubic C-type structure. It adopts a cation-defective Th3P4-type arrangement with close to 8/9 of the unique neodymium-cation site occupied, leading to the composition Nd2.667Se4 (Z = 4 or Nd2Se3 (Z = 5.333, respectively. The Nd3+ cations are thus surrounded by eight selenide anions, forming trigonal [NdSe8]13− dodecahedra, whereas the Se2− anions exhibit a sixfold coordination, but due to the under-occupation of neodymium, each one is statistically surrounded by only 5.333 cations. The crystal studied was a merohedral twin with a 0.31 (6:0.69 (6 domain ratio.

  3. Absorption spectra of CsNd(MoO4)2 and CsGd(MoO4)2-Nd3+ crystals in strong magnetic fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorban', I.S.; Kozeeva, L.P.; Slobodyanyuk, A.V.; Shevchenko, V.A.

    1987-01-01

    The comparison of the electronic structure of Nd 3+ in CsNd(MoO 4 ) 2 and CsGd(MoO 4 ) 2 - Nd 3+ crystals is made. It is established that in these crystals the activator centers, mainly, of the certain type with the symmetry of the local environment C 2 are formed. The absorption spectra of self-activated CsNd(MoO 4 ) 2 crystal differ from spectra of CsGd(MoO 4 ) 2 - Nd 3+ by the presence of the vibrating structure. The Stark splittings of energy levels of Nd 3+ in the investigated crystalline matrices are more sensitive to the environment effect than the Zeeman ones. The ground state of Nd 3+ ion in CsNd(MoO 4 ) 2 and CsGd(MoO 4 ) 2 molybdates is characterized by the similar values of g-factors

  4. Mass spectrometric study of Nd2S3 vaporization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fenochka, B.V.

    1987-01-01

    The authors conduct a mass-spectrometric study of neodymium(III) sulfide vaporization. The chemical composition of the samples was stoichiometric and the samples were vaporized from tantalum effusion cells. When the vapor over Nd 2 S 3 is ionized by electrons the mass spectra shows monovalent cations of Nd, S, NdS, and NdO. The enthalpy of vaporization if Nd atoms from Nd 2 S 3 at average experimental temperatures and the standard enthalpy of reaction is shown. Also presented is the enthalpy of vaporization of NdS molecules from Nd 2 S 3 at average experimental temperatures and the standard enthalpy of reaction

  5. Convergence and Accommodation Development Is Preprogrammed in Premature Infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horwood, Anna M; Toor, Sonia S; Riddell, Patricia M

    2015-08-01

    This study investigated whether vergence and accommodation development in preterm infants is preprogrammed or is driven by experience. Thirty-two healthy infants, born at mean 34 weeks gestation (range, 31.2-36 weeks), were compared with 45 healthy full-term infants (mean 40.0 weeks) over a 6-month period, starting at 4 to 6 weeks postnatally. Simultaneous accommodation and convergence to a detailed target were measured using a Plusoptix PowerRefII infrared photorefractor as a target moved between 0.33 and 2 m. Stimulus/response gains and responses at 0.33 and 2 m were compared by both corrected (gestational) age and chronological (postnatal) age. When compared by their corrected age, preterm and full-term infants showed few significant differences in vergence and accommodation responses after 6 to 7 weeks of age. However, when compared by chronological age, preterm infants' responses were more variable, with significantly reduced vergence gains, reduced vergence response at 0.33 m, reduced accommodation gain, and increased accommodation at 2 m compared to full-term infants between 8 and 13 weeks after birth. When matched by corrected age, vergence and accommodation in preterm infants show few differences from full-term infants' responses. Maturation appears preprogrammed and is not advanced by visual experience. Longer periods of immature visual responses might leave preterm infants more at risk of development of oculomotor deficits such as strabismus.

  6. Project 2nd Periodic Report - Section 2

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Healy, Mark; Knowles, Emma; Johnstone, Cameron

    The work described in this publication has received support from the European Community - Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 “Capacities” Specific Programme through grant agreement number 262552, MaRINET. Project Periodic Report. 2nd Period: October 2012 – March 2014 inclusive.......The work described in this publication has received support from the European Community - Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 “Capacities” Specific Programme through grant agreement number 262552, MaRINET. Project Periodic Report. 2nd Period: October 2012 – March 2014 inclusive....

  7. Maternal prenatal cortisol and infant cognitive development: moderation by infant-mother attachment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergman, Kristin; Sarkar, Pampa; Glover, Vivette; O'Connor, Thomas G

    2010-06-01

    Experimental animal studies suggest that early glucocorticoid exposure may have lasting effects on the neurodevelopment of the offspring; animal studies also suggest that this effect may be eliminated by positive postnatal rearing. The relevance of these findings to humans is not known. We prospectively followed 125 mothers and their normally developing children from pregnancy through 17 months postnatal. Amniotic fluid was obtained at, on average, 17.2 weeks gestation; infants were assessed at an average age of 17 months with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, and ratings of infant-mother attachment classification were made from the standard Ainsworth Strange Situation assessment. Prenatal cortisol exposure, indexed by amniotic fluid levels, negatively predicted cognitive ability in the infant, independent of prenatal, obstetric, and socioeconomic factors. This association was moderated by child-mother attachment: in children with an insecure attachment, the correlation was [r(54) = -.47, p < .001]; in contrast, the association was nonexistent in children who had a secure attachment [r(70) = -.05, ns]. These findings mimic experimental animal findings and provide the first direct human evidence that increased cortisol in utero is associated with impaired cognitive development, and that its impact is dependent on the quality of the mother-infant relationship. Copyright 2010 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Antiferromagnetic Nd ordering in NdPd{sub 2}Ga{sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Doenni, A.; Fischer, P.; Fauth, F.; Zolliker, M. [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland); Bauer, E. [Technische Univ., Vienna (Austria)

    1997-09-01

    The ternary intermetallic compound NdPd{sub 2}Ga{sub 3} was investigated by powder neutron diffraction: the crystal structure agrees well with the ordered hexagonal PrNi{sub 2}Al{sub 3}-type structure. The antiferromagnetic ordering below T{sub N} 6.5 K corresponds to a propagation vector k = [1/2,0,0]. The ordered magnetic Nd moments of (1.99 {+-} 0.04) {mu}{sub B} at saturation lie in the basal plane due to the crystal-electric field anisotropy and are oriented perpendicular to the propagation vector. (author) 1 fig., 1 tab., 2 refs.

  9. Electronic structure of layered titanate Nd 2Ti 2O 7

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atuchin, V. V.; Gavrilova, T. A.; Grivel, J.-C.; Kesler, V. G.

    2008-10-01

    The electronic structure of the binary titanate Nd 2Ti 2O 7 has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Spectral features of the valence band and all constituent element core levels have been considered. The Auger parameters of titanium and oxygen in Nd 2Ti 2O 7 are determined as αTi = 873.5 and αO = 1042.2 eV. Chemical bonding effects have been discussed with the binding energies differences ΔTi = (BE O 1s - BE Ti 2p 3/2) = 71.5 eV and ΔNd = (BE Nd 3d 5/2 - BE O 1s) = 452.5 eV as key parameters in comparison with those in other titanium- and neodymium-bearing oxides.

  10. Maternal fish oil supplementation in lactation: effect on developmental outcome in breast-fed infants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lauritzen, L.; Jørgensen, M.H.; Olsen, S.F.

    2005-01-01

    Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) accumulates in the brain during the 1st and 2nd years of life. The objective of this study was to see if an increased content of DHA in breast-milk via maternal fish oil (FO)-supplementation affects mental development in term infants. one hundred twenty-two Danish mothe...

  11. Infant media exposure and toddler development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomopoulos, Suzy; Dreyer, Benard P; Berkule, Samantha; Fierman, Arthur H; Brockmeyer, Carolyn; Mendelsohn, Alan L

    2010-12-01

    To determine whether duration and content of media exposure in 6-month-old infants are associated with development at age 14 months. Longitudinal analysis of 259 mother-infant dyads participating in a long-term study related to early child development, from November 23, 2005, through January 14, 2008. An urban public hospital. Mothers with low socioeconomic status and their infants. Duration and content of media exposure at age 6 months. Cognitive and language development at age 14 months. Of 259 infants, 249 (96.1%) were exposed to media at age 6 months, with mean (SD) total exposure of 152.7 (124.5) min/d. In unadjusted and adjusted analyses, duration of media exposure at age 6 months was associated with lower cognitive development at age 14 months (unadjusted: r = -0.17, P development (r = -0.16, P cognitive and language development at age 14 months. No significant associations were seen with exposure to young child-oriented educational or noneducational content. This study is the first, to our knowledge, to have longitudinally assessed associations between media exposure in infancy and subsequent developmental outcomes in children from families with low socioeconomic status in the United States. Findings provide strong evidence in support of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations of no media exposure prior to age 2 years, although further research is needed.

  12. Quality of Maternal Parenting of 9-Month-Old Infants Predicts Executive Function Performance at 2 and 3 Years of Age

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nanhua Cheng

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Whereas the effects of maternal parenting quality during infants’ 2nd year on later executive function (EF have been studied extensively, less is known about the impact of maternal parenting quality during the 1st year. The aim of this study was to examine whether maternal parenting during infants’ 1st year predicted EF performance at 2 and 3 years of age in a Chinese sample. Data were collected from 96 mother-infant dyads (42 males when the infants were 6, 9, 25, and 38 months old. Cognitive development as a control variable was measured with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II at 6 months. At 9 months, three aspects of maternal parenting quality (sensitivity, mind-mindedness, and encouragement of autonomy were assessed with MBQS, mind-mindedness coding system, and encouragement of autonomy coding schema within a 15-min mother–infant interaction. Three aspects of EF (working memory, inhibitory control, and delay EF were measured at 25 and 38 months with age-appropriate tasks. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that maternal mind-mindedness had a more important effect than did the encouragement of autonomy and maternal sensitivity during infants’ preverbal period. More precisely, maternal mind-mindedness at 9 months predicted inhibitory control at 2 and 3 years, and maternal encouragement of autonomy predicted performance on delay EF tasks at 3 years, maternal sensitivity had no observed effect on children’s EF. This study suggests that maternal parenting quality during the 1st year (maternal mind-mindedness and encouragement of autonomy, but not maternal sensitivity impacts later EF development.

  13. Influence of breast-feeding on the infant's intellectual development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Temboury, M C; Otero, A; Polanco, I; Arribas, E

    1994-01-01

    The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of breast-feeding on the intellectual development of the infant, controlling for possible confounding factors. A prospective study of cohorts was carried out in a group of 229 healthy infants, studied from birth to 2 years of age. The infants were divided into two groups: group 1, 99 infants who were bottle-fed; and group 0, 130 who were breast-fed. All other characteristics in both groups were similar. Psychomotor development was measured between 18 and 29 months using the Bayley scales. Lower results on the Index of Mental Development were associated with bottle-fed infants, lower-middle and lower social class, elementary education of the mother, temper tantrums, and having siblings. Lower results on the Index of Motor Development were associated only with lower and lower-middle social class.

  14. Mixed alkali neodymium orthoborates: K_9Li_3Nd_3(BO_3)_7 and A_2LiNd(BO_3)_2 (A = Rb, Cs)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Pengyun; Xia, Mingjun; Li, Rukang

    2016-01-01

    Crystals of mixed alkali neodymium orthoborates, K_9Li_3Nd_3(BO_3)_7 and A_2LiNd(BO_3)_2 (A = Rb, Cs) were obtained by spontaneous crystallization. K_9Li_3Nd_3(BO_3)_7 crystallizes in space group P2/c with cell parameters of a = 11.4524(7) Aa, b = 10.1266(6) Aa, c = 12.3116 (10) Aa, β = 122.0090(10) . In the structure, NdO_8 polyhedra share corners and connect with planer BO_3 groups to form infinite [Nd_3B_3O_2_1]_n chains. These chains are linked by additional BO_3 groups to produce a double layer of [Nd_6B_6O_3_8]_n blocks in the ac plane with K and Li ions filled into the cavities. A_2LiNd(BO_3)_2 (A = Rb, Cs) crystallizes in space group Pbcm, with cell parameters of a = 7.113(2) Aa, b = 9.691(3) Aa and c = 10.135(3) Aa for Rb_2LiNd(BO_3)_2, and a = 7.2113(3) Aa, b = 9.9621(4) Aa, and c = 10.3347(4) Aa for Cs_2LiNd(BO_3)_2. In the structure, NdO_8 polyhedra are corner-sharing with each other and further interlinked by BO_3 groups to comprise the infinite [Nd_4B_4O_2_4] sheets in the bc plane, with Rb/Cs and Li ions occupying the interlayered space. The compounds show effective near-IR emission and their associated lifetimes are obtained by fluorescence spectra. (Copyright copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  15. Maternal pre- and postnatal mental health and infant development in war conditions: The Gaza Infant Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Punamäki, Raija-Leena; Diab, Safwat Y; Isosävi, Sanna; Kuittinen, Saija; Qouta, Samir R

    2018-03-01

    Women and their infants need special protection in war context, as traumatic events can risk maternal mental and obstetric health and compromise infant development. This prospective study examined, first, how exposure to war trauma is associated with maternal mental health in pregnancy and postpartum, obstetric and newborn health, and infant development. Second, it tested the role of maternal mental health and obstetric risks in mediating between war trauma and infant development. Palestinian women (N = 511) from the Gaza strip participated during pregnancy (T1) and at 4 (T2) and 12 (T3) months postpartum. They reported PTSD, depressive, anxiety, and dissociative symptoms, as well as pregnancy complications, newborn health risks such as prematurity, and infant sensorimotor and language development. First, exposure to war trauma was associated with high levels of maternal mental health and complications at pregnancy, and with increased postpartum mental health symptoms, but exposure was not directly associated with newborn health risks or problems in infant development. Second, maternal mental health both in pregnancy and postpartum, but not pregnancy complications or newborn health, mediated the negative impact of war trauma on infant sensorimotor and language development at 12 months. Interventions to protect early child development in war conditions should be tailored to support maternal mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  16. Recent development in bonded NdFeB magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, B.M.; Herchenroeder, J.W.; Smith, B.; Suda, M.; Brown, D.N.; Chen, Z.

    2002-01-01

    The magnetic properties of isotropic NdFeB powders used for bonded magnets are compared. The characteristics of two newly developed powders, namely MQP-13-9 and MQP-S-9-8 were compared with respect to existing powders. The advantages of spherical powders for injection molding were highlighted. Development targets for the 180 deg. C application and NdFeB nanocomposites were also discussed

  17. Synergy of the Developed 6D BIM Framework and Conception of the nD BIM Framework and nD BIM Process Ontology

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Keeffe, Shawn Edward

    2013-01-01

    The author developed a unified nD framework and process ontology for Building Information Modeling (BIM). The research includes a framework developed for 6D BIM, nD BIM, and nD ontology that defines the domain and sub-domain constructs for future nD BIM dimensions. The nD ontology defines the relationships of kinds within any new proposed…

  18. A neodymium(III)-ammonium complex involving oxalate and carbonate ligands: (NH4)2[Nd2(C2O4)3(CO3)(H2O)].H2O.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trombe, Jean-Christian; Galy, Jean; Enjalbert, Renée

    2002-10-01

    The title compound, diammonium aqua-mu-carbonato-tri-mu-oxalato-dineodymium(III) hydrate, (NH(4))(2)[Nd(2)(CO(3))(C(2)O(4))(3)(H(2)O)].H(2)O, involving the two ligands oxalate and carbonate, has been prepared hydrothermally as single crystals. The Nd atoms form a tetranuclear unit across the inversion centre at (1/2, 1/2, 1/2). Starting from this tetranuclear unit, the oxalate ligands serve to develop a three-dimensional network. The carbonate group acts as a bis-chelating ligand to two Nd atoms, and is monodentate to a third Nd atom. The oxalate groups are all bis-chelating. The two independent Nd atoms are ninefold coordinated and the coordination polyhedron of these atoms is a distorted monocapped antiprism.

  19. Growth and development of infants with asymptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shan, Ruobing; Wang, Xiaoliang; Fu, Ping

    2009-10-31

    To observe changes in audiology, intellectual development, behavior development, and physical growth during systematic follow-up of infants with asymptomatic congenital human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection. Fifty-two infants diagnosed with asymptomatic congenital HCMV infection from July 2003 to July 2007 served as the infection group, and 21 healthy infants served as the control group. All infants were confirmed to have HCMV infection by Fluorescent Quantative polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR). In both the infection and control groups, the neonates and infants at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year of age underwent examinations. 1) 20 items of National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) scores of neonates 12-14 days after birth in 2 groups were 38.3 +/- 1.95 and 38.5 +/- 2.29, without significant differences. 2) Auditory test: 50 ears of 25 cases in the infection group showed abnormal auditory thresholds in V waves with an abnormal rate of 14%, while no abnormalities were found in 21 cases in the control group. 3) Mental and psychomotor development index scores in the control group (107.49 +/- 11.31 and 107.19 +/- 10.98) were compared with those in 41 asymptomatically infected infants at 1 year of age (107.21 +/- 9.96 and 108.31 +/- 11.25), and no statistically significant difference was noted. 1) An elevated threshold in the V wave was present in asymptomatically infected infants, but could not be detected through otoacoustic emission (OAE) screening. 2) Either in the neonatal or infant periods, asymptomatic congenital HCMV infection did not have a significant influence on nervous behavior or on physical and intellectual development.

  20. The expression characteristics of mt-ND2 gene in chicken.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wenwen; Hou, Lingling; Wang, Ting; Lu, Weiwei; Tao, Yafei; Chen, Wen; Du, Xiaohui; Huang, Yanqun

    2016-09-01

    Subunit 2 of NADH dehydrogenase (ND2) is encoded by the mt-ND2 gene and plays a critical role in controlling the production of the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Our study focused on exploring the mt-ND2 tissue expression patterns and the effects of energy restriction and dietary fat (linseed oil, corn oil, sesame oil or lard) level (2.5% and 5%) on its expression in chicken. The results showed that mt-ND2 gene was expressed in the 15 tissues of hybrid chickens with the highest level in heart and lowest level in pancreas tissue; 30% energy restriction did not significantly affect mt-ND2 mRNA level in chicken liver tissue. Both the mt-ND2 mRNA levels in chicken pectoralis (p chicken age (p chicken age (p chicken age.

  1. From 1st- to 2nd-Generation Biofuel Technologies: Extended Executive Summary

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2008-07-01

    This report looks at the technical challenges facing 2nd-generation biofuels, evaluates their costs and examines related current policies to support their development and deployment. The potential for production of more advanced biofuels is also discussed. Although significant progress continues to be made to overcome the technical and economic challenges, 2nd-generation biofuels still face major constraints to their commercial deployment.

  2. Influence of microstructural change of the interface between Nd2Fe14B and Nd-O phases on coercivity of Nd-Fe-B films by oxidation and subsequent low-temperature annealing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuura, Masashi; Tezuka, Nobuki; Sugimoto, Satoshi; Goto, Ryota

    2011-01-01

    This study provides the influence of microstructural change of the interface between Nd 2 Fe 14 B and Nd-O phases on coercivity of Nd-Fe-B thin films during annealing at low temperature (∼350 deg. C). All films were prepared by using ultra high vacuum (UHV) magnetron sputtering, and the Nd-Fe-B layer was oxidized under Ar gas atmosphere (O 2 content; ∼2 Vol.ppm). Then, the films were annealed at 250-350 deg. C under UHV condition. After oxidation, the coercivity of Nd-Fe-B film decreased to around 40% of the coercivity of as-deposited Nd-Fe-B film. The Nd-rich phase changed from α-Nd to amorphous Nd(-O), and the interface of Nd 2 Fe 14 B/Nd(-O) became rough. In the Nd-Fe-B films oxidized and subsequent annealed at 350 deg. C, the coercivity decreased to around 20%. In the films, poly crystalline hcp Nd 2 O 3 phase crystallized in Nd-rich phase, and there were some steps at the surface of Nd 2 Fe 14 B phase contacting with hcp Nd 2 O 3 phase. Regardless of crystal orientation of Nd 2 Fe 14 B, the microstructural changes of the interface described above were observed.

  3. The 2nd reactor core of the NS Otto Hahn

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manthey, H.J.; Kracht, H.

    1979-01-01

    Details of the design of the 2nd reactor core are given, followed by a brief report summarising the operating experience gained with this 2nd core, as well as by an evaluation of measured data and statements concerning the usefulness of the knowledge gained for the development of future reactor cores. Quite a number of these data have been used to improve the concept and thus the specifications for the fuel elements of the 3rd core of the reactor of the NS Otto Hahn. (orig./HP) [de

  4. 2nd Gen FeCrAl ODS Alloy Development For Accident-Tolerant Fuel Cladding

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dryepondt, Sebastien N. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Massey, Caleb P. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Edmondson, Philip D. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2016-08-01

    Extensive research at ORNL aims at developing advanced low-Cr high strength FeCrAl alloys for accident tolerant fuel cladding. One task focuses on the fabrication of new low Cr oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) FeCrAl alloys. The first Fe-12Cr-5Al+Y2O3 (+ ZrO2 or TiO2) ODS alloys exhibited excellent tensile strength up to 800 C and good oxidation resistance in steam up to 1400 C, but very limited plastic deformation at temperature ranging from room to 800 C. To improve alloy ductility, several fabrication parameters were considered. New Fe-10-12Cr-6Al gas-atomized powders containing 0.15 to 0.5wt% Zr were procured and ball milled for 10h, 20h or 40h with Y2O3. The resulting powder was then extruded at temperature ranging from 900 to 1050 C. Decreasing the ball milling time or increasing the extrusion temperature changed the alloy grain size leading to lower strength but enhanced ductility. Small variations of the Cr, Zr, O and N content did not seem to significantly impact the alloy tensile properties, and, overall, the 2nd gen ODS FeCrAl alloys showed significantly better ductility than the 1st gen alloys. Tube fabrication needed for fuel cladding will require cold or warm working associated with softening heat treatments, work was therefore initiated to assess the effect of these fabrications steps on the alloy microstructure and properties. This report has been submitted as fulfillment of milestone M3FT 16OR020202091 titled, Report on 2nd Gen FeCrAl ODS Alloy Development for the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy, Advanced Fuel Campaign of the Fuel Cycle R&D program.

  5. Particularly compliance violations in patients with diabetes mellitus of 2nd type

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. V. Chugunov

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Aim: to investigate and establish the specific complains violations in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM of 2nd type. Materials and methods: 543 patients with DM of 2nd type were examined; the disease duration ranged from 2 to 27 years, average – (14.58 ± 1.82 years. Research methods: clinical-anamnestic, clinical-psychopathological, psycho diagnostic, statistical. Research results. We found that compliance to therapy in patients with DM of 2nd type was broken in 90.49 % of cases. We highlighted three options for compliance violations to DM therapy of 2nd type: dismedication (to 68.14 %, disdiet (88.40 % and disexercise (90.49 %. The sub-variants of dismedication compliance violations to DM therapy of 2nd type was hyper-curation type (8.29 %, which was developed according to surplus of appointments execution and hypo-curation type (59.85 %, which was developed according to deficiency of appointments execution. Among them it was possible to distinguish a third – mixed version (7.37 %, which brings together episodes of the surplus and the deficit of medical drugs usage. The sub-options of disdiet option of compliance violations was hyper-curation type (1.66 %, which manifested itself in pathologically excessive rejection of food and hypo-curation type (86.74 %, which manifested itself in a disregard for the restrictions in the diet. Disexercise variant of compliance violations was possible to divide into hyper-curation type (4,24 %, manifested in excessive physical activity and, in its turn, had three subtypes – inceptional (1.66 %, sub-hyper-curation (1.10 % and procurationis (1.47 %, and hypo-curation type of compliance violations (87.48 %, which manifested itself in a disregard of physical exertion. Dominance of disdiet and disexercise compliance violations among patients with DM of 2nd type (χ2 = 117.258, p < 0.01, dismedication option among patients of all hyper-curation types of compliance violations with DM of 2nd type (χ2 = 26

  6. The History of the 2nd Ranger Company

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Bond, Victor

    2003-01-01

    The purpose of this research project is to uncover the history of the 2nd Ranger Company and to determine the impact segregation had on the selection, training, and combat operations of the 2nd Ranger Company...

  7. 2nd Generation alkaline electrolysis. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yde, L. [Aarhus Univ. Business and Social Science - Centre for Energy Technologies (CET), Aarhus (Denmark); Kjartansdottir, C.K. [Technical Univ. of Denmark. DTU Mechanical Engineering, Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Allebrod, F. [Technical Univ. of Denmark. DTU Energy Conversion, DTU Risoe Campus, Roskilde (Denmark)] [and others

    2013-03-15

    The overall purpose of this project has been to contribute to this load management by developing a 2{sup nd} generation of alkaline electrolysis system characterized by being compact, reliable, inexpensive and energy efficient. The specific targets for the project have been to: 1) Increase cell efficiency to more than 88% (according to the higher heating value (HHV)) at a current density of 200 mA /cm{sup 2}; 2) Increase operation temperature to more than 100 degree Celsius to make the cooling energy more valuable; 3) Obtain an operation pressure more than 30 bar hereby minimizing the need for further compression of hydrogen for storage; 4) Improve stack architecture decreasing the price of the stack with at least 50%; 5) Develop a modular design making it easy to customize plants in the size from 20 to 200 kW; 6) Demonstrating a 20 kW 2{sup nd} generation stack in H2College at the campus of Arhus University in Herning. The project has included research and development on three different technology tracks of electrodes; an electrochemical plating, an atmospheric plasma spray (APS) and finally a high temperature and pressure (HTP) track with operating temperature around 250 deg. C and pressure around 40 bar. The results show that all three electrode tracks have reached high energy efficiencies. In the electrochemical plating track a stack efficiency of 86.5% at a current density of 177mA/cm{sup 2} and a temperature of 74.4 deg. C has been shown. The APS track showed cell efficiencies of 97%, however, coatings for the anode side still need to be developed. The HTP cell has reached 100 % electric efficiency operating at 1.5 V (the thermoneutral voltage) with a current density of 1. 1 A/cm{sup 2}. This track only tested small cells in an externally heated laboratory set-up, and thus the thermal loss to surroundings cannot be given. The goal set for the 2{sup nd} generation electrolyser system, has been to generate 30 bar pressure in the cell stack. An obstacle to be

  8. Electronic structure of layered titanate Nd2Ti2O7

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Atuchin, V.V.; Gavrilova, T.A.; Grivel, Jean-Claude

    2008-01-01

    The electronic structure of the binary titanate Nd2Ti2O7 has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Spectral features of the valence band and all constituent element core levels have been considered. The Auger parameters of titanium and oxygen in Nd2Ti2O7 are determined as alpha...

  9. Cross-cultural analysis of the motor development of Brazilian, Greek and Canadian infants assessed with the Alberta Infant Motor Scale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel Saccani

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To compare the motor development of infants from three population samples (Brazil, Canada and Greece, to investigate differences in the percentile curves of motor development in these samples, and to investigate the prevalence of motor delays in Brazilian children. METHODS: Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study with 795 Brazilian infants from zero to 18 months of age, assessed by the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS at day care centers, nurseries, basic health units and at home. The Brazilian infants' motor scores were compared to the results of two population samples from Greece (424 infants and Canada (2,400 infants. Descriptive statistics was used, with one-sample t-test and binomial tests, being significant p≤0.05. RESULTS: 65.4% of Brazilian children showed typical motor development, although with lower mean scores. In the beginning of the second year of life, the differences in the motor development among Brazilian, Canadian and Greek infants were milder; at 15 months of age, the motor development became similar in the three groups. A non-linear motor development trend was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The lowest motor percentiles of the Brazilian sample emphasized the need for national norms in order to correctly categorize the infant motor development. The different ways of motor development may be a consequence of cultural differences in infant care.

  10. Effect of mixing RE elements (Nd, Sm, Gd, Eu, Y, Yb) on the RE2BaCuO5/Nd4-2xBa2+2xCu2-xO10-2x phases in RE cuprate high-Tc superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langhorn, J.B.; Black, M.A.; McGinn, P.J.

    1999-01-01

    The phases RE 2 BaCuO 5 /RE 4 Ba 2 Cu 2 O 10 phases (where RE is a mixture of Nd, Sm, Gd, Eu, Y and Yb) have been synthesized in an oxygen atmosphere and subsequently characterized. The mixing of RE elements which inherently form the RE 2 BaCuO 5 phase through the peritectic decomposition of REBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (RE123) (i.e. Sm, Gd, Eu, Y, Yb), was observed to give homogeneous mixing of the elements in the 211 phase. In contrast it was found that on mixing Nd with other RE elements a mixture of the Nd 4-2x Ba 2+2x Cu 2-x O 10-2x (Nd422) and RE 2 BaCuO 5 (RE211) phases resulted. It was also observed that on mixing Nd with other REs a finite amount of the RE is substituted into the Nd422 phase and Nd into the RE211. (author)

  11. The development of perceptual grouping in infants with Williams syndrome

    OpenAIRE

    Farran, E. K.; Brown, J. H.; Cole, V. L.; Houston-Price, C.; Karmiloff-Smith, A.

    2007-01-01

    Perceptual grouping by luminance similarity and by proximity was investigated in infants with Williams syndrome (WS) aged between 6 and 36 months (visit 1, N=29). WS infants who were still under 36 months old, 8 months later, repeated the testing procedure (visit 2, N=15). Performance was compared to typically developing (TD) infants aged from 2 to 20 months (N=63). Consistent with the literature, TD participants showed grouping by luminance at the youngest testing age, 2 months. Grouping by ...

  12. Convergence and accommodation development is pre-programmed in premature infants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horwood, Anna M; Toor, Sonia S; Riddell, Patricia M

    2015-01-01

    Purpose This study investigated whether vergence and accommodation development in pre-term infants is pre-programmed or is driven by experience. Methods 32 healthy infants, born at mean 34 weeks gestation (range 31.2-36 weeks) were compared with 45 healthy full-term infants (mean 40.0 weeks) over a 6 month period, starting at 4-6 weeks post-natally. Simultaneous accommodation and convergence to a detailed target were measured using a Plusoptix PowerRefII infra-red photorefractor as a target moved between 0.33m and 2m. Stimulus/response gains and responses at 0.33m and 2m were compared by both corrected (gestational) age and chronological (post-natal) age. Results When compared by their corrected age, pre-term and full-term infants showed few significant differences in vergence and accommodation responses after 6-7 weeks of age. However, when compared by chronological age, pre-term infants’ responses were more variable, with significantly reduced vergence gains, reduced vergence response at 0.33m, reduced accommodation gain, and increased accommodation at 2m, compared to full-term infants between 8-13 weeks after birth. Conclusions When matched by corrected age, vergence and accommodation in pre-term infants show few differences from full-term infants’ responses. Maturation appears pre-programmed and is not advanced by visual experience. Longer periods of immature visual responses might leave pre-term infants more at risk of development of oculomotor deficits such as strabismus. PMID:26275135

  13. Selected Abstracts of the 2nd International Workshop “Intensive Care of the Newborn”; Verona (Italy); March 9-10, 2018

    OpenAIRE

    --- Various Authors

    2018-01-01

    Selected Abstracts of the 2nd International Workshop “Intensive Care of the Newborn”; Verona (Italy); March 9-10, 2018CONGRESS PRESIDENTPaolo Biban  Guest Editor: Paolo BibanABS 1. DOES DELAYED CORD CLAMPING (DCC) AFFECT UMBILICAL CORD pH IN PRETERM INFANTS? • V.M. Samedi, L. Irvine, S. Thomas, D. Kowal, J. Rabi, A. Stritzke, N. Singhal, A. Abou MehremABS 2. SNAP-PE SCORE. MORBIDITY AND MOR­TALI­TY INDEX IN NICUs • A. Konstantinidi, R. Sokou, S. Parastatidou, A. Tsantes, N. IacovidouABS 3. EA...

  14. Palatal development of preterm and low birthweight infants compared to term infants – What do we know? Part 2: The palate of the preterm/low birthweight infant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ehmer Ulrike

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Well-designed clinical studies on the palatal development in preterm and low birthweight infants are desirable because the literature is characterized by contradictory results. It could be shown that knowledge about 'normal' palatal development is still weak as well (Part 1. The objective of this review is therefore to contribute a fundamental analysis of methodologies, confounding factors, and outcomes of studies on palatal development in preterm and low birthweight infants. Methods An electronic literature search as well as hand searches were performed based on Cochrane search strategies including sources of more than a century in English, German, and French. Original data were recalculated from studies which primarily dealt with both preterm and term infants. The extracted data, especially those from non-English paper sources, were provided unfiltered for comparison. Results Seventy-eight out of 155 included articles were analyzed for palatal morphology of preterm infants. Intubation, feeding tubes, feeding mode, tube characteristics, restriction of oral functions, kind of diet, cranial form and birthweight were seen as causes contributing to altered palatal morphology. Changes associated with intubation concern length, depth, width, asymmetry, crossbite, and contour of the palate. The phenomenon 'grooving' has also been described as a complication associated with oral intubation. However, this phenomenon suffers from lack of a clear-cut definition. Head flattening, pressure from the oral tube, pathologic or impaired tongue function, and broadening of the alveolar ridges adjacent to the tube have been raised as causes of 'grooving'. Metrically, the palates of intubated preterm infants remain narrower, which has been examined up to the age of the late mixed dentition. Conclusion There is no evidence that would justify the exclusion of any of the raised causes contributing to palatal alteration. Thus, early orthodontic and

  15. Mutations of the Norrie gene in Korean ROP infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jeong Hun; Yu, Young Suk; Kim, Jiyeon; Park, Seong Sup

    2002-12-01

    The present study was conducted to evaluate if there is a Norrie disease gene (ND gene) mutation involved in the retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and to identify the possibility of a genetic abnormality that may be linked to the presence of ROP. Nineteen premature Korean infants, with a low birth weight (1500 g or less) or low gestational age (32 weeks or less), were included in the study. Eighteen infants had ROP, and the other did not. Genomic DNA was isolated from the peripheral blood leukocytes of these patients, and all three exons and their flanking areas, all known ND gene mutations regions, were evaluated following amplification by a polymerase chain reaction, but no ND gene mutations were detected. Any disagreement between the relationship of ROP to the ND gene mutation will need to be clarified by further investigation.

  16. Subsolidus phase relations of Bi2O3-Nd2O3-CuO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Yezhou

    1997-01-01

    The subsolidus phase relations of the Bi 2 O 3 -Nd 2 O 3 -CuO ternary system and its binary systems along with crystallographic parameters of the compounds were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction and differential thermal analysis. The room temperature section of the phase diagram of the Bi 2 O 3 -Nd 2 O 3 -CuO system can be divided into two diphase regions and six triphase regions. No ternary compound was found. There exist two solid solutions (α, β) and a compound Bi 0.55 Nd 0.45 O 1.5 in the (Bi 2 O 2 ) 1-x (Nd 2 O 3 ) x system. Both solid solution α (0.05≤x≤0.30) and β (0.53≤x≤0.73) belong to the rhombohedral system (R3m). The lattice parameters represented by a hexagonal cell are a=3.9832(4), c=27.536(5) A for Bi 0.8 Nd 0.2 O 1.5 (α phase) and a=3.8826(3), c=9.727(1) A for Bi 0.4 Nd 0.8 O 1.5 (β phase). The Bi 0.55 Nd 0.45 O 1.5 compound crystallizes in a face-centered cubic (f.c.c.) lattice with a=5.5480(2) A. (orig.)

  17. Infant Language Development Is Related to the Acquisition of Walking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walle, Eric A.; Campos, Joseph J.

    2014-01-01

    The present investigation explored the question of whether walking onset is related to infant language development. Study 1 used a longitudinal design (N = 44) to assess infant locomotor and language development every 2 weeks from 10 to 13.5 months of age. The acquisition of walking was associated with a significant increase in both receptive and…

  18. Effects of cow milk versus extensive protein hydrolysate formulas on infant cognitive development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mennella, Julie A; Trabulsi, Jillian C; Papas, Mia A

    2016-03-01

    Little research has focused on infant developmental effects, other than growth, of formulas that differ substantially in the form of protein. To examine development of infants fed formulas differing in free amino acid content, we randomized 0.5-month-old infants (n = 79) to either a control group who fed only cow milk formula (CMF) during the first 8 months (CMF8), or to one of two experimental groups: one experimental group fed extensively protein hydrolyzed formula (EHF) for 1-3 months during first 4.5 months (EHF1-3) of life, and the other fed EHF for 8 months (EHF8). The Mullen Scales of Early Learning were administered monthly from 1.5 to 8.5 months to assess fine (FM) and gross (GM) motor control, receptive (RL) and expressive (EL) language, visual reception (VR), and an early learning composite (ELC). Across the 5.5-8.5-month time period, when compared to CMF8 infants, GM scores in EHF1-3 infants averaged 1.5 points higher (95 % CI 0.1, 3.0) and in EHF8 infants 2.2 points higher (95 % CI 0.3, 4.0). Similarly, VR scores averaged 1.9 points higher (95 % CI 0.1, 3.8) in EHF1-3 infants and 2.2 points higher (95 % CI -0.2, 4.5) in EHF8 infants. EHF8 infants' RL scores averaged 1.8 points lower (95 % CI 0.1, 3.6) than CMF8 infants. These data suggest that the form of protein in infant formula may impact cognitive development and that the higher free amino acid content in breast milk may be a contributing factor to the differential cognitive development between breastfed and CMF-fed infants. clinicaltrials.gov NCT00994747.

  19. Studi On Oxidation State Of U In Ba2NdUO6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Firman Windarto, Hendri

    1996-01-01

    Ba 2 NdUO 6 is not of the important compounds that is formed from a solidification process for high level liquid waste using super high temperature method Ba 2 NdUO 6 has ordered perovskite structure. The objective of this study is to investigate oxidation state of U in Ba 2 NdUO 6 . The properties of Ba 2 NdUO 6 were observed by using Faraday-type torsion magnetometer and X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer (XPS). The magnetic susceptibility measured in the temperature range of 4K to room temperature showed that the Ba 2 NdUO 6 is paramagnetism that obeys the Curie-Weiss law. The effective moment of Ba 2 NdUO 6 is 3.04 μB. The results of xPs spectrum showed that the peaks of U4f for Ba 2 NdUO 6 appeared exactly between binding energy of UO 2 and UO 3 . It can be concluded that Ba 2 NdUO 6 has binding energy peaks corresponding to pentavalent uranium

  20. Face Preferences for Infant- and Adult-Directed Speakers in Infants of Depressed and Nondepressed Mothers: Association with Infant Cognitive Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplan, Peter S; Asherin, Ryan M; Vogeli, Jo M; Fekri, Shiva M; Scheyer, Kathryn E; Everhart, Kevin D

    2018-01-01

    Face preferences for speakers of infant-directed and adult-directed speech (IDS and ADS) were investigated in 4- to 13.5-month-old infants of depressed and non-depressed mothers. Following 1-min of exposure to an ID or AD speaker (order counterbalanced), infants had an immediate paired-comparison test with a still, silent image of the familiarized versus a novel face. In the test phase, ID face preference ratios were significantly lower in infants of depressed than non-depressed mothers. Infants' ID face preference ratios, but not AD face preference ratios, correlated with their percentile scores on the cognitive ( Cog ) scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant & Toddler Development (3 rd Edition; BSID III), assessed concurrently. Regression analyses revealed that infant ID face preferences significantly predicted infant Cog percentiles even after demographic risk factors and maternal depression had been controlled. Infants may use IDS to select social partners who are likely to support and facilitate cognitive development.

  1. Infant Development: Birth to 3 Months

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... that your tone of voice communicates ideas and emotions as well. Change positions. Hold your baby facing ... infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/infant-development/art-20048012 . Mayo Clinic Footer Legal Conditions and Terms ...

  2. New developments in NdFeB-based permanent magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Z.W.

    2011-01-01

    NdFeB based alloys have been used as permanent magnets for almost thirty years. The recent researches aim at optimizing the composition, microstructure and properties, reducing cost, and developing new processes. The demand for sintered magnet is increasing. Efforts are directed towards improving properties by controlling grain boundary diffusion, minimizing the rare earth (RE) content and also improving production yield. As for bonded magnets, to enhance remanence and energy product, nanocrystalline powders are employed. High thermal stability has been realized by mixing NdFeB with hard ferrite powders. For nanocrystalline and nano composite NdFeB based alloys, both compositional modification and microstructural optimization have been carried out. New approaches have also been proposed to prepare NdFeB magnets with idea structure. Surfactant assisted ball milling is a good top-down method to obtain nano sized hard magnetic particles and anisotropic nano flakes. Synthesis of NdFeB nanoparticles and NdFeB/Fe (Co) nano composite powders by bottom-up techniques, such as chemical reduction process and co-precipitation, has been successful very recently. To assemble nanocrystalline NdFeB powders or nanoparticles into bulk magnets, various novel consolidation processes including spark plasma sintering and high velocity press have been employed. Hot deformation can be selected as the process to achieve anisotropy in nanocrystalline magnets. (author)

  3. Mother-infant interaction during the first 3 months: the emergence of culture-specific contingency patterns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kärtner, Joscha; Keller, Heidi; Yovsi, Relindis D

    2010-01-01

    This study analyzed German and Nso mothers' auditory, proximal, and visual contingent responses to their infants' nondistress vocalizations in postnatal Weeks 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. Visual contingency scores increased whereas proximal contingency scores decreased over time for the independent (German urban middle-class, N = 20) but not the interdependent sociocultural context (rural Nso farmers, N = 24). It seems, therefore, that culture-specific differences in the modal patterns of contingent responsiveness emerge during the 2nd and 3rd months of life. This differential development was interpreted as the result of the interplay between maturational processes associated with the 2-month shift that are selectively integrated and reinforced in culture-specific mother-infant interaction.

  4. The Development of Peripheral Vision in Infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guez, Jean R.

    This study investigated the extent of infant peripheral vision, specifically the extent of infants' constricted field, or tunnel vision. Thirteen infants, 2 to 5 months old, were tested using a psychophysical procedure to obtain contrast sensitivity thresholds at four retinal loci (-40, -15, +15, +40 deg.). Infants were placed in an infant bed in…

  5. Coercivity enhancement in hot deformed Nd2Fe14B-type magnets by doping low-melting RCu alloys (R = Nd, Dy, Nd + Dy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Y. I.; Huang, G. Y.; Shih, C. W.; Chang, W. C.; Chang, H. W.; You, J. S.

    2017-10-01

    Magnetic properties of the anisotropic NdFeB magnets prepared by hot pressing followed by die-upsetting NdFeB MQU-F powders doped with low-melting RCu alloy powders were explored, where RCu stands for Nd70Cu30, Dy70Cu30 and (Nd0.5Dy0.5)70Cu30, respectively. In addition, the post-annealing at 600 °C was employed to modify the microstructures and the magnetic properties of the hot deformed magnets. It is found that doping RCu alloy powders is effective in enhancing the coercivity of the hot deformed NdFeB magnets from 15.1 kOe to 16.3-19.5 kOe. For Nd70Cu30-doped magnets, the increment of coercivity is only 1.2 kOe. Meanwhile, Dy70Cu30-doped and (Nd0.5Dy0.5)70Cu30-doped magnets show an almost identical enhancement of coercivity of about 4.4 kOe. Importantly, the latter magnet shows a beneficial effect of reducing the usage of Dy from 1.6 wt% to 0.8 wt%. TEM analysis shows that nonmagnetic Nd, Dy and Cu appear at grain boundary and isolate the magnetic grains, leading to an enhancement of coercivity. Doping lower melting point Dy-lean (Nd0.5Dy0.5)70Cu30 powders into commercial MQU-F powders for making high coercivity hot deformed NdFeB magnets might be a potential and economic way for mass production.

  6. A Community-Based Study of Sleep and Cognitive Development in Infants and Toddlers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Wanqi; Li, Shirley Xin; Jiang, Yanrui; Xu, Xiaojuan; Spruyt, Karen; Zhu, Qi; Tseng, Chia-Huei; Jiang, Fan

    2018-05-29

    To examine the prevalence and correlates of nighttime awakenings and to explore the association between sleep and cognitive development in a community sample of infants and toddlers. A total of 590 healthy infants (aged 2-11 months) and 512 toddlers (aged 12-30 months) from 8 provinces of China were assessed for their sleep and cognitive development. Data on sleep duration and nighttime awakenings were collected through the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire. Cognitive development was assessed by trained pediatricians using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Prevalence of no nighttime awakening, and nighttime awakening(s) for 1×/night, 2×/night, and ≥ 3×/night was 6.8%, 20.2%, 33.2%, and 39.3% in infants, and was 25.8%, 34.6%, 23.8%, and 15.8% in toddlers, respectively. Nighttime awakenings were generally associated with younger age, lower maternal education level, and being currently breastfed. In addition, nighttime awakenings were associated with being boys in toddlers. After controlling for potential confounders, infants with nighttime awakenings for 2×/night were found to have significantly higher Mental Development Index (MDI) score, as compared to those without and those with more frequent nighttime awakenings. However, toddlers with nighttime awakenings for ≥ 3×/night had significantly lower MDI, as compared to those with fewer nighttime awakenings. Total sleep duration was not associated with any developmental indices in both infants and toddlers. Frequent nighttime awakenings are associated with poor cognitive functions in toddlers. Meanwhile, a nonlinear association between nighttime awakenings and cognitive performance was found among infants. The findings provide a developmental context for the effect of sleep on cognitive abilities in young children. Further longitudinal studies and interventional studies on the effects of parent-based sleep-focused intervention on cognitive abilities among young children are warranted. Copyright © 2018

  7. Parenting stress and development of late preterm infants at 4 months corrected age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mughal, Muhammad K; Ginn, Carla S; Magill-Evans, Joyce; Benzies, Karen M

    2017-10-01

    Parenting stress has been linked to child development issues in early preterm infants, but less is known about its effects on development in infants born late preterm. We examined relationships between parenting stress of 108 mothers and 108 fathers and development of late preterm infants born at 34 0/7 to 36 6/7 weeks gestation. At 4 months corrected age, mothers and fathers completed the Parenting Stress Index (PSI-3); mothers were primary caregivers in almost all families and completed the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-2) on child development. Mothers reported significantly more stress than fathers on the PSI-3 Parent Domain. PSI-3 subscale scores from the Child Domain were significant predictors of mother-reported infant development as measured by the ASQ-2 in regression models: Reinforces Parent predicted Gross Motor, Mood predicted Communication, and Acceptability predicted Communication, Fine Motor, Problem Solving, and Personal -Social development scale scores. Experiences of parenting stress differed for mothers and fathers. Further research is required on specific dimensions of parenting stress related to development of late preterm infants. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Cross-cultural validity of standardized motor development screening and assessment tools: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendonça, Bianca; Sargent, Barbara; Fetters, Linda

    2016-12-01

    To investigate whether standardized motor development screening and assessment tools that are used to evaluate motor abilities of children aged 0 to 2 years are valid in cultures other than those in which the normative sample was established. This was a systematic review in which six databases were searched. Studies were selected based on inclusion/exclusion criteria and appraised for evidence level and quality. Study variables were extracted. Twenty-three studies representing six motor development screening and assessment tools in 16 cultural contexts met the inclusion criteria: Alberta Infant Motor Scale (n=7), Ages and Stages Questionnaire, 3rd edition (n=2), Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition (n=8), Denver Developmental Screening Test, 2nd edition (n=4), Harris Infant Neuromotor Test (n=1), and Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, 2nd edition (n=1). Thirteen studies found significant differences between the cultural context and normative sample. Two studies established reliability and/or validity of standardized motor development assessments in high-risk infants from different cultural contexts. Five studies established new population norms. Eight studies described the cross-cultural adaptation of a standardized motor development assessment. Standardized motor development assessments have limited validity in cultures other than that in which the normative sample was established. Their use can result in under- or over-referral for services. © 2016 Mac Keith Press.

  9. Infants' Developing Understanding of Social Gaze

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beier, Jonathan S.; Spelke, Elizabeth S.

    2012-01-01

    Young infants are sensitive to self-directed social actions, but do they appreciate the intentional, target-directed nature of such behaviors? The authors addressed this question by investigating infants' understanding of social gaze in third-party interactions (N = 104). Ten-month-old infants discriminated between 2 people in mutual versus…

  10. Influence of father-infant relationship on infant development: A father-involvement intervention in Vietnam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rempel, Lynn A; Rempel, John K; Khuc, Toan Nang; Vui, Le Thi

    2017-10-01

    We examined the extent to which fathers can be taught and encouraged to develop positive relationships with their children, especially in infancy, and the effects of this fathering intervention on infant development. A multifaceted relationally focused intervention was used to assist fathers in Vietnam to engage in responsive direct and indirect involvement with their infants and work together with the mother as part of a parenting team. Fathers and mothers from 13 communes in a rural and semiurban district were recruited to the intervention group. Intervention fathers received group and individual counseling before and after birth, an interactive print resource, community messages about fathering, and the opportunity to participate in a Fathers Club. Couples from 12 comparable communes in a noncontiguous district were recruited to the control group. Fathers and mothers completed questionnaires at the prebirth recruitment and at 1-, 4-, and 9-months postbirth. Intervention fathers demonstrated greater increase in knowledge and attitudes regarding father-infant relationships. Both fathers and mothers reported that fathers engaged in more affection, care-taking, and play in the early months of their infants' lives and fathers felt more attached to their infants right from birth. A developmental assessment at 9 months showed that intervention infants demonstrated higher levels of motor, language, and personal/social development. This study demonstrated that fathers can be taught to interact more sensitively, responsively, and effectively with their newborn infants. Their increased interaction and emotional attachment appears to lay the foundation for enhanced infant development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  11. Endothelial dysfunction and functional status of intestinal mucosal barrier in asphyxiated low birth weight infants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huseynova S.A.

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Aim of study. The main prpose of present study was to determine the effect of endothelial dysfunction to the levels of markers of functional state of digestive system in infants with perinatal hypoxia. Materials and methods. The neuronal dysfunction was detected basing on the levels of NSE and NR2 antibodies. The functional state of gastrointestinal tract was estimated by IFABP, sLFABP, MUC-2, ITF, LBP. As the markers of endothelial dysfunction it was detected endotelin-1 and NO. The concentrations of markers were determined in peripheral blood of 66 preterm newborns exposure intrauterine hypoxia with 32–36 weeks of gestational age, which were classified as asphyxiated (1st group, n=30, non asphyxiated (2nd group, n=36 infants. Control group consisted of 22 healthy preterm babies. Results. It was not detected significant difference of NSE and NR2 antibodies levels between 1st and 2nd groups. The endothelin-1 concentrations significantly decreased in asphyxiated group in the background of high NO levels. The elevated level of IFABP in asphyxiated infants associated with compensative increasing of ITF and low anti endotoxine immunity. Conclusion. Endothelial dysfunction is one of the main factor resulting in hypoxic-ischemic injury of gastrointestinal tract in asphyxiated low birth weight infants.

  12. Effects of Secondhand Smoke Exposure on the Health and Development of African American Premature Infants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks, Jada; Holditch-Davis, Diane; Weaver, Mark A.; Miles, Margaret Shandor; Engelke, Stephen C.

    2011-01-01

    Objective. To explore the effects of secondhand smoke exposure on growth, health-related illness, and child development in rural African American premature infants through 24 months corrected age. Method. 171 premature infants (72 boys, 99 girls) of African American mothers with a mean birthweight of 1114 grams. Mothers reported on household smoking and infant health at 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months corrected age. Infant growth was measured at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months, and developmental assessments were conducted at 12 and 24 months. Results. Thirty percent of infants were exposed to secondhand smoke within their first 2 years of life. Secondhand smoke exposure was associated with poorer growth of head circumference and the development of otitis media at 2 months corrected age. Height, weight, wheezing, and child development were not related to secondhand smoke exposure. Conclusion. Exposure to secondhand smoke may negatively impact health of rural African American premature infants. Interventions targeted at reducing exposure could potentially improve infant outcomes. PMID:22295181

  13. Impact of maternal depressive symptoms and infant temperament on early infant growth and motor development: results from a population based study in Bangladesh.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasreen, Hashima-E; Kabir, Zarina Nahar; Forsell, Yvonne; Edhborg, Maigun

    2013-04-05

    Evidence linking maternal depressive symptoms with infant's growth and development in low-income countries is inadequate and conflicting. This study investigated the independent effect of maternal perinatal depressive symptoms on infant's growth and motor development in rural Bangladesh. A cohort of 720 pregnant women was followed from the third trimester of pregnancy to 6-8 months postpartum. For growth and developmental outcomes, 652 infants at 2-3 months and 6-8 months were assessed. Explanatory variables comprised maternal depressive symptoms, socioeconomic status, and infant's health and temperament. Outcome measures included infant's underweight, stunting and motor development. Multiple linear regression analyses identified predictors of infant growth and development. Maternal postpartum depressive symptoms independently predicted infant's underweight and impaired motor development, and antepartum depressive symptoms predicted infant's stunting. Infant's unadaptable temperament was inversely associated with infant's weight-for-age and motor development, and fussy and unpredictable temperament with height-for-age and motor development. Repeated measures design might threaten the internal validity of the results 8.3% of the participant does not participate in the measurements at different times. As the study was conducted in two sub-districts of rural Bangladesh, it does not represent the urban scenario and cannot be generalized even for other rural areas of the country. This study provides evidence that maternal ante- and postpartum depressive symptoms predict infant's growth and motor development in rural Bangladesh. It is recommended to integrate psychosocial components in maternal and child health interventions in order to counsel mothers with depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Phase equilibrium of the system Ag-Fe-Nd, and Nd extraction from magnet scraps using molten silver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takeda, O.; Okabe, T.H.; Umetsu, Y.

    2004-01-01

    To develop a new recycling process, we examined the direct extraction of neodymium (Nd) metal from Nd-Fe-B magnet scraps using molten silver (Ag) as an extraction medium. Prior to the extraction experiment, the phase equilibrium of the system Ag-Fe-Nd was investigated to estimate the theoretical extraction limit. It was observed that the Fe/Nd 2 Fe 17 mixture equilibrates with the molten Ag-Nd alloy containing 50-52 mol% Nd (57-59 mass% Nd) at 1363 K. The experimental results were in good agreement with the thermodynamic calculation based on literature values. By reacting Nd-Fe-B magnet scraps with molten silver at 1273 K, more than 90% of the neodymium in the scrap was extracted, and an Ag-Nd alloy containing 40-50 mass% Nd was obtained. The neodymium in the Ag-Nd alloy was separated from silver as Nd 2 O 3 by oxidizing the obtained alloy in air. Although the wettability of Nd 2 O 3 with molten silver caused some difficulties in the separation of neodymium from silver, molten silver is shown to be an effective medium for neodymium extraction from magnet scrap

  15. Low temperature magnetic properties of NdCu2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hillberg, M.; Wagener, W.; Melo, M.A.C. de; Klauss, H.H.; Litterst, F.J.; Loewenhaupt, W.

    1997-01-01

    μSR experiments on NdCu 2 give evidence for short range order below 25 K above T N =6.5 K. No signal was detected between 16 K and 1.2 K where neutron scattering reveals an incommensurate spin structure. Below 1.2 K the μSR signal is recovered and shows a rotation with 22 MHz. This is interpreted with a squaring up of Nd spins accompanied by a decrease of magnon excitations which is reflected in a decrease of damping of the muon signal

  16. Validity of the Fine Motor Area of the 12-Month Ages and Stages Questionnaire in Infants Following Major Surgery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Cally; Wallen, Margaret; Walker, Karen; Bundy, Anita; Rolinson, Rachel; Badawi, Nadia

    2012-01-01

    The Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) are parent-report screening tools to identify infants at risk of developmental difficulties. The purpose of this study was to examine validity and internal reliability of the fine motor developmental area of the ASQ, 2nd edition (ASQ2-FM) for screening 12-month-old infants following major surgery. The…

  17. Fine Motor Development of Low Birth Weight Infants Corrected Aged 8 to 12 Months

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sepideh Nazi

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the fine motor development between Low Birth Weight (LBW infants and Normal Birth Weight infants (NBW at the age of 8-12 months by using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale-2 (PDMS-2 . Methods: This was a non experimental and cross sectional study which was conducted on the 18 LBW infants and 14 normal infants. By referring to the profile of infants in NICU of Aliasghar Hospital, those with defined inclusion criteria was recognized (case group. The normal weight infants, randomly selected from Health Center of that hospital, matched with case group for date of birth. After completing the questionnaire about demographic variables, their gross motor development was assessed with PDMS-2. Finally the scores of the motor quotient were analyzed by independent t-test statistical method. Results: There was a significant difference between Fine motor quotient of groups (P=0.007. Discussion: This study showed that LBW infants are significantly lower than normal weight infants in attaining Fine motor skills. It means that the LBW infants are more prone to developmental difficulties.

  18. The development of psychoanalytic parent–infant/child ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The development of psychoanalytic parent–infant/child psychotherapy in South Africa: Adaptive responses to ... on different services currently offered in the South African parent–infant/child psychotherapy field. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

  19. Recent psychological explanations of infant development and scales of early mental development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maja Zupančič

    2002-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper reviews early infant measures based on standardised scales of development – both traditional ones and those based on Piaget's sensory-motor theory – and assesses their validity in predicting later mental development. The extremely low predictive power of test scores based on these measures in infancy has provided additional support for discontinuity theories of mental development from infancy to childhood. Conversely, the constructs implicit in earlier measures have been thoroughly criticised, and the search for valid measures of infant development that would reflect a construct similar to mental abilities in childhood has begun. At the outset, research was mostly influenced by the information processing theory. Two broad measures of information processing have been shown to be the most relevant indicators of an infant's mental development, namely habituation and dishabituation. Recent mental scales, such as the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II, thus include items that measure the efficiency of an infant's information processing. Examples of such items are presented and interpreted, as are items reflecting the development of object permanence, the only early sensory-motor measure that shows better predictive effectiveness when compared to traditional developmental test scores. Several newly-developed indicators of infants' mental development, which utilize other measures than those derived from the information-processing approach, are surveyed (understanding causal relations, joint attention behaviours, representation of number, and their possible application within the context of potential items for early mental scales is discussed. Finally, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II, currently one of the best measures of early development, and presently undergoing a standardisation procedure in Slovenia, is evaluated, with analyses of some items from the Mental scale presented within the text.

  20. Luminescence characteristics of Mg2SiO4:Nd

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Indira, P.; Subrahmanyam, R.V.; Murthy, K.V.R.

    2011-01-01

    Thermoluminescence (TL) properties of Magnesium Ortho silicate (2:1) Mg 2 SiO 4 doped with various concentrations of rare earth (Nd) have been studied. The phosphor material were prepared using standard solid state reaction technique and heated specimens at 1100 ± 20 deg C for two hours. 4% Ammonium chloride was used as flux. The received material was grinded in an agate mortar and pestle. The TL exhibited by the Mg 2 SiO 4 with varying concentration of Nd is interesting in nature. It is interesting to note but as the concentration of Nd increases the peak around 125 deg C TL peak intensity increases. But the hump around 200 deg C resolved as TL peak at 253 deg C with high intensity. (author)

  1. The Development of Infant Detection of Inauthentic Emotion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walle, Eric A.; Campos, Joseph J.

    2014-01-01

    Appreciating authentic and inauthentic emotional communication is central to the formation of trusting and intimate interpersonal relationships. However, when infants are able to discriminate and respond to inauthentic emotion has not been investigated. The present set of studies was designed to investigate infant sensitivity to three specific cues of inauthenticity: the contextual congruency of the emotion, the degree of exaggeration of the emotion, and the clarity with which the emotion is communicated. In each experiment, 16- and 19-month-old infants were presented with an emotional communication in which an inauthentic cue was present or absent. Infant behavioral responding to the emotional context was observed and coded. In all three experiments, 19-month-old infants, but not 16-month-old infants, detected inauthentic emotional communication and differentially responded to the environment accordingly. These findings demonstrate that infants do not simply take all emotional communication at face value and are sensitive to features of emotional contexts beyond what is expressively communicated by the adult. Possible developmental mechanisms that may account for the observed developmental shift in infant emotional development are proposed, and implications for the present findings on future research in emotion and emotional development are highlighted. PMID:24512249

  2. Crystal structure of Nd4Cu2O7

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pederzolli, D.R.; Attfield, J.P.

    1998-01-01

    The structure of Nd 4 Cu 2 O 7 (A2/m, a = 8.449 A, b = 3.759 A, c = 12.601 A, β = 109.57 ), prepared by topotactic reduction of the high-T c superconductor parent phase Nd 2 CuO 4 , has been determined from time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction data revealing a new oxygen vacancy-ordered arrangement containing cooperatively distorted Cu 2 O 3 planes in which 2- and 4- coordinate Cu - sites are present. (orig.)

  3. Prenatal naled and chlorpyrifos exposure is associated with deficits in infant motor function in a cohort of Chinese infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silver, Monica K; Shao, Jie; Zhu, Binquan; Chen, Minjian; Xia, Yankai; Kaciroti, Niko; Lozoff, Betsy; Meeker, John D

    2017-09-01

    Organophosphate insecticides (OPs) are used worldwide, yet despite nearly ubiquitous exposure in the general population, few have been studied outside the laboratory. Fetal brains undergo rapid growth and development, leaving them susceptible to long-term effects of neurotoxic OPs. The objective here was to investigate the extent to which prenatal exposure to OPs affects infant motor development. 30 OPs were measured in umbilical cord blood using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in a cohort of Chinese infants. Motor function was assessed at 6-weeks and 9-months using Peabody Developmental Motor Scales 2nd edition (PDMS-2) (n=199). Outcomes included subtest scores: reflexes, stationary, locomotion, grasping, visual-motor integration (V-M), composite scores: gross (GM), fine (FM), total motor (TM), and standardized motor quotients: gross (GMQ), fine (FMQ), total motor (TMQ). Naled, methamidophos, trichlorfon, chlorpyrifos, and phorate were detected in ≥10% of samples. Prenatal naled and chlorpyrifos were associated with decreased 9-month motor function. Scores were 0.55, 0.85, and 0.90 points lower per 1ng/mL increase in log-naled, for V-M (p=0.04), FM (p=0.04), and FMQ (p=0.08), respectively. For chlorpyrifos, scores were 0.50, 1.98, 0.80, 1.91, 3.49, 2.71, 6.29, 2.56, 2.04, and 2.59 points lower for exposed versus unexposed infants, for reflexes (p=0.04), locomotion (p=0.02), grasping (p=0.05), V-M (pchlorpyrifos. Naled is being aerially sprayed to combat mosquitoes carrying Zika virus, yet this is the first non-occupational human study of its health effects. Delays in early-motor skill acquisition may be detrimental for downstream development and cognition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. The role of older siblings in infant motor development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leonard, Hayley C; Hill, Elisabeth L

    2016-12-01

    Previous research has suggested that infant motor skills may be affected by older siblings but has not considered whether this is due to specific characteristics of the older sibling or of the quality of the sibling relationship. The current study used a longitudinal diary method to record infant motor milestones from 23 infants with older siblings along with parent reports and standardized assessments of motor skills. Parent reports of the older siblings' motor skills and the sibling relationship were also collected until the infants were 18months old. The motor skills, age, and sex of the older siblings were not significantly related to any measure of infant motor development. A significant correlation was revealed between perceived agonism between siblings and infant fine motor skills at 18months, suggesting the importance of considering reciprocal effects of motor development on sibling relationships. Overall, the suggestion that older siblings may provide a good model of motor skills for infants is not supported by the current data. In the future, it will be important to assess the dynamic interactions between different factors in predicting infant motor development, allowing early identification of motor difficulties, which could affect other areas of cognitive development and health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Strategies for 2nd generation biofuels in EU - Co-firing to stimulate feedstock supply development and process integration to improve energy efficiency and economic competitiveness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berndes, Goeran; Hansson, Julia; Egeskog, Andrea; Johnsson, Filip

    2010-01-01

    The present biofuel policies in the European Union primarily stimulate 1st generation biofuels that are produced based on conventional food crops. They may be a distraction from lignocellulose based 2nd generation biofuels - and also from biomass use for heat and electricity - by keeping farmers' attention and significant investments focusing on first generation biofuels and the cultivation of conventional food crops as feedstocks. This article presents two strategies that can contribute to the development of 2nd generation biofuels based on lignocellulosic feedstocks. The integration of gasification-based biofuel plants in district heating systems is one option for increasing the energy efficiency and improving the economic competitiveness of such biofuels. Another option, biomass co-firing with coal, generates high-efficiency biomass electricity and reduces CO 2 emissions by replacing coal. It also offers a near-term market for lignocellulosic biomass, which can stimulate development of supply systems for biomass also suitable as feedstock for 2nd generation biofuels. Regardless of the long-term priorities of biomass use for energy, the stimulation of lignocellulosic biomass production by development of near term and cost-effective markets is judged to be a no-regrets strategy for Europe. Strategies that induce a relevant development and exploit existing energy infrastructures in order to reduce risk and reach lower costs, are proposed an attractive complement the present and prospective biofuel policies. (author)

  6. Synthesis and Characterization of Nd(3+)-Doped CaF2 Nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Dan; Li, Weiwei; Mei, Bingchu; Song, Jinghong

    2015-12-01

    The Ca(1-x)F(2+x):Nd(x) nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical direct precipitation method. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Image analyzer, absorption spectrum and transmittance were taken to characterization the phases, morphologies, sizes, size distribution and optical properties of the samples. The results indicate that the Ca(1-x)F(2+x):Nd(x) samples can be rationally modified in size and morphology by altering the Nd3+ ions doping concentration. With increasing concentration of Nd3+ ions, the particle size decreased from 24 to 14 nm, the intensity of the diffraction peaks decreased, the Ca(1-x)F(2+x):Nd(x) particles aggregated ion of the formed clusters which should have an effect on both speed and orientation of the particles growth. The transmittance of ceramics with a thickness of 2 mm showed that the transmittance can reach 90% when the doping concentration was 5%, which should be profitable for LD pumping.

  7. Homogeneity of peraluminous SiO2-B2O3-Al2O3-Na2O-CaO-Nd2O3 glasses: Effect of neodymium content

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gasnier, E.; Bardez-Giboire, I.; Massoni, N.; Montouillout, V.; Pellerin, N.; Allix, M.; Ory, S.; Cabie, M.; Poissonnet, S.; Massiot, D.

    2014-01-01

    Considering the interest of developing new glass matrices able to immobilize higher concentration of high level nuclear wastes than currently used nuclear borosilicate compositions, glasses containing high rare earth contents are of particular interest. This study focuses on a peraluminous alumino borosilicate system SiO 2 -B 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 -Na 2 O-CaO-Nd 2 O 3 defined by a per-alkaline/peraluminous ratio RP = ([Na 2 O] + [CaO])/ ([Na 2 O] + [CaO] + [Al 2 O 3 ]) ≤ 0.5. Samples with various contents of Nd 2 O 3 from 0 to 10 mol% were studied using DSC, XRD, SEM, TEM, STEM and EMPA methods. The glasses present a high thermal stability even after a slow cooling treatment from the melt. Only a slight mullite crystallization is detected for low Nd 2 O 3 content (≤2.3 mol%) and crystallization of a neodymium borosilicate crystalline phase combined to a phase separation occurred at high Nd 2 O 3 content (≥8 mol%). The solubility of neodymium in the presence of aluminum is demonstrated, with higher neodymium incorporation amounts than in per-alkaline glasses. (authors)

  8. Analysis of asthenic phenomens in patients with type 2nd diabetes mellitus in the clinical and psychological aspect

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. V. Tkachenko

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Aim – to analyze the peculiarities of asthenic manifestations in patients with type 2nd diabetes mellitus (DM in clinical and psychological perspective. Materials and methods. We examined in 543 patients with type 2nd DM. The first clinical group (CG-1 was 57 patients with type 2nd DM of mild severity; the average age in the group was (51,80±1,28 years. The second clinical group (CG-2 made up of 312 patients with type 2nd DM, moderate severity; mean age in the group was (55,10±1,12 years. The third clinical group (CG-3 included 174 patients with type 2nd DM, severe degree of severity; the average age in the group was (61.80±0,85 years. Research methods: clinical-anamnestic, clinical-psychopathological, statistical. Results. The marked prevalence of asthenic syndrome in patients wath type 2nd DM 52,30%, which is almost half among all surveyed type 2nd DM. Discovered the direct correlation of asthenic symptoms with the severity of the type 2nd DM (rs = 0.4033, p<0.01. The factors in the risk of asthenic syndrome in patients with type 2nd DM was installed, among them is dominated by a moderate and severe degree of type 2nd DM, combined with obesity 2 degrees, DEP II degree, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, degenerative dystrophic lesions of the spine. Established that there is a direct correlation asthenic syndrome to the severity of type 2nd DM, as well as the accompanying somatic pathology. Established dominance in CG-1 and CG-2 component fatigue "mental fatigue" and CG-3 component "physical fatigue". Conclusions. Features of asthenic manifestations in patients with type 2nd DM in clinical and psychological perspective were investigated. The detection rate of asthenic manifestations among patients with type 2nd DM and the factors for their amplification were established. The organic etiology of asthenic manifestations have been proven; presentation about the stages of development of asthenic symptoms in patients with type 2nd DM were

  9. 2nd International Conference on Green Communications and Networks 2012

    CERN Document Server

    Ma, Maode; GCN 2012

    2013-01-01

    The objective of the 2nd International Conference on Green Communications and Networks 2012 (GCN 2012) is to facilitate an exchange of information on best practices for the latest research advances in the area of communications, networks and intelligence applications. These mainly involve computer science and engineering, informatics, communications and control, electrical engineering, information computing, and business intelligence and management. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Green Communications and Networks 2012 (GCN 2012) will focus on green information technology and applications, which will provide in-depth insights for engineers and scientists in academia, industry, and government. The book addresses the most innovative research developments including technical challenges, social and economic issues, and presents and discusses the authors’ ideas, experiences, findings, and current projects on all aspects of advanced green information technology and applications. Yuhang Yang is ...

  10. Treadmill training of infants with Down syndrome: evidence-based developmental outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulrich, D A; Ulrich, B D; Angulo-Kinzler, R M; Yun, J

    2001-11-01

    On average, infants with Down syndrome (DS) learn to walk about 1 year later than nondisabled (ND) infants. The purpose of this study was to determine if practice stepping on a motorized treadmill could help reduce the delay in walking onset normally experienced by these infants. Thirty families of infants with DS were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. All infants were karyotyped trisomy 21 and began participation in the study when they could sit alone for 30 seconds (Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition 1993, item 34). Infants received traditional physical therapy at least every other week. In addition, intervention infants received practice stepping on a small, motorized treadmill, 5 days per week, for 8 minutes a day, in their own homes. Parents were trained to support their infants on these specially engineered miniature treadmills. Every 2 weeks research staff went into the homes and tested infants' overall motor progress by administering the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition, monitored growth status via a battery of 11 anthropometric measures, and checked parents' compliance with physical therapy and treadmill intervention. The primary measures of the intervention's effectiveness were comparisons between the groups on the length of time elapsed between sitting for 30 seconds (entry into the study) and 1) raising self to stand; 2) walking with help; and 3) walking independently. The experimental group learned to walk with help and to walk independently significantly faster (73.8 days and 101 days, respectively) than the control group, both of which also produced large effect size statistics for the group differences. The groups were not statistically different for rate of learning to raise self to stand but there was a moderate effect size statistic suggesting that the groups were meaningfully different in favor of the experimental group. These results provide evidence that, with training and support

  11. Prenatal alcohol exposure among Alaska Native/American Indian infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Burhan A; Robinson, Renee F; Smith, Julia J; Dillard, Denise A

    2013-01-01

    Recent reports indicate a decline in rates of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) among Alaska Native and American Indian (AN/AI) infants. Nevertheless, AN/AI infants remain disproportionately impacted by the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. AN/AI pregnant women in their 3rd trimester completed a questionnaire on demographic data and the amount and frequency of their alcohol consumption in the month prior to conception and during pregnancy. Differences across demographics and trimesters were tested with the Chi-square, Fisher's exact or McNemar's test as appropriate. Of the 125 participants, 56% (n = 71) reported no alcohol consumption in the 1st through 3rd trimesters of pregnancy; 30% (n = 38) of the 125 participants also reported no alcohol consumption in the month before pregnancy. Of the 43% (n = 54) who reported consuming alcohol during pregnancy (1st, 2nd and/or 3rd trimester), most (35%) reported alcohol use only in the 1st trimester. Binge drinking in the 1st or 2nd trimester was reported amongst 20% (n = 25) of participants with an additional 18% (n = 29) reporting binge drinking in the month prior to pregnancy. Women who reported pre-conception binge drinking were significantly more likely to report binge drinking during their 1st trimester (p pregnancy (p pregnancy. Among study participants, reported use of alcohol was primarily limited to pre-conception and the 1st trimester, with a dramatic decrease in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Prevention programmes, such as the Alaska FAS Prevention Project, may have contributed to observed decreases in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Additional study and focus on pre-conception, the 1st trimester and binge drinking, as well as tobacco use might augment Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder prevention efforts.

  12. The Influence of Different Caregivers on Infant Growth and Development in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qinrui Li

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available ObjectiveAn increasing number of parents in China ask grandparents or babysitters to care for their children. Modern parents are often the only child in their family because of China’s One-Child Policy and thus may lack interaction with siblings. Accordingly, the present study aimed to explore whether different caregivers affect the physical and development of infants in China.MethodsIn total, 2,514 infants were enrolled in our study. We assessed their weight-for-age, supine length-for-age, weight-for-length, occipital-frontal circumference, and Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST results and recorded their general parental information and their primary caregivers.ResultsThe weights and lengths of 12-month-old infants under the care of babysitters were significantly lower than those of infants under the care of parents or grandparents (P < 0.05. Additionally, 12-month-old infants under the care of babysitters had the lowest DDST pass rate (75% among the three groups (χ2 = 11.819, P = 0.012, especially for the fine motor-adaptive and language domains. Compared to 12-month-old infants under the care of parents and babysitters, infants under the care of grandparents were more likely to be overweight or obese (P < 0.001.ConclusionThe study showed that caregivers had a dominant role in the physical and cognitive development of the infants. Specifically, compared with infants raised by grandparents and parents, 12-month-old infants under the care of babysitters had partially suppressed lengths and weights and lagged cognitively. The 12-month-old infants under the care of grandparents were more overweight than those cared for by parents and babysitters.

  13. Improved room-temperature-selectivity between Nd and Fe in Nd recovery from Nd-Fe-B magnet

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kataoka, Y.; Kitagawa, J., E-mail: j-kitagawa@fit.ac.jp [Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Fukuoka Institute of Technology, 3-30-1 Wajiro-higashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 811-0295 (Japan); Ono, T.; Tsubota, M. [Physonit Inc., 6-10 Minami-Horikawa, Kaita Aki, Hiroshima 736-0044 (Japan)

    2015-11-15

    The sustainable society requires the recycling of rare metals. Rare earth Nd is one of rare metals, accompanying huge consumption especially in Nd-Fe-B magnets. Although the wet process using acid is in practical use in the in-plant recycle of sludge, higher selectivity between Nd and Fe at room temperature is desired. We have proposed a pretreatment of corrosion before the dissolution into HCl and the oxalic acid precipitation. The corrosion produces γ-FeOOH and a Nd hydroxide, which have high selectivity for HCl solution at room temperature. Nd can be recovered as Mn{sub 2}O{sub 3}-type Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The estimated recovery-ratio of Nd reaches to 97%.

  14. Improved room-temperature-selectivity between Nd and Fe in Nd recovery from Nd-Fe-B magnet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Kataoka

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The sustainable society requires the recycling of rare metals. Rare earth Nd is one of rare metals, accompanying huge consumption especially in Nd-Fe-B magnets. Although the wet process using acid is in practical use in the in-plant recycle of sludge, higher selectivity between Nd and Fe at room temperature is desired. We have proposed a pretreatment of corrosion before the dissolution into HCl and the oxalic acid precipitation. The corrosion produces γ-FeOOH and a Nd hydroxide, which have high selectivity for HCl solution at room temperature. Nd can be recovered as Mn2O3-type Nd2O3. The estimated recovery-ratio of Nd reaches to 97%.

  15. Nd loaded liquid scintillator to search for 150Nd neutrinoless double beta decay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barabanov, I; Bezrukov, L; Yanovich, E; Cattadori, C; Danilov, N; Di Vacri, A; Ianni, A; Nisi, S; Ortica, F; Romani, A; Salvo, C; Smirnov, O

    2008-01-01

    The 150 Nd is considered one of the most attractive candidate for searching neutrinoless double beta (0νββ-) decay, thanks to its high Q-value (3.367 MeV), that makes the external background issue less significative respect to other isotopes, and favorable computed matrix elements. The isotopic abundance of this isotope in natural neodimium is only 5.6% and up to now, it has been investigated only in low mass experiments. The next step is to increase the sensitivity of the experiments using larger mass of neodymium (10 ton-1 kton). This could be possible with a Nd loaded liquid scintillator (LS). At the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), a joint INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare) and INR (Institute for Nuclear Research of Moscow) working group has been carrying out since 2001 an R and D activity aiming to develop organic liquid scintillators (LS) doped with metals. The achieved know-how and the satisfactory results obtained both with In and Gd allowed to face the development and production of Nd doped LS. The development of metal doped LS is challenging because the metal has to be embedded in a proper organic system that makes it soluble in an organic solvent minimizing the impact of the metal-organic compound on the optical and scintillation properties of the LS. A further challenge in the case of Nd is the presence of absorption bands of this element in the optical region with a transparent region around 400 nm, which is about at the maximum of the scintillator emission spectrum. A 2.5 1 Nd loaded LS has been produced diluting an originally developed Nd-Carboxylic (Nd-CBX) salt in pseudocumene (PC), the solvent of the Borexino liquid scintillator. The measured light yield, at [Nd] = 6.5 g/1 and [PPO] = 1.5 g/1, is ∼ 75% of pure PC at the same fluor concentration (∼ 10000 ph/MeV). The Nd doped LS has been tested in a 2 1 quartz cell (wrapped by VM2000 reflector film) having dimensions 5x5x100 cm 3 . The light propagates in the cell by total

  16. Fabrication and spectral properties of Nd, La: CaF2 transparent ceramics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Xiaoyu; Mei, Bingchu; Song, Jinghong; Li, Weiwei; Su, Liangbi

    2018-02-01

    1 at.% Nd: CaF2 nanoparticles doped with different concentrations of La3+ ions (from 0 to 5 at.%) were synthesized by co-precipitation method. Phase identification, morphology of the nanoparticles were investigated by XRD and SEM measurements. The Nd, La: CaF2 ceramics were fabricated by hot-pressed method in the vacuum environment. The transmittance of all the ceramics reached 88% at the wavelength of 1400 nm. The luminescence intensities and decay lifetimes enhanced significantly with the increasing of La3+ concentration. The Nd, La: CaF2 ceramics have broad and flat emission band at 1050 nm with the largest FWHM of 28.16 nm. In addition, the spectrum results indicated that the fluorescence lifetime of Nd, La: CaF2 ceramics was longer than that of the Nd, Y: CaF2 ceramics with the same doping concentration.

  17. Influence of Infant Feeding Type on Gut Microbiome Development in Hospitalized Preterm Infants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cong, Xiaomei; Judge, Michelle; Xu, Wanli; Diallo, Ana; Janton, Susan; Brownell, Elizabeth A.; Maas, Kendra; Graf, Joerg

    2016-01-01

    Background Premature infants have a high risk for dysbiosis of the gut microbiome. Mother’s own breastmilk (MOM) has been found to favorably alter gut microbiome composition in infants born at term. Evidence about the influence of feeding type on gut microbial colonization of preterm infants is limited. Objective The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of feeding types on gut microbial colonization of preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods Thirty-three stable preterm infants were recruited at birth and followed-up for the first 30 days of life. Daily feeding information was used to classify infants into six groups (mother’s own milk [MOM], human donated milk [HDM], formula, MOM+HDM, MOM+Formula, and HDM+forumla) during postnatal days 0–10, 11–20, and 21–30 after birth. Stool samples were collected daily. DNA extracted from stool was used to sequence the 16S rRNA gene. Exploratory data analysis was conducted with a focus on temporal changes of microbial patterns and diversities among infants from different feeding cohorts. Prediction of gut microbial diversity from feeding type was estimated using linear mixed models. Results Preterm infants fed MOM (at least 70% of the total diet) had highest abundance of Clostridiales, Lactobacillales, and Bacillales compared to infants in other feeding groups, whereas infants fed primarily human donor milk or formula had a high abundance of Enterobacteriales compared to infants fed MOM. After controlling for gender, postnatal age, weight and birth gestational age, the diversity of gut microbiome increased over time and was constantly higher in infants fed MOM relative to infants with other feeding types (p breast milk benefits gut microbiome development of preterm infants, including balanced microbial community pattern and increased microbial diversity in early life. PMID:28252573

  18. Nd(BrO3)3-Yb(BrO3)3-H2O and Nd2(SeO4)3-Yb2(SeO4)3-H2O systems at 25 deg C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Serebrennikov, V.V.; Batyreva, V.A.; Tsybukova, T.N.

    1981-01-01

    Using the methods of isothermal solubility the Nd(BrO 3 ) 3 - Yb(BrO 3 ) 3 -H 2 O and Nd 2 (SeO 4 ) 3 -Yb 2 (SeO 4 ) 3 -H 2 O systems are studied at 25 deg C. The compositions of the solid phases are determined by the method of ''residues''. The formation of two series of solid solutions in both systems is established. Besides, there is a crystallization region of Nd 2 (SeO 4 ) 3 in the system of selenates. The solubility diagrams of the systems are presented [ru

  19. How sustainable are 1{sup st} and 2{sup nd} generation biofuels for transportation?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reinhardt, Guido; Hienz, Gunnar [ifeu-Institut fuer Energie- und Umweltforschung GmbH, Heidelberg (Germany)

    2013-06-01

    After the successful implementation of 1{sup st} generation biofuels in the transport sector of several countries all over the world, 2{sup nd} generation biofuels are also being produced in the meantime. Recently, there is a distinct increase in publications on the question and the concerns of many stakeholders whether these biofuels are sustainable and public awareness of this issue is prevalent. This paper summarises the state of the art of the debate whether 1{sup st} and 2{sup nd} generation biofuels are a sustainable alternative for fossil fuels for transportation. Results of several life cycle assessments are compared and conclusions are stated. An environmental assessment identifies the potentials for a sustainable development of biofuels for transportation. Conclusions are that 1{sup st} and 2{sup nd} generation biofuels show both environmental advantages and disadvantages. The analyses of energy and greenhouse gas balances show a wide range of results. Lifecycle assessments and environmental impact assessments provide a method to determine whether biofuels are environmentally sustainable. Impacts on sustainable development are exemplified in the categories land use competition, biomass use competition and CO{sub 2} avoidance costs. Not all biofuels are regarded as being advantageous from an environmental perspective. However, 1{sup st} and 2{sup nd} generation biofuels for transportation show a great potential that needs to be harmonised with other needs (e.g. land for food production or biomass use for industry and chemistry towards an overall sustainable approach). (orig.)

  20. Feed-related Splanchnic Oxygenation in Preterm Infants With Abnormal Antenatal Doppler Developing Gut Complications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martini, Silvia; Aceti, Arianna; Beghetti, Isadora; Faldella, Giacomo; Corvaglia, Luigi

    2018-05-01

    Preterm infants with antenatal absent or reversed end diastolic flow (AREDF) in umbilical arteries are at major risk for gastrointestinal (GI) complications, such as necrotizing enterocolitis, intestinal perforation and feeding intolerance. Near-infrared spectroscopy provides continuous monitoring of splanchnic oxygenation (SrSO2) and may represent a useful tool to predict GI outcomes in this high-risk population. This observational, pilot study assessed feed-related SrSO2 patterns at enteral feeding introduction and full enteral feeding (FEF) achievement in twenty AREDF infants with gestational age ≤34 weeks. Enrolled infants were divided into 2 groups according to the development versus lack of GI complications. Infants developing GI complications showed significantly lower SrSO2 and increased splanchnic oxygen extraction in response to enteral feeds at both enteral feeding introduction and FEF. The potential role of these findings in predicting GI complications in AREDF preterm infants seems promising and deserves further evaluation.

  1. Intrinsic evolution of novel (Nd, MM)2Fe14B-system magnetic flakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Xiaoqiang; Zhu, Minggang; Liu, Weiqiang; Li, Yanfeng; Zhang, Jiuxing; Yue, Ming; Li, Wei

    2018-01-01

    The Nd-substituted (Nd x MM1- x )-Fe-B strip-casting flakes were prepared by induction melting in the vacuum furnace and then subsequently by strip-casting technology. The microstructure and magnetic properties of (Nd x MM1- x )-Fe-B alloys are related to the Nd substitution. 2:14:1 main phases and minor impure phases coexist in the MM-Fe-B flake. For example, La2O3 and CeFe2 impure phases are obviously detected in the x = 0 specimen. As an increase of the Ce concentration is inversely accompanied with the decrease of the Nd content ( x) in (Nd x MM1- x )2Fe14B main phases (0 ≤ x ≤ 1), XRD analysis shows that the overall diffraction peaks of the main phases shift to right domestically because of smaller radius Ce4+. The melting point, spin reorientation phase transition temperature, Curie temperature, magneto-crystalline anisotropy field (at 300 K), and the magnetization ( M 9T) for MM-Fe-B/(Nd0.4MM0.6)-Fe-B/(Nd0.7MM0.3)-Fe-B/Nd-Fe-B strip-casting alloys are 1376.15/1414.15/1439.15/1458.15 K, 74/113/124/135 K, 493.2/538.4/559.7/582.3 K, 48/55.2/64.4/70.1 kOe and 136.5/143.7/151.5/153.7 emu/g, respectively. Due to the varied composition of hard magnetic main phases, M 9T increases gradually with the increase of Nd content ( x). SEM observation and EDX results demonstrate that more Nd and Pr elements aggregate into the 2:14:1 ferromagnetic phase, while less La and Ce elements are prone to the RE-rich region compared with the nominal ratio. As a result, the growth of M 9T becomes extraordinary under maximum external field 9 T, indicating that the (Nd0.7MM0.3)-Fe-B flake may display relatively good magnetic properties and those with higher Nd content have evident effect on magnetization, compositions, and microstructures of hard magnetic main phases. Therefore, practical application of (Nd x MM1- x )-Fe-B-sintered magnets will be very prospective.

  2. Development of LD pumped 10 J x 10 Hz Nd: Glass slab laser system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamanaka, Masanobu; Kanabe, Tadashi; Matsui, Hideki

    2000-01-01

    As a first step of a driver development for the inertial fusion energy, we are developing a diode-pumped zig-zag Nd: glass slab laser amplifier system which can generate an output of 10 J per pulse at 1053 nm in 10 Hz operation. The water-cooled zig-zag Nd: glass slab is pumped from both sides by 803-nm AlGaAs laser-diode (LD) module; each LD module has an emitting area of 420 mm x 10 mm and two LD modules generated in total 200 kW peak power with 2.5 kW/cm 2 peak intensity at 10 Hz repetition rate. We have obtained in a preliminary experiment a 8.5 J output energy at 0.5 Hz with beam quality of 2 times diffraction limited far-field pattern. (author)

  3. Abstracts: 2nd interventional MRI symposium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    1997-09-01

    Main topics of the 2nd interventional MRI symposium were: MR compatibility and pulse sequences; MR thermometry, biopsy, musculoskeletal system; laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy, radiofrequency ablations; intraoperative MR; vascular applications, breast, endoscopy; focused ultrasound, cryotherapy, perspectives; poster session with 34 posters described. (AJ)

  4. Abstracts: 2nd interventional MRI symposium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1997-01-01

    Main topics of the 2nd interventional MRI symposium were: MR compatibility and pulse sequences; MR thermometry, biopsy, musculoskeletal system; laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy, radiofrequency ablations; intraoperative MR; vascular applications, breast, endoscopy; focused ultrasound, cryotherapy, perspectives; poster session with 34 posters described. (AJ)

  5. Changes in quantitative ultrasound in preterm and term infants during the first year of life

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tansug, Nermin, E-mail: ntansug@hotmail.com [Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 45020 Manisa (Turkey); Yildirim, Sule Aslan, E-mail: sulesln@yahoo.com [Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 45020 Manisa (Turkey); Canda, Ebru, E-mail: ebruerbass@hotmail.com [Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 45020 Manisa (Turkey); Ozalp, Deniz, E-mail: bluexxdeniz@hotmail.com [Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 45020 Manisa (Turkey); Yilmaz, Ozge, E-mail: oyilmaz_76@hotmail.com [Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 45020 Manisa (Turkey); Taneli, Fatma, E-mail: fatma.taneli@bayar.edu.tr [Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, 45020 Manisa (Turkey); Ersoy, Betuel, E-mail: betul_e@hotmail.com [Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 45020 Manisa (Turkey)

    2011-09-15

    Since most of in utero bone mass accretion occurs during the third trimester and postnatal need for bone nutrients is increased, preterm infants have an increased risk of low bone mass. Early identification of the risk is of crucial importance. Quantitative ultrasound, which is a relatively inexpensive, portable, noninvasive, and radiation-free method, gives information about bone density, cortical thickness, elasticity and microarchitecture. The aim of this study was to obtain quantitative ultrasound measurements of tibial speed of sound of preterm and term infants and to assess clinical factors associated with these measurements during the first year of life. Seventy-eight preterm and 48 term infants were enrolled in this study. Measurements were made on the 10th day of life in both groups, and were repeated on the 2nd, 6th and 12th months for preterm infants and on the12th month for the term infants. Speed of sound on preterm infants was significantly decreased on the 2nd month but significantly increased on the 12th month (P = 0.00). Comparing speed of sound of term and preterm infants, 10th day measurements were significantly different (P = 0.00), but there was not any significant difference between the 12th month values (P = 0.26). There was not any relation between biochemical parameters and speed of sound. The technique has potential clinical value for assessment of bone status. Further studies with long term follow up are needed to evaluate the value of quantitative ultrasound with other bone markers to predict the risk of fracture.

  6. Changes in quantitative ultrasound in preterm and term infants during the first year of life

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tansug, Nermin; Yildirim, Sule Aslan; Canda, Ebru; Ozalp, Deniz; Yilmaz, Ozge; Taneli, Fatma; Ersoy, Betuel

    2011-01-01

    Since most of in utero bone mass accretion occurs during the third trimester and postnatal need for bone nutrients is increased, preterm infants have an increased risk of low bone mass. Early identification of the risk is of crucial importance. Quantitative ultrasound, which is a relatively inexpensive, portable, noninvasive, and radiation-free method, gives information about bone density, cortical thickness, elasticity and microarchitecture. The aim of this study was to obtain quantitative ultrasound measurements of tibial speed of sound of preterm and term infants and to assess clinical factors associated with these measurements during the first year of life. Seventy-eight preterm and 48 term infants were enrolled in this study. Measurements were made on the 10th day of life in both groups, and were repeated on the 2nd, 6th and 12th months for preterm infants and on the12th month for the term infants. Speed of sound on preterm infants was significantly decreased on the 2nd month but significantly increased on the 12th month (P = 0.00). Comparing speed of sound of term and preterm infants, 10th day measurements were significantly different (P = 0.00), but there was not any significant difference between the 12th month values (P = 0.26). There was not any relation between biochemical parameters and speed of sound. The technique has potential clinical value for assessment of bone status. Further studies with long term follow up are needed to evaluate the value of quantitative ultrasound with other bone markers to predict the risk of fracture.

  7. UV Thermoluminescence and Phosphorescence Properties of Mg2+ and Nd3+ Doped Nanostructured Al2O3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bitencourt, J F S; Goncalves, K A; Tatumi, S H; Marcos, P J B

    2010-01-01

    Mg 2+ and Nd 3+ doped aluminium oxide samples were produced by polymer calcination method. Mg 2+ doped samples did not exhibited significant fluorescence emission, using IR (LED, emission centered at 862nm) or green (Xe-lamp plus optical filter, emission centered at 520 nm) sources. Nonetheless, high thermostimulated luminescence was detected, with high emission peak at 190 0 C. A nanoscopic layer (about 50 nm width) of magnesium spinel was observed by Transmission Electronic Microscopy (TEM) for 2.61mol% doped sample; this layer can be the responsible for TL enhancement. Nd 3+ doped sample exhibited low phosphorescence emission in the UV (Schott U-340) using IR source. TL peaks were detected at 185 and 265 0 C; the intermediary peak showed the highest emission. Occurrence of NdAl and NdAl 2 structures were detected in 5 mol% doped sample and NdAl 2 and NdAl 4 structures in 10 mol% doped sample.

  8. Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 2017; Session "Neonatal Infectious Diseases/Immunology"

    OpenAIRE

    --- Various Authors

    2017-01-01

    Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 201758th ESPR Annual Meeting, 7th International Congress of UENPS, 3rd International Congress of EFCNIORGANIZING INSTITUTIONSEuropean Society for Paediatric Research (ESPR), European Society for Neonatology (ESN), Union of European Neonatal & Perinatal Societies (UENPS), European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI)ORGANIZING COMMITTEELuc Zimmer...

  9. Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 2017; Session "Neurology and Follow-up"

    OpenAIRE

    --- Various Authors

    2017-01-01

    Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 201758th ESPR Annual Meeting, 7th International Congress of UENPS, 3rd International Congress of EFCNIORGANIZING INSTITUTIONSEuropean Society for Paediatric Research (ESPR), European Society for Neonatology (ESN), Union of European Neonatal & Perinatal Societies (UENPS), European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI)ORGANIZING COMMITTEELuc Zimmer...

  10. High Precision 142Nd/144Nd and 143Nd/144Nd Isotope Ratio Measurements in Rock Samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, A.; Srinivasan, G.

    2009-05-01

    The long-lived 147Sm-143Nd system with a half-life (T1/2) of 106 Gyr is generally used for geochronology. The short-lived 146Sm-142Nd system (T1/2= 103 Myr) is used as a geological tracer to track early (˜500 Ma) silicate differentiation [1] events in different planetary bodies. The isotope composition measurements by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) require purification of Nd using chemical separation methods. This is important as an impure sample will give both a very poor ion yield and cause beam instability in the mass spectrometer, potentially resulting in a poor analysis [2]. The separation of Nd for 143Nd isotope measurement is, fairly straightforward because there is no isobaric interference of any other REE. While 142Nd isotope analysis needs chemically separated Nd fraction to be ˜100% Ce-free as latter is composed of a substantial amount of 142Ce isotope. A 4-steps technique, modified from Caro et al., [3], for the separation of Nd is established at the Cosmochemistry Laboratory of University of Toronto, Canada and applied to the measurement of Nd isotope ratios in geological reference sample BCR-2 (USGS, Columbia River basalt) using TIMS. Results of the isotopic ratios obtained for BCR-2 are in good agreement with published values [e.g., 4]. Analytical work on the samples discovered as the oldest rocks on Earth [5] from Nuvvuagittuq greenstone belt in Québec, Canada and various meteorites is in progress. An account of the procedures involved is briefly described here. All working solutions and acids were prepared using >18.2 MΩ.cm-1 H2O from a Milli-Q water system. Experiments were performed under Class 100 clean work bench with acid-cleaned apparatus and plastic-ware. The whole rock powders were weighed (20-30 mg) and dissolved in a mixture of HF and HNO3 using PFA vials and heated at 110°C. Further decomposition was done in Teflon bomb in the oven at 205°C. Later on contents of the Teflon bomb were transferred to vials and fluorides

  11. Development of iron homeostasis in infants and young children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lönnerdal, Bo

    2017-12-01

    Healthy, term, breastfed infants usually have adequate iron stores that, together with the small amount of iron that is contributed by breast milk, make them iron sufficient until ≥6 mo of age. The appropriate concentration of iron in infant formula to achieve iron sufficiency is more controversial. Infants who are fed formula with varying concentrations of iron generally achieve sufficiency with iron concentrations of 2 mg/L (i.e., with iron status that is similar to that of breastfed infants at 6 mo of age). Regardless of the feeding choice, infants' capacity to regulate iron homeostasis is important but less well understood than the regulation of iron absorption in adults, which is inverse to iron status and strongly upregulated or downregulated. Infants who were given daily iron drops compared with a placebo from 4 to 6 mo of age had similar increases in hemoglobin concentrations. In addition, isotope studies have shown no difference in iron absorption between infants with high or low hemoglobin concentrations at 6 mo of age. Together, these findings suggest a lack of homeostatic regulation of iron homeostasis in young infants. However, at 9 mo of age, homeostatic regulatory capacity has developed although, to our knowledge, its extent is not known. Studies in suckling rat pups showed similar results with no capacity to regulate iron homeostasis at 10 d of age when fully nursing, but such capacity occurred at 20 d of age when pups were partially weaned. The major iron transporters in the small intestine divalent metal-ion transporter 1 (DMT1) and ferroportin were not affected by pup iron status at 10 d of age but were strongly affected by iron status at 20 d of age. Thus, mechanisms that regulate iron homeostasis are developed at the time of weaning. Overall, studies in human infants and experimental animals suggest that iron homeostasis is absent or limited early in infancy largely because of a lack of regulation of the iron transporters DMT1 and ferroportin

  12. The Influence of Different Caregivers on Infant Growth and Development in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qinrui; Liang, Furong; Liang, Weilan; Zhang, Jing; Niu, Manman; Han, Ying

    2017-01-01

    An increasing number of parents in China ask grandparents or babysitters to care for their children. Modern parents are often the only child in their family because of China's One-Child Policy and thus may lack interaction with siblings. Accordingly, the present study aimed to explore whether different caregivers affect the physical and development of infants in China. In total, 2,514 infants were enrolled in our study. We assessed their weight-for-age, supine length-for-age, weight-for-length, occipital-frontal circumference, and Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST) results and recorded their general parental information and their primary caregivers. The weights and lengths of 12-month-old infants under the care of babysitters were significantly lower than those of infants under the care of parents or grandparents ( P  motor-adaptive and language domains. Compared to 12-month-old infants under the care of parents and babysitters, infants under the care of grandparents were more likely to be overweight or obese ( P  development of the infants. Specifically, compared with infants raised by grandparents and parents, 12-month-old infants under the care of babysitters had partially suppressed lengths and weights and lagged cognitively. The 12-month-old infants under the care of grandparents were more overweight than those cared for by parents and babysitters.

  13. Early psychomotor development of low-risk preterm infants: Influence of gestational age and gender.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romeo, Domenico M; Brogna, Claudia; Sini, Francesca; Romeo, Mario G; Cota, Francesco; Ricci, Daniela

    2016-07-01

    The influence of gestational age and gender in the neurodevelopment of infants during the first year of age is not yet fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to identify the early occurrence of neurodevelopmental differences, between very preterm, late preterm and term born infants and the possible influence of the gender on the neurodevelopment in early infancy. A total of 188 low-risk infants, 69 very preterms, 71 late-preterms, and 48 term infants were assessed at 3, 6, 9, 12 months corrected age using the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE). At two years of age infants performed the Mental Developmental Index (MDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. The main results indicate that both very preterms and late-preterms showed significant lower global scores than term born infants at each evaluation (p development of infants assessed during the first 2 years of life. Copyright © 2016 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Surrogate mobility and orientation affect the early neurobehavioral development of infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dettmer, Amanda M; Ruggiero, Angela M; Novak, Melinda A; Meyer, Jerrold S; Suomi, Stephen J

    2008-05-01

    A biological mother's movement appears necessary for optimal development in infant monkeys. However, nursery-reared monkeys are typically provided with inanimate surrogate mothers that move very little. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a novel, highly mobile surrogate mother on motor development, exploration, and reactions to novelty. Six infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were reared on mobile hanging surrogates (MS) and compared to six infants reared on standard stationary rocking surrogates (RS) and to 9-15 infants reared with their biological mothers (MR) for early developmental outcome. We predicted that MS infants would develop more similarly to MR infants than RS infants. In neonatal assessments conducted at Day 30, both MS and MR infants showed more highly developed motor activity than RS infants on measures of grasping (p = .009), coordination (p = .038), spontaneous crawl (p = .009), and balance (p = .003). At 2-3 months of age, both MS and MR infants displayed higher levels of exploration in the home cage than RS infants (p = .016). In a novel situation in which only MS and RS infants were tested, MS infants spent less time near their surrogates in the first five minutes of the test session than RS infants (p = .05), indicating a higher level of comfort. Collectively, these results suggest that when nursery-rearing of infant monkeys is necessary, a mobile hanging surrogate may encourage more normative development of gross motor skills and exploratory behavior and may serve as a useful alternative to stationary or rocking surrogates.

  15. Measurement and Evaluation of the Activation Resonance Integral of 146Nd, 148Nd and 150Nd

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ricabarra, M. D.; Turjanski, R.; Ricabarra, G. H.

    2012-01-01

    Values of the ratio of the reduced activation resonance integral to the thermal cross section, I'/σ 0 of 146 Nd, 148 Nd and 150 Nd were determined relative to gold by measuring cadmium ratios. A lithium-drifted germanium gamma ray spectrometer was used to resolve the activities of the irradiated samples. The results are for 146 Nd I'/σ 0 = 1.42±0.1 0 and with an assumed σ 0 = 1.4 barn, I' = 1 .99±0.20; for 148 Nd I'/ σ 0 = 4.22±0.1 4 and with an assumed σ 0 = 2.5 barn, I' = 10.5±0. 9 barn, and for 150 Nd I'/σ 0 = 13.7±0. 8 and with an assumed σ 0 = 1.2 barn, I' = 16.4±2.8. The resolved and unresolved epithermal integrals of 146 Nd, 148 Nd and 150 Nd were calculated. Values of the spectral correction factor were also calculated, so the resonance integral could be obtained from the epithermal integral data measured in our reactor spectrum in this experiment. Epithermal integral and spectral correction factors are listed in the text. The most important result of this investigation is that the 148 Nd activation reduced resonance integral is about half of the previously recommended value and consequently the radiative width for 148 Nd is also about half of the previously accepted value. (author)

  16. File list: His.Lar.10.AllAg.2nd_instar [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available His.Lar.10.AllAg.2nd_instar dm3 Histone Larvae 2nd instar SRX013087,SRX013015,SRX01...3112,SRX013042,SRX013043,SRX013096 http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/dm3/assembled/His.Lar.10.AllAg.2nd_instar.bed ...

  17. File list: His.Lar.05.AllAg.2nd_instar [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available His.Lar.05.AllAg.2nd_instar dm3 Histone Larvae 2nd instar SRX013087,SRX013096,SRX01...3043,SRX013015,SRX013112,SRX013042 http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/dm3/assembled/His.Lar.05.AllAg.2nd_instar.bed ...

  18. File list: His.Lar.50.AllAg.2nd_instar [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available His.Lar.50.AllAg.2nd_instar dm3 Histone Larvae 2nd instar SRX013015,SRX013042,SRX01...3112,SRX013043,SRX013087,SRX013096 http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/dm3/assembled/His.Lar.50.AllAg.2nd_instar.bed ...

  19. File list: His.Lar.20.AllAg.2nd_instar [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available His.Lar.20.AllAg.2nd_instar dm3 Histone Larvae 2nd instar SRX013015,SRX013042,SRX01...3112,SRX013043,SRX013096,SRX013087 http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/dm3/assembled/His.Lar.20.AllAg.2nd_instar.bed ...

  20. Relationship Between Iodine Concentration in Maternal Colostrum and Neurobehavioral Development of Infants in Shanghai, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Meiqin; Wu, Deqing; Wu, Wei; Li, Hui; Cao, Lulu; Xu, Jian; Yu, Xiaodan; Bian, Xiaoyan; Yan, Chonghuai; Wang, Weiye

    2016-08-01

    It is well known that iodine plays an important role in the process of early growth and development of most organs, especially the brain. However, iodine concentration in the colostrum and its association with the neurobehavioral development of infants remains unclear. Colostrums from 150 women were collected, and their iodine concentrations were measured. The median colostrum iodine level was 187.8 μg/L. The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III test was performed when the infants were about 18 months. The mean cognitive, language, and motor composite scores were 105.3 ± 9.8, 105.2 ± 11.1, and 104.6 ± 6.7, respectively. And the mean scores of the 5 subtests were 11.1 ± 2.0, 9.3 ± 2.0, 12.4 ± 2.3, 11.1 ± 1.2, and 10.4 ± 1.2, respectively. No statistically significant difference was observed in the cognition, language, or motor development of infants across different levels of colostrum iodine. After adjusting for a range of confounding factors, colostrum iodine concentration was a predictor of motor development, specifically gross motor development. © The Author(s) 2016.

  1. Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 2017; Session "Neonatal Fetal Nutrition and Metabolism"

    OpenAIRE

    --- Various Authors

    2017-01-01

    Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 201758th ESPR Annual Meeting, 7th International Congress of UENPS, 3rd International Congress of EFCNIORGANIZING INSTITUTIONSEuropean Society for Paediatric Research (ESPR), European Society for Neonatology (ESN), Union of European Neonatal & Perinatal Societies (UENPS), European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI)ORGANIZING COMMITTEELuc Zimmer...

  2. Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 2017; Session "Quality Improvement, Parents Centered Care"

    OpenAIRE

    --- Various Authors

    2017-01-01

    Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 201758th ESPR Annual Meeting, 7th International Congress of UENPS, 3rd International Congress of EFCNIORGANIZING INSTITUTIONSEuropean Society for Paediatric Research (ESPR), European Society for Neonatology (ESN), Union of European Neonatal & Perinatal Societies (UENPS), European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI)ORGANIZING COMMITTEELuc Zi...

  3. File list: ALL.Lar.05.AllAg.2nd_instar [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available ALL.Lar.05.AllAg.2nd_instar dm3 All antigens Larvae 2nd instar SRX013087,SRX013096,...SRX013043,SRX013015,SRX013112,SRX013042,SRX013113,SRX013016,SRX013114 http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/dm3/assembled/ALL.Lar.05.AllAg.2nd_instar.bed ...

  4. File list: ALL.Lar.50.AllAg.2nd_instar [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available ALL.Lar.50.AllAg.2nd_instar dm3 All antigens Larvae 2nd instar SRX013015,SRX013042,...SRX013112,SRX013016,SRX013114,SRX013043,SRX013087,SRX013096,SRX013113 http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/dm3/assembled/ALL.Lar.50.AllAg.2nd_instar.bed ...

  5. File list: ALL.Lar.20.AllAg.2nd_instar [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available ALL.Lar.20.AllAg.2nd_instar dm3 All antigens Larvae 2nd instar SRX013015,SRX013042,...SRX013112,SRX013043,SRX013016,SRX013114,SRX013096,SRX013087,SRX013113 http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/dm3/assembled/ALL.Lar.20.AllAg.2nd_instar.bed ...

  6. FOOD NEGLECT AND INFANT DEVELOPMENT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helton, Jesse J; Cross, Theodore P; Vaughn, Michael G; Gochez-Kerr, Tatiana

    2018-03-01

    The impact of food insecurity on child development in the general U.S. population is well-established, yet little is known about the harm of food neglect relative to other types of maltreatment. Due to the harmful physiological impact of inadequate nutrients and the social impact of food-related stress, it was hypothesized that food neglect would be more likely to impair infant cognitive and language development than physical abuse, sexual abuse, and other forms of neglect. Families of infants (N = 1,951) investigated by Child Protective Services were studied using the second cohort of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II; NSCAW Research Group, 2002). Results from multivariable logistic regression models that controlled for likely confounding variables showed that the odds of impairment in cognition and language were significantly greater when food neglect was the most serious form of maltreatment. Considering that both food insecurity and child neglect are associated with poverty and parental mental health problems, it will be important for child welfare and mental health professionals to work collaboratively to better the health of these vulnerable children. © 2018 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

  7. Structure of comorbid psychopathological disorders in patients with type 2nd diabetes mellitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. V. Chugunov

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Aim: to identify and explore the structure of comorbid psychopathological disorders in patients with type 2nd diabetes mellitus (DM. Materials and methods: 543 patients with type 2nd DM were included into the study. The average age of patients was (56.2 ± 0.65 years. The patients were divided into three groups according to the severity of DM. The first clinical group (CG-1 included 57 patients with type 2nd DM of mild severity, who was treated in outpatient department; the average age in the group was (51.8 ± 1.28 years. The second clinical group (CG-2 made up of 312 patients with type 2nd DM, moderate severity, they were in inpatient department; the median age of the group was (55.1 ± 1.12 years. The third clinical group (CG-3 included 174 patients with type 2nd DM, severe degrees of severity, they undergone inpatient treatment too; average age in the group was (61.8 ± 0.85 years. Research methods: clinical-anamnesis, clinical- psychopathological, statistical. Research results. The study established the incidence of non-psychotic mental disorders of varying severity in patients with type 2nd DM at the level of 94.11 %, among them, for 91.16 % – of psychogenic origin. Proportional correlation between the severity of type 2nd DM and the absence of comorbid psychopathological manifestations was detected (rs = -0.3416, p < 0.01. It is revealed that the dominant psychopathological syndromes among all patients with type 2nd DM were psychoorganic (62.43 %, dyssomnia (60.86 %, asthenic (55.58 % and anxiety (43.05 % syndromes. Structure of the dominant psychopathological syndromes was established depending on severity of type 2nd DM: in CG-1 dominated dyssomnia (36.84 %, anxiety (31.58 %, psychoorganic (21.05 % syndromes; in CG-2 – psychoorganic (65.38 %, asthenic (40.38 %, dyssomnia (38.46 %, anxiety (37, and 82 % syndromes; in CG-3 – dyssomnia (97.70 %, asthenic (89.08 %, organic mental (70.69 %, anxious 48.28 % syndromes. Significant

  8. [Development of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for determination of fatty acid esters of chloropropanols in milk powder and the pollution level of infant formula].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shan; Miao, Hong; Cui, Xia; Zhao, Yunfeng; Wu, Yongning

    2015-06-01

    recoveries of the four chloropropanols esters spiked at 0.025, 0.050 and 0.100 mg/kg in blank matrix were in a range from 80.3% to 111.9%, with relative standard deviations (RSD) less than 11.4%. Of the 111 infant formula samples, the detection rates and the contamination levels of 3-MCPD esters and 2-MCPD esters were 77.5% (86/111), 11.7% (13/111) with the contamination levels in the range of ND-0.230 mg/kg and ND-0.039 mg/kg, respectively, and χ (95% CI) and P97.5 of 3-MCPD esters and 2-MCPD esters were 0.020 (0.003-0.113) and 0.006 (0.005-0.025) mg/kg, 0.113 and 0.025 mg/kg, respectively. 1,3-DCP esters and 2,3-DCP esters were not detected in the 111 samples. x (95% CI) and P75 of the six-month old infants to 3-MCPD esters were 0.304 (0.038-1.735) and 1.735 µg · kg⁻¹ · d⁻¹, respectively, which accounted for 15.2% and 86.7% of the PMTDI (2 µg · kg⁻¹ · d⁻¹) of 3-MCPD. This GC-MS method was accurate and rugged for the determination of chloropropanols esters in milk powder. Based on the exposure assessment results, the health risk of chloropropanols esters for infants caused by the intake of infant formula was acceptable.

  9. Development of auditory event-related potentials in infants prenatally exposed to methadone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul, Jonathan A; Logan, Beth A; Krishnan, Ramesh; Heller, Nicole A; Morrison, Deborah G; Pritham, Ursula A; Tisher, Paul W; Troese, Marcia; Brown, Mark S; Hayes, Marie J

    2014-07-01

    Developmental features of the P2 auditory ERP in a change detection paradigm were examined in infants prenatally exposed to methadone. Opiate dependent pregnant women maintained on methadone replacement therapy were recruited during pregnancy (N = 60). Current and historical alcohol and substance use, SES, and psychiatric status were assessed with a maternal interview during the third trimester. Medical records were used to collect information regarding maternal medications, monthly urinalysis, and breathalyzer to confirm comorbid drug and alcohol exposures. Between birth and 4 months infant ERP change detection performance was evaluated on one occasion with the oddball paradigm (.2 probability oddball) using pure-tone stimuli (standard = 1 kHz and oddball = 2 kHz frequency) at midline electrode sites, Fz, Cz, Pz. Infant groups were examined in the following developmental windows: 4-15, 16-32, or 33-120 days PNA. Older groups showed increased P2 amplitude at Fz and effective change detection performance at P2 not seen in the newborn group. Developmental maturation of amplitude and stimulus discrimination for P2 has been reported in developing infants at all of the ages tested and data reported here in the older infants are consistent with typical development. However, it has been previously reported that the P2 amplitude difference is detectable in neonates; therefore, absence of a difference in P2 amplitude between stimuli in the 4-15 days group may represent impaired ERP performance by neonatal abstinence syndrome or prenatal methadone exposure. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Infant Development: Milestones from 4 to 6 Months

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... safe, secure and loved. When you hold or rock your baby, talk quietly or sing soothing songs. ... infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/infant-development/art-20048178 . Mayo Clinic Footer Legal Conditions and Terms ...

  11. Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in pregnancy and infant neuropsychological development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morales, Eva; Guxens, Mònica; Llop, Sabrina; Rodríguez-Bernal, Clara L; Tardón, Adonina; Riaño, Isolina; Ibarluzea, Jesús; Lertxundi, Nerea; Espada, Mercedes; Rodriguez, Agueda; Sunyer, Jordi

    2012-10-01

    To investigate whether circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) [25(OH)D(3)] concentration in pregnancy is associated with neuropsychological development in infants. The Spanish population-based cohort study INfancia y Medio Ambiente Project recruited pregnant women during the first trimester of pregnancy between November 2003 and February 2008. Completed data on 1820 mother-infant pairs were used. Maternal plasma 25(OH)D(3) concentration was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in pregnancy (mean 13.5 ± 2.1 weeks of gestation). Offspring mental and psychomotor scores were assessed by trained psychologists at age 14 months (range, 11-23) by using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. β-Coefficients with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of mental and psychomotor scores associated with continuous or categorical concentrations of maternal plasma 25(OH)D(3) were calculated by using linear regression analysis. The median plasma value of 25(OH)D(3) in pregnancy was 29.6 ng/mL (interquartile range, 21.8-37.3). A positive linear relationship was found between circulating concentrations of maternal 25(OH)D(3) concentrations in pregnancy and mental and psychomotor scores in the offspring. After adjustment for potential confounders, infants of mothers with 25(OH)D(3) concentrations in pregnancy >30 ng/mL showed higher mental score (β = 2.60; 95% CI 0.63-4.56) and higher psychomotor score (β = 2.32; 95% CI 0.36-4.28) in comparison with those of mothers with 25(OH)D(3) concentrations <20 ng/mL. Higher circulating concentration of maternal 25(OH)D(3) in pregnancy was associated with improved mental and psychomotor development in infants.

  12. Thermoluminescent characteristics of ZrO2:Nd films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vera B, G.; Rivera M, T.; Azorin N, J.; Falcony G, C.; Garcia H, M.; Martinez S, E.

    2002-01-01

    In this work it is exposed the obtained results after analysing the photo luminescent and thermoluminescent characteristics of activated zirconium oxide with neodymium (ZrO 2 :Nd) and its possible application in the UV radiation dosimetry. The realized experiments had as objective to study the characteristics such as the optimum thermal erased treatment, the influence of light on the response, the response depending on the wavelength, the fadeout of the information, the temperature effect, the response depending on the time and the recurring of the response. The results show that the ZrO 2 :Nd is a promising material to be used as Tl dosemeter for the UV radiation. (Author)

  13. Reassessment of the origin of the Dun Mountain Ophiolite, New Zealand : Nd-isotopic and geochemical evolution of magma suites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sivell, W.J.; McCulloch, M.T.

    2000-01-01

    Magmatic suites with contrasting isotopic and geochemical compositions, sequentially emplaced in different tectonic regimes, comprise the Dun Mountain Ophiolite Belt (DMOB), New Zealand. At D'Urville Island, the northernmost exposure of the DMOB, earliest erupted (stage 1) pillow basalts ε Nd (T) = +6.3 to +7.5, and are incompatible element enriched, like basalts from geochemically anomalous ridge segments. Overlying stage 2 basalts (sheeted flows) show a narrow range of ε Nd (T) = +8.3 + or -0.2, with chemical characteristics of depleted backarc basin basalts. These rocks are intruded by mafic to silicic stage 3 magmas, which have high uniform initial 143 Nd/ 144 Nd ratios (ε Nd (T) = +9.3 + or -0.2) over a wide range of 147 Sm/ 144 Nd values (yielding a precise Early Permian Nd-isotope age of 278 ± 4 Ma (MSWD = 0.48)). Stage 3 magmas show pronounced subduction-related geochemical signatures similar to island arc tholeiites (IAT) from immature arcs. They are closely analogous to some (boninite)-IAT magmas which characterise 'infant arc' eruptive activity in forearc basins of present-day Western Pacific island arc systems. A wide variety of stage 3 magma compositions, ranging from near-primary basaltic dikes (Mg = 74) to extremely fractionated silicic plagiogranites with uniformly very depleted isotopic ratios, is consistent with slow spreading rates which gave rise to polybaric, closed-system fractionation of magmas and periodic chamber abandonment. Some stage 3 rocks with SiO 2 levels in the andesite range have low-TiO 2 contents and high Mg, and may be fractionated equivalents of boninites. High ε Nd (T) values of stage 3 magmas indicate a lack of subducted sediment with inherited crustal residence signatures, and reflect the extent of supra-subduction zone (SSZ) mantle wedge depletion. DMOB stage 3 magmas may represent foreac magmatism that was the precursor to normal subduction-related volcanism established by c. 265 Ma in the Brook Street Arc and derived

  14. NIR emitting K2SrCl4:Eu2+, Nd3+ phosphor as a spectral converter for CIGS solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tawalare, P. K.; Bhatkar, V. B.; Omanwar, S. K.; Moharil, S. V.

    2018-05-01

    Intense near-infrared emitting phosphor K2SrCl4:Eu2+,Nd3+ with various concentrations of Nd3+ were synthesized. These are characterized with X-ray diffraction, reflectance, photoluminescence emission and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, PL lifetime measurements. The emission can be excited by a broad band in near ultra violet region as a consequence of Eu2+→Nd3+ energy transfer. The efficiency of Eu2+→Nd3+ energy transfer is as high as 95%. Fluorescence decay curves for Eu2+ doped samples are almost exponential and described by τ = 500 ns. Eu2+ lifetimes are shortened after Nd3+ doping. Near infrared Emission intensity is limited by Nd3+→Nd3+ energy transfer and the consequent concentration quenching. Nd3+ emission matches well with the spectral response of CIGS and CIS solar cells. Absorption of near ultra violet radiations followed by conversion to near infrared indicates the potential application in solar photovoltaics.

  15. Synthesis, structure and properties of layered iron-oxychalcogenides Nd2Fe2Se2−xSxO3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Y.; Zhang, S.B.; Tan, S.G.; Yuan, B.; Kan, X.C.; Zu, L.; Sun, Y.P.

    2015-01-01

    A new series of sulfur-substituted iron-oxychalcogenides Nd 2 Fe 2 Se 2−x S x O 3 (0≤x≤0.4) was synthesized by solid state reaction method, and investigated by structure, transport, magnetic and specific heat measurements. The compounds crystallize in the layered tetragonal structure with I4/mmm space group, and show semiconducting behavior. The large discrepancy between the activation energies for conductivity, E ρ (152–202 meV), and thermopower, E S (15.6–39.8 meV), indicates the polaronic transport mechanism of the carrier. The parent compound Nd 2 Fe 2 Se 2 O 3 exhibits a frustrated antiferromagnetic (AFM) ground state, and the S-substitution induces an enhanced ferromagnetic (FM) component and possible increased degree of frustration. - Graphical abstract: The crystal structure of Nd 2 Nd 2 Fe 2 Se 2−x S x O 3 is built up by stacking fluorite-like Nd 2 O 2 layers and anti-CuO 2 -type Fe 2 O(Se/S) 2 layers with Fe 2+ cations coordinated by two in-plane O 2- and four Se 2- above and below the square Fe 2 O plane. - Highlights: • We have synthesized a new series of layered iron-oxychalcogenides Nd 2 Fe 2 Se 2−x S x O 3 . • They crystallize in layered tetragonal structure and show semiconducting behavior. • The transport analysis indicates the polaronic transport mechanism of the carrier. • The parent compound shows a frustrated antiferromagnetic (AFM) ground state. • The S-substitution induces an enhanced ferromagnetic (FM) component

  16. Computer-aided topological analysis of Nd-Fe-B ternary system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, G.; Xu, P.; Zhang, W.

    1993-01-01

    A three-dimensional partially matrixed topological model of the Nd-Fe-B ternary phase diagram has been established based on experimental results assessed comprehensively with the aid of a computer-aided design and graphic and graphics software, AutoCAD (R10), and application programs developed in this work. Vertical sections at 5.88 at.% B, Nd:B = 1:1, Fe-Nd/sub 2/Fe/sub 14/B-Nd, Nd/sub 2/Fe/sub 17/-Nd/sub 2/Fe/sub 7/B/sub 6/ have been cut out from the model and the corresponding phase relationships have been analyzed. Among them, those on the Nd-rich protons of both the sections at 5.88 at.% B and Nd:B = 2:1 and those on the Nd/sub 2/Fe/sub 14/B-Nd section are given for the first time. (author)

  17. Selected Lectures of the 2nd International Workshop “Intensive Care of the Newborn”; Verona (Italy; March 9-10, 2018

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    --- Various Authors

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Selected Lectures of the 2nd International Workshop “Intensive Care of the Newborn”; Verona (Italy; March 9-10, 2018 CONGRESS PRESIDENT Paolo Biban  Guest Editor: Paolo BibanLECT 1. RESUSCITATION OF EXTREMELY PREMATURE INFANTS: HOW TO IMPROVE EVEN FURTHER • J.M. PerlmanLECT 2. MAINTAINING NORMAL TEMPERATURE IN THE NEWLY BORN: NOT A TRIVIAL GAME • J. WyllieLECT 3. PRESENT AND FUTURE OF SURFACTANT AD­MINISTRATION IN PRETERM INFANTS WITH RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME (RDS • A. KribsLECT 4. CONTINUOUS POSITIVE AIRWAY PRES­SURE (CPAP, SURFACTANT, OR BOTH? A DILEMMA STILL WAITING TO BE SOLVED • D. De LucaLECT 5. NON-INVASIVE RESPIRATORY SUPPORT AND RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME (RDS: IS NASAL CONTINUOUS POSITIVE AIRWAY PRESSURE (nCPAP ALWAYS ENOUGH? • G. Lista, I. BresestiLECT 6. NEURALLY ADJUSTED VENTILATORY ASSIST (NAVA IN THE NEWBORN: A NEW STANDARD OF CARE? • H. SteinLECT 7. HIGH-FREQUENCY, MULTI-FREQUENCY OSCIL­LA­TION, JET VENTILATION: WHERE ARE WE? • J.J. PillowLECT 8. SURVIVAL AND NEURODEVELOPMENTAL OUT­COME IN PERIVIABLE INFANTS • N. YoungeLECT 9. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND TREATMENT OF SEPTIC SHOCK IN NEONATES • H.R. WongLECT 10. CLINICAL METABOLOMICS IN NEONATAL SEPSIS • V. FanosLECT 11. OPTIMIZING EARLY NUTRITION SUPPORT IN VERY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (VLBW INFANTS • T. SenterreLECT 12. LONG-TERM ADVERSE EFFECTS OF EARLY GROWTH ACCELERATION OR CATCH-UP GROWTH • A. SinghalLECT 13. ROLE OF NEAR INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY DURING NEONATAL TRANSITION • B. UrlesbergerLECT 14. HEART RATE CHARACTERISTICS AS PHYSIO­MARKERS FOR DETECTION OF SEPSIS AND OTHER DISEASES • K.D. FairchildLECT 15. ENHANCED CARDIORESPIRATORY MONI­TORING OF THE PRETERM INFANT DURING STABILIZA­TION IN THE DELIVERY ROOM • E. Dempsey

  18. Psychomotor development in infants with Prader-Willi syndrome and associations with sleep-related breathing disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Festen, Dederieke A M; Wevers, Maaike; de Weerd, Al W; van den Bossche, Renilde A S; Duivenvoorden, Hugo J; Otten, Barto J; Wit, Jan Maarten; Hokken-Koelega, Anita C S

    2007-08-01

    Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neurogenetic disorder with hypotonia, psychomotor delay, obesity, short stature, and sleep-related breathing disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between psychomotor development and sleep-related breathing disorders in PWS infants. Bayley Scales of Infant Development were performed in 22 PWS infants, with a median (interquartile range, IQR) age of 1.8 (1.1-3.4) y, and a body mass index SD score (BMISDS) of -0.5 (-1.3 to 1.6). We evaluated psychomotor development in relation to results of polysomnography. Median (IQR) mental and motor development was 73.1% (64.3-79.6%) and 55.2% (46.5-63.1%) of normal children, respectively. All infants had sleep-related breathing disorders, mostly of central origin. The apnea hypopnea index was not associated with psychomotor development. Only four infants had obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). They had a significantly delayed mental development of 65.5% (60.0-70.3%) of normal. They had a median BMISDS of 1.4 (0.1-1.6), which tended to be higher than in those without OSAS. Our data indicate that psychomotor development in PWS infants is not related to central sleep-related breathing disorders, but infants with OSAS have more severely delayed mental development, suggesting that PWS infants should be screened for OSAS.

  19. Evaluation of motor and cognitive development among infants exposed to HIV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Silva, Kaitiana Martins; de Sá, Cristina Dos Santos Cardoso; Carvalho, Raquel

    2017-02-01

    This study of a prospective and cross-sectional nature compared the motor and cognitive development of HIV-exposed and unexposed infants in their first 18months of age. 40 infants exposed to HIV and antiretroviral therapy (Experimental Group - EG) and 40 unexposed infants (Control Group - CG) participated in the study. They were divided into four age groups of 4, 8, 12 and 18months old, with 10 infants from EG and 10 from CG in each group. The infants were evaluated once on motor and cognitive development by the Bayley Scale of Infant and Toddler Development. Performance category grading and comparisons among scaled score, composite score and percentile rank were held. There was significant group effect for scores in motor and cognitive domains showing lower scores for EG regardless of age. In comparison to the CG, the EG presented lower scores for cognitive domain at 8 and 18months. In the performance categories, all infants were classified at or above the average for motor and cognitive development, except of one EG-18month old infant classified as borderline for motor development. Infants exposed to HIV and antiretroviral therapy own adequate cognitive and motor development in the first 18months. However, the lower scores found, particularly on the 8th and 18th month for cognitive development, may indicate future problems, highlighting the need for systematic follow-up of this population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Texturing for bulk α-Fe/Nd2Fe14B nanocomposites with enhanced magnetic properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lou, L.; Hou, F.C.; Wang, Y.N.; Cheng, Y.; Li, H.L.; Li, W.; Guo, D.F.; Li, X.H.; Zhang, X.Y.

    2014-01-01

    In the present study, the texturing of bulk α-Fe/Nd 2 Fe 14 B nanocomposites produced from Nd-lean amorphous Nd x Fe 92.5−x Cu 1.5 B 6 (x=9 to 11.5 at%) via a hot deformation under a uniaxial stress of ∼350 MPa at 973 K has been studied. An enhanced (00l) texture of the hard phase is observed with increasing Nd content, which results in an increase in the magnetic anisotropy of the nanocomposite magnets. As a result, both the coercivity and the remanence of the magnets increase simultaneously with increasing Nd content from x=9–11.5 at%, yielding a significant enhancement of the maximum energy product from (BH) max =13.2 to 17.5 MGOe in the direction parallel to stress axis. - Highlights: • Textured bulk α-Fe/Nd 2 Fe 14 B nanocomposites have been produced from Nd-lean alloys. • Nd content has an effect on the texturing of α-Fe/Nd 2 Fe 14 B nanocomposite magnets. • An enhanced (00l) texture of hard phase is observed with increasing Nd content. • Both the coercivity and remanence increase simultaneously with Nd content

  1. Human cytomegalovirus infant infection adversely affects growth and development in maternally HIV-exposed and unexposed infants in Zambia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gompels, U A; Larke, N; Sanz-Ramos, M; Bates, M; Musonda, K; Manno, D; Siame, J; Monze, M; Filteau, S

    2012-02-01

    Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) coinfections have been shown to increase infant morbidity, mortality, and AIDS progression. In HIV-endemic regions, maternal HIV-exposed but HIV-uninfected infants, which is the majority of children affected by HIV, also show poor growth and increased morbidity. Although nutrition has been examined, the effects of HCMV infection have not been evaluated. We studied the effects of HCMV infection on the growth, development, and health of maternally HIV-exposed and unexposed infants in Zambia. Infants were examined in a cohort recruited to a trial of micronutrient-fortified complementary foods. HIV-infected mothers and infants had received perinatal antiretroviral therapy to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. Growth, development, and morbidity were analyzed by linear regression analyses in relation to maternal HIV exposure and HCMV infection, as screened by sera DNA for viremia at 6 months of age and by antibody for infection at 18 months. All HCMV-seropositive infants had decreased length-for-age by 18 months compared with seronegative infants (standard deviation [z]-score difference: -0.44 [95% confidence interval {CI}, -.72 to -.17]; P = .002). In HIV-exposed infants, those who were HCMV positive compared with those who were negative, also had reduced head size (mean z-score difference: -0.72 [95% CI, -1.23 to -.22]; P = .01) and lower psychomotor development (Bayley test score difference: -4.1 [95% CI, -7.8 to -.5]; P = .03). HIV-exposed, HCMV-viremic infants were more commonly referred for hospital treatment than HCMV-negative infants. The effects of HCMV were unaffected by micronutrient fortification. HCMV affects child growth, development, and morbidity of African infants, particularly in those maternally exposed to HIV. HCMV is therefore a risk factor for child health in this region.

  2. Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 2017; Session "Neonatal Pulmonology, Neonatal Respiratory Support, Resuscitation"

    OpenAIRE

    --- Various Authors

    2017-01-01

    Selected Abstracts of the 2nd Congress of joint European Neonatal Societies (jENS 2017); Venice (Italy); October 31-November 4, 201758th ESPR Annual Meeting, 7th International Congress of UENPS, 3rd International Congress of EFCNIORGANIZING INSTITUTIONSEuropean Society for Paediatric Research (ESPR), European Society for Neonatology (ESN), Union of European Neonatal & Perinatal Societies (UENPS), European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI)ORGANIZING COMMITTEELuc Zimmermann...

  3. Validity of the language development survey in infants born preterm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beaulieu-Poulin, Camille; Simard, Marie-Noëlle; Babakissa, Hélène; Lefebvre, Francine; Luu, Thuy Mai

    2016-07-01

    Preterm infants are at greater risk of language delay. Early identification of language delay is essential to improve functional outcome in these children. To examine the concurrent validity of Rescorla's Language Development Survey and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III) at 18months corrected age in preterm infants. Test accuracy study. 189 preterm infants born Language Development Survey, a parent-reported screening instrument, was administered in French concurrently with the Language Scales of the Bayley-III. Receiver-Operating-Characteristics curves were used to determine optimal cut-off score on the Language Development Survey to identify Bayley-III score language delay as per the Bayley-III. The optimal threshold was ≤10 words for both boys and girls. In girls, lowering the cut-off score decreased sensitivity (79%), but improved specificity (82%), thus lowering the number of false-positives. Our findings support using the Language Development Survey as an expressive language screener in preterm infants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Crystal-field and Nd-Mn exchange interaction in Nd{sub 2/3}Ca{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beznosov, A; Fertman, E; Desnenko, V; Loginov, A [B Verkin Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering, NASU, 47 Lenin Ave., 61103 Kharkov (Ukraine); Feher, A; Kajnakova, M, E-mail: fertman@ilt.kharkov.u [Centre of Low Temperature Physics of the Faculty of Science of P.J. Safarik University and IEP SAS, Park Angelinum 9, SK-04154 Kotice (Slovakia)

    2010-01-01

    A study of the low field magnetization and specific heat in magnetic fields up to 9 T of Nd{sub 2/3}Ca{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3} perovskite in the 2-30 K temperature range has been done. All the specific heat data show broadened Schottky-like anomaly below 20 K. We suppose that such a behavior originates from the Nd magnetic ordering caused by the splitting of the Nd{sup 3+} ions ground-state doublet (GSD) in the effective molecular field H{sub ex} of Mn spin system supplemented by an applied external magnetic field. The zero field GSD splitting is an evidence of a strong exchange coupling between Nd and Mn magnetic subsystems. The Nd-ions magnetic ordering introduces an additional contribution to the ferromagnetic moment producing anomalies of the field-cooled and zero-field-cooled magnetizations of the system below 28 K. The broadened Schottky-like anomalies found are fitted for every field by a set of three Schottky functions. Applied magnetic field extends the anomaly region and shifts it to the higher temperatures. Splitting of the higher crystal field Kramers doublets gives an additional contribution to the heat capacity under magnetic fields. The GSD g-factors g{sub ||} and g{sub p}erpendicular was estimated as 3.4 and 2.2, respectively, and H{sub ex} as 9 T.

  5. Infant feeding, poverty and human development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amir Lisa H

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The relationship between poverty and human development touches on a central aim of the International Breastfeeding Journal's editorial policy which is to support and protect the health and wellbeing of all infants through the promotion of breastfeeding. It is proposed that exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding to 12 months, could prevent 1,301,000 deaths or 13% of all child deaths under 5 years in a hypothetical year. Although there is a conventional wisdom that poverty 'protects' breastfeeding in developing countries, poverty actually threatens breastfeeding, both directly and indirectly. In the light of increasingly aggressive marketing behaviour of the infant formula manufacturers and the need to protect the breastfeeding rights of working women, urgent action is required to ensure the principles and aim of the International Code of Breastmilk Substitutes, and subsequent relevant resolutions of the World Health Assembly, are implemented. If global disparities in infant health and development are to be significantly reduced, gender inequities associated with reduced access to education and inadequate nutrition for girls need to be addressed. Improving women's physical and mental health will lead to better developmental outcomes for their children.

  6. Commensurability oscillations in NdBa2Cu3Oy single crystals

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    gated by angular dependent magnetization in very pure twinned and twin-free NdBa2 Cu3 Oy single ... The layered structure and the c-axis coherence length, ξc ≈ 4 ˚A, smaller than the lattice ... The high quality of both crystals is demonstrated by ... Commensurability oscillations in NdBa2Cu3Oy single crystals. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

  7. ICESat-2 laser Nd:YVO4 amplifier

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawruk, Nicholas W.; Burns, Patrick M.; Edwards, Ryan E.; Litvinovitch, Viatcheslav; Martin, Nigel; Witt, Greg; Fakhoury, Elias; Iskander, John; Pronko, Mark S.; Troupaki, Elisavet; Bay, Michael M.; He, Charles C.; Wang, Liqin L.; Cavanaugh, John F.; Farrokh, Babak; Salem, Jonathan A.; Baker, Eric

    2018-02-01

    We report on the cause and corrective actions of three amplifier crystal fractures in the space-qualified laser systems used in NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's (GSFC) Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2). The ICESat-2 lasers each contain three end-pumped Nd:YVOO4 amplifier stages. The crystals are clamped between two gold plated copper heat spreaders with an indium foil thermal interface material, and the crystal fractures occurred after multiple years of storage and over a year of operational run-time. The primary contributors are high compressive loading of the NdYVO4 crystals at the beginning of life, a time dependent crystal stress caused by an intermetallic reaction of the gold plating and indium, and slow crack growth resulting in a reduction in crystal strength over time. An updated crystal mounting scheme was designed, analyzed, fabricated and tested. Thee fracture slab failure analysis, finite-element modeling and corrective actions are presented.

  8. Orbits 2nd order singularity-free solutions

    CERN Document Server

    Xu, Guochang

    2014-01-01

    In its 2nd edition, this book covers the theory of satellite orbits, derives the complete solutions of orbital disturbances, describes the algorithms of orbits determination and the applications of the theory to the phenomenon of physical satellite formation.

  9. Review of sn-2 palmitate oil implications for infant health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bar-Yoseph, Fabiana; Lifshitz, Yael; Cohen, Tzafra

    2013-09-01

    Human milk provides the optimal balanced nutrition for the growing infant in the first months after birth. The human mammary gland has evolved with unusual pathways, resulting in a specific positioning of fatty acids at the outer sn-1 and sn-3, and center sn-2 of the triacylglyceride, which is different from the triglycerides in other human tissues and plasma. The development of structured triglycerides enables mimicking the composition as well as structure of human milk fat in infant formulas. Studies conducted two decades ago, together with very recent studies, have provided increasing evidence that this unusual positioning of 16:0 in human milk triglycerides has a significant role for infant health in different directions, such as fat and calcium absorption, bone health, intestinal flora and infant comfort. This review aims to unravel the relevance of human milk triglyceride sn-2 16:0 for intestinal health and inflammatory pathways and for other post-absorption effects. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. The Test of Infant Motor Performance at 3 months predicts language, cognitive, and motor outcomes in infants born preterm at 2 years of age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peyton, Colleen; Schreiber, Michael D; Msall, Michael E

    2018-03-13

    To determine the relationship between the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) at 3 months and cognitive, language, and motor outcomes on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III) at 2 years of age in high-risk infants born preterm. One hundred and six infants (47 females, 59 males) born at earlier than 31 weeks gestational age were prospectively tested with the TIMP at 10 to 15 weeks after term age and were assessed again with the Bayley-III at 2 years corrected age. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for various cut points of the TIMP z-score and Bayley-III composite scores of no more than 85. The TIMP z-scores at 10 to 15 weeks of age were significantly associated with all three subscales on the Bayley-III at 2 years of age (pcognitive (87%), language (88%), and motor (89%) outcomes, but sensitivity was low (cognitive 41%, language 49%, motor 57%). This study demonstrates that the TIMP is related to cognitive, language, and motor outcomes on the Bayley-III at 2 years of age in high-risk infants born preterm. The Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) predicts Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition outcomes at 2 years of age. The TIMP is relatively good at discriminating between children who will and will not have typical development. © 2018 Mac Keith Press.

  11. An animal model for Norrie disease (ND): gene targeting of the mouse ND gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berger, W; van de Pol, D; Bächner, D; Oerlemans, F; Winkens, H; Hameister, H; Wieringa, B; Hendriks, W; Ropers, H H

    1996-01-01

    In order to elucidate the cellular and molecular processes which are involved in Norrie disease (ND), we have used gene targeting technology to generate ND mutant mice. The murine homologue of the ND gene was cloned and shown to encode a polypeptide that shares 94% of the amino acid sequence with its human counterpart. RNA in situ hybridization revealed expression in retina, brain and the olfactory bulb and epithelium of 2 week old mice. Hemizygous mice carrying a replacement mutation in exon 2 of the ND gene developed retrolental structures in the vitreous body and showed an overall disorganization of the retinal ganglion cell layer. The outer plexiform layer disappears occasionally, resulting in a juxtaposed inner and outer nuclear layer. At the same regions, the outer segments of the photoreceptor cell layer are no longer present. These ocular findings are consistent with observations in ND patients and the generated mouse line provides a faithful model for study of early pathogenic events in this severe X-linked recessive neurological disorder.

  12. T2 Relaxometry MRI Predicts Cerebral Palsy in Preterm Infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, L-W; Wang, S-T; Huang, C-C; Tu, Y-F; Tsai, Y-S

    2018-01-18

    T2-relaxometry brain MR imaging enables objective measurement of brain maturation based on the water-macromolecule ratio in white matter, but the outcome correlation is not established in preterm infants. Our study aimed to predict neurodevelopment with T2-relaxation values of brain MR imaging among preterm infants. From January 1, 2012, to May 31, 2015, preterm infants who underwent both T2-relaxometry brain MR imaging and neurodevelopmental follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. T2-relaxation values were measured over the periventricular white matter, including sections through the frontal horns, midbody of the lateral ventricles, and centrum semiovale. Periventricular T2 relaxometry in relation to corrected age was analyzed with restricted cubic spline regression. Prediction of cerebral palsy was examined with the receiver operating characteristic curve. Thirty-eight preterm infants were enrolled for analysis. Twenty patients (52.6%) had neurodevelopmental abnormalities, including 8 (21%) with developmental delay without cerebral palsy and 12 (31.6%) with cerebral palsy. The periventricular T2-relaxation values in relation to age were curvilinear in preterm infants with normal development, linear in those with developmental delay without cerebral palsy, and flat in those with cerebral palsy. When MR imaging was performed at >1 month corrected age, cerebral palsy could be predicted with T2 relaxometry of the periventricular white matter on sections through the midbody of the lateral ventricles (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.738; cutoff value of >217.4 with 63.6% sensitivity and 100.0% specificity). T2-relaxometry brain MR imaging could provide prognostic prediction of neurodevelopmental outcomes in premature infants. Age-dependent and area-selective interpretation in preterm brains should be emphasized. © 2018 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

  13. The Developing Infant Creates a Curriculum for Statistical Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Linda B; Jayaraman, Swapnaa; Clerkin, Elizabeth; Yu, Chen

    2018-04-01

    New efforts are using head cameras and eye-trackers worn by infants to capture everyday visual environments from the point of view of the infant learner. From this vantage point, the training sets for statistical learning develop as the sensorimotor abilities of the infant develop, yielding a series of ordered datasets for visual learning that differ in content and structure between timepoints but are highly selective at each timepoint. These changing environments may constitute a developmentally ordered curriculum that optimizes learning across many domains. Future advances in computational models will be necessary to connect the developmentally changing content and statistics of infant experience to the internal machinery that does the learning. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Development of longer Nd:LGGG crystal for high power laser application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Yanru; Tian, Hanlin; Zhang, Jian; Mu, Wenxiang; Zhang, Baitao; Jia, Zhitai; He, Jingliang; Tao, Xutang

    2017-11-01

    In order to further improve the Nd3+:(LuxGd1-x)3Ga5O12 (Nd:LGGG) crystal performance in high power laser field, a long Nd:LGGG crystal with dimensions of Φ 23 × 112 mm3 has been grown successfully by the Czochralski (Cz) method for laser rod fabrication. Compared with the normal size LGGG crystals (like 30-50 mm in length), we overcame several difficulties in the growth of longer ones, including crystal cracking by a large longitudinal temperature gradient, spiral growth by a small radial temperature gradient, and growth instability and even constitutional super cooling by Ga2O3 volatilizing continuously. The doping concentrations of Nd3+ and Lu3+ in the as-grown crystal and the crystal optical quality have been measured. The performance of diode-side-pumped Nd:LGGG rod laser has been preliminarily tested for the first time, simply by replacing the Nd:YAG crystal rod inside a commercial laser module. Under an incident pump power of 160 W, the maximum continuous wave output power of 38 W has been obtained, corresponding to an optical-optical conversion efficiency of 23.8% and a slope efficiency of 40.8%, respectively.

  15. Nd2(SeO3)2(SeO4) . 2H2O - a mixed-valence compound containing selenium in the oxidation states +IV and +VI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berdonosov, P.S.; Dityat'yev, O.A.; Dolgikh, V.A.; Schmidt, P.; Ruck, Michael; Lightfoot, P.

    2004-01-01

    Pale pink crystals of Nd 2 (SeO 3 ) 2 (SeO 4 ) . 2H 2 O were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions from H 2 SeO 3 and Nd 2 O 3 at about 200 C. X-ray diffraction on powder and single-crystals revealed that the compound crystallizes with the monoclinic space group C 2/c (a = 12.276(1) A, b = 7.0783(5) A, c = 13.329(1) A, β = 104.276(7) ). The crystal structure of Nd 2 (SeO 3 ) 2 (SeO 4 ) . 2H 2 O is an ordered variant of the corresponding erbium compound. Eight oxygen atoms coordinate the Nd III atom in the shape of a bi-capped trigonal prism. The oxygen atoms are part of pyramidal (Se IV O 3 ) 2- groups, (Se VI O 4 ) 2- tetrahedra and water molecules. The [NdO 8 ] polyhedra share edges to form chains oriented along [010]. The selenate ions link these chains into layers parallel to (001). The layers are interconnected by the selenite ions into a three-dimensional framework. The dehydration of Nd 2 (SeO 3 ) 2 (SeO 4 ) . 2H 2 O starts at 260 C. The thermal decomposition into Nd 2 SeO 5 , SeO 2 and O 2 at 680 C is followed by further loss of SeO 2 leaving cubic Nd 2 O 3 . (Abstract Copyright [2004], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.) [de

  16. Experimental Investigation and Thermodynamic Modeling of the B2O3-FeO-Fe2O3-Nd2O3 System for Recycling of NdFeB Magnet Scrap

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jakobsson, Lars Klemet; Tranell, Gabriella; Jung, In-Ho

    2017-02-01

    NdFeB magnet scrap is an alternative source of neodymium that could have a significantly lower impact on the environment than current mining and extraction processes. Neodymium can be readily oxidized in the presence of oxygen, which makes it easy to recover neodymium in oxide form. Thermochemical data and phase diagrams for neodymium oxide containing systems is, however, very limited. Thermodynamic modeling of the B2O3-FeO-Fe2O3-Nd2O3 system was hence performed to obtain accurate phase diagrams and thermochemical properties of the system. Key phase diagram experiments were also carried out for the FeO-Nd2O3 system in saturation with iron to improve the accuracy of the present modeling. The modified quasichemical model was used to describe the Gibbs energy of the liquid oxide phase. The Gibbs energy functions of the liquid phase and the solids were optimized to reproduce all available and reliable phase diagram data, and thermochemical properties of the system. Finally the optimized database was applied to calculate conditions for selective oxidation of neodymium from NdFeB magnet waste.

  17. Prenatal exposure to residential air pollution and infant mental development: modulation by antioxidants and detoxification factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guxens, Mònica; Aguilera, Inmaculada; Ballester, Ferran; Estarlich, Marisa; Fernández-Somoano, Ana; Lertxundi, Aitana; Lertxundi, Nerea; Mendez, Michelle A; Tardón, Adonina; Vrijheid, Martine; Sunyer, Jordi

    2012-01-01

    Air pollution effects on children's neurodevelopment have recently been suggested to occur most likely through the oxidative stress pathway. We aimed to assess whether prenatal exposure to residential air pollution is associated with impaired infant mental development, and whether antioxidant/detoxification factors modulate this association. In the Spanish INfancia y Medio Ambiente (INMA; Environment and Childhood) Project, 2,644 pregnant women were recruited during their first trimester. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and benzene were measured with passive samplers covering the study areas. Land use regression models were developed for each pollutant to predict average outdoor air pollution levels for the entire pregnancy at each residential address. Maternal diet was obtained at first trimester through a validated food frequency questionnaire. Around 14 months, infant mental development was assessed using Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Among the 1,889 children included in the analysis, mean exposure during pregnancy was 29.0 μg/m3 for NO2 and 1.5 μg/m3 for benzene. Exposure to NO2 and benzene showed an inverse association with mental development, although not statistically significant, after adjusting for potential confounders [β (95% confidence interval) = -0.95 (-3.90, 1.89) and -1.57 (-3.69, 0.56), respectively, for a doubling of each compound]. Stronger inverse associations were estimated for both pollutants among infants whose mothers reported low intakes of fruits/vegetables during pregnancy [-4.13 (-7.06, -1.21) and -4.37 (-6.89, -1.86) for NO2 and benzene, respectively], with little evidence of associations in the high-intake group (interaction p-values of 0.073 and 0.047). Inverse associations were also stronger in non-breast-fed infants and infants with low maternal vitamin D, but effect estimates and interactions were not significant. Our findings suggest that prenatal exposure to residential air pollutants may adversely affect infant mental

  18. XMCD study of the Ruddlesden-Popper phase La1.2Nd0.2Sr1.6Mn2O7

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weigand, F.; Goering, E.; Geissler, J.; Justen, M.; Ruck, K.; Schuetz, G.; Doerr, K.

    2001-01-01

    X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism (XMCD) measurements of the Ruddlesden-Popper Phase La 1.2 Nd 0.2 Sr 1.6 Mn 2 O 7 are reported. The Mn K, La and Nd L 2 , 3 edges have been measured on a powder sample at two different magnetic fields at low temperature. The analysis of the spectra at B = 1T indicates a large orbital moment of the Nd 5d-states and a significant spin-polarization of the La 5d-band. Furthermore at the Mn Κ-edge a XMCD-signal is observed, showing a polarization of the Mn 4p-band. At lower field (0.2T) all XMCD-signals are about two times smaller corresponding to the lower total magnetization. The signal at the Nd L 2 edge vanishes completely at 0.2T. (au)

  19. NdFeB Residue to Be Recycled

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2006-01-01

    @@ NdFeB is a permanent magnetic material with excellent performances. It is widely used in electronics and communications. Around 30% of rare earth elements (among which 90% is Nd, others are Tb and Dy) and 2-3% of Co element are contained in the material. NdFeB plays an important role in the development of our society and our economy.

  20. Chronology of the 1st–2nd Century Graves from the Tarasovo Burial Ground

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Goldina Rimma D.

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The article focuses on the chronology of graves dating back to the early (1st – 2nd centuries AD – Nyrgynda stage of the 1st – 5th century Tarasovo burial ground, a classical monument attributed to the Cheganda culture of the Pyany Bor cultural-historical community. Cultural stratigraphy is applied as a research method. Artifacts from the early stage were correlated for 37 male and 102 female complexes, separately. The analysis of grave goods from male burials showed the following three chronological groups, that can be distinguished at the Nyrgynda stage: 1st century (group 1, 2nd century (group 2 and 1st – 2nd centuries AD (group 3. The goods from female graves are more representative and various, so three more groups with shorter chronological lives can be singled out: the fi rst half of the 2nd century (group 2а, the second half of the 2nd century (group 2б and the 1st – fi rst half of the 2nd century (group 4. Certainly, the suggested chronology leaves room for any eventual corrections subject to new findings.

  1. The 2nd Generation Real Time Mission Monitor (RTMM) Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blakeslee, Richard; Goodman, Michael; Meyer, Paul; Hardin, Danny; Hall, John; He, Yubin; Regner, Kathryn; Conover, Helen; Smith, Tammy; Lu, Jessica; hide

    2009-01-01

    The NASA Real Time Mission Monitor (RTMM) is a visualization and information system that fuses multiple Earth science data sources, to enable real time decisionmaking for airborne and ground validation experiments. Developed at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center, RTMM is a situational awareness, decision-support system that integrates satellite imagery and orbit data, radar and other surface observations (e.g., lightning location network data), airborne navigation and instrument data sets, model output parameters, and other applicable Earth science data sets. The integration and delivery of this information is made possible using data acquisition systems, network communication links, network server resources, and visualizations through the Google Earth virtual globe application. In order to improve the usefulness and efficiency of the RTMM system, capabilities are being developed to allow the end-user to easily configure RTMM applications based on their mission-specific requirements and objectives. This second generation RTMM is being redesigned to take advantage of the Google plug-in capabilities to run multiple applications in a web browser rather than the original single application Google Earth approach. Currently RTMM employs a limited Service Oriented Architecture approach to enable discovery of mission specific resources. We are expanding the RTMM architecture such that it will more effectively utilize the Open Geospatial Consortium Sensor Web Enablement services and other new technology software tools and components. These modifications and extensions will result in a robust, versatile RTMM system that will greatly increase flexibility of the user to choose which science data sets and support applications to view and/or use. The improvements brought about by RTMM 2nd generation system will provide mission planners and airborne scientists with enhanced decision-making tools and capabilities to more

  2. Lexical Development during Middle Infancy: A Mutually Driven Infant-Caregiver Process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunham, Philip; Dunham, Frances

    1992-01-01

    Mothers' utterances were measured during interactions with their 13-month-old infants and correlated with measures of infants' productive lexical development at 13 and 24 months. Correlations between maternal measures and infants' lexical development were lower for employed mothers than for mothers who were full-time caregivers. (BC)

  3. [Standardization of the Kent Infant Development Scale: implications for primary care pediatricians].

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Tornel Florensa, S; Ruiz España, A; Reuter, J; Clow, C; Reuter, L

    1997-02-01

    The purpose of this study was the standardization of an infant assessment protocol based on behavioral observations of Spanish parents. The Kent Infant Development (KIDS) scale was translated into Spanish and named "Escala de Desarrollo Infantil de Kent" (EDIK). The EDIK normative data were collected from the parents of 662 healthy infants (ages 1 to 15 months) in pediatric clinics. Infants born more than 2 weeks premature or who had serious physical or neurological illness were not included. EDIK raw scores of Spanish infants were converted to developmental ages by comparing them with the number of behaviors for each age group in the normative sample. We obtained the mean score and standard deviation for the full scale and different domains (cognitive, motor, social, language, and self-help). This study shows that EDIK is sensitive to differences in ages and a good instrument that allows one to make a classification between normal infants or those at risk. It should prove useful in developmental pediatric practice.

  4. The Nd-Mn exchange interaction, low temperature specific heat and magnetism of Nd{sub 2/3}Ca{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beznosov, Anatoly [B. Verkin Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering NASU, 47 Lenin Avenue, Kharkov 61103 (Ukraine); Fertman, Elena, E-mail: fertman@ilt.kharkov.ua [B. Verkin Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering NASU, 47 Lenin Avenue, Kharkov 61103 (Ukraine); Desnenko, Vladimir [B. Verkin Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering NASU, 47 Lenin Avenue, Kharkov 61103 (Ukraine); Kajnakova, Marcela; Feher, Alexander [Centre of Low Temperature Physics of the Faculty of Science UPJS and IEP SAS, Park Angelinum 9, 04154 Kosice (Slovakia)

    2011-10-15

    The low temperature specific heat and magnetic characteristics of Nd{sub 2/3}Ca{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3} perovskite are studied in a wide range of magnetic fields (up to 9 T). Temperature dependent specific heat data show a broadened Schottky-like anomaly below 20 K caused by splitting of the Nd{sup 3+} ions ground-state doublet in the effective molecular field H{sub ex}, determined by exchange interaction between Nd and Mn spin systems supplemented by an applied external magnetic field. Existence of the splitting at zero magnetic field and expressed field dependence is the evidence of a strong exchange coupling between Nd and Mn magnetic subsystems. The Nd-ions magnetic ordering leads to an additional contribution to the magnetic moment of the system below 30 K, producing anomalies of the magnetic loss and field-cooled and zero-field-cooled magnetizations. The observed broadened Schottky-like anomalies are fitted for each applied magnetic field by the sum of three Schottky functions. Applied magnetic field extends the anomaly region and shifts it to higher temperatures. Splitting of the higher crystal field Kramers doublets gives an additional contribution to the heat capacity in magnetic fields. The ground state doublet g-factors g{sub ||} and g{sub perpendicular} were estimated to be 3.4 and 2.2, respectively, and H{sub ex} was estimated to be 9 T. The Nd{sup 3+} ions magnetic moment estimated from the magnetization data agrees with the value obtained from the specific heat data. - Highlights: > Low temperature specific heat of Nd{sub 2/3}Ca{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3} has been measured in magnetic fields up to 9 T. > Schottky-like anomalies are fitted for each magnetic field by a sum of three Schottky functions. > An effective magnetic field of the Mn spin system on Nd ion has been estimated as H{sub ex}=9 T. > Nd{sup 3+} ground-state g-factors have been estimated as g{sub ||}=3.4 and g{sub perpendicular} =2.2. > Magnetic ordering of the Nd subsystem has been revealed below

  5. Study of VUV emission and γ-ray responses of Nd:BaF2 scintillaotor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yanagida, Takayuki; Kawaguchi, Noriaki; Yokota, Yuui; Ishidu, Sumito; Fukuda, Kentaro; Yoshikawa, Akira; Pejchal, Jan; Nikl, Martin; Babin, Vladimir; Sekiya, Hiroyuki; Kamada, Kei

    2010-01-01

    Nd 3+ 1%, 5% and 10% doped BaF 2 single crystals were grown by the micro-pulling down method. Photoluminescence properties, including excitation and emission spectra and luminescence decay were measured under synchrotron radiation excitation at the Superlumi station in HASYLAB at DESY (Hamburg, Germany). The Nd 3+ related 5d-4f emission lines peaking around 180 nm, 230 nm, and 260 nm, identified as the 5d- 4 I j , 5d- 4 F j , and 5d- 2 G j transitions, were observed under 140-168 nm excitation. In photoluminescence decay under the 160 nm excitation, the dominant component decay time is about 12, 2.5 and 1.2 ns for Nd 3+ 1%, 5% and 10% concentration, respectively. The decay time shortening is explained by the concentration quenching effect. Transmittance of Nd1% sample is about 80% for wavelengths above 185 nm. Finally, gamma-ray responses, non-proportionality and energy resolution of Nd1% sample were compared with the undoped BaF 2 scintillator. The light yield of the Nd1%:BaF 2 is about 93% of that of undoped BaF 2 .

  6. Evaluation of neuromotor development by means of the Harris Infant Neuromotor Test

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Márcia Maria Coelho Oliveira Lopes

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the neuromotor development of at-risk children between three and 12 months of life, administering the Brazilian version of the Harris Infant Neuromotor Test (HINT.Method: A longitudinal study, with 78 children and 76 parents/guardians discharged from a neonatal intensive care unit in Fortaleza-CE/Brazil. Two instruments were administered: HINT and a socioeconomic questionnaire, between July/2009 to August/2010. Data from 55 preterm and 23 term children were analyzed. Results: The final mean scores ranged from 14.6 to 25.2 and from 11.2 to 24.7, for preterm and term, respectively, showing that 91% of children demonstrated good neuromotor performance; seven premature infants showed alterations which led to the referral of three children to a specialized clinic for examination and diagnostics.Conclusion: The test allowed nurses to assess infant development, identify deviations early, and plan interventions.

  7. [Regulatory peptides and psychomotor development in infants].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sokolov, O Iu; Kost, N V; Kurasova, O B; Dmitriev, A D; Gabaeva, M V; Zolotarev, Iu A; Mikheeva, I G; Zozulia, A A

    2007-01-01

    Regulatory peptides (RP) are an important homeostatic factor. The maternal organism and placenta are substantial sources of RP for fetus during the prenatal period. Not only endogenous, but also exogenous RP play an important role during early postnatal period. In this study, the concentration of exogenous RP (casomorphins-7) and the activity of peptidases (enkephalinases) in the serum of breastfed and bottle-fed infants were estimated. Possible interrelation between these two parameters and the psychomotor development (PMD) of infants were evaluated. Using specially developed RIA, the investigators estimated the presence of human and bovine casomorphins immunoreactivity (CMir) in the serum of breastfed and bottle-fed infants. A distinct correlation of CMir with PMD was demonstrated. The activity of RP-degrading serum enzymes also correlated with PMD level. The role of endo- and exogenous peptides in normal PMD process and in the pathogenesis of early child autism is discussed in the article.

  8. Gross motor development in full-term Greek infants assessed by the Alberta Infant Motor Scale: reference values and socioeconomic impact.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Syrengelas, Dimitrios; Kalampoki, Vassiliki; Kleisiouni, Paraskevi; Konstantinou, Dimitrios; Siahanidou, Tania

    2014-07-01

    The aims of this study were to investigate gross motor development in Greek infants and establish AIMS percentile curves and to examine possible association of AIMS scores with socioeconomic parameters. Mean AIMS scores of 1068 healthy Greek full-term infants were compared at monthly age level with the respective mean scores of the Canadian normative sample. In a subgroup of 345 study participants, parents provided, via interview, information about family socioeconomic status. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship of infant motor development with socioeconomic parameters. Mean AIMS scores did not differ significantly between Greek and Canadian infants in any of the 19 monthly levels of age. In multiple linear regression analysis, the educational level of the mother and also whether the infant was being raised by grandparents/babysitter were significantly associated with gross motor development (p=0.02 and psocioeconomic factors are associated with the infants' motor development. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Neutron investigation of Ru-doped Nd1/2Ca1/2MnO3. Comparison with Cr-doped Nd1/2Ca1/2MnO3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moritomo, Yutaka; Nonobe, Toshihiko; Machida, Akihiko; Ohoyama, Kenji

    2002-01-01

    Lattice and magnetic properties are investigated for 3% Ru- and Cr-doped Nd 1/2 Ca 1/2 MnO 3 . The parent Nd 1/2 Ca 1/2 MnO 3 is a charge-ordered insulator (T CO =250K). With decreasing temperature below ≅210K, these compounds are separated into two perovskite phases, that is, the long-c and short-c phases. The long-c region shows a ferromagnetic transition at T C ≅210K for the Ru-doped compound and ≅130K for the Cr-doped compound, while the short-c region shows antiferromagnetic transition at T N ≅150K for Ru and ≅110K for Cr. We discuss the origin of the enhanced T C for the Ru-doped compound in terms of the effective one-electron bandwidth W of the e g -band. (author)

  10. Sensory processing and cognitive development of preterm and full term infants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flávia Regina Ribeiro Cavalcanti Buffone

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Current studies show the repercussion of sensory processing disorder in infant neurodevelopment. Little is known about the influence of these disorders in the infant’s cognitive development, however, it is known that they negatively interfere on daily life activities and remain during life course. Objective:To evaluate the relationship between sensory processing and cognitive development in infants and the association between prematurity and sensory processing in this population. Method: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in the Childcare Outpatient Department of the Hospital das Clínicas, Federal Universidade de Pernambuco, from December 2009 to August 2010. The sample consisted of 182 infants from 8 to 15 months, of which 54 (29.7% were born preterm with the prematurity age correction made to 40 weeks of gestational age. We used the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants (TSFI to evaluate the sensory processing and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III to assess cognitive development. Results: There was a significantly higher frequency of at risk and deficient sensory processing among preterm infants (37% when compared to term infants (21.9%. Cognitive delay was significantly higher (8.3% in infants with at risk and deficient sensory processing when compared to those with normal sensory processing (1.5%. Conclusion: Prematurity was a risk factor for sensory processing disorder, and infants diagnosed with this disorder showed cognitive delay more frequently. Prematurity alone was not associated with cognitive delay.

  11. Development of crystal texture in R-lean RFeCoNbB (R = Nd, Pr) alloy during melt spinning processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Wei; Li, Lanlan; Liu, Yanguo; Zhang, Xiangyi

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We study the texture development during the melt spinning processes of R-lean alloys. ► A strong (0 0 l) texture parallel to the ribbon plane for (Nd,Pr) 2 Fe 14 B is obtained. ► The texture for R 2 Fe 14 B crystals can develop by a seeding effect of α-Fe texture. ► The anisotropic nanocomposite magnet yields M r = 0.78M s and large (BH) max = 25.2 MGOe. - Abstract: The formation of crystal texture of R 2 Fe 14 B nanocrystals in R–Fe–B (R = rare earth) alloys with low R content ( 2 Fe 14 B nanocrystals during the melt spinning processes of Nd 3.6 Pr 5.4 Fe 80 Co 3 NbB 7 by effectively employing the seeding effect of α-Fe nanocrystal texture. The (Nd,Pr) 2 Fe 14 B nanocrystals produced from the R-lean alloy at a wheel speed of 18 m/s show a strong (0 0 l) texture parallel to the ribbon plane, which yields a high remanence M r = 0.78M s and a large energy product (BH) max = 25.2 MGOe for the α-Fe/(Nd,Pr) 2 Fe 14 B nanocomposite ribbons. The present study provides a promising approach to prepare anisotropic nanocomposite magnets from R-lean alloys.

  12. Proceedings of the 2nd NUCEF international symposium NUCEF`98. Safety research and development of base technology on nuclear fuel cycle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-03-01

    This volume contains 68 papers presented at the 2nd NUCEF International Symposium NUCEF`98 held on 16-17 November 1998, in Hitachinaka, Japan, following the 1st symposium NUCEF`95 (Proceeding: JAERI-Conf 96-003). The theme of this symposium was `Safety Research and Development of Base Technology on Nuclear Fuel Cycle`. The papers were presented in oral and poster sessions on following research fields: (1) Criticality Safety, (2) Reprocessing and Partitioning, (3) Radioactive Waste Management. The 68 papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

  13. Proceedings of the 2nd NUCEF international symposium NUCEF'98. Safety research and development of base technology on nuclear fuel cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-03-01

    This volume contains 68 papers presented at the 2nd NUCEF International Symposium NUCEF'98 held on 16-17 November 1998, in Hitachinaka, Japan, following the 1st symposium NUCEF'95 (Proceeding: JAERI-Conf 96-003). The theme of this symposium was 'Safety Research and Development of Base Technology on Nuclear Fuel Cycle'. The papers were presented in oral and poster sessions on following research fields: (1) Criticality Safety, (2) Reprocessing and Partitioning, (3) Radioactive Waste Management. The 68 papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

  14. Mental and motor development before and during growth hormone treatment in infants and toddlers with Prader-Willi syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Festen, D A M; Wevers, M; Lindgren, A C; Böhm, B; Otten, B J; Wit, J M; Duivenvoorden, H J; Hokken-Koelega, A C S

    2008-06-01

    Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neurogenetic disorder characterized by muscular hypotonia, psychomotor delay, feeding difficulties and failure to thrive in infancy. GH treatment improves growth velocity and body composition. Research on the effects of GH on psychomotor development in infants with PWS is limited. To evaluate psychomotor development in PWS infants and toddlers during GH treatment compared to randomized controls. Forty-three PWS infants were evaluated at baseline. Twenty-nine of them were randomized into a GH group (n = 15) receiving 1 mg/m(2)/day GH or a non-GH-treated control group (n = 14). At baseline and after 12 months of follow-up, analysis with Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID-II) was performed. Data were converted to percentage of expected development for age (%ed), and changes during follow-up were calculated. Infants in the GH group had a median age of 2.3 years [interquartile range (IQR) 1.7-3.0] and in the control group of 1.5 years (IQR 1.2-2.7) (P = 0.17). Both mental and motor development improved significantly during the first year of study in the GH group vs. the control group: median (IQR) change was +9.3% (-5.3 to 13.3) vs.-2.9% (-8.1 to 4.9) (P development and +11.2% (-4.9 to 22.5) vs.-18.5% (-27.9 to 1.8) (P development, respectively. One year of GH treatment significantly improved mental and motor development in PWS infants compared to randomized controls.

  15. Clinical evaluation of the 2nd generation radio-receptor assay for anti-thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAb) in Graves' disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giovanella, L.; Ceriani, L.; Garancini, S.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Detection of autoantibodies to the TSH receptor by radioreceptorial assays (RRA) is largely requested in clinical practice for the diagnosis of Graves' disease and its differentiation from diffuse thyroid autonomy. Additionally, TRAb measurement during antithyroid drug treatment can be useful to evaluate the risk of disease's relapse alter therapy discontinuation. Nevertheless, some patients affected by Graves' disease are TRAb negative when 1st generation assay is used. Recently a new RRA method for TRAb assay was developed by using human recombinant TSH-receptor and solid-phase technique. Aim of our work was the comparison between 1st and 2nd generation TRAb assays in Graves' disease patients and, particularly, the evaluation of 2nd generation test in a sub-group of patients affected by Graves' disease but with negative 1st generation TRAb assay. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of a newly developed 2nd generation TRAb assay (DYNOtest(r) TRAK human, BRAHMS Diagnostica GmbH, Germany) in 46 patients affected by Graves' disease with negative 1st generation TRAb assay (TRAK Assay(r), BRAHMS Diagnostica GmbH, Germany) . A control groups of 50 Graves' disease patients with positive 1st generation TRAb assay, 50 patients affected by Hashimoto's thyroiditis and 50 patients affected by nodular goiter were also examined. 41 out of 46 patients affected by Graves' disease with negative 1st generation TRAb assay showed a positive 2nd generation test. The overall sensitivity of the 2nd generation test was significantly improved respect the 1st generation assay in Graves' disease patients (χ 2 = 22.5, p<0.0001). 1 and 3 out of 50 patients affected by Hashimoto's thyroiditis were positive by 1st and 2nd generation TRAB assay, respectively. All these patients showed primary hypothyroidism. No differences resulted in euthyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis sub-group and in nodular goiter control group. The 2nd generation TRAB assay is clearly more sensitive than the 1

  16. 2nd International Conference on Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering

    CERN Document Server

    Wei, Bin

    2017-01-01

    Featuring selected contributions from the 2nd International Conference on Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering, held in Nice, France, February 18–19, 2016, this book introduces recent advances and state-of-the-art technologies in the field of advanced intelligent manufacturing. This systematic and carefully detailed collection provides a valuable reference source for mechanical engineering researchers who want to learn about the latest developments in advanced manufacturing and automation, readers from industry seeking potential solutions for their own applications, and those involved in the robotics and mechatronics industry.

  17. Infant Development in Fragile X Syndrome: Cross-Syndrome Comparisons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Jane E.; McCary, Lindsay M.; Shinkareva, Svetlana V.; Bailey, Donald B., Jr.

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the developmental profile of male infants with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and its divergence from typical development and development of infants at high risk for autism associated with familial recurrence (ASIBs). Participants included 174 boys ranging in age from 5 to 28 months. Cross-sectional profiles on the Mullen Scales of…

  18. [Quality analyses of the development of preterm infants: results of the Lower-Saxonian preterm infant follow-up project and a comparison group of term infants].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Damm, Gabriele; Macha, Thorsten; Petermann, Franz; Voss, Wolfgang; Sens, Brigitte

    2015-01-01

    Based on perinatal and neonatal quality assurance programmes, a follow-up project for the high-risk group of extremely preterm infants, unparalleled in Germany, was initiated in the federal state of Lower Saxony in 2004. Here we describe the new approach of examining a comparison group of term infants, which, for the first time, allows a valid interpretation of the collection of area-wide long-term outcome data on preterm children. The prospective long-term outcome project investigates the medical care situation for children born at less than 28 weeks of gestation up to school age. Based on the information obtained about the children's development the quality of health care will be optimised. A standardised examining concept with established development tests at defined follow-up intervals (at the age of 6 months, 2, 5 and 10 years) is used. At the age of five years 75 % of the examined premature children exhibited impairments. In order to better assess remarkable results, a comparison group of term infants (n=305) selected by a matched-pairs method was examined at the age of five using an analogous concept in kindergartens in Lower Saxony. The results were compared with the first two age cohorts of the follow-up-project (n=226) and quality analyses performed. As expected, significant differences have been found in the children's motor, cognitive and linguistic development between the preterm and term infants examined. This fact draws attention to the importance of early support for the majority of extremely premature infants. Feedback on the results given to the medical staff involved allows for the implementation of best practices and quality improvements. Identifying potential for improvement in everyday health care will help to develop specific optimisation measures. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

  19. [Development and evaluation of an e-learning program for mothers of premature infants].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Nae-Young; Kim, Young-Hae

    2008-02-01

    It has been attempted to support mother of premature infants by providing information of premature infant care using e-learning because premature infants need continuous care from birth to after discharge. The e-Learning Program for mother of premature was developed with Xpert, Namo web editor, Adobe Photoshop, and PowerPoint and applied for 4 weeks from 4 to 30 September 2006. 1) We found that the contents of information which premature infants' need when being in the hospital and after discharge were the definition of a premature infant, orientation of NICU, care of premature infants, care of premature infants' common diseases, the connection of healthcare resources, exchange of information, and the management of rearing stress. 2) The program content consisted of cause of premature birth, comparison to full-term baby, physiology character, orientation of NICU, common health problems, follow up care, infection control, feeding, normal development physically and mentally, weaning method, and vaccination. Considering the results, this program for mother of premature is a useful means to provide premature-care information to mothers. This information can be readily accessible and can be varied and complex enough to be able to help mothers to the information and assistance they require.

  20. Nd(NH2SO3)(SO4) . 1.5 H2O: a non-centrosymmetric amidosulfate-sulfate of neodymium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wickleder, M.S.

    2005-01-01

    The thermal decomposition of Nd(NH 2 SO 3 ) 3 . 2 H 2 O in a closed tube leads to violet single crystals of Nd(NH 2 SO 3 )(SO 4 ) . 1.5 H 2 O. The compound crystallizes with the space group P1 (Z = 2, a = 689.2, b = 691.4, c = 962.0 pm, α = 109.64, β = 97.00, γ = 109.62 ). The triclinic unit cell can be transformed into the respective bodycentered setting I1 (Z = 2, a = 977.9, b = 795.6, c = 1113.0 pm, α = 90.69, β = 115.06, γ = 88.98 ) leading to a nearly monoclinic unit cell for the compound. In the crystal structure of Nd(NH 2 SO 3 )(SO 4 ) . 1.5 H 2 O two Nd 3+ ions are present. Nd(1) 3+ is coordinated by four NH 2 SO 3 - and two SO 4 2- ions, and one H 2 O molecule. Owing to the chelating attack of the sulfate groups, the CN is nine. Nd(2) 3+ is surrounded by four monodentate SO 4 2- and two NH 2 SO 3 - groups. Two H 2 O ligands fill up the coordination sphere and lead to a CN of eight. The linkage of the polyhedra leads to a three-dimensional network. (orig.)

  1. Associations of biological factors and affordances in the home with infant motor development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saccani, Raquel; Valentini, Nadia C; Pereira, Keila Rg; Müller, Alessandra B; Gabbard, Carl

    2013-04-01

    Whereas considerable work has been published regarding biological factors associated with infant health, much less is known about the associations of environmental context with infant development - the focus of the present cross-sectional study. Data were collected on 561 infants, aged newborn to 18 months. Measures included the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development-Infant Scale, Alberta Infant Motor Scale, and selected bio/medical factors. Correlation and regression were used to analyze the data. Home environmental factors were associated with children's motor development as much as some typically high-risk biologic factors. The home environment partially explained infant development outcomes and infants at risk could possibly be helped with a home assessment for affordances. © 2012 The Authors. Pediatrics International © 2012 Japan Pediatric Society.

  2. Introduction on the 2nd annual general meeting of ARCCNM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Jun; He Zuoxiang; Dang Yaping

    2003-01-01

    This paper outlines general information on the 2nd annual general meeting of ARCCNM (Asian Regional Cooperative Council for Nuclear Medicine). The international symposium exchanged new development recently on basic and clinical nuclear medicine. Asian school of nuclear medicine is an educational enterprise of ARCCNM, and the objective is to organize and coordinate academic and training programs in nuclear medicine. It will promote nuclear medicine in Asia region through enhancing regional scientific activities and research collaboration

  3. Effects of Secondhand Smoke Exposure on the Health and Development of African American Premature Infants

    OpenAIRE

    Brooks, Jada; Holditch-Davis, Diane; Weaver, Mark A.; Miles, Margaret Shandor; Engelke, Stephen C.

    2011-01-01

    Objective. To explore the effects of secondhand smoke exposure on growth, health-related illness, and child development in rural African American premature infants through 24 months corrected age. Method. 171 premature infants (72 boys, 99 girls) of African American mothers with a mean birthweight of 1114 grams. Mothers reported on household smoking and infant health at 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months corrected age. Infant growth was measured at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months, and developmental assessm...

  4. Combination of CO2 and Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers is more effective than Q-switched Nd:YAG laser alone for eyebrow tattoo removal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radmanesh, Mohammad; Rafiei, Zohreh

    2015-04-01

    The eyebrow tattoo removal using Q-switched lasers is usually prolonged. Other modalities may be required to enhance the efficacy and shorten the treatment course. To compare the efficacy of Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser alone versus combination of Q-switched Nd:YAG and Ultrapulse CO2 lasers for eyebrow tattoo removal after a single session. After local anesthesia, the right eyebrow of 20 patients was treated with Ultrapulse CO2 laser with the parameters of 4 J/cm(2) and 3.2 J/cm(2) for the first and the second passes. Both eyebrows were then treated with 1064-nm and 532-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The spot size and pulse duration were 3 mm and 5 nanoseconds for both wavelengths, and the fluence was 7 J/cm(2) for 1064 nm and 3 J/cm (2) for 532 nm. The side treated with combination of Q-switched Nd:YAG and CO2 lasers improved 75-100% in 6 of 20 patients versus only 1 of 20 in the side treated with Q-switched Nd:YAG alone. Similarly, the right side in 13 of 20 patients showed more than 50% improvement with combination therapy versus the left side (the monotherapy side), where only 6 of 20 cases showed more than 50% improvement. The Mann-Whitney test was 2.85 for the right side and 1.95 for the left side (P value = 0.007). Using Ultra pulse CO2 laser enhances the efficacy of Q-switched Nd:YAG laser in eyebrow tattoo removal.

  5. Propagation of Nd magnetic phases in Nd/Sm(001) superlattices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soriano, S; Dufour, C; Dumesnil, K; Stunault, A

    2006-01-01

    The propagation of Nd long range magnetic order in the hexagonal and cubic sublattices has been investigated in double hexagonal compact Nd/Sm(001) superlattices by resonant x-ray magnetic scattering at the Nd L 2 absorption edge. For a superlattice with 3.7 nm thick Sm layers, the magnetic structure of the hexagonal sublattice propagates coherently through several bilayers, whereas the order in the cubic sublattice remains confined to single Nd blocks. For a superlattice with 1.4 nm thick Sm layers, the magnetic structures of both sublattices appear to propagate coherently through the superlattice. This is the first observation (i) of the long range coherent propagation of Nd order on the cubic sites between Nd blocks and (ii) of a different thickness dependence of the propagation of the Nd magnetic phases associated with the hexagonal and cubic sublattices. The propagation of the Nd magnetic order through Sm is interpreted in terms of generalized susceptibility of the Nd conduction electrons

  6. CCTC 2009 : 2nd Climate Change Technology Conference

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2009-01-01

    The 2nd Climate Change Technology Conference (CCTC2009) was held in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on May 12-15, 2009. CCTC2009 is a Canadian/International forum for engineers, scientists, policy advisors, industry and other stakeholders to share new information and ideas for dealing with climate change and global warming. It also provided an opportunity for participants to keep abreast of emerging techniques and technologies for the mitigation of and adaptation to, the impacts of climate change. The conference theme: 'Climate Change ..... Deal with It!' emphasized the need to develop practical engineering and administrative responses to address the impacts of climate change and global warming.

  7. Fluorescein angiography and retinal vascular development in premature infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purcaro, Velia; Velia, Purcaro; Baldascino, Antonio; Antonio, Baldascino; Papacci, Patrizia; Patrizia, Papacci; Giannantonio, Carmen; Carmen, Giannantonio; Molisso, Anna; Anna, Molisso; Molle, Fernando; Fernando, Molle; Lepore, Domenico; Domenico, Lepore; Romagnoli, Costantino; Costantino, Romagnoli

    2012-10-01

    To investigate the role of fluorescein angiography (FA) in the management of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm newborns. An observational case series of 13 extremely low birth weight infants. From September 2009 to March 2010, 13 newborn infants with a gestational age <29 weeks end/or birth weight <1000 g underwent serial fluorescein angiography with RetCam (Clarity, Pleasanton, CA) every 2 weeks. The fluorescein angiograms were examined to optimize the timing of diagnosis of ROP and to investigate development of retinal and choroidal vascularization. There were no side effects related to FA. Variable features of retinal and choroidal circulation in preterm infants with a high risk of developing ROP were noted. FA allows vessels branching at the junction between vascular and avascular retina (V-Av junction) to be viewed easily and shows the ROP findings that sometimes cannot be seen by indirect ophthalmoscopy. Dye leakage is the most significant sign of progression to severe ROP or the need for surgery in newborn babies with ROP. RetCam-assisted intravenous FA is safe and allows a more objective assessment of the ROP stage and zone.

  8. Development of postural adjustments during reaching in infants with CP

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hadders-Algra, M; van der Fits, IBM; Stremmelaar, EF; Touwen, BCL

    1999-01-01

    The development of postural adjustments during reaching movements was longitudinally studied in seven infants with cerebral palsy (CP) between 4 and 18 months of age. Five infants developed spastic hemiplegia, one spastic tetraplegia, and one spastic tetraplegia with athetosis. Each assessment

  9. Development of Object Permanence in Visually Impaired Infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogers, S. J.; Puchalski, C. B.

    1988-01-01

    Development of object permanence skills was examined longitudinally in 20 visually impaired infants (ages 4-25 months). Order of skill acquisition and span of time required to master skills paralleled that of sighted infants, but the visually impaired subjects were 8-12 months older than sighted counterparts when similar skills were acquired.…

  10. Nd2Fe14C-based magnet with better permanent magnetic properties prepared by a simple mechanochemical method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geng, Hongmin; Ji, Yuan; Zhang, Jingjing; Gao, Yuchao; Yan, Yu; Wang, Wenquan; Su, Feng; Du, Xiaobo

    2017-11-01

    Nd2Fe14C-based magnet is prepared by a mechanochemical method, namely high-energy ball-milling Nd2Fe11Bx (x = 0-0.15) alloy in heptane (C7H16), followed by annealing to 850 °C in vacuum. Under the action of high-energy ball-milling, Nd2Fe11Bx react with heptane to form NdH2+δ, Fe-(CB), C, etc. H2 is released and Nd2Fe17, Nd2Fe17Cx (x = 0-3), Nd2Fe14C, Nd carbides and α-Fe are formed in the subsequent annealing. C amount depends on ball-milling time t. Long time ball milling or high C content suppresses the formation of 2:17 phase and favors the formation of 2:14:1 phase in the final products. Excessive ball-milling results in the quick increase of α-Fe. The maximum of magnetically hard Nd2Fe14C is obtained at t = 4 h. For Nd2Fe11 samples, there exists considerable quantity of Nd carbides and α-Fe phase appears earlier and increases rapidly with extending the ball-milling time t. The addition of B element shortens the ball-milling time of the formation of maximum Nd2Fe14C and prominently suppresses the formation of Nd carbide and α-Fe. The optimum magnetic properties, coercivity iHc of 1193.7 kA/m, remanence Mr of 580.9 kA/m, maximum magnetic energy product (BH)max of 91.7 kJ/m3 is approaching to its theoretic value of 99.2 kJ/m3 for isotropic Nd2Fe14C magnet, are obtained in Nd2Fe11B0.06 alloy ball milled for 3.5 h.

  11. Mother, Infant, and Household Factors Associated with the Type of Food Infants Receive in Developing Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin eYarnoff

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: We explore the complex factors associated with infant feeding by analyzing what mother, infant, and household factors are associated with the types of food given to infants. We seek to quantify associations in order to inform public health policy about the importance of target populations for infant feeding programs. Methods: We used data from the Demographic Health Survey in 20 developing countries for multiple years to examine mother, infant, and household factors associated with six types of food given to infants (exclusive breastfeeding, non-exclusive breastfeeding, infant formula, milk liquids, non-milk liquids, and solid foods. We performed a seemingly unrelated regressions analysis with community-year fixed effects to account for correlation between food types and control for confounding factors associated with community resources, culture, time period, and geography in the pooled analysis.Results: We found that several mother, infant, and household characteristics were associated with each of the feeding types. Most notably, mother’s education, working status, and weight are significantly associated with the type of food given to infants. We provide quantified estimates of the association of each of these variables with six types of food given to infants. Conclusions: By identifying maternal characteristics associated with infant feeding and quantifying those associations, we help public health policymakers generate priorities for targeting infant feeding programs to specific populations that are at greatest risk. Higher educated, working mothers are best to target with exclusive breastfeeding programs for young infants. Mothers with lower education are best to target with complementary feeding programs in infants older than 1 year. Finally, while maternal weight is associated with higher levels of exclusive breastfeeding the association is too weak to merit targeting of breastfeeding programs to low-weight mothers.

  12. Kinetics of selected elementary reactions of NH(a{sup 1}{delta}) or ND(a{sup {delta}}), NH(X{sup 3}{sigma}{sup -}) or ND(X{sup 3}{sigma}{sup -}) and NH{sub 2}(X), NHD(X), NH{sub 2}(X) radicals; Untersuchung der Kinetik ausgewaehlter Elementarreaktionen von NH(a{sup 1}{delta})- bzw. ND(a{sup 1}{delta})-, NH(X{sup 3}{sigma}{sup -})- bzw. ND(X{sup 3}{sigma}{sup -})- und NH{sub 2}(X)-, NHD(X)-, ND{sub 2}(X)-Radikalen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adam, L.

    2002-02-01

    The elementary reactions of the NH and ND radicals in the ground state and the first excited state with H({sup 2}S) atoms and with molecules containing hydrogen and fluorine element bonds were investigated in the gaseous phase at a pressure of p = 7-80 bar. The elementary reactions of the NH{sub 2}, NHD and ND{sub 2} radicals in the ground state with hydrogen halides in the gaseous phase were investigated as well. [German] Die Elementarreaktionen des NH- bzw. ND-Radikals im Elektronengrundzustand und im ersten elektronisch angeregten Zustand mit H({sup 2}S)-Atomen und mit Molekuelen, die Wasserstoff- und Fluor-Elementbindungen besitzen, wurden in der Gasphase bei einem Druck von p = 7 - 80 mbar untersucht. Weiterhin wurden die Elementarreaktionen der NH{sub 2}-, NHD- bzw. ND{sub 2}-Radikale im Elektronengrundzustand mit Halogenwasserstoffen in der Gasphase untersucht. (orig.)

  13. Persistent deNOx Ability of CaAl2O4:(Eu, Nd/TiO2-xNy Luminescent Photocatalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Huihui

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract CaAl2O4:(Eu, Nd/TiO2-xNy composite luminescent photocatalyst was successfully synthesized by a simple planetary ball milling process. Improvement of photocatalytic deNOx ability of TiO2-xNy, together with the persistent photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of NO after turning off the light were realized, by coupling TiO2-xNy with long afterglow phosphor, CaAl2O4:(Eu, Nd. The novel persistent photocatalytic behavior was related to the overlap between the absorption wavelength of TiO2-xNy and the emission wavelength of the CaAl2O4:(Eu, Nd. It was found that CaAl2O4:(Eu, Nd/TiO2-xNy composites provided the luminescence to persist photocatalytic reaction for more than 3 h after turning off the light. Graphical Abstract CaAl2O4:(Eu, Nd/TiO2-xNy composite luminescent photocatalyst with persistent deNOx activity after turning off the light was successfully synthesized by a simple planetary ball milling process. The novel persistent photocatalytic behavior was related to the overlap between the absorption wavelength of TiO2-xNy and the emission wavelength of the CaAl2O4:(Eu, Nd. Additional file 1 Click here for file

  14. Developmental outcome of very low birth weight infants in a developing country

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ballot Daynia E

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Advances in neonatal care allow survival of extremely premature infants, who are at risk of handicap. Neurodevelopmental follow up of these infants is an essential part of ongoing evaluation of neonatal care. The neonatal care in resource limited developing countries is very different to that in first world settings. Follow up data from developing countries is essential; it is not appropriate to extrapolate data from units in developed countries. This study provides follow up data on a population of very low birth weight (VLBW infants in Johannesburg, South Africa. Methods The study sample included all VLBW infants born between 01/06/2006 and 28/02/2007 and discharged from the neonatal unit at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH. Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Version 111 (BSID 111 were done to assess development. Regression analysis was done to determine factors associated with poor outcome. Results 178 infants were discharged, 26 were not available for follow up, 9 of the remaining 152 (5.9% died before an assessment was done; 106 of the remaining 143 (74.1% had a BSID 111 assessment. These 106 patients form the study sample; mean birth weight and mean gestational age was 1182 grams (SD: 197.78 and 30.81 weeks (SD: 2.67 respectively. The BSID (111 was done at a median age of 16.48 months. The mean cognitive subscale was 88.6 (95% CI: 85.69 - 91.59, 9 (8.5% were Conclusion Although the neurodevelopmental outcome of this group of VLBW infants was within the normal range, with a low incidence of cerebral palsy, these results may reflect the low survival of babies with a birth weight below 900 grams. In addition, mean subscale scores were low and one third of the babies were identified as "at risk", indicating that this group of babies warrants long-term follow up into school going age.

  15. 2nd Tourism Postdisciplinarity Conference

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Following the noted success of the 1st international conference on postdisciplinary approaches to tourism studies (held in Neuchatel, Switzerland, 19-22 June, 2013), we are happy to welcome you to the 2nd Tourism Postdisciplinarity Conference. Postdisciplinarity surpasses the boundaries...... of study less embedded in that system of thought. Postdisciplinarity is an epistemological endeavour that speaks of knowledge production and the ways in which the world of physical and social phenomena can be known. It is also an ontological discourse as it concerns what we call ‘tourism...

  16. Preterm infants fed nutrient-enriched formula until 6 months show improved growth and development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeon, Ga Won; Jung, Yu Jin; Koh, Sun Young; Lee, Yeon Kyung; Kim, Kyung Ah; Shin, Son Moon; Kim, Sung Shin; Shim, Jae Won; Chang, Yun Sil; Park, Won Soon

    2011-10-01

    The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of feeding nutrient-enriched preterm formula to preterm infants until 6 months' corrected age (CA) on growth and development in the first 18 months of life. Very low-birthweight preterm infants were fed preterm formula until term (40 weeks CA). Infants were then assigned to one of three groups and were fed term formula until 6 months' CA (group 1, n= 29); preterm formula to 3 months' CA and then term formula to 6 months' CA (group 2, n= 30); or preterm formula until 6 months' CA (group 3, n= 31). Anthropometry was performed at term, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and at s18 months' CA. Mental and psychomotor development were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II at 18 months' CA. Although body weight, length, head circumference and z score for CA at term in group 3 were significantly lower than those of groups 1 and 2, growth rates of these parameters were significantly higher in group 3 up to 18 months CA', as compared to groups 1 and 2. The mental developmental index and psychomotor developmental index of the Bayley test were not significantly different between the three groups. Very low-birthweight preterm infants fed nutrient-enriched preterm formula until 6 months' CA demonstrated significantly improved growth rates for bodyweight, length and head circumference, and comparable mental and psychomotor development throughout the first 18 months of life. © 2011 The Authors. Pediatrics International © 2011 Japan Pediatric Society.

  17. Parent report measures of infant and toddler social-emotional development: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pontoppidan, Maiken; Niss, Nete K; Pejtersen, Jan H; Julian, Megan M; Væver, Mette S

    2017-04-01

    Identifying young children at risk for socio-emotional developmental problems at an early stage, to prevent serious problems later in life, is crucial. Therefore, we need high quality measures to identify those children at risk for social-emotional problems who require further evaluation and intervention. To systematically identify parent report measures of infant and toddler (0-24 months) social-emotional development for use in primary care settings. We conducted a systematic review applying a narrative synthesis approach. We searched Medline, PsychInfo, Embase and SocIndex for articles published from 2008 through September 2015 to identify parent-report measures of infant and toddler social-emotional development. Data on the characteristics of the measures, including psychometric data, were collected. Based on 3310 screened articles, we located 242 measures that were screened for eligibility. In all 18 measures of infant and toddler social-emotional development were included. Ten of the measures were developed specifically for measuring social-emotional development, and eight were measures including subscales of social-emotional development. The measures varied with respect to, e.g. the time of publication, number of items, age span, cost and amount of psychometric data available. Several measures of infant and toddler social-emotional development have been developed within the last decade. The majority of psychometric data are available through manuals, not peer-reviewed journals. Although all measures show acceptable reliability, the most comprehensive and psychometrically sound measures are the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional-2, Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment, Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment and Child Behaviour Checklist 1½-5. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Luminescence properties of Nd3+-doped Y2O3 nanoparticles in organic media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cui, Xiaoxia; Hou, Chaoqi; Lu, Jiabao; Gao, Chao; Wei, Wei; Peng, Bo

    2011-01-01

    Nd 3+ -doped yttrium oxide nanoparticles (Y 2 O 3 :Nd) with cubic phase were obtained successfully by a glycine-nitrate solution combustion method. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) showed that the -OH groups residing on the nanoparticles surfaces were reduced effectively by modifying with capping agent. The modified Y 2 O 3 :Nd nanoparticles displayed good monodispersity and excellent luminescence in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent. Some optical parameters were calculated by Judd-Ofelt analysis based on absorption and fluorescence spectra. A relative large stimulated emission cross section, 1.7 x 10 -20 cm 2 , of the 4 F 3/2 → 4 I 11/2 transition was calculated. Theses results show that the modified Y 2 O 3 :Nd nanoparticles display good luminescence behavior in organic media. (orig.)

  19. Energy, environment and technological innovation: Rome 2nd international congress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    From the three volumes containing the proceedings of the October 12-16, 1992 2nd International Congress on Energy, Environment and Technological Innovation held at the University of Rome 'La Sapienza', separate abstracts were prepared for 41 papers. The selection of papers included recent developments and research trends in the following high-tech areas: biomass plantations, wind turbines, photovoltaic power plants, solar architecture, building energy management, global warming, automobile air pollution abatement, district heating with cogeneration, and hydrogen fuels for transportation

  20. A route for recycling Nd from Nd-Fe-B magnets using Cu melts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moore, Martina; Gebert, Annett, E-mail: a.gebert@ifw-dresden.de; Stoica, Mihai; Uhlemann, Margitta; Löser, Wolfgang

    2015-10-25

    Phase evolutions in Nd-Fe-B magnet/Cu systems have been explored with regard to Nd recycling. It was demonstrated that large scale phase separation into a ferromagnetic Fe(B)-rich ingot core with α-Fe main phase and a non-magnetic (Cu,Nd)-rich ingot rim takes place upon arc melting with Cu fractions ≥ 21.5 wt.-%. The re-solidification of the Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B magnet main phase is suppressed. The rim consists of the Cu{sub 2}Nd main phase and CuNd/Cu{sub 4}Nd minority phases in which Al traces from the magnetic material are gathered. Induction melting of such Nd-Fe-B/Cu mixtures can support the separation of these phase regions with very sharp boundaries. Main features of liquid phase separation and microstructure evolution have been interpreted on the basis of Nd-Fe-Cu phase diagram data. The key advantage with respect to Nd recycling from Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet scrap is the substantial accumulation of Nd in the (Cu,Nd)-rich region of the phase separated solidified specimen, which can be easily detached from the Fe-rich part by mechanical-magnetic treatments. Such portions contained up to ∼44 wt.-% Nd (25 at.-%) in first lab-scale experiments. Nd recovery from the (Cu,Nd)-rich fractions is possible by exploiting the large chemical property differences between the reactive rare earths elements and Cu. - Highlights: • phase evolution analysis in Nd-Fe-B magnet/Cu systems with regard to Nd recycling. • Cu ≥ 21 wt.-%, large scale phase separation- Fe(B)-rich ingot core, (Cu,Nd)-rich rim. • high Nd content (∼44 wt.-%) of (Cu,Nd)-rich region, mechanical-magnetic treatments.

  1. Selected Abstracts of the 3rd Edition of Transport of High Risk Infants; Oxford (UK; August 31st-September 2nd, 2017

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    --- Various Authors

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Selected Abstracts of the 3rd Edition of Transport of High Risk Infants; Oxford (UK; August 31st-September 2nd, 2017ABS 1. MORTALITY RATE IN 23-30 WEEKS PRE­MATURE BORN IN LEVEL 2 HOSPITAL IN COMPARISON TO THOSE BORN IN TERTIARY-CARE HOSPITAL • J.P. Doray, J.L. DorayABS 2. THE QUEBEC AEROMEDICAL EXPERIENCE: EVACUATION OF NEONATES FROM AREAS IN EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS – IN­NOVATIONS IN SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY • É. Notebaert, J. Provencher, R. Bernier, S. Côté, S. KindABS 3. NASAL HIGH FLOW SUPPORT DURING NEONATAL RETRIEVAL IN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA • V. Abraham, C. Roberts, B. Manley, L. Owen, M. Stewart, P. DavisABS 4. NEONATAL TRANSPORT TO AND FROM A REGIONAL LEVEL 2 CENTRE • C. Moore, M. Cassidy, M. Byrne, A. Bowden, J. Franta, I. Farombi, J. FitzsimonsABS 5. PASSIVE THERAPEUTIC HYPOTHERMIA DURING AMBULANCE AND HELICOPTER SECONDARY NEONATAL TRANSPORT IN NEONATES WITH HYPOXIC BRAIN INJURY: 10-YEARS RETROSPECTIVE SURVEY • M. Leben, M. Nolimal, I. Vidmar, S. GrosekABS 6. STABILIZATION OF CRITICALLY ILL NEW­BORNS: PREVENTION OF ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY • A. Babintseva, Y. Hodovanets, L. AgafonovaABS 7. TRANSPORT OF THE SURGICAL NEONATES • R. Pejaver, A. Poveidein, D. Winterbank-Scott, C. Keys, N. GuptaABS 8. AUDIT OF VENTILATED NEONATAL TRANS­FERS IN NORTHERN IRELAND FROM 1ST JANUARY 2017 UNTIL 1ST MAY 2017 • R. Moore, S. KnoxABS 9. “HUB AND SPOKE” ECMO IN NEONATES WITH MECONIUM ASPIRATION SYNDROME: A PRELIMINARY REPORT • N. Doglioni, D. Fichera, F. Zanella, M. Padalino, V. Vida, G. Stellin, P. Lago, D. TrevisanutoABS 10. INTRA-HOSPITAL TRANSPORTATION OF EX­TREMELY PRETERM INFANTS AND INCI­DENCE OF INTRAVENTRICULAR HAEMOR­RHAGES • N. Wadström, M. Breindahl, B. Hallberg, B. SkiöldABS 11. RISK OF POSTNATAL TRANSPORT AND OUT­COME OF LATE PRETERM INFANTS BORN AT NON-TERTIARY CENTRES: A RETRO­SPEC­TIVE COHORT STUDY • N. Doglioni, L. Salmaso, P. Facchin, D. TrevisanutoABS 12. COMPARING THREE METHODS OF THERA

  2. Study on magnetic properties of (Nd0.8Ce0.2)2-xFe12Co2B (x = 0-0.6) alloys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, G. S.; Xu, H.; Yu, L. Y.; Tan, X. H.; Zhang, Q.; Gu, Y.; Hou, X. L.

    2017-09-01

    In the present work, (Nd0.8Ce0.2)2-xFe12Co2B (x = 0-0.6) permanent alloys are prepared by melt-spinning method. The hard magnetic properties of (Nd0.8Ce0.2)2-xFe12Co2B (x = 0-0.6) alloys annealed at optimum temperatures have been investigated systematically. Depending on the Nd, Ce concentration, the maximum energy product ((BH)max) and remanence (Br) increase gradually with x in the range of 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4, whereas decrease gradually in the alloys with 0.4 plays a certain role in the magnetization reversal behavior and can improve the microstructure of (Nd0.8Ce0.2)1.6Fe12Co2B alloy.

  3. The behavioral development of free-living chimpanzee babies and infants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Plooij, Fransiscus Xaverius

    1980-01-01

    This study aims to achieve an ontogenetically oriented understanding of behavioural phenomena during early development (first 2 years) of free-living chimpanzees. For this purpose, six chimpanzee babies and infants were observed in the Gombe National Park, Tanzania. The main question which dominates

  4. Frustrated ground state in the metallic Ising antiferromagnet Nd2Ni2In

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sala, G.; Mašková, S.; Stone, M. B.

    2017-10-01

    We used inelastic neutron scattering measurements to examine the intermetallic Ising antiferromagnet Nd2Ni2In . The dynamical structure factor displays a spectrum with multiple crystal field excitations. These crystal field excitations consist of a set of four transitions covering a range of energies between 4 and 80 meV. The spectrum is very sensitive to the temperature, and we observed a softening and a shift in the energies above the transition temperature of the system. The analysis of the crystalline electric field scheme confirms the Ising nature of the spins and their orientation as proposed by previous studies. We characterized Nd2Ni2In as a large moment intermetallic antiferromagnet with the potential to support a geometrically frustrated Shastry-Sutherland lattice.

  5. Prenatal and Postpartum Maternal Psychological Distress and Infant Development: A Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kingston, Dawn; Tough, Suzanne; Whitfield, Heather

    2012-01-01

    Infant development plays a foundational role in optimal child development and health. Some studies have demonstrated an association between maternal psychological distress and infant outcomes, although the main emphasis has been on postpartum depression and infant-maternal attachment. Prevention and early intervention strategies would benefit from…

  6. Phase relations in the ZrO2-Nd2O3-Y2O3 system. Experimental study and CALPHAD assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fabrichnaya, Olga; Savinykh, Galina; Schreiber, Gerhard; Seifert, Hans J.

    2010-01-01

    The thermodynamic parameters of the Nd 2 O 3 Y 2 O 3 system were re-assessed for better reproduction of experimental data. The thermodynamic parameters were combined from binary descriptions to calculate phase diagrams for the ternary system ZrO 2 -Nd 2 O 3 Y 2 O 3 . The calculated phase diagrams were used to select compositions for the experimental studies at 1250, 1400 and 1600 C. The samples were synthesised by co-precipitation and heat treated at 1250-1600 C, investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. It was found that solubility of the Y 2 O 3 in the pyrochlore phase exceeds 10 mol.%. The experimental data obtained for phase equilibria were used to derive thermodynamic parameters for fluorite, Y 2 O 3 cubic phase C, monoclinic B and Nd 2 O 3 hexagonal A phases by CALPHAD method. The isothermal sections and liquidus surface were calculated for the ZrO 2 -Nd 2 O 3 Y 2 O 3 system. (orig.)

  7. 2nd International Arctic Ungulate Conference

    OpenAIRE

    Anonymous, A.

    1996-01-01

    The 2nd International Arctic Ungulate Conference was held 13-17 August 1995 on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. The Institute of Arctic Biology and the Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit were responsible for organizing the conference with assistance from biologists with state and federal agencies and commercial organizations. David R. Klein was chair of the conference organizing committee. Over 200 people attended the conference, coming from 10 different countries. T...

  8. Development of NdFeB magnet through hydrogen decrepitation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akhtar, S.; Farooque, M.; Haider, A.; Ahmad, Z.

    2009-01-01

    Neodymium based magnets are the powerful permanent magnet of today. This paper will discuss iron based rare earth magnets. NdFeB sintered magnet material has been developed. The magnets are produced by powder metallurgy route involving hydrogen decrepitation technique for making fine powder. After melting and casting, the NdFeB alloy is subject to hydrogen atmosphere. Hydrogen slowly absorbs into the solid alloy and makes it brittle, which upon milling becomes fine powder. Hydrogen is then removed by placing the powder at temperature around 800 deg. C under vacuum. Then the powders are pressed under isostatic conditions and sintered at temperature range of 1020-1050 deg. C. Post sintering is done at 800 deg. C and 580 deg. C followed by quenching. Energy product in the range of 8 MGOe is achieved. (author)

  9. Superconductivity in Pd-Intercalated Ternary Rare-Earth Polychalcogenide NdSeTe_2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Pei-Pei; Xue Mian-Qi; Long Yu-Jia; Zhao Ling-Xiao; Cai Yao; Yang Huai-Xin; Li Jian-Qi; Ren Zhi-An; Chen Gen-Fu

    2015-01-01

    We synthesize a set of Pd-doped polycrystalline samples Pd_xNdSeTe_2 and measure their physical properties. Compared with pure NdSeTe_2, the charge density wave (CDW) order is continuously suppressed with the Pd-intercalation. Bulk superconductivity first appears at x = 0.06 with T_c nearly 2.5K, coexisting with a CDW transition at 176K. Further Pd-doping enhances T_c, until it reaches the maximum value 2.84K at x=0.1, meanwhile the CDW transition vanishes. The upper critical field for the optimal doping sample Pd_0_._1NdSeTe_2 is determined from the R-H measurement, which is estimated to be 0.6 T. These results provide another kind of ideal compound for studying the interplay between CDW and superconductivity systematically. (paper)

  10. 2nd Skin approach to zero energy rental properties : Occupancy patterns to improve energy simulation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Guerra Santin, O.; Silvester, S.; Konstantinou, T.

    2015-01-01

    A number of second skin solutions have been developed in recent years to solve the problem of large scale renovation of housing. The 2ndSkin approach presented in this paper is currently under development by a consortium of academic and industry partners in the Netherlands. The objective of the

  11. Study of Nd-Fe-B alloys with nonstoichiometric Nd content in optimal magnetic state

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ćosović V.

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Characterization of two rapid-quenched Nd-Fe-B alloys with nonstoichiometric Nd content in the optimized magnetic state was carried out using the X-ray diffractometry (XRD, 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopic phase analysis (MS, electron microscopy (TEM, high resolution TEM (HREM and Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID magnetometer. The experimental results demonstrate the fundamental difference in the structure and magnetic properties of the two investigated alloys in the optimized magnetic state. The Nd-Fe-B alloy with the reduced Nd content (Nd4.5Fe77B18.5 was found to have the nanocomposite structure of Fe3B/Nd2Fe14B and partly α-Fe/Nd2Fe14B, with mean grain size below 30 nm. On the other side, the overstoichiometric Nd14Fe79B7 alloy has almost a monophase structure with the dominant content of the hard magnetic phase Nd2Fe14B (up to 95 wt. % and a mean crystallite size about 60 nm, as determined by XRD and TEM analysis. The results of magnetic measurements on SQUID magnetometer also suggest the nanocomposite structure of the Nd-low alloy and nanocrystalline decoupled structure of the Nd-rich alloy after the optimal heat treatment.

  12. The Development of Extremely Preterm Infants Born to Women Who Had Genitourinary Infections During Pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leviton, Alan; Allred, Elizabeth N; Kuban, Karl C K; O'Shea, T Michael; Paneth, Nigel; Onderdonk, Andrew B; Fichorova, Raina N; Dammann, Olaf

    2016-01-01

    Gestational genitourinary infections, which have been associated with neurodevelopmental impairments among infants born near term, have not been studied among very preterm infants. The mothers of 989 infants born before 28 weeks of gestation were interviewed about urine, bladder, or kidney infections (UTIs) and cervical or vaginal infections (CVIs) during pregnancy, as well as other exposures and characteristics, and their charts were reviewed for the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborns (ELGAN) Study (2002-2004). At 2 years of age, these infants underwent a neurodevelopmental assessment. Generalized estimating equation logistic regression models of developmental adversities were used to adjust for potential confounders. Infants born to women who reported a UTI were less likely than were others to have a very low Mental Development Index (adjusted odds ratio = 0.5; 95% confidence interval: 0.3, 0.8), whereas infants born to women who reported a CVI were more likely than others to have a low Psychomotor Development Index (adjusted odds ratio = 1.7; 95% confidence interval: 1.04, 2.7). In this high-risk sample, maternal gestational CVI, but not UTI, was associated with a higher risk of impaired motor development at 2 years of age. The apparent protective effect of UTI might be spurious, reflect confounding due to untreated asymptomatic bacteriuria among women who were not given a diagnosis of UTI, or reflect preconditioning. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  13. Sensory integration intervention and the development of the premature infant: A controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E Lecuona

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Background. Premature infants are at risk of sensory processing difficulties and developmental delays due to an immature central nervous system and possible episodes of medical instability, discomfort, pain and stress during the first weeks or months after birth.Objective. To investigate the effect of Ayres Sensory Integration (ASI on the development of premature infants in the first 12 months of life.Methods. A pre-/post-test experimental design was used to randomly divide 24 premature infants from a low socioeconomic setting in Bloemfontein, South Africa, into experimental and control groups after being matched by corrected age and gender. Developmental status was determined with the Bayley III Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants and the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile. The experimental group received 10 weeks of ASI intervention.Results. ASI intervention had a positive effect on the sensory processing and development of premature infants, especially in terms of cognitive, language and motor development.Conclusions. ASI intervention at an early age enhances the developmental progress of premature infants. 

  14. A summary of the 2nd workshop on Human Resources Development (HRD) in the nuclear field in Asia. FY2000

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-06-01

    The Human Resources Development (HRD) Project was added in 1999 as a Cooperation Activity of 'the Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA)' which is organized by Nuclear Committee. The HRD Project supports to solidify the foundation of nuclear development utilization in Asia by promoting human resources development in Asian countries. The principal activity of the HRD Project is to hold the Workshop on Human Resources Development in the Nuclear Field in Asia once a year. The objective of the Workshop is to clarify problems and needs of the human resources development of each country and to support it mutually by exchanging information etc. The report consists of a summary of the 2nd Workshop on Human Resources Development in the Nuclear Field in Asia held on November 27 and 28, 2000 at Tokai Research Establishment of JAERI. (author)

  15. A summary of the 2nd workshop on Human Resources Development (HRD) in the nuclear field in Asia. FY2000

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-06-01

    The Human Resources Development (HRD) Project was added in 1999 as a Cooperation Activity of 'the Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA)' which is organized by Nuclear Committee. The HRD Project supports to solidify the foundation of nuclear development utilization in Asia by promoting human resources development in Asian countries. The principal activity of the HRD Project is to hold the Workshop on Human Resources Development in the Nuclear Field in Asia once a year. The objective of the Workshop is to clarify problems and needs of the human resources development of each country and to support it mutually by exchanging information etc. The report consists of a summary of the 2nd Workshop on Human Resources Development in the Nuclear Field in Asia held on November 27 and 28, 2000 at Tokai Research Establishment of JAERI. (author)

  16. War trauma and maternal-fetal attachment predicting maternal mental health, infant development, and dyadic interaction in Palestinian families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Punamäki, Raija-Leena; Isosävi, Sanna; Qouta, Samir R; Kuittinen, Saija; Diab, Safwat Y

    2017-10-01

    Optimal maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) is believed to be beneficial for infant well-being and dyadic interaction, but research is scarce in general and among risk populations. Our study involved dyads living in war conditions and examined how traumatic war trauma associates with MFA and which factors mediate that association. It also modeled the role of MFA in predicting newborn health, infant development, mother-infant interaction, and maternal postpartum mental health. Palestinian women from the Gaza Strip (N = 511) participated during their second trimester (T1), and when their infants were 4 (T2) and 12 (T3) months. Mothers reported MFA (interaction with, attributions to, and fantasies about the fetus), social support, and prenatal mental health (post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety) at T1, newborn health at T2, and the postpartum mental health, infant's sensorimotor and language development, and mother-infant interaction (emotional availability) at T3. Results revealed, first, that war trauma was not directly associated with MFA but that it was mediated through a low level of social support and high level of maternal prenatal mental health problems. Second, intensive MFA predicted optimal mother-reported infant's sensorimotor and language development and mother-infant emotional availability but not newborn health or maternal postpartum mental health.

  17. Polarized spectroscopic properties of Nd3+-doped KGd(WO4)2 single crystal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Yujin; Lin Yanfu; Gong Xinghong; Tan Qiguang; Zhuang Jian; Luo Zundu; Huang Yidong

    2007-01-01

    The polarized absorption spectra, infrared fluorescence spectra, upconversion visible fluorescence spectra, and fluorescence decay curve of orientated Nd 3+ :KGd(WO 4 ) 2 crystal were measured at room-temperature. Some important spectroscopic parameters were investigated in detail in the framework of the Judd-Ofelt theory and the Fuchtbauer-Ladenburg formula. The effect of the crystal structure on the spectroscopic properties of the Nd 3+ ions was analyzed. The relation among the spectroscopic parameters and the laser performances of the Nd 3+ :KGd(WO 4 ) 2 crystal was discussed

  18. Structural and magnetic transformations in NdMn2Hx hydrides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Budziak, A.; Zachariasz, P.; Pełka, R.; Figiel, H.; Żukrowski, J.; Woch, M.W.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Full structural phase diagram is presented for the NdMn 2 H x (2.0 ≤ x ≤ 4.0) hydrides in the temperature range of 70–385 K. ► For samples x = 2.0, 2.5, and 4.0 a splitting into two phases with different hydrogen concentrations are observed. ► Only for samples with x = 3.0 and 3.5 no spinodal decompositions are detected. ► The effects of hydrogen absorption on structural properties are shown to be reflected in magnetic behavior. ► A huge jump of magnetic ordering temperatures from ∼104 K for host NdMn 2 to above 200 K for its hydrides is observed or anticipated. - Abstract: X-ray powder diffraction and bulk magnetization measurements were used to study structural and magnetic properties of hydrides NdMn 2 H x (2.0 ≤ x ≤ 4.0). The X-ray investigations performed in the temperature range 70–385 K have revealed many structural transformations at low temperatures. In particular, a transformation from the hexagonal to the monoclinic phase and spinodal decompositions were observed. The magnetic behavior of the hydrides is correlated with the structural transitions. A tentative structural diagram is presented. The obtained results are compared with the properties of other cubic and hexagonal RMn 2 H x hydrides.

  19. Management and outcome of extremely low birth weight infants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Apostolos Papageorgiou

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Survival of extremely low birth weight (ELBW and extremely premature (EP infants has shown consistent improvement thanks to advances and innovations in perinatal and neonatal care. Regionalization, with high-risk deliveries in a tertiary perinatal center, offers the coordinated, collaborative, expert and specialized care needed by these mothers and their infants. Despite decreasing rates of the major neonatal morbidities observed in recent years, these continue still to be significant for ELBW/EP infants, impacting their overall prognosis. After NICU discharge and in the first years of life, issues with health, growth and development are common. In school age and adolescence, problems with behavior, socialization and cognition are prevalent. Adult outcomes of ELBW/EP need further clarity, emphasizing the importance for consistent long-term follow-up for this special cohort. Proceedings of the 10th International Workshop on Neonatology · Cagliari (Italy · October 22nd-25th, 2014 · The last ten years, the next ten years in Neonatology Guest Editors: Vassilios Fanos, Michele Mussap, Gavino Faa, Apostolos Papageorgiou

  20. Nd Fe10 Mo2 alloys production through reduction-diffusion for nitrogenation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guilherme, Eneida da G.; Rechenberg, Hercilio R.

    1996-01-01

    In this work we have examined the effect of various processing variables on the Nd Fe 10 Mo 2 phase formation by reduction-diffusion calciothermic process (R D C). The best results were obtained for 4 hours treatment at 950 deg C with 40% excess content Nd Cl 3 and 50% excess content of Ca, for alloy Nd Fe 10.5 Mo 1.5 . Preliminary nitrogen absorption experiments have been done, without any further powder size reduction at temperatures between 300 and 350 deg C. (author)

  1. [Influence of neonatal diseases and treatments on the development of cerebral palsy in preterm infant].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Tao; Rong, Luo; Wang, Qiu; You, Yi; Fu, Jun-Xian; Kang, Lin-Min; Wu, Yan-Qiao

    2013-03-01

    To investigated the risk factors of cerebral palsy development in preterm infants. This study included 203 preterm infants (gestation age neonatal period, were analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis. Multivariate logistic analysis for the risk factors associated with cerebral palsy in neonatal period found significant differences in the occurrence of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL, OR = 39.87, P neonatal (OR = 2.18, P neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (OR = 1.72, P CPAP, OR = 0.21, P neonatal jaundice may increase the risk in the development of CP in preterm infant, while CPAP may decrease the risk of cerebral palsy.

  2. Nd composition dependence of microstructure and magnetic properties for gradient sputtered NdFeB films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Shandong; Wang Dawei; Fang Jianglin; Duh, J.-G.; Wang Yinying; Wu Yizhi; Huang Junheng; Zheng Hongjun

    2008-01-01

    NdFeB films with Nd compositions varied from 13.34 to 24.30 at% were deposited by DC gradient sputtering using targets Nd 12.5 Fe 71.5 B 16 and Nd. The hard magnetic properties, grain growth direction and magnetic domain structures were dramatically influenced by Nd composition. The samples with intermediate Nd concentrations exhibited optimal magnetic properties and microstructures, such as large squareness ratio over 0.9, large energy product up to 174 kJ/m 3 , and vertical domain structure. However, the samples with higher and lower Nd compositions showed almost isotropic loops. (0 0 l) as main X-ray diffraction peaks in the optimal Nd composition region indicated most of Nd 2 Fe 14 B grains with c-axis perpendicular to the film plane, while NdFeB grains in other region are almost random growth. The good magnetic properties can be attributed to the vertical growth of Nd 2 Fe 14 B grains

  3. Nd composition dependence of microstructure and magnetic properties for gradient sputtered NdFeB films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Shandong [Department of Physics, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007 (China)], E-mail: dylsd007@yahoo.com.cn; Wang Dawei [Department of Physics, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007 (China); Fang Jianglin [Center for Materials Analysis, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Duh, J.-G. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National TsingHua Universtiy, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Wang Yinying; Wu Yizhi; Huang Junheng; Zheng Hongjun [Department of Physics, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007 (China)

    2008-08-15

    NdFeB films with Nd compositions varied from 13.34 to 24.30 at% were deposited by DC gradient sputtering using targets Nd{sub 12.5}Fe{sub 71.5}B{sub 16} and Nd. The hard magnetic properties, grain growth direction and magnetic domain structures were dramatically influenced by Nd composition. The samples with intermediate Nd concentrations exhibited optimal magnetic properties and microstructures, such as large squareness ratio over 0.9, large energy product up to 174 kJ/m{sup 3}, and vertical domain structure. However, the samples with higher and lower Nd compositions showed almost isotropic loops. (0 0 l) as main X-ray diffraction peaks in the optimal Nd composition region indicated most of Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B grains with c-axis perpendicular to the film plane, while NdFeB grains in other region are almost random growth. The good magnetic properties can be attributed to the vertical growth of Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B grains.

  4. High-Temperature Heat Capacity of Germanates Pr2Ge2O7 and Nd2Ge2O7 within 350-1000 K

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denisova, L. T.; Irtyugo, L. A.; Beletskii, V. V.; Belousova, N. V.; Denisov, V. M.

    2018-03-01

    Pr2Ge2O7 and Nd2Ge2O7 were obtained via solid-phase synthesis from Pr2O3 ( Nd2O3) and GeO2 with multistage firing in air within 1273-1473 K. A temperature effect on molar heat capacity of the oxide compounds was measured with a differential scanning calorimetry. Their thermodynamic properties were calculated from the C P = f( T) dependences.

  5. Colossal magnetoresistance in layered manganite Nd22xSr1+ ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    starting compounds, have been obtained. Except for x=0.4, which is found to be an antiferromagnetic insulator, all other x values yielded metal–insulator transition and ferromagnetic ordering. Keywords. Colossal magnetoresistance; layered manganites; Nd22x Sr1+2x Mn2O7. PACS Nos 75.30.Vn; 71.30.+h. 1. Introduction.

  6. (SiC/AlN)2 multilayer film as an effective protective coating for sintered NdFeB by magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Yu; Li, Heqin; Huang, Yiqin; Tang, Qiong; Zhang, Jing; Xu, Jun

    2017-08-01

    SiC/AlN and (SiC/AlN)2 multilayer films with a well-arranged bilayer structure and a four-layer structure are prepared respectively on NdFeB substrates by a magnetron sputtering method. Crystal phase and microstructures of the SiC/AlN and (SiC/AlN)2 films are investigated using x-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). It is observed that the surface of the (SiC/AlN)2 four-layer film is much denser and smoother than that of the SiC/AlN bilayer film. Corrosion behaviors of the NdFeB substrates coated with SiC/AlN and (SiC/AlN)2 films as well as the bare NdFeB substrate are evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization curve tests. It is revealed that the lateral growth structures developed in interfaces are favorable for an enhanced corrosion resistance. Corrosion current densities of the (SiC/AlN)2 coated NdFeB measured in acid, alkali and salt solutions are 2.796  ×  10-9, 3.65  ×  10-6, and 2.912  ×  10-6 A cm-2, respectively, which are much lower than those of the bare NdFeB and the SiC/AlN coated NdFeB.

  7. Effect of spin reorientation on magnetocaloric and transport properties of NdAl{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Souza, M.V. de, E-mail: marcos_vinicios@hotmail.com [Núcleo de Pós-Graduação em Física, Campus Prof. José Aloísio de Campos, UFS, 49100-000 São Cristóvão, SE (Brazil); Silva, J.A. da [Núcleo de Pós-Graduação em Física, Campus Prof. José Aloísio de Campos, UFS, 49100-000 São Cristóvão, SE (Brazil); Silva, L.S. [Núcleo de Pós-Graduação em Física, Campus Prof. José Aloísio de Campos, UFS, 49100-000 São Cristóvão, SE (Brazil); Instituto Federal de Tocantins, IFTO – Campus Colinas do Tocantins, AV. Bernardo Sayao S/N, Chácara Raio de Sol, Setor Santa Maria, CEP 77760-000 Colinas do Tocantins, TO (Brazil)

    2017-01-01

    We report the magneto-thermal and resistive properties of rare-earth dialuminide NdAl{sub 2}, including spin reorientation transition. To this purpose, we used a theoretical model that considers the interactions of exchange and Zeeman, besides the anisotropy due to the electrical crystal field. The theoretical results obtained were compared to experimental data of the NdAl{sub 2} in single crystal and bulk forms. Explicitly, we have calculated the anisotropic variation of magnetic entropy with the magnetic field oriented along the three principal crystallographic directions: [100], [110], and [111] of NdAl{sub 2} single crystal, where a signature of the spin reorientation is observed in the [110] and [111] directions. Moreover, of magnetoresistivity we consider the applied magnetic field along the crystallographic directions [100] and [110]. In turn, for the polycrystalline form, the good agreement between theory and experiment confirms the presence of spin reorientation, which was predicted theoretically in magnetization curves. - Highlights: • Modeling of the thermodynamics quantities in NdAl{sub 2} single crystal and policrystal. • Modeling of the transport properties in NdAl{sub 2} single crystal. • Effect of reorientation of spin on caloric and transport properties.

  8. 2nd International Conference on Natural Fibers

    CERN Document Server

    Rana, Sohel

    2016-01-01

    This book collects selected high quality articles submitted to the 2nd International Conference on Natural Fibers (ICNF2015). A wide range of topics is covered related to various aspects of natural fibres such as agriculture, extraction and processing, surface modification and functionalization, advanced structures, nano fibres, composites and nanocomposites, design and product development, applications, market potential, and environmental impact. Divided into separate sections on these various topics, the book presents the latest high quality research work addressing different approaches and techniques to improve processing, performance, functionalities and cost-effectiveness of natural fibre and natural based products, in order to promote their applications in various advanced technical sectors. This book is a useful source of information for materials scientists, teachers and students from various disciplines as well as for R& D staff in industries using natural fibre based materials. .

  9. 2nd ILK symposium 2003: harmonisation of nuclear safety approaches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2004-01-01

    The 2 nd International ILK Symposium held on October 28 and 29, 2003, in Munich aimed to identify the basic principles, methodologies and policies that can improve the transparency and effectiveness of safety practices within the frame work of harmonized approaches. Over the course of three sessions, each covering a series of presentations and a concluding round table discussion, the topics 'Current status of harmonisation and needs for further developments', 'Basic approaches to a well-balanced safety and risk management' and 'Strategic solutions and policies' were explored in detail. (orig.)

  10. Association between obesity-related biomarkers and cognitive and motor development in infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camargos, Ana Cristina R; Mendonça, Vanessa A; Oliveira, Katherine S C; de Andrade, Camila Alves; Leite, Hércules Ribeiro; da Fonseca, Sueli Ferreira; Vieira, Erica Leandro Marciano; Teixeira Júnior, Antônio Lúcio; Lacerda, Ana Cristina Rodrigues

    2017-05-15

    This study aimed to verify the association between obesity-related biomarkers and cognitive and motor development in infants between 6 and 24 months of age. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 50 infants and plasma levels of leptin, adiponectin, resistin, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors 1 and 2 (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2), chemokines, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), serum cortisol and redox status were measured. The Bayley-III test was utilized to evaluate cognitive and motor development, and multiple linear stepwise regression models were performed to verify the association between selected biomarkers and cognitive and motor development. A significant association was found among plasma leptin and sTNFR1 levels with cognitive composite scores, and these two independents variables together explained 37% of the variability of cognitive composite scores (p=0.001). Only plasma sTNFR1 levels were associated and explained 24% of the variability of motor composite scores (p=0.003). Plasma levels of sTNFR1 were associated with the increase in cognitive and motor development scores in infants between 6 and 24 months of age through a mechanism not directly related to excess body weight. Moreover, increase in plasma levels of leptin reduced the cognitive development in this age range. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Object permanence development in infants with motor handicaps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fetters, L

    1981-03-01

    This study was an investigation of the effects of a motor handicap on the development of object permanence in the young child. Motor abilities were evaluated for 12 infants aged 13 to 29 months. Based on this evaluation, the children were described as manipulators or nonmanipulators in reference to their upper extremity skills. Their stage of object permanence was assessed using traditional and nontraditional assessments. Heart rate and visual tracking were recorded during the nontraditional assessment. Heart rate did not significantly relate to visual fixation or search response. There was, however, a significant difference (p less than .02) between stage achievement with traditional testing and age-appropriate levels. There was no significant difference between the nontraditional assessment and the age-appropriate levels. In addition, there was no significant difference in the development of object permanence between infants described as manipulators and those described as nonmanipulators. The last two findings suggest that infants with motor handicaps may develop object permanence at the expected ages, according to a nontraditional assessment.

  12. n-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation in Mothers, Preterm Infants, and Term Infants and Childhood Psychomotor and Visual Development: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shulkin, Masha; Pimpin, Laura; Bellinger, David; Kranz, Sarah; Fawzi, Wafaie; Duggan, Christopher; Mozaffarian, Dariush

    2018-03-01

    Epidemiologic studies link maternal seafood and n-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) consumption with improved childhood cognitive development; trials show mixed results. We investigated effects of n-3 PUFA supplementation on child cognitive and visual outcomes. We systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed randomized controlled trials of n-3 PUFA supplementation in mothers or infants (age ≤2 y) and evaluated standardized measures of cognitive or visual development up to age 18 y. Of 6286 abstracts and 669 full-text articles, 38 trials with 53 intervention arms were included. Data were extracted independently in duplicate. Findings were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis across supplementation periods (maternal, preterm, term infant); we also explored subgroup analyses stratified by supplementation period. Heterogeneity was explored using I2, stratified analysis, and meta-regression. Cognitive development was assessed by Bayley Scales of Infant Development mental and psychomotor developmental indexes (MDI, PDI) and intelligence quotient (IQ); visual acuity was assessed by electrophysiological or behavioral measures. The 38 trials (mothers: n = 13; preterm infants: n = 7; term infants: n = 18) included 5541 participants. When we explored effects during different periods of supplementation, n-3 PUFA supplementation improved MDI in preterm infants (3.33; 95% CI: 0.72, 5.93), without statistically significant effects on PDI or IQ in different intervention period subgroups. Visual acuity [measured as the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR)] was improved by supplementation in preterm (-0.08 logMAR; 95% CI: -0.14, -0.01 logMAR) and term infants (-0.08 logMAR; 95% CI: -0.11, -0.05 logMAR), with a nonsignificant trend for maternal supplementation (-0.02 logMAR; 95% CI: -0.04, 0.00 logMAR). In main analyses pooling all supplementation periods, compared with placebo, n-3 PUFA supplementation improved MDI (n = 21 trials; 0.91; 95% CI

  13. Developing a statewide public health initiative to reduce infant mortality in Oklahoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dooley, Suzanna; Patrick, Paul; Lincoln, Alicia; Cline, Janette

    2014-01-01

    The Preparing for a Lifetime, It's Everyone's Responsibility initiative was developed to improve the health and well- being of Oklahoma's mothers and infants. The development phase included systematic data collection, extensive data analysis, and multi-disciplinary partnership development. In total, seven issues (preconception/interconception health, tobacco use, postpartum depression, breastfeeding, infant safe sleep, preterm birth, and infant injury prevention) were identified as crucial to addressing infant mortality in Oklahoma. Workgroups were created to focus on each issue. Data and media communications workgroups were added to further partner commitment and support for policy and programmatic changes across multiple agencies and programs. Leadership support, partnership, evaluation, and celebrating small successes were important factors that lead to large scale adoption and support for the state-wide initiative to reduce infant mortality.

  14. Fetal programming of infant neuromotor development: the generation R study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Batenburg-Eddes, Tamara; de Groot, Laila; Steegers, Eric A P; Hofman, Albert; Jaddoe, Vincent W V; Verhulst, Frank C; Tiemeier, Henning

    2010-02-01

    The objective of the study was to examine whether infant neuromotor development is determined by fetal size and body symmetry in the general population. This study was embedded within the Generation R Study, a population-based cohort in Rotterdam. In 2965 fetuses, growth parameters were measured in mid-pregnancy and late pregnancy. After birth, at age 9 to 15 wks, neuromotor development was assessed with an adapted version of Touwen's Neurodevelopmental Examination. Less optimal neuromotor development was defined as a score in the highest tertile. We found that higher fetal weight was beneficial to infant neurodevelopment. A fetus with a 1-SD score higher weight in mid-pregnancy had an 11% lower risk of less optimal neuromotor development (OR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.82-0.97). Similarly, a fetus with a 1-SD score larger abdominal-to-head circumference (AC/HC) ratio had a 13% lower risk of less optimal neuromotor development (OR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.79-0.96). These associations were also present in late pregnancy. Our findings show that fetal size and body symmetry in pregnancy are associated with infant neuromotor development. These results suggest that differences in infant neuromotor development, a marker of behavioral and cognitive problems, are at least partly caused by processes occurring early in fetal life.

  15. Infant and Newborn Development - Multiple Languages

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... List of All Topics All Infant and Newborn Development - Multiple Languages To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Arabic (العربية) Chinese, Simplified (Mandarin dialect) (简体中文) Chinese, Traditional (Cantonese dialect) ( ...

  16. Study on microstructure and properties of extruded Mg-2Nd-0.2Zn alloy as potential biodegradable implant material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Junlei; Tan, Lili; Wan, Peng; Yu, Xiaoming; Yang, Ke

    2015-04-01

    Mg-2Nd-0.2Zn (NZ20) alloy was prepared for the application as biodegradable implant material in this study. The effects of the extrusion process on microstructure, mechanical and corrosion properties of the alloy were investigated. The as-cast alloy was composed of α-Mg matrix and Mg12Nd eutectic compound. The solution treatment could lead to the Mg12Nd phase dissolution and the grain coarsening. The alloy (E1) preheated at 380°C for 1h and extruded at 390°C presents fine grains with amounts of tiny Mg12Nd particles uniformly dispersed throughout the boundaries and the interior of the grains. The alloy (E2) preheated at 480°C for 1h and extruded at 500°C exhibits relatively larger grains with few nano-scale Mg12Nd phase particles dispersed. The alloy of E1, compared with E2, showed relatively lower corrosion rate, higher yield strength and slightly lower elongation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Role of toys in the development of healthy infants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emilia Mikołajewska

    2015-04-01

    Emilia Mikołajewska Rehabilitation Clinic Military Clinical Hospital No. 10 and Polyclinic Bydgoszcz, Poland e-mail: e.mikolajewska@wp.pl, emiliam@cm.umk.pl www: http://emikolajewska.netstrefa.eu       Keywords: rehabilitation; development; gesture; toy use; parent–child interaction;       Abstract   Developmental outcomes in infants can be significantly improved thanks to promising use of approapriate toys. Objective assessment of their positive influence to functional achievements in healthy infants may completely change attitude to new generation of toys, developing motor, cognitive, and social skills. Despite advances in toys assessment their true influence remains incomplete. This study aims at assessment how current knowledge and experience influences principles of the toys selection and use in healthy infants.

  18. Development of a screening MRI for infants at risk for abusive head trauma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Flom, Lynda; Panigrahy, Ashok [Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Department of Radiology, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Fromkin, Janet [University of Pittsburgh, Department of Pediatrics, Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Tyler-Kabara, Elizabeth [University of Pittsburgh, Department of Neurosurgery, Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Berger, Rachel P. [University of Pittsburgh, Department of Pediatrics, Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); University of Pittsburgh, Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

    2016-04-15

    Abusive head trauma (AHT) is an important cause of morbidity in infants. Identifying which well-appearing infants are at risk for AHT and need neuroimaging is challenging, and concern about radiation exposure limits the use of head CT. Availability of an MRI protocol that is highly sensitive for intracranial hemorrhage would allow for AHT screening of well-appearing infants without exposing them to radiation. To develop a screening MRI protocol to identify intracranial hemorrhage in well-appearing infants at risk for AHT. Infants enrolled in a parent study of well-appearing infants at increased risk for AHT were eligible for the current study if they underwent both head CT and conventional brain MRI. A derivation cohort of nine infants with AHT was used to identify sequences that provided the highest sensitivity for intracranial hemorrhage. A validation cohort of 78 infants including both controls with normal neuroimaging and cases with AHT was used to evaluate the accuracy of the selected sequences. Three pulse sequences - axial T2, axial gradient recalled echo (GRE) and coronal T1-W inversion recovery - were 100% sensitive for intracranial hemorrhage in the derivation cohort. The same sequences were 100% sensitive (25/25) and 83% specific (44/53) for intracranial hemorrhage in the validation cohort. A screening MRI protocol including axial T2, axial GRE and coronal T1-W inversion recovery sequences is highly sensitive for intracranial hemorrhage and may be useful as a screening tool to differentiate well-appearing infants at risk for AHT who should undergo head CT from those who can safely be discharged without head CT. Additional research is needed to evaluate the feasibility of this approach in clinical practice. (orig.)

  19. Development of a phosphating process for corrosion protection in NdFeB magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, Adonis Marcelo Saliba

    2001-01-01

    NdFeB magnets are important materials, which produce better energy efficiency in electrical devices, but they are rather vulnerable to corrosion. In this study, a phosphating treatment for protection against corrosion of NdFeB magnets has been investigated. Phosphating is generally used as a pretreatment in the application of protective coatings. This treatment increases the corrosion assistance in defective areas of the coating as well as improves the adhesion between coating and substrate. A commercial NdFeB magnet produced by powder metallurgy has been used and the effect of the following parameters on phosphating was studied: time of phosphating; pH of phosphating solution; anodic polarization and molybdate addition to the phosphating solution. The results showed a significant increase in the corrosion resistance of magnets phosphated in a solution concentrated between 10-20 g/L NaH 2 PO 4 , pH in the range of 3 to 4.6, acidulated preferably with H 3 PO 4 at room temperature (20±1) deg C. Conversion coatings formed at solutions of pH 3.8 showed better corrosion resistance. Phosphating times longer than 4 hours increased the magnet corrosion resistance 10 to 20 times. This resistance improves with higher immersion times. Anodic polarization of the magnet in the range 200-400 mV SCE accelerated phosphating. Results indicated that molybdate interacts preferentially with Nd rich phase of the magnet. In addition to the newly developed technology in this work for NdFeB corrosion protection, two methodologies have been introduced to facilitate electrochemical analyses: selection of samples of similar electrochemical behavior, based on the current density after 200s of constant anodic polarization; and evaluation of the corrosion protection provided by conversion coatings by monitoring of gas evolution during corrosion in acid solution. (author)

  20. Magnetic Properties of NdAl2

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bak, P.

    1974-01-01

    The magnetic properties of NdAl2 are calculated using a Hamiltonian including crystal-field and isotropic exchange interaction terms. A two-dimensional mean-field theory is evaluated to calculate single-crystal magnetization curves. It is shown that the magnetic properties can be understood using...... the crystal-field parameters derived from the magnetic exciton spectrum measured by Houmann et al. by means of inelastic neutron scattering. The combined lambda -Schottky anomaly in the heat capacity is explained. No additional parameters are introduced....

  1. [Effect of family integrate care on the development of preterm infants at 18 months of age].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Y; Gao, X Y; Xiang, X Y; Dai, H M; Yang, L; Shoo K, M Y; Hei, Mingyan

    2016-12-02

    Objective: To study the effect of family integrated care (FIC) in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to the development of preterm infants at 18 months of age. Method: This is a prospective parallel case-control study. Infants in FIC group were preterm infants enrolled in previous FIC study with gestational age (GA) 28-35 weeks. Study period was from July 2015 to July 2016. Subjects were all enrolled from Department of Child Healthcare in the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University. Infants in control group were gender, birth weight (BW), BW percentile and days of life (DOL) at follow-up matched (1∶1 ratio) preterm infants who did not enter FIC in NICU. The age at follow-up was 18 months. Study parameters were maternal education year, socioeconomic status (SES) by Graffar method, home observation for measurement of the environment (HOME), mental development index (MDI) and psychomotor development index (PDI) by mental and psychomotor Bayley scales of infant development (BSID). SPSS 20.0 of χ 2 test, t test, Pearson coefficient test and Spearman coefficient test were used for the statistical analysis. Result: Totally 67 infants were enrolled in each of FIC group and control group, with percentage of male gender 52% (35 infants) and 51% (34 infants), representatively. GA of FIC group and control group was (32.4±1.7) and (32.2±1.6) weeks, BW was (1 690±415) and (1 719±412) g. Weight at 18 months follow-up was (10±1) and (10±1) kg, maternal education year was (15±2) and (15±2) years, SES was (42±6) and (41±6) score, HOME was (31±5) and (32±5) score, representatively. There was no significant difference between FIC group and control group in the above parameters, making these 2 groups comparable. The MDI and PDI of FIC group were significantly higher than those of control group ((95±9) vs . (86±9), (87±9) vs . (80±8) score, t =5.506, 4.502, both P =0.000). The MDI and PDI of all groups were positively correlated to GA ( r =0.398 and 0

  2. The Influence of Different Caregivers on Infant Growth and Development in China

    OpenAIRE

    Qinrui Li; Furong Liang; Weilan Liang; Jing Zhang; Manman Niu; Ying Han

    2017-01-01

    Objective An increasing number of parents in China ask grandparents or babysitters to care for their children. Modern parents are often the only child in their family because of China’s One-Child Policy and thus may lack interaction with siblings. Accordingly, the present study aimed to explore whether different caregivers affect the physical and development of infants in China. Methods In total, 2,514 infants were enrolled in our study. We assessed their weight-for-age, supine length-for-age...

  3. High field magnetization process of (Sm, Nd)2Fe17Ny compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, M.J.; Tang, N.; Liu, Y.L.; Tegus, O.; Lu, Y.; Kuang, J.P.; Yang, F.M.; Li, X.; Zhou, G.F.; Boer, F.R. de

    1992-01-01

    The crystal structure and high-field magnetization process of (Sm 1-x Nd x ) 2 Fe 17 N y compounds (x = 0.0, 0.1, ..., 1.0, 2 1-x Nd x ) 2 Fe 17 N y compounds were found to crystallize in the rhombohedral Th 2 Zn 17 structure. As x increases, the Curie temperature decreases. The anisotropy fields and easy magnetization direction were investigated from 1.5 K to room temperature by means of high-field magnetization measurements and AC-susceptibility measurements, combined with X-ray diffraction on random and magnetically aligned powder samples. The anisotropy field decreases with increasing x and approaches a minimum value at about x = 0.6, then increases again. A tentative spin phase diagram for the (Sm 1-x Nd x ) 2 Fe 17 N y series is presented. At room temperature, the easy magnetization direction remains along the c-axis up to x = 0.6. (orig.)

  4. Magnetic properties of Nd-deficient manganites Nd0.9-xCaxMnOy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Troyanchuk, I.O.; Khomchenko, V.A.; Pastushonok, S.N.; Novitsky, O.A.; Pavlov, V.I.; Szymczak, H.

    2006-01-01

    X-ray diffraction and magnetic studies of neodymium deficient Nd 0.9-x Ca x MnO y (0= 0.9 MnO y samples have been prepared in the 2.85= g -orbitals of manganese ions. Composition with y=2.85 is antiferromagnet with T N =85K, whereas for more oxidized Nd 0.9 MnO y samples a coexistence of antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic phases is suggested. Low-temperature magnetic phase transition which is accompanied by a negative magnetization appearance has been found in the Nd 0.9 MnO 2.90 compound. Magnetic behavior of Nd 0.9-x Ca x MnO y (0.1= 1-x Ca x MnO 3 series. Properties of the Nd 0.9-x Ca x MnO y (0=< x=<0.4) solid solutions are in agreement with a hypothesis according to which a part of Nd ions can be substituted by Mn ions

  5. Infant bone age estimation based on fibular shaft length: model development and clinical validation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsai, Andy; Stamoulis, Catherine; Bixby, Sarah D.; Breen, Micheal A.; Connolly, Susan A.; Kleinman, Paul K.

    2016-01-01

    Bone age in infants (<1 year old) is generally estimated using hand/wrist or knee radiographs, or by counting ossification centers. The accuracy and reproducibility of these techniques are largely unknown. To develop and validate an infant bone age estimation technique using fibular shaft length and compare it to conventional methods. We retrospectively reviewed negative skeletal surveys of 247 term-born low-risk-of-abuse infants (no persistent child protection team concerns) from July 2005 to February 2013, and randomized them into two datasets: (1) model development (n = 123) and (2) model testing (n = 124). Three pediatric radiologists measured all fibular shaft lengths. An ordinary linear regression model was fitted to dataset 1, and the model was evaluated using dataset 2. Readers also estimated infant bone ages in dataset 2 using (1) the hemiskeleton method of Sontag, (2) the hemiskeleton method of Elgenmark, (3) the hand/wrist atlas of Greulich and Pyle, and (4) the knee atlas of Pyle and Hoerr. For validation, we selected lower-extremity radiographs of 114 normal infants with no suspicion of abuse. Readers measured the fibulas and also estimated bone ages using the knee atlas. Bone age estimates from the proposed method were compared to the other methods. The proposed method outperformed all other methods in accuracy and reproducibility. Its accuracy was similar for the testing and validating datasets, with root-mean-square error of 36 days and 37 days; mean absolute error of 28 days and 31 days; and error variability of 22 days and 20 days, respectively. This study provides strong support for an infant bone age estimation technique based on fibular shaft length as a more accurate alternative to conventional methods. (orig.)

  6. Infant bone age estimation based on fibular shaft length: model development and clinical validation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsai, Andy; Stamoulis, Catherine; Bixby, Sarah D.; Breen, Micheal A.; Connolly, Susan A.; Kleinman, Paul K. [Boston Children' s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States)

    2016-03-15

    Bone age in infants (<1 year old) is generally estimated using hand/wrist or knee radiographs, or by counting ossification centers. The accuracy and reproducibility of these techniques are largely unknown. To develop and validate an infant bone age estimation technique using fibular shaft length and compare it to conventional methods. We retrospectively reviewed negative skeletal surveys of 247 term-born low-risk-of-abuse infants (no persistent child protection team concerns) from July 2005 to February 2013, and randomized them into two datasets: (1) model development (n = 123) and (2) model testing (n = 124). Three pediatric radiologists measured all fibular shaft lengths. An ordinary linear regression model was fitted to dataset 1, and the model was evaluated using dataset 2. Readers also estimated infant bone ages in dataset 2 using (1) the hemiskeleton method of Sontag, (2) the hemiskeleton method of Elgenmark, (3) the hand/wrist atlas of Greulich and Pyle, and (4) the knee atlas of Pyle and Hoerr. For validation, we selected lower-extremity radiographs of 114 normal infants with no suspicion of abuse. Readers measured the fibulas and also estimated bone ages using the knee atlas. Bone age estimates from the proposed method were compared to the other methods. The proposed method outperformed all other methods in accuracy and reproducibility. Its accuracy was similar for the testing and validating datasets, with root-mean-square error of 36 days and 37 days; mean absolute error of 28 days and 31 days; and error variability of 22 days and 20 days, respectively. This study provides strong support for an infant bone age estimation technique based on fibular shaft length as a more accurate alternative to conventional methods. (orig.)

  7. Investigation on demagnetization of Nd2Fe14B permanent magnets induced by irradiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhefu; Jia, Yanyan; Liu, Renduo; Xu, Yuhai; Wang, Guanghong; Xia, Xiaobin

    2017-12-01

    Nd2Fe14B is an important component of insertion devices, which are used in synchrotron radiation sources, and could be demagnetized by irradiation. In the present study, the Monte Carlo code FLUKA was used to analyze the irradiation field of Nd2Fe14B, and it was confirmed that the main demagnetization particle was neutron. Nd2Fe14B permanent magnet samples were irradiated by Ar ions at different doses to simulate neutron irradiation damage. The hysteresis loops were measured using a vibrating sample magnetometer, and the microstructure evolutions were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, the relationship between them was discussed. The results indicate that the decrease in saturated magnetization is caused by the changes in microstructure. The evolution of single crystals into an amorphous structure is the reason for the demagnetization phenomenon of Nd2Fe14B permanent magnets when considering its microscopic structure.

  8. Inelastic neutron scattering studies on the 3d-4f heterometallic single-molecule magnet Mn{sub 2}Nd{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nehrkorn, Joscha; Milazzo, Ruggero; Stuiber, Stefan; Waldmann, Oliver [Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet Freiburg (Germany); Akhtar, Muhammad Nadeem; Lan, Yanhua; Powell, Annie K. [Institut fuer Anorganische Chemie, Universitaet Karlsruhe, KIT (Germany); Mutka, Hannu [Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble (France)

    2011-07-01

    The discovery of slow relaxation and quantum tunneling of the magnetization in Mn{sub 1}2ac more than 15 years ago has inspired both physicists and chemists alike. This class of molecules, now called single-molecule magnets (SMMs), has very recently been expanded to heterometallic clusters incorporating transition metal and rare earth ions. The 4f ions were chosen because of their large angular momentum and magnetic anisotropy. Inelastic neutron scattering experiments were performed on the time-of-flight disk-chopper spectrometer IN5 at ILL on the SMM Mn{sub 2}Nd{sub 2}. A magnetic model was developed which perfectly describes all data, including the magnetic data. It was found that neither the large anisotropy nor the large angular momentum of the Nd{sup I}II ions is the main reason for the SMM behavior in this molecule. Our analysis of the data indicates that it is the weak coupling of the Nd{sup I}II ions to the Mn{sup I}II ions, usually considered as a drawback of rare earth ions, which enhances the relaxation time and therefore leads to SMM behavior.

  9. 2nd International Conference on Emerging Trends in Electrical, Communication and Information Technologies

    CERN Document Server

    Kumar, Amit; Sankar, V; Rao, N; Sarma, T

    2017-01-01

    This book includes the original, peer-reviewed research from the 2nd International Conference on Emerging Trends in Electrical, Communication and Information Technologies (ICECIT 2015), held in December, 2015 at Srinivasa Ramanujan Institute of Technology, Ananthapuramu, Andhra Pradesh, India. It covers the latest research trends or developments in areas of Electrical Engineering, Electronic and Communication Engineering, and Computer Science and Information.

  10. Hydrazinium lanthanide oxalates: synthesis, structure and thermal reactivity of N2H5[Ln2(C2O4)4(N2H5)]·4H2O, Ln = Ce, Nd.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Almeida, Lucie; Grandjean, Stéphane; Rivenet, Murielle; Patisson, Fabrice; Abraham, Francis

    2014-03-28

    New hydrazinium lanthanide oxalates N2H5[Ln2(C2O4)4(N2H5)]·4H2O, Ln = Ce (Ce-HyOx) and Nd (Nd-HyOx), were synthesized by hydrothermal reaction at 150 °C between lanthanide nitrate, oxalic acid and hydrazine solutions. The structure of the Nd compound was determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data, space group P2₁/c with a = 16.315(4), b = 12.127(3), c = 11.430(2) Å, β = 116.638(4)°, V = 2021.4(7) Å(3), Z = 4, and R1 = 0.0313 for 4231 independent reflections. Two distinct neodymium polyhedra are formed, NdO9 and NdO8N, an oxygen of one monodentate oxalate in the former being replaced by a nitrogen atom of a coordinated hydrazinium ion in the latter. The infrared absorption band at 1005 cm(-1) confirms the coordination of N2H5(+) to the metal. These polyhedra are connected through μ2 and μ3 oxalate ions to form an anionic three-dimensional neodymium-oxalate arrangement. A non-coordinated charge-compensating hydrazinium ion occupies, with water molecules, the resulting tunnels. The N-N stretching frequencies of the infrared spectra demonstrate the existence of the two types of hydrazine ions. Thermal reactivity of these hydrazinium oxalates and of the mixed isotypic Ce/Nd (CeNd-HyOx) oxalate were studied by using thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses coupled with gas analyzers, and high temperature X-ray diffraction. Under air, fine particles of CeO2 and Ce(0.5)Nd(0.5)O(1.75) are formed at low temperature from Ce-HyOx and CeNd-HyOx, respectively, thanks to a decomposition/oxidation process. Under argon flow, dioxymonocyanamides Ln2O2CN2 are formed.

  11. Nd3-xBixFe4GaO12 (x = 2, 2.5 films on glass substrates prepared by MOD method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshida T.

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available We studied Nd3-XBiXFe4GaO12 films to obtain perpendicular magnetic anisotropy as well as large Faraday effect. NdBi2Fe4GaO12 (Bi2:NIGG and Nd0.5Bi2.5Fe4GaO12 (Bi2.5:NIGG films were obtained on Nd2BiFe4GaO12 (Bi1:NIGG layer prepared on glass substrates by metal-organic decomposition (MOD method. Bi2:NIGG and Bi2.5:NIGG films showed large Faraday rotation angles of 7.5 and 10.5 degree/µm, at a wavelength of 520 nm, respectively. Those films have perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with a coercivity of 350 Oe and a saturation magnetic field of 730 Oe.

  12. The effects of Nd2O3 concentration in the laser emission of TeO2-ZnO glasses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreira, L. M.; Anjos, V.; Bell, M. J. V.; Ramos, C. A. R.; Kassab, L. R. P.; Doualan, D. J. L.; Camy, P.; Moncorgé, R.

    2016-08-01

    The present work reports the modification introduced by different Nd2O3 concentration on optical properties and the laser operation of Nd3+ doped (TeO2-ZnO) bulk tellurite glass. The spectroscopic data are analyzed within the Judd Ofelt formalism framework and the results are compared to the fluorescence lifetime and emission measurements to derive values for the quantum efficiency and the stimulated emission cross section of the considered 4F3/2 → 4I11/2 infrared laser transition around 1062.5 nm. Continuous-wave laser action is achieved with this bulk tellurite glass by pumping the sample inside a standard plan-concave mirror laser cavity with different output couplers. It is possible to observe coherent emission only for the lower concentration (0.5%(wt.) of Nd2 O3). Also laser action could only be observed for this sample with threshold pump power of 73 mW associated with a laser slope efficiency of 8% for an output coupler transmission of 4% indicating that TeO2-ZnO are potential materials for laser action. The results presented in this work together with those previously reported with higher concentration (1.0% (wt) of Nd2O3) determine the adequate Nd2O3 concentration for laser action and guide the correct experimental procedure for TeO2-ZnO glasses preparation.

  13. A Zero-Dimensional Model of a 2nd Generation Planar SOFC Using Calibrated Parameters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Thomas Frank

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents a zero-dimensional mathematical model of a planar 2nd generation co-flow SOFC developed for simulation of power systems. The model accounts for the electrochemical oxidation of hydrogen as well as the methane reforming reaction and the water-gas shift reaction. An important part...... SOFC-based power systems....

  14. Influence of additional weight on the frequency of kicks in infants with Down syndrome and infants with typical development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriela L. Santos

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Infants with Down syndrome present with organic and neurological changes that may lead to a delay in the acquisition of motor skills such as kicking, a fundamental skill that is a precursor of gait and is influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Therefore, this movement should be taken into account in early physical therapy interventions in infants. OBJECTIVE: To analyze and to compare the effect of additional weight on the frequency of kicks in infants with Down syndrome and infants with typical development at 3 and 4 months of age. METHOD: Five infants with Down syndrome and five with typical development at 3 and 4 months of age were filmed. The experiment was divided into four experimental conditions lasting 1 minute each: training, baseline, weight (addition of ankle weight with 1/3 the weight of the lower limb, and post-weight. RESULTS: There were significant differences between groups for all variables (p<0.05, with lower frequencies observed for infants with Down syndrome in all variables. There were significant differences between the experimental conditions baseline and post-weight (p<0.001 for both groups in the frequency of contact and success, with a higher frequency in the post-weight condition. CONCLUSIONS: The weight acted as an important stimulus for both groups, directing the kicks toward the target and improving the infants' performance in the task through repetition, however, the infants with Down syndrome had lower frequencies of kicks.

  15. Fluctuation kinetics of fluorescence hopping quenching in the Nd3+:Y2O3 spherical nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orlovskii, Yu.V.; Popov, A.V.; Platonov, V.V.; Fedorenko, S.G.; Sildos, I.; Osipov, V.V.

    2013-01-01

    We study the peculiarities of energy transfer kinetics from the 4 F 3/2 laser level in the Nd 3+ doped Y 2 O 3 spherical nanoparticles of monoclinic phase synthesized by laser ablation of solid targets with subsequent recondensation in flow of air at atmospheric pressure comparing to the similar bulk crystal. We show that the fluorescence quenching in the nanoparticles is determined by two processes depending on Nd 3+ concentration and the degree of dehydration. At concentrations less than 1% the fluorescence quenching is mainly determined by direct (static) quenching by vibrations of OH − molecular groups associated with oxygen vacancies. At concentrations greater than 1 at % quenching is due to energy migration over neodymium ions, followed by the Nd 3+ –OH − quenching. In the latter case, the first time in a solid-state impurity laser medium we observe non-stationary kinetics on the entire length of a time-dependent luminescence quenching, starting from static decay and ending with fluctuation kinetics of fluorescence hopping quenching. -- Highlights: ► We prepare monoclinic Nd 3+ :Y 2 O 3 spherical NPs of mean D=12 nm by laser ablation of solid targets. ► We detect the fluorescence quenching of Nd 3+ the 4 F 3/2 level by vibrations of OH – molecular groups. ► We find that at 0.1% of Nd 3+ the process of static quenching by vibrations of OH – dominates. ► We find that Nd 3+ –Nd 3+ energy migration accelerates the Nd 3+ –OH − quenching at 1% of Nd 3+ . ► We detect non-stationary quenching kinetics ending with fluctuation stage of hopping quenching

  16. Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of NdFeB Films through Nd Surface Diffusion Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenfeng Liu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta films were deposited by magnetron sputtering on Si (100 substrates and subsequently annealed for 30 min at 923 K in vacuum. It was found that the microstructure and magnetic properties of Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta films strongly depend on the NdFeB layer thickness. With NdFeB layer thickness increasing, both the grain size and the strain firstly reduce and then increase. When NdFeB layer thickness is 750 nm, the strain reaches the minimum value. Meanwhile, both the in-plane and perpendicular coercivities firstly drastically increase and then slowly decrease with NdFeB layer thickness increasing. The highest in-plane and perpendicular coercivities can be obtained at NdFeB layer thickness of 750 nm, which are 21.2 kOe and 19.5 kOe, respectively. In addition, the high remanence ratio (remanent magnetization/saturation magnetization of 0.87 can also be achieved in Ta/Nd/NdFeB (750 nm/Nd/Ta film.

  17. Can very early music interventions promote at-risk infants' development?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Virtala, Paula; Partanen, Eino

    2018-04-30

    Music and musical activities are often a natural part of parenting. As accumulating evidence shows, music can promote auditory and language development in infancy and early childhood. It may even help to support auditory and language skills in infants whose development is compromised by heritable conditions, like the reading deficit dyslexia, or by environmental factors, such as premature birth. For example, infants born to dyslexic parents can have atypical brain responses to speech sounds and subsequent challenges in language development. Children born very preterm, in turn, have an increased likelihood of sensory, cognitive, and motor deficits. To ameliorate these deficits, we have developed early interventions focusing on music. Preliminary results of our ongoing longitudinal studies suggest that music making and parental singing promote infants' early language development and auditory neural processing. Together with previous findings in the field, the present studies highlight the role of active, social music making in supporting auditory and language development in at-risk children and infants. Once completed, the studies will illuminate both risk and protective factors in development and offer a comprehensive model of understanding the promises of music activities in promoting positive developmental outcomes during the first years of life. © 2018 The Authors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of The New York Academy of Sciences.

  18. Infants' statistical learning: 2- and 5-month-olds' segmentation of continuous visual sequences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slone, Lauren Krogh; Johnson, Scott P

    2015-05-01

    Past research suggests that infants have powerful statistical learning abilities; however, studies of infants' visual statistical learning offer differing accounts of the developmental trajectory of and constraints on this learning. To elucidate this issue, the current study tested the hypothesis that young infants' segmentation of visual sequences depends on redundant statistical cues to segmentation. A sample of 20 2-month-olds and 20 5-month-olds observed a continuous sequence of looming shapes in which unit boundaries were defined by both transitional probability and co-occurrence frequency. Following habituation, only 5-month-olds showed evidence of statistically segmenting the sequence, looking longer to a statistically improbable shape pair than to a probable pair. These results reaffirm the power of statistical learning in infants as young as 5 months but also suggest considerable development of statistical segmentation ability between 2 and 5 months of age. Moreover, the results do not support the idea that infants' ability to segment visual sequences based on transitional probabilities and/or co-occurrence frequencies is functional at the onset of visual experience, as has been suggested previously. Rather, this type of statistical segmentation appears to be constrained by the developmental state of the learner. Factors contributing to the development of statistical segmentation ability during early infancy, including memory and attention, are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Hydrazinium lanthanide oxalates: synthesis, structure and thermal reactivity of N_2H_5[Ln_2(C_2O_4)_4(N_2H_5)].4H_2O, Ln = Ce, Nd

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Almeida, Lucie; Grandjean, Stephane; Abraham, Francis; Rivenet, Murielle; Patisson, Fabrice

    2014-01-01

    New hydrazinium lanthanide oxalates N_2H_5[Ln_2(C_2O_4)_4(N_2H_5)].4H_2O, Ln = Ce (Ce-H_yO_x) and Nd (Nd- H_yO_x), were synthesized by hydrothermal reaction at 150 C between lanthanide nitrate, oxalic acid and hydrazine solutions. The structure of the Nd compound was determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data, space group P2_1/c with a = 16.315(4), b = 12.127(3), c = 11.430(2) Angstroms, β = 116.638(4) degrees, V = 2021.4(7) Angstroems"3, Z = 4, and R1 = 0.0313 for 4231 independent reflections. Two distinct neodymium polyhedra are formed, NdO_9 and NdO_8N, an oxygen of one monodentate oxalate in the former being replaced by a nitrogen atom of a coordinated hydrazinium ion in the latter. The infrared absorption band at 1005 cm"-"1 confirms the coordination of N_2H_5"+ to the metal. These polyhedra are connected through μ"2 and μ"3 oxalate ions to form an anionic three-dimensional neodymium-oxalate arrangement. A non-coordinated charge-compensating hydrazinium ion occupies, with water molecules, the resulting tunnels. The N-N stretching frequencies of the infrared spectra demonstrate the existence of the two types of hydrazine ions. Thermal reactivity of these hydrazinium oxalates and of the mixed isotypic Ce/Nd (CeNd-H_yO_x) oxalate were studied by using thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses coupled with gas analyzers, and high temperature X-ray diffraction. Under air, fine particles of CeO_2 and Ce_0_._5Nd_0_._5O_1_._7_5 are formed at low temperature from Ce-H_yO_x and CeNd-H_yO_x, respectively, thanks to a decomposition/oxidation process. Under argon flow, dioxy-mono-cyanamides Ln_2O_2CN_2 are formed. (authors)

  20. Comparison of skin-to-skin (kangaroo) and traditional care: parenting outcomes and preterm infant development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feldman, Ruth; Eidelman, Arthur I; Sirota, Lea; Weller, Aron

    2002-07-01

    To examine whether the kangaroo care (KC) intervention in premature infants affects parent-child interactions and infant development. Seventy-three preterm infants who received KC in the neonatal intensive care unit were matched with 73 control infants who received standard incubator care for birth weight, gestational age (GA), medical severity, and demographics. At 37 weeks' GA, mother-infant interaction, maternal depression, and mother perceptions were examined. At 3 months' corrected age, infant temperament, maternal and paternal sensitivity, and the home environment (with the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment [HOME]) were observed. At 6 months' corrected age, cognitive development was measured with the Bayley-II and mother-infant interaction was filmed. Seven clusters of outcomes were examined at 3 time periods: at 37 weeks' GA, mother-infant interaction and maternal perceptions; at 3-month, HOME mothers, HOME fathers, and infant temperament; at 6 months, cognitive development and mother-infant interaction. After KC, interactions were more positive at 37 weeks' GA: mothers showed more positive affect, touch, and adaptation to infant cues, and infants showed more alertness and less gaze aversion. Mothers reported less depression and perceived infants as less abnormal. At 3 months, mothers and fathers of KC infants were more sensitive and provided a better home environment. At 6 months, KC mothers were more sensitive and infants scored higher on the Bayley Mental Developmental Index (KC: mean: 96.39; controls: mean: 91.81) and the Psychomotor Developmental Index (KC: mean: 85.47; controls: mean: 80.53). KC had a significant positive impact on the infant's perceptual-cognitive and motor development and on the parenting process. We speculate that KC has both a direct impact on infant development by contributing to neurophysiological organization and an indirect effect by improving parental mood, perceptions, and interactive behavior.

  1. Altered Amygdala Development and Fear Processing in Prematurely Born Infants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cismaru, Anca Liliana; Gui, Laura; Vasung, Lana; Lejeune, Fleur; Barisnikov, Koviljka; Truttmann, Anita; Borradori Tolsa, Cristina; Hüppi, Petra S.

    2016-01-01

    Context: Prematurely born children have a high risk of developmental and behavioral disabilities. Cerebral abnormalities at term age have been clearly linked with later behavior alterations, but existing studies did not focus on the amygdala. Moreover, studies of early amygdala development after premature birth in humans are scarce. Objective: To compare amygdala volumes in very preterm infants at term equivalent age (TEA) and term born infants, and to relate premature infants’ amygdala volumes with their performance on the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery (Lab-TAB) fear episode at 12 months. Participants: Eighty one infants born between 2008 and 2014 at the University Hospitals of Geneva and Lausanne, taking part in longitudinal and functional imaging studies, who had undergone a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan at TEA enabling manual amygdala delineation. Outcomes: Amygdala volumes assessed by manual segmentation of MRI scans; volumes of cortical and subcortical gray matter, white matter and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) automatically segmented in 66 infants; scores for the Lab-TAB fear episode for 42 premature infants at 12 months. Results: Amygdala volumes were smaller in preterm infants at TEA than term infants (mean difference 138.03 mm3, p amygdala volumes were larger than left amygdala volumes (mean difference 36.88 mm3, p Amygdala volumes showed significant correlation with the intensity of the escape response to a fearsome toy (rs = 0.38, p = 0.013), and were larger in infants showing an escape response compared to the infants showing no escape response (mean difference 120.97 mm3, p = 0.005). Amygdala volumes were not significantly correlated with the intensity of facial fear, distress vocalizations, bodily fear and positive motor activity in the fear episode. Conclusion: Our results indicate that premature birth is associated with a reduction in amygdala volumes and white matter volumes at TEA, suggesting that altered amygdala development

  2. 2nd symposium on materials research 1991. Papers and posters. Vol. 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vierkorn-Rudolph, B.; Lillack, D.; Clar, H.J.

    1991-01-01

    With the '2nd symposium on materials research' the technological status of the Federal Republic was to be documented and balanced in the area of the new materials. Through overview lectures and subject-related lectures, results of fundamental research up to practical material developments are introduced. In the first volume, the polymers and metals topic circles are discussed; in the second volume, the ceramic materials, composites as well as the measurement technology, the testing method and analysis engineering; and in the third volume thin film technology and tribology. This was followed by a poster presentation (286 posters) on the subject of ceramic materials, powder metallurgy, high temperature and special materials, composites and new polymers. (MM) [de

  3. Growth, motor, and social development in breast- and formula-fed infants of metformin-treated women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glueck, Charles J; Salehi, Marzieh; Sieve, Luann; Wang, Ping

    2006-05-01

    To test the hypothesis that metformin during lactation versus formula feeding would have no adverse effects on infants' growth, motor-social development, or intercurrent illness. Growth, motor-social development, and illness requiring a pediatrician visit were assessed in 61 nursing infants (21 male, 40 female) and 50 formula-fed infants (19 male, 31 female) born to 92 mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) taking a median of 2.55 g metformin per day throughout pregnancy and lactation. Within sex, at 3 and 6 months of age, weight, height, and motor-social development did not differ (p > or = .06) between breast- and formula-fed infants. No infants had retardation of growth, motor, or social development. Intercurrent illnesses did not differ. Metformin during lactation appears to be safe and effective in the first 6 months of infancy.

  4. Motor Development of Premature Infants Born between 32 and 34 Weeks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. A. Prins

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Little is known about motor development in late preterm born infants. Our objective was to determine long-term outcome of motor skills of infants born between 32 and 34 weeks. All infants were assessed at corrected ages of 3 and 9 months, using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale. At corrected ages of 4 years, the Movement Assessment Battery for Children was done. Seventy infants were seen at 4 years of age (median of 3 assessments per infant. Abnormal assessment at 3 or 9 months of age resulted in normal outcome in almost 80% at 4 years. On the other hand, a normal outcome in the first year of life resulted in an abnormal outcome at 4 years in 10% of the infants. Our results suggest that long-term followup of these late preterm born infants is necessary, as the assessments in the first year do not predict the long-term outcome.

  5. Accelerated development of object permanence in Down's syndrome infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasnak, C F; Pasnak, R

    1987-01-01

    Six infants with Down's syndrome, aged 3-19 months, were taught to solve object permanence problems. The instruction took place in the infants' homes and in a child development centre, and was conducted both by parents and by a child psychologist. Object permanence tasks ranging over stages 3-6 of the sensorimotor period of intelligence were utilized in the intervention, which lasted for up to 8 months. The infants were able to progress rather rapidly on these tasks. When the instruction was terminated most had mastered multiple visible displacements, which index the fifth stage of sensorimotor intelligence.

  6. Structural refinement of Nd[Fe(CN)6].4H2O and study of NdFeO3 obtained by its oxidative thermal decomposition at very low temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Navarro, M. Carolina; Pannunzio-Miner, Elisa V.; Pagola, Silvina; Gomez, M. Ines; Carbonio, Raul E.

    2005-01-01

    The crystal structure of Nd[Fe(CN) 6 ].4H 2 O has been refined by Rietveld analysis using high resolution synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction data. It belonged to the orthorhombic crystal system, Cmcm space group, with cell parameters: a=7.473952(1)A, b=12.919104(2)A and c=13.800549(2)A. The change in space group from P6 3 /m which is observed in the pentahydrates (LnFe(CN) 6 .5H 2 O) to Cmcm in the tetrahydrates has been analyzed to be a consequence of the change in 9-fold coordination of Nd 3+ in the pentahydrates to 8-fold coordination in the tetrahydrates, which changes the Nd 3+ environment from tricapped trigonal prism to a distorted tricapped trigonal prism or square antiprism. Its decomposition process in air to produce NdFeO 3 has been followed by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis, IR spectroscopy and laboratory powder XRD. We found that it is possible to synthesize crystalline NdFeO 3 at temperatures as low as 380 o C and refine the structure of single phase crystalline NdFeO 3 synthesized by this method at 600 deg. C

  7. Relation between Nd2Fe14B grain alignment and coercive force decrease ratio in NdFeB sintered magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuura, Yutaka; Hoshijima, Jun; Ishii, Rintaro

    2013-01-01

    It was found that the coercive force of NdFeB sintered magnets decreases as the Nd 2 Fe 14 B grain alignment improves. Because of this phenomenon, studies looked at the relation between this alignment and the coercive force decrease ratio. In experiments, it was expected that the coercive force of perfectly aligned magnet reached 0.7 of coercive force in istotropically aligned magnet. When it is postulated that the coercive force is determined by the Stoner–Wohlfarth model, coercive force increases as the alignment improves and it becomes difficult to explain our experimental data. On the other hand, when the coercive force is determined by magnetic domain wall motion, the coercive force decreases as the alignment improves and the coercive force of the perfectly aligned magnet reaches 1/√(2) of the isotropically aligned magnet. This tendency and value was very close to our data. It strongly suggests that the coercive force of NdFeB sintered magnets is determined by the domain wall motion. - Highlights: ► Coercive force of NdFeB sintered magnets decreases as grains alignment improves. ► Coercive force decrease ratio reaches −30% at the perfect aligned magnet. ►These experimental results are different from the Stoner–Wohlfarth model. ► The magnetic domain wall motion could explain this coercive force decrease ratio

  8. Heterogeneity of Rotavirus Vaccine Efficacy Among Infants in Developing Countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruber, Joann F; Hille, Darcy A; Liu, G Frank; Kaplan, Susan S; Nelson, Micki; Goveia, Michelle G; Mast, T Christopher

    2017-01-01

    Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrhea worldwide in young children. Although rotavirus vaccine efficacy is high in developed countries, efficacy is lower in developing countries. Here, we investigated heterogeneity of rotavirus vaccine efficacy by infant characteristics in developing countries. An exploratory, post hoc analysis was conducted using randomized controlled trial data of the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5) conducted in Africa and Asia (NCT00362648). Infants received either 3 doses of vaccine/placebo and were followed for up to 2 years. Within subgroups, vaccine efficacies and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) against rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) were estimated using Poisson regression. We assessed heterogeneity of efficacy by age at first dose, gender, breastfeeding status and nutrition status. African children receiving the first dose at efficacy (23.7%; 95% CI: -8.2%-46.3%) than those vaccinated at ≥8 weeks (59.1%; 95% CI: 34.0%-74.6%). Marginally statistically significant differences were observed by age at first dose, gender and underweight status in Ghana and gender in Asian countries. Heterogeneity of efficacy was observed for age at first dose in African countries. This was an exploratory analysis; additional studies are needed to validate these results.

  9. [Role of rhythmicity in infant development].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciccone, A

    2015-09-01

    This article deals with rhythm in the experiences of infants, focusing in particular on the function of rhythmicity in the baby's sense of being and its continuity. Infants are inevitably subjected to experiences of discontinuity. These experiences are necessary to development, but they expose the child to chaotic experiences when a basic rhythmicity is not ensured. The rhythmicity of childcare experiences gives the illusion of permanence and enables anticipation. This nourishes the basic feeling of security and supports the development of thought. Interactive and intersubjective exchanges must be rhythmic and must be in keeping with the rhythm of the baby, who needs to withdraw regularly from the interaction to internalize the experience of the exchange. Without this retreat, the interaction is over-stimulating and prevents internalization. Object presence/ absence must also be rhythmic, to enable the infant to keep the object alive inside him/ herself. Observation of babies has demonstrated their ability to manage experiences of discontinuity: they are able to sustain a continuous link via their gaze, look for clues indicating the presence of a lost object, search for support in sensations, and fabricate rhythmicity to remain open to the self and the world. The author gives some examples of infant observations that provide evidence of these capacities. One observation shows how a baby defends itself against a discontinuity by actively maintaining a link via his/her gaze. Another example shows an infant holding on to "hard sensations" in order to stay away from "soft" ones, which represent the fragility of the separation experience. This example pertains to a seven-month-old's prelanguage and "prosodic tonicity". The author takes this opportunity to propose the notion of "psychic bisensuality" to describe these two sensation poles, which must be harmoniously articulated to guarantee an inner sense of security. Such repairs of discontinuity are only possible if the

  10. Crystallographic orientation analysis in HDDR process of anisotropic Nd-Fe-B magnet powders

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takizawa, Rina, E-mail: 3ES15002M@s.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Department of Applied Science for Electronics and Materials, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasugakoen, Kasuga 816-8580 (Japan); Itakura, Masaru [Department of Applied Science for Electronics and Materials, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasugakoen, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan); Katayama, Nobuhiro; Morimoto, Koichiro [R& D Division, Toda Kogyo Corp., 1-4 Meijishinkai, Otake, Hiroshima 739-0652 (Japan)

    2017-07-01

    Highlights: • Over 70% of the Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B grains after the HDDR process are aligned within 30°. • The c-axis alignment of Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B slightly deteriorates by the Nd-rich phase formation. • α-Fe grains possess a uniaxial and 〈1 1 3〉 oriented texture in the decomposed stage. • α-Fe is most likely to induce the texture development of recombined Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B. - Abstract: Microstructural changes and crystallographic orientation information in the hydrogenation-decomposition-desorption-recombination (HDDR) process of Nd-Fe-B alloy were investigated using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and precession electron diffraction (PED) in order to understand the mechanism of anisotropy inducement in the HDDR process. Recombined Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B grains were found to nucleate at the interfaces between NdH{sub 2} and α-Fe grains and to have a [0 0 1]-oriented texture from the beginning of the recombination reaction. The Fe grains form with alignment of one of the 〈1 1 3〉 directions at decomposed stage. This suggests that α-Fe most likely induces texture development of recombined Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B.

  11. 2nd International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Systems and Informatics

    CERN Document Server

    Shaalan, Khaled; Gaber, Tarek; Azar, Ahmad; Tolba, M

    2017-01-01

    This book gathers the proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Systems and Informatics (AISI2016), which took place in Cairo, Egypt during October 24–26, 2016. This international interdisciplinary conference, which highlighted essential research and developments in the field of informatics and intelligent systems, was organized by the Scientific Research Group in Egypt (SRGE) and sponsored by the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (Egypt chapter) and the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (Egypt Chapter). The book’s content is divided into four main sections: Intelligent Language Processing, Intelligent Systems, Intelligent Robotics Systems, and Informatics.

  12. Crystal-field energy level analysis for Nd3+ ions at the low symmetry C1 site in [Nd(hfa)4(H2O)](N(C2H5)4) single crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mech, Agnieszka; Gajek, Zbigniew; Karbowiak, Miroslaw; Rudowicz, Czeslaw

    2008-01-01

    Optical absorption measurements of Nd 3+ ions in single crystals of [Nd(hfa) 4 (H 2 O)](N(C 2 H 5 ) 4 ) (hfa = hexafluoroacetyloacetonate), denoted Nd(hfa) for short, have been carried out at 4.2 and 298 K. This compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system (space group P 2 1 /n). Each Nd ion is coordinated to eight oxygen atoms that originate from the hexafluoroacetylacetonate ligands and one oxygen atom from the water molecule. A total of 85 experimental crystal-field (CF) energy levels arising from the Nd 3+ (4f 3 ) electronic configuration were identified in the optical spectra and assigned. A three-step CF analysis was carried out in terms of a parametric Hamiltonian for the actual C 1 symmetry at the Nd 3+ ion sites. In the first step, a total of 27 CF parameters (CFPs) in the Wybourne notation B kq , admissible by group theory, were determined in a preliminary fitting constrained by the angular overlap model predictions. The resulting CFP set was reduced to 24 specific independent CFPs using appropriate standardization transformations. Optimizations of the second-rank CFPs and extended scanning of the parameter space were employed in the second step to improve reliability of the CFP sets, which is rather a difficult task in the case of no site symmetry. Finally, seven free-ion parameters and 24 CFPs were freely varied, yielding an rms deviation between the calculated energy levels and the 85 observed ones of 11.1 cm -1 . Our approach also allows prediction of the energy levels of Nd 3+ ions that are hidden in the spectral range overlapping with strong ligand absorption, which is essential for understanding the inter-ionic energy transfer. The orientation of the axis system associated with the fitted CF parameters w.r.t. the crystallographic axes is established. The procedure adopted in our calculations may be considered as a general framework for analysis of CF levels of lanthanide ions at low (triclinic) symmetry sites

  13. Crystal-field energy level analysis for Nd(3+) ions at the low symmetry C(1) site in [Nd(hfa)(4)(H(2)O)](N(C(2)H(5))(4)) single crystals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mech, Agnieszka; Gajek, Zbigniew; Karbowiak, Mirosław; Rudowicz, Czesław

    2008-09-24

    Optical absorption measurements of Nd(3+) ions in single crystals of [Nd(hfa)(4)(H(2)O)](N(C(2)H(5))(4)) (hfa = hexafluoroacetyloacetonate), denoted Nd(hfa) for short, have been carried out at 4.2 and 298 K. This compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system (space group P 2(1)/n). Each Nd ion is coordinated to eight oxygen atoms that originate from the hexafluoroacetylacetonate ligands and one oxygen atom from the water molecule. A total of 85 experimental crystal-field (CF) energy levels arising from the Nd(3+) (4f(3)) electronic configuration were identified in the optical spectra and assigned. A three-step CF analysis was carried out in terms of a parametric Hamiltonian for the actual C(1) symmetry at the Nd(3+) ion sites. In the first step, a total of 27 CF parameters (CFPs) in the Wybourne notation B(kq), admissible by group theory, were determined in a preliminary fitting constrained by the angular overlap model predictions. The resulting CFP set was reduced to 24 specific independent CFPs using appropriate standardization transformations. Optimizations of the second-rank CFPs and extended scanning of the parameter space were employed in the second step to improve reliability of the CFP sets, which is rather a difficult task in the case of no site symmetry. Finally, seven free-ion parameters and 24 CFPs were freely varied, yielding an rms deviation between the calculated energy levels and the 85 observed ones of 11.1 cm(-1). Our approach also allows prediction of the energy levels of Nd(3+) ions that are hidden in the spectral range overlapping with strong ligand absorption, which is essential for understanding the inter-ionic energy transfer. The orientation of the axis system associated with the fitted CF parameters w.r.t. the crystallographic axes is established. The procedure adopted in our calculations may be considered as a general framework for analysis of CF levels of lanthanide ions at low (triclinic) symmetry sites.

  14. The Development of Coordinated Communication in Infants at Heightened Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parladé, Meaghan V.; Iverson, Jana M.

    2015-01-01

    This study evaluated the extent to which developmental change in coordination of social communication in early infancy differentiates children eventually diagnosed with ASD from those not likely to develop the disorder. A prospective longitudinal design was used to compare 9 infants at heightened risk for ASD (HR) later diagnosed with ASD, to 13 HR infants with language delay, 28 HR infants with no diagnosis, and 30 low risk infants. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) analyses revealed that ASD infants exhibited significantly slower growth in coordinations overall and in gestures coordinated with vocalizations, even relative to HR infants with language delay. Disruption in the development of gesture-vocalization coordinations may result in negative cascading effects that negatively impact later social and linguistic development. PMID:25689930

  15. Four-wave-mixing and nonlinear cavity dumping of 280 picosecond 2nd Stokes pulse at 1.3 μm from Nd:SrMoO4 self-Raman laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smetanin, S N; Ivleva, L I; Jelínek, M Jr; Kubeček, V; Jelínková, H; Shurygin, A S

    2016-01-01

    The 280 picosecond 2nd Stokes Raman pulses at 1.3 μm were generated directly from the miniature diode-pumped Nd:SrMoO 4 self-Raman laser. Using the 90° phase matching insensitive to the angular mismatch, the self-Raman laser allowed for the achievement of the four-wave-mixing generation of the 2nd Stokes Raman pulse directly in the active Nd:SrMoO 4 crystal at stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) self-conversion of the laser radiation. The passive Cr:YAG Q-switching and nonlinear cavity dumping was used without any phase locking device. (letter)

  16. Feature interpretability and the positions of 2nd person possessives in Brazilian Portuguese

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruna Karla Pereira

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Interpretability and valuation of φ-features (Chomsky, 2001; Pesetsky and Torrego, 2007 have played a central role in the investigation of language universals. With regard to that, in standard Brazilian Portuguese (BP, as well as in other Romance languages, possessives have uninterpretable number features, which are valued via nominal agreement. However, dialects of BP, especially the one spoken in Minas Gerais, have shown that 2nd person possessives, in postnominal position, do not have number agreement with the noun. In order to account for these facts, I will argue that, in this grammar, number features on 2nd person possessives are reanalyzed as being: (i associated with the person (rather than the noun and (ii interpretable. From the first postulation, ‘seu’ is expected to be the possessive for 2nd person singular, and ‘seus’ for 2nd person plural. From the second postulation, no number concord is expected to be triggered on the possessive. In addition, based on Danon (2011 and Norris (2014, I will argue that cardinals divide BP DPs into two domains in that phrases located above NumP are marked with the plural morpheme, while phrases below it are unmarked. In this sense, because prenominal possessives precede cardinals (NumP, they must be marked with the plural morpheme for nominal agreement; whereas postnominal possessives, which follow NumP, must be unmarked. Free from the plural marking associated with nominal agreement, postnominal 2nd person possessives favor the reanalysis of the morpheme ‘-s’ as indicating the number associated with person features.

  17. 2nd Developers@CERN Forum

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2016-01-01

    Are you a Python guru or would you like to learn?   The Developers@CERN Forum is an event by developers, for developers, aimed at promoting knowledge and experience sharing. This edition will take place at the IT Amphitheatre, on the 30th and 31st of May afternoons. It will consist of a series of short presentations and workshops. The topic for this conference will be Python at CERN: language, frameworks and tools. Have you got an idea for a presentation or workshop? Then, tell us about it (deadline on 9th of May). Registration will open in early May. Please subscribe to developers-forum-announce@cern.ch mailing list for further information. This event will be made by developers for developers. We are counting on your presence, but also on your contributions! To learn more about the initiative, read the CERN Bulletin article. Organization You can get in touch us at developers-forum-organizers@cern.ch.

  18. Geochemistry and Nd-isotope systematics of chemical and terrigenous sediments from the Dun Mountain Ophiolite, New Zealand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sivell, W.J.

    2002-01-01

    Two sedimentary associations closely related to temporally discrete ophiolitic magma suites occur within the Early Permian Dun Mountain Ophiolite Belt (DMOB), New Zealand. These are: (1) a suite of diverse chemical sediments and turbidite argillites (TA) that bear an intimate depositional relationship to early-formed pillow lavas (back-arc basin basalts); and (2) a younger, lithic-dominated, bimodal, coarse sandstone-ophiolitic rudite assemblage of proximal turbidite/mass-flow origin, rich in clasts of infant-arc magmas which comprise the bulk of the ophiolite. There are four groups of DMOB chemical sediments. Red hematitic chert (group 1) fills interstices between basalt pillows, and black nodular Fe-Mn deposits (group 2) occur along pillow lava/sediment interfaces. These facies are overlain by red mudstones (group 3), and mottled orange-olive brown mudstones (altered hyaloclastites; group 4). Geochemical features (including REE contents, Fe/Ti and transition ratios) indicate that the cherts reflect silica and metalliferous contributions to sea water, promoted by low-temperature hydrothermal alteration of glassy basalt, while group 4 muds represent residual components in halmyrolytically altered volcanic glass. Transition metal and REE enrichments in group 2 nodules (with high Ce/Ce*, Ni/Fe, and Cu/Fe ratios) reflect hydrogenous chemisorption to a hydothermal component (with high Ba and Sr). The nodules possess ε Nd (T) values (c. 0) identical to those calculated for Permian sea water. Group 3 red muds have lower ε Nd (T) = -1 to -2, and Nd model ages (T) Nd DM) that indicate contributions from continentally derived fluvial particulate fallout of mean Proterozoic age. For the nodules and red muds, strong negative correlations between Mn/Fe, Nd, Ce*/Ce, and ε Nd (T) are attributed to increasing diagenetic influence in the muds. ε Nd (T) values (c. +2) in group 4 muds are transitional toward higher values in their (hyaloclastite) basalt glass precursors

  19. Afs password expiration starts Feb 2nd 2004

    CERN Multimedia

    2004-01-01

    Due to security reasons, and in agreement with CERN management, afs/lxplus passwords will fall into line with Nice/Mail passwords on February 2nd and expire annually. As of the above date afs account holders who have not changed their passwords for over a year will have a 60 day grace period to make a change. Following this date their passwords will become invalid. What does this mean to you? If you have changed your afs password in the past 10 months the only difference is that 60 days before expiration you will receive a warning message. Similar warnings will also appear nearer the time of expiration. If you have not changed your password for more than 10 months, then, as of February 2nd you will have 60 days to change it using the command ‘kpasswd'. Help to choose a good password can be found at: http://security.web.cern.ch/security/passwords/ If you have been given a temporary password at any time by the Helpdesk or registration team this will automatically fall into the expiration category ...

  20. 2nd International Conference on Communication and Computer Engineering

    CERN Document Server

    Othman, Mohd; Othman, Mohd; Rahim, Yahaya; Pee, Naim

    2016-01-01

    This book covers diverse aspects of advanced computer and communication engineering, focusing specifically on industrial and manufacturing theory and applications of electronics, communications, computing and information technology. Experts in research, industry, and academia present the latest developments in technology, describe applications involving cutting-edge communication and computer systems, and explore likely future trends. In addition, a wealth of new algorithms that assist in solving computer and communication engineering problems are presented. The book is based on presentations given at ICOCOE 2015, the 2nd International Conference on Communication and Computer Engineering. It will appeal to a wide range of professionals in the field, including telecommunication engineers, computer engineers and scientists, researchers, academics and students.

  1. Development of Cr,Nd:GSGG laser as a pumping source of Ti:sapphire laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tamura, Koji; Arisawa, Takashi

    1999-08-01

    Since efficiency of Cr,Nd doped gadolinium scandium gallium garnet (GSGG) laser is in principle higher than that of Nd:YAG laser, it can be a highly efficient pumping source for Ti:sapphire laser. We have made GSGG laser, and measured its oscillation properties. It was two times more efficient than Nd:YAG laser at free running mode operation. At Q-switched mode operation, fundamental output of 50 mJ and second harmonics output of 8 mJ were obtained. The developed laser had appropriate spatial profile, temporal duration, long time stability for solid laser pumping. Ti:sapphire laser oscillation was achieved by the second harmonics of GSGG laser. (author)

  2. Synthesis of Nd3+doped TiO2 nanoparticles and Its Optical Behaviour

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ezhil Arasi S.

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Pure and Rare earth ion doped TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by Sol-gel method. The synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, UV–Vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence emission spectra. From the UV-visible measurement, the absorption edge of Nd3+-TiO2 was shifted to a higher wavelength side with decreasing band gap. Photoluminescence emission studies reveal the energy transfer mechanism of Nd3+ doped TiO2 nanoparticles explain.

  3. Proceedings of the 2nd Symposium on Laser Spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-11-01

    This proceedings contains articles of the 2nd Symposium on Laser Spectroscopy. It was held on Nov 3-4, 1994 in Taejeon, Korea. The main topics are as follows: Laser Isotope, Laser Spectroscopy, Laser Fusion, Laser Applications and so on. (Yi, J. H.)

  4. Magnetic excitations of Nd in Nd{sub 2-x}Ce{sub x}CuO{sub 4} (x=0,0.09,0.13)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Henggeler, W.; Furrer, A. [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland); Chattopadyay, T.; Roessli, B. [Institut Max von Laue - Paul Langevin, 75 - Paris (France); Vorderwisch, P. [Hahn-Meitner-Institut Berlin GmbH (Germany); Thalmeier, P. [MPI Dresden (Germany)

    1997-09-01

    We have studied the wave vector dependence of the magnetic excitation spectrum of Nd in Nd{sub 2-x}Ce{sub x}CuO{sub 4} (x=0,0.09,0.13) by inelastic neutron scattering experiments on single crystals. The results are analyzed with the help of model calculations which are performed in the context of the mean field random-phase approximation. This enables us to obtain direct information on the coupling constants between the rare earth ions. (author) 1 fig., 2 refs.

  5. Magnetic properties of ND Rich Melt-Spun ND-FE-B alloy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grujić Aleksandar

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available As a part of these experimental investigations of melt-spun Nd-Fe-B alloy with Nd rich content in relation to Nd2Fe14B prepared by rapid quenching process for optimally selected cooling rate and heat treatment, the influence of the chosen chemical composition on magnetic properties was observed. The results of X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy phase analysis and magnetic measurement of investigated melt-spun Nd14.5Fe78.5B7 alloy are presented to bring some new information concerning the relation between their structure and magnetic properties.

  6. [Association between types of need, human development index, and infant mortality in Mexico, 2008].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medina-Gómez, Oswaldo Sinoe; López-Arellano, Oliva

    2011-08-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the association between different types of economic and social deprivation and infant mortality rates reported in 2008 in Mexico. We conducted an ecological study analyzing the correlation and relative risk between the human development index and levels of social and economic differences in State and national infant mortality rates. There was a strong correlation between higher human development and lower infant mortality. Low schooling and poor housing and crowding were associated with higher infant mortality. Although infant mortality has declined dramatically in Mexico over the last 28 years, the decrease has not been homogeneous, and there are persistent inequalities that determine mortality rates in relation to different poverty levels. Programs with a multidisciplinary approach are needed to decrease infant mortality rates through comprehensive individual and family development.

  7. Focused attention, heart rate deceleration, and cognitive development in preterm and full-term infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrie Thomas, Julianne H; Whitfield, Michael F; Oberlander, Tim F; Synnes, Anne R; Grunau, Ruth E

    2012-05-01

    The majority of children who are born very preterm escape major impairment, yet more subtle cognitive and attention problems are very common in this population. Previous research has linked infant focused attention during exploratory play to later cognition in children born full-term and preterm. Infant focused attention can be indexed by sustained decreases in heart rate (HR). However there are no preterm studies that have jointly examined infant behavioral attention and concurrent HR response during exploratory play in relation to developing cognition. We recruited preterm infants free from neonatal conditions associated with major adverse outcomes, and further excluded infants with developmental delay (Bayley Mental Development Index [MDI attention and concurrent HR response were compared in 83 preterm infants (born 23-32 weeks gestational age [GA]) who escaped major impairment to 46 full-term infants. Focused attention and HR response were then examined in relation to Bayley MDI, after adjusting for neonatal risk. MDI did not differ by group, yet full-term infants displayed higher global focused attention ratings. Among the extremely preterm infants born attention episodes, accounted for 49% of adjusted variance in predicting concurrent MDI. There were no significant associations for later-born gestational age (29-32 weeks) or full-term infants. Among extremely preterm infants who escape major impairment, our findings suggest unique relationships between focused attention, HR deceleration, and developing cognition. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Nd Fe{sub 10} Mo{sub 2} alloys production through reduction-diffusion for nitrogenation; Obtencao de ligas NdFe{sub 10}Mo{sub 2} por reducao-difusao para posterior nitrogenacao

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guilherme, Eneida da G. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Rechenberg, Hercilio R. [Sao Paulo Univ., SP (Brazil). Inst. de Fisica

    1996-12-31

    In this work we have examined the effect of various processing variables on the Nd Fe{sub 10} Mo{sub 2} phase formation by reduction-diffusion calciothermic process (R D C). The best results were obtained for 4 hours treatment at 950 deg C with 40% excess content Nd Cl{sub 3} and 50% excess content of Ca, for alloy Nd Fe{sub 10.5} Mo{sub 1.5}. Preliminary nitrogen absorption experiments have been done, without any further powder size reduction at temperatures between 300 and 350 deg C. (author) 9 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

  9. Variations in neutrophil count in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome who subsequently developed chronic lung disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohelet, D; Arbel, E; Ballin, A; Goldberg, M

    2000-01-01

    Neutrophil counts were studied in 62 preterm infants receiving mechanical ventilation for neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS). Exploratory analysis indicated that the severity of NRDS, as demonstrated by fractional inspired oxygen (FiO2), mean airway pressure (MAP), arterial-alveolar PO2 ratio (a/APO2) and oxygenation index (OI), was correlated with percentage change of neutrophil counts during the first 5 days of life. Further analysis demonstrated that infants with NRDS who subsequently developed chronic lung disease (CLD) (n = 21) had statistically significant differences in variation of neutrophil counts when compared with the remainder (n = 41) without CLD (-35.0% +/- 4.3 vs. -16.9% +/- 5.8, p variations in neutrophil counts during the first 5 days of life may be found in infants with NRDS who subsequently develop CLD and that these changes may have predictive value regarding the development of CLD.

  10. Motor Testing at 1 Year Improves the Prediction of Motor and Mental Outcome at 2 Years after Perinatal Hypoxic-Ischaemic Encephalopathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Schie, Petra Em; Becher, Jules G.; Dallmeijer, Annet J.; Barkhof, Frederik; van Weissenbruch, Mirjam M.; Vermeulen, R. Jeroen

    2010-01-01

    Aim: To investigate the predictive value of motor testing at 1 year for motor and mental outcome at 2 years after perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) in term neonates. Method: Motor and mental outcome at 2 years was assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd edition (BSID-II) in 32 surviving children (20 males, 12…

  11. Effects of Clozapine and other Atypical Antipsychotics on Infants Development Who Were Exposed to as Fetus: A Post-Hoc Analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ping Shao

    Full Text Available To investigate the developmental effects of clozapine and other atypical antipsychotics on infants who were exposed to as fetus.The developmental progress of 33 infants who were exposed to clozapine as fetus was compared to 30 infants who were exposed to risperidone, olanzapine or quetiapine as fetus by assessing Apgar scoring, birth weight at birth, body weight, height, and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III at months 2, 6 and 12 of age. Five subscale scores of BSID-III including cognitive, language, motor, social-emotional, and adaptive behavior were also compared. Student's t test and Chi-square analysis were used as appropriate. Repeated measurements were evaluated by analysis of covariance.Of the 63 infants, 58 (92.1% completed a 12-month study period. At the age of 2 and 6 months, mean adaptive behavior scores of BSID-III were significantly lower in clozapine-exposed infants than infants who exposed to other atypical antipsychotic at 2 and 6 months of age. More clozapine-exposed infants had delayed development (defined as the subscale score of <85 for adaptive behavior at 2 and 6 months of age. There was no difference between the two groups for cognitive, language, motor, social and emotional at 2, 6 and 12 months of age. More infants who were exposed to clozapine as fetus (25 of 33, 75.8% had disturbed sleep and a labile state than those who were exposed to other atypical antipsychotics (8 of 30, 26.7% during 2 months of age (P<0.001.These results suggest that clozapine has more adaptive behavior effects on infants who were exposed to as a fetus than other atypical antipsychotics at 2 and 6 months of age.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01479400.

  12. [Malnutrition and cognitive development if infants in rural marginalized areas in Mexico].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrasco Quintero, María Del Refugio; Ortiz Hernández, Luis; Roldán Amaro, José Antonio; Chávez Villasana, Adolfo

    2016-01-01

    To analyze the relationship between nutritional status measured by anthropometry and the mental, psychomotor and language development of infants in marginalized rural areas of Mexico. Cross-sectional study with 576 infants aged from 7 to 26 months in four rural locations. Variables consisted of measures of anthropometric and cognitive development. Infants with short stature had a lower rate of language development, while birth weight was marginally associated with psychomotor development. Although acute malnutrition (identified by underweight) is no longer a problem in rural areas of Mexico, chronic malnutrition (expressed as stunting) is still common and is associated with alterations in mental development in the child population. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  13. Shared Principles of Ethics for Infant and Young Child Nutrition in the Developing World

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daar Abdallah S

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The defining event in the area of infant feeding is the aggressive marketing of infant formula in the developing world by transnational companies in the 1970s. This practice shattered the trust of the global health community in the private sector, culminated in a global boycott of Nestle products and has extended to distrust of all commercial efforts to improve infant and young child nutrition. The lack of trust is a key barrier along the critical path to optimal infant and young child nutrition in the developing world. Discussion To begin to bridge this gap in trust, we developed a set of shared principles based on the following ideals: Integrity; Solidarity; Justice; Equality; Partnership, cooperation, coordination, and communication; Responsible Activity; Sustainability; Transparency; Private enterprise and scale-up; and Fair trading and consumer choice. We hope these principles can serve as a platform on which various parties in the in the infant and young child nutrition arena, can begin a process of authentic trust-building that will ultimately result in coordinated efforts amongst parties. Summary A set of shared principles of ethics for infant and young child nutrition in the developing world could catalyze the scale-up of low cost, high quality, complementary foods for infants and young children, and eventually contribute to the eradication of infant and child malnutrition in the developing world.

  14. Influence of Father-Infant Relationship on Infant Development: A Father-Involvement Intervention in Vietnam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rempel, Lynn A.; Rempel, John K.; Khuc, Toan Nang; Vui, Le Thi

    2017-01-01

    We examined the extent to which fathers can be taught and encouraged to develop positive relationships with their children, especially in infancy, and the effects of this fathering intervention on infant development. A multifaceted relationally focused intervention was used to assist fathers in Vietnam to engage in responsive direct and indirect…

  15. Crystal-field energy level analysis for Nd3+ ions at the low symmetry C1 site in [Nd(hfa)4(H2O)](N(C2H5)4) single crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mech, Agnieszka; Gajek, Zbigniew; Karbowiak, Mirosław; Rudowicz, Czesław

    2008-09-01

    Optical absorption measurements of Nd3+ ions in single crystals of [Nd(hfa)4(H2O)](N(C2H5)4) (hfa = hexafluoroacetyloacetonate), denoted Nd(hfa) for short, have been carried out at 4.2 and 298 K. This compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system (space group P 21/n). Each Nd ion is coordinated to eight oxygen atoms that originate from the hexafluoroacetylacetonate ligands and one oxygen atom from the water molecule. A total of 85 experimental crystal-field (CF) energy levels arising from the Nd3+ (4f3) electronic configuration were identified in the optical spectra and assigned. A three-step CF analysis was carried out in terms of a parametric Hamiltonian for the actual C1 symmetry at the Nd3+ ion sites. In the first step, a total of 27 CF parameters (CFPs) in the Wybourne notation Bkq, admissible by group theory, were determined in a preliminary fitting constrained by the angular overlap model predictions. The resulting CFP set was reduced to 24 specific independent CFPs using appropriate standardization transformations. Optimizations of the second-rank CFPs and extended scanning of the parameter space were employed in the second step to improve reliability of the CFP sets, which is rather a difficult task in the case of no site symmetry. Finally, seven free-ion parameters and 24 CFPs were freely varied, yielding an rms deviation between the calculated energy levels and the 85 observed ones of 11.1 cm-1. Our approach also allows prediction of the energy levels of Nd3+ ions that are hidden in the spectral range overlapping with strong ligand absorption, which is essential for understanding the inter-ionic energy transfer. The orientation of the axis system associated with the fitted CF parameters w.r.t. the crystallographic axes is established. The procedure adopted in our calculations may be considered as a general framework for analysis of CF levels of lanthanide ions at low (triclinic) symmetry sites.

  16. Development, Construct Validity, and Reliability of the Questionnaire on Infant Feeding: A Tool for Measuring Contemporary Infant-Feeding Behaviors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Sullivan, Elizabeth J; Rasmussen, Kathleen M

    2017-12-01

    The breastfeeding surveillance tool in the United States, the National Immunization Survey, considers the maternal-infant dyad to be breastfeeding for as long as the infant consumes human milk (HM). However, many infants consume at least some HM from a bottle, which can lead to health outcomes different from those for at-the-breast feeding. Our aim was to develop a construct-valid questionnaire that categorizes infants by nutrition source, that is, own mother's HM, another mother's HM, infant formula, or other and feeding mode, that is, at the breast or from a bottle, and test the reliability of this questionnaire. The Questionnaire on Infant Feeding was developed through a literature review and modified based on qualitative research. Construct validity was assessed through cognitive interviews and a test-retest reliability study was conducted among mothers who completed the questionnaire twice, 1 month apart. Cognitive interviews were conducted with ten mothers from upstate New York between September and December 2014. A test-retest reliability study was conducted among 44 mothers from across the United States between March and May 2015. Equivalence of questions with continuous responses about the timing of starting and stopping various behaviors and the agreement between responses to questions with categorical responses on the two questionnaires completed 1 month apart. Reliability was assessed using paired-equivalence tests for questions about the timing of starting and stopping behaviors and weighted Cohen's κ for questions about the frequency and intensity of behaviors. Reliability of the Questionnaire on Infant Feeding was moderately high among mothers of infants aged 19 to 35 months, with most questions about the timing of starting and stopping behaviors equivalent to within 1 month. Weighted Cohen's κ for categorical questions indicated substantial agreement. The Questionnaire on Infant Feeding is a construct-valid tool to measure duration, intensity

  17. Preoperative clinical radioimmunodetection of pancreatic cancer by 111In-labeled chimeric monoclonal antibody Nd2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sawada, Tetsuji; Nishihara, Tamahiro; Yamamoto, Atsushi

    1999-01-01

    The present study was carried out with the purpose of evaluating the clinical usefulness of radioimmunodetection (RAID) with 111 In-labeled murine/human chimeric monoclonal antibody, Nd2 (c-Nd2) in patients with pancreatic cancer. Nineteen patients suspected to have pancreatic cancer were administered intravenously 74 MBq/2 mg 111 In-labeled c-Nd2 in 100 ml of saline containing 2% albumin over 30 min. A scintigram was obtained on the 3rd day after infusion by using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. Of the 14 patients finally diagnosed as having pancreatic cancer on the basis of surgical specimens or progress of disease, specific focal uptake at the site of the tumor was detected in 12 (true positive cases), representing a sensitivity of 85.7% (12/14), and liver metastasis was found in one case with metastasis. Of the 5 patients diagnosed with tumor-forming pancreatitis (TFP), 4 patients demonstrated true negative imaging, but one patient whose tumor demonstrated interesting findings in histology and immunostaining, showed false positive imaging. Of patients investigated for human anti-chimeric antibody (HACA) response, none showed HACA response, and no allergic reaction was seen in any of the patients administered c-Nd2. These results suggest that RAID with 111 In-labeled c-Nd2 is useful for differential preoperative diagnosis between invasive pancreatic cancer and TFP. (author)

  18. Food irradiation - 2nd all-German conference. Proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walz, E.; Ehlermann, D.A.E.

    1993-01-01

    The 2nd conference on 'Food Irradiation' in re-united Germany took place in Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen at the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Centre, 9th to 10th December 1992. Participants came from government investigating agencies and research institutions of the German Federal Government and the Federal States. Abstracts focus on issues of food laws and certification of irradiation treatment. (UHE) [de

  19. Dispersion Relations for Magnetic Excitons in NdAl2

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Houmann, Jens Christian Gylden; Bak, P.; Purwins, H. -G.

    1974-01-01

    The magnetic excitation spectrum in NdAl2 has been measured by means of inelastic neutron scattering at 5.3K for momentum transfer in the (110) direction. Several excitation branches are observed and discussed in terms of a hamiltonian including an isotropic Heisenberg exchange interaction...

  20. Soft and hard natures of Nd2Fe14B permanent magnet explored by first-order-reversal-curves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Po-An; Yang, Chao-Yao; Chang, Shu-Jui; Lee, Min-Han; Tang, Nai-Kuang; Yen, Sheng-Chan; Tseng, Yuan-Chieh

    2014-01-01

    Two commercial Nd 2 Fe 14 B samples, MQP-B and sintered-NdFeB were investigated using synchrotron-based x-ray diffraction and first-order-reversal-curves (FORCs). Despite differing in magnetic and structural properties, the two samples were found to comprise two major ferromagnetic components in FORCs. For the sintered-NdFeB case, the soft component may originate from the intrinsically soft Nd-f site which was coupled with its local Fe atomic environment that differs in magnetic anisotropy from the Nd-g site (intrinsically hard). It may directly originate from the Nd-rich phase or microstructural imperfection, while the former possibility (Nd-f site) appears greater than the latter. While for the MQP-B, the minor second phase resulting from high structural disorder was likely in charge of the presence of the soft component. Sophisticated FORCs analyses revealed the natures of the soft and hard components, soft–hard coupling and switching reversibility of the two cases, irrespective of the origins of their two components. This provides insights to the origin of magnetic stability and reversal dynamics of Nd 2 Fe 14 B that have not been fully understood by conventional magnetic analyses. The coexistence of the two components led to an incoherent reversal undermining the magnetic stability of Nd 2 Fe 14 B. This is a fundamental problem as to why the performance extremity can only be improved finitely through extrinsic tuning. From FORCs simulation we understand that the soft–hard coupling was moderate in a real Nd 2 Fe 14 B compound. A stronger soft–hard coupling is necessary to conquer the anisotropic competition to enable a coherent reversal that will promote the magnetic hardness. - Highlights: • We investigated two commercially available Nd 2 Fe 14 B compounds with FORCs. • The two compounds were found to comprise soft and hard natures. • The coupling between the soft and hard phases is moderate in a real Nd 2 Fe 14 B

  1. BaO-Nd2O3-CuOx subsolidus equilibria under carbonate-free conditions at pO2=100 Pa and at pO2=21 kPa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong-Ng, W.; Cook, L.P.; Suh, J.; Coutts, R.; Stalick, J.K.; Levin, I.; Huang, Q.

    2003-01-01

    Subsolidus phase equilibria of the BaO-Nd 2 O 3 -CuO x system at pO 2 =100 Pa (0.1% O 2 volume fraction, 810 deg. C) and at pO 2 =21 kPa (21% O 2 volume fraction, 930 deg. C) have been investigated by applying controlled-atmosphere methods to minimize the presence of carbonate and CO 2 and H 2 O contamination. Under carbonate-free conditions, the BaO-Nd 2 O 3 -CuO x phase diagrams at pO 2 =100 Pa and at pO 2 =21 kPa are similar to one another except for differences in the extent of the solid solutions. Apart from the limiting binary phases, the ternary system consists of three solid solutions and one stoichiometric ternary compound. The first solid solution is the high T c series, Ba 2-x Nd 1+x Cu 3 O 6+z (0.3≥x≥0 at pO 2 =100 Pa; 0.95≥x≥ 0 at pO 2 =21 kPa). At pO 2 =21 kPa, a compositionally dependent phase change was detected, from tetragonal (0.7>x≥0) to orthorhombic (0.95≥x≥0.7). The second solid solution series, the 'brown-phase' Ba 1+x Nd 2-x CuO z , has a narrow homogeneity region (0.10>x≥0 at pO 2 =100 Pa; 0.15>x≥0 at pO 2 =21 kPa). In the high BaO part of the phase diagram, a third solid solution (Ba 2-x Nd x )CuO 3+z (x=0 to ∼ 0.3 at pO 2 =100 Pa; x=0-0.45 at pO 2 =21 kPa) was confirmed, as well as a nominally stoichiometric phase, Ba 4 Nd 2 Cu 2 O z . The latter phase is an insulator, with a structure comprised of unusual CuO 5 linear chains. A significant difference in tie line distribution involving the Ba 2-x Nd 1+x Cu 3 O 6+z superconductor was found under carbonate-free conditions relative to literature studies completed in air. Instead of the BaCuO 2+x -Ba 2+x Nd 4-x Cu 2 O z tie line normally encountered in air, a Ba 2-x Nd 1+x Cu 3 O 6+z -(Ba,Nd) 2 CuO 3+x tie line was established. This tie line substantially expands the field of stability of the Ba 2-x Nd 1+x Cu 3 O 6+z superconductor phase into the BaO-rich region of the phase diagram. Implications for the processing of materials based on the Ba 2-x Nd 1+x Cu 3 O 6+z

  2. BIPHASIC TREATMENT OF 2ND CLASS ANGLE ANOMALIES

    OpenAIRE

    C. Romanec; R. Stanciu; Anca Telmecea; Valentina Dorobat

    2011-01-01

    Our approach aims at presenting, based on clinical observations and complementary examinations, the effects of a treatment’s setting up during the mixed dentition period. The objectives include the identification of the optimal time of treatment of II/1, II/2 Angle malocclusions, as well as the therapeutic possibilities for the treatment of 2nd class Angle malocclusion during the period of mixed and permanent dentition. The study is based on data collected from 114 cli...

  3. Using Typical Infant Development to Inform Music Therapy with Children with Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wheeler, Barbara L.; Stultz, Sylvia

    2008-01-01

    This article illustrates some ways in which observations of typically-developing infants can inform music therapy and other work with children with disabilities. The research project that is described examines typical infant development with special attention to musical relatedness and communication. Videotapes of sessions centering on musical…

  4. Nd{sub 2±x}Zr{sub 2∓x}O{sub 7±x/2} (−0.2≤x≤0.4) complex oxides: Effect of anion disorder on ionic conductivity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anithakumari, P., E-mail: anithakumari21-02@yahoo.co.in; Grover, V.; Tyagi, A. K. [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India-400085 (India)

    2016-05-23

    In the present work, a series of Nd{sub 2±x}Zr{sub 2∓x}O{sub 7±x/2} (−0.2≤x≤0.4) was prepared by self assisted gel-combution method followed by high temperature sintering at 1673 K. Thorough structural characterizations were done by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic techniques. The nominal compositions Nd{sub 1.6}Zr{sub 2.4}O{sub 7.2} and Nd{sub 1.8}Zr{sub 2.2}O{sub 7.1} were found to possess single-phasic pyrochlore structure whereas Nd{sub 2.0}Zr{sub 2.0}O{sub 7} and Nd{sub 2.2}Zr{sub 1.8}O{sub 6.9} consisted of a pyrochlore phase and a small amount of hexagonal Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} as an impurity phase. Electrical behavior of the samples was examined by AC impedance analysis. Even though the activation energies of all the samples are not very different, a high pre-exponential factor for the Nd{sub 1.6}Zr{sub 2.4}O{sub 7.2} composition resulted in high ionic conductivity (3.37 × 10{sup −3} Scm{sup −1} at 773 K). This high ionic conductivity value makes it a superior candidate as an electrolyte material for SOFC applications.

  5. Nd3+-doped TeO2-Bi2O3-ZnO transparent glass ceramics for laser application at 1.06 μm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Xiaolin; Luo, Zhiwei; Liu, Taoyong; Lu, Anxian

    2017-04-01

    The high crystallinity transparent glass ceramics based on Nd3+-doped 70TeO2-15Bi2O3-15ZnO (TBZ) compositions were successfully prepared by two-step heat treatment process. The effects of Nd2O3 content on the thermal, structural, mechanical, and optical properties of TBZ glass ceramics were studied. The incorporation of Nd2O3 enhanced the crystallization tendency in the matrix glass composition. The crystal phase and morphology of Bi2Te4O11 in the glass ceramics were confirmed by X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Due to precipitate more crystal phase, the hardness values increased from 3.21 to 3.66 GPa. Eight absorption peaks were observed from 400 to 900 nm and three emission bands appeared in the range of 850-1400 nm. With the increasing of Nd2O3 content from 0.5 to 2.5 wt%, the intensity of absorption peaks enhanced and the emission intensity increased up to 1.0 wt% and then fell down for further dopant concentration. The fluorescence decay lifetime decreased rapidly starting from 1.5 wt% Nd2O3 content due to the obvious energy migration among Nd3+. According to the extreme strong emission band around 1062 nm and the optimum Nd2O3 content (1.0 wt%), N10 glass ceramic was considered as a potential material for 1.06 μm laser applications.

  6. A quantitative measure of myelination development in infants, using MR images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carmody, Dennis P.; Dunn, Stanley M.; Boddie-Willis, Akiza S.; DeMarco, J. Kevin; Lewis, Michael

    2004-01-01

    The objective of this study was to measure myelination of frontal lobe changes in infants and young children. Twenty-four cases of infants and children (age range 12-121 months) were evaluated by a quantitative assessment of T2-weighted MR image features. Reliable quantitative changes between white and gray matter correlated with developmental age in a group of children with no neurological findings. Myelination appears to be an increasing exponential function with the greatest rate of change occurring over the first 3 years of life. The quantitative changes observed were in accordance with previous qualitative judgments of myelination development. Children with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) showed delays in achieving levels of myelination when compared to normal children and adjusted for chronological age. The quantitative measure of myelination development may prove to be useful in assessing the stages of development and helpful in the quantitative descriptions of white matter disorders such as PVL. (orig.)

  7. A quantitative measure of myelination development in infants, using MR images

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carmody, Dennis P. [Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ (United States); Dunn, Stanley M.; Boddie-Willis, Akiza S. [The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers, New Brunswick, NJ (United States); DeMarco, J. Kevin [Laurie Imaging Center, New Brunswick, NJ (United States); Lewis, Michael [Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ (United States); Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Institute for the Study of Child Development, New Brunswick (United States)

    2004-09-01

    The objective of this study was to measure myelination of frontal lobe changes in infants and young children. Twenty-four cases of infants and children (age range 12-121 months) were evaluated by a quantitative assessment of T2-weighted MR image features. Reliable quantitative changes between white and gray matter correlated with developmental age in a group of children with no neurological findings. Myelination appears to be an increasing exponential function with the greatest rate of change occurring over the first 3 years of life. The quantitative changes observed were in accordance with previous qualitative judgments of myelination development. Children with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) showed delays in achieving levels of myelination when compared to normal children and adjusted for chronological age. The quantitative measure of myelination development may prove to be useful in assessing the stages of development and helpful in the quantitative descriptions of white matter disorders such as PVL. (orig.)

  8. Preface: 2nd Workshop on the State of the Art in Nuclear Cluster Physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Descouvemont, P.; Dufour, M.; Sparenberg, J.-M.

    2011-01-01

    The 2nd workshop on the "State of the Art in Nuclear Cluster Physics" (SOTANCP2) took place on May 25-28, 2010, at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles (Brussels, Belgium). The first workshop of this series was held in Strasbourg (France) in 2008. The purpose of SOTANCP2 was to promote the exchange of ideas and to discuss new developments in Clustering Phenomena in Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Astrophysics both from a theoretical and from an experimental point of view

  9. 2nd Colombian Congress on Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

    CERN Document Server

    Cristancho, Marco; Isaza, Gustavo; Pinzón, Andrés; Rodríguez, Juan

    2014-01-01

    This volume compiles accepted contributions for the 2nd Edition of the Colombian Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Congress CCBCOL, after a rigorous review process in which 54 papers were accepted for publication from 119 submitted contributions. Bioinformatics and Computational Biology are areas of knowledge that have emerged due to advances that have taken place in the Biological Sciences and its integration with Information Sciences. The expansion of projects involving the study of genomes has led the way in the production of vast amounts of sequence data which needs to be organized, analyzed and stored to understand phenomena associated with living organisms related to their evolution, behavior in different ecosystems, and the development of applications that can be derived from this analysis.  .

  10. Prognosis of psychomotor and mental development in premature infants by early cranial ultrasound.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Yang; Sun, Fu-qiang; Li, Yue-qin; Que, Sheng-shun; Yang, Su-yan; Xu, Wen-jing; Yu, Wen-hong; Chen, Jun-hua; Lu, Ya-jie; Li, Xin

    2015-04-09

    It is of high incidence of brain injuries in premature infants, so it is necessary to diagnose and treat the brain injury early for neonatal clinical practice. We are aimed to investigate the relationship between early postnatal cranial ultrasonography and psychomotor and mental development in prematrue infants at the age of 12 months. Two-hundred and eight premature infants were selected and underwent follow-up from January, 2007 to November, 2012. Cranial ultrasonography was performed on them. The developmental outcomes of these premature infants at the age of 12 months were assessed by the psychomotor developmental index (PDI) scale and mental development index (MDI). The relationship between ultrasonic gray-scale value and PDI and MDI was analyzed. The worse prognosis for psychomotor and mental development was associated with the gestational age, Apgar score(1 min), gender, chorioamnionitis, duration of mechanical ventilation and duration of mechanic ventilation. The differences between the prognosis of psychomotor and mental development, and peri-intraventricular hemorrhage (PIVH) and periventricular white matter damage (PWMD), were statistically significant (Ppsychomotor development and mental development (Ppsychomotor and mental development for premature infants. The higher grade of PIVH and PWMD was associated with the worse prognosis of psychomotor and mental development.

  11. Development of the quality of reaching in infants with cerebral palsy : a kinematic study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boxum, Anke G; La Bastide-Van Gemert, Sacha; Dijkstra, Linze-Jaap; Hamer, Elisa G; Hielkema, Tjitske; Reinders-Messelink, Heleen A; Hadders-Algra, Mijna

    2017-01-01

    AIM: To assess development of reaching and head stability in infants at very high risk (VHR-infants) of cerebral palsy (CP) who did and did not develop CP. METHOD: This explorative longitudinal study assessed the kinematics of reaching and head sway in sitting in 37 VHR-infants (18 CP) one to four

  12. Development of Infants' Attention to Faces during the First Year

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frank, Michael C.; Vul, Edward; Johnson, Scott P.

    2009-01-01

    In simple tests of preference, infants as young as newborns prefer faces and face-like stimuli over distractors. Little is known, however, about the development of attention to faces in complex scenes. We recorded eye-movements of 3-, 6-, and 9-month-old infants and adults during free-viewing of clips from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (an animated…

  13. Tractography of the corticospinal tracts in infants with focal perinatal injury: comparison with normal controls and to motor development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roze, Elise; Harris, Polly A.; Ball, Gareth; Braga, Rodrigo M.; Allsop, Joanna M.; Counsell, Serena J.; Elorza, Leire Zubiaurre; Merchant, Nazakat; Arichi, Tomoki; Edwards, A.D.; Cowan, Frances M.; Porter, Emma; Rutherford, Mary A.

    2012-01-01

    Our aims were to (1) assess the corticospinal tracts (CSTs) in infants with focal injury and healthy term controls using probabilistic tractography and (2) to correlate the conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and tractography findings in infants with focal injury with their later motor function. We studied 20 infants with focal lesions and 23 controls using MRI and diffusion tensor imaging. Tract volume, fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values, axial diffusivity and radial diffusivity (RD) of the CSTs were determined. Asymmetry indices (AIs) were calculated by comparing ipsilateral to contralateral CSTs. Motor outcome was assessed using a standardized neurological examination. Conventional MRI was able to predict normal motor development (n = 9) or hemiplegia (n = 6). In children who developed a mild motor asymmetry (n = 5), conventional MRI predicted a hemiplegia in two and normal motor development in three infants. The AIs for tract volume, FA, ADC and RD showed a significant difference between controls and infants who developed a hemiplegia, and RD also showed a significant difference in AI between controls and infants who developed a mild asymmetry. Conventional MRI was able to predict subsequent normal motor development or hemiplegia following focal injury in newborn infants. Measures of RD obtained from diffusion tractography may offer additional information for predicting a subsequent asymmetry in motor function. (orig.)

  14. Early brain enlargement and elevated extra-axial fluid in infants who develop autism spectrum disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Mark D; Nordahl, Christine W; Young, Gregory S; Wootton-Gorges, Sandra L; Lee, Aaron; Liston, Sarah E; Harrington, Kayla R; Ozonoff, Sally; Amaral, David G

    2013-09-01

    resonance imaging study to prospectively evaluate brain growth trajectories from infancy in children who develop autism spectrum disorder. The presence of excessive extra-axial fluid detected as early as 6 months and the lack of resolution by 24 months is a hitherto unreported brain anomaly in infants who later develop autism spectrum disorder. This is also the first magnetic resonance imaging evidence of brain enlargement in autism before age 2. These findings raise the potential for the use of structural magnetic resonance imaging to aid in the early detection of children at risk for autism spectrum disorder or other neurodevelopmental disorders.

  15. Mutation of mtDNA ND1 Gene in 20 Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients of Gorontalonese and Javanese Ethnicity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    AMIEN RAMADHAN ISHAK

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Mitochondrial gene mutation plays a role in the development of type two diabetes mellitus (T2DM. A point mutation in the mitochondrial gene Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase 1 (mtDNA ND1 gene mainly reported as the most common mutation related to T2DM. However, several studies have identified another SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the RNA region of mtDNA from patients from specific ethnic populations in Indonesia. Building on those findings, this study aimed to use PCR and DNA sequencing technology to identify nucleotides in RNA and ND1 fragment from 20 Gorontalonese and 20 Javanese T2DM patients, that may trigger T2DM expression. The results showed successful amplification of RNA along 294 bp for all samples. From these samples, we found two types of point mutation in Javanese patients in the G3316A and T3200C points of the rRNA and ND1 gene. In samples taken from Gorontalonese patients, no mutation were found in the RNA or ND1 region. We conclude that T2DM was triggered differently in our two populations. While genetic mutation is implicated for the 20 Javanese patients, T2DM pathogenesis in the Gorontalonese patients must be traced to other genetic, environmental, or behavioral factors.

  16. Thermodynamic optimization of the Cu-Nd system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Peisheng; Zhou Liangcai; Du Yong; Xu Honghui; Liu Shuhong; Chen Li; Ouyang Yifang

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → The enthalpies of formation of the compounds Cu 6 Nd, Cu 5 Nd, Cu 2 Nd and αCuNd were calculated using DFT. → The thermodynamic constraints to eliminate the artificial phase relations were imposed during the thermodynamic optimization procedure. → The Cu-Nd system was optimized under the thermodynamic constraints. - Abstract: The thermodynamic constraints to eliminate artificial phase relations were introduced with the Cu-Nd system as an example. The enthalpies of formation of the compounds Cu 6 Nd, Cu 5 Nd, Cu 2 Nd and αCuNd are calculated using density functional theory. Taking into account all the experimental data and the first-principles calculated enthalpies of formation of these compounds, the thermodynamic optimization of the Cu-Nd system was performed under the proposed thermodynamic constraints. It is demonstrated that the thermodynamic constraints are critical to obtain a set of thermodynamic parameters for the Cu-Nd system, which can avoid the appearance of all the artificial phase relations.

  17. Crystal structures and phase transformation of deuterated lithium imide, Li2ND

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balogh, Michael P.; Jones, Camille Y.; Herbst, J.F.; Hector, Louis G.; Kundrat, Matthew

    2006-01-01

    We have investigated the crystal structure of deuterated lithium imide, Li 2 ND, by means of neutron and X-ray diffraction. An order-disorder transition occurs near 360K. Below that temperature Li 2 ND can be described to the same level of accuracy as a disordered cubic (Fd3-bar m) structure with partially occupied Li 32e sites or as a fully occupied orthorhombic (Ima2 or Imm2) structure. The high temperature phase is best characterized as disordered cubic (Fm3-bar m) with D atoms randomized over the 192l sites. Density functional theory calculations complement and support the diffraction analyses. We compare our findings in detail with previous studies

  18. Magnetic and structural properties of the Nd2(Fe100-xNbx)14B system prepared by arc melting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oyola Lozano, D.; Zamora, L. E.; Perez Alcazar, G. A.; Rojas, Y. A.; Bustos, H.; Greneche, J. M.

    2006-01-01

    In this work the magnetic and structural properties are investigated by Moessbauer spectrometry, Vibrating Sample Magnetometry and X-ray diffraction of Nd 2 (Fe 100-x Nb x ) 14 B powdered alloys with x = 0, 2 and 4 prepared by arc melting. The Moessbauer spectra of the samples were fitted with several contributions from: Nd 2 Fe 14 B, α-Fe and a paramagnetic phase associated with Nd 1.1 Fe 4 B 4 for x = 0 and additionally from NbFeB and Nd 2 Fe 17 for x = 2 and x = 4. The relative fractions of α-Fe and Nd 2 Fe 14 B are smaller for x = 4 than for x = 0, indicating that the amount of these two phases is reduced with increasing Nb content, while the relative fraction of Nd 2 Fe 17 increases. The α-Fe grain size slightly decreases while that of the Nd 2 Fe 14 B phase is increasing, when the Nb content increases. The hysteresis loops indicate that these samples behave as hard ferromagnets, with a coercive field which decreases when the Nb content increases, but with rather low remanent magnetization.

  19. Mapping and industrial IT project to a 2nd semester design-build project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nyborg, Mads; Høgh, Stig

    2010-01-01

    CDIO means bringing the engineer's daily life and working practice into the educational system. In our opinion this is best done by selecting an appropriate project from industry. In this paper we describe how we have mapped an industrial IT project to a 2nd semester design-build project in the D......CDIO means bringing the engineer's daily life and working practice into the educational system. In our opinion this is best done by selecting an appropriate project from industry. In this paper we describe how we have mapped an industrial IT project to a 2nd semester design-build project...... in the Diploma IT program at the Technical University of Denmark. The system in question is a weighing system operating in a LAN environment. The system is used in the medical industry for producing tablets. We present the design of a curriculum to support the development of major components of the weighing...... system. A simple teaching model for software engineering is presented which combines technical disciplines with disciplines from section 2-4 in the CDIO syllabus. The implementation of a joint project involving several courses supports the CDIO perspective. Already the traditional IT-diploma education...

  20. Maternal Serum and Breast Milk Adiponectin: The Association with Infant Adiposity Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marhazlina Mohamad

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in Malaysia. Metabolic changes during pregnancy are critical to the development of infant adiposity, due to imbalanced adipokines production. Hence, we aimed to investigate the association of maternal serum and breast milk adipokines with infant adiposity development. The study was conducted from April 2010 until December 2012. A total of 155 healthy pregnant mothers aged 19 to 40 years were recruited during the first and second trimester in Kelantan, Malaysia. Data consisted of maternal sociodemographic details, anthropometry and clinical biochemistry analysis; and the infant’s anthropometry and feeding patterns. Maternal fasting serum and breast milk samples were analysed for adiponectin and leptin levels. Data collection was performed in the second and third trimester of pregnancy, and continued with follow-up visits at birth, two, six, and 12 months postpartum. Multiple linear regression (MLR analyses were performed to examine the associations between maternal serum and breast milk adiponectin and leptin and infant adiposity development. MLR models showed that, in the first year, as maternal serum and breast milk adiponectin increased, infant weight, BMI-for-age Z scores and abdominal circumference significantly decreased (p < 0.05. Maternal serum and/or breast milk adiponectin was associated with first-year infant adiposity development.

  1. A chiral mixed carboxylate, [Nd4(H2O)2(OOC(CH2)3COO)4(C2O4)2], exhibiting NLO properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vaidhyanathan, R.; Natarajan, Srinivasan; Rao, C.N.R.

    2004-01-01

    Reaction of a mixture of neodymium carbonate, HCl, oxamic acid and glutaric acid under hydrothermal conditions gives rise to a new mixed carboxylate of neodymium, [Nd 4 (H 2 O) 2 (OOC(CH 2 ) 3 COO) 4 (C 2 O 4 ) 2 ], I. The structure, determined using single crystal X-ray diffraction, comprises a helical column formed by the grafting of the oxalate unit on to helical NdO 9 chains, cross-linked by the glutarate anions. It is noteworthy that the pitch of the helix is equivalent to the length of the oxalate unit. Furthermore, I shows about 1.1 times the SHG activity of urea

  2. Evaluation of Nd-Loaded SnO2:F Films Coated via Spray Pyrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turgut, G.

    2018-07-01

    Thin layers of single (F)- and double (F/Nd)-incorporated tin oxide have been coated on glass substrate via spray pyrolysis. The structural, morphological, electrical, and optical features of F-incorporated samples were evaluated depending on the Nd loading. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that samples had tetragonal tin oxide structure with (211) and (200) preferential directions. The crystallite size and strain values varied from 37.98 nm and 1.21 × 10-3 to 52.12 nm and 1.88 × 10-3. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that the samples consisted of pyramidal, polyhedral, and needle-shaped granules. The lowest sheet resistance value of 1.22 Ω was found for 1.8 at.% Nd + 25 at.% F-coloaded SnO2. However, the widest optical bandgap of 4.01 eV was observed for the single 25 at.% F-loaded sample. The Urbach tail and figure of merit also changed in the ranges of 664 meV to 1296 meV and 6.4 × 10-2 Ω-1 to 2.3 × 10-3 Ω-1, respectively. The results presented herein indicate that the character of F-doped tin oxide films can be controlled by Nd loading and that these films could be useful for technological applications.

  3. An investigation about the improvement of Tc for the n-type superconductor Nd2-xCexCuO4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Cong; Liang Jingkui; Chen Xiaolong; Min Jinrong; Cheng Xiangrong; Zhuang Weidong; Rao Guanghui

    1994-01-01

    Nd 2-x Ce x CuO 4 (x = 0.12 to 0.18) with T onset = 17 to 26 K is synthesized from the nominal composition of Nd 2-x Ce x CuO 4 + nSrCuO 2 (+nCaCuO 2 ) (n = 1, 2) under standard conditions without high pressure treatment. The sintering temperature, atmosphere, and synthetic procedure are important for the superconductivity of Nd 2-x Ce x CuO 4 . It is difficult to build up n blocks of SrCuO 2 , CaCuO 2 , or CdCuO 2 on Nd 2-x Ce x CuO 4 so as to add CuO 2 layers. In addition, the crystal structure and electrical resistance of Nd 2-x Ce x CuO 4 are studied. (orig.)

  4. Interim obturator in an infant with Treacher Collins syndrome: Review and chairside modification in impression making

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sudhir Bhandari

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Treacher Collins syndrome has been described as a syndrome involving 1st and 2nd branchial arches, affecting various organs in the craniofacial region. Affected infants report with nasal regurgitation and minimal dietary intake due to cleft palate, consequently show delayed and retarded growth. The situation is further complicated when the repair of the palatal defect is postponed due to delayed milestones. At this juncture, it is of paramount importance to intervene prosthetically and close the defect with the aid of an interim obturator. Herein we describe a simple, yet successful, chairside approach to make an impression of an infant without the aid of any kind of anesthesia.

  5. Commensurability oscillations in NdBa2Cu3Oy single crystals

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Postfach 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany. 2Technical ... the vortices are placed between the CuO2 layers, but the energy necessary for the elastic ... Two Nd123 crystals from the same batch were investigated: FK, twinned, transition tem-.

  6. Isotopic effect in phase transitions of (NH4)2HPO4 and (ND4)2DPO4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diosa, J.E.; Coral, E.E.; Vargas, R.A.

    1996-01-01

    Specific heat and dielectric constant measurements at low frequency, have shown two transitions in the ionic systems (NH4)2HPO4 and (ND4)2DPO4 bellow 300 K. For (NH4)2HPO4, the transition are observed at 174 K and 246 K, while (ND4)2DPO4, they are observed at 147 K and 229 K. We have also found a shift of the transition temperatures to smaller values when the hydrogen is replaced by deuterium. The specific heat anomalies associated with these transitions are reversible in successive thermal cycles (heating and cooling) and we did not detect latent heat through them. Furthermore, we have detected anomalies in the dielectric constant in the same transition points. We have attributed these transition phases to reorientations of the tetrahedra of NH4 and ND4, so that the activation energy Ea for these process that we associated with the thermal energy KBTt required for the transition, is inversely related to the mass of the hydrogen isotope

  7. Associations between infant feeding practices and length, weight, and disease in developing countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin eYarnoff

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The health benefits of exclusive breastfeeding are well known, but the relative detrimental impacts of other foods on infant health are unknown. Because infants in developing countries are fed a wide range of food, quantifying the burden of these diverse feeding practices on infant health is essential for public health policy. We used data from the Demographic Health Survey from 20 developing countries over multiple years to examine the independent association of six different types of food (exclusive breastfeeding, nonexclusive breastfeeding, infant formula, milk liquids, non-milk liquids, and solid foods with five measures of infant health (length, weight, diarrhea, fever, and cough. We estimated associations with regression analysis, controlling for confounding factors with infant, mother, and household factors and community-year fixed effects. We used these estimates in a simulation model to quantify the burden of different combinations of food on infant health. We show that for an infant younger than 6 months old, following current guidelines and exclusively breastfeeding instead of giving the infant solid foods may increase length by 0.75 centimeters and weight by 0.25 kilograms and decrease diarrhea, fever, and cough prevalence by 8%, 12%, and 11%, respectively. We found that the burden on infant health of some feeding practices is less than others. Although all other feeding practices are associated with worse health outcomes than exclusive breastfeeding, breastfeeding supplemented with liquids has a lower burden on infant health than solid foods and infant formula has a lower burden than milk or nonmilk liquids as measured by four of five health metrics. Providing specific quantified burden estimates of these practices can help inform public health policy related to infant feeding practices.

  8. Thermodynamic Studies on NdFeO 3(s)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parida, S. C.; Dash, Smruti; Singh, Ziley; Prasad, R.; Jacob, K. T.; Venugopal, V.

    2002-02-01

    The enthalpy increments and the standard molar Gibbs energy of formation of NdFeO3(s) have been measured using a high-temperature Calvet microcalorimeter and a solid oxide galvanic cell, respectively. A λ-type transition, related to magnetic order-disorder transformation (antiferromagnetic to paramagnetic), is apparent from the heat capacity data at ∼687 K. Enthalpy increments, except in the vicinity of transition, can be represented by a polynomial expression: {H°m(T)-H°m(298.15 K)}/J·mol-1 (±0.7%)=-53625.6+146.0(T/K) +1.150×10-4(T/K)2 +3.007×106(T/K)-1; (298.15≤T/K ≤1000). The heat capacity, the first differential of {H°m(T)-H°m(298.15 K)} with respect to temperature, is given by Cop, m/J·K-1·mol-1=146.0+2.30×10-4(T/K)-3.007×106(T/K)-2. The reversible emf's of the cell, (-) Pt/{NdFeO3(s) +Nd2O3(s)+Fe(s)}//YDT/CSZ//{Fe(s)'FeO'(s)}/Pt(+), were measured in the temperature range from 1004 to 1208 K. It can be represented within experimental error by a linear equation: E/V:(0.1418±0.0003)-(3.890±0.023)×10-5(T/K). The Gibbs energy of formation of solid NdFeO3 calculated by the least-squares regression analysis of the data obtained in the present study, and data for Fe0.95O and Nd2O3 from the literature, is given by ΔfG°m(NdFeO3, s)/kJ·mol-1(±2.0)=-1345.9+0.2542(T/K); (1000≤T/K ≤1650). The error in ΔfG°m(NdFeO3, s, T) includes the standard deviation in emf and the uncertainty in the data taken from the literature. Values of ΔfH°m(NdFeO3, s, 298.15 K) and S°m(NdFeO3, s, 298.15 K) calculated by the second law method are -1362.5 (±6) kJ·mol-1 and 123.9 (±2.5) J·K-1·mol-1, respectively. Based on the thermodynamic information, an oxygen potential diagram for the system Nd-Fe-O was developed at 1350 K.

  9. Prognostic value of gradient echo T2* sequences for brain MR imaging in preterm infants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bruine, Francisca T. de; Berg-Huysmans, Annette A. van den; Buchem, Mark A. van; Grond, Jeroen van der [Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, PO Box 9600, Leiden (Netherlands); Steggerda, Sylke J.; Leijser, Lara M.; Rijken, Monique [Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, subdivision of Neonatology, Leiden (Netherlands); Wezel-Meijler, Gerda van [Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, subdivision of Neonatology, Leiden (Netherlands); Isala Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Zwolle (Netherlands)

    2014-03-15

    Gradient echo T2*-W sequences are more sensitive than T2-W spin-echo sequences for detecting hemorrhages in the brain. The aim of this study is to correlate presence of hemosiderin deposits in the brain of very preterm infants (gestational age <32 weeks) detected by T2*-W gradient echo MRI to white matter injury and neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years. In 101 preterm infants, presence and location of hemosiderin were assessed on T2*-W gradient echo MRI performed around term-equivalent age (range: 40-60 weeks). White matter injury was defined as the presence of >6 non-hemorrhagic punctate white matter lesions (PWML), cysts and/or ventricular dilatation. Six infants with post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilatation detected by US in the neonatal period were excluded. Infants were seen for follow-up at 2 years. Univariate and regression analysis assessed the relation between presence and location of hemosiderin, white matter injury and neurodevelopmental outcome. In 38/95 (40%) of the infants, hemosiderin was detected. Twenty percent (19/95) of the infants were lost to follow-up. There was a correlation between hemosiderin in the ventricular wall with >6 PWML (P < 0.001) and cysts (P < 0.001) at term-equivalent age, and with a lower psychomotor development index (PDI) (P=0.02) at 2 years. After correcting for known confounders (gestational age, gender, intrauterine growth retardation and white matter injury), the correlation with PDI was no longer significant. The clinical importance of detecting small hemosiderin deposits is limited as there is no independent association with neurodevelopmental outcome. (orig.)

  10. Postural complexity influences development in infants born preterm with brain injury: relating perception-action theory to 3 cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dusing, Stacey C; Izzo, Theresa; Thacker, Leroy R; Galloway, James Cole

    2014-10-01

    Perception-action theory suggests a cyclical relationship between movement and perceptual information. In this case series, changes in postural complexity were used to quantify an infant's action and perception during the development of early motor behaviors. Three infants born preterm with periventricular white matter injury were included. Longitudinal changes in postural complexity (approximate entropy of the center of pressure), head control, reaching, and global development, measured with the Test of Infant Motor Performance and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, were assessed every 0.5 to 3 months during the first year of life. All 3 infants demonstrated altered postural complexity and developmental delays. However, the timing of the altered postural complexity and the type of delays varied among the infants. For infant 1, reduced postural complexity or limited action while learning to control her head in the midline position may have contributed to her motor delay. However, her ability to adapt her postural complexity eventually may have supported her ability to learn from her environment, as reflected in her relative cognitive strength. For infant 2, limited early postural complexity may have negatively affected his learning through action, resulting in cognitive delay. For infant 3, an increase in postural complexity above typical levels was associated with declining neurological status. Postural complexity is proposed as a measure of perception and action in the postural control system during the development of early behaviors. An optimal, intermediate level of postural complexity supports the use of a variety of postural control strategies and enhances the perception-action cycle. Either excessive or reduced postural complexity may contribute to developmental delays in infants born preterm with white matter injury. © 2014 American Physical Therapy Association.

  11. Development of long-term event memory in preverbal infants: an eye-tracking study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakano, Tamami; Kitazawa, Shigeru

    2017-03-08

    The development of long-term event memory in preverbal infants remains elusive. To address this issue, we applied an eye-tracking method that successfully revealed in great apes that they have long-term memory of single events. Six-, 12-, 18- and 24-month-old infants watched a video story in which an aggressive ape-looking character came out from one of two identical doors. While viewing the same video again 24 hours later, 18- and 24-month-old infants anticipatorily looked at the door where the character would show up before it actually came out, but 6- and 12-month-old infants did not. Next, 12-, 18- and 24-month-old infants watched a different video story, in which a human grabbed one of two objects to hit back at the character. In their second viewing after a 24-hour delay, 18- and 24-month-old infants increased viewing time on the objects before the character grabbed one. In this viewing, 24-month-old infants preferentially looked at the object that the human had used, but 18-month-old infants did not show such preference. Our results show that infants at 18 months of age have developed long-term event memory, an ability to encode and retrieve a one-time event and this ability is elaborated thereafter.

  12. Sudden infant death syndrome: an unrecognized killer in developing countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ndu IK

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Ikenna Kingsley Ndu Department of Paediatrics, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria Abstract: Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS is defined as the sudden unexpected death of an infant <1 year of age, with onset of the fatal episode apparently occurring during sleep, that remains unexplained after a thorough investigation including performance of a complete autopsy and review of the circumstances of death and the clinical history. SIDS contributes to infant mortality and resulted in ~15,000 deaths globally in 2013. Most of the risk factors of SIDS are common in developing countries; yet, there has been little interest in SIDS by researchers in Africa. This review looks at the extent of the attention given to SIDS in a developing country like Nigeria, and factors responsible for the scarce data concerning this significant cause of mortality. Keywords: SIDS, mortality, Nigeria

  13. 2nd International Conference on Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics

    CERN Document Server

    Fülöp, Zsolt; Somorjai, Endre; The European Physical Journal A : Volume 27, Supplement 1, 2006

    2006-01-01

    Launched in 2004, "Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics" has established itself in a successful topical conference series addressing the forefront of research in the field. This volume contains the selected and refereed papers of the 2nd conference, held in Debrecen in 2005 and reprinted from "The European Physical Journal A - Hadrons and Nuclei".

  14. Relation between Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B grain alignment and coercive force decrease ratio in NdFeB sintered magnets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsuura, Yutaka, E-mail: Yutaka_Matsuura@hitachi-metals.co.jp [Hitachi Metals Ltd., NEOMAX Division, 2-15-17 Egawa, Shimamoto-cho, Mishima-gun, Osaka 618-0013 (Japan); Hoshijima, Jun; Ishii, Rintaro [Hitachi Metals Ltd., NEOMAX Division, 2-15-17 Egawa, Shimamoto-cho, Mishima-gun, Osaka 618-0013 (Japan)

    2013-06-15

    It was found that the coercive force of NdFeB sintered magnets decreases as the Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B grain alignment improves. Because of this phenomenon, studies looked at the relation between this alignment and the coercive force decrease ratio. In experiments, it was expected that the coercive force of perfectly aligned magnet reached 0.7 of coercive force in istotropically aligned magnet. When it is postulated that the coercive force is determined by the Stoner–Wohlfarth model, coercive force increases as the alignment improves and it becomes difficult to explain our experimental data. On the other hand, when the coercive force is determined by magnetic domain wall motion, the coercive force decreases as the alignment improves and the coercive force of the perfectly aligned magnet reaches 1/√(2) of the isotropically aligned magnet. This tendency and value was very close to our data. It strongly suggests that the coercive force of NdFeB sintered magnets is determined by the domain wall motion. - Highlights: ► Coercive force of NdFeB sintered magnets decreases as grains alignment improves. ► Coercive force decrease ratio reaches −30% at the perfect aligned magnet. ►These experimental results are different from the Stoner–Wohlfarth model. ► The magnetic domain wall motion could explain this coercive force decrease ratio.

  15. 2nd International Conference on Harmony Search Algorithm

    CERN Document Server

    Geem, Zong

    2016-01-01

    The Harmony Search Algorithm (HSA) is one of the most well-known techniques in the field of soft computing, an important paradigm in the science and engineering community.  This volume, the proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Harmony Search Algorithm 2015 (ICHSA 2015), brings together contributions describing the latest developments in the field of soft computing with a special focus on HSA techniques. It includes coverage of new methods that have potentially immense application in various fields. Contributed articles cover aspects of the following topics related to the Harmony Search Algorithm: analytical studies; improved, hybrid and multi-objective variants; parameter tuning; and large-scale applications.  The book also contains papers discussing recent advances on the following topics: genetic algorithms; evolutionary strategies; the firefly algorithm and cuckoo search; particle swarm optimization and ant colony optimization; simulated annealing; and local search techniques.   This book ...

  16. Effects of prenatal exposure to atypical antipsychotics on postnatal development and growth of infants: a case-controlled, prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Mei; Gao, Keming; Ding, Yiling; Ou, Jianjun; Calabrese, Joseph R; Wu, Renrong; Zhao, Jingping

    2013-08-01

    This study aims to investigate the developmental effects of atypical antipsychotics on infants who were born to mothers taking an atypical antipsychotic throughout pregnancy. The developmental progress of 76 infants who experienced fetal exposure to atypical antipsychotics was compared to that of 76 matched control infants who had no fetal exposure to any antipsychotics. Planned assessment included Apgar score, body weight, height, and the cognitive, language, motor, social-emotional, and adaptive behavior composite scores of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition (BSID-III). Student's t test and Chi-square analysis were used as appropriate. Repeated measurements were evaluated by analysis of covariance. At 2 months of age, the mean composite scores of cognitive, motor, social-emotional, and adaptive behavior of BSID-III were significantly lower in atypical antipsychotic-exposed infants than the controls. More atypical antipsychotic-exposed infants had delayed development in cognitive, motor, social-emotional, and adaptive behavior domains as defined by the composite score of development in cognitive, motor, social-emotional, and adaptive behavior, but not in language, body weight, or height.

  17. Television viewing in Thai infants and toddlers: impacts to language development and parental perceptions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruangdaraganon, Nichara; Chuthapisith, Jariya; Mo-suwan, Ladda; Kriweradechachai, Suntree; Udomsubpayakul, Umaporn; Choprapawon, Chanpen

    2009-01-01

    Background Effects of television to language development in infants and toddlers, especially in the Asian children, are inconclusive. This study aimed to (a) study time spent on television in Thai infants and toddlers (age television (as recommended by the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP), television toward their child's development. Methods Two hundred and sixty children and their parents were recruited into the study. Time spent on television and parental perceptions on television viewing toward their child's development were recorded during face-to-face and telephone interviews. Language development was assessed at the age of 2 years using the Clinical Linguistic Auditory Milestone Scale (CLAMS), and parents' report. Association between delayed language development and time spent on television viewing, as well as other various parameters such as gender, maternal education and family income, were analysed using a multivariate logistic regression model. Results Most Thai infants and toddlers watched television at the age of 6 months, 1 year and 2 years old (98.0, 95.3 and 96.7%, respectively). On average, 1-year-old children watched television 1.23 ± 1.42 hours per day. This increased to 1.69 ± 1.56 hours per day when they were 2 years old. However, watching television longer than 2 hours per day did not associate with delayed language development. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, gender (male) was the only significant factor associated with delayed language development (OR = 6.9, 95% CI = 1.5–31.3). Moreover, 75%, 71%, and 66% of Thai parents believed that television viewing yielded benefits to children's developments. Conclusion Thai children commenced watching television at an early age and the amount of television viewing time increased by age. Most parents had positive perceptions to television viewing. The study found no association between time spent on television viewing (≥ 2 hours per day) and delayed language development at the

  18. The 2nd Generation Street Children (SGSC) in Accra: Developing Teaching Strategies to Enhance Positive Learning Outcomes in Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuyini, Alhassan Abdul-Razak; Abosi, Okechuwu

    2011-01-01

    Ghana is witnessing an increasing number of 2nd generation street children (SGSC) living in the street of Accra, the capital city as a result of many factors including teenage pregnancy among street girls, ethnic conflicts and rural-urban migration. Street presents enormous risks to street children; they are excluded from safe-family environment,…

  19. Maternal symptoms of anxiety during pregnancy affect infant neuromotor development: the generation R study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Batenburg-Eddes, T.; de Groot, L.; Huizink, A.C.; Steegers, E.A.P.; Hofman, A.; Jaddoe, V.W.V.; Verhulst, F.C.; Tiemeier, H.

    2009-01-01

    Several studies found that maternal symptoms of anxiety or depression are related to functioning and development of the offspring. Within a population-based study of 2,724 children, we investigated the effect of maternal anxiety or depression on infant neuromotor development. Symptoms of anxiety and

  20. Influence of the availability of commercial infant foods on feeding practices in Jamaica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Morales, A; Larkin, F A

    1972-03-01

    A study was conducted into infant feeding regimens among 150 Jamaican women. The target population was limited to women living in the Kingston-St. Andrews Corporate area and attending hospitals or clinics where nutrition education was offered. Subjects were questioned as to obstetric history, socio-economic status, sources of information, and infant feeding habits. Nearly all infants in the study were weaned by 1 year of age with a nearly equal number being weaned in the 1st 6 months and the 2nd 6 months. Mothers who never breast fed their infants or weaned early did so for unavoidable reasons, e.g., maternal illness, infant prematurity or hospitalization, or insufficient milk. Most weaning due to these reasons occurred within the 1st 6 months of life. More than 1/2 of the women did not have clearly defined physiological reasons for discontinuing breast feeding. Income and place of residence were not related to the decision to cease breast feeding. Women attending private clinics and receiving information on infant nutrition from health personnel tended to breast feed for a longer time. 18 commercial infant food products were available. 15 of these were a form of processed cow's milk requiring a measure of skill in preparing. The rest were goat's milk, cow's milk, or gruel. 40% of the women in the study used more than 1 of these commercial preparations, indicating a general preference for formulas rather than for a particular brand name. There is a question as to whether the wide availability of these products actually influenced women's decisions to discontinue breast feeding.

  1. How do maternal subclinical symptoms influence infant motor development during the first year of life?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giulia Piallini

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available An unavoidable reciprocal influence characterizes mother-infant’s dyad.Within this relationship,the presence of depression,somatization,hostility,paranoid ideation and interpersonal sensitivity symptoms at a subclinical level and their possible input on infant motor competences has not been yet considered.Bearing in mind that motor abilities represent not only an indicator of infant’s health-status,but also the principal field to infer his/her needs, eelings and intentions,in this study the quality of infants’movements were assessed and analyzed in relationship with the maternal attitudes.The aim of this research was to investigate if/how maternal symptomatology may lead infant's motor development during his/her first year of life by observing the characteristics of motor development in infants aged 0-11months.Participants included 123 mothers and their infants (0-11months-old.Mothers’ symptomatology was screened with SymptomChecklist-90-Revised(SCL-90-R,while infants were tested with Peabody Developmental Motor Scale-Second Edition.All dyads belonged to a non-clinical population, however,on the basis of SCL-90-Rscores, mothers’sample was divided into two groups: normative and subclinical.Descriptive,T-test,correlational analysis between PDMS-2scores and SCL-90-R results are reported,as well as regression models results.Both positive and negative correlations were found between maternal perceived symptomatology,Somatization(SOM,Interpersonal Sensitivity(IS,Depression(DEP,Hostility(HOSand Paranoid Ideation(PARand infants’motor abilities.These results were then further verified by applying regression models to predict the infant motor outcomes on the basis of babies’ age and maternal status.The presence of positive symptoms in SCL-90-Rquestionnaire (subclinical group predicted good visual-motor integration and stationary competences in the babies.In particular,depressive and hostility feelings in mothers seemed to induce an infant

  2. Infant Movement Motivation Questionnaire: development of a measure evaluating infant characteristics relating to motor development in the first year of life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doralp, Samantha; Bartlett, Doreen

    2014-08-01

    This paper highlights the development and testing of the Infant Movement Motivation Questionnaire (IMMQ), an instrument designed to evaluate qualities of infant characteristics that relate specifically to early motor development. The measurement development process included three phases: item generation, pilot testing and evaluation of acceptability and feasibility for parents and exploratory factor analysis. The resultant 27-item questionnaire is designed for completion by parents and contains four factors including Activity, Exploration, Motivation and Adaptability. Overall, the internal consistency of the IMMQ is 0.89 (Cronbach's alpha), with test-retest reliability measured at 0.92 (ICC, with 95% CI 0.83-0.96). Further work could be done to strengthen the individual factors; however it is adequate for use in its full form. The IMMQ can be used for clinical or research purposes, as well as an educational tool for parents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Growth hormone improves body composition and motor development in infants with Prader-Willi syndrome after six months.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitman, Barbara; Carrel, Aaron; Bekx, Tracy; Weber, Colleen; Allen, David; Myers, Susan

    2004-04-01

    Infants with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) show abnormalities of body composition. Children with PWS treated with growth hormone (GH) demonstrate improved body composition and motor skills. To assess body composition and motor changes in infants with PWS following 6 months GH therapy. Twenty-five infants with PWS (mean age 15.5 mo) underwent dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) assessment of body composition, and motor assessment with the Toddler Infant Motor Evaluation (TIME). Patients were then randomized to treatment (Genotropin, 1 mg/m2/day) or control, with reassessment at 6 months. GH treatment significantly increased lean body mass (6.4 +/- 2.4 kg to 8.9 +/- 2.7 kg) and decreased body fat (27.6 +/- 9.9% to 22.4 +/- 10.3%). Age equivalent motor scores improved 4 months in the treated group vs 2 months in controls (p development improvement following 6 months GH therapy. We are investigating whether this improvement leads to long-term reductions in obesity.

  4. The Development of Nursing Care Services Model for Low Birth Weight Infants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dessie Wanda

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Low birth weight (LBW infants deal with various problems during transitional period from intra-uterine and extra-uterine because of immature organs’ functions. This leads to LBW as the second death cause in Indonesia, particularly in the fi rst seventh days of infants’ lifes. The problem continues to occur at home when the infants have discharged. This research was aimed to develop the nursing care services model for LBW infants and to test the model. Method: The research design was an action research using quantitative and qualitative approach. This design was chosen as it facilitated improvement in health care system, which was involving nurses and other health providers. Results: Nursing care services provided by the nursing team are hindered by several factors, such as various level of nurses’ knowledge, not optimal health education activities, incomplete standard operational procedure, ethical dilemma, paramedic functions, and documentation system. This model was developed based on conservation and becoming a mother/maternal role attainment theory, family-centered care principles, and input from the experts through focus group discussion. Discussion: The result of this research is going to increase the quality of nursing care for LBW infants by achieving nurses’ and parents’ satisfaction in giving care for their infants which can lead to lower infant death rate.Key words: Model, Low birth weight infant, Nursing services, Action research

  5. Comportamento de lactentes nascidos a termo pequenos para a idade gestacional no primeiro trimestre da vida Behavior of full term infants small for gestational age in the first three months of life

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernadete Balanin A. Mello

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo foi comparar o comportamento de lactentes nascidos a termo com peso adequado (AIG a lactantes pequenos para a idade gestacional (PIG, no primeiro trimestre de vida. A amostra foi de 20 lactentes, avaliados no 1º, 2º e 3º meses. Foram utilizadas as Escalas Bayley de Desenvolvimento Infantil - II, com ênfase na Escala de Classificação do Comportamento (ECC. Houve diferença significativa entre os grupos no 2º mês, com maior número de lactentes PIG classificados como alterados na ECC. O Fator Qualidade Motora demonstrou valores da mediana significativamente menores no grupo PIG, nos itens Motricidade Axial, Controle de Movimentos e Hipertonia Muscular. O Fator Atenção/Vigília não mostrou diferença entre os grupos. Entretanto, quando analisados os itens Exploração de Objetos e de Ambiente e Interação com o Examinador, houve diferença significativa no 2º mês, com valores da mediana menores no grupo PIG.The objective was to compare the behavior of full-term infants small-for-gestational age (SGA with full-term appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA. The sample considered 20 infants in the 1st, 2nd and in the 3rd months of life. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II were used, with attention to items related to Behavior Rate Scale (BRS. It was found that SGA infants showed lower average values in the BRS in the 2nd month. The Motor Quality Factor displayed significantly lower average values in SGA group, in the items Gross-motor Movement Required by Tasks, Control of Movements and Hypertonicity. The Attention/Arousal Factor in the items Exploration of Objects/Surroundings and Orientation to Examiner displayed significantly lower average values in the SGA group.

  6. Potential benefits of mindfulness during pregnancy on maternal autonomic nervous system function and infant development : Mindfulness, ANS, and infant development

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Braeken, M.A.K.A.; Jones, Alexander; Otte, R.A.; Nyklicek, I.; Van Den Bergh, B.R.H.

    2017-01-01

    Mindfulness is known to decrease psychological distress. Possible benefits in pregnancy have rarely been explored. Our aim was to examine the prospective association of mindfulness with autonomic nervous system function during pregnancy and with later infant social-emotional development. Pregnant

  7. Measurement of the figure of merit of indigenously developed Nd ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2014-01-05

    Jan 5, 2014 ... a linearly polarized light at Na D line (λd = 587.6 nm) of the laser glass was performed ... nF and nC are the refractive indices measured at λF = 486.1 nm and λC = 656.3 nm respectively. Using this, the n2 is given by Boling's formula as n2 = K(nd − 1) (n2 ... fluences (E) of the pump laser is given by [6].

  8. Environmental degradation of NdFeB magnets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yan Gaolin [Wuhan University, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan 430072 (China)], E-mail: gaolinyan@whu.edu.cn; McGuiness, P.J. [Jozef Stefan Institute (Slovenia); Farr, J.P.G.; Harris, I.R. [School of Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham, Elms Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom)

    2009-06-10

    A mechanism for pitting of NdFeB magnet because of differential-aeration beneath a water droplet is proposed and observations of the localised corrosions are presented. NdFeB magnets exhibit general corrosion along the grain boundaries when etched in Viella's reagent. However, localised corrosion of these magnets results in a crater-like feature when corrosion is produced in an environmental chamber, e.g. when Nd{sub 16}Fe{sub 76}B{sub 8} magnets are corroded in the environmental chamber at 85 deg. C, relative humidity (RH): 80%. This is attributed to the condensation of water droplets on the surface of samples and the concentration gradient of oxygen dissolved in the droplets then influencing the corrosion process. It is thought that during the process of pitting, the high concentration of H{sup +} in the center of the pit accelerates the pit development; meanwhile, the cathodic Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B matrix phase absorbs the nascent hydrogen atoms. It is believed that pits start at the Nd-rich phase and then propagate along the grain boundaries.

  9. Prognostic value of gradient echo T2* sequences for brain MR imaging in preterm infants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruine, Francisca T. de; Berg-Huysmans, Annette A. van den; Buchem, Mark A. van; Grond, Jeroen van der; Steggerda, Sylke J.; Leijser, Lara M.; Rijken, Monique; Wezel-Meijler, Gerda van

    2014-01-01

    Gradient echo T2*-W sequences are more sensitive than T2-W spin-echo sequences for detecting hemorrhages in the brain. The aim of this study is to correlate presence of hemosiderin deposits in the brain of very preterm infants (gestational age 6 non-hemorrhagic punctate white matter lesions (PWML), cysts and/or ventricular dilatation. Six infants with post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilatation detected by US in the neonatal period were excluded. Infants were seen for follow-up at 2 years. Univariate and regression analysis assessed the relation between presence and location of hemosiderin, white matter injury and neurodevelopmental outcome. In 38/95 (40%) of the infants, hemosiderin was detected. Twenty percent (19/95) of the infants were lost to follow-up. There was a correlation between hemosiderin in the ventricular wall with >6 PWML (P < 0.001) and cysts (P < 0.001) at term-equivalent age, and with a lower psychomotor development index (PDI) (P=0.02) at 2 years. After correcting for known confounders (gestational age, gender, intrauterine growth retardation and white matter injury), the correlation with PDI was no longer significant. The clinical importance of detecting small hemosiderin deposits is limited as there is no independent association with neurodevelopmental outcome. (orig.)

  10. Television viewing in Thai infants and toddlers: impacts to language development and parental perceptions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kriweradechachai Suntree

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Effects of television to language development in infants and toddlers, especially in the Asian children, are inconclusive. This study aimed to (a study time spent on television in Thai infants and toddlers (age Methods Two hundred and sixty children and their parents were recruited into the study. Time spent on television and parental perceptions on television viewing toward their child's development were recorded during face-to-face and telephone interviews. Language development was assessed at the age of 2 years using the Clinical Linguistic Auditory Milestone Scale (CLAMS, and parents' report. Association between delayed language development and time spent on television viewing, as well as other various parameters such as gender, maternal education and family income, were analysed using a multivariate logistic regression model. Results Most Thai infants and toddlers watched television at the age of 6 months, 1 year and 2 years old (98.0, 95.3 and 96.7%, respectively. On average, 1-year-old children watched television 1.23 ± 1.42 hours per day. This increased to 1.69 ± 1.56 hours per day when they were 2 years old. However, watching television longer than 2 hours per day did not associate with delayed language development. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, gender (male was the only significant factor associated with delayed language development (OR = 6.9, 95% CI = 1.5–31.3. Moreover, 75%, 71%, and 66% of Thai parents believed that television viewing yielded benefits to children's developments. Conclusion Thai children commenced watching television at an early age and the amount of television viewing time increased by age. Most parents had positive perceptions to television viewing. The study found no association between time spent on television viewing (≥ 2 hours per day and delayed language development at the age of 2 years. Gender (male was the only variable associated with delayed language development.

  11. Lifetimes of low-lying states in 132Nd and 134Nd

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kruecken, R.; Mullins, S.M.; Thornley, D.J.; Kirwan, A.J.; Nolan, P.J.; Regan, P.H.; Wadsworth, R.

    1995-01-01

    Lifetimes of low-lying states have been measured in 132 Nd and 134 Nd using the coincidence-plunger technique. The reaction 32 S+ 105 Pd was used at a bombarding energy of 152 MeV. The measurement has been performed at the NSF Daresbury using the ESSA 30 array. The differential decay-curve method (DDCM) was used to analyze the recoil-distance Doppler-shift (RDDS) data. The experimental B(E2) values in 132 Nd are well described by the predictions of the rotational model and the IBM in the O(6) limit. ((orig.))

  12. Development of left ventricular longitudinal speckle tracking echocardiography in very low birth weight infants with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia during the neonatal period.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christoph Czernik

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: In preterm infants, postnatal myocardial adaptation may be complicated by bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD. We aimed to describe the development of left ventricular function by serial 2D, Doppler, and speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE in infants with and without BPD during the neonatal period and compare these to anthropometric and conventional hemodynamic parameters. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective echocardiography on day of life (DOL 1, 7, 14, and 28 in 119 preterm infants 10% were seen for the apical segment. While anthropometric parameters show rapid development during the first 4 weeks of life, the speckle tracking parameters did not differ statistically significantly during the neonatal period. Infants with and without BPD differed significantly (p<0.001 in the development of anthropometric parameters, conventional hemodynamic parameters except for heart rate, and 2D-STE parameters: global longitudinal systolic strain rate (GLSSR and longitudinal systolic strain for the mid left wall (LSSR. The largest differences were seen at DOL 1 and 7 in GLSSR (p<0.001 and in LSSR (p<0.01. CONCLUSIONS: Reproducible 2D-STE measurements are possible in preterm infants <1500 g. Cardiac deformation reveals early (DOL 1 and 7 ventricular changes (GLSSR and LSSR in very low birth weight infants who develop BPD.

  13. Development of surgical CW Nd:YAG laser with optical fiber delivery system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Cheol Jung; Kim, Jeong Mook; Jung, Chin Mann; Kim, Kwang Suk; Kim, Min Suk; Cho, Jae Wan; Kim, Duk Hyun

    1992-06-01

    We developed a surgical CW Nd:YAG laser with optical fiber delivery system. Several commercial models have been investigated in design and performance. We improved its quality to the level of commercial Nd:YAG laser by an endurance test for each parts of laser system. The maximum power of our surgical laser was 150 W and the laser pulse width could be controlled to 99 sec continuously by 0.1 sec. Many optical parts were localized and lowered much in cost. Only few parts were imported and almost 90% in cost were localized. Also, to find out the maintenance problem of this surgical laser, it was applicated to the production line of our joint company. (Author)

  14. Pentacene based thin film transistors with high-k dielectric Nd2O3 as a gate insulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarma, R.; Saikia, D.

    2010-01-01

    We have investigated the pentacene based Organic Thin Film Transistors (OTFTs) with high-k dielectric Nd 2 O 3 . Use of high dielectric constant (high-k) gate insulator Nd 2 O 3 reduces the threshold voltage and sub threshold swing of the OTFTs. The calculated threshold voltage -2.2V and sub-threshold swing 1V/decade, current ON-OFF ratio is 1.7 X 10 4 and mobility is 0.13cm 2 /V.s. Pentacene film is deposited on Nd 2 O 3 surface using two step deposition method. Deposited pentacene film is found poly crystalline in nature. (author)

  15. Self-Regulation and Infant-Directed Singing in Infants with Down Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de l'Etoile, Shannon K

    2015-01-01

    Infants learn how to regulate internal states and subsequent behavior through dyadic interactions with caregivers. During infant-directed (ID) singing, mothers help infants practice attentional control and arousal modulation, thus providing critical experience in self-regulation. Infants with Down syndrome are known to have attention deficits and delayed information processing as well as difficulty managing arousability, factors that may disrupt their efforts at self-regulation. The researcher explored responses to ID singing in infants with Down syndrome (DS) and compared them with those of typically developing (TD) infants. Behaviors measured included infant gaze and affect as indicators of self-regulation. Participants included 3- to 9-month-old infants with and without DS who were videotaped throughout a 2-minute face-to-face interaction during which their mothers sang to them any song(s) of their choosing. Infant behavior was then coded for percentage of time spent demonstrating a specific gaze or affect type. All infants displayed sustained gaze more than any other gaze type. TD infants demonstrated intermittent gaze significantly more often than infants with DS. Infant status had no effect on affect type, and all infants showed predominantly neutral affect. Findings suggest that ID singing effectively maintains infant attention for both TD infants and infants with DS. However, infants with DS may have difficulty shifting attention during ID singing as needed to adjust arousal levels and self-regulate. High levels of neutral affect for all infants imply that ID singing is likely to promote a calm, curious state, regardless of infant status. © the American Music Therapy Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Microstructure evolution and coercivity enhancement in Nd-Fe-B thin films diffusion-processed by R-Al alloys (R=Nd, Pr)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Yigao; Yang, Yang; Zhang, Tongbo; Fu, Yanqing; Jiang, Qingzheng; Ma, Shengcan; Zhong, Zhenchen; Cui, Weibin; Wang, Qiang

    2018-05-01

    Diffusion process by Nd-Al and Pr-Al alloys was compared and investigated in Nd-Fe-B thin films. Enhanced coercivity 2.06T and good squareness was obtained by using Pr85Al15 and Nd85Al15 alloys as diffusion sources. But the coercivity of diffusion-processed thin films by Pr70Al30 and Pr55Al45 alloys decreased to 2.04T and 1.82T. High ambient coercivity of 2.26T was achieved in diffusion-processed thin film by Nd70Al30 leading to an improved coercivity thermal stability because Nd2Fe14B grains were enveloped by Nd-rich phase as seen by transmission electron microscopy Nd-loss image. Meanwhile, microstructure-dependent parameters α and Neff were improved. However, high content of Al in diffusion-processed thin film by Nd55Al45 lead to degraded texture and coercivity.

  17. Concentration quenching in Nd-doped glasses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stokowski, S.E.; Cook, L.; Mueller, H.; Weber, M.J.

    1984-01-01

    Fluorescence from trivalent Nd in solids is unfortunately quenched by interactions between Nd ions. Thus, laser materials with high Nd concentrations have reduced efficiencies because of this self-quenching, also known as concentration quenching. Nd self-quenching in different crystals and glasses varies considerably. We are therefore investigating this effect in a large number of materials in an effort to: (1) find those materials with long Nd fluorescent lifetimes at high Nd concentrations; and (2) elucidate the basic mechanisms of quenching and how the material structure controls its magnitude. We have concentrated on Nd-doped glasses because they provide a rich variety of structures, albeit complicated by Nd site inhomogeneities, and are easily and quickly made

  18. Effect of V-Nd co-doping on phase transformation and grain growth process of TiO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khatun, Nasima; Amin, Ruhul; Anita, Sen, Somaditya

    2018-05-01

    The pure and V-Nd co-doped TiO2 samples are prepared by the modified sol-gel process. The phase formation is confirmed by XRD spectrum. Phase transformation is delayed in V-Nd co-doped TiO2 (TVN) samples compared to pure TiO2. The particle size is comparatively small in TVN samples at both the temperature 450 °C and 900 °C. Hence the effect of Nd doping is dominated over V doping in both phase transformation and grain growth process of TiO2.

  19. Predictors of Haitian-American Infant Development at Twelve Months.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Widmayer, Susan M.; And Others

    1990-01-01

    Families in urban and rural settings were studied in an investigation of environmental influences on the development of Haitian-American infants. Birthweight and scores on the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment predicted mental development. Psychomotor development was related to birthweight and household crowding. (PCB)

  20. SUPPORTING PRETERM INFANT ATTACHMENT AND SOCIOEMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT: STAFF PERCEPTIONS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Twohig, Aoife; Reulbach, Udo; Figuerdo, Ricardo; McCarthy, Anthony; McNicholas, Fiona; Molloy, Eleanor Joan

    2016-01-01

    The infant-parent relationship has been shown to be of particular significance to preterm infant socioemotional development. Supporting parents and infants in this process of developing their relationships is an integral part of neonatal intensive care; however, there is limited knowledge of NICU staff perceptions about this aspect of care. To explore NICU staff perceptions about attachment and socioemotional development of preterm infants, experience of training in this area and the emotional impact of their work. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey of staff perceptions of the emotional experiences of parents and the developing parent-infant relationship in an NICU was conducted in a Level III NICU, after pilot testing, revision, and ethical approval. Fifty-seven (68%) of NICU staff responded to the survey. Respondents identified parents' emotional experiences such as "anxiety," "shock," "loss of control," and "lack of feelings of competence as parents" as highly prevalent. Infant cues of "responding to parent's voice" and "quieting-alerting" were ranked most highly; "crying" and "physiological changes" were ranked lowest. Preterm infant medical risk, maternal emotional state, and mental health are perceived to impact most highly on the developing relationship, as compared with infant state or behavior and socioeconomic factors. Fifty-three (93%) respondents felt confident, and 50 (87.8%) felt competent discussing their emotional experiences with parents. Fifty-four (95%) responded that attending to these areas was an integral part of their role; however, staff had seldom received education in this area. Respondents also perceived that specific psychological support for parents was lacking both during and after the infant's discharge. While all staff surveyed perceived the nature of their work to be emotionally stressful, there were differences among NICU staff disciplines and with years of experience in the NICU in terms of their perceptions about education in

  1. Interplay of structural chemistry and magnetism in perovskites; A study of CaLn2Ni2WO9; Ln=La, Pr, Nd

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chin, Chun-Mann; Paria Sena, Robert; Hunter, Emily C.; Hadermann, Joke; Battle, Peter D.

    2017-07-01

    Polycrystalline samples of CaLn2Ni2WO9 (Ln=La, Pr, Nd) have been synthesized and characterised by a combination of X-ray and neutron diffraction, electron microscopy and magnetometry. Each composition adopts a perovskite-like structure with a 5.50, b 5.56, c 7.78 Å, β 90.1° in space group P21/n. Of the two crystallographically distinct six-coordinate sites, one is occupied entirely (Ln=Pr) or predominantly (Ln=La, Nd) by Ni2+ and the other by Ni2+ and W6+ in a ratio of approximately 1:2. None of the compounds shows long-range magnetic order at 5 K. The magnetometry data show that the magnetic moments of the Ni2+ cations form a spin glass below 30 K in each case. The Pr3+ moments in CaPr2Ni2WO9 also freeze but the Nd3+ moments in CaNd2Ni2WO9 do not. This behaviour is contrasted with that observed in other (A,A')B2B'O9 perovskites.

  2. Treatment of reverse osmosis (RO) concentrate by the combined Fe/Cu/air and Fenton process (1stFe/Cu/air-Fenton-2ndFe/Cu/air).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Yi; Yuan, Yue; Lai, Bo; Zhou, Yuexi; Wang, Juling

    2016-01-25

    To decompose or transform the toxic and refractory reverse osmosis (RO) concentrate and improve the biodegradability, 1stFe/Cu/air-Fenton-2ndFe/Cu/air were developed to treat RO concentrate obtained from an amino acid production plant in northern China. First, their operating conditions were optimized thoroughly. Furthermore, 5 control experiments were setup to confirm the superiority of 1stFe/Cu/air-Fenton-2ndFe/Cu/air and synergistic reaction between Fe/Cu/air and Fenton. The results suggest that the developed method could obtain high COD removal (65.1%) and BOD5/COD ratio (0.26) due to the synergistic reaction between Fe/Cu/air and Fenton. Under the optimal conditions, the influent and effluent of 1stFe/Cu/air-Fenton-2ndFe/Cu/air and 5 control experiments were analyzed by using UV, FTIR, EEM and LC, which confirm the superiority of 1stFe/Cu/air-Fenton-2ndFe/Cu/air. Therefore, the developed method in this study is a promising process for treatment of RO concentrate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Technical Issues Map for the NHI System Interface and Support Systems Area: 2nd Quarter FY07

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steven R. Sherman

    2007-01-01

    This document provides a mapping of technical issues associated with development of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) intermediate heat transport loop and nuclear hydrogen plant support systems to the work that has been accomplished or is currently underway in the 2nd quarter of FY07

  4. Development of Infant Positive Emotionality: The Contribution of Maternal Characteristics and Effects on Subsequent Parenting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bridgett, David J.; Laake, Lauren M.; Gartstein, Maria A.; Dorn, Danielle

    2013-01-01

    The current study examined the influence of maternal characteristics on the development of infant smiling and laughter, a marker of early positive emotionality (PE) and how maternal characteristics and the development of infant PE contributed to subsequent maternal parenting. One hundred fifty-nine mothers with 4-month-old infants participated.…

  5. The Efficiency of Infants' Exploratory Play Is Related to Longer-Term Cognitive Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muentener, Paul; Herrig, Elise; Schulz, Laura

    2018-01-01

    In this longitudinal study we examined the stability of exploratory play in infancy and its relation to cognitive development in early childhood. We assessed infants' (N = 130, mean age at enrollment = 12.02 months, SD = 3.5 months; range: 5–19 months) exploratory play four times over 9 months. Exploratory play was indexed by infants' attention to novelty, inductive generalizations, efficiency of exploration, face preferences, and imitative learning. We assessed cognitive development at the fourth visit for the full sample, and again at age three for a subset of the sample (n = 38). The only measure that was stable over infancy was the efficiency of exploration. Additionally, infants' efficiency score predicted vocabulary size and distinguished at-risk infants recruited from early intervention sites from those not at risk. Follow-up analyses at age three provided additional evidence for the importance of the efficiency measure: more efficient exploration was correlated with higher IQ scores. These results suggest that the efficiency of infants' exploratory play can be informative about longer-term cognitive development. PMID:29904360

  6. Spontaneous movements of preterm infants is associated with outcome of gross motor development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyagishima, Saori; Asaka, Tadayoshi; Kamatsuka, Kaori; Kozuka, Naoki; Kobayashi, Masaki; Igarashi, Lisa; Hori, Tsukasa; Tsutsumi, Hiroyuki

    2018-04-30

    We conducted a longitudinal cohort study to analyze the relationship between outcome of gross motor development in preterm infants and factors that might affect their development. Preterm infants with a birth weight of antigravity limbs movements by 3D motion capture system at 3 months corrected age. Gross motor developmental outcomes at 6 and 12 months corrected age were evaluated using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS). Statistical analysis was carried out by canonical correlation analysis. Eighteen preterm infants were included. In the 6 months corrected age analysis, spontaneous movement had a major effect on Prone and Sitting at 6 months corrected age of AIMS. In the 12 months corrected age analysis, spontaneous movement had a major effect on Sitting and Standing at 12 months corrected age of AIMS. In preterm infants, better antigravity spontaneous movements at 3 months corrected age were significantly correlated with better gross motor development at 6 or 12 months corrected age. Copyright © 2018 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Infant - newborn development

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... is on the changing table. Consider the following important safety tips: Be aware of poisons (household cleaners, cosmetics, ... middle of the back seat. It is very important for the driver to pay attention to driving, not playing with the infant. If you need ...

  8. Infant Development in Father-Absent Families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedersen, Frank A.; And Others

    1979-01-01

    Father role in infancy was examined through a comparison of the stimulus responses of 27 infants reared by their mothers in single-parent families with the stimulus responses of 28 infants in father-present families. (CM)

  9. Large positive magnetoresistance in intermetallic compound NdCo2Si2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy Chowdhury, R.; Dhara, S.; Das, I.; Bandyopadhyay, B.; Rawat, R.

    2018-04-01

    The magnetic, magneto-transport and magnetocaloric properties of antiferromagnetic intermetallic compound NdCo2Si2 (TN = 32K) have been studied. The compound yields a positive magnetoresistance (MR) of about ∼ 123 % at ∼ 5K in 8 T magnetic field. The MR value is significantly large vis - a - vis earlier reports of large MR in intermetallic compounds, and possibly associated with the changes in magnetic structure of the compound. The large MR value can be explained in terms of field induced pseudo-gaps on Fermi surface.

  10. Developmental care does not alter sleep and development of premature infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ariagno, R L; Thoman, E B; Boeddiker, M A; Kugener, B; Constantinou, J C; Mirmiran, M; Baldwin, R B

    1997-12-01

    clear developmental change compared with 36 weeks PCA. These include: increased amount of quiet sleep, reduced active sleep and indeterminate sleep, decreased arousal, and transitions during sleep. Longest sleep period at night showed a clear developmental effect (increased) when comparing nighttime sleep pattern of infants at 3 months with those at 36 weeks of age. Day-night rhythm of sleep-wake increased significantly from 36 weeks PCA to 3 months CA. However, neither of these sleep developmental changes showed any significant effects of NIDCAP intervention. Although all APIB measures showed better organized behavior in NIDCAP patients, neither NAPI nor Bayley showed any developmental advantages for the intervention group. The neurodevelopmental outcome measured by the Bayley at 4, 12, and 24 months CA showed 64% of the NIDCAP intervention group at the lowest possible score compared with 33% of the control group. These findings could not be explained by the occurrence of intraventricular hemorrhage or the socioeconomic status of the parents, which showed no significant group effect. The results of this study, including measures of sleep maturation and neurodevelopmental outcome up to 2 years of age did not demonstrate that the NIDCAP intervention results in increased maturity or development. Buehler et al (Pediatrics. 1995;96:923-932) have reported that premature infants (N = 12; mean gestational age 32 weeks, mean birth weight 1700 g) who received developmental care compared with a similar group of infants who received routine care showed better organized behavioral performance on an APIB assessment at 42 weeks PCA. None of the medical outcome measures were significantly different in this study. Although our APIB results are in agreement, the results of the NAPI, the Bayley and sleep measures do not show an increase in neurodevelopmental maturation. In the earlier report by Als et al (Journal of the American Medical Associatio

  11. A basic study on capture and solidification of rare earth nuclide (Nd) in LiCl-KCl eutectic salt using an inorganic composite with Li{sub 2}OAl{sub 2}O{sub 3}- SiO{sub 2}-B{sub 2}O{sub 3} systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Na Young; Eum, Hee Chul; Park, Hwan Seo; Ahn, Do Hee [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-03-15

    The pyroprocessing of spent nuclear fuel generates LiCl-KCl eutectic waste salt containing radioactive rare earth nuclides. It is necessary to develop a simple process for the treatment of LiCl-KCl eutectic waste in a hot-cell facility. In this study, capture and solidification of a rare earth nuclide (Nd) in LiCl-KCl eutectic salt using an inorganic composite with a Li{sub 2}OAl{sub 2}O{sub 3}- SiO{sub 2}-B{sub 2}O{sub 3} system was conducted to simplify the existing separation and solidification process of rare earth nuclides in LiCl-KCl eutectic waste salt from the pyroprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. More than 98wt% of Nd in LiCl-KCl eutectic salt was captured when the mass ratio of the composite was 0.67 over NdCl3 in the eutectic salt. The content of Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} in the Nd captured-composite reached about 50wt%, and this composite was directly fabricated into a homogeneous and chemical resistant glass waste in a monolithic form. These results will be utilized in designing a process to simplify the existing separation and solidification process.

  12. Infants with Down Syndrome and Their Interactions with Objects: Development of Exploratory Actions after Reaching Onset

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Campos, Ana Carolina; da Costa, Carolina Souza Neves; Savelsbergh, Geert J. P.; Rocha, Nelci Adriana Cicuto Ferreira

    2013-01-01

    During infant development, objects and their functions are learned by means of active exploration. Factors that may influence exploration include reaching and grasping ability, object properties and the presence of developmental disorders. We assessed the development of exploratory actions in 16 typically-developing (TD) infants and 9 infants with…

  13. BIPHASIC TREATMENT OF 2ND CLASS ANGLE ANOMALIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Romanec

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Our approach aims at presenting, based on clinical observations and complementary examinations, the effects of a treatment’s setting up during the mixed dentition period. The objectives include the identification of the optimal time of treatment of II/1, II/2 Angle malocclusions, as well as the therapeutic possibilities for the treatment of 2nd class Angle malocclusion during the period of mixed and permanent dentition. The study is based on data collected from 114 clinical cases (69 girls and 45 boys with an age span between 7 and 18 years.

  14. 2nd National Conference on Theoretical Physics. Abstracts Book

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grecu, Alexandru Tudor

    2004-01-01

    The 2nd National Conference on Theoretical Physics was held on 26-29 August 2004 in Constanta, Romania. The addressed physics fields within the INIS scope are as follows: classical and quantum mechanics, general physics, physics of elementary particles and fields, nuclear physics and radiation physics, classical and quantum mechanics, general physics, atomic and molecular physics, condensed matter physics

  15. In situ preparation of (TiB + TiC + Nd2O3)/Ti composites by powder metallurgy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu Junqiang; Qin Jining; Lu Weijie; Liu Yang; Gu Jiajun; Zhang Di

    2009-01-01

    Titanium matrix composites reinforced with multiple ceramic particulates TiB, TiC and Nd 2 O 3 were prepared by powder metallurgy utilizing the chemical reactions among Ti, B 4 C, NdB 6 and oxygen in Ti powder. The thermodynamic feasibility of the in situ reaction has been calculated. The phases were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The result shows that multiple ceramic phases TiB, TiC and Nd 2 O 3 particulates have been synthesized. The microstructures were examined by means of optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), backscattered electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results show that the reinforcements are distributed uniformly in the matrix alloy and grow in different shapes. TiB grows in needle shape; TiC and Nd 2 O 3 grow in equiaxed or near-equiaxed shapes. The addition of NdB 6 is beneficial to grain refinement, grain-boundary purification and porosity reduction

  16. Age-related changes in the effects of stress in pregnancy on infant motor development by maternal report: The Queensland Flood Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simcock, Gabrielle; Kildea, Sue; Elgbeili, Guillaume; Laplante, David P; Stapleton, Helen; Cobham, Vanessa; King, Suzanne

    2016-07-01

    The current study examined the effects of a natural disaster (a sudden onset flood) as a stressor in pregnancy on infant fine and gross motor development at 2, 6, and 16 months of age. Whether the timing of the stressor in pregnancy or sex of the infant moderated the impact of the prenatal maternal stress on motor development was also explored. Mothers' objective experiences of the flood, emotional reactions and distress, and their cognitive appraisal of the event were assessed retrospectively. Infants' fine and gross motor skills were assessed with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, and results showed age-related changes in the effects of prenatal maternal stress on these domains. At 2 months, higher levels of prenatal maternal stress was positively related to infant motor development, yet at 6 and 16 months of age there was a negative association, particularly if flood exposure occurred later in pregnancy and if mothers had negative cognitive appraisals of the event. Results also showed differential effects of the maternal stress responses to the floods on infants' fine and gross motor development at each age and that infant sex did not buffer these effects. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 58: 640-659, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Using event-related potentials to study perinatal nutrition and brain development in infants of diabetic mothers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    deRegnier, Raye-Ann; Long, Jeffrey D; Georgieff, Michael K; Nelson, Charles A

    2007-01-01

    Proper prenatal and postnatal nutrition is essential for optimal brain development and function. The early use of event-related potentials enables neuroscientists to study the development of cognitive function from birth and to evaluate the role of specific nutrients in development. Perinatal iron deficiency occurs in severely affected infants of diabetic mothers. In animal models, severe perinatal iron deficiency targets the explicit memory system of the brain. Cross-sectional ERP studies have shown that infants of diabetic mothers have impairments in recognition memory from birth through 8 months of age. The purpose of this study was to evaluate longitudinal development of recognition memory using ERPs in infants of diabetic mothers compared with control infants. Infants of diabetic mothers were divided into high and low risk status based upon their birth weights and iron status and compared with healthy control infants. Infants were tested in the newborn period for auditory recognition memory, at 6 months for visual recognition memory and at 8 months for cross modal memory. ERPs were evaluated for developmental changes in the slow waves that are thought to reflect memory and the Nc component that is thought to reflect attention. The results of the study showed differences in development between the IDMs and control infants in the development of the slow waves over the left anterior temporal leads and age-related patterns of development in the NC component. These results are consistent with animal models showing that perinatal iron deficiency affects the development of the memory networks of the brain. This study highlights the value of using ERPs to translate basic science information obtained from animal models to the development of the human infant.

  18. Exploring the contribution of maternal antibiotics and breastfeeding to development of the infant microbiome and pediatric obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemas, Dominick J; Yee, Shanique; Cacho, Nicole; Miller, Darci; Cardel, Michelle; Gurka, Matthew; Janicke, David; Shenkman, Elizabeth

    2016-12-01

    Pediatric obesity, a significant public health concern, has been associated with adult premature mortality and the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Evidence has suggested that the gut microbiota is associated with pediatric obesity. Establishment of the infant gut microbiome is dependent on a dynamic maternal-infant microbiota exchange during early life. The objective of this review is to describe maternal factors such as feeding practices and antibiotic use that may influence the infant gut microbiome and risk for obesity. The complex components in human milk have many nutritional benefits to the infant; however, the microbiome in human milk may be an important factor to help regulate the infant's weight. We discuss maternal antibiotics and the effects on breast milk as critical exposures that alter the infant's gut microbiome and influence the risk of pediatric obesity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. YBa2Cu3O7-δ/NdBa2(Cu1-xNix)3O7-δ double layers by liquid-phase epitaxial growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yao, X.; Izumi, Toru; Hobara, Natsuro; Nakamura, Yuichi; Izumi, Teruo; Shiohara, Yuh

    2001-01-01

    Our present investigation has answered questions pertaining to the REBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (RE123, RE=rare-earth elements)-coated conductor application when NdBa 2 (Cu 1-x Ni x ) 3 O 7-δ (Ni-NdBCO) solid solution is used as a buffer layer by the liquid-phase epitaxy(LPE) process. The NiO/Ni substrate has no substantial reaction in the Ni-saturated Nd-Ba-Cu-O liquid. There is no essential Ni interdiffusion between YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO) and Ni-NdBCO LPE thick films as evident from T c values of 90 K obtained from multilayer YBCO/Ni-NdBCO samples. (author)

  20. Gut bacteria are rarely shared by co-hospitalized premature infants, regardless of necrotizing enterocolitis development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raveh-Sadka, Tali; Thomas, Brian C; Singh, Andrea; Firek, Brian; Brooks, Brandon; Castelle, Cindy J; Sharon, Itai; Baker, Robyn; Good, Misty; Morowitz, Michael J; Banfield, Jillian F

    2015-01-01

    Premature infants are highly vulnerable to aberrant gastrointestinal tract colonization, a process that may lead to diseases like necrotizing enterocolitis. Thus, spread of potential pathogens among hospitalized infants is of great concern. Here, we reconstructed hundreds of high-quality genomes of microorganisms that colonized co-hospitalized premature infants, assessed their metabolic potential, and tracked them over time to evaluate bacterial strain dispersal among infants. We compared microbial communities in infants who did and did not develop necrotizing enterocolitis. Surprisingly, while potentially pathogenic bacteria of the same species colonized many infants, our genome-resolved analysis revealed that strains colonizing each baby were typically distinct. In particular, no strain was common to all infants who developed necrotizing enterocolitis. The paucity of shared gut colonizers suggests the existence of significant barriers to the spread of bacteria among infants. Importantly, we demonstrate that strain-resolved comprehensive community analysis can be accomplished on potentially medically relevant time scales. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05477.001 PMID:25735037

  1. Short rare hTERT-VNTR2-2nd alleles are associated with prostate cancer susceptibility and influence gene expression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoon, Se-Lyun; Cheon, Sang-Hyeon; Leem, Sun-Hee; Jung, Se-Il; Do, Eun-Ju; Lee, Se-Ra; Lee, Sang-Yeop; Chu, In-Sun; Kim, Wun-Jae; Jung, Jaeil; Kim, Choung Soo

    2010-01-01

    The hTERT (human telomerase reverse transcriptase) gene contains five variable number tandem repeats (VNTR) and previous studies have described polymorphisms for hTERT-VNTR2-2 nd . We investigated how allelic variation in hTERT-VNTR2-2 nd may affect susceptibility to prostate cancer. A case-control study was performed using DNA from 421 cancer-free male controls and 329 patients with prostate cancer. In addition, to determine whether the VNTR polymorphisms have a functional consequence, we examined the transcriptional levels of a reporter gene linked to these VNTRs and driven by the hTERT promoter in cell lines. Three new rare alleles were detected from this study, two of which were identified only in cancer subjects. A statistically significant association between rare hTERT-VNTR2-2 nd alleles and risk of prostate cancer was observed [OR, 5.17; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09-24.43; P = 0.021]. Furthermore, the results indicated that these VNTRs inserted in the enhancer region could influence the expression of hTERT in prostate cancer cell lines. This is the first study to report that rare hTERT VNTRs are associated with prostate cancer predisposition and that the VNTRs can induce enhanced levels of hTERT promoter activity in prostate cancer cell lines. Thus, the hTERT-VNTR2-2 nd locus may function as a modifier of prostate cancer risk by affecting gene expression

  2. Infant sleep development from 3 to 6 months postpartum: links with maternal sleep and paternal involvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tikotzky, Liat; Sadeh, Avi; Volkovich, Ella; Manber, Rachel; Meiri, Gal; Shahar, Golan

    2015-03-01

    The aims of this longitudinal study were to examine (a) development of infant sleep and maternal sleep from 3 to 6 months postpartum; (b) concomitant and prospective links between maternal sleep and infant sleep; and (c) triadic links between paternal involvement in infant caregiving and maternal and infant sleep. The study included 57 families that were recruited during pregnancy. Maternal and infant sleep was assessed using actigraphy and sleep diaries for 5 nights. Both fathers and mothers completed a questionnaire assessing the involvement of fathers relative to mothers in infant caregiving. The results demonstrated moderate improvement in infant and maternal sleep percent between 3 and 6 months. Maternal sleep percent at 3 months significantly predicted infant sleep percent at 6 months. Greater paternal involvement in infant daytime and nighttime caregiving at 3 months significantly predicted more consolidated maternal and infant sleep at 6 months. These findings suggest that maternal sleep is an important predictor of infant sleep and that increased involvement of fathers in infant caregiving responsibilities may contribute to improvements in both maternal and infant sleep during the first 6 months postpartum. © 2015 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

  3. Diode-pumped femtosecond mode-locked Nd, Y-codoped CaF2 laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu, Jiangfeng; Zhang, Lijuan; Gao, Ziye; Wang, Junli; Wang, Zhaohua; Wei, Zhiyi; Su, Liangbi; Zheng, Lihe; Wang, Jingya; Xu, Jun

    2015-01-01

    A passively mode-locked femtosecond laser based on an Nd, Y-codoped CaF 2 disordered crystal was demonstrated. The Y 3+ -codoping in Nd : CaF 2 markedly suppressed the quenching effect and improved the fluorescence quantum efficiency and emission spectra. With a fiber-coupled laser diode as the pump source, the continuous wave tuning range covering from 1042 to 1076 nm was realized, while the mode-locked operation generated 264 fs pulses with an average output power of 180 mW at a repetition rate of 85 MHz. The experimental results show that the Nd, Y-codoped CaF 2 disordered crystal has potential in a new generation diode-pumped high repetition rate chirped pulse amplifier. (letter)

  4. Development and adaptation to resection of infant rat gut

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J.E. de Vries

    1982-01-01

    textabstractInfants with malrotation of the gut easily develop midgut volvuluse If this volvulus is not treated immediately, ischemic necrosis of the small bowel may develop rapidly. The treatment of these children requires extensive small bowel resection. Infrequently, children are born with

  5. Infant Development and Pre- and Post-partum Depression in Rural South African HIV-Infected Women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Violeta J; Matseke, Gladys; Cook, Ryan; Bellinger, Seanna; Weiss, Stephen M; Alcaide, Maria L; Peltzer, Karl; Patton, Doyle; Lopez, Maria; Jones, Deborah L

    2017-10-06

    HIV-exposed infants born to depressed women may be at risk for adverse developmental outcomes. Half of HIV-infected women in rural South Africa (SA) may suffer from pregnancy-related depression. This pilot study examined the impact of depression in HIV-infected women in rural SA on infant development. Mother-infant dyads (N = 69) were recruited in rural SA. Demographics, HIV disclosure, depression, male involvement, and alcohol use at baseline (18.35 ± 5.47 weeks gestation) were assessed. Male involvement, depression, infant HIV serostatus and development were assessed 12 months postnatally. Half of the women (age = 29 ± 5) reported depression prenatally and one-third reported depression postnatally. In multivariable logistic regression, not cohabiting with their male partner, nondisclosure of HIV status, and postnatal depression predicted cognitive delay; decreased prenatal male involvement predicted delayed gross motor development (ps depression among HIV-infected women and infant development and increasing male involvement may reduce negative developmental outcomes among HIV-exposed or infected infants.

  6. Improved Cognitive Development in Preterm Infants with Shared Book Reading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braid, Susan; Bernstein, Jenny

    2015-01-01

    To examine the effect of shared book reading on the cognitive development of children born preterm and to determine what factors influence shared book reading in this population. Secondary analysis using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort, a large, nationally representative survey of children born in the United States in 2001. One thousand four hundred singleton preterm infants (22-36 weeks gestation). Cognitive development measured using the Bayley Mental Scale score from the Bayley Scales of Infant Development Research Edition. Adjusting for neonatal, maternal, and socioeconomic characteristics, reading aloud more than two times a week is associated with higher cognitive development scores in two-year-old children born preterm (p book reading holds potential as an early developmental intervention for this population.

  7. Development of laser diode pumped Nd:glass slab laser driver for the inertial fusion energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamanaka, Masanobu; Kanabe, Tadashi; Yasuhara, Ryo

    2002-01-01

    A diode-pumped solid state laser (DPSSL) is promising candidate of reactor driver for Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE). As a first step of a driver development for the IFE, we are developing a laser diode pumped zig-zag Nd:glass slab laser amplifier system HALNA 10 (High Average-power Laser for Nuclear-fusion Application) which can generated an output of 10 J per pulse at 1053 nm in 10 Hz operation. The water-cooled zig zag Nd:glass slab is pumped from both sides by 803 nm AIGaAs laser diode (LD) module, each LD module has an emitting area of 420 mm x 10 mm and two LD modules generate in total 218 (max.) kW peak power with 2.6 kW/cm 2 peak intensity at 10 Hz repetition rate. We have obtained in first-stage experiment 8.5 J output energy at 0.5 Hz with a beam quality of 2 times diffraction limited far-field pattern, which nearly confirmed our conceptual design. Since the key issue for the IFE DPSSL drive module were almost satisfactory, we have a confidence that a next 100 J x 10 Hz DPSSL module (HALNA 100) can be constructed. Thermal effects in laser slab, Faraday rotator, Faraday isolator and Pockets cell and their managements are discussed.

  8. Development and Validation of Big Four Personality Scales for the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality-2nd Edition (SNAP-2)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calabrese, William R.; Rudick, Monica M.; Simms, Leonard J.; Clark, Lee Anna

    2012-01-01

    Recently, integrative, hierarchical models of personality and personality disorder (PD)—such as the Big Three, Big Four and Big Five trait models—have gained support as a unifying dimensional framework for describing PD. However, no measures to date can simultaneously represent each of these potentially interesting levels of the personality hierarchy. To unify these measurement models psychometrically, we sought to develop Big Five trait scales within the Schedule for Adaptive and Nonadaptive Personality–2nd Edition (SNAP-2). Through structural and content analyses, we examined relations between the SNAP-2, Big Five Inventory (BFI), and NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) ratings in a large data set (N = 8,690), including clinical, military, college, and community participants. Results yielded scales consistent with the Big Four model of personality (i.e., Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Introversion, and Antagonism) and not the Big Five as there were insufficient items related to Openness. Resulting scale scores demonstrated strong internal consistency and temporal stability. Structural and external validity was supported by strong convergent and discriminant validity patterns between Big Four scale scores and other personality trait scores and expectable patterns of self-peer agreement. Descriptive statistics and community-based norms are provided. The SNAP-2 Big Four Scales enable researchers and clinicians to assess personality at multiple levels of the trait hierarchy and facilitate comparisons among competing “Big Trait” models. PMID:22250598

  9. Linking infant-directed speech and face preferences to language outcomes in infants at risk for autism spectrum disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Droucker, Danielle; Curtin, Suzanne; Vouloumanos, Athena

    2013-04-01

    In this study, the authors aimed to examine whether biases for infant-directed (ID) speech and faces differ between infant siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (SIBS-A) and infant siblings of typically developing children (SIBS-TD), and whether speech and face biases predict language outcomes and risk group membership. Thirty-six infants were tested at ages 6, 8, 12, and 18 months. Infants heard 2 ID and 2 adult-directed (AD) speech passages paired with either a checkerboard or a face. The authors assessed expressive language at 12 and 18 months and general functioning at 12 months using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (Mullen, 1995). Both infant groups preferred ID to AD speech and preferred faces to checkerboards. SIBS-TD demonstrated higher expressive language at 18 months than did SIBS-A, a finding that correlated with preferences for ID speech at 12 months. Although both groups looked longer to face stimuli than to the checkerboard, the magnitude of the preference was smaller in SIBS-A and predicted expressive vocabulary at 18 months in this group. Infants' preference for faces contributed to risk-group membership in a logistic regression analysis. Infants at heightened risk of ASD differ from typically developing infants in their preferences for ID speech and faces, which may underlie deficits in later language development and social communication.

  10. The development of regional functional connectivity in preterm infants into early childhood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Wayne; Morgan, Benjamin R; Shroff, Manohar M; Sled, John G; Taylor, Margot J

    2013-09-01

    Resting state networks are proposed to reflect the neuronal connectivity that underlies cognitive processes. Consequently, abnormal behaviour of these networks due to disease or altered development may predict poor cognitive outcome. To understand how very preterm birth may affect the development of resting state connectivity, we followed a cohort of very preterm-born infants from birth through to 4 years of age using resting state functional MRI. From a larger longitudinal cohort of infants born very preterm (regions and left and right temporal lobes, we investigated local and inter-region connectivity as a function of group and age. We found strong local connectivity during the preterm period, which matured into inter-hemispheric and preliminary default-mode network correlations by 4 years of age. This development is comparable to the resting state networks found in term-born infants of equivalent age. The results of this study suggest that differences in developmental trajectory between preterm-born and term-born infants are small and, if present, would require a large sample from both populations to be detected.

  11. [Somatic and psychomotor development of preterm infants at the age of 2 years, with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwinta, Przemko; Klimek, Małgorzata; Pietrzyk, Jacek J

    2005-01-01

    The assessment of psychomotor and somatic development at the age of 2 years of preterm infants with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Case -- control study. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital. 62 preterm infants born before 32 weeks of gestation, with mean birth weight equaled to 1112 g were included into 2 groups: group A -- with BPD (n=31), group B (control) -- matched by sex, birth weight, gestational age (n=31). Evaluation of reaching milestones, neurological examination at 3, 9, 12, 18-24 months, Psyche-Cattel tests at 12 and 24 months, hearing and visions examinations, head, chest circumference, length and weight at 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 months. Age of unsupported sitting and walking, intelligence quotient (IQ), cerebral palsy, hearing and sight impairment. Reaching motor milestones were similar in the both groups (unsupported sitting (mean) 10.4 vs. 8.7 months, unsupported walking: 15.1 vs. 13.9 months). Cerebral palsy occurred more (non-significantly) frequently in group A than in group B (7/31 vs. 2/31, p=0.15). Significantly lower IQ was found in group A at the age of 1 year in comparison with group B (x +/- SEM: 79.9 +/- 2.1 vs. 86.1 +/- 1.5, p=0.03) and at the age of 2 years (x +/- SEM: 89.2 +/- 2.7 vs. 96.0 +/- 2.1, p=0.06). Weight, length, head and chest circumferences at the term of delivery were similar in the both groups, but at the age of 9 and 24 months the group A children weighted less than group B (respectively: 7432 vs. 8128 g, 10010 vs. 11116; pdevelopment of preterm newborns.

  12. Early mantle differentiation: constraint from 146Sm-142Nd systematics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caro, G.

    2005-07-01

    We present new ultra-high precision 142 Nd/ 144 Nd measurements of early Archaean rocks using the new generation thermal ionization mass spectrometer TRITON. Repeated measurements of the Ames Nd standard demonstrate that the 142 Nd/ 144 Nd ratio can be determined with external precision of 2 ppm (2s), allowing confident resolution of anomalies as small as 5 ppm. A major analytical improvement lies in the elimination of the double normalization procedure required to correct our former measurements from a secondary mass fractionation effect. Our new results indicate that metasediments, meta-basalts and orthogneisses from the 3.6 - 3.8 Ga West Greenland craton display positive 142 Nd anomalies ranging from 8 to 15 ppm. Using a simple two-stage model with initial e 143 Nd value of 1.9 ± 0.6 e-units, coupled 147 Sm- 143 Nd and 146 Sm- 142 Nd chronometry constrains mantle differentiation to 50 to 200 Ma after formation of the solar system. This chronological constraint is consistent with differentiation of the Earth's mantle during the late stage of crystallization of a magma ocean. We have developed a two-box model describing 142 Nd and 143 Nd isotopic evolution of depleted mantle during the subsequent evolution of the crust-mantle system. Our results indicate that early terrestrial proto-crust had a lifetime of ca. 500 Ma in order to produce the observed Nd isotope signature of Archaean rocks. In the context of this two box mantle-crust system, we model the evolution of isotopic and chemical heterogeneity of depleted mantle as a function of the mantle stirring time. Using the dispersion of 142 Nd/ 144 Nd and 143 Nd/ 144 Nd ratios observed in early Archaean rocks, we constrain the stirring time of early Earth's mantle to 100 - 150 Ma, a factor of 5 to 10 shorter than stirring time inferred from modern oceanic basalts. (author)

  13. Infant Exposures and Development of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frederiksen, Brittni; Kroehl, Miranda; Lamb, Molly M.; Seifert, Jennifer; Barriga, Katherine; Eisenbarth, George S.; Rewers, Marian; Norris, Jill M.

    2014-01-01

    IMPORTANCE The incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is increasing worldwide, with the most rapid increase among children younger than 5 years of age. OBJECTIVE To examine the associations between perinatal and infant exposures, especially early infant diet, and the development of T1DM. DESIGN The Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY) is a longitudinal, observational study. SETTING Newborn screening for human leukocyte antigen (HLA) was done at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado. First-degree relatives of individuals with T1DM were recruited from the Denver metropolitan area. PARTICIPANTS A total of 1835 children at increased genetic risk for T1DM followed up from birth with complete prospective assessment of infant diet. Fifty-three children developed T1DM. EXPOSURES Early (<4 months of age) and late (≥6 months of age) first exposure to solid foods compared with first exposures at 4 to 5 months of age (referent). MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE Risk for T1DM diagnosed by a physician. RESULTS Both early and late first exposure to any solid food predicted development of T1DM (hazard ratio [HR], 1.91; 95% CI, 1.04–3.51, and HR, 3.02; 95% CI, 1.26–7.24, respectively), adjusting for the HLA-DR genotype, first-degree relative with T1DM, maternal education, and delivery type. Specifically, early exposure to fruit and late exposure to rice/oat predicted T1DM (HR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.14–4.39, and HR, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.36–6.11, respectively), while breastfeeding at the time of introduction to wheat/barley conferred protection (HR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.26–0.86). Complicated vaginal delivery was also a predictor of T1DM (HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.03–3.61). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These results suggest the safest age to introduce solid foods in children at increased genetic risk for T1DM is between 4 and 5 months of age. Breastfeeding while introducing new foods may reduce T1DM risk. PMID:23836309

  14. Conceptual Design Study of Nb(3)Sn Low-beta Quadrupoles for 2nd Generation LHC IRs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zlobin, A. V.; Ambrosio, G.; Andreev, N.; Barzi, E.; Bauer, P.

    2002-10-01

    Conceptual designs of 90-mm aperture high gradient quadrupoles based on the Nb3Sn superconductor, are being developed at Fermilab for possible 2nd generation IRs with the similar optics as in the current low-beta insertions. Magnet designs and results of magnetic, mechanical, thermal and quench protection analysis for these magnets are presented and discussed.

  15. Conceptual design study of Nb3Sn low-beta quadrupoles for 2nd generation LHC IRs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexander V Zlobin et al.

    2002-01-01

    Conceptual designs of 90-mm aperture high-gradient quadrupoles based on the Nb 3 Sn superconductor, are being developed at Fermilab for possible 2nd generation IRs with the similar optics as in the current low-beta insertions. Magnet designs and results of magnetic, mechanical, thermal and quench protection analysis for these magnets are presented and discussed

  16. Metagenomics and development of the gut microbiota in infants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vallès, Y.; Gosalbes, M. J.; de Vries, Lisbeth Elvira

    2012-01-01

    Clin Microbiol Infect 2012; 18 (Suppl. 4): 21–26 The establishment of a balanced intestinal microbiota is essential for numerous aspects of human health, yet the microbial colonization of the gastrointestinal tract of infants is both complex and highly variable among individuals. In addition......, the gastrointestinal tract microbiota is often exposed to antibiotics, and may be an important reservoir of resistant strains and of transferable resistance genes from early infancy. We are investigating by means of diverse metagenomic approaches several areas of microbiota development in infants, including...

  17. Human milk H2O2 content: does it benefit preterm infants?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cieslak, Monika; Ferreira, Cristina H F; Shifrin, Yulia; Pan, Jingyi; Belik, Jaques

    2018-03-01

    BackgroundHuman milk has a high content of the antimicrobial compound hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). As opposed to healthy full-term infants, preterm neonates are fed previously expressed and stored maternal milk. These practices may favor H 2 O 2 decomposition, thus limiting its potential benefit to preterm infants. The goal of this study was to evaluate the factors responsible for H 2 O 2 generation and degradation in breastmilk.MethodsHuman donors' and rats' milk, along with rat mammary tissue were evaluated. The role of oxytocin and xanthine oxidase on H 2 O 2 generation, its pH-dependent stability, as well as its degradation via lactoperoxidase and catalase was measured in milk.ResultsBreast tissue xanthine oxidase is responsible for the H 2 O 2 generation and its milk content is dependent on oxytocin stimulation. Stability of the human milk H 2 O 2 content is pH-dependent and greatest in the acidic range. Complete H 2 O 2 degradation occurs when human milk is maintained, longer than 10 min, at room temperature and this process is suppressed by lactoperoxidase and catalase inhibition.ConclusionFresh breastmilk H 2 O 2 content is labile and quickly degrades at room temperature. Further investigation on breastmilk handling techniques to preserve its H 2 O 2 content, when gavage-fed to preterm infants is warranted.

  18. Co-doping effect of CaS and Nd2S3 nanocrystallites on luminescence properties of sol-gel SiO2 xerogel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, P.; Lue, M.K.; Song, C.F.; Xu, D.; Yuan, D.L.; Gu, F.

    2005-01-01

    The synthesis and photoluminescence characteristics of a porous phosphor silica xerogel containing CaS and Nd 2 S 3 nanoparticles entrapped in a sol-gel silica network are discussed. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron micrograph (TEM), UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy have been performed. The observed luminescence is assigned to CaS and Nd 2 S 3 nanoparticles embedded in the sol-gel silica xerogel. Transmission electron micrographs of doped samples revealed the presence of CaS and Nd 2 S 3 nanoparticles with average diameters of 10-20 nm. Two emission bands have been observed from co-doped sample

  19. The 2nd International Conference on Particle Physics and Astrophysics

    CERN Document Server

    Soldatov, Evgeny; ICPPA 2016

    2016-01-01

    The 2nd International Conference on Particle Physics and Astrophysics (ICPPA-2016) will be held in Moscow, Russia, (from the 10th to 14th of October). The conference is organized by the National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI”. The aim of the Conference is to promote contacts between scientists and to develop new ideas in fundamental research. Therefore we will bring together experts and young scientists working in experimental and theoretical aspects of nuclear physics, particle physics (including astroparticle physics), and cosmology. ICPPA-2016 aims to present the most recent results in astrophysics and collider physics from the main experiments actively taking data as well as any upgrades for the methods of experimental particle physics. Furthermore, one special workshop will be held within the framework of this conference: «SiPM development and application». The working language of the conference is English

  20. 2nd International Congress on Neurotechnology, Electronics and Informatics

    CERN Document Server

    Encarnação, Pedro

    2016-01-01

    This book is a timely report on current neurotechnology research. It presents a snapshot of the state of the art in the field, discusses current challenges and identifies new directions. The book includes a selection of extended and revised contributions presented at the 2nd International Congress on Neurotechnology, Electronics and Informatics (NEUROTECHNIX 2014), held October 25-26 in Rome, Italy. The chapters are varied: some report on novel theoretical methods for studying neuronal connectivity or neural system behaviour; others report on advanced technologies developed for similar purposes; while further contributions concern new engineering methods and technological tools supporting medical diagnosis and neurorehabilitation. All in all, this book provides graduate students, researchers and practitioners dealing with different aspects of neurotechnologies with a unified view of the field, thus fostering new ideas and research collaborations among groups from different disciplines.

  1. Joint Attention Development in Low-risk Very Low Birth Weight Infants at Around 18 Months of Age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamaoka, Noriko; Takada, Satoshi

    2016-10-18

    The purpose of this study was to clarify the developmental characteristics of joint attention in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants with a low risk of complications. Section B of the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) was administered to 31 VLBW and 45 normal birth weight (NBW) infants aged 18-22 months, while the sessions were recorded with a video camera. A semi-structured observation scale was developed to assess infants' joint attention from the video footage, and was shown to be reliable. VLBW, compared to NBW, infants showed significantly poorer skills in 2 of 4 items on responding to joint attention, and in 6 of 10 items on initiating joint attention. VLBW infants need more clues in order to produce joint attention. The difficulty was attributed to insufficient verbal and fine motor function skills. Continuous follow-up evaluation is essential for both high-risk and low-risk VLBW infants and their parents.

  2. Fusion Technologies: 2nd Karlsruhe International Summer School

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bahm, W.

    2008-01-01

    Nuclear fusion promises to deliver a future non-polluting energy supply with nearly unlimited fuel reserves. To win young scientists and engineers for nuclear fusion, the Karlsruhe Research Center, together with other partners in the European Fusion Education Network being established by the European Commission, organizes the 2nd Karlsruhe International Summer School on Fusion Technologies on September 1-12, 2008. The program covers all key technologies necessary for construction and operation of a fusion reactor. (orig.)

  3. Phase transitions and molecular motions in [Ni(ND3)6](ClO4)2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Migdal-Mikuli, Anna; Mikuli, Edward; Gorska, Natalia; Kowalska, Aneta; Ulanski, Jacek

    2004-01-01

    [Ni(ND 3 ) 6 ](ClO 4 ) 2 has three solid phases between 100 and 300 K. The phase transitions temperatures at heating (T C1 h =164.1 K and T C2 h =145.1 K) are shifted, as compared to the non-deuterated compound, towards the lower temperature of ca. 8 and 5 K, respectively. The ClO 4 - anions perform fast, picosecond, isotropic reorientation with the activation energy of 6.6 kJ mol -1 , which abruptly slow down at T C1 c phase transition, during sample cooling. The ND 3 ligands perform fast uniaxial reorientation around the Ni-N bond in all three detected phases, with the effective activation energy of 2.9 kJ mol -1 . The reorientational motion of ND 3 is only slightly distorted at the T C1 phase transition due to the dynamical orientational order-disorder process of anions. The low value of the activation energy for the ND 3 reorientation suggests that this reorientation undergoes the translation-rotation coupling, which makes the barrier to the rotation of the ammonia ligands not constant but fluctuating. The phase polymorphism and the dynamics of the molecular reorientations of the title compound are similar but not quite identical with these of the [Ni(NH 3 ) 6 ](ClO 4 ) 2

  4. Motor development in 9-month-old infants in relation to cultural differences and iron status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angulo-Barroso, Rosa M; Schapiro, Lauren; Liang, Weilang; Rodrigues, Onike; Shafir, Tal; Kaciroti, Niko; Jacobson, Sandra W; Lozoff, Betsy

    2011-03-01

    Motor development, which allows infants to explore their environment, promoting cognitive, social, and perceptual development, can be influenced by cultural practices and nutritional factors, such as iron deficiency. This study compared fine and gross motor development in 209 9-month-old infants from urban areas of China, Ghana, and USA (African-Americans) and considered effects of iron status. Iron deficiency anemia was most common in the Ghana sample (55%) followed by USA and China samples. Controlling for iron status, Ghanaian infants displayed precocity in gross motor development and most fine-motor reach-and-grasp tasks. US African-Americans performed the poorest in all tasks except bimanual coordination and the large ball. Controlling for cultural site, iron status showed linear trends for gross motor milestones and fine motor skills with small objects. Our findings add to the sparse literature on infant fine motor development across cultures. The results also indicate the need to consider nutritional factors when examining cultural differences in infant development. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Overweight and obese infants present lower cognitive and motor development scores than normal-weight peers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camargos, Ana Cristina Resende; Mendonça, Vanessa Amaral; Andrade, Camila Alves de; Oliveira, Katherine Simone Caires; Lacerda, Ana Cristina Rodrigues

    2016-12-01

    Compare the cognitive and motor development in overweight/obese infants versus normal-weight peers and investigate the correlation of body weight, body length and body mass index with cognitive and motor development. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 28 overweight/obese infants and 28 normal-weight peers between 6 and 24 months of age. Both groups were evaluated with cognitive and motor scales of the Bayley-III infant development test. The t-test for independent samples was performed to compare the groups, and the Spearman correlation was used to verify the association between variables. Overweight/obese infants showed lower cognitive and motor composite scores than their normal-weight peers. A significant negative association was found of body weight and body length with cognitive development and of body mass index with motor development. This is the first study that found an effect on both cognitive and motor development in overweight/obese infants when compared with normal-weight peers between 6 and 24 months of age. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Processing of single- and multi-domain YBa2Cu3Ox bulk materials for levitation applications by Nd1+xBa2-xCu3Oy seeding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Todt, V.R.

    1995-01-01

    Melt processing of YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (Y123) is a well established technique to produce materials for levitation applications. We report our new results on the melt-processing of Y123. To achieve materials with high levitation forces we utilize a seeding technique using Nd 1+x Ba 2-x Cu 3 O y- seeds (Nd123). Two different kinds of Nd13-seeds, one plate-shaped and the other cube-shaped, were developed and used for this study. The microstructures of the levitators depended strongly on the type of the seeding material used and on the seeding geometry. We were able to produce large single domains as well as materials containing five domains with three different c-axis orientations. Levitation forces up to 8.2 N for samples with a diameter of about 18 mm were found for the multi-domain samples, which is well within the area of the levitation forces measured for the single domain materials

  7. Intravenous paracetamol with a lower dose is also effective for the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in pre-term infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tekgündüz, Kadir Şerafettin; Ceviz, Naci; Caner, İbrahim; Olgun, Haşim; Demirelli, Yaşar; Yolcu, Canan; Şahin, İrfan Oğuz; Kara, Mustafa

    2015-08-01

    Haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in pre-term infants. This retrospective study was conducted to investigate the usefulness of lower-dose paracetamol for the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in pre-term infants. A total of 13 pre-term infants who received intravenous paracetamol because of contrindications or side effects to oral ibuprofen were retrospectively enrolled. In the first patient, the dose regimen was 15 mg/kg/dose, every 6 hours. As the patient developed significant elevation in transaminase levels, the dose was decreased to 10 mg/kg/dose, every 8 hours in the following 12 patients. Echocardiographic examination was conducted daily. In case of closure, it was repeated after 2 days and when needed thereafter in terms of reopening. A total of 13 patients received intravenous paracetamol. Median gestational age was 29 weeks ranging from 24 to 31 weeks and birth weight was 950 g ranging from 470 to 1390 g. The median postnatal age at the first intravenous paracetamol dose was 3 days ranging from 2 to 9 days. In 10 of the 13 patients (76.9%), patent ductus arteriosus was closed at the median 2nd day of intravenous paracetamol ranging from 1 to 4 days. When the patient who developed hepatotoxicity was eliminated, the closure rate was found to be 83.3% (10/12). Intravenous paracetamol may be a useful treatment option for the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in pre-term infants with contrindication to ibuprofen. In our experience, lower-dose paracetamol is effective in closing the patent ductus arteriosus in 83.3% of the cases.

  8. Soft and hard natures of Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B permanent magnet explored by first-order-reversal-curves

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Po-An; Yang, Chao-Yao; Chang, Shu-Jui [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC (China); Lee, Min-Han [Undergraduate Honors Program of Nano Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC (China); Tang, Nai-Kuang; Yen, Sheng-Chan [Metal Industries Research and Development Center, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Tseng, Yuan-Chieh, E-mail: yctseng21@mail.nctu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC (China)

    2014-12-15

    Two commercial Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B samples, MQP-B and sintered-NdFeB were investigated using synchrotron-based x-ray diffraction and first-order-reversal-curves (FORCs). Despite differing in magnetic and structural properties, the two samples were found to comprise two major ferromagnetic components in FORCs. For the sintered-NdFeB case, the soft component may originate from the intrinsically soft Nd-f site which was coupled with its local Fe atomic environment that differs in magnetic anisotropy from the Nd-g site (intrinsically hard). It may directly originate from the Nd-rich phase or microstructural imperfection, while the former possibility (Nd-f site) appears greater than the latter. While for the MQP-B, the minor second phase resulting from high structural disorder was likely in charge of the presence of the soft component. Sophisticated FORCs analyses revealed the natures of the soft and hard components, soft–hard coupling and switching reversibility of the two cases, irrespective of the origins of their two components. This provides insights to the origin of magnetic stability and reversal dynamics of Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B that have not been fully understood by conventional magnetic analyses. The coexistence of the two components led to an incoherent reversal undermining the magnetic stability of Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B. This is a fundamental problem as to why the performance extremity can only be improved finitely through extrinsic tuning. From FORCs simulation we understand that the soft–hard coupling was moderate in a real Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B compound. A stronger soft–hard coupling is necessary to conquer the anisotropic competition to enable a coherent reversal that will promote the magnetic hardness. - Highlights: • We investigated two commercially available Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B compounds with FORCs. • The two compounds were found to comprise soft and hard natures. • The coupling between the soft and hard phases is moderate in a real Nd

  9. Supercurrent transport properties in Nd substituted TlSr2CaCu2O7 high temperature superconductor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrew Das Arulsamy; Abd Shukor, R.

    1999-01-01

    The transport critical current density, J ct of TI(Sr 1-x Nd x ) 2 CaCu 2 O 7 (x= 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3) high temperature superconductors were measured at various temperatures. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that all samples consist of mainly of the 1212 phase. The variation of J ct with Nd concentration, temperature and T c were scaled using a universal function. By plotting J ct versus T n c (x) and [1-(T/T c ) 2 ] m , we can divide the temperature dependencies of J ct into two regions. In each region, a linear relationship is suggested to hold between J ct and [1-(T/T c ) 2 ] m . For x=0.1, a relatively large exponent m in the range 40 - 50 K is observed, but a lower value is observed for a higher temperature range, 55 - 60 K. Average m for x = 0. 1 in the range 40 - 70 K is 1.8 but for x=0.2 and 0.3, m is 0.6 and 1.2, respectively. This can be interpreted as an indication that there is a change in the elementary flux pinning force which is responsible for sustaining the supercurrent. A self-field approximation indicates that Nd substitution lowers the distance between pinning centers (L c ). (author)

  10. Rich micronutrient fortification of locally produced infant food does not improve mental and motor development of Zambian infants: a randomised controlled trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manno, Daniela; Kowa, Priscilla K.; Bwalya, Hellen K.; Siame, Joshua; Grantham-McGregor, Sally; Baisley, Kathy; De Stavola, Bianca L.; Jaffar, Shabbar; Filteau, Suzanne

    2013-01-01

    It is uncertain whether multiple micronutrients benefit the mental and psychomotor development of young children in developing countries. We conducted a randomised double-blind controlled trial to evaluate the effect of a richly micronutrient-fortified v. a basal fortified porridge on mental and psychomotor development in Zambian infants. Infants (n 743) were randomised at age 6 months to receive either the richly fortified or the basal fortified infant food and were followed up until 18 months of age. All the infants were evaluated monthly for achievement of a series of developmental milestones. The Bayley scales of infant development II were administered to a subsample of 502 infants at 6, 12 and 18 months. Rich micronutrient fortification had no significant benefit on the following: (a) number of developmental milestones achieved (rate ratio at 12 months = 1·00; 95 % CI 0·96, 1·05; P=0·81, adjusted for sex, socio-economic status and maternal education, with similar results at 15 and 18 months); (b) ages of walking unsupported (hazard ratio (HR) 1·04; 95 % CI 0·88, 1·24; P=0·63, adjusted for the above covariates) and of speaking three or four clear words (HR 1·01; 95 % CI 0·84, 1·20; P=0·94, adjusted for the above covariates); (c) mental development index (MDI) and psychomotor development index (PDI) of the Bayley scales (scores difference adjusted for baseline scores, age at the assessment, sex, socio-economic status, maternal education, language, age and HIV status: MDI 0·3 (95 % CI −0·5, 1·1), P=0·43; PDI −0·1 (95 % CI −0·9, 0·7), P=0·78). In conclusion, the results do not support the hypothesis that rich micronutrient fortification improves Zambian infants’ mental and motor development. PMID:21733297

  11. Development of high average power industrial Nd:YAG laser with peak power of 10 kW class

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Cheol Jung; Kim, Jeong Mook; Jung, Chin Mann; Kim, Soo Sung; Kim, Kwang Suk; Kim, Min Suk; Cho, Jae Wan; Kim, Duk Hyun

    1992-03-01

    We developed and commercialized an industrial pulsed Nd:YAG laser with peak power of 10 kW class for fine cutting and drilling applications. Several commercial models have been investigated in design and performance. We improved its quality to the level of commercial Nd:YAG laser by an endurance test for each parts of laser system. The maximum peak power and average power of our laser were 10 kW and 250 W, respectively. Moreover, the laser pulse width could be controlled from 0.5 msec to 20 msec continuously. Many optical parts were localized and lowered much in cost. Only few parts were imported and almost 90% in cost were localized. Also, to accellerate the commercialization by the joint company, the training and transfer of technology were pursued in the joint participation in design and assembly by company researchers from the early stage. Three Nd:YAG lasers have been assembled and will be tested in industrial manufacturing process to prove the capability of developed Nd:YAG laser with potential users. (Author)

  12. Generation of 103 fs mode-locked pulses by a gain linewidth-variable Nd,Y:CaF2 disordered crystal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Z P; Xie, G Q; Ma, J; Ge, W Y; Yuan, P; Qian, L J; Su, L B; Jiang, D P; Ma, F K; Zhang, Q; Cao, Y X; Xu, J

    2014-04-01

    We have demonstrated a diode-pumped passively mode-locked femtosecond Nd,Y:CaF2 disordered crystal laser for the first time to our knowledge. By choosing appropriate Y-doping concentration, a broad fluorescence linewidth of 31 nm has been obtained from the gain linewidth-variable Nd,Y:CaF2 crystal. With the Nd,Y:CaF2 disordered crystal as gain medium, the mode-locked laser generated pulses with pulse duration as short as 103 fs, average output power of 89 mW, and repetition rate of 100 MHz. To our best knowledge, this is the shortest pulse generated from Nd-doped crystal lasers so far. The research results show that the Nd,Y:CaF2 disordered crystal will be a potential alternative as gain medium of repetitive chirped pulse amplification for high-peak-power lasers.

  13. Kidney development in the first year of life in small-for-gestational-age preterm infants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hotoura, Efthalia; Giapros, Vasilios; Drougia, Aikaterini; Argyropoulou, Maria; Papadopoulou, Frederica; Nikolopoulos, Panayiotis; Andronikou, Styliani

    2005-01-01

    Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants have been reported to have a significantly reduced number of nephrons that could be a risk factor for development of hypertension later in life. To evaluate kidney size prospectively in relation to other anthropometric parameters during the first year of life in SGA babies. The babies in the study were 31-36 weeks' gestational age (GA) at birth and were matched with control preterm infants of similar GA, but appropriate for gestational age (AGA). The SGA infants were further classified as symmetrical and asymmetrical according to the anthropometric parameters. The total number of measurements in symmetrical SGA preterm infants was 324, in asymmetrical SGA preterm infants 295, and in AGA infants 536. In symmetrical SGA preterm infants (31-36 weeks' GA) mean kidney length (± SD) of 56±4 mm was significantly different from the controls (58.9±4.6 mm) up to 6 months' chronological age (P < 0.05). In the asymmetrical SGA preterm infants, mean kidney length (45.3±4.0 mm) was significantly different from the controls (48.2±4.4 mm) up to 40 weeks' corrected age. At 1 year chronological age, all preterm infants (symmetrical and asymmetrical SGA and AGA) had similar mean kidney length (61.6±4.6, 62.8±4.3, and 62.3±4.0 mm, respectively). The ratio of kidney length to crown-to-heel length was similar in all preterm groups. Kidney length in preterm SGA infants (symmetrical and asymmetrical) follows closely the other auxological parameters during the first year of life. (orig.)

  14. Interaction between Nd-rich phase particles and liquid-solid interface in as-cast Ti-5Al-4Sn-2Zr-1Mo-0.25Si-1Nd titanium alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, G.P.; Li, D.; Liu, Y.Y.; Hu, Z.Q.

    1995-01-01

    The composition (wt%) of ingot fir this investigation is 86.75%Ti, 5%Al, 4%Sn, 2%Zr, 1%Mo, 0.25%Si, 1%Nd. The alloy was prepared by vacuum arc melting in the form of buttons of mass 500 kg, which was remelted three times repeatedly to obtain homogeneous composition. The Nd-rich phase particles in the as-cast Ti-55 alloy are about 1.2∼11.07 microm and uniformly distribute in the matrix. The shapes of the particles are mainly ellipsoids together with short needle-like and blocky morphologies. The calculated diameter of the Nd-rich phase particles is ∼ 10 microm, which is within the 1.2∼11.07 microm range of the particle diameter experimentally measured in the as-cast Ti-55 alloy. The practical interface velocity is three orders of magnitude greater than V c, and the Nd-rich phase particles in the as-cast Ti-55 alloy are trapped by the liquid-solid interface

  15. Optical spectroscopy of Nd3+/Mg2+ co-doped LiTaO3 laser crystal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, P X; Hang, Y; Gong, J; Zhao, C C; Yin, J G; Zhang, L H; Zhu, Y Y

    2013-01-01

    A Nd 3+ and Mg 2+ co-doped LiTaO 3 single crystal has been grown successfully by the Czochralski method. The polarized absorption spectra of the crystal were measured and investigated. The peak absorption cross-sections at 806 and 810 nm were 4.17 × 10 −20 cm 2 and 4.47 × 10 −20 cm 2 with a full width at half maximum of 29 and 17 nm for σ- and π-polarization, respectively. Based on the Judd–Ofelt theory, the spectral parameters of Nd 3+ in the as-grown crystal were investigated in detail. Moreover, the emission probabilities, branching ratio and radiative lifetime for the transitions from 4 F 3/2 were calculated. The radiative lifetime of 4 F 3/2 was calculated to be 159 μs and the luminescent quantum efficiency of the 4 F 3/2 manifold was about 81.13%. The results were also compared with other Nd 3+ doped crystals. (paper)

  16. Emergency preparedness for those who care for infants in developed country contexts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gribble Karleen D

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Emergency management organisations recognise the vulnerability of infants in emergencies, even in developed countries. However, thus far, those who care for infants have not been provided with detailed information on what emergency preparedness entails. Emergency management authorities should provide those who care for infants with accurate and detailed information on the supplies necessary to care for them in an emergency, distinguishing between the needs of breastfed infants and the needs of formula fed infants. Those who care for formula fed infants should be provided with detailed information on the supplies necessary for an emergency preparedness kit and with information on how to prepare formula feeds in an emergency. An emergency preparedness kit for exclusively breastfed infants should include 100 nappies and 200 nappy wipes. The contents of an emergency preparedness for formula fed infants will vary depending upon whether ready-to-use liquid infant formula or powdered infant formula is used. If ready-to-use liquid infant formula is used, an emergency kit should include: 56 serves of ready-to-use liquid infant formula, 84 L water, storage container, metal knife, small bowl, 56 feeding bottles and teats/cups, 56 zip-lock plastic bags, 220 paper towels, detergent, 120 antiseptic wipes, 100 nappies and 200 nappy wipes. If powdered infant formula is used, an emergency preparedness kit should include: two 900 g tins powdered infant formula, 170 L drinking water, storage container, large cooking pot with lid, kettle, gas stove, box of matches/lighter, 14 kg liquid petroleum gas, measuring container, metal knife, metal tongs, feeding cup, 300 large sheets paper towel, detergent, 100 nappies and 200 nappy wipes. Great care with regards hygiene should be taken in the preparation of formula feeds. Child protection organisations should ensure that foster carers responsible for infants have the resources necessary to formula feed in the

  17. The novel heavy-fermion system Nd{sub 2-x}Ce{sub x}CuO{sub 4}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pyka, N [Institut Max von Laue - Paul Langevin (ILL), 38 - Grenoble (France); Loewenhaupt, M [Technische Univ., Dresden (Germany); Metz, A [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany)

    1997-04-01

    Inelastic neutron scattering experiments are reported in the heavy fermion state of Nd{sub 2-x}Ce{sub x}CuO{sub 4}. A complex magnetic response has been observed in zero field that can be divided into contributions from correlated Nd spins (inelastic, q-dependent; reminiscent of the spin waves in Nd{sub 2}CuO{sub 4}) and from independent, slowly relaxing Nd spins (quasi-elastic, q-independent). An applied magnetic field of H > 3 Tesla gives rise to different correlations in Q - {omega} space than in zero field. Field dependent specific heat and {mu}SR experiments can be better understood in the light of these INS results. The experiments were performed on a single crystal at T {<=} 0.1 K with applied magnetic fields of H = 0 - 6 Tesla at the IN14 spectrometer. (author). 6 refs.

  18. Motherese, affect, and vocabulary development: dyadic communicative interactions in infants and toddlers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dave, Shruti; Mastergeorge, Ann M; Olswang, Lesley B

    2018-07-01

    Responsive parental communication during an infant's first year has been positively associated with later language outcomes. This study explores responsivity in mother-infant communication by modeling how change in guiding language between 7 and 11 months influences toddler vocabulary development. In a group of 32 mother-child dyads, change in early maternal guiding language positively predicted child language outcomes measured at 18 and 24 months. In contrast, a number of other linguistic variables - including total utterances and non-guiding language - did not correlate with toddler vocabulary development, suggesting a critical role of responsive change in infant-directed communication. We further assessed whether maternal affect during early communication influenced toddler vocabulary outcomes, finding that dominant affect during early mother-infant communications correlated to lower child language outcomes. These findings provide evidence that responsive parenting should not only be assessed longitudinally, but unique contributions of language and affect should also be concurrently considered in future study.

  19. Infant Hand Preference and the Development of Cognitive Abilities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    George Frederick Michel

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Hand preference develops in the first two postnatal years with nearly half of infants exhibiting a consistent early preference for acquiring objects. Others exhibit a more variable developmental trajectory but by the end of their second postnatal year, most exhibit a consistent hand preference for role-differentiated bimanual manipulation. According to some forms of embodiment theory, these differences in hand use patterns should influence the way children interact with their environments, which, in turn, should affect the structure and function of brain development. Such early differences in brain development should result in different trajectories of psychological development. We present evidence that children with consistent early hand preferences exhibit advanced patterns of cognitive development as compared to children who develop a hand preference later. Differences in the developmental trajectory of hand preference are predictive of developmental differences in language, object management skills, and tool-use skills. As predicted by Cassasanto’s body-specificity hypothesis, infants with different hand preferences proceed along different developmental pathways of cognitive functioning.

  20. 2nd International Conference on Multiscale Computational Methods for Solids and Fluids

    CERN Document Server

    2016-01-01

    This volume contains the best papers presented at the 2nd ECCOMAS International Conference on Multiscale Computations for Solids and Fluids, held June 10-12, 2015. Topics dealt with include multiscale strategy for efficient development of scientific software for large-scale computations, coupled probability-nonlinear-mechanics problems and solution methods, and modern mathematical and computational setting for multi-phase flows and fluid-structure interaction. The papers consist of contributions by six experts who taught short courses prior to the conference, along with several selected articles from other participants dealing with complementary issues, covering both solid mechanics and applied mathematics. .

  1. CW laser properties of Nd:GdYAG, Nd:LuYAG, and Nd:GdLuAG mixed crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di, J. Q.; Xu, X. D.; Li, D. Z.; Zhou, D. H.; Wu, F.; Zhao, Z. W.; Xu, J.; Tang, D. Y.

    2011-10-01

    Three mixed crystals, Nd:GdYAG, Nd:LuYAG, and Nd:GdLuAG, were grown by Czochralski method. We report the continuous-wave (CW) Nd:GdYAG, Nd:LuYAG, and Nd:GdLuAG laser operation under laser diode pumping. The maximum output powers are 4.11, 5.31, and 7.47 W, with slope efficiency of 73.0, 55.3, and 57.1%, respectively. With replacing Lu3+ or Y3+ ions with large Gd3+ ions, the pump efficiency increases.

  2. Thermal stability of SiO{sub 2}–B{sub 2}O{sub 3}–Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}–Na{sub 2}O–CaO glasses with high Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} and MoO{sub 3} concentrations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chouard, Nolwenn [Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (IRCP), 75005, Paris (France); Laboratoire d' Etude et Développement des Matrices de Conditionnement, CEA/DEN/DTCD/SECM, Marcoule, 30207, Bagnols-sur-Cèze (France); Caurant, Daniel, E-mail: daniel.caurant@chimie-paristech.fr [Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (IRCP), 75005, Paris (France); Majérus, Odile; Guezi-Hasni, Nadia [Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (IRCP), 75005, Paris (France); Dussossoy, Jean-Luc [Laboratoire des Matériaux et Procédés Actifs, CEA/DEN/DTCD/SECM/LMPA, Marcoule, 30207, Bagnols-sur-Cèze (France); Baddour-Hadjean, Rita; Pereira-Ramos, Jean-Pierre [Groupe Electrochimie et Spectroscopie des Matériaux (UMR CNRS 7182), Institut de Chimie et des Matériaux Paris-Est, 94320, Thiais (France)

    2016-06-25

    The incorporation of high MoO{sub 3} amounts in borosilicate glasses developed for the immobilization of radioactive waste may lead to the crystallization of Mo-rich phases that may induce a decrease of the long term performances of glasses. It is thus essential to understand their crystallization mechanisms and the possible effect of other abundant fission products present in the wastes (such as rare earths) in order to control or to avoid their formation during glass preparation. This paper presents a study, performed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman and optical absorption spectroscopies of the stability as a function of the thermal treatment temperature T{sub C} of a simplified Mo-rich nuclear waste glass. The impact of the addition of a high amount of Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} on the thermal stability of this glass is studied. For comparison, the thermal stability of a Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3}-rich glass without Mo is also presented. The crystallization range of all phases formed in these glasses (CaMoO{sub 4}, Na{sub 2}MoO{sub 4}, Ca{sub 2}Nd{sub 8}(SiO{sub 4}){sub 6}O{sub 2} (apatite)) and the evolution of their structure and microstructure as a function of T{sub C} are presented. The introduction of Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} in the MoO{sub 3}-rich glass inhibits the crystallization of molybdates (increase of Mo solubility), as long as apatite does not form which suggests that [MoO{sub 4}]{sup 2-} entities and Nd{sup 3+} cations are close to each other in the glass structure. Besides, when a high density of apatite crystals form, for instance from glass surface, small Mo-rich partially crystallized globular heterogeneities are observed between these crystals that exacerbate the nucleation of new apatite crystals (nucleating effect). - Highlights: • Effect of MoO{sub 3} and Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} separately or together on glass crystallization is studied. • The crystallization range of molybdates and apatite (Ca{sub 2}Nd{sub 8}(SiO{sub 4}){sub 6}O{sub 2}) was

  3. Structure and Electrical Properties of NdBa2Cu3Oy Thin Films by Laser Ablation at Low Oxygen Partial Pressure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mozhaev, Peter B.; Mozhaeva, Julia; Khoryushin, Alexey

    2017-01-01

    in the film can be suppressed by an increase of the deposition temperature or by a decrease of the oxygen partial pressure during deposition. The presence of Nd/Ba disorder during deposition stimulates the introduction of oxygen into the growing film. A simple model is proposed for estimation of oxygen......A deposition process for NdBa2Cu3Oy thin films by laser ablation at decreased deposition temperature was developed using substitution of oxygen with argon in the chamber during deposition. A low deposition rate is the crucial factor to obtain high-quality NBCO films. The Nd/Ba cation disorder...... contents in the film using structural parameters measured with XRD techniques. Studies of the post-deposition annealing process showed ordering of the Nd/Ba sub-lattice and intense oxygen in- and out-diffusion. The temperature of the post-deposition annealing step should be chosen low enough (∼400 °C...

  4. Mother's Milk: A Purposeful Contribution to the Development of the Infant Microbiota and Immunity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Doare, Kirsty; Holder, Beth; Bassett, Aisha; Pannaraj, Pia S

    2018-01-01

    Breast milk is the perfect nutrition for infants, a result of millions of years of evolution. In addition to providing a source of nutrition, breast milk contains a diverse array of microbiota and myriad biologically active components that are thought to guide the infant's developing mucosal immune system. It is believed that bacteria from the mother's intestine may translocate to breast milk and dynamically transfer to the infant. Such interplay between mother and her infant is a key to establishing a healthy infant intestinal microbiome. These intestinal bacteria protect against many respiratory and diarrheal illnesses, but are subject to environmental stresses such as antibiotic use. Orchestrating the development of the microbiota are the human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), the synthesis of which are partially determined by the maternal genotype. HMOs are thought to play a role in preventing pathogenic bacterial adhesion though multiple mechanisms, while also providing nutrition for the microbiome. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, carry a diverse cargo, including mRNA, miRNA, and cytosolic and membrane-bound proteins, and are readily detectable in human breast milk. Strongly implicated in cell-cell signaling, EVs could therefore may play a further role in the development of the infant microbiome. This review considers the emerging role of breast milk microbiota, bioactive HMOs, and EVs in the establishment of the neonatal microbiome and the consequent potential for modulation of neonatal immune system development.

  5. Risk Factors for the Development of Refeeding Syndrome-Like Hypophosphatemia in Very Low Birth Weight Infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Igarashi, Aiko; Okuno, Takashi; Ohta, Genrei; Tokuriki, Shuko; Ohshima, Yusei

    2017-01-01

    Refeeding syndrome is characterized by metabolic disturbance including hypophosphatemia and hypokalemia upon reinstitution of nutrition in severely malnourished patients. The present study sought to identify the risk factors for the development of refeeding syndrome-like metabolic disturbance in very low birth weight infants. The correlations of severe hypophosphatemia with the serum levels of potassium and ionized calcium, daily calorie and phosphate intake, and umbilical cord blood flow on ultrasonography were analyzed in 49 very low birth weight infants. Fifteen infants (36%) presented with hypophosphatemia during the first postnatal week. Hypophosphatemia was significantly associated with birth weight z score (odds ratio, 1.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-2.47; p = 0.034) and umbilical artery resistance index (odds ratio, 7.72 E -04; 95% confidence interval, 1.14 E -06-0.523; p = 0.031). Multiple regression analysis revealed that umbilical artery resistance index was independently associated with hypophosphatemia. Umbilical artery resistance index may serve as a useful marker for future development of refeeding syndrome-like hypophosphatemia in very low birth weight infants. Close monitoring of serum phosphorus and potassium levels and early intervention are important for the management of very low birth weight infants with intrauterine growth restriction due to placental dysfunction.

  6. Risk Factors for the Development of Refeeding Syndrome-Like Hypophosphatemia in Very Low Birth Weight Infants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aiko Igarashi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Refeeding syndrome is characterized by metabolic disturbance including hypophosphatemia and hypokalemia upon reinstitution of nutrition in severely malnourished patients. Objective. The present study sought to identify the risk factors for the development of refeeding syndrome-like metabolic disturbance in very low birth weight infants. Methods. The correlations of severe hypophosphatemia with the serum levels of potassium and ionized calcium, daily calorie and phosphate intake, and umbilical cord blood flow on ultrasonography were analyzed in 49 very low birth weight infants. Results. Fifteen infants (36% presented with hypophosphatemia during the first postnatal week. Hypophosphatemia was significantly associated with birth weight z score (odds ratio, 1.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.04–2.47; p=0.034 and umbilical artery resistance index (odds ratio, 7.72E−04; 95% confidence interval, 1.14E−06–0.523; p=0.031. Multiple regression analysis revealed that umbilical artery resistance index was independently associated with hypophosphatemia. Conclusions. Umbilical artery resistance index may serve as a useful marker for future development of refeeding syndrome-like hypophosphatemia in very low birth weight infants. Close monitoring of serum phosphorus and potassium levels and early intervention are important for the management of very low birth weight infants with intrauterine growth restriction due to placental dysfunction.

  7. 2nd Generation RLV Risk Definition Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Robert M.; Stucker, Mark (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    The 2nd Generation RLV Risk Reduction Mid-Term Report summarizes the status of Kelly Space & Technology's activities during the first two and one half months of the program. This report was presented to the cognoscente Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) and selected Marshall Space Flight Center staff members on 26 September 2000. The report has been approved and is distributed on CD-ROM (as a PowerPoint file) in accordance with the terms of the subject contract, and contains information and data addressing the following: (1) Launch services demand and requirements; (2) Architecture, alternatives, and requirements; (3) Costs, pricing, and business cases analysis; (4) Commercial financing requirements, plans, and strategy; (5) System engineering processes and derived requirements; and (6) RLV system trade studies and design analysis.

  8. A comparison of maternal sensitivity and verbal stimulation as unique predictors of infant social-emotional and cognitive development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Page, Melissa; Wilhelm, Mari S; Gamble, Wendy C; Card, Noel A

    2010-02-01

    Although maternal sensitivity has been shown to influence social-emotional development, the role of verbal stimulation on infant developmental outcomes has received less exploration. Recent research has focused on intentional behaviors within the context of a mother-infant interaction as a critical influence and as distinct from sensitivity. In this investigation 6377 mother-infant dyads participated in a teaching task as part of the sample from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort (ECLS-B). Analyses focused in deciphering the role of maternal sensitivity and verbal stimulation as contributors to the infant's social-emotional (S-E) and cognitive (Cog) development. We further hypothesized that inclusion of infant age as a moderator of maternal behaviors would illuminate any differences between younger and older infants. For the infant's S-E development, our hypothesis that maternal sensitivity would be a stronger predictor than verbal stimulation was not supported; nor did we find support for our hypothesis that the association would be moderated by age. For Cog development, only verbal stimulation had a direct positive effect on the infant's cognitive ability; our findings for moderation showed that mothers spoke more to older infants than younger infants. Identification of specific maternal behaviors associated with infant outcomes informs the child development field, and also provides strategies for early intervention to assist mothers with developing or maintaining a consistent relationship that includes sensitivity and verbal stimulation. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  9. Prenatal exposure to maternal depressed mood and the MTHFR C677T variant affect SLC6A4 methylation in infants at birth.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angela M Devlin

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Prenatal and early postnatal exposure to maternal depression may "program" childhood behavior via epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation. Methylenetetrahydro-folate reductase (MTHFR is an important enzyme in the generation of methyl groups for DNA methylation. The common MTHFR C677T variant is associated with depression in men and non-pregnant women, and with global changes in DNA methylation. This study investigated the effect of maternal MTHFR C677T genotype on antenatal maternal mood, and their impact on the gene-specific methylation in pregnant women and their newborn infants. The methylation status of SLC6A4, which encodes the transmembrane serotonin transporter, and BDNF, which encodes brain derived neurotrophic factor, were assessed because of their potential role in behaviour.Depressed mood was assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D in women (n = 82, all taking folate during the 2(nd and 3(rd trimesters of pregnancy. The methylation status of SLC6A4 and BDNF were assessed in 3rd trimester maternal peripheral leukocytes and in umbilical cord leukocytes collected from their infants at birth. Women with the MTHFR 677TT genotype had greater 2(nd trimester depressed mood (p<0.05. Increased 2(nd trimester maternal depressed mood (EPDS scores was associated with decreased maternal and infant SLC6A4 promoter methylation (p<0.05, but had no effect on BDNF promoter methylation.These findings show that the MTHFR C677T variant is associated with greater depressed mood during pregnancy. We further showed that prenatal exposure to maternal depressed mood affects gene-specific DNA methylation patterns. These findings support the concept that alterations in epigenetic processes may contribute to developmental programming of behaviour by maternal depression.

  10. Neurobehavioural and cognitive development in infants born to mothers with eating disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barona, Manuela; Taborelli, Emma; Corfield, Freya; Pawlby, Susan; Easter, Abigail; Schmidt, Ulrike; Treasure, Janet; Micali, Nadia

    2017-08-01

    Although recent research has focused on the effects of maternal eating disorders (EDs) on children, little is known about the effect of maternal EDs on neurobiological outcomes in newborns and infants. This study is the first to investigate neurobehavioural regulation and cognitive development in newborns and infants of mothers with EDs. Women with an active and past ED and healthy controls were recruited to a prospective longitudinal study during their first trimester or second trimester of pregnancy. Newborns and infants of mothers with ED were compared with newborns and infants of healthy controls on (a) neurobehavioural dysregulation using the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale at 8 days postpartum (active ED, n = 15; past ED, n = 20; healthy controls, n = 28); and (b) cognitive development using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development at 1-year postpartum (active ED, n = 18; past ED, n = 19; healthy controls, n = 28). In order to maintain the largest possible sample at each time point, sample size varied across time points. Newborns of mothers with an active ED had worse autonomic stability when compared with newborns of healthy controls [B = -0.34 (-1.81, -0.26)]. Infants of mothers with a past ED had poorer language [B = -0.33 (-13.6, -1.9)] and motor development [B = -0.32 (-18.4, -1.3)] compared with healthy controls. Children of mothers with ED display neurobehavioural dysregulation early after birth and poorer language and motor development at 1 year. These characteristics suggest evidence of early neurobiological markers in children at risk. Differential outcomes in children of women with active versus past ED suggest that active symptomatology during pregnancy might have an effect on physiological reactivity while cognitive characteristics might be more stable markers of risk for ED. © 2017 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

  11. The Effect of Grinding and Roasting Conditions on the Selective Leaching of Nd and Dy from NdFeB Magnet Scraps

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ho-Sung Yoon

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The pretreatment processes consisting of grinding followed by roasting were investigated to improve the selective leaching of Nd and Dy from neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB magnet scraps. The peaks of Nd(OH3 and Fe were observed in XRD results after grinding with NaOH as the amount of water addition increased to 5 cm3. These results indicate that the components of Nd and Fe in NdFeB magnet could be changed successfully into Nd(OH3 and Fe, respectively. In the roasting tests using the ground product, with increasing roasting temperature to 500 °C, the peaks of Nd(OH3 and Fe disappeared while those of Nd2O3 and Fe2O3 were shown. The peaks of NdFeO3 in the sample roasted at 600 °C were observed in the XRD pattern. Consequently, 94.2%, 93.1%, 1.0% of Nd, Dy, Fe were leached at 400 rpm and 90 °C in 1 kmol·m−3 acetic acid solution with 1% pulp density using a sample prepared under the following conditions: 15 in stoichiometric molar ratio of NaOH:Nd, 550 rpm in rotational grinding speed, 5 cm3 in water addition, 30 min in grinding time, 400 °C and 2 h in roasting temperature and time. The results indicate that the selective leaching of Nd and Dy from NdFeB magnet could be achieved successfully by grinding and then roasting treatments.

  12. 2. slovenski MoodleMoot = 2nd Slovenian MoodleMoot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viktorija Sulcic

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Moodle, an open source learning management system, is becoming widely used and recognised all over the world. Slovenian Moodle users have been participating and sharing their experience in the Moodle.si community since 2006. The initiator of the Moodle.si community – the Faculty of Management Koper organised the first Slovenian MoodleMoot Conference last year. The event was organised again in May 2008. The conference was organised by the Centre for E-Learning of the Faculty of Management Koper in co-operation with the Open Source Centre – Slovenia, Artesia and the National School for Leadership in Education. This paper presents the 2nd International Moodle.si Conference.

  13. Laser-diode pumped Nd:YAG lasers; Laser diode reiki Nd:YAG lasear

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yuasa, H.; Akiyama, Y.; Nakayama, M. [Toshiba Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

    2000-04-01

    Laser-diode pumped Nd:YAG lasers are expected to be applied to laser processing fields such as welding, cutting, drilling, and marking due to their potential for high efficiency and compactness. We are designing and developing laser-diode pumped Nd:YAG lasers using numerical analysis simulation techniques such as ray tracing and thermal analysis. We have succeeded in achieving a laser power of more than 3 kW with 20% efficiency, which is the best ever obtained. In addition, we have developed a laser-diode pumped green laser by second harmonic generation, for precision machining on silicon wafers. (author)

  14. Anomalous magnetoelastic behaviour near morphotropic phase boundary in ferromagnetic Tb{sub 1-x}Nd{sub x}Co{sub 2} system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Murtaza, Adil; Yang, Sen, E-mail: yang.sen@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; Zhou, Chao; Chang, Tieyan; Chen, Kaiyun; Tian, Fanghua; Song, Xiaoping [School of Science, MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behaviour of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Suchomel, Matthrew R.; Ren, Y. [X-Ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)

    2016-08-01

    In this work, we report a morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) involved ferromagnetic system Tb{sub 1-x}Nd{sub x}Co{sub 2} and reveal the corresponding structural and magnetoelastic properties of this system. With high resolution synchrotron X-ray diffractometry, the crystal structure of the TbCo{sub 2}-rich side is detected to be rhombohedral and that of NdCo{sub 2}-rich side is tetragonal below their respective Curie temperatures T{sub C}. The MPB composition Tb{sub 0.35}Nd{sub 0.65}Co{sub 2} corresponds to the coexistence of the rhombohedral phase (R-phase) and tetragonal phase (T-phase). Contrary to previously reported MPB involved ferromagnetic systems, the MPB composition of Tb{sub 0.35}Nd{sub 0.65}Co{sub 2} shows minimum magnetization which can be understood as compensation of sublattice moments between the R-phase and the T-phase. Furthermore, magnetostriction of Tb{sub 1-x}Nd{sub x}Co{sub 2} decreases with increasing Nd concentration until x = 0.8 and then increases in the negative direction with further increasing Nd concentration; the optimum point for magnetoelastic properties lies towards the rhombohedral phase. Our work not only shows an anomalous type of ferromagnetic MPB but also provides an effective way to design functional materials.

  15. Uniform magnetization reversal in dual main-phase (Ce,Nd)2Fe14B sintered magnets with inhomogeneous microstructure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Le-le; Li, Zhu-bai; Zhang, Xue-feng; Ma, Qiang; Liu, Yan-li; Li, Yong-feng; Zhao, Qian

    2017-01-01

    The element distribution and the magnetic properties were investigated in (Ce,Nd)–Fe–B sintered magnets prepared by mixing Nd 13.5 Fe 80 B 6.5 and Ce 9 Nd 4.5 Fe 80 B 6.5 powders with different mass ratios. Two main phases exist, but element diffusion is evident, and the chemical composition of the main phase is widely different from that of the master alloy. The Ce element tends to be expelled from the Ce-rich Re 2 Fe 14 B phase. Compared with the Ce-rich main phase, the Nd-rich Re 2 Fe 14 B phase is more stable in structure. Although the microstructure is inhomogeneous and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy is variable, the magnetization reversal is uniform in these dual main-phase magnets, which should ascribe to the existence of the exchange coupling, and magnetization reversal undergoes the nucleation of the reversed domain in irreversible magnetization. It is expected to further improve the coercivity by optimizing the distribution of the Nd-rich main phase in preparing the resource-saving (Ce,Nd) 2 Fe 14 B sintered magnets. (paper)

  16. Massage therapy improves the development of HIV-exposed infants living in a low socio-economic, peri-urban community of South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perez, E M; Carrara, H; Bourne, L; Berg, A; Swanevelder, S; Hendricks, M K

    2015-02-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the effect of massage therapy on the growth and development of infants of HIV-infected mothers in a low socio-economic community in Cape Town. It was a prospective, randomised, controlled intervention trial that included massage therapy and control groups of HIV-infected mothers and their normal birth weight infants who were enrolled in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programme. Participants were recruited at the 6-week clinic visit and followed up every 2 weeks until their infants were 9 months of age. Mother-infant pairs in the massage therapy and control groups included 73 and 88 at 6 weeks and 55 and 58 at 9 months, respectively. Mothers in the intervention group were trained to massage their infants for 15 min daily. The socioeconomic status, immunity, relationship with the partner and mental pain of mothers; the infants' dietary intake, anthropometry and development (Griffiths Mental Development Scales); and haematological and iron status of mothers and infants were assessed at baseline and follow-up. Nine infants (5.3%) were HIV-infected on the HIV DNA PCR test at 6 weeks. Despite significantly higher levels of maternal mental pain, infants in the massage therapy compared to control group scored higher in all five of the Griffiths Scales of Mental Development and significantly higher in the mean quotient (p=0.002) and mean percentile (p=0.004) for the hearing and speech scale at 9 months. Based on the mean difference in scores, the massage therapy group showed greater improvement for all five scales compared to the control group. The mean difference in scores was significantly greater for the hearing and speech quotient (21.9 vs. 11.2) (pdevelopment and had a significant effect on the hearing and speech and general quotient of HIV-exposed infants in this study. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Effect of Cu addition on coercivity and interfacial state of Nd-Fe-B/Nd-rich thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuura, M; Sugimoto, S; Fukada, T; Tezuka, N; Goto, R

    2010-01-01

    This study provides the effect of Cu addition on coercivity (H cJ ) and interfacial microstructure in Nd-Fe-B/Nd-rich thin films. All films were deposited by using ultra high vacuum (UHV) magnetron sputtering, and the Nd-Fe-B layer was oxidized under several atmospheres with different oxygen content. Then, the films were annealed at 250-550 0 C under UHV. The films oxidized in low vacuum (10 -2 -10 -5 Pa) (under low oxygen state) exhibited the recovery of H cJ by the annealing at 450 0 C. On the contrary, the H cJ of the films oxidized in Ar (under high oxygen state) decreased with increasing annealing temperature. However, the H cJ increased drastically at the temperatures above 550 0 C. In addition, the Cu added films, which were annealed at temperatures above 350 0 C, showed higher coercivities than the films without Cu addition. The XRD analysis suggested the existence of C-Nd 2 O 3 phase in the Cu added films annealed at 550 0 C. It can be considered that the Cu addition decreases the eutectic temperature of Nd-rich phase and influences the interfacial state between Nd 2 Fe 14 B and Nd-rich phase.

  18. Development of a solid state laser of Nd:YLF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amaral Neto, R. do.

    1984-01-01

    The CW laser action was obtained at room temperature of a Nd:YLF crystal in an astigmatically compensated cavity, pumped by an argon laser. This laser was completely projected, constructed and characterized in our laboratories, thus having a high degree of nationalization. It initiates a broader project on lasers development that will have several applications like nuclear fusion, industry, medicine, telemetry, etc.... Throught the study of the optical properties of the Nd:YLF crystal, laser operation was predicted using a small volume gain medium on the mentioned cavity, pumped by an Ar 514,5 nm laser line. To obtain the laser action at polarizations σ (1,053 μm) and π (1,047 μm) an active medium was prepared which was a cristalline plate with a convenient crystalographic orientation. The laser characterization is in reasonable agreement with the initial predictions. For a 3.5% output mirror transmission, the oscillation threshold is about 0.15 W incident on the crystal, depending upon the sample used. For 1 W of incident pump light, the output power is estimated to be 12 mW, which corresponds to almost 1.5% slope efficiency. The versatile arrangement is applicable to almost all optically pumped solid state laser materials. (Author) [pt

  19. 2nd Historic Mortars Conference

    CERN Document Server

    Hughes, John; Groot, Caspar; Historic Mortars : Characterisation, Assessment and Repair

    2012-01-01

    This volume focuses on research and practical issues connected with mortars on historic structures. The book is divided into four sections: Characterisation of Historic Mortars, Repair Mortars and Design Issues, Experimental Research into Properties of Repair Mortars, and Assessment and Testing. The papers present the latest work of researchers in their field. The individual contributions were selected from the contributions to the 2nd Historic Mortars Conference, which took place in Prague, September, 22-24, 2010. All papers were reviewed and improved as necessary before publication. This peer review process by the editors resulted in the 34 individual contributions included in here. One extra paper reviewing and summarising State-of-the-Art knowledge covered by this publication was added as a starting and navigational point for the reader. The editors believe that having these papers in print is important and they hope that it will stimulate further research into historic mortars and related subjects. 

  20. The New 2nd-Generation SRF RandD Facility at Jefferson Lab: TEDF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reece, Charles E.; Reilly, Anthony V.

    2012-01-01

    The US Department of Energy has funded a near-complete renovation of the SRF-based accelerator research and development facilities at Jefferson Lab. The project to accomplish this, the Technical and Engineering Development Facility (TEDF) Project has completed the first of two phases. An entirely new 3,100 m 2 purpose-built SRF technical work facility has been constructed and was occupied in summer of 2012. All SRF work processes with the exception of cryogenic testing have been relocated into the new building. All cavity fabrication, processing, thermal treatment, chemistry, cleaning, and assembly work is collected conveniently into a new LEED-certified building. An innovatively designed 800 m2 cleanroom/chemroom suite provides long-term flexibility for support of multiple RandD and construction projects as well as continued process evolution. The characteristics of this first 2nd-generation SRF facility are described

  1. Nd{sup 3+}-doped colloidal SiO{sub 2} composite abrasives: Synthesis and the effects on chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) performances of sapphire wafers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Tingting; Lei, Hong, E-mail: hong_lei2005@aliyun.com

    2017-08-15

    Highlights: • The novel Nd{sup 3+}-doped colloidal SiO{sub 2} abrasives were synthesized by seed-introduced method. • The Nd{sup 3+}-doped colloidal SiO{sub 2} abrasives exhibited lower Ra and higher MRR on sapphire during CMP. • The cores SiO{sub 2} were coated by the shells (SiO{sub 2}, Nd{sub 2}Si{sub 2}O{sub 7} and Nd(OH){sub 3}) via chemical bonds and hydrogen bonds. • XPS analysis revealed the solid-state chemical reaction between Nd{sup 3+}-doped colloidal SiO{sub 2} abrasives and sapphire during CMP. - Abstract: Abrasive is one of the most important factors in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). In order to improve the polishing qualities of sapphire substrates, the novel Nd{sup 3+}-doped colloidal SiO{sub 2} composite abrasives were prepared by seed-induced growth method. In this work, there were a series of condensation reactions during the synthesis process of Nd{sup 3+}-doped colloidal SiO{sub 2} composite abrasives and the silica cores were coated by shells (which contains SiO{sub 2}, Nd{sub 2}Si{sub 2}O{sub 7} and Nd(OH){sub 3}) via chemical bonds and hydrogen bonds in the Nd{sup 3+}-doped colloidal SiO{sub 2} composite abrasives, which made the composite abrasives’ core-shell structure more sTable Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that Nd{sup 3+}-doped colloidal SiO{sub 2} composite abrasives were spherical and uniform in size. And the acting mechanisms of Nd{sup 3+}-doped colloidal SiO{sub 2} composite abrasives on sapphire in CMP were investigated. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS) analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis demonstrated that the solid-state chemical reactions between the shells (which contained SiO{sub 2}, Nd{sub 2}Si{sub 2}O{sub 7} and Nd(OH){sub 3}) of Nd{sup 3+}-doped colloidal SiO{sub 2} composite abrasives and the sapphire occurred during the CMP process. Furthermore, Nd{sup 3+}-doped colloidal SiO{sub 2} composite abrasives exhibited lower surface roughness and

  2. 2nd Symposium on Fluid-Structure-Sound Interactions and Control

    CERN Document Server

    Liu, Yang; Huang, Lixi; Hodges, Dewey

    2014-01-01

    With rapid economic and industrial development in China, India and elsewhere, fluid-related structural vibration and noise problems are widely encountered in many fields, just as they are in the more developed parts of the world, causing increasingly grievous concerns. Turbulence clearly has a significant impact on many such problems. On the other hand, new opportunities are emerging with the advent of various new technologies, such as signal processing, flow visualization and diagnostics, new functional materials, sensors and actuators, etc. These have revitalized interdisciplinary research activities, and it is in this context that the 2nd symposium on fluid-structure-sound interactions and control (FSSIC) was organized. Held in Hong Kong (May 20-21, 2013) and Macau (May 22-23, 2013), the meeting brought together scientists and engineers working in all related branches from both East and West and provided them with a forum to exchange and share the latest progress, ideas and advances and to chart the fronti...

  3. Psychomotor assessment of 2nd grade children of elementary school

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joyce Carvalho Silvério

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The psychomotor is a multidisciplinary science that incorporates motor, affective and cognitive aspects. This study aimed to measure the psychomotor skills to see if the results are within the expected for the age group studied and investigate whether there are differences between the performance of boys and girls. 91 children participated in this research. 59.3% were boys (M = 7.16 years, SD = 0.37 of the 2nd year of elementary school in a public school in the state of Minas Gerais-Brasil. The results of psychomotor tests of Oliveira (2014 indicated that the profile of children was within the expected range, according to the stages of development of psychomotor skills. The only statistically significant difference between the sexes appeared in the psychomotor skills "body schema", with higher average of children. It is suggested that more studies will be developed with children of different types of institutions to confront these findings.

  4. “Expectant Parents”: Study protocol of a longitudinal study concerning prenatal (risk factors and postnatal infant development, parenting, and parent-infant relationships

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maas A Janneke BM

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background While the importance of the infant-parent relationship from the child’s perspective is acknowledged worldwide, there is still a lack of knowledge about predictors and long-term benefits or consequences of the quality of parent-infant relationships from the parent’s perspective. The purpose of this prospective study is to investigate the quality of parent-infant relationships from parents’ perspectives, both in the prenatal and postpartum period. This study therefore focuses on prenatal (risk factors that may influence the quality of pre- and postnatal bonding, the transition to parenthood, and bonding as a process within families with young children. In contrast to most research concerning pregnancy and infant development, not only the roles and experiences of mothers during pregnancy and the first two years of infants’ lives are studied, but also those of fathers. Methods/design The present study is a prospective longitudinal cohort study, in which pregnant women (N = 466 and their partners (N = 319 are followed from 15 weeks gestation until their child is 24 months old. During pregnancy, midwives register the presence of prenatal risk factors and provide obstetric information after the child’s birth. Parental characteristics are investigated using self-report questionnaires at 15, 26, and 36 weeks gestational age and at 4, 6, 12, and 24 months postpartum. At 26 weeks of pregnancy and at 6 months postpartum, parents are interviewed concerning their representations of the (unborn child. At 6 months postpartum, the mother-child interaction is observed in several situations within the home setting. When children are 4, 6, 12, and 24 months old, parents also completed questionnaires concerning the child’s (social-emotional development and the parent-child relationship. Additionally, at 12 months information about the child’s physical development and well-being during the first year of life is retrieved from

  5. Parent-infant psychotherapy for improving parental and infant mental health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barlow, Jane; Bennett, Cathy; Midgley, Nick; Larkin, Soili K; Wei, Yinghui

    2015-01-08

    Parent-infant psychotherapy (PIP) is a dyadic intervention that works with parent and infant together, with the aim of improving the parent-infant relationship and promoting infant attachment and optimal infant development. PIP aims to achieve this by targeting the mother's view of her infant, which may be affected by her own experiences, and linking them to her current relationship to her child, in order to improve the parent-infant relationship directly. 1. To assess the effectiveness of PIP in improving parental and infant mental health and the parent-infant relationship.2. To identify the programme components that appear to be associated with more effective outcomes and factors that modify intervention effectiveness (e.g. programme duration, programme focus). We searched the following electronic databases on 13 January 2014: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, 2014, Issue 1), Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, BIOSIS Citation Index, Science Citation Index, ERIC, and Sociological Abstracts. We also searched the metaRegister of Controlled Trials, checked reference lists, and contacted study authors and other experts. Two review authors assessed study eligibility independently. We included randomised controlled trials (RCT) and quasi-randomised controlled trials (quasi-RCT) that compared a PIP programme directed at parents with infants aged 24 months or less at study entry, with a control condition (i.e. waiting-list, no treatment or treatment-as-usual), and used at least one standardised measure of parental or infant functioning. We also included studies that only used a second treatment group. We adhered to the standard methodological procedures of The Cochrane Collaboration. We standardised the treatment effect for each outcome in each study by dividing the mean difference (MD) in post-intervention scores between the intervention and control groups by the pooled standard deviation. We presented standardised mean differences (SMDs) and

  6. Anomalous behavior of spin fluctuations in polycrystalline NdBa_2Cu_3O_7-δ

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdelrazek, M. M.; Reyes, A. P.; Kuhns, P. L.; Moulton, W. G.; Halperin, W. P.; Kishio, K.

    2001-03-01

    Critical slowing down of Nd spin fluctuations have been observed in 92K superconductor NdBa_2Cu_3O_7-δ at temperatures well below Tc and orders of magnitude higher than TN ( ~0.5K). Nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T1 at the planar O(2,3) and bridging O(4) oxygen sites have been measured as a function of temperature in fields up to 37T. Data is characterized by an extremely fast relaxation, roughly two orders of magnitude larger than those of YBCO, suggestive of Nd origin. The temperature dependence shows neither Tc nor the pseudo-gap but rather a well-defined field-dependent peak for both sites. Preliminary analysis suggests 1/T1 follows the typical behavior of freezing of spin fluctuations, when the inverse correlation time of the Nd spins τc becomes comparable to NMR frequency, ω τc ~ 1. The field dependence originates from the tail of the power spectrum beyond the 1/τc cutoff. The implications of these results to superconductivity in these systems will be discussed.

  7. Neonatal Morphine Exposure in Very Preterm Infants – Cerebral Development and Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinhorn, Rachel; McPherson, Chris; Anderson, Peter J; Neil, Jeffrey; Doyle, Lex W; Inder, Terrie

    2015-01-01

    Objective To investigate the association of morphine exposure in very preterm infants with cerebral volumes and neurodevelopmental outcome from birth through middle childhood. Study design Observational study of very preterm infants in the Victorian Infant Brain Study cohort. 230 infants born neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the Royal Women’s Hospital. 57 (25%) infants received morphine analgesia during their NICU stay at the attending physician’s discretion. Primary outcomes were regional brain volumes at term and 7 years; neurobehavioral performance at term; and cognitive, motor, emotional, behavioral, communication, and executive function scores at age 2 and 7 years. Linear regressions were used to compare outcomes between participants who did and did not receive morphine. Results At term, preterm infants who received morphine had similar rates of grey matter injury to no-morphine infants, but a trend towards smaller cortical volumes in the orbitofrontal (pleft=0.002, pright=0.01) and subgenual (pleft=0.01) regions. At seven years, cortical volumes did not differ between groups. At 2 years, morphine-exposed children were more likely to show behavioral dysregulation (p=0.007) than no-morphine children, but at seven years no detrimental impacts of morphine on neurobehavioral outcome were observed. Conclusions Low-dose morphine analgesia received during neonatal intensive care was associated with early alterations in cerebral structure and short-term neurobehavioral problems that did not persist into childhood. PMID:25919729

  8. Intergenerational Transmission and the School-to-work Transition for 2nd Generation Immigrants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Helena Skyt; Rosholm, Michael; Smith, Nina

    2001-01-01

    We analyse the extent of intergenerational transmission through parental capital, ethnic capital and neighbourhood effects on several aspects of the school-to-work transition of 2nd generation immigrants and young ethnic Danes. The main findings are that parental capital has strong positive effects...... on the probability of completing a qualifying education and on the entry into the labour market, but it has a much smaller impact on the duration of the first employment spell and on the wage level. Growing up in neighbourhoods with a high concentration of immigrants is associated with negative labour market...... prospects both for young natives and 2nd generation immigrants....

  9. The malleability of infant motor development: cautions based on studies of child-rearing practices in Yucatan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solomons, H C

    1978-11-01

    Tests with the Bayley Motor Scale were given to 288 infants, equally divided by sex, in Yucatan, Mexico. These were 2 to 54 weeks in age and came from three sociocultural levels. In comparison to USA infants, early acceleration of motor development was followed by a marked downward trend. This phenomenon, if observed in a single child, may indicate progressive neurologic disease. Child-rearing practices would appear to account for the difference in pattern of test performance.

  10. 32nd National Medicinal Chemistry Symposium--medicinal chemistry developments for neurodegeneration, diabetes and cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gater, Deborah

    2010-08-01

    The 32nd National Medicinal Chemistry Symposium, held in Minneapolis, MN, USA, included topics covering new developments in the field of medicinal chemistry. This conference report highlights selected presentations on NR2B subtype-selective NMDA receptor antagonists from Merck; selective neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitors from Northwestern University; novel GPR119 agonists, suchas GSK-1292263A (GlaxoSmithKline plc), PSN-821 ((OSI) Prosidion) and MBX-2982 (Metabolex Inc); a small-molecule Bcl inhibitor,navitoclax (Abbott Laboratories); and p53-targeting agents from sanofi-aventis and Ascenta Therapeutics Inc, including AT-219.

  11. Infant-mother and infant-sibling attachment in Zambia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mooya, Haatembo; Sichimba, Francis; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian

    2016-12-01

    This study, the first in Zambia using the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) to observe attachment relationships and the "very first" observational study of infant-sibling attachment, examined patterns of infant-mother and infant-sibling attachment, and tested their association. We included siblings who were substantially involved in caregiving activities with their younger siblings. We hypothesized that infants would develop attachment relationships to both mothers and siblings; the majority of infants would be classified as securely attached to both caregivers, and infant-mother and infant-sibling attachment would be unrelated. The sample included 88 low-income families in Lusaka, Zambia (average of 3.5 children; SD = 1.5). The SSP distributions (infant-mother) were 59% secure, 24% avoidant and 17% resistant, and 46% secure, 20% avoidant, 5% resistant and 29% disorganized for three- and four-way classifications, respectively. The infant-sibling classifications were 42% secure, 23% avoidant and 35% resistant, and 35% secure, 23% avoidant, 9% resistant and 33% disorganized for three- and four-way classifications, respectively. Infant-mother and infant-sibling attachment relationships were not associated.

  12. Development of sintered composites CaSO4 doped with Dy and Nd

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chagas, M.A.P.; Parente, L.J.; Souza, D.N.

    2007-01-01

    The main of this work was the developing of sintered composites in order to use as thermoluminescent dosimeters using a simple route to preparation, employing high temperature. The composites were prepared with CaSO 4 .2H 2 O doped with Dy 2 O 3 and NdO 3 . Initially CaSO 4 .2H 2 O was dehydrated in oven at 100 deg C by 1h. After the addiction dopants and homogenization of compounds, PVA was incorporated to make easy to compaction of composites. The pellets with 6 mm of diameter and 1 mm thickness were sintered at 900 deg C and 1000 deg C by 6 h. The TL emission showed two peaks when the samples were irradiated with beta source (Sr 90 +Y 90 ). In all cases, the calibration curves presented responses proportional to absorbed dose. The results showed that this material have potential to be used in dosimetry. (author)

  13. Female infant in Egypt: mortality and child care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, W; Beheiri, F; El-drini, H; Manala-od; Bulbul, A

    1981-01-01

    Deviation from the normative sex-pattern of infant deaths is so large in Egypt that nearly 1/3 of female deaths can be attributed to a sex-specific cause: lesser care of the female child. This article reports on child neglect which may account for the relatively lower survival rate of the female infant, despite its biological advantage over the male. This knowledge is seen as vital in planning interventions. The investigation answers 3 questions relating to the sex-specific factors of death among female infants: do girls display a poorer level of nutrition compared to boys? Is there evidence to show that sickness episodes of female infants are treated more carelessly than those of male infants? Are there reasons to believe that girls are more exposed to life-threatening psychological factors than are boys? A group of 598 families in low-income districts of Cairo was randomly chosen to receive regular monthly visits by a team of trained field invstigators over a 1-year period. The sample is thought to represent life in urban quarters of Egypt, described as pervasively rural in orientations despite urban occupations and living conditions. The study finds no significant sex difference in nutritional status until the 6th month of life. Around this period, 2/5 of the female group but 1/4 of the male show signs of malnutrition as measured by weight. The difference continues to increase and is very statistically significant by the end of the year. Nutritional status of female infants tended to decline with an addition of daughters in the family. Also, at birth orders 2 ot 5 and in large families of 4-5 children, the relative nutritional disadvantage of the female infant is statistically significant. Moreover, a very distinct sex-difference in dietary patterns is observed as no boy was deprived of supplementary feeding during the 2nd 1/2 of the year but only 1/15 girls received food other than breast milk during this period. Despite some evidence highly suggestive of

  14. Mother-infant circadian rhythm: development of individual patterns and dyadic synchrony.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Karen A; Burr, Robert L; Spieker, Susan; Lee, Jungeun; Chen, Jessica

    2014-12-01

    Mutual circadian rhythm is an early and essential component in the development of maternal-infant physiological synchrony. The aim of this to examine the longitudinal pattern of maternal-infant circadian rhythm and rhythm synchrony as measured by rhythm parameters. In-home dyadic actigraphy monitoring at infant age 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Forty-three healthy mother-infant pairs. Circadian parameters derived from cosinor and non-parametric analysis including mesor, magnitude, acrophase, L5 and M10 midpoints (midpoint of lowest 5 and highest 10h of activity), amplitude, interdaily stability (IS), and intradaily variability (IV). Mothers experienced early disruption of circadian rhythm, with re-establishment of rhythm over time. Significant time effects were noted in increasing maternal magnitude, amplitude, and IS and decreasing IV (pcircadian pattern with significant time effects for increasing mesor, magnitude, amplitude, L5, IS, and IV (pcircadian rhythm. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Growth and characterization of Nd-doped disordered Ca3Gd2(BO3)4 crystal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Z. B.; Zhang, H. J.; Yu, H. H.; Xu, M.; Zhang, Y. Y.; Sun, S. Q.; Wang, J. Y.; Wang, Q.; Wei, Z. Y.; Zhang, Z. G.

    2012-01-01

    A high-quality disordered Nd3+:Ca3Gd2(BO3)4 (Nd3+:CGB) laser crystal was grown by the Czochralski method. The space group and effective segregation coefficient of Nd3+ were determined to be Pnma and 1.06, respectively. The thermal properties, including the average linear thermal expansion coefficient, thermal diffusivity, specific heat, and thermal conductivity were systematically measured for the first time. It was found that the thermal conductivity increases with increasing temperature, indicating glasslike behavior. The polarized spectral properties of the crystal were investigated, including the polarized absorption spectra, polarized fluorescence spectra, and fluorescence decay. The spectroscopic parameters of Nd3+ ions in Nd3+:CGB crystal have been obtained based on Judd-Ofelt theory. The anisotropy of the spectral properties for different polarized directions was discussed. Additionally, the continuous-wave (CW) laser performance at 1.06 μm was demonstrated for the first time. The maximum output power of 603 mW was achieved with corresponding optical conversion efficiency of 8.33% and slope efficiency of 9.95%.

  16. 2nd Applied Electromagnetic International Conference

    CERN Document Server

    Sulaiman, Hamzah; Othman, Mohd; Aziz, Mohamad; Malek, Mohd

    2017-01-01

    In this book, experts from academia and industry present the latest advances in scientific theory relating to applied electromagnetics and examine current and emerging applications particularly within the fields of electronics, communications, and computer technology. The book is based on presentations delivered at APPEIC 2015, the 2nd Applied Electromagnetic International Conference, held in Krabi, Thailand in December 2015. The conference provided an ideal platform for researchers and specialists to deliver both theoretically and practically oriented contributions on a wide range of topics relevant to the theme of nurturing applied electromagnetics for human technology. Many novel aspects were addressed, and the contributions selected for this book highlight the relevance of advances in applied electromagnetics to a variety of industrial engineering problems and identify exciting future directions for research.

  17. Shape transition in the Nd-isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sandor, Robert Karl Josef.

    1991-01-01

    In this thesis the results of an electron scattering experiment on 142 Nd, 146 Nd and 150 Nd, designed to study the influence of this shape transition an the low-lying excited states, have been presented and discussed. The spectra have been obtained at the high-resolution electron scattering facility of NIKHEF-K and cover a momentum transfer range from 0.5 up to 2.8 fm -1 . The experimental form factors and transition charge densities have been compared to two microscopic models, i.e. the Quasiparticle-Phonon Model for 142 Nd and 146 Nd and the Density-Dependent Hartree-Fock-Boguliubov model with a dynamical approach to calculate transition charge densities for 146 Nd and 150 Nd. The data obtained for the latter nuclei have also been compared to the macroscopic Rotation-Vibration Model. (author). 127 refs.; 49 figs.; 26 tabs

  18. Tannic acid alleviates bulk and nanoparticle Nd2O3 toxicity in pumpkin: a physiological and molecular response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Guangcai; Ma, Chuanxin; Mukherjee, Arnab; Musante, Craig; Zhang, Jianfeng; White, Jason C; Dhankher, Om Parkash; Xing, Baoshan

    2016-11-01

    The effect of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on nanoparticle toxicity to plants is poorly understood. In this study, tannic acid (TA) was selected as a DOM surrogate to explore the mechanisms of neodymium oxide NPs (Nd2O3 NPs) phytotoxicity to pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima). The results from the tested concentrations showed that 100 mg L(-1) Nd2O3 NPs were significantly toxic to pumpkin in term of fresh biomass, and the similar results from the bulk particles and the ionic treatments were also evident. Exposure to 100 mg L(-1) of Nd2O3 NPs and BPs in 1/5 strength Hoagland's solution not only significantly inhibited pumpkin growth, but also decreased the S, Ca, K and Mg levels in plant tissues. However, 60 mg L(-1) TA significantly moderated the observed phytotoxicity, decreased Nd accumulation in the roots, and notably restored S, Ca, K and Mg levels in NPs and BPs treated pumpkin. TA at 60 mg L(-1) increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in both roots (17.5%) and leaves (42.9%), and catalase (CAT) activity (243.1%) in the roots exposed to Nd2O3 NPs. This finding was confirmed by the observed up-regulation of transcript levels of SOD and CAT in Nd2O3 NPs treated pumpkin analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. These results suggest that TA alleviates Nd2O3 BPs/NPs toxicity through alteration of the particle surface charge, thus reducing the contact and uptake of NPs by pumpkin. In addition, TA promotes antioxidant enzymatic activity by elevating the transcript levels of genes involved in ROS scavenging. Our results shed light on the mechanisms underlying the influence of DOM on the bioavailability and toxicity of NPs to terrestrial plants.

  19. Smartwatch feedback device for high-quality chest compressions by a single rescuer during infant cardiac arrest: a randomized, controlled simulation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Juncheol; Song, Yeongtak; Oh, Jaehoon; Chee, Youngjoon; Ahn, Chiwon; Shin, Hyungoo; Kang, Hyunggoo; Lim, Tae Ho

    2018-02-12

    According to the guidelines, rescuers should provide chest compressions (CC) ∼1.5 inches (40 mm) for infants. Feedback devices could help rescuers perform CC with adequate rates (CCR) and depths (CCD). However, there is no CC feedback device for infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). We suggest a smartwatch-based CC feedback application for infant CPR. We created a smartwatch-based CC feedback application. This application provides feedback on CCD and CCR by colour and text for infant CPR. To evaluate the application, 30 participants were divided randomly into two groups on the basis of whether CC was performed with or without the assistance of the smartwatch application. Both groups performed continuous CC-only CPR for 2 min on an infant mannequin placed on a firm table. We collected CC parameters from the mannequin, including the proportion of correct depth, CCR, CCD and the proportion of correct decompression depth. Demographics between the two groups were not significantly different. The median (interquartile range) proportion of correct depth was 99 (97-100) with feedback compared with 83 (58-97) without feedback (P=0.002). The CCR and proportion of correct decompression depth were not significantly different between the two groups (P=0.482 and 0.089). The CCD of the feedback group was significantly deeper than that of the control group [feedback vs. 41.2 (39.8-41.7) mm vs. 38.6 (36.1-39.6) mm; P=0.004]. Rescuers who receive feedback of CC parameters from a smartwatch could perform adequate CC during infant CPR.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

  20. Literature Review The development of parent-infant/child ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper takes the form of an account of the emergence of the field of psychoanalytically informed parent-infant/child psychotherapy in South Africa. It traces the origins and the development of the South African field by locating local practice within the international field. The influential links between international ...

  1. Disruption to the development of maternal responsiveness? The impact of prenatal depression on mother-infant interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pearson, R M; Melotti, R; Heron, J; Joinson, C; Stein, A; Ramchandani, P G; Evans, J

    2012-12-01

    Both prenatal and postnatal maternal depression are independently associated with an increased risk of adverse infant development. The impact of postnatal depression on infants may be mediated through the effect of depression in reducing maternal responsiveness. However, the mechanisms underlying the effect of prenatal depression are unclear. Using longitudinal data from over 900 mother-infant pairs in a UK birth cohort (ALSPAC), we found that women with high depressive symptom scores during mid pregnancy, but NOT when their infants were 8 months, had a 30% increased risk of low maternal responsiveness when the infant was 12 months compared to women with consistently low depression. This may provide a mechanism to explain the independent association between prenatal depression and poorer infant development. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Abnormal infant neurodevelopment predicts schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fish, Barbara; Kendler, Kenneth S

    2005-06-01

    The aim of this study was to detect infants who carry a schizophrenic genotype and study the development of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SZSD) from birth. In the 1940s, Bender described uneven maturation in childhood schizophrenics and in 1952 found this in the infant histories of 6 schizophrenic children. We tested a possible index for defective neural integration in infants termed "pandysmaturation" (PDM). This required retarded cranial growth plus retarded and erratic gross motor development on a single exam. Twelve offspring of hospitalized schizophrenic mothers and 12 infants in a "Well Baby Clinic," were examined 10 times between birth and 2 years of age. Psychiatric interviews and psychological testing were done at 10, 15, and 22 years of age, plus follow-up at 27-35 years of age. Six infants had PDM at 2, 6, or 13 months of age. Five individuals have been blindly diagnosed (by KSK) as having lifetime SZSD; all 5 had PDM before 8 months. Chi-square one-tailed tests confirmed the predictions: (1) PDM was related to subsequent SZSD (chi(2) = 11.43; p < 0.0005); (2) schizophrenic mothers had more infants with PDM than nonschizophrenic mothers (chi(2) = 3.28; p < 0.05); and (3) schizophrenic mothers had more SZSD offspring than nonschizophrenic mothers (chi(2) = 6.39; p < 0.0125). These first behavioral observations of aberrant neurodevelopment in pre- SZSD infants support the evidence of early neurodevelopmental disorder seen in studies of brain pathology in SZSD adults.

  3. Phase stability and oxygen diffusion in RBa2Cu3O6+x (R=Y, Nd)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mozhaev, A.P.; Mazo, G.N.; Galkin, A.A.; Khromova, N.V.

    1996-01-01

    Phase stability boundaries of RBa 2 Cu 3 O 6 + x (R=Y, Nd) compounds for oxygen partial pressure wide range were determined by means of Coulomb titration. Phase decomposition is shown to occur without formation of liquid phase. Principial differences in the chemical composition of decomposition product of Y- and Nd-containing phases were detected. Dependences of oxygen non-stoichiometry of the compounds on temperature were determined. Fragments of P o 2 -T-x-diagrams were plotted. Oxygen diffusion coefficients within wide range of temperatures and partial pressures of oxygen were determined. Dependence of diffusion parameters on oxygen non-stoichiometry and P o 2 was determined. Oxygen diffusion was determined to occur more rapidly in orthorhombic phase than in tetragonal one. Diffusion coefficients were shown to increase at transition from Y-to Nd-containing phase. 13 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs

  4. Formation of defect-fluorite structured NdNiOxHy epitaxial thin films via a soft chemical route from NdNiO3 precursors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onozuka, T; Chikamatsu, A; Katayama, T; Fukumura, T; Hasegawa, T

    2016-07-26

    A new phase of oxyhydride NdNiOxHy with a defect-fluorite structure was obtained by a soft chemical reaction of NdNiO3 epitaxial thin films on a substrate of SrTiO3 (100) with CaH2. The epitaxial relationship of this phase relative to SrTiO3 could be controlled by changing the reaction temperature. At 240 °C, NdNiOxHy grew with a [001] orientation, forming a thin layer of infinite-layer NdNiO2 at the interface between the NdNiOxHy and the substrate. Meanwhile, a high-temperature reaction at 400 °C formed [110]-oriented NdNiOxHy without NdNiO2.

  5. Disparities in Infant Mortality by Race Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rice, Whitney S; Goldfarb, Samantha S; Brisendine, Anne E; Burrows, Stevie; Wingate, Martha S

    2017-07-01

    U.S.-born Hispanic infants have a well-documented health advantage relative to other minority groups. However, little published research has examined racial heterogeneity within the Hispanic population, in relation to health outcomes. The current study aims to explore possible implications of racial identification for the health of U.S. born Hispanic compared to non-Hispanic infants. Methods Data were drawn from 2007 to 2008 NCHS Cohort Linked Live Birth-Infant Death Files, restricted to deliveries of Hispanic black, Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black (NHB) and non-Hispanic white mothers (NHW) (n = 7,901,858). Adjusted odds ratios for first week mortality, neonatal, postneonatal, and overall infant mortality were calculated for each group, using NHW as the reference group. A distinct health gradient was observed in which NHB infants (n = 1,250,222) had the highest risk of first week (aOR 2.29, CI 2.21-2.37), neonatal (aOR 2.23, CI 2.17-2.30), postneonatal (aOR 1.74, CI 1.68-1.81), and infant mortality (aOR 2.05, CI 2.00-2.10) compared to NHW infants (n = 4,578,150). Hispanic black infants (n = 84,377) also experienced higher risk of first-week (aOR 1.28 (1.12-1.47), neonatal (aOR .27, CI 1.13-1.44), postneonatal (aOR 1.34, CI 1.15-1.56), and infant mortality (aOR 1.30, CI 1.18-1.43) compared to both NHW and Hispanic white infants (n = 1,989,109). Conclusions for Practice: Risk of infant mortality varies among Hispanic infants by race, with poorer outcomes experienced by Hispanic black infants. Compared to non-Hispanic infants of the same race, Hispanic black infants experience a smaller health disadvantage and Hispanic white infants have better or similar infant health outcomes. Our findings suggest implications of racial heterogeneity on infant health outcomes, and provide insight into the role of race as a social construct.

  6. Influence of Nd-Doping on Photocatalytic Properties of TiO2 Nanoparticles and Thin Film Coatings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Damian Wojcieszak

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Structural, optical, and photocatalytic properties of TiO2 and TiO2:Nd nanopowders and thin films composed of those materials have been compared. Titania nanoparticles with 1, 3, and 6 at. % of Nd-dopant were synthesized by sol-gel method. Additionally, thin films with the same material composition were prepared with the aid of spin-coating method. The analysis of structural investigations revealed that all as-prepared nanopowders were nanocrystalline and had TiO2-anatase structure. The average size of crystallites was ca. 4-5 nm and the correlation between the amount of neodymium and the size of TiO2 crystallites was observed. It was shown that the dopant content influenced the agglomeration of the nanoparticles. The results of photocatalytic decomposition of MO showed that doping with Nd (especially in the amount of 3 at. % increased self-cleaning activity of the prepared titania nanopowder. Similar effect was received in case of the thin films, but the decomposition rate was lower due to their smaller active surface area. However, the as-prepared TiO2:Nd photocatalyst in the form of thin films or nanopowders seems to be a very attractive material for various applications.

  7. Microstructural investigation of RBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/-delta (R=Y, Gd, Nd)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parent, L; Moreau, C; Noel, D; Dallaire, S; Champagne, B

    1989-01-01

    RBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-delta/ perovskites, where R is Y, Gd and Nd, were synthetized using the same experimental conditions. The resistivity curves of the three compounds were similar but their microstructures were different. Secondary phases (CuO, BaCuO/sub 2/) were formed in the compounds containing Y and Gd while no such phases were detected in the Nd perovskite material. According to these preliminary results, the perovskite containing Nd is readily synthesized since the amount of secondary phases is much lower in that case. 7 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

  8. Effects of Nd:YAG and CO2 lasers on cerebral microvasculature. Study in normal rabbit brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuroiwa, T; Tsuyumu, M; Takei, H; Inaba, Y

    1986-01-01

    The effect of Nd:YAG and CO2 laser beams on cerebral microvasculature was examined in experimental animals. Soft x-ray microangiography and histological examination of the brain after Nd:YAG laser exposure revealed broad avascular or oligovascular zones in the irradiated and the surrounding edematous tissue, in which the surviving vessels were narrowed and tapered without significant leakage of blood. After CO2 laser exposure, a wedge-shaped tissue defect surrounded by layers of charring, coagulation, and edema was observed. The main finding in the surrounding coagulation and edematous layers was dilatation of the vessels. Hemorrhage was sometimes observed, mainly in the edematous layer. These findings seem to explain the effective hemostatic capability of the Nd:YAG laser and the occasional hemorrhage following CO2 laser exposure, especially at high energy output.

  9. Studies of extracerebral space on brain CT of infants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shibakiri, Ippei; Furukawa, Takashi; Fukakusa, Shunichi; Nemoto, Yutaka; Takashima, Sumio.

    1983-01-01

    Frontal extracerebral space (ECS) is frequently noticed on brain CT of infants. Based on 70 infants whose initial CTs were available under 1 year of age and who were observed serially by brain CT, we studied the relation between degrees of ECS enlargement and mental and physical development of infants. Development was assessed by clinical observation and the mental test according to Tsumori and Inage at about 1 year of age. 1) Under 1 year of age, ECS was observed both in the normally developed infants and the infants with retarded development. At 1 year of age, CT of the former showed no or only mild widening, but most CT of the latter showed marked dilatation of ECS. 2) Serial observation of brain CT revealed that ECS of normally developed infants tended to reduce at 1 year of age, but that of infants with retarded development did not. 3) Regarding prediction of infantile development, it is important to observe presence of ECS and of the tendency to reduce on brain CT at 1 year of age. 4) Appearance of ECS of normally developed infants is considered to be a physiological phenomenon. (author)

  10. Maternal drug use: evaluation of risks to breast-fed infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirksey, A; Groziak, S M

    1984-01-01

    This paper, based on a review of the literature, evaluates the risks to infants of maternal drug use during lactation. The potential harm of a particular drug to the breastfed infant is related both to the complex mechanism of milk synthesis and secretion and the mode of passage of the drug from plasma into milk. The 1st part of the paper discusses mammary cell and milk synthesis, milk secretion and composition, the mode of passage of drugs into milk, and factors influencing drug concentrations in milk. Drug concentrations in milk are dependent on 6 major factors: drug dosage, proportion bound in plasma, molecular weight, lipid solubility, degree of ionization, and pH difference between plasma and milk. Drugs that are weak acids are ionized to a greater extent and are more protein-bound than weak alkaline drugs. The 2nd part of the paper evaluates the risks to breastfed infants of selected pharmacons. Some categories of drugs that contain pharmacons that should be limited or avoided by nursing mothers are alkylating agents, analgesics and anti-inflammatory agents, anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, anti-infective agents, central nervous system stimulants, hormones, laxatives, minerals, provitamins, psychotherapeutic agents, thyroid affecting agents, and vitamins. The following precautions are suggested to minimize the risks of potentially harmful pharmacons: 1) all unnecessary medications should be avoided by nrusing mothers; 2) if medication is necessary during lactation, drug dosage should be controlled and the infant should be monitored for adverse symptoms; 3) drugs should be administered shortly after breastfeeding and the interval prolonged before the next feeding; and 4) if the infant must be fed soon after a potentially harmful drug has been taken by the mother, bottle feeding is recommended.

  11. Micromagnetic finite element study for magnetic properties of nanocomposite exchange coupled Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B/α-Fe multilayer systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ryo, Hyok-Su [School of Material Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Faculty of Physics, Kim Il Sung University, Pyongyang 999093, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (Korea, Republic of); Hu, Lian-Xi [School of Material Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Kim, Jin-Guk [School of Material Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Faculty of Physics, Kim Il Sung University, Pyongyang 999093, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Yu-Lin [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

    2017-03-15

    In this study, magnetic properties of exchange coupled nanocomposite multilayer thin films constructed alternately with magnetic hard Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B layers and soft α-Fe layers have been studied by micromagnetic finite element method (FEM). According to the results, effects of the thicknesses of layers and the magneto-crystalline anisotropy on the magnetic properties of the Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B/α-Fe multilayer systems have been estimated. On the other hand, the results have been analyzed by means of efficiency of interphase exchange coupling, which can be estimated by volume ratios of exchange coupled areas between magnetically hard Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B and soft α-Fe phase layers. The results show that the magnetic properties of exchange coupled Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B/α-Fe multilayer systems can be enhanced by efficient interphase exchange coupling between magnetically hard Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B layers and soft α-Fe layers. - Highlights: • Phase layer thicknesses dependence of magnetic properties of Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B/α-Fe multilayers. • Analyzation of the effectiveness of exchange coupling between the Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B and α-Fe layers. • Dependence of the magnetic properties on direction of external field of exchange coupled Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B/α-Fe multilayers. • Dependence of the magnetic properties on magneto-crystalline anisotropy of exchange coupled Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B/α-Fe multilayers.

  12. The development of parents-infant relationship in high-risk pregnancies and preterm birth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Camilla Pisoni

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The theory of human attachment, developed in 1951 by John Bowlby, has been widely applied across psychological, medical and social disciplines, especially in the context of developmental psychology; more recently it has been studied in the obstetric and neonatal fields. Numerous studies suggest that attachment patterns have an impact on the social, cognitive and emotional development of the off-spring, and are also believed to influence the individual’s psychosocial trajectories across the lifespan. Starting from empirical study of attachment, the psychological analysis of the experience of pregnancy allowed to introduce the concept of prenatal attachment, considered as the earlier internalized representation of the fetus that both parents acquire and elaborate during pregnancy. Recent studies have attempted to investigate how prenatal attachment develops in conditions of hazard, as for example in women hospitalized for a high-risk pregnancy or preterm birth. Literature showed that these clinical conditions may represent risk factors that, along with psychological distress and lack of familiar and social support, may adversely affect the mother-child relationship, with consequences on the psycosocial development of the off-spring. During pregnancy, medical team should assess mothers’ distress and attachment, perform procedures to positively develop attachment, and direct parents with low attachment scores to receive a professional, specific counseling. In the premature birth context, it is important to closely support mother-infant contact and to decrease maternal stress in every possible way during hospitalization and after discharge. Promotion of psychological wellbeing and attachment during pregnancy and after birth may serve as a crucial opportunity of improving maternal health practices, perinatal health and neonatal outcomes. Proceedings of the 10th International Workshop on Neonatology · Cagliari (Italy · October 22nd-25th, 2014

  13. Electronic properties of Nd2−xCexCuO4+δ: A hard X-ray photoemission investigation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guarino, A.; Panaccione, G.; Offi, F.; Monaco, G.; Fondacaro, A.; Torelli, P.; Fittipaldi, R.; Vecchione, A.; Pace, S.; Nigro, A.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • We grow and characterize Nd 2−x Ce x CuO 4+δ samples as thin film and single crystal. • We study the Cu 2p levels of our samples by hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. • We investigate bulk features of the Nd 2−x Ce x CuO 4+δ samples. • Signature of the bulk response is correlated with the crystallinity of the samples. - Abstract: Cu 2p core levels spectra measured by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy of selected as-grown Nd 2−x Ce x CuO 4+δ samples are presented and discussed. The presence of a satellite peak in the 2p core level of Nd 2−x Ce x CuO 4+δ single crystal by hard X-ray photoemission is confirmed in all non-superconducting samples, films and single crystals investigated in this work. The comparison of the spectral features of the different samples suggests that the presence and the intensity of this satellite peak is not related to the electric transport properties, but to the texture characteristics.

  14. Photocatalytic characteristics for the nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2} on the Ag-doped CaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}:(Eu,Nd) phosphor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Jung-Sik, E-mail: jskim@uos.ac.kr; Sung, Hyun-Je; Kim, Bum-Joon

    2015-04-15

    Highlights: • The photocatalytic reactivity of the TiO{sub 2}-coated on the Ag-doped long-lasting phosphor (CaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Eu{sup 2+},Nd{sup 3+}). • The photodecomposition of benzene gas under visible light irradiation. • The TiO{sub 2}-coated on the Ag-doped long-lasting phosphor showed much higher photocatalytic reactivity. • The light emitted from the long-lasting phosphors contributed to the photo generation of TiO{sub 2}. - Abstract: This study investigated the photocatalytic behavior of nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2} deposited on Ag-doped long-lasting phosphor (CaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Eu{sup 2+},Nd{sup 3+}). The CaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Eu{sup 2+},Nd{sup 3+} phosphor powders were prepared via conventional sintering using CaCO{sub 3}, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Eu{sub 2}O{sub 3}, and Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} as raw materials according to the appropriate molar ratios. Silver nanoparticles were loaded on the phosphor by mixing with an aqueous Ag-dispersion solution. Nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2} was deposited on Ag-doped CaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Eu{sup 2+},Nd{sup 3+} powders via low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). The TiO{sub 2} coated on the phosphor was actively photo-reactive under irradiation with visible light and showed much faster benzene degradation than pure TiO{sub 2}, which is almost non-reactive. The coupling of TiO{sub 2} with phosphor may result in an energy band bending in the junction region, which then induces the TiO{sub 2} crystal at the interface to be photo-reactive under irradiation with visible light. In addition, the intermetallic compound of CaTiO{sub 3} that formed at the interface between TiO{sub 2} and the CaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}:(Eu{sup 2+},Nd{sup 3+}) phosphor results in the formation of oxygen vacancies and additional electrons that promote the photodecomposition of benzene gas. The addition of Ag nanoparticles enhanced the photocatalytic reactivity of the TiO{sub 2}/CaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Eu{sup 2+},Nd{sup 3+} phosphor. TiO{sub 2} on the Ag

  15. 2nd International Conference on Mobile and Wireless Technology

    CERN Document Server

    Wattanapongsakorn, Naruemon

    2015-01-01

    This book provides a snapshot of the current state-of-the-art in the fields of mobile and wireless technology, security and applications.  The proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Mobile and Wireless Technology (ICMWT2015), it represents the outcome of a unique platform for researchers and practitioners from academia and industry to share cutting-edge developments in the field of mobile and wireless science technology, including those working on data management and mobile security.   The contributions presented here describe the latest academic and industrial research from the international mobile and wireless community.  The scope covers four major topical areas: mobile and wireless networks and applications; security in mobile and wireless technology; mobile data management and applications; and mobile software.  The book will be a valuable reference for current researchers in academia and industry, and a useful resource for graduate-level students working on mobile and wireless technology...

  16. Structure and magnetic properties of hot deformed Nd2Fe14B magnets doped with DyHx nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, C. G.; Yue, M.; Zhang, D. T.; Liu, W. Q.; Zhang, J. X.

    2016-04-01

    Commercial NdFeB powders mixed with DyHx nanoparticles are hot pressed and hot deformed into anisotropic magnets by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). The hot deformed magnet exhibits strong c-axis crystallographic texture. The coercivity of the magnet doped with 1.0 wt% DyHx is increased by 66.7%, compared with the magnet without DyHx, while the remanence decreases only by 3%. TEM observation shows that there exists a continuous (Nd,Dy)2Fe14B layer between Nd-rich phase and NdFeB main phase.

  17. Crystal-field energy level analysis for Nd{sup 3+} ions at the low symmetry C{sub 1} site in [Nd(hfa){sub 4}(H{sub 2}O)](N(C{sub 2}H{sub 5}){sub 4}) single crystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mech, Agnieszka; Gajek, Zbigniew [Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy Of Sciences, ulica Okolna 2, 54-422 Wroclaw (Poland); Karbowiak, Miroslaw [Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wroclaw, ulica F Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383 Wroclaw (Poland); Rudowicz, Czeslaw [Institute of Physics, Szczecin University of Technology, Aleja Piastow 17, 70-310 Szczecin (Poland)], E-mail: karb@wchuwr.pl

    2008-09-24

    Optical absorption measurements of Nd{sup 3+} ions in single crystals of [Nd(hfa){sub 4}(H{sub 2}O)](N(C{sub 2}H{sub 5}){sub 4}) (hfa = hexafluoroacetyloacetonate), denoted Nd(hfa) for short, have been carried out at 4.2 and 298 K. This compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system (space group P 2{sub 1}/n). Each Nd ion is coordinated to eight oxygen atoms that originate from the hexafluoroacetylacetonate ligands and one oxygen atom from the water molecule. A total of 85 experimental crystal-field (CF) energy levels arising from the Nd{sup 3+} (4f{sup 3}) electronic configuration were identified in the optical spectra and assigned. A three-step CF analysis was carried out in terms of a parametric Hamiltonian for the actual C{sub 1} symmetry at the Nd{sup 3+} ion sites. In the first step, a total of 27 CF parameters (CFPs) in the Wybourne notation B{sub kq}, admissible by group theory, were determined in a preliminary fitting constrained by the angular overlap model predictions. The resulting CFP set was reduced to 24 specific independent CFPs using appropriate standardization transformations. Optimizations of the second-rank CFPs and extended scanning of the parameter space were employed in the second step to improve reliability of the CFP sets, which is rather a difficult task in the case of no site symmetry. Finally, seven free-ion parameters and 24 CFPs were freely varied, yielding an rms deviation between the calculated energy levels and the 85 observed ones of 11.1 cm{sup -1}. Our approach also allows prediction of the energy levels of Nd{sup 3+} ions that are hidden in the spectral range overlapping with strong ligand absorption, which is essential for understanding the inter-ionic energy transfer. The orientation of the axis system associated with the fitted CF parameters w.r.t. the crystallographic axes is established. The procedure adopted in our calculations may be considered as a general framework for analysis of CF levels of lanthanide ions at low

  18. Infant motor and cognitive abilities and subsequent executive function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Meng; Liang, Xi; Lu, Shan; Wang, Zhengyan

    2017-11-01

    Although executive function (EF) is widely considered crucial to several aspects of life, the mechanisms underlying EF development remain largely unexplored, especially for infants. From a behavioral or neurodevelopmental perspective, motor and general cognitive abilities are linked with EF. EF development is a multistage process that starts with sensorimotor interactive behaviors, which become basic cognitive abilities and, in turn, mature EF. This study aims to examine how infant motor and general cognitive abilities are linked with their EF at 3 years of age. This work also aims to explore the potential processes of EF development from early movement. A longitudinal study was conducted with 96 infants (55 girls and 41 boys). The infants' motor and general cognitive abilities were assessed at 1 and 2 years of age with Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Second and Third Editions, respectively. Infants' EFs were assessed at 3 years of age with Working Memory Span task, Day-Night task, Wrapped Gift task, and modified Gift-in-Bag task. Children with higher scores for cognitive ability at 2 years of age performed better in working memory, and children with higher scores for gross motor ability at 2 years performed better in cognitive inhibitory control (IC). Motor ability at 1 year and fine/gross motor ability at 2 years indirectly affected cognitive IC via general cognitive ability at 2 years and working memory. EF development is a multistage process that originates from physical movement to simple cognitive function, and then to complex cognitive function. Infants and toddlers can undergo targeted motor training to promote EF development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Effects of thickness and annealing condition on magnetic properties and thermal stabilities of Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta sandwiched films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Wen-Feng; Zhang Min-Gang; Zhang Ke-Wei; Zhang Hai-Jie; Chai Yue-Sheng; Xu Xiao-Hong

    2016-01-01

    Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta sandwiched films are deposited by magnetron sputtering on Si (100) substrates, and subsequently annealed in vacuum at different temperatures for different time. It is found that both the thickness of NdFeB and Nd layer and the annealing condition can affect the magnetic properties of Ta/Nd/NdFeB/Nd/Ta films. Interestingly, the thickness and annealing temperature show the relevant behaviors that can affect the magnetic properties of the film. The high coercivity of 24.1 kOe (1 Oe = 79.5775 A/m) and remanence ratio (remanent magnetization/saturation magnetization) of 0.94 can be obtained in a Ta/Nd(250 nm)/NdFeB(600 nm)/Nd(250 nm)/Ta film annealed for 3 min at 1023 K. In addition, the thermal stability of the film is also linked to the thickness of NdFeB and Nd layer and the annealing temperature as well. The excellent thermal stability can be achieved in a Ta/Nd(250 nm)/NdFeB(600 nm)/Nd(250 nm)/Ta film annealed at 1023 K. (paper)

  20. Phase evolution and aqueous durability of Zr{sub 1−x−y}Ce{sub x}Nd{sub y}O{sub 2−y/2} ceramics designed to immobilize actinides with multi-valences

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ding, Yi, E-mail: dingyi2279@126.com [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, Sichuan, 621900 (China); Key Subject Laboratory of National Defense for Radioactive Waste and Environmental Security, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010 (China); Long, Xinggui, E-mail: xingguil@caep.cn [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, Sichuan, 621900 (China); Peng, Shuming [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, Sichuan, 621900 (China); Zhang, Dong, E-mail: zd0823@sina.com [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, Sichuan, 621900 (China); Tan, Zhaoyi [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, Sichuan, 621900 (China); Lu, Xirui [Key Subject Laboratory of National Defense for Radioactive Waste and Environmental Security, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010 (China)

    2017-04-15

    Zr{sub 1−x−y}Ce{sub x}Nd{sub y}O{sub 2−y/2} ceramics, which were designed as waste form materials, were obtained by simultaneous substitution of Ce{sup 4+} and Nd{sup 3+} for Zr{sup 4+} in ZrO{sub 2}. The influences of the simultaneous substitution of Ce and Nd on phase transformation of ZrO{sub 2} were investigated systematically. Also, the aqueous durability of the ceramics was evaluated. The results show that the phase transformation caused by the simultaneous substitution mainly relates to the total content of Ce and Nd. The ZrO{sub 2} ceramics containing Ce + Nd < 30 mol% exhibit both monoclinic and cubic phases, while the ceramics containing Ce + Nd ≥ 30 mol% are cubic phase. And the cubic phase can be stabilized by incorporating 30 mol% Ce + Nd. Moreover, LR{sub i} are modified by the incorporation of Ce and Nd, because of the presence of oxygen vacancies. The Nd and Ce co-doped zirconia waste form exhibit excellent aqueous durability (∼10{sup −5} g m{sup −2} d{sup −1}). - Highlights: •Zr{sub 1−x−y}Ce{sub x}Nd{sub y}O{sub 2−y/2} were obtained by substitution of Ce and Nd for Zr in ZrO{sub 2}. •Phase transformation mainly relates to the total content of Ce and Nd. •Samples with Ce + Nd < 30 mol% show monoclinic and cubic phases, while ≥30 mol% are cubic. •Stabilized cubic zirconia can be obtained by doping with 30 mol% Ce and Nd. •LR{sub Ce} and LR{sub Nd} (42 d) are ∼ 10{sup −5} g m{sup −2} d{sup −1}, exhibiting excellent aqueous durability.

  1. T lymphocytes among HIV-infected and -uninfected infants: CD4/CD8 ratio as a potential tool in diagnosis of infection in infants under the age of 2 years

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bikoue Arsene

    2005-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Serologic tests for HIV infection in infants less than 18 months do not differentiate exposure and infection since maternally acquired IgG antibodies may be detected in infants. Thus, the gold standard for diagnosis of HIV-1 infection in infants under the age of 2 years is DNA or reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. There is an urgent need to evaluate alternative and cost effective laboratory methods for early diagnosis of infant HIV-1 infection as well as identifying infected infants who may benefit from cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and/or initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy. Methods Whole blood was collected in EDTA from 137 infants aged 0 to 18 months. DNA polymerase chain reaction was used as the reference standard for diagnosis of HIV-1 infection. T-cell subset profiles were determined by flow cytometry. Results Seventy-six infants were DNA PCR positive while 61 were negative. The median CD4 counts of PCR negative infants were significantly higher than those of the PCR positive infants, p . The median CD4/CD8 ratio and the %CD4 of the PCR positive infants were both significantly lower than those of the negative infants, p . The CD4/CD8 ratio had a >98% sensitivity for diagnosis of HIV-1 infection and a specificity of >98%. Conclusion The CD4/CD8 ratio appears useful in identifying HIV-infected infants. The development of lower cost and more robust flow cytometric methods that provide both CD4/CD8 ratio and %CD4 may be cost-effective for HIV-1 diagnosis and identification of infants for cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and/or highly active antiretroviral therapy.

  2. Effects of Motor Development Stimulation on Anthropometric Indices of Infants Aged 1-12 Months in Foster Care Homes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arezou NikNezhad Jalali

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: The first three years of life have a pivotal role in growth and development of infants. Extra-uterine environment largely affects brain development of infants during the first year of life.However,no specific programs are available for brain development stimulation in foster homes. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of motor development stimulation package on anthropometric indices of infants staying in foster homes. Method: This experimental study was conducted on 50 infants aged 1-12 months at Ali Asghar foster home of Mashhad, Iran in 2013. Infants were randomly divided into two groups of intervention (n=25 and control (n=25. Motor development stimulation packages were used for intervention group three times a week for eight consecutive weeks (24 sessions, two hours each. Anthropometric indices of infants were evaluated using standard instruments before and after intervention. Data analysis was performed in SPSS V.11.5 using independent T-test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: In this study, mean age of infants in intervention and control groups was 6.04±3.48 and 4.3±3.70 months, respectively. In total, 68% of infants were male, and 32% were female. After intervention, Mann-Whitney test results showed no statistically significant difference in height (P=0.47 and head circumference (P=0.11 of infants between the groups. However, independent T-test showed a statistically significant difference in body weight of infants (P=0.007 between the groups after intervention with the stimulation care package. Implications for Practice: According to the results of this study, use of evidence-based motor development stimulation package for eight weeks resulted in increased weight of infants, while it had no effect on height and head circumference. Therefore, it is recommended that complementary studies be conducted in this regard.

  3. Study on magnetic properties of (Nd{sub 0.8}Ce{sub 0.2}){sub 2−x}Fe{sub 12}Co{sub 2}B (x = 0–0.6) alloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tan, G.S.; Xu, H., E-mail: huixu8888@shu.edu.cn; Yu, L.Y.; Tan, X.H.; Zhang, Q.; Gu, Y.; Hou, X.L.

    2017-09-01

    Highlights: • (Nd{sub 0.8}Ce{sub 0.2}){sub 2−x}Fe{sub 12}Co{sub 2}B alloys are prepared by melt-spinning method with simultaneously decreasing of Nd, Ce concentration. • The magnetic properties B{sub r}, (BH){sub max} and squareness are all improved with an appropriate reduction of Nd, Ce concentration. • Magnetic field heat treatment offers a significant improvement in B{sub r}, (BH){sub max} and squareness. - Abstract: In the present work, (Nd{sub 0.8}Ce{sub 0.2}){sub 2−x}Fe{sub 12}Co{sub 2}B (x = 0–0.6) permanent alloys are prepared by melt-spinning method. The hard magnetic properties of (Nd{sub 0.8}Ce{sub 0.2}){sub 2−x}Fe{sub 12}Co{sub 2}B (x = 0–0.6) alloys annealed at optimum temperatures have been investigated systematically. Depending on the Nd, Ce concentration, the maximum energy product ((BH){sub max}) and remanence (B{sub r}) increase gradually with x in the range of 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4, whereas decrease gradually in the alloys with 0.4 < x ≤ 0.6. It is found that the optimum magnetic properties are obtained at x = 0.4: H{sub ci} = 4.9 kOe, B{sub r} = 10.1 kG, (BH){sub max} = 13.7 MGOe. Specifically, magnetic field heat treatment below the Curie temperature is applied for (Nd{sub 0.8}Ce{sub 0.2}){sub 1.6}Fe{sub 12}Co{sub 2}B (x = 0.4) annealed ribbons. The magnetic properties B{sub r}, (BH){sub max} and squareness are all enhanced after the magnetic field heat treatment. The (BH){sub max} shows a substantial increase from 13.7 MGOe to 16.0 MGOe after the heat treatment at 623 K with a magnetic field of 1 T, which gets 17% improvement compared with that of the sample without a magnetic field heat treatment. We demonstrate that the magnetic field heat treatment plays a certain role in the magnetization reversal behavior and can improve the microstructure of (Nd{sub 0.8}Ce{sub 0.2}){sub 1.6}Fe{sub 12}Co{sub 2}B alloy.

  4. Structural growth trajectories and rates of change in the first 3 months of infant brain development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holland, Dominic; Chang, Linda; Ernst, Thomas M; Curran, Megan; Buchthal, Steven D; Alicata, Daniel; Skranes, Jon; Johansen, Heather; Hernandez, Antonette; Yamakawa, Robyn; Kuperman, Joshua M; Dale, Anders M

    2014-10-01

    The very early postnatal period witnesses extraordinary rates of growth, but structural brain development in this period has largely not been explored longitudinally. Such assessment may be key in detecting and treating the earliest signs of neurodevelopmental disorders. To assess structural growth trajectories and rates of change in the whole brain and regions of interest in infants during the first 3 months after birth. Serial structural T1-weighted and/or T2-weighted magnetic resonance images were obtained for 211 time points from 87 healthy term-born or term-equivalent preterm-born infants, aged 2 to 90 days, between October 5, 2007, and June 12, 2013. We segmented whole-brain and multiple subcortical regions of interest using a novel application of Bayesian-based methods. We modeled growth and rate of growth trajectories nonparametrically and assessed left-right asymmetries and sexual dimorphisms. Whole-brain volume at birth was approximately one-third of healthy elderly brain volume, and did not differ significantly between male and female infants (347 388 mm3 and 335 509 mm3, respectively, P = .12). The growth rate was approximately 1%/d, slowing to 0.4%/d by the end of the first 3 months, when the brain reached just more than half of elderly adult brain volume. Overall growth in the first 90 days was 64%. There was a significant age-by-sex effect leading to widening separation in brain sizes with age between male and female infants (with male infants growing faster than females by 200.4 mm3/d, SE = 67.2, P = .003). Longer gestation was associated with larger brain size (2215 mm3/d, SE = 284, P = 4×10-13). The expected brain size of an infant born one week earlier than average was 5% smaller than average; at 90 days it will not have caught up, being 2% smaller than average. The cerebellum grew at the highest rate, more than doubling in 90 days, and the hippocampus grew at the slowest rate, increasing by 47% in 90 days. There was left

  5. Magnetic Properties and Magnetocaloric Effect in Layered NdMn1.9Ti0.1Si2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.F. Md Din

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The structural and magnetic properties of the NdMn1.9Ti0.1Si2 compund have been studied by high-intensity x-ray and high-resolution neutron powder diffraction, specific heat, dc magnetization, and differential scanning calorimetry measurements over the temperature range of 3-450 K. The Curie temperature and Néel temperature of layered NdMn1.9Ti0.1Si2 are indicated as TC ~ 22 K and TN ~ 374 K respectively. The first order magnetic transition from antiferromagnetic [AFil-type] to ferromagnetic [F(Nd+Fmc] around TC is found in layered NdMn1.9Ti0.1Si2 and is associated with large magnetocaloric effect. This behavior has been confirmed as a contribution of the magnetostructural coupling by using neutron and x-ray powder diffraction. The magnetic entropy change –ΔSM ~ 15.3 J kg-1 K-1 and adiabatic temperature change ΔTad ~ 4.7 K have been determined using magnetization and specific heat measurement under 0-5 T applied fields. This compound exhibits almost no thermal and magnetic hysteresis, thus potentially applicable in low temperature region for magnetic refrigerator material

  6. Evidence for the essentiality of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid in the postnatal maternal and infant diet for the development of the infant's immune system early in life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richard, Caroline; Lewis, Erin D; Field, Catherine J

    2016-05-01

    Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), especially the balance between arachidonic (AA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids are known to have important immunomodulatory roles during the postnatal period when the immune system is rapidly developing. AA and DHA are required in infant formula in many countries but are optional in North America. The rationale for adding these LCPUFA to full-term formula is based on their presence in breast milk and randomized controlled studies that suggest improved cognitive function in preterm infants, but results are more variable in full-term infants. Recently, the European Food Safety Authority has proposed, based on a lack of functional evidence, that AA is not required in infant formula for full-term infants during the first year of life but DHA should remain mandatory. The purpose of this review is to review the evidence from epidemiological and intervention studies regarding the essentiality of AA and DHA in the postnatal infant and maternal diet (breast-feeding) for the immune system development early in life. Although studies support the essentiality of DHA for the immune system development, more research is needed to rule out the essentiality of AA. Nevertheless, intervention studies have demonstrated improvement in many markers of immune function in infants fed formula supplemented with AA and DHA compared with unsupplemented formula, which appears to consistently result in beneficial health outcomes including reduction in the risk of developing allergic and atopic disease early in life.

  7. Coercivity enhancement in (Ce,Nd)-Fe-B sintered magnets prepared by adding NdH{sub x} powders

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Le-le [Key Laboratory of Integrated Exploitation of Bayan Obo Multi-Metal Resources, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014010 (China); School of Science, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014010 (China); Li, Zhu-bai, E-mail: lzbgj@163.com [Key Laboratory of Integrated Exploitation of Bayan Obo Multi-Metal Resources, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014010 (China); Ma, Qiang; Li, Yong-feng; Zhao, Qian [Key Laboratory of Integrated Exploitation of Bayan Obo Multi-Metal Resources, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014010 (China); School of Science, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014010 (China); Zhang, Xue-feng, E-mail: xuefeng056@163.com [Key Laboratory of Integrated Exploitation of Bayan Obo Multi-Metal Resources, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014010 (China); School of Science, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014010 (China)

    2017-08-01

    (Ce,Nd)-Fe-B sintered magnets were prepared by the addition of NdH{sub x} powders in Ce{sub 9}Nd{sub 4.5}Fe{sub 80}B{sub 6.5} powders. The coercivity is rather low in Ce{sub 9}Nd{sub 4.5}Fe{sub 80}B{sub 6.5} magnets, and Ce element prefers to distribute at the outer-layer of main phase (Ce,Nd){sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B. The investigation of scanning electron microscope shows that the addition of NdH{sub x} powders leads to the increase of Nd content at grain outer-layer of main phase owing to the element diffusion. Magnetization reversal undergoes the nucleation of reversed domain wall at grain outer-later, and the addition of NdH{sub x} powders leads to the increase in the nucleation field of reversed domain, giving rise to the significant improvement of coercivity. The larger amount addition of NdH{sub x} powders leads to the increase in the amount of intergranular phase, resulting in the decreases of the remanence, the squareness of demagnetization curve and the maximum energy product.

  8. [Effect of extensively hydrolyzed formula on growth and development of infants with very/extremely low birth weight].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Chun-Yan; Jiang, Hui-Fen; Wang, Jin-Xiu

    2017-08-01

    To study the effect of extensively hydrolyzed formula on the growth and development in very low birth weight (VLBW) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. A total of 375 VLBW or ELBW infants were enrolled and divided into an observation group (187 infants) and a control group (188 infants) using a random number table. The infants in the observation group were given extensively hydrolyzed formula, and when the amount of extensively hydrolyzed formula reached 10 mL/time, it was changed to the standard formula for preterm infants. The infants in the control group were given standard formula for preterm infants. Both groups were fed for 4 consecutive weeks and were compared in terms of incidence rate of feeding intolerance, time to establish full enteral feeding, time to complete meconium excretion, number of spontaneous bowel movements, growth and development, motilin level at 4 and 10 days after feeding, and incidence rate of infection. Compared with the control group, the observation group had a lower rate of feeding intolerance (Pdevelopment, and reduce the incidence of infection in VLBW and ELBW infants.

  9. Levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive pills use during breastfeeding; effect on infants' health and development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaaban, Omar M; Abbas, Ahmed M; Mahmoud, Hanaa R; Yones, Entsar M; Mahmoud, Ahmed; Zakherah, Mahmoud S

    2018-02-20

    The current study aims to evaluate the effect of the use of single packet of levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive pills (LNG-ECPs) during breastfeeding on the health and development of the nursing infant. The current study was an ancillary observational cohort study carried out in a university hospital. We counseled all women delivered and planning birth-space and breastfeed for at least 1 year for participation during postpartum hospital stay. Eligible participants for inclusion in the randomized controlled trial (NCT 01111929) were allocated to receive adequate Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) counseling (LAM-only group) or the LAM counseling in addition to counseling about LNG-ECPs use (LAM + emergency contraception (EC) group). These pills were to be used once if unprotected intercourse did occur after expiry of any of the LAM prerequisites and before the couples started to use a reliable method of contraception. We included the first 100 women in the LAM + EC who did use the pills and the first 100 women in the control group who completed the follow-up visits for 6 months to draw the infants' outcome. The primary outcome was the difference of anthropometric measurements of the infants at 3 and 6 months postpartum. Secondary outcome was the difference in the Psycho-social, fine and gross motor, and language development using Denver development screening test. There were no statistical significant differences between both the groups regarding the infants' weight, length, head circumference, chest circumference, and mid-arm circumference at each visit (p > .05). Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences regarding all items (psycho-social, fine and gross motor, and language) of Denver development screening test between the infants in LAM-only and LAM + EC groups (p = .081). The use of single packet of LNG-ECPs during breastfeeding not objectively affects health and development of nursing infants or subjectively

  10. Analysis on screening results of 2 203 premature infants with retinopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qian Wang

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To investigate the incidence and risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity(ROPin preterm infants. METHODS: The wide-field digital pediatric Retinal imaging system was used to screen 2 203 preterm infants with gestational age RESULTS: Totally 367 infants(621 eyeswere diagnosed as retinopathy among 2 203 premature infants and the incidence of ROP was 16.66%; 236 cases(399 eyesof ROP(26.61%were detected in 887 cases of premature infants in accord with screening standard of the Chinese Premature Retinopathy Screening Guidelines(2014, and 131 cases(222 eyesof ROP(9.95%was detected in 1 316 cases of premature infants outside the screening standard. In our research, the incidence of ROP was related with gestational age, birth weight, oxygen duration and mechanical ventilation. However, the relationship had not been found with artificial insemination, caesarean birth, gender, polyembryony, acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus, intrauterine infection, intrauterine distress, premature rupture of membrane. The incidence of ROP was statistically significant between different gestational age groups, different birth weight groups and different oxygen groups(PCONCLUSION: The incidence of ROP is 16.66% in this study, and there is still a certain proportion outside the screening standard of the Chinese Premature Retinopathy Screening Guidelines(2014. Gestational age, birth weight, oxygen duration and mechanical ventilation are high risk factors for ROP.

  11. Early prenatal vitamin D concentrations and social-emotional development in infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chawla, Devika; Fuemmeler, Bernard; Benjamin-Neelon, Sara E; Hoyo, Cathrine; Murphy, Susan; Daniels, Julie L

    2017-12-04

    Many pregnant women in the United States have suboptimal vitamin D, but the impact on infant development is unclear. Moreover, no pregnancy-specific vitamin D recommendations have been widely accepted. Given the ubiquitous expression of vitamin D receptors in the brain, we investigated the association between early prenatal plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and children's social and emotional development in the Newborn Epigenetic Study, a prospective study of pregnancies from 2009 to 2011 in Durham, North Carolina. We measured 25(OH)D concentrations in first or second trimester plasma samples and categorized 25(OH)D concentrations into quartiles. Covariates were derived from maternal questionnaires. Mothers completed the Infant Toddler Social-Emotional Development Assessment when children were 12-24 months of age. We used multivariable linear regression to evaluate associations between 25(OH)D and specific behavior scores, adjusted for season of blood draw, maternal age, education, parity, smoking, marital status, prepregnancy BMI, and infant gender. We investigated effect-measure modification by race/ethnicity. Of the 218 mother-infant pairs with complete data, Black mothers had much lower 25(OH)D concentrations as compared to White and Hispanic mothers. After adjustment, lower prenatal 25(OH)D was associated with slightly higher (less favorable) Internalizing scores among White children, but lower (more favorable) Internalizing scores among Black and Hispanic children. Lower prenatal 25(OH)D also appears to be associated with higher (less favorable) dysregulation scores, though only among White and Hispanic children. Though imprecise, preliminary results warrant further investigation regarding a role for prenatal vitamin D on children's early social and emotional development.

  12. Nd-doped Bi2O3 nanocomposites: simple synthesis and improved photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production under visible light

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Namshah, Khadijah S.; Mohamed, Reda M.

    2018-04-01

    Bi2O3 has 2.4 eV band gap energy, which means it absorb in visible region. Though the photocatalytic activity of Bi2O3 is extremely little due to rapid rate of photogenerated electron-hole recombination. To face the economical and practical needs, the photocatalytic efficiency of Bi2O3 should be upgraded. In this paper, this was achieved by addition of neodymium to Bi2O3 nanosheets and Nd/Bi2O3 nanocomposites were prepared by a easy process at room temperature using a surfactant of Pluronic F127. The Bi2O3 nanosheets and Nd/Bi2O3 nanocomposites were investigated by many tools. The photocatalytic activity of Nd/Bi2O3 samples is better than Bi2O3 due to reduced band gap and reduced electron-hole recombination of Bi2O3 with addition of neodymium. In addition, Nd/Bi2O3 nanocomposites exhibit photocatalytic stability for hydrogen production which enables it to be reused on other occasions also.

  13. Nd{sup 3+}-doped TeO{sub 2}-Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}-ZnO transparent glass ceramics for laser application at 1.06 μm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Xiaolin; Luo, Zhiwei; Liu, Taoyong; Lu, Anxian [Central South of University, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changsha (China)

    2017-04-15

    The high crystallinity transparent glass ceramics based on Nd{sup 3+}-doped 70TeO{sub 2}-15Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}-15ZnO (TBZ) compositions were successfully prepared by two-step heat treatment process. The effects of Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} content on the thermal, structural, mechanical, and optical properties of TBZ glass ceramics were studied. The incorporation of Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} enhanced the crystallization tendency in the matrix glass composition. The crystal phase and morphology of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 4}O{sub 11} in the glass ceramics were confirmed by X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Due to precipitate more crystal phase, the hardness values increased from 3.21 to 3.66 GPa. Eight absorption peaks were observed from 400 to 900 nm and three emission bands appeared in the range of 850-1400 nm. With the increasing of Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} content from 0.5 to 2.5 wt%, the intensity of absorption peaks enhanced and the emission intensity increased up to 1.0 wt% and then fell down for further dopant concentration. The fluorescence decay lifetime decreased rapidly starting from 1.5 wt% Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} content due to the obvious energy migration among Nd{sup 3+}. According to the extreme strong emission band around 1062 nm and the optimum Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} content (1.0 wt%), N10 glass ceramic was considered as a potential material for 1.06 μm laser applications. (orig.)

  14. Development of Salivary Cortisol Circadian Rhythm and Reference Intervals in Full-Term Infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivars, Katrin; Nelson, Nina; Theodorsson, Annette; Theodorsson, Elvar; Ström, Jakob O; Mörelius, Evalotte

    2015-01-01

    Cortisol concentrations in plasma display a circadian rhythm in adults and children older than one year. Earlier studies report divergent results regarding when cortisol circadian rhythm is established. The present study aims to investigate at what age infants develop a circadian rhythm, as well as the possible influences of behavioral regularity and daily life trauma on when the rhythm is established. Furthermore, we determine age-related reference intervals for cortisol concentrations in saliva during the first year of life. 130 healthy full-term infants were included in a prospective, longitudinal study with saliva sampling on two consecutive days, in the morning (07:30-09:30), noon (10:00-12:00) and evening (19:30-21:30), each month from birth until the infant was twelve months old. Information about development of behavioral regularity and potential exposure to trauma was obtained from the parents through the Baby Behavior Questionnaire and the Life Incidence of Traumatic Events checklist. A significant group-level circadian rhythm of salivary cortisol secretion was established at one month, and remained throughout the first year of life, although there was considerable individual variability. No correlation was found between development of cortisol circadian rhythm and the results from either the Baby Behavior Questionnaire or the Life Incidence of Traumatic Events checklist. The study presents salivary cortisol reference intervals for infants during the first twelve months of life. Cortisol circadian rhythm in infants is already established by one month of age, earlier than previous studies have shown. The current study also provides first year age-related reference intervals for salivary cortisol levels in healthy, full-term infants.

  15. Joint Force Quarterly. Issue 73, 2nd Quarter 2014

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-04-01

    Marine Corps/Matthew Bragg); UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter pilot and commander of C Company “War Lords,” 2nd Battalion (Assault), 10th Combat...organization’s performance is rare. Many change efforts are ill conceived and mostly cosmetic : shuf- fling organizational boxes, titles, and authorities...UNIDO_Header_Site/Subsites/Green_Indus- try_Asia_Conference__Maanila_/GC13/Gal- lagher_Report.pdf>. 37 Hartmut. 38 Tim Rice , “Meals per gallon, the impact of

  16. Crystal growth, optical properties, and continuous-wave laser operation of Nd3+-doped CaNb2O6 crystal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng, Y; Xu, X D; Xiao, X D; Li, D Z; Zhao, C C; Zhou, S M; Xin, Z; Yang, X B; Xu, J

    2009-01-01

    Laser crystal Nd:CaNb 2 O 6 with excellent quality has been grown by Czochralski technique. The effective segregation coefficient of Nd 3+ was studied by X-ray fluorescence method. The polarized absorption spectra and the fluorescence spectra of Nd:CaNb 2 O 6 were measured at room temperature. The peak absorption cross section was calculated to be 6.202×10 -20 cm 2 with a broad FWHM of 7 nm at 808 nm for E ∥ a light polarization. The emission cross section at 1062 nm is 9.87×10 -20 cm 2 . We report what we believe to be the first demonstration of the continuous-wave Nd:CaNb 2 O 6 laser operation under diode pumping. Output power of 1.86 W at 1062 nm was obtained with a slope efficiency of 19% in the CW regime

  17. Crystal growth, optical properties, and continuous-wave laser operation of Nd3+-doped CaNb2O6 crystal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Y.; Xu, X. D.; Xin, Z.; Yang, X. B.; Xiao, X. D.; Li, D. Z.; Zhao, C. C.; Xu, J.; Zhou, S. M.

    2009-10-01

    Laser crystal Nd:CaNb2O6 with excellent quality has been grown by Czochralski technique. The effective segregation coefficient of Nd3+ was studied by X-ray fluorescence method. The polarized absorption spectra and the fluorescence spectra of Nd:CaNb2O6 were measured at room temperature. The peak absorption cross section was calculated to be 6.202×10-20 cm2 with a broad FWHM of 7 nm at 808 nm for E ∥ a light polarization. The emission cross section at 1062 nm is 9.87×10-20 cm2. We report what we believe to be the first demonstration of the continuous-wave Nd:CaNb2O6 laser operation under diode pumping. Output power of 1.86 W at 1062 nm was obtained with a slope efficiency of 19% in the CW regime.

  18. Pressure influence on magnetic properties of Nd{sub 2}RhIn{sub 8}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Javorský, P., E-mail: javor@mag.mff.cuni.cz [Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Ke Karlovu 5, 121 16 Prague 2, The Czech Republic (Czech Republic); Kaštil, J.; Míšek, M. [Institute of Physics ASCR, v.v.i., Na Slovance 2, 182 21 Praha 8, The Czech Republic (Czech Republic); Prachařová, M.; Prchal, J.; Klicpera, M.; Kratochvílová, M. [Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Ke Karlovu 5, 121 16 Prague 2, The Czech Republic (Czech Republic)

    2016-08-01

    We have studied the pressure effect on the magnetic phase diagram of tetragonal Nd{sub 2}RhIn{sub 8}. The magnetization under uniaxial pressure up to 5.3 kbar applied along the tetragonal c-axis and the heat capacity under hydrostatic pressure were measured in magnetic fields up to 7 and 14 T, respectively. Both types of measurements reveal an increase of T{sub N} with increasing pressure; the effect is considerably stronger for the uniaxial pressure. Considering also the anisotropic compressibility in this family of compounds, we conclude that T{sub N} increases with decreasing c/a. The phase boundary between the ground-state AF1 phase and the field-induced AF2 phase shifts slightly to higher magnetic fields with increasing pressure. The ground state phase is thus stabilized by applying pressure. The magnetic phase diagram is constructed. - Highlights: • Hydrostatic and uniaxial pressure along the c-axis cause an increase of TN. • The ground state magnetic structure is stabilized with decreasing Nd-Nd distances. • The change of T{sub N} is related to change of structural and crystal-field parameters.

  19. Precipitation of Nd-Ca carbonate solid solution at 25 degrees C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carroll, S.A.

    1993-01-01

    The formation of a Nd-Ca carbonate solid solution was studied by monitoring the reactions of calcite with aqueous Nd, orthorhombic NdOHCO 3 (s) with aqueous Ca, and calcite with hexagonal Nd-carbonate solid phase as a function of time at 25 degrees C and controlled pCO 2 (g). All experiments reached steady state after 200 h of reaction. The dominant mechanism controlling the formation of the solid solution was precipitation of a Nd-Ca carbonate phase from the bulk solution as individual crystals or at the orthorhombic NdOHCO 3 (s)-solution interface. The lack of Nd adsorption or solid solution at the calcite-solution interface suggests that the solid solution was orthorhombic and may be modeled as a mixture of orthorhombic NdOHCO 3 (s) and aragonite. Orthorhombic NdOHCO 3 (s) was determined to be the stable Nd-carbonate phase in the Nd-CO 2 -H 2 O system at pCO 2 (g) 0.1 atmospheres at 25 degrees C. The equilibrium constant corrected to zero ionic strength for orthorhombic NdOHCO 3 (s) solubility is 10 10.41(±0.29) for the following: NdOHCO 3 (s) + 3H + = Nd 3+ + CO 2 (g) + H 2 O. Results are discussed in relation to radioactive waste disposal by burial, and specifically in relation to americium chemistry

  20. Pressure-induced preferential growth of nanocrystals in amorphous Nd9Fe85B6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Wei; Li Wei; Sun Hongyu; Li Hui; Zhang Xiangyi; Li Xiaohong; Liu Baoting

    2008-01-01

    Control over the growth and crystallographic orientation of nanocrystals in amorphous alloys is of particular importance for the development of advanced nanocrystalline materials. In the present study, Nd 2 Fe 14 B nanocrystals with a strong crystallographic texture along the [410] direction have been produced in Nd-lean amorphous Nd 9 Fe 85 B 6 under a high pressure of 6 GPa at 923 K. This is attributed to the high pressure inducing the preferential growth of Nd 2 Fe 14 B nanocrystals in the alloy. The present study demonstrates the potential application of high-pressure technology in controlling nanocrystalline orientation in amorphous alloys