Diagnosis of moyamoya disease using 3-T MRI and MRA: value of cisternal moyamoya vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawada, Takeshi; Yamamoto, Akira; Okada, Tomohisa; Kanagaki, Mitsunori; Kasahara, Seiko; Togashi, Kaori; Miki, Yukio; Kikuta, Ken-ichiro; Miyamoto, Susumu; Takahashi, Jun C.; Fukuyama, Hidenao

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to propose new magnetic resonance (MR) criteria of diagnosing moyamoya disease (MMD) from cisternal moyamoya vessels (MMVs) on 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and compare the diagnostic accuracy of the existing MR criteria and the proposed MR criteria. Participants comprised 20 consecutive patients with MMD (4 males, 16 females) diagnosed clinically using conventional angiography and 20 controls (13 male and 7 female arteriosclerosis patients). In these participants, 3-T MRI/MRA was evaluated by the existing MR criteria, which use MMVs in the basal ganglia, and the proposed MR criteria, which use cisternal MMVs, and then these two criteria were statistically compared by McNemar's test. Diagnostic accuracy was 62.5% with the existing MR criteria and 97.5% with the proposed MR criteria. The proposed MR criteria was more sensitive (1.00) than the existing MR criteria (0.45), but less specific (0.95) than the existing MR criteria (1.00). The proposed MR criteria using cisternal MMVs showed significantly higher diagnostic accuracy than the existing MR criteria. We believe that our proposed MR criteria will be beneficial for diagnosing MMD. (orig.)

Subarachnoid and basal cistern navigation through the sacral hiatus with guide wire assistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Layer, Lauren; Riascos, Roy; Firouzbakht, Farhood; Amole, Adewumi; Von Ritschl, Rudiger; Dipatre, Pier; Cuellar, Hugo

2011-07-01

Intraspinal navigation with catheters and fiberscopes has shown feasible results for diagnosis and treatment of intraspinal and intracranial lesions. The most common approach, lumbar puncture, has allowed access to the spinal cord, however, coming with the difficulties of fiberscope damage and decreased torque for guidance. Our objective in this study is to allow an alternate access, the sacral hiatus, with guide wire assistance into the subarachnoid and intracranial structures, while easing the angle of entry and increasing torque. We advanced catheters with guide wire and fluoroscopy assistance into the sacral hiatus of three cadavers. After entry, the thecal sac was punctured and the catheter with guide wire was advanced rostrally until positioned in the basal cisterns of the brain. We confirmed catheter placement with contrast injection, autopsy, and dissection. In our study, the sacral hiatus was easily accessed, but resistance was found when attempting to puncture the thecal sac. The advancement of the catheter with guide wire assistance glided easily rostrally until some mild resistance was discovered at entry into the foramen magnum. With redirection, all catheters passed with ease into the basal cisterns. Positioning was confirmed with contrast injection with fluoroscopy evidence, autopsy, and dissection. There was no macroscopic or microscopic evidence of damage to the spinal roots, spinal cord, or cranial nerves. The sacral hiatus with guide wire assistance is an accessible conduit for uncomplicated entry into the subarachnoid and basal cistern space without damaging surrounding structures.

Inter-fertility among female parent clones of pineapple involved in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Inter-fertility among female parent clones of pineapple involved in a 6x6 complete diallel crossing system based on typological approach. AE Issali, AE Badou Nguessan, DF Thiemele, A Amoncho, SB Ngoran Koua, HC Keassemon Kone, ZEB Koffi, A Sangare ...

MRI findings of multiple sclerosis involving the brainstem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jeong Hoon; Jeong, Hae Woong; Kim, Hyun Jin; Cho, Jae Kwoeng; Kim, Chang Soo

2001-01-01

To describe MRI findings of multiple sclerosis involving the brainstem. Among 35 cases of clinically definite multiple sclerosis, the authors retrospectively analysed 20 in which the brainstem was involved. MR images were analysed with regard to involvement sites in the brainstem or other locations, signal intensity, multiplicity, shape, enhancement pattern, and contiguity of brainstem lesions with cisternal or ventricular CSF space. The brainstem was the only site of involvement in five cases (25%), while simultaneous involvement of the brainstem and other sites was observed in 15 cases (75%). No case involved only the midbrain or medulla oblongata, and simultaneous involvement of the midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata was noted in 12 cases (60%). The most frequently involved region of the brainstem was the medulla oblongata (n=13; 90%), followed by the pons (n=17; 85%) and the midbrain (n=16; 80%). Compared with normal white matter, brainstem lesions showed low signal intensity on T1 weighted images, and high signal intensity on T2 weighted, proton density weighted, and FLAIR images. In 17 cases (85%), multiple intensity was observed, and the shape of lesions varied: oval, round, elliptical, patchy, crescentic, confluent or amorphous were seen on axial MR images, and in 14 cases (82%), coronal or sagittal scanning showed that lesions were long and tubular. Contiguity between brainstem lesions and cisternal or ventricular CSF space was seen in all cases (100%) involving midbrain (16/16) and medulla oblongata (18/18) and in 15 of 17 (88%) involving the pons. Contrast enhancement was apparent in 7 of 12 cases (58%). In the brainstem, MRI demonstrated partial or total contiguity between lesions and cisternal or ventricular CSF space, and coronal or sagittal images showed that lesions were long and tubuler

The cisternal segment of the abducens nerve in man: three-dimensional MR imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alkan, Alpay E-mail: aalkan@inonu.edu.tr; Sigirci, Ahmet; Ozveren, M. Faik; Kutlu, Ramazan; Altinok, Tayfun; Onal, Cagatay; Sarac, Kaya

2004-09-01

Purpose: The goal of this study was to identify the abducens nerve in its cisternal segment by using three-dimensional turbo spin echo T2-weighted image (3DT2-TSE). The abducens nerve may arise from the medullopontine sulcus by one singular or two separated rootlets. Material and methods: We studied 285 patients (150 males, 135 females, age range: 9-72 years, mean age: 33.3{+-}14.4) referred to MR imaging of the inner ear, internal auditory canal and brainstem. All 3D T2-TSE studies were performed with a 1.5 T MR system. Imaging parameters used for 3DT2-TSE sequence were TR:4000, TE:150, and 0.70 mm slice thickness. A field of view of 160 mm and 256x256 matrix were used. The double rootlets of the abducens nerve and contralateral abducens nerves and their relationships with anatomical structures were searched in the subarachnoid space. Results: We identified 540 of 570 abducens nerves (94.7%) in its complete cisternal course with certainty. Seventy-two cases (25.2%) in the present study had double rootlets of the abducens nerve. In 59 of these cases (34 on the right side and 25 on the left) presented with unilateral double rootlets of the abducens. Thirteen cases presented with bilateral double rootlets of the abducens (4.5%). Conclusion: An abducens nerve arising by two separate rootlets is not a rare variation. The detection of this anatomical variation by preoperative MR imaging is important to avoid partial damage of the nerve during surgical procedures. The 3DT2-TSE as a noninvasive technique makes it possible to obtain extremely high-quality images of microstructures as cranial nerves and surrounding vessels in the cerebellopontine cistern. Therefore, preoperative MR imaging should be performed to detect anatomical variations of abducens nerve and to reduce the chance of operative injuries.

Less is more: Parahippocampal resection or endoscopic assistance in ambient cistern surgery? Qualitative and quantitative assessment of subtemporal approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Welling, Leonardo C; Figueiredo, Eberval Gadelha; Nakaji, Peter; Welling, Mariana S; Schafranski, Marcelo D; Teixeira, Manoel Jacobsen; Spetzler, Robert F; Preul, Mark C

2018-04-20

The ambient cistern is an arachnoid complex that extends from the crural cistern to lateral border of cerebral colliculi. The subtemporal approach has been recognized as the best access to reach pathologies in the ambient cistern, however many disadvantages exist. The present work aims to analyze quantitatively the area of exposure provided by the subtemporal access. The objective is to evaluate if there are advantages of using the neuroendoscope in conventional subtemporal access when compared to the subtemporal access with resection of the parahippocampal gyrus. A subtemporal approach was performed in six brain hemispheres. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were made. The linear exposition of the vascular structures and the surgical exposure area were evaluated. The linear exposure to the posterior cerebral artery was 5.95 for subtemporal access (ST) and 13.6 for subtemporal access with resection of the parahippocampal gyrus (STh) (p = 0.019). The total exposure area was 104.8 mm 2 for ST and 210.5 for STh (p = 0.0001). Regarding endoscope assistance the medial area, ST was 81.0 mm 2 , and STend was 176.2 mm 2 (p = 0.038). For the total area of exposure, we obtained a value of 210.5 mm 2 for ST and a value of 391.3 mm 2 for STend (p = 0.041). In conventional subtemporal access, the use of the neuroendoscopes avoids the need for resection of the parahippocampal gyrus for better visualization of the ambient cistern structures. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cine-magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of communication between middle cranial fossa arachnoid cysts and cisterns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eguchi, Takahiko; Nikaido, Yuji; Shiomi, Kazuaki; Fujimoto, Takatoshi; Otsuka, Hiroyuki; Takeuchi, Hiroshi; Taoka, Toshiaki.

1996-01-01

Cine-magnetic resonance (MR) imaging examinations were performed in 10 patients with middle cranial fossa arachnoid cysts to evaluate communication between the cysts and the normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) space. Eight of 10 patients were evaluated by time of flight cine-MR imaging, and two by phase contrast cine-MR imaging. Two patients underwent membranectomy of the cysts, and were evaluated both pre-and postoperatively. Computed tomography cisternography was used to confirm communication between the cysts and the surrounding cisterns. Pulsatile fluid motion within the cysts was present in all patients. However, marked fluid motion and jet flow between the cysts and the surrounding cisterns were only observed in communicating cysts. In the two patients who underwent membranectomy, postoperative examination found greater fluid motion and jet flow not previously present. Cine-MR imaging demonstration of marked pulsatile fluid motion accompanied by jet flow suggests that a cyst communicates with the normal CSF space. (author)

The cisternal segment of the abducens nerve in man: three-dimensional MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alkan, Alpay; Sigirci, Ahmet; Ozveren, M. Faik; Kutlu, Ramazan; Altinok, Tayfun; Onal, Cagatay; Sarac, Kaya

2004-01-01

Purpose: The goal of this study was to identify the abducens nerve in its cisternal segment by using three-dimensional turbo spin echo T2-weighted image (3DT2-TSE). The abducens nerve may arise from the medullopontine sulcus by one singular or two separated rootlets. Material and methods: We studied 285 patients (150 males, 135 females, age range: 9-72 years, mean age: 33.3±14.4) referred to MR imaging of the inner ear, internal auditory canal and brainstem. All 3D T2-TSE studies were performed with a 1.5 T MR system. Imaging parameters used for 3DT2-TSE sequence were TR:4000, TE:150, and 0.70 mm slice thickness. A field of view of 160 mm and 256x256 matrix were used. The double rootlets of the abducens nerve and contralateral abducens nerves and their relationships with anatomical structures were searched in the subarachnoid space. Results: We identified 540 of 570 abducens nerves (94.7%) in its complete cisternal course with certainty. Seventy-two cases (25.2%) in the present study had double rootlets of the abducens nerve. In 59 of these cases (34 on the right side and 25 on the left) presented with unilateral double rootlets of the abducens. Thirteen cases presented with bilateral double rootlets of the abducens (4.5%). Conclusion: An abducens nerve arising by two separate rootlets is not a rare variation. The detection of this anatomical variation by preoperative MR imaging is important to avoid partial damage of the nerve during surgical procedures. The 3DT2-TSE as a noninvasive technique makes it possible to obtain extremely high-quality images of microstructures as cranial nerves and surrounding vessels in the cerebellopontine cistern. Therefore, preoperative MR imaging should be performed to detect anatomical variations of abducens nerve and to reduce the chance of operative injuries

In vitro study of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in a shaken basal cistern after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage.

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Ulrich Kertzscher

Full Text Available Cerebral arterial vasospasm leads to delayed cerebral ischemia and constitutes the major delayed complication following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Cerebral vasospasm can be reduced by increased blood clearance from the subarachnoid space. Clinical pilot studies allow the hypothesis that the clearance of subarachnoid blood is facilitated by means of head shaking. A major obstacle for meaningful clinical studies is the lack of data on appropriate parameters of head shaking. Our in vitro study aims to provide these essential parameters.A model of the basal cerebral cistern was derived from human magnetic resonance imaging data. Subarachnoid hemorrhage was simulated by addition of dyed experimental blood to transparent experimental cerebrospinal fluid (CSF filling the model of the basal cerebral cistern. Effects of various head positions and head motion settings (shaking angle amplitudes and shaking frequencies on blood clearance were investigated using the quantitative dye washout method. Blood washout can be divided into two phases: Blood/CSF mixing and clearance. The major effect of shaking consists in better mixing of blood and CSF thereby increasing clearance rate. Without shaking, blood/CSF mixing and blood clearance in the basal cerebral cistern are hampered by differences in density and viscosity of blood and CSF. Blood clearance increases with decreased shaking frequency and with increased shaking angle amplitude. Head shaking facilitates clearance by varying the direction of gravitational force.From this in vitro study can be inferred that patient or head shaking with large shaking angles at low frequency is a promising therapeutic strategy to increase blood clearance from the subarachnoid space.

Forces necessary for the disruption of the cisternal segments of cranial nerves II through XII.

Science.gov (United States)

Tubbs, R Shane; Wellons, John C; Blount, Jeffrey P; Salter, E George; Oakes, W Jerry

2007-04-01

Manipulation of the cisternal segment of cranial nerves is often performed by the neurosurgeon. To date, attempts at quantifying the forces necessary to disrupt these nerves in situ, to our knowledge, has not been performed. The present study seeks to further elucidate the forces necessary to disrupt the cranial nerves while within the subarachnoid space. The cisternal segments of cranial nerves II through XII were exposed in six unfixed cadavers, all less than 6 hr postmortem. Forces to failure were then measured. Mean forces necessary to disrupt nerves for left sides in increasing order were found for cranial nerves IX, VII, IV, X, XII, III, VIII, XI, VI, V, and II, respectively. Mean forces for right-sided cranial nerves in increasing order were found for cranial nerves IX, VII, IV, X, XII, VIII, V, VI, XI, III, and II, respectively. Overall, cranial nerves requiring the least amount of force prior to failure included cranial nerves IV, VII, and IX. Those requiring the highest amount of force included cranial nerves II, V, VI, and XI. There was an approximately ten-fold difference between the least and greatest forces required to failure. Cranial nerve III was found to require significantly (P cranial nerves II through XII. We found that cranial nerve IX consistently took the least amount of force until its failure and cranial nerve II took the greatest. Other cranial nerves that took relatively small amount of force prior to failure included cranial nerves IV and VII. Although in vivo damage can occur prior to failure of a cranial nerve, our data may serve to provide a rough estimation for the maximal amount of tension that can be applied to a cranial nerve that is manipulated while within its cistern.

Cerebellomedullary Cistern Delivery for AAV-Based Gene Therapy: A Technical Note for Nonhuman Primates

OpenAIRE

Samaranch, Lluis; Bringas, John; Pivirotto, Philip; Sebastian, Waldy San; Forsayeth, John; Bankiewicz, Krystof

2015-01-01

Accessing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the craniocervical junction through the posterior atlanto-occipital membrane via cerebellomedullary injection (also known as cisternal puncture or cisterna magna injection) has become a standard procedure in preclinical studies. Such delivery provides broader coverage to the central and peripheral nervous system unlike local parenchymal delivery alone. As a clinical application, this approach offers a more reliable method for neurological gene replacem...

[Causes of drinking-water contamination in rain-fed cisterns in three villages in Ramallah and Al-Bireh District, Palestine].

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Khatib, Issam A; Orabi, Moammar

2004-05-01

We studied the biological characteristics of drinking-water in three villages in Ramallah and al-Bireh district, by testing the total coliforms. Water samples were collected from rain-fed cisterns between October and November 2001. The results show that 87% of tested samples of drinking-water were highly contaminated and in need of coagulation, filtration and disinfection based on the World Health Organization guidelines for drinking-water, and 10.5% had low contamination and were in need of treatment by disinfection only. Only 2.5% of the tested samples were not contaminated and were suitable for drinking without treatment. The main cause of drinking-water con tamination was the presence of cesspits, wastewater and solid waste dumping sites near the cisterns.

A Mass Balance Model for Designing Green Roof Systems that Incorporate a Cistern for Re-Use

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Manoj Chopra

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Green roofs, which have been used for several decades in many parts of the world, offer a unique and sustainable approach to stormwater management. Within this paper, evidence is presented on water retention for an irrigated green roof system. The presented green roof design results in a water retention volume on site. A first principle mass balance computer model is introduced to assist with the design of these green roof systems which incorporate a cistern to capture and reuse runoff waters for irrigation of the green roof. The model is used to estimate yearly stormwater retention volume for different cistern storage volumes. Additionally, the Blaney and Criddle equation is evaluated for estimation of monthly evapotranspiration rates for irrigated systems and incorporated into the model. This is done so evapotranspiration rates can be calculated for regions where historical data does not exist, allowing the model to be used anywhere historical weather data are available. This model is developed and discussed within this paper as well as compared to experimental results.

MR imaging of the cisternal segment of the posterior group of cranial nerves: Neurovascular relationships and abnormal changes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang Changhu, E-mail: tigerlch@163.co [Shandong University, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, CT Room, 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, Shandong (China); Du Yinglin, E-mail: duyinglinzhuo@sohu.co [Shandong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Institute, 72, Jingshi Road, Jinan, Shandong (China); Xu Jinfa, E-mail: xuke5598@icom.c [Liao Cheng City People' s Hospital, Dongchang Road, Liaocheng, Shandong (China); Wu Lebin, E-mail: Lebinwu518@163.co [Shandong University, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, CT Room, 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, Shandong (China); Liu Cheng, E-mail: cacab2a@126.co [Shandong University, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, CT Room, 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, Shandong (China); Wang Ximing, E-mail: wxming369@163.co [Shandong University, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, CT Room, 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, Shandong (China); Wang Haiyan, E-mail: whyott@163.co [Shandong University, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, CT Room, 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, Shandong (China); Yu Fuhua, E-mail: changhu1970@163.co [Weifang Medical College, 7166, West Road Baotong Weifang, Shandong (China)

2010-07-15

Objective: To evaluate the detailed anatomic features, neurovascular relationships of the cisternal segment of the posterior group of cranial nerves (PGCN: IX, X, XI, XII); to evaluate the utility of magnetic resonance (MR) in demonstrating the PGCN with disorders caused by abnormal compression related to artery or tumor. Methods: A total of 59 volunteers, 12 patients with abnormal symptom in the PGCN underwent three-dimensional (3D) Fourier transformation constructive interference in steady-state (CISS) MR imaging, and 22 of these volunteers and 12 patients also underwent MR angiography in which a time-of-flight (TOF) sequence was used to further distinguish the PGCN from the adjacent blood vessels. Anatomical features, neurovascular relationships of the PGCN in 59 volunteers and abnormal changes in 12 patients caused by neurovascular compression or tumor were observed from multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) images, cryomicrotome section and 3D-CISS MR imaging of cranial cadaver were used to testify the PGCN displayed in 59 volunteers. Results: 3D-CISS MR imaging depicted the proximal cisternal segment of the cranial nerves complex (CN IX, X, XI) at the oblique axial, sagittal planes in 100% (118/118), 99% (117/118) of 118 sides; CNXII in the oblique axial, sagittal planes in 90% (106/118), 91% (107/118) of 118 sides. At the sagittal planes, the CN IX, X, XI were found parallel to each other in the cisternal segment in 45.2% (53/117) of 117 sides, gathering into a bundle of nerves complex before entering the jugular foramen (JF) in 54.7% (64/117) of 117sides. VAs were blood vessels more often identified, they were found to be in contact with the PGCN in 28.0% (33/118) of 118 sides, and not in contact in 72.0% (85/118) of 118 sides. 3D-CISS MR imaging of volunteers revealed the similar result corresponding to cryomicrotome section and 3D-CISS MR imaging of cranial cadaver. Twelve patients with abnormal changes in the PGCN were all displayed well, among them 8 were

MR imaging of the cisternal segment of the posterior group of cranial nerves: Neurovascular relationships and abnormal changes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang Changhu; Du Yinglin; Xu Jinfa; Wu Lebin; Liu Cheng; Wang Ximing; Wang Haiyan; Yu Fuhua

2010-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the detailed anatomic features, neurovascular relationships of the cisternal segment of the posterior group of cranial nerves (PGCN: IX, X, XI, XII); to evaluate the utility of magnetic resonance (MR) in demonstrating the PGCN with disorders caused by abnormal compression related to artery or tumor. Methods: A total of 59 volunteers, 12 patients with abnormal symptom in the PGCN underwent three-dimensional (3D) Fourier transformation constructive interference in steady-state (CISS) MR imaging, and 22 of these volunteers and 12 patients also underwent MR angiography in which a time-of-flight (TOF) sequence was used to further distinguish the PGCN from the adjacent blood vessels. Anatomical features, neurovascular relationships of the PGCN in 59 volunteers and abnormal changes in 12 patients caused by neurovascular compression or tumor were observed from multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) images, cryomicrotome section and 3D-CISS MR imaging of cranial cadaver were used to testify the PGCN displayed in 59 volunteers. Results: 3D-CISS MR imaging depicted the proximal cisternal segment of the cranial nerves complex (CN IX, X, XI) at the oblique axial, sagittal planes in 100% (118/118), 99% (117/118) of 118 sides; CNXII in the oblique axial, sagittal planes in 90% (106/118), 91% (107/118) of 118 sides. At the sagittal planes, the CN IX, X, XI were found parallel to each other in the cisternal segment in 45.2% (53/117) of 117 sides, gathering into a bundle of nerves complex before entering the jugular foramen (JF) in 54.7% (64/117) of 117sides. VAs were blood vessels more often identified, they were found to be in contact with the PGCN in 28.0% (33/118) of 118 sides, and not in contact in 72.0% (85/118) of 118 sides. 3D-CISS MR imaging of volunteers revealed the similar result corresponding to cryomicrotome section and 3D-CISS MR imaging of cranial cadaver. Twelve patients with abnormal changes in the PGCN were all displayed well, among them 8 were

Clinical significance of diminution of high-density areas in basal cisterns following acute aneurysmal bleeding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuzaki, Takayuki; Takeda, Rihei; Nakagawara, Jyoji; Sato, Shigeru; Fujiwara, Hidetoshi

1983-01-01

We analyzed the sequential changes in the high density in basal cisterns in the acute stage of aneurysmal bleeding. We could recognize Group 3 (clot or thick layer), according to Fisher's classification, in 66.3% of the intracranial aneurysms at admission (83 cases). In the early stage of an intracranial aneurysm, a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) was detected in all the patients on CT. We evaluated 40 cases of Group 3 sequentially on CT. This investigation showed that 55% of the Grade I--Ii group, 27.3% of the Grade III group, and 11.1% of the Grade IV--V group changed to Group 2(thin or diffuse pattern) in approximately 20 hours on the average. As for the correlation between the high density in basal cisterns and the neurological condition (Hunt and Hess), we found a neurological improvement in the decreased-high-density group. The unchanged- high-density group showed deterioration. Compared with the decreased-high-density group, the unchanged group showed a greater increase in the CVI (Cerebro Ventricular Index). RI ( 111 In) cisternography also showed a disturbance of the CSF circulation. To lower the vasospasm it is important to decrease the high density in an early stage by carrying out CSF. It was considered to be prognostic when a CT scan was performed within 24 hours after SAH. (author)

Relationship between udder morphology traits, alveolar and cisternal milk compartments and machine milking performances of dairy camels (Camelus dromedarius

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M. Ayadi

2013-07-01

Full Text Available A total of 22 dairy dromedary camels under intensive conditions in late lactation (275±24 days were used to study the relationship between external and internal udder morphology and machine milking performances. Measurements of udder and teat morphology were obtained immediately before milking and in duplicate. Individual milk yield, lag time and total milking time were recorded during milking, and milk samples were collected and analyzed for milk composition thereafter. Cisternal and alveolar milk volumes and composition were evaluated at 9 h milking interval. Results revealed that dairy camels had well developed udders and milk veins, with medium sized teats. On average, milk yield as well as milk fat and protein contents were 4.80±0.50 L d-1, 2.61±0.16% and 3.08±0.05%, respectively. The low fat values observed indicated incomplete milk letdown during machine milking. Lag time, and total milking time were 3.0±0.3, and 120.0±8.9s, on average, respectively. Positive correlations (p<0.05 were observed between milk yield and udder depth (r=0.37, distance between teats (r=0.57 and milk vein diameter (r=0.28, while a negative correlation was found with udder height (r=-0.25, p<0.05. Cisternal milk accounted for 11% of the total udder milk. Positive correlations were observed between total milk yield and volume of alveolar milk (r=0.98; p<0.001 as well as with volume of cisternal milk (r=0.63, p<0.05. Despite the low udder milk storage capacity observed in dairy camels, our study concluded that the evaluated dromedary sample had adequate udder morphology for machine milking. Finally, positive relationships were detected between milk yield and udder morphology traits of dairy camels.

Environmental impact study on a degassing and scaling of cistern trucks for fuel transportation plant.

OpenAIRE

Tupia, Elmer

2014-01-01

The present Study of Environmental Impact (EIA) it is carried out by the Company Ecoplanet Group from the Peru CORP, to application of Servisya CORP, proprietor of a degassing plant and scaling of trucks cistern for transports of derived liquid fuels of the hydrocarbons, the environment of the location area undestood in the Country of Lima of the district of Villa El Salvador being. El presente estudio de Impacto Ambiental(EIA) es realizado por la empresa Ecoplanet group del Perú S.A. a s...

Research on Soft Reduction Amount Distribution to Eliminate Typical Inter-dendritic Crack in Continuous Casting Slab of X70 Pipeline Steel by Numerical Model

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ke; Wang, Chang; Liu, Guo-liang; Ding, Ning; Sun, Qi-song; Tian, Zhi-hong

2017-04-01

To investigate the formation of one kind of typical inter-dendritic crack around triple point region in continuous casting(CC) slab during the operation of soft reduction, fully coupled 3D thermo-mechanical finite element models was developed, also plant trials were carried out in a domestic continuous casting machine. Three possible types of soft reduction amount distribution (SRAD) in the soft reduction region were analyzed. The relationship between the typical inter-dendritic cracks and soft reduction conditions is presented and demonstrated in production practice. Considering the critical strain of internal crack formation, a critical tolerance for the soft reduction amount distribution and related casing parameters have been proposed for better contribution of soft reduction to the internal quality of slabs. The typical inter-dendritic crack around the triple point region had been eliminated effectively through the application of proposed suggestions for continuous casting of X70 pipeline steel in industrial practice.

Aquaponics Cultivation of Ipome Aquatica and the Peasant Financial Income of Cirata Cistern

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Abel Gandhy

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The research paper analyzes the financial income of a poor community living around the Cirata cistern, in West Java, Indonesia, before and after the community employed the aquaponics strategy of planting ipomoea aquatica. Data are gathered from observation, interviews and statistical analysis of the incomes of community members. In addition, analysis of the data applies Net Present Value (NPV, Internal Rate of Return (IRR, and Payback Period (PP. The findings clearly demonstrate an increased annual income of more than 1.117.296 rupiah among those community members using the aquaponics strategy. Once the community has adjusted to professionally implementing this aquaponics strategy, it would be practically useful to invite investors to invest their capital to develop this area.   Keywords: aquaponics, financial income, West Java, internal rate of return, payback period

Exposure of wide cerebellomedullary cisterns for vascular lesion surgeries in cerebellomedullary cisterns: opening of unilateral cerebellomedullary fissures combined with lateral foramen magnum approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsushima, Toshio; Kawashima, Masatou; Inoue, Kohei; Matsushima, Ken; Miki, Koichi

2014-11-01

To clarify microsurgical anatomic features of the cerebellomedullary fissure (CMF), the natural cleavage plane between the cerebellum and the medulla, and its relationship to the cerebellomedullary cistern (CMC) and to describe a surgical technique that uses the unilateral trans-CMF approach for CMC surgeries. In the anatomic study, 2 formalin-fixed cadaver heads were used. In the clinical study, 3 patients with vertebral artery-posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysms and 3 patients with glossopharyngeal neuralgia were surgically treated through the unilateral trans-CMF approach combined with the transcondylar fossa approach, which is a lateral foramen magnum approach. The CMC was present at the lateral end of the CMF. The CMF was closed by arachnoidal adhesion, and the cerebellar hemisphere was superiorly attached to the cerebellar peduncle. After the unilateral CMF was completely opened, the cerebellar hemisphere was easily retracted rostrodorsally. Clinically, almost completely opening the unilateral CMF markedly enabled the retraction of the biventral lobule to obtain a wide surgical field safely for vascular CMC lesions. We present 2 representative cases. Combined unilateral trans-CMF/lateral foramen magnum approaches provide a wide and close surgical field in the CMC, allowing easy and safe CMC surgery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CT and MR Studies of Giant Dermoid Cyst Associated to Fat Dissemination at the Cortical and Cisternal Cerebral Spaces

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Alessandro D'Amore

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This study focuses on CT and MR studies of adult patient with giant lesion of the posterior cranial fossa associated with micro- and macroaccumulations with density and signal like “fat” at the level of the cortical and cisternal cerebral spaces. This condition is compatible with previous asymptomatic ruptured dermoid cyst. Histological findings confirm the hypothesis formulated using the imaging. We also integrate elements of differential diagnosis by another giant lesion of the posterior cranial fossa.

Improving Early Detection of Refugee-Related Stress Symptoms: Evaluation of an Inter-Professional and Inter-Cultural Skills Training Course in Sweden

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Maria Carlén

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Twenty-three of 26 participants, mainly women from six local agencies involved in the reception of refugees, completed a university course titled “Refugee-related stress and mental health—local cooperation”, which was spread over seven days in 2011. The course was based on evidence and clinical experience and was commissioned to serve as competency training by Stockholm County Council and Södertälje Municipality. It received funding from the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. It was a continuation of an earlier one-week full-time university course from 2010 with the same title. As a result of a new law relating to refugee reception, which led to organizational change, the participants requested a continuation of the original course. The learning objectives were met (5.4 on a 6-point scale; 1 = strongly disagree, 6 = strongly agree. The general assessment of the course as a whole by the participants was 5.7 (on a 6-point scale, 1 = very unsatisfied, 6 = very satisfied. The participants thought that their skills had increased, and their perception was that they had significantly better control of their work situation following completion of the course. The most important findings were that participants from different agencies at the local level: (1 perceived that they had developed the sense that there was a local inter-cultural and inter-professional inter-agency collaboration in the reception of newly arrived refugees and (2 will continue efforts to stabilize and develop this together. This method of teaching, in terms of skills training, is not a “quick fix.” It is a process, and it needs support from those in power in order to continue.

Radioenzymatic paper-chromatographic assay for dopamine and norepinephrine in cerebroventricular cisternal perfusate of cat following administration of cocaine or d-amphetamine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiueh, C.C.; Kopin, I.J.

1978-01-01

A sensitive radioenzymatic paper chromatographic method was used to measure the endogenous dopamine and norepinephrine content of cerebroventricular cisternal perfusate from cats to provide direct evidence for the catecholamine releasing action of cocaine from brain in vivo. Although relatively less potent than d-emphetamine, cocaine was shown to release endogenous catechloramines, mainly dopamine from the brain. This similarity may be the neurochemical basis for their similar behavioral effects. (U.K.)

Radioenzymatic paper-chromatographic assay for dopamine and norepinephrine in cerebroventricular cisternal perfusate of cat following administration of cocaine or d-amphetamine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiueh, C C; Kopin, I J [National Inst. of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD (USA)

1978-08-01

A sensitive radioenzymatic paper chromatographic method was used to measure the endogenous dopamine and norepinephrine content of cerebroventricular cisternal perfusate from cats to provide direct evidence for the catecholamine releasing action of cocaine from brain in vivo. Although relatively less potent than d-emphetamine, cocaine was shown to release endogenous catechloramines, mainly dopamine from the brain. This similarity may be the neurochemical basis for their similar behavioral effects.

Conceptualizing inter-organizational triads

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vedel, Mette; Holma, Anne-Maria; Havila, Virpi

2016-01-01

of inter-organizational phenomena. However, not all studies involving a context of three actors are actually examining triads. This paper offers a robust definition of three-actor constellations qualifying as triads. Moreover, it elaborates on different types of inter-organizational triads, based on two...... aspects of collectivity; cohesion and the ability to act as a single entity. The definition of inter-organizational triads and the categorization of different types of triads will hopefully encourage further studies of triads; the smallest and simplest network which offers insights, which cannot...

Evaluation of the energy efficiency of active pass through wall cooling surface with phase change material in residential buildings combined with cistern cooling and operation optimization by development of suitable control strategies; Evaluierung der Energieeffizienz von aktiv durchstroemten Wandkuehlflaechen mit Phasenwechselmaterial in Wohngebaeuden in Kombination mit einer Zisternenkuehlung und Optimierung des Betriebes durch Entwicklung geeigneter Regelstrategien

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stoelzel, Christof [Variotec, Neumarkt (Germany); Kalz, Doreen; Wienold, Jan; Fischer, Martin [Fraunhofer-Institut fuer Solare Energiesysteme (ISE), Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany). Gruppe Solares Bauen

2009-07-01

cisterns is mainly influences by the heat loss and gain to the surrounding ground. The volume of the cistern has to be dimensioned adequately in accordance with the required heating and cooling load of the building. In the cooling mode, a volume of 12 m{sup 2} is available which is sufficient (cooling power 0.5 - 2 kW), but requires a load management, since continuous cooling results in a fast depletion of the energy reservoir (temperatures of the cold cistern above 18 C in summer). However, in the heating mode, the cisterns are not sufficiently sized (heating power 2 - 5 kW) which requires long operation time of the electrical heater as back-up system. Due to the high auxiliary energy use of the submerged pump in the open-loop system, the SPF in heating mode is poorer 4.9 kWh{sub therm}/kWhend as against 6.9 kWh{sub therm}/kWh{sub end} in cooling mode. Energy distribution and delivery by thermo-active building systems: The analysis of the auxiliary energy use reveals great potential for savings. The submerged and the circulation pumps are oversized according to the pressure drops. Further, the three installed circulation pumps (one for each floor) can be replaced by one pump, reducing the auxiliary energy use. Moreover, the control unit for the TABS has re-implemented standard features usually used in conventional cooling systems (e.g., nighttime set-up) which cause longer operation hours and are, therefore, disadvantageous for the efficiency performance. End and primary energy use of the building: The primary energy use for heating, cooling and ventilation (without lighting) amounts to 55 kWh{sub prim}/a. Therewith, the auxiliary energy contributes 28% to the total primary energy use (15 kWh{sub prim}/a). This reveals optimization and saving potential. Operation and control: The surface-near thermo-active building system requires a operation during the day. Considering an optimum of thermal occupant comfort, energy efficiency and availability of the rainwater cistern, a

Comparison of metrizamide and iohexol for cisternal myelographic examination of dogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puglisi, T.A.; Green, R.W.; Hall, C.L.; Read, W.K.; Green, R.A.; Tangner, C.H.; Mann, F.A.; Hobson, H.

1986-01-01

A double-blind study, using metrizamide, iohexol, or Ringer's solution (control) as cisternal myelographic agents, was performed on 25 dogs. Before myelographic examination was done, each dog was subjected to physical, clinical pathologic, and neurologic examinations, as well as examinations by electroencephalography and computerized tomography. These were repeated 24 hours after completion of the myelographic examination. The group of dogs given metrizamide (group II) had a significantly greater occurrence of seizure activity (6 of 10) than did the control dogs (group I; 0 of 5) or dogs given iohexol (group III; 0 of 10; P less than 0.003). In group II, the CSF microprotein concentration was significantly greater 24 hours after myelography was done than were the values in groups I and III (P less than 0.003). Myelograms of the group II dogs (metrizamide) and group III dogs (iohexol) had similar diagnostic qualities. At 24 hours after myelographic examination was done, computerized tomography scan revealed that each dog given metrizamide and iohexol had myelographic contrast material in the brain and cervical spinal cord parenchyma. Seemingly, iohexol has good diagnostic quality, but is less epileptogenic than metrizamide when used in cervical myelographic examinations of dogs

Localização da lesão e achados do líquido cefalorraqueano na meningite tuberculosa: diferenças nos compartimentos lombar, cisternal e ventricular Location of the lesion and the cerebrospinal fluid findings in tuberculous meningitis: differences in the lumbar, cisternal and ventricular compartiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael R. Heringer

2005-06-01

Full Text Available A tuberculose permanece como uma das doenças infecciosas mais freqüentes no mundo. No presente estudo, relatamos um caso de meningite tuberculosa, que evoluiu com bloqueio do fluxo do líquido cefalorraqueano (LCR, causando dificuldade diagnóstica. Discute-se a importância da localização da lesão e sua influência no exame do LCR como apoio ao diagnóstico da meningite tuberculosa. No caso relatado, a pesquisa do bacilo álcool-ácido resistente foi positiva no LCR cisternal e negativa no LCR lombar e ventricular, demonstrando que a maior acurácia do teste esteve relacionada a maior proximidade da lesão inflamatória.Tuberculosis remains one of the most prevalent infectious diseases worldwide. In the present study, we describe a case of tuberculous meningitis that caused cerebrospinal fluid (CSF flow block, leading to difficulties in the diagnosis. The importance of the lesion site and its influence on CSF analysis as a support for the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis is discussed. In this case, the search for acid-fast bacilii was positive in the cisternal CSF, but not in the ventricular and lumbar CSF, demonstrating the relationship between the accuracy of the test and the location of the inflamatory lesion disease.

A Descriptive Account of an Inter-Professional Collaborative Leadership Project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maura MacPhee

2014-09-01

Full Text Available A collaborative project between an academic healthcare faculty and a professional development director resulted in the design, delivery and evaluation of an inter-professional collaborative leadership workshop with ongoing leadership development activities. The workshop attendees were five inter-professional teams from one large, urban cancer care center in Taipei, Taiwan. The workshop included didactic instruction complemented with team discussions and interactive exercises. Continued practice was encouraged, such as appreciative inquiry exercises and rotated team leadership. Evaluation involved the use of a cross-culturally validated collaborative practice tool and follow-up interviews and focus groups. Although the formal workshop was a 1-day session, continued organizational support and systematic approaches to collaborative leadership practice in clinical settings were necessary components for transfer of learning from the workshop to real life. This paper will include an overview of the foundational leadership concepts covered in the workshop. The instructional strategies, evaluation methods and outcomes will be discussed. The limitations and strengths of this collaborative leadership project will be provided, as well as future plans for a collaborative leadership development program.

47 CFR 25.279 - Inter-satellite service.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Inter-satellite service. 25.279 Section 25.279 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS Technical Operations § 25.279 Inter-satellite service. (a) Any satellite communicating with other space...

Inter-Religious Dialogue Models in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wan Sabri Wan Yusof

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Over the years, many organizations have involved in the implementation of inter-religious dialogue in Malaysia. However, there are stillthose who doubt the role and purpose of interreligious dialogue. This might be due to lack of information and understanding regardingthe methodology of dialogue and also about different types that it may take. The present study is aimed at exploring a few models ofinter-religious dialogue that have been practised by some organizations that actively involved in dialogue. The study focuses on a review of selected organizational or institutional dialoguemodels such as Center for Civilizational Dialogue (CCD, Students Representative Council of Malaysia Science University (HealthCampus and Inter-faith Spiritual Fellowship (INSaF. This study provides information concerning the various designs of inter-religiousdialogue model in Malaysia and proposes that different designs of inter-religious dialogue rely on its different types and goals. It is found that, the commonly practiced type of dialogue in Malaysia is educational type which focuses on exploring inter-religious commonalities as well as differences which consequently willincrease understanding and foster meaningful engagement between people of different ethnic and religious background in Malaysia. Thistype of dialogue is distinguished from conflict resolution types of dialogue which aims at identifying issues and generating action plansto conflicts or disputes.

Inter-library Service Brokerage in LicenseScript

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chong, C.N.; Etalle, Sandro; Hartel, Pieter H.; Joosten, Rieks; Kleinhuis, Geert

Inter-library loan involves interaction among a dynamic number of digital libraries and users. Therefore, inter-library service management is complex. We need to handle different and conflicting requirements of services from the digital libraries and users. To resolve this problem, we present the

Localized basal meningeal enhancement in tuberculous meningitis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Theron, Salomine; Andronikou, Savvas; Grobbelaar, Marie; Steyn, Freda; Mapukata, Ayanda; Plessis, Jaco du [University of Stellenbosch, Department of Radiology, Tygerberg Hospital, P.O. BOX 19063, Tygerberg (South Africa)

2006-11-15

Focal basal meningeal enhancement may produce a confusing CT picture in children with suspected tuberculous meningitis (TBM). To demonstrate the incidence, distribution and appearance of localized basal meningeal enhancement in children with TBM. CT scans of patients with definite (culture proven) and probable (CSF suggestive) TBM were retrospectively evaluated by two observers. Localized basal enhancement was documented as involving: unilateral cistern of the lateral fossa (CLF), unilateral sylvian fissure, unilateral CLF and sylvian fissure in combination, unilateral CLF and sylvian fissure with ipsi- or contralateral ambient cistern and isolated quadrigeminal plate cistern. The study included 130 patients with TBM (aged 2 months to 13 years 9 months). Focal basal enhancement was seen in 11 patients (8.5%). The sylvian fissure was involved most commonly, followed by the lateral fossa cistern. The ambient cistern was involved in three patients and the quadrigeminal plate cistern in one. Focal areas of enhancement corresponded to the areas of infarction in every patient. Focal basal meningeal enhancement is common (8.5%) in paediatric TBM. This must be kept in mind when evaluating CT scans in children presenting with focal neurological findings, seizures or meningism in communities where TBM is endemic. (orig.)

Localized basal meningeal enhancement in tuberculous meningitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theron, Salomine; Andronikou, Savvas; Grobbelaar, Marie; Steyn, Freda; Mapukata, Ayanda; Plessis, Jaco du

2006-01-01

Focal basal meningeal enhancement may produce a confusing CT picture in children with suspected tuberculous meningitis (TBM). To demonstrate the incidence, distribution and appearance of localized basal meningeal enhancement in children with TBM. CT scans of patients with definite (culture proven) and probable (CSF suggestive) TBM were retrospectively evaluated by two observers. Localized basal enhancement was documented as involving: unilateral cistern of the lateral fossa (CLF), unilateral sylvian fissure, unilateral CLF and sylvian fissure in combination, unilateral CLF and sylvian fissure with ipsi- or contralateral ambient cistern and isolated quadrigeminal plate cistern. The study included 130 patients with TBM (aged 2 months to 13 years 9 months). Focal basal enhancement was seen in 11 patients (8.5%). The sylvian fissure was involved most commonly, followed by the lateral fossa cistern. The ambient cistern was involved in three patients and the quadrigeminal plate cistern in one. Focal areas of enhancement corresponded to the areas of infarction in every patient. Focal basal meningeal enhancement is common (8.5%) in paediatric TBM. This must be kept in mind when evaluating CT scans in children presenting with focal neurological findings, seizures or meningism in communities where TBM is endemic. (orig.)

47 CFR 25.272 - General inter-system coordination procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false General inter-system coordination procedures. 25.272 Section 25.272 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS Technical Operations § 25.272 General inter-system coordination...

Ethics and regulation of inter-country medically assisted reproduction: a call for action

OpenAIRE

Shalev, Carmel; Moreno, Adi; Eyal, Hedva; Leibel, Michal; Schuz, Rhona; Eldar-Geva, Talia

2016-01-01

The proliferation of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) for the treatment of infertility has brought benefit to many individuals around the world. But infertility and its treatment continue to be a cause of suffering, and over the past decade, there has been a steady growth in a new global market of inter-country medically assisted reproduction (IMAR) involving ?third-party? individuals acting as surrogate mothers and gamete donors in reproductive collaborations for the benefit of other in...

14 CFR 302.211 - Procedures in certificate cases involving initial or continuing fitness.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... initial or continuing fitness. 302.211 Section 302.211 Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY... Disposition of Applications § 302.211 Procedures in certificate cases involving initial or continuing fitness... applicant's fitness to operate. Where such applications propose the operation of scheduled service in...

Selectivity in inter polymer complexation involving phenolic copolymer, poly electrolytes, non-ionic polymers and transition metal ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasheghani Farahani, B.; Hosseinpour Rajabi, F.

2006-01-01

Selectivity in inter polymer complex formation involving a typical four-component phenolic copolymer (ρ-chloro phenol-ρ-aminophenol-ρ-toluidine-ρ-cresol- HCHO copolymer), poly electrolytes such as polyethylene imine and polyacrylic acid, a non-ionic homopolymer polyvinyl pyrrolidone, and some transition metal ions (e.g., Cu (II), Ni (11)) have been studied in dimethylformamide-methanol solvents mixture. The coordinating groups of phenolic copolymer form complexes through hydrogen bonding and ion-dipole interactions. The different stages of interactions have been studied by several experimental techniques, e.g., viscometry, potentiometry and conductometry. Some schemes have been suggested to explain the mode of interaction between these components

Inter-organisational response to disasters.

Science.gov (United States)

Paturas, James L; Smith, Stewart R; Albanese, Joseph; Waite, Geraldine

2016-01-01

Inter-organisational communication failures during times of real-world disasters impede the collaborative response of agencies responsible for ensuring the public's health and safety. In the best of circumstances, communications across jurisdictional boundaries are ineffective. In times of crisis, when communities are grappling with the impact of a disaster, communications become critically important and more complex. Important factors for improving inter-organisational communications are critical thinking and problem-solving skills; inter-organisational relationships; as well as strategic, tactical and operational communications. Improving communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making requires a review of leadership skills. This discussion begins with an analysis of the existing disaster management research and moves to an examination of the importance of inter-organisational working relationships. Before a successful resolution of a disaster by multiple levels of first responders, the group of organisations must have a foundation of trust, collegiality, flexibility, expertise, openness, relational networking and effective communications. Leaders must also be prepared to improve leadership skills through continual development in each of these foundational areas.

Intratemporal and extratemporal facial nerve schwannoma: CT and MRI findings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Keum Won [Pohang Medical Center, Pohang (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Ho Kyu; Shin, Ji Hoon; Choi, Choong Gon; Suh, Dae Chul [Asan Medical Center, Ulsan Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Cheong, Hae Kwan [Dongguk Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2001-05-01

To analyze the characteristics of CT and MRI findings of facial nerve schwannoma in ten patients. Ten patients with pathologically confirmed facial nerve schwannoma, underwent physical and radilolgic examination. The latter involved MRI in all ten and CT scanning in six. We analyzed the location (epicenter), extent and number of involved segments of tumors, tuumor morphology, and changes in adjacent bony structures. The major symptoms of facial nerve schwannoma were facial nerve paralysis in seven cases and hearing loss in six. Epicenters were detected at the intraparotid portion in five cases, the intracanalicular portion in two, the cisternal portion in one, and the intratemporal portion in two. The segment most frequently involved was the mastoid (n=6), followed by the parotid (n=5), intracanalicular (n=4), cisternal (n=2), the labyrinthine/geniculate ganglion (n=2) and the tympanic segment (n=1). Tumors affected two segments of the facial nerve in eight cases, only one segment in one, and four continuous segments in one. Morphologically, tumors were ice-cream cone shaped in the cisternal segment tumor (1/1), cone shaped in intracanalicular tumors (2/2), oval shaped in geniculate ganglion tumors (1/1), club shaped in intraparotid tumors (5/5) and bead shaped in the diffuse-type tumor (1/1). Changes in adjacent bony structures involved widening of the stylomastoid foramen in intraparotid tumors (5/5), widening of the internal auditary canal in intracanalicular and cisternal tumors (3/3), bony erosion of the geniculate fossa in geniculate ganglion tumors (2/2), and widening of the facial nerve canal in intratemporal and intraparotid tumors (6/6). The characteristic location, shape and change in adjacent bony structures revealed by facial schwannomas on CT and MR examination lead to correct diagnosis.

Intratemporal and extratemporal facial nerve schwannoma: CT and MRI findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Keum Won; Lee, Ho Kyu; Shin, Ji Hoon; Choi, Choong Gon; Suh, Dae Chul; Cheong, Hae Kwan

2001-01-01

To analyze the characteristics of CT and MRI findings of facial nerve schwannoma in ten patients. Ten patients with pathologically confirmed facial nerve schwannoma, underwent physical and radilolgic examination. The latter involved MRI in all ten and CT scanning in six. We analyzed the location (epicenter), extent and number of involved segments of tumors, tuumor morphology, and changes in adjacent bony structures. The major symptoms of facial nerve schwannoma were facial nerve paralysis in seven cases and hearing loss in six. Epicenters were detected at the intraparotid portion in five cases, the intracanalicular portion in two, the cisternal portion in one, and the intratemporal portion in two. The segment most frequently involved was the mastoid (n=6), followed by the parotid (n=5), intracanalicular (n=4), cisternal (n=2), the labyrinthine/geniculate ganglion (n=2) and the tympanic segment (n=1). Tumors affected two segments of the facial nerve in eight cases, only one segment in one, and four continuous segments in one. Morphologically, tumors were ice-cream cone shaped in the cisternal segment tumor (1/1), cone shaped in intracanalicular tumors (2/2), oval shaped in geniculate ganglion tumors (1/1), club shaped in intraparotid tumors (5/5) and bead shaped in the diffuse-type tumor (1/1). Changes in adjacent bony structures involved widening of the stylomastoid foramen in intraparotid tumors (5/5), widening of the internal auditary canal in intracanalicular and cisternal tumors (3/3), bony erosion of the geniculate fossa in geniculate ganglion tumors (2/2), and widening of the facial nerve canal in intratemporal and intraparotid tumors (6/6). The characteristic location, shape and change in adjacent bony structures revealed by facial schwannomas on CT and MR examination lead to correct diagnosis

Ministerial Order of 31 December 1982 made in implementation of Section 3(2)(a) of the Royal Order of 5 November 1982 on the training certificate for drivers of vehicles carrying radioactive materials in cisterns or vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

This Ministerial Order fixes the conditions for obtaining the ADR training certificate for driving transport vehicles which contain radioactive materials in cisterns and vessels. It is the second of four Orders made under the 1982 Royal Order. (NEA) [fr

On Inter-deriving Small-step and Big-step Semantics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danvy, Olivier; Millikin, Kevin; Munk, Johan

2012-01-01

Starting from the standard call-by-need reduction for the λ-calculus that is common to Ariola, Felleisen, Maraist, Odersky, and Wadler, we inter-derive a series of hygienic semantic artifacts: a reduction-free storeless abstract machine, a continuation-passing evaluation function, and what appears...... of Cartwright and Felleisen. Overall, the semantic artifacts presented here are simpler than many other such artifacts that have been independently worked out, and which require ingenuity, skill, and independent soundness proofs on a case-by-case basis. They are also simpler to inter-derive because the inter...

Inter-observer agreement for the evaluation of bone involvement on Whole Body Low Dose Computed Tomography (WBLDCT) in Multiple Myeloma (MM)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zacchino, M.; Minetti, V.; Dore, R.; Calliada, F. [University of Pavia, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Institute of Radiology, Pavia (Italy); Bonaffini, P.A.; Nasatti, A.; Sironi, S. [University of Milano Bicocca, San Gerardo Hospital, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Monza (Italy); Corso, A. [University of Pavia, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Division of Hematology, Pavia (Italy); Tinelli, C. [University of Pavia, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Service of Biometry and Statistics, Pavia (Italy)

2015-11-15

We aimed to assess inter-observer agreement in bone involvement evaluation and define accuracy and reproducibility of MDCT images analysis in Multiple Myeloma (MM), by comparing two acquisition protocols at two different institutions. A total of 100 MM patients underwent whole body low-dose computed tomography (WB-LDCT), with two protocols: Group I (50 patients), 80 kV and 200-230 mAs; Group II, 120 kV-40 mAs. Four readers (two experts) retrospectively reviewed 22 anatomical districts, reporting the following for each patient: 1) osteolytic lesions; 2) cortical bone integrity; 3) fractures; 4) risk of vertebral collapse; 5) hyperattenuating bone lesions; and 6) extraosseous extension. Inter-observer agreement (by all readers, expert and young observers and comparison of the two protocols) was then statistically analyzed. According to Cohen's criteria, inter-observer agreement among the four readers and between experts and residents was good for the detection of bone lesions and extra-medullary extension, and for the evaluation of risk of collapse and cortical integrity. There was good agreement when comparing the two protocols. A greater variability was found for the evaluation of hyperattenuating lesions and the presence of fractures. WB-LDCT represents a reproducible and reliable technique that is helpful for defining bone disease in MM patients, with partial influence of readers' experience. (orig.)

Inter-observer agreement for the evaluation of bone involvement on Whole Body Low Dose Computed Tomography (WBLDCT) in Multiple Myeloma (MM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zacchino, M.; Minetti, V.; Dore, R.; Calliada, F.; Bonaffini, P.A.; Nasatti, A.; Sironi, S.; Corso, A.; Tinelli, C.

2015-01-01

We aimed to assess inter-observer agreement in bone involvement evaluation and define accuracy and reproducibility of MDCT images analysis in Multiple Myeloma (MM), by comparing two acquisition protocols at two different institutions. A total of 100 MM patients underwent whole body low-dose computed tomography (WB-LDCT), with two protocols: Group I (50 patients), 80 kV and 200-230 mAs; Group II, 120 kV-40 mAs. Four readers (two experts) retrospectively reviewed 22 anatomical districts, reporting the following for each patient: 1) osteolytic lesions; 2) cortical bone integrity; 3) fractures; 4) risk of vertebral collapse; 5) hyperattenuating bone lesions; and 6) extraosseous extension. Inter-observer agreement (by all readers, expert and young observers and comparison of the two protocols) was then statistically analyzed. According to Cohen's criteria, inter-observer agreement among the four readers and between experts and residents was good for the detection of bone lesions and extra-medullary extension, and for the evaluation of risk of collapse and cortical integrity. There was good agreement when comparing the two protocols. A greater variability was found for the evaluation of hyperattenuating lesions and the presence of fractures. WB-LDCT represents a reproducible and reliable technique that is helpful for defining bone disease in MM patients, with partial influence of readers' experience. (orig.)

Shifting contours of boundaries: an exploration of inter-agency integration between hospital and community interprofessional diabetes programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Rene; Breiner, Petra; Mylopoulos, Maria

2014-09-01

This article reports on research into the relationships that emerged between hospital-based and community-based interprofessional diabetes programs involved in inter-agency care. Using constructivist grounded theory methodology we interviewed a purposive theoretical sample of 21 clinicians and administrators from both types of programs. Emergent themes were identified through a process of constant comparative analysis. Initial boundaries were constructed based on contrasts in beliefs, practices and expertise. In response to bureaucratic and social pressures, boundaries were redefined in a way that created role uncertainty and disempowered community programs, ultimately preventing collaboration. We illustrate the dynamic and multi-dimensional nature of social and symbolic boundaries in inter-agency diabetes care and the tacit ways in which hospitals can maintain a power position at the expense of other actors in the field. As efforts continue in Canada and elsewhere to move knowledge and resources into community sectors, we highlight the importance of hospitals seeing beyond their own interests and adopting more altruistic models of inter-agency integration.

Patients' and observers' perceptions of involvement differ. Validation study on inter-relating measures for shared decision making.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jürgen Kasper

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Patient involvement into medical decisions as conceived in the shared decision making method (SDM is essential in evidence based medicine. However, it is not conclusively evident how best to define, realize and evaluate involvement to enable patients making informed choices. We aimed at investigating the ability of four measures to indicate patient involvement. While use and reporting of these instruments might imply wide overlap regarding the addressed constructs this assumption seems questionable with respect to the diversity of the perspectives from which the assessments are administered. METHODS: The study investigated a nested cohort (N = 79 of a randomized trial evaluating a patient decision aid on immunotherapy for multiple sclerosis. Convergent validities were calculated between observer ratings of videotaped physician-patient consultations (OPTION and patients' perceptions of the communication (Shared Decision Making Questionnaire, Control Preference Scale & Decisional Conflict Scale. RESULTS: OPTION reliability was high to excellent. Communication performance was low according to OPTION and high according to the three patient administered measures. No correlations were found between observer and patient judges, neither for means nor for single items. Patient report measures showed some moderate correlations. CONCLUSION: Existing SDM measures do not refer to a single construct. A gold standard is missing to decide whether any of these measures has the potential to indicate patient involvement. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Pronounced heterogeneity of the underpinning constructs implies difficulties regarding the interpretation of existing evidence on the efficacy of SDM. Consideration of communication theory and basic definitions of SDM would recommend an inter-subjective focus of measurement. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN25267500.

Patients' and observers' perceptions of involvement differ. Validation study on inter-relating measures for shared decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasper, Jürgen; Heesen, Christoph; Köpke, Sascha; Fulcher, Gary; Geiger, Friedemann

2011-01-01

Patient involvement into medical decisions as conceived in the shared decision making method (SDM) is essential in evidence based medicine. However, it is not conclusively evident how best to define, realize and evaluate involvement to enable patients making informed choices. We aimed at investigating the ability of four measures to indicate patient involvement. While use and reporting of these instruments might imply wide overlap regarding the addressed constructs this assumption seems questionable with respect to the diversity of the perspectives from which the assessments are administered. The study investigated a nested cohort (N = 79) of a randomized trial evaluating a patient decision aid on immunotherapy for multiple sclerosis. Convergent validities were calculated between observer ratings of videotaped physician-patient consultations (OPTION) and patients' perceptions of the communication (Shared Decision Making Questionnaire, Control Preference Scale & Decisional Conflict Scale). OPTION reliability was high to excellent. Communication performance was low according to OPTION and high according to the three patient administered measures. No correlations were found between observer and patient judges, neither for means nor for single items. Patient report measures showed some moderate correlations. Existing SDM measures do not refer to a single construct. A gold standard is missing to decide whether any of these measures has the potential to indicate patient involvement. Pronounced heterogeneity of the underpinning constructs implies difficulties regarding the interpretation of existing evidence on the efficacy of SDM. Consideration of communication theory and basic definitions of SDM would recommend an inter-subjective focus of measurement. Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN25267500.

Inter-Professional Palliative Care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Kirsten Halskov; Henriksen, Jette; Meldgaard, Anette

2013-01-01

Chapter 11 by Kirsten Halskov Madsen, Anette Meldgaard and Jette Henriksen deals with the development of palliative care programmes aimed at the basic level of palliative care practice. The need to develop educational opportunities at particularly this level – described as ‘the basic inter......-professional level of palliative care’ – has been increasing for many years where palliative care has conventionally and primarily been associated with specialist training. As the authors show – based on a mapping out of existing educational initiatives in a region of Denmark, a reading of the curriculum...... and a description of the organization of palliative care – there is a need for such inter-professional palliative care that raises the level of competences at the basic level and the sharing of knowledge as well as securing the continuous qualifying of healthcare staff working with palliative care....

The Influence of Witnessing Inter-parental Violence and Bullying Victimization in Involvement in Fighting among Adolescents: Evidence from a School-based Cross-sectional Survey in Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Bimala; Nam, Eun Woo; Kim, Ha Yun; Kim, Jong Koo

2016-03-01

Witnessing inter-parental violence and bullying victimization is common for many children and adolescents. This study examines the role of witnessing inter-parental violence and bullying victimization in involvement in physical fighting among Peruvian adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,368 randomly selected adolescents in 2015. We conducted logistic regression analyses to obtain crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals for involvement in fighting among male and female adolescents. Among all adolescents, 35.8% had been involved in fighting in the last 12 months, 32.9% had been victim of verbal bullying and 37.9% had been the victim of physical bullying. Additionally, 39.2% and 27.8% of adolescents witnessed violence against their mother and father, respectively, at least once in their lives. Multivariate logistic regression analyses found that late adolescence, participation in economic activities, being the victim of verbal bullying, stress, and witnessing violence against the father among male adolescents, and self-rated academic performance and being the victim of physical or verbal bullying among female adolescents were associated with higher odds of being involved in fighting. Verbal bullying victimization and witnessing violence against the father in males and bullying victimization in females were associated with greater odds of adolescents being involved in fighting. Creating a non-violent environment at both home and school would be an effective strategy for reducing fighting among the adolescent population.

Integration of Inter-Organisational Learning with Supply Chain Management: A Literature Review

OpenAIRE

Masimuddin Mohd Khaled

2013-01-01

This paper subsidises to the discussion of inter-organisational learning. This study has a main aim which is to examine the inter-organisational learning from a supply chain perspective. The integration and importance of supply chain with inter-organisational learning till date is discussed. The steps that are involved in the consideration of inter-organisational learning are looked throughout with emphasis done to supply chain management. The paper studies the impact of absorptive capacity, ...

Action research in inter-organisational networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goduscheit, René Chester; Rasmussen, Erik Stavnsager; Jørgensen, Jacob Høj

2007-01-01

Traditionally, the literature on action research has been aimed at intra-organisational issues. These studies have distinguished between two researcher roles: The problem-solver and the observer. This article addresses the distinct challenges of action research in inter-organisational projects....... In addition to the problem-solver and observer roles, the researcher in an inter-organisational setting can serve as a legitimiser of the project and manage to involve partners that in an ordinary business-to-business setting would not have participated. Based on an action research project in a Danish inter......-organisational network, this article discusses potential pitfalls in the legitimiser role. Lack of clarity in defining the researcher role and project ownership in relation to the funding organisation and the rest of the network can jeopardise the project and potentially the credibility of the researchers. The article...

Ethics and regulation of inter-country medically assisted reproduction: a call for action.

Science.gov (United States)

Shalev, Carmel; Moreno, Adi; Eyal, Hedva; Leibel, Michal; Schuz, Rhona; Eldar-Geva, Talia

2016-01-01

The proliferation of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) for the treatment of infertility has brought benefit to many individuals around the world. But infertility and its treatment continue to be a cause of suffering, and over the past decade, there has been a steady growth in a new global market of inter-country medically assisted reproduction (IMAR) involving 'third-party' individuals acting as surrogate mothers and gamete donors in reproductive collaborations for the benefit of other individuals and couples who wish to have children. At the same time there is evidence of a double standard of care for third-party women involved in IMAR, violations of human rights of children and women, and extreme abuses that are tantamount to reproductive trafficking. This paper is the report of an inter-disciplinary working group of experts who convened in Israel to discuss the complex issues of IMAR. In Israel too IMAR practices have grown rapidly in recent years, mainly because of restrictions on access to domestic surrogacy for same sex couples and a chronically insufficient supply of egg cells for the treatment of couples and singles in need. Drawing upon local expertise, the paper describes documented practices that are harmful, suggests principles of good practice based on an ethic of care, and calls for action at the international, national and professional levels to establish a human rights based system of international governance for IMAR based on three regulatory models: public health monitoring, inter-country adoption, and trafficking in human beings, organs and tissues.

Da educação: do jogo sociocultural e a inter-relação envolvendo modus vivendi e modus essendi = Education: of the sociocultural game and the inter-relationship involving modus vivendi and modus essendi.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiz Carlos Mariano da Rosa

2011-07-01

Full Text Available O artigo em questão se detém na análise da educação por meio da mensagem do filme Coach Carter - Treino para a Vida (2005, que acena com o paradoxo da democratização do ensino e converge para as fronteiras que assinalam a função da escola e o papel do educador, sublinhando o jogo sociocultural e a inter-relação envolvendo modus vivendi e modus essendi que perfazem o referido processo.The article in question focuses on the analysis of education through the message of the movie Coach Carter - Training for Life (2005, which features the paradox of the democratization of education and converges to the boundaries that mark the function of the school and the role of the educator, stressing the sociocultural game and the inter-relationship involving modus vivendi and modus essendi that make up that process.

Inter-ring rotations of AAA ATPase p97 revealed by electron cryomicroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeung, Heidi O; Förster, Andreas; Bebeacua, Cecilia; Niwa, Hajime; Ewens, Caroline; McKeown, Ciarán; Zhang, Xiaodong; Freemont, Paul S

2014-03-05

The type II AAA+ protein p97 is involved in numerous cellular activities, including endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation, transcription activation, membrane fusion and cell-cycle control. These activities are at least in part regulated by the ubiquitin system, in which p97 is thought to target ubiquitylated protein substrates within macromolecular complexes and assist in their extraction or disassembly. Although ATPase activity is essential for p97 function, little is known about how ATP binding or hydrolysis is coupled with p97 conformational changes and substrate remodelling. Here, we have used single-particle electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) to study the effect of nucleotides on p97 conformation. We have identified conformational heterogeneity within the cryo-EM datasets from which we have resolved two major p97 conformations. A comparison of conformations reveals inter-ring rotations upon nucleotide binding and hydrolysis that may be linked to the remodelling of target protein complexes.

Education: of the sociocultural game and the inter-relationship involving modus vivendi and modus essendi. - doi: 10.4025/actascieduc.v33i2.12753

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiz Carlos Mariano da Rosa

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The article in question focuses on the analysis of education through the message of the movie Coach Carter - Training for Life (2005, which features the paradox of the democratization of education and converges to the boundaries that mark the function of the school and the role of the educator, stressing the sociocultural game and the inter-relationship involving modus vivendi and modus essendi that make up that process.

Medizinbibliotheken: inter:disziplinär – inter:national –inter:aktiv

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bauer, Bruno

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The focus of the current issue 3/2017 of GMS Medizin – Bibliothek – Information is the annual conference 2017 of the German Medical Libraries Association in Vienna. The motto of the conference was “Medical Libraries: inter:disciplinary – inter:national – inter:active”. The authors in this issue are Bruno Bauer (Austrian Transition to Open Access 2017–2020, Beata Górczynska (Development and structure of Polish veterinary school system and its libraries, Katharina Heldt, Henriette Senst & Jessica Riedel (Salon on the institute’s history: outstanding artifacts. 28.01.2016 to 15.12.2016, Jutta Matrisciano, Martina Semmler-Schmetz & Saskia Rohmer (Advice – From info snack to special menu: Solutions of the MedMA-Bib, Stefan Nortmann (The ‘Ersti-Café’ of the Medical Branch Library Münster, Sandra Rümmele (Toolbox: The new teaching library project of the Central Medical Library of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Eva Seidlmayer & Christoph Poley (One Health – Transdisciplinarity at ZB MED and Heike Andermann (“Medical Libraries: inter:disciplinary – inter:national – inter:active”. Annual Meeting of the German Medical Library Association (AGMB, September 25 to 27, 2017 in Vienna. Furthermore this focus issue features articles from Stefan Grün & Christoph Poley (Statistical evaluation of semantic entities from metadata and full text on German Medical Science corpora and Iris Reimann (German MLA News; Competition of the German MLA Pioneer projects in medical libraries 2017: Introduction of the winners; Competition of the German MLA (AGMB Pioneer projects in medical libraries 2018 – Announcement.

Focal mechanisms and inter-event times of low-frequency earthquakes reveal quasi-continuous deformation and triggered slow slip on the deep Alpine Fault

Science.gov (United States)

Baratin, Laura-May; Chamberlain, Calum J.; Townend, John; Savage, Martha K.

2018-02-01

Characterising the seismicity associated with slow deformation in the vicinity of the Alpine Fault may provide constraints on the stresses acting on a major transpressive margin prior to an anticipated great (≥M8) earthquake. Here, we use recently detected tremor and low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) to examine how slow tectonic deformation is loading the Alpine Fault late in its typical ∼300-yr seismic cycle. We analyse a continuous seismic dataset recorded between 2009 and 2016 using a network of 10-13 short-period seismometers, the Southern Alps Microearthquake Borehole Array. Fourteen primary LFE templates are used in an iterative matched-filter and stacking routine, allowing the detection of similar signals corresponding to LFE families sharing common locations. This yields an 8-yr catalogue containing 10,000 LFEs that are combined for each of the 14 LFE families using phase-weighted stacking to produce signals with the highest possible signal-to-noise ratios. We show that LFEs occur almost continuously during the 8-yr study period and highlight two types of LFE distributions: (1) discrete behaviour with an inter-event time exceeding 2 min; (2) burst-like behaviour with an inter-event time below 2 min. We interpret the discrete events as small-scale frequent deformation on the deep extent of the Alpine Fault and LFE bursts (corresponding in most cases to known episodes of tremor or large regional earthquakes) as brief periods of increased slip activity indicative of slow slip. We compute improved non-linear earthquake locations using a 3-D velocity model. LFEs occur below the seismogenic zone at depths of 17-42 km, on or near the hypothesised deep extent of the Alpine Fault. The first estimates of LFE focal mechanisms associated with continental faulting, in conjunction with recurrence intervals, are consistent with quasi-continuous shear faulting on the deep extent of the Alpine Fault.

Vascular complications of prosthetic inter-vertebral discs.

Science.gov (United States)

Daly, Kevin J; Ross, E Raymond S; Norris, Heather; McCollum, Charles N

2006-10-01

Five consecutive cases of prosthetic inter-vertebral disc displacement with severe vascular complications on revisional surgery are described. The objective of this case report is to warn spinal surgeons that major vascular complications are likely with anterior displacement of inter-vertebral discs. We have not been able to find a previous report on vascular complications associated with anterior displacement of prosthetic inter-vertebral discs. In all five patients the prosthetic disc had eroded into the bifurcation of the inferior vena cava and the left common iliac vein. In three cases the aortic bifurcation was also involved. The fibrosis was so severe that dissecting out the arteries and veins to provide access to the relevant disc proved impossible. Formal division of the left common iliac vein and artery with subsequent repair was our solution. Anterior inter-vertebral disc displacement was associated with severe vascular injury. Preventing anterior disc displacement is essential in disc design. In the event of anterior displacement, disc removal should be planned with a Vascular Surgeon.

Inter-firm and intra-firm efficiency measures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oude Lansink, A.G.J.M.; Silva, E.; Stefanou, S.

2001-01-01

Intra-firm efficiency involves computing a particular firm's efficiency degree over time relative to the firm-specific production frontier. Inter-firm efficiency reveals a particular firm's performance over time relative to the ``best practice frontier'' among the set of comparable firms. These

Tutorial on Biostatistics: Linear Regression Analysis of Continuous Correlated Eye Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Ying, Gui-Shuang; Maguire, Maureen G; Glynn, Robert; Rosner, Bernard

2017-04-01

To describe and demonstrate appropriate linear regression methods for analyzing correlated continuous eye data. We describe several approaches to regression analysis involving both eyes, including mixed effects and marginal models under various covariance structures to account for inter-eye correlation. We demonstrate, with SAS statistical software, applications in a study comparing baseline refractive error between one eye with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and the unaffected fellow eye, and in a study determining factors associated with visual field in the elderly. When refractive error from both eyes were analyzed with standard linear regression without accounting for inter-eye correlation (adjusting for demographic and ocular covariates), the difference between eyes with CNV and fellow eyes was 0.15 diopters (D; 95% confidence interval, CI -0.03 to 0.32D, p = 0.10). Using a mixed effects model or a marginal model, the estimated difference was the same but with narrower 95% CI (0.01 to 0.28D, p = 0.03). Standard regression for visual field data from both eyes provided biased estimates of standard error (generally underestimated) and smaller p-values, while analysis of the worse eye provided larger p-values than mixed effects models and marginal models. In research involving both eyes, ignoring inter-eye correlation can lead to invalid inferences. Analysis using only right or left eyes is valid, but decreases power. Worse-eye analysis can provide less power and biased estimates of effect. Mixed effects or marginal models using the eye as the unit of analysis should be used to appropriately account for inter-eye correlation and maximize power and precision.

Angular integration and inter-projection correlation effects in CT reconstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crawford, C.R.; Pele, N.J.

1987-01-01

CT reconstruction algorithms require snap-shot projections of an object. In order to minimize scan times, CT scanners rotate continuously which, in turn, prevents the acquisition of snap-shot projections. Acquired projections are integrals over angular position and may be correlated inter-projection. This paper shows that angular integration and inter-projection correlation introduce a radially dependent degradation of the spatial resolution and cause the image noise to vary non-linearly with radial position

CT findings of subarachnoid hemorrhage due to ruptured cerebral aneurysm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Pyo Nyun; Bae, Won Kyung; Kim, Il Young; Lee, Kyung Soo; Lee, Byoung Ho; Kim, Ki Jung

1990-01-01

CT scans were analysed retrospectively in 130 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) due to ruptured cerebral aneurysm to evaluate the relationship of the locations of aneurysms and the patterns of hemorrhage. Hemorrhage corresponded to the site of aneurysmal origin in a general way and in more specific ways to anterior communicating and middle cerebral artery aneurysms when there was parenchymal or cisternal hemorrhage. In anterior communicating artery aneurysm, SAH in the interhemispheric fissure, both sylvian fissures, and basal cistern was usually noted and intracerebral hemorrhage in anteroinferior frontal lobe was sometimes associated. In cases of middle cerebral artery aneurysm, hemorrhage in the ipsilateral sylvian fissure, interhemispheric fissure, and ipsilateral basal cistern was usual. Intracerebral hemorrhage in lateral temporal lobe was sometimes associated. Posterior communicating artery aneurysm demonstrated SAH in the ipsilateral basal cistern or in entire cisternal spaces specifically, so with higher incidence of involvement of the quadrigeminal and superior cerebellar cistern than anterior cerebral or middle cerebral artery aneurysm. We suggest the locations of aneurysm might be predicted with patterns of SAH and / or associated intracerebral hemorrhage with CT

Continuous Analytical Performances Monitoring at the On-Site Laboratory through Proficiency, Inter-Laboratory Testing and Inter-Comparison Analytical Methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duhamel, G.; Decaillon, J.-G.; Dashdondog, S.; Kim, C.-K.; Toervenyi, A.; Hara, S.; Kato, S.; Kawaguchi, T.; Matsuzawa, K.

2015-01-01

Since 2008, as one measure to strengthen its quality management system, the On-Site Laboratory for nuclear safeguards at the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant, has increased its participation in domestic and international proficiency and inter-laboratory testing for the purpose of determining analytical method accuracy, precision and robustness but also to support method development and improvement. This paper provides a description of the testing and its scheduling. It presents the way the testing was optimized to cover most of the analytical methods at the OSL. The paper presents the methodology used for the evaluation of the obtained results based on Analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results are discussed with respect to random, systematic and long term systematic error. (author)

Inter-utility trade in electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penman, A.

1992-01-01

Enhanced inter-utility cooperation could have a profound effect on the future of the electricity supply industry. Coordinated planning, development, and operations of electric power systems have the potential to reduce the cost of electricity to consumers and to lessen the impact of electricity supply on the environment. These effects could be achieved by being able to supply electricity from lower cost and more environmentally benign sources located over wider geographic areas, and having to install less new generating capacity. Access to transmission and wheeling services would be an important factor in allowing increased inter-utility cooperation to occur. Canada's National Energy Board conducted a review to identify measures that can be taken to enhance interprovincial trade in electricity, to encourage greater cooperation between electric utilities in the areas of systems planning and development, and to enable buyers and sellers of electricity to obtain access to available transmission capacity through intervening provinces for wheeling purposes. The work undertaken by the Board during that review is described. A total estimated economic benefit of $23-32.5 billion was identified, mainly from long-term firm sales and from seasonal diversity exchanges. Four options were developed that appear to be available to encourage and achieve enhanced inter-utility cooperation. These are continuation of voluntary cooperation, voluntary cooperation with federal monitoring, establishing voluntary regional planning entities, and establishing regional planning entities with mandated federal power

Inter-terminal transfer between port terminals. A continuous mathematical programming model to optimize scheduling and deployment of transport units

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morales Fusco, P.; Pedrielli, G.; Zhou, C.; Hay Lee, L.; Peng Chew, E.

2016-07-01

In most large port cities, the challenge of inter-terminal transfers (ITT) prevails due to the long distance between multiple terminals. The quantity of containers requiring movement between terminals as they connect from pre-carrier to on-carrier is increasing with the formation of the mega-alliances. The paper proposes a continuous time mathematical programming model to optimize the deployment and schedule of trucks and barges to minimize the number of operating transporters, their makespan, costs and the distance travelled by the containers by choosing the right combination of transporters and container movements while fulfilling time window restrictions imposed on reception of the containers. A multi-step routing problem is developed where transporters can travel from one terminal to another and/or load or unload containers from a specific batch at each step. The model proves successful in identifying the costless schedule and means of transportation. And a sensibility analysis over the parameters used is provided. (Author)

Inter-utility trade review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warnes, E.M.; Vaahedi, E.

1991-01-01

The National Energy Board was requested by the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources to identify possible measures to improve cooperation among Canadian electrical utilities and to enhance access for buyers and sellers of electricity to available transmission capacity through intervening systems for wheeling purposes. To identify measures to improve cooperation, a questionnaire was sent to electric utilities and other interested parties on the present extent and future possibilities for inter-utility cooperation. The questionnaire and its results are presented. It was found that there already exists a significant amount of inter-utility cooperation in Canada. Such cooperation generally involves interchanges of economy energy, non-economic capacity and energy, coordinated operation, resource sharing, maintenance scheduling, emergency supports, etc. There is a very limited degree of integrated generation expansion planning. Typically, these agreements are carried out under interconnection agreements negotiated on a bi-lateral basis. The highest current degree of cooperation exists under the auspices of the Alberta interconnected power system pool. Wheeling is limited and generally restricted to cases where the sender and receiver are the same entity or where power is wheeled to a utility purchasing it from the wheeler's system. 2 figs., 3 tabs

Inter-Korean military confidence building after 2003.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tae-woo, Kim (Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, Seoul, Republic of Korea); Littlefield, Adriane C.; Vannoni, Michael Geoffrey; Sang-beom, Kim (Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, Seoul, Republic of Korea); Koelm, Jennifer Gay; Olsen, John Norman; Myong-jin, Kim (Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, Seoul, Republic of Korea); Sung-tack, Shin (Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, Seoul, Republic of Korea)

2003-08-01

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high despite a long-term strategy by South Korea to increase inter-Korean exchanges in economics, culture, sports, and other topics. This is because the process of reconciliation has rarely extended to military and security topics and those initiatives that were negotiated have been ineffective. Bilateral interactions must include actions to reduce threats and improve confidence associated with conventional military forces (land, sea, and air) as well as nuclear, chemical, and biological activities that are applicable to developing and producing weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The purpose of this project is to develop concepts for inter-Korean confidence building measures (CBMs) for military and WMD topics that South Korea could propose to the North when conditions are right. This report describes the historical and policy context for developing security-related CBMs and presents an array of bilateral options for conventional military and WMD topics within a consistent framework. The conceptual CBMs address two scenarios: (1) improved relations where construction of a peace regime becomes a full agenda item in inter-Korean dialogue, and (2) continued tense inter-Korean relations. Some measures could be proposed in the short term under current conditions, others might be implemented in a series of steps, while some require a higher level of cooperation than currently exists. To support decision making by political leaders, this research focuses on strategies and policy options and does not include technical details.

Intracranial tuberculosis in children : CT findings before and after treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Hye Weon; Kim, In One; Kim, Woo Sun; Hwang, Yong Seong; Yeon, Kyung Mo

1996-01-01

To analyze the CT findings of intracranial tuberculosis in children at initial stage and during follow-up after treatment. We evaluated 25 patients who were diagnosed by CSF analysis or response to anti-tuberculous medication as suffering from intracranial tuberculosis. There were 13 boys and 12 girls aged between 4 months and 14 years. Twenty-five initial and sixty-three follow-up CT scans were retrospectively analyzed. We evaluated the pattern of cisternal enhancement, the locations of infarction, and the presence of calcification and parenchymal granuloma. The changes of hydrocephalus and related complications, as well as cisternal abnormality during anti-tuberculous medication were also evaluated. The initial findings on CT scan were hydrocephalus(75%), cisternal obliteration in precontrast study(64%), thick-line or ring-shaped cisternal enhancement on postcontrast study(44%), infarctions(32%), calcifications(32%), periventricular edema(28%), and parenchymal granulomas(16%). On follow-up CT scan, hydrocephalus and cisternal enhancement had decreased to 35% and 82%, respectively, and the granulomas had changed to calcified nodules(100%). Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt or external ventricular drainage was needed in nine patient, and ventriculitis or complication of shunt procedure developed in four. Intracranial tuberculosis in children presented predominantly as meningitis involving basal cisterns and was associated with hydrocephalus. Infarction and calcification may be seen as parenchymal lesion. In spite of medical treatment, drainage was needed in about half the patients. During this treatment, the resolution of hydrocephalus, decreased cisternal enhancement, and calcification of the granlomas were seen

Continuous Improvement and Collaborative Improvement: Similarities and Differences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Middel, H.G.A.; Boer, Harm; Fisscher, O.A.M.

2006-01-01

A substantial body of theoretical and practical knowledge has been developed on continuous improvement. However, there is still a considerable lack of empirically grounded contributions and theories on collaborative improvement, that is, continuous improvement in an inter-organizational setting. The

A Methodological Inter-Comparison of Gridded Meteorological Products

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, A. J.; Clark, M. P.; Longman, R. J.; Giambelluca, T. W.; Arnold, J.

2017-12-01

Here we present a gridded meteorology inter-comparison using the state of Hawaíi as a testbed. This inter-comparison is motivated by two general goals: 1) the broad user community of gridded observation based meteorological fields should be aware of inter-product differences and the reasons they exist, which allows users to make informed choices on product selection to best meet their specific application(s); 2) we want to demonstrate the utility of inter-comparisons to meet the first goal, yet highlight that they are limited to mostly generic statements regarding attribution of differences that limits our understanding of these complex algorithms and obscures future research directions. Hawaíi is a useful testbed because it is a meteorologically complex region with well-known spatial features that are tied to specific physical processes (e.g. the trade wind inversion). From a practical standpoint, there are now several monthly climatological and daily precipitation and temperature datasets available that are being used for impact modeling. General conclusions that have emerged are: 1) differences in input station data significantly influence product differences; 2) prediction of precipitation occurrence is crucial across multiple metrics; 3) derived temperature statistics (e.g. diurnal temperature range) may have large spatial differences across products; and 4) attribution of differences to methodological choices is difficult and may limit the outcomes of these inter-comparisons, particularly from a development viewpoint. Thus, we want to continue to move the community towards frameworks that allow for multiple options throughout the product generation chain and allow for more systematic testing.

Industrial Cloud: Toward Inter-enterprise Integration

Science.gov (United States)

Wlodarczyk, Tomasz Wiktor; Rong, Chunming; Thorsen, Kari Anne Haaland

Industrial cloud is introduced as a new inter-enterprise integration concept in cloud computing. The characteristics of an industrial cloud are given by its definition and architecture and compared with other general cloud concepts. The concept is then demonstrated by a practical use case, based on Integrated Operations (IO) in the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), showing how industrial digital information integration platform gives competitive advantage to the companies involved. Further research and development challenges are also discussed.

Marketing identities: Shifting circles of identification in inter-organizational relationships

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ellis, N.; Ybema, S.B.

2010-01-01

This study explores the discursive positioning of managers involved in inter-organizational relationships (IORs) within industrial supply chains. In closely examining a series of interviews, we find a number of interpretive repertoires of boundary construction used in IOR managers' identity

SOA thresholds for the perception of discrete/continuous tactile stimulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eid, Mohamad; Korres, Georgios; Jensen, Camilla Birgitte Falk

In this paper we present an experiment to measure the upper and lower thresholds of the Stimulus Onset Asynchrony (SOA) for continuous/discrete apparent haptic motion. We focus on three stimulation parameters: the burst duration, the SOA time, and the inter-actuator distance (between successive......-discrete boundary at lower SOA. Furthermore, the larger the inter-actuator distance, the more linear the relationship between the burst duration and the SOA timing. Finally, the large range between lower and upper thresholds for SOA can be utilized to create continuous movement stimulation on the skin at “varying...... speeds”. The results are discussed in reference to designing a tactile interface for providing continuous haptic motion with a desired speed of continuous tactile stimulation....

Waves of visibility: probing the depth of inter-ocular suppression with transient and sustained targets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisandro eKaunitz

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In order to study non-conscious visual processing, researchers render otherwise consciously perceived images into invisible stimuli. Through the years, several psychophysical techniques have been developed for this purpose. Yet the comparison of experimental results across techniques remains a difficult task as the depth of suppression depends on the interactions between the type of stimuli and the suppression methods employed. This poses a limit to the inferences that researchers make about the extent of non-conscious processes. We investigated the mechanisms underlying inter-ocular suppression during continuous flash suppression (CFS and dichoptic visual masking using a transient onset target stimulus and a variety of stimulus / mask temporal manipulations. We show that target duration, timing of target onset, and mask frequency are key aspects of inter-ocular suppression during CFS with transient targets. The differences between our results and sustained target CFS studies suggest that two distinct mechanisms are involved in the detection of transient and prolonged target stimuli during CFS. Our results provide insight into the dynamics of CFS together with evidence for similarities between transient target CFS and dichoptic visual masking.

GP and pharmacist inter-professional learning - a grounded theory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, David E; Ferguson, Julie; Wakeling, Judy; Zlotos, Leon; Power, Ailsa

2016-05-01

Practice Based Small Group Learning (PBSGL) is an established learning resource for primary care clinicians in Scotland and is used by one-third of general practitioners (GPs). Scottish Government and UK professional bodies have called for GPs and pharmacists to work more closely together to improve care. To gain GPs' and pharmacists' perceptions and experiences of learning together in an inter-professional PBSGL pilot. Qualitative research methods involving established GP PBSGL groups in NHS Scotland recruiting one or two pharmacists to join them. A grounded theory method was used. GPs were interviewed in focus groups by a fellow GP, and pharmacists were interviewed individually by two researchers, neither being a GP or a pharmacist. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using grounded theory methods. Data saturation was achieved and confirmed. Three themes were identified: GPs' and pharmacists' perceptions and experiences of inter-professional learning; Inter-professional relationships and team-working; Group identity and purpose of existing GP groups. Pharmacists were welcomed into GP groups and both professions valued inter-professional PBSGL learning. Participants learned from each other and both professions gained a wider perspective of the NHS and of each others' roles in the organisation. Inter-professional relationships, communication and team-working were strengthened and professionals regarded each other as peers and friends.

A novel representation of inter-site tumour heterogeneity from pre-treatment computed tomography textures classifies ovarian cancers by clinical outcome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vargas, Hebert Alberto; Micco, Maura; Lakhman, Yulia; Meier, Andreas A.; Sosa, Ramon; Hricak, Hedvig; Sala, Evis [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Veeraraghavan, Harini; Deasy, Joseph [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Medical Physics, New York, NY (United States); Nougaret, Stephanie [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Service de Radiologie, Institut Regional du Cancer de Montpellier, Montpellier (France); INSERM, U1194, Institut de Recherche en Cancerologie de Montpellier (IRCM), Montpellier (France); Soslow, Robert A.; Weigelt, Britta [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Pathology, New York, NY (United States); Levine, Douglas A. [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Surgery, New York, NY (United States); Aghajanian, Carol; Snyder, Alexandra [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, New York, NY (United States)

2017-09-15

To evaluate the associations between clinical outcomes and radiomics-derived inter-site spatial heterogeneity metrics across multiple metastatic lesions on CT in patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). IRB-approved retrospective study of 38 HGSOC patients. All sites of suspected HGSOC involvement on preoperative CT were manually segmented. Gray-level correlation matrix-based textures were computed from each tumour site, and grouped into five clusters using a Gaussian Mixture Model. Pairwise inter-site similarities were computed, generating an inter-site similarity matrix (ISM). Inter-site texture heterogeneity metrics were computed from the ISM and compared to clinical outcomes. Of the 12 inter-site texture heterogeneity metrics evaluated, those capturing the differences in texture similarities across sites were associated with shorter overall survival (inter-site similarity entropy, similarity level cluster shade, and inter-site similarity level cluster prominence; p ≤ 0.05) and incomplete surgical resection (similarity level cluster shade, inter-site similarity level cluster prominence and inter-site cluster variance; p ≤ 0.05). Neither the total number of disease sites per patient nor the overall tumour volume per patient was associated with overall survival. Amplification of 19q12 involving cyclin E1 gene (CCNE1) predominantly occurred in patients with more heterogeneous inter-site textures. Quantitative metrics non-invasively capturing spatial inter-site heterogeneity may predict outcomes in patients with HGSOC. (orig.)

47 CFR 25.213 - Inter-Service coordination requirements for the 1.6/2.4 GHz mobile-satellite service.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Inter-Service coordination requirements for the 1.6/2.4 GHz mobile-satellite service. 25.213 Section 25.213 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS Technical Standards § 25.213 Inter...

Improving the Accuracy of Laplacian Estimation with Novel Variable Inter-Ring Distances Concentric Ring Electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oleksandr Makeyev

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Noninvasive concentric ring electrodes are a promising alternative to conventional disc electrodes. Currently, the superiority of tripolar concentric ring electrodes over disc electrodes, in particular, in accuracy of Laplacian estimation, has been demonstrated in a range of applications. In our recent work, we have shown that accuracy of Laplacian estimation can be improved with multipolar concentric ring electrodes using a general approach to estimation of the Laplacian for an (n + 1-polar electrode with n rings using the (4n + 1-point method for n ≥ 2. This paper takes the next step toward further improving the Laplacian estimate by proposing novel variable inter-ring distances concentric ring electrodes. Derived using a modified (4n + 1-point method, linearly increasing and decreasing inter-ring distances tripolar (n = 2 and quadripolar (n = 3 electrode configurations are compared to their constant inter-ring distances counterparts. Finite element method modeling and analytic results are consistent and suggest that increasing inter-ring distances electrode configurations may decrease the truncation error resulting in more accurate Laplacian estimates compared to respective constant inter-ring distances configurations. For currently used tripolar electrode configuration, the truncation error may be decreased more than two-fold, while for the quadripolar configuration more than a six-fold decrease is expected.

Improving the Accuracy of Laplacian Estimation with Novel Variable Inter-Ring Distances Concentric Ring Electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Makeyev, Oleksandr; Besio, Walter G.

2016-01-01

Noninvasive concentric ring electrodes are a promising alternative to conventional disc electrodes. Currently, the superiority of tripolar concentric ring electrodes over disc electrodes, in particular, in accuracy of Laplacian estimation, has been demonstrated in a range of applications. In our recent work, we have shown that accuracy of Laplacian estimation can be improved with multipolar concentric ring electrodes using a general approach to estimation of the Laplacian for an (n + 1)-polar electrode with n rings using the (4n + 1)-point method for n ≥ 2. This paper takes the next step toward further improving the Laplacian estimate by proposing novel variable inter-ring distances concentric ring electrodes. Derived using a modified (4n + 1)-point method, linearly increasing and decreasing inter-ring distances tripolar (n = 2) and quadripolar (n = 3) electrode configurations are compared to their constant inter-ring distances counterparts. Finite element method modeling and analytic results are consistent and suggest that increasing inter-ring distances electrode configurations may decrease the truncation error resulting in more accurate Laplacian estimates compared to respective constant inter-ring distances configurations. For currently used tripolar electrode configuration, the truncation error may be decreased more than two-fold, while for the quadripolar configuration more than a six-fold decrease is expected. PMID:27294933

Proportional lumbar spine inter-vertebral motion patterns: a comparison of patients with chronic, non-specific low back pain and healthy controls

OpenAIRE

Mellor, Fiona E.; Thomas, Peter; Thompson, Paul W.; Breen, Alan C.

2014-01-01

Introduction: Identifying biomechanical subgroups in chronic, non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP) populations from inter-vertebral displacements has proven elusive. Quantitative fluoroscopy (QF) has excellent repeatability and provides continuous standardised inter-vertebral kinematic data from fluoroscopic sequences allowing assessment of mid-range motion. The aim of this study was to determine whether proportional continuous IV rotational patterns were different in patients and controls. A ...

Inter-observer and inter-examination variability of manual vertebral bone attenuation measurements on computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pompe, Esther; Lammers, Jan-Willem J.; Jong, Pim A. de; Jong, Werner U. de; Takx, Richard A.P.; Eikendal, Anouk L.M.; Willemink, Martin J.; Mohamed Hoesein, Firdaus A.A.; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Budde, Ricardo P.J.

2016-01-01

To determine inter-observer and inter-examination variability of manual attenuation measurements of the vertebrae in low-dose unenhanced chest computed tomography (CT). Three hundred and sixty-seven lung cancer screening trial participants who underwent baseline and repeat unenhanced low-dose CT after 3 months because of an indeterminate lung nodule were included. The CT attenuation value of the first lumbar vertebrae (L1) was measured in all CTs by one observer to obtain inter-examination reliability. Six observers performed measurements in 100 randomly selected CTs to determine agreement with limits of agreement and Bland-Altman plots and reliability with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Reclassification analyses were performed using a threshold of 110 HU to define osteoporosis. Inter-examination reliability was excellent with an ICC of 0.92 (p < 0.001). Inter-examination limits of agreement ranged from -26 to 28 HU with a mean difference of 1 ± 14 HU. Inter-observer reliability ICCs ranged from 0.70 to 0.91. Inter-examination variability led to 11.2 % reclassification of participants and inter-observer variability led to 22.1 % reclassification. Vertebral attenuation values can be manually quantified with good to excellent inter-examination and inter-observer reliability on unenhanced low-dose chest CT. This information is valuable for early detection of osteoporosis on low-dose chest CT. (orig.)

In need of deliberative inter-school relations in the Northern Cape

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Erna Kinsey

deliberative schooling — more specifically inter-school relations — has to unfold. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), education faces challenges on the basis of relevance, quality and internationalisation/globalisation. First, relevance involves questions as to how ...

Barriers of inter-organisational integration in vocational rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wihlman, Ulla; Lundborg, Cecilia Stålsby; Axelsson, Runo; Holmström, Inger

2008-06-19

A project of vocational rehabilitation was studied in Sweden between 1999 and 2002. The project included four public organisations: the social insurance office, the local health services, the municipal social service and the office of the state employment service. The aim of this paper was to analyse perceived barriers in the development of inter-organisational integration. Theories of inter-professional and inter-organisational integration, and theories on organisational change. In total, 51 semi-structured interviews and 14 focus group discussions were performed with actors within the project between 1999 and 2002. A thematic approach was used for the analysis of the data. THREE DIFFERENT MAIN THEMES OF BARRIERS EMERGED FROM THE DATA: A Uncertainty, B Prioritising own organisation and C Lack of communication. The themes are interconnected in an intricate web and hence not mutually exclusive. The barriers found are all related partly to organisational change in general and partly to the specific development of organisational integration. Prioritising of own organisation led to flaws in communication, which in turn led to a high degree of uncertainty within the project. This can be seen as a circular relationship, since uncertainty might increase focus on own organisation and lack of communication. A way to overcome these barriers would be to take the needs of the clients as a point of departure in the development of joint services and to also involve them in the development of inter-organisational integration.

Correction of gene expression data: Performance-dependency on inter-replicate and inter-treatment biases.

Science.gov (United States)

Darbani, Behrooz; Stewart, C Neal; Noeparvar, Shahin; Borg, Søren

2014-10-20

This report investigates for the first time the potential inter-treatment bias source of cell number for gene expression studies. Cell-number bias can affect gene expression analysis when comparing samples with unequal total cellular RNA content or with different RNA extraction efficiencies. For maximal reliability of analysis, therefore, comparisons should be performed at the cellular level. This could be accomplished using an appropriate correction method that can detect and remove the inter-treatment bias for cell-number. Based on inter-treatment variations of reference genes, we introduce an analytical approach to examine the suitability of correction methods by considering the inter-treatment bias as well as the inter-replicate variance, which allows use of the best correction method with minimum residual bias. Analyses of RNA sequencing and microarray data showed that the efficiencies of correction methods are influenced by the inter-treatment bias as well as the inter-replicate variance. Therefore, we recommend inspecting both of the bias sources in order to apply the most efficient correction method. As an alternative correction strategy, sequential application of different correction approaches is also advised. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The involvement of cancer patients in the four stages of decision-making preceding continuous sedation until death: A qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Robijn, Lenzo; Seymour, Jane; Deliens, Luc; Korfage, Ida; Brown, Jayne; Pype, Peter; Van Der Heide, Agnes; Chambaere, Kenneth; Rietjens, Judith

2018-04-01

Involving patients in decision-making is considered to be particularly appropriate towards the end of life. Professional guidelines emphasize that the decision to initiate continuous sedation should be made in accordance with the wishes of the dying person and be preceded by their consent. To describe the decision-making process preceding continuous sedation until death with particular attention to the involvement of the person who is dying. Qualitative case studies using interviews. Interviews with 26 physicians, 30 nurses and 24 relatives caring for 24 patients with cancer who received continuous sedation until death in Belgium, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. We distinguished four stages of decision-making: initiation, information exchange, deliberation and the decision to start continuous sedation until death. There was wide variation in the role the patient had in the decision-making process. At one end of the spectrum (mostly in the United Kingdom), the physician discussed the possible use of sedation with the patient, but took the decision themselves. At the other end (mostly in Belgium and the Netherlands), the patient initiated the conversation and the physician's role was largely limited to evaluating if and when the medical criteria were met. Decision-making about continuous sedation until death goes through four stages and the involvement of the patient in the decision-making varies. Acknowledging the potential sensitivity of raising the issue of end-of-life sedation, we recommend building into clinical practice regular opportunities to discuss the goals and preferences of the person who is dying for their future medical treatment and care.

Empirical evaluation of the inter-relationship of articular elements involved in the pathoanatomy of knee osteoarthritis using magnetic resonance imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Meredith, Dennis S; Losina, Elena; Neumann, Gesa; Yoshioka, Hiroshi; Lang, Philipp K; Katz, Jeffrey N

2009-10-29

In this cross-sectional study, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of all articular elements that could be measured using knee MRI. We assessed the association of pathological change in multiple articular structures involved in the pathoanatomy of osteoarthritis. Knee MRI scans from patients over 45 years old were assessed using a semi-quantitative knee MRI assessment form. The form included six distinct elements: cartilage, bone marrow lesions, osteophytes, subchondral sclerosis, joint effusion and synovitis. Each type of pathology was graded using an ordinal scale with a value of zero indicating no pathology and higher values indicating increasingly severe levels of pathology. The principal dependent variable for comparison was the mean cartilage disease score (CDS), which captured the aggregate extent of involvement of articular cartilage. The distribution of CDS was compared to the individual and cumulative distributions of each articular element using the Chi-squared test. The correlations between pathological change in the various articular structures were assessed in a Spearman correlation table. Data from 140 patients were available for review. The cohort had a median age of 61 years (range 45-89) and was 61% female. The cohort included a wide spectrum of OA severity. Our analysis showed a statistically significant trend towards pathological change involving more articular elements as CDS worsened (p-value for trend osteophytes (p-value for trend subchondral sclerosis (p = 0.009), but not joint effusion or synovitis. There was a moderate correlation between cartilage damage, osteophytes and BMLs as well as a moderate correlation between joint effusion and synovitis. However, cartilage damage and osteophytes were only weakly associated with synovitis or joint effusion. Our results support an inter-relationship of multiple articular elements in the pathoanatomy of knee OA. Prospective studies of OA pathogenesis in humans are needed to correlate these

Proportional lumbar spine inter-vertebral motion patterns: a comparison of patients with chronic, non-specific low back pain and healthy controls.

Science.gov (United States)

Mellor, Fiona E; Thomas, Peter W; Thompson, Paul; Breen, Alan C

2014-10-01

Identifying biomechanical subgroups in chronic, non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP) populations from inter-vertebral displacements has proven elusive. Quantitative fluoroscopy (QF) has excellent repeatability and provides continuous standardised inter-vertebral kinematic data from fluoroscopic sequences allowing assessment of mid-range motion. The aim of this study was to determine whether proportional continuous IV rotational patterns were different in patients and controls. A secondary aim was to update the repeatability of QF measurement of range of motion (RoM) for inter-vertebral (IV) rotation. Fluoroscopic sequences were recorded of passive, recumbent coronal and sagittal motion, which was controlled for range and velocity. Segments L2-5 in 40 primary care CNSLBP patients and 40 matched controls were compared. Patients also completed the von Korff Chronic Pain Grade and Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire. Sequences were processed using automated image tracking algorithms to extract continuous inter-vertebral rotation data. These were converted to continuous proportional ranges of rotation (PR). The continuous proportional range variances were calculated for each direction and combined to produce a single variable representing their fluctuation (CPRV). Inter- and intra-rater repeatability were also calculated for the maximum IV-RoM measurements obtained during controlled trunk motion to provide an updated indication of the reliability and agreement of QF for measuring spine kinematics. CPRV was significantly higher in patients (0.011 vs. 0.008, Mann-Whitney two-sided p = 0.008), implying a mechanical subgroup. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis found its sensitivity and specificity to be 0.78 % (60-90) and 0.55 % (37-73), respectively (area under the curve 0.672). CPRV was not correlated with pain severity or disability. The repeatability of maximum inter-vertebral range was excellent, but range was only significantly greater in patients

Inter-operator and inter-device agreement and reliability of the SEM Scanner.

Science.gov (United States)

Clendenin, Marta; Jaradeh, Kindah; Shamirian, Anasheh; Rhodes, Shannon L

2015-02-01

The SEM Scanner is a medical device designed for use by healthcare providers as part of pressure ulcer prevention programs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the inter-rater and inter-device agreement and reliability of the SEM Scanner. Thirty-one (31) volunteers free of pressure ulcers or broken skin at the sternum, sacrum, and heels were assessed with the SEM Scanner. Each of three operators utilized each of three devices to collect readings from four anatomical sites (sternum, sacrum, left and right heels) on each subject for a total of 108 readings per subject collected over approximately 30 min. For each combination of operator-device-anatomical site, three SEM readings were collected. Inter-operator and inter-device agreement and reliability were estimated. Over the course of this study, more than 3000 SEM Scanner readings were collected. Agreement between operators was good with mean differences ranging from -0.01 to 0.11. Inter-operator and inter-device reliability exceeded 0.80 at all anatomical sites assessed. The results of this study demonstrate the high reliability and good agreement of the SEM Scanner across different operators and different devices. Given the limitations of current methods to prevent and detect pressure ulcers, the SEM Scanner shows promise as an objective, reliable tool for assessing the presence or absence of pressure-induced tissue damage such as pressure ulcers. Copyright © 2015 Bruin Biometrics, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Definition of gross tumor volume in lung cancer: inter-observer variability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van de Steene, Jan; Linthout, Nadine; de Mey, Johan; Vinh-Hung, Vincent; Claassens, Cornelia; Noppen, Marc; Bel, Arjan; Storme, Guy

2002-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To determine the inter-observer variation in gross tumor volume (GTV) definition in lung cancer, and its clinical relevance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five clinicians involved in lung cancer were asked to define GTV on the planning CT scan of eight patients. Resulting GTVs were

Linking Action Learning and Inter-Organisational Learning: The Learning Journey Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Schumacher, Thomas

2015-01-01

The article presents and illustrates the learning journey (LJ)--a new management development approach to inter-organisational learning based on observation, reflection and problem-solving. The LJ involves managers from different organisations and applies key concepts of action learning and systemic organisational development. Made up of…

Clinical Analysis of Lumbar Cistern External Drainage for Intracranial Infection%腰池置管脑脊液外引流治疗颅内感染临床分析

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

秦涛; 周仲明

2016-01-01

目的：探讨腰池置管脑脊液外引流治疗颅内感染的临床效果。方法选取2010年1月~2013年12月25例颅内感染患者作为研究对象，所有患者均接受腰池置管脑脊液外引流治疗。结果治疗后患者的体温（36.78±1.03）℃、白细胞计数（9.26±2.17）×109/L、脑脊液有核细胞计数（31.59±10.83）×106/L、微量蛋白浓度（0.96±0.71）g/L，相比于治疗前（38.56±1.27）℃、（12.89±2.84）×109/L、（148.27±74.67）×106/L、（2.85±1.34）g/L均降低（P＜0.05），脑脊液葡萄糖浓度（3.39±1.25）mmol/L、氯化物浓度（123.72±8.46）mmol/L相比于治疗前（2.23±1.04）mmol/L、（114.56±7.95）mmol/L均明显增高（P＜0.05）。结论对颅内感染患者采取腰池置管脑脊液外引流治疗，可有效缓解颅内感染症状，改善脑脊液情况。%Objective To investigate the clinical effect of lumbar cistern external drainage on intracranial infection. Methods Selected 25 patients with intracranial infection from January 2010 to December 2013 as the research object, all patients were treated with external drainage of cerebrospinal lfuid through lumbar cistern catheter placement in patients. ResultsThe body temperature of patients after treatment (36.78±1.03) ℃, white blood cell count (9.26±2.17)×109/L, cerebrospinal lfuid nucleated cell count (31.59±10.83)×106/L, trace protein concentration (0.96±0.71) g/L, compared with before treatment (38.56±1.27)℃, (12.89 + 2.84)×109/L and (148.27±74.67)×106/L, (2.85±1.34)g/L decreased (P<0.05), cerebrospinal fluid glucose concentration (3.39±1.25) mmol/L, chloride concentration (123.72±8.46) mmol/L compared with before treatment (2.23±1.04) mmol/L (114.56±7.95) mmol/L were signiifcantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusion The treatment of intracranial infection with lumbar cistern external drainage can effectively relieve intracranial infection symptoms and improve cerebrospinal lfuid.

Inter-joint coordination between hips and trunk during downswings: Effects on the clubhead speed.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Ahnryul; Lee, In-Kwang; Choi, Mun-Taek; Mun, Joung Hwan

2016-10-01

Understanding of the inter-joint coordination between rotational movement of each hip and trunk in golf would provide basic knowledge regarding how the neuromuscular system organises the related joints to perform a successful swing motion. In this study, we evaluated the inter-joint coordination characteristics between rotational movement of the hips and trunk during golf downswings. Twenty-one right-handed male professional golfers were recruited for this study. Infrared cameras were installed to capture the swing motion. The axial rotation angle, angular velocity and inter-joint coordination were calculated by the Euler angle, numerical difference method and continuous relative phase, respectively. A more typical inter-joint coordination demonstrated in the leading hip/trunk than trailing hip/trunk. Three coordination characteristics of the leading hip/trunk reported a significant relationship with clubhead speed at impact (r joint coordination strategies have the great potential to use a biomechanical guideline to improve the golf swing performance of unskilled golfers.

An analysis of inter-healthcare facility transfer of neonates within the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

providing prehospital care and inter-hospital transfer for ~3.5 million ... EMS is involved in transporting a significant number of intensive care and .... EMS personnel have to deal with adverse weather conditions, noise, .... Department for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care, University Medical Center, 2007:88-91. 7. Boxwell ...

Action research in inter-organisational networks : - impartial studies or the Trojan horse?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goduscheit, René Chester; Rasmussen, Erik Stavnsager; Jørgensen, Jacob Høj

2007-01-01

Traditionally, the literature on action research has been aimed at intra-organisational issues. These studies have distinguished between two researcher roles: The problem-solver and the observer. This article addresses the distinct challenges of action research in inter-organisational projects....... In addition to the problem-solver and observer roles, the researcher in an inter-organisational setting can serve as a legitimiser of the project and manage to involve partners that in an ordinary business-to-business setting would not have participated. Based on an action research project in a Danish inter......-organisational network, this article discusses potential pitfalls in the legitimiser role. Lack of clarity in defining the researcher role and project ownership in relation to the funding organisation and the rest of the network can jeopardise the project and potentially the credibility of the researchers. The article...

Definition of gross tumor volume in lung cancer: inter-observer variability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van de Steene, Jan; Linthout, Nadine; Mey, Johan de; Vinh-Hung, Vincent; Claassens, Cornelia; Noppen, Marc; Bel, Arjan; Storme, Guy

2002-01-01

Background and purpose: To determine the inter-observer variation in gross tumor volume (GTV) definition in lung cancer, and its clinical relevance. Material and methods: Five clinicians involved in lung cancer were asked to define GTV on the planning CT scan of eight patients. Resulting GTVs were compared on the base of geometric volume, dimensions and extensions. Judgement of invasion of lymph node (LN) regions was evaluated using the ATS/LCSG classification of LN. Clinical relevance of the variation was studied through 3D-dosimetry of standard conformal plans: volume of critical organs (heart, lungs, esophagus, spinal cord) irradiated at toxic doses, 95% isodose volumes of GTVs, normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP) and tumor control probabilities (TCP) were compared for evaluation of observer variability. Results: Before evaluation of observer variability, critical review of planning CT scan led to up- (two cases) and downstaging (one case) of patients as compared to the respective diagnostic scans. The defined GTVs showed an inter-observer variation with a ratio up to more than 7 between maximum and minimum geometric content. The dimensions of the primary tumor had inter-observer ranges of 4.2 (transversal), 7.9 (cranio-caudal) and 5.4 (antero-posterior) cm. Extreme extensions of the GTVs (left, right, cranial, caudal, anterior and posterior) varied with ranges of 2.8-7.3 cm due to inter-observer variation. After common review, only 63% of involved lymph node regions were delineated by the clinicians (i.e. 37% are false negative). Twenty-two percent of drawn in lymph node regions were accepted to be false positive after review. In the conformal plans, inter-observer ranges of irradiated normal tissue volume were on average 12%, with a maximum of 66%. The probability (in the population of all conformal plans) of irradiating at least 95% of the GTV with at least 95% of the nominal treatment dose decreased from 96 to 88% when swapping the matched GTV

Epidermoid cyst in the cerebellopontine angle cistern presenting as trigeminal neuralgia. Diagnostic values of the orbicularis oculi reflex and metrizamide CT cisternography - case report -

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ueda, Takashi; Goya, Tomokazu; Kinoshita, Kazuo (Miyazaki Medical College, Miyazaki (Japan)); Fukui, Masashi

1983-05-01

This 29-year-old male had been suffering from left trigeminal neuralgia one year prior to admission. Admission was prompted by the development of pain in the third division of the left trigeminal nerve. Physical and neurological examinations were not remarkable except for the facial pain. The orbicularis oculi reflex showed delayed latency of R/sub 1/ on the affected side. CT scans performed pre- and post-contrast enhancement revealed a low density area in the left cerebellopontine angle cistern. Metrizamide CT cisternography clearly revealed the margin of the lesion as the contrast media did not enter into the low density area. A left suboccipital craniectomy was performed. The trigeminal nerve was surrounded by a thin-capsulated mass and cholesteatoma materials. Histological diagnosis was epidermoid cyst. Since this surgical procedure, the trigeminal neuralgia has not recurred for one year. Without objective neurological deficits, it is difficult to distinguish symptomatic trigeminal from idiopathic neuralgia. Therefore, minor change of the orbicularis oculi reflex should help in objectively detecting dysfunction of the trigeminal nerve. Metrizamide CT cisternography is also useful in diagnosis of cystic lesions.

Effect of inter-tissue inductive coupling on multi-frequency imaging of intracranial hemorrhage by magnetic induction tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Zhili; Tan, Chao; Dong, Feng

2017-08-01

Magnetic induction tomography (MIT) is a promising technique for continuous monitoring of intracranial hemorrhage due to its contactless nature, low cost and capacity to penetrate the high-resistivity skull. The inter-tissue inductive coupling increases with frequency, which may lead to errors in multi-frequency imaging at high frequency. The effect of inter-tissue inductive coupling was investigated to improve the multi-frequency imaging of hemorrhage. An analytical model of inter-tissue inductive coupling based on the equivalent circuit was established. A set of new multi-frequency decomposition equations separating the phase shift of hemorrhage from other brain tissues was derived by employing the coupling information to improve the multi-frequency imaging of intracranial hemorrhage. The decomposition error and imaging error are both decreased after considering the inter-tissue inductive coupling information. The study reveals that the introduction of inter-tissue inductive coupling can reduce the errors of multi-frequency imaging, promoting the development of intracranial hemorrhage monitoring by multi-frequency MIT.

The superiority of 3D-CISS sequence in displaying the cisternal segment of facial, vestibulocochlear nerves and their abnormal changes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang Changhu, E-mail: tigerlch@163.co [Shandong University, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, CT Room, 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, Shandong (China); Zhang Bin, E-mail: liangchangbo.student@sina.co [Liao Cheng City People' s Hospital, Dongchang Road, Liaocheng, Shandong (China); Wu Lebin, E-mail: Lebinwu518@163.co [Shandong University, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, CT Room, 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, Shandong (China); Du Yinglin, E-mail: duyinglinzhuo@sohu.co [Shandong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Institute, 72, Jingshi Road, Jinan, Shandong (China); Wang Ximing, E-mail: wxminmg369@163.co [Shandong University, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, CT Room, 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, Shandong (China); Liu Cheng, E-mail: cacab2a@126.co [Shandong University, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, CT Room, 324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, Shandong (China); Yu Fuhua, E-mail: changhu1970@163.co [Weifang Medical College, 7166, West Road Baotong Weifang, Shandong (China)

2010-06-15

Objective: To select the best imaging method for clinical otologic patients through evaluating 3D constructive interference of steady state (CISS) image quality in visualizing the facial, vestibulocochlear nerves (CN:VII-VIII) and their abnormal changes. Methods: The CN:VII-VIII as well as inner ear structures in 48 volunteers were examined using 3D-CISS and 3D turbo spin echo (TSE) sequences respectively, and displayed to the full at the reformatted and maximum intensity projection (MIP) images. The nerve identification and image quality were graded for the CN:VII-VIII as well as inner ear structures. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxin test, p < 0.05 was considered significant. In addition, 8 patients with abnormality in facial or vestibulocochlear nerves were also examined using 3D-CISS sequence. Results: The identification rates for the cisternal segment of facial, vestibulocochlear nerves and corresponding membranous labyrinth were 100%. Abnormal changes of the facial or vestibulocochlear nerves were clearly shown in 8 patients, among them 1 was caused by bilateral acoustic neurinoma, 1 by cholesteatoma at cerebellopontine angle, 1 by arachnoid cyst, 1 by neurovascular adhesion, 4 by neurovascular compression. Conclusion: With 3D-CISS sequence the fine structure of the CN:VII-VIII and corresponding membranous labyrinth can be clearly demonstrated; lesions at the site of cerebellopontine angle can also be found easily.

Continuous 25-yr aerosol records at coastal Antarctica - I: inter-annual variability of ionic compounds and links to climate indices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weller, Rolf; Koenig-Langlo, Gert (Alfred Wegener Inst. for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven (Germany)), e-mail: Rolf.Weller@awi.de; Wagenbach, Dietmar; Elsaesser, Christoph (Institut fur Umweltphysik, Univ. of Heidelberg, Heidelberg (Germany)); Legrand, Michel (Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l' Environnement du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, St Martin d' Heres (France)); Tian-Kunze, Xiangshan (Institut fur Meereskunde, Univ. of Hamburg, Hamburg (Germany))

2011-11-15

The aerosol climatology at the coastal Antarctic Neumayer Station (NM) was investigated based on continuous, 25-yr long observations of biogenic sulphur components (methanesulfonate and non-sea salt sulphate), sea salt and nitrate. Although significant long-term trends could only be detected for nitrate (-3.6 +- 2.5% per year between 1983 and 1993 and +4.0 +- 3.2% per year from 1993-2007), non-harmonic periodicities between 2 and 5 yr were typical for all species. Dedicated time series analyses revealed that relations to sea ice extent and various circulation indices are weak at best or not significant. In particular, no consistent link between sea ice extent and sea salt loadings was evident suggesting only a rather local relevance of the NM sea salt record. Nevertheless, a higher Southern Annular Mode index tended to entail a lower biogenic sulphur signal. In examining the spatial uniformity of the NM findings we contrasted them to respective 17 yr records from the coastal Dumont d'Urville Station. We found similar long-term trends for nitrate, indicating an Antarctic-wide but not identifiable atmospheric signal, although any significant impact of solar activity or pollution could be ruled out. No inter-site variability on the multiannual scale was evident for the other ionic compounds

Inter-slice motion correction using spatiotemporal interpolation for functional magnetic resonance imaging of the moving fetus

OpenAIRE

Limperopoulos, Catherine; You, Wonsang

2017-01-01

Fetal motion continues to be one of the major artifacts in in-utero functional MRI; interestingly few methods have been developed to address fetal motion correction. In this study, we propose a robust method for motion correction in fetal fMRI by which both inter-slice and inter-volume motion artifacts are jointly corrected. To accomplish this, an original volume is temporally split into odd and even slices, and then voxel intensities are spatially and temporally interpolated in the process o...

El interés procesal

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Juan Carlos Riofrío Martínez-Villalba

2008-01-01

Full Text Available El presente trabajo pretende esclarecer el concepto de interés procesal y de sistematizar los diferentes tipos de interés requeridos por las leyes de nuestro ordenamiento jurídico (interés legítimo, directo, serio, difuso, colectivo, mutuo, general, público, etc., a fin de facilitarle al operador de la ley la determinación de la existencia de éste.

Roles of inter-SWCNT junctions in resistive humidity response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Kang; Zou, Jianping; Zhang, Qing

2015-01-01

As a promising chemiresistor for gas sensing, the single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) network has not yet been fully utilized for humidity detection. In this work, it is found that as humidity increases from 10% to 85%, the resistance of as-grown SWCNT networks first decreases and then increases. This non-monotonic resistive response to humidity limits their sensing capabilities. The competition between SWCNT resistance and inter-tube junction resistance changes is then found to be responsible for the non-monotonic resistive humidity responses. Moreover, creating sp"3 scattering centers on the SWCNT sidewall by monovalent functionalization of four-bromobenzene diazonium tetrafluoroborate is shown to be capable of eliminating the influence from the inter-tube junctions, resulting in a continuous resistance drop as humidity increases from 10% to 85%. Our results revealed the competing resistive humidity sensing process in as-grown SWCNT networks, which could also be helpful in designing and optimizing as-grown SWCNT networks for humidity sensors and other gas sensors. (paper)

Political Technologies in Strengthening Ethnopolitical (Inter-Ethnic and Inter-Confessional Dialogue

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Gayduk Vadim Vitalyevich

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Situations with uncertain developments and results are more often taking place in the world of politics. In this regard, the role of actors who are interested in the implementation of plans for peaceful conflict resolution and non-violence is becoming more urgent. The modern world is replete with situations in which a decision should be made only by qualified intermediaries (mediators, whose purpose is to resolve the conflict by the most effective and painless method. This article discusses the main aspects of the technology which is new for the political reality – political mediation as a vital means for solving complex inter-ethnic and interconfessional problems. The author attempts to identify general and specific characteristics of the conflict field that are peculiar for both international and inter-ethnic contradictions arising in the process of multilateral relations of nations with each other and between ethnic groups in multi-ethnic space. At this, the attention is focused on the fact that the conflicts arise out of the contradictions between the interests of these social organisms. The article provides the system of argumentation of the thesis that the use of mediation technologies helps to achieve the combination of the parties’ autonomy and to guarantee a mutually beneficial result on a common ground. For this purpose the conflicting parties endow a third party with certain powers – the mediator, who is involved in order to look at the conflict from the side and help conflicting actors to get rid of excessive emotion and bias in a dispute. Thus, political mediation is a form of alternative expert and political dispute resolution and settlement, voluntarily elected by conflicting communities on the basis of their desire to reach agreement and political objectivity.

Association of Inter-arm Blood Pressure Difference with Asymptomatic Intracranial and Extracranial Arterial Stenosis in Hypertension Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yan; Zhang, Jin; Qian, Yuesheng; Tang, Xiaofeng; Ling, Huawei; Chen, Kemin; Li, Yan; Gao, Pingjin; Zhu, Dingliang

2016-07-14

Inter-arm blood pressure (BP) difference has been associated with ischemic stroke. Local atherosclerosis of stroke differ among vulnerable individuals, whereas intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS) is more frequently affected Asians, and extracranial arterial stenosis (ECAS) is more prevalent among whites. We hereby sought to explore the association of inter-arm BP difference with ICAS and ECAS in stroke-free hypertensive patients in Chinese population. All the 885 subjects were evaluated of ICAS and ECAS through computerized tomographic angiography. Both arm BP was measured simultaneously by Vascular Profiler-1000 device. In the continuous study, ICAS was significantly associated with age, male, average brachial SBP, diabetes, anti-hypertensive treatment and inter-arm DBP difference. ECAS was associated with age, inter-arm SBP and LDL. In the categorical study, subjects with the top quartile of inter-arm DBP difference (≥4 mmHg) showed significantly higher risk of ICAS (OR = 2.109; 95% CI, 1.24-3.587). And the participants with the top quartile of inter-arm SBP difference (≥6 mmHg) showed significantly higher risk of ECAS (OR = 2.288; 95% CI, 1.309-3.998). In conclusion, we reported a diverse association of inter-arm SBP/DBP difference with the ICAS/ECAS. Inter-arm DBP difference might be the early symbol of ICAS in Chinese population, which need further verification in long-term cohort study.

Development and evaluation of an innovative model of inter-professional education focused on asthma medication use.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia Z; Stuart, Meg; Mackson, Judith; Cvetkovski, Biljana; Sainsbury, Erica; Armour, Carol; Mavritsakis, Sofia; Mendrela, Gosia; Travers-Mason, Pippa; Williamson, Margaret

2014-04-07

Inter-professional learning has been promoted as the solution to many clinical management issues. One such issue is the correct use of asthma inhaler devices. Up to 80% of people with asthma use their inhaler device incorrectly. The implications of this are poor asthma control and quality of life. Correct inhaler technique can be taught, however these educational instructions need to be repeated if correct technique is to be maintained. It is important to maximise the opportunities to deliver this education in primary care. In light of this, it is important to explore how health care providers, in particular pharmacists and general medical practitioners, can work together in delivering inhaler technique education to patients, over time. Therefore, there is a need to develop and evaluate effective inter-professional education, which will address the need to educate patients in the correct use of their inhalers as well as equip health care professionals with skills to engage in collaborative relationships with each other. This mixed methods study involves the development and evaluation of three modules of continuing education, Model 1, Model 2 and Model 3. A fourth group, Model 4, acting as a control.Model 1 consists of face-to-face continuing professional education on asthma inhaler technique, aimed at pharmacists, general medical practitioners and their practice nurses.Model 2 is an electronic online continuing education module based on Model 1 principles.Model 3 is also based on asthma inhaler technique education but employs a learning intervention targeting health care professional relationships and is based on sociocultural theory.This study took the form of a parallel group, repeated measure design. Following the completion of continuing professional education, health care professionals recruited people with asthma and followed them up for 6 months. During this period, inhaler device technique training was delivered and data on patient inhaler technique

Inter-Industry and Inter-Firm Wage and Hours Differentials in Switzerland

OpenAIRE

José V. Ramirez

2000-01-01

In the present paper, we analyse the role of demand factors on wages and hours in Switzerland. To accomplish this task, we used the 1996 Swiss Wage Structure Survey, a large employee-employer survey. Results indicate that capital intensity appears to have a certain impact on the relation between wages and hours: the "inter-industry wage-hours differentials line" we inferred is clearly positive. Further, an analysis of the determinants of inter-firm wage differentials shows that the internal o...

Modification of an OSCE format to enhance patient continuity in a high-stakes assessment of clinical performance

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Cuncic Cary

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Traditional Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs are psychometrically sound but have the limitation of fragmenting complex clinical cases into brief stations. We describe a pilot study of a modified OSCE that attempts to balance a typical OSCE format with a semblance of a continuous, complex, patient case. Methods Two OSCE scenarios were developed. Each scenario involved a single standardized patient and was subdivided into three sequential 10 minute sections that assessed separate content areas and competencies. Twenty Canadian PGY-4 internal medicine trainees were assessed by trained examiner pairs during each OSCE scenario. Paired examiners rated participant performance independent of each other, on each section of each scenario using a validated global rating scale. Inter-rater reliabilities and Pearson correlations between ratings of the 3 sections of each scenario were calculated. A generalizability study was conducted. Participant and examiner satisfaction was surveyed. Results There was no main effect of section or scenario. Inter-rater reliability was acceptable. The g-coefficient was 0.68; four scenarios would achieve 0.80. Moderate correlations between sections of a scenario suggest a possible halo effect. The majority of examiners and participants felt that the modified OSCE provided a sense of patient continuity. Conclusions The modified OSCE provides another approach to the assessment of clinical performance. It attempts to balance the advantages of a traditional OSCE with a sense of patient continuity.

Repeated stimulation, inter-stimulus interval and inter-electrode distance alters muscle contractile properties as measured by Tensiomyography.

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Hannah V Wilson

Full Text Available The influence of methodological parameters on the measurement of muscle contractile properties using Tensiomyography (TMG has not been published.To investigate the; (1 reliability of stimulus amplitude needed to elicit maximum muscle displacement (Dm, (2 effect of changing inter-stimulus interval on Dm (using a fixed stimulus amplitude and contraction time (Tc, (3 the effect of changing inter-electrode distance on Dm and Tc.Within subject, repeated measures.10 participants for each objective.Dm and Tc of the rectus femoris, measured using TMG.The coefficient of variance (CV and the intra-class correlation (ICC of stimulus amplitude needed to elicit maximum Dm was 5.7% and 0.92 respectively. Dm was higher when using an inter-electrode distance of 7cm compared to 5cm [P = 0.03] and when using an inter-stimulus interval of 10s compared to 30s [P = 0.017]. Further analysis of inter-stimulus interval data, found that during 10 repeated stimuli Tc became faster after the 5th measure when compared to the second measure [P<0.05]. The 30s inter-stimulus interval produced the most stable Tc over 10 measures compared to 10s and 5s respectively.Our data suggest that the stimulus amplitude producing maximum Dm of the rectus femoris is reliable. Inter-electrode distance and inter-stimulus interval can significantly influence Dm and/ or Tc. Our results support the use of a 30s inter-stimulus interval over 10s or 5s. Future studies should determine the influence of methodological parameters on muscle contractile properties in a range of muscles.

Repeated stimulation, inter-stimulus interval and inter-electrode distance alters muscle contractile properties as measured by Tensiomyography

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Mark I.; Francis, Peter

2018-01-01

Context The influence of methodological parameters on the measurement of muscle contractile properties using Tensiomyography (TMG) has not been published. Objective To investigate the; (1) reliability of stimulus amplitude needed to elicit maximum muscle displacement (Dm), (2) effect of changing inter-stimulus interval on Dm (using a fixed stimulus amplitude) and contraction time (Tc), (3) the effect of changing inter-electrode distance on Dm and Tc. Design Within subject, repeated measures. Participants 10 participants for each objective. Main outcome measures Dm and Tc of the rectus femoris, measured using TMG. Results The coefficient of variance (CV) and the intra-class correlation (ICC) of stimulus amplitude needed to elicit maximum Dm was 5.7% and 0.92 respectively. Dm was higher when using an inter-electrode distance of 7cm compared to 5cm [P = 0.03] and when using an inter-stimulus interval of 10s compared to 30s [P = 0.017]. Further analysis of inter-stimulus interval data, found that during 10 repeated stimuli Tc became faster after the 5th measure when compared to the second measure [P<0.05]. The 30s inter-stimulus interval produced the most stable Tc over 10 measures compared to 10s and 5s respectively. Conclusion Our data suggest that the stimulus amplitude producing maximum Dm of the rectus femoris is reliable. Inter-electrode distance and inter-stimulus interval can significantly influence Dm and/ or Tc. Our results support the use of a 30s inter-stimulus interval over 10s or 5s. Future studies should determine the influence of methodological parameters on muscle contractile properties in a range of muscles. PMID:29451885

The Inter-Semiotic Negotiation between the Literary and the Cinematographic Image

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Carmen DOMINTE

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Considering the postmodern perspective, a text or a discourse never ends, but continues in other texts and discourses. Besides the physical limits, any literary text or discourse develops in a literary system of references belonging to other texts or discourses. The concept of inter-semiotic negotiation describes the process of inter-action realized between two semiotic systems and shows that the meaning generated from one system can be transposed into another semiotic system and, even more, from the writer to the reader, and even further, from the director to the spectator, but mediated through different types of codes. Transferring the aesthetic meaning from one form of art (literature to another (cinematography, there are specific changes for the artistic manner of performance and reception but the common element that may link both arts is represented by the image: literary and cinematographic.

Proteínas totais do liquido cefalorraqueano obtido por punção da cisterna magna: valores normais. Variações ligadas ao sexo Total protein content of normal cisternal cerebrospinal fluid: Variations related to sex

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L. M. Singer Vermes

1976-12-01

Full Text Available Aplicando o método de Lowry, determinamos as proteínas totais do LCR considerado normal de 98 pessoas: 58 do sexo masculino e 40 do feminino. Todas as amostras de LCR foram obtidas por punção da cisterna magna (LCR-SO. Mediante tratamento estatístico dos valores obtidos, estabelecemos as taxas normais de proteinorraquia cisternal para a população mista: limite superior de 40,36 mg/100 ml, valor médio de 26,78 mg/100 e limite inferior de 13,20 mg/100 ml. Estes valores são superiores àqueles referidos na literatura. Foi verificado que a proteinorraquia total é, em média, significantemente maior nos indivíduos do sexo masculino, que nos de feminino. Consequentemente estabelecemos em separado os níveis normais de proteínas totais do LCR-SO para pessoas do sexo masculino e feminino. As taxas médias de proteínas totais do LCR-SO de pessoas do sexo masculino e feminino são de 28,76 e 23,91 mg/100 ml, respectivamente; os limites normais vão de 16,96 a 47,13 mg/100 ml para o sexo masculino e de 14,76 a 42,76 mg/100 ml para o sexo feminino.The total protein content of CSF collected from the cisterna magna (cisternal fluid of 98 patients (58 males and 40 females with no neurological diseases was determined by the colorimetric method devised by Lowry and co-workers. This method has been previously chosen based mainly on it's sensitivity, accuracy and low fluid consumption. The CSF samples were normal with regard to pressure, color, citology and it's content in glucose, chloride and urea. Complement fixation tests for syphilis and cisticercosis, as well as the globulin tests (Pandy, Nonne — Appelt and Takata-Ara were negative. The average value and the normal range of cisternal fluid total protein was calculated for the mixed population (males and females. The mean protein value was 26.78 mg/100 ml, the lower and upper limits were respectively 13.20 and 40.36 mg/100 ml. These data are higher than those stated in some publications, and

Large-Scale Processes Associated with Inter-Decadal and Inter-Annual Early Spring Rainfall Variability in Taiwan

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Jau-Ming Chen

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Early spring (March - April rainfall in Taiwan exhibits evident and distinct inter-annual and inter-decadal variability. The inter-annual varibility has a positive correlation with the El Niño/Southern Oscillation while the inter-decadal variability features a phase change beginning in the late 1970s, coherent with the major phase change in the Pacific decadal oscillation. Rainfall variability in both timescales is regulated by large-scale processes showing consistent dynamic features. Rainfall increases are associated with positive sea surface temperature (SST anomalies in the tropical eastern Pacific and negative SST anomalies in the tropical central Pacific. An anomalous lower-level divergent center appears in the tropical central Pacific. Via a Rossby-wave-like response, an anomalous lower-level anticyclone appears to the southeast of Taiwan over the Philippine Sea-tropical western Pacific region, which is accompanied by an anomalous cyclone to the north-northeast of Taiwan. Both circulation anomalies induce anomalous southwesterly flows to enhance moisture flux from the South China Sea onto Taiwan, resulting in significant moisture convergence nearby Taiwan. With enhanced moisture supplied by anomalous southwesterly flows, significant rainfall increases occur in both inter-annual and inter-decadal timescales in early spring rainfall on Taiwan.

Protein (multi-)location prediction: using location inter-dependencies in a probabilistic framework

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Motivation Knowing the location of a protein within the cell is important for understanding its function, role in biological processes, and potential use as a drug target. Much progress has been made in developing computational methods that predict single locations for proteins. Most such methods are based on the over-simplifying assumption that proteins localize to a single location. However, it has been shown that proteins localize to multiple locations. While a few recent systems attempt to predict multiple locations of proteins, their performance leaves much room for improvement. Moreover, they typically treat locations as independent and do not attempt to utilize possible inter-dependencies among locations. Our hypothesis is that directly incorporating inter-dependencies among locations into both the classifier-learning and the prediction process can improve location prediction performance. Results We present a new method and a preliminary system we have developed that directly incorporates inter-dependencies among locations into the location-prediction process of multiply-localized proteins. Our method is based on a collection of Bayesian network classifiers, where each classifier is used to predict a single location. Learning the structure of each Bayesian network classifier takes into account inter-dependencies among locations, and the prediction process uses estimates involving multiple locations. We evaluate our system on a dataset of single- and multi-localized proteins (the most comprehensive protein multi-localization dataset currently available, derived from the DBMLoc dataset). Our results, obtained by incorporating inter-dependencies, are significantly higher than those obtained by classifiers that do not use inter-dependencies. The performance of our system on multi-localized proteins is comparable to a top performing system (YLoc+), without being restricted only to location-combinations present in the training set. PMID:24646119

Protein (multi-)location prediction: using location inter-dependencies in a probabilistic framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Simha, Ramanuja; Shatkay, Hagit

2014-03-19

Knowing the location of a protein within the cell is important for understanding its function, role in biological processes, and potential use as a drug target. Much progress has been made in developing computational methods that predict single locations for proteins. Most such methods are based on the over-simplifying assumption that proteins localize to a single location. However, it has been shown that proteins localize to multiple locations. While a few recent systems attempt to predict multiple locations of proteins, their performance leaves much room for improvement. Moreover, they typically treat locations as independent and do not attempt to utilize possible inter-dependencies among locations. Our hypothesis is that directly incorporating inter-dependencies among locations into both the classifier-learning and the prediction process can improve location prediction performance. We present a new method and a preliminary system we have developed that directly incorporates inter-dependencies among locations into the location-prediction process of multiply-localized proteins. Our method is based on a collection of Bayesian network classifiers, where each classifier is used to predict a single location. Learning the structure of each Bayesian network classifier takes into account inter-dependencies among locations, and the prediction process uses estimates involving multiple locations. We evaluate our system on a dataset of single- and multi-localized proteins (the most comprehensive protein multi-localization dataset currently available, derived from the DBMLoc dataset). Our results, obtained by incorporating inter-dependencies, are significantly higher than those obtained by classifiers that do not use inter-dependencies. The performance of our system on multi-localized proteins is comparable to a top performing system (YLoc+), without being restricted only to location-combinations present in the training set.

The LADM based on INTERLIS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Germann, M.; Kaufmann, J.; Lemmen, C.H.J.; Van Oosterom, P.J.M.; De Zeeuw, K.

2015-01-01

Both the conceptual schema language INTERLIS and the land administration domain model (LADM) share the same model driven architecture (MDA) principles. In this paper we explore how INTERLIS and LADM complement each other in actual implementation of land administration system based on the LADM using

Cavilaciones sobre el interés simple

OpenAIRE

Leonor Cabeza de Vergara

2010-01-01

Como producto de las reflexiones sobre la conceptualización del interés simple surgieron dos preguntas a nivel de clase: ¿Por qué, bajo la modalidad del interés simple, el presente de cada una de las cuotas constantes vencidas no es igual al presente de la anualidad vencida?, y ¿Qué porción de una cuota vencida bajo el interés simple se asigna a interés y a capital? Para trabajar estos interrogantes se partió de un caso práctico y con el soporte conceptual de interés simple, series, serie arm...

The Explanatory Power of Reciprocal Behavior for the Inter-Organizational Exchange Context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martina Pieperhoff

2018-06-01

Full Text Available In order to create sustainable competitive advantages, organizations are embedded in dyadic exchange relationships, which depend on the coordination of the behavior of the actors involved. Often, coordinated behavior is explained by trust. Since trust develops in a process of reciprocal responses to presumed trustworthy behavior, it is a reciprocity-based concept. While inter-organizational exchange relationships can appear in different stages (forming, establishing, broken, different reciprocity types (direct, indirect, negative can be distinguished. The study links reciprocal behavior to different stages of inter-organizational exchange relationships in order to investigate reciprocity as a possible coordination mechanism of behavior and thus explore the basis of coordination of trust-based behavior. Qualitative Comparative Analysis as a set-theoretic approach is applied to analyze the empirical data consisting of 78 qualitative semi-structured interviews with managers of small-, medium- and large-sized companies. The results show that different reciprocity types become effective in different stages of an inter-organizational exchange relationship: For forming inter-organizational exchange relationships indirect reciprocal behavior, besides direct reciprocity, becomes effective while in establishing inter-organizational exchange relationships, direct reciprocal behavior is evident. Negative reciprocal behavior leads to a break up of relationships. Using these results, on the one hand, the concept of trust can be sharpened by deepening the understanding of the trust-building mechanisms and on the other hand, reciprocity can be seen as coordination mechanism in exchange relationships of different stages. In doing so, with this knowledge, relationships can be coordinated towards a long-term orientation in order to create sustainable advantages.

Network strength, transaction-specific investments, inter-personal trust, and relationship satisfaction in Chinese agrifood SMEs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lu Hualiang,; Feng, S.; Trienekens, J.H.; Omta, S.W.F.

2012-01-01

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of network strength, transaction-specific investments and inter-personal trust on business relationship satisfaction for small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) involved in agri-food processing and exporting in China.

Factors Predicting Inter-Ethnic Friendships at the Workplace

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Intan H. M. Hashim

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This study explored factors that may contribute to inter-ethnic friendships, both in terms of quantity and satisfaction with those friendships. Participants were 200 working adults who were studying part-time in a long-distance program in a university in Malaysia. In general, demographic factors (gender, ethnicity, education, and income had no significant relationships with number of inter-ethnic friends and satisfaction people had with inter-ethnic friendships. Ethnic identity and stress at work also did not have significant relationships with number of inter-ethnic friends. However, they were significantly related to satisfaction with inter-ethnic friendships. People with higher ethnic identification were more satisfied with inter-ethnic friendships whereas people with more stress at work reported lower satisfaction with inter-ethnic friendships.

Cell wall accumulation of fluorescent proteins derived from a trans-Golgi cisternal membrane marker and paramural bodies in interdigitated Arabidopsis leaf epidermal cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Akita, Kae; Kobayashi, Megumi; Sato, Mayuko; Kutsuna, Natsumaro; Ueda, Takashi; Toyooka, Kiminori; Nagata, Noriko; Hasezawa, Seiichiro; Higaki, Takumi

2017-01-01

In most dicotyledonous plants, leaf epidermal pavement cells develop jigsaw puzzle-like shapes during cell expansion. The rapid growth and complicated cell shape of pavement cells is suggested to be achieved by targeted exocytosis that is coordinated with cytoskeletal rearrangement to provide plasma membrane and/or cell wall materials for lobe development during their morphogenesis. Therefore, visualization of membrane trafficking in leaf pavement cells should contribute an understanding of the mechanism of plant cell morphogenesis. To reveal membrane trafficking in pavement cells, we observed monomeric red fluorescent protein-tagged rat sialyl transferases, which are markers of trans-Golgi cisternal membranes, in the leaf epidermis of Arabidopsis thaliana. Quantitative fluorescence imaging techniques and immunoelectron microscopic observations revealed that accumulation of the red fluorescent protein occurred mostly in the curved regions of pavement cell borders and guard cell ends during leaf expansion. Transmission electron microscopy observations revealed that apoplastic vesicular membrane structures called paramural bodies were more frequent beneath the curved cell wall regions of interdigitated pavement cells and guard cell ends in young leaf epidermis. In addition, pharmacological studies showed that perturbations in membrane trafficking resulted in simple cell shapes. These results suggested possible heterogeneity of the curved regions of plasma membranes, implying a relationship with pavement cell morphogenesis.

Using value models to improve the cost/benefit analysis of inter-organizational system implementations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eckartz, S.M.; Katsma, Christiaan; Wieringa, Roelf J.

2012-01-01

Jointly developing a business case for inter-organizational information systems (IOS) is difficult as: (1) in a business network there are benefits that may not appear at the site where costs occur, and (2) the involved stakeholders often have different or even conflicting organizational goals. This

UMTS network planning, optimization, and inter-operation with GSM

CERN Document Server

Rahnema, Moe

2008-01-01

UMTS Network Planning, Optimization, and Inter-Operation with GSM is an accessible, one-stop reference to help engineers effectively reduce the time and costs involved in UMTS deployment and optimization. Rahnema includes detailed coverage from both a theoretical and practical perspective on the planning and optimization aspects of UMTS, and a number of other new techniques to help operators get the most out of their networks. Provides an end-to-end perspective, from network design to optimizationIncorporates the hands-on experiences of numerous researchersSingle

Inter-Seasonal Influenza is Characterized by Extended Virus Transmission and Persistence

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson Ross, Zoe; Komadina, Naomi; Deng, Yi-Mo; Spirason, Natalie; Kelly, Heath A.; Sullivan, Sheena G.; Barr, Ian G.; Holmes, Edward C.

2015-01-01

The factors that determine the characteristic seasonality of influenza remain enigmatic. Current models predict that occurrences of influenza outside the normal surveillance season within a temperate region largely reflect the importation of viruses from the alternate hemisphere or from equatorial regions in Asia. To help reveal the drivers of seasonality we investigated the origins and evolution of influenza viruses sampled during inter-seasonal periods in Australia. To this end we conducted an expansive phylogenetic analysis of 9912, 3804, and 3941 hemagglutinnin (HA) sequences from influenza A/H1N1pdm, A/H3N2, and B, respectively, collected globally during the period 2009-2014. Of the 1475 viruses sampled from Australia, 396 (26.8% of Australian, or 2.2% of global set) were sampled outside the monitored temperate influenza surveillance season (1 May – 31 October). Notably, rather than simply reflecting short-lived importations of virus from global localities with higher influenza prevalence, we documented a variety of more complex inter-seasonal transmission patterns including “stragglers” from the preceding season and “heralds” of the forthcoming season, and which included viruses sampled from clearly temperate regions within Australia. We also provide evidence for the persistence of influenza B virus between epidemic seasons, in which transmission of a viral lineage begins in one season and continues throughout the inter-seasonal period into the following season. Strikingly, a disproportionately high number of inter-seasonal influenza transmission events occurred in tropical and subtropical regions of Australia, providing further evidence that climate plays an important role in shaping patterns of influenza seasonality. PMID:26107631

Safety assessment of inter-channel / inter-system digital communications: A defensive measures approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thuy, N. N. Q.

2006-01-01

Inappropriately designed inter-channel and inter-system digital communications could initiate common cause failure of multiple channels or multiple systems. Defensive measures were introduced in EPRI report TR-1002835 (Guideline for Performing Defense-in-Depth and Diversity Assessments for Digital Upgrades) to assess, on a deterministic basis, the susceptibility of digital systems architectures to common-cause failures. This paper suggests how this approach could be applied to assess inter-channel and inter-system digital communications from a safety standpoint. The first step of the approach is to systematically identify the so called 'influence factors' that one end of the data communication path can have on the other. Potential factors to be considered would typically include data values, data volumes and data rates. The second step of the approach is to characterize the ways possible failures of a given end of the communication path could affect these influence factors (e.g., incorrect data values, excessive data rates, time-outs, incorrect data volumes). The third step is to analyze the designed-in measures taken to guarantee independence of the other end. In addition to classical error detection and correction codes, typical defensive measures are one-way data communication, fixed-rate data communication, fixed-volume data communication, validation of data values. (authors)

Ultrastructure of the epithelial cells of the endolymphatic duct in the rat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qvortrup, K; Rostgaard, J

1994-01-01

separately in the electron microscope. Postfixation in a solution containing OsO4 and potassium ferricyanide revealed a well-developed tubulo-cisternal endoplasmic reticulum (TER), not previously described. Serial sectioning and computerized three-dimensional reconstruction demonstrated a continuity...

Inter-vehicle gap statistics on signal-controlled crossroads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krbalek, Milan

2008-01-01

We investigate a microscopical structure in a chain of cars waiting at a red signal on signal-controlled crossroads. A one-dimensional space-continuous thermodynamical model leading to an excellent agreement with the data measured is presented. Moreover, we demonstrate that an inter-vehicle spacing distribution disclosed in relevant traffic data agrees with the thermal-balance distribution of particles in the thermodynamical traffic gas (discussed in [1]) with a high inverse temperature (corresponding to a strong traffic congestion). Therefore, as we affirm, such a system of stationary cars can be understood as a specific state of the traffic sample operating inside a congested traffic stream

Benchmarking: a method for continuous quality improvement in health.

Science.gov (United States)

Ettorchi-Tardy, Amina; Levif, Marie; Michel, Philippe

2012-05-01

Benchmarking, a management approach for implementing best practices at best cost, is a recent concept in the healthcare system. The objectives of this paper are to better understand the concept and its evolution in the healthcare sector, to propose an operational definition, and to describe some French and international experiences of benchmarking in the healthcare sector. To this end, we reviewed the literature on this approach's emergence in the industrial sector, its evolution, its fields of application and examples of how it has been used in the healthcare sector. Benchmarking is often thought to consist simply of comparing indicators and is not perceived in its entirety, that is, as a tool based on voluntary and active collaboration among several organizations to create a spirit of competition and to apply best practices. The key feature of benchmarking is its integration within a comprehensive and participatory policy of continuous quality improvement (CQI). Conditions for successful benchmarking focus essentially on careful preparation of the process, monitoring of the relevant indicators, staff involvement and inter-organizational visits. Compared to methods previously implemented in France (CQI and collaborative projects), benchmarking has specific features that set it apart as a healthcare innovation. This is especially true for healthcare or medical-social organizations, as the principle of inter-organizational visiting is not part of their culture. Thus, this approach will need to be assessed for feasibility and acceptability before it is more widely promoted.

Management accounting as the inter-organisational boundary

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Morten

2010-01-01

Purpose - The literature on managing inter-organisational relationships typically suggests managing these relationships based on the formalised exchange of information across the organisational boundary with due respect to trust build-up through successive interactions. This article argues...... that a focus on trust reduces the flexibility and accessibility of resources and hence ruins the advantages of inter-organisational relationships. The article focuses on power as a means for absorbing uncertainty when managing inter-organisational relationships. Methodology - The article is based on findings...... from a case study of inter-organisational relationships. Governmentality is used as a framework for analysing the practise of managing inter-organisational relationships. Findings - A number of representations are employed along the boundary between the case study parties and thereby the boundary...

InterScience and fusion: Projects, collaborations, and spin-offs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castracane, J.

1995-01-01

InterScience, Inc. is a small, high technology research and development company which participates in the mission of the fusion energy research program in a variety of ways. The company specializes in basic physics and advanced technologies applied to research and commercial opportunities. InterScience has numerous federal and private sponsors for research and development activities in plasma physics, electro-optics, materials science, electronics, and biomedical engineering. The company currently has several direct research and development projects which involve the assembly of diagnostic hardware for installation and operation at tokamak facilities both in the U.S. and abroad. In addition, the company works in a technical support capacity for both the magnetic and inertial confinement fusion programs. Successful participation in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program has provided an avenue for the transfer of expertise from the fusion program to alternate agencies and research areas. Examples of this include fiberoptic sensors with data acquisition systems, advanced spectral imaging and image processing, fiberoptic imaging interferometry for biomedical instrumentation development and, micro-electro-mechanical systems

Inter-individual Differences in Heart Rate Variability Are Associated with Inter-individual Differences in Empathy and Alexithymia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Lischke

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In the present study, we investigated whether inter-individual differences in vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV would be associated with inter-individual differences in empathy and alexithymia. To this end, we determined resting state HF-HRV in 90 individuals that also completed questionnaires assessing inter-individual differences in empathy and alexithymia. Our categorical and dimensional analyses revealed that inter-individual differences in HF-HRV were differently associated with inter-individual differences in empathy and alexithymia. We found that individuals with high HF-HRV reported more empathy and less alexithymia than individuals with low HF-HRV. Moreover, we even found that an increase in HF-HRV was associated with an increase in empathy and a decrease in alexithymia across all participants. Taken together, these findings indicate that individuals with high HF-HRV are more empathetic and less alexithymic than individuals with low HF-HRV. These differences in empathy and alexithymia may explain why individuals with high HF-HRV are more successful in sharing and understanding the mental and emotional states of others than individuals with low HF-HRV.

Intensity modulated proton therapy and its sensitivity to treatment uncertainties 2: the potential effects of inter-fraction and inter-field motions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lomax, A J

2008-01-01

Simple tools for studying the effects of inter-fraction and inter-field motions on intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) plans have been developed, and have been applied to both 3D and distal edge tracking (DET) IMPT plans. For the inter-fraction motion, we have investigated the effects of misaligned density heterogeneities, whereas for the inter-field motion analysis, the effects of field misalignment on the plans have been assessed. Inter-fraction motion problems have been analysed using density differentiated error (DDE) distributions, which specifically show the additional problems resulting from misaligned density heterogeneities for proton plans. Likewise, for inter-field motion, we present methods for calculating motion differentiated error (MDE) distributions. DDE and MDE analysis of all plans demonstrate that the 3D approach is generally more robust to both inter-fraction and inter-field motions than the DET approach, but that strong in-field dose gradients can also adversely affect a plan's robustness. An important additional conclusion is that, for certain IMPT plans, even inter-fraction errors cannot necessarily be compensated for by the use of a simple PTV margins, implying that more sophisticated tools need to be developed for uncertainty management and assessment for IMPT treatments at the treatment planning level

Inter-Laboratory Comparison for Calibration of Relative Humidity Devices Among Accredited Laboratories in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, F.; Khairuddin, S.; Othman, H.

2017-01-01

An inter-laboratory comparison in relative humidity measurements among accredited laboratories has been coordinated by the National Metrology Institute of Malaysia. It was carried out to determine the performance of the participating laboratories. The objective of the comparison was to acknowledge the participating laboratories competencies and to verify the level of accuracies declared in their scope of accreditation, in accordance with the MS ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. The measurement parameter involved was relative humidity for the range of 30-90 %rh at a nominal temperature of 50°C. Eight accredited laboratories participated in the inter-laboratory comparison. Two units of artifacts have been circulated among the participants as the transfer standards.

Tracing Method with Intra and Inter Protocols Correlation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marin Mangri

2009-05-01

Full Text Available MEGACO or H.248 is a protocol enabling acentralized Softswitch (or MGC to control MGsbetween Voice over Packet (VoP networks andtraditional ones. To analyze much deeper the realimplementations it is useful to use a tracing systemwith intra and inter protocols correlation. For thisreason in the case of MEGACO-H.248 it is necessaryto find the appropriate method of correlation with allprotocols involved. Starting from Rel4 a separation ofCP (Control Plane and UP (User Plane managementwithin the networks appears. MEGACO protocol playsan important role in the migration to the new releasesor from monolithic platform to a network withdistributed components.

Analytical Solution for 2D Inter-Well Porous Flow in a Rectangular Reservoir

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junfeng Ding

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Inter-well fluid flows through porous media are commonly encountered in the production of groundwater, oil, and geothermal energy. In this paper, inter-well porous flow inside a rectangular reservoir is solved based on the complex variable function theory combined with the method of mirror images. In order to derive the solution analytically, the inter-well flow is modeled as a 2D flow in a homogenous and isotropic porous medium. The resulted exact analytical solution takes the form of an infinite series, but it can be truncated to give high accuracy approximation. In terms of nine cases of inter-well porous flow associated with enhanced geothermal systems, the applications of the obtained analytical solution are demonstrated, and the convergence properties of the truncated series are investigated. It is shown that the convergent rate of the truncated series increases with the symmetric level of well distribution inside the reservoir, and the adoption of Euler transform significantly accelerates the convergence of alternating series cases associated with asymmetric well distribution. In principle, the analytical solution proposed in this paper can be applied to other scientific and engineering fields, as long as the involved problem is governed by 2D Laplace equation in a rectangular domain and subject to similar source/sink and boundary conditions, i.e., isolated point sources/sinks and uniform Dirichlet or homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions.

Recovery of Pavlovian sign-tracking (autoshaping) following the discontinuation of inter-trial interval food in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Kearns, David N; Weiss, Stanley J

2007-07-01

In pigeons, Pavlovian autoshaped keypecking produced by keylight-food pairings has been eliminated by introducing food during periods between CS presentations (i.e., during the inter-trial intervals). Keypecking eliminated in this manner reappears when the inter-trial USs are discontinued even though the CS is no longer paired with US. The present experiment investigated whether this recovery of responding produced by discontinuing unpaired inter-trial US presentations could be extended to another species, rats, within a Pavlovian sign-tracking paradigm. Rats were initially trained on a procedure where insertion of one retractable lever (CS(+)) was followed, response independently, with food, while insertion of another lever (CS(-)) was not paired with food. Rats quickly came to contact the CS(+) lever at high rates, but contacted the CS(-) lever infrequently. In the next phase, CS(+) was no longer followed by food. Explicitly unpaired food was presented only during the inter-trial intervals when both levers were absent. This treatment essentially eliminated the sign-tracking response. In the final phase, the unpaired inter-trial food presentations were discontinued while both CSs continued to be presented without food. This produced a significant recovery of the sign-tracking elicited by the CS(+) lever, extending the species generality of the Pavlovian resurgence phenomenon that has previously only been reported in pigeons, to rats.

Monitoring inter-channel nonlinearity based on differential pilot

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wanli; Yang, Aiying; Guo, Peng; Lu, Yueming; Qiao, Yaojun

2018-06-01

We modify and simplify the inter-channel nonlinearity (NL) estimation method by using differential pilot. Compared to previous works, the inter-channel NL estimation method we propose has much lower complexity and does not need modification of the transmitter. The performance of inter-channel NL monitoring with different launch power is tested. For both QPSK and 16QAM systems with 9 channels, the estimation error of inter-channel NL is lower than 1 dB when the total launch power is bigger than 12 dBm after 1000 km optical transmission. At last, we compare our inter-channel NL estimation method with other methods.

Cardiac valve calcifications on low-dose unenhanced ungated chest computed tomography: inter-observer and inter-examination reliability, agreement and variability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamersvelt, Robbert W. van; Willemink, Martin J.; Takx, Richard A.P.; Eikendal, Anouk L.M.; Budde, Ricardo P.J.; Leiner, Tim; Jong, Pim A. de; Mol, Christian P.; Isgum, Ivana

2014-01-01

To determine inter-observer and inter-examination variability for aortic valve calcification (AVC) and mitral valve and annulus calcification (MC) in low-dose unenhanced ungated lung cancer screening chest computed tomography (CT). We included 578 lung cancer screening trial participants who were examined by CT twice within 3 months to follow indeterminate pulmonary nodules. On these CTs, AVC and MC were measured in cubic millimetres. One hundred CTs were examined by five observers to determine the inter-observer variability. Reliability was assessed by kappa statistics (κ) and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs). Variability was expressed as the mean difference ± standard deviation (SD). Inter-examination reliability was excellent for AVC (κ = 0.94, ICC = 0.96) and MC (κ = 0.95, ICC = 0.90). Inter-examination variability was 12.7 ± 118.2 mm 3 for AVC and 31.5 ± 219.2 mm 3 for MC. Inter-observer reliability ranged from κ = 0.68 to κ = 0.92 for AVC and from κ = 0.20 to κ = 0.66 for MC. Inter-observer ICC was 0.94 for AVC and ranged from 0.56 to 0.97 for MC. Inter-observer variability ranged from -30.5 ± 252.0 mm 3 to 84.0 ± 240.5 mm 3 for AVC and from -95.2 ± 210.0 mm 3 to 303.7 ± 501.6 mm 3 for MC. AVC can be quantified with excellent reliability on ungated unenhanced low-dose chest CT, but manual detection of MC can be subject to substantial inter-observer variability. Lung cancer screening CT may be used for detection and quantification of cardiac valve calcifications. (orig.)

Role of spousal involvement in continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP adherence in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Batool-Anwar S

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Little is known about the impact of spousal involvement on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP adherence. The aim of this study was to determine whether spouse involvement affects adherence with CPAP therapy, and how this association varies with gender. Methods: 194 subjects recruited from Apnea Positive Pressure Long Term Efficacy Study (APPLES completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS. The majority of participants were Caucasian (83%, and males (73%, with mean age of 56 years, mean BMI of 31 kg/m2. & 62% had severe OSA. The DAS is a validated 32-item self-report instrument measuring dyadic consensus, satisfaction, cohesion, and affectional expression. A high score in the DAS is indicative of a person’s adjustment to the marriage. Additionally, questions related to spouse involvement with general health and CPAP use were asked. CPAP use was downloaded from the device and self-report, and compliance was defined as usage > 4 h per night. Results: There were no significant differences in overall marital quality between the compliant and noncompliant subjects. However, level of spousal involvement was associated with increased CPAP adherence at 6 months (p=0.01. After stratifying for gender these results were significant only among males (p=0.03. Three years after completing APPLES, level of spousal involvement was not associated with CPAP compliance even after gender stratification. Conclusion: Spousal involvement is important in determining CPAP compliance in males in the 1st 6 months after initiation of therapy but is not predictive of longer-term adherence. Involvement of the spouse should be considered an integral part of CPAP initiation procedures.

[Implementing Inter-Professional Education (IPE): Challenges and Strategies].

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chia-Lun; Hung, Chich-Hsiu

2017-12-01

Inter-professional practice (IPP), necessary in today's healthcare environment, should be guided and practiced through inter-professional education (IPE). Within the context of an effective IPE program, collaborative medical professionals must be cognizant of the demands of patients' integrated care, organize a collaborative inter-professional team, and achieve the objectives of patient-centered care. However, the many challenges of IPE include insufficient understanding of inter-professional care, occupational culture-related boundary issues, lack of a college education, and insufficient support from academic and medical institutions. This article suggests adopting effective strategies to promote inter-professional recognition, create a harmonious medical culture, eliminate barriers to education, and enhance support for academic and medical institutions. Inter-professional collaboration between academic and clinical institutions must provide resources and substantive professional training. Effectively implementing IPE and IPP is expected to elicit trust, respect, and efficient communication from team members.

Impact of Reconstruction Algorithms on CT Radiomic Features of Pulmonary Tumors: Analysis of Intra- and Inter-Reader Variability and Inter-Reconstruction Algorithm Variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyungjin; Park, Chang Min; Lee, Myunghee; Park, Sang Joon; Song, Yong Sub; Lee, Jong Hyuk; Hwang, Eui Jin; Goo, Jin Mo

2016-01-01

To identify the impact of reconstruction algorithms on CT radiomic features of pulmonary tumors and to reveal and compare the intra- and inter-reader and inter-reconstruction algorithm variability of each feature. Forty-two patients (M:F = 19:23; mean age, 60.43±10.56 years) with 42 pulmonary tumors (22.56±8.51mm) underwent contrast-enhanced CT scans, which were reconstructed with filtered back projection and commercial iterative reconstruction algorithm (level 3 and 5). Two readers independently segmented the whole tumor volume. Fifteen radiomic features were extracted and compared among reconstruction algorithms. Intra- and inter-reader variability and inter-reconstruction algorithm variability were calculated using coefficients of variation (CVs) and then compared. Among the 15 features, 5 first-order tumor intensity features and 4 gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM)-based features showed significant differences (palgorithms. As for the variability, effective diameter, sphericity, entropy, and GLCM entropy were the most robust features (CV≤5%). Inter-reader variability was larger than intra-reader or inter-reconstruction algorithm variability in 9 features. However, for entropy, homogeneity, and 4 GLCM-based features, inter-reconstruction algorithm variability was significantly greater than inter-reader variability (palgorithms. Inter-reconstruction algorithm variability was greater than inter-reader variability for entropy, homogeneity, and GLCM-based features.

A longitudinal study of childhood social behaviour : Inter-informant agreement, inter-context agreement, and social preference linkages

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuppens, Sofie; Grietens, Hans; Onghena, Patrick; Michiels, Daisy

2009-01-01

This study examined inter-informant agreement, inter-context agreement, and social preference linkages for social behaviour subtypes. On two occasions, data was collected on 600 children (8-10 years old) via mother, father, teacher, and peer reports. Informant reports converged within each context

interRAI home care quality indicators

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Morris, J.N.; Fries, B.E.; Frijters, D.H.M.; Hirdes, J.P.; Steel, R.K.

2013-01-01

Background: This paper describe the development of interRAI's second-generation home care quality indicators (HC-QIs). They are derived from two of interRAI's widely used community assessments: the Community Health Assessment and the Home Care Assessment. In this work the form in which the quality

Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN)

Science.gov (United States)

site. IABIN Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN) OAS » SEDI » DSD » IABIN IABIN GEF Logo inbio natserve usgs polpar wcm The Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN , and use of biodiversity information relevant to policy and decision-making on natural resources

Cardiac valve calcifications on low-dose unenhanced ungated chest computed tomography: inter-observer and inter-examination reliability, agreement and variability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamersvelt, Robbert W. van; Willemink, Martin J.; Takx, Richard A.P.; Eikendal, Anouk L.M.; Budde, Ricardo P.J.; Leiner, Tim; Jong, Pim A. de [University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Mol, Christian P.; Isgum, Ivana [University Medical Center Utrecht, Image Sciences Institute, Utrecht (Netherlands)

2014-07-15

To determine inter-observer and inter-examination variability for aortic valve calcification (AVC) and mitral valve and annulus calcification (MC) in low-dose unenhanced ungated lung cancer screening chest computed tomography (CT). We included 578 lung cancer screening trial participants who were examined by CT twice within 3 months to follow indeterminate pulmonary nodules. On these CTs, AVC and MC were measured in cubic millimetres. One hundred CTs were examined by five observers to determine the inter-observer variability. Reliability was assessed by kappa statistics (κ) and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs). Variability was expressed as the mean difference ± standard deviation (SD). Inter-examination reliability was excellent for AVC (κ = 0.94, ICC = 0.96) and MC (κ = 0.95, ICC = 0.90). Inter-examination variability was 12.7 ± 118.2 mm{sup 3} for AVC and 31.5 ± 219.2 mm{sup 3} for MC. Inter-observer reliability ranged from κ = 0.68 to κ = 0.92 for AVC and from κ = 0.20 to κ = 0.66 for MC. Inter-observer ICC was 0.94 for AVC and ranged from 0.56 to 0.97 for MC. Inter-observer variability ranged from -30.5 ± 252.0 mm{sup 3} to 84.0 ± 240.5 mm{sup 3} for AVC and from -95.2 ± 210.0 mm{sup 3} to 303.7 ± 501.6 mm{sup 3} for MC. AVC can be quantified with excellent reliability on ungated unenhanced low-dose chest CT, but manual detection of MC can be subject to substantial inter-observer variability. Lung cancer screening CT may be used for detection and quantification of cardiac valve calcifications. (orig.)

Inter-Professional Team Objective Structured Clinical Examination (ITOSCE: Teaching and Assessment Strategies of the Inter Professional Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Keshmiri

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background: In the recent decades, Inter-Professional Team Objective Structured Clinical Examination (ITOSCE has been considered as an efficient tool in evaluating the teamwork and the Inter-professional competences. The aim of this study was to review the literature related ITOSCE as educational tool. Method: This narrative review study was conducted in 2015. Relevant literature was found by searching the databases such as: PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Science Direct, EBSCO, ProQuest. Title searching was performed in full English texts without time limitation using keywords including; Team, Inter professional Team, Group, Inter-disciplinary, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (TOSCE, ITOSCE, GOSCE. Results: 19 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analyses. In 13 studies, ITOSCE was used as an assessment tool, and in 6 studies as a learning tool. ITOSCE had been used in several fields such as: obstetrics, gynecology, emergency, palliative care with participating of a variety of disciplines, including: medicine, pharmacy, several trends of nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and Social working. Conclusion: Eventually, it can be noted that ITOSCE plays significant role as an educational and evaluation tool to improve inter-professional teamwork competences among the students. Further studies are needed to develop to examine the psychometric criteria of ITOSCE.

What are the roles involved in establishing and maintaining informational continuity of care within family practice? A systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agarwal Gina

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Central to establishing continuity of care is the development of a relationship between doctor and patient/caregiver. Transfer of information between these parties facilitates the development of continuity in general; and specifically informational continuity of care. We conducted a systematic review of published literature to gain a better understanding of the roles that different parties – specifically doctors, patients, family caregivers, and technology – play in establishing and maintaining informational continuity of care within family practice. Methods Relevant published articles were sought from five databases. Accepted articles were reviewed and appraised in a consistent way. Fifty-six articles were retained following title and abstract reviews. Of these, 28 were accepted for this review. Results No articles focused explicitly on the roles involved in establishing or maintaining informational continuity of care within family practice. Most informational continuity of care literature focused on the transfer of information between settings and not at the first point of contact. Numerous roles were, however, were interpreted using the data extracted from reviewed articles. Doctors are responsible for record keeping, knowing patients' histories, recalling accumulated knowledge, and maintaining confidentiality. Patients are responsible for disclosing personal and health details, transferring information to other practitioners (including new family doctors, and establishing trust. Both are responsible for developing a relationship of trust. Technology is an important tool of informational continuity of care through holding important information, providing search functions, and providing a space for recorded information. There is a significant gap in our knowledge about the roles that family caregivers play. Conclusion The number of roles identified and the interrelationships between them indicates that establishing and

Vascular complications of prosthetic inter-vertebral discs

OpenAIRE

Daly, Kevin J.; Ross, E. Raymond S.; Norris, Heather; McCollum, Charles N.

2006-01-01

Five consecutive cases of prosthetic inter-vertebral disc displacement with severe vascular complications on revisional surgery are described. The objective of this case report is to warn spinal surgeons that major vascular complications are likely with anterior displacement of inter-vertebral discs. We have not been able to find a previous report on vascular complications associated with anterior displacement of prosthetic inter-vertebral discs. In all five patients the prosthetic disc had e...

Inter-granular current in iron-oxypnictide superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamegai, T.; Tsuchiya, Y.; Nakajima, Y.; Kamihara, Y.; Hosono, H.

2010-01-01

Inter- and intragranular currents, J c inter and J c intra , in LaFePO 0.94 F 0.06 polycrystalline sample are evaluated by measuring the remanent-state field profile using magneto-optical imaging method. Obtained images show the absence of magnetic field modulation associated with the weak-link nature of grain boundaries, indicating that J c inter and J c intra are comparable in magnitude in contrast to other iron-arsenide superconductors. J c inter is estimated to be 2 x 10 4 A/cm 2 in the limit of T = 0 K, which is larger than the values in other iron-arsenide superconductors. Implication of these J c behavior is discussed in relation with possible pairing symmetries.

The Uneasy Inter-communal Relations in Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina NEDELCU

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the development of the inter-communal relations in Lebanon and it approaches issues such as diversity and identity. Ever since the creation of modern Lebanon in 1920, the principle of proportionality has been subject of a significant inter-communal debate. Although, proportionality was to support state’s development and fair representation of all religious groups, it ended up the basis for a rigid political system, which turned into a major problem for the inter-communal political relationship, situation which escalated to civil war. The war, not only emphasized the inter-communal debate of what constituted a fair power-distribution system, but it also deepened this question, because it added new components such as new political actors.

An RF power amplifier with inter-metal-shuffled capacitor for inter-stage matching in a digital CMOS process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng Xiaoxing; Zhang Xing; Ge Binjie; Wang Xin' an, E-mail: wangxa@szpku.edu.c [Key Laboratory of Integrated Microsystems, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen 518055 (China)

2009-06-01

One challenge of the implementation of fully-integrated RF power amplifiers into a deep submicro digital CMOS process is that no capacitor is available, especially no high density capacitor. To address this problem, a two-stage class-AB power amplifier with inter-stage matching realized by an inter-metal coupling capacitor is designed in a 180-nm digital CMOS process. This paper compares three structures of inter-metal coupling capacitors with metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor regarding their capacitor density. Detailed simulations are carried out for the leakage, the voltage dependency, the temperature dependency, and the quality factor between an inter-metal shuffled (IMS) capacitor and an MIM capacitor. Finally, an IMS capacitor is chosen to perform the inter-stage matching. The techniques are validated via the design and implement of a two-stage class-AB RF power amplifier for an UHF RFID application. The PA occupies 370 x 200 mum{sup 2} without pads in the 180-nm digital CMOS process and outputs 21.1 dBm with 40% drain efficiency and 28.1 dB power gain at 915 MHz from a single 3.3 V power supply.

An RF power amplifier with inter-metal-shuffled capacitor for inter-stage matching in a digital CMOS process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Xiaoxing; Zhang Xing; Ge Binjie; Wang Xin'an

2009-01-01

One challenge of the implementation of fully-integrated RF power amplifiers into a deep submicro digital CMOS process is that no capacitor is available, especially no high density capacitor. To address this problem, a two-stage class-AB power amplifier with inter-stage matching realized by an inter-metal coupling capacitor is designed in a 180-nm digital CMOS process. This paper compares three structures of inter-metal coupling capacitors with metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor regarding their capacitor density. Detailed simulations are carried out for the leakage, the voltage dependency, the temperature dependency, and the quality factor between an inter-metal shuffled (IMS) capacitor and an MIM capacitor. Finally, an IMS capacitor is chosen to perform the inter-stage matching. The techniques are validated via the design and implement of a two-stage class-AB RF power amplifier for an UHF RFID application. The PA occupies 370 x 200 μm 2 without pads in the 180-nm digital CMOS process and outputs 21.1 dBm with 40% drain efficiency and 28.1 dB power gain at 915 MHz from a single 3.3 V power supply.

Phenomena of Inter-age Manipulations in Interaction "Teacher-Student"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miklyaeva A.V.,

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Thearticlepresentsthe results of studies of the phenomenon empirical inter-age manipulation in the pedagogical interaction. Inter-age manipulation is considered a form of manipulation carried out on the basis of an appeal to the participants in the interaction age roles. Based on the results of a survey 109 teenagers 13-15 years, using a questionnaire, color test of relations and projective drawing shows that inter-age manipulation is a common way to impact on the students, elected teacher. Teachers are the subjects of inter-age manipulation more often than students. It was revealed that the effectiveness of inter-age manipulation in pedagogical interaction increases if it is meaningful is consistent with the normative content of age roles, as well as «inter-age distance" between the teacher and the students. The greatest effectiveness of have inter-age manipulation undertaken for older teachers, and manipulation "from below" from young teachers

Disintermediation of Inter-Blockchain Transactions

OpenAIRE

English, S. Matthew; Orlandi, Fabrizio; Auer, Soeren

2016-01-01

Different versions of peer-to-peer electronic cash exist as data represented by separate blockchains. Payments between such systems cannot be sent directly from one party to another without going through a financial institution. Bitcoin provided part of the solution but its utility is limited to intra-blockchain transactions. The benefits are lost if a trusted third party is required to execute inter-blockchain transactions. We propose a solution to the inter-blockchain transaction problem us...

Enabling Tussle-Agile Inter-networking Architectures by Underlay Virtualisation

Science.gov (United States)

Dianati, Mehrdad; Tafazolli, Rahim; Moessner, Klaus

In this paper, we propose an underlay inter-network virtualisation framework in order to enable tussle-agile flexible networking over the existing inter-network infrastructures. The functionalities that inter-networking elements (transit nodes, access networks, etc.) need to support in order to enable virtualisation are discussed. We propose the base architectures of each the abstract elements to support the required inter-network virtualisation functionalities.

The Inter-Disciplinary Impact of Computerized Application of Spatial Visualization on Motor and Concentration Skills

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esther Zaretsky

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The present inter-disciplinary research is aimed at investigating the impact of computerized application of spatial visualization on motor and concentration skills. An experiment composed of experimental and control groups for checking the central hypothesis among subjects of the same age group was carried out by physical education MA students. Virtual simulations offer MA students and teachers the unique opportunity to observe and manipulate normally inaccessible objects, variables and processes in real time. The research design focused on a qualitative research comparing the pupils' percents of success in spatial visualization and motor skills between pre- and post- training. The findings showed that just as the students realized the experimental group pupils' achievements, the computer's inter-disciplinary impact on motor performance and concentration skills became clear to the MA students. The virtual computerized training based on spatial visualization mostly contributed to the inter-disciplinary research, physical education and communication. All the findings lead to the conclusion that computerized application of spatial visualization seem to mediate between virtual reality and developing motor skills in real time involving penalty kick, basketball, jumping, etc.

Inter-decadal change of the lagged inter-annual relationship between local sea surface temperature and tropical cyclone activity over the western North Pacific

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Haikun; Wu, Liguang; Raga, G. B.

2018-02-01

This study documents the inter-decadal change of the lagged inter-annual relationship between the TC frequency (TCF) and the local sea surface temperature (SST) in the western North Pacific (WNP) during 1979-2014. An abrupt shift of the lagged relationship between them is observed to occur in 1998. Before the shift (1979-1997), a moderately positive correlation (0.35) between previous-year local SST and TCF is found, while a significantly negative correlation (- 0.71) is found since the shift (1998-2014). The inter-decadal change of the lagged relationship between TCF and local SST over the WNP is also accompanied by an inter-decadal change in the lagged inter-annual relationship between large-scale factors affecting TCs and local SST over the WNP. During 1998-2014, the previous-year local SST shows a significant negative correlation with the mid-level moisture and a significant positive correlation with the vertical wind shear over the main development region of WNP TC genesis. Almost opposite relationships are seen during 1979-1997, with a smaller magnitude of the correlation coefficients. These changes are consistent with the changes of the lagged inter-annual relationship between upper- and lower-level winds and local SST over the WNP. Analyses further suggests that the inter-decadal shift of the lagged inter-annual relationship between WNP TCF and local SST may be closely linked to the inter-decadal change of inter-annual SST transition over the tropical central-eastern Pacific associated with the climate regime shift in the late 1990s. Details on the underlying physical process need further investigation using observations and simulations.

Stay tuned: Inter-individual neural synchronization during mutual gaze and joint attention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daisuke N Saito

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Eye contact provides a communicative link between humans, prompting joint attention. As spontaneous brain activity may have an important role in coordination of neuronal processing within the brain, their inter-subject synchronization may occur during eye contact. To test this, we conducted simultaneous functional MRI in pairs of adults. Eye contact was maintained at baseline while the subjects engaged in real-time gaze exchange in a joint attention task. Averted gaze activated the bilateral occipital pole extending to the right posterior superior temporal sulcus, the dorso-medial prefrontal cortex, and bilateral inferior frontal gyrus. Following a partner’s gaze towards an object activated the left intraparietal sulcus. After all task-related effects were modeled out, inter-individual correlation analysis of residual time-courses was performed. Paired subjects showed more prominent correlations than non-paired subjects in the right inferior frontal gyrus, suggesting that this region is involved in sharing intention during eye contact that provides the context for joint attention.

Inter-Professional Practices of Private-Sector Physiotherapists for Low Back Pain Management: Who, How, and When?

Science.gov (United States)

Perreault, Kadija; Dionne, Clermont E; Rossignol, Michel; Poitras, Stéphane; Morin, Diane

Purpose : Although there have been increasing demands for health care providers to take part in inter-professional practices in recent years, very little attention has been paid to the actualization of such practices in the private sector. This study describes private-sector physiotherapists' inter-professional practices regarding low back pain (LBP) management and identifies organizational and provider-level variables associated with the intensity of such practices. Method : A total of 327 randomly selected physiotherapists were surveyed in the province of Quebec. Data were analyzed using descriptive and multiple regression analyses. Results : Physiotherapists reported frequent interactions with other physiotherapists (daily/weekly for 52.6%), family physicians (51.0%), and physiotherapy (PT) assistants (45.2%), but infrequent interactions with psychologists (3.6%), neurosurgeons (0.9%), and chiropractors (0.3%). Frequently reported means of interactions were written and oral messages sent through clients (55.1% and 24.1%, respectively), face-to-face unplanned discussions (41.9%), and faxed or mailed letters (23.2%). Variables associated with the intensity of inter-professional practices (mean of 6.7 [ SD 1.7] out of 10 on the Intensity of Interprofessional Practices Questionnaire for Private Sector Physiotherapists) were related to physiotherapists' clientele, social activities with other providers, and perceptions of inter-professional practices as well as organizational models, vision, and provision of PT training. Conclusions: There is room to improve inter-professional practices with private-sector physiotherapists involved in managing LBP. Targets for action include physiotherapists and their workplaces.

Inter-Organisational Coordination in Ramp-Up Execution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Irene; Karlsson, Christer

the degree of fragmentation in the process planning and execution. Resource dependence theory (RDT) is used as central explanatory framework for inter-organisational interdependencies formation throughout the planning and execution of the ramp-up activities and milestones. This study aims at exploring inter...

Continuous atom laser with Bose-Einstein condensates involving three-body interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carpentier, A V; Michinel, H; Novoa, D [Area de Optica, Facultade de Ciencias de Ourense, Universidade de Vigo, As Lagoas s/n, Ourense, ES-32004 (Spain); Olivieri, D N, E-mail: avcarpentier@uvigo.e [Area de Linguaxes e sistemas informaticos, Escola Superior de EnxenerIa Informatica, Universidade de Vigo, As Lagoas s/n, Ourense, ES-32004 (Spain)

2010-05-28

We demonstrate, through numerical simulations, the emission of a coherent continuous matter wave of constant amplitude from a Bose-Einstein condensate in a shallow optical dipole trap. The process is achieved by spatial control of the variations of the scattering length along the trapping axis, including elastic three-body interactions due to dipole interactions. In our approach, the outcoupling mechanism is atomic interactions, and thus, the trap remains unaltered. We calculate analytically the parameters for the experimental implementation of this continuous wave atom laser.

Inter-particle and interfacial interaction of magnetic nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bae, Che Jin; Hwang, Yosun; Park, Jongnam; An, Kwangjin; Lee, Youjin; Lee, Jinwoo; Hyeon, Taeghwan; Park, J.-G.

2007-01-01

In order to understand inter-particle as well as interfacial interaction of magnetic nanoparticles, we have prepared several Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles in the ranges from 3 to 50 nm. These nanoparticles are particularly well characterized in terms of size distribution with a standard deviation (σ) in size less than 0.4 nm. We investigated the inter-particle interaction by measuring the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles while controlling inter-particle distances by diluting the samples with solvents. According to this study, blocking temperatures dropped by 8-17 K with increasing the inter-particle distances from a few nm to 140 nm while the overall shape and qualitative behavior of the magnetization remain unchanged. It implies that most features observed in the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles are due to the intrinsic properties of the nanoparticles, not due to the inter-particle interaction. We then examined possible interfacial magnetic interaction in the core-shell structure of our Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles

HISTORICAL DYNAMICS OF INTER-RELIGIOUS RELATIONS IN SOUTH KALIMANTAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mujiburrahman Mujiburrahman

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a historical overview of the dynamics of inter-religious relations in South Kalimantan. Early conversion to Islam in the 16th century, and more intensive Islamization by the 18th century, can be seen as the formative period of Islam in this region. The encounter and clash between the new religion and the existing beliefs and practices were unavoidable. By the late 19th century, the clash seems to move to another target, namely the colonial power associated with Christianity. By this period, Islam was transformed from the court into a people movement against the colonial power. By the first half of the 20th century, the problem of the 18th century apparently reappeared but in another form, namely the clash between puritan and traditional Islam. The making of the Indonesian nation state by the second half of the 20th century pushed the Banjarese Muslims to be involved in the ideological debates, and even in a rebellion against the state. During the Soeharto period, Muslim-Christian tensions at the national politics also influenced this region. Finally, in the Reformation Era, the Muslims in the province face serious challenges of intra- and inter-religious plurality.

Evaluation of ground stiffness parameters using continuous surface wave geophysics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gordon, Anne; Foged, Niels

2000-01-01

Present day knowledge of the magnitude of the strain levels in the ground associated with geotechnical structures, together with an increasing number of projects requiring the best estimates of ground movements around excavations, has led to, inter alia, increased interest in measuring the very......-small-strain stiffness of the ground Gmax. Continuous surface wave geophysics offers a quick, non-intrusive and economical way of making such measurements. This paper reviews the continuous surface wave techniques and evaluates, in engineering terms, the applicability of the method to the site investigation industry....

Detecting subarachnoid hemorrhage: Comparison of combined FLAIR/SWI versus CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verma, Rajeev Kumar, E-mail: rajeev.verma@insel.ch [University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, University of Bern, Inselspital, Freiburgstrasse 4, 3010 Bern (Switzerland); Kottke, Raimund, E-mail: raimund.kottke@insel.ch [University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, University of Bern, Inselspital, Freiburgstrasse 4, 3010 Bern (Switzerland); Andereggen, Lukas, E-mail: lukas.andereggen@insel.ch [Department of Neurosurgery, University of Bern, Inselspital, Freiburgstrasse 4, 3010 Bern (Switzerland); Weisstanner, Christian, E-mail: christian.weisstanner@insel.ch [University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, University of Bern, Inselspital, Freiburgstrasse 4, 3010 Bern (Switzerland); Zubler, Christoph, E-mail: christoph.zubler@insel.ch [University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, University of Bern, Inselspital, Freiburgstrasse 4, 3010 Bern (Switzerland); Gralla, Jan, E-mail: jan.gralla@insel.ch [University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, University of Bern, Inselspital, Freiburgstrasse 4, 3010 Bern (Switzerland); Kiefer, Claus, E-mail: claus.kiefer@insel.ch [University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, University of Bern, Inselspital, Freiburgstrasse 4, 3010 Bern (Switzerland); Slotboom, Johannes, E-mail: johannes.slotboom@insel.ch [University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, University of Bern, Inselspital, Freiburgstrasse 4, 3010 Bern (Switzerland); and others

2013-09-15

Objectives: Aim of this study was to compare the utility of susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) with the established diagnostic techniques CT and fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) in their detecting capacity of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and further to compare the combined SWI/FLAIR MRI data with CT to evaluate whether MRI is more accurate than CT. Methods: Twenty-five patients with acute SAH underwent CT and MRI within 6 days after symptom onset. Underlying pathology for SAH was head trauma (n = 9), ruptured aneurysm (n = 6), ruptured arteriovenous malformation (n = 2), and spontaneous bleeding (n = 8). SWI, FLAIR, and CT data were analyzed. The anatomical distribution of SAH was subdivided into 8 subarachnoid regions with three peripheral cisterns (frontal-parietal, temporal-occipital, sylvian), two central cisterns and spaces (interhemispheric, intraventricular), and the perimesencephalic, posterior fossa, superior cerebellar cisterns. Results: SAH was detected in a total of 146 subarachnoid regions. CT identified 110 (75.3%), FLAIR 127 (87%), and SWI 129 (88.4%) involved regions. Combined FLAIR and SWI identified all 146 detectable regions (100%). FLAIR was sensitive for frontal-parietal, temporal-occipital and Sylvian cistern SAH, while SWI was particularly sensitive for interhemispheric and intraventricular hemorrhage. Conclusions: By combining SWI and FLAIR, MRI yields a distinctly higher detection rate for SAH than CT alone, particularly due to their complementary detection characteristics in different anatomical regions. Detection strength of SWI is high in central areas, whereas FLAIR shows a better detection rate in peripheral areas.

Infusing an Inter-Professional and Inter-University Perspective into Healthcare Education

Science.gov (United States)

Goldberg, Lynette R.; Koontz, Jennifer Scott; Downs, David; Uhlig, Paul; Kumar, Neil G.; Shah, Sapna; Clark, Paige E.; Coiner, Christina; Crumrine, Daiquirie

2010-01-01

A national (USA) student-led, case-based CLinician/Administrator Relationship Improvement OrganizatioN (CLARION) competition focuses students in medical and related healthcare programs on the provision of healthcare that is safe, timely, equitable, patient-centred, effective and efficient. Students work in four-person, inter-professional teams to…

Atmospheric Correction Inter-Comparison Exercise

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georgia Doxani

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The Atmospheric Correction Inter-comparison eXercise (ACIX is an international initiative with the aim to analyse the Surface Reflectance (SR products of various state-of-the-art atmospheric correction (AC processors. The Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT and Water Vapour (WV are also examined in ACIX as additional outputs of AC processing. In this paper, the general ACIX framework is discussed; special mention is made of the motivation to initiate the experiment, the inter-comparison protocol, and the principal results. ACIX is free and open and every developer was welcome to participate. Eventually, 12 participants applied their approaches to various Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 image datasets acquired over sites around the world. The current results diverge depending on the sensors, products, and sites, indicating their strengths and weaknesses. Indeed, this first implementation of processor inter-comparison was proven to be a good lesson for the developers to learn the advantages and limitations of their approaches. Various algorithm improvements are expected, if not already implemented, and the enhanced performances are yet to be assessed in future ACIX experiments.

INTER-EXAMINER VARIABILITY

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To establish whether inter-examiner variability is still a significant factor for the undergraduate orthopaedic clinical ... D. The scores for each student were tabulated and the range, mean, and pass rate determined for each of the examiners. ... has not the heart to reject the man”, consistently gave higher scores (1).

InterAction Database (IADB)

Science.gov (United States)

The InterAction Database includes demographic and prescription information for more than 500,000 patients in the northern and middle Netherlands and has been integrated with other systems to enhance data collection and analysis.

40 CFR 1065.150 - Continuous sampling.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Continuous sampling. 1065.150 Section... ENGINE-TESTING PROCEDURES Equipment Specifications § 1065.150 Continuous sampling. You may use continuous sampling techniques for measurements that involve raw or dilute sampling. Make sure continuous sampling...

The relationship between inter-organizational trust and performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roman Fiala

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with an investigation of the relationship between inter-organizational trust and performance. Using data obtained in a questionnaire survey in 373 organizations with more than 20 employees with their seat in the Czech Republic, we found the relationship between inter-organizational trust and supplier performance, mediated by the level of conflict. Also, the statistically significant negative relationship between inter-organizational trust and costs of negotiation and the statistically significant positive relationship between supplier performance and perceived performance were confirmed. The hypothesis on the statistically significant relationship between inter-organizational trust and negotiating costs was not confirmed. The structural equation modelling technique was used in the calculations. The calculated model fit indices (CFI, NFI, NNFI with values over 0.9 demonstrate a very good quality of the model.

Experimental Investigation of Inter-Blade Vortices in a Model Francis Turbine

Science.gov (United States)

LIU, Demin; LIU, Xiaobing; ZHAO, Yongzhi

2017-07-01

The inter-blade vortex in a Francis turbine becomes one of the main hydraulic factors that are likely to cause blade erosion at deep part load operating conditions. However, the causes and the mechanism of inter-blade vortex are still under investigation according to present researches. Thus the causes of inter-blade vortex and the effect of different hydraulic parameters on the inter-blade vortex are investigated experimentally. The whole life cycle of the inter-blade vortex is observed by a high speed camera. The test results illustrate the whole life cycle of the inter-blade vortex from generation to separation and even to fading. It is observed that the inter-blade vortex becomes stronger with the decreasing of flow and head, which leads to pressure fluctuation. Meanwhile, the pressure fluctuations in the vane-less area and the draft tube section become stronger when inter-blade vortices exist in the blade channel. The turbine will be damaged if operating in the inter-blade vortex zone, so its operating range must be far away from that zone. This paper reveals the main cause of the inter-blade vortex which is the larger incidence angle between the inflow angle and the blade angle on the leading edge of the runner at deep part load operating conditions.

Report on inter-noise 99; Inter-noise 99 sanka hokok

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koike, H. [Japan Automobile Research Institute Inc., Tsukuba (Japan)

2000-04-01

Inter-Noise (International Congress on Noise Control Engineering) is a society on noise/vibration and the control technology. Inter-Noise 99 was held on December 6, 7 and 8, 1999, at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the U.S. The theme was Noise Control in the New Millennium. The number of the participants registered was 555 (151 from the U.S., 89 from Japan, 248 from European countries, and 69 from Asian/other countries). Dr. Harold Marshall gave a keynote lecture titled Noise Control by Design in the 21st Century - An Architectural Acoustic Perspective. From a standpoint of architectural acoustics, he stated the perspective, subjects, and course of the technical development pertaining to technologies needed in the 21st century. The papers read are mostly from the following fields: measuring technology, military exercise noise, modeling, forecast and simulation, aerodynamic/underwater sound, etc. In the session on the tire noise where the author read a paper, 14 papers were read. The number of the papers read was more than that in 1998, probably influenced by the tire noise regulation in Europe and Japan. (translated by NEDO)

Conflict Management in Inter-racial Relationships

OpenAIRE

Sakti D, Andika; Lailiyah, S.Sos, M.I.Kom, Nuriyatul

2016-01-01

Based on the principle of conformity, a person tends to prefer a partner who has in common with him. But as the times goes by along with the era which is increasingly open, we have encountered inter-racial relationships, including in Indonesia. When couples come from different cultural backgrounds, the values, rules, standpoints, habits, and methods that used in relationship must also be different. The characteristics differences are tend to be the cause of conflict on inter-racial relationsh...

Project InterActions: A Multigenerational Robotic Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Bers, Marina U.

2007-12-01

This paper presents Project InterActions, a series of 5-week workshops in which very young learners (4- to 7-year-old children) and their parents come together to build and program a personally meaningful robotic project in the context of a multigenerational robotics-based community of practice. The goal of these family workshops is to teach both parents and children about the mechanical and programming aspects involved in robotics, as well as to initiate them in a learning trajectory with and about technology. Results from this project address different ways in which parents and children learn together and provide insights into how to develop educational interventions that would educate parents, as well as children, in new domains of knowledge and skills such as robotics and new technologies.

Inter-modal Transportation of Spent Nuclear Fuel from Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmid, St.; Thrower, A.; Best, R.E.

2009-01-01

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) plans to ship most commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) by rail in sealed transportation, aging and disposal (TAD) canisters. Based on current and projected dry SNF storage programs, DOE believes the majority of commercial nuclear sites would have the capacity to load and prepare large-capacity, canister-based dry storage canisters such as the proposed TAD systems. Thus, only a small fraction of SNF, such as odd lots and SNF not meeting TAD criteria, is projected for truck (highway) shipment. However, at some commercial facilities rail tracks do not extend to the site, or on-site rail does not extend to the site's proposed loading spot, and inter-modal transfers will be required. Advance coordination between DOE and commercial site operators, commercial carriers, specialized carriers and riggers, and state, tribal and local routing officials will be necessary to establish inter-modal transfer areas and obtain necessary permits to move heavy loads over highways. Although inter-modal transfers can involve a number of steps and several different entities acting in close coordination, such moves are commonly performed by industry and the system requirements are well-understood. (authors)

Chemical Continuous Time Random Walks

Science.gov (United States)

Aquino, T.; Dentz, M.

2017-12-01

Traditional methods for modeling solute transport through heterogeneous media employ Eulerian schemes to solve for solute concentration. More recently, Lagrangian methods have removed the need for spatial discretization through the use of Monte Carlo implementations of Langevin equations for solute particle motions. While there have been recent advances in modeling chemically reactive transport with recourse to Lagrangian methods, these remain less developed than their Eulerian counterparts, and many open problems such as efficient convergence and reconstruction of the concentration field remain. We explore a different avenue and consider the question: In heterogeneous chemically reactive systems, is it possible to describe the evolution of macroscopic reactant concentrations without explicitly resolving the spatial transport? Traditional Kinetic Monte Carlo methods, such as the Gillespie algorithm, model chemical reactions as random walks in particle number space, without the introduction of spatial coordinates. The inter-reaction times are exponentially distributed under the assumption that the system is well mixed. In real systems, transport limitations lead to incomplete mixing and decreased reaction efficiency. We introduce an arbitrary inter-reaction time distribution, which may account for the impact of incomplete mixing. This process defines an inhomogeneous continuous time random walk in particle number space, from which we derive a generalized chemical Master equation and formulate a generalized Gillespie algorithm. We then determine the modified chemical rate laws for different inter-reaction time distributions. We trace Michaelis-Menten-type kinetics back to finite-mean delay times, and predict time-nonlocal macroscopic reaction kinetics as a consequence of broadly distributed delays. Non-Markovian kinetics exhibit weak ergodicity breaking and show key features of reactions under local non-equilibrium.

An Inter-Disciplinary Language for Inter-Disciplinary Communication: Academic Globalization, Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Szabo White

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Inspired by the intersection of character, emotions, and logic, much like a Hungarian Rhapsody which is beautifully sad; this paper explores ethos, pathos, and logos in the context of Academic Globalization. As students of the world, an inter-disciplinary language is pivotal for inter-disciplinary communication. Given that the current state of the world stems primarily from miscommunications, it is imperative to launch a cognitive language tool which underscores global commonalities and mitigates cultural differences. Such a platform would foster interdisciplinary research, education, and communication. New paradigms would evolve, grounded in ethos, pathos, and logos. Like yin and yang, these states are interrelated, interacting, and interchanging learning spheres. Just as day and night blend at some point; just as the Parthenon epitomized Greek thought, celebrated the birthplace of democracy, and for the first time, depicted everyday citizens in friezes- underscoring their impactful role- ethos, pathos, and logos represent cross-disciplinary communication devices which synergistically transform and ignite academic globalization. The Literature Review links the concepts of ethos, pathos, and logos with the seminal work Lewis and his LMR framework, which has given birth to Cultureactive and subsequently to ICE [InterCultural Edge]. http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/ciber/programs/we_organize/ice/ Accessed February 14, 2014

SU-F-J-103: Assessment of Liver Tumor Contrast for Radiation Therapy: Inter-Patient and Inter-Sequence Variability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moore, B [Duke University Medical Physics Graduate Program, Durham, NC (United States); Yin, F; Cai, J [Duke University Medical Physics Graduate Program, Durham, NC (United States); Duke University Medical Center, Radiation Oncology, Durham, NC (United States); Czito, B; Palta, M [Duke University Medical Center, Radiation Oncology, Durham, NC (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To determine the variation in tumor contrast between different MRI sequences and between patients for the purpose of MRI-based treatment planning. Methods: Multiple MRI scans of 11 patients with cancer(s) in the liver were included in this IRB-approved study. Imaging sequences consisted of T1W MRI, Contrast-Enhanced T1W MRI, T2W MRI, and T2*/T1W MRI. MRI images were acquired on a 1.5T GE Signa scanner with a four-channel torso coil. We calculated the tumor-to-tissue contrast to noise ratio (CNR) for each MR sequence by contouring the tumor and a region of interest (ROI) in a homogeneous region of the liver using the Eclipse treatment planning software. CNR was calculated (I-Tum-I-ROI)/SD-ROI, where I-Tum and I-ROI are the mean values of the tumor and the ROI respectively, and SD-ROI is the standard deviation of the ROI. The same tumor and ROI structures were used in all measurements for different MR sequences. Inter-patient Coefficient of variation (CV), and inter-sequence CV was determined. In addition, mean and standard deviation of CNR were calculated and compared between different MR sequences. Results: Our preliminary results showed large inter-patient CV (range: 37.7% to 88%) and inter-sequence CV (range 5.3% to 104.9%) of liver tumor CNR, indicating great variations in tumor CNR between MR sequences and between patients. Tumor CNR was found to be largest in CE-T1W (8.5±7.5), followed by T2W (4.2±2.4), T1W (3.4±2.2), and T2*/T1W (1.7±0.6) MR scans. The inter-patient CV of tumor CNR was also the largest in CE-T1W (88%), followed by T1W (64.3%), T1W (56.2%), and T2*/T1W (37.7) MR scans. Conclusion: Large inter-sequence and inter-patient variations were observed in liver tumor CNR. CE-T1W MR images on average provided the best tumor CNR. Efforts are needed to optimize tumor contrast and its consistency for MRI-based treatment planning of cancer in the liver. This project is supported by NIH grant: 1R21CA165384.

SU-F-J-103: Assessment of Liver Tumor Contrast for Radiation Therapy: Inter-Patient and Inter-Sequence Variability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, B; Yin, F; Cai, J; Czito, B; Palta, M

2016-01-01

Purpose: To determine the variation in tumor contrast between different MRI sequences and between patients for the purpose of MRI-based treatment planning. Methods: Multiple MRI scans of 11 patients with cancer(s) in the liver were included in this IRB-approved study. Imaging sequences consisted of T1W MRI, Contrast-Enhanced T1W MRI, T2W MRI, and T2*/T1W MRI. MRI images were acquired on a 1.5T GE Signa scanner with a four-channel torso coil. We calculated the tumor-to-tissue contrast to noise ratio (CNR) for each MR sequence by contouring the tumor and a region of interest (ROI) in a homogeneous region of the liver using the Eclipse treatment planning software. CNR was calculated (I_Tum-I_ROI)/SD_ROI, where I_Tum and I_ROI are the mean values of the tumor and the ROI respectively, and SD_ROI is the standard deviation of the ROI. The same tumor and ROI structures were used in all measurements for different MR sequences. Inter-patient Coefficient of variation (CV), and inter-sequence CV was determined. In addition, mean and standard deviation of CNR were calculated and compared between different MR sequences. Results: Our preliminary results showed large inter-patient CV (range: 37.7% to 88%) and inter-sequence CV (range 5.3% to 104.9%) of liver tumor CNR, indicating great variations in tumor CNR between MR sequences and between patients. Tumor CNR was found to be largest in CE-T1W (8.5±7.5), followed by T2W (4.2±2.4), T1W (3.4±2.2), and T2*/T1W (1.7±0.6) MR scans. The inter-patient CV of tumor CNR was also the largest in CE-T1W (88%), followed by T1W (64.3%), T1W (56.2%), and T2*/T1W (37.7) MR scans. Conclusion: Large inter-sequence and inter-patient variations were observed in liver tumor CNR. CE-T1W MR images on average provided the best tumor CNR. Efforts are needed to optimize tumor contrast and its consistency for MRI-based treatment planning of cancer in the liver. This project is supported by NIH grant: 1R21CA165384

INTERES PREDŠOLSKIH OTROK DO POSLUŠANJA GLASBE

OpenAIRE

Zajc, Martina

2015-01-01

Poslušanje glasbe vpliva na otrokov glasbeni, estetski, moralni, telesni in duševni razvoj. V diplomski nalogi z naslovom Interes predšolskih otrok do poslušanja glasbe smo v empiričnem delu opravili raziskavo, s katero smo želeli izvedeti, kakšen interes imajo predšolski otroci do različnih zvrsti glasbe. Poleg tega nas je zanimalo, kakšno glasbo ponujajo vzgojitelji otrokom v vrtcu in koliko časa posvetijo poslušanju glasbe. Ugotovili smo, da imajo otroci velik interes do poslušanja ...

Neither bridging nor bonding: A test of socialization effects by ethnically diverse voluntary associations on participants' inter-ethnic tolerance, inter-ethnic trust and intra-ethnic belonging.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Meer, Tom

2016-01-01

The distinction between bridging and bonding associations is a cornerstone of social capital research. Nevertheless, this study is the first to provide a direct test of the socialization mechanism that supposedly causes ethnically mixed (bridging) associations to generate interethnic tolerance and trust, and homogenous (bonding) associations to cement self-affirming identities. This multilevel analysis of the Citizenship, Involvement & Democracy (CID) 1999/2000 survey data on Mannheim (Germany), Enschede (the Netherlands), and Aberdeen (Scotland) covers 3166 active participants in 645 associations. The CID includes objective, exogenous measures of each association's composition and aim. Socialization and self-selection effects are pulled apart through interactions with detailed measures of associational involvement. The results display no evidence for (diverse and homogenous) associations as socializing agents. Although inter-ethnic tolerance is higher in ethnically diverse associations, this should be attributed to self-selection effects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inter-atomic interaction between electrons, 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haga, Eijiro; Kato, Tomohiko; Aisaka, Tsuyoshi.

1978-01-01

Intra- and inter-atomic interactions in the exchange process are defined with respect to the Wannier function rather than the atomic function. In relation to the neutron scattering data for nickel, the behavior for the effective exchange parameter I(q) in the q-dependent susceptibility is, in RPA, investigated by taking into account the main types of the nearest neighbor interactions and by extending our previous treatment. The different types of interactions lead to different behavior for the q-dependence of I(q). The contribution to I(q) from inter-atomic interactions other than the exchange type decreases as the surface area of the Fermi surface becomes large. For the exchange type, the l-th neighbor interaction with l<=4 is taken into account, and, from the comparison with the empirical result for I(q), it is found that the inter-atomic contribution to I(0) is about thirty percent with a reasonable decrease against l. (author)

Communication practices in inter-organisational product development

OpenAIRE

Paasivaara, Maria

2005-01-01

Geographically distributed, inter-organisational product development projects are becoming increasingly common. However, companies face challenges in managing this kind of complicated projects. Most of the challenges are related to communication. This study focused on communication needs, problems and practices in distributed inter-organisational product development projects. The main objective was to identify and describe successful communication practices. In addition, the study aimed t...

Intra- and inter-subject variation in lower limb coordination during countermovement jumps in children and adults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raffalt, Peter C; Alkjær, Tine; Simonsen, Erik B

2016-01-01

-subject variability. Based on these results, it was concluded that the same movement solutions were available to both age groups, but the children were less able to consistently utilize the individually chosen coordination pattern. Thus, this ability appears to be developed through normal ontogenesis.......The purpose of the present study was to investigate the coordination pattern and coordination variability (intra-subject and inter-subject) in children and adults during vertical countermovement jumps. Ten children (mean age: 11.5±1.8years) and ten adults (mean age: 26.1±4.9years) participated...... in the experiment. Lower body 3D-kinematics and kinetics from both legs were obtained during 9 vertical jumps of each subject. Coordination pattern and coordination variability of intra-limb and inter-limb coupling were established by modified vector coding and continuous relative phase. The adult group jumped...

Inter-individual and inter-cell type variation in residual DNA damage after in vivo irradiation of human skin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chua, Melvin Lee Kiang; Somaiah, Navita; Bourne, Sara; Daley, Frances; A'Hern, Roger; Nuta, Otilia; Davies, Sue; Herskind, Carsten; Pearson, Ann; Warrington, Jim; Helyer, Sarah; Owen, Roger; Yarnold, John; Rothkamm, Kai

2011-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare inter-individual and inter-cell type variation in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair following in vivo irradiation of human skin. Materials and methods: Duplicate 4 mm core biopsies of irradiated and unirradiated skin were collected from 35 patients 24 h after 4 Gy exposure using 6 MeV electrons. Residual DSB were quantified by scoring 53BP1 foci in dermal fibroblasts, endothelial cells, superficial keratinocytes and basal epidermal cells. Results: Coefficients of inter-individual variation for levels of residual foci 24 h after in vivo irradiation of skin were 39.9% in dermal fibroblasts, 44.3% in endothelial cells, 32.9% in superficial keratinocytes and 46.4% in basal epidermal cells (p < 0.001, ANOVA). In contrast, the coefficient of inter-cell type variation for residual foci levels was only 11.3% in human skin between the different epidermal and dermal cells (p = 0.034, ANOVA). Foci levels between the different skin cell types were correlated (Pearson's R = 0.855-0.955, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Patient-specific factors appear to be more important than cell type-specific factors in determining residual foci levels following in vivo irradiation of human skin.

Review of inter-utility trade in electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

In 1992, Canada's National Energy Board released two discussion papers on inter-utility trade. Responses to the papers were received from utilities, government agencies, and other interested parties with regard to questions concerning measures that could be taken to enhance interprovincial trade in electricity and to enable buyers and sellers of electricity to obtain commercial access to available transmission capacity through intermediate provinces for wheeling purposes. The Board's review had estimated long-term net benefits from enhanced inter-utility cooperation at $23-32.5 billion by the year 2000 from such types of transactions as seasonal diversity exchanges and long-term firm sales. Seven types of options to achieve enhanced inter-utility trade were identified. Most of the respondent utilities and provinces that have direct access to external markets tended to prefer the status quo, opposing mandated solutions but supporting (or at least not opposing) federal monitoring of progress on enhanced inter-utility cooperation. Provinces and utilities without direct access to external markets tended to support (as a last resort) mandated solutions to disputes concerning electricity trade. Since the Board review, important events in the North American electricity supply industry have occurred; these are described, focusing on the US Energy Policy Act that gives powers to order transmission access. The formation by US utilities of regional transmission groups (RTGs) with federal encouragement is discussed, along with the implications for Canadian utilities that may want to become members of particular RTGs. The advantages and drawbacks of selecting the various options for enhancing inter-utility trade are then summarized. 1 tab

TRANSVERSE MODES FOR FLAT INTER-BUNCH WAKES*

CERN Document Server

Burov, A

2013-01-01

If inter-bunch wake fields are flat, i.e. their variations over a bunch length can be neglected, all coherent modes have the same coupled-bunch structure, provided the bunches can be treated as identical by their inner qualities (train theorem). If a flat feedback is strong enough, the transverse modes are single-bunch, provided the inter-bunch wakes are also flat (damper theorem).

Fractional charge and inter-Landau-level states at points of singular curvature.

Science.gov (United States)

Biswas, Rudro R; Son, Dam Thanh

2016-08-02

The quest for universal properties of topological phases is fundamentally important because these signatures are robust to variations in system-specific details. Aspects of the response of quantum Hall states to smooth spatial curvature are well-studied, but challenging to observe experimentally. Here we go beyond this prevailing paradigm and obtain general results for the response of quantum Hall states to points of singular curvature in real space; such points may be readily experimentally actualized. We find, using continuum analytical methods, that the point of curvature binds an excess fractional charge and sequences of quantum states split away, energetically, from the degenerate bulk Landau levels. Importantly, these inter-Landau-level states are bound to the topological singularity and have energies that are universal functions of bulk parameters and the curvature. Our exact diagonalization of lattice tight-binding models on closed manifolds demonstrates that these results continue to hold even when lattice effects are significant. An important technological implication of these results is that these inter-Landau-level states, being both energetically and spatially isolated quantum states, are promising candidates for constructing qubits for quantum computation.

FREPA - A Set of Instruments for the Development of Plurilingual and Inter-/Transcultural Competences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Daryai-Hansen, Petra Gilliyard; Schröder-Sura, Anna

2012-01-01

The article presents a description and instructions for use of a set of tools that seeks to facilitate learners’ continuous development and strengthen plurilingual and inter- /transcultural competences. These tools have been developed within the research project Framework of Reference for Plurali...... and defines the concept of pluralistic approaches. The FREPA tools will be presented by answering the question as to how the FREPA tools can been used to describe and develop transcultural competences. Finally, the recent perspectives of the FREPA project will be outlined....

Do project management and network governance contribute to inter-organisational collaboration in primary care? A mixed methods study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schepman, Sanneke; Valentijn, Pim; Bruijnzeels, Marc; Maaijen, Marlies; de Bakker, Dinny; Batenburg, Ronald; de Bont, Antoinette

2018-06-07

The need for organisational development in primary care has increased as it is accepted as a means of curbing rising costs and responding to demographic transitions. It is only within such inter-organisational networks that small-scale practices can offer treatment to complex patients and continuity of care. The aim of this paper is to explore, through the experience of professionals and patients, whether, and how, project management and network governance can improve the outcomes of projects which promote inter-organisational collaboration in primary care. This paper describes a study of projects aimed at improving inter-organisational collaboration in Dutch primary care. The projects' success in project management and network governance was monitored by interviewing project leaders and board members on the one hand, and improvement in the collaboration by surveying professionals and patients on the other. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to assess the projects. These were analysed, finally, using multi-level models in order to account for the variation in the projects, professionals and patients. Successful network governance was associated positively with the professionals' satisfaction with the collaboration; but not with improvements in the quality of care as experienced by patients. Neither patients nor professionals perceived successful project management as associated with the outcomes of the collaboration projects. This study shows that network governance in particular makes a difference to the outcomes of inter-organisational collaboration in primary care. However, project management is not a predictor for successful inter-organisational collaboration in primary care.

Inter professionalization and the breakaway from classic concepts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borgnakke, Karen; Nielsen, Cathrine Sand

2014-01-01

to explore and describe how the perspective of InBetween can help to strengthen and develop the individual, inter-professional and (inter)organisational learning generating new knowledge of: - the contributions of InBetween to the quality of future health professional education and to the future healthcare...

Inter-pregnancy interval and pregnancy outcomes among HIV ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

owner

Abstract Background: Both short and long inter-pregnancy intervals have been associated with higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. More so, short inter- pregnancy interval among HIV- positive women implies higher birth rate and subsequently a higher number of neonates exposed to HIV and potentially at.

Calculation of the inter-nuclei separation of HD+

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Zhousen; Shi Miangong; Tang Ayou; Yang Baifang; Miao Jingwei

1993-01-01

With the Ritz variational principle, the authors calculate the inter nuclei separation of the HD + molecular ion, and introduces a method to calculate the inter nuclei separations of other simple non-symmetry two-atom molecular ions. One way to work out the trial wave function is provided

Water vapour inter-comparison effort in the framework of the hydrological cycle in the mediterranean experiment - special observation period (hymex-sop1)

Science.gov (United States)

Summa, Donato; Di Girolamo, Paolo; Flamant, Cyrille; De Rosa, Benedetto; Cacciani, Marco; Stelitano, Dario

2018-04-01

Accurate measurements of the vertical profiles of water vapour are of paramount importance for most key areas of atmospheric sciences. A comprehensive inter-comparison between different remote sensing and in-situ sensors has been carried out in the frame work of the first Special Observing Period of the Hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean Experiment for the purpose of obtaining accurate error estimates for these sensors. The inter-comparison involves a ground-based Raman lidar (BASIL), an airborne DIAL (LEANDRE2), a microwave radiometer, radiosondes and aircraft in-situ sensors.

Inter- and intra-examiner reliability of footprint pattern analysis obtained from diabetics using the Harris mat.

Science.gov (United States)

Cisneros, Lígia de Loiola; Fonseca, Tiago H S; Abreu, Vivianni C

2010-01-01

High plantar pressure is a proven risk factor for ulceration among individuals with diabetes mellitus. The Harris and Beath footprinting mat is one of the tools used in screening for foot ulceration risk among these subjects. There are no reports in the literature on the reliability of footprint analysis using print pattern criteria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter- and intra-examiner reliability of the analysis of footprint patterns obtained using the Harris and Beath footprinting mat. Footprints were taken from 41 subjects using the footprinting mat. The images were subjected to analysis by three independent examiners. To investigate the intra-examiner reliability, the analysis was repeated by one of the examiners one week later. The weighted kappa coefficient was excellent (K(w) > 0.80) for the inter- and intra-examiner analyses for most of the points studied on both feet. The criteria for analyzing footprint patterns obtained using the Harris and Beath footprinting mat presented good reliability and high to excellent inter- and intra-examiner agreement. This method is reliable for analyses involving one or more examiners. Article registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) under the number ACTRN12609000693224.

Inter-organizational network studies – a literature review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bergenholtz, Carsten; Waldstrøm, Christian

2011-01-01

of the methodological issues (e.g. unit of analysis and boundary specification) are more easily addressed. In order to map the different methodological approaches in the field of inter-organizational networks, this paper presents a large-scale systematic literature review of the last 12 years’ research on inter...

Evaluation of Inter Therapy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Inge Nygaard

2002-01-01

This article (revised conference lecture from the 10th World Congress of Music Therapy, Oxford July 2002)) emphasizes the evaluation of the training of Inter Therapy for music therapy students at the MA training at Aalborg University. The students take turns in being client and therapist within...

Inter-cellular transport of ran GTPase.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deepak Khuperkar

Full Text Available Ran, a member of the Ras-GTPase superfamily, has a well-established role in regulating the transport of macromolecules across the nuclear envelope (NE. Ran has also been implicated in mitosis, cell cycle progression, and NE formation. Over-expression of Ran is associated with various cancers, although the molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon is unclear. Serendipitously, we found that Ran possesses the ability to move from cell-to-cell when transiently expressed in mammalian cells. Moreover, we show that the inter-cellular transport of Ran is GTP-dependent. Importantly, Ran displays a similar distribution pattern in the recipient cells as that in the donor cell and co-localizes with the Ran binding protein Nup358 (also called RanBP2. Interestingly, leptomycin B, an inhibitor of CRM1-mediated export, or siRNA mediated depletion of CRM1, significantly impaired the inter-cellular transport of Ran, suggesting a function for CRM1 in this process. These novel findings indicate a possible role for Ran beyond nucleo-cytoplasmic transport, with potential implications in inter-cellular communication and cancers.

Case of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome associated with abnormal cranial CT findings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hagino, Hiroshi; Sugitani, Akitoshi (Matsue Seishi Gakuen, Shimane (Japan)); Eda, Isematsu; Takakura, Hiroki

1984-01-01

A 16-year-old girl having typical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome was reported. In this patient, although there were no specific neurological findings, cranial CT scanning revealed marked dilation and deformation of the whole forth ventricle, dilation of the superior cerebellar cistern, and the dilation and deformation of the quadrigeminal cistern and circumvolute cistern, suggesting morphological abnormalities of the vermian region.

A case of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome associated with abnormal cranial CT findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagino, Hiroshi; Sugitani, Akitoshi; Eda, Isematsu; Takakura, Hiroki.

1984-01-01

A 16-year-old girl having typical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome was reported. In this patient, although there were no specific neurological findings, cranial CT scanning revealed marked dilation and deformation of the whole forth ventricle, dilation of the superior cerebellar cistern, and the dilation and deformation of the quadrigeminal cistern and circumvolute cistern, suggesting morphological abnormalities of the vermian region. (Namekawa, K.)

Prevalence of inter-arm blood pressure difference among clinical out-patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Balkishan; Ramawat, Pramila

2016-04-01

An increased inter-arm blood pressure difference is an easily determined physical finding, may use as an indicator of cardio vascular event and other sever diseases. Authors evaluated 477 patients to determine the prevalence and significance of inter-arm blood pressure difference. 477 routine outdoor patients selected to observe the inter-arm blood pressure difference. Age, height, weight, body mass index, history of disease and blood pressure recorded. The prevalence of ≥10 mmHg systolic inter-arm blood pressure difference was 5.0% was more as compared to 3.8% had diastolic inter-arm blood pressure difference. The prevalence of systolic and diastolic inter-arm difference between 6 to 10 mmHg was 31.4% and 27.9% respectively. Mean systolic inter-arm blood pressure difference was significantly higher among those patients had a multisystem disorder (10.57±0.98 mmHg) and followed by patients with cardiovascular disease (10.22±0.67 mmHg) as compared to healthy patients (2.71±0.96 mmHg). Various diseases highly influenced the increase in blood pressure irrespective of systolic or diastolic was confirmed strongly significant (pdifferent inter arm blood pressure difference levels. This study supports the view of inter-arm blood pressure difference as an alarming stage of increased disease risk that incorporated to investigate potential problems at an early diagnostic stage. A significant mean difference between left and right arm blood pressure recorded for many diseases.

Guidelines for Inter-Enterprise Management (IEM), GLOBEMEN Deliverable D23

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tølle, Martin; Vesterager, Johan

2002-01-01

This document is a deliverable of Work package 2 of the IMS Globemen (GMN) project: D23 Guidelines for Inter-Enterprise Management (IEM). IMS Globemen is an inter-regional project aiming to develop methods, tools and architectures to support inter-enterprise operations in one-of-kind industries......-Project, the developed solution for Inter-Enterprise Management. The structure of the deliverable is as follows: - Chapter 1 introduces the guidelines and outlines the structure of the deliverable - Chapter 2 defines key terms along with a list of acronyms used in the deliverable - Chapter 3 gives a general introduction...... for inter-enterprise management (IEM). - Chapter 5 contains the actual Guidelines The chapter contains guidelines for how to prepare enterprise network in being able to set up and manage virtual enterprises. The section consists of a set of activities an enterprise should/could consider when preparing...

Evaluation of inter-fraction error during prostate radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komiyama, Takafumi; Nakamura, Koji; Motoyama, Tsuyoshi; Onishi, Hiroshi; Sano, Naoki

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate inter-fraction error (inter-fraction set-up error+inter-fraction internal organ motion) between treatment planning and delivery during radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer. Twenty three prostate cancer patients underwent image-guided radical irradiation with the CT-linac system. All patients were treated in the supine position. After set-up with external skin markers, using CT-linac system, pretherapy CT images were obtained and isocenter displacement was measured. The mean displacement of the isocenter was 1.8 mm, 3.3 mm, and 1.7 mm in the left-right, ventral-dorsal, and cranial-caudal directions, respectively. The maximum displacement of the isocenter was 7 mm, 12 mm, and 9 mm in the left-right, ventral-dorsal, and cranial-caudal directions, respectively. The mean interquartile range of displacement of the isocenter was 1.8 mm, 3.7 mm, and 2.0 mm in the left-right, ventral-dorsal, and cranial-caudal directions, respectively. In radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer, inter-fraction error was largest in the ventral-dorsal directions. Errors in the ventral-dorsal directions influence both local control and late adverse effects. Our study suggested the set-up with external skin markers was not enough for radical radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer, thereby those such as a CT-linac system for correction of inter-fraction error being required. (author)

Forecasting Sensorimotor Adaptability from Baseline Inter-Trial Correlations

Science.gov (United States)

Beaton, K. H.; Bloomberg, J. J.

2014-01-01

One of the greatest challenges surrounding adaptation to the spaceflight environment is the large variability in symptoms, and corresponding functional impairments, from one crewmember to the next. This renders preflight training and countermeasure development difficult, as a "one-size-fits-all" approach is inappropriate. Therefore, it would be highly advantageous to know ahead of time which crewmembers might have more difficulty adjusting to the novel g-levels inherent to spaceflight. Such knowledge could guide individually customized countermeasures, which would enable more efficient use of crew time, both preflight and inflight, and provide better outcomes. The primary goal of this project is to look for a baseline performance metric that can forecast sensorimotor adaptability without exposure to an adaptive stimulus. We propose a novel hypothesis that considers baseline inter-trial correlations, the trial-to-trial fluctuations in motor performance, as a predictor of individual sensorimotor adaptive capabilities. To-date, a strong relationship has been found between baseline inter-trial correlations and adaptability in two oculomotor systems. For this project, we will explore an analogous predictive mechanism in the locomotion system. METHODS: Baseline Inter-trial Correlations: Inter-trial correlations specify the relationships among repeated trials of a given task that transpire as a consequence of correcting for previous performance errors over multiple timescales. We can quantify the strength of inter-trial correlations by measuring the decay of the autocorrelation function (ACF), which describes how rapidly information from past trials is "forgotten." Processes whose ACFs decay more slowly exhibit longer-term inter-trial correlations (longer memory processes), while processes whose ACFs decay more rapidly exhibit shorterterm inter-trial correlations (shorter memory processes). Longer-term correlations reflect low-frequency activity, which is more easily

Inter-Individual Variability in Human Response to Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation, Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rocke, David

2016-01-01

In order to investigate inter-individual variability in response to low-dose ionizing radiation, we are working with three models, 1) in-vivo irradiated human skin, for which we have a realistic model, but with few subjects, all from a previous project, 2) ex-vivo irradiated human skin, for which we also have a realistic model, though with the limitations involved in keeping skin pieces alive in media, and 3) MatTek EpiDermFT skin plugs, which provides a more realistic model than cell lines, which is more controllable than human samples.

Inter-Individual Variability in Human Response to Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation, Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rocke, David [Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)

2016-08-01

In order to investigate inter-individual variability in response to low-dose ionizing radiation, we are working with three models, 1) in-vivo irradiated human skin, for which we have a realistic model, but with few subjects, all from a previous project, 2) ex-vivo irradiated human skin, for which we also have a realistic model, though with the limitations involved in keeping skin pieces alive in media, and 3) MatTek EpiDermFT skin plugs, which provides a more realistic model than cell lines, which is more controllable than human samples.

Ultrastructure of Reissner's membrane in the rabbit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qvortrup, K.; Rostgaard, Jørgen; Bretlau, P.

1994-01-01

Anatomy, Reissner's membrane, electron microscopy, tubulocisternal endoplasmic reticulum, subsurface cisterns, rabbit......Anatomy, Reissner's membrane, electron microscopy, tubulocisternal endoplasmic reticulum, subsurface cisterns, rabbit...

A protein domain interaction interface database: InterPare

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Jungsul

2005-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Most proteins function by interacting with other molecules. Their interaction interfaces are highly conserved throughout evolution to avoid undesirable interactions that lead to fatal disorders in cells. Rational drug discovery includes computational methods to identify the interaction sites of lead compounds to the target molecules. Identifying and classifying protein interaction interfaces on a large scale can help researchers discover drug targets more efficiently. Description We introduce a large-scale protein domain interaction interface database called InterPare http://interpare.net. It contains both inter-chain (between chains interfaces and intra-chain (within chain interfaces. InterPare uses three methods to detect interfaces: 1 the geometric distance method for checking the distance between atoms that belong to different domains, 2 Accessible Surface Area (ASA, a method for detecting the buried region of a protein that is detached from a solvent when forming multimers or complexes, and 3 the Voronoi diagram, a computational geometry method that uses a mathematical definition of interface regions. InterPare includes visualization tools to display protein interior, surface, and interaction interfaces. It also provides statistics such as the amino acid propensities of queried protein according to its interior, surface, and interface region. The atom coordinates that belong to interface, surface, and interior regions can be downloaded from the website. Conclusion InterPare is an open and public database server for protein interaction interface information. It contains the large-scale interface data for proteins whose 3D-structures are known. As of November 2004, there were 10,583 (Geometric distance, 10,431 (ASA, and 11,010 (Voronoi diagram entries in the Protein Data Bank (PDB containing interfaces, according to the above three methods. In the case of the geometric distance method, there are 31,620 inter-chain domain

Water vapour inter-comparison effort in the framework of the hydrological cycle in the mediterranean experiment – special observation period (hymex-sop1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Summa Donato

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Accurate measurements of the vertical profiles of water vapour are of paramount importance for most key areas of atmospheric sciences. A comprehensive inter-comparison between different remote sensing and in-situ sensors has been carried out in the frame work of the first Special Observing Period of the Hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean Experiment for the purpose of obtaining accurate error estimates for these sensors. The inter-comparison involves a ground-based Raman lidar (BASIL, an airborne DIAL (LEANDRE2, a microwave radiometer, radiosondes and aircraft in-situ sensors.

Theoretical Views in Inter-religious Dialog in Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Masjed Jamei

2015-08-01

Full Text Available It has almost passed one century from the emergence of the idea of the inter-religious dialog. The idea, being based on the assumption that no religion has the absolute truth, believes that there is the possibility of the dialog between all the existent religions in the social world. The dialog could make the coexistence and peace between the religions possible. The importance of this issue is increasingly growing and different ideas have been presented in the different religion departments worldwide. After the Iranian Islamic Revolution, a new image of Islam was offered to the world. An image whose true exposure made the use of the inter-religious dialog unavoidable. This also caused appearance of different views between the Muslim scholars. This article seeks to provide a presentation of three different approaches to the inter-religious dialog by exploring the works of three eminent scholars in the field; Mohaghegh Damad, Abolhassan Navab and Mohammad Masjed Jamei. These three approaches are:   · Inter-religious dialog as an interaction-oriented action    · Inter-religious dialog as a necessity-oriented action    · Inter-religious dialog as a backgroubd-oriented action    The necessity-oriented action is the approach taken by Mohaghegh Damad. He emphasizes on the acceptance of other religions. The active action referring to this acceptance is the foundation of this approach. This approach, accepting the developmental discourse in the meaning of inter-religious dialog, believes that this kind of dialog has been evolved from defensive and opposing to a new meaning. Hence, the inter-religious dialog in its new meaning possesses three conditions; the existence of common rights, emphasis on mutual respect and the effort for the two sides for religious exchange. This approach­ assumes that we must first establish a pattern from the current experiences of inter-religious dialogs in order to have an ideal cooperation and to fortify it. Then

Theoretical Views in Inter-religious Dialog in Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Majid Jafarian

2015-09-01

Full Text Available   It has almost passed one century from the emergence of the idea of the inter-religious dialog. The idea, being based on the assumption that no religion has the absolute truth, believes that there is the possibility of the dialog between all the existent religions in the social world. The dialog could make the coexistence and peace between the religions possible. The importance of this issue is increasingly growing and different ideas have been presented in the different religion departments worldwide. After the Iranian Islamic Revolution, a new image of Islam was offered to the world. An image whose true exposure made the use of the inter-religious dialog unavoidable. This also caused appearance of different views between the Muslim scholars. This article seeks to provide a presentation of three different approaches to the inter-religious dialog by exploring the works of three eminent scholars in the field; Mohaghegh Damad, Abolhassan Navab and Mohammad Masjed Jamei. These three approaches are:   · Inter-religious dialog as an interaction-oriented action    · Inter-religious dialog as a necessity-oriented action    · Inter-religious dialog as a backgroubd-oriented action    The necessity-oriented action is the approach taken by Mohaghegh Damad. He emphasizes on the acceptance of other religions. The active action referring to this acceptance is the foundation of this approach. This approach, accepting the developmental discourse in the meaning of inter-religious dialog, believes that this kind of dialog has been evolved from defensive and opposing to a new meaning. Hence, the inter-religious dialog in its new meaning possesses three conditions; the existence of common rights, emphasis on mutual respect and the effort for the two sides for religious exchange. This approach­ assumes that we must first establish a pattern from the current experiences of inter-religious dialogs in order to have an ideal cooperation and to fortify it

The Correlation of Interphase Chromatin Structure with the Radiation-Induced Inter- and Intrachromosome Exchange Hotspots

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ye; Mangala, Lingegowda S.; Purgason, Ashley M.; Hada, Megumi; Cucinotta, Francis A.; Wu, Honglu

2011-01-01

To investigate the relationship between chromosome aberrations induced by radiation and chromatin folding, we reconstructed three dimensional structure of chromosome 3 and measured the physical distances between different regions of the chromosome. Previously, we have investigated the location of breaks involved in inter- and intrachromosomal type exchange events in human chromosome 3, using the multicolor banding in situ hybridization (mBAND) technique. In human epithelial cells exposed to both low- and high-LET radiations in vitro, we reported that intra-chromosome exchanges occurred preferentially between a break in the 3p21 and one in the 3q11 regions, and the breaks involving in inter-chromosome exchanges occurred in two regions towards the telomeres of the chromosome. Exchanges were also observed between a break in 3p21 and one in 3q26, but few exchanges were observed between breaks in 3q11 and 3q26, even though the two regions are located on the same arm of the chromosome. In this study, human epithelial cells were fixed at G1 phase and the interphase cells were hybridized using the XCyte3 mBAND kit from MetaSystems. The z-section images of chromosome 3 were captured with a Leica and an LSM 510 Meta laser scanning confocal microscopes. A total of 100 chromosomes were analyzed. The reconstruction of three dimensional structure of interphase chromosome 3 with six different colored regions was achieved using the Imaris software. The relative distance between different regions was measured as well. We further analyzed fragile sites on the chromosome that have been identified in various types of cancers. The data showed that, in majority of the cells, the regions containing 3p21 and 3q11 are colocalized in the center of the chromosome, whereas, the regions towards the telomeres of the chromosome are either physically wrapping outside the chromosome center or with arms sticking out. Our results demonstrated that the distribution of breaks involved in radiation

Inter-Corporeity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Algis Mickūnas

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The essay explicates the phenomenological problematic of intersubjectivity on the level of bodily interaction with the world and with others. On this level, the concept of visibility is transformed in terms of the primacy of bodily “I can” and the kinaesthetic awareness that pervades all perceptual fields. In addition, the investigations into kinaesthetic awareness lead to the understanding that one’s own bodily action is extended as well as varied by the kinaesthetic activities of others and thus form an inter-corporeal field wherein visibility is located. Such an extended awareness is the bodily counterpart of transcendental domain. 

Inter-cooperative collective intelligence techniques and applications

CERN Document Server

Bessis, Nik

2014-01-01

This book covers the latest advances in the rapid growing field of inter-cooperative collective intelligence aiming the integration and cooperation of various computational resources, networks and intelligent processing paradigms to collectively build intelligence and advanced decision support and interfaces for end-users. The book brings a comprehensive view of the state-of-the-art in the field of integration of sensor networks, IoT and Cloud computing, massive and intelligent querying and processing of data. As a result, the book presents lessons learned so far and identifies new research issues, challenges and opportunities for further research and development agendas. Emerging areas of applications are also identified and usefulness of inter-cooperative collective intelligence is envisaged.   Researchers, software developers, practitioners and students interested in the field of inter-cooperative collective intelligence will find the comprehensive coverage of this book useful for their research, academic...

A Method for Estimating BeiDou Inter-frequency Satellite Clock Bias

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LI Haojun

2016-02-01

Full Text Available A new method for estimating the BeiDou inter-frequency satellite clock bias is proposed, considering the shortage of the current methods. The constant and variable parts of the inter-frequency satellite clock bias are considered in the new method. The data from 10 observation stations are processed to validate the new method. The characterizations of the BeiDou inter-frequency satellite clock bias are also analyzed using the computed results. The results of the BeiDou inter-frequency satellite clock bias indicate that it is stable in the short term. The estimated BeiDou inter-frequency satellite clock bias results are molded. The model results show that the 10 parameters of model for each satellite can express the BeiDou inter-frequency satellite clock bias well and the accuracy reaches cm level. When the model parameters of the first day are used to compute the BeiDou inter-frequency satellite clock bias of the second day, the accuracy also reaches cm level. Based on the stability and modeling, a strategy for the BeiDou satellite clock service is presented to provide the reference of our BeiDou.

Investigations of inter-system common cause failures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nonclerca, P.; Gallois, M.; Vasseur, D.

2012-01-01

Intra-system common-cause failures (CCF) are widely studied and addressed in existing PSA models, but the information and studies that incorporate the potential for inter-system CCF is limited. However, the French Safety Authority has requested that EDF investigate the possibility of common-cause failure across system boundaries for Flamanville 3 (an EPR design). Also, the modeling of inter-system CCF, or the proof that their impact is negligible, would satisfy Capability Category III for one of the requirements in the ASME/ANS PRA standard in the U.S. EDF and EPRI have been working on a method to assess when it is necessary to take into account inter-system CCF in a PSA model between 2008 and 2010. This method is based both on the likelihood of inter-system CCF and on its demonstrated potential impact on CDF (core damage frequency). This method was first applied on pumps in different systems of the 900 MWe series plants. The second application concerned the motor-operated valves across different systems, using the same PSA model. This second application helped us refine the method, which was not optimal when the number of concerned components is very large. Since then, the method has been successfully applied on the pumps and 10 kV breakers of the EPR power plant in Flamanville. This paper describes the method and the results obtained in some of these studies. All studies have shown either that components in different systems, when they were not already part of a common cause failure group in the model, are not susceptible to common causes of failure, or that the potential for inter-system common-cause failure is negligible regarding the overall risk. (authors)

An initial limited biodosimetry inter-comparison exercise: FOI and DRDC Ottawa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stricklin, D.; Wilkinson, D.; Arvidsson, E.; Prud'homme-Lalonde, L.; Thorleifson, E.; Mullins, D.; Lachapelle, S.

2007-01-01

While biodosimetry is a valuable tool in radiation dose assessment, the dicentric assay, which is the most validated method to date, requires some degree of technical competence. Recently published ISO guidelines indicate the need for documenting competence and establishment of quality control programs. Inter-laboratory comparisons are required to document the ability to perform reproducible and accurate assessments. FOI and DRDC Ottawa have conducted an initial limited biodosimetry exercise inter-comparison for quality assurance purposes. The exercise involved blinded exchange of three previously prepared slides from each laboratory from samples that had been evaluated for each lab's dose-response curve. Approximately 100 cells from each slide were evaluated and aberration frequencies reported and compared to the expected frequencies. The limited number of cells evaluated for each sample could not permit statistically distinguishing a 20% difference in all the samples. However, the results indicated reasonable agreement in analyses for all samples for triage purposes. Comparison of aberration frequencies, rather than dose estimates, further illustrates consistent scoring criteria between the two laboratories. The exercise conducted by FOI and DRDC Ottawa provided an efficient means of documenting expertise. Such cooperation further establishes the international biodosimetry network and ensures our readiness for emergency response

Thermodynamic assessments and inter-relationships between systems involving Al, Am, Ga, Pu, and U

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perron, A., E-mail: perron1@llnl.gov [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Turchi, P.E.A.; Landa, A. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Oudot, B.; Ravat, B.; Delaunay, F. [CEA-Centre de Valduc, 21120, Is sur Tille (France)

2016-12-15

A newly developed self-consistent CALPHAD thermodynamic database involving Al, Am, Ga, Pu, and U is presented. A first optimization of the slightly characterized Am-Al and completely unknown Am-Ga phase diagrams is proposed. To this end, phase diagram features as crystal structures, stoichiometric compounds, solubility limits, and melting temperatures have been studied along the U-Al → Pu-Al → Am-Al, and U-Ga → Pu-Ga → Am-Ga series, and the thermodynamic assessments involving Al and Ga alloying are compared. In addition, two distinct optimizations of the Pu-Al phase diagram are proposed to account for the low temperature and Pu-rich region controversy. The previously assessed thermodynamics of the other binary systems (Am-Pu, Am-U, Pu-U, and Al-Ga) is also included in the database and is briefly described in the present work. Finally, predictions on phase stability of ternary and quaternary systems of interest are reported to check the consistency of the database.

On the modelling of microsegregation in steels involving thermodynamic databases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

You, D; Bernhard, C; Michelic, S; Wieser, G; Presoly, P

2016-01-01

A microsegregation model involving thermodynamic database based on Ohnaka's model is proposed. In the model, the thermodynamic database is applied for equilibrium calculation. Multicomponent alloy effects on partition coefficients and equilibrium temperatures are accounted for. Microsegregation and partition coefficients calculated using different databases exhibit significant differences. The segregated concentrations predicted using the optimized database are in good agreement with the measured inter-dendritic concentrations. (paper)

Inter-observer reliability assessments in time motion studies: the foundation for meaningful clinical workflow analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopetegui, Marcelo A; Bai, Shasha; Yen, Po-Yin; Lai, Albert; Embi, Peter; Payne, Philip R O

2013-01-01

Understanding clinical workflow is critical for researchers and healthcare decision makers. Current workflow studies tend to oversimplify and underrepresent the complexity of clinical workflow. Continuous observation time motion studies (TMS) could enhance clinical workflow studies by providing rich quantitative data required for in-depth workflow analyses. However, methodological inconsistencies have been reported in continuous observation TMS, potentially reducing the validity of TMS' data and limiting their contribution to the general state of knowledge. We believe that a cornerstone in standardizing TMS is to ensure the reliability of the human observers. In this manuscript we review the approaches for inter-observer reliability assessment (IORA) in a representative sample of TMS focusing on clinical workflow. We found that IORA is an uncommon practice, inconsistently reported, and often uses methods that provide partial and overestimated measures of agreement. Since a comprehensive approach to IORA is yet to be proposed and validated, we provide initial recommendations for IORA reporting in continuous observation TMS.

Strange-face illusions during inter-subjective gazing.

Science.gov (United States)

Caputo, Giovanni B

2013-03-01

In normal observers, gazing at one's own face in the mirror for a few minutes, at a low illumination level, triggers the perception of strange faces, a new visual illusion that has been named 'strange-face in the mirror'. Individuals see huge distortions of their own faces, but they often see monstrous beings, archetypal faces, faces of relatives and deceased, and animals. In the experiment described here, strange-face illusions were perceived when two individuals, in a dimly lit room, gazed at each other in the face. Inter-subjective gazing compared to mirror-gazing produced a higher number of different strange-faces. Inter-subjective strange-face illusions were always dissociative of the subject's self and supported moderate feeling of their reality, indicating a temporary lost of self-agency. Unconscious synchronization of event-related responses to illusions was found between members in some pairs. Synchrony of illusions may indicate that unconscious response-coordination is caused by the illusion-conjunction of crossed dissociative strange-faces, which are perceived as projections into each other's visual face of reciprocal embodied representations within the pair. Inter-subjective strange-face illusions may be explained by the subject's embodied representations (somaesthetic, kinaesthetic and motor facial pattern) and the other's visual face binding. Unconscious facial mimicry may promote inter-subjective illusion-conjunction, then unconscious joint-action and response-coordination. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Atmospheric Correction Inter-comparison Exercise (ACIX)

Science.gov (United States)

Vermote, E.; Doxani, G.; Gascon, F.; Roger, J. C.; Skakun, S.

2017-12-01

The free and open data access policy to Landsat-8 (L-8) and Sentinel-2 (S-2) satellite imagery has encouraged the development of atmospheric correction (AC) approaches for generating Bottom-of-Atmosphere (BOA) products. Several entities have started to generate (or plan to generate in the short term) BOA reflectance products at global scale for L-8 and S-2 missions. To this end, the European Space Agency (ESA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have initiated an exercise on the inter-comparison of the available AC processors. The results of the exercise are expected to point out the strengths and weaknesses, as well as communalities and discrepancies of various AC processors, in order to suggest and define ways for their further improvement. In particular, 11 atmospheric processors from five different countries participate in ACIX with the aim to inter-compare their performance when applied to L-8 and S-2 data. All the processors should be operational without requiring parametrization when applied on different areas. A protocol describing in details the inter-comparison metrics and the test dataset based on the AERONET sites has been agreed unanimously during the 1st ACIX workshop in June 2016. In particular, a basic and an advanced run of each of the processor were requested in the frame of ACIX, with the aim to draw robust and reliable conclusions on the processors' performance. The protocol also describes the comparison metrics of the aerosol optical thickness and water vapour products of the processors with the corresponding AERONET measurements. Moreover, concerning the surface reflectances, the inter-comparison among the processors is defined, as well as the comparison with the MODIS surface reflectance and with a reference surface reflectance product. Such a reference product will be obtained using the AERONET characterization of the aerosol (size distribution and refractive indices) and an accurate radiative transfer code. The inter

Simultaneously measured inter-arm and inter-leg systolic blood pressure differences and cardiovascular risk stratification: a systemic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Sukhchain; Sethi, Ankur; Singh, Mukesh; Khosla, Kavia; Grewal, Navsheen; Khosla, Sandeep

2015-08-01

Association of inter-arm systolic blood pressure difference (IASBPD) with cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality remains controversial. We aimed to thoroughly examine all available evidence on inter-limb blood pressure (BP) difference and its association with CV risk and outcomes. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane library, and Ovid for studies reporting bilateral simultaneous BP measurements in arms or legs and risk of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, subclavian stenosis, or mortality. Random-effect meta-analysis was performed to compare effect estimates. Twenty-seven studies met inclusion criteria, but only 17 studies (18 cohorts) were suitable for analysis. IASBPD of 10 mmHg or more was associated with PAD (risk ratios, 2.22; 1.41-3.5; P = .0006; sensitivity 16.6%; 6.7-35.4; specificity 91.9%; 83.1-96.3; 8 cohorts; 4774 subjects), left ventricular mass index (standardized mean difference 0.21; 0.03-0.39; P = .02; 2 cohort; 1604 subjects), and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV) (one cohort). Association of PAD remained significant at cutoff of 15 mmHg (risk ratios, 1.91; 1.28-2.84; P = .001; 5 cohorts; 1914 subjects). We could not find statistically significant direct association of coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, CV, and all-cause mortality in subjects with IASBPD of 10 mmHg or more, 15 mmHg or more, and inter-leg systolic BP difference of 15 mmHg or more. Inter-leg BP difference of 15 mmHg or more was strong predictor of PAD (P = .0001) and brachial-ankle PWV (P = .0001). Two invasive studies showed association of IASBPD and subclavian stenosis (estimates could not be combined). In conclusion, inter-arm and leg BP differences are strong predictors of PAD. IASBPD may be associated with subclavian stenosis, high left ventricular mass effect, and higher brachial-ankle PWVs. Inter-leg BP difference may also be associated with high left ventricular mass effect and higher

Advanced maintenance strategies for power plant operators--introducing inter-plant life cycle management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graeber, Ulrich

2004-01-01

One of the most important goals of competing power plant operators is to ensure safe operation of their plants, characterized by maximum availability throughout the entire life cycle and minimized specific generating costs. One parameter crucial to the total price of electricity--and one that can be actively influenced by the power plant operators--is maintenance. Up to 30% of all electricity generating costs accrue from maintenance. In the past years maintenance measures have been optimized particularly by the application and continuing development of testing and diagnostic techniques, by the increased level of system and component automation as well as more efficient organization structures. Despite the considerable success of these efforts, the potential for further cost reductions is still far from exhausted. But the risks connected to reliability, availability and safety need to be analyzed in greater detail in order to ensure the sustainability of the savings already achieved as well as those yet to be realized. The systematic application of condition-based maintenance and the implementation of structured life cycle management are essential requirements. An inter-plant approach is recommended to make a quick implementation of maintenance optimization potentials possible. Plant-specific improvement potentials can be established with the help of a best-practice comparison, and measures and priorities can be defined for realizing them. Creating an inter-plant database will allow experience and findings to be analyzed quickly and efficiently by experts and made available to all participants on a neutral platform. Despite--or maybe owing to--the increasingly competitive marketplace, a sustained reduction in the maintenance costs of power plant operators can only be achieved through a structured, inter-plant exchange of experience. The ZES offers the industry a suitable platform for cooperation with its 'Condition-Based Maintenance' research focus. The introduction

Connectivity model for Inter-working multi-hop wireless networks

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Salami, O

2009-08-01

Full Text Available pairs in inter-working multi-hop wireless networks can be evaluated based on the availability of radio links and communication routes. This paper presents an analytical study of the link and route availability in inter-working multi-hop wireless networks....

Inter-laboratory validation of the measurement of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH after various lengths of frozen storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Behr Barry

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH levels are used clinically to evaluate infertility, pituitary and gonadal disorders. With increased frequency of research collaborations across institutions, it is essential that inter-laboratory validation is addressed. Methods An inter-laboratory validation of three commercial FSH immunoassays was performed with human serum samples of varying frozen storage length (2 batches of 15 samples each at -25 degree C. Percentage differences and Bland-Altman limits of agreement were calculated. Results The inter- and intra-laboratory consistency of FSH values with the same assay manufacturer was much higher after shorter-term storage (frozen for less than 11 months, mean percentage degradation less than 4% than after long-term storage (2-3 years, mean percentage degradation = 23%. Comparing assay results from different manufacturers, there was similar overall long term degradation as seen with the same manufacturer (-25%, however the degradation was greater when the original FSH was greater than 20 mIU/mL relative to less than 10 mIU/mL (p Conclusion The findings suggest that degradation of serum samples stored between 11 months and 2-3 years at -25 degrees C can lead to unstable FSH measurements. Inter-laboratory variability due to frozen storage time and manufacturer differences in assay results should be accounted for when designing and implementing research or clinical quality control activities involving serum FSH at multiple study sites.

Postponement : An inter-organizational perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yang, Biao; Yang, Ying; Wijngaard, Jacob

2007-01-01

In view of the slow rate of postponement applications, this paper attempts to examine postponement strategies from an inter-organizational perspective. The paper first reviews the literature on different postponement strategies (including logistics postponement, production postponement, purchasing

Anatomic comparison of the endonasal and transpetrosal approaches for interpeduncular fossa access.

Science.gov (United States)

Oyama, Kenichi; Prevedello, Daniel M; Ditzel Filho, Leo F S; Muto, Jun; Gun, Ramazan; Kerr, Edward E; Otto, Bradley A; Carrau, Ricardo L

2014-01-01

The interpeduncular cistern, including the retrochiasmatic area, is one of the most challenging regions to approach surgically. Various conventional approaches to this region have been described; however, only the endoscopic endonasal approach via the dorsum sellae and the transpetrosal approach provide ideal exposure with a caudal-cranial view. The authors compared these 2 approaches to clarify their limitations and intrinsic advantages for access to the interpeduncular cistern. Four fresh cadaver heads were studied. An endoscopic endonasal approach via the dorsum sellae with pituitary transposition was performed to expose the interpeduncular cistern. A transpetrosal approach was performed bilaterally, combining a retrolabyrinthine presigmoid and a subtemporal transtentorium approach. Water balloons were used to simulate space-occupying lesions. "Water balloon tumors" (WBTs), inflated to 2 different volumes (0.5 and 1.0 ml), were placed in the interpeduncular cistern to compare visualization using the 2 approaches. The distances between cranial nerve (CN) III and the posterior communicating artery (PCoA) and between CN III and the edge of the tentorium were measured through a transpetrosal approach to determine the width of surgical corridors using 0- to 6-ml WBTs in the interpeduncular cistern (n = 8). Both approaches provided adequate exposure of the interpeduncular cistern. The endoscopic endonasal approach yielded a good visualization of both CN III and the PCoA when a WBT was in the interpeduncular cistern. Visualization of the contralateral anatomical structures was impaired in the transpetrosal approach. The surgical corridor to the interpeduncular cistern via the transpetrosal approach was narrow when the WBT volume was small, but its width increased as the WBT volume increased. There was a statistically significant increase in the maximum distance between CN III and the PCoA (p = 0.047) and between CN III and the tentorium (p = 0.029) when the WBT volume

Development of an inter-professional screening instrument for cancer patients' education process.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaartio-Rajalin, Heli; Huumonen, Tuula; Iire, Liisa; Jekunen, Antti; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Minn, Heikki; Paloniemi, Jenni; Zabalegui, Adelaida

2016-02-01

The aim of this paper is to describe the development of an inter-professional screening instrument for cancer patients' cognitive resources, knowledge expectations and inter-professional collaboration within patient education. Four empirical datasets during 2012-2014 were analyzed in order to identify main categories, subcategories and items for inter-professional screening instrument. Our inter-professional screening instrument integrates the critical moments of cancer patient education and the knowledge expectation types obtained from patient datasets to assessment of patients' cognitive resources, knowledge expectations and comprehension; and intra; and inter-professional. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Views on inter-enterprise relationships

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Trienekens, J.H.; Beulens, A.J.M.

2001-01-01

The paper gives an overview of major scientific approaches to inter-enterprise relationships. A distinction is made between approaches that focus on business process integration (Supply Chain Management, Costing approaches), approaches that focus on organizational collaboration (Transaction Cost

Models of Inter-Organizational Logistics Management in Slovenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sašo Murtič

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Throughout the history, the transportation of goods and related logistics have played an important role in human development and existence. This pertains to numerous interlinked processes, whose management is often linked to social system, international linkages, development of industry, market and market specifics. In modern times, the management of these processes is increasingly bound to globalization of production and market, moving of production to countries with cheaper labour force, environmental protection. The present Slovenian economy depends to a large extent on economies and corporate relations of the European Union and the world. Such inter-connectedness demands frequent transportation of semi-finished and finished goods. By providing timely delivery of goods, transportation consequently enables inter-organizational linkages and individual production, economic, market and other processes. Organizational and inter-organizational management of transport logistics demands profound understanding of transport flows, freight forwarding expertise and knowledge of transport, tax, environmental and other related regulations. Adequate knowledge and mastering of cultural, linguistic, national and other differences is important as well. The presented analysis and evaluation form the basis of the construction of inter-organizational model of logistics management in Slovenia.

Revisiting Inter-Genre Similarity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sturm, Bob L.; Gouyon, Fabien

2013-01-01

We revisit the idea of ``inter-genre similarity'' (IGS) for machine learning in general, and music genre recognition in particular. We show analytically that the probability of error for IGS is higher than naive Bayes classification with zero-one loss (NB). We show empirically that IGS does...... not perform well, even for data that satisfies all its assumptions....

Inter-level relations in computer science, biology, and psychology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boogerd, Fred; Bruggeman, Frank; Jonker, Catholijn; Looren de Jong, Huib; Tamminga, Allard; Treur, Jan; Westerhoff, Hans; Wijngaards, Wouter

2002-01-01

Investigations into inter-level relations in computer science, biology and psychology call for an *empirical* turn in the philosophy of mind. Rather than concentrate on *a priori* discussions of inter-level relations between “completed” sciences, a case is made for the actual study of the way

Inter-level relations in computer science, biology, and psychology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boogerd, F.; Bruggeman, F.; Jonker, C.M.; Looren de Jong, H.; Tamminga, A.; Treur, J.; Westerhoff, H.V.; Wijngaards, W.C.A.

2002-01-01

Investigations into inter-level relations in computer science, biology and psychology call for an empirical turn in the philosophy of mind. Rather than concentrate on a priori discussions of inter-level relations between 'completed' sciences, a case is made for the actual study of the way

Inter-level relations in computer science, biology and psychology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boogerd, F.C.; Bruggeman, F.J.; Jonker, C.M.; Looren De Jong, H.; Tamminga, A.M.; Treur, J.; Westerhoff, H.V.; Wijngaards, W.C.A.

2002-01-01

Investigations into inter-level relations in computer science, biology and psychology call for an empirical turn in the philosophy of mind. Rather than concentrate on a priori discussions of inter-level relations between "completed" sciences, a case is made for the actual study of the way

Inter-operability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plaziat, J.F.; Moulin, P.; Van Beurden, R.; Ballet, E.

2005-01-01

Building an internal gas market implies establishing harmonized rules for cross border trading between operators. To that effect, the European association EASEE-gas is carrying out standards and procedures, commonly called 'inter-operability'. Set up in 2002, the Association brings together all segments of the gas industry: producers, transporters, distributors, traders and shippers, suppliers, consumers and service providers. This workshop presents the latest status on issues such as barriers to gas trade in Europe, rules and procedures under preparation by EASEE-gas, and the implementation schedule of these rules by operators. This article gathers 5 presentations about this topic given at the gas conference

Intra-organisational accounting during negotiation processes for inter-organisational control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Morten

. The study concludes that an important role of management accounting is to reveal the intra-organisational cost consequences of proposals made by suppliers during negotiation processes. Thereby cost information becomes an integrated part of the counter-proposals generated and actively used during......To date the literature on management and management accounting within inter-organisational relationships has mainly focussed on managing the interface between the supplier and the buyer. In contrast to most previous research, this study examines the internal practices of a company engaged in inter......-organisational relationships. It addresses the question of how intra-organisational management accounting practices affect the ability to conduct inter-organisational relationships. A qualitative case study is used to gather information from an electronics company. The company enters its inter-organisational relationships...

Channel modelling for free-space optical inter-HAP links using adaptive ARQ transmission

Science.gov (United States)

Parthasarathy, S.; Giggenbach, D.; Kirstädter, A.

2014-10-01

Free-space optical (FSO) communication systems have seen significant developments in recent years due to growing need for very high data rates and tap-proof communication. The operation of an FSO link is suited to diverse variety of applications such as satellites, High Altitude Platforms (HAPs), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), aircrafts, ground stations and other areas involving both civil and military situations. FSO communication systems face challenges due to different effects of the atmospheric channel. FSO channel primarily suffers from scintillation effects due to Index of Refraction Turbulence (IRT). In addition, acquisition and pointing becomes more difficult because of the high directivity of the transmitted beam: Miss-pointing of the transmitted beam and tracking errors at the receiver generate additional fading of the optical signal. High Altitude Platforms (HAPs) are quasi-stationary vehicles operating in the stratosphere. The slowly varying but precisely determined time-of-flight of the Inter-HAP channel adds to its characteristics. To propose a suitable ARQ scheme, proper theoretical understanding of the optical atmospheric propagation and modeling of a specific scenario FSO channel is required. In this paper, a bi-directional symmetrical Inter-HAP link has been selected and modeled. The Inter-HAP channel model is then investigated via simulations in terms of optical scintillation induced by IRT and in presence of pointing error. The performance characteristic of the model is then quantified in terms of fading statistics from which the Packet Error Probability (PEP) is calculated. Based on the PEP characteristics, we propose suitable ARQ schemes.

Variations of Histone Modification Patterns: Contributions of Inter-plant Variability and Technical Factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sylva Brabencová

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Inter-individual variability of conspecific plants is governed by differences in their genetically determined growth and development traits, environmental conditions, and adaptive responses under epigenetic control involving histone post-translational modifications. The apparent variability in histone modifications among plants might be increased by technical variation introduced in sample processing during epigenetic analyses. Thus, to detect true variations in epigenetic histone patterns associated with given factors, the basal variability among samples that is not associated with them must be estimated. To improve knowledge of relative contribution of biological and technical variation, mass spectrometry was used to examine histone modification patterns (acetylation and methylation among Arabidopsis thaliana plants of ecotypes Columbia 0 (Col-0 and Wassilewskija (Ws homogenized by two techniques (grinding in a cryomill or with a mortar and pestle. We found little difference in histone modification profiles between the ecotypes. However, in comparison of the biological and technical components of variability, we found consistently higher inter-individual variability in histone mark levels among Ws plants than among Col-0 plants (grown from seeds collected either from single plants or sets of plants. Thus, more replicates of Ws would be needed for rigorous analysis of epigenetic marks. Regarding technical variability, the cryomill introduced detectably more heterogeneity in the data than the mortar and pestle treatment, but mass spectrometric analyses had minor apparent effects. Our study shows that it is essential to consider inter-sample variance and estimate suitable numbers of biological replicates for statistical analysis for each studied organism when investigating changes in epigenetic histone profiles.

Variations of Histone Modification Patterns: Contributions of Inter-plant Variability and Technical Factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Brabencová, Sylva; Ihnatová, Ivana; Potěšil, David; Fojtová, Miloslava; Fajkus, Jiří; Zdráhal, Zbyněk; Lochmanová, Gabriela

2017-01-01

Inter-individual variability of conspecific plants is governed by differences in their genetically determined growth and development traits, environmental conditions, and adaptive responses under epigenetic control involving histone post-translational modifications. The apparent variability in histone modifications among plants might be increased by technical variation introduced in sample processing during epigenetic analyses. Thus, to detect true variations in epigenetic histone patterns associated with given factors, the basal variability among samples that is not associated with them must be estimated. To improve knowledge of relative contribution of biological and technical variation, mass spectrometry was used to examine histone modification patterns (acetylation and methylation) among Arabidopsis thaliana plants of ecotypes Columbia 0 (Col-0) and Wassilewskija (Ws) homogenized by two techniques (grinding in a cryomill or with a mortar and pestle). We found little difference in histone modification profiles between the ecotypes. However, in comparison of the biological and technical components of variability, we found consistently higher inter-individual variability in histone mark levels among Ws plants than among Col-0 plants (grown from seeds collected either from single plants or sets of plants). Thus, more replicates of Ws would be needed for rigorous analysis of epigenetic marks. Regarding technical variability, the cryomill introduced detectably more heterogeneity in the data than the mortar and pestle treatment, but mass spectrometric analyses had minor apparent effects. Our study shows that it is essential to consider inter-sample variance and estimate suitable numbers of biological replicates for statistical analysis for each studied organism when investigating changes in epigenetic histone profiles.

Practical methodological guide for hydrometric inter-laboratory organisation

Science.gov (United States)

Besson, David; Bertrand, Xavier

2015-04-01

Discharge measurements performed by the French governmental hydrometer team feed a national database. This data is available for general river flows knowkedge, flood forecasting, low water survey, statistical calculations flow, control flow regulatory and many other uses. Regularly checking the measurements quality and better quantifying its accuracy is therefore an absolute need. The practice of inter-laboratory comparison in hydrometry particularly developed during the last decade. Indeed, discharge measurement can not easily be linked to a standard. Therefore, on-site measurement accuracy control is very difficult. Inter-laboratory comparison is thus a practical solution to this issue. However, it needs some regulations in order to ease its practice and legitimize its results. To do so, the French government hydrometrics teams produced a practical methodological guide for hydrometric inter-laboratory organisation in destination of hydrometers community in view of ensure the harmonization of inter-laboratory comparison practices for different materials (ADCP, current meter on wadind rod or gauging van, tracer dilution, surface speed) and flow range (flood, low water). Ensure the results formalization and banking. The realisation of this practice guide is grounded on the experience of the governmental teams & their partners (or fellows), following existing approaches (Doppler group especially). The guide is designated to validate compliance measures and identify outliers : Hardware, methodological, environmental, or human. Inter-laboratory comparison provides the means to verify the compliance of the instruments (devices + methods + operators) and provides methods to determine an experimental uncertainty of the tested measurement method which is valid only for the site and the measurement conditions but does not address the calibration or periodic monitoring of the few materials. After some conceptual definitions, the guide describes the different stages of an

Hydrocephalus secondary to subarachnoid hemorrhage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koga, Nobunori; Nakamura, Saburo; Kushi, Hidehiko; Yamamoto, Takamitsu; Tsubokawa, Takashi; Moriyasu, Nobuo

1982-01-01

The relationship between the extension and severity of subarachnoid hemorrhage, as demonstrated by computed tomography (CT), and hydrocephalus secondary to subarachnoid hemorrhage was studied. In 94 cases with subarachnoid hemorrhage, as analyzed by CT scan performed within 7 days after onset, high-density areas in the subarachnoid space were recognized in 61 cases (64%) and secondary hydrocephalus occurred in 22 cases (23%). 17 cases died within 2 weeks, before the occurrence of the hydrocephalus. The CT findings of subarachnoid hemorrhage was classified into 5 types, according to its severity and extension; especially the degree of high density in the basal cistern and/or cisterns around the brain stem was remarked. Secondary hydrocephalus after subarachnoid hemorrhage was observed in 90% of the cases; they had a density higher than a CT number of 60 in the basal cistern and/or cisterns around the brain stem (Type V). The mean interval between the onset of subarachnoid hemorrhage and the appearance of hydrocephalus was 20.6 days. We conclude that a significantly high density of extravasated blood in the subarachnoid space, especially in the basal cistern and/or the cisterns around the brain stem, can be predictive of secondary hydrocephalus after subarachnoid hemorrhage. (author)

OPTION(5) versus OPTION(12) instruments to appreciate the extent to which healthcare providers involve patients in decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Stubenrouch, Fabienne E; Pieterse, Arwen H; Falkenberg, Rijan; Santema, T Katrien B; Stiggelbout, Anne M; van der Weijden, Trudy; Aarts, J Annemijn W M; Ubbink, Dirk T

2016-06-01

The 12-item "observing patient involvement" (OPTION(12))-instrument is commonly used to assess the extent to which healthcare providers involve patients in health-related decision-making. The five-item version (OPTION(5)) claims to be a more efficient measure. In this study we compared the Dutch versions of the OPTION-instruments in terms of inter-rater agreement and correlation in outpatient doctor-patient consultations in various settings, to learn if we can safely switch to the shorter OPTION(5)-instrument. Two raters coded 60 audiotaped vascular surgery and oncology patient consultations using OPTION(12) and OPTION(5). Unweighted Cohen's kappa was used to compute inter-rater agreement on item-level. The association between the total scores of the two OPTION-instruments was investigated using Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) and a Bland & Altman plot. After fine-tuning the OPTION-manuals, inter-rater agreement for OPTION(12) and OPTION(5) was good to excellent (kappa range 0.69-0.85 and 0.63-0.72, respectively). Mean total scores were 23.7 (OPTION(12); SD=7.8) and 39.3 (OPTION(5); SD=12.7). Correlation between the total scores was high (r=0.71; p=0.01). OPTION(5) scored systematically higher with a wider range than OPTION(12). Both OPTION-instruments had a good inter-rater agreement and correlated well. OPTION(5) seems to differentiate better between various levels of patient involvement. The OPTION(5)-instrument is recommended for clinical application. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inter-dot coupling effects on transport through correlated parallel

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Transport through symmetric parallel coupled quantum dot system has been studied, using non-equilibrium Green function formalism. The inter-dot tunnelling with on-dot and inter-dot Coulomb repulsion is included. The transmission coefficient and Landaur–Buttiker like current formula are shown in terms of internal states ...

How much do family physicians involve pregnant women in decisions about prenatal screening for Down syndrome?

Science.gov (United States)

Gagnon, Susie; Labrecque, Michel; Njoya, Merlin; Rousseau, François; St-Jacques, Sylvie; Légaré, France

2010-02-01

To assess the extent to which family physicians (FPs) involve women in decisions about prenatal screening for Down syndrome. Based on transcripts of consultations between 41 FPs and 128 women, two raters independently assessed clinician's efforts to involve women in decisions about prenatal screening for Down syndrome using the French-language version of OPTION. Descriptive statistics of OPTION scores were calculated. Construct validity was assessed by performing a principal factor analysis and by measuring association with consultation duration and FPs sociodemograhics. Internal consistency was assessed with Cronbach's alpha and inter-rater reliability with the intraclass correlation coefficient. The overall mean OPTION score was low: 19 +/- 7 (range = 0 [no involvement] to 100 [high involvement]). One factor accounted for 80% of the variance. Both internal consistency and inter-rater reliability were very good (Cronbach's alpha = 0.73; ICC = 0.76). OPTION scores were lower for residents than for licensed FPs (17 +/- 5 vs 21 +/- 4; p = 0.02) and were positively associated with duration of consultation (r = 0.56; p women in decisions about prenatal screening for Down syndrome. (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Involved Ostrich

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Davies, Andrea; Dobscha, Susan; Geiger, Susi

2008-01-01

that the transition into parenthood can be difficult for men due to their lack of a physical connection to the pregnancy, a perception that the baby industry is not designed for them, the continuance of male stereotypes in the media, and also the time available to men to become involved in consumption activities......-natal data. Data revealed that men, according to their partner’s perceptions, used consumption as a virtual umbilical cord, although levels of consumption involvement varied from co-involvement for most purchases, to limited involvement, and/or involvement for ‘large’ items, particularly travel systems...... and technical items. This research also revealed that men partook in highly masculinized forms of “nesting,” and in general shunned pregnancy book reading; although some did engage in “research” activities such as searching the internet for product safety information. We conclude from this study...

Inter-proximal enamel reduction in contemporary orthodontics.

Science.gov (United States)

Pindoria, J; Fleming, P S; Sharma, P K

2016-12-16

Inter-proximal enamel reduction has gained increasing prominence in recent years being advocated to provide space for orthodontic alignment, to refine contact points and to potentially improve long-term stability. An array of techniques and products are available ranging from hand-held abrasive strips to handpiece mounted burs and discs. The indications for inter-proximal enamel reduction and the importance of formal space analysis, together with the various techniques and armamentarium which may be used to perform it safely in both the labial and buccal segments are outlined.

Variation and Inter-relationship ,Between Yield aJld,SQQl

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Variation and Inter-relationship ,Between Yield aJld,SQQl~ ",,,',, ... Analysis of variance revealed sigiiificaiit'differences, among the-teSted. • .:' '. J ~ I .... Successful use of. muta~ "number of panicles,~r~~ metre,', 100Q,grain ... ponents and to assess genetic x ,environment inter- , individual traits, estimates of error phenotYpic,.

Inter-diffusion of carbon into niobium coatings deposited on graphite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barzilai, S.; Raveh, A.; Frage, N.

2006-01-01

The inter-diffusion of carbon (originating from a graphite substrate) into a niobium coating and the fabrication of its carbides by heat treatment in the temperature range of 1073-1773 K was studied. The thickness of the Nb 2 C and Nbc phases formed after heat treatment as well as the inter-diffusion coefficients for the formation of the carbide layers were also studied. It was found that the carbide layer growth displayed parabolic behavior patterns inherent in the growth rate constants (K) of Nb 2 C and NbC layers. By assuming that the inter-diffusion coefficients are independent of concentration, it was possible to determine the inter-diffusion coefficients of carbon D c into Nb 2 C and NbC layers as a function of temperature

Density functional theory study of inter-layer coupling in bulk tin selenide

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Hong-Yue; Lü, Jing-Tao

2018-03-01

We study the inter-layer coupling in bulk tin selenide (SnSe) through density functional theory based calculations. Different approximations for the exchange-correlation functionals and the van der Waals interaction are employed. By performing comparison with graphite, MoS2 and black phosphorus, we analyze the inter-layer coupling from different points of view, including the binding energy, the low frequency inter-layer optical phonons, and the inter-layer charge transfer. We find that, there is a strong charge transfer between layers of SnSe, resulting in the strongest inter-layer coupling. Moreover, the charge transfer renders the inter-layer coupling in SnSe not of van der Waals type. Mechanical exfoliation has been used to fabricate mono- or few-layer graphene, MoS2 and black phosphorus. But, our results show that it may be difficult to apply similar technique to SnSe.

Towards an Ethical Framework for Inter-Cultural Dialogue | Higgs ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this article I attempt to provide an ethical framework for inter-cultural dialogue, which I argue can contribute to efforts at facilitating multicultural understanding. Such an ethical framework for inter-cultural dialogue which finds its roots in postmodernism, I will argue, provides the impetus for the creation of critical civil ...

Inter-electrode delay estimators for electrohysterographic propagation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabotti, Chiara; Mischi, Massimo; Bergmans, Jan W M; Van Laar, Judith O E H; Oei, Guid S

2009-01-01

Premature birth is a major cause of mortality and permanent dysfunctions. Several parameters derived from single channel electrohysterographic (EHG) signals have been considered to determine contractions leading to preterm delivery. The results are promising, but improvements are needed. As effective uterine contractions result from a proper action potential propagation, in this paper we focus on the propagation properties of EHG signals, which can be predictive of preterm delivery. Two standard delay estimators, namely maximization of the cross-correlation function and spectral matching, are adapted and implemented for the assessment of inter-electrode delays of propagating EHG signals. The accuracy of the considered standard estimators might be hampered by a poor inter-channel correlation. An improved dedicated approach is therefore proposed. By simultaneous adaptive estimation of the volume conductor transfer function and the delay, a dedicated method is conceived for improving the inter-channel signal similarity during delay calculation. Furthermore, it provides delay estimates without resolution limits and it is suitable for low sampling rates, which are appropriate for EHG recording. The three estimators were evaluated on EHG signals recorded on seven women. The dedicated approach provided more accurate estimates due to a 22% improvement of the initial average inter-channel correlation

Inter-decadal change in potential predictability of the East Asian summer monsoon

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jiao; Ding, Ruiqiang; Wu, Zhiwei; Zhong, Quanjia; Li, Baosheng; Li, Jianping

2018-05-01

The significant inter-decadal change in potential predictability of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) has been investigated using the signal-to-noise ratio method. The relatively low potential predictability appears from the early 1950s through the late 1970s and during the early 2000s, whereas the potential predictability is relatively high from the early 1980s through the late 1990s. The inter-decadal change in potential predictability of the EASM can be attributed mainly to variations in the external signal of the EASM. The latter is mostly caused by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) inter-decadal variability. As a major external signal of the EASM, the ENSO inter-decadal variability experiences phase transitions from negative to positive phases in the late 1970s, and to negative phases in the late 1990s. Additionally, ENSO is generally strong (weak) during a positive (negative) phase of the ENSO inter-decadal variability. The strong ENSO is expected to have a greater influence on the EASM, and vice versa. As a result, the potential predictability of the EASM tends to be high (low) during a positive (negative) phase of the ENSO inter-decadal variability. Furthermore, a suite of Pacific Pacemaker experiments suggests that the ENSO inter-decadal variability may be a key pacemaker of the inter-decadal change in potential predictability of the EASM.

Inter-municipal communities as semi-regional (quasi governments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Golić Darko

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the author discusses specific forms of integrated inter-municipal cooperation in some European countries which have certain characteristics of regional governments. Relying on the analysis of different forms of this inter-municipal cooperation, the author elaborates on some common features underlying these communities, with specific reference to their functional aspects. Bearing in mind that the imminent needs for regional planning, coordination of local policies and operation of regional offices are exercised through different institutional solutions, we point out that it is possible to provide an appropriate institutional and decentralized framework for accomplishing these goals even without changing the existing territorial organization system. Although the entities that are created through these specific forms of inter-municipal cooperation cannot be designated as territorial-political units in institutional terms, this is what they are from a functional point of view.

The politics of inter-regionalism: relations between international regional organizations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vleuten, J.M. van der; Ribeiro Hoffman, A.; Reinalda, B.

2013-01-01

As the development of relations between international regional organizations, inter-regionalism denotes a relatively recent phenomenon. Largely due to systemic bipolarity, inter-regional relations remained limited to 'dialogue partnerships' between the European Community (EC) and other regional

Work and Inter-subjectivity: a theoretical reflection on its dialectics in the field of health and nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Brígida Gimenez; Peduzzi, Marina; Mandú, Edir Nei Teixeira; Ayres, José Ricardo de Carvalho Mesquita

2012-01-01

This theoretical reflection intends to show the inter-subjective relationship that takes place in health and nursing practices under the following theoretical perspectives: Institutional Analysis, Psychodynamics of Labor and the Theory of Communicative Action, with an emphasis on the latter. Linking these concepts to the Marxist approach to work in the field of health emerges from recognizing the need for its continuous reconstruction-in this case, with a view to understand the interaction and communication intrinsic to work in action. The theory of Communicative Action seeks to consider these two inextricable dimensions: work as productive action and as interaction. The first corresponds to instrumental action based on technical rules with a production-guided rationale. The second refers to the interaction that takes place as communicative action and seeks understanding among subjects. We assume that adopting this theoretical perspective in the analysis of health and nursing practices opens new possibilities for clarifying its social and historical process and inter-subjective connections.

Renormalization in general theories with inter-generation mixing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kniehl, Bernd A.; Sirlin, Alberto

2011-11-01

We derive general and explicit expressions for the unrenormalized and renormalized dressed propagators of fermions in parity-nonconserving theories with inter-generation mixing. The mass eigenvalues, the corresponding mass counterterms, and the effect of inter-generation mixing on their determination are discussed. Invoking the Aoki-Hioki-Kawabe-Konuma-Muta renormalization conditions and employing a number of very useful relations from Matrix Algebra, we show explicitly that the renormalized dressed propagators satisfy important physical properties. (orig.)

Non-genetic factors of udder morphology traits in Istrian ewes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentino Držaić

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Considering the facts that Istrian sheep is Croatian indigenous breed with the highest milk production, and increasing interest of local farmers for machine milking implementation, the aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting udder morphology traits of Istrian ewes. Ninetythree purebred Istrian ewes with symmetrical udders and no signs of clinical mastitis, from second to fourth lactation, were used for this study. Average udder depth of Istrian ewes was 15.85 cm, udder width 13.05 cm, udder circumference 39.66 cm, cistern height 1.44 cm, teat position 2.85 (scored from 1 to 5, teat angle 47.32°, teat length 3.43 cm and teat width 2.03 cm. The traits related to udder size (depth, width, and circumference were significantly (P<0.01 affected by lactation milk yield. These traits were also in high and positive correlations (P<0.01 with daily milk yield. With the increase of parity, the morphological aptitude of udder to mechanical milking become worse, with an increase (P<0.01 of cistern height, teat angle and position. As lactation of Istrian ewes continued morphological traits defining udder aptitude for machine milking improved (decrease of cistern height, teat angle and position. Ewes with two and more lambs had larger udder (P<0.05 than ewes with a single lamb.

Pasteurization: A reliable method for preservation of nutrient in seawater samples for inter-laboratory and field applications

OpenAIRE

Daniel, Anne; Kerouel, Roger; Aminot, Alain

2012-01-01

Following previous work, the production of reference material for nutrients in seawater, using pasteurization as a preservation method, was carried out seven times between 2006 and 2010 in the framework of inter-laboratory exercises. The preparation of samples from natural seawater allowed to become depleted in nutrients then spiked, bottled and pasteurized, is described. Five main nutrients are involved in this study: ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and silicate. Bottles are in glass f...

A systematic review of nurses' inter-shift handoff reports in acute care hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Poletick, Eilleen B; Holly, Cheryl

2010-01-01

An inter-shift nursing handoff report is the exchange of patient care information for evidence-based nursing and midwifery from one nurse to another, and is a universal procedure used in hospitals to promote continuity of care. The objective of this review was to appraise and synthesize the best available qualitative evidence pertaining to the nursing handoff report at the time of shift change and make recommendations that can enhance the transfer of information between and among nurses, and by extension, improve patient care. The review considered qualitative studies that drew on the experiences of nurses at the time of inter-shift nursing handoff in acute care hospitals, and included designs such as phenomenology, grounded theory, narrative analysis, action research, ethnographic or cultural studies. The search strategy sought to find both published and unpublished research papers. An initial search of the Joanna Briggs Institute for Evidence-Based Nursing and Midwifery, the Cochrane Library, and PubMed's Clinical Inquiry/Find Systematic Review database was conducted. Following this, an extensive three stage search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, HealthStar, ScienceDirect, Dissertation Abstracts International, DARE, PsycINFO, BioMedCentral, TRIP, Pre-CINAHL, PsycARTICLES, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, ISI Current Contents, Science.gov, Web of Science/Web of Knowledge, Scirus.com website. Included was a hand search of reference lists of identified papers to capture all pertinent material as well as a search of relevant world wide websites and search engines, such as Google Scholar and the Virginia Henderson Library of Sigma Theta Tau International. Each paper was assessed independently, by two reviewers for methodological quality prior to inclusion in the review using the critical appraisal instrument QARI (Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument) developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute for Evidence Based Nursing and Midwifery. A total

Descapitalización de las tasas efectivas para calcular el interés simple

OpenAIRE

Avelino Sánchez, Esteban Marino; Cerna Maguiña, Héctor Félix

2014-01-01

La tasa de interés nominal, se utiliza normalmente para calcular interés simple e interés compuesto (bajo ciertos supuestos o condiciones). En sentido contrario, utilizar la tasa efectiva para calcular el interés simple no es usual. Sin embargo, en el Perú se utiliza para calcular interés legal laboral; entonces el problema consiste en descapitalizar la tasa de interés legal efectiva, como su factor acumulado, a través de experimentos de cálculo en Excel, observar las propiedades de la potenc...

Ethnic Diversity, Inter-group Attitudes and Countervailing Pathways of Positive and Negative Inter-group Contact: An Analysis Across Workplaces and Neighbourhoods.

Science.gov (United States)

Laurence, James; Schmid, Katharina; Hewstone, Miles

2018-01-01

This study advances the current literature investigating the relationship between contextual out-group exposure, inter-group attitudes and the role of inter-group contact. Firstly, it introduces the concept of contact-valence into this relationship; that is, whether contact is experienced positively or negatively. Secondly, it presents a comparative analysis of how processes of out-group exposure and frequency of (valenced) contact affect prejudice across both neighbourhoods and workplaces. Applying path analysis modelling to a nationally-representative sample of white British individuals in England, we demonstrate, across both contexts, that increasing out-group exposure is associated with higher rates of both positively- and negatively-valenced contact. This results in exposure exhibiting both positive and negative indirect associations with prejudice via more frequent inter-group mixing. These countervailing contact-pathways help explain how out-group exposure is associated with inter-group attitudes. In neighbourhoods, increasing numbers of individuals experiencing positive-contact suppress an otherwise negative effect of neighbourhood diversity (driven partly by increasing numbers of individuals reporting negative contact). Across workplaces the effect differs such that increasing numbers of individuals experiencing negative-contact suppress an otherwise positive effect of workplace diversity (driven largely by increasing numbers of individuals experiencing positive contact).

Tasa de interés, crisis y crecimiento económico: ¿Qué tan alta debe ser la tasa de interés?

OpenAIRE

Turbay Bernal, Gabriel

2013-01-01

Se demuestra que las tasas de interés deben estar limitadas por la tasa de crecimiento del capital productivo, y que las consecuencias del desbordamiento del interés en un contexto de desmonetización de las economías es el principal factor de recesión, desempleo y malestar social generalizado de las naciones. Este fenómeno se analiza en el marco de economía global donde el endeudamiento y las tasas de interés son los principales mecanismos de expansión del capital financiero que avanza implac...

A distributed framework for inter-domain virtual network embedding

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zihua; Han, Yanni; Lin, Tao; Tang, Hui

2013-03-01

Network virtualization has been a promising technology for overcoming the Internet impasse. A main challenge in network virtualization is the efficient assignment of virtual resources. Existing work focused on intra-domain solutions whereas inter-domain situation is more practical in realistic setting. In this paper, we present a distributed inter-domain framework for mapping virtual networks to physical networks which can ameliorate the performance of the virtual network embedding. The distributed framework is based on a Multi-agent approach. A set of messages for information exchange is defined. We design different operations and IPTV use scenarios to validate the advantages of our framework. Use cases shows that our framework can solve the inter-domain problem efficiently.

Effects of Climatic Factors and Ecosystem Responses on the Inter-Annual Variability of Evapotranspiration in a Coniferous Plantation in Subtropical China

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Mingjie; Wen, Xuefa; Wang, Huimin; Zhang, Wenjiang; Dai, Xiaoqin; Song, Jie; Wang, Yidong; Fu, Xiaoli; Liu, Yunfen; Sun, Xiaomin; Yu, Guirui

2014-01-01

Because evapotranspiration (ET) is the second largest component of the water cycle and a critical process in terrestrial ecosystems, understanding the inter-annual variability of ET is important in the context of global climate change. Eight years of continuous eddy covariance measurements (2003–2010) in a subtropical coniferous plantation were used to investigate the impacts of climatic factors and ecosystem responses on the inter-annual variability of ET. The mean and standard deviation of annual ET for 2003–2010 were 786.9 and 103.4 mm (with a coefficient of variation of 13.1%), respectively. The inter-annual variability of ET was largely created in three periods: March, May–June, and October, which are the transition periods between seasons. A set of look-up table approaches were used to separate the sources of inter-annual variability of ET. The annual ETs were calculated by assuming that (a) both the climate and ecosystem responses among years are variable (Vcli-eco), (b) the climate is variable but the ecosystem responses are constant (Vcli), and (c) the climate is constant but ecosystem responses are variable (Veco). The ETs that were calculated under the above assumptions suggested that the inter-annual variability of ET was dominated by ecosystem responses and that there was a negative interaction between the effects of climate and ecosystem responses. These results suggested that for long-term predictions of water and energy balance in global climate change projections, the ecosystem responses must be taken into account to better constrain the uncertainties associated with estimation. PMID:24465610

Predictive scheduling approach in Inter-piconet communications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Son, L.T.; Schiøler, Henrik; Madsen, Ole Brun

2001-01-01

mobile devices. Originally it was developed as cable replacement. For the time being, it has been used as a mobile ad hoc network, which is intended for both voice and data communications, e.g. voice traffics, TCP/IP data traffics.. . Knowledge on mobile ad hoc network will be in need of studying...... delivered to end users in Bluetooth networks depends on large number of parameters at different levels, e.g. link capacity, packet delays.., which require various control and optimization methods. In this pa-per, an important part of inter-connected communications, inter-piconet scheduling, is mentioned...

Predictive scheduling approach in Inter-piconet communications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Son, L.T.; Schiøler, Henrik; Madsen, Ole Brun

mobile devices. Originally it was developed as cable replacement. For the time being, it has been used as a mobile ad hoc network, which is intended for both voice and data communications, e.g. voice traffics, TCP/IP data traffics.. . Knowledge on mobile ad hoc network will be in need of studying...... delivered to end users in Bluetooth networks depends on large number of parameters at different levels, e.g. link capacity, packet delays.., which require various control and optimization methods. In this pa-per, an important part of inter-connected communications, inter-piconet scheduling, is mentioned...

Continuous glucose monitoring in subcutaneous tissue using factory-calibrated sensors: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoss, Udo; Jeddi, Iman; Schulz, Mark; Budiman, Erwin; Bhogal, Claire; McGarraugh, Geoffrey

2010-08-01

Commercial continuous subcutaneous glucose monitors require in vivo calibration using capillary blood glucose tests. Feasibility of factory calibration, i.e., sensor batch characterization in vitro with no further need for in vivo calibration, requires a predictable and stable in vivo sensor sensitivity and limited inter- and intra-subject variation of the ratio of interstitial to blood glucose concentration. Twelve volunteers wore two FreeStyle Navigator (Abbott Diabetes Care, Alameda, CA) continuous glucose monitoring systems for 5 days in parallel for two consecutive sensor wears (four sensors per subject, 48 sensors total). Sensors from a prototype sensor lot with a low variability in glucose sensitivity were used for the study. Median sensor sensitivity values based on capillary blood glucose were calculated per sensor and compared for inter- and intra-subject variation. Mean absolute relative difference (MARD) calculation and error grid analysis were performed using a single calibration factor for all sensors to simulate factory calibration and compared to standard fingerstick calibration. Sensor sensitivity variation in vitro was 4.6%, which increased to 8.3% in vivo (P glucose monitoring is feasible with similar accuracy to standard fingerstick calibration. Additional data are required to confirm this result in subjects with diabetes.

Validation of a patient interview for assessing reasons for antipsychotic discontinuation and continuation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matza LS

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Louis S Matza,1 Glenn A Phillips,2 Dennis A Revicki,1 Haya Ascher-Svanum,3 Karen G Malley,4 Andrew C Palsgrove,1 Douglas E Faries,3 Virginia Stauffer,3 Bruce J Kinon,3 A George Awad,5 Richard SE Keefe,6 Dieter Naber71Outcomes Research, United BioSource Corporation, Bethesda, MD, 2Formerly with Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 3Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 4Malley Research Programming, Inc, Rockville, MD, USA; 5Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; 6Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC, USA; 7Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyIntroduction: The Reasons for Antipsychotic Discontinuation Interview (RAD-I was developed to assess patients’ perceptions of reasons for discontinuing or continuing an antipsychotic. The current study examined reliability and validity of domain scores representing three factors contributing to these treatment decisions: treatment benefits, adverse events, and distal reasons other than direct effects of the medication.Methods: Data were collected from patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and their treating clinicians. For approximately 25% of patients, a second rater completed the RAD-I for assessment of inter-rater reliability.Results: All patients (n = 121; 81 discontinuation, 40 continuation reported at least one reason for discontinuation or continuation (mean = 2.8 reasons for discontinuation; 3.4 for continuation. Inter-rater reliability was supported (kappas = 0.63–1.0. Validity of the discontinuation domain scores was supported by associations with symptom measures (the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia, the Clinical Global Impression – Schizophrenia Scale; r = 0.30 to 0.51; all P < 0.01, patients’ primary reasons for discontinuation, and adverse events. However, the continuation domain scores were not significantly associated with these other indicators

White paper on continuous bioprocessing. May 20-21, 2014 Continuous Manufacturing Symposium.

Science.gov (United States)

Konstantinov, Konstantin B; Cooney, Charles L

2015-03-01

There is a growing interest in realizing the benefits of continuous processing in biologics manufacturing, which is reflected by the significant number of industrial and academic researchers who are actively involved in the development of continuous bioprocessing systems. These efforts are further encouraged by guidance expressed in recent US FDA conference presentations. The advantages of continuous manufacturing include sustained operation with consistent product quality, reduced equipment size, high-volumetric productivity, streamlined process flow, low-process cycle times, and reduced capital and operating cost. This technology, however, poses challenges, which need to be addressed before routine implementation is considered. This paper, which is based on the available literature and input from a large number of reviewers, is intended to provide a consensus of the opportunities, technical needs, and strategic directions for continuous bioprocessing. The discussion is supported by several examples illustrating various architectures of continuous bioprocessing systems. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

Inter- and intra-observer variability in the assessment of atelectasis and consolidation in neonatal chest radiographs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bloomfield, F.H.; Teele, R.L.; Voss, M.; Knight, D.B.; Harding, J.E.

1999-01-01

Background. Radiology is an essential part of neonatal intensive care. Interpretation of chest radiographs frequently contributes to respiratory management of neonates, but there has been little assessment of the consistency of this interpretation. Objective. To assess the inter- and intra-observer variability for the reporting of atelectasis and/or consolidation in neonatal chest radiographs. Materials and methods. A total of 585 chest radiographs from the 220 babies ventilated in our nursery over a 2-year period were coded by two radiologists for generalised, lobar and segmental atelectasis and/or consolidation. Two months later one of the radiologists re-coded a random sample of these films (n = 117, 20 %). Agreement was assessed by the kappa statistic and by proportions of agreement for normality and abnormality. Results. The reported incidence of focal atelectasis was low (5-6 %). Focal changes of any nature were found in 21-26 % of films. Inter-observer agreement was fair to moderate (kappa = 0.25-0.44). Intra-observer agreement was mostly moderate to good (kappa = 0.38-0.66). Conclusion. The poor inter-observer agreement for the diagnosis of pulmonary parenchymal abnormalities on chest radiographs of neonates receiving intensive care suggests that abnormalities should be described rather than diagnoses given or that a list of differential diagnoses be offered. When research involves radiographic interpretation, the potential lack of consistency in reporting abnormalities must be borne in mind. (orig.)

Distance costs and the degree of inter-partner involvement in international relational-based technology alliances

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Kranenburg, H.L.; Hagedoorn, J.; Lorenz-Orlean, S.

2014-01-01

This research studies the effect of specific institutional and distance cost issues, in particular the protection of intellectual property rights and geographic distance, on the preference of companies for different governance modalities in terms of the degree of their involvement in international

The Inter-Life Project: Inter-Cultural Spaces for Young People to Use Creative Practices and Research to Assist with Life Changes and Transition

Science.gov (United States)

Lally, Vic; Sclater, Madeleine

2012-01-01

The aim of the Inter-Life Project was to investigate the use of virtual worlds and creative practices to support the acquisition of transition skills for young people to enhance their management of important life events. In particular, the authors have been investigating the role of the Inter-Life virtual worlds in supporting the development of…

Inter operability studies between the GTRS and EUMEDGRID e-Infrastructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbes, H.; Jemni, M.; Barbera, R.

2007-01-01

Grid computing enables sharing, selection, and aggregation of a wide variety of geographically distributed computational resources such as supercomputers, clusters, storage systems and data sources. A grid presents them as one unified resource for solving large scale and data intensive computing applications. A middle ware supports applications in distributed computing environments by providing services that enable the inter connectivity and inter operability of applications, systems and machines. Considering the evolution of this type of middle ware, it is important to regroup several national and international grids, by creating a gateway between middle wares, to gather more power and resources. In this setting, our work consists on making the Tunisian national grid GTRS inter operable with the grid infrastructure of EU funded project EUMEDGRID. A new concept of Super Worker Node is proposed in this work to reach the inter operability between the two grids of GTRS and EUMEDGRID. (Author)

Self-similar continued root approximants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gluzman, S.; Yukalov, V.I.

2012-01-01

A novel method of summing asymptotic series is advanced. Such series repeatedly arise when employing perturbation theory in powers of a small parameter for complicated problems of condensed matter physics, statistical physics, and various applied problems. The method is based on the self-similar approximation theory involving self-similar root approximants. The constructed self-similar continued roots extrapolate asymptotic series to finite values of the expansion parameter. The self-similar continued roots contain, as a particular case, continued fractions and Padé approximants. A theorem on the convergence of the self-similar continued roots is proved. The method is illustrated by several examples from condensed-matter physics.

Inter*sexualisierung - Klitorektomie und das Konzept der angeborenen Bisexualität

OpenAIRE

Eckert, Lena

2013-01-01

"Der deutsche Ethikrat schreibt 2012 in seiner Stellungnahme zur Inter*sexualität, dass medizinische Maßnahmen bei Inter*sexuellen einen Eingriff in die körperliche Unversehrtheit darstellen. Dennoch wird in den darin enthaltenen Empfehlungen am Ende der 200 Seiten umfassenden Studie keine klare Position zu Klitorektomien bezogen. In meinem Artikel untersuche ich die psycho-medizinischen Diskurse im Feld der Inter*sexualisierung, die seit Freud auf binär kodierten Geschlechtszuordnungspraxen ...

Arc damage characteristics of inter-anode insulators in MHD generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Ken; Takano, Kiyonami

1990-01-01

The inter-anode arc caused by a Hall field is driven by a magnetic field into the anode-wall in an MHD generator, which limits the lifetime and performance of the generator. The arc damage to inter-anode insulators of an MHD generator has been studied experimentally, in order to obtain basic data for the design of the inter-anode insulation. The experiment was conducted using a pair of electrodes with an insulator between them. Arc currents was supplied from a DC power source and magnetic field was applied perpendicular to the arc current. Experimental parameters are the insulator thickness, arc current, magnetic field and insulator materials. Quartz glass, boron nitride, magnesia, alumina, silicon carbide, silicon nitride etc. were tested and evaluated. The following conclusions are evident from the experiments. Boron nitride and quartz glass are the most promising inter-anode insulators. Boron nitride has a higher arc voltage and longer cutting time than quartz glass, and it is the best material. Cutting time is approximately proportional to the -0.4 th power of the magnetic field. Loss of insulator is approximately proportional to the 0.7 th power of the arc current. The arc voltage increases linearly with the inter anode gap length. It also increases with magnetic field, but decreases with increase of arc current. An equation which approximates to such relations of arc voltage versus inter-anode gap length, arc current and magnetic field has been obtained. The standard deviation of the error of this equation is 12 % for boron nitride and 15 % for quartz glass. (author)

Inter-Parental Conflict and Children's Academic Attainment: A Longitudinal Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Harold, Gordon T.; Aitken, Jessica J.; Shelton, Katherine H.

2007-01-01

Background: Previous research suggests a link between inter-parental conflict and children's psychological development. Most studies, however, have tended to focus on two broad indices of children's psychological adaptation (internalizing symptoms and externalizing problems) in considering the effects of inter-parental conflict on children's…

Primary ectopic frontotemporal extradural craniopharyngioma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza Pourkhalili

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We present a case of primary ectopic frontotemporal extradural craniopharyngioma. Primary ectopic craniopharyngiomas are very rare and have been reported involving the fourth ventricle, infrasellar region, lateral ventricle, temporal area, cerebellopontine angle, clivus, corpus callosum, and prepontine cistern. There was just 1 case of craniopharyngioma previously presented in the literature, with nearly same location as the presenting case.

The role of inter-professional relationships and support for nurse prescribing in acute and chronic pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Stenner, Karen; Courtenay, Molly

2008-08-01

This paper is a report of a study to explore nurse prescribers' views on the role of inter-professional relationships and other means of support for nurse prescribing for patients in acute and chronic pain. Research indicates that good team relationships are important for supporting nurse prescribing but that poor understanding of the role by other healthcare professionals can act as a barrier. While collaborative working is central to the role of pain nurses, there is a lack of research on the impact of nurse prescribing on inter-professional working or the support needs of these nurses. A qualitative approach was adopted using thematic analysis of semi-structured interview data collected during 2006 and 2007. Participants were 26 nurses who prescribed medicines for patients with acute and/or chronic pain. Nurses' believed that prescribing encouraged collaborative working and sharing of knowledge across professional boundaries and that this helped to broaden understanding of the wider remit of pain management. Collaboration with doctors served a number of functions, including support and continuous learning. Barriers to effective nurse prescribing were a lack of understanding of its role amongst healthcare professionals and inadequate support. Formal support structures, such as regular clinical supervision, were seen as crucial to meeting nurses' ongoing learning. Factors that promote understanding of nurse prescribing and support inter-professional relationships are likely to have a positive impact on the effectiveness of nurse prescribing. A more consistent approach is required within organisations to support nurse prescribing.

A self-adapting system for the automated detection of inter-ictal epileptiform discharges.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaun S Lodder

Full Text Available PURPOSE: Scalp EEG remains the standard clinical procedure for the diagnosis of epilepsy. Manual detection of inter-ictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs is slow and cumbersome, and few automated methods are used to assist in practice. This is mostly due to low sensitivities, high false positive rates, or a lack of trust in the automated method. In this study we aim to find a solution that will make computer assisted detection more efficient than conventional methods, while preserving the detection certainty of a manual search. METHODS: Our solution consists of two phases. First, a detection phase finds all events similar to epileptiform activity by using a large database of template waveforms. Individual template detections are combined to form "IED nominations", each with a corresponding certainty value based on the reliability of their contributing templates. The second phase uses the ten nominations with highest certainty and presents them to the reviewer one by one for confirmation. Confirmations are used to update certainty values of the remaining nominations, and another iteration is performed where ten nominations with the highest certainty are presented. This continues until the reviewer is satisfied with what has been seen. Reviewer feedback is also used to update template accuracies globally and improve future detections. KEY FINDINGS: Using the described method and fifteen evaluation EEGs (241 IEDs, one third of all inter-ictal events were shown after one iteration, half after two iterations, and 74%, 90%, and 95% after 5, 10 and 15 iterations respectively. Reviewing fifteen iterations for the 20-30 min recordings 1 took approximately 5 min. SIGNIFICANCE: The proposed method shows a practical approach for combining automated detection with visual searching for inter-ictal epileptiform activity. Further evaluation is needed to verify its clinical feasibility and measure the added value it presents.

Contribution of continuous assessment to student learning in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study seeks to find out whether continuous assessment contributes to students' performance mathematics. The objectives of this study were to find out whether; Students see continuous assessment as a motivating factor in their learning, there is any workload involved in filling of continuous assessment termly, ...

Inter-teaching: Improving the Academic Performance of Auditing Students in Vietnam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Wheaton

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of inter-teaching; a student engagement pedagogy associated with behavioural and engagement theories and designed to engage students in their own learning. This methodology was introduced as a response to create a more positive outcome for students studying an auditing course who have historically experienced difficulties with successfully completing the subject. Inter-teaching was implemented and its effectiveness measured by comparing the final exam grade distributions from inter-teaching and the lecture tutorial teaching methods. Using a quantitative research methodology, students fail grade distributions were significantly lower in the inter-teaching semesters compared to previous semesters where the instructional method of teaching was the lecture model. The results suggested that inter-teaching may be a more effective method of teaching, resulting in an improved academic performance in the auditing course. It is expected that this study will contribute towards the effectiveness of student learning, an improvement in pass rates, and overall greater student satisfaction in advanced accounting courses.

Inter-dot coupling effects on transport through correlated parallel ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

development in the field of spintronics and quantum information processing (QIP) in quantum computing [9] have made it desirable ..... But this hierarchy is truncated using decoupling scheme [30], which involves. HFA. The approximations used are .... analytic continuation rules [32] as. 892. Pramana – J. Phys., Vol. 72, No.

Anatomic and pathologic features of third cranial nerve disorders according to magnetic resonance studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruiz, Y.; Torres, J.; Ramos, M.; Caniego, J.L.; Manzanares, R.; Fresno, L.F.

1998-01-01

The objective of this report is to demonstrate the utility of magnetic resonance (MR) in the diagnosis of disorders involving the third cranial nerves. We have selected MR studies corresponding to patients with an anomaly affecting the third cranial nerves, whether alone or in combination with other cranial nerves. In order to better study the pathology of these cranial nerves, we considered four different segments of the nerves: mesencephalic, cisternal, cavernous and orbital. We present the MR features of the anatomy of the third cranial nerves and the most representative lesions affecting the different intracranial segments: infraction, multiple sclerosis, glioma and cavernoma in the mesencephalon; posterior communicating artery aneurysm, neuritis, neurinomas and meningioma in the cisternal segment; aneurysm of the internal carotid artery, cavernous carotid fistula, metastasis and meningioma in the cavernous sinus and Tolosa-Hunt syndrome in the orbital apex. (Author) 11 refs

Inter Genre Similarity Modelling For Automatic Music Genre Classification

OpenAIRE

Bagci, Ulas; Erzin, Engin

2009-01-01

Music genre classification is an essential tool for music information retrieval systems and it has been finding critical applications in various media platforms. Two important problems of the automatic music genre classification are feature extraction and classifier design. This paper investigates inter-genre similarity modelling (IGS) to improve the performance of automatic music genre classification. Inter-genre similarity information is extracted over the mis-classified feature population....

Involuntary inter-prison transfer of prisoners in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjær Minke, Linda

Involuntary inter prison transfer are for most prisoners very intrusive. In Denmark official record shows in average 669 incidences of involuntary inter prison transfers for disciplinary reasons in the period 2006-2013. Involuntary transfers because of prison capacity are not registered statistic....... A rule in Danish administrative law states that prisoners can be involuntary transferred from one prison to the other without prior notice, statement of reasons or hearing. In a legal protective perspective it is problematic that prisoners can be transferred without apparent reasons....

Continuing medical education and pharmaceutical industry involvement: An evaluation of policies adopted by Canadian professional medical associations.

Science.gov (United States)

Shnier, Adrienne; Lexchin, Joel

2017-01-01

Professional medical associations (PMAs) play a crucial role in providing accredited continuing medical education (CME) to physicians. Funding from the pharmaceutical industry may lead to biases in CME. This study examines publicly available policies on CME, adopted by Canadian PMAs as of December 2015. Policies were evaluated using an original scoring tool comprising 21 items, two questions about PMAs' general and CME funding from industry, and three enforcement measures. We assessed 236 policies adopted by Canadian PMAs (range, 0 to 32). Medical associations received summative scores that ranged from 0% to 49.2% of the total possible points (maximum score = 63). Twenty-seven associations received an overall score of 0%. The highest mean scores were achieved in the areas of industry involvement in planning CME activities (mean: 1.1/3), presence of a review process for topics of CME activities (mean: 1.1/3), content review for balanced information (mean: 1.1/3), and responsibility of distribution of funds (mean: 1.0/3). The lowest mean scores were achieved in the areas of awards (mean: 0.0/3), industry personnel, representatives, and employees (mean: 0.1/3), distribution of industry-funded educational materials at CME activities (mean: 0.1/3), and distinction between marketing and educational materials (mean: 0.1/3). These results suggest that Canadian PMAs' publicly available policies on industry involvement in CME are generally weak or non-existent; therefore, the accredited CME that is provided to Canadian physicians may be viewed as open to bias. We encourage all Canadian medical associations to strengthen their policies to avoid the potential for industry influence in CME.

An ECVAG inter-laboratory validation study of the comet assay

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ersson, Clara; Møller, Peter; Forchhammer, Lykke

2013-01-01

of ionising radiation, inter-laboratory variation, intra-laboratory variation and residual variation contributed to 60.9, 19.4, 0.1 and 19.5%, respectively, of the total variation. In the coded PBMC samples, the inter-laboratory variation explained the largest fraction of the overall variation of DNA strand...

Getting involved in research.

Science.gov (United States)

Banner, Davina; Grant, Lyle G

2011-01-01

The need for quality nursing research to promote evidence-based practice and optimize patient care is well recognized. This is particularly pertinent in cardiovascular nursing, where cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide (World Health Organization, 2007). Across the spectrum of academic, clinical, and health care administration nursing roles, research remains fundamental to bridging theory, practice, and education (LoBiondo-Wood, Haber, Cameron, & Singh, 2009). Despite recognition of the importance of nursing research, the gap between research and practice continues to be an ongoing issue (Funk, Tornquist, & Champagne, 1995; Pettengill, Gillies, & Clark, 1994; Rizzuto, Bostrom, Suterm, & Chenitz, 1994; Rolfe, 1998). Nurses are appropriately situated to contribute to research that improves clinical outcomes and health service delivery. However, the majority of nurses in clinical practice do not have a significant research component structured into their nursing role. In this research column, the authors outline the importance of nurses being engaged in research and present some different levels of involvement that nurses may assume. A continuum of nursing research involvement includes asking researchable questions, being a savvy consumer of research evidence, finding your own level of research involvement, and aspiring to lead.

Technology transfer at CERN a study on inter-organizational knowledge transfer within multi-national R&D collaborations

CERN Document Server

Huuse, H; Streit-Bianchi, M

2004-01-01

This study focus on the knowledge aspect of inter-organizational technology transfer projects. We have studied two large R&D collaborations where CERN is involved as one of several participating organizations, in order to reveal the causalities related to the knowledge transfer processes within these projects. The objective of the study is to understand how knowledge transfer happens, identify influencing factors to the process, and finally investigate the outcome of such processes. The study is founded on a thorough literature review where we examine different aspects of inter-organizational knowledge transfer. Based on the theory, we develop an analytic framework and establish different elements in the knowledge transfer process to study in more detail. This framework illustrates the relation between the different elements in a knowledge transfer process and provides the structure for our empirical foundation. We perform an explanatory embedded multiple case study and analyze our findings in terms of th...

Inter-Arm Difference in Brachial Blood Pressure in the General Population of Koreans.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Bo Mi; Kim, Hyeon Chang; Shim, Jee-Seon; Lee, Myung Ha; Choi, Dong Phil

2016-05-01

We investigated the inter-arm difference in blood pressure of the general Korean population to identify associated factors. A total of 806 participants aged 30 to 64 years without history of major cardiovascular disease were analyzed in this cross-sectional study. They participated in the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Etiology Research Center cohort study that began in 2013. Brachial blood pressure was measured simultaneously for both arms using an automated oscillometric device equipped with two cuffs in seated position. After five minutes of rest, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured three times. The average of the three measurements was used for analysis. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with inter-arm differences in blood pressure. The mean inter-arm difference was 3.3 mmHg for SBP and 2.0 mmHg for DBP. Large inter-arm differences (≥10 mmHg) in SBP and in DBP were found in 3.7% and 0.9% of subjects, respectively. A large inter-arm difference in SBP was associated with mean SBP (p=0.002) and C-reactive protein (p=0.014) while a large inter-arm different in DBP was only associated with body mass index (p=0.015). Sex, age, and anti-hypertensive medication use were not associated with differences in inter-arm blood pressure. Large inter-arm difference in blood pressure is only present in a small portion of healthy Korean adults. Our findings suggest that high SBP, chronic inflammation, and obesity may be associated with larger difference in inter-arm blood pressure.

3T MR 3D-FIESTA demonstrating cranial nerves in cisternal segment and their relationship with adjacent lesions%3T MR三维稳态进动快速成像序列显示脑池段颅神经及其与周围病变的关系

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

惠毅毅; 王庆征; 李传亭; 刘传梅; 张红

2012-01-01

Objective To investigate the usefulness of 3T MR 3D-FIESTA in displaying the relationship between the nerves in posterior and middle fossa and rheir adjacent lesions. Methods 34 cases of intracranial lesions in posterior and middle fossa were study with FSE T1W1,FSE T2WI and 3D-FIESTA sequences in 3T MR. The relationship bctween the lesions and the cranial nerves in cisternal segment were confirmed with surgery. Results 34 patients mainly showed 48 lesions on MR imaging. 9 cranial nerves were embedded by its adjacent lesions. 51 were pushed. 25 nerves were involved, and lesions were adjacent to 10 nerves. 23 patients underwent surgery in all 34 cases. The accuracy of 3D-FIESTA imag-ings in demonstrating relationship between cranial nerves with adjacent lesions were 5/6. 26/28. 3/3. 12/13. Conclusion 3T MR 3D-FIESTA imaging could depict the relationship between the nerves in cisternal segment and its adjacent lesions correctly, and it is useful in preoperative evaluation and treatment of intracranial lesions.%目的 探讨3T MR三维稳态进动快速成像(3D-FIESTA)序列显示中、后颅窝颅神经及其与周围病变关系的价值.方法 对34例颅内脑外病变的患者行反转恢复SE T1WI、FSE T2 WI及3D-FIESTA序列扫描.脑池段颅神经与周围病变的关系情况与手术结果相对照.结果 34例患者中共48处病变,3D-FIESTA序列显示9条神经被周围病变包绕.51条颅神经被压迫.与病变相邻的颅神经有10条,病变累及其邻近25条神经;其中23例患者行手术治疗,手术与MR图像对照.3D-FIESTA显示颅神经与周围病变关系的准确性分别为5/6、26/28、3/3、12/13.结论 3T MR 3D-FI-ESTA序列可以正确显示脑池段颅神经及其与周围病变的关系.对治疗前评估及病变的治疗有重要的应用价值.

Carbohydrate as covalent crosslink in human inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jessen, T E; Faarvang, K L; Ploug, M

1988-01-01

The primary structure of inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor is partially elucidated, but controversy about the construction of the polypeptide backbone still exists. We present evidence suggesting that inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor represents a novel plasma protein structure with two separate polypept...... polypeptide chains covalently crosslinked only by carbohydrate (chondroitin sulphate)....

A Demosaicking Algorithm with Adaptive Inter-Channel Correlation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joan Duran

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Most common cameras use a CCD sensor device measuring a single color per pixel. Demosaicking is the interpolation process by which one can infer a full color image from such a matrix of values, thus interpolating the two missing components per pixel. Most demosaicking methods take advantage of inter-channel correlation locally selecting the best interpolation direction. The obtained results look convincing except when local geometry cannot be inferred from neighboring pixels or channel correlation is low. In these cases, these algorithms create interpolation artifacts such as zipper effect or color aliasing. This paper discusses the implementation details of the algorithm proposed in [J. Duran, A. Buades, ``Self-Similarity and Spectral Correlation Adaptive Algorithm for Color Demosaicking'', IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, 23(9, pp. 4031--4040, 2014]. The proposed method involves nonlocal image self-similarity in order to reduce interpolation artifacts when local geometry is ambiguous. It further introduces a clear and intuitive manner of balancing how much channel-correlation must be taken advantage of.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PRACTICE IN LARGE ENTERPRISES: STUDY RESULTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorota Stadnicka

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Continuous improvement is indispensable for ensuring the company's development and its survival on the constantly changing global market. Continuous improvement is particularly important in the quality and production management systems. A company should deliver a product compliant with a client's requirements in a specified time and at an appropriate price. That is why, continuous improvement refers to different areas of an organization's functioning and it is an integral part of Lean Manufacturing. This article presents the results of the study conducted in production enterprises on a limited area. The aim of the study was the assessment of the implementation of continuous improvement in Lean Manufacturing, and, in particular, employees' involvement in the problem identification and in reporting improvements as well as the way of motivating employees to involve themselves. The authors also tried to identify the factors influencing the elements of a continuous improvement system.

Applications of wind generation for power system frequency control, inter-area oscillations damping and parameter identification

Science.gov (United States)

Wilches-Bernal, Felipe

Power systems around the world are experiencing a continued increase in wind generation as part of their energy mix. Because of its power electronics interface, wind energy conversion systems interact differently with the grid than conventional generation. These facts are changing the traditional dynamics that regulate power system behavior and call for a re-examination of traditional problems encountered in power systems like frequency response, inter-area oscillations and parameter identification. To address this need, realistic models for wind generation are necessary. The dissertation implements such models in a MATLAB-based flexible environment suited for power system research. The dissertation continues with an analysis of the frequency response of a test power system dependent mainly on a mode referred to as the frequency regulation mode. Using this test system it is shown that its frequency regulation capability is reduced with wind penetration levels of 25% and above. A controller for wind generation to restore the frequency response of the system is then presented. The proposed controller requires the WTG to operate in a deloaded mode, a condition that is obtained through pitching the wind turbine blades. Time simulations at wind penetration levels of 25% and 50% are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller. Next, the dissertation evaluates how the inter-area oscillation of a two-machine power system is affected by wind integration. The assessment is performed based on the positioning of the WTG, the level of wind penetration, and the loading condition of the system. It is determined that integrating wind reduces the damping of the inter-area mode of the system when performed in an area that imports power. For this worst-case scenario, the dissertation proposes two controllers for wind generation to improve the damping of the inter-area mode. The first controller uses frequency as feedback signal for the active power control

THE ROMANIAN GEOGRAPHY TEACHERS’ OPINIONS ON CONTINUOUS TRAINING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ANCA LIANA GALE

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In the first part of the paper, we present the legislation from Romania and the methodologies related to the continuous training of teachers. In order to know the teachers’ opinions about their professional development, about the programes, courses and other training activities in which they were involved and about their needs for continuous training as geography teachers, a questionnaire was applied, and was completed by 170 teachers. The results were analysed and interpreted. These views are important because, based on them, decisions can be made concerning the teachers’ continuous training at both ministry level, as well as at the level of various institutions involved in such activities.

Eco-environmental impact of inter-basin water transfer projects: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuang, Wen

2016-07-01

The objective reality of uneven water resource distribution and imbalanced water demand of the human society makes it inevitable to transfer water. It has been an age-old method to adopt the inter-basin water transfers (IBTs) for alleviating and even resolving the urgent demand of the water-deficient areas. A number of countries have made attempts and have achieved enormous benefits. However, IBTs inevitably involve the redistribution of water resources in relevant basins and may cause changes of the ecological environment in different basins. Such changes are two-sided, namely, the positive impacts, including adding new basins for water-deficient areas, facilitating water cycle, improving meteorological conditions in the recipient basins, mitigating ecological water shortage, repairing the damaged ecological system, and preserving the endangered wild fauna and flora, as well as the negative impacts, including salinization and aridification of the donor basins, damage to the ecological environment of the donor basins and the both sides of the conveying channel system, increase of water consumption in the recipient basins, and spread of diseases, etc. Because IBTs have enormous ecological risk, it is necessary to comprehensively analyze the inter-basin water balance relationship, coordinate the possible conflicts and environmental quality problems between regions, and strengthen the argumentation of the ecological risk of water transfer and eco-compensation measures. In addition, there are some effective alternative measures for IBTs, such as attaching importance to water cycle, improving water use efficiency, developing sea water desalination, and rainwater harvesting technology, etc.

37 CFR 1.939 - Unauthorized papers in inter partes reexamination.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Unauthorized papers in inter... Unauthorized papers in inter partes reexamination. (a) If an unauthorized paper is filed by any party at any...) Unless otherwise authorized, no paper shall be filed prior to the initial Office action on the merits of...

Inter- and intra-organizational conditions for supply chain integration with BIM

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Papadonikolaki, E.; Wamelink, J.W.F.

2017-01-01

Digitizing buildings via building information modelling (BIM) is increasingly gaining traction in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector. The plethora of BIM-based technologies affects both inter- and intra-organizational relations. Structured inter-organizational networks

Characterization of inter-tissue and inter-strain variability of TCE glutathione conjugation metabolites DCVG, DCVC, and NAcDCVC in the mouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Yu-Syuan; Furuya, Shinji; Chiu, Weihsueh; Rusyn, Ivan

2018-01-01

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a ubiquitous environmental toxicant that is a liver and kidney carcinogen. Conjugation of TCE with glutathione (GSH) leads to formation of nepthrotoxic and mutagenic metabolites postulated to be critical for kidney cancerdevelopment; however, relatively little is known regarding their tissue levels as previous analytical methods for their detection lacked sensitivity. Here, an LC-MS/MS-based method for simultaneous detection of S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-glutathione (DCVG), S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine (DCVC), and N-acetyl-S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine (NAcDCVC) in multiple mouse tissues was developed. This analytical method is rapid, sensitive (limits of detection (LOD) 3-30 fmol across metabolites and tissues), and robust to quantify all three metabolites in liver, kidneys, and serum. The method was used to characterize inter-tissue and inter-strain variability in formation of conjugative metabolites of TCE. Single oral dose of TCE (24, 240 or 800 mg/kg) was administered to male mice from 20 inbred strains of Collaborative Cross. Inter-strain variability in the levels of DCVG, DCVC, and NAcDCVC (GSD = 1.6-2.9) was observed. Whereas NAcDCVC was distributed equally among analyzed tissues, highest levels of DCVG were detected in liver and DCVC in kidneys. Evidence indicated that inter-strain variability in conjugative metabolite formation of TCE might affect susceptibility to adverse health effects and that this method might aid in filling data gaps in human health assessment of TCE.

Relativistic Time Transfer for Inter-satellite Links

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie, Yi, E-mail: yixie@nju.edu.cn [Department of Astronomy, School of Astronomy and Space Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing (China); Shanghai Key Laboratory of Space Navigation and Position Techniques, Shanghai (China); Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics, Nanjing University, Ministry of Education, Nanjing (China)

2016-04-26

Inter-Satellite links (ISLs) will be an important technique for a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) in the future. Based on the principles of general relativity, the time transfer in an ISL is modeled and the algorithm for onboard computation is described. It is found, in general, satellites with circular orbits and identical semi-major axes can benefit inter-satellite time transfer by canceling out terms associated with the transformations between the proper times and the Geocentric Coordinate Time. For a GPS-like GNSS, the Shapiro delay is as large as 0.1 ns when the ISL passes at the limb of the Earth. However, in more realistic cases, this value will decrease to about 50 ps.

Continuation of superpave projects monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-01

This study involved the continuous monitoring of material properties and field performance of twelve Superpave project sections in Florida for the establishment of reasonable and effective mixture design guidelines and criteria, the identification an...

Towards the integration of social network analysis in an inter-organizational networks perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bergenholtz, Carsten; Waldstrøm, Christian

This conceptual paper deals with the issue of studying inter-organizational networks while applying social network analysis (SNA). SNA is a widely recognized technique in network research, particularly within intra-organizational settings, while there seems to be a significant gap in the inter......-organizational setting. Based on a literature review of both SNA as a methodology and/or theory and the field of inter-organizational networks, the aim is to gain an overview in order to provide a clear setting for SNA in inter-organizational research....

Inter-plant coordination and its relationships with supply chain integration and operational performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Cheng; Chaudhuri, Atanu; Farooq, Sami

2016-01-01

Based on the data obtained from the sixth version of International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS VI), this paper explores the relationships at the level of plant between (1) inter-plant coordination and operational performance, and (2) between inter-plant coordination and internal/external ......Based on the data obtained from the sixth version of International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS VI), this paper explores the relationships at the level of plant between (1) inter-plant coordination and operational performance, and (2) between inter-plant coordination and internal...

Continuous improvement and the mini-company concept

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Leede, Jan; Looise, Jan C.

1999-01-01

The key issue of continuous improvement (CI) seems to be the problem of combining extensive employee involvement with market orientation and continuation of CI. In this article we review some existing organisational designs for CI on these three essential characteristics of CI. As an alternative to

Inter-group and intra-group assertiveness: adolescents' social skills following cultural transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Korem, Anat; Horenczyk, Gabriel; Tatar, Moshe

2012-08-01

The goals of this study were to examine intra-group and inter-group assertiveness among adolescents, and to compare these two domains of assertiveness between cultural groups in Israel. Measures of intra-group and inter-group assertiveness were developed, and questionnaires were administrated to 441 immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU), 242 immigrants from Ethiopia and 333 non-immigrants. Compared to non-immigrants, FSU and Ethiopian immigrants' inter-group assertiveness was lower. Girls reported higher levels of inter-group assertiveness than boys. Each of the immigrant groups rates itself as equally assertive as the non-immigrant group and more assertive than the other immigrant group. Also, a difference between inter-group and intra-group assertiveness was found among the FSU immigrants. It is argued that adolescents' assertiveness following cultural transition is associated with socio-cultural context, and the implications of this conclusion are discussed. Copyright © 2011 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An inter-religious humanitarian response in the Central African Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine Mahony

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Inter-religious action has played a key role in ensuring that social cohesion and inter-religious mediation remain on the international agenda in relation to response in the Central African Republic, where people’s faith is an integral part of their identity but where it has been manipulated in a horrific way.

Knowledge Circulations in Inter-Para/Professional Practice: A Sociomaterial Enquiry

Science.gov (United States)

Fenwick, Tara

2014-01-01

In studies of professional learning, the rise of sociomaterial accounts draw attention to the political importance of nonhuman as well as human actors, the material as well as discursive, as inter-related in knowing and action. Of particular relevance to the issue of inter-professional work in health services, some researchers have argued that…

Dedicated Carrier Deployment in Heterogeneous Networks with Inter-site Carrier Aggregation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Hua; Rosa, Claudio; Pedersen, Klaus I.

2013-01-01

the macrocell or the picocell using simple cell range expansion (RE). Extensive system-level simulations have been conducted to investigate the performance gains that can be achieved with inter-site CA under different traffic models and user distributions. Results show that using inter-site CA between......) or picos with dedicated carrier deployment. Collaborative inter-site carrier aggregation (CA) is proposed in scenarios with macro+RRH deployment to make an efficient use of the fragmented spectrum from multiple cells. While in scenarios with macro+pico deployment, UEs can only connect to either...

Inter-cooler in solar-assisted refrigeration system: Theory and experimental verification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Hui-Fan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available An inter-cooler in the solar-assisted refrigeration system was investigated experimentally and theoretically, and the theoretical prediction was fairly in good agreement with the experimental data. The influence of pipe diameter, tooth depth, and spiral angle of inter-cooler on the performance of the refrigerant system was analyzed. It was concluded that heat transfer is influenced deeply by the structure parameters of inter-cooler, and the heat transfer capacity increases with tooth depth and spiral angle increasing, and decreases with tooth apex angle increasing.

Poster - 53: Improving inter-linac DMLC IMRT dose precision by fine tuning of MLC leaf calibration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakonechny, Keith; Tran, Muoi; Sasaki, David; Beck, James; Poirier, Yannick; Malkoske, Kyle

2016-01-01

Purpose: To develop a method to improve the inter-linac precision of DMLC IMRT dosimetry. Methods: The distance between opposing MLC leaf banks (“gap size”) can be finely tuned on Varian linacs. The dosimetric effect due to small deviations from the nominal gap size (“gap error”) was studied by introducing known errors for several DMLC sliding gap sizes, and for clinical plans based on the TG119 test cases. The plans were delivered on a single Varian linac and the relationship between gap error and the corresponding change in dose was measured. The plans were also delivered on eight Varian 2100 series linacs (at two institutions) in order to quantify the inter-linac variation in dose before and after fine tuning the MLC calibration. Results: The measured dose differences for each field agreed well with the predictions of LoSasso et al. Using the default MLC calibration, the variation in the physical MLC gap size was determined to be less than 0.4 mm between all linacs studied. The dose difference between the linacs with the largest and smallest physical gap was up to 5.4% (spinal cord region of the head and neck TG119 test case). This difference was reduced to 2.5% after fine tuning the MLC gap calibration. Conclusions: The inter-linac dose precision for DMLC IMRT on Varian linacs can be improved using a simple modification of the MLC calibration procedure that involves fine adjustment of the nominal gap size.

Poster - 53: Improving inter-linac DMLC IMRT dose precision by fine tuning of MLC leaf calibration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakonechny, Keith; Tran, Muoi; Sasaki, David; Beck, James; Poirier, Yannick; Malkoske, Kyle [Simcoe-Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre (Canada)

2016-08-15

Purpose: To develop a method to improve the inter-linac precision of DMLC IMRT dosimetry. Methods: The distance between opposing MLC leaf banks (“gap size”) can be finely tuned on Varian linacs. The dosimetric effect due to small deviations from the nominal gap size (“gap error”) was studied by introducing known errors for several DMLC sliding gap sizes, and for clinical plans based on the TG119 test cases. The plans were delivered on a single Varian linac and the relationship between gap error and the corresponding change in dose was measured. The plans were also delivered on eight Varian 2100 series linacs (at two institutions) in order to quantify the inter-linac variation in dose before and after fine tuning the MLC calibration. Results: The measured dose differences for each field agreed well with the predictions of LoSasso et al. Using the default MLC calibration, the variation in the physical MLC gap size was determined to be less than 0.4 mm between all linacs studied. The dose difference between the linacs with the largest and smallest physical gap was up to 5.4% (spinal cord region of the head and neck TG119 test case). This difference was reduced to 2.5% after fine tuning the MLC gap calibration. Conclusions: The inter-linac dose precision for DMLC IMRT on Varian linacs can be improved using a simple modification of the MLC calibration procedure that involves fine adjustment of the nominal gap size.

Systems and technologies for high-speed inter-office/datacenter interface

Science.gov (United States)

Sone, Y.; Nishizawa, H.; Yamamoto, S.; Fukutoku, M.; Yoshimatsu, T.

2017-01-01

Emerging requirements for inter-office/inter-datacenter short reach links for data center interconnects (DCI) and metro transport networks have led to various inter-office and inter-datacenter optical interface technologies. These technologies are bringing significant changes to systems and network architectures. In this paper, we present a system and ZR optical interface technologies for DCI and metro transport networks, then introduce the latest challenges facing the system framework. There are two trends in reach extension; one is to use Ethernet and the other is to use digital coherent technologies. The first approach achieves reach extension while using as many existing Ethernet components as possible. It offers low costs as reuses the cost-effective components created for the large Ethernet market. The second approach adopts low-cost and low power coherent DSPs that implement the minimal set long haul transmission functions. This paper introduces an architecture that integrates both trends. The architecture satisfies both datacom and telecom needs with a common control and management interface and automated configuration.

Inter-religious dialogue in schools: A pedagogical and civic unavoidability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Abdool

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Social and civic conflict inspired by the fundamental convictions of different religious groups seems to be rife all over the world, also in schools. One way of addressing this problem is to promote inter-religious dialogue. To establish the viability of this solution, the authors take several steps. They analyze the phenomenon “religion” and discover that it is constituted of several layers or levels that have to be accounted for in the proposed inter-religious dialogue in schools. After discussing the term “dialogue” they consider several approaches to religious diversity or plurality to find a suitable basis for the proposed inter-religious dialogue in schools. Based on these analyses, the authors argue that schools (teacher-educators and learners should be allowed to engage in inter-religious dialogue as part of their pedagogical and civic duty. This will ensure a better understanding of others and their religions, also at the deepest spiritual level. Such comprehension can contribute to the more peaceful co-existence of people in religiously pluralist societies.

Continuous quality improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourne, P.B.

1985-01-01

This paper describes the various statistical tools used at the Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory to achieve continuous quality improvement in the development of Breeder Reactor Technology and in reactor operations. The role of the quality assurance professionals in this process, including quantifiable measurements using actual examples, is provided. The commitment to quality improvement through top management involvement is dramatically illustrated

GODAE Inter-Comparisons in the Tasman and Coral Seas

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-01

and salinity. All have their strengths and weaknesses, and each system out-performs all others in one aspect or another. With few exceptions, all... Auckland and Fiji (Fig 1), was occupied during the inter- comparison period. The observed T section from this line is shown in Fig 6a. Comparisons of T...has certain strengths and weaknesses. Inter-comparisons are regarded as valuable exer- cises that provide important insights into the ocean forecast

VICbus: A standard inter-crate bus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parkman, C.F.

1990-01-01

VICbus is a standard inter-crate cable bus being developed by a working group of the ISO/IEC. Derived from an initiative of the VMEbus Working Group of ESONE, VICbus aims to provide users of multi-crate VMEbus and other backplane bus systems with a standard inter-crate connection. Multi-drop operation is provided for up to 31 devices on a cable of maximum 100 metres in length. Two data transfer protocols are specified, compelled (asynchronous) transfers for transparent interconnection of backplane bus systems (VMEbus in the first instance), and high-speed, non-compelled (synchronous) transfers between VICbus interfaces. A limited interrupt mechanism is specified, as well as simple, but efficient arbitration technique. Conventional technology is employed: copper cables, existing transcievers, and differential signal transmission, together with proven low-level protocols. Data transfer rates in excess of 30 Mbyte/s will be possible on a cable length of 30 metres

The Inter-Cell Interference Dilemma in Dense Outdoor Small Cell Deployment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Polignano, Michele; Mogensen, Preben; Fotiadis, Panagiotis

2014-01-01

The deployment of low-power small cells is envisaged as the main driver to accommodate the mobile broadband traffic growth in cellular networks. Depending on the spatial distribution of the user traffic, a densification of the small cells may be required in confined areas. However, deploying more...... and more cells in given areas may imply an increase of the inter-cell interference among the small cells. This study aims at investigating if the inter-cell interference among outdoor small cells may represent an impairment to the user experience, and evaluates if and in what conditions the interference...... coordination is worthwhile compared to the universal frequency reuse. Results show that the inter-cell interference depends on the small cell deployment in the urban environment (e.g. streets and squares) and on the network load condition. In case of deployment along urban streets, the inter-cell interference...

Sibling bereavement and continuing bonds.

Science.gov (United States)

Packman, Wendy; Horsley, Heidi; Davies, Betty; Kramer, Robin

2006-11-01

Historically, from a Freudian and medical model perspective, emotional disengagement from the deceased was seen as essential to the successful adaptation of bereavement. A major shift in the bereavement literature has occurred and it is now generally accepted that despite the permanence of physical separation, the bereaved remains involved and connected to the deceased and can be emotionally sustained through continuing bonds. The majority of literature has focused on adults and on the nature of continuing bonds following the death of a spouse. In this article, the authors demonstrate how the continuing bonds concept applies to the sibling relationship. We describe the unique continued relationship formed by bereaved children and adolescents following a sibling loss, highlight the factors that influence the siblings continuing bonds expressions, and offer clinical interventions. In our view, mental health professionals can play an important role in helping parents encourage activities that may facilitate the creation and maintenance of continuing bonds in their children.

ICD-11 (JLMMS) and SCT Inter-Operation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mamou, Marzouk; Rector, Alan; Schulz, Stefan; Campbell, James; Solbrig, Harold; Rodrigues, Jean-Marie

2016-01-01

The goal of this work is to contribute to a smooth and semantically sound inter-operability between the ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases-11th revision Joint Linearization for Mortality, Morbidity and Statistics) and SNOMED CT (SCT). To guarantee such inter-operation between a classification, characterized by a single hierarchy of mutually exclusive and exhaustive classes, as is the JLMMS successor of ICD-10 on the one hand, and the multi-hierarchical, ontology-based clinical terminology SCT on the other hand, we use ontology axioms that logically express generalizable truths. This is expressed by the compositional grammar of SCT, together with queries on axiomsof SCT. We test the feasibility of the method on the circulatory chapter of ICD-11 JLMMS and present limitations and results.

Integrating social science knowledge into natural resource management public involvement practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stummann, Cathy Brown

This PhD study explores the long-recognized challenge of integrating social science knowledge into NRM public involvement practice theoretically and empirically. Theoretically, the study draws on research from adult learning, continuing rofessional education and professional knowledge development...... to better understand how social science knowledge can benefit NRM public involvement practice. Empirically, the study explores the potential of NRM continuing professional education as a means for introducing social science knowledge to public NRM professionals. The study finds social science knowledge can...... be of value to NRM public involvement prospectively and retrospectively; and that continuing professional education can be an effective means to introducing social science knowledge to public NRM professionals. In the design of NRM continuing professional education focused on social science knowledge...

Inter- and intra-specific competition of duckweed under multiple heavy metal contaminated water.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhao; Shi, Huijuan; Kang, Xianjiang; Liu, Cunqi; Chen, Lingci; Liang, Xiaofei; Jin, Lei

2017-11-01

The influences of intra- and inter-species competition on ecosystems are poorly understood. Lemna aequinoctialis and Spirodela polyrhiza were used to assess the effects of exposure to different concentrations of multiple heavy metals (copper-cadmium-zinc), when the plants were grown in mixed- or mono-culture. Parameters assessed included relative growth rate (RGR), content of chlorophyll, glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as the activity of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD). Inter-specific competition was affected by metal concentration, with results indicating that inter-specific competition significantly affected duckweed growth and metal uptake in different heavy metal exposure conditions. Inter-specific competition increased growth rate of duckweed under high metal concentrations, although when compared with intra-specific competition, it caused no obvious differences under low metal concentrations. The growth of L. aequinoctialis was further increased in mixed culture when exposed to high metal concentrations, with inter-specific competition increasing the content of cadmium and zinc, while decreasing copper content of L. aequinoctialis compared with under intra-specific conditions. Conversely, inter-specific competition increased the content of copper and cadmium of S. polyrhiza, without causing obvious differences in zinc accumulation under high ambient concentrations. Under high metal conditions, inter-specific competition increased antioxidant enzyme activities in duckweed species, increasing resistance to heavy metals. Results show that inter-specific competition makes duckweed develop mechanisms to increase fitness and survival, such as enhancement of antioxidant enzyme activities, rather than limiting metal uptake when exposed to high concentrations of multiple metals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Imaging of Herniated Discs of the Cervical Spine: Inter-Modality Differences between 64-Slice Multidetector CT and 1.5-T MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yi, Ji Sook; Cha, Jang Gyu [Dept. of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon (Korea, Republic of); Han, Jong Kyu [Dept. of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyun Joo [Dept. of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-08-15

To assess inter-modality variability when evaluating cervical intervertebral disc herniation using 64-slice multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Three musculoskeletal radiologists independently reviewed cervical spine 1.5-T MRI and 64-slice MDCT data on C2-3 though C6-7 of 51 patients in the context of intervertebral disc herniation. Interobserver and inter-modality agreements were expressed as unweighted kappa values. Weighted kappa statistics were used to assess the extents of agreement in terms of the number of involved segments (NIS) in disc herniation and epicenter measurements collected using MDCT and MRI. The interobserver agreement rates upon evaluation of disc morphology by the three radiologists were in fair to moderate agreement (k = 0.39-0.53 for MDCT images; k = 0.45-0.56 for MRIs). When the disc morphology was categorized into two and four grades, the inter-modality agreement rates were moderate (k-value, 0.59) and substantial (k-value, 0.66), respectively. The inter-modality agreements for evaluations of the NIS (k-value, 0.78) and the epicenter (k-value, 0.79) were substantial. Also, the interobserver agreements for the NIS (CT; k-value, 0.85 and MRI; k-value, 0.88) and epicenter (CT; k-value, 0.74 and MRI; k-value, 0.70) evaluations by two readers were substantial. MDCT tended to underestimate the extent of herniated disc lesions compared with MRI. Multidetector-row computed tomography and MRI showed a moderate-to-substantial degree of inter-modality agreement for the assessment of herniated cervical discs. MDCT images have a tendency to underestimate the anterior/posterior extent of the herniated disc compared with MRI.

Aculturation In Mixed Marriage Family A Case Study In The Inter - Cultural Communication In Javanese And Tionghoa In Medan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anang Jati Kurniawan

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The objective of the research was to find out inter-cultural communicative activity in a family of mixed marriages between two different culture Javanese and Tionghoa. The research subject was a married couple who had been married for 21 years. The husband was a Tionghoa and the wife was a Javanese. The research used interpretative paradigm with phenomenological approach. The final objective of phenomenal data analysis was to present the deep analytic description of the communicative inter-cultural phenomenon of the mixed-marriage. The result of the research showed that 1 the respondents always attempted to pay attention to anything outside themselves did not give any negative comments and were ready to listen to each other 2 were tolerant to the spouses ambiguity respected to each other did not coerce personal belief and 3 showed empathy and were willing to get involved in the spouses activity.

La structure sociale de l’industrie des Biotechnologies en France: une étude des relations inter-organisationnelles au niveau inter-individuel.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piña-Stranger, Alvaro

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Various authors have shown the importance of collaborative relationships for inter-organizational performance, the mode of governance or the trajectory of biotechnology companies. Most of these works analyze the exclusive contractual agreements between companies and their main relationships among individuals. We show that this purely economic approach presents a major limitation: the nature of contractual relationships does not explore in detail how players cooperate. We propose to extend the study of these inter-organizational social relations, seen through the resource exchange in inter-individual. An empirical study on the leaders of the biotechnology industry in the area of human health in France has allowed us to map their relationships and resources they exchange them. Our results confirm the existence of a system of exchange dense and multiple. It presents a hierarchical distribution of various types of resources, where the centre is different from the periphery relations denser, more numerous and more reciprocal. However, comparative analysis of different networks reveals that the relationships of the board are highly centralized, while those of friendship following a more even distribution. We suggest that this phenomenon is part of a compensation mechanism to less central actors to maintain inter-organizational relationships. Finally, two standards of the cooperation process, revealed by the relational behaviour of actors, have been discovered. We suggest that they reflect in part the difficult process of adjustment that must cross a science project out of the realm of academic research and develop in a private structure: the biotech company.

InterMap3D: predicting and visualizing co-evolving protein residues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oliveira, Rodrigo Gouveia; Roque, francisco jose sousa simôes almeida; Wernersson, Rasmus

2009-01-01

InterMap3D predicts co-evolving protein residues and plots them on the 3D protein structure. Starting with a single protein sequence, InterMap3D automatically finds a set of homologous sequences, generates an alignment and fetches the most similar 3D structure from the Protein Data Bank (PDB......). It can also accept a user-generated alignment. Based on the alignment, co-evolving residues are then predicted using three different methods: Row and Column Weighing of Mutual Information, Mutual Information/Entropy and Dependency. Finally, InterMap3D generates high-quality images of the protein...

Reducing occurrence of Giardia duodenalis in children living in semiarid regions: impact of a large scale rainwater harvesting initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Fonseca, Jacqueline Evangelista; Carneiro, Mariângela; Pena, João Luiz; Colosimo, Enrico A; da Silva, Nívea Bispo; da Costa, André Gabriel F C; Moreira, Luciano E; Cairncross, Sandy; Heller, Léo

2014-06-01

In Brazil, about two million people living in rural semiarid regions were benefited with the construction of rainwater cement cisterns, as an initiative from the program "One Million Cisterns" (P1MC). Nevertheless, few epidemiological studies have been conducted to assess health risks or protection effects associated with consumption of this water source. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether access to rainwater harvesting cisterns is associated with the decrease in the occurrence of Giardia duodenalis infections in children, compared to other children living in households supplied by other water sources. A quasi-experimental study with two concurrent cohorts was developed in two rural municipalities of the semiarid region of Brazil. A sample of 664 children, aged between 4 months and 5 years old, was followed up, of which 332 had access to rainwater cisterns (cistern group) and 332 did not, having water supplied from alternative sources (comparison group). In a period of approximately one year (2010) intestinal parasites were investigated in feces three times. The prevalence of G. duodenalis in children from the cistern group ranged from 4.8 to 10.5%, while the prevalence in the comparison group ranged from 7.6 to 16.7%. Multivariate analysis (GEE) showed a higher risk of G. duodenalis infection in children who did not have access to rainwater cisterns, when compared to children who did (OR 1.72; 95% CI 1.14-2.59). The other variables associated with G. duodenalis infection were: number of rooms per house (OR 0.89; 95% CI 0.80-0.99); family income (OR0.48; 95% CI 0.26-0.88); birth order (OR 1.72; 95% CI 1.17-2.51); preterm children (OR 1.70; 95% CI 1.19-2.43); and improper hand hygiene prior to food preparation (OR 4.78; 95% CI 1.95-11.76). Ownership of a rainwater cistern is associated with a lower prevalence of G. duodenalis infection in children after adjustment for environmental and family-related factors. Nevertheless, the study suggests the necessity

Reducing occurrence of Giardia duodenalis in children living in semiarid regions: impact of a large scale rainwater harvesting initiative.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacqueline Evangelista Fonseca

2014-06-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In Brazil, about two million people living in rural semiarid regions were benefited with the construction of rainwater cement cisterns, as an initiative from the program "One Million Cisterns" (P1MC. Nevertheless, few epidemiological studies have been conducted to assess health risks or protection effects associated with consumption of this water source. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether access to rainwater harvesting cisterns is associated with the decrease in the occurrence of Giardia duodenalis infections in children, compared to other children living in households supplied by other water sources. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A quasi-experimental study with two concurrent cohorts was developed in two rural municipalities of the semiarid region of Brazil. A sample of 664 children, aged between 4 months and 5 years old, was followed up, of which 332 had access to rainwater cisterns (cistern group and 332 did not, having water supplied from alternative sources (comparison group. In a period of approximately one year (2010 intestinal parasites were investigated in feces three times. The prevalence of G. duodenalis in children from the cistern group ranged from 4.8 to 10.5%, while the prevalence in the comparison group ranged from 7.6 to 16.7%. Multivariate analysis (GEE showed a higher risk of G. duodenalis infection in children who did not have access to rainwater cisterns, when compared to children who did (OR 1.72; 95% CI 1.14-2.59. The other variables associated with G. duodenalis infection were: number of rooms per house (OR 0.89; 95% CI 0.80-0.99; family income (OR0.48; 95% CI 0.26-0.88; birth order (OR 1.72; 95% CI 1.17-2.51; preterm children (OR 1.70; 95% CI 1.19-2.43; and improper hand hygiene prior to food preparation (OR 4.78; 95% CI 1.95-11.76. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Ownership of a rainwater cistern is associated with a lower prevalence of G. duodenalis infection in children after adjustment for

Efficacy of inter-dental mechanical plaque control in managing gingivitis--a meta-review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sälzer, Sonja; Slot, Dagmar E; Van der Weijden, Fridus A; Dörfer, Christof E

2015-04-01

What is the effect of mechanical inter-dental plaque removal in addition to toothbrushing, on managing gingivitis using various formats of inter-dental self-care in adults based on evidence gathered from existing systematic reviews? Three Internet sources were searched by a strategy designed to include systematic reviews on inter-dental cleaning devices. Plaque and gingivitis scores were the primary parameters of interest. Characteristics of selected papers were extracted. The potential risk of bias was estimated and the acquired evidence was graded. Screening of 395 papers resulted in six systematic reviews. Two papers evaluated the efficacy of dental floss, two of inter-dental brushes (IDB), one of woodsticks and one of the oral irrigator. Weak evidence of unclear or small magnitude was retrieved that supported dental floss, woodsticks and the oral irrigator to reduce gingivitis in addition to toothbrushing. No concomitant evidence for an effect on plaque emerged. There is moderate evidence that IDBs in combination with toothbrushing reduce both plaque and gingivitis. Evidence suggests that inter-dental cleaning with IDBs is the most effective method for inter-dental plaque removal. The majority of available studies fail to demonstrate that flossing is generally effective in plaque removal. All investigated devices for inter-dental self-care seem to support the management of gingivitis, however, to a varying extend. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Inter-Institutional Collaboration and Team Teaching.

Science.gov (United States)

Gatliff, Bee; Wendel, Frederick C.

1998-01-01

Inter-institutional collaboration and team teaching can enhance distance education. Of particular interest to those who are new to distance education or collaborative relationships, this article discusses several issues that should be considered in the planning process to avoid potential roadblocks and to maximize returns. (Author/AEF)

Inter-chromosomal heterogeneity in the formation of radiation induced chromosomal aberrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natarajan, A.T.; Vermeulen, S.; Boei, J.J.W.A.

1997-01-01

It is generally assumed that radiation induced chromosomal lesions are distributed randomly and repaired randomly among the genome. Recent studies using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and chromosome specific DNA libraries indicate that some chromosomes are more sensitive for radiation induced aberration formation than others. Chromosome No. 4 in human and chromosome No. 8 in Chinese hamster have been found to involve more in exchange aberrations than others, when calculated on the basis of their DNA content. Painting with arm specific chromosome libraries indicate that the frequencies of radiation induced intra-chromosome exchanges (i.e., between the arms of a chromosome, such as centric rings and inversions) are far in excess than one would expect on the basis of the frequencies of observed inter-chromosomal exchanges. The possible factors leading to the observed heterogeneity will be discussed

Radiological Protection and Quality Assurance in Health Sciences: Tele-Education for continued Postgraduate Training

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alcaraz, M.; Chico, P.; Armero, D.; Saura Iniesta, A. M.; Vicente, V.

2003-01-01

The establishment of an inter departmental project, financed by the Spanish Ministry of Education, has made possible the development to specific didactic materials on Radiological Protection and Quality Assurance in Medical Radiodiagnostic Practices. These have been published as a manual and practical notebook. This material constitutes the grounding work for the first continuous tele-education training course via Internet that Spanish professionals exposed to ionising radiation are following. Interactive multimedia training and tele-education may become one of the alternatives that allow health science professionals to receive continuous training, provided that adequate content and aims had been established during undergraduate training. (Author) 18 refs

Distance Dependence of Path Loss for Millimeter Wave Inter-Vehicle Communications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Fujise

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Millimeter-wave path loss between two cars was measured to obtainthe general applicable distance for inter-vehicle communication systemsin real environments. An abrupt and substantial increase in path lossdue to interruption, curves, and different-lane traveling has been amajor concern in inter-vehicle communications. The path lossmeasurements were carried out using 60-GHz CW radiowaves and standardhorn antennas on metropolitan highways and regular roads. Because thepropagation loss is traffic-dependent, the highways were classifiedinto uncrowded and crowded highways, and the regular roads wereclassified into uncrowded and crowded roads. The path loss for thehighways exhibited 2nd-power-law attenuation and that for the regularroads exhibited 1st-power-law attenuation with an increase ininter-vehicle distance. Additional losses of 15 dB for the highways and5 dB for the regular roads were observed when the inter-vehicledistance was more than approximately 30 m. Thus, we were able todemonstrate millimeter-wave inter-vehicle communications at aninter-vehicle distance of more than 100 m.

Inter-arch digital model vs. manual cast measurements: Accuracy and reliability.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiviahde, Heikki; Bukovac, Lea; Jussila, Päivi; Pesonen, Paula; Sipilä, Kirsi; Raustia, Aune; Pirttiniemi, Pertti

2017-06-28

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of inter-arch measurements using digital dental models and conventional dental casts. Thirty sets of dental casts with permanent dentition were examined. Manual measurements were done with a digital caliper directly on the dental casts, and digital measurements were made on 3D models by two independent examiners. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), a paired sample t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Bland-Altman plots were used to evaluate intra- and inter-examiner error and to determine the accuracy and reliability of the measurements. The ICC values were generally good for manual and excellent for digital measurements. The Bland-Altman plots of all the measurements showed good agreement between the manual and digital methods and excellent inter-examiner agreement using the digital method. Inter-arch occlusal measurements on digital models are accurate and reliable and are superior to manual measurements.

Parent Involvement and Student Performance: The Influence of School Context

Science.gov (United States)

McNeal, Ralph B., Jr.

2015-01-01

Researchers focusing on parent involvement continue to concentrate their efforts on the relationship between involvement and student performance in isolation of the school context in which involvement occurs. This research outlines an ecology of involvement and how this social context affects parent involvement and student performance. Relying on…

Use of the interRAI CHESS scale to predict mortality among persons with neurological conditions in three care settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirdes, John P; Poss, Jeffrey W; Mitchell, Lori; Korngut, Lawrence; Heckman, George

2014-01-01

Persons with certain neurological conditions have higher mortality rates than the population without neurological conditions, but the risk factors for increased mortality within diagnostic groups are less well understood. The interRAI CHESS scale has been shown to be a strong predictor of mortality in the overall population of persons receiving health care in community and institutional settings. This study examines the performance of CHESS as a predictor of mortality among persons with 11 different neurological conditions. Survival analyses were done with interRAI assessments linked to mortality data among persons in home care (n = 359,940), complex continuing care hospitals/units (n = 88,721), and nursing homes (n = 185,309) in seven Canadian provinces/territories. CHESS was a significant predictor of mortality in all 3 care settings for the 11 neurological diagnostic groups considered after adjusting for age and sex. The distribution of CHESS scores varied between diagnostic groups and within diagnostic groups in different care settings. CHESS is a valid predictor of mortality in neurological populations in community and institutional care. It may prove useful for several clinical, administrative, policy-development, evaluation and research purposes. Because it is routinely gathered as part of normal clinical practice in jurisdictions (like Canada) that have implemented interRAI assessment instruments, CHESS can be derived without additional need for data collection.

Use of the interRAI CHESS scale to predict mortality among persons with neurological conditions in three care settings.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John P Hirdes

Full Text Available Persons with certain neurological conditions have higher mortality rates than the population without neurological conditions, but the risk factors for increased mortality within diagnostic groups are less well understood. The interRAI CHESS scale has been shown to be a strong predictor of mortality in the overall population of persons receiving health care in community and institutional settings. This study examines the performance of CHESS as a predictor of mortality among persons with 11 different neurological conditions.Survival analyses were done with interRAI assessments linked to mortality data among persons in home care (n = 359,940, complex continuing care hospitals/units (n = 88,721, and nursing homes (n = 185,309 in seven Canadian provinces/territories.CHESS was a significant predictor of mortality in all 3 care settings for the 11 neurological diagnostic groups considered after adjusting for age and sex. The distribution of CHESS scores varied between diagnostic groups and within diagnostic groups in different care settings.CHESS is a valid predictor of mortality in neurological populations in community and institutional care. It may prove useful for several clinical, administrative, policy-development, evaluation and research purposes. Because it is routinely gathered as part of normal clinical practice in jurisdictions (like Canada that have implemented interRAI assessment instruments, CHESS can be derived without additional need for data collection.

Knowledge translation from continuing education to physiotherapy practice in classifying patients with low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Karvonen, Eira; Paatelma, Markku; Kesonen, Jukka-Pekka; Heinonen, Ari O

2015-05-01

Physical therapists have used continuing education as a method of improving their skills in conducting clinical examination of patients with low back pain (LBP). The purpose of this study was to evaluate how well the pathoanatomical classification of patients in acute or subacute LBP can be learned and applied through a continuing education format. The patients were seen in a direct access setting. The study was carried out in a large health-care center in Finland. The analysis included a total of 57 patient evaluations generated by six physical therapists on patients with LBP. We analyzed the consistency and level of agreement of the six physiotherapists' (PTs) diagnostic decisions, who participated in a 5-day, intensive continuing education session and also compared those with the diagnostic opinions of two expert physical therapists, who were blind to the original diagnostic decisions. Evaluation of the physical therapists' clinical examination of the patients was conducted by the two experts, in order to determine the accuracy and percentage agreement of the pathoanatomical diagnoses. The percentage of agreement between the experts and PTs was 72-77%. The overall inter-examiner reliability (kappa coefficient) for the subgroup classification between the six PTs and two experts was 0.63 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.47-0.77], indicating good agreement between the PTs and the two experts. The overall inter-examiner reliability between the two experts was 0.63 (0.49-0.77) indicating good level of agreement. Our results indicate that PTs' were able to apply their continuing education training to clinical reasoning and make consistently accurate pathoanatomic based diagnostic decisions for patients with LBP. This would suggest that continuing education short-courses provide a reasonable format for knowledge translation (KT) by which physical therapists can learn and apply new information related to the examination and differential diagnosis of patients in acute or

Inter-operator Variability in Defining Uterine Position Using Three-dimensional Ultrasound Imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baker, Mariwan; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt; Behrens, Claus F.

2013-01-01

significantly larger inter-fractional uterine positional displacement, in some cases up to 20 mm, which outweighs the magnitude of current inter-operator variations. Thus, the current US-phantom-study suggests that the inter-operator variability in addressing uterine position is clinically irrelevant.......In radiotherapy the treatment outcome of gynecological (GYN) cancer patients is crucially related to reproducibility of the actual uterine position. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the inter-operator variability in addressing uterine position using a novel 3-D ultrasound (US) system....... The study is initiated by US-scanning of a uterine phantom (CIRS 404, Universal Medical, Norwood, USA) by seven experienced US operators. The phantom represents a female pelvic region, containing a uterus, bladder and rectal landmarks readily definable in the acquired US-scans. The organs are subjected...

Analysis and Ranking of Protein-Protein Docking Models Using Inter-Residue Contacts and Inter-Molecular Contact Maps

KAUST Repository

Oliva, Romina; Chermak, Edrisse; Cavallo, Luigi

2015-01-01

In view of the increasing interest both in inhibitors of protein-protein interactions and in protein drugs themselves, analysis of the three-dimensional structure of protein-protein complexes is assuming greater relevance in drug design. In the many cases where an experimental structure is not available, protein-protein docking becomes the method of choice for predicting the arrangement of the complex. However, reliably scoring protein-protein docking poses is still an unsolved problem. As a consequence, the screening of many docking models is usually required in the analysis step, to possibly single out the correct ones. Here, making use of exemplary cases, we review our recently introduced methods for the analysis of protein complex structures and for the scoring of protein docking poses, based on the use of inter-residue contacts and their visualization in inter-molecular contact maps. We also show that the ensemble of tools we developed can be used in the context of rational drug design targeting protein-protein interactions.

Analysis and Ranking of Protein-Protein Docking Models Using Inter-Residue Contacts and Inter-Molecular Contact Maps

KAUST Repository

Oliva, Romina

2015-07-01

In view of the increasing interest both in inhibitors of protein-protein interactions and in protein drugs themselves, analysis of the three-dimensional structure of protein-protein complexes is assuming greater relevance in drug design. In the many cases where an experimental structure is not available, protein-protein docking becomes the method of choice for predicting the arrangement of the complex. However, reliably scoring protein-protein docking poses is still an unsolved problem. As a consequence, the screening of many docking models is usually required in the analysis step, to possibly single out the correct ones. Here, making use of exemplary cases, we review our recently introduced methods for the analysis of protein complex structures and for the scoring of protein docking poses, based on the use of inter-residue contacts and their visualization in inter-molecular contact maps. We also show that the ensemble of tools we developed can be used in the context of rational drug design targeting protein-protein interactions.

A SEM-correlation of the anatomy of the vitreous body: making visible the invisible.

Science.gov (United States)

Jongebloed, W L; Humalda, D; Worst, J F

1986-12-30

The naked human vitreous (sclera, iris and cornea removed) suspended in water does not reveal inner structures. After ink injection into the vitreous, the presence of different compartments and the existence of cisterns becomes evident. A concept of the internal system of cisterns is given on the basis of stereoscopic-lightmicroscopic images. An attempt is made to correlate images of the complete vitreous body, obtained with a stereo-lightmicroscope, with images of segments of cisternal walls produced with a scanning electron-microscope (SEM). A comparison is made between SEM-images of the vitreous bodies of human and rabbit eyes.

Inter-laboratory exercise on steroid estrogens in aqueous samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heath, E.; Kosjek, T.; Andersen, Henrik Rasmus

2010-01-01

to the analytical techniques applied, the accuracy and reproducibility of the analytical methods and the nature of the sample matrices. Overall, the results obtained in this inter-laboratory exercise reveal a high level of competence among the participating laboratories for the detection of steroid estrogens......An inter-laboratory comparison exercise was organized among European laboratories, under the aegis of EU COST Action 636: "Xenobiotics in Urban Water Cycle" The objective was to evaluate the performance of testing laboratories determining "Endocrine Disrupting Compounds" (EDC) in various aqueous...

Recursive inter-generational utility in global climate risk modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minh, Ha-Duong [Centre International de Recherche sur l' Environnement et le Developpement (CIRED-CNRS), 75 - Paris (France); Treich, N. [Institut National de Recherches Agronomiques (INRA-LEERNA), 31 - Toulouse (France)

2003-07-01

This paper distinguishes relative risk aversion and resistance to inter-temporal substitution in climate risk modeling. Stochastic recursive preferences are introduced in a stylized numeric climate-economy model using preliminary IPCC 1998 scenarios. It shows that higher risk aversion increases the optimal carbon tax. Higher resistance to inter-temporal substitution alone has the same effect as increasing the discount rate, provided that the risk is not too large. We discuss implications of these findings for the debate upon discounting and sustainability under uncertainty. (author)

COMPETITION AND FACILITATION EFFECTS OF DIFFERENTIAL INTRA-AND INTER-ROW WEED MANAGEMENT IN SUGARCANE

OpenAIRE

Martin , J; Chabalier , M; Letourmy , P; Chopart , J.-L; Arhiman , E; Marion , D

2013-01-01

International audience; Differential intra-and inter-row weed management can be a mean to reduce herbicide use in sugarcane. In 2011, a field experiment was conducted in La Reunion Island to assess inter-row weed competition. Four inter-row weed competition treatments for a duration of one (T1), two (T2), three (T3) and four (T4) months after planting were compared in a randomized complete block design with 5 replicates; treatment plots were paired with non-weeded inter-row control plots. All...

The Spatio-Temporal Characteristics and Modeling Research of Inter-Provincial Migration in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaomei Fan

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The national census data during 1995 and 2000 and during 2005 and 2010 are selected in this paper to make an analysis of the spatio-temporal characteristics of the inter-provincial population migration in China. In addition, the general regression model, the extension regression model considering the historical dependent variable and the spatial lag model are established based on the gravity model to make the regression model on China’s inter-provincial population migration over two periods of time. The results show that: (1 the inter-provincial population migration increases rapidly in size with strong geographical proximity; (2 China’s inter-provincial population migration is still in the primary stage of the general process of population migration. In other words, the inter-provincial population emigration and immigration levels have increased greatly with the economic development; (3 Statistically, the inter-provincial population migration is negatively correlated with the level of economic development in the emigrant place and the migration distance and positively correlated with the level of economic development in the immigrant place and the population scale in the emigrant and immigrant places; and (4 The spatio-temporal factor is an important explanatory variable of population migration. The introduction of the historical dependent variable and the spatial lag factor can improve the regression effect of the gravity model greatly, and the historical variable and the spatial factor have strong explanatory power for the inter-provincial population migration.

Inter-Professional Collaboration in Action Research

Science.gov (United States)

Leeman, Yvonne; van Koeven, Erna; Schaafsma, Frank

2018-01-01

This article describes an example of inter-professional action research conducted by teachers and university-based researchers/teacher educators in a vocational college in the Netherlands. The research was aimed at the professional learning of the teachers on their pedagogical approach to a new curriculum initiative. Despite a difficult context in…

Intra- and inter-rater reliability of the Knee Society Knee Score when used by two physiotherapists in patients post total knee arthroplasty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Gopal

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: It has yet to be shown whether routine physiotherapy plays a role in the rehabilitation of patients post totalknee arthroplasty (Rajan et al 2004. Physiotherapists should be using validoutcome measures to provide evidence of the benefit of their intervention. The aim of this study was to establish the intra and inter-rater reliability of the Knee Society Knee Score, a scoring system developed by Insall et al(1989. The Knee Society Knee Score can be used to assess the integrity of theknee joint of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Since the scoreinvolves clinical testing, the intra-rater reliability of the clinician should be established prior to using the scores as datain clinical research. W here multiple clinicians are involved, inter-rater reliability should also be established.Design: This was a correlation study.Subjects: A  sample of thirty patients post total knee arthroplasty attending the arthroplasty clinic at Johannesburg Hospital between six weeks and twelve months postoperatively.M ethod: Recruited patients were evaluated twice with a time interval of one hour between each assessment. Statistical A nalysis: The intra- and inter-rater reliability were estimated using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC. R esults: The intra-rater reliability showed excellent reliability (h= 0.95 for Examiner A  and good reliability (h= 0.71for Examiner B. The inter-rater reliability showed moderate reliability (h= 0.67 during test one and h= 0.66 during test two.Conclusion: The KSKS has good intra-rater reliability when tested within a period of one hour. The KSKS demonstrated moderate agreement for inter rater reliability.

Inter-domain cross-talk controls the NifA protein activity of Herbaspirillum seropedicae.

Science.gov (United States)

Monteiro, R A; de Souza, E M; Wassem, R; Yates, M G; Pedrosa, F O; Chubatsu, L S

2001-11-09

Herbaspirillum seropedicae is an endophytic diazotroph, which colonizes sugar cane, wheat, rice and maize. The activity of NifA, a transcriptional activator of nif genes in H. seropedicae, is controlled by ammonium ions through a mechanism involving its N-terminal domain. Here we show that this domain interacts specifically in vitro with the N-truncated NifA protein, as revealed by protection against proteolysis, and this interaction caused an inhibitory effect on both the ATPase and DNA-binding activities of the N-truncated NifA protein. We suggest that the N-terminal domain inhibits NifA-dependent transcriptional activation by an inter-domain cross-talk between the catalytic domain of the NifA protein and its regulatory N-terminal domain in response to fixed nitrogen.

La estructura social de la industria biotecnológica en Francia: un estudio de las relaciones inter-organizacionales a nivel inter-individual.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piña-Stranger, Alvaro

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Various authors have shown the importance of collaborative relationships for inter-organizational performance, the mode of governance or the trajectory of biotechnology companies. Most of these works analyze the exclusive contractual agreements between companies and their main relationships among individuals. We show that this purely economic approach presents a major limitation: the nature of contractual relationships does not explore in detail how players cooperate. We propose to extend the study of these inter-organizational social relations, seen through the resource exchange in inter-individual. An empirical study on the leaders of the biotechnology industry in the area of human health in France has allowed us to map their relationships and resources they exchange them. Our results confirm the existence of a system of exchange dense and multiple. It presents a hierarchical distribution of various types of resources, where the centre is different from the periphery relations denser, more numerous and more reciprocal. However, comparative analysis of different networks reveals that the relationships of the board are highly centralized, while those of friendship following a more even distribution. We suggest that this phenomenon is part of a compensation mechanism to less central actors to maintain inter-organizational relationships. Finally, two standards of the cooperation process, revealed by the relational behaviour of actors, have been discovered. We suggest that they reflect in part the difficult process of adjustment that must cross a science project out of the realm of academic research and develop in a private structure: the biotech company.

Inter- and intramolecular deuterium isotope effects on the cytochrome P-450-catalyzed oxidative dehalogenation of 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hales, D.B.; Ho, B.; Thompson, J.A.

1987-01-01

The oxidation of 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane to dichloroacetic acid was investigated with rat liver microsomes and purified cytochrome P-450. Deuterium substitution had no effect on Km values, but both the inter- and intramolecular isotope effects (kH/kD) on Vmax were in the range 5.7-6.1. The equivalence of the inter- and intramolecular values indicates that 6.0 may be a good estimate of the intrinsic isotope effect. The intermolecular kH/kD value for the conversion of 1,1,2,2-trichloroethane and its 1- 2 H analog to chloroacetic acid was 5.5. These data, and the finding that 1 atom of 18 O was incorporated into the product when TCEA was oxidized in an 18 O 2 atmosphere, support an oxidative dechlorination mechanism that involves hydrogen atom abstraction by the P-450 intermediate oxo complex

Fresh biological reference materials. Use in inter laboratory studies and as CRMs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Boer, J.

1999-01-01

Biological reference materials were prepared and packed in tins and glass jars to be used in inter laboratory studies on chlorobiphenyls and organochlorine pesticides, and trace metals, respectively. The materials were homogenised, sterilised and packed as wet tissue, which is unique for the purpose of inter laboratory studies and offers the advantage of studying the extraction and destruction steps of the analytical methods. In addition to their use in inter laboratory studies, some materials have been prepared or are being prepared as certified reference material for chlorobiphenyl analysis. (author)

School of Optometry at Inter American University.

Science.gov (United States)

Hofstetter, Henry W.

1981-01-01

The optometry program at the Inter American University in Puerto Rico is profiled, with highlights of admission criteria, temporary and permanent facilities, faculty, governance structure, curriculum, research opportunities, and relationship with the university as a whole. (MSE)

Involving Employees in Strategy innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Friis, Ole Uhrskov; Koch, Christian

2011-01-01

Strategy as a practice and continuous innovation approaches are combined to conceptualise dilemmas of short versus long term and to analyse a case of employee participation as a particular example of strategy innovation. The case is a medium size textile company developing its strategy involving ...... and Balanced Score Card consultancy, an ‘open space’ workshop and organized strategy projects. Especially the latter two are important in facilitating the employee involvement. The case however also exhibit enterprise situated praxis’s like mitigation of taboos....

The WIMS-E module W-INTER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roth, M.J.

1982-06-01

W-INTER is a module of the WIMS-E scheme for neutronics calculations and has three basic functions. These are to write a standard WIMS-E interface from information read from the codeword input, to copy a standard interface and to print or punch the contents of a standard interface. (U.K.)

Inter-tester reliability of selected clinical tests for long-lasting temporomandibular disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Julsvoll, Elisabeth Heggem; Vøllestad, Nina Køpke; Opseth, Gro; Robinson, Hilde Stendal

2017-09-01

Clinical tests used to examine patients with temporomandibular disorders vary in methodological quality, and some are not tested for reliability. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate inter-tester reliability of clinical tests and a cluster of tests used to examine patients with long-lasting temporomandibular disorders. Forty patients with pain in the temporomandibular area treated by health-professionals were included. They were between 18-70 years, had 65 symptomatic (33 right/32 left) and 15 asymptomatic joints. Two manual therapists examined all participants with selected tests. Percentage agreement and the kappa coefficient ( k ) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to evaluate the tests with categorical outcomes. For tests with continuous outcomes, the relative inter-tester reliability was assessed by the intraclass-correlation-coefficient (ICC 3,1 , 95% CI) and the absolute reliability was calculated by the smallest detectable change (SDC). The best reliability among single tests was found for the dental stick test, the joint-sound test ( k  = 0.80-1.0) and range of mouth-opening (ICC 3,1 (95% CI) = 0.97 (0.95-0.98) and SDC = 4 mm). The reliability of cluster of tests was excellent with both four and five positive tests out of seven. The reliability was good to excellent for the clinical tests and the cluster of tests when performed by experienced therapists. The tests are feasible for use in the clinical setting. They require no advanced equipment and are easy to perform.

Time-Varying Networks of Inter-Ictal Discharging Reveal Epileptogenic Zone.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Luyan; Liang, Yi; Li, Fali; Sun, Hongbin; Peng, Wenjing; Du, Peishan; Si, Yajing; Song, Limeng; Yu, Liang; Xu, Peng

2017-01-01

The neuronal synchronous discharging may cause an epileptic seizure. Currently, most of the studies conducted to investigate the mechanism of epilepsy are based on EEGs or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) recorded during the ictal discharging or the resting-state, and few studies have probed into the dynamic patterns during the inter-ictal discharging that are much easier to record in clinical applications. Here, we propose a time-varying network analysis based on adaptive directed transfer function to uncover the dynamic brain network patterns during the inter-ictal discharging. In addition, an algorithm based on the time-varying outflow of information derived from the network analysis is developed to detect the epileptogenic zone. The analysis performed revealed the time-varying network patterns during different stages of inter-ictal discharging; the epileptogenic zone was activated prior to the discharge onset then worked as the source to propagate the activity to other brain regions. Consistence between the epileptogenic zones detected by our proposed approach and the actual epileptogenic zones proved that time-varying network analysis could not only reveal the underlying neural mechanism of epilepsy, but also function as a useful tool in detecting the epileptogenic zone based on the EEGs in the inter-ictal discharging.

Inter- and intra-rater reliability of nasal auscultation in daycare children.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Rita; Silva Alexandrino, Ana; Tomé, David; Melo, Cristina; Mesquita Montes, António; Costa, Daniel; Pinto Ferreira, João

2018-02-01

The aim of this study was to assess nasal auscultation's intra- and inter-rater reliability and to analyze ear and respiratory clinical condition according to nasal auscultation. Cross-sectional study performed in 125 children aged up to 3 years old attending daycare centers. Nasal auscultation, tympanometry and Paediatric Respiratory Severity Score (PRSS) were applied to all children. Nasal sounds were classified by an expert panel in order to determine nasal auscultation's intra and inter- rater reliability. The classification of nasal sounds was assessed against tympanometric and PRSS values. Nasal auscultation revealed substantial inter-rater (K=0.75) and intra-rater (K=0.69; K=0.61 and K=0.72) reliability. Children with a "non-obstructed" classification revealed a lower peak pressure (t=-3.599, Pauscultation revealed substantial intra- and inter-rater reliability. Nasal auscultation exhibited important differences according to ear and respiratory clinical conditions. Nasal auscultation in pediatrics seems to be an original topic as well as a simple method that can be used to identify early signs of nasopharyngeal obstruction.

Embedding technology into inter-professional best practices in home safety evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Suzanne Perea; Pickens, Noralyn Davel

2017-08-01

To explore inter-professional home evaluators' perspectives and needs for building useful and acceptable decision-support tools for the field of home modifications. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of home modification professionals from different regions of the United States. The interview transcripts were analyzed with a qualitative, descriptive, perspective approach. Technology supports current best practice and has potential to inform decision making through features that could enhance home evaluation processes, quality, efficiency and inter-professional communication. Technological advances with app design have created numerous opportunities for the field of home modifications. Integrating technology and inter-professional best practices will improve home safety evaluation and intervention development to meet client-centred and societal needs. Implications for rehabilitation Understanding home evaluators technology needs for home safety evaluations contributes to the development of app-based assessments. Integrating inter-professional perspectives of best practice and technological needs in an app for home assessments improves processes. Novice and expert home evaluators would benefit from decision support systems embedded in app-based assessments. Adoption of app-based assessment would improve efficiency while remaining client-centred.

A New IMS Based Inter-working Solution

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Zhongwen; Brunner, Richard

With the evolution of third generation network, more and more multimedia services are developed and deployed. Any new service to be deployed in IMS network is required to inter-work with existing Internet communities or legacy terminal users in order to appreciate the end users, who are the main drivers for the service to succeed. The challenge for Inter-working between IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) and non-IMS network is “how to handle recipient’s address”. This is because each network has its own routable address schema. For instance, the address for Google Talk user is xmpp:xyz@google.com, which is un-routable in IMS network. Hereafter a new Inter-working (IW) solution between IMS and non-IMS network is proposed for multimedia services that include Instant Messaging, Chat, and File transfer, etc. It is an end-to-end solution built on IMS infrastructure. The Public Service Identity (PSI) defined in 3GPP standard (3rd Generation Partnership Project) is used to allow terminal clients to allocate this IW service. When sending the SIP (Session Initial Protocol) request out for multimedia services, the terminal includes the recipient’s address in the payload instead of the “Request-URI” header. In the network, the proposed solution provides the mapping rules between different networks in MM-IW (Multimedia IW). The detailed technical description and the corresponding use cases are present. The comparison with other alternatives is made. The benefits of the proposed solution are highlighted.

El modelo estocástico de Vasicek para la predicción de tipos de interés. Aplicación al tipo de interés interbancario EONIA

OpenAIRE

TAMARIT RAMOS, SALVADOR

2013-01-01

[ES] Las variaciones de los tipos de interés ofrecidos por el dinero en bancos y otras entidades financieras afectan directamente a los mercados bursátiles. Así, por ejemplo, cuando los tipos de interés suben, se producen bajadas en las cotizaciones de las acciones en la bolsa. Estos movimientos decrecientes pueden explicarse por diferentes razones. En primer lugar, los altos tipos de interés elevan las cargas financieras de las empresas y, por lo tanto, empeoran los resultados económicos, lo...

Consistency between Overall and Account-level Materiality Measures: An Inter-Industry Comparison and an Analysis of the Correlation with the Financial Ratios System

OpenAIRE

N. Pecchiari; G. Pogliani

2006-01-01

This study analyses the consistency between overall and account-level materiality measures. The study starts emphasizing the need for further research on planning materiality, considering that prior studies have shown large differences in materiality methods. A review of literature on materiality [Messier et al. (2005)] suggests continuing inter-industry investigations on planning materiality [Wheeler and Pany (1989)]. We have also noticed the absence of research in the area of connection bet...

Tumultuous atmosphere (physical, mental), the main barrier to emergency department inter-professional communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Jafari Varjoshani, Nasrin; Hosseini, Mohammad Ali; Khankeh, Hamid Reza; Ahmadi, Fazlollah

2014-08-22

A highly important factor in enhancing quality of patient care and job satisfaction of health care staff is inter-professional communication. Due to the critical nature of the work environment, the large number of staff and units, and complexity of professional tasks and interventions, inter-professional communication in an emergency department is particularly and exceptionally important. Despite its importance, inter-professional communication in emergency department seems unfavorable. Thus, this study was designed to explain barriers to inter-professional communication in an emergency department. This was a qualitative study with content analysis approach, based on interviews conducted with 26 participants selected purposively, with diversity of occupation, position, age, gender, history, and place of work. Interviews were in-depth and semi-structured, and data were analyzed using the inductive content analysis approach. In total, 251 initial codes were extracted from 30 interviews (some of the participants re-interviewed) and in the reducing trend of final results, 5 categories were extracted including overcrowded emergency, stressful emergency environment, not discerning emergency conditions, ineffective management, and inefficient communication channels. Tumultuous atmosphere (physical, mental) was the common theme between categories, and was decided to be the main barrier to effective inter-professional communication. Tumultuous atmosphere (physical-mental) was found to be the most important barrier to inter-professional communication. This study provided a better understanding of these barriers in emergency department, often neglected in most studies. It is held that by reducing environmental turmoil (physical-mental), inter-professional communication can be improved, thereby improving patient care outcomes and personnel job satisfaction.

Inter-species comparison of the responses of mice and dogs to continuous 60Co γ-irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norris, W.P.; Tyler, S.A.; Sacher, G.A.

1975-11-01

Young-adult, purebred, beagle dogs were exposed continuously, 22 hours/day, to 60 Co γ-rays until they died. The daily dose rates ranged from 3.5 to 210 rad. At 3.5 rad/day the mean survival time was in excess of 1860 days (the study is still in progress), while at 210 rad/day mean survival time was 13 days. The data are compared to those from previously published information from similarly irradiated mice

Factors affecting inter-birth in rural areas of Zarrindasht (Fars province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Najaf Zare

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Proper time intervals among pregnancies has a major role in family provision. Investigating the dynamism of the birth spacing, identify factors and their effects on the time interval among pregnancies and determination of optimal spacing is the utmost importance for health planners and families. The purpose was to study the abortion and stillbirth due to short inter-birth spacing, factors affecting inter-births and optimal birth spacing. Material and Methods: In 2005, a cross-sectional study was conducted in a population of 1064 women of childbearing age in Fars province by multistage random sampling. Information on reproductive history was collected by resident health workers. Variables affecting inter-births were checked by the frailty recurrent events model using S-plus 2000 and SPSS 13 software. Results: The rate of abortion or stillbirth was 1.7%, which fell with increasing interval between births and reached their lowest (1.9% at 36-48 months. Mother's level of education, duration of breastfeeding of previous infant, maternal age at birth and father's job showed positive correlation with inter-birth. Mother's age at marriage, having a job other than household, socioeconomic status was negatively correlated with the the time interval to the next delivery. With increasing birth order, inter-birth of each delivery with regard to previous delivery increased on average by one to two months. Conclusion: The risk of abortion and stillbirth were observed more in subsequent delivery with very low or very long gap interval.

Using business intelligence for efficient inter-facility patient transfer.

Science.gov (United States)

Haque, Waqar; Derksen, Beth Ann; Calado, Devin; Foster, Lee

2015-01-01

In the context of inter-facility patient transfer, a transfer operator must be able to objectively identify a destination which meets the needs of a patient, while keeping in mind each facility's limitations. We propose a solution which uses Business Intelligence (BI) techniques to analyze data related to healthcare infrastructure and services, and provides a web based system to identify optimal destination(s). The proposed inter-facility transfer system uses a single data warehouse with an Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) cube built on top that supplies analytical data to multiple reports embedded in web pages. The data visualization tool includes map based navigation of the health authority as well as an interactive filtering mechanism which finds facilities meeting the selected criteria. The data visualization is backed by an intuitive data entry web form which safely constrains the data, ensuring consistency and a single version of truth. The overall time required to identify the destination for inter-facility transfers is reduced from hours to a few minutes with this interactive solution.

Inter-laboratory exercise on steroid estrogens in aqueous samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heath, E.; Kosjek, T.; Andersen, H.R.; Holten Luetzhoft, H.-C.; Adolfson Erici, M.; Coquery, M.; Duering, R.-A.; Gans, O.; Guignard, C.; Karlsson, P.; Manciot, F.; Moldovan, Z.; Patureau, D.; Cruceru, L.; Sacher, F.; Ledin, A.

2010-01-01

An inter-laboratory comparison exercise was organized among European laboratories, under the aegis of EU COST Action 636: 'Xenobiotics in Urban Water Cycle'. The objective was to evaluate the performance of testing laboratories determining 'Endocrine Disrupting Compounds' (EDC) in various aqueous matrices. As the main task three steroid estrogens: 17α-ethinylestradiol, 17β-estradiol and estrone were determined in four spiked aqueous matrices: tap water, river water and wastewater treatment plant influent and effluent using GC-MS and LC-MS/MS. Results were compared and discussed according to the analytical techniques applied, the accuracy and reproducibility of the analytical methods and the nature of the sample matrices. Overall, the results obtained in this inter-laboratory exercise reveal a high level of competence among the participating laboratories for the detection of steroid estrogens in water samples indicating that GC-MS as well as LC-MS/MS can equally be employed for the analysis of natural and synthetic hormones. - Herein are presented the results of the first international inter-laboratory study on determination of selected steroid hormones in environmental aqueous samples.

Assessment of contemporary genetic diversity and inter-taxa/inter-region exchange of avian paramyxovirus serotype 1 in wild birds sampled in North America

Science.gov (United States)

Ramey, Andy M.; Goraichuk, Iryna V.; Hicks, Joseph T.; Dimitrov, Kiril M.; Poulson, Rebecca L.; Stallknecht, David E.; Bahl, Justin; Afonso, Claudio L.

2017-01-01

BackgroundAvian paramyxovirus serotype 1 (APMV-1) viruses are globally distributed, infect wild, peridomestic, and domestic birds, and sometimes lead to outbreaks of disease. Thus, the maintenance, evolution, and spread of APMV-1 viruses are relevant to avian health.MethodsIn this study we sequenced the fusion gene from 58 APMV-1 isolates recovered from thirteen species of wild birds sampled throughout the USA during 2007–2014. We analyzed sequence information with previously reported data in order to assess contemporary genetic diversity and inter-taxa/inter-region exchange of APMV-1 in wild birds sampled in North America.ResultsOur results suggest that wild birds maintain previously undescribed genetic diversity of APMV-1; however, such diversity is unlikely to be pathogenic to domestic poultry. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that APMV-1 diversity detected in wild birds of North America has been found in birds belonging to numerous taxonomic host orders and within hosts inhabiting multiple geographic regions suggesting some level of viral exchange. However, our results also provide statistical support for associations between phylogenetic tree topology and host taxonomic order/region of sample origin which supports restricted exchange among taxa and geographical regions of North America for some APMV-1 sub-genotypes.ConclusionsWe identify previously unrecognized genetic diversity of APMV-1 in wild birds in North America which is likely a function of continued viral evolution in reservoir hosts. We did not, however, find support for the emergence or maintenance of APMV-1 strains predicted to be pathogenic to poultry in wild birds of North America outside of the order Suliformes (i.e., cormorants). Furthermore, genetic evidence suggests that ecological drivers or other mechanisms may restrict viral exchange among taxa and regions of North America. Additional and more systematic sampling for APMV-1 in North America would likely provide further inference on viral

Empirical Modelling of Inter-organizational Knowledge Collaboration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haghighi Talab, A.

2017-01-01

Open innovation, knowledge co-creation, and research joint ven-tures, unified under the term 'inter-organizational knowledge collaboration', are discussed in various fields of innovation man-agement to ultimately shape inno-vation strategy of the organiza-tions and the innovation policy.

Inter-firm networks : economic and sociological perspectives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westbrock, B.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304836273

2010-01-01

Inter-firm collaborations have recently been recognized as a valuable mode for the organization of economic activity, next to markets and hierarchies. This recognition is supported by empirical evidence that strategic alliances between firms facilitate the generation and dissemination of

Verification of Electromagnetic Field Measurements via Inter-laboratory Comparison Measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Mann

2005-01-01

Full Text Available An inter-laboratory comparison of field strength measurements was conducted in order to verify the comparability of high-frequency electromagnetic field measurements. For this purpose, 17 participating teams hosted by the working group "procedures of exposure determination" of the LAI (Länderausschuss für Immissionsschutz, state committee on immission control determined the field strength at given stations around a hospital situation. At those stations very different signals were generated, such as sine wave signals at 27MHz and 433MHz, signals from a diathermy device in Continuous-Wave (CW and Pulse-Width-Modulation (PWM mode, from a GSM base station at 900MHz and 1800MHz, from a UMTS base station, from a babyphone device and from a DECT cordless phone. This contribution describes the evaluation of the measured values and the approach to the computation of a reference value. Considering various sources of electromagnetic fields in the areas of personal safety at work and of immission control, the most important results are presented and the conclusions drawn are discussed.

Increasing security in inter-chip communication

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Nathan J; Hamlet, Jason; Bauer, Todd; Helinski, Ryan

2014-10-28

An apparatus for increasing security in inter-chip communication includes a sending control module, a communication bus, and a receiving control module. The communication bus is coupled between the sending control module and the receiving control module. The sending control module operates to send data on the communication bus, disable the communication bus when threats are detected, or both.

Building Prevention to Protect: The Inter-American Human Rights System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Portales

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The article explores the way that the Inter-American human rights system assumes the “responsibility to protect” in the context of serious violations of human rights that can be characterized as war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and ethnic cleansing. The essay describes  how the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights have responded to such situations by using the ample powers granted to them by the OAS member states. The authors consider that these organs have been some of the most effective tools with which this region has confronted such situations by seeking system has contributed to building democratic regimes in the majority of the countries of the hemisphere. This has been crucial to avoiding serious violations of human rights such as those mentioned above, which would have required urgent international intervention to overcome.

Inter-rater reliability of shoulder measurements in middle-aged women.

Science.gov (United States)

De Groef, A; Van Kampen, M; Vervloesem, N; Clabau, E; Christiaens, M-R; Neven, P; Geraerts, I; Struyf, F; Devoogdt, N

2017-06-01

To investigate inter-rater reliability of a set of shoulder measurements including inclinometry [shoulder range of motion (ROM)], acromion-table distance and pectoralis minor muscle length (static scapular positioning), upward rotation with two inclinometers (scapular kinematics) and pain pressure thresholds (muscle tenderness) in middle-aged women. Observational study. Thirty symptom-free middle-aged women (first cohort) were measured by two raters. All measurements with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) below 0.75 were retested after an additional training period in a second cohort of 30 symptom-free middle-aged women. Inter-rater reliability of all variables was measured with the ICC (95% confidence interval) and standard error of measurement (SEM). Acromion-table distance (ICC=0.91, SEM 0.22 to 0.28% of body length), pectoralis minor muscle length (ICC=0.91, SEM 0.16% of body length), pain pressure thresholds (ICC=0.78 to 0.85, SEM 0.39 to 0.70kg) and abduction ROM (ICC=0.77, SEM 5°) showed good to excellent inter-rater reliability in the first cohort. After an additional training period, forward flexion ROM showed good inter-rater reliability (ICC=0.83, SEM 5°), scapular upward rotation in resting position showed moderate reliability (ICC=0.52, SEM 2°), and other scaption angles showed weak reliability (ICC=0.26 to 0.43, SEM 3 to 8°). In a battery of clinical tools to evaluate factors contributing to shoulder pain, static scapular positioning and pressure pain thresholds were found to have good to excellent inter-rater reliability in middle-aged women. Additional training is recommended for measurements with a gravity inclinometer. Copyright © 2016 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How can stakeholder involvement be improved?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-12-01

Radioactive waste management is embedded in broader societal issues such as environment, risk management, sustainability, energy and health policy. In all these fields, there is an increasing demand for public involvement, participation or engagement. Guidance for public authorities also generally encourages greater involvement of the public. Involvement may take different forms at different phases and can include sharing information, consulting, dialoguing or deliberating on decisions with relevant stakeholders. Stakeholder involvement should be seen as a meaningful part of formulating and implementing public policy. There is no single technique for organising engagement. Initiatives should respond to their context and to stakeholders' particular needs. As the number of stakeholder involvement approaches and publications describing them continues to grow, new opportunities are opening up through social media, which has become an important tool for stakeholder involvement in recent years

Multiobjective Optimization Involving Quadratic Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oscar Brito Augusto

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Multiobjective optimization is nowadays a word of order in engineering projects. Although the idea involved is simple, the implementation of any procedure to solve a general problem is not an easy task. Evolutionary algorithms are widespread as a satisfactory technique to find a candidate set for the solution. Usually they supply a discrete picture of the Pareto front even if this front is continuous. In this paper we propose three methods for solving unconstrained multiobjective optimization problems involving quadratic functions. In the first, for biobjective optimization defined in the bidimensional space, a continuous Pareto set is found analytically. In the second, applicable to multiobjective optimization, a condition test is proposed to check if a point in the decision space is Pareto optimum or not and, in the third, with functions defined in n-dimensional space, a direct noniterative algorithm is proposed to find the Pareto set. Simple problems highlight the suitability of the proposed methods.

Continuous spinal anesthesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, James M

2009-01-01

Continuous spinal anesthesia (CSA) is an underutilized technique in modern anesthesia practice. Compared with other techniques of neuraxial anesthesia, CSA allows incremental dosing of an intrathecal local anesthetic for an indefinite duration, whereas traditional single-shot spinal anesthesia usually involves larger doses, a finite, unpredictable duration, and greater potential for detrimental hemodynamic effects including hypotension, and epidural anesthesia via a catheter may produce lesser motor block and suboptimal anesthesia in sacral nerve root distributions. This review compares CSA with other anesthetic techniques and also describes the history of CSA, its clinical applications, concerns regarding neurotoxicity, and other pharmacologic implications of its use. CSA has seen a waxing and waning of its popularity in clinical practice since its initial description in 1907. After case reports of cauda equina syndrome were reported with the use of spinal microcatheters for CSA, these microcatheters were withdrawn from clinical practice in the United States but continued to be used in Europe with no further neurologic sequelae. Because only large-bore catheters may be used in the United States, CSA is usually reserved for elderly patients out of concern for the risk of postdural puncture headache in younger patients. However, even in younger patients, sometimes the unique clinical benefits and hemodynamic stability involved in CSA outweigh concerns regarding postdural puncture headache. Clinical scenarios in which CSA may be of particular benefit include patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing lower extremity surgery and obstetric patients with complex heart disease. CSA is an underutilized technique in modern anesthesia practice. Perhaps more accurately termed fractional spinal anesthesia, CSA involves intermittent dosing of local anesthetic solution via an intrathecal catheter. Where traditional spinal anesthesia involves a single injection with a

The effects of short versus long inter-set rest intervals in resistance training on measures of muscle hypertrophy: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Grgic, Jozo; Lazinica, Bruno; Mikulic, Pavle; Krieger, James W; Schoenfeld, Brad Jon

2017-09-01

Although the effects of short versus long inter-set rest intervals in resistance training on measures of muscle hypertrophy have been investigated in several studies, the findings are equivocal and the practical implications remain unclear. In an attempt to provide clarity on the topic, we performed a systematic literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) electronic databases. Six studies were found to have met the inclusion criteria: (a) an experimental trial published in an English-language peer-reviewed journal; (b) the study compared the use of short (≤60 s) to long (>60 s) inter-set rest intervals in a traditional dynamic resistance exercise using both concentric and eccentric muscle actions, with the only difference in resistance training among groups being the inter-set rest interval duration; (c) at least one method of measuring changes in muscle mass was used in the study; (d) the study lasted for a minimum of four weeks, employed a training frequency of ≥2 resistance training days per week, and (e) used human participants without known chronic disease or injury. Current evidence indicates that both short and long inter-set rest intervals may be useful when training for achieving gains in muscle hypertrophy. Novel findings involving trained participants using measures sensitive to detect changes in muscle hypertrophy suggest a possible advantage for the use of long rest intervals to elicit hypertrophic effects. However, due to the paucity of studies with similar designs, further research is needed to provide a clear differentiation between these two approaches.

Calculating and optimizing inter-electrode capacitances of charge division microchannel plate detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xing, Yan [Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130033 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Chen, Bo, E-mail: chenb@ciomp.ac.cn [Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130033 (China); Zhang, Hong-Ji; Wang, Hai-Feng; He, Ling-Ping [Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130033 (China); Jin, Fang-Yuan [Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130033 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

2016-04-01

Based on the principle of charge division microchannel plate detectors, the inter-electrode capacitances of charge division anodes which are related to electronic noise of the charge sensitive amplifier and crosstalk effect of the anode are presented. Under all the requirements of charge division microchannel plate detectors such as the imaging linearity and spatial resolution, decreasing the inter-electrode capacitances is one way to improve the imaging performance. In this paper, we illustrate the simulation process of calculating the inter-electrode capacitances. Moreover, a Wedge and Strip (WSZ) anode is fabricated with the picosecond laser micromachining process. Comparing the simulated capacitances and measured capacitances, the three-dimensional finite element method is proved to be valid. Furthermore, by adjusting the design parameters of the anode, the effects of the substrate permittivity, insulation width and the size of pitch on the inter-electrode capacitances have been analysed. The structure of the charge division anode has been optimized based on the simulation data.

Biological N2 Fixation by Chickpea in inter cropping System on Sand Soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ismail, M. M.; Moursy, A. A. A.; Kotb, E. A.; Farid, I. M.

2012-12-01

A field experiment was carried out at the plant Nutrition and Fertilization Unit, Soils and Water Research Department, Nuclear Research Center, Atomic Energy Authority, Inshas, Egypt on wheat and chickpea inter cropping. The benefits of N 2 fixation by legumes to cereals growing in inter crops or to grasses growing in mixed swards are high clear. in cases the benefit to the N status of cereals has bee seen when they are inter cropped with legumes , where benefit is found ,it is mainly due to sparing of soil N rather than direct transfer from the legume. inter cropped wheat has a high grains yield as compared to those recorded under sole crop. The application of inter cropping system induced an increase of wheat grain yield against the sole system. regardless the cultivation system, the over all means of fertilizer rates indicated (50% MF + 50% OM) treatment was superiority (100% OM) and (75% MF + 25% OM) or those recorded with either un fertilizer when wheat grain yield considered. Comparison heed between organic sources reflected the superiority of under sole cultivation, while chickpea straw was the best under inter cropping. Inter cropped has a high grain N uptake compared to soil system. While totally organic materials had accumulates more N in grain than those of underrated treated control. In the same time, the overall mean indicated the superiority of compost treatment combined with 50% mineral fertilizer under inter cropping system over those of either only organic materials treatment or those combined with 75% mineral fertilizer. Plants treated of chickpea straw and compost, achieved the best value of straw weight. Among the organic manure treatments, chickpea straw and compost seem to be the best ones. Nitrogen derived from air (% Ndfa) shoots and seeds of chickpea plant: In case of cow manure and maize stalk, the best value of nitrogen derived from air was detected followed by compost, while the lowest value was recorded with wheat straw. In general

Denoising Algorithm for CFA Image Sensors Considering Inter-Channel Correlation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Min Seok; Park, Sang Wook; Kang, Moon Gi

2017-05-28

In this paper, a spatio-spectral-temporal filter considering an inter-channel correlation is proposed for the denoising of a color filter array (CFA) sequence acquired by CCD/CMOS image sensors. Owing to the alternating under-sampled grid of the CFA pattern, the inter-channel correlation must be considered in the direct denoising process. The proposed filter is applied in the spatial, spectral, and temporal domain, considering the spatio-tempo-spectral correlation. First, nonlocal means (NLM) spatial filtering with patch-based difference (PBD) refinement is performed by considering both the intra-channel correlation and inter-channel correlation to overcome the spatial resolution degradation occurring with the alternating under-sampled pattern. Second, a motion-compensated temporal filter that employs inter-channel correlated motion estimation and compensation is proposed to remove the noise in the temporal domain. Then, a motion adaptive detection value controls the ratio of the spatial filter and the temporal filter. The denoised CFA sequence can thus be obtained without motion artifacts. Experimental results for both simulated and real CFA sequences are presented with visual and numerical comparisons to several state-of-the-art denoising methods combined with a demosaicing method. Experimental results confirmed that the proposed frameworks outperformed the other techniques in terms of the objective criteria and subjective visual perception in CFA sequences.

A method to investigate inter-aquifer leakage using hydraulics and multiple environmental tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Priestley, Stacey; Love, Andrew; Wohling, Daniel; Post, Vincent; Shand, Paul; Kipfer, Rolf; Tyroller, Lina

2016-04-01

Informed aquifer management decisions regarding sustainable yields or potential exploitation require an understanding of the groundwater system (Alley et al. 2002, Cherry and Parker 2004). Recently, the increase in coal seam gas (CSG) or shale gas production has highlighted the need for a better understanding of inter-aquifer leakage and contaminant migration. In most groundwater systems, the quantity or location of inter-aquifer leakage is unknown. Not taking into account leakage rates in the analysis of large scale flow systems can also lead to significant errors in the estimates of groundwater flow rates in aquifers (Love et al. 1993, Toth 2009). There is an urgent need for robust methods to investigate inter-aquifer leakage at a regional scale. This study builds on previous groundwater flow and inter-aquifer leakage studies to provide a methodology to investigate inter-aquifer leakage in a regional sedimentary basin using hydraulics and a multi-tracer approach. The methodology incorporates geological, hydrogeological and hydrochemical information in the basin to determine the likelihood and location of inter-aquifer leakage. Of particular benefit is the analysis of hydraulic heads and environmental tracers at nested piezometers, or where these are unavailable bore couplets comprising bores above and below the aquitard of interest within a localised geographical area. The proposed methodology has been successful in investigating inter-aquifer leakage in the Arckaringa Basin, South Australia. The suite of environmental tracers and isotopes used to analyse inter-aquifer leakage included the stable isotopes of water, radiocarbon, chloride-36, 87Sr/86Sr and helium isotopes. There is evidence for inter-aquifer leakage in the centre of the basin ~40 km along the regional flow path. This inter-aquifer leakage has been identified by a slight draw-down in the upper aquifer during pumping in the lower aquifer, overlap in Sr isotopes, δ2H, δ18O and chloride

Improving competencies in evidence-based dementia care: Results from a pilot study on a novel inter-professional training course (the KOMPIDEM project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Balzer, Katrin

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Objective: In order to address well-known challenges in dementia care, an inter-professional course was developed to improve medical students’ and nursing students’ competencies in the provision of evidence-based care for people with dementia. The course comprises lectures, problem-based learning (PbL tutorials and visitations to care facilities. A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the acceptance and feasibility of the inter-professional course.Methodology: Alongside preliminary implementation of the newly developed course, a pre-post survey was carried out involving all participating students. The questionnaire contained standardized and open-ended questions on participants’ views regarding the quality and relevance of several course components and characteristics. The data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics.Results: When the course was offered the first time, multiple barriers became evident, leading to premature course termination and subsequent revision of the curriculum. When the revised course was offered, 10 medical students and 8 nursing students participated. The course proved feasible, and the median overall quality was rated as “2” (IQR 2–3 at a rating scale ranging from 1 (very good to 6 (inadequate. Following aspects were most frequently judged positively: the course’s inter-professional scope, the visitations to care facilities and the PbL tutorials. Potential for improvement was particularly noted with regard to a more distinct focus on well-defined, mainly practical learning outcomes. There were no indications of systematic between-group differences in the medical and nursing students’ perceptions of the course program.Conclusions: The results confirmed the feasibility of the inter-professional course on dementia care and the relevance of its inter-professional scope. However, to ensure sustainable course implementation in the long term, further program adaptations based on current findings and

Predicting human age using regional morphometry and inter-regional morphological similarity

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xun-Heng; Li, Lihua

2016-03-01

The goal of this study is predicting human age using neuro-metrics derived from structural MRI, as well as investigating the relationships between age and predictive neuro-metrics. To this end, a cohort of healthy subjects were recruited from 1000 Functional Connectomes Project. The ages of the participations were ranging from 7 to 83 (36.17+/-20.46). The structural MRI for each subject was preprocessed using FreeSurfer, resulting in regional cortical thickness, mean curvature, regional volume and regional surface area for 148 anatomical parcellations. The individual age was predicted from the combination of regional and inter-regional neuro-metrics. The prediction accuracy is r = 0.835, p Pearson correlation coefficient between predicted ages and actual ages. Moreover, the LASSO linear regression also found certain predictive features, most of which were inter-regional features. The turning-point of the developmental trajectories in human brain was around 40 years old based on regional cortical thickness. In conclusion, structural MRI could be potential biomarkers for the aging in human brain. The human age could be successfully predicted from the combination of regional morphometry and inter-regional morphological similarity. The inter-regional measures could be beneficial to investigating human brain connectome.

Does management intensity in inter rows effect soil physical properties in Austrian and Romanian vineyards?

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Thomas; Strauss, Peter; Stiper, Katrin; Klipa, Vladimir; Popescu, Daniela; Winter, Silvia; Zaller, Johann G.

2016-04-01

Successful viticulture is mainly influenced by soil and climate. The availability of water during the growing season highly influences wine quality and quantity. To protect soil from being eroded most of the winegrowers keep the inter row zones of the vineyards green. Greening also helps to provide water-stress to the grapes for harvesting high quality wines. However, these greening strategies concerning the intensity of inter row management differ from farm to farm and are mainly based on personal experience of the winegrowers. However to what extent different inter row management practices affect soil physical properties are not clearly understood yet. To measure possible effects of inter row management in vineyards on soil physical parameters we selected paired vineyards with different inter row management in Austria and Romania. In total more than 7000 soil analysis were conducted for saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, soil water retention, water stable aggregates, total organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, potassium, phosphorous, soil texture, bulk density and water infiltration. The comparison between high intensity management with at least one soil disturbance per year, medium intensity with one soil disturbance every second inter row per year and low intensity management with no soil disturbance since at least 5 years indicates that investigated soil physical properties did not improve for the upper soil layer (3-8cm). This is in contrast to general perceptions of improved soil physical properties due to low intensity of inter row management, i.e. permanent vegetated inter rows. This may be attributed to long term and high frequency mechanical stress by agricultural machinery in inter rows.

Inter-laboratory and inter-assay comparison on two real-time PCR techniques for quantification of PCV2 nucleic acid extracted from field samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hjulsager, Charlotte Kristiane; Grau-Roma, L.; Sibila, M.

2009-01-01

Several real-time PCR assays for quantification of PCV2 DNA (qPCR) have been described in the literature. and different in-house assays are being used by laboratories around the world. A general threshold of it copies of PCV2 per millilitre serum for postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS......) diagnosis has been suggested. However, neither inter-laboratory nor inter-assay comparisons have been published so far. In the present study two different qPCR probe assays Used routinely in two laboratories were compared on DNA extracted From serum, nasal and rectal swabs. Results showed a significant...

The ITER programme. Successful European inter-governmental cooperation in the scientific and technical fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haignere, C.; Bigot, B.

2008-01-01

At a time when energy questions - be it global warming or the depletion of sources of fossil fuels - are increasingly in the news, nuclear fusion seems, in the very long term, to raise the possibility of providing humanity with virtually inexhaustible energy. Europe is in the forefront of research in this field. It is the leader in a major international collaborative exercise which should lead to the establishment of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. After a presentation of the issues surrounding fusion, Claudie Haignere and Bernard Bigot, who are closely involved, through their respective activities, in this venture, outline the genesis of the ITER project and the manifold inter-governmental negotiations - both between EU member states and with the other members of the project (Japan, USA, Russia etc.) - that have accompanied its development. Those negotiations led to the signing in November 2006 of a precise cooperation agreement on the ITER programme (with sharing of the financial burden), which came into force in October 2007. ITER (which is to be built at Cadarache in France) thus represents a particularly successful example of inter-governmental cooperation in the scientific and technical fields. For this reason, the authors see it as a model to be followed in many other fields included within the European Research Area (ERA), which the EU intends to develop in the coming years. (authors)

On-line case discussion assessment in ultrasound: The effect on student centred and inter-professional learning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrison, G.; Mulloy, B.; Harris, A.; Flinton, D.

2012-01-01

In 2009 an asynchronous on-line case discussion assessment was introduced, to replace an existing traditional case study assessment, within the Medical Ultrasound Programmes at City University London, to help extend collaborative, inter-professional student-led learning skills. Two clinical modules were used to develop the on-line learning method with associated assessments. Students selected and led a clinical case from their department, uploaded anonymised images and case details with questions, to encourage interaction from other colleagues. Thirty students participated in the on-line case discussions. The assessment was evaluated via informal feedback, end of module feedback and an on-line questionnaire. Some students completed two modules, using the on-line discussion, others were involved in only one module, of which 21 out of 26 students completed end of module feedback for the 1st module and 18 out of 20 students completed feedback from the 2nd module. Twelve students out of 30 completed the on-line questionnaire. Feedback suggested that the on-line case discussions were a good learning tool, providing a wide range of cases for students to participate in or read and learn from each other. All students found the cases interesting, engaging and useful, but time consuming. Despite the small numbers involved, useful feedback was provided to assist further development of the assessment, particularly in relation to the number of cases being assessed and length of availability. On-line case discussions are an innovative, engaging method to encourage self directed, collaborative learning which could be utilised in the health care setting to share interesting cases, promote inter-professional and self-directed learning.

The impact of inter-organizational alignment (IOA) on implementation outcomes: evaluating unique and shared organizational influences in education sector mental health.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyon, Aaron R; Whitaker, Kelly; Locke, Jill; Cook, Clayton R; King, Kevin M; Duong, Mylien; Davis, Chayna; Weist, Mark D; Ehrhart, Mark G; Aarons, Gregory A

2018-02-07

Integrated healthcare delivered by work groups in nontraditional service settings is increasingly common, yet contemporary implementation frameworks typically assume a single organization-or organizational unit-within which system-level processes influence service quality and implementation success. Recent implementation frameworks predict that inter-organizational alignment (i.e., similarity in values, characteristics, activities related to implementation across organizations) may facilitate the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP), but few studies have evaluated this premise. This study's aims examine the impact of overlapping organizational contexts by evaluating the implementation contexts of externally employed mental health clinicians working in schools-the most common integrated service delivery setting for children and adolescents. Aim 1 is to estimate the effects of unique intra-organizational implementation contexts and combined inter-organizational alignment on implementation outcomes. Aim 2 is to examine the underlying mechanisms through which inter-organizational alignment facilitates or hinders EBP implementation. This study will conduct sequential, exploratory mixed-methods research to evaluate the intra- and inter-organizational implementation contexts of schools and the external community-based organizations that most often employ school-based mental health clinicians, as they relate to mental health EBP implementation. Aim 1 will involve quantitative surveys with school-based, externally-employed mental health clinicians, their supervisors, and proximal school-employed staff (total n = 120 participants) to estimate the effects of each organization's general and implementation-specific organizational factors (e.g., climate, leadership) on implementation outcomes (fidelity, acceptability, appropriateness) and assess the moderating role of the degree of clinician embeddedness in the school setting. Aim 2 will explore the mechanisms

INTER, ENDF/B Thermal Cross-Sections, Resonance Integrals, G-Factors Calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunford, Charles L.

2007-01-01

1 - Description of program or function: INTER calculates thermal cross sections, g-factors, resonance integrals, fission spectrum averaged cross sections and 14.0 MeV (or other energy) cross sections for major reactions in an ENDF-6 or ENDF-5 format data file. Version 7.01 (Jan 2005): set success flag after return from beginning. 2 - Method of solution: INTER performs integrations by using the trapezoidal rule

Modulation of the inter-hemispheric processing of semantic information during normal aging. A divided visual field experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoyau, E; Cousin, E; Jaillard, A; Baciu, M

2016-12-01

We evaluated the effect of normal aging on the inter-hemispheric processing of semantic information by using the divided visual field (DVF) method, with words and pictures. Two main theoretical models have been considered, (a) the HAROLD model which posits that aging is associated with supplementary recruitment of the right hemisphere (RH) and decreased hemispheric specialization, and (b) the RH decline theory, which assumes that the RH becomes less efficient with aging, associated with increased LH specialization. Two groups of subjects were examined, a Young Group (YG) and an Old Group (OG), while participants performed a semantic categorization task (living vs. non-living) in words and pictures. The DVF was realized in two steps: (a) unilateral DVF presentation with stimuli presented separately in each visual field, left or right, allowing for their initial processing by only one hemisphere, right or left, respectively; (b) bilateral DVF presentation (BVF) with stimuli presented simultaneously in both visual fields, followed by their processing by both hemispheres. These two types of presentation permitted the evaluation of two main characteristics of the inter-hemispheric processing of information, the hemispheric specialization (HS) and the inter-hemispheric cooperation (IHC). Moreover, the BVF allowed determining the driver-hemisphere for processing information presented in BVF. Results obtained in OG indicated that: (a) semantic categorization was performed as accurately as YG, even if more slowly, (b) a non-semantic RH decline was observed, and (c) the LH controls the semantic processing during the BVF, suggesting an increased role of the LH in aging. However, despite the stronger involvement of the LH in OG, the RH is not completely devoid of semantic abilities. As discussed in the paper, neither the HAROLD nor the RH decline does fully explain this pattern of results. We rather suggest that the effect of aging on the hemispheric specialization and inter

Translucent Radiosity: Efficiently Combining Diffuse Inter-Reflection and Subsurface Scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Yu; Shi, Yulong; Wang, Lili; Narasimhan, Srinivasa G

2014-07-01

It is hard to efficiently model the light transport in scenes with translucent objects for interactive applications. The inter-reflection between objects and their environments and the subsurface scattering through the materials intertwine to produce visual effects like color bleeding, light glows, and soft shading. Monte-Carlo based approaches have demonstrated impressive results but are computationally expensive, and faster approaches model either only inter-reflection or only subsurface scattering. In this paper, we present a simple analytic model that combines diffuse inter-reflection and isotropic subsurface scattering. Our approach extends the classical work in radiosity by including a subsurface scattering matrix that operates in conjunction with the traditional form factor matrix. This subsurface scattering matrix can be constructed using analytic, measurement-based or simulation-based models and can capture both homogeneous and heterogeneous translucencies. Using a fast iterative solution to radiosity, we demonstrate scene relighting and dynamically varying object translucencies at near interactive rates.

Inter-state coupling and definitions of bright and dark states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mensik, Miroslav; Nespurek, Stanislav

2007-01-01

Contrary to a standard definition of diabatic states (i.e., those without momentum-dependent coupling), based on the construction from adiabatic ones, we defined diabatic states as bright and dark states of a given experiment. Namely, they are defined as states providing maximum, respectively, zero value of electronic transition dipole moments projected to a given polarization vector. Second, the state from (or to) which the optical transition is performed is not from the space of investigated electronic excited state manifold, but it is chosen by the observer. It is shown, for this case, that the inter-state coupling is a general function of vibrational coordinates. The explicit dependence of the inter-state coupling on vibrational coordinates is particularly important for system with strong Stokes shift. The role of exact definitions of bright and dark states as well as the inter-state coupling is discussed with respect to the coherent structure of electronic population observed in optical spectroscopy

Inter-Religious Dialogue: The Perspective of Malaysian Contemporary Muslim Thinkers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AEMY ELYANI MAT ZAIN

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Malaysia is a country that is rich for the diversity of its people. This diversity can be seen from the aspect of faith, ethnicity, language, culture, and so on. In facing a society that is pluralistic in nature, several initiatives have been taken by the government and non-government bodies in ensuring understanding and unity among Malaysians. Among the initiatives taken are interreligious dialogues. In this regard, many among Malaysian thinkers have proposed some approaches and concepts of inter-faith dialogue that should and may be implemented in the context of Malaysia. For that purpose, this paper examined the forms of inter-religious dialogues in Malaysia from the perspective of Malaysian contemporary Muslim thinkers. The methodology utilized in this study is textual analysis, particularly the writings of these thinkers on this issue. This article concludes that there are several forms of inter-religious dialogues that are easily implemented, as well as the difficult ones in the context of Malaysia due to certain obstacles.

An inter-laboratory comparison of arsenic analysis in Bangladesh. Draft report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aggarwal, P.K.; Dargie, M.; Groening, M.; Kulkarni, K.M.; Gibson, J.J.

2001-03-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted an evaluation of the quality of arsenic analysis in Bangladesh through an inter-laboratory comparison of the analysis of synthetic standards and field samples. A set of 8 synthetic standards with arsenic concentrations ranging from 0 to about 500 μg/kg, traceable to an internationally recognized standard solution of arsenic, were prepared by the IAEA and provided to the participating laboratories. In addition, two samples of drinking water were collected from near Dhaka by the local office of the World Health Organization (WHO) and provided to all participating laboratories and the IAEA for analysis. Out of the 25 laboratories who received the synthetic standards and field samples, 17 laboratories submitted results to the IAEA for comparison. The reported arsenic concentrations have a wide range with values much higher or much lower than the expected value. Analysis of field samples shows a range of values from 0 to 396 μg/kg. Less than one third of the participating laboratories obtained results that were within about 20% of the expected values (about 60 μg/kg) obtained by a laboratory cooperating with the IAEA (University of Rochester). Results of this inter-laboratory comparison point to a lack of consistency in the analytical results that have been and are being obtained in Bangladesh. More importantly, drinking water wells where elevated arsenic concentrations have been found may in fact have low concentrations. Similarly, wells that have been found to be free of arsenic may in fact have substantially higher arsenic concentrations. The quality and reliability of arsenic analysis needs to be established and continually evaluated in order to identify all affected areas and to provide appropriate mitigation

Disclinations, dislocations, and continuous defects: A reappraisal

Science.gov (United States)

Kleman, M.; Friedel, J.

2008-01-01

Disclinations were first observed in mesomorphic phases. They were later found relevant to a number of ill-ordered condensed-matter media involving continuous symmetries or frustrated order. Disclinations also appear in polycrystals at the edges of grain boundaries; but they are of limited interest in solid single crystals, where they can move only by diffusion climb and, owing to their large elastic stresses, mostly appear in close pairs of opposite signs. The relaxation mechanisms associated with a disclination in its creation, motion, and change of shape involve an interplay with continuous or quantized dislocations and/or continuous disclinations. These are attached to the disclinations or are akin to Nye’s dislocation densities, which are particularly well suited for consideration here. The notion of an extended Volterra process is introduced, which takes these relaxation processes into account and covers different situations where this interplay takes place. These concepts are illustrated by a variety of applications in amorphous solids, mesomorphic phases, and frustrated media in their curved habit space. These often involve disclination networks with specific node conditions. The powerful topological theory of line defects considers only defects stable against any change of boundary conditions or relaxation processes compatible with the structure considered. It can be seen as a simplified case of the approach considered here, particularly suited for media of high plasticity or/and complex structures. It cannot analyze the dynamical properties of defects nor the elastic constants involved in their static properties; topological stability cannot guarantee energetic stability, and sometimes cannot distinguish finer details of the structure of defects.

Inter Organizational Relationships Performance in Third Party Logistics: conceptual framework and case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aziz, Romana; Aziz, R.; van Hillegersberg, Jos; Kumar, Kuldeep; Kersten, W.; Blecker, T.; Luthje, C.

2010-01-01

Supplier relationship management is an important challenge for shippers in logistics outsourcing. This paper attempts to understand the factors which affect inter organizational relationships performance in third party logistics and proposes a conceptual framework specifically for inter

Characterization of lower-limbs inter-segment coordination during the take-off extension in ski jumping.

Science.gov (United States)

Chardonnens, Julien; Favre, Julien; Cuendet, Florian; Gremion, Gérald; Aminian, Kamiar

2013-08-01

Take-off, the most important phase in ski jumping, has been primarily studied in terms of spatio-temporal parameters; little is known about its motor control aspects. This study aims to assess the inter-segment coordination of the shank-thigh and thigh-sacrum pairs using the continuous relative phase (CRP). In total 87 jumps were recorded from 33 athletes with an inertial sensor-based system. The CRP curves indicated that the thighs lead the shanks during the first part of take-off extension and that the shanks rotated faster at the take-off extension end. The thighs and sacrum first rotated synchronously, with the sacrum then taking lead, with finally the thighs rotating faster. Five characteristic features were extracted from the CRP and their relationship with jump length was tested. Three features of the shank-thigh pair and one of the thigh-sacrum pair reported a significant association with jump length. It was observed that athletes who achieved longer jumps had their thighs leading their shanks during a longer time, with these athletes also having a more symmetric movement between thighs and sacrum. This study shows that inter-segment coordination during the take-off extension is related to performance and further studies are necessary to contrast its importance with other ski jumping aspects. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Characterization of a DIRSIG Simulation Environment to Support the Inter-Calibration of Spaceborne Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Ambeau, Brittany L.; Gerace, Aaron D.; Montanaro, Matthew; McCorkel, Joel

2016-01-01

Climate change studies require long-term, continuous records that extend beyond the lifetime, and the temporal resolution, of a single remote sensing satellite sensor. The inter-calibration of spaceborne sensors is therefore desired to provide spatially, spectrally, and temporally homogeneous datasets. The Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Image Generation (DIRSIG) tool is a first principle-based synthetic image generation model that has the potential to characterize the parameters that impact the accuracy of the inter-calibration of spaceborne sensors. To demonstrate the potential utility of the model, we compare the radiance observed in real image data to the radiance observed in simulated image from DIRSIG. In the present work, a synthetic landscape of the Algodones Sand Dunes System is created. The terrain is facetized using a 2-meter digital elevation model generated from NASA Goddard's LiDAR, Hyperspectral, and Thermal (G-LiHT) imager. The material spectra are assigned using hyperspectral measurements of sand collected from the Algodones Sand Dunes System. Lastly, the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) properties are assigned to the modeled terrain using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) BRDF product in conjunction with DIRSIG's Ross-Li capability. The results of this work indicate that DIRSIG is in good agreement with real image data. The potential sources of residual error are identified and the possibilities for future work are discussed..

The characterization of a DIRSIG simulation environment to support the inter-calibration of spaceborne sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Ambeau, Brittany L.; Gerace, Aaron D.; Montanaro, Matthew; McCorkel, Joel

2016-09-01

Climate change studies require long-term, continuous records that extend beyond the lifetime, and the temporal resolution, of a single remote sensing satellite sensor. The inter-calibration of spaceborne sensors is therefore desired to provide spatially, spectrally, and temporally homogeneous datasets. The Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Image Generation (DIRSIG) tool is a first principle-based synthetic image generation model that has the potential to characterize the parameters that impact the accuracy of the inter-calibration of spaceborne sensors. To demonstrate the potential utility of the model, we compare the radiance observed in real image data to the radiance observed in simulated image from DIRSIG. In the present work, a synthetic landscape of the Algodones Sand Dunes System is created. The terrain is facetized using a 2-meter digital elevation model generated from NASA Goddard's LiDAR, Hyperspectral, and Thermal (G-LiHT) imager. The material spectra are assigned using hyperspectral measurements of sand collected from the Algodones Sand Dunes System. Lastly, the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) properties are assigned to the modeled terrain using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) BRDF product in conjunction with DIRSIG's Ross-Li capability. The results of this work indicate that DIRSIG is in good agreement with real image data. The potential sources of residual error are identified and the possibilities for future work are discussed.

Simulation and Analysis of Autonomous Time Synchronization Based on Asynchronism Two-way Inter-satellite Link

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, L.; Yang, X. H.; Sun, B. Q.; Qin, W. J.; Kong, Y.

2013-09-01

The measurement of the inter-satellite link is one of the key techniques in the autonomous operation of satellite navigation system. Based on the asynchronism inter-satellite two-way measurement mode in GPS constellation, the reduction formula of the inter-satellite time synchronization is built in this paper. Moreover, the corrective method of main systematic errors is proposed. Inter-satellite two-way time synchronization is simulated on the basis of IGS (International GNSS Service) precise ephemeris. The impacts of the epoch domestication of asynchronism inter-satellite link pseudo-range, the initial orbit, and the main systematic errors on satellite time synchronization are analyzed. Furthermore, the broadcast clock error of each satellite is calculated by the ``centralized'' inter-satellite autonomous time synchronization. Simulation results show that the epoch domestication of asynchronism inter-satellite link pseudo-range and the initial orbit have little impact on the satellite clock errors, and thus they needn't be taken into account. The errors caused by the relativistic effect and the asymmetry of path travel have large impact on the satellite clock errors. These should be corrected with theoretical formula. Compared with the IGS precise clock error, the root mean square of the broadcast clock error of each satellite is about 0.4 ns.

Atlas-based segmentation technique incorporating inter-observer delineation uncertainty for whole breast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bell, L R; Pogson, E M; Metcalfe, P; Holloway, L; Dowling, J A

2017-01-01

Accurate, efficient auto-segmentation methods are essential for the clinical efficacy of adaptive radiotherapy delivered with highly conformal techniques. Current atlas based auto-segmentation techniques are adequate in this respect, however fail to account for inter-observer variation. An atlas-based segmentation method that incorporates inter-observer variation is proposed. This method is validated for a whole breast radiotherapy cohort containing 28 CT datasets with CTVs delineated by eight observers. To optimise atlas accuracy, the cohort was divided into categories by mean body mass index and laterality, with atlas’ generated for each in a leave-one-out approach. Observer CTVs were merged and thresholded to generate an auto-segmentation model representing both inter-observer and inter-patient differences. For each category, the atlas was registered to the left-out dataset to enable propagation of the auto-segmentation from atlas space. Auto-segmentation time was recorded. The segmentation was compared to the gold-standard contour using the dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and mean absolute surface distance (MASD). Comparison with the smallest and largest CTV was also made. This atlas-based auto-segmentation method incorporating inter-observer variation was shown to be efficient (<4min) and accurate for whole breast radiotherapy, with good agreement (DSC>0.7, MASD <9.3mm) between the auto-segmented contours and CTV volumes. (paper)

Application of the inter-line PCR for the analyse of genomic rearrangements in radiation-transformed mammalian cell lines; Anwendung der Inter-Line PCR zur Analyse von genomischen Veraenderungen in strahlentransformierten Saeugerzellinien

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leibhard, S.; Smida, J. [Muenchen Univ. (Germany). Strahlenbiologisches Inst.; Eckardt-Schupp, F.; Hieber, L. [GSF-Inst. fuer Strahlenbiologie, Oberschleissheim (Germany)

1996-12-31

Repetitive DNA sequences of the LINE-family (long interspersed elements) that are widely distributed among the mammalian genome can be activated or altered by the exposure to ionizing radiation [1]. By the integration at new sites in the genome alterations in the expression of genes that are involved in cell transformation and/or carcinogenesis may occur [2, 3]. A new technique - the inter-LINE PCR - has been developed in order to detect and analyse such genomic rearrangements in radiation-transformed cell lines. From the sites of transformation- or tumour-specific changes in the genome it might be possible to develop new tumour markers for diagnostic purpose. (orig.) [Deutsch] Repetitive DNA-Sequenzen der LINE-Familie, die weit verbreitet im Genom von Saeugerzellen vorkommen, koennen durch Exposition mit ionisierender Strahlung aktiviert und veraendert werden [1]. Durch eine Neu- bzw. Reintegration an anderen Positionen im Genom kann es zu bedeutenden Veraenderungen im Genom der Zelle kommen. Die Expression von Genen, die bei den Prozessen der Zelltransformation bzw. der Karzinogenese beteiligt sind, kann dadurch veraendert werden [2, 3]. Mithilfe der von uns entwickelten Inter-LINE PCR und der anschliessenden Analyse der veraenderten Produktmuster nach gelelektrophoretischer Auftrennung koennen solche `genomic rearrangements` unter Beteiligung von LINE-Elementen untersucht und naeher charakterisiert werden. Durch Klonierung und Sequenzierung transformations- bzw. tumorspezifischer PCR-Produkte sollte es moeglich sein Tumormarker fuer diagnostische Zwecke zu entwickeln. Die Methode wurde fuer die Analyse von Zellen des Syrischen Hamster aufgebaut, sie ist jedoch universell fuer alle Saeuger anwendbar. (orig.)

Quantifying intra- and inter-fractional motion in breast radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, Scott, E-mail: scott.jones@health.qld.gov.au [Division of Cancer Services, Radiation Oncology Mater Centre, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane (Australia); Fitzgerald, Rhys [Division of Cancer Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane (Australia); Owen, Rebecca; Ramsay, Jonathan [Division of Cancer Services, Radiation Oncology Mater Centre, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane (Australia)

2015-03-15

The magnitude of intra- and inter-fractional variation in the set up of breast cancer patients treated with tangential megavoltage photon beams was investigated using an electronic portal imaging device (EPID). Daily cine-EPID images were captured during delivery of the tangential fields for ten breast cancer patients treated in the supine position. Measurements collected from each image included the central lung distance (CLD), central flash distance (CFD), superior axial measurement (SAM) and the inferior axial measurement (IAM). The variation of motion within a fraction (intra-fraction) and the variation between fractions (inter-fraction) was analysed to quantify set up variation and motion due to respiration. Altogether 3775 EPID images were collected from 10 patients. The effect of respiratory motion during treatment was <0.1 cm standard deviation (SD) in the anterior–posterior (AP) direction. The inter-fraction movement caused by variations in daily set up was larger at 0.28 cm SD in the AP direction. Superior–inferior (SI) variation was more difficult to summarise and proved unreliable as the measurements were taken to an ambiguous point on the images. It was difficult to discern true SI movement from that implicated by AP movement. There is minimal intra-fractional chest wall motion due to respiration during treatment. Inter-fractional variation was larger, however, on average it remained within departmental tolerance (0.5 cm) for set up variations. This review of our current breast technique provides confidence in the feasibility of utilising advanced treatment techniques (field-in-field, intensity modulated radiotherapy or volumetric modulated arc therapy) following a review of the current imaging protocol.

Fate of phosphorus fractions in an adsorptive-filter subject to intra- and inter-event runoff phenomena.

Science.gov (United States)

Berretta, Christian; Sansalone, John

2012-07-30

In-situ filtration of phosphorus (P) and particulate matter (PM) transported in runoff is increasingly implemented for urban source areas. While monitoring of filter response is commonly based on an event mean of total phosphorus (TP), this study examines the fate of specific P fractions through intra- and inter-event phenomena. This continuous filter monitoring program includes 15 wet weather loadings and the dry weather periods between these events. Aqueous P adsorption and PM-bound P (suspended, settleable and sediment) filtration phenomena are examined for runoff events from a landscaped carpark with biogenic loads in Gainesville (GNV), FL. Filter response is compared to a similar aluminum oxide Al-Ox modified media filter subject to anthropogenic loads from an urban paved source area in Baton Rouge (BTR), LA. Results for the GNV filter indicate that while intra-event settleable, sediment and dissolved P fractions are controlled by the filter, the suspended P fraction remained relatively mobile compared to the other P fractions. P adsorption is primarily influenced by intra-event flow rates, contact times, runoff volume, pH and by the inter-event chemistry of runoff stored in the filter. P effluent partitioning is dominated by the suspended PM as a consequence of effective adsorption by the filter. Inter-event phenomena generate decreasing redox with commensurate increases in alkalinity, conductivity as well as dissolved P as a consequence of re-partitioning. Dissolved P fate suggests that filters should be designed and managed to remain aerobic between wet weather events. For effective separation of suspended P and PM fractions by passive filters with low driving head, sustainability of performance, including head loss {<3 kPa}, requires upstream volumetric attenuation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of inter-limb asymmetries on physical and sports performance: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bishop, Chris; Turner, Anthony; Read, Paul

2018-05-01

The prevalence of inter-limb asymmetries has been reported in numerous studies across a wide range of sports and physical qualities; however, few have analysed their effects on physical and sports performance. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken using the Medline and SPORT Discus databases, with all articles required to meet a specified criteria based on a quality review. Eighteen articles met the inclusion criteria, relating participant asymmetry scores to physical and sports performance measures. The findings of this systematic review indicate that inter-limb differences in strength may be detrimental to jumping, kicking and cycling performance. When inter-limb asymmetries are quantified during jumping based exercises, they have been primarily used to examine their association with change of direction speed with mixed findings. Inter-limb asymmetries have also been quantified in anthropometry, sprinting, dynamic balance and sport-specific actions, again with inconsistent findings. However, all results have been reported using associative analysis with physical or sport performance metrics with no randomised controlled trials included. Further research is warranted to understand the mechanisms that underpin inter-limb differences and the magnitude of performance changes that can be accounted for by these asymmetries.

[Health and indigenous peoples in Brazil: the challenge of professional training and continuing education of workers in intercultural contexts].

Science.gov (United States)

Diehl, Eliana Elisabeth; Pellegrini, Marcos Antonio

2014-04-01

This article discusses training and continuing medical education for indigenous health workers and health professionals in indigenous health under the guidelines of the Brazilian National Healthcare Policy for Indigenous Peoples, which is currently behind schedule and incomplete as part of the official government agenda. Based on inter-sector proposals for health training by the Ministries of Health and Education, the article highlights the case of indigenous healthcare, emphasizing that government initiatives in this area still need to incorporate the concept of continuing education, a powerful tool for fostering intercultural dialogue and orienting health practices.

Intra and Inter-IOM Ccommunications Summary Document

CERN Document Server

Ambrosini, G; Cetin, S A; Conka, T; Fernandes, A; Francis, D; Joos, M; Lehmann, G; Mailov, A; Mapelli, L; Mornacchi, Giuseppe; Niculescu, M; Nurdan, K; Petersen, J; Spiwoks, R; Tremblet, L J; Ünel, G

1999-01-01

This document summarises the work performed, within the context of the DAQ-Unit of the DataFlow system in ATLAS DAQ/EF prototype -1 on intra and inter-Input/Output Module (IOM) message passing. This document fulfils the ATLAS DAQ/EF prototype -1 milestone of February 99.

Unfolding the phenomenon of inter-rater agreement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Slaug, Bjørn; Schilling, Oliver; Helle, Tina

2011-01-01

Objective: The overall objective was to unfold the phenomenon of inter-rater agreement: to identify potential sources of variation in agreement data and to explore how they can be statistically accounted for. The ultimate aim was to propose recommendations for in-depth examination of agreement, i...

Inter-laboratory exercise on steroid estrogens in aqueous samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heath, E., E-mail: ester.heath@ijs.s [Department of Environmental Sciences, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Kosjek, T. [Department of Environmental Sciences, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Andersen, H.R.; Holten Luetzhoft, H.-C. [Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljoevej 113, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Adolfson Erici, M. [Stockholm University, ITM SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Coquery, M. [Cemagref, U.R. QELY, F-69336 Lyon (France); Duering, R.-A. [Giessen University, Institute of Soil Science and Soil Conservation, Giessen (Germany); Gans, O. [Umweltbundesamt GmbH, Unit Organic Analysis, Spittelauer Laende 5, 1090 Vienna (Austria); Guignard, C. [CRP Gabriel Lippmann, EVA, 41 rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux (Luxembourg); Karlsson, P. [Lantmannen Analycen AB, Research and Development, Sjoehagsgatan 3 Box 905, 5319, Lidkoeping (Sweden); Manciot, F. [CAE VEOLIA ENVIRONMENT, 1 Place de Turenne, 94417 Saint Maurice Cedex (France); Moldovan, Z. [National Institute of Research and Development for Isotopic and Molecular Technology, Mass Spectrometry Department, Str. Donath 65-103, 400293 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Patureau, D. [INRA, UR50, Laboratoire de Biotechnologie de l' Environnemet (LBE), Avenue des etangs, F-11100 Narbonne (France); Cruceru, L. [Pollution Control Department, National Research Institute for Industrial Ecology (ECOIND), Sos.Panduri 90-92, sector 5, Bucharest (Romania); Sacher, F. [DVGW-Technologiezentrum Wasser, Karlsruher Strasse 84, 76139 Karlsruhe (Germany); Ledin, A. [Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljoevej 113, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark)

2010-03-15

An inter-laboratory comparison exercise was organized among European laboratories, under the aegis of EU COST Action 636: 'Xenobiotics in Urban Water Cycle'. The objective was to evaluate the performance of testing laboratories determining 'Endocrine Disrupting Compounds' (EDC) in various aqueous matrices. As the main task three steroid estrogens: 17alpha-ethinylestradiol, 17beta-estradiol and estrone were determined in four spiked aqueous matrices: tap water, river water and wastewater treatment plant influent and effluent using GC-MS and LC-MS/MS. Results were compared and discussed according to the analytical techniques applied, the accuracy and reproducibility of the analytical methods and the nature of the sample matrices. Overall, the results obtained in this inter-laboratory exercise reveal a high level of competence among the participating laboratories for the detection of steroid estrogens in water samples indicating that GC-MS as well as LC-MS/MS can equally be employed for the analysis of natural and synthetic hormones. - Herein are presented the results of the first international inter-laboratory study on determination of selected steroid hormones in environmental aqueous samples.

Inter-Rater Reliability of Cyclotorsion Measurements Using Fundus Photography.

Science.gov (United States)

Dysli, Muriel; Kanku, Madeleine; Traber, Ghislaine L

2018-04-01

The foveo-papillary angle (FPA) on fundus photographs is the accepted standard for the measurement of ocular cyclotorsion. We assessed the inter-rater reliability of this method in healthy subjects and in patients with trochlear nerve palsies. In this methodological study, fundus photographs of healthy subjects and of patients with trochlear nerve palsies were made with a fundus camera (Zeiss Fundus Camera FF 450 plus, Jena, Germany). Three independent observers measured the FPA on the fundus photographs of all subjects in synedra View (synedra View 16, Version 16.0.0.11, Innsbruck, Austria). One hundred and four eyes of 52 subjects (26 healthy controls and 26 patients) were assessed. The mean FPA of the healthy controls was 5.80 degrees (°) [± 0.44 standard error of the mean (SEM)] compared to 11.55° (± 0.80 SEM) for patients with trochlear nerve palsies. The inter-rater reliability of all measured FPAs showed an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.98 (95% CI 0.97 - 0.98). The inter-rater reliability of objective cyclotorsion measurements using fundus photographs was very high. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Inter-Group and Intra-Group Assertiveness: Adolescents' Social Skills Following Cultural Transition

Science.gov (United States)

Korem, Anat; Horenczyk, Gabriel; Tatar, Moshe

2012-01-01

The goals of this study were to examine intra-group and inter-group assertiveness among adolescents, and to compare these two domains of assertiveness between cultural groups in Israel. Measures of intra-group and inter-group assertiveness were developed, and questionnaires were administrated to 441 immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU),…

Exploring Differences in Measurement and Reporting of Classroom Observation Inter-Rater Reliability

Science.gov (United States)

Wilhelm, Anne Garrison; Gillespie Rouse, Amy; Jones, Francesca

2018-01-01

Although inter-rater reliability is an important aspect of using observational instruments, it has received little theoretical attention. In this article, we offer some guidance for practitioners and consumers of classroom observations so that they can make decisions about inter-rater reliability, both for study design and in the reporting of data…

Interference Aware Inter-Cell Rank Coordination for 5G Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mahmood, Nurul Huda; Pedersen, Klaus I.; Mogensen, Preben Elgaard

2017-01-01

at balancing the trade-off between increasing the spatial multiplexing gain through independent streams, or improving the interference resilience property. An interference aware inter-cell rank coordination framework for the future fifth generation wireless system is proposed in this article. The proposal...... resilience trade-off. Centralized and distributed implementations of the proposed inter-cell rank coordination framework are presented, followed by exhaustive Monte Carlo simulation results demonstrating its performance. The obtained results indicate that the performance of the proposed method is up to 56...

PIDIE, plutonium isotopic determination inter-comparison exercise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harry, R.J.S.

1990-07-01

PIDIE (Plutonium Isotopic Determination Inter-comparison Exercise) is one of the projects of the ESARDA Working Group on Techniques and Standards for Non-Destructive Analysis. PIDIE is placed against the historical background of the general development of international standards. Its results are also reviewed in the light of the original purpose of the project. Sets of seven sealed Pu samples of different isotopic composition, each containing 0,45 grammes, were sent to the 9 participating laboratories for three separate determinations of the unknown isotopic composition, to investigate error sources and , if possible to improve the knowledge of γ-emission probabilities. An additional question was to examine the possible improvement of such measurements using reference samples. No important bias has been observed in the results of this inter-comparison. The apparent improvement in the precision and accuracy of the result seems to arise from both better equipment and more elaborate spectrum evaluation methods. (author). 39 refs.; 1 fig.; 5 tabs

Experimental study on inter-particle acoustic forces.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Sabaté, Anna; Castro, Angélica; Hoyos, Mauricio; González-Cinca, Ricard

2014-03-01

A method for the experimental measurement of inter-particle forces (secondary Bjerknes force) generated by the action of an acoustic field in a resonator micro-channel is presented. The acoustic radiation force created by an ultrasonic standing wave moves suspended particles towards the pressure nodes and the acoustic pressure induces particle volume oscillations. Once particles are in the levitation plane, transverse and secondary Bjerknes forces become important. Experiments were carried out in a resonator filled with a suspension composed of water and latex particles of different size (5-15 μm) at different concentrations. Ultrasound was generated by means of a 2.5 MHz nominal frequency transducer. For the first time the acoustic force generated by oscillating particles acting on other particles has been measured, and the critical interaction distance in various cases has been determined. Inter-particle forces on the order of 10(-14) N have been measured by using this method.

Sample requirements and design of an inter-laboratory trial for radiocarbon laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryant, Charlotte; Carmi, Israel; Cook, Gordon; Gulliksen, Steinar; Harkness, Doug; Heinemeier, Jan; McGee, Edward; Naysmith, Philip; Possnert, Goran; Scott, Marian; Plicht, Hans van der; Strydonck, Mark van

2000-01-01

An on-going inter-comparison programme which is focused on assessing and establishing consensus protocols to be applied in the identification, selection and sub-sampling of materials for subsequent 14 C analysis is described. The outcome of the programme will provide a detailed quantification of the uncertainties associated with 14 C measurements including the issues of accuracy and precision. Such projects have become recognised as a fundamental aspect of continuing laboratory quality assurance schemes, providing a mechanism for the harmonisation of measurements and for demonstrating the traceability of results. The design of this study and its rationale are described. In summary, a suite of core samples has been defined which will be made available to both AMS and radiometric laboratories. These core materials are representative of routinely dated material and their ages span the full range of the applied 14 C time-scale. Two of the samples are of wood from the German and Irish dendrochronologies, thus providing a direct connection to the master dendrochronological calibration curve. Further samples link this new inter-comparison to past studies. Sample size and precision have been identified as being of paramount importance in defining dating confidence, and so several core samples have been identified for more in-depth study of these practical issues. In addition to the core samples, optional samples have been identified and prepared specifically for either AMS and/or radiometric laboratories. For AMS laboratories, these include bone, textile, leather and parchment samples. Participation in the study requires a commitment to a minimum of 10 core analyses, with results to be returned within a year

Continuity and consensus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abrahamson, Peter

2010-01-01

maternal leave. These changes can be explained as adjustments to post-industrial conditions within a political culture relying on class compromises and a broad consensus informed by expert advice coming from civil servants and ad hoc policy commissions. The paper concludes that changes in Danish family...... policy reflect changing conditions for employment and the minding of children and that there has been a high degree of continuity and consensus about the change, as indicated by the strong increase in female labour market involvement....

Improved inter-observer agreement of an expert review panel in an oncology treatment trial--Insights from a structured interventional process.

Science.gov (United States)

Nestle, Ursula; Rischke, Hans Christian; Eschmann, Susanne Martina; Holl, Gabriele; Tosch, Marco; Miederer, Matthias; Plotkin, Michail; Essler, Markus; Puskas, Cornelia; Schimek-Jasch, Tanja; Duncker-Rohr, Viola; Rühl, Friederike; Leifert, Anja; Mix, Michael; Grosu, Anca-Ligia; König, Jochem; Vach, Werner

2015-11-01

Oncologic imaging is a key for successful cancer treatment. While the quality assurance (QA) of image acquisition protocols has already been focussed, QA of reading and reporting offers still room for improvement. The latter was addressed in the context of a prospective multicentre trial on fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG)-positron-emission tomography (PET)/CT-based chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). An expert panel was prospectively installed performing blinded reviews of mediastinal NSCLC involvement in FDG-PET/CT. Due to a high initial reporting inter-observer disagreement, the independent data monitoring committee (IDMC) triggered an interventional harmonisation process, which overall involved 11 experts uttering 6855 blinded diagnostic statements. After assessing the baseline inter-observer agreement (IOA) of a blinded re-review (phase 1), a discussion process led to improved reading criteria (phase 2). Those underwent a validation study (phase 3) and were then implemented into the study routine. After 2 months (phase 4) and 1 year (phase 5), the IOA was reassessed. The initial overall IOA was moderate (kappa 0.52 CT; 0.53 PET). After improvement of reading criteria, the kappa values improved substantially (kappa 0.61 CT; 0.66 PET), which was retained until the late reassessment (kappa 0.71 CT; 0.67 PET). Subjective uncertainty was highly predictive for low IOA. The IOA of an expert panel was significantly improved by a structured interventional harmonisation process which could be a model for future clinical trials. Furthermore, the low IOA in reporting nodal involvement in NSCLC may bear consequences for individual patient care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inter-firm Networks, Organizational Learning and Knowledge Updating: An Empirical Study

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Su-rong; Wang, Wen-ping

In the era of knowledge-based economy which information technology develops rapidly, the rate of knowledge updating has become a critical factor for enterprises to gaining competitive advantage .We build an interactional theoretical model among inter-firm networks, organizational learning and knowledge updating thereby and demonstrate it with empirical study at last. The result shows that inter-firm networks and organizational learning is the source of knowledge updating.

Knowledge Access in Rural Inter-connected Areas Network ...

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

Knowledge Access in Rural Inter-connected Areas Network (KariaNet) - Phase II ... the existing network to include two thematic networks on food security and rural ... Woman conquering male business in Yemen : Waleya's micro-enterprise.

Knowledge Access in Rural Inter-connected Areas Network ...

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

Knowledge Access in Rural Inter-connected Areas Network (KariaNet) - Phase II ... poor by sharing innovations, best practices and indigenous knowledge using ... A third thematic network - on knowledge management strategies - will play an ...

Toward human resource management in inter-professional health practice: linking organizational culture, group identity and individual autonomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tataw, David

2012-01-01

The literature on team and inter-professional care practice describes numerous barriers to the institutionalization of inter-professional healthcare. Responses to slow institutionalization of inter-professional healthcare practice have failed to describe change variables and to identify change agents relevant to inter-professional healthcare practice. The purpose of this paper is to (1) describe individual and organizational level barriers to collaborative practice in healthcare; (2) identify change variables relevant to the institutionalization of inter-professional practice at individual and organizational levels of analysis; and (3) identify human resource professionals as change agents and describe how the strategic use of the human resource function could transform individual and organizational level change variables and therefore facilitate the healthcare system's shift toward inter-professional practice. A proposed program of institutionalization includes the following components: a strategic plan to align human resource functions with organizational level inter-professional healthcare strategies, activities to enhance professional competencies and the organizational position of human resource personnel, activities to integrate inter-professional healthcare practices into the daily routines of institutional and individual providers, activities to stand up health provider champions as permanent leaders of inter-professional teams with human resource professionals as consultants and activities to bring all key players to the table including health providers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effect of inter-critically reheating temperature on microstructure and properties of simulated inter-critically reheated coarse grained heat affected zone in X70 steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Zhixiong; Kuzmikova, Lenka; Li, Huijun; Barbaro, Frank

2014-01-01

This study investigated the influence of the inter-critical reheating temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a coarse grained heat affected zone (CGHAZ) in an API 5L grade X70 pipeline steel seam weld. A Gleeble 3500 thermo-mechanical simulator was employed to duplicate particular weld thermal cycles in order to accurately assess specific regions of the weld HAZ. Detailed microstructural analysis, including investigation of the martensite–austenite (M–A) constituent, was performed using optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and selective etching techniques. It is shown that the fracture toughness of the CGHAZ is significantly reduced following exposure to a subsequent inter-critical thermal cycle. Fracture toughness gradually improves as the inter-critical temperature is increased, but does not return to the value of the original CGHAZ due to the presence of isolated large M–A particles and coarse microstructure. Significance of M–A particles to the HAZ fracture toughness is first related to the location of particles along prior austenite grain boundaries, followed by the size of individual M–A particles

Intraregional and inter-regional variability of herbicide sensitivity in common arable weed populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Mol, Friederike; Gerowitt, Bärbel; Kaczmarek, Sylwia

2015-01-01

The question on intraregional versus inter-regional variability in herbicide sensitivity for weed populations is of major importance, both in extrapolation of model parameters and in herbicide zonal approval procedures. We hypothesised that inter-regional variability in herbicide sensitivity for ...

The Traditional Chinese Philosophies in Inter-cultural Leadership

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lin, Li; Li, Peter Ping; Roelfsema, Hein

2018-01-01

cultural distance. To fill the gap in the literature concerning the leadership challenges for expatriate managers in an inter-cultural context, the purpose of this paper is to elucidate the leadership styles of Chinese expatriate managers from the perspectives of three traditional Chinese philosophies (i...... that the leadership style of Chinese expatriate managers is deeply rooted in the three traditional Chinese philosophies of Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism, even in an inter-cultural context. Specifically, the study reveals two salient aspects of how Chinese expatriate managers frame and interact with a foreign...... managers also reported that their interactions with the Dutch culture are best described as a balance between partial conflict and partial complementarity (thus, a duality). In this sense, the leadership style of Chinese expatriate managers is influenced jointly by the three traditional Chinese...

Study of superionic conductors dynamics by continued diffusion model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennai, M.

1993-12-01

The superionic conductors form a special category of solids characterized by their remarkable transport properties and are in general, Simplified as being constituted by the superposition of two inter penetrable crystal lattices. The ions of the first one form a rigid structure through which the other ions of opposite charge diffuse in quasi-liquid way. Basing on experimental and theoretical arguments, it was proved necessary to adopt a model of N-body continued diffusion which the basic theory is that of brownian movement. This thesis deals with the study of the dynamic structure factor S (q,w) and its line half width by the method of development in continued fractions issued from the Mori theory. With regard to the analytical difficulty met at the time of the static correlations functions calculation, the homogeneous approximation was applied and the notion of effective strength was introduced. So, it was obtained general relationships which give the static correlation functions, only in term of the static structure factor of liquids and effective potential. 98 refs.; 22 figs. (F.M.)

Enhanced inter-subject brain computer interface with associative sensorimotor oscillations.

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Simanto; Ahmed, Khawza I; Mostafa, Raqibul; Khandoker, Ahsan H; Hadjileontiadis, Leontios

2017-02-01

Electroencephalography (EEG) captures electrophysiological signatures of cortical events from the scalp with high-dimensional electrode montages. Usually, excessive sources produce outliers and potentially affect the actual event related sources. Besides, EEG manifests inherent inter-subject variability of the brain dynamics, at the resting state and/or under the performance of task(s), caused probably due to the instantaneous fluctuation of psychophysiological states. A wavelet coherence (WC) analysis for optimally selecting associative inter-subject channels is proposed here and is being used to boost performances of motor imagery (MI)-based inter-subject brain computer interface (BCI). The underlying hypothesis is that optimally associative inter-subject channels can reduce the effects of outliers and, thus, eliminate dissimilar cortical patterns. The proposed approach has been tested on the dataset IVa from BCI competition III, including EEG data acquired from five healthy subjects who were given visual cues to perform 280 trials of MI for the right hand and right foot. Experimental results have shown increased classification accuracy (81.79%) using the WC-based selected 16 channels compared to the one (56.79%) achieved using all the available 118 channels. The associative channels lie mostly around the sensorimotor regions of the brain, reinforced by the previous literature, describing spatial brain dynamics during sensorimotor oscillations. Apparently, the proposed approach paves the way for optimised EEG channel selection that could boost further the efficiency and real-time performance of BCI systems.

Inter-professional relationships issues among iranian nurses and physicians: A qualitative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samaneh Nakhaee

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Nurse–physician inter-professional relationship is an important issue in health care system that can affect job satisfaction and patient care quality. The present study explores the major issues of nurse–physician inter-professional relationships in Iran. Materials and Methods: In this in-depth qualitative content analysis study conducted in 2014, 12 participants (5 physicians and 7 nurses were recruited from two educational hospitals. The data were collected from deep, open, and unstructured interviews, and analyzed based on content analysis. Results: The participants in this study included 12 individuals, 6 females and 6 males, with the age ranging 27–48 years and tenure ranging 4–17 years. Four themes were identified, namely, divergent attitudes, uneven distribution of power, mutual trust destructors, and prudence imposed on nurses. Conclusions: The results revealed some major inter-professional issues and challenges in nurse–physician relationships, some of which are context-specific whereas others should be regarded as universal. It is through a deep knowledge of these issues that nurses and physicians can establish better collaborative inter-professional relationships.

An in vivo genetic screen for genes involved in spliced leader trans-splicing indicates a crucial role for continuous de novo spliced leader RNP assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Philippe, Lucas; Pandarakalam, George C; Fasimoye, Rotimi; Harrison, Neale; Connolly, Bernadette; Pettitt, Jonathan; Müller, Berndt

2017-08-21

Spliced leader (SL) trans-splicing is a critical element of gene expression in a number of eukaryotic groups. This process is arguably best understood in nematodes, where biochemical and molecular studies in Caenorhabditis elegans and Ascaris suum have identified key steps and factors involved. Despite this, the precise details of SL trans-splicing have yet to be elucidated. In part, this is because the systematic identification of the molecules involved has not previously been possible due to the lack of a specific phenotype associated with defects in this process. We present here a novel GFP-based reporter assay that can monitor SL1 trans-splicing in living C. elegans. Using this assay, we have identified mutants in sna-1 that are defective in SL trans-splicing, and demonstrate that reducing function of SNA-1, SNA-2 and SUT-1, proteins that associate with SL1 RNA and related SmY RNAs, impairs SL trans-splicing. We further demonstrate that the Sm proteins and pICln, SMN and Gemin5, which are involved in small nuclear ribonucleoprotein assembly, have an important role in SL trans-splicing. Taken together these results provide the first in vivo evidence for proteins involved in SL trans-splicing, and indicate that continuous replacement of SL ribonucleoproteins consumed during trans-splicing reactions is essential for effective trans-splicing. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Simulation, elaboration and analysis of inter-digitated back contacts photovoltaic cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nichiporuk, O.

2005-05-01

Solar energy is the most promising and powerful energy source among renewable energies. Photovoltaic electricity is obtained by direct transformation of the sunlight into electricity by means of photovoltaic cells. The objective of this work is to develop photovoltaic cells with back inter-digitated contacts. In the first chapter, we recall the principle of operation and the fundamental parameters of a photovoltaic cell. In a second part, we explain specificities of the inter-digitated back-contact solar cells, as well as the advantages and the disadvantages of such cells. In the second chapter we study the operation of inter-digitated back-contacts solar cells by two dimensional numerical simulation in order to optimize the geometry and doping profiles of the cell. The third chapter relates to the techniques and the methods of characterization of photovoltaic devices and components. In the fourth chapter, we describe the elaboration of inter-digitated back-contact cells. Three technological processes are presented in order to develop a simple technology for cells realization. In particular, we develop the auto-aligned technological process, which enables to elaborate the cells by using only one lithography step. In the last chapter we examine various approaches to reduce the surface recombination: SiO 2 , silicon nitride deposited by UVCVD, hydrogen annealing, etc.. (author)

Simulation, elaboration and analysis of inter-digitated back-contacts photovoltaic cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nichiporuk, O.

2005-05-01

Solar energy is the most promising and powerful energy source among renewable energies. Photovoltaic electricity is obtained by direct transformation of the sunlight into electricity by means of photovoltaic cells. The objective of this work is to develop photovoltaic cells with back inter-digitated contacts. In the first chapter, we recall the principle of operation and the fundamental parameters of a photovoltaic cell. In a second part, we explain specificities of the inter-digitated back-contact solar cells, as well as the advantages and the disadvantages of such cells. In the second chapter we study the operation of inter-digitated back-contacts solar cells by two dimensional numerical simulation in order to optimize the geometry and doping profiles of the cell. The third chapter relates to the techniques and the methods of characterization of photovoltaic devices and components. In the fourth chapter, we describe the elaboration of inter-digitated back-contact cells. Three technological processes are presented in order to develop a simple technology for cells realization. In particular, we develop the auto-aligned technological process, which enables to elaborate the cells by using only one lithography step. In the last chapter we examine various approaches to reduce the surface recombination: SiO 2 , silicon nitride deposited by UVCVD, hydrogen annealing, etc... (author)

Image quality assessment based on inter-patch and intra-patch similarity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fei Zhou

Full Text Available In this paper, we propose a full-reference (FR image quality assessment (IQA scheme, which evaluates image fidelity from two aspects: the inter-patch similarity and the intra-patch similarity. The scheme is performed in a patch-wise fashion so that a quality map can be obtained. On one hand, we investigate the disparity between one image patch and its adjacent ones. This disparity is visually described by an inter-patch feature, where the hybrid effect of luminance masking and contrast masking is taken into account. The inter-patch similarity is further measured by modifying the normalized correlation coefficient (NCC. On the other hand, we also attach importance to the impact of image contents within one patch on the IQA problem. For the intra-patch feature, we consider image curvature as an important complement of image gradient. According to local image contents, the intra-patch similarity is measured by adaptively comparing image curvature and gradient. Besides, a nonlinear integration of the inter-patch and intra-patch similarity is presented to obtain an overall score of image quality. The experiments conducted on six publicly available image databases show that our scheme achieves better performance in comparison with several state-of-the-art schemes.

The collision forces and lower-extremity inter-joint coordination during running.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Li-I; Gu, Chin-Yi; Wang, I-Lin; Siao, Sheng-Wun; Chen, Szu-Ting

2018-06-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the lower extremity inter-joint coordination of different collision forces runners during running braking phase. A dynamical system approach was used to analyse the inter-joint coordination parameters. Data were collected with six infra-red cameras and two force plates. According to the impact peak of the vertical ground reaction force, twenty habitually rearfoot-strike runners were categorised into three groups: high collision forces runners (HF group, n = 8), medium collision forces runners (MF group, n = 5), and low collision forces runners (LF group, n = 7). There were no significant differences among the three groups in the ankle and knee joint angle upon landing and in the running velocity (p > 0.05). The HF group produced significantly smaller deviation phase (DP) of the hip flexion/extension-knee flexion/extension during the braking phase compared with the MF and LF groups (p braking phase correlated negatively with the collision force (p < 0.05). The disparities regarding the flexibility of lower extremity inter-joint coordination were found in high collision forces runners. The efforts of the inter-joint coordination and the risk of running injuries need to be clarified further.

Intra- and Inter-islet Synchronization of Metabolically Driven Insulin Secretion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Morten Gram; Bertram, Richard; Sherman, Arthur

2005-01-01

mechanisms for intra-islet and inter-islet synchronization. We show that electrical coupling is sufficient to synchronize both electrical bursting activity and metabolic oscillations. We also demonstrate that islets can synchronize by mutually entraining each other by their effects on a simple model "liver......,'' which responds to the level of insulin secretion by adjusting the blood glucose concentration in an appropriate way. Since all islets are exposed to the blood, the distributed islet-liver system can synchronize the individual islet insulin oscillations. Thus, we demonstrate how intra-islet and inter...

Performance Analysis of Downlink Inter-band Carrier Aggregation in LTE-Advanced

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Hua; Rosa, Claudio; Pedersen, Klaus

2011-01-01

CC can be different. In this paper, we investigate the downlink resource allocation for inter-band CA, i.e., how to assign carrier(s) to different UEs. A simple yet effective G-factor based carrier selection algorithm, which takes both traffic load and radio channel characteristics......Carrier aggregation (CA) is one of the most distinct features for LTE-Advanced systems, which can support a much wider transmission bandwidth up to 100 MHz by aggregating two or more individual component carriers (CCs) belonging to the same (intra-band) or different (inter-band) frequency bands....... With CA, it is possible to schedule a user equipment (UE) on multiple CCs simultaneously. From radio resource management (RRM) perspective, CC selection plays an important role in optimizing the system performance, especially in the case of inter-band CA where the radio propagation characteristics of each...

Magnetization reversal processes of isotropic permanent magnets with various inter-grain exchange interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroshi Tsukahara

2017-05-01

Full Text Available We performed a large-scale micromagnetics simulation on a supercomputing system to investigate the properties of isotropic nanocrystalline permanent magnets consisting of cubic grains. In the simulation, we solved the Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation under a periodic boundary condition for accurate calculation of the magnetization dynamics inside the nanocrystalline isotropic magnet. We reduced the inter-grain exchange interaction perpendicular and parallel to the external field independently. Propagation of the magnetization reversal process is inhibited by reducing the inter-grain exchange interaction perpendicular to the external field, and the coercivity is enhanced by this restraint. In contrast, when we reduce the inter-grain exchange interaction parallel to the external field, the coercivity decreases because the magnetization reversal process propagates owing to dipole interaction. These behaviors show that the coercivity of an isotropic permanent magnet depends on the direction of the inter-grain exchange interaction.

Inter-industry wage differentials and the gender wage gap in Belgium

OpenAIRE

Ilan Tojerow; François Rycx

2002-01-01

This paper simultaneously analyses the gender wage gap and the inter-industry wage differentials in the Belgian private sector. On the basis of the 1995 Structure of Earning Survey, we estimate the inter-industry wage differentials by gender and the gender wage gap by industry. We find significant interindustry wage differentials for men and women, even when controlling for a large number of productivity-related factors. These differentials are highly correlated but significantly different. A...

Involvement of the visual change detection process in facilitating perceptual alternation in the bistable image.

Science.gov (United States)

Urakawa, Tomokazu; Bunya, Mao; Araki, Osamu

2017-08-01

A bistable image induces one of two perceptual alternatives. When the bistable visual image is continuously viewed, the percept of the image alternates from one possible percept to the other. Perceptual alternation was previously reported to be induced by an exogenous perturbation in the bistable image, and this perturbation was theoretically interpreted to cause neural noise, prompting a transition between two stable perceptual states. However, little is known experimentally about the visual processing of exogenously driven perceptual alternation. Based on the findings of a previous behavioral study (Urakawa et al. in Perception 45:474-482, 2016), the present study hypothesized that the automatic visual change detection process, which is relevant to the detection of a visual change in a sequence of visual events, has an enhancing effect on the induction of perceptual alternation, similar to neural noise. In order to clarify this issue, we developed a novel experimental paradigm in which visual mismatch negativity (vMMN), an electroencephalographic brain response that reflects visual change detection, was evoked while participants continuously viewed the bistable image. In terms of inter-individual differences in neural and behavioral data, we found that enhancements in the peak amplitude of vMMN1, early vMMN at a latency of approximately 150 ms, correlated with increases in the proportion of perceptual alternation across participants. Our results indicate the involvement of automatic visual change detection in the induction of perceptual alternation, similar to neural noise, thereby providing a deeper insight into the neural mechanisms underlying exogenously driven perceptual alternation in the bistable image.

Inter-organizational network studies - a literature review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bergenholtz, Carsten; Waldstrøm, Christian

literature review of the last 12 years' research on inter-organizational networks, with a focus on the methodological aspects. The findings of this paper is that few of the previous studies have used the full methodological (and thus theoretical) scope of the available data and that the most cited papers...

The Inter-genebank Potato Database and the dimensions of available wild potato germplasm

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huamán, Z.; Hoekstra, R.; Bamberg, J.B.

2000-01-01

The Association of Potato Inter-genebank Collaborators (APIC) constructed a database of all wild potato holdings of the most important potato genebanks in Europe, the United States, Peru, and Argentina. The Inter-genebank Potato Database (IPD) now contains data of 11,819 wild potato accessions

Defining inter-cloud architecture for interoperability and integration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Demchenko, Y.; Ngo, C.; Makkes, M.X.; Strijkers, R.; de Laat, C.; Zimmermann, W.; Lee, Y.W.; Demchenko, Y.

2012-01-01

This paper presents an on-going research to develop the Inter-Cloud Architecture, which addresses the architectural problems in multi-provider multi-domain heterogeneous cloud based applications integration and interoperability, including integration and interoperability with legacy infrastructure

Defining Inter-Cloud Architecture for Interoperability and Integration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Demchenko, Y.; Ngo, C.; Makkes, M.X.; Strijkers, R.J.; Laat, C. de

2012-01-01

This paper presents on-going research to develop the Inter-Cloud Architecture that should address problems in multi-provider multi-domain heterogeneous Cloud based applications integration and interoperability, including integration and interoperability with legacy infrastructure services. Cloud

Age and Practice Effects on Inter-manual Performance Asymmetry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen L Francis

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Manual dexterity declines with increasing age however, the way in which inter-manual asymmetry responds to aging is unclear. Our purpose was to determine the effect of age and practice on inter-manual performance asymmetry in an isometric force pinch line tracing task that varied in difficulty within segments. Thirty right handed participants, 5 males and 5 females in each of three age groups, young (Y20, young-old (O70, and old-old (O80, practiced an isometric force pinch task for 10 trials with each hand on each of five consecutive days. Inter-manual performance asymmetry of the right and left hands was analyzed with a repeated measures ANOVA of asymmetry with age groups, practice, task difficulty, and hand as factors. The within-individual magnitude of asymmetry was also analyzed with a repeated measures ANOVA of manual asymmetry calculated as an asymmetry index (AI. Post hoc pair-wise comparisons were performed when significance was found. We observed no inter-manual performance asymmetry on this isometric tracing task among any of the age groups, either in the hand performance differences or in the magnitude of the asymmetry index (AI. Age and practice interacted in terms of manual performance: the Y20 and O70 group improved accuracy and task time across the five days of practice but the O80 group did not. However, practice did not differentially affect the AI for accuracy or task time for any group. Accuracy of performance of the two hands was differentially affected by practice. All age groups exhibited poorer performance and larger AIs on the most difficult segments of the task (3 and 6 and this did not change with practice.

Lessons learnt from participation in international inter-comparison exercise for environmental radioactivity measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jha, S.K.; Pulhani, Vandana; Sartandel, Sangeeta

2016-06-01

Environmental Radioactivity Measurement Section of Health Physics Division is regularly carrying out surveillance of the radioactivity concentration in the environment. The laboratory participates in the inter-comparison exercises conducted by various international agencies for quality assurance and quality control of analytical estimations. This report summarizes the results of the analysis of radioactivity in environmental matrices of the inter-comparison exercises. The participation in inter-comparison exercises has demonstrated competence in radionuclide identification and estimations, equivalence with the results of other participating laboratories, validated adopted analytical methods, introduced traceability to measurement etc. at national and international level. (author)

Continuity of Local Time: An applied perspective

OpenAIRE

Ramirez, Jorge M.; Waymire, Edward C.; Thomann, Enrique A.

2015-01-01

Continuity of local time for Brownian motion ranks among the most notable mathematical results in the theory of stochastic processes. This article addresses its implications from the point of view of applications. In particular an extension of previous results on an explicit role of continuity of (natural) local time is obtained for applications to recent classes of problems in physics, biology and finance involving discontinuities in a dispersion coefficient. The main theorem and its corolla...

Impact of educational intervention on the inter-rater agreement of nasal endoscopy interpretation

Science.gov (United States)

Colley, Patrick; Mace, Jess C.; Schaberg, Madeleine R.; Smith, Timothy L.; Tabaee, Abtin

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE Nasal endoscopy is integral to the evaluation of sinonasal disorders. However, prior studies have shown significant variability in the inter-rater agreement of nasal endoscopy interpretation amongst practicing rhinologists. The objective of the current study is to evaluate the inter-rater agreement of nasal endoscopy amongst otolaryngology residents from a single training program at baseline and following an educational intervention. METHODS 11 otolaryngology residents completed nasal endoscopy grading forms for 8 digitally recorded nasal endoscopic examinations. An instructional lecture reviewing nasal endoscopy interpretation was subsequently provided. The residents then completed grading forms for 8 different nasal endoscopic examinations. Inter-rate agreement amongst residents for the pre- and post-lecture videos was calculated using the unweighted Fleiss’ kappa statistic (Kf) and intra-class correlation agreement (ICC). RESULTS Inter-rater agreement improved from a baseline level of fair (Kf range 0.268–0.383) to a post-educational level of moderate (Kf range 0.401–0.547) for nasal endoscopy findings of middle meatus mucosa, middle turbinate mucosa, middle meatus discharge, sphenoethmoid recess mucosa, sphenoethmoid recess discharge and atypical lesions (ICC, pendoscopy interpretation amongst otolaryngology residents. The inter-rater agreement for the majority of the characteristics that were evaluated improved after educational intervention. Further study is needed to improve nasal endoscopy interpretation. PMID:25781864

Simultaneous compared with sequential blood pressure measurement results in smaller inter-arm blood pressure differences.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Hoeven, Niels V; Lodestijn, Sophie; Nanninga, Stephanie; van Montfrans, Gert A; van den Born, Bert-Jan H

2013-11-01

There are currently few recommendations on how to assess inter-arm blood pressure (BP) differences. The authors compared simultaneous with sequential measurement on mean BP, inter-arm BP differences, and within-visit reproducibility in 240 patients stratified according to age (simultaneous and three sequential BP measurements were taken in each patient. Starting measurement type and starting arm for sequential measurements were randomized. Mean BP and inter-arm BP differences of the first pair and reproducibility of inter-arm BP differences of the first and second pair were compared between both methods. Mean systolic BP was 1.3±7.5 mm Hg lower during sequential compared with simultaneous measurement (Psequential measurement was on average higher than the second, suggesting an order effect. Absolute systolic inter-arm BP differences were smaller on simultaneous (6.2±6.7/3.3±3.5 mm Hg) compared with sequential BP measurement (7.8±7.3/4.6±5.6 mm Hg, PSimultaneous measurement of BP at both arms reduces order effects and results in smaller inter-arm BP differences, thereby potentially reducing unnecessary referral and diagnostic procedures. ©2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Growing Significance of EU Institutions in Promotion of Inter-regional policies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ella V. Ermakova

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article explores the variety of tools and vehicles applied within the EU to expand the prerogative of the regions of the EU member states. The author uses as an example the inter-regional policies in Belgium in respect of the Flemish Region and the Walloon Region. The author analyzes the mechanisms of promotion of external regional relations in Belgium as a means of addressing different problems both on national and all-European level, supporting the arguments and conclusions by examples of relevant EU initiatives. The article details the activities of the EU Regional Committee (RC, the EU advisory body with the powers of political initiative, upholding the principle ofsubsidarity in the implementation of the EU member states' regional policies. The involvement of the Flemish Region and the Walloon Region in the activities of EU RC is described and summarized. As a case study, the article deals with Belgium's rotating six months presidency in the EUin 2010 when the country, which was going through a severe political crisis with no federal government in place, was represented by the two regions. The special focus of the article is on the strategic EU program "Europe2020" and its implementation by the regions of Belgium. There is an account of the initiatives undertaken by the Flemish Region and the Walloon Region within the framework of this program outlining the interaction of the two regions. The author provides a comprehensive analysis of the involvement of the Flemish Region and the Walloon Region with various EU institutions describing how each party achieves the promotion of its regional interests. Within this context, it is a noteworthy development that the Flemish Region is participating in the international program "Pact 2020" on energy all by its own. The article features quotations by Flemish and Walloon political figures which serve as an illustration of the prevailing attitudes in the Belgian society to the process of

Inter-rater reliability of case-note audit: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lilford, Richard; Edwards, Alex; Girling, Alan; Hofer, Timothy; Di Tanna, Gian Luca; Petty, Jane; Nicholl, Jon

2007-07-01

The quality of clinical care is often assessed by retrospective examination of case-notes (charts, medical records). Our objective was to determine the inter-rater reliability of case-note audit. We conducted a systematic review of the inter-rater reliability of case-note audit. Analysis was restricted to 26 papers reporting comparisons of two or three raters making independent judgements about the quality of care. Sixty-six separate comparisons were possible, since some papers reported more than one measurement of reliability. Mean kappa values ranged from 0.32 to 0.70. These may be inflated due to publication bias. Measured reliabilities were found to be higher for case-note reviews based on explicit, as opposed to implicit, criteria and for reviews that focused on outcome (including adverse effects) rather than process errors. We found an association between kappa and the prevalence of errors (poor quality care), suggesting alternatives such as tetrachoric and polychoric correlation coefficients be considered to assess inter-rater reliability. Comparative studies should take into account the relationship between kappa and the prevalence of the events being measured.

Synchronization and Inter-Layer Interactions of Noise-Driven Neural Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuniati, Anis; Mai, Te-Lun; Chen, Chi-Ming

2017-01-01

In this study, we used the Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) model of neurons to investigate the phase diagram of a developing single-layer neural network and that of a network consisting of two weakly coupled neural layers. These networks are noise driven and learn through the spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) or the inverse STDP rules. We described how these networks transited from a non-synchronous background activity state (BAS) to a synchronous firing state (SFS) by varying the network connectivity and the learning efficacy. In particular, we studied the interaction between a SFS layer and a BAS layer, and investigated how synchronous firing dynamics was induced in the BAS layer. We further investigated the effect of the inter-layer interaction on a BAS to SFS repair mechanism by considering three types of neuron positioning (random, grid, and lognormal distributions) and two types of inter-layer connections (random and preferential connections). Among these scenarios, we concluded that the repair mechanism has the largest effect for a network with the lognormal neuron positioning and the preferential inter-layer connections.

Winter Performance of Inter-Locking Pavers—Stormwater Quantity and Quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angus Chu

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This study examined the effectiveness of open-joint inter-locking pavers in a permeable pavement in cold (winter conditions. A field-scale inter-locking paver cell (UNI Eco-Optiloc® was built to evaluate the hydraulic performance and water quality improvements experienced during freeze-thaw and frozen conditions in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Hydraulic performance was assessed using stormwater runoff reduction (peaks and volumes and surface infiltration capacity. Water quality performance for removal of total suspended solids (TSS, total nitrogen (TN, total phosphorous (TP and three heavy metals: copper, lead and zinc, was assessed. Results from the study demonstrated that the inter-locking pavers were effective in attenuating stormwater runoff peak volumes. The surface infiltration capacity decreased significantly due to the deposition of sanding and de-icing materials on the pavement surface during winter operation. Infiltrated stormwater was stored and treated within the pavement structure, which showed removal rates of 91% for TSS, 78% for TP, 6% for TN, 68% for zinc, 69% for copper and 55% for lead.

Modularization, inter-functional integration and operational performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boer, Henrike Engele Elisabeth; Boer, Harry

2014-01-01

for firms to indeed use product modularity beneficially, in particular inter-functional integration between manufacturing and purchasing, design and sales, respectively. The purpose of the paper is to investigate the direct performance effects of modularization, as well as the mediating effects of the three...... forms of integration in the modularization-performance relationship....

Automatic Metaphase Finding by Inter-Chromosome Extrema Profile Analysis

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Vega-Alvarado, Leticia

2001-01-01

...-level inter-chromosome coarseness features in microscopic images of metaphase spreads, and allows to quantity the texture of the cytological objects analysing the intensity profile between chromosome...

An inter-centre quality assurance network for IMRT verification: Results of the ESTRO QUASIMODO project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillis, Sofie; Wagter, Carlos de; Bohsung, Joerg; Perrin, Bruce; Williams, Peter; Mijnheer, Ben J.

2005-01-01

Background and purpose: IMRT necessitates extension of existing inter-centre quality assurance programs due to its increased complexity. We assessed the feasibility of an inter-centre verification method for different IMRT techniques. Materials and methods: Eight European radiotherapy institutions of the QUASIMODO network, have designed an IMRT plan for a horseshoe-shaped PTV surrounding a cylindrical OAR in a simplified pelvic phantom. All centres applied common plan objectives but used their own equipment for planning and delivery. They verified the delivery of this plan according to a common protocol with radiographic film and ionisation chamber measurements. The irradiated films, the results of the ionisation chamber measurements and the computed dose distributions were sent to one analysis centre that compared the measured and computed dose distributions with the gamma method and composite dose-area histograms. Results: 4% (relative to the prescribed dose) and 3 mm (distance-to-agreement) were decided feasible gamma criteria. The composite dose-area histograms showed a maximum local deviation of 3.5% in the mean dose of the PTV and 5% in the OAR. Systematic differences could be identified, and in some cases explained. Conclusions: This multi-centre dosimetric verification study demonstrated both the feasibility of a multi-centre quality assurance network to evaluate any IMRT planning and delivery system combination, as well as the validity of the methodology involved

Privacy-Preserving Detection of Inter-Domain SDN Rules Overlaps

KAUST Repository

Dethise, Arnaud

2017-08-24

SDN approaches to inter-domain routing promise better traffic engineering, enhanced security, and higher automation. Yet, naïve deployment of SDN on the Internet is dangerous as the control-plane expressiveness of BGP is significantly more limited than the data-plane expressiveness of SDN, which allows fine-grained rules to deflect traffic from BGP\\'s default routes. This mismatch may lead to incorrect forwarding behaviors such as forwarding loops and blackholes, ultimately hindering SDN deployment at the inter-domain level. In this work, we make a first step towards verifying the correctness of inter-domain forwarding state with a focus on loop freedom while keeping private the SDN rules, as they comprise confidential routing information. To this end, we design a simple yet powerful primitive that allows two networks to verify whether their SDN rules overlap, i.e., the set of packets matched by these rules is non-empty, without leaking any information about the SDN rules. We propose an efficient implementation of this primitive by using recent advancements in Secure Multi-Party Computation and we then leverage it as the main building block for designing a system that detects Internet-wide forwarding loops among any set of SDN-enabled Internet eXchange Points.

Dynamic inter-relationship between trade, economic growth and tourism in Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Sarmidi, Tamat; Salleh, Norlida H

2010-01-01

This study aims to test a hypothesis that postulate a positive inter-relationship between international flows of tourist, trade and economic growth. Although tourism is one of the major components in the trade of services, and it has been certified by large number of literatures on the strong correlation between tourism industry and economic development, yet not much is known on the dynamic inter-relationship between these three variables. Closing-up this gaping hole, this study employs the c...

Flexibility First, Then Standardize: A Strategy for Growing Inter-Departmental Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

á Torkilsheyggi, Arnvør

2015-01-01

Any attempt to use IT to standardize work practices faces the challenge of finding a balance between standardization and flexibility. In implementing electronic whiteboards with the goal of standardizing inter-departmental practices, a hospital in Denmark chose to follow the strategy of "flexibility first, then standardization." To improve the local grounding of the system, they first focused on flexibility by configuring the whiteboards to support intra-departmental practices. Subsequently, they focused on standardization by using the white-boards to negotiate standardization of inter-departmental practices. This paper investigates the chosen strategy and finds: that super users on many wards managed to configure the whiteboard to support intra-departmental practices; that initiatives to standardize inter-departmental practices improved coordination of certain processes; and that the chosen strategy posed a challenge for finding the right time and manner to shift the balance from flexibility to standardization.

Ladm and Interlis as a Perfect Match for 3d Cadastre

Science.gov (United States)

Kalogianni, E.; Dimopoulou, E.; Quak, W.; Van Oosterom, P.

2017-10-01

Standardization in land administration domain has been expanded to 3D and even 4D representations, adopting a multipurpose character, in order to become the foundation of a sustainable and smart economic development. At the moment, although the potential benefits of 3D Cadastre is argued to be enormous and there are plenty of standards related to 3D Cadastre while others enhancing the role of 3D Cities, there is no complete solution for 3D Cadastre. That being so, the last years, there has been a rapid increase in the integration, harmonization and implementation support of such standards. In this context, the integration of 3D legal spaces with 3D physical objects is gaining ground, as the (invisible) legal boundaries do not always match with the physical counterparts, leading to obscure situations. LADM, the International Standard for land administration, was proved to be one of the best candidates to unambiguously represent 3D Rights, Restrictions and Responsibilities. On the other side, spatial data models and virtual city models manage 3D urban structures without focusing on legal aspects. Many researchers have explored integrations between those aspects giving promising results. In this direction, apart from international standards, also national standards have been developed to enable the communication between land information systems. One of the most representatives is INTERLIS, a Swiss standard, a precise, standardized Object Relational modelling language on the conceptual level, which allows for automated quality control. Thus, in this paper the focus is given on how INTERLIS and LADM complement each other in the actual implementation of land administration systems. Main challenges among others in the context of this research include: 1. extensible hierarchical and versioned code lists in INTERLIS models, 2. formally define LADM constraints in INTERLIS, 3. discuss 3D geometry types and 4. introduce a holistic LADM/INTERLIS approach for country profiles.

Quality of nursing intensity data: inter-rater reliability of the patient classification after two decades in clinical use.

Science.gov (United States)

Liljamo, Pia; Kinnunen, Ulla-Mari; Ohtonen, Pasi; Saranto, Kaija

2017-09-01

The aim of this study was to measure the inter-rater reliability of the Oulu Patient Classification and to discuss existing methods of reliability testing. The Oulu Patient Classification, part of the RAFAELA ® System, has been developed to assist nursing managers with the proper allocation of nursing resources. Due to the increased intensity of inpatient care during recent years, there is a need for the reliability testing of the classification, which has been in clinical use for 20 years. Retrospective statistical study. To test inter-rater reliability, a pair of nurses classified the same patients, without knowledge of each other's ratings, as a part of annually conducted standardization. Data on the parallel classifications (n = 19,997) was obtained from inpatient units (n = 32) with different specialties at a university hospital in Finland during 2010-2015. Parallel classification practices were also analysed. The reliability of the overall classification and its subareas were calculated using suitable statistical coefficients. Inter-rater reliability coefficients were a reliable or almost perfect means of considering the nursing intensity category and various practices, but there were detectable differences between subareas. The lowest agreement levels occurred in the subareas 'Planning and Coordination of Nursing Care' and 'Guiding of Care/Continued Care and Emotional Support'. There is a need to develop the descriptions of subareas and to clarify the related concepts. Precise nursing documentation can promote a high level of agreement and reliable results. The traditional overall proportion of agreement does not provide an adequate picture of reliability - weighted kappa coefficients should be used instead. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of the interRAI home care frailty scale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John N. Morris

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The concept of frailty, a relative state of weakness reflecting multiple functional and health domains, continues to receive attention within the geriatrics field. It offers a summary of key personal characteristics, providing perspective on an individual’s life course. There have been multiple attempts to measure frailty, some focusing on physiologic losses, others on specific diseases, disabilities or health deficits. Recently, multidimensional approaches to measuring frailty have included cognition, mood and social components. The purpose of this project was to develop and evaluate a Home Care Frailty Scale and provide a grounded basis for assessing a person’s risk for decline that included functional and cognitive health, social deficits and troubling diagnostic and clinical conditions. Methods A secondary analysis design was used to develop the Home Care Frailty Scale. The data set consisted of client level home care data from service agencies around the world. The baseline sample included 967,865 assessments while the 6-month follow-up sample of persons still being served by the home care agencies consisted of 464,788 assessments. A pool of 70 candidate independent variables were screened for possible inclusion and 16 problem outcomes referencing accumulating declines and clinical complications served as the dependent variables. Multiple regression techniques were used to analyze the data. Results The resulting Home Care Frailty Scale consisted of a final set of 29 items. The items fall across 6 categories of function, movement, cognition and communication, social life, nutrition, and clinical symptoms. The prevalence of the items ranged from a high of 87% for persons requiring help with meal preparation to 3.7% for persons who have experienced a recent decline in the amount of food eaten. Conclusions The interRAI Home Care Frailty Scale is based on a strong conceptual foundation and in our analysis, performed as

Knowledge Integration and Inter-Disciplinary Communication in Action Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hahn Heidi Ann

2014-08-01

Full Text Available In a plenary talk at WMSCI 2012 entitled "Planning for Action Research: Looking at Practice through a Different Lens," this author asserted that behavioral science practitioners, often "back into" action research – they start out doing a process improvement or intervention and discover something along the way, i.e., generalizable knowledge, that seems worthwhile to share with their community of practice. It was further asserted that, had the efforts been conceived of as research from the outset, the contributions to the body of knowledge would be more robust and the utility of the projects would improve as well. This paper continues on that theme. Action research and process improvement methods are briefly described and compared. A comparison of two Los Alamos National Laboratory engineering ethics training projects – one developed using a process improvement framework, the other using an action research framework – is put forth to provide evidence that use of a research "lens" can enhance behavioral science interventions and the knowledge that may result from them. The linkage between the Specifying Learning and Diagnosing stages of the Action Research Cycle provides one mechanism for integrating the knowledge gained into the product or process being studied and should provide a reinforcing loop that leads to continual improvement. The collaborative relationships among researchers and the individual, group, or organization that is the subject of the imp rovement op p ortunity (the "client", who are likely from very different backgrounds, and the interpretive epistemology that are among the hallmarks of action research also contribute to the quality of the knowledge gained. This paper closes with a discussion of how Inter-Disciplinary Communication is embedded within the action research paradigm and how this likely also enriches the knowledge gained.

ORIGINAL The Implementation of Continuous Assessment in Writing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Key words: Continuous assessment, Formative assessment, Summative ... According to Teacher Education System .... research design involving both qualitative ..... Table 3: Students' Response to Items about Learning and Teaching-Load.

Continuous measurement of an atomic current

Science.gov (United States)

Laflamme, C.; Yang, D.; Zoller, P.

2017-04-01

We are interested in dynamics of quantum many-body systems under continuous observation, and its physical realizations involving cold atoms in lattices. In the present work we focus on continuous measurement of atomic currents in lattice models, including the Hubbard model. We describe a Cavity QED setup, where measurement of a homodyne current provides a faithful representation of the atomic current as a function of time. We employ the quantum optical description in terms of a diffusive stochastic Schrödinger equation to follow the time evolution of the atomic system conditional to observing a given homodyne current trajectory, thus accounting for the competition between the Hamiltonian evolution and measurement back action. As an illustration, we discuss minimal models of atomic dynamics and continuous current measurement on rings with synthetic gauge fields, involving both real space and synthetic dimension lattices (represented by internal atomic states). Finally, by "not reading" the current measurements the time evolution of the atomic system is governed by a master equation, where—depending on the microscopic details of our CQED setups—we effectively engineer a current coupling of our system to a quantum reservoir. This provides interesting scenarios of dissipative dynamics generating "dark" pure quantum many-body states.

Continuing professional development and social accountability: a review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleet, Lisa J; Kirby, Fran; Cutler, Sarah; Dunikowski, Lynn; Nasmith, Louise; Shaughnessy, Rita

2008-01-01

The idea that health professionals should be accountable to the society they serve is not a new concept and by the 1990 s, the continuing professional development (CPD) of health professionals was being seen as one way in which Canadians' level of health could be improved. The public was, and is still today, increasingly demanding a system that is more responsive to regional and community needs. As a result, there is a need for more health professional education at all stages of the education continuum - undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing professional development - that meets the health and social needs of the populations being served. The trend is now towards 'socially accountable' health care, meaning that the broader context of CPD must also include the personal, social, and political aspects of health care and as such, involve a widening of accountability to patients, the community, managers and policymakers. CPD planning must take into account local and national priorities as well as personal learning needs. However, the definition of social accountability and the stages at which it is addressed is sometimes vague and this added to the difficulty of identifying relevant studies in the literature. Nonetheless, there were some "best practices" evident via Canadian and American studies which focused on models of socially accountable CPD, as well as examples of interdisciplinary collaboration in Canada, the United States, Australia, Great Britain, and the United Arab Emirates. However, there is a definite need for increased research and publication of such "best practice" initiatives. There is also a need for Canadian health professional schools to facilitate this process by sharing their experiences and resources if possible. An extensive literature review was conducted between January and March 2004. Due to time constraints, it was limited to articles written in the English language. The databases/sources utilized included: Medline (now known as Pubmed

Inter-layer Cooper pairing of two-dimensional electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, Masahiro; Takemori, Tadashi; Yoshizaki, Ryozo; Sakudo, Tunetaro; Ohtaka, Kazuo

1987-01-01

The authors point out the possibility that the high transition temperatures of the recently discovered oxide superconductors are dominantly caused by the inter-layer Cooper pairing of two-dimensional electrons that are coupled through the exchange of three-dimensional phonons. (author)

INTER-MARKET AND SEASONAL VARIATION IN PRICES: AN ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

iya beji

examined its seasonal price rise and analyzed the inter-market variation in prices of maize in the study area ... farmers are in business to sell their farm products at a fair returns or profit. ... from their investments and entrepreneurship. Therefore ...

Inter-relationships of haplosporidians deduced from ultrastructural studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hine, P.M.; Carnegie, R.B.; Burreson, E.M.; Engelsma, M.Y.

2009-01-01

We reviewed papers reporting haplosporidian ultrastructure to compare inter-relationships based on ultrastructure with those based on molecular data, to identify features that may be important in haplosporidian taxonomy, and to consider parasite taxonomy in relation to host taxonomy. There were

Knowledge Access in Rural Inter-connected Areas Network ...

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

Knowledge Access in Rural Inter-connected Areas Network (KariaNet) - Phase II ... and indigenous knowledge using information and communication technologies (ICTs) ... for research proposals on the aforementioned topics, action-research projects, ... Evaluating knowledge-sharing methods to improve land utilization and ...

Involving stakeholders and developing a policy for stakeholder involvement in the European network for Health Technology Assessment, EUnetHTA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palmhøj Nielsen, Camilla; Wadmann, Sarah; Børlum Kristensen, Finn

2009-01-01

in national/regional policy making. A stakeholder Web site, analyses of stakeholder opinions on HTA and EUnetHTA in a discussion topic catalog, and a draft stakeholder policy resulted from the work. Conclusions: Stakeholder involvement in EUnetHTA is necessary to ensure the legitimacy and prospects...... be continued. Our experience shows the challenge of obtaining balanced stakeholder representation across the identified stakeholder groups. Continued attention should be given to achieving balanced stakeholder representation....

China’s inter-regional spillover of carbon emissions and domestic supply chains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng, Bo; Xue, Jinjun; Feng, Kuishuang; Guan, Dabo; Fu, Xue

2013-01-01

In this study, we apply the inter-regional input–output model to explain the relationship between China’s inter-regional spillover of CO 2 emissions and domestic supply chains for 2002 and 2007. Based on this model, we propose alternative indicators such as the trade in CO 2 emissions, CO 2 emissions in trade and the regional trade balances of CO 2 emissions. Our results do not only reveal the nature and significance of inter-regional environmental spillover within China’s domestic regions but also demonstrate how CO 2 emissions are created and distributed across regions via domestic and global production networks. Results show that a region’s CO 2 emissions depend on its intra-regional production technology, energy use efficiency, as well as its position and participation degree in domestic and global supply chains. - Highlights: • An IO model is used to measure China’s inter-regional spillover of CO 2 emissions. • We focus on the relationship between CO 2 emissions and domestic supply chains. • New indexes for identifying the consumer–producer responsibility are proposed. • A region’s emission depends on its position and participation level in supply chains

Inter-observer variability in fetal biometric measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Kilani, Rami; Aleyadeh, Wesam; Atieleh, Luay Abu; Al Suleimat, Abdul Mane; Khadra, Maysa; Hawamdeh, Hassan M

2018-02-01

To evaluate inter-observer variability and reproducibility of ultrasound measurements for fetal biometric parameters. A prospective cohort study was implemented in two tertiary care hospitals in Amman, Jordan; Prince Hamza Hospital and Albashir Hospital. 192 women with a singleton pregnancy at a gestational age of 18-36 weeks were the participants in the study. Transabdominal scans for fetal biometric parameter measurement were performed on study participants from the period of November 2014 to March 2015. Women who agreed to participate in the study were administered two ultrasound scans for head circumference, abdominal circumference and femur length. The correlation coefficient was calculated. Bland-Altman plots were used to analyze the degree of measurement agreement between observers. Limits of agreement ± 2 SD for the differences in fetal biometry measurements in proportions of the mean of the measurements were derived. Main outcome measures examine the reproducibility of fetal biometric measurements by different observers. High inter-observer inter-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was found for femur length (0.990) and abdominal circumference (0.996) where Bland-Altman plots showed high degrees of agreement. The highest degrees of agreement were noted in the measurement of abdominal circumference followed by head circumference. The lowest degree of agreement was found for femur length measurement. We used a paired-sample t-test and found that the mean difference between duplicate measurements was not significant (P > 0.05). Biometric fetal parameter measurements may be reproducible by different operators in the clinical setting with similar results. Fetal head circumference, abdominal circumference and femur length were highly reproducible. Large organized studies are needed to ensure accurate fetal measurements due to the important clinical implications of inaccurate measurements. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the Bahasa Melayu version of Rose Angina Questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, N B; Choudhury, S R; Naing, L; Conroy, R M; Rahman, A R A

2007-01-01

The objective of the study is to translate the Rose Questionnaire (RQ) into a Bahasa Melayu version and adapt it cross-culturally, and to measure its inter-rater and intrarater reliability. This cross sectional study was conducted in the respondents' homes or workplaces in Kelantan, Malaysia. One hundred respondents aged 30 and above with different socio-demographic status were interviewed for face validity. For each inter-rater and intra-rater reliability, a sample of 150 respondents was interviewed. Inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities were assessed by Cohen's kappa. The overall inter-rater agreements by the five pair of interviewers at point one and two were 0.86, and intrarater reliability by the five interviewers on the seven-item questionnaire at poinone and two was 0.88, as measured by kappa coefficient. The translated Malay version of RQ demonstrated an almost perfect inter-rater and intra-rater reliability and further validation such as sensitivity and specificity analysis of this translated questionnaire is highly recommended.

Value of ITS information for congestion avoidance in inter-modal transportation systems : phase II.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-01

Our project has four major mile-stones for the second year: : Mile-stone #1: Develop Dynamic Inter-modal Transportation Optimization Models: For : mostly air-road network and inter-modal networks significant to OHIO : MICHIGAN regions and our col...

Continuing professional development | Hellenberg | South African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

It would be unlikely that many of today\\'s practicing family doctors have not been involved in Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities. It would be equally unlikely, however, that these activities were part of any contextually structured educational plan towards professional development. Often driven by external need ...

Inter-observer variability between radiologists reporting on cerebellopontine angle tumours on magnetic resonance imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Teh, S R; Ranguis, S; Fagan, P

2017-01-01

Studies demonstrate the significance of intra- and inter-observer variability when measuring cerebellopontine angle tumours on magnetic resonance imaging, with measured differences as high as 2 mm. To determine intra- and inter-observer measurement variability of cerebellopontine angle tumours in a specialised institution. The magnetic resonance imaging maximal diameter of 12 randomly selected cerebellopontine angle tumours were independently measured by 4 neuroradiologists at a tertiary referral centre using a standard definition for maximal tumour diameter. Average deviation and intraclass correlation were subsequently calculated. Inter-observer difference averaged 0.33 ± 0.04 mm (range, 0.0-0.8 mm). Intra-observer measurements were more consistent than inter-observer measurements, with differences averaging 0.17 mm (95 per cent confidence interval = 0.27-0.06, p = 0.002). Inter-observer reliability was 0.99 (95 per cent confidence interval = 0.97-0.99), suggesting high reliability between the readings. The use of a standard definition for maximal tumour volume provided high reliability amongst radiologists' readings. To avoid oversizing tumours, it is recommended that conservative monitoring be conducted by the same institution with thin slice magnetic resonance imaging scans.