The metabolism of Tay-Sachs ganglioside: catabolic studies with lysosomal enzymes from normal and Tay-Sachs brain tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Tallman, John F.; Johnson, William G.; Brady, Roscoe O.

1972-01-01

The catabolism of Tay-Sachs ganglioside, N-acetylgalactosaminyl- (N-acetylneuraminosyl) -galactosylglucosylceramide, has been studied in lysosomal preparations from normal human brain and brain obtained at biopsy from Tay-Sachs patients. Utilizing Tay-Sachs ganglioside labeled with 14C in the N-acetylgalactosaminyl portion or 3H in the N-acetylneuraminosyl portion, the catabolism of Tay-Sachs ganglioside may be initiated by either the removal of the molecule of N-acetylgalactosamine or N-acetylneuraminic acid. The activity of the N-acetylgalactosamine-cleaving enzyme (hexosaminidase) is drastically diminished in such preparations from Tay-Sachs brain whereas the activity of the N-acetylneuraminic acid-cleaving enzyme (neuraminidase) is at a normal level. Total hexosaminidase activity as measured with an artificial fluorogenic substrate is increased in tissues obtained from patients with the B variant form of Tay-Sachs disease and it is virtually absent in the O-variant patients. The addition of purified neuraminidase and various purified hexosaminidases exerted only a minimal synergistic effect on the hydrolysis of Tay-Sachs ganglioside in the lysosomal preparations from the control or patient with the O variant of Tay-Sachs disease. Images PMID:4639018

Basic versus applied research: Julius Sachs (1832-1897) and the experimental physiology of plants.

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Kutschera, Ulrich

2015-01-01

The German biologist Julius Sachs was the first to introduce controlled, accurate, quantitative experimentation into the botanical sciences, and is regarded as the founder of modern plant physiology. His seminal monograph Experimental-Physiologie der Pflanzen (Experimental Physiology of Plants) was published 150 y ago (1865), when Sachs was employed as a lecturer at the Agricultural Academy in Poppelsdorf/Bonn (now part of the University). This book marks the beginning of a new era of basic and applied plant science. In this contribution, I summarize the achievements of Sachs and outline his lasting legacy. In addition, I show that Sachs was one of the first biologists who integrated bacteria, which he considered to be descendants of fungi, into the botanical sciences and discussed their interaction with land plants (degradation of wood etc.). This "plant-microbe-view" of green organisms was extended and elaborated by the laboratory botanist Wilhelm Pfeffer (1845-1920), so that the term "Sachs-Pfeffer-Principle of Experimental Plant Research" appears to be appropriate to characterize this novel way of performing scientific studies on green, photoautotrophic organisms (embryophytes, algae, cyanobacteria).

Ethical Issues with Genetic Testing for Tay-Sachs.

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Clayton, Tricia

Several genetic disorders are specific to Jewish heritage; one of the most devastating is Tay-Sachs disease.Tay-Sachs is a fatal hereditary disease, causing progressive neurological problems for which there is no cure. Ethical issues surrounding genetic testing for Tay-Sachs within the Jewish community continue to be complex and multifaceted. A perspective of Tay-Sachs, using rights-based ethics and virtue ethics as a theoretical framework, is explored.

Prenatal Diagnosis Of Tay-Sachs Disease

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Özgür Özyüncü

2010-04-01

CONCLUSION: Tay-Sachs disease can be diagnosed prenatally by measuring hexosaminidase enzyme activity in fetal tissue samples with an acceptable complication rate. Prenatal diagnosis should be offered to families who have affected siblings with Tay-Sachs disease.

Noncommutative black holes

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Lopez-DomInguez, J C [Instituto de Fisica de la Universidad de Guanajuato PO Box E-143, 37150 Leoen Gto. (Mexico); Obregon, O [Instituto de Fisica de la Universidad de Guanajuato PO Box E-143, 37150 Leoen Gto. (Mexico); RamIrez, C [Facultad de Ciencias FIsico Matematicas, Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, PO Box 1364, 72000 Puebla (Mexico); Sabido, M [Instituto de Fisica de la Universidad de Guanajuato PO Box E-143, 37150 Leoen Gto. (Mexico)

2007-11-15

We study noncommutative black holes, by using a diffeomorphism between the Schwarzschild black hole and the Kantowski-Sachs cosmological model, which is generalized to noncommutative minisuperspace. Through the use of the Feynman-Hibbs procedure we are able to study the thermodynamics of the black hole, in particular, we calculate Hawking's temperature and entropy for the 'noncommutative' Schwarzschild black hole.

Self-similar cosmological solutions with dark energy. I. Formulation and asymptotic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harada, Tomohiro; Maeda, Hideki; Carr, B. J.

2008-01-01

Based on the asymptotic analysis of ordinary differential equations, we classify all spherically symmetric self-similar solutions to the Einstein equations which are asymptotically Friedmann at large distances and contain a perfect fluid with equation of state p=(γ-1)μ with 0 1). However, in the latter case there is an additional parameter associated with the weak discontinuity at the sonic point and the solutions are only asymptotically 'quasi-Friedmann', in the sense that they exhibit an angle deficit at large distances. In the 0<γ<2/3 case, there is no sonic point and there exists a one-parameter family of solutions which are genuinely asymptotically Friedmann at large distances. We find eight classes of asymptotic behavior: Friedmann or quasi-Friedmann or quasistatic or constant-velocity at large distances, quasi-Friedmann or positive-mass singular or negative-mass singular at small distances, and quasi-Kantowski-Sachs at intermediate distances. The self-similar asymptotically quasistatic and quasi-Kantowski-Sachs solutions are analytically extendible and of great cosmological interest. We also investigate their conformal diagrams. The results of the present analysis are utilized in an accompanying paper to obtain and physically interpret numerical solutions

Midisuperspace-induced corrections to the Wheeler De Witt equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazzitelli, F.D.

1992-04-01

We consider the midisuperspace of four dimensional spherically symmetric metrics and the Kantowski-Sachs minisuperspace contained in it. We discuss the quantization of the midisuperspace using the fact that the dimensionally reduced Einstein Hilbert action becomes a scalar-tensor theory of gravity in two dimensions. We show that the covariant regularization procedure in the midisuperspace induces modifications into the minisuperspace Wheeler De Witt equation. (author). 8 refs

[Sandhoff's and Tay-Sachs disease--based on our own cases].

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Kokot, Witold; Raczyńska, Krystyna; Krajka-Lauer, Jarosława; Iwaszkiewicz-Bilikiewicz, Barbara; Wierzba, Jolanta

2004-01-01

The authors described two infant with Sandhoff's and Tay-Sachs disease. Tay-Sachs disease is well-known inherited disease leading to an accumulation of gangliosides in the brain and retina. Sandhoffs disease (GM2 gangliosidosis type 0) was diagnosed in an infant, in whom a progressive neurological disorder and cherry-red foveal spots were developed. In addition, to the general clinical examination, indirect ophthalnoscopy, blood white cells enzymatic examination are used to make definitive diagnosis. In this cases, the early eye fundus examination allowed us to make the proper diagnosis. The fundus change is characterized by the "cherry-red spot" in the central area.

Three-dimensional computed tomography measurement accuracy of varying Hill-Sachs lesion size.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Anthony; Kurdziel, Michael D; Koueiter, Denise M; Wiater, J Michael

2018-02-01

The glenoid track concept has been proposed to correlate shoulder stability with bone loss. Accurate assessment of Hill-Sachs lesion size preoperatively may affect surgical planning and postoperative outcomes; however, no measurement method has been universally accepted. This study aimed to assess the accuracy and reliability of measuring Hill-Sachs lesion sizes using 3-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT). Nine polyurethane humerus bone substitutes were used to create Hill-Sachs lesions of varying sizes with a combination of lesion depth (shallow, intermediate, and deep) and width (small, medium, and large). Specimens were scanned with a clinical CT scanner for size measurements and a micro-CT scanner for measurement of true lesion size. Six evaluators repeated measurements twice in a 2-week interval. Scans were measured by use of 3D CT reconstructions for length, width, and Hill-Sachs interval and with use of 2D CT for depth. The interclass correlation coefficient evaluated interobserver and intraobserver variability and percentage error, and Student t-tests assessed measurement accuracy. Interclass correlation coefficient reliability demonstrated strong agreement for all variables measured (0.856-0.975). Percentage error between measured length and measured depth and the true measurement significantly varied with respect to both lesion depth (P = .003 and P = .005, respectively) and lesion size (P = .049 and P = .004, respectively). The 3D CT imaging is effective and reproducible in determining lesion size. Determination of Hill-Sachs interval width is also reliable when it is applied to the glenoid track concept. Measured values on 3D and 2-dimensional imaging using a conventional CT scanner may slightly underestimate true measurements. Copyright © 2017 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An inducible mouse model of late onset Tay-Sachs disease.

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Jeyakumar, Mylvaganam; Smith, David; Eliott-Smith, Elena; Cortina-Borja, Mario; Reinkensmeier, Gabriele; Butters, Terry D; Lemm, Thorsten; Sandhoff, Konrad; Perry, V Hugh; Dwek, Raymond A; Platt, Frances M

2002-08-01

Mouse models of the G(M2) gangliosidoses, Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff disease, are null for the hexosaminidase alpha and beta subunits respectively. The Sandhoff (Hexb-/-) mouse has severe neurological disease and mimics the human infantile onset variant. However, the Tay-Sachs (Hexa-/-) mouse model lacks an overt phenotype as mice can partially bypass the blocked catabolic pathway and escape disease. We have investigated whether a subset of Tay-Sachs mice develop late onset disease. We have found that approximately 65% of the mice develop one or more clinical signs of the disease within their natural life span (n = 52, P disease at an earlier age (n = 21, P Tay-Sachs mice confirmed that pregnancy induces late onset Tay-Sachs disease. Onset of symptoms correlated with reduced up-regulation of hexosaminidase B, a component of the bypass pathway.

The National Tay Sachs and Allied Diseases Association.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeitlin, Paula

1986-01-01

The National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association is involved in education, research, and prevention of Tay-Sachs, an inherited metabolic disorder which destroys the central nervous system, and over 30 related disorders. The group features a parent peer group network and a support group for carrier couples. (CL)

National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association, Inc.

Science.gov (United States)

Exceptional Parent, 1977

1977-01-01

Reviewed are the history and organization, purpose and programs, and public services of the National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association, an organization geared toward eradicating Tay-Sachs disease (a hereditary disorder affecting primarily Jewish infants which generally leads to deterioration and death by the child's fifth year). (SBH)

Tay-Sachs disease: current perspectives from Australia

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Lew RM

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Raelia M Lew,1,7 Leslie Burnett,2,3,4 Anné L Proos,2 Martin B Delatycki5,6 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, QEII Research Institute for Mothers and Infants, The University of Sydney, Australia; 2NSW Health Pathology North, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, Australia; 3SEALS, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Australia; 4Sydney Medical School-Northern, Royal North Shore Hospital E25, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; 5Department of Clinical Genetics, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Australia; 6Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Australia; 7Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia Abstract: Tay-Sachs disease (TSD is a fatal, recessively inherited neurodegenerative condition of infancy and early childhood. Although rare in most other populations, the carrier frequency is one in 25 in Ashkenazi Jews. Australian high-school-based TSD preconception genetic screening programs aim to screen, educate, and optimize reproductive choice for participants. These programs have demonstrated high uptake, low psychological morbidity, and have been shown to result in fewer than expected Jewish TSD-affected births over 18 years of operation. The majority of Jewish individuals of reproductive age outside of the high school screening program setting in Australia have not accessed screening. Recent recommendations advocate supplementing the community high school screening programs with general practitioner- and obstetrician-led genetic screening of Ashkenazi Jewish individuals for TSD and other severe recessive diseases for which this group is at risk. Massively parallel DNA sequencing is expected to become the testing modality of choice over the coming years. Keywords: Tay-Sachs disease, genetic screening, Australia

Lyso-GM2 ganglioside: a possible biomarker of Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Kodama, Takashi; Togawa, Tadayasu; Tsukimura, Takahiro; Kawashima, Ikuo; Matsuoka, Kazuhiko; Kitakaze, Keisuke; Tsuji, Daisuke; Itoh, Kohji; Ishida, Yo-Ichi; Suzuki, Minoru; Suzuki, Toshihiro; Sakuraba, Hitoshi

2011-01-01

To find a new biomarker of Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease. The lyso-GM2 ganglioside (lyso-GM2) levels in the brain and plasma in Sandhoff mice were measured by means of high performance liquid chromatography and the effect of a modified hexosaminidase (Hex) B exhibiting Hex A-like activity was examined. Then, the lyso-GM2 concentrations in human plasma samples were determined. The lyso-GM2 levels in the brain and plasma in Sandhoff mice were apparently increased compared with those in wild-type mice, and they decreased on intracerebroventricular administration of the modified Hex B. The lyso-GM2 levels in plasma of patients with Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease were increased, and the increase in lyso-GM2 was associated with a decrease in Hex A activity. Lyso-GM2 is expected to be a potential biomarker of Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease.

Lyso-GM2 ganglioside: a possible biomarker of Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease.

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Takashi Kodama

Full Text Available To find a new biomarker of Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease. The lyso-GM2 ganglioside (lyso-GM2 levels in the brain and plasma in Sandhoff mice were measured by means of high performance liquid chromatography and the effect of a modified hexosaminidase (Hex B exhibiting Hex A-like activity was examined. Then, the lyso-GM2 concentrations in human plasma samples were determined. The lyso-GM2 levels in the brain and plasma in Sandhoff mice were apparently increased compared with those in wild-type mice, and they decreased on intracerebroventricular administration of the modified Hex B. The lyso-GM2 levels in plasma of patients with Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease were increased, and the increase in lyso-GM2 was associated with a decrease in Hex A activity. Lyso-GM2 is expected to be a potential biomarker of Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease.

Rapid detection of fetal Mendelian disorders: Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Guetta, Esther; Peleg, Leah

2008-01-01

Tay-Sachs disease is an autosomal recessive storage disease caused by the impaired activity of the lysosomal enzyme hexosaminidase A. In this fatal disease, the sphingolipid GM2 ganglioside accumulates in the neurons. Due to high carrier rates and the severity of the disease, population screening and prenatal diagnosis of Tay-Sachs disease are routinely carried out in Israel. Laboratory diagnosis of Tay-Sachs is carried out with biochemical and DNA-based methods in peripheral and umbilical cord blood, amniotic fluid, and chorionic villi samples. The assay of hexosaminidase A (Hex A) activity is carried out with synthetic substrates, 4-methylumbelliferyl-6-sulfo-N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminide (4-MUGS) and 4-methylumbelliferil-N-acetyl-beta-glucosamine (4-MUG), and the DNA-based analysis involves testing for the presence of specific known mutations in the alpha-subunit gene of Hex A. Prenatal diagnosis of Tay-Sachs disease is accomplished within 24-48 h from sampling. The preferred strategy is to simultaneously carry out enzymatic analysis in the amniotic fluid supernatant or in chorionic villi and molecular DNA-based testing in an amniotic fluid cell-pellet or in chorionic villi.

Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff Diseases

Science.gov (United States)

... more common in these groups: Creole of northern Argentina Metis Indians in Saskatchewan, Canada Lebanese If you or your partner is part of these ethnic groups, or you have a family history of Tay-Sachs disease or Sandhoff disease, tell ...

Enfermedad de Tay-Sachs

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Albia Josefina Pozo Alonso

Full Text Available La enfermedad de Tay-Sachs es un trastorno neurodegenerativo progresivo de herencia autosómica recesiva. Se debe a la deficiencia de la enzima β-hexosaminidasa A, que provoca una acumulación de gangliósidos GM2 en los lisosomas. Se incluye dentro de las esfingolipidosis. De las esfingolipidosis que presentan mancha rojo cereza en la mácula, la enfermedad de Tay-Sachs es la única en la que no se evidencia hepatoesplenomegalia. La variante más frecuente se inicia en la lactancia. Se presenta un lactante del sexo masculino al que se le realizó el diagnóstico de esta entidad a los 8 meses de edad. A partir de los 4 meses comenzó a presentar una reacción de sobresalto. A los 6 meses comenzó a perder habilidades previamente adquiridas y crisis epilépticas mioclónicas. Se constató una disminución de la actividad específica de la enzima hexosaminidasa A en leucocitos.

Proton MR spectroscopy in three children with Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Aydin, Kubilay; Bakir, Baris; Tatli, Burak; Terzibasioglu, Ege; Ozmen, Meral

2005-11-01

Tay-Sachs disease is an inherited metabolic disease caused by the accumulation of GM(2) gangliosides in the central nervous system. Deficiency of hexosaminidase A leads to the accumulation of gangliosides in neurons, axons and glial cells. To present the cranial MRI and proton MR spectroscopy findings of children of Tay-Sachs disease. Three children aged 10, 20 and 21 months were examined. On T2-weighted MR images there were hyperintense signal changes in the basal ganglia and cerebral white matter. MR spectroscopy demonstrated an increase in myoinositol/creatine and choline/creatine ratios with a decrease in the N-acetyl aspartate/creatine ratio. The spectroscopy findings support demyelination, gliosis and neuronal loss in the neuropathological process of Tay-Sachs disease.

Proton MR spectroscopy in three children with Tay-Sachs disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aydin, Kubilay; Bakir, Baris; Terzibasioglu, Ege [Istanbul University, Neuroradiology Division, Department of Radiology, Istanbul (Turkey); Tatli, Burak; Ozmen, Meral [Istanbul University, Department of Paediatric Neurology, Istanbul (Turkey)

2005-11-01

Tay-Sachs disease is an inherited metabolic disease caused by the accumulation of GM{sub 2} gangliosides in the central nervous system. Deficiency of hexosaminidase A leads to the accumulation of gangliosides in neurons, axons and glial cells. To present the cranial MRI and proton MR spectroscopy findings of children of Tay-Sachs disease. Three children aged 10, 20 and 21 months were examined. On T2-weighted MR images there were hyperintense signal changes in the basal ganglia and cerebral white matter. MR spectroscopy demonstrated an increase in myoinositol/creatine and choline/creatine ratios with a decrease in the N-acetyl aspartate/creatine ratio. The spectroscopy findings support demyelination, gliosis and neuronal loss in the neuropathological process of Tay-Sachs disease. (orig.)

Proton MR spectroscopy in three children with Tay-Sachs disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aydin, Kubilay; Bakir, Baris; Terzibasioglu, Ege; Tatli, Burak; Ozmen, Meral

2005-01-01

Tay-Sachs disease is an inherited metabolic disease caused by the accumulation of GM 2 gangliosides in the central nervous system. Deficiency of hexosaminidase A leads to the accumulation of gangliosides in neurons, axons and glial cells. To present the cranial MRI and proton MR spectroscopy findings of children of Tay-Sachs disease. Three children aged 10, 20 and 21 months were examined. On T2-weighted MR images there were hyperintense signal changes in the basal ganglia and cerebral white matter. MR spectroscopy demonstrated an increase in myoinositol/creatine and choline/creatine ratios with a decrease in the N-acetyl aspartate/creatine ratio. The spectroscopy findings support demyelination, gliosis and neuronal loss in the neuropathological process of Tay-Sachs disease. (orig.)

A critique of Jeffrey D. Sachs's The end of poverty.

Science.gov (United States)

Henwood, Doug

2006-01-01

Jeffrey Sachs's The End of Poverty is a manifesto and how-to guide on ending extreme poverty around the world; it promotes the U.N. Millennium Development Goals. Sachs achieved fame with his policy package for the "stabilization" of Bolivia (which did nothing to relieve Bolivia's poverty), and became advisor to the Yeltsin government in Russia and to Poland, Slovenia, and Estonia as they began their transitions to capitalism (the last three mixed successes; Russia a thorough disaster). Sachs later became more prominent as a critic of development orthodoxy, and was economic advisor to the Jubilee 2000 movement. The End of Poverty is full of sharp critiques of Western imperialism, but his views on the rest of the development business are more conventional.

Effective gene therapy in an authentic model of Tay-Sachs-related diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Cachón-González, M Begoña; Wang, Susan Z; Lynch, Andrew; Ziegler, Robin; Cheng, Seng H; Cox, Timothy M

2006-07-05

Tay-Sachs disease is a prototypic neurodegenerative disease. Lysosomal storage of GM2 ganglioside in Tay-Sachs and the related disorder, Sandhoff disease, is caused by deficiency of beta-hexosaminidase A, a heterodimeric protein. Tay-Sachs-related diseases (GM2 gangliosidoses) are incurable, but gene therapy has the potential for widespread correction of the underlying lysosomal defect by means of the secretion-recapture cellular pathway for enzymatic complementation. Sandhoff mice, lacking the beta-subunit of hexosaminidase, manifest many signs of classical human Tay-Sachs disease and, with an acute course, die before 20 weeks of age. We treated Sandhoff mice by stereotaxic intracranial inoculation of recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors encoding the complementing human beta-hexosaminidase alpha and beta subunit genes and elements, including an HIV tat sequence, to enhance protein expression and distribution. Animals survived for >1 year with sustained, widespread, and abundant enzyme delivery in the nervous system. Onset of the disease was delayed with preservation of motor function; inflammation and GM2 ganglioside storage in the brain and spinal cord was reduced. Gene delivery of beta-hexosaminidase A by using adeno-associated viral vectors has realistic potential for treating the human Tay-Sachs-related diseases.

Sachês antimicrobianos em pós-colheita de manga

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Eber Antonio Alves Medeiros

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Objetivou-se com este trabalho desenvolver sachês incorporados com óleos essenciais avaliando as propriedades físico-químicas e microbiológicas de mangas armazenadas em saco de papel contendo estes sachês em seu interior. Os óleos essenciais de orégano (Origanum vulgaris e capim-limão (Cymbopogon citratus foram incorporados em saches, e sua atividade antimicrobiana foi testada nos fungos Colletotrichum gloeosporides, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Xanthomonas campestris pv. mangiferae indica, Alternaria alternata. Frutos de manga 'Tommy Atkins' foram acondicionados individualmente em sacos de papel contendo em seu interior um sachê antimicrobiano e mantidos a 25 °C ± 2 °C e UR 80% ± 5% por nove dias. Os parâmetros cor da epiderme, firmeza de polpa, sólidos solúveis, acidez titulável e pH sofreram pouca influência dos óleos essenciais de orégano e capim limão, indicando que a presença do óleo essencial não altera as características físico-químicas da polpa de manga. Os sachês ativos incorporados com óleos essenciais de orégano e capim limão apresentaram controle no crescimento dos microrganismos testados, sendo o capim-limão mais eficiente, reduzindo em aproximadamente 2 ciclos Log a contagem de mesófilos aeróbios e fungos filamentosos e leveduras em relação ao tratamento controle empregado.

'Cherry red spot' in a patient with Tay-Sachs disease: case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Aragão, Ricardo Evangelista Marrocos de; Ramos, Régia Maria Gondim; Pereira, Felipe Bezerra Alves; Bezerra, Andreya Ferreira Rodrigues; Fernandes, Daniel Nogueira

2009-01-01

Tay-Sachs disease is an autosomal recessive disorder of sphingolipid metabolism, caused by enzyme hexosaminidase A deficiency that leads to an accumulation of GM2 in neurocytes which results in progressive loss of neurological function. The accumulation of lipid in retinal ganglion cells that leads to a chalk-white appearance of the fundus called 'cherry red spot' is the hallmark of Tay-Sachs disease. It is also seen in others neurometabolic diseases as well as in central retinal artery occlusion. This case reports a child with Tay-Sachs disease in a family with four previous similar deaths without diagnostic.

Splice junction mutation in some Ashkenazi Jews with Tay-Sachs disease: Evidence against a single defect within this ethnic group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myerowitz, R.

1988-01-01

Tay-Sachs disease is an inherited disorder in which the α chain of the lysosomal enzyme β-N-acetylhexosaminidase A bears the mutation. Ashkenazi Jews are found to be carriers for a severe type of Tay-Sachs disease, the classic form, 10 times more frequently than the general population. Ashkenazi Jewish patients with classic Tay-Sachs disease have appeared to be clinically and biochemically identical, and the usual assumption has been that they harbor the same α-chain mutation. The author has isolated the α-chain gene from an Ashkenazi Jewish patient, GM2968, with classic Tay-Sachs disease and compared its nucleotide sequences with that of the normal α-chain gene in the promoter region, exon and splice junction regions, and polyadenylylation signal area. Only one difference was observed between these sequences. The alteration is presumed to be functionally significant and to result in aberrant mRNA splicing. Utilizing the polymerase chain reaction to amplify the region encompassing the mutation, the author developed an assay to screen patients and heterozygote carriers for this mutation. Surprisingly, in each of two Ashkenazi patients, only one α-chain allele harbored the splice junction mutation. Only one parent of each of these patients was positive for the defect. Another Ashkenazi patient did not bear this mutation at all nor did either of the subject's parents. The data are consistent with the presence of more than one mutation underlying the classic form of Tay-Sachs disease in the Ashkenazi Jewish population

"Cherry red spot" in a patient with Tay-Sachs disease: case report "Mácula em cereja" em paciente com doença de Tay-Sachs: relato de caso

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Evangelista Marrocos de Aragão

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Tay-Sachs disease is an autosomal recessive disorder of sphingolipid metabolism, caused by enzime hexosaminidase A deficiency that leads to an accumulation of GM2 in neurocytes which results in progressive loss of neurological function. The accumulation of lipid in retinal ganglion cells that leads to a chalk-white appearance of the fundus called "cherry red spot" is the hallmark of Tay-Sachs disease. It is also seen in others neurometabolic diseases as well as in central retinal artery occlusion. This case reports a child with Tay-Sachs disease in a family with four previous similar deaths without diagnostic.Tay-Sachs é uma doença autossômica recessiva, caracterizada pela deficiência da enzima hexosaminidase A levando ao acúmulo de esfingolipídios (GM2 em células neuronais que resulta em uma perda progressiva da função neurológica. O acúmulo de lipídios em células ganglionais da retina leva a uma aparência de mácula em cereja, característica do fundo de olho de pessoas acometidas. "Mácula em cereja" também pode ser vista em outras doenças neurometabólicas e em oclusão da artéria central da retina. Este trabalho relata o caso de um paciente com doença de Tay-Sachs em uma família com história de quatro óbitos por causas semelhantes sem diagnóstico.

CMB anisotropies at all orders: the non-linear Sachs-Wolfe formula

OpenAIRE

Roldan, Omar

2017-01-01

We obtain the non-linear generalization of the Sachs-Wolfe + integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) formula describing the CMB temperature anisotropies. Our formula is valid at all orders in perturbation theory, is also valid in all gauges and includes scalar, vector and tensor modes. A direct consequence of our results is that the maps of the logarithmic temperature anisotropies are much cleaner than the usual CMB maps, because they automatically remove many secondary anisotropies. This can for instan...

Tay-Sach disease with "cherry-red spot"--first reported case in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, L Y; Balasubramaniam, S; Sunder, R; Jamalia, R; Karunakar, T V N; Alagaratnam, J

2011-12-01

We present a rare case of Tay-Sachs disease with retinal 'cherry-red spots' in a 19-month-old Malay child. Molecular genetic studies confirmed the diagnosis. The case highlights that 'cherry-red spot' is a useful clinical clue in Tay-Sachs disease and several other lysosomal storage disorders. It serves as an ideal illustration of the eye as a window to inborn error of metabolism.

Tay Sachs and Related Storage Diseases: Family Planning

Science.gov (United States)

Schneiderman, Gerald; And Others

1978-01-01

Based on interviews with 24 families, the article discusses family planning and the choices available to those families in which a child has previously died from Tay-Sachs or related lipid storage diseases. (IM)

Splice junction mutation in some Ashkenazi Jews with Tay-Sachs disease: Evidence against a single defect within this ethnic group

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Myerowitz, R. (National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD (USA))

1988-06-01

Tay-Sachs disease is an inherited disorder in which the {alpha} chain of the lysosomal enzyme {beta}-N-acetylhexosaminidase A bears the mutation. Ashkenazi Jews are found to be carriers for a severe type of Tay-Sachs disease, the classic form, 10 times more frequently than the general population. Ashkenazi Jewish patients with classic Tay-Sachs disease have appeared to be clinically and biochemically identical, and the usual assumption has been that they harbor the same {alpha}-chain mutation. The author has isolated the {alpha}-chain gene from an Ashkenazi Jewish patient, GM2968, with classic Tay-Sachs disease and compared its nucleotide sequences with that of the normal {alpha}-chain gene in the promoter region, exon and splice junction regions, and polyadenylylation signal area. Only one difference was observed between these sequences. The alteration is presumed to be functionally significant and to result in aberrant mRNA splicing. Utilizing the polymerase chain reaction to amplify the region encompassing the mutation, the author developed an assay to screen patients and heterozygote carriers for this mutation. Surprisingly, in each of two Ashkenazi patients, only one {alpha}-chain allele harbored the splice junction mutation. Only one parent of each of these patients was positive for the defect. Another Ashkenazi patient did not bear this mutation at all nor did either of the subject's parents. The data are consistent with the presence of more than one mutation underlying the classic form of Tay-Sachs disease in the Ashkenazi Jewish population.

Segregation of Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff alleles in a non-Jewish family.

OpenAIRE

Lane, A B; Young, E; Jenkins, T

1980-01-01

A non-Jewish family is presented in which the genes for Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease are segregating. Individuals heterozygous for both alleles have low serum and white cell total hexosaminidase levels together with a proportion of heat-labile hexosaminidase A (HEX A) which falls in the normal range. The individuals would not be detected as carriers of Tay-Sachs disease or Sandhoff disease in a population screening program.

Distribution of a pseudodeficiency allele among Tay-Sachs carriers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tomczak, J.; Grebner, E.E. (Thomas Jefferson Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States)); Boogen, C. (Univ. of Essen Medical School (Germany))

1993-08-01

Recently Triggs-Raine et al. (1992) identified a new mutation in the gene coding for the [alpha]-subunit of [beta]-hexosaminidase A (hex A), the enzyme whose deficiency causes Tay-Sachs disease. This mutation, a C[sub 739]-to-T transition in exon 7, results in an altered enzyme that is active (albeit at reduced levels) in cells but that has essentially no activity in serum. This so-called pseudodeficient allele was first detected in compound heterozygotes who also carried a Tay-Sachs disease allele and therefore had no detectable hex A in their serum but who were in good health. Carriers of this apparently benign mutation are generally indistinguishable from carriers of a lethal mutation by means of routine enzyme-based screening tests, because the product of the pseudodeficient allele is not detectable in serum and has decreased activity in cells. This suggests that some individuals who have been classified as Tay-Sachs carriers are actually carriers of the pseudodeficient allele and are not at risk to have a child affected with Tay-Sachs disease. The pseudodeficient allele may also be responsible for some inconclusive diagnoses, where leukocyte values fall below the normal range but are still above the carrier range. The fact that there are now two mutant alleles (the psuedodeficient and the adult) that are indistinguishable from the lethal infantile mutations by means of enzyme assay yet that are phenotypically very different and that together may account for as much as 12% of enzyme-defined carriers on the basis of the data here suggests that DNA analysis should be part of a comprehensive screening program. It will be particularly useful to identify the mutations in couples at risk, before they undergo prenatal diagnosis. DNA analysis will also resolve some inconclusive diagnoses.

Outcomes of arthroscopic "Remplissage": capsulotenodesis of the engaging large Hill-Sachs lesion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mayo Lee

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A Hill-Sachs lesion of the humeral head after a shoulder dislocation is clinically insignificant in most cases. However, a sizable defect will engage with the anterior rim of the glenoid and cause instability even after anterior glenoid reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of arthroscopic capsulotenodesis of the posterior capsule and infraspinatus tendon ("remplissage" to seal a large engaging Hill-Sachs lesion in an unstable shoulder. Methods This was a prospective follow-up study of patients who underwent arthroscopic surgery for recurrent shoulder instability with a large engaging Hill-Sachs lesion from 2007 to 2009. The clinical results were measured preoperatively and postoperatively with the Simple Shoulder test (SST and the Rowe score for instability. Results Eleven patients met the inclusion criteria of this study. The mean follow-up time was 30 months (range 24 to 35 months. At the last follow-up, significant improvement was observed in both scores with no recurrent dislocations. The mean SST improved from 6.6 to 11 (p Conclusions Arthroscopic remplissage for shoulder instability is an effective soft tissue technique to seal a large engaging Hill-Sachs lesion with respect to recurrence rate, range of motion and shoulder function.

Segregation of Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff alleles in a non-Jewish family.

Science.gov (United States)

Lane, A B; Young, E; Jenkins, T

1980-01-01

A non-Jewish family is presented in which the genes for Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease are segregating. Individuals heterozygous for both alleles have low serum and white cell total hexosaminidase levels together with a proportion of heat-labile hexosaminidase A (HEX A) which falls in the normal range. The individuals would not be detected as carriers of Tay-Sachs disease or Sandhoff disease in a population screening program. PMID:7446530

The frequency of Tay-Sachs disease causing mutations in the Brazilian Jewish population justifies a carrier screening program.

Science.gov (United States)

Rozenberg, R; Pereira, L da V

2001-07-05

Tay-Sachs disease is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by progressive neurologic degeneration, fatal in early childhood. In the Ashkenazi Jewish population the disease incidence is about 1 in every 3,500 newborns and the carrier frequency is 1 in every 29 individuals. Carrier screening programs for Tay-Sachs disease have reduced disease incidence by 90% in high-risk populations in several countries. The Brazilian Jewish population is estimated at 90,000 individuals. Currently, there is no screening program for Tay-Sachs disease in this population. To evaluate the importance of a Tay-Sachs disease carrier screening program in the Brazilian Jewish population by determining the frequency of heterozygotes and the acceptance of the program by the community. Laboratory of Molecular Genetics--Institute of Biosciences--Universidade de São Paulo. 581 senior students from selected Jewish high schools. Molecular analysis of Tay-Sachs disease causing mutations by PCR amplification of genomic DNA, followed by restriction enzyme digestion. Among 581 students that attended educational classes, 404 (70%) elected to be tested for Tay-Sachs disease mutations. Of these, approximately 65% were of Ashkenazi Jewish origin. Eight carriers were detected corresponding to a carrier frequency of 1 in every 33 individuals in the Ashkenazi Jewish fraction of the sample. The frequency of Tay-Sachs disease carriers among the Ashkenazi Jewish population of Brazil is similar to that of other countries where carrier screening programs have led to a significant decrease in disease incidence. Therefore, it is justifiable to implement a Tay-Sachs disease carrier screening program for the Brazilian Jewish population.

The white matter of the human cerebrum: Part I The occipital lobe by Heinrich Sachs

Science.gov (United States)

Forkel, Stephanie J.; Mahmood, Sajedha; Vergani, Francesco; Catani, Marco

2015-01-01

This is the first complete translation of Heinrich Sachs' outstanding white matter atlas dedicated to the occipital lobe. This work is accompanied by a prologue by Prof Carl Wernicke who for many years was Sachs' mentor in Breslau and enthusiastically supported his work. PMID:25527430

The frequency of Tay-Sachs disease causing mutations in the Brazilian Jewish population justifies a carrier screening program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Rozenberg

Full Text Available CONTEXT: Tay-Sachs disease is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by progressive neurologic degeneration, fatal in early childhood. In the Ashkenazi Jewish population the disease incidence is about 1 in every 3,500 newborns and the carrier frequency is 1 in every 29 individuals. Carrier screening programs for Tay-Sachs disease have reduced disease incidence by 90% in high-risk populations in several countries. The Brazilian Jewish population is estimated at 90,000 individuals. Currently, there is no screening program for Tay-Sachs disease in this population. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the importance of a Tay-Sachs disease carrier screening program in the Brazilian Jewish population by determining the frequency of heterozygotes and the acceptance of the program by the community. SETTING: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics - Institute of Biosciences - Universidade de São Paulo. PARTICIPANTS: 581 senior students from selected Jewish high schools. PROCEDURE: Molecular analysis of Tay-Sachs disease causing mutations by PCR amplification of genomic DNA, followed by restriction enzyme digestion. RESULTS: Among 581 students that attended educational classes, 404 (70% elected to be tested for Tay-Sachs disease mutations. Of these, approximately 65% were of Ashkenazi Jewish origin. Eight carriers were detected corresponding to a carrier frequency of 1 in every 33 individuals in the Ashkenazi Jewish fraction of the sample. CONCLUSION: The frequency of Tay-Sachs disease carriers among the Ashkenazi Jewish population of Brazil is similar to that of other countries where carrier screening programs have led to a significant decrease in disease incidence. Therefore, it is justifiable to implement a Tay-Sachs disease carrier screening program for the Brazilian Jewish population.

Characterization of two Turkish beta-hexosaminidase mutations causing Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozkara, Hatice Asuman; Sandhoff, Konrad

2003-04-01

Two homoallelic mutations have recently been identified in the alpha-subunit of hexosaminidase A (EC 3.2.1.52) causing the infantile form of Tay-Sachs disease in Turkish patients. Both of these mutations, a 12 bp deletion (1096-1107 or 1098-1108 or 1099-1109) in exon 10 and a point mutation (G1362 to A, Gly454 to Asp) in exon 12, are located in the catalytic domain of the hexosaminidase alpha-chain. In order to determine whether these mutations affect the function of the catalytic domain or result in an instable protein, both mutant cDNAs were overexpressed in COS-1 cells. As judged by Western blotting, transfections of wild-type cDNA produced pro-alpha-chain and mature alpha-chain in parallel with a fivefold increase in cellular hexosaminidase activity using the synthetic substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl beta-N-acetylglucosamine 6-sulfate (MUGS). However, both mutants produced only pro-alpha-chains, although no mature form or detectable hexosaminidase activity towards two different synthetic substrates was observed. These data are consistent with the biochemical phenotype of infantile Tay-Sachs disease. We conclude that the overexpressed mutant pro-alpha-chains were misfolded and could not undergo further proteolytic processing to the active form of the enzyme in the lysosome.

A pseudodeficiency allele common in non-Jewish Tay-Sachs carriers: Implications for carrier screening

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Triggs-Raine, B.L.; Akerman, B.R.; Gravel, R.A. (McGill Univ.-Montreal Children' s Hospital Research Institute, Montreal, Quebec (Canada)); Mules, E.H.; Thomas, G.H.; Dowling, C.E. (Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States)); Kaback, M.M.; Lim-Steele, J.S.T. (Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)); Natowicz, M.R. (Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center for Mental Retardation, Waltham, MA (United States)); Grebner, E.E. (Thomas Jefferson Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States)); Navon, R.R. (Tel-Aviv Univ., Kfar-Sava (Israel)); Welch, J.P. (Dalhousie Univ., Halifax, Nova, Scotia (Canada)); Greenberg, C.R. (Univ. of Manitoba, Winnipeg (Canada))

1992-10-01

Deficiency of [beta]-hexosaminidase A (Hex A) activity typically results in Tay-Sachs disease. However, healthy subjects found to be deficient in Hex A activity (i.e., pseudodeficient) by means of in vitro biochemical tests have been described. The authors analyzed the HEXA gene of one pseudodeficient subject and identified both a C[sub 739]-to-T substitution that changes Arg[sub 247][yields]Trp on one allele and a previously identified Tay-Sachs disease mutation of the second allele. Six additional pseudodeficient subjects were found to have the C[sub 739]-to-T but for none of 36 Jewish enzyme-defined carries who did not have one of three known mutations common to this group. The C[sub 739]-to-T allele, together with a [open quotes]true[close quotes] Tay-Sachs disease allele, causes Hex A pseudodeficiency. Given both the large proportion of non-Jewish carriers with this allele and that standard biochemical screening cannot differentiate between heterozygotes for the C[sub 739]-to-T mutations and Tay-Sachs disease carriers, DNA testing for this mutation in at-risk couples is essential. This could prevent unnecessary or incorrect prenatal diagnoses. 40 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs.

The white matter of the human cerebrum: part I The occipital lobe by Heinrich Sachs.

Science.gov (United States)

Forkel, Stephanie J; Mahmood, Sajedha; Vergani, Francesco; Catani, Marco

2015-01-01

This is the first complete translation of Heinrich Sachs' outstanding white matter atlas dedicated to the occipital lobe. This work is accompanied by a prologue by Prof Carl Wernicke who for many years was Sachs' mentor in Breslau and enthusiastically supported his work. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Late onset Tay-Sachs disease in mice with targeted disruption of the Hexa gene: behavioral changes and pathology of the central nervous system.

Science.gov (United States)

Miklyaeva, Elena I; Dong, Weijia; Bureau, Alexandre; Fattahie, Roya; Xu, Yongqin; Su, Meng; Fick, Gordon H; Huang, Jing-Qi; Igdoura, Suleiman; Hanai, Nobuo; Gravel, Roy A

2004-03-19

Tay-Sachs disease is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease resulting from a block in the hydrolysis of GM2 ganglioside, an intermediate in ganglioside catabolism. The mouse model of Tay-Sachs disease (Hexa -/-) has been described as behaviorally indistinguishable from wild type until at least 1 year of age due to a sialidase-mediated bypass of the metabolic defect that reduces the rate of GM2 ganglioside accumulation. In this study, we have followed our mouse model to over 2 years of age and have documented a significant disease phenotype that is reminiscent of the late onset, chronic form of human Tay-Sachs disease. Onset occurs at 11-12 months of age and progresses slowly, in parallel with increasing storage of GM2 ganglioside. The disease is characterized by hind limb spasticity, weight loss, tremors, abnormal posture with lordosis, possible visual impairment, and, late in the disease, muscle weakness, clasping of the limbs, and myoclonic twitches of the head. Immunodetection of GM2 ganglioside showed that storage varies widely in different regions, but is most intense in pyriform cortex, hippocampus (CA3 field, subiculum), amygdala, hypothalamus (paraventricular supraoptic, ventromedial and arcuate nuclei, and mammilary body), and the somatosensory cortex (layer V) in 1- to 2-year-old mutant mice. We suggest that the Tay-Sachs mouse model is a phenotypically valid model of disease and may provide for a reliable indicator of the impact of therapeutic strategies, in particular geared to the late onset, chronic form of human Tay-Sachs disease.

Planck 2015 results: XXI. The integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ade, P. A R; Aghanim, N.; Arnaud, M.

2016-01-01

This paper presents a study of the integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect from the Planck 2015 temperature and polarization data release. This secondary cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy caused by the large-scale time-evolving gravitational potential is probed from different perspectives....

CMB anisotropies at all orders: the non-linear Sachs-Wolfe formula

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roldan, Omar

2017-01-01

We obtain the non-linear generalization of the Sachs-Wolfe + integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) formula describing the CMB temperature anisotropies. Our formula is valid at all orders in perturbation theory, is also valid in all gauges and includes scalar, vector and tensor modes. A direct consequence of our results is that the maps of the logarithmic temperature anisotropies are much cleaner than the usual CMB maps, because they automatically remove many secondary anisotropies. This can for instance, facilitate the search for primordial non-Gaussianity in future works. It also disentangles the non-linear ISW from other effects. Finally, we provide a method which can iteratively be used to obtain the lensing solution at the desired order.

CMB anisotropies at all orders: the non-linear Sachs-Wolfe formula

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roldan, Omar, E-mail: oaroldan@if.ufrj.br [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-972, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2017-08-01

We obtain the non-linear generalization of the Sachs-Wolfe + integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) formula describing the CMB temperature anisotropies. Our formula is valid at all orders in perturbation theory, is also valid in all gauges and includes scalar, vector and tensor modes. A direct consequence of our results is that the maps of the logarithmic temperature anisotropies are much cleaner than the usual CMB maps, because they automatically remove many secondary anisotropies. This can for instance, facilitate the search for primordial non-Gaussianity in future works. It also disentangles the non-linear ISW from other effects. Finally, we provide a method which can iteratively be used to obtain the lensing solution at the desired order.

Tay Sachs disease: an autopsy case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Jadhav, Meenal Vitthal; Landge, Meenal P; Sawaimoon, Satyakam K; Harke, Arun B; Deshmukh, Sanjay D

2005-10-01

This report describes a case report of a postmortem performed on a 5-year old patient of Tay-Sachs disease, presenting with failure to thrive, muscular flaccidity, and cherry-red spots on macula on fundoscopy. There was no history of similarly affected sibling or any other family member. The diagnosis was confirmed by enzyme studies. At postmortem, there was no organomegaly. The brain, on microscopy, showed vacuolated swollen neurons.

Correlation of augmented startle reflex with brainstem electrophysiological responses in Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Sadao; Saito, Yoshiaki; Ishiyama, Akihiko; Sugai, Kenji; Iso, Takashi; Inagaki, Masumi; Sasaki, Masayuki

2015-01-01

To clarify the evolution of an augmented startle reflex in Tay-Sachs disease and compare the temporal relationship between this reflex and brainstem evoked potentials. Clinical and electrophysiological data from 3 patients with Tay-Sachs disease were retrospectively collected. The augmented startle reflex appeared between the age of 3 and 17 months and disappeared between the age of 4 and 6 years. Analysis of brainstem auditory evoked potentials revealed that poor segregation of peak I, but not peak III, coincided with the disappearance of the augmented startle reflex. A blink reflex with markedly high amplitude was observed in a patient with an augmented startle reflex. The correlation between the augmented startle reflex and the preservation of peak I but not peak III supports the theory that the superior olivary nucleus is dispensable for this reflex. The blink reflex with high amplitudes may represent augmented excitability of reticular formation at the pontine tegmentum in Tay-Sachs disease, where the pattern generators for the augmented startle and blink reflexes may functionally overlap. Copyright © 2014 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Molecular characterization of a novel HEXA mutation at the +3 position of intron 8 in a Tay-Sachs disease patient

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richard, M.; Triggs-Raine, B. [Univ. of Manitoba, Winnipeg (Canada); Natowicz, M. [E.K. Shriver Center, Waltham, MA (United States)

1994-09-01

Tay-Sachs disease is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder resulting from mutations in the HEXA gene that cause a deficiency in the activity of that enzyme {beta}-hexosaminidase A (Hex A). This deficiency leads to the build-up of G{sub M2} ganglioside, resulting in neurodegeneration and death. Biochemical analysis of a non-Jewish patient with a late-infantile form of Tay-Sachs disease revealed a substantial level of Hex A activity (38.4%) when 4-MUG was used as the substrate. However, when a substrate (4-MUGS) specific for the {alpha}-subunit of Hex A ({alpha}{beta}) was used, almost no activity was detected in the HEXA gene of the patient using SSCP analysis followed by sequencing. The first mutation, a G533A substitution in exon 5, is previously described and associated with the B1 form of Tay-Sachs disease. The second mutation is a novel a-to-g base change at the +3 position of intron 8. This was confirmed using the AIRS method, whereby a MaeIII site was created in the presence of the mutation. Normal and patient mRNA was reverse transcribed and exons 7 to 9 were PCR-amplified from the cDNA. An abnormally sized amplification product detected only in the patient cDNA was sequenced; exon 8 had been deleted and exons 7 and 9 were spliced together. A substantial level of normally-sized PCR product was also detected in the patient`s cDNA. Experiments are in progress to determine if this is produced from the allele harboring the G533A mutation. Given that previous mutations of this type have been associated with 97-100% abnormal splicing, this mutation is likely to be the cause, together with the G533A mutation, of Tay-Sachs disease in this patient.

Neurocognitive testing in late-onset Tay-Sachs disease: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Elstein, D; Doniger, G M; Simon, E; Korn-Lubetzki, I; Navon, R; Zimran, A

2008-08-01

To test neurocognitive function in patients with late-onset Tay-Sachs disease (LOTS) using a computerized system to assess whether cognition is a clinically relevant outcome measure of possible therapeutic intervention in LOTS. Ten adults with Tay-Sachs disease were administered at least one battery of the Mindstreams Neurotrax system for evaluation of cognitive function. Six sub-scores and a Global Cognitive Score (GCS) were tabulated. A disease specific severity score was also devised with six domains. Despite identical genotypes, all patients but the two oldest had > or = 3/6 sub-scores one standard deviation below normal mean (100); verbal and executive functions were most affected. The severity score measured other functions. Because of provocative findings on re-testing in patients exposed to miglustat, and despite the very small cohort, cognitive function may be an appropriate and clinically relevant outcome measure for future therapeutic interventions in LOTS.

Tay-Sachs disease with conspicuous cranial computerized tomographic appearances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Kishichiro; Mukawa, Akio; Muto, Kazuhiko; Nishikawa, Jiro; Takahashi, Shigeko.

1985-01-01

An autopsy case of a 3-year-old female infant with Tay-Sachs disease was presented. A cherry red spot in the fundus and a deficiency of N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase A in the white blood cells were revealed soon after admission at the age of one year. Her parents and sister were found to be healthy carriers. The patient showed a typical clinical course with marked cranial swelling. In addition to the marked ballooning of neurons on light microscope, membranous cytoplasmic body (MCB) on electron microscope and abnormal accumulation of GM 2 ganglioside in the cerebral cortex by thin layer chromatography were confirmed in the autopsy specimens. In the late stage of her clinical course, the cranial computerized tomography (CT) demonstrated symmetric and deep-wavy hyperdense cerebral cortical zones, diffuse hypodensity and diminished volume of cerebral white matter, mild to moderate ventricular dilatation, and a small cerebellum and brainstem. These conspicuous appearances of the cranial CT seem to be characteristic of Tay-Sachs disease in the late stage, and they are derived from abnormal accumulation of GM 2 ganglioside in the cerebral cortex, and diffuse intense demyelination (dysmyelinating demyelination) of the cerebral white matter. (author)

Choroidal Coloboma in a Case of Tay-Sachs Disease

OpenAIRE

Ahmed, Nasreen Raees; Tripathy, Koushik; Kumar, Vivek; Gogia, Varun

2014-01-01

Coloboma as an ocular finding has been documented in various syndromes. Here we have a case of infantile Tay-Sachs disease associated with unilateral choroidal coloboma. To the best of our knowledge, such an association has not been documented in the literature. Whether such an association is a matter of chance or signifies the involvement of ganglioside metabolism in ocular embryogenesis remains to be elucidated.

Choroidal coloboma in a case of tay-sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Nasreen Raees; Tripathy, Koushik; Kumar, Vivek; Gogia, Varun

2014-01-01

Coloboma as an ocular finding has been documented in various syndromes. Here we have a case of infantile Tay-Sachs disease associated with unilateral choroidal coloboma. To the best of our knowledge, such an association has not been documented in the literature. Whether such an association is a matter of chance or signifies the involvement of ganglioside metabolism in ocular embryogenesis remains to be elucidated.

Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases: enzymatic diagnosis in dried blood spots on filter paper: retrospective diagnoses in newborn-screening cards.

Science.gov (United States)

Chamoles, Néstor A; Blanco, Mariana; Gaggioli, Daniela; Casentini, Carina

2002-04-01

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD), Sandhoff disease (SD) and variants are caused by deficient activity of the lysosomal enzymes hexosaminidase A (HA) and total hexosaminidase (TH) (hexosaminidase A plus B), respectively. For diagnosis, these enzymes are usually measured in plasma or extracts of leukocytes. We describe methods for the assay of hexosaminidase A and total hexosaminidase activities in dried blood spots (DBSs) on filter paper. We studied 163 healthy controls, 9 Tay-Sachs patients, 4 Sandhoff patients, 18 obligate carriers and the newborn-screening cards from two patients with Tay-Sachs and one patient with Sandhoff disease. To tubes containing a 3-mm-diameter blood spot, we added elution liquid and substrate solution. After incubation at 37 degrees C, the amount of hydrolyzed product was compared with a calibrator to allow the quantification of enzyme activity. The described methodology is useful to distinguish patients with Tay-Sachs disease or Sandhoff disease from carriers and controls using samples that are sufficiently stable to be transported to the testing laboratory by mail. The diagnosis of both diseases from a newborn-screening card (NSC) was clearly demonstrated, even after storage for up to 38 months at room temperature. The newborn-screening card has been added to the biological materials that allow the identification of patients with Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease.

Preconception risk assessment for thalassaemia, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Hussein, Norita; Weng, Stephen F; Kai, Joe; Kleijnen, Jos; Qureshi, Nadeem

2018-03-14

Globally, about five per cent of children are born with congenital or genetic disorders. The most common autosomal recessive conditions are thalassaemia, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs disease, with higher carrier rates in specific patient populations. Identifying and counselling couples at genetic risk of the conditions before pregnancy enables them to make fully informed reproductive decisions, with some of these choices not being available if genetic counselling is only offered in an antenatal setting. This is an update of a previously published review. To assess the effectiveness of systematic preconception genetic risk assessment to improve reproductive outcomes in women and their partners who are identified as carriers of thalassaemia, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs disease in healthcare settings when compared to usual care. We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group's Trials Registers. In addition, we searched for all relevant trials from 1970 (or the date at which the database was first available if after 1970) to date using electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO), clinical trial databases (National Institutes of Health, Clinical Trials Search portal of the World Health Organization, metaRegister of controlled clinical trials), and hand searching of key journals and conference abstract books from 1998 to date (European Journal of Human Genetics, Genetics in Medicine, Journal of Community Genetics). We also searched the reference lists of relevant articles, reviews and guidelines and also contacted subject experts in the field to request any unpublished or other published trials.Date of latest search of the registers: 20 June 2017.Date of latest search of all other sources: 16 November 2017. Any randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials (published or unpublished) comparing reproductive outcomes of systematic preconception genetic risk assessment for thalassaemia, sickle

İki Kardeşte Görülen Tay-Sachs Hastalığı

OpenAIRE

KÜÇÜKÖDÜK, Ş.

2010-01-01

In view of two cases of autosomal recessive Tay-Sachs disease which affected two siblings, genetic consultation has been once more emphasized. The clinical features of this entity has been reviewed under the information obtained from recent literature. Otozomal resesif geçiş gösteren ve iki kardeşide etkiliyen Tay-Sachs hastalığında, genetik danışmanın önemi bir kez daha vurgulandı. Bu hastalığın klinik özellikleri literatür bilgilerinin ışığı altında gözden geçirildi....

Tay-Sachs disease: high gene frequency in a non-Jewish population.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, T E; Chase, G A; Kaback, M M; Kumor, K; McKusick, V A

1975-01-01

A non-Amish "Pennsylvania Dutch" semi-isolate was found to have a high frequency of Tay-Sachs gene. This high frequency could be ascribed to founder effect and may represent, in microcosm, how this mechanism could have produced the high gene frequency among Ashkenazi Jews. PMID:803011

78 FR 24447 - Goldman Sachs Trust, et al.; Notice of Application

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-25

... SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Investment Company Act Release No. 30471; 812-14075] Goldman Sachs Trust, et al.; Notice of Application April 19, 2013. AGENCY: Securities and Exchange Commission..., or cause more than 10% of the acquired company's voting stock to be owned by investment companies and...

Diagnosis and molecular characterization of non-classic forms of Tay-Sachs disease in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Rozenberg, R; Kok, F; Burin, M G; Sá Miranda, M C; Vasques, C; Henriques-Souza, A M M; Giugliani, R; Vainzof, Mariz; Pereira, L V

2006-06-01

Molecular analysis of five Brazilian families, including eight patients presenting with nonclassic Tay-Sachs disease, was performed to identify frequent causative mutations and their correlation with clinical course. Three patients were affected by the B1 subacute variant and were shown to carry the R178H mutation (the DN allele), which is also common among Portuguese patients. Two of them were compound heterozygotes, whereas the third presented with the mutation in both alleles. Since Brazil was a Portuguese colony for over two centuries, common ancestry might be the probable explanation. The fourth patient presented with a juvenile phenotype and carries the R499H mutation, which has been reported only once worldwide and is associated with residual enzyme activity, responsible for a slower clinical course. The fifth family, of an Ashkenazi Jewish background, showed an extensive intrafamilial clinical variability among three affected sibs presenting with muscle atrophy, ataxia, and psychiatric symptoms. They were first diagnosed as having atypical spinal muscular atrophy and, subsequently, spinocerebellar ataxia, but, recently, the diagnosis of late-onset Tay-Sachs disease was confirmed based on reduced plasma hexosaminidase A activity and the G269S/InsTATC1278 genotype. It is therefore highly recommended to test patients with a similar clinical history for Tay-Sachs disease. In the same family, one first cousin committed suicide at the age of 24 years, presenting with a clinical phenotype that suggested an undiagnosed case and highlighting the effect of the intrafamilial clinical variability in delaying a prompt diagnosis. It is now recognized that his parents are, in fact, a carrier couple. Additionally, another relative had been previously identified as a heterozygote in a Tay-Sachs disease screening program, but the information was not shared among the family. Since this information might anticipate diagnosis and genetic counseling, it is advisable that

Choroidal Coloboma in a Case of Tay-Sachs Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nasreen Raees Ahmed

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Coloboma as an ocular finding has been documented in various syndromes. Here we have a case of infantile Tay-Sachs disease associated with unilateral choroidal coloboma. To the best of our knowledge, such an association has not been documented in the literature. Whether such an association is a matter of chance or signifies the involvement of ganglioside metabolism in ocular embryogenesis remains to be elucidated.

General exact solution for homogeneous time-dependent self-gravitating perfect fluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaete, P.; Hojman, R.

1988-01-01

A procedure to obtain the general exact solution of Einstein equations for a self-gravitating spherically-symmetric static perfect fluid obeying an arbitrary equation of state, is applied to time-dependent Kantowsky-Sachs line elements (with spherical, planar and hyperbolic symmetry). As in the static case, the solution is generated by an arbitrary function of the independent variable and its first derivative. To illustrate the results, the whole family of (plane-symmetric) solutions with a ''gamma-law'' equation of state is explicity obtained in terms of simple known functions. It is also shown that, while in the static plane-symmtric line elements, every metric is in one to one correspondence with a ''partner-metric'' (both originated from the same generatrix function), in this case every generatrix function univocally determines one metric. (author) [pt

Role of the physician in screening for carriers of Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Lowden, J. A.

1978-01-01

A screening test for carriers of Tay-Sachs disease has been available in Toronto for more than 6 years. In that time more than 11 000 Jewish residents have been tested. Most had requested testing after hearing about the screening program from friends or the media; few had been advised by their physicians to be tested. To sample the attitudes of physicians in Toronto towards carrier screening, we studied questionnaire responses of 42 physicians whose practices were composed largely of Jewish patients. Only 31% regularly advised their young adult Jewish patients to have a carrier screening test but 76% said they had patients who asked if they should be tested. Of the 14 (33%) who had had one or more patients with Tay-Sachs disease 6 did not advise carrier testing. There was a positive correlation between specialty training and support for the screening program. Methods for increasing physician advocacy of these programs are discussed. PMID:709448

Black Hole Entropy from Bondi-Metzner-Sachs Symmetry at the Horizon.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlip, S

2018-03-09

Near the horizon, the obvious symmetries of a black hole spacetime-the horizon-preserving diffeomorphisms-are enhanced to a larger symmetry group with a three-dimensional Bondi-Metzner-Sachs algebra. Using dimensional reduction and covariant phase space techniques, I investigate this augmented symmetry and show that it is strong enough to determine the black hole entropy in any dimension.

Rapid identification of HEXA mutations in Tay-Sachs patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Giraud, Carole; Dussau, Jeanne; Azouguene, Emilie; Feillet, François; Puech, Jean-Philippe; Caillaud, Catherine

2010-02-19

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is a recessively inherited neurodegenerative disorder due to mutations in the HEXA gene resulting in a beta-hexosaminidase A (Hex A) deficiency. The purpose of this study was to characterize the molecular abnormalities in patients with infantile or later-onset forms of the disease. The complete sequencing of the 14 exons and flanking regions of the HEXA gene was performed with a unique technical condition in 10 unrelated TSD patients. Eleven mutations were identified, including five splice mutations, one insertion, two deletions and three single-base substitutions. Four mutations were novel: two splice mutations (IVS8+5G>A, IVS2+4delAGTA), one missense mutation in exon 6 (c.621T>G (p.D207E)) and one small deletion (c.1211-1212delTG) in exon 11 resulting in a premature stop codon at residue 429. The c.621T>G missense mutation was found in a patient presenting an infantile form. Its putative role in the pathogenesis of TSD is suspected as residue 207 is highly conserved in human, mouse and rat. Moreover, structural modelling predicted changes likely to affect substrate binding and catalytic activity of the enzyme. The time-saving procedure reported here could be useful for the characterization of Tay-Sachs-causing mutations, in particular in non-Ashkenazi patients mainly exhibiting rare mutations. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Late-onset Tay-Sachs disease: adverse effects of medications and implications for treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapiro, B E; Hatters-Friedman, S; Fernandes-Filho, J A; Anthony, K; Natowicz, M R

2006-09-12

The authors conducted a retrospective and brief prospective study of adverse effects of approximately 350 medications in 44 adults with late-onset Tay-Sachs disease (LOTS). Some medications were relatively safe, whereas others, particularly haloperidol, risperidone, and chlorpromazine, were associated with neurologic worsening.

Temporary Efficacy of Pyrimethamine in Juvenile-Onset Tay-Sachs Disease Caused by 2 Unreported HEXA Mutations in the Indian Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Udwadia-Hegde, Anaita; Hajirnis, Omkar

2017-01-01

Juvenile Tay-Sachs disease is rarer than other forms of Tay-Sachs disease and is usually seen in children between the age of 2 and 10 years. Pyrimethamine as a pharmacological chaperone was used to increase β-hexosaminidase A activity in this patient. We describe a patient with Tay-Sachs disease from the Indian population, a juvenile case who presented with developmental regression starting at the age of three, initially with motor followed by language regression. She is currently incapacitated with severe behavioral issues. This brief communication gives an insight into the efficacy of pharmacological chaperones. It also describes two unreported mutations in hexosaminidase A gene from the Indian population. After commencing Pyrimethamine, though initial benefits with increase in levels corresponded with briefly halting the motor regression, the observed increase was only transient and not associated with discernible beneficial neurological or psychiatric effects.

Optical structures, algebraically special spacetimes, and the Goldberg-Sachs theorem in five dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taghavi-Chabert, Arman

2011-01-01

Optical (or Robinson) structures are one generalization of four-dimensional shearfree congruences of null geodesics to higher dimensions. They are Lorentzian analogues of complex and CR structures. In this context, we extend the Goldberg-Sachs theorem to five dimensions. To be precise, we find a new algebraic condition on the Weyl tensor, which generalizes the Petrov type II condition, in the sense that it ensures the existence of such congruences on a five-dimensional spacetime, vacuum or under weaker assumptions on the Ricci tensor. This results in a significant simplification of the field equations. We discuss possible degenerate cases, including a five-dimensional generalization of the Petrov type D condition. We also show that the vacuum black ring solution is endowed with optical structures, yet fails to be algebraically special with respect to them. We finally explain the generalization of these ideas to higher dimensions, which has been checked in six and seven dimensions.

Late-onset Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Barritt, Andrew W; Anderson, Stuart J; Leigh, P Nigel; Ridha, Basil H

2017-10-01

We discuss the assessment and differential diagnoses of a young adult Hungarian man with a 1-year history of a progressive and symmetric amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-like syndrome, along with irregular action tremor and stimulus-sensitive myoclonus of the arms. MR scan of the brain showed isolated cerebellar atrophy and formal neuropsychometric testing identified significant subclinical deficits in attention, processing speed and memory. We suspected a form of GM 2 gangliosidosis, and white cell enzyme analysis showed markedly reduced enzymatic activity of β-hexosaminidase A. Genetic testing subsequently revealed two heterozygous pathogenic mutations in the HEXA gene (c.1499delT p.(Leu500fs) and c.805G>A p.(Gly269Ser)), confirming the very rare diagnosis of adult-onset Tay-Sachs disease. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Temporary Efficacy of Pyrimethamine in Juvenile-Onset Tay-Sachs Disease Caused by 2 Unreported HEXA Mutations in the Indian Population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anaita Udwadia-Hegde MD, DCH, MRCPCH

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Juvenile Tay-Sachs disease is rarer than other forms of Tay-Sachs disease and is usually seen in children between the age of 2 and 10 years. Pyrimethamine as a pharmacological chaperone was used to increase β-hexosaminidase A activity in this patient. Patient: We describe a patient with Tay-Sachs disease from the Indian population, a juvenile case who presented with developmental regression starting at the age of three, initially with motor followed by language regression. She is currently incapacitated with severe behavioral issues. Conclusion: This brief communication gives an insight into the efficacy of pharmacological chaperones. It also describes two unreported mutations in hexosaminidase A gene from the Indian population. After commencing Pyrimethamine, though initial benefits with increase in levels corresponded with briefly halting the motor regression, the observed increase was only transient and not associated with discernible beneficial neurological or psychiatric effects.

Impact of gene patents and licensing practices on access to genetic testing and carrier screening for Tay-Sachs and Canavan disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Colaianni, Alessandra; Chandrasekharan, Subhashini; Cook-Deegan, Robert

2010-04-01

Genetic testing for Tay-Sachs and Canavan disease is particularly important for Ashkenazi Jews, because both conditions are more frequent in that population. This comparative case study was possible because of different patenting and licensing practices. The role of DNA testing differs between Tay-Sachs and Canavan diseases. The first-line screening test for Tay-Sachs remains an enzyme activity test rather than genotyping. Genotyping is used for preimplantation diagnosis and confirmatory testing. In contrast, DNA-based testing is the basis for Canavan screening and diagnosis. The HEXA gene for Tay-Sachs was cloned at the National Institutes of Health, and the gene was patented but has not been licensed. The ASPA gene for Canavan disease was cloned and patented by Miami Children's Hospital. Miami Children's Hospital did not inform family members and patient groups that had contributed to the gene discovery that it was applying for a patent, and pursued restrictive licensing practices when a patent issued in 1997. This led to intense controversy, litigation, and a sealed, nonpublic 2003 settlement that apparently allowed for nonexclusive licensing. A survey of laboratories revealed a possible price premium for ASPA testing, with per-unit costs higher than for other genetic tests in the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society case studies. The main conclusion from comparing genetic testing for Tay-Sachs and Canavan diseases, however, is that patenting and licensing conducted without communication with patients and advocates cause mistrust and can lead to controversy and litigation, a negative model to contrast with the positive model of patenting and licensing for genetic testing of cystic fibrosis.

The effect of a combined glenoid and Hill-Sachs defect on glenohumeral stability: a biomechanical cadaveric study using 3-dimensional modeling of 142 patients.

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Arciero, Robert A; Parrino, Anthony; Bernhardson, Andrew S; Diaz-Doran, Vilmaris; Obopilwe, Elifho; Cote, Mark P; Golijanin, Petr; Mazzocca, Augustus D; Provencher, Matthew T

2015-06-01

Bone loss in anterior glenohumeral instability occurs on both the glenoid and the humerus; however, existing biomechanical studies have evaluated glenoid and humeral head defects in isolation. Thus, little is known about the combined effect of these bony lesions in a clinically relevant model on glenohumeral stability. The purpose of this study was to determine the biomechanical efficacy of a Bankart repair in the setting of bipolar (glenoid and humeral head) bone defects determined via computer-generated 3-dimensional (3D) modeling of 142 patients with recurrent anterior shoulder instability. The null hypothesis was that adding a bipolar bone defect will have no effect on glenohumeral stability after soft tissue Bankart repair. Controlled laboratory study. A total of 142 consecutive patients with recurrent anterior instability were analyzed with 3D computed tomography scans. Two Hill-Sachs lesions were selected on the basis of volumetric size representing the 25th percentile (0.87 cm(3); small) and 50th percentile (1.47 cm(3); medium) and printed in plastic resin with a 3D printer. A total of 21 cadaveric shoulders were evaluated on a custom shoulder-testing device permitting 6 degrees of freedom, and the force required to translate the humeral head anteriorly 10 mm at a rate of 2.0 mm/s with a compressive load of 50 N was determined at 60° of glenohumeral abduction and 60° of external rotation. All Bankart lesions were made sharply from the 2- to 6-o'clock positions for a right shoulder. Subsequent Bankart repair with transosseous tunnels using high-strength suture was performed. Hill-Sachs lesions were made in the cadaver utilizing a plastic mold from the exact replica off the 3D printer. Testing was conducted in the following sequence for each specimen: (1) intact, (2) posterior capsulotomy, (3) Bankart lesion, (4) Bankart repair, (5) Bankart lesion with 2-mm glenoid defect, (6) Bankart repair, (7) Bankart lesion with 2-mm glenoid defect and Hill-Sachs lesion

Expanding the spectrum of HEXA mutations in Indian patients with Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheth, Jayesh; Mistri, Mehul; Datar, Chaitanya; Kalane, Umesh; Patil, Shekhar; Kamate, Mahesh; Shah, Harshuti; Nampoothiri, Sheela; Gupta, Sarita; Sheth, Frenny

2014-01-01

Tay-Sachs disease is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder occurring due to impaired activity of β-hexosaminidase-A (EC 3.2.1.52), resulting from the mutation in HEXA gene. Very little is known about the molecular pathology of TSD in Indian children except for a few mutations identified by us. The present study is aimed to determine additional mutations leading to Tay-Sachs disease in nine patients confirmed by the deficiency of β-hexosaminidase-A (C (D175A) and c.805G>C (p.G269R) in one case; and one small 1 bp deletion c.426delT (p.F142LfsX57) and one splice site mutation c.459+4A>C in the other two cases respectively. None of these mutations were detected in 100 chromosomes from healthy individuals of the same ethnic group. Three previously reported missense mutations, (i) c.532C>T (p.R178C), (ii) c.964G>T (p.D322Y), and (iii) c.1385A>T (p.E462V); two nonsense mutations (i) c.709C>T (p.Q237X) and (ii) c.1528C>T (p.R510X), one 4 bp insertion c.1277_1278insTATC (p.Y427IfsX5) and one splice site mutation c.459+5G>A were also identified in six cases. We observe from this study that novel mutations are more frequently observed in Indian patients with Tay-Sachs disease with clustering of ~ 73% of disease causing mutations in exons 5 to 12. This database can be used for a carrier rate screening in the larger population of the country.

Simultaneous preimplantation genetic diagnosis for Tay-Sachs and Gaucher disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Altarescu, Gheona; Brooks, Barry; Margalioth, Ehud; Eldar Geva, Talia; Levy-Lahad, Ephrat; Renbaum, Paul

2007-07-01

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for single gene defects is described for a family in which each parent is a carrier of both Tay-Sachs (TS) and Gaucher disease (GD). A multiplex fluorescent polymerase chain reaction protocol was developed that simultaneously amplified all four familial mutations and 10 informative microsatellite markers. In one PGD cycle, seven blastomeres were analysed, reaching a conclusive diagnosis in six out of seven embryos for TS and in five out of seven embryos for GD. Of the six diagnosed embryos, one was wild type for both TS and GD, and three were wild type for GD and carriers of TS. Two remaining embryos were compound heterozygotes for TS. Two transferable embryos developed into blastocysts (wt/wt and wt GD/carrier TS) and both were transferred on day 5. This single cycle of PGD resulted in a healthy live child. Allele drop-out (ADO) was observed in three of 34 reactions, yielding an 8% ADO rate. The occurrence of ADO in single cell analysis and undetected recombination events are primary causes of misdiagnosis in PGD and emphasize the need to use multiple polymorphic markers. So far as is known, this is the first report of concomitant PGD for two frequent Ashkenazi Jewish recessive disorders.

On the structure and applications of the Bondi-Metzner-Sachs group

Science.gov (United States)

Alessio, Francesco; Esposito, Giampiero

This work is a pedagogical review dedicated to a modern description of the Bondi-Metzner-Sachs (BMS) group. Minkowski space-time has an interesting and useful group of isometries, but, for a generic space-time, the isometry group is simply the identity and hence provides no significant informations. Yet symmetry groups have important role to play in physics; in particular, the Poincaré group describing the isometries of Minkowski space-time plays a role in the standard definitions of energy-momentum and angular-momentum. For this reason alone it would seem to be important to look for a generalization of the concept of isometry group that can apply in a useful way to suitable curved space-times. The curved space-times that will be taken into account are the ones that suitably approach, at infinity, Minkowski space-time. In particular we will focus on asymptotically flat space-times. In this work, the concept of asymptotic symmetry group of those space-times will be studied. In the first two sections we derive the asymptotic group following the classical approach which was basically developed by Bondi, van den Burg, Metzner and Sachs. This is essentially the group of transformations between coordinate systems of a certain type in asymptotically flat space-times. In the third section the conformal method and the notion of “asymptotic simplicity” are introduced, following mainly the works of Penrose. This section prepares us for another derivation of the BMS group which will involve the conformal structure, and is thus more geometrical and fundamental. In the subsequent sections we discuss the properties of the BMS group, e.g. its algebra and the possibility to obtain as its subgroup the Poincaré group, as we may expect. The paper ends with a review of the BMS invariance properties of classical gravitational scattering discovered by Strominger, that are finding application to black hole physics and quantum gravity in the literature.

Substrate reduction therapy in the infantile form of Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Bembi, B; Marchetti, F; Guerci, V I; Ciana, G; Addobbati, R; Grasso, D; Barone, R; Cariati, R; Fernandez-Guillen, L; Butters, T; Pittis, M G

2006-01-24

Substrate reduction therapy (SRT) with miglustat has been proposed for treatment of some lysosomal storage disorders. Based on the positive experience in Gaucher disease and experimental data in Tay-Sachs (TSD) and Sandhoff animal models, the authors investigated the clinical efficacy of SRT in two patients with infantile TSD. SRT could not arrest the patients' neurologic deterioration. However, a significant drug concentration in CSF as well as macrocephaly prevention were observed.

Matter sources for a null big bang

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bronnikov, K A; Zaslavskii, O B

2008-01-01

We consider the properties of stress-energy tensors compatible with a null big bang, i.e., cosmological evolution starting from a Killing horizon rather than a singularity. For Kantowski-Sachs cosmologies, it is shown that if matter satisfies the null energy condition, then (i) regular cosmological evolution can only start from a Killing horizon, (ii) matter is absent at the horizon and (iii) matter can only appear in the cosmological region due to interaction with vacuum. The latter is understood phenomenologically as a fluid whose stress tensor is insensitive to boosts in a particular direction. We also argue that matter is absent in a static region beyond the horizon. All this generalizes the observations recently obtained for a mixture of dust and a vacuum fluid. If, however, we admit the existence of phantom matter, its certain special kinds (with the parameter w ≤ -3) are consistent with a null big bang without interaction with vacuum (or without vacuum fluid at all). Then in the static region there is matter with w ≥ -1/3. Alternatively, the evolution can begin from a horizon in an infinitely remote past, leading to a scenario combining the features of a null big bang and an emergent universe

Expanding the spectrum of HEXA mutations in Indian patients with Tay–Sachs disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jayesh Sheth

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Tay–Sachs disease is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder occurring due to impaired activity of β-hexosaminidase-A (EC 3.2.1.52, resulting from the mutation in HEXA gene. Very little is known about the molecular pathology of TSD in Indian children except for a few mutations identified by us. The present study is aimed to determine additional mutations leading to Tay–Sachs disease in nine patients confirmed by the deficiency of β-hexosaminidase-A (C (D175A and c.805G>C (p.G269R in one case; and one small 1 bp deletion c.426delT (p.F142LfsX57 and one splice site mutation c.459+4A>C in the other two cases respectively. None of these mutations were detected in 100 chromosomes from healthy individuals of the same ethnic group. Three previously reported missense mutations, (i c.532C>T (p.R178C, (ii c.964G>T (p.D322Y, and (iii c.1385A>T (p.E462V; two nonsense mutations (i c.709C>T (p.Q237X and (ii c.1528C>T (p.R510X, one 4 bp insertion c.1277_1278insTATC (p.Y427IfsX5 and one splice site mutation c.459+5G>A were also identified in six cases. We observe from this study that novel mutations are more frequently observed in Indian patients with Tay–Sachs disease with clustering of ~73% of disease causing mutations in exons 5 to 12. This database can be used for a carrier rate screening in the larger population of the country.

ACOG committee opinion. Number 318, October 2005. Screening for Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

2005-10-01

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is a severe progressive neurologic disease that causes death in early childhood. Carrier screening, should be offered before pregnancy to individuals and couples at high-risk, including those of Ashkenazi Jewish, French-Canadian, or Cajun descent and those with a family history consistent with TSD. If both partners are determined to be carriers of TSD, genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis should be offered.

Doença de Tay-Sachs em criança de raça negra Tay-Sachs disease in a Negro child

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Sérgio Rosemberg

1970-12-01

Full Text Available É relatado um caso de doença de Tay-Sachs em criança da raça negra. O encontro desta entidade em indivíduos não judeus é bastante raro, sendo este o quinto caso descrito em criança negra. Os autores estudam alguns aspectos genéticos, chegando à conclusão de que o cálculo da freqüência do gene mutante é impossível devido ao pequeno número de casos e ao fato de que não há estimativas seguras quanto à taxa de nascimento de indivíduos negros na população, Em que pese o fato de o diagnóstico se assentar em bases puramente clínicas e anatômicas, prescindindo os autores de exames bioquímicos específicos, os dados apresentados são congruentes com os casos clássicos descritos na literatura.A case of Tay-Sachs diseases in a Negro child is reported. The occurrence of this disease in non-Jewish individuals is very rare and this is the fifth case of a Negro-child reported in the litterature. Some genetical aspects are studied and the authors conclude that the frequency calculation of the mutant gene is impossible due to the small number of cases and to the fact that there is reliable information regarding the rate of birth of Negro individuals in the general population. The diagnosis was based on ophtalmological and clinical data. No specific biochemical tests were performed but the data obtained are congruent with other cases reported in the litterature.

Unilaterally and rapidly progressing white matter lesion and elevated cytokines in a patient with Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayase, Tomomi; Shimizu, Jun; Goto, Tamako; Nozaki, Yasuyuki; Mori, Masato; Takahashi, Naoto; Namba, Eiji; Yamagata, Takanori; Momoi, Mariko Y

2010-03-01

We report the case of a girl with Tay-Sachs disease who had convulsions and deteriorated rapidly after an upper respiratory infection at the age of 11 months. At the age of 16 months, her seizures became intractable and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed high signal intensity on T2-weighted images and marked swelling in the white matter and basal nucelei of the right hemisphere. Her seizures and right hemisphere lesion improved with glycerol and dexamethasone treatment. When dexamethasone was discontinued, her symptoms worsened and lesions later appeared in the left hemisphere. Her cerebrospinal fluid showed elevated levels of the cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-5. It is considered that inflammation contributes to disease progression in Tay-Sachs disease.

Towards N = 2 SUSY homogeneous quantum cosmology; Einstein-Yang-Mills systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donets, E.E.; Tentyukov, M.N.; Tsulaya, M.M.

1998-01-01

The application of N = 2 supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics for the quantization of homogeneous systems coupled with gravity is discussed. Starting with the superfield formulation of N = 2 SUSY sigma-model, Hermitian self-adjoint expressions for quantum Hamiltonians and Lagrangians for any signature of a sigma-model metric are obtained. This approach is then applied to coupled SU (2) Einstein-Yang-Mills (EYM) systems in axially-symmetric Bianchi - I,II,VIII, IX, Kantowski-Sachs and closed Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmological models. It is shown that all these models admit the embedding into N = 2 SUSY sigma-model with the explicit expressions for superpotentials, being direct sums of gravitational and Yang-Mills (YM) parts. In addition, YM parts of superpotentials exactly coincide with the corresponding Chern-Simons terms. The spontaneous SUSY breaking, caused by YM instantons in EYM systems is discussed in a number of examples

Neuro-ophthalmology of late-onset Tay-Sachs disease (LOTS).

Science.gov (United States)

Rucker, J C; Shapiro, B E; Han, Y H; Kumar, A N; Garbutt, S; Keller, E L; Leigh, R J

2004-11-23

Late-onset Tay-Sachs disease (LOTS) is an adult-onset, autosomal recessive, progressive variant of GM2 gangliosidosis, characterized by involvement of the cerebellum and anterior horn cells. To determine the range of visual and ocular motor abnormalities in LOTS, as a prelude to evaluating the effectiveness of novel therapies. Fourteen patients with biochemically confirmed LOTS (8 men; age range 24 to 53 years; disease duration 5 to 30 years) and 10 age-matched control subjects were studied. Snellen visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, color vision, stereopsis, and visual fields were measured, and optic fundi were photographed. Horizontal and vertical eye movements (search coil) were recorded, and saccades, pursuit, vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), vergence, and optokinetic (OK) responses were measured. All patients showed normal visual functions and optic fundi. The main eye movement abnormality concerned saccades, which were "multistep," consisting of a series of small saccades and larger movements that showed transient decelerations. Larger saccades ended earlier and more abruptly (greater peak deceleration) in LOTS patients than in control subjects; these changes can be attributed to premature termination of the saccadic pulse. Smooth-pursuit and slow-phase OK gains were reduced, but VOR, vergence, and gaze holding were normal. Patients with late-onset Tay-Sachs disease (LOTS) show characteristic abnormalities of saccades but normal afferent visual systems. Hypometria, transient decelerations, and premature termination of saccades suggest disruption of a "latch circuit" that normally inhibits pontine omnipause neurons, permitting burst neurons to discharge until the eye movement is completed. These measurable abnormalities of saccades provide a means to evaluate the effects of novel treatments for LOTS.

Atypical presentation of late-onset Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Deik, Andres; Saunders-Pullman, Rachel

2014-05-01

Late-onset Tay-Sachs disease (LOTS) is a lysosomal storage disease caused by deficient Beta-hexosaminidase A activity. We describe a 53-year-old woman who presented with adult-onset leg weakness, and whose initial diagnosis was progressive muscular atrophy without identifiable etiology. Development of cerebellar ataxia in mid-life prompted reassessment. Beta-hexosaminidase A quantification assay demonstrated absence of the isozyme. Genetic testing identified compound heterozygous mutations in the HEXA gene, confirming the diagnosis of LOTS. The phenotypic spectrum of LOTS includes motor neuronopathy, ataxia, choreoathetosis, neuropathy, and psychiatric symptoms in various combinations. This patient highlights the emergence of different clinical features over many years and emphasizes the need to consider LOTS in the differential diagnosis of progressive muscular atrophy. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Generalized Bondi-Sachs equations for characteristic formalism of numerical relativity

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Zhoujian; He, Xiaokai

2013-11-01

The Cauchy formalism of numerical relativity has been successfully applied to simulate various dynamical spacetimes without any symmetry assumption. But discovering how to set a mathematically consistent and physically realistic boundary condition is still an open problem for Cauchy formalism. In addition, the numerical truncation error and finite region ambiguity affect the accuracy of gravitational wave form calculation. As to the finite region ambiguity issue, the characteristic extraction method helps much. But it does not solve all of the above issues. Besides the above problems for Cauchy formalism, the computational efficiency is another problem. Although characteristic formalism of numerical relativity suffers the difficulty from caustics in the inner near zone, it has advantages in relation to all of the issues listed above. Cauchy-characteristic matching (CCM) is a possible way to take advantage of characteristic formalism regarding these issues and treat the inner caustics at the same time. CCM has difficulty treating the gauge difference between the Cauchy part and the characteristic part. We propose generalized Bondi-Sachs equations for characteristic formalism for the Cauchy-characteristic matching end. Our proposal gives out a possible same numerical evolution scheme for both the Cauchy part and the characteristic part. And our generalized Bondi-Sachs equations have one adjustable gauge freedom which can be used to relate the gauge used in the Cauchy part. Then these equations can make the Cauchy part and the characteristic part share a consistent gauge condition. So our proposal gives a possible new starting point for Cauchy-characteristic matching.

GM2-Gangliosidosis (Sandhoff and Tay Sachs disease): Diagnosis and Neuroimaging Findings (An Iranian Pediatric Case Series).

Science.gov (United States)

Karimzadeh, Parvaneh; Jafari, Narjes; Nejad Biglari, Habibeh; Jabbeh Dari, Sayena; Ahmad Abadi, Farzad; Alaee, Mohammad-Reza; Nemati, Hamid; Saket, Sasan; Tonekaboni, Seyed Hasan; Taghdiri, Mohammad-Mahdi; Ghofrani, Mohammad

2014-01-01

GM2-Gangliosidosis disease is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder that includes two disorders (Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff disease).These disorders cause a progressive deterioration of nerve cells and inherited deficiency in creating hexosaminidases A, B, and AB. Patients who were diagnosed withGM2-Gangliosidosis in the Neurology Department of Mofid Children's Hospital in Tehran, Iran from October 2009 to February 2014were included in our study. The disorder was confirmed by neurometabolic and enzyme level detection of hexosaminidases A, B, and AB in reference to Wagnester Laboratory in Germany. We assessed age, gender, past medical history, developmental status, clinical manifestations, and neuroimaging findings of 9 patients with Sandhoff disease and 9 with Tay Sachs disease. 83% of our patients were the offspring of consanguineous marriages. All of them had a developmental disorder as a chief complaint. 38%of patients had a history of developmental delay or regression and 22% had seizures. The patients with Sandhoff and Tay Sachs disease were followed for approximately 5 years and the follow-up showed all patients were bedridden or had expired due to refractory seizures, pneumonia aspiration, or swallowing disorders. Neuro-imaging findings included bilateral thalamic involvement, brain atrophy, and hypo myelination in near half of our patients (48%). According to the results of this study, we suggest that cherry-red spots, hyperacusis, refractory seizures, and relative parents in children with developmental delay and/or regression should be considered for assessment of GM2-Gangliosidosis disease.

Targeted disruption of the Hexa gene results in mice with biochemical and pathologic features of Tay-Sachs disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Proia, R.L.; Yamanaka, S.; Johnson, M.D. [and others

1994-09-01

Tay-Sachs disease, the prototype of the G{sub M2} gangliosidoses, is a catastrophic neurodegenerative disorder of infancy. The disease is caused by mutations in the HEXA gene resulting in an absence of the lysosomal enzyme, {beta}-hexosaminidase A. As consequence of the enzyme deficiency, G{sub M2} ganglioside accumulates progressively, beginning early in fetal life, to excessive amounts in the central nervous system (CNS). Rapid mental and motor deterioration starting in the first year of life leads to death by 2 to 4 years of age. Through the targeted disruption of the Hexa gene in embryonic stem cells, we have produced mice with biochemical and neuropathologic features of Tay-Sachs disease. The mutant mice exhibited less than 1% of normal {beta}-hexosaminidase A activity and accumulated G{sub M2} ganglioside in their CNS in an age-dependent manner. The accumulated ganglioside was stored in neurons as membranous cytoplasmic bodies characteristically found in the neurons of Tay-Sachs disease patients. At three to five months of age the mutant mice showed no apparent defects in motor or memory function. These {beta}-hexosaminidase A deficient mice should be useful for devising strategies to introduce functional enzymes and genes into the CNS. This model may also be valuable for studying the biochemical and pathologic changes occurring during the course of the disease.

Shock absorption of below-knee prostheses : A comparison between the SACH and the Multiflex foot

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Leeuwen, J. L.; Speth, L. A W M; Daanen, H. A M

1990-01-01

Shock waves were measured during walking on a treadmill on the metal tube of a below-knee KBM prosthesis, provided either with a SACH foot or with a Multiflex foot. Accelerations were measured in the axial direction and the dorso-ventral direction, about 160 mm proximal to the sole of the shoe. The

Miglustat in late-onset Tay-Sachs disease: a 12-month, randomized, controlled clinical study with 24 months of extended treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapiro, Barbara E; Pastores, Gregory M; Gianutsos, John; Luzy, Cécile; Kolodny, Edwin H

2009-06-01

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of miglustat in patients with GM2 gangliosidosis. A randomized, multicenter, open-label, 12-month study involving patients aged 18 years or older, randomized 2:1 to miglustat (200 mg TID) or "no miglustat treatment." This study was followed by 24 months of extended treatment during which all patients received miglustat. Primary efficacy endpoints were change in eight measures of isometric muscle strength in the limbs and isometric grip strength, evaluated at baseline, and months 12 and 36. Secondary efficacy endpoints included gait, balance, disability, and other neurological assessments. Safety evaluations included adverse event reporting. Thirty patients (67% male, age range 18-56 years) with late-onset Tay-Sachs disease were enrolled; 20 were randomized to miglustat and 10 to "no miglustat treatment." Muscle and grip strength generally decreased over the study period. No differences were observed between the two groups in any efficacy measure, either during the 12-month randomized phase or the full 36 months. The most common treatment-related adverse events were decrease in weight and diarrhea. Miglustat treatment was not shown to lead to measurable benefits in this cohort of patients with late-onset Tay-Sachs disease. The observed safety profile was consistent with that of the approved dose (100 mg TID) in type 1 Gaucher disease.

Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect in a quintessence cosmological model: Including anisotropic stress of dark energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Y. T.; Xu, L. X.; Gui, Y. X.

2010-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect in the quintessence cold dark matter model with constant equation of state and constant speed of sound in dark energy rest frame, including dark energy perturbation and its anisotropic stress. Comparing with the ΛCDM model, we find that the integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW)-power spectrums are affected by different background evolutions and dark energy perturbation. As we change the speed of sound from 1 to 0 in the quintessence cold dark matter model with given state parameters, it is found that the inclusion of dark energy anisotropic stress makes the variation of magnitude of the ISW source uncertain due to the anticorrelation between the speed of sound and the ratio of dark energy density perturbation contrast to dark matter density perturbation contrast in the ISW-source term. Thus, the magnitude of the ISW-source term is governed by the competition between the alterant multiple of (1+3/2xc-circumflex s 2 ) and that of δ de /δ m with the variation of c-circumflex s 2 .

In silico analyses of essential interactions of iminosugars with the Hex A active site and evaluation of their pharmacological chaperone effects for Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Atsushi; Nakagome, Izumi; Nakagawa, Shinpei; Kinami, Kyoko; Adachi, Isao; Jenkinson, Sarah F; Désiré, Jérôme; Blériot, Yves; Nash, Robert J; Fleet, George W J; Hirono, Shuichi

2017-11-15

The affinity of a series of iminosugar-based inhibitors exhibiting various ring sizes toward Hex A and their essential interactions with the enzyme active site were investigated. All the Hex A-inhibiting iminosugars tested formed hydrogen bonds with Arg178, Asp322, Tyr421 and Glu462 and had the favorable cation-π interaction with Trp460. Among them, DMDP amide (6) proved to be the most potent competitive inhibitor with a K i value of 0.041 μM. We analyzed the dynamic properties of both DMDP amide (6) and DNJNAc (1) in aqueous solution using molecular dynamics (MD) calculations; the distance of the interaction between Asp322 and 3-OH and Glu323 and 6-OH was important for stable interactions with Hex A, reducing fluctuations in the plasticity of the active site. DMDP amide (6) dose-dependently increased intracellular Hex A activity in the G269S mutant cells and restored Hex A activity up to approximately 43% of the wild type level; this effect clearly exceeded the border line treatment for Tay-Sachs disease, which is regarded as 10-15% of the wild type level. This is a significantly greater effect than that of pyrimethamine, which is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials. DMDP amide (6), therefore, represents a new promising pharmacological chaperone candidate for the treatment of Tay-Sachs disease.

Mechanism of interrupted saccades in patients with late-onset Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Optican, Lance M; Rucker, Janet C; Keller, Edward L; Leigh, R John

2008-01-01

In late-onset Tay-Sachs disease (LOTS), saccades are interrupted by one or more transient decelerations. Some saccades reaccelerate and continue on before eye velocity reaches zero, even in darkness. Intervals between successive decelerations are not regularly spaced. Peak decelerations of horizontal and vertical components of oblique saccades in LOTS is more synchronous than those in control subjects. We hypothesize that these decelerations are caused by dysregulation of the fastigial nuclei (FN) of the cerebellum, which fire brain stem inhibitory burst neurons (IBNs).

Tay-Sachs disease: current perspectives from Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lew, Raelia M; Burnett, Leslie; Proos, Anné L; Delatycki, Martin B

2015-01-01

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is a fatal, recessively inherited neurodegenerative condition of infancy and early childhood. Although rare in most other populations, the carrier frequency is one in 25 in Ashkenazi Jews. Australian high-school-based TSD preconception genetic screening programs aim to screen, educate, and optimize reproductive choice for participants. These programs have demonstrated high uptake, low psychological morbidity, and have been shown to result in fewer than expected Jewish TSD-affected births over 18 years of operation. The majority of Jewish individuals of reproductive age outside of the high school screening program setting in Australia have not accessed screening. Recent recommendations advocate supplementing the community high school screening programs with general practitioner- and obstetrician-led genetic screening of Ashkenazi Jewish individuals for TSD and other severe recessive diseases for which this group is at risk. Massively parallel DNA sequencing is expected to become the testing modality of choice over the coming years.

Quantum cosmology of a Bianchi III LRS geometry coupled to a source free electromagnetic field

Science.gov (United States)

Karagiorgos, A.; Pailas, T.; Dimakis, N.; Terzis, Petros A.; Christodoulakis, T.

2018-03-01

We consider a Bianchi type III axisymmetric geometry in the presence of an electromagnetic field. A first result at the classical level is that the symmetry of the geometry need not be applied on the electromagnetic tensor Fμν the algebraic restrictions, implied by the Einstein field equations to the stress energy tensor Tμν, suffice to reduce the general Fμν to the appropriate form. The classical solution thus found contains a time dependent electric and a constant magnetic charge. The solution is also reachable from the corresponding mini-superspace action, which is strikingly similar to the Reissner-Nordstr{öm one. This points to a connection between the black hole geometry and the cosmological solution here found, which is the analog of the known correlation between the Schwarzschild and the Kantowski-Sachs metrics. The configuration space is drastically modified by the presence of the magnetic charge from a 3D flat to a 3D pp wave geometry. We map the emerging linear and quadratic classical integrals of motion, to quantum observables. Along with the Wheeler-DeWitt equation these observables provide unique, up to constants, wave functions. The employment of a Bohmian interpretation of these quantum states results in deterministic (semi-classical) geometries most of which are singularity free.

Hill-Sachs lesion location: does it play a role in engagement?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gyftopoulos, Soterios; Wang, Annie; Babb, James [NYU Langone Medical Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States)

2015-08-15

To see if there is an association between engagement on physical examination (PE) and the location of the Hill-Sachs lesion (HSL) as assessed by the modified biceps angle. Sixty-two patients with a history of anterior shoulder dislocation, who underwent preoperative MRI and arthroscopy at our institution and were tested for engagement on PE, were collected. Two musculoskeletal radiologists reviewed the MR studies, noting the presence of an HSL and documenting the location of the HSL with the modified biceps angle. Statistical analysis included the Mann-Whitney (MW) test and ROC (receiver-operating characteristic) curve. Of 62 patients, there were 58 males and 4 females with a mean age of 30 (range 18-59 years). Twenty patients demonstrated engagement on PE, while 42 did not. All patients had evidence of an HSL on MRI and arthroscopy. The mean biceps angle for the engaging group was 151.5 ± 13.9 , and 142.4 ± 17.3 for the non-engaging group. The biceps angle was statistically significantly higher among patients who had engagement compared to those who did not (p = 0.027). Overall, diagnostic accuracy was highest for a biceps angle >149 , which resulted in a sensitivity of 70 % and specificity of 67 %. The modified biceps angle, as measured on MRI, was significantly higher in patients who demonstrated engagement on physical examination than in those who did not. This supports the theory that the location of the Hill-Sachs lesion may play a role in engagement and may be its most important characteristic when determining its significance. (orig.)

Serial MR imaging and 1H-MR spectroscopy in monozygotic twins with Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Imamura, A; Miyajima, H; Ito, R; Orii, K O

2008-10-01

Four-year-old monozygotic female twins with early onset Tay-Sachs disease are described. The sisters showed similar slowly progressive clinical symptoms and deterioration, however the younger sister also demonstrated intractable myoclonus in the right leg. The serial MR images and (1)H-MR spectroscopy of the brain were obtained in both twins. MR images showed high intensity on T (2)-weighted image in the bilateral white matter, however there were no signal changes in the basal ganglia and thalamus during any of the phases. The ratio of N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr) was decreased in the both white matter lesions and the corpus striatum, and that of myoinositol (mI)/Cr was increased in the damaged white matter on MR spectroscopy. The elevation of the lactate peak was clearly demonstrated in the left basal ganglia of the younger sister; however it was not shown in cerebral lesions of the elder sister. Changes in metabolites on MR spectroscopy were closely linked to the respective clinical features of each twin. Follow-up examination by (1)H-MR spectroscopy is useful for the evaluation of neuronal changes in children with Tay-Sachs disease.

Ashkenazi Jewish population screening for Tay-Sachs disease: the international and Australian experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Lew, Raelia M; Burnett, Leslie; Proos, Anné L; Barlow-Stewart, Kristine; Delatycki, Martin B; Bankier, Agnes; Aizenberg, Harry; Field, Michael J; Berman, Yemima; Fleischer, Ronald; Fietz, Michael

2015-03-01

Internationally, Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) preconception screening of Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) individuals and couples has led to effective primary prevention of TSD. In Australia, adolescent preconception genetic screening programs operate mainly in Jewish community high schools. These existing programs offer an effective means of primary prevention of TSD, are cost effective and safe. However, in the broader Australian community TSD screening is not systematically performed and cases still occur in unscreened AJ individuals. In order to improve the effectiveness of Australian screening, there is a need for definitive guidelines for healthcare professionals to facilitate extension of the proven benefits of preconception TSD screening to all AJ individuals at risk. We performed a systematic review of the relevant literature relating to AJ pre-conception and antenatal screening for TSD. The evidence was assessed using an established National Health and Medical Research Council evidence grading system. Evaluations of efficacy of TSD screening programs design and execution, cost-benefit and cost-utility health economic evaluation, and population outcomes were undertaken. The results have been used to propose a model for universal AJ TSD preconception and antenatal screening for the primary care setting. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2014 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Multimedia messages in genetics: design, development, and evaluation of a computer-based instructional resource for secondary school students in a Tay Sachs disease carrier screening program.

Science.gov (United States)

Gason, Alexandra A; Aitken, MaryAnne; Delatycki, Martin B; Sheffield, Edith; Metcalfe, Sylvia A

2004-01-01

Tay Sachs disease is a recessively inherited neurodegenerative disorder, for which carrier screening programs exist worldwide. Education for those offered a screening test is essential in facilitating informed decision-making. In Melbourne, Australia, we have designed, developed, and evaluated a computer-based instructional resource for use in the Tay Sachs disease carrier screening program for secondary school students attending Jewish schools. The resource entitled "Genetics in the Community: Tay Sachs disease" was designed on a platform of educational learning theory. The development of the resource included formative evaluation using qualitative data analysis supported by descriptive quantitative data. The final resource was evaluated within the screening program and compared with the standard oral presentation using a questionnaire. Knowledge outcomes were measured both before and after either of the educational formats. Data from the formative evaluation were used to refine the content and functionality of the final resource. The questionnaire evaluation of 302 students over two years showed the multimedia resource to be equally effective as an oral educational presentation in facilitating participants' knowledge construction. The resource offers a large number of potential benefits, which are not limited to the Tay Sachs disease carrier screening program setting, such as delivery of a consistent educational message, short delivery time, and minimum financial and resource commitment. This article outlines the value of considering educational theory and describes the process of multimedia development providing a framework that may be of value when designing genetics multimedia resources in general.

Regional neuro axonal injury detected by 1H 3 Tesla spectroscopic imaging in late onset Tay sachs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gagoski, Borjan Aleksandar; Eichler, Florian S.

2010-01-01

Late-onset Tay Sachs (LOTS) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder resulting from mutations of the subunit of the lysosomal enzyme β-hexosaminidase A, which catalyzes the degradation of GM2 ganglioside. We have applied the fast encoding spectroscopic imaging technique to LOTS patients to further investigate the neuro degenerative consequences of this disease.(Author)

Tay-Sachs disease: progression of changes on neuroimaging in four cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukumizu, M.; Yoshikawa, H.; Kurokawa, T.; Takashima, S.; Sakuragawa, N.

1992-01-01

The neuroradiological findings in four patients with Tay-Sachs disease are described in three phases of the clinical course. The basal ganglia and cerebral white matter show low density on computed tomography and high signal intensity on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in the initial phase. The caudate nuclei are characteristically enlarged and protrude into the lateral ventricles in the first and second phases. The cerebral white matter shows low density on the CT which varies in extent from the second to third phases, and the whole brain becomes atrophic in the last phase. Thus, central nervous system involvement in the disease may begin in basal ganglia as well as in cerebral white matter. (orig.)

Tay-Sachs disease: progression of changes on neuroimaging in four cases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fukumizu, M; Yoshikawa, H; Kurokawa, T [National Center Hospital for Mental, Nervous, and Muscular Disorders, Tokyo (Japan). Div. of Child Neurology; Takashima, S [National Inst. of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo (Japan). Div. of Mental Retardation and Birth Defect Research; Sakuragawa, N [National Inst. of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo (Japan). Div. of Inherited Metabolic Disease

1992-11-01

The neuroradiological findings in four patients with Tay-Sachs disease are described in three phases of the clinical course. The basal ganglia and cerebral white matter show low density on computed tomography and high signal intensity on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in the initial phase. The caudate nuclei are characteristically enlarged and protrude into the lateral ventricles in the first and second phases. The cerebral white matter shows low density on the CT which varies in extent from the second to third phases, and the whole brain becomes atrophic in the last phase. Thus, central nervous system involvement in the disease may begin in basal ganglia as well as in cerebral white matter. (orig.).

The theory of stochastic cosmological lensing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fleury, Pierre; Uzan, Jean-Philippe [Institut d' Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095 du CNRS, 98 bis Bd Arago, 75014 Paris (France); Larena, Julien, E-mail: fleury@iap.fr, E-mail: j.larena@ru.ac.za, E-mail: uzan@iap.fr [Department of Mathematics, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140 (South Africa)

2015-11-01

On the scale of the light beams subtended by small sources, e.g. supernovae, matter cannot be accurately described as a fluid, which questions the applicability of standard cosmic lensing to those cases. In this article, we propose a new formalism to deal with small-scale lensing as a diffusion process: the Sachs and Jacobi equations governing the propagation of narrow light beams are treated as Langevin equations. We derive the associated Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov equations, and use them to deduce general analytical results on the mean and dispersion of the angular distance. This formalism is applied to random Einstein-Straus Swiss-cheese models, allowing us to: (1) show an explicit example of the involved calculations; (2) check the validity of the method against both ray-tracing simulations and direct numerical integration of the Langevin equation. As a byproduct, we obtain a post-Kantowski-Dyer-Roeder approximation, accounting for the effect of tidal distortions on the angular distance, in excellent agreement with numerical results. Besides, the dispersion of the angular distance is correctly reproduced in some regimes.

Late-onset Tay-Sachs disease: phenotypic characterization and genotypic correlations in 21 affected patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Neudorfer, Orit; Pastores, Gregory M; Zeng, Bai J; Gianutsos, John; Zaroff, Charles M; Kolodny, Edwin H

2005-02-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the phenotype (and corresponding genotype) of adult patients with late-onset Tay-Sachs disease, a clinical variant of the GM2-gangliosidoses. A comprehensive physical examination, including neurological assessments, was performed to establish the current disease pattern and severity. In addition, the patients' past medical histories were reviewed. The patients' alpha-subunit mutations (beta-Hexosaminidase A genotype) were determined and correlated with their corresponding clinical findings and disease course. Twenty-one patients (current mean age: 27.0 years; range: 14-47 years) were identified. The pedigree revealed a relative with the "classic" infantile or late-onset form of Tay-Sachs disease in four (out of 18) unrelated families. The patients were predominantly male (15/21 individuals) and of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry (15/18 families). Mean age at onset was 18.1 years; balance problems and difficulty climbing stairs were the most frequent presenting complaints. In several cases, the diagnosis was delayed (mean age at diagnosis: 27.0 years). Analysis of the beta-hex A gene revealed the G269S mutation as the most common disease allele; found in homozygosity (N = 1) or heterozygosity (N = 18; including 2 sib pairs). Disease onset (age 36 years) was delayed and progression relatively slower in the homozygous G269S patient. Two siblings (ages 28 and 31 years), of non-Jewish ancestry, were compound heterozygotes (TATC1278/W474C); their clinical course is dominated by psychiatric problems. Brain imaging studies revealed marked cerebellar atrophy in all patients (N = 18) tested, regardless of disease stage. Late-onset Tay-Sachs disease is an infrequent disorder and the diagnosis is often missed or delayed (by approximately 8 years). Early on, the majority of patients develop signs of either cerebellar or anterior motor neuron involvement. Affected individuals may also develop psychotic episodes. In most cases, the later

Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Arrests the Progression of Neurodegenerative Disease in Late-Onset Tay-Sachs Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Stepien, Karolina M; Lum, Su Han; Wraith, J Edmond; Hendriksz, Christian J; Church, Heather J; Priestman, David; Platt, Frances M; Jones, Simon; Jovanovic, Ana; Wynn, Robert

2017-12-07

Tay-Sachs disease is a rare metabolic disease caused by a deficiency of hexosaminidase A that leads to accumulation of GM2 gangliosides predominantly in neural tissue. Late-onset Tay-Sachs disease variant is associated with a higher level of residual HexA activity. Treatment options are limited, and there are a few described cases who have undergone haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with variable outcome.We describe a case of a 23-year-old male patient who presented with a long-standing tremor since 7 years of age. He had gait ataxia, a speech stammer and swallowing problems. His condition had had a static course apart from his tremor that had been gradually deteriorating. Because of the deterioration in his neurological function, the patient had an uneventful, matched-sibling donor bone marrow transplant at the age of 15 years. Eight years post-HSCT, at the age of 23, he retains full donor engraftment, and his white cell beta-HexA of 191 nmol/mg/h is comparable to normal controls (in-assay control = 187). He continues to experience some intentional tremor that is tolerable for daily life and nonprogressive since HSCT. HSCT is a potential treatment option which might arrest neurodegeneration in patients with LOTS.

Bianchi Type-I Universe with wet dark fluid

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Bianchi-type Universe; wet dark fluid; cosmological parameters. Abstract. The Bianchi Type-I Universe filled with dark energy from a wet dark fluid has been considered. A new equation of ... Pramana – Journal of Physics | News. © 2017 Indian ...

Tay-Sachs disease in Jacob sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, Paola A; Zeng, Bai Jin; Porter, Brian F; Alroy, Joseph; Horak, Fred; Horak, Joan; Kolodny, Edwin H

2010-12-01

Autopsy studies of four Jacob sheep dying within their first 6-8 months of a progressive neurodegenerative disorder suggested the presence of a neuronal storage disease. Lysosomal enzyme studies of brain and liver from an affected animal revealed diminished activity of hexosaminidase A (Hex A) measured with an artificial substrate specific for this component of β-hexosaminidase. Absence of Hex A activity was confirmed by cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Brain lipid analyses demonstrated the presence of increased concentrations of G(M2)-ganglioside and asialo-G(M2)-ganglioside. The hexa cDNA of Jacob sheep was cloned and sequenced revealing an identical number of nucleotides and exons as in human HexA and 86% homology in nucleotide sequence. A missense mutation was found in the hexa cDNA of the affected sheep caused by a single nucleotide change at the end of exon 11 resulting in skipping of exon 11. Transfection of normal sheep hexa cDNA into COS1 cells and human Hex A-deficient cells led to expression of Hex S but no increase in Hex A indicating absence of cross-species dimerization of sheep Hex α-subunit with human Hex β-subunits. Using restriction site analysis, the heterozygote frequency of this mutation in Jacob sheep was determined in three geographically separate flocks to average 14%. This large naturally occurring animal model of Tay-Sachs disease is the first to offer promise as a means for trials of gene therapy applicable to human infants. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Liapunov-type inequality for universal integral

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Agahi, H.; Mohammadpour, A.; Mesiar, Radko; Vaezpour, M. S.

2012-01-01

Roč. 27, č. 10 (2012), s. 908-925 ISSN 0884-8173 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP402/11/0378 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : integral inequality * universal integral * Liapunov inequality Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.416, year: 2012 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2012/E/mesiar-liapunov-type inequality for universal integral.pdf

Crystal Structure of Human [Beta]-Hexosaminidase B: Understanding the Molecular Basis of Sandhoff and Tay-Sachs Disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mark, Brian L.; Mahuran, Don J.; Cherney, Maia M.; Zhao, Dalian; Knapp, Spencer; James, Michael N.G.

2010-12-01

In humans, two major {beta}-hexosaminidase isoenzymes exist: Hex A and Hex B. Hex A is a heterodimer of subunits {alpha} and {beta} (60% identity), whereas Hex B is a homodimer of {beta}-subunits. Interest in human {beta}-hexosaminidase stems from its association with Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff disease; these are prototypical lysosomal storage disorders resulting from the abnormal accumulation of G{sub M2}-ganglioside (G{sub M2}). Hex A degrades G{sub M2} by removing a terminal N-acetyl-D-galactosamine ({beta}-GalNAc) residue, and this activity requires the G{sub M2}-activator, a protein which solubilizes the ganglioside for presentation to Hex A. We present here the crystal structure of human Hex B, alone (2.4 {angstrom}) and in complex with the mechanistic inhibitors GalNAc-isofagomine (2.2 {angstrom}) or NAG-thiazoline (2.5 {angstrom}). From these, and the known X-ray structure of the G{sub M2}-activator, we have modeled Hex A in complex with the activator and ganglioside. Together, our crystallographic and modeling data demonstrate how {alpha} and {beta}-subunits dimerize to form either Hex A or Hex B, how these isoenzymes hydrolyze diverse substrates, and how many documented point mutations cause Sandhoff disease ({beta}-subunit mutations) and Tay-Sachs disease ({alpha}-subunit mutations).

Area density of localization-entropy II: double cone-localization and quantum origin of the Bondi-Metzner-Sachs symmetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schroer, Bert

2006-04-15

The holographic encoding is generalized to subalgebras of QFT localized in double cones. It is shown that as a result of this radically different spacetime encoding the modular group acts geometrically on the holographic image. As a result we obtain a formula for localization entropy which is identical to the previously derived formula for the wedge-localized subalgebra. The symmetry group in the holographic encoding turns out to be the Bondi-Metzner-Sachs group. (author)

Pathological alterations typical of human Tay-Sachs disease, in the retina of a deep-sea fish

Science.gov (United States)

Fishelson, L.; Delarea, Yacov; Galil, Bella S.

Micrographs of retinas from the deep-sea fish Cataetyx laticeps revealed visual cells containing membranous whorls in the ellipsoids of the inner segments resulting from stretching and modifications of the mitochondria membranes and their cristae. These pathological structures seem to be homologous to the whorls observed in retinas of human carriers of Tay-Sachs disease. This disease, a genetic disorder, is found in humans and some mammals. Our findings in fish suggest that the gene responsible can be found throughout the vertebrate evolutionary tree, possibly dormant in most taxa.

Spherically symmetric Einstein-aether perfect fluid models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coley, Alan A.; Latta, Joey [Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3J5 (Canada); Leon, Genly [Instituto de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Casilla 4950, Valparaíso (Chile); Sandin, Patrik, E-mail: aac@mathstat.dal.ca, E-mail: genly.leon@ucv.cl, E-mail: patrik.sandin@aei.mpg.de, E-mail: lattaj@mathstat.dal.ca [Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut), Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam (Germany)

2015-12-01

We investigate spherically symmetric cosmological models in Einstein-aether theory with a tilted (non-comoving) perfect fluid source. We use a 1+3 frame formalism and adopt the comoving aether gauge to derive the evolution equations, which form a well-posed system of first order partial differential equations in two variables. We then introduce normalized variables. The formalism is particularly well-suited for numerical computations and the study of the qualitative properties of the models, which are also solutions of Horava gravity. We study the local stability of the equilibrium points of the resulting dynamical system corresponding to physically realistic inhomogeneous cosmological models and astrophysical objects with values for the parameters which are consistent with current constraints. In particular, we consider dust models in (β−) normalized variables and derive a reduced (closed) evolution system and we obtain the general evolution equations for the spatially homogeneous Kantowski-Sachs models using appropriate bounded normalized variables. We then analyse these models, with special emphasis on the future asymptotic behaviour for different values of the parameters. Finally, we investigate static models for a mixture of a (necessarily non-tilted) perfect fluid with a barotropic equations of state and a scalar field.

Three novel mutations in Iranian patients with Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Jamali, Solmaz; Eskandari, Nasim; Aryani, Omid; Salehpour, Shadab; Zaman, Talieh; Kamalidehghan, Behnam; Houshmand, Massoud

2014-01-01

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD), or GM2 gangliosidosis, is a lethal autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder, which is caused by a deficiency of beta-hexosaminidase A (HEXA), resulting in lysosomal accumulation of GM2 ganglioside. The aim of this study was to identify the TSD-causing mutations in an Iranian population. In this study, we examined 31 patients for TSD-causing mutations using PCR, followed by restriction enzyme digestion. Molecular genetics analysis of DNA from 23 patients of TSD revealed mutations that has been previously reported, including four-base duplications c.1274_1277dupTATC in exon 11 and IVS2+1G>A, deletion TTAGGCAAGGGC in exon 10 as well as a few novel mutations, including C331G, which altered Gln>Glu in HEXB, A>G, T>C, and p.R510X in exon 14, which predicted a termination codon or nonsense mutation. In conclusion, with the discovery of these novel mutations, the genotypic spectrum of Iranian patients with TSD disease has been extended and could facilitate definition of disease-related mutations.

The type k universal portfolio generated by the f-divergence

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Choon Peng; Seng, Kuang Kee

2017-11-01

The logarithm of the estimated next-day wealth return is approximated by k terms of its Taylor series. The resulting Type k universal portfolio generated by the f -divergence is obtained. An implicit form of the portfolio is also obtained by exploiting the mean-value theorem. An empirical study of the performance of the portfolio is focused on the Type 2 Helmbold universal portfolio. A few generalizations of the Helmbold universal portfolio have recently been studied, namely the reverse Helmbold and the parametric Helmbold portfolios. This new type of portfolio can be regarded a contribution to the inventory of Helmbold related universal portfolios. It is verified experimentally that an investor's wealth can be significantly increased by using the Type 2 Helmbold portfolio in investment.

Identification of two HEXA mutations causing infantile-onset Tay-Sachs disease in the Persian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Haghighi, Alireza; Rezazadeh, Jamileh; Shadmehri, Azam Ahmadi; Haghighi, Amirreza; Kornreich, Ruth; Desnick, Robert J

2011-09-01

The β-hexosaminidase A (HEXA) mutations in the first reported cases of infantile Tay-Sachs disease in the Persian population were identified in two unrelated consanguineous families. The clinical diagnoses of the affected infants were confirmed by their markedly deficient levels of HEXA activity in plasma or peripheral leukocytes. The specific causative mutation in each family was determined by sequencing the HEXA alleles in both sets of related parents. Two mutations were identified: c.1A>G (p.MIV), which obliterated the initiating methionine in codon 1, and c.1177C>T (p.R393X), which predicted a termination codon or nonsense mutation.

Embedded Lensing Time Delays, the Fermat Potential, and the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bin; Kantowski, Ronald; Dai, Xinyu

2015-05-01

We derive the Fermat potential for a spherically symmetric lens embedded in a Friedman-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker cosmology and use it to investigate the late-time integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect, i.e., secondary temperature fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) caused by individual large-scale clusters and voids. We present a simple analytical expression for the temperature fluctuation in the CMB across such a lens as a derivative of the lens’ Fermat potential. This formalism is applicable to both linear and nonlinear density evolution scenarios, to arbitrarily large density contrasts, and to all open and closed background cosmologies. It is much simpler to use and makes the same predictions as conventional approaches. In this approach the total temperature fluctuation can be split into a time-delay part and an evolutionary part. Both parts must be included for cosmic structures that evolve and both can be equally important. We present very simple ISW models for cosmic voids and galaxy clusters to illustrate the ease of use of our formalism. We use the Fermat potentials of simple cosmic void models to compare predicted ISW effects with those recently extracted from WMAP and Planck data by stacking large cosmic voids using the aperture photometry method. If voids in the local universe with large density contrasts are no longer evolving we find that the time delay contribution alone predicts values consistent with the measurements. However, we find that for voids still evolving linearly, the evolutionary contribution cancels a significant part of the time delay contribution and results in predicted signals that are much smaller than recently observed.

Internal Universes in Models of Homotopy Type Theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Licata, Daniel R.; Orton, Ian; Pitts, Andrew M.

2018-01-01

We show that universes of fibrations in various models of homotopy type theory have an essentially global character: they cannot be described in the internal language of the presheaf topos from which the model is constructed. We get around this problem by extending the internal language with a mo...... that the interval in cubical sets does indeed have. This leads to a completely internal development of models of homotopy type theory within what we call crisp type theory.......We show that universes of fibrations in various models of homotopy type theory have an essentially global character: they cannot be described in the internal language of the presheaf topos from which the model is constructed. We get around this problem by extending the internal language...

Traumatic glenohumeral bone defects and their relationship to failure of arthroscopic Bankart repairs: significance of the inverted-pear glenoid and the humeral engaging Hill-Sachs lesion.

Science.gov (United States)

Burkhart, S S; De Beer, J F

2000-10-01

Our goal was to analyze the results of 194 consecutive arthroscopic Bankart repairs (performed by 2 surgeons with an identical suture anchor technique) in order to identify specific factors related to recurrence of instability. Case series. We analyzed 194 consecutive arthroscopic Bankart repairs by suture anchor technique performed for traumatic anterior-inferior instability. The average follow-up was 27 months (range, 14 to 79 months). There were 101 contact athletes (96 South African rugby players and 5 American football players). We identified significant bone defects on either the humerus or the glenoid as (1) "inverted-pear" glenoid, in which the normally pear-shaped glenoid had lost enough anterior-inferior bone to assume the shape of an inverted pear; or (2) "engaging" Hill-Sachs lesion of the humerus, in which the orientation of the Hill-Sachs lesion was such that it engaged the anterior glenoid with the shoulder in abduction and external rotation. There were 21 recurrent dislocations and subluxations (14 dislocations, 7 subluxations). Of those 21 shoulders with recurrent instability, 14 had significant bone defects (3 engaging Hill-Sachs and 11 inverted-pear Bankart lesions). For the group of patients without significant bone defects (173 shoulders), there were 7 recurrences (4% recurrence rate). For the group with significant bone defects (21 patients), there were 14 recurrences (67% recurrence rate). For contact athletes without significant bone defects, there was a 6.5% recurrence rate, whereas for contact athletes with significant bone defects, there was an 89% recurrence rate. (1) Arthroscopic Bankart repairs give results equal to open Bankart repairs if there are no significant structural bone deficits (engaging Hill-Sachs or inverted-pear Bankart lesions). (2) Patients with significant bone deficits as defined in this study are not candidates for arthroscopic Bankart repair. (3) Contact athletes without structural bone deficits may be treated by

Generation of HEXA-deficient hiPSCs from fibroblasts of a Tay-Sachs disease patient

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhong Liu

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Human iPSC line TSD-01-hiPSC was generated from fibroblasts of a patient with infantile Tay-Sachs disease (TSD. The patient is compound heterozygous at the HEXA gene by carrying a 1278insTATC allele and an IVS12+1G>C allele. STEMCCA lentivirus, which expresses OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-MYC from a polycistronic transcript, were used for reprogramming. TSD-01-hiPSC express pluripotency markers such as OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, Tra-1-60, and alkaline phosphatase, and can differentiate into tissues from all the three embryonic germ layers. This TSD patient-derived hiPSC line may serve as a valuable in vitro tool for disease modeling and drug test.

Unverrichteter Sache

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jani Kirov

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Rezensiertes Werk: Adriaan Lanni, Law and Justice in the Courts of Classical Athens, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2006, 210 S., ISBN-13 978-0-521-85759-8; ISBN-10 0-521-85759-7

Young people's experiences of managing Type 1 diabetes at university: a national study of UK university students.

Science.gov (United States)

Kellett, J; Sampson, M; Swords, F; Murphy, H R; Clark, A; Howe, A; Price, C; Datta, V; Myint, K S

2018-04-23

Little is known about the challenges of transitioning from school to university for young people with Type 1 diabetes. In a national survey, we investigated the impact of entering and attending university on diabetes self-care in students with Type 1 diabetes in all UK universities. Some 1865 current UK university students aged 18-24 years with Type 1 diabetes, were invited to complete a structured questionnaire. The association between demographic variables and diabetes variables was assessed using logistic regression models. In total, 584 (31%) students from 64 hospitals and 37 university medical practices completed the questionnaire. Some 62% had maintained routine diabetes care with their home team, whereas 32% moved to the university provider. Since starting university, 63% reported harder diabetes management and 44% reported higher HbA 1c levels than before university. At university, 52% had frequent hypoglycaemia, 9.6% reported one or more episodes of severe hypoglycaemia and 26% experienced diabetes-related hospital admissions. Female students and those who changed healthcare provider were approximately twice as likely to report poor glycaemic control, emergency hospital admissions and frequent hypoglycaemia. Females were more likely than males to report stress [odds ratio (OR) 4.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.19-7.16], illness (OR 3.48, 95% CI 2.06-5.87) and weight management issues (OR 3.19, 95% CI 1.99-5.11) as barriers to self-care. Despite these difficulties, 91% of respondents never or rarely contacted university support services about their diabetes. The study quantifies the high level of risk experienced by students with Type 1 diabetes during the transition to university, in particular, female students and those moving to a new university healthcare provider. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Dynamic analysis of cross shaft type universal joint with clearance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Jian Wei; Wang, Gong Cheng; Chen, Hao; Vakakis, Alexander F.; Bergman, Lawrence A.

2013-01-01

Cross shaft type universal joint is widely used in ground vehicles to transfer torque between two intersecting axes, and its transmission feature can make a great contribution to NVH performance of the vehicle. We looked at the assembling clearance at cross shaft neck, and presented a dynamic model of cross shaft type universal joint with clearance at cross shaft neck. Two-state model is applied to describe the contact force between the cross shaft and driving joint fork based on Hertz theorem, and lumped mass method is applied to build up the dynamic model of the universal joint. Based on this model, numerical analysis is carried out to discuss the transmission feature of the universal joint with clearance at cross shaft neck, and the influence of clearance on the dynamic behavior of the system is evaluated with numerical results based on time history, power spectrum, and phase portrait. The method and conclusions presented are helpful to improvement of the transmission feature of cross shaft type universal joint.

Generation of HEXA-deficient hiPSCs from fibroblasts of a Tay-Sachs disease patient.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhong; Zhao, Rui

2016-09-01

Human iPSC line TSD-01-hiPSC was generated from fibroblasts of a patient with infantile Tay-Sachs disease (TSD). The patient is compound heterozygous at the HEXA gene by carrying a 1278insTATC allele and an IVS12+1G>C allele. STEMCCA lentivirus, which expresses OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-MYC from a polycistronic transcript, were used for reprogramming. TSD-01-hiPSC express pluripotency markers such as OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, Tra-1-60, and alkaline phosphatase, and can differentiate into tissues from all the three embryonic germ layers. This TSD patient-derived hiPSC line may serve as a valuable in vitro tool for disease modeling and drug test. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Late-onset Tay-Sachs disease: the spectrum of peripheral neuropathy in 30 affected patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapiro, Barbara E; Logigian, Eric L; Kolodny, Edwin H; Pastores, Gregory M

2008-08-01

Late-onset Tay-Sachs (LOTS) disease is a chronic, progressive, lysosomal storage disorder caused by a partial deficiency of beta-hexosaminidase A (HEXA) activity. Deficient levels of HEXA result in the intracellular accumulation of GM2-ganglioside, resulting in toxicity to nerve cells. Clinical manifestations primarily involve the central nervous system (CNS) and lower motor neurons, and include ataxia, weakness, spasticity, dysarthria, dysphagia, dystonia, seizures, psychosis, mania, depression, and cognitive decline. The prevalence of peripheral nervous system (PNS) involvement in LOTS has not been well documented, but it has traditionally been thought to be very low. We examined a cohort of 30 patients with LOTS who underwent clinical and electrophysiologic examination, and found evidence of a predominantly axon loss polyneuropathy affecting distal nerve segments in the lower and upper extremities in eight patients (27%).

Bianchi type I inflationary universe in general relativity

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this paper, we have investigated Bianchi type I inflationary universe in the presence of massless scalar field with a flat potential. To get an inflationary solution, we have considered a flat region in which potentialV is constant. The inflationary scenario of the model is discussed in detail. Keywords. Inflationary universe ...

String cosmology in Bianchi type-VI 0 dusty Universe with ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this paper, the effect of electromagnetic field in the string Bianchi type-VI0 Universe is investigated. Einstein's field equations have been solved exactly with suitable physical assumptions for two types of strings: (i) massive strings and (ii) Nambu strings. It is found that when the Universe is dominated by massive strings, ...

Collision-free gases in spatially homogeneous space-times

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maartens, R.; Maharaj, S.D.

1985-01-01

The kinematical and dynamical properties of one-component collision-free gases in spatially homogeneous, locally rotationally symmetric (LRS) space-times are analyzed. Following Ray and Zimmerman [Nuovo Cimento B 42, 183 (1977)], it is assumed that the distribution function f of the gas inherits the symmetry of space-time, in order to construct solutions of Liouville's equation. The redundancy of their further assumption that f be based on Killing vector constants of the motion is shown. The Ray and Zimmerman results for Kantowski--Sachs space-time are extended to all spatially homogeneous LRS space-times. It is shown that in all these space-times the kinematic average four-velocity u/sup i/ can be tilted relative to the homogeneous hypersurfaces. This differs from the perfect fluid case, in which only one space-time admits tilted u/sup i/, as shown by King and Ellis [Commun. Math. Phys. 31, 209 (1973)]. As a consequence, it is shown that all space-times admit nonzero acceleration and heat flow, while a subclass admits nonzero vorticity. The stress π/sub i/j is proportional to the shear sigma/sub i/j by virtue of the invariance of the distribution function. The evolution of tilt and the existence of perfect fluid solutions is also discussed

Active packaging for fresh-cut broccoli using 1-methylcyclopropene in biodegradable sachet/ Embalagem ativa para brócolis minimamente processado utilizando 1-metilciclopropeno em sachê biodegradável

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta de Toledo Benassi

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Fresh-cut broccoli florets were packed in polypropylene pots containing a sachet with 1- methylcyclopropene (1-MCP and sealed with biodegradable starch-based film. Broccoli was stored for 8 days at 12oC and after this time the color and the texture of the product were similar of the fresh broccoli, with no off-flavor development or decay. Active packaging with 1-MCP in a sachet was efficient to extent shelf life of broccoli florets retarding yellowing and vitamin C losses. It is an alternative of 1-MCP treatment for fresh-cut products and besides, the sachet can absorbs condensed water reducing spoilage and off-odor development.Brócolis minimamente processados foram embalados em bandejas de polipropileno com sachê contendo 1-metilciclopropeno (1-MCP e selado com filme biodegradável de amido. Os brócolis foram armazenados por 8 dias a 12oC e após este tempo a cor e a textura mantiveram-se similares às do produto fresco, sem desenvolvimento de odor não característico ou podridão. A embalagem ativa contendo 1-MCP na forma de sachê foi eficiente no aumento da vida de prateleira de brócolis, retardando o amarelecimento e a perda de vitamina C. Esta é uma alternativa para o tratamento com 1-MCP para produtos minimamente processados e além disso, o sachê pode absorver a água condensada, reduzindo a deterioração e o desenvolvimento de odor não característico.

Black holes in an expanding universe and supersymmetry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dietmar Klemm

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the supersymmetric solutions to five and six-dimensional minimal (ungauged supergravities for which the bilinear Killing vector constructed from the Killing spinor is null. We focus on the spacetimes which admit an additional SO(1,1 boost symmetry. Upon the toroidal dimensional reduction along the Killing vector corresponding to the boost, we show that the solution in the ungauged case describes a charged, nonextremal black hole in a Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW universe with an expansion driven by a massless scalar field. For the gauged case, the solution corresponds to a charged, nonextremal black hole embedded conformally into a Kantowski–Sachs universe. It turns out that these dimensional reductions break supersymmetry since the bilinear Killing vector and the Killing vector corresponding to the boost fail to commute. This represents a new mechanism of supersymmetry breaking that has not been considered in the literature before.

Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect versus redshift test for the cosmological parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Kantowski, R.; Chen, B.; Dai, X.

2015-04-01

We describe a method using the integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect caused by individual inhomogeneities to determine the cosmological parameters H0, Ωm , and ΩΛ, etc. This ISW-redshift test requires detailed knowledge of the internal kinematics of a set of individual density perturbations, e.g., galaxy clusters and/or cosmic voids, in particular their density and velocity profiles, and their mass accretion rates. It assumes the density perturbations are isolated and embedded (equivalently compensated) and makes use of the newly found relation between the ISW temperature perturbation of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and the Fermat potential of the lens. Given measurements of the amplitudes of the temperature variations in the CMB caused by such clusters or voids at various redshifts and estimates of their angular sizes or masses, one can constrain the cosmological parameters. More realistically, the converse is more likely, i.e., if the background cosmology is sufficiently constrained, measurement of ISW profiles of clusters and voids (e.g., hot and cold spots and rings) can constrain dynamical properties of the dark matter, including accretion, associated with such lenses and thus constrain the evolution of these objects with redshift.

Murine Sialidase Neu3 facilitates GM2 degradation and bypass in mouse model of Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Seyrantepe, Volkan; Demir, Secil Akyildiz; Timur, Zehra Kevser; Von Gerichten, Johanna; Marsching, Christian; Erdemli, Esra; Oztas, Emin; Takahashi, Kohta; Yamaguchi, Kazunori; Ates, Nurselin; Dönmez Demir, Buket; Dalkara, Turgay; Erich, Katrin; Hopf, Carsten; Sandhoff, Roger; Miyagi, Taeko

2018-01-01

Tay-Sachs disease is a severe lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in Hexa, the gene that encodes for the α subunit of lysosomal β-hexosaminidase A (HEXA), which converts GM2 to GM3 ganglioside. Unexpectedly, Hexa -/- mice have a normal lifespan and show no obvious neurological impairment until at least one year of age. These mice catabolize stored GM2 ganglioside using sialidase(s) to remove sialic acid and form the glycolipid GA2, which is further processed by β-hexosaminidase B. Therefore, the presence of the sialidase (s) allows the consequences of the Hexa defect to be bypassed. To determine if the sialidase NEU3 contributes to GM2 ganglioside degradation, we generated a mouse model with combined deficiencies of HEXA and NEU3. The Hexa -/- Neu3 -/- mice were healthy at birth, but died at 1.5 to 4.5months of age. Thin-layer chromatography and mass spectrometric analysis of the brains of Hexa -/- Neu3 -/- mice revealed the abnormal accumulation of GM2 ganglioside. Histological and immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated cytoplasmic vacuolation in the neurons. Electron microscopic examination of the brain, kidneys and testes revealed pleomorphic inclusions of many small vesicles and complex lamellar structures. The Hexa -/- Neu3 -/- mice exhibited progressive neurodegeneration with neuronal loss, Purkinje cell depletion, and astrogliosis. Slow movement, ataxia, and tremors were the prominent neurological abnormalities observed in these mice. Furthermore, radiographs revealed abnormalities in the skeletal bones of the Hexa -/- Neu3 -/- mice. Thus, the Hexa -/- Neu3 -/- mice mimic the neuropathological and clinical abnormalities of the classical early-onset Tay-Sachs patients, and provide a suitable model for the future pre-clinical testing of potential treatments for this condition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The bystander effect model of Brenner and Sachs fitted to lung cancer data in 11 cohorts of underground miners, and equivalence of fit of a linear relative risk model with adjustment for attained age and age at exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Little, M P

2004-01-01

Bystander effects following exposure to α-particles have been observed in many experimental systems, and imply that linearly extrapolating low dose risks from high dose data might materially underestimate risk. Brenner and Sachs (2002 Int. J. Radiat. Biol. 78 593-604; 2003 Health Phys. 85 103-8) have recently proposed a model of the bystander effect which they use to explain the inverse dose rate effect observed for lung cancer in underground miners exposed to radon daughters. In this paper we fit the model of the bystander effect proposed by Brenner and Sachs to 11 cohorts of underground miners, taking account of the covariance structure of the data and the period of latency between the development of the first pre-malignant cell and clinically overt cancer. We also fitted a simple linear relative risk model, with adjustment for age at exposure and attained age. The methods that we use for fitting both models are different from those used by Brenner and Sachs, in particular taking account of the covariance structure, which they did not, and omitting certain unjustifiable adjustments to the miner data. The fit of the original model of Brenner and Sachs (with 0 y period of latency) is generally poor, although it is much improved by assuming a 5 or 6 y period of latency from the first appearance of a pre-malignant cell to cancer. The fit of this latter model is equivalent to that of a linear relative risk model with adjustment for age at exposure and attained age. In particular, both models are capable of describing the observed inverse dose rate effect in this data set

The Val{sup 192}Leu mutation in the {alpha}-subunit of {beta}-hexosaminidase A is not associated with the B1-variant form of Tay-Sachs disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou, Y.; Vavougios, G.; Hinek, A. [Univ. of Toronto (Canada)] [and others

1996-07-01

Substitution mutations adversely affecting the {alpha}-subunit of {beta}-hexosaminidase A ({alpha}{beta}) (EC 3.2.1.52) result in Tay-Sachs disease. The majority affect the initial folding of the pro-{alpha} chain in the endoplasmic reticulum, resulting in its retention and degradation. A much less common occurrence is a mutation that specifically affects an {open_quotes}active-site{close_quotes} residue necessary for substrate binding and/or catalysis. In this case, hexosaminidase A is present in the lysosome, but it lacks all {alpha}-specific activity. This biochemical phenotype is referred to as the {open_quotes}B1-variant form{close_quotes} of Tay-Sachs disease. Kinetic analysis of suspected B1-variant mutations is complex because hexosaminidase A is heterodimeric and both subunits possess similar active sites. In this report, we examine a previously identified B1-variant mutation, {alpha}-Val{sup 192}Leu. Chinese hamster ovary cells were permanently cotransfected with an {alpha}-cDNA-construct encoding the substitution and a mutant {beta}-cDNA ({beta}-Arg{sup 211}Lys), encoding a {beta}-subunit that is inactive but normal in all other respects. We were surprised to find that the Val{sup 192}Leu substitution produced a pro-{alpha} chain that did not form {alpha}-{beta} dimers and was not transported to the lysosome. Finally, we reexamined the hexosaminidase activity and protein levels in the fibroblasts from the original patient. These data were also not consistent with the biochemical phenotype of the B1 variant of Tay-Sachs disease previously reported to be present. Thus, we conclude that the Val{sup 192}Leu substitution does not specifically affect the {alpha}-active site. 23 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

String cosmology in Bianchi type-VI0 dusty Universe with ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

-VI0 Universe is investigated. Einstein's field equations have been solved exactly with suitable physical assump- tions for two types of strings: (i) massive strings and (ii) Nambu strings. It is found that when the. Universe is dominated by massive ...

Identification of novel mutations in HEXA gene in children affected with Tay Sachs disease from India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehul Mistri

Full Text Available Tay Sachs disease (TSD is a neurodegenerative disorder due to β-hexosaminidase A deficiency caused by mutations in the HEXA gene. The mutations leading to Tay Sachs disease in India are yet unknown. We aimed to determine mutations leading to TSD in India by complete sequencing of the HEXA gene. The clinical inclusion criteria included neuroregression, seizures, exaggerated startle reflex, macrocephaly, cherry red spot on fundus examination and spasticity. Neuroimaging criteria included thalamic hyperdensities on CT scan/T1W images of MRI of the brain. Biochemical criteria included deficiency of hexosaminidase A (less than 2% of total hexosaminidase activity for infantile patients. Total leukocyte hexosaminidase activity was assayed by 4-methylumbelliferyl-N-acetyl-β-D-glucosamine lysis and hexosaminidase A activity was assayed by heat inactivation method and 4-methylumbelliferyl-N-acetyl-β-D-glucosamine-6-sulphate lysis method. The exons and exon-intron boundaries of the HEXA gene were bidirectionally sequenced using an automated sequencer. Mutations were confirmed in parents and looked up in public databases. In silico analysis for mutations was carried out using SIFT, Polyphen2, MutationT@ster and Accelrys Discovery Studio softwares. Fifteen families were included in the study. We identified six novel missense mutations, c.340 G>A (p.E114K, c.964 G>A (p.D322N, c.964 G>T (p.D322Y, c.1178C>G (p.R393P and c.1385A>T (p.E462V, c.1432 G>A (p.G478R and two previously reported mutations. c.1277_1278insTATC and c.508C>T (p.R170W. The mutation p.E462V was found in six unrelated families from Gujarat indicating a founder effect. A previously known splice site mutation c.805+1 G>C and another intronic mutation c.672+30 T>G of unknown significance were also identified. Mutations could not be identified in one family. We conclude that TSD patients from Gujarat should be screened for the common mutation p.E462V.

Identification of novel mutations in HEXA gene in children affected with Tay Sachs disease from India.

Science.gov (United States)

Mistri, Mehul; Tamhankar, Parag M; Sheth, Frenny; Sanghavi, Daksha; Kondurkar, Pratima; Patil, Swapnil; Idicula-Thomas, Susan; Gupta, Sarita; Sheth, Jayesh

2012-01-01

Tay Sachs disease (TSD) is a neurodegenerative disorder due to β-hexosaminidase A deficiency caused by mutations in the HEXA gene. The mutations leading to Tay Sachs disease in India are yet unknown. We aimed to determine mutations leading to TSD in India by complete sequencing of the HEXA gene. The clinical inclusion criteria included neuroregression, seizures, exaggerated startle reflex, macrocephaly, cherry red spot on fundus examination and spasticity. Neuroimaging criteria included thalamic hyperdensities on CT scan/T1W images of MRI of the brain. Biochemical criteria included deficiency of hexosaminidase A (less than 2% of total hexosaminidase activity for infantile patients). Total leukocyte hexosaminidase activity was assayed by 4-methylumbelliferyl-N-acetyl-β-D-glucosamine lysis and hexosaminidase A activity was assayed by heat inactivation method and 4-methylumbelliferyl-N-acetyl-β-D-glucosamine-6-sulphate lysis method. The exons and exon-intron boundaries of the HEXA gene were bidirectionally sequenced using an automated sequencer. Mutations were confirmed in parents and looked up in public databases. In silico analysis for mutations was carried out using SIFT, Polyphen2, MutationT@ster and Accelrys Discovery Studio softwares. Fifteen families were included in the study. We identified six novel missense mutations, c.340 G>A (p.E114K), c.964 G>A (p.D322N), c.964 G>T (p.D322Y), c.1178C>G (p.R393P) and c.1385A>T (p.E462V), c.1432 G>A (p.G478R) and two previously reported mutations. c.1277_1278insTATC and c.508C>T (p.R170W). The mutation p.E462V was found in six unrelated families from Gujarat indicating a founder effect. A previously known splice site mutation c.805+1 G>C and another intronic mutation c.672+30 T>G of unknown significance were also identified. Mutations could not be identified in one family. We conclude that TSD patients from Gujarat should be screened for the common mutation p.E462V.

Spontaneous appearance of Tay-Sachs disease in an animal model.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, B J; Torres, P A; Viner, T C; Wang, Z H; Raghavan, S S; Alroy, J; Pastores, G M; Kolodny, E H

2008-01-01

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder due to an autosomal recessively inherited deficiency of beta-hexosaminidase A (Hex A). Deficiency of Hex A in TSD is caused by a defect of the alpha-subunit resulting from mutations of the HEXA gene. To date, there is no effective treatment for TSD. Animal models of genetic diseases, similar to those known to exist in humans, are valuable and essential research tools for the study of potentially effective therapies. However, there is no ideal animal model of TSD available for use in therapeutic trials. In the present study, we report an animal model (American flamingo; Phoenicopterus ruber) of TSD with Hex A deficiency occurring spontaneously in nature, with accumulation of G(M2)-ganglioside, deficiency of Hex A enzymatic activity, and a homozygous P469L mutation in exon 12 of the hexa gene. In addition, we have isolated the full-length cDNA sequence of the flamingo, which consists of 1581 nucleotides encoding a protein of 527 amino acids. Its coding sequence indicates approximately 71% identity at the nucleotide level and about 72.5% identity at the amino acid level with the encoding region of the human HEXA gene. This animal model, with many of the same features as TSD in humans, could represent a valuable resource for investigating therapy of TSD.

Homeless university students: Experiences with foyer-type service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marty Grace

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Some young people who have been homeless during their secondary schooling manage to obtain a university place. These young people, and others who become homeless during their university courses, have the opportunity to build a sustainable exit from homelessness through education and support. Very little is known about how many young Australians are in this situation, or what can be done to assist them to complete their degrees. This article reports on research that aimed to document the experiences of 11 university students who had experienced homelessness. The research focussed on the difficulties that these young people faced, and the types of environments and service responses that can make a difference for them. The students were part of a larger study of a foyer-type service. The research found that these young people took longer than the standard duration to complete their degrees. Their study was facilitated by provision of stable, safe accommodation and support when they were acutely homeless, relief from other pressures such as family conflict, protection while maturing, time for overseas born including refugee young people to develop language, skills, and resources, support to heal from past damaging experiences and improve their health, assistance to gain entry to preferred university courses, and pathways into stable housing for the duration of their study.

Thyroid dysfunction in type 2 diabetics seen at the University ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Chigo Okwuosa

prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in type-2 diabetics in our environment is not known. This study was ... Thyroid dysfunction was present in 19 (29.7%) of 64 type 2 diabetics and 1 (2.8%) of 36 ... type 2 diabetes may equally predispose both groups to deranged ... of University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. MATERIALS ...

The first family with Tay-Sachs disease in Cyprus: Genetic analysis reveals a nonsense (c.78G>A) and a silent (c.1305C>T) mutation and allows preimplantation genetic diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Georgiou, Theodoros; Christopoulos, George; Anastasiadou, Violetta; Hadjiloizou, Stavros; Cregeen, David; Jackson, Marie; Mavrikiou, Gavriella; Kleanthous, Marina; Drousiotou, Anthi

2014-12-01

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is a recessively inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in the HEXA gene resulting in β-hexosaminidase A (HEX A) deficiency and neuronal accumulation of GM2 ganglioside. We describe the first patient with Tay-Sachs disease in the Cypriot population, a juvenile case which presented with developmental regression at the age of five. The diagnosis was confirmed by measurement of HEXA activity in plasma, peripheral leucocytes and fibroblasts. Sequencing the HEXA gene resulted in the identification of two previously described mutations: the nonsense mutation c.78G>A (p.Trp26X) and the silent mutation c.1305C>T (p.=). The silent mutation was reported once before in a juvenile TSD patient of West Indian origin with an unusually mild phenotype. The presence of this mutation in another juvenile TSD patient provides further evidence that it is a disease-causing mutation. Successful preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and prenatal follow-up were provided to the couple.

Company-University Collaboration Types As A Determinant For Knowledge Transfer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Woltmann, Sabrina; Alkærsig, Lars

This paper develops a framework for a novel measurement of outcomes of different types of company-university collaboration. We test whether the level of formalization and the type of interaction influences the outcomes, in particular knowledge transfer. We extend the existing research by applying...... to identify additional forms of knowledge transfer and give companies insights into their potential benefits from different types of relationships. We propose a new perspective that enables companies to shape and adapt their external knowledge search as effective as possible....... novel statistical computational methods form the field of natural language processing to identify the knowledge transfer. We investigate how the level of formalization of collaboration affects the knowledge transfer between universities and companies. Preliminary results indicate that we are able...

Fermat Potentials of Embedded Lensing, the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe Effect, and Weak-Lensing of CMB by Cosmic Voids

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bin; Kantowski, R.; Dai, X.

2014-01-01

We have developed an accurate gravitational lens theory for an inhomogeneity embedded in an otherwise homogeneous universe, which to the lowest order is applicable to any mass distribution. We derive the Fermat potential for a spherically symmetric lens embedded in a FLRW cosmology and use it to investigate the late-time integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect (ISW) caused by individual large scale inhomogeneities, in particular, cosmic voids. We present a simple analytical expression for the CMB temperature fluctuation across such a lens as the derivative of the lens Fermat potential. Our formalism is applicable to both linear and nonlinear density evolution scenarios, to arbitrarily large density contrasts, and to all open and closed background cosmologies. Our results are particularly useful for modeling ISW effects extracted through stacking large numbers of cosmic voids and clusters (that is, the aperture photometry method). For structures co-expanding with the background cosmology, i.e., for time-independent density contrasts, we find that the gravitational lensing time delay alone can produce fluctuations of the order of seen in recent observations by WMAP and Planck. We revisit the possibility of explaining the non-Gaussian cold spot on the south hemisphere via the Rees-Sciama effect of a large cosmic void using constraints obtained from the most recent void catalogs and our new void-lensing formalism, and compare it with other explanations such as a collapsing cosmic texture. We also study the remapping of primordial CMB anisotropies, the weak-lensing shear, and magnification caused by void lensing.

Tay–Sachs disease mutations in HEXA target the α chain of hexosaminidase A to endoplasmic reticulum–associated degradation

Science.gov (United States)

Dersh, Devin; Iwamoto, Yuichiro; Argon, Yair

2016-01-01

Loss of function of the enzyme β-hexosaminidase A (HexA) causes the lysosomal storage disorder Tay–Sachs disease (TSD). It has been proposed that mutations in the α chain of HexA can impair folding, enzyme assembly, and/or trafficking, yet there is surprisingly little known about the mechanisms of these potential routes of pathogenesis. We therefore investigated the biosynthesis and trafficking of TSD-associated HexA α mutants, seeking to identify relevant cellular quality control mechanisms. The α mutants E482K and G269S are defective in enzymatic activity, unprocessed by lysosomal proteases, and exhibit altered folding pathways compared with wild-type α. E482K is more severely misfolded than G269S, as observed by its aggregation and inability to associate with the HexA β chain. Importantly, both mutants are retrotranslocated from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the cytosol and are degraded by the proteasome, indicating that they are cleared via ER-associated degradation (ERAD). Leveraging these discoveries, we observed that manipulating the cellular folding environment or ERAD pathways can alter the kinetics of mutant α degradation. Additionally, growth of patient fibroblasts at a permissive temperature or with chemical chaperones increases cellular Hex activity by improving mutant α folding. Therefore modulation of the ER quality control systems may be a potential therapeutic route for improving some forms of TSD. PMID:27682588

Bianchi Type-I Universe with wet dark fluid

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. The Bianchi Type-I Universe filled with dark energy from a wet dark fluid has ... model is in the spirit of the generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG) [9], where a physically motivated .... From the mechanical point of view, eq. (2.28) can be ...

Crystallographic Structure of Human β-Hexosaminidase A: Interpretation of Tay-Sachs Mutations and Loss of GM2 Ganglioside Hydrolysis

Science.gov (United States)

Lemieux, M. Joanne; Mark, Brian L.; Cherney, Maia M.; Withers, Stephen G.; Mahuran, Don J.; James, Michael N. G.

2010-01-01

Lysosomal β-hexosaminidase A (Hex A) is essential for the degradation of GM2 gangliosides in the central and peripheral nervous system. Accumulation of GM2 leads to severely debilitating neurodegeneration associated with Tay-Sachs disease (TSD), Sandoff disease (SD) and AB variant. Here, we present the X-ray crystallographic structure of Hex A to 2.8 Å resolution and the structure of Hex A in complex with NAG-thiazoline, (NGT) to 3.25 Å resolution. NGT, a mechanism-based inhibitor, has been shown to act as a chemical chaperone that, to some extent, prevents misfolding of a Hex A mutant associated with adult onset Tay Sachs disease and, as a result, increases the residual activity of Hex A to a level above the critical threshold for disease. The crystal structure of Hex A reveals an αβ heterodimer, with each subunit having a functional active site. Only the α-subunit active site can hydrolyze GM2 gangliosides due to a flexible loop structure that is removed post-translationally from β, and to the presence of αAsn423 and αArg424. The loop structure is involved in binding the GM2 activator protein, while αArg424 is critical for binding the carboxylate group of the N-acetyl-neuraminic acid residue of GM2. The β-subunit lacks these key residues and has βAsp452 and βLeu453 in their place; the β-subunit therefore cleaves only neutral substrates efficiently. Mutations in the α-subunit, associated with TSD, and those in the β-subunit, associated with SD are discussed. The effect of NGT binding in the active site of a mutant Hex A and its effect on protein function is discussed. PMID:16698036

Initial-boundary-value problem of the self-gravitating scalar field in the Bondi-Sachs gauge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frittelli, Simonetta; Gomez, Roberto

2007-01-01

It is shown that, in the Bondi-Sachs gauge that fixes the speed of incoming light rays to the value 1, the Einstein equations coupled to a scalar field in spherical symmetry are cast into a symmetric-hyperbolic system of equations for the scalar field, lapse and shift as fundamental variables. In this system of equations, the lapse and shift are incoming characteristic fields, and the scalar field has three components: incoming, outgoing and static. A constraint-preserving boundary condition is prescribed by imposing the projection of the Einstein equation normal to the boundary at the outer value of the radial coordinate. The boundary condition specifies one of the two incoming metric fields. The remaining incoming metric field and the incoming scalar field component need to be specified arbitrarily. Numerical simulations of the scattering of the scalar field by a black hole in the nonlinear regime are presented that illustrate interesting facts about black-hole physics and the behavior of the characteristic variables of the problem

How flat is our Universe really?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okouma, P.M.; Fantaye, Y.; Bassett, B.A.

2013-01-01

Distance measurement provides no constraints on curvature independent of assumptions about the dark energy, raising the question, how flat is our Universe if we make no such assumptions? Allowing for general evolution of the dark energy equation of state with 20 free parameters that are allowed to cross the phantom divide, w(z)=−1, we show that while it is indeed possible to match the first peak in the Cosmic Microwave Background with non-flat models and arbitrary Hubble constant, H 0 , the full WMAP7 and supernova data alone imply −0.12 k 0 prior, this tightens significantly to Ω k =0.002±0.009. These constitute the most conservative and model-independent constraints on curvature available today, and illustrate that the curvature-dynamics degeneracy is broken by current data, with a key role played by the Integrated Sachs Wolfe effect rather than the distance to the surface of last scattering. If one imposes a quintessence prior on the dark energy (−1⩽w(z)⩽1) then just the WMAP7 and supernova data alone force the Universe to near flatness: Ω k =0.013±0.012. Finally, allowing for curvature, we find that all datasets are consistent with a Harrison–Zel'dovich spectral index, n s =1, at 2σ, illustrating the interplay between early and late Universe constraints

Bianchi type I inflationary universe in general relativity

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this paper, we have investigated Bianchi type I inflationary universe in the presence of massless scalar field with a flat potential. To get an inflationary solution, we have considered a flat region in which potential is constant. The inflationary scenario of the model is discussed in detail.

GM2 gangliosidoses in Spain: analysis of the HEXA and HEXB genes in 34 Tay-Sachs and 14 Sandhoff patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Gort, Laura; de Olano, Natalia; Macías-Vidal, Judit; Coll, M A Josep

2012-09-10

The GM2 gangliosidoses are autosomal recessive lysosomal storage diseases caused by a deficiency of the β-hexosaminidase A enzyme. This enzyme is composed of two polypeptide chains designated the α- and β- subunits and it interacts with the GM2 activator protein. The HEXA and HEXB genes encode the α-subunit and the β-subunit, respectively. Mutations in these genes are causative of Tay-Sachs disease (HEXA) and Sandhoff disease (HEXB). We analyzed the complete HEXA gene in 34 Spanish patients with Tay-Sachs disease and the HEXB gene in 14 Spanish patients with Sandhoff disease. We identified 27 different mutations, 14 of which were novel, in the HEXA gene and 14 different mutations, 8 of which unreported until now, in the HEXB gene, and we attempted to correlate these mutations with the clinical presentation of the patients. We found a high frequency of c.459+5G>A (IVS4+5G>A) mutation in HEXA affected patients, 22 of 68 alleles, which represent the 32.4%. This is the highest percentage found of this mutation in a population. All patients homozygous for mutation c.459+5G>A presented with the infantile form of the disease and, as previously reported, patients carrying mutation p.R178H in at least one of the alleles presented with a milder form. In HEXB affected patients, the novel deletion c.171delG accounts for 21.4% of the mutant alleles (6/28). All patients with this deletion showed the infantile form of the disease. The Spanish GM2 gangliosidoses affected patients show a great mutational heterogeneity as seen in other inherited lisosomal diseases in this country. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Family-Work Conflict and Type-E Personality as Stress Inducers in Married Female Nigerian University Administrators

Science.gov (United States)

Shobola, A. A.; Nwoha, P. C.

2013-01-01

This piece of article is culled from a larger study. The study investigated the relationship between family-work conflict, Type-E personality and stress in married female Nigerian University Administrators. The study adopted ex-post facto design. The sample consisted of 800 female administrators in the senior cadre of executive/administrative…

Characterization of inducible models of Tay-Sachs and related disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Sargeant, Timothy J; Drage, Deborah J; Wang, Susan; Apostolakis, Apostolos A; Cox, Timothy M; Cachón-González, M Begoña

2012-09-01

Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases are lethal inborn errors of acid β-N-acetylhexosaminidase activity, characterized by lysosomal storage of GM2 ganglioside and related glycoconjugates in the nervous system. The molecular events that lead to irreversible neuronal injury accompanied by gliosis are unknown; but gene transfer, when undertaken before neurological signs are manifest, effectively rescues the acute neurodegenerative illness in Hexb-/- (Sandhoff) mice that lack β-hexosaminidases A and B. To define determinants of therapeutic efficacy and establish a dynamic experimental platform to systematically investigate cellular pathogenesis of GM2 gangliosidosis, we generated two inducible experimental models. Reversible transgenic expression of β-hexosaminidase directed by two promoters, mouse Hexb and human Synapsin 1 promoters, permitted progression of GM2 gangliosidosis in Sandhoff mice to be modified at pre-defined ages. A single auto-regulatory tetracycline-sensitive expression cassette controlled expression of transgenic Hexb in the brain of Hexb-/- mice and provided long-term rescue from the acute neuronopathic disorder, as well as the accompanying pathological storage of glycoconjugates and gliosis in most parts of the brain. Ultimately, late-onset brainstem and ventral spinal cord pathology occurred and was associated with increased tone in the limbs. Silencing transgenic Hexb expression in five-week-old mice induced stereotypic signs and progression of Sandhoff disease, including tremor, bradykinesia, and hind-limb paralysis. As in germline Hexb-/- mice, these neurodegenerative manifestations advanced rapidly, indicating that the pathogenesis and progression of GM2 gangliosidosis is not influenced by developmental events in the maturing nervous system.

Characterization of inducible models of Tay-Sachs and related disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy J Sargeant

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases are lethal inborn errors of acid β-N-acetylhexosaminidase activity, characterized by lysosomal storage of GM2 ganglioside and related glycoconjugates in the nervous system. The molecular events that lead to irreversible neuronal injury accompanied by gliosis are unknown; but gene transfer, when undertaken before neurological signs are manifest, effectively rescues the acute neurodegenerative illness in Hexb-/- (Sandhoff mice that lack β-hexosaminidases A and B. To define determinants of therapeutic efficacy and establish a dynamic experimental platform to systematically investigate cellular pathogenesis of GM2 gangliosidosis, we generated two inducible experimental models. Reversible transgenic expression of β-hexosaminidase directed by two promoters, mouse Hexb and human Synapsin 1 promoters, permitted progression of GM2 gangliosidosis in Sandhoff mice to be modified at pre-defined ages. A single auto-regulatory tetracycline-sensitive expression cassette controlled expression of transgenic Hexb in the brain of Hexb-/- mice and provided long-term rescue from the acute neuronopathic disorder, as well as the accompanying pathological storage of glycoconjugates and gliosis in most parts of the brain. Ultimately, late-onset brainstem and ventral spinal cord pathology occurred and was associated with increased tone in the limbs. Silencing transgenic Hexb expression in five-week-old mice induced stereotypic signs and progression of Sandhoff disease, including tremor, bradykinesia, and hind-limb paralysis. As in germline Hexb-/- mice, these neurodegenerative manifestations advanced rapidly, indicating that the pathogenesis and progression of GM2 gangliosidosis is not influenced by developmental events in the maturing nervous system.

Probing the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect using embedded lens models

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, B.; Kantowski, R.

2015-04-01

The photometry profile of the integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect, recently obtained by the Planck consortium by stacking patches of cosmic microwave background (CMB) sky maps around a large number of cosmic voids, contains a cold ring at about half the void's effective radius surrounded by a hot ring near the void's boundary. The source of the temperature structure is assumed to be the ISW effect but the exact cause of the ringed structure is not currently well understood, particularly the outer hot ring. Numerical simulations have suggested that hot/cold ring structures can be produced by motions associated with nonlinear growths of cosmic structures whose gravitational potentials produce the ISW effect. We have recently developed the embedded lens theory and the Fermat potential formalism which can be used to model the ISW effect caused by intervening individual lens inhomogeneities evolving arbitrarily. This theory only requires knowledge of the void's projected mass profile as a function of the passing CMB photons' impact radius and the rate of change of that mass distribution at passage. We present two simple embedded void lens models with evolving mass densities and investigate the ISW effect caused by these lenses. Both models possess expanding mass shells which produce hot rings around central cold regions, consistent with the recent observations. By adding a small overdensity at the void's center we can produce the slight positive temperature excess hinted at in Planck's photometric results. We conclude that the embedded lens theory and the Fermat potential formalism is well suited for modeling the ISW effect.

Energy–momentum localization for Bianchi type-IV Universe in ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

different energy–momentum complexes give same and reasonable results for a given ... He investigated the formulation of covariant conservation laws and calculated the tidal work using ... tetrad theory of gravity, have obtained total energy of the Universe in Bianchi type- ...... Principle and applications of general theory of.

Energy distributions of Bianchi type-VIh Universe in general relativity ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2017-03-16

Mar 16, 2017 ... butions in Bianchi type-VIh metric for different gravitation theories. ... Bianchi VIh Universe; general relativity; teleparallel gravity; energy–momentum distribution. ... In §3, we introduce energy–momentum definitions of Einstein,.

Radioimmunoassay and heat denaturation enzyme assay for the detection of Tay-Sachs heterozygotes during pregnancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, C.; Gold, R.J.M.; Mahuran, D.; Lowden, J.A.

1981-01-01

Tay-Sachs disease results from a loss of activity of hexosaminidase A (HEX A) in body tissues and fluids. Heterozygotes for the disease are usually identified by their relatively low ratio of heat-labile HEX A to total hexosaminidase. During pregnancy an intermediate isoenzyme (HEX I) increases in activity in serum and obscures the heterozygote status. HEX I does not increase in leucocytes, tears and other body tissues but because of technical difficulties in these assays the authors examined the feasibility of using a radioimmunoassay for HEX A. By univariate analysis, the heat denaturation assay gave a lower cost of misclassification for non-pregnant normals while RIA did so for pregnant normals. A combination of both tests led to reduced cost of misclassification compared to either alone. Bayesian analysis of bivariate gaussian density functions for heat denaturation and for radioimmunoassays of HEX isoenzymes was employed to calculate misclassification frequencies. Among the parameters examined, HEX A measured by RIA and % HEX A by heat-denaturation assay were the two having the best discriminatory power. (Auth.)

How flat is our Universe really?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okouma, P.M., E-mail: okouma@saao.ac.za [Department of Maths and Applied Maths, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town (South Africa); South African Astronomical Observatory, Observatory, Cape Town (South Africa); African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, 6-8 Melrose Road, Muizenberg, Cape Town (South Africa); Centre for High Performance Computing, 15 Lower Hope St., Rosebank, Cape Town (South Africa); Fantaye, Y. [Astrophysics Sector, International School for Advanced Studies, SISSA, 34136 Trieste (Italy); Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1029 Blindern, N-0315, Oslo (Norway); Bassett, B.A. [Department of Maths and Applied Maths, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town (South Africa); South African Astronomical Observatory, Observatory, Cape Town (South Africa); African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, 6-8 Melrose Road, Muizenberg, Cape Town (South Africa); Centre for High Performance Computing, 15 Lower Hope St., Rosebank, Cape Town (South Africa)

2013-02-12

Distance measurement provides no constraints on curvature independent of assumptions about the dark energy, raising the question, how flat is our Universe if we make no such assumptions? Allowing for general evolution of the dark energy equation of state with 20 free parameters that are allowed to cross the phantom divide, w(z)=−1, we show that while it is indeed possible to match the first peak in the Cosmic Microwave Background with non-flat models and arbitrary Hubble constant, H{sub 0}, the full WMAP7 and supernova data alone imply −0.12<Ω{sub k}<0.01 (2σ). If we add an H{sub 0} prior, this tightens significantly to Ω{sub k}=0.002±0.009. These constitute the most conservative and model-independent constraints on curvature available today, and illustrate that the curvature-dynamics degeneracy is broken by current data, with a key role played by the Integrated Sachs Wolfe effect rather than the distance to the surface of last scattering. If one imposes a quintessence prior on the dark energy (−1⩽w(z)⩽1) then just the WMAP7 and supernova data alone force the Universe to near flatness: Ω{sub k}=0.013±0.012. Finally, allowing for curvature, we find that all datasets are consistent with a Harrison–Zel'dovich spectral index, n{sub s}=1, at 2σ, illustrating the interplay between early and late Universe constraints.

The presence of two different infantile Tay-Sachs disease mutations in a Cajun population

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDowell, G.A.; Blitzer, M.G. (Univ. of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States)); Mules, E.H. (Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD (United States)); Fabacher, P. (Office of Public Health, Shreveport, LA (United States)); Shapira, E. (Tulane Univ. of School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA (United States))

1992-11-01

A study was undertaken to characterize the mutation(s) responsible for Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) in a Cajun population in southwest Louisiana and to identify the origins of these mutations. Eleven of 12 infantile TSD alleles examined in six families had the [beta]-hexosaminidase A (Hex A) [alpha]-subunit exon 11 insertion mutation that is present in approximately 70% of Ashkenazi Jewish TSD heterozygotes. The mutation in the remaining allele was a single-base transition in the donor splice site of the [alpha]-subunit intron 9. To determine the origins of these two mutations in the Cajun population, the TSD carrier status was enzymatically determined for 90 members of four of the six families, and extensive pedigrees were constructed for all carriers. A single ancestral couple from France was found to be common to most of the carriers of the exon 11 insertion. Pedigree data suggest that this mutation has been in the Cajun population since its founding over 2 centuries ago and that it may be widely distributed within the population. In contrast, the intron 9 mutation apparently was introduced within the last century and probably is limited to a few Louisiana families. 29 refs., 4 figs.

High school Tay-Sachs disease carrier screening: 5 to 11-year follow-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Curd, Helen; Lewis, Sharon; Macciocca, Ivan; Sahhar, Margaret; Petrou, Vicki; Bankier, Agnes; Lieberman, Sari; Levy-Lahad, Ephrat; Delatycki, Martin B

2014-04-01

The Melbourne high school Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) carrier screening program began in 1997. The aim of this study was to assess the outcomes of this screening program among those who had testing more than 5 years ago, to evaluate the long-term impact of screening. A questionnaire was used for data collection and consisted of validated scales and purposively designed questions. Questionnaires were sent to all carriers and two non-carriers for each carrier who were screened in the program between 1999 and 2005. Twenty-four out of 69 (34.8 %) carriers and 30/138 (21.7 %) non-carriers completed the questionnaire. Most participants (82 %) retained good knowledge of TSD and there was no evidence of a difference in knowledge between carriers and non-carriers. Most participants (83 %) were happy with the timing and setting of screening and thought that education and screening for TSD should be offered during high school. There was no difference between carriers and non-carriers in mean scores for the State Trait Anxiety Inventory and Decision Regret Scale. This evaluation indicated that 5-11 years post high school screening, those who were screened are supportive of the program and that negative consequences are rare.

Genetics Home Reference: GM2-gangliosidosis, AB variant

Science.gov (United States)

... Resources Genetic Testing (1 link) Genetic Testing Registry: Tay-Sachs disease, variant AB General Information from MedlinePlus (5 links) ... AB variant Activator Deficiency/GM2 Gangliosidosis Activator-deficient Tay-Sachs disease GM2 Activator Deficiency Disease GM2 gangliosidosis, type AB ...

Orientation relationship in various 9% Cr ferritic/martensitic steels-EBSD comparison between Nishiyama-Wassermann, Kurdjumov-Sachs and Greninger-Troiano

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barcelo, F.; Bechade, J. L.; Fournier, B.

2010-01-01

EBSD measurements were carried out on four different martensitic steels (T91, P92, EM10 and Eurofer) in various metallurgical conditions (nine different microstructural states). The usual orientation relationships (ORs) between the parent austenitic phase and the resulting martensite in martensitic steels are those of Nishiyama-Wassermann (NW) and Kurjumov-Sachs (KS). The present study first proposes a methodology based on the combined analysis of the misorientation distribution, the pole figures (PFs) and the angle/axis pairs. This methodology leads to the conclusion that neither NW nor KS relationships are able to account for all the features observed whatever the material under study. A third OR proposed by Greninger and Troiano (GT) proves to describe the relationship between austenite and ferrite in all four different martensitic steels much more accurately. (authors)

Content and technical evaluation of Type III Iranian medical universities\\' websites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khadejeh Shabankareh

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Besides the role that universities websites have in reflection of universities’ educational and research activities, they have also significant importance in promotion of universities’ national and international ranking in webometrics ranking of world universities and also in webometric ranking of Islamic world Science Citation and subsequently obtaining national and international credibility and gaining student and funding. So, continuous evaluation of universities websites in different aspects, especially based on considering index of these ranking systems, is important. Therefore, present study aimed to review the situation of Type 3 Iranian medical universities’ websites based on content and technical features effecting on promotion of webometric rank. Materials and Methods : Present study is a survey with descriptive approach which descriptive the present situation of Type 3 Iranian medical universities’ websites. Data were collected using a researcher-made checklist which was consisted of two parts including content criteria effecting on webometric ranking (50 criteria and technical criteria of search engines optimization (52 criteria. Content evaluation of websites was done by researcher direct referring and observing. In order to evaluation of these websites, based on technical criteria of search engines optimization, automatic tools about website evaluation were used. Data were analyzed by SPSS20. Results: The finding of this study showed that, Gonabad, Bushehr & Shahrekord universities of medical sciences have the most accommodation with the research checklist.  Bam, Dezful & Jiroft universities of medical sciences have the least accommodation. According to research findings less than 50 percent of the research community, reached more than 50 percent of the criteria in checklist. Conclusion: Evaluation of studied websites indicated that whole websites are far from ideal situation. So type 3 medical universities

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of enantiomeric beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase inhibitors LABNAc and DABNAc as potential agents against Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Rountree, J S Shane; Butters, Terry D; Wormald, Mark R; Boomkamp, Stephanie D; Dwek, Raymond A; Asano, Naoki; Ikeda, Kyoko; Evinson, Emma L; Nash, Robert J; Fleet, George W J

2009-03-01

N-Acetylhexosaminidases are of considerable importance in mammals and are involved in various significant biological processes. In humans, deficiencies of these enzymes in the lysosome, resulting from inherited genetic defects, cause the glycolipid storage disorders Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases. One promising therapy for these diseases involves the use of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase inhibitors as chemical chaperones to enhance the enzyme activity above sub-critical levels. Herein we describe the synthesis and biological evaluation of a potent inhibitor, 2-acetamido-1,4-imino-1,2,4-trideoxy-L-arabinitol (LABNAc), in a high-yielding 11-step procedure from D-lyxonolactone. The N-benzyl and N-butyl analogues were also prepared and found to be potent inhibitors. The enantiomers DABNAc and NBn-DABNAc were synthesised from L-lyxonolactone, and were also evaluated. The L-iminosugar LABNAc and its derivatives were found to be potent noncompetitive inhibitors of some beta-N-acetylhexosaminidases, while the D-iminosugar DABNAc and its derivatives were found to be weaker competitive inhibitors. These results support previous work postulating that D-iminosugar mimics inhibit D-glycohydrolases competitively, and that their corresponding L-enantiomers show noncompetitive inhibition of these enzymes. Molecular modelling studies confirm that the spatial organisation in enantiomeric inhibitors leads to a different overlay with the monosaccharide substrate. Initial cell-based studies suggest that NBn-LABNAc can act as a chemical chaperone to enhance the deficient enzyme's activity to levels that may cause a positive pharmacological effect. LABNAc, NBn-LABNAc, and NBu-LABNAc are potent and selective inhibitors of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase and may be useful as therapeutic agents for treating adult Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases.

A direct gene transfer strategy via brain internal capsule reverses the biochemical defect in Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Martino, S; Marconi, P; Tancini, B; Dolcetta, D; De Angelis, M G Cusella; Montanucci, P; Bregola, G; Sandhoff, K; Bordignon, C; Emiliani, C; Manservigi, R; Orlacchio, A

2005-08-01

Therapy for neurodegenerative lysosomal Tay-Sachs (TS) disease requires active hexosaminidase (Hex) A production in the central nervous system and an efficient therapeutic approach that can act faster than human disease progression. We combined the efficacy of a non-replicating Herpes simplex vector encoding for the Hex A alpha-subunit (HSV-T0alphaHex) and the anatomic structure of the brain internal capsule to distribute the missing enzyme optimally. With this gene transfer strategy, for the first time, we re-established the Hex A activity and totally removed the GM2 ganglioside storage in both injected and controlateral hemispheres, in the cerebellum and spinal cord of TS animal model in the span of one month's treatment. In our studies, no adverse effects were observed due to the viral vector, injection site or gene expression and on the basis of these results, we feel confident that the same approach could be applied to similar diseases involving an enzyme defect.

The Incidence and Types of Occupational Role Stress among University Research Administrators

Science.gov (United States)

Katsapis, Christine C. A.

2012-01-01

This study explored the types of stressors prevalent in the self-reports of university research administrators (URAs) and examined whether or not the degree or type of role stress was influenced by: a) the affiliation of their office unit within their institution, or b) their type. Randomly selected members of NCURA were invited via e-mail to…

E-learning in Type 1 Medical Universities of Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Bagher ROKNI

2005-07-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Nowadays the Internet is the technological pedestal of organization in the information society and one of the main applications that the Internet offers is the Digital Library (DL. Each society, especially those that claim training of the public, predictably need implementation and endorsement these systems. The time of chalk and board is passed and the globalization and universal village demands a movement targeting to establish an information society. The university is said to be responsible for making "Human". In the era of information explosion, how can a university rely on a physical classroom, a tired teacher and some drowsy students listening to him? Internet "the sweet invention of man" is a bridge, between "slump" and "spurt". It is up to each authority in a university to design, employ, develop and evaluate a system embracing Internet, Multimedia, Network and so on to go parallel in modern era and to introduce the supreme system of E-learning in its program. Of different aspects of E-learning including computer networks, multimedia, search engines, electronic libraries, distance learning, and all that (Piskurich, 2003, most of the type 1 medical universities of Iran exploit, some how or another, all or some of them. These universities including Tehran, Iran, Shahid Beheshti, Mashhad, Isfahan, Tabriz, Shiraz, Ahwaz, and Kerman, at present encompass a powerful link with their audiences regarding digital libraries, search engine and authentic data bases. The present article is going to have a bird's eye view at various capacities of these universities in this regard.

Exploring Diverse Effects of Four Types of Mobility on University Entrepreneurship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoko Yasuda

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This study explores the mechanism by which mobility influences university entrepreneurship through an empirical analysis of Japanese scientists working for the University of Tokyo. It presents theory-driven typology of mobility and applies it to the knowledge-transfer context.  First, this paper subdivides previously-studied mobility into four types – job mobility (JM, sector mobility (SM, international mobility (IM, and the educational background mobility (EBM. Then, it empirically shows that both JM and IM have positive and significant correlation with university entrepreneurship, whereas neither SM nor EBM does. Based on the result, this study discusses that JM and IM accelerate the formation of skills necessary for the commercialization of university research; however, SM and EBM may have no impact on it.

Serial CT scans and MRI scans of Tay-Sachs disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimoizumi, Hideo; Miyao, Masutomo; Ichihashi, Koh; Sawa, Rituko; Yamamoto, Yoshifumi; Tanaka, Osamu; Yanagisawa, Masayoshi; Kamoshita, Shigehiko.

1986-01-01

Serial X-ray CT and MRI were performed on 2 cases of Tay-Sachs disease. Case 1 : a 3-year-10-month-old girl. Her developmental milestones were normal until the age of 6 months. At the age of 10 months, hypotonia and unduly sensitiveness to sounds were noticed. She had cherry red spots in both fundi, and the serum hexosaminidase A activity was low. Significant clinical features during the next 3 years included regression of developmental milestones to the level of one month, and myoclonic and generalised seizures. After 3 years she showed megalencephaly, unstable body temperature, and respiratory disorders. Case 2 : a 2-year-6-month-old boy. His developmental milestones were normal until the age of 5 months. Then he manifested hyperreaction to noises and further developments ceased. He started to deteriorate from the age of 1 year and 2 months, and had no head control at the age of 1 year and 6 months. Cherry red spots were detected and the serum hexsosaminidase A activity was low, too. X-ray CT at the early stage of cases 1 and 2 showed mild cerebral atrophy and high density areas in bilateral thalami and basal ganglia. At the late stage of Case 1, high density areas appeared in occipital and frontal white matters. MRI in both patients were strikingly similar. In their grey matters, linear light areas were demonstrated on IR images. Their white matters showed extensive dark (long T 1 ) areas on IR images, and extensive light (long T 2 ) areas on SE images. Bilateral thalami and basal ganglia were light on IR images and dark on SE images. The findings of MRI in our patients seemed to correlate well with pathological and biochemical changes in their brains. (author)

Memory effects of transformation textures in steel and its prediction by the double Kurdjumov–Sachs relation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomida, T.; Wakita, M.; Yasuyama, M.; Sugaya, S.; Tomota, Y.; Vogel, S.C.

2013-01-01

The phenomenon that the transformation texture near the initial texture reproduces after the phase transformation cycle such as ferrite (α, body-centered cubic) → austenite (γ, face-centered cubic) → α is called a texture memory. In this study, the texture change in a 0.1% C–1% Mn hot-rolled steel sheet during the α → γ → α transformation cycle was studied via neutron diffraction and the transformation texture prediction based on a variant selection rule that we call the double Kurdjumov–Sachs (K–S) relation. The texture change observed by neutron diffraction, which clearly showed the texture memory, could be quantitatively reproduced by the proposed variant selection rule adopted into the calculation method based on the spherical harmonics expansion of orientation distribution functions. Therefore, it is most likely that the texture memory in steel is caused by the preferential selection of those K–S variants that reduce the interfacial energy between a precipitate and two adjoining parent phase grains at the same time, which we call the double K–S relation

Bianchi type-I universe in f(R, T) modified gravity with quark matter and Λ

Science.gov (United States)

Ćaǧlar, Halife; Aygün, Sezgin

2017-02-01

In this study, we investigate homogeneous and anisotropic Bianchi type I universe in the presence of quark matter source in f(R, T) gravity (Harko et al. in Phys. Rev. D 84:024020, 2011) with cosmological constant Λ (where R is the Ricci scalar and T is the trace of the energy momentum tensor). For this aim we have used the anisotropy feature of Bianchi type I universe and equation of states (EoS) of quark matter. We explore the exact solution f(R,T)=R+2f(T) model for Bianchi type I universe model. When t→∞, we get very small cosmological constant value, this result agrees with recent observations.

Hypertension In Type II Diabetes Mellitus In Jos University Teaching ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods: A cross-sectional study of hypertension in type II diabetic patients in Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria Results: Forty-two of the patients were hypertensive with only 28 (32.9%) previously diagnosed and were on treatment. Age of patient, duration of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy were significantly ...

Type of High School Predicts Academic Performance at University Better than Individual Differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Banai, Benjamin; Perin, Višnja

2016-01-01

Psychological correlates of academic performance have always been of high relevance to psychological research. The relation between psychometric intelligence and academic performance is one of the most consistent and well-established findings in psychology. It is hypothesized that intelligence puts a limit on what an individual can learn or achieve. Moreover, a growing body of literature indicates a relationship between personality traits and academic performance. This relationship helps us to better understand how an individual will learn or achieve their goals. The aim of this study is to further investigate the relationship between psychological correlates of academic performance by exploring the potentially moderating role of prior education. The participants in this study differed in the type of high school they attended. They went either to gymnasium, a general education type of high school that prepares students specifically for university studies, or to vocational school, which prepares students both for the labour market and for further studies. In this study, we used archival data of psychological testing during career guidance in the final year of high school, and information about the university graduation of those who received guidance. The psychological measures included intelligence, personality and general knowledge. The results show that gymnasium students had greater chances of performing well at university, and that this relationship exceeds the contribution of intelligence and personality traits to university graduation. Moreover, psychological measures did not interact with type of high school, which indicates that students from different school types do not profit from certain individual characteristics.

Tay-Sachs disease in an Arab family due to c.78G>A HEXA nonsense mutation encoding a p.W26X early truncation enzyme peptide.

Science.gov (United States)

Haghighi, Alireza; Masri, Amira; Kornreich, Ruth; Desnick, Robert J

2011-12-01

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD), a pan-ethnic, autosomal recessive, neurodegenerative, lysosomal disease, results from deficient β-hexosaminidase A activity due to β-hexosaminidase α-subunit (HEXA) mutations. Prenatal/premarital carrier screening programs in the Ashkenazi Jewish community have markedly reduced disease occurrence. We report the first Jordanian Arab TSD patient diagnosed by deficient β-hexosaminidase A activity. HEXA mutation analysis revealed homozygosity for a nonsense mutation, c.78G>A (p.W26X). Previously reported in Arab patients, this mutation is a candidate for TSD screening in Arab populations. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stability conditions for the Bianchi type II anisotropically inflating universes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kao, W.F.; Lin, Ing-Chen

2009-01-01

Stability conditions for a class of anisotropically inflating solutions in the Bianchi type II background space are shown explicitly in this paper. These inflating solutions were known to break the cosmic no-hair theorem such that they do not approach the de Sitter universe at large times. It can be shown that unstable modes of the anisotropic perturbations always exist for this class of expanding solutions. As a result, we show that these set of anisotropically expanding solutions are unstable against anisotropic perturbations in the Bianchi type II space

Peculiar velocity measurement in a clumpy universe

Science.gov (United States)

Habibi, Farhang; Baghram, Shant; Tavasoli, Saeed

Aims: In this work, we address the issue of peculiar velocity measurement in a perturbed Friedmann universe using the deviations from measured luminosity distances of standard candles from background FRW universe. We want to show and quantify the statement that in intermediate redshifts (0.5 deviations from the background FRW model are not uniquely governed by peculiar velocities. Luminosity distances are modified by gravitational lensing. We also want to indicate the importance of relativistic calculations for peculiar velocity measurement at all redshifts. Methods: For this task, we discuss the relativistic correction on luminosity distance and redshift measurement and show the contribution of each of the corrections as lensing term, peculiar velocity of the source and Sachs-Wolfe effect. Then, we use the SNe Ia sample of Union 2, to investigate the relativistic effects, we consider. Results: We show that, using the conventional peculiar velocity method, that ignores the lensing effect, will result in an overestimate of the measured peculiar velocities at intermediate redshifts. Here, we quantify this effect. We show that at low redshifts the lensing effect is negligible compare to the effect of peculiar velocity. From the observational point of view, we show that the uncertainties on luminosity of the present SNe Ia data prevent us from precise measuring the peculiar velocities even at low redshifts (z < 0.2).

Adeno-Associated Virus Gene Therapy in a Sheep Model of Tay-Sachs Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray-Edwards, Heather L; Randle, Ashley N; Maitland, Stacy A; Benatti, Hector R; Hubbard, Spencer M; Canning, Peter F; Vogel, Matthew B; Brunson, Brandon L; Hwang, Misako; Ellis, Lauren E; Bradbury, Allison M; Gentry, Atoska S; Taylor, Amanda R; Wooldridge, Anne A; Wilhite, Dewey R; Winter, Randolph L; Whitlock, Brian K; Johnson, Jacob A; Holland, Merilee; Salibi, Nouha; Beyers, Ronald J; Sartin, James L; Denney, Thomas S; Cox, Nancy R; Sena-Esteves, Miguel; Martin, Douglas R

2018-03-01

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a deficiency of the enzyme hexosaminidase A (HexA). TSD also occurs in sheep, the only experimental model of TSD that has clinical signs of disease. The natural history of sheep TSD was characterized using serial neurological evaluations, 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging, echocardiograms, electrodiagnostics, and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. Intracranial gene therapy was also tested using AAVrh8 monocistronic vectors encoding the α-subunit of Hex (TSD α) or a mixture of two vectors encoding both the α and β subunits separately (TSD α + β) injected at high (1.3 × 10 13 vector genomes) or low (4.2 × 10 12 vector genomes) dose. Delay of symptom onset and/or reduction of acquired symptoms were noted in all adeno-associated virus-treated sheep. Postmortem evaluation showed superior HexA and vector genome distribution in the brain of TSD α + β sheep compared to TSD α sheep, but spinal cord distribution was low in all groups. Isozyme analysis showed superior HexA formation after treatment with both vectors (TSD α + β), and ganglioside clearance was most widespread in the TSD α + β high-dose sheep. Microglial activation and proliferation in TSD sheep-most prominent in the cerebrum-were attenuated after gene therapy. This report demonstrates therapeutic efficacy for TSD in the sheep brain, which is on the same order of magnitude as a child's brain.

Tay-Sachs Carrier Screening by Enzyme and Molecular Analyses in the New York City Minority Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Nikita; Lazarin, Gabriel A; Spiegel, Erica; Berentsen, Kathleen; Brennan, Kelly; Giordano, Jessica; Haque, Imran S; Wapner, Ronald

2016-09-01

Carrier screening for Tay-Sachs disease is performed by sequence analysis of the HEXA gene and/or hexosaminidase A enzymatic activity testing. Enzymatic analysis (EA) has been suggested as the optimal carrier screening method, especially in non-Ashkenazi Jewish (non-AJ) individuals, but its utilization and efficacy have not been fully evaluated in the general population. This study assesses the reliability of EA in comparison with HEXA sequence analysis in non-AJ populations. Five hundred eight Hispanic and African American patients (516 samples) had EA of their leukocytes performed and 12 of these patients who tested positive by EA ("carriers") had subsequent HEXA gene sequencing performed. Of the 508 patients, 25 (4.9%) were EA positive and 40 (7.9%) were inconclusive. Of the 12 patients who were sequenced, 11 did not carry a pathogenic variant and one carried a likely deleterious mutation (NM_000520.4(HEXA):c.1510C>T). High inconclusive rates and poor correlation between positive/inconclusive enzyme results and identification of pathogenic mutations suggest that ethnic-specific recalibration of reference ranges for EA may be necessary. Alternatively, HEXA gene sequencing could be performed.

Magnification-temperature correlation: The dark side of integrated Sachs-Wolfe measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LoVerde, Marilena; Hui, Lam; Gaztanaga, Enrique

2007-01-01

Integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) measurements, which involve cross-correlating the microwave background anisotropies with the foreground large-scale structure (e.g. traced by galaxies/quasars), have proven to be an interesting probe of dark energy. We show that magnification bias, which is the inevitable modulation of the foreground number counts by gravitational lensing, alters both the scale dependence and amplitude of the observed ISW signal. This is true especially at high redshifts because (1) the intrinsic galaxy-temperature signal diminishes greatly back in the matter-dominated era, (2) the lensing efficiency increases with redshift and (3) the number count slope generally steepens with redshift in a magnitude limited sample. At z > or approx. 2, the magnification-temperature correlation dominates over the intrinsic galaxy-temperature correlation and causes the observed ISW signal to increase with redshift, despite dark energy subdominance--a result of the fact that magnification probes structures all the way from the observer to the sources. Ignoring magnification bias therefore can lead to (significantly) erroneous conclusions about dark energy. While the lensing modulation opens up an interesting high z window for ISW measurements, high redshift measurements are not expected to add much new information to low redshift ones if dark energy is indeed the cosmological constant. This is because lensing introduces significant covariance across redshifts. The most compelling reasons for pursuing high redshift ISW measurements are to look for potential surprises such as early dark energy domination or signatures of modified gravity. We conclude with a discussion of existing measurements, the highest redshift of which is at the margin of being sensitive to the magnification effect. We also develop a formalism which might be of more general interest: to predict biases in estimating parameters when certain physical effects are ignored in interpreting observations

Cosmological evolution of a brane Universe in a type 0 string background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papantonopoulos, E.; Pappa, I.

2002-01-01

We study the cosmological evolution of a D3-brane Universe in a type 0 string background. We follow the brane universe along the radial coordinate of the background and we calculate the energy density which is induced on the brane because of its motion in the bulk. For constant values of tachyon and dilaton an inflationary phase is appearing. For non constant values of tachyon and dilaton and for a particular range of values of the scale factor of the brane-universe, the effective energy density is dominated by a term proportional to 1/(log α) 4 indicating a slowly varying inflationary phase

Tay-Sachs disease mutations in HEXA target the α chain of hexosaminidase A to endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dersh, Devin; Iwamoto, Yuichiro; Argon, Yair

2016-12-01

Loss of function of the enzyme β-hexosaminidase A (HexA) causes the lysosomal storage disorder Tay-Sachs disease (TSD). It has been proposed that mutations in the α chain of HexA can impair folding, enzyme assembly, and/or trafficking, yet there is surprisingly little known about the mechanisms of these potential routes of pathogenesis. We therefore investigated the biosynthesis and trafficking of TSD-associated HexA α mutants, seeking to identify relevant cellular quality control mechanisms. The α mutants E482K and G269S are defective in enzymatic activity, unprocessed by lysosomal proteases, and exhibit altered folding pathways compared with wild-type α. E482K is more severely misfolded than G269S, as observed by its aggregation and inability to associate with the HexA β chain. Importantly, both mutants are retrotranslocated from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the cytosol and are degraded by the proteasome, indicating that they are cleared via ER-associated degradation (ERAD). Leveraging these discoveries, we observed that manipulating the cellular folding environment or ERAD pathways can alter the kinetics of mutant α degradation. Additionally, growth of patient fibroblasts at a permissive temperature or with chemical chaperones increases cellular Hex activity by improving mutant α folding. Therefore modulation of the ER quality control systems may be a potential therapeutic route for improving some forms of TSD. © 2016 Dersh et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Universal smoking installation of rotary type

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aminov V. A.

2017-11-01

Full Text Available According to the research carried out by the authors the most technological installations for producing meat and fish products are oriented only on one type of raw material (meat or fish, as well as the kind of smoking (cold or hot. Limitations are related to the maximum temperature of the drying agent that affects the product; presence of the system for maintaining the relative humidity of the air mixture; presence of the smoke cooling system coming from the smoke generator and a number of other factors. Enterprises expanding the range of products are forced to purchase new equipment. With a limited production area especially for small businesses this is not convenient. In the paper, a universal smoking installation of the rotor type (USIRT is considered for the production of both meat and fish products using cold or hot smoking. The installation is oriented to a wide range of products. The presence of the smoke cooling system will allow the production of cold smoking products, the presence of the dehumidification and humidification system for the smoke-air mixture will ensure the maintenance of the required technological regime for producing fish and meat products. Based on the example of cold smoking studies have shown that the duration of the process should be reduced while maintaining the quality of the product. For this purpose, ultrasonic (US vibrations have been applied to the smoke-air mixture in USIRT. The studies have been carried out to identify the best type of ultrasound radiators capable of transmitting vibrations of the installation metal surface and from it to pass into the smoke-air mixture in order to intensify the process of cold smoking. The necessary power of ultrasonic generators has been determined. Comparative results of technological processes with the application of ultrasound in the production of fish products have been presented.

Bianchi type I universe in brane world scenario with non-zero Weyl tensor of the bulk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chaudhuri, S. [University of Burdwan, Department of Physics, Burdwan (India)

2017-09-15

In the paper, we present exact solutions of gravitational field equations for an anisotropic brane with a Bianchi type I universe with perfect fluid having non-vanishing Weyl tensor of the bulk. It is assumed that the thermodynamic pressure bears a linear relation with the energy density. For a particular non-zero value of the pressure the solutions are obtained in an exact analytic form with and without the cosmological constant for a Bianchi type I universe. The relevant physical quantities associated with the evolution of the universe are also derived in the two cases. (orig.)

Propagators for a scalar field in some Bianchi-type I universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nariai, Hidekazu.

1976-05-01

As a sequel to previous papers on bi-scalar propagators in the Friedmann universes and a special Kasner universe (whose underlying space-time is flat), their counterparts for a massless scalar field in some Bianchi-type I universe (which is intrinsically curved and anisotropic) are derived by means of Hadamard's procedure and ours, the latter of which becomes inevitable in the realm of quantized field. The retarded propagator thus obtained is applied to the generation of the scalar field from a point source and a spatially uniform distribution of sources, respectively. In the former case, the luminosity formula for a point source is derived, which is an anisotropic version of Robertson's formula in the Friedmann universes. In the latter case, it is shown that the scalar field may behave as either a perfect fluid obeying Zel'dovich's hardest equation of state or an imperfect fluid whose equation of state violates the energy condition. Implication of the above three works on the occasion of quantizing the scalar field is also touched upon. (auth.)

Psychological Type and Undergraduate Student Achievement in Pharmacy Course in Military Medical University

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Ru; Shan, Shou-qin; Tian, Jian-quan

2007-01-01

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was given to 264 students in an undergraduate Pharmacy course at a military medical university. Selected MBTI personality types were compared for achievement in the course using a t-test to compare total points earned. High grades were earned by students stronger in the traits of introversion (I) and judgment…

Bianchi Type-V universe with a viscous fluid and Λ-term

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

conclusion that the Big Bang singularity occurs in the infinite past. The solutions for open, closed and flat universes have been found by Santos et al [10] under the assumption that the bulk viscosity (ξ) is a power function of energy density (ρ). The nature of cosmological solutions for homogeneous Bianchi Type-I model was.

[beta]-hexosaminidase isozymes from cells cotransfected with [alpha] and [beta] cDNA constructs: Analysis of the [alpha]-subunit missense mutation associated with the adult form of Tay-Sachs disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, C.A.; Mahuran, D.J. (Univ. of Toronto (Canada))

1993-08-01

In vitro mutagenesis and transient expression in COS cells has been used to associate a missense mutation with a clinical or biochemical phenotype. Mutations affecting the [alpha]-subunit of [beta]-hexosaminidase A ([alpha][beta]) (E.C.3.2.1.52) result in Tay-Sachs disease. Because hexosaminidase A is heterodimeric, analysis of [alpha]-chain mutations is not straightforward. The authors examine three approaches utilizing previously identified mutations affecting [alpha]-chain folding. These involve transfection of (1) the [alpha] cDNA alone; (2) a [beta] cDNA construct encoding a [beta]-subunit substituted at a position homologous to that of the [alpha]-subunit, and (3) both [alpha] and [beta] cDNAs. The latter two procedures amplified residual activity levels over that of patient samples, an effect not previously found with mutations affecting an [open quotes]active[close quotes] [alpha]Arg residue. This effect may help to discriminate between protein-folding and active-site mutations. The authors conclude that, with proper controls, the latter method of cotransfection can be used to evaluate the effects and perhaps to predict the clinical course of some [alpha]-chain mutations. Using this technique, they demonstrate that the adult-onset Tay-Sachs mutation, [alpha]Gly[yields]Ser[sup 269], does not directly affect [alpha][beta] dimerization but exerts an indirect effect on the dimer through destabilizing the folded [alpha]-subunit at physiological temperatures. Two other [alpha] mutations linked to more severe phenotypes appear to inhibit the initial folding of the subunit. 36 refs., 2 figs., 5 tabs.

Planck 2015 results: XXI. The integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Arnaud, M.; Ashdown, M.; Aumont, J.

2016-01-01

Here, this paper presents a study of the integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect from the Planck 2015 temperature and polarization data release. This secondary cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy caused by the large-scale time-evolving gravitational potential is probed from different perspectives. The CMB is cross-correlated with different large-scale structure (LSS) tracers: radio sources from the NVSS catalogue; galaxies from the optical SDSS and the infrared WISE surveys; and the Planck 2015 convergence lensing map. The joint cross-correlation of the CMB with the tracers yields a detection at 4σ where most of the signal-to-noise is due to the Planck lensing and the NVSS radio catalogue. In fact, the ISW effect is detected from the Planck data only at ≈3σ (through the ISW-lensing bispectrum), which is similar to the detection level achieved by combining the cross-correlation signal coming from all the galaxy catalogues mentioned above. We study the ability of the ISW effect to place constraints on the dark-energy parameters; in particular, we show that Ω Λ is detected at more than 3σ. This cross-correlation analysis is performed only with the Planck temperature data, since the polarization scales available in the 2015 release do not permit significant improvement of the CMB-LSS cross-correlation detectability. Nevertheless, the Planck polarization data are used to study the anomalously large ISW signal previously reported through the aperture photometry on stacked CMB features at the locations of known superclusters and supervoids, which is in conflict with ΛCDM expectations. We find that the current Planck polarization data do not exclude that this signal could be caused by the ISW effect. In addition, the stacking of the Planck lensing map on the locations of superstructures exhibits a positive cross-correlation with these large-scale structures. Finally, we have improved our previous reconstruction of the ISW temperature fluctuations by combining

Anisotropic Bianchi Type-III Bulk Viscous Fluid Universe in Lyra Geometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priyanka Kumari

2013-01-01

Full Text Available An anisotropic Bianchi type-III cosmological model is investigated in the presence of a bulk viscous fluid within the framework of Lyra geometry with time-dependent displacement vector. It is shown that the field equations are solvable for any arbitrary function of a scale factor. To get the deterministic model of the universe, we have assumed that (i a simple power-law form of a scale factor and (ii the bulk viscosity coefficient are proportional to the energy density of the matter. The exact solutions of the Einstein’s field equations are obtained which represent an expanding, shearing, and decelerating model of the universe. Some physical and kinematical behaviors of the cosmological model are briefly discussed.

Annotated catalogue of the types of Braconidae (Hymenoptera) in the Oxford University Museum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Achterberg, van C.; O'Toole, C.

1993-01-01

An annotated catalogue of the types of Braconidae in the Hope Entomological Collections, University Museum, Oxford, is given. The following new combinations are proposed: Aleiodes rothneyi (Shenefelt, 1975); Aniphiaulax agraensis (Cameron, 1897); Balcemena ruficollis (Cameron, 1899); Bicarinibracon

Transient HEXA expression in a transformed human fetal Tay-Sachs disease neuroglial cell line

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernandes, M.J.; Hechtman, P.; Kaplan, F. [McGill Univ., Quebec (Canada)] [and others

1994-09-01

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is a severe neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of GM{sub 2} ganglioside in the neurons of the central cortex. The recessively inherited disorder results from deficiency of hexosaminidase A (Hex A), a heterodimer of an {alpha} and {beta} subunit encoded by the HEXA and HEXB genes. Expression of HEXA mutations in COS cells has several disadvantages including high endogenous hexosaminidase activity. We report a new transient expression system with very low endogenous Hex A activity. An SV40-transformed fetal TSD neuroglial cell line was assessed for transient expression of the HEXA gene. pCMV{alpha}, a vector incorporating the cytomegalovirus promoter with the human {alpha}-subunit cDNA insert, proved to be the most efficient expression vector. Transfection of 4x10{sup 6} cells with 5-20 {mu}g of plasmid resulted in 100 to 500-fold Hex A activity (4MUGS hydrolysis) relative to mock-transfected cells. Use of pCMV{beta}-Gal as a control for transfection efficiency indicated that 10-20% of cells were transfected. Hex A specific activity increased for at least 72 h post-transfection. This new transient expression system should greatly improve the characterization of mutations in which low levels of HEXA expression result in milder clinical phenotypes and permit studies on enzymatic properties of mutant forms of Hex A. Since the cells used are of CNS origin and synthesize gangliosides, it should also be possible to study, in culture, the metabolic phenotype associated with TSD.

Type II universal spacetimes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hervik, S.; Málek, Tomáš; Pravda, Vojtěch; Pravdová, Alena

2015-01-01

Roč. 32, č. 24 (2015), s. 245012 ISSN 0264-9381 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-10042S Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : einstein spacetimes * generalized gravities * universal spacetimes Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 2.837, year: 2015 http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0264-9381/32/24/245012

Development of hybrid solar-assisted cooling/heating system

KAUST Repository

Huang, B.J.; Wu, J.H.; Hsu, H.Y.; Wang, J.H.

2010-01-01

A solar-assisted ejector cooling/heating system (SACH) was developed in this study. The SACH combines a pump-less ejector cooling system (ECS) with an inverter-type heat pump (R22) and is able to provide a stable capacity for space cooling. The ECS is driven by solar heat and is used to cool the condenser of the R22 heat pump to increase its COP and reduce the energy consumption of the compressor by regulating the rotational speed of the compressor through a control system. In a complete SACH system test run at outdoor temperature 35 °C, indoor temperature 25 °C and compressor speed 20-80 Hz, and the ECS operating at generator temperature 90 °C and condensing temperature 37 °C, the corresponding condensing temperature of the heat pump in the SACH is 24.5-42 °C, cooling capacity 1.02-2.44 kW, input power 0.20-0.98 kW, and cooling COPc 5.11-2.50. This indicates that the use of ECS in SACH can effectively reduce the condensing temperature of the heat pump by 12.6-7.3 °C and reduce the power consumption by 81.2-34.5%. The SACH can also supply heat from the heat pump. At ambient temperature from 5 °C to 35 °C, the heating COPh is in the range 2.0-3.3. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of hybrid solar-assisted cooling/heating system

KAUST Repository

Huang, B.J.

2010-08-01

A solar-assisted ejector cooling/heating system (SACH) was developed in this study. The SACH combines a pump-less ejector cooling system (ECS) with an inverter-type heat pump (R22) and is able to provide a stable capacity for space cooling. The ECS is driven by solar heat and is used to cool the condenser of the R22 heat pump to increase its COP and reduce the energy consumption of the compressor by regulating the rotational speed of the compressor through a control system. In a complete SACH system test run at outdoor temperature 35 °C, indoor temperature 25 °C and compressor speed 20-80 Hz, and the ECS operating at generator temperature 90 °C and condensing temperature 37 °C, the corresponding condensing temperature of the heat pump in the SACH is 24.5-42 °C, cooling capacity 1.02-2.44 kW, input power 0.20-0.98 kW, and cooling COPc 5.11-2.50. This indicates that the use of ECS in SACH can effectively reduce the condensing temperature of the heat pump by 12.6-7.3 °C and reduce the power consumption by 81.2-34.5%. The SACH can also supply heat from the heat pump. At ambient temperature from 5 °C to 35 °C, the heating COPh is in the range 2.0-3.3. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation of science production in Iran’s type I universities of medical sciences, a 6-year assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Yadollahi

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Science production is one of the main dimensions of sustainable development in any country. Thus, universities as the major centers for science production play a key role in development. The present study aimed to assess the trend of science production in Iran’s type I universities of medical sciences from 2007 to 2012. Method: In this study, the universities’ scores of empowering, governance and leadership, science production, student researches, and number of published articles were computed based on the evaluations of universities of medical sciences by the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education from 2007 to 2012. Then, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the figures were drawn by Excel software. Results: This study assessed science production in Iran’s type I universities of medical sciences and analyzed each university’s proportion in publication of articles. According to the results, most of the published articles were affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. However, considering the role of number of faculty members, different results were obtained. With respect to the evaluation raw scores, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences showed a considerable reduction of scores in 2012, while other universities had a constant or ascending trend. Besides, indexed articles followed an ascending trend in all the universities and most of the articles had been published in index 1. Conclusion: Similar to other studies, the findings of this study revealed an increase in science productions in Iran through the recent years. Yet, the highest scores of the studied indexes, except for student researches, were related to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. This great difference between this university and other universities might be due to accumulation of specific potentials and forces in this region. Overall, science productions followed an ascending trend in all type I universities of

Molecular characterization of both alleles in an unusual Tay-Sachs disease BI variant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coulter-Mackie, M.B. (Univ. of Western Ontario, London (Canada) Child Health Research Institute, Children' s Hospital of Western Ontario, London (Canada) Child Parent Resource Institute, London, Ontario (Canada))

1994-06-01

In a recent report, the authors described an exon 6 mutation in a Tay-Sachs B1 variant patient, first reported by Gordon et al. (1988), who displayed a typical B1 variant biochemical phenotype - i.e., (a) significant levels of hexosaminidase A (Hex A) activity in an assay with a neutral synthetic substrate, 4-methylumbelliferyl-[beta]-N-acetylglucosamide, and (b) <2% of control Hex A in a test on the sulfated substrate, 4-methylumbelliferyl-[beta]-N-acetylglucosamide-6-sulfate. The patient was found to carry a double mutation (G[sub 574][yields]C [val[sub 192][yields]leu] and G[sub 598][yields]A [val[sub 200][yields]met]) inherited from her mother. Only the 574 mutation produced a deleterious effect on Hex A activity in transfected COS0-1 cells, producing a B1 variant biochemical phenotype. The paternal allele apparently caused decreased abundance of mRNA, since no candidate paternal mutations were found in cloned reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) products in the reported study. The biochemical phenotype of the original patient and the properties of the cDNA carrying the G[sub 574] [yields] C mutation in transient expression studies were compatible with a B1 variant mutation. The possibility remained that there might be some contribution from the paternal allele to the patient's phenotype. However, the paternal allele produces relatively low yields of a largely mis-spliced mRNA whose product would not be functional. Therefore, the G[sub 574] [yields] C (val[yields]leu) mutation in the maternal allele is clearly confirmed as a B1 variant mutation with all the ramifications for the substrate binding site and/or catalytic center that this implies.

Large-angle cosmic microwave background anisotropies in an open universe

Science.gov (United States)

Kamionkowski, Marc; Spergel, David N.

1994-01-01

If the universe is open, scales larger than the curvature scale may be probed by observation of large-angle fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). We consider primordial adiabatic perturbations and discuss power spectra that are power laws in volume, wavelength, and eigenvalue of the Laplace operator. Such spectra may have arisen if, for example, the universe underwent a period of `frustated' inflation. The resulting large-angle anisotropies of the CMB are computed. The amplitude generally increases as Omega is decreased but decreases as h is increased. Interestingly enough, for all three Ansaetze, anisotropies on angular scales larger than the curvature scale are suppressed relative to the anisotropies on scales smaller than the curvature scale, but cosmic variance makes discrimination between various models difficult. Models with 0.2 approximately less than Omega h approximately less than 0.3 appear compatible with CMB fluctuations detected by Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite (COBE) and the Tenerife experiment and with the amplitude and spectrum of fluctuations of galaxy counts in the APM, CfA, and 1.2 Jy IRAS surveys. COBE normalization for these models yields sigma(sub 8) approximately = 0.5 - 0.7. Models with smaller values of Omega h when normalized to COBE require bias factors in excess of 2 to be compatible with the observed galaxy counts on the 8/h Mpc scale. Requiring that the age of the universe exceed 10 Gyr implies that Omega approximately greater than 0.25, while requiring that from the last-scattering term in the Sachs-Wolfe formula, large-angle anisotropies come primarily from the decay of potential fluctuations at z approximately less than 1/Omega. Thus, if the universe is open, COBE has been detecting temperature fluctuations produced at moderate redshift rather than at z approximately 1300.

Mortality incidence estimation using federal death certificate and natality data with an application to Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Jalal, Kabir; Carter, Randy L

2015-09-01

For confidentiality reasons, US federal death certificate data are incomplete with regards to the dates of birth and death for the decedents, making calculation of total lifetime of a decedent impossible and thus estimation of mortality incidence difficult. This paper proposes the use of natality data and an imputation-based method to estimate age-specific mortality incidence rates in the face of this missing information. By utilizing previously determined probabilities of birth, a birth date and death date are imputed for every decedent in the dataset. Thus, the birth cohort of each individual is imputed, and the total on-study time can be calculated. This idea is implemented in two approaches for estimation of mortality incidence rates. The first is an extension of a person-time approach, while the second is an extension of a life table approach. Monte Carlo simulations showed that both approaches perform well in comparison to the ideal complete data methods, but that the person-time method is preferred. An application to Tay-Sachs disease is demonstrated. It is concluded that the imputation methods proposed provide valid estimates of the incidence of death from death certificate data without the need for additional assumptions under which usual mortality rates provide valid estimates. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Is higher-derivative gravity a good therapy to the causal pathologies of Goedel-type universes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Accioly, A.J.

1988-01-01

The possibility of considering higher-derivative gravity as a therapy to the causal pathologies of Goedel-type universes is investigated. As a consequence an unusual cosmological solution is obtained. (author) [pt

12 CFR 1.130 - Type II securities; guidelines for obligations issued for university and housing purposes.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... CURRENCY, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY INVESTMENT SECURITIES Interpretations § 1.130 Type II securities... financing the construction or improvement of facilities at or used by a university or a degree-granting... construction or improvement of facilities used by a hospital may be eligible as a Type II security, if the...

Typing Compared with Handwriting for Essay Examinations at University: Letting the Students Choose

Science.gov (United States)

Mogey, Nora; Paterson, Jessie; Burk, John; Purcell, Michael

2010-01-01

Students at the University of Edinburgh do almost all their work on computers, but at the end of the semester they are examined by handwritten essays. Intuitively it would be appealing to allow students the choice of handwriting or typing, but this raises a concern that perhaps this might not be "fair"--that the choice a student makes,…

The relationship between childhood trauma and type D personality in university students.

Science.gov (United States)

Demirci, Kadir; Yıldız, Mesut; Selvi, Cansu; Akpınar, Abdullah

2016-09-01

There has been increasing evidence that childhood traumas are related to reduced health-related quality of life, neurobiological changes and long-term adverse effects, such as an increase in the likelihood of psychiatric disorders in adulthoods. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between childhood traumas and type D personality. In total, 187 university students (64 males and 123 females; mean age = 21.69 ± 2.00) were included in the study. All participants were evaluated using the Type D Personality Scale (DS-14), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-28) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The participants were divided into the two groups according to the presence of type D personality. Then, statistical analyses were performed. The frequency of type D personality in participants was 43.3% (n = 81). The emotional neglect, physical neglect, emotional abuse component of the CTQ-28, total CTQ-28 scores and BDI scores were higher in the group with type D personality than in the group without type D personality (p personality scores and BDI scores, emotional neglect, physical neglect, emotional abuse and childhood trauma total scores (p Childhood trauma may be associated with type D personality, and there is predictive value of the childhood trauma on the scores of type D personality. © The Author(s) 2016.

Universal properties of type IIB and F-theory flux compactifications at large complex structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsh, M.C. David; Sousa, Kepa

2016-01-01

We consider flux compactifications of type IIB string theory and F-theory in which the respective superpotentials at large complex structure are dominated by cubic or quartic terms in the complex structure moduli. In this limit, the low-energy effective theory exhibits universal properties that are insensitive to the details of the compactification manifold or the flux configuration. Focussing on the complex structure and axio-dilaton sector, we show that there are no vacua in this region and the spectrum of the Hessian matrix is highly peaked and consists only of three distinct eigenvalues (0, 2m 3/2 2 and 8m 3/2 2 ), independently of the number of moduli. We briefly comment on how the inclusion of Kähler moduli affect these findings. Our results generalise those of Brodie & Marsh http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP01(2016)037, in which these universal properties were found in a subspace of the large complex structure limit of type IIB compactifications.

Geodesic in Godel type universes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galvao, M.O.

1985-01-01

We find out the timelike and null geodesics of a certain family of Goedel-like universes, carrying out, at first, a qualitative analysis through the method of the effective potential and, subsequently, proceeding to the exact integration of the equations of motion. (author) [pt

Teaching Monologue Type of Language in a Technical University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandras Velička

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The article deals with a very urgent issue of the methods of teaching foreign languages – teaching monologue type of language in a technical university. The author analyses psychological and linguistic aspects of monologue as a subject of teaching and what could influence scientifically motivated selection of teaching methods. There are three stages of teaching monologue. They comprise the ability to speak monologue as well as the process of gaining the skills – from elementary to intermediate and advanced. The article presents a number of recommendations for practice. The main principles of the article are based on the author‘s practical experience in the teaching process as well as on the analysis of scientific data in the field. The findings could be useful for practice and theory in the field.

Assessing the potential success of cystic fibrosis carrier screening: lessons learned from Tay-Sachs disease and beta-thalassemia.

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Laberge, A-M; Watts, C; Porter, K; Burke, W

2010-01-01

The objective of this study was to identify factors involved in the success of 2 well-established population-based carrier screening programs - Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) in Ashkenazi Jews and beta-thalassemia in Sardinia and Cyprus - and to assess the potential for success of a population-based cystic fibrosis (CF) carrier screening strategy using these factors. We performed a literature review and key informant interviews. Factors involved in the success of TSD and beta-thalassemia carrier screening programs include disease characteristics (well-defined population at risk, severe disease with predictable course, availability of effective treatment), test characteristics (high sensitivity, straightforward interpretation of results), and community characteristics (involvement of community, support of families and advocacy groups, consensus in favor of avoiding affected births). Current CF screening strategies include few of the factors listed above. Unlike TSD and beta-thalassemia, the purpose of current CF carrier screening strategies is informed reproductive decision-making, without an explicit goal of reducing disease incidence. When compared to TSD and beta-thalassemia, CF is a less favorable candidate for population-based carrier screening. Because of its different purpose, CF carrier screening will require different measures of success than those used for TSD and beta-thalassemia carrier screening, and a consensus on the value or success of CF carrier screening may be difficult to achieve.

The universal service in the future of network-type industries: telecommunications, electricity, postal services

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bremond, Celine Clelia

2003-01-01

The notion of universal service emerged in the European regulation of the telecommunications sector, and can be applied to all network-type industries. Public monopolies have been put into question again. The introduction of deregulation and competitiveness were expected to improve the service provided to the end consumer, but this deregulation has been also put into question again for matters of universality and equity. Then the issue of financing of these services emerges. The aim of this research thesis is therefore to identify which funding modes can be optimal, and to identify a general methodology for all network-type industries. In the first part of this research thesis, the author studies the cost of universal service obligations. She explains the general methodology of calculation of this cost, and reports this calculation while taking indirect benefits of the operator into account. In a second part, she studies the modalities of financing thus calculated cost by describing the different possible modalities, their benefits and drawbacks, and by presenting a comparison between these methodologies according to three criteria: those set by the European Commission, welfare, and applicability. For these different topics, the author takes all experiments and recent developments into account. These experiments and developments are noticed in different countries: USA, Australia, UK, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Italy, France

Prader-Willi syndrome and Tay-Sachs disease in association with mixed maternal uniparental isodisomy and heterodisomy 15 in a girl who also had isochromosome Xq.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeesman, Susan; McCready, Elizabeth; Sadikovic, Bekim; Nowaczyk, Małgorzata Jm

2015-01-01

Malsegregation of chromosomes during reproduction can result in uniparental disomy when associated with trisomy rescue, monosomy rescue or gamete complementation. Pathogenicity stemming from uniparental disomy in liveborns results from imprinting disorders or autozygosity for autosomal recessive disorders. We report on a girl with Prader-Willi syndrome and Tay-Sachs disease resulting from maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 15. The child also had an isochromosome Xq. To further characterize the etiology of the aberrant chromosome 15 and the isochromosome Xq, SNP loci from both chromosomes were assessed in the proband and parents, and genome-wide DNA methylation analysis was performed. SNP and DNA methylation analysis confirmed maternal uniparental heterodisomy around the Prader-Willi locus, while the region around the HEXA locus showed maternal uniparental isodisomy. This result is consistent with trisomy rescue of a maternal meiosis l error in a chromosome 15 with two meiotic recombinations. SNP analysis of the X chromosomes is consistent with a maternal origin for the isochromosome. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Study of the Types of Organizational Structure in Venezuelan University Institutes

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Rafael Antonio Pertuz Belloso

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This study aimed at identifying the type of organizational structure of Venezuelan university institutes. It is a field investigation of a descriptive nature with a non-experimental transactional field design. We worked with a population sample consisting of a director, assistant directors, academic assistant directors and eighty-eight teachers from technological institutes in Cabimas and Maracaibo in Venezuela. A survey, in the form of a questionnaire, was used as the data collection technique, which included 24 items, validated by 5 experts, with Cronbach Alpha reliability of 0.93. The data analysis technique utilized was the percentage frequency distribution. The results indicated the coexistence of bureaucratic structural typologies; departmental and simple. An implementation of a structural migration strategy to the implementation of a matrix-type structure is recommended.

Tay Sachs disease in Australia: reduced disease incidence despite stable carrier frequency in Australian Jews.

Science.gov (United States)

Lew, Raelia M; Proos, Anne L; Burnett, Leslie; Delatycki, Martin; Bankier, Agnes; Fietz, Michael J

2012-12-10

To evaluate the outcomes of preconception screening of Jewish Australians for Tay Sachs disease (TSD) carrier status on Jewish TSD-affected births. Epidemiological observational study involving a complete retrospective audit of infantile and intermediate TSD cases diagnosed in Sydney and Melbourne between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 2011 (Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne; Pacific Laboratory Medicine Services, Pathology North, NSW Health Pathology, Sydney; Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, Melbourne; and SA Pathology, Adelaide), and carrier frequency among Jewish high school students attending schools participating in TSD screening programs over the same period. Jewish TSD carrier frequency; and expected versus observed Jewish TSD-affected births. The 2006 Census indicated that most of the total 88,826 Jewish Australians live in Melbourne (46%) and Sydney (40%). The 7,756 Jewish high school students screened for TSD in Sydney and Melbourne during the study period had a carrier frequency of one in 31 (3.26%; 95% CI, 2.89%-3.68%).The estimated expected number of TSD-affected births in Melbourne and Sydney in 1995-2011 was 4.1 for Jewish births and 7.4 for other births (a ratio of Jewish to non-Jewish births of 1:2). The actual number was 12 (four in Sydney and eight in Melbourne), of which two were Jewish (a ratio of Jewish to non-Jewish births of 1:5). This finding of fewer than expected Jewish TSD cases coincided with a period during which screening programs were operating. There have been no Jewish TSD-affected children born to parents who were screened previously. Community education, appreciation of autosomal recessive inheritance and genetic carrier screening before pregnancy are the likely factors in our finding of fewer than expected Jewish babies with TSD. Ongoing outcome monitoring must continue.

Outbreak of OXA-48-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Involving a Sequence Type 101 Clone in Batna University Hospital, Algeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Loucif, Lotfi; Kassah-Laouar, Ahmed; Saidi, Mahdia; Messala, Amina; Chelaghma, Widad; Rolain, Jean-Marc

2016-12-01

Seven nonredundant ertapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were collected between May 2014 and 19 January 2015 in the nephrology and hematology units of Batna University Hospital in Algeria. All strains coproduced the bla OXA-48 , bla CTX-M-15 , bla SHV-1 , and bla TEM-1D genes. Six of these isolates belonged to the pandemic clone sequence type 101 (ST101). The bla OXA-48 gene was located on a conjugative IncL/M-type plasmid. This is the first known outbreak of OXA-48-producing K. pneumoniae isolates involving an ST101 clone in Batna University Hospital. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Tay-Sachs disease preconception screening in Australia: self-knowledge of being an Ashkenazi Jew predicts carrier state better than does ancestral origin, although there is an increased risk for c.1421 + 1G > C mutation in individuals with South African heritage

OpenAIRE

Lew, Raelia; Burnett, Leslie; Proos, Anné

2011-01-01

The Australasian Community Genetics Program provided a preconception screening for Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) to 4,105 Jewish high school students in Sydney and Melbourne over the 12-year period 1995–2007. By correlating the frequencies of mutant HEXA, MIM *606869 (gene map locus 15q23-q24) alleles with subjects’ nominated ethnicity (Ashkenazi/Sephardi/Mixed) and grandparental birthplaces, we established that Ashkenazi ethnicity is a better predictor of TSD carrier status than grandparental ance...

Imaging MALDI mass spectrometry using an oscillating capillary nebulizer matrix coating system and its application to analysis of lipids in brain from a mouse model of Tay-Sachs/Sandhoff disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yanfeng; Allegood, Jeremy; Liu, Ying; Wang, Elaine; Cachón-Gonzalez, Begoña; Cox, Timothy M; Merrill, Alfred H; Sullards, M Cameron

2008-04-15

The quality of tissue imaging by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) depends on the effectiveness of the matrix deposition, especially for lipids that may dissolve in the solvent used for the matrix application. This article describes the use of an oscillating capillary nebulizer (OCN) to spray small droplets of matrix aerosol onto the sample surface for improved matrix homogeneity, reduced crystal size, and controlled solvent effects. This system was then applied to the analysis of histological slices of brains from mice with homozygous disruption of the hexb gene (hexb-/-), a model of Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff disease, versus the functionally normal heterozygote (hexb+/-) by imaging MALDI-MS. This allowed profiling and localization of many different lipid species, and of particular interest, ganglioside GM2, asialo-GM2 (GA2), and sulfatides (ST). The presence of these compounds was confirmed by analysis of brain extracts using electrospray ionization in conjunction with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The major fatty acid of the ceramide backbone of both GM2 and GA2 was identified as stearic acid (18:0) versus nervonic acid (24:1) for ST by both tissue-imaging MS and ESI-MS/MS. GM2 and GA2 were highly elevated in hexb-/- and were both localized in the granular cell region of the cerebellum. ST, however, was localized mainly in myelinated fiber (white matter) region of the cerebellum as well as in the brain stem with a relatively uniform distribution and had similar relative signal intensity for both hexb+/- and hexb-/- brain. It was also observed that there were distinct localizations for numerous other lipid subclasses; hence, imaging MALDI-MS could be used for "lipidomic" studies. These results illustrate the usefulness of tissue-imaging MALDI-MS with matrix deposition by OCN for histologic comparison of lipids in tissues such as brains from this mouse model of Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff disease.

Vacuum system of tandem type electrostatic accelerator of Kyushu University

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakajima, Yutaka

1981-01-01

In the tandem type electrostatic accelerator of Kyushu University, the problem of vacuum in the beam transport system including the accelerator tube has been considered as one of the important elements for the performance of the electrostatic accelerator from the beginning of construction. Though the three-stage tandem accelerating scheme was considered as the beam transport system at the beginning of the program, in which the existing 6 MV Van de Graaf accelerator was to be used as the injector, three types of ion sources are prepared at present; the sputter ion source to generate negative heavy ions, the polarizing ion source to generate negative polarized protons or deuterons, and direct extraction type negative ion source. Ultrahigh evacuating system, in which the sputter ion pump is mainly employed, and the turbo-molecular pump is used supplementarily, was installed in the vacuum system. The vacuum of approximately 10 - 9 Torr level off-beam at the inlet or outlet of the accelerator tube and approximately 10 - 8 Torr level in the tubing section in the center terminal were achieved. Since the upper limit of withstand voltage of the accelerating tube was not able to be satisfied for the insufficient baking at the beginning, it was finally decided that the accelerating tube should be heated by directly supplying power to the electrode through low voltage discharge in the tube. This method enabled the generated voltage at the terminal to exceed 10 MV. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

Updated tomographic analysis of the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect and implications for dark energy

Science.gov (United States)

Stölzner, Benjamin; Cuoco, Alessandro; Lesgourgues, Julien; Bilicki, Maciej

2018-03-01

We derive updated constraints on the integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect through cross-correlation of the cosmic microwave background with galaxy surveys. We improve with respect to similar previous analyses in several ways. First, we use the most recent versions of extragalactic object catalogs, SDSS DR12 photometric redshift (photo-z ) and 2MASS Photo-z data sets, as well as those employed earlier for ISW, SDSS QSO photo-z and NVSS samples. Second, we use for the first time the WISE × SuperCOSMOS catalog, which allows us to perform an all-sky analysis of the ISW up to z ˜0.4 . Third, thanks to the use of photo-z s , we separate each data set into different redshift bins, deriving the cross-correlation in each bin. This last step leads to a significant improvement in sensitivity. We remove cross-correlation between catalogs using masks which mutually exclude common regions of the sky. We use two methods to quantify the significance of the ISW effect. In the first one, we fix the cosmological model, derive linear galaxy biases of the catalogs, and then evaluate the significance of the ISW using a single parameter. In the second approach we perform a global fit of the ISW and of the galaxy biases varying the cosmological model. We find significances of the ISW in the range 4.7 - 5.0 σ thus reaching, for the first time in such an analysis, the threshold of 5 σ . Without the redshift tomography we find a significance of ˜4.0 σ , which shows the importance of the binning method. Finally we use the ISW data to infer constraints on the dark energy redshift evolution and equation of state. We find that the redshift range covered by the catalogs is still not optimal to derive strong constraints, although this goal will be likely reached using future datasets such as from Euclid, LSST, and SKA.

Neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis, a type of amaurotic family idiocy: clinical and pathological study of four cases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciano de Souza Queiroz

1974-03-01

Full Text Available Neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis (NCL is a recent term, proposed for acurate designation of the late-onset types of Amaurotic Family Idiocy (AFI. Histopathology shows ubiquitous intraneuronal accumulation of lipopigments, being the most important factor for characterization of the entity at present time. Biochemical changes and pathogenesis are obscure. NCL is in contrast to the infantile type of AFI (Tay-Sachs disease, in which intraneuronal accumulation of gangliosides (sphingolipids is due to the well known deficiency of a lysosomal enzyme. The authors report on four cases of NCL, two brothers of the late infantile (Jansky-Bielschowsky type and a brother and a sister of the juvenile (Spielmeyer-Sjögren type. One autopsy and three cortical biopsies revealed moderate to severe distention of the neurons by lipopigment, with nerve cell loss, gliosis and cerebral atrophy. Lipopigment was also increased in liver, heart and spleen. The patients were the first in Brazilian literature in whom the storage material was identified as lipopigment by histochemical methods. A brief summary of the clinical features of NCL is presented, and relevant problems are discussed, concerning interpretation of the nature of the storage material, and significance of the disease for gerontological research.

Can the causal pathologies of Goedel-type universes be avoided in higher-derivative gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Accioly, A.J.; Goncalves, A.T.

1986-10-01

A completely causal rotating Goedel-type universe is obtained in the context of higher-derivative gravity. The solution is such that it has no similar in the framework of standard general relativity. The aforementioned solution presents the interesting feature of relating the mass of the nontachyonic spin-O particle, concerning the linearized higher-derivative theory, with the velocity of rigid rotation of matter. (Author) [pt

Universal scattering response across the type-II Weyl semimetal phase diagram

Science.gov (United States)

Rüßmann, P.; Weber, A. P.; Glott, F.; Xu, N.; Fanciulli, M.; Muff, S.; Magrez, A.; Bugnon, P.; Berger, H.; Bode, M.; Dil, J. H.; Blügel, S.; Mavropoulos, P.; Sessi, P.

2018-02-01

The discovery of Weyl semimetals represents a significant advance in topological band theory. They paradigmatically enlarged the classification of topological materials to gapless systems while simultaneously providing experimental evidence for the long-sought Weyl fermions. Beyond fundamental relevance, their high mobility, strong magnetoresistance, and the possible existence of even more exotic effects, such as the chiral anomaly, make Weyl semimetals a promising platform to develop radically new technology. Fully exploiting their potential requires going beyond the mere identification of materials and calls for a detailed characterization of their functional response, which is severely complicated by the coexistence of surface- and bulk-derived topologically protected quasiparticles, i.e., Fermi arcs and Weyl points, respectively. Here, we focus on the type-II Weyl semimetal class in which we find a stoichiometry-dependent phase transition from a trivial to a nontrivial regime. By exploring the two extreme cases of the phase diagram, we demonstrate the existence of a universal response of both surface and bulk states to perturbations. We show that quasiparticle interference patterns originate from scattering events among surface arcs. Analysis reveals that topologically nontrivial contributions are strongly suppressed by spin texture. We also show that scattering at localized impurities can generate defect-induced quasiparticles sitting close to the Weyl point energy. These give rise to strong peaks in the local density of states, which lift the Weyl node, significantly altering the pristine low-energy spectrum. Remarkably, by comparing the WTe2 and the MoTe2 cases we found that scattering response and topological transition are not directly linked. Visualizing the existence of a universal microscopic response to scattering has important consequences for understanding the unusual transport properties of this class of materials. Overall, our observations provide

Molecular analysis of HEXA gene in Argentinean patients affected with Tay-Sachs disease: possible common origin of the prevalent c.459+5A>G mutation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zampieri, Stefania; Montalvo, Annalisa; Blanco, Mariana; Zanin, Irene; Amartino, Hernan; Vlahovicek, Kristian; Szlago, Marina; Schenone, Andrea; Pittis, Gabriela; Bembi, Bruno; Dardis, Andrea

2012-05-15

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is a recessively inherited disorder caused by the deficient activity of hexosaminidase A due to mutations in the HEXA gene. Up to date there is no information regarding the molecular genetics of TSD in Argentinean patients. In the present study we have studied 17 Argentinean families affected by TSD, including 20 patients with the acute infantile form and 3 with the sub-acute form. Overall, we identified 14 different mutations accounting for 100% of the studied alleles. Eight mutations were novel: 5 were single base changes leading to drastic residue changes or truncated proteins, 2 were small deletions and one was an intronic mutation that may cause a splicing defect. Although the spectrum of mutations was highly heterogeneous, a high frequency of the c.459+5G>A mutation, previously described in different populations was found among the studied cohort. Haplotype analysis suggested that in these families the c.459+5G>A mutation might have arisen by a single mutational event. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Type III and N universal spacetimes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hervik, S.; Pravda, Vojtěch; Pravdová, Alena

2014-01-01

Roč. 31, č. 21 (2014), s. 215005 ISSN 0264-9381 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-10042S Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : universal spacetimes * generalized gravity * exact solutions Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 3.168, year: 2014 http://iopscience.iop.org/0264-9381/31/21/215005/article

Catalogue of type specimens of fungi and lichens deposited in the Herbarium of the University of Granada (Spain).

Science.gov (United States)

Vizoso, M Teresa; Quesada, Carmen

2015-01-01

A catalogue of types from the Herbarium of the University of Granada has not previously been compiled. As a result, a search of these collections in order to compile digital images for preservation and publication yielded a large number of formerly unrecognized types. This dataset contains the specimen records from the catalogue of the nomenclature types of fungi and lichens in the Herbarium of the University of Granada, Spain. These herbarium specimens are included in the GDA and GDAC collections, acronyms from Index Herbariorum (Thiers 2014). At this time, the type collection of fungi and lichens contains 88 type specimens of 49 nominal taxa, most from Agaricales and the genus Cortinarius, described from the western Mediterranean, mainly Spain, by the following authors: V.Antonin, J.Ballarà, A.Bidaud, G.F.Bills, M.Bon, C.Cano, M.Casares, G.Chevassut, M.Contu, F.Esteve-Raventós, R.Galán, L.Guzmán-Dávalos, R.Henry, E.Horak, R.Mahiques, G.Malençon, P.Moënne-Loccoz, G.Moreno, A.Ortega, F.Palazón, V.N.Suárez.-Santiago, A.Vêzda, J.Vila, and M.Villareal. For each specimen, the locality indication, species name, observation date, collector, type status, related information, associated sequences, other catalogue numbers related to each type, and image URL are recorded. The dataset is associated with an image collection named "Colección de imágenes de los tipos nomenclaturales de hongos, líquenes, musgos y algas incluidos en el Herbario de la Universidad de Granada (GDA y GDAC)" (Vizoso and Quesada 2013) which is housed and accessible at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility in Spain (GBIF.ES) Hosting and Publishing Service "Biodiversity Image Portal of Spanish collections" and is also available at the Herbarium of University of Granada institutional web (Vizoso 2014a, Vizoso 2014b). That image collection contains 113 images, of which 56 correspond to the nomenclature types of 49 taxa (47 fungi, 2 lichens), the rest of the images in this collection

Job Satisfaction and Pay Satisfaction Levels of University Faculty by Discipline Type and by Geographic Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Terpstra, David E.; Honoree, Andre L.

2004-01-01

This study surveyed approximately 500 faculty across different disciplines from over 100 four- year colleges and universities in the U.S. The primary purpose of the study was to provide some empirical data on the general job satisfaction and pay satisfaction levels of faculty by type of academic discipline and by geographic region. The possible…

Influence of defect size and localization on the engagement of reverse Hill-Sachs lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Moroder, Philipp; Runer, Armin; Kraemer, Manuel; Fierlbeck, Johann; Niederberger, Alfred; Cotofana, Sebastian; Vasvari, Imre; Hettegger, Bernhard; Tauber, Mark; Hurschler, Christof; Resch, Herbert

2015-03-01

Reverse Hill-Sachs (RHS) lesions can cause recurrent posterior shoulder instability because of engagement with the posterior glenoid rim; however, the effect of defect size and localization have yet to be determined. Both size and localization are critical for the engagement of an RHS defect with the posterior glenoid rim. Controlled laboratory study. Ten RHS defects with predefined extent and localization were created through an anterolateral rotator cuff sparing approach in 10 fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulder specimens using a custom-made saw guide. Computed tomography scans of all specimens were completed, and standardized measurements were performed to determine the size (alpha angle) and localization (beta angle) of the defect as well as a combination of both parameters (gamma angle). Internal rotation motions were imposed on the shoulder joint in different arm positions and with varying amount of posterior translation by means of a robot-assisted shoulder simulator. The association between engagement of the defects and the defined parameters (alpha, beta, and gamma angles) was analyzed. In 0° of abduction, a cutoff value between engaging and nonengaging defects of 37.5° for the alpha angle (100% sensitivity; 75% specificity; area under the curve [AUC], 0.875; P = .055) and 36.5° for the beta angle (100% sensitivity; 25% specificity; AUC, 0.708; P = .286) was determined. The gamma angle showed the highest discriminatory power (AUC, 0.938; P = .025) with a cutoff value of 85.5° rendering 100% sensitivity and 75% specificity in the prediction of engagement. An increase in the applied posterior translation force decreased the degrees of internal rotation necessary before engagement occurred. No engagement occurred during internal rotation with the arm in 60° of abduction or 60° of flexion. The size and localization of RHS defects are both critical factors for engagement. The combination of both parameters in terms of the gamma angle measurement might be a

A Drosophila protein family implicated in pheromone perception is related to Tay-Sachs GM2-activator protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Starostina, Elena; Xu, Aiguo; Lin, Heping; Pikielny, Claudio W

2009-01-02

Low volatility, lipid-like cuticular hydrocarbon pheromones produced by Drosophila melanogaster females play an essential role in triggering and modulating mating behavior, but the chemosensory mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. Recently, we showed that the CheB42a protein, which is expressed in only 10 pheromone-sensing taste hairs on the front legs of males, modulates progression to late stages of male courtship behavior in response to female-specific cuticular hydrocarbons. Here we report that expression of all 12 genes in the CheB gene family is predominantly or exclusively gustatory-specific, and occurs in many different, often non-overlapping patterns. Only the Gr family of gustatory receptor genes displays a comparable variety of gustatory-specific expression patterns. Unlike Grs, however, expression of all but one CheB gene is sexually dimorphic. Like CheB42a, other CheBs may therefore function specifically in gustatory perception of pheromones. We also show that CheBs belong to the ML superfamily of lipid-binding proteins, and are most similar to human GM2-activator protein (GM2-AP). In particular, GM2-AP residues involved in ligand binding are conserved in CheBs but not in other ML proteins. Finally, CheB42a is specifically secreted into the inner lumen of pheromone-sensing taste hairs, where pheromones interact with membrane-bound receptors. We propose that CheB proteins interact directly with lipid-like Drosophila pheromones and modulate their detection by the gustatory signal transduction machinery. Furthermore, as loss of GM2-AP in Tay-Sachs disease prevents degradation of GM2 gangliosides and results in neurodegeneration, the function of CheBs in pheromone response may involve biochemical mechanisms critical for lipid metabolism in human neurons.

A Drosophila Protein Family Implicated in Pheromone Perception Is Related to Tay-Sachs GM2-Activator Protein*

Science.gov (United States)

Starostina, Elena; Xu, Aiguo; Lin, Heping; Pikielny, Claudio W.

2009-01-01

Low volatility, lipid-like cuticular hydrocarbon pheromones produced by Drosophila melanogaster females play an essential role in triggering and modulating mating behavior, but the chemosensory mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. Recently, we showed that the CheB42a protein, which is expressed in only 10 pheromone-sensing taste hairs on the front legs of males, modulates progression to late stages of male courtship behavior in response to female-specific cuticular hydrocarbons. Here we report that expression of all 12 genes in the CheB gene family is predominantly or exclusively gustatory-specific, and occurs in many different, often non-overlapping patterns. Only the Gr family of gustatory receptor genes displays a comparable variety of gustatory-specific expression patterns. Unlike Grs, however, expression of all but one CheB gene is sexually dimorphic. Like CheB42a, other CheBs may therefore function specifically in gustatory perception of pheromones. We also show that CheBs belong to the ML superfamily of lipid-binding proteins, and are most similar to human GM2-activator protein (GM2-AP). In particular, GM2-AP residues involved in ligand binding are conserved in CheBs but not in other ML proteins. Finally, CheB42a is specifically secreted into the inner lumen of pheromone-sensing taste hairs, where pheromones interact with membrane-bound receptors. We propose that CheB proteins interact directly with lipid-like Drosophila pheromones and modulate their detection by the gustatory signal transduction machinery. Furthermore, as loss of GM2-AP in Tay-Sachs disease prevents degradation of GM2 gangliosides and results in neurodegeneration, the function of CheBs in pheromone response may involve biochemical mechanisms critical for lipid metabolism in human neurons. PMID:18952610

Common HEXB polymorphisms reduce serum HexA and HexB enzymatic activities, potentially masking Tay-Sachs disease carrier identification.

Science.gov (United States)

Vallance, Hilary; Morris, Tara J; Coulter-Mackie, Marion; Lim-Steele, Joyce; Kaback, Michael

2006-02-01

A DNA-proven Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) carrier and his brother were found to have serum percent Hexosaminidase A (%HexA) enzymatic activities in the non-carrier range, while the leukocyte %HexA profiles clearly identified them as TSD heterozygotes. Both their serum HexA and HexB enzymatic activities were below reference range, suggesting inheritance of mutations in both the HEXA (alpha-subunit) and HEXB (beta-subunit) genes. DNA sequencing revealed that both individuals, carried the common HEXA 1277_1278insTATC mutation, and two common HEXB polymorphisms: [619A>G (+) delTG]. To determine if these HEXB polymorphisms reduce HexA and HexB enzymatic activities, 69 DNA samples from subjects previously screened enzymatically in both serum and leukocytes for TSD carrier status were selected for either high, mid-range or low serum Total Hex (defined as the sum of HexA and HexB) activities and were tested for the HEXB mutations. Further, three additional TSD carriers ascertained by the atypical pattern of normal serum %HexA but carrier leukocyte %HexA, were found to have the [delTG (+) 619A>G] genotype. In addition, the frequency of the [delTG (+) 619A>G] genotype was significantly higher (P G] haplotype in the Ashkenazi Jewish population (approximately 10%), up to 10% of TSD carriers may have normal serum %HexA values with low total Hex. Accordingly, serum %HexA should not be the sole criterion used for carrier status determination. Where total Hex activity is reduced, further testing with leukocyte Hex profiles is indicated.

Evaluation of the risk for Tay-Sachs disease in individuals of French Canadian ancestry living in new England.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Dianna C; Mark, Brian L; Triggs-Raine, Barbara L; Natowicz, Marvin R

2007-03-01

The assessment of risk for Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) in individuals of French Canadian background living in New England is an important health issue. In preliminary studies of the enzyme-defined carrier frequency for TSD among Franco-Americans in New England, we found frequencies (1:53) higher than predicted from the incidence of infantile TSD in this region. We have now further evaluated the risk for TSD in the Franco-American population of New England. Using a fluorescence-based assay for beta-hexosaminidase activity, we determined the carrier frequencies for TSD in 2783 Franco-Americans. DNA analysis was used to identify mutations causing enzyme deficiency in TSD carriers. We determined the enzyme-defined carrier frequency for TSD as 1:65 (95% confidence interval 1:49 to 1:90). DNA-based analysis of 24 of the enzyme-defined carriers revealed 21 with sequence changes: 9 disease-causing, 4 benign, and 8 of unknown significance. Six of the unknowns were identified as c.748G>A p.G250S, a mutation we show by expression analysis to behave similarly to the previously described c.805G>A p.G269S adult-onset TSD mutation. This putative adult-onset TSD c.748G>A p.G250S mutation has a population frequency similar to the common 7.6 kb deletion mutation that occurs in persons of French Canadian ancestry. We estimate the frequency of deleterious TSD alleles in Franco-Americans to be 1:73 (95% confidence interval 1:55 to 1:107). These data provide a more complete data base from which to formulate policy recommendations regarding TSD heterozygosity screening in individuals of French Canadian background.

Holographic Protection of Chronology in Universes of the Godel Type

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boyda, Edward; Ganguli, Surya; Horava, Petr; Varadarajan, Uday

2002-12-07

We analyze the structure of supersymmetric Godel-like cosmological solutions of string theory. Just as the original four-dimensional Godel universe, these solutions represent rotating, topologically trivial cosmologies with a homogeneous metric and closed timelike curves. First we focus on"phenomenological" aspects of holography, and identify the preferred holographic screens associated with inertial comoving observers in Godel universes. We find that holography can serve as a chronology protection agency: The closed timelike curves are either hidden behind the holographic screen, or broken by it into causal pieces. In fact, holography in Godel universes has many features in common with de Sitter space, suggesting that Godel universes could represent a supersymmetric laboratory for addressing the conceptual puzzles of de Sitter holography. Then we initiate the investigation of"microscopic" aspects of holography of Godel universes in string theory. We show that Godel universes are T-dual to pp-waves, and use this fact to generate new Godel-like solutions of string and M-theory by T-dualizing known supersymmetric pp-wave solutions.

Holographic protection of chronology in universes of the Goedel type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyda, Edward K.; Ganguli, Surya; Horava, Petr; Varadarajan, Uday

2003-01-01

We analyze the structure of supersymmetric Goedel-like cosmological solutions of string theory. Just as the original four-dimensional Goedel universe, these solutions represent rotating, topologically trivial cosmologies with a homogeneous metric and closed timelike curves. First we focus on the 'phenomenological' aspects of holography, and identify the preferred holographic screens associated with inertial comoving observers in Goedel universes. We find that holography can serve as a chronology protection agency: The closed timelike curves are either hidden behind the holographic screen, or broken by it into causal pieces. In fact, holography in Goedel universes has many features in common with de Sitter space, suggesting that Goedel universes could represent a supersymmetric laboratory for addressing the conceptual puzzles of de Sitter holography. Then we initiate the investigation of 'microscopic' aspects of holography of Goedel universes in string theory. We show that Goedel universes are T dual to pp waves, and use this fact to generate new Goedel-like solutions of string and M theory by T dualizing known supersymmetric pp-wave solutions

Origin and spread of the 1278insTATC mutation causing Tay-Sachs disease in Ashkenazi Jews: genetic drift as a robust and parsimonious hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Frisch, Amos; Colombo, Roberto; Michaelovsky, Elena; Karpati, Mazal; Goldman, Boleslaw; Peleg, Leah

2004-03-01

The 1278insTATC is the most prevalent beta-hexosaminidase A ( HEXA) gene mutation causing Tay-Sachs disease (TSD), one of the four lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) occurring at elevated frequencies among Ashkenazi Jews (AJs). To investigate the genetic history of this mutation in the AJ population, a conserved haplotype (D15S981:175-D15S131:240-D15S1050:284-D15S197:144-D15S188:418) was identified in 1278insTATC chromosomes from 55 unrelated AJ individuals (15 homozygotes and 40 heterozygotes for the TSD mutation), suggesting the occurrence of a common founder. When two methods were used for analysis of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between flanking polymorphic markers and the disease locus and for the study of the decay of LD over time, the estimated age of the insertion was found to be 40+/-12 generations (95% confidence interval: 30-50 generations), so that the most recent common ancestor of the mutation-bearing chromosomes would date to the 8th-9th century. This corresponds with the demographic expansion of AJs in central Europe, following the founding of the Ashkenaz settlement in the early Middle Ages. The results are consistent with the geographic distribution of the main TSD mutation, 1278insTATC being more common in central Europe, and with the coalescent times of mutations causing two other LSDs, Gaucher disease and mucolipidosis type IV. Evidence for the absence of a determinant positive selection (heterozygote advantage) over the mutation is provided by a comparison between the estimated age of 1278insTATC and the probability of the current AJ frequency of the mutant allele as a function of its age, calculated by use of a branching-process model. Therefore, the founder effect in a rapidly expanding population arising from a bottleneck provides a robust parsimonious hypothesis explaining the spread of 1278insTATC-linked TSD in AJ individuals.

Performance test of solar-assisted ejector cooling system

KAUST Repository

Huang, Bin-Juine

2014-03-01

A solar-assisted ejector cooling/heating system (SACH-2k) is built and test result is reported. The solar-driven ejector cooling system (ECS) is connected in series with an inverter-type air conditioner (IAC). Several advanced technologies are developed in SACH-k2, including generator liquid level control in ECS, the ECS evaporator temperature control, and optimal control of fan power in cooling tower of ECS. From the field test results, the generator liquid level control performs quite well and keeps stable performance of ejector. The ECS evaporator temperature control also performs satisfactorily to keep ejector performance normally under low or fluctuating solar radiation. The fan power control system cooling tower performs stably and reduces the power consumption dramatically without affecting the ECS performance. The test results show that the overall system COPo including power consumptions of peripheral increases from 2.94-3.3 (IAC alone) to 4.06-4.5 (SACH-k2), about 33-43%. The highest COPo is 4.5. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Job Satisfaction of University Professors from Nine Chinese Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Ping; Lai, Manhong; Lo, Leslie N. K.

2010-01-01

Research on work life and job satisfaction of university professors is becoming an important research issue in the field of higher education. This study used questionnaires administered to 1 770 teachers from different levels, types, and academic fields of Chinese universities to investigate job satisfaction among university professors and the…

Supersymmetric Gödel Universes in string theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harmark, Troels; Takayanagi, Tadashi

2003-01-01

Supersymmetric backgrounds in string and M-theory of the Gödel Universe type are studied. We find several new Gödel Universes that preserve up to 20 supersymmetries. In particular, we obtain an interesting Gödel Universe in M-theory with 18 supersymmetries which does not seem to be dual to a pp......-wave. We show that not only T-duality but also the type-IIA/M-theory S-duality can give supersymmetric Gödel Universes from pp-waves. We find solutions that can interpolate between Gödel Universes and pp-waves. We also compute the string spectrum on two type IIA Gödel Universes. Furthermore, we obtain...

R2 inflation in anisotropic universes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berkin, A.L.

1990-01-01

The evolution of Bianchi type-I and type-IX universes for a theory of gravity with an εR 2 term added to the usual Lagrangian is considered. As in the spatially flat Robertson-Walker case considered previously by others, inflation is found to occur. For any amount of initial anisotropy, the anisotropy decays quickly relative to the length of the inflationary epoch, and the amount of expansion is enhanced by the anisotropy. The exceptions are Bianchi type-IX universes near or at isotropy. In these cases a wide range of initial parameters causes the universe to recollapse, thus reducing the phase space in which inflation can occur. The diagonal metric is shown to be the most general form in the R 2 theory for both Bianchi type-I universes with a perfect fluid and vacuum Bianchi type-IX models

New Universal Tribometer as Pin or Ball-on-Disc and Reciprocating Pin-on-Plate Types

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Kaleli

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The present paper contains a description of a new Universal Tribometer design which enables simulation of different contact and test types such as pin-on-disc, ball-on-disc and linear reciprocating tests. There are many models of wear Tribometer in the world market. These devices are manufactured by various companies abroad and are imported to our country. Cost of this devices start from 50.000 euros and goes to hundreds of thousands of euros. One of the most commonly used of this device is Reciprocating Pin-on-Plate Tribo Test Machine. This wear tester is produced at a low limited cost within the KAP (Scientifical Research Project Coordinator of Yıldız Technical University. The test machine can work including three types of Tribotest rigs (Reciprocating Pin-on-Plate, Pin-on-Disc and Ball-on-Disc. It is designed to operate also at high temperatures up to 500 ˚C. The new piece of equipment allows instrumented tribological testing of piston ring and cylinder liner samples at low and high temperatures and boundary lubrication conditions of any typical gasoline or Diesel engines. Some friction results were shown in boundary lubricating conditions between piston ring and cylinder liner sliding pairs describing Tribotest machine is driven by AC servo motor which is more accurate than DC motor.

Análise da Incidência de Mutações no Gene HEXA na População Judaica Brasileira - Avaliação da Importância de um Programa Preventivo da Doença de Tay-Sachs

OpenAIRE

Roberto Rozenberg

2000-01-01

A doença de Tay-Sachs (DTS) é uma doença neurodegenerativa, de herança autossômica recessiva, que se manifesta a partir do sexto mês de vida. Crianças afetadas desenvolvem degeneração física e mental intensa, levando à morte até os 5 anos de idade. Não há atualmente cura ou tratamento disponível. Na população judaica, 1 em cada 31 indivíduos é portador da DTS, e a incidência da doença (aproximadamente 1 em cada 4.000 nascimentos) é cerca de 100 vezes maior nesta do que em outras populações. O...

(Un-shackling the University in the City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulrike Kistner

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This article examines the relation between the University of Pretoria and the City of Tshwane, outlining seven different kinds of relation as they have taken shape historically. The first type relation between the University and the City presented here, establishes correspondences in public architecture at the height of apartheid modernity, between structures marking and shaping political convergences. The second type of relation is premised on the walling in and fencing off of the University from the City; the Metro musings exhibition inaugurating the ‘Capital Cities’ project looks across the divides thus cemented, from within the confines of the University. The third type of relation is that of ‘Community Engagement’ culminating in the annual Mandela Day activities, impelled by ideas on the Developmental State featuring in the National Development Plan. In the fourth type of relation, corporate models of municipal governance find common cause with the corporate management styles of the University, expressed in corporate partnerships combining a ‘University of Excellence’ with ‘the African City of Excellence’. The strategies envisaged for social intervention emerging from this ‘partnership’ form a sixth type of relation between the University and the City. In the process of pitting property and law against poverty and lawlessness, new civic challenges are emerging for transformative constitutionalism and for the University. In both arenas, this article concludes, what is at stake is a seventh type of relation between the University and the City – outside of the ‘legal’-‘illegal’ distinction. For the University, in particular, this would entail a productive idea of ‘dissensus’.

76 FR 19097 - Ocean Transportation Intermediary License Applicants

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-06

... Sachs, Partner/Logistics Manager (Qualifying Individual), Ali Ismailzada, Partner/CFO, Application Type... at (202) 523-5843 or by e-mail at [email protected] . Agility Logistics Corp. (OFF), 240 Commerce, Irvine... Avenue, Newark, NJ 07083, Officer: Hakeem K. Bisiolu, Member/Manager (Qualifying Individual), Application...

Animal models of GM2 gangliosidosis: utility and limitations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lawson CA

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Cheryl A Lawson,1,2 Douglas R Martin2,3 1Department of Pathobiology, 2Scott-Ritchey Research Center, 3Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn, AL, USA Abstract: GM2 gangliosidosis, a subset of lysosomal storage disorders, is caused by a deficiency of the glycohydrolase, β-N-acetylhexosaminidase, and includes the closely related Tay–Sachs and Sandhoff diseases. The enzyme deficiency prevents the normal, stepwise degradation of ganglioside, which accumulates unchecked within the cellular lysosome, particularly in neurons. As a result, individuals with GM2 gangliosidosis experience progressive neurological diseases including motor deficits, progressive weakness and hypotonia, decreased responsiveness, vision deterioration, and seizures. Mice and cats are well-established animal models for Sandhoff disease, whereas Jacob sheep are the only known laboratory animal model of Tay–Sachs disease to exhibit clinical symptoms. Since the human diseases are relatively rare, animal models are indispensable tools for further study of pathogenesis and for development of potential treatments. Though no effective treatments for gangliosidoses currently exist, animal models have been used to test promising experimental therapies. Herein, the utility and limitations of gangliosidosis animal models and how they have contributed to the development of potential new treatments are described. Keywords: GM2 gangliosidosis, Tay–Sachs disease, Sandhoff disease, lysosomal storage disorder, sphingolipidosis, brain disease

Creative Thinking of University Teachers in the Age of Intellectual Capital: Is It Affected by Personality Types and Traits?

Science.gov (United States)

AlFuqaha, Isam Najib; Tobasi, Adnan

2015-01-01

This article attempts to probe the level of creative thinking of teachers at Philadelphia University in Jordan, and to define its relation with several independent demographic variables, namely age, gender, duration of experience, specialization, and personality types and traits. To accomplish this purpose, three questionnaires are administered on…

PERSONIFICATION OF WAY OF LIFE TYPES OF YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN – GRADUATES OF THE UNIVERSITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svetlana Tigranovna Dzhaneryan

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The article presents the results of a study aimed at research of the characteristics of personification as the substantive characteristic of each type of the way of life ideals (matrimonial, bohemian, health, career, community, social, social-protection, gnostic of young men and women – graduates of the university.Research methods: survey (questionnaire for study the way of life ideal, a content analysis of the open questions of the questionnaire, expert evaluation categories, methods of nonparametric statistics.Results. The article presents ideas about the way of life ideals, discloses its components and characteristics. In the article designated types of way of life ideals: matrimonial, bohemian, health, career, community, social-protection, gnostic. Established the features of personification of each type of boys and girl’s ideals (who are graduates of the university. The results show that all kinds of way of life ideals are personified; that there are attractive to young people personality traits of real people (or groups whose way of life influences on the construction of their own ideals of life. It is shown that the differentiation of male and female personification of ideals occurs on different parameters: for the ideals of «matrimonial life» and «career life» appears only in the parameter singularity / community; for the ideal of «social life» – in the parameters singularity / community, the psychological portrait, similarities; for the ideal of «health life» – in the parameters singularity / community, the psychological portrait, a means of implementing, similarities.Application of the results: psychological services in high schools and personnel services in different companies.

Eternally existing self-reproducing inflationary universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linde, A.D.

1986-05-01

It is shown that the large-scale quantum fluctuations of the scalar field φ generated in the chaotic inflation scenario lead to an infinite process of self-reproduction of inflationary mini-universes. A model of eternally existing chaotic inflationary universe is suggested. It is pointed out that whereas the universe locally is very homogeneous as a result of inflation, which occurs at the classical level, the global structure of the universe is determined by quantum effects and is highly non-trivial. The universe consists of exponentially large number of different mini-universes, inside which all possible (metastable) vacuum states and all possible types of compactification are realized. The picture differs crucially from the standard picture of a one-domain universe in a ''true'' vacuum state. Our results may serve as a justification of the anthropic principle in the inflationary cosmology. These results may have important implications for the elementary particle theory as well. Namely, since all possible types of mini-universes, in which inflation may occur, should exist in our universe, there is no need to insist (as it is usually done) that in realistic theories the vacuum state of our type should be the only possible one or the best one. (author)

A Trp474Cys mutation in the alpha-subunit of beta-hexosaminidase causes a subacute encephalopathic form of G{sub M2} gangliosidosis, type 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petroulakis, E.; Cao, Z.; Salo, T. [Univ. of Manitoba, Winnipeg (Canada)] [and others

1994-09-01

Mutations in the HEXA gene that encodes the {alpha}-subunit of the heterodimeric lysosomal enzyme {beta}-hexosaminidase A, or Hex A ({alpha}{beta}), cause G{sub M2} gangliosidosis, type 1. The infantile form (Tay-Sachs disease) results when there is no residual Hex A activity, while less severe and more variable clinical phenotypes result when residual Hex A activity is present. A non-Jewish male who presented with an acute psychotic episode at age 16 was diagnosed with a subacute encephalopathic form of G{sub M2} gangliosidosis. At age 19, chronic psychosis with intermittent acute exacerbations remains the most disabling symptom in this patient and his affected brother although both exhibit some ataxia and moderately severe dysarthria. We have found a 4 bp insertion (+TATC 1278) associated with infantile Tay-Sachs disease on one allele; no previously identified mutation was found on the second allele. SSCP analysis detected a shift in exon 13 and sequencing revealed a G1422C mutation in the second allele that results in a Trp474Cys substitution. The presence of the mutation was confirmed by the loss of HaeIII and ScrFI sites in exon 13 PCR products from the subjects and their father. The mutation was introduced into the {alpha}-subunit cDNA and Hex S ({alpha}{alpha}) and Hex A ({alpha}{beta}) were transiently expressed in monkey COS-7 cells. The Trp474Cys mutant protein had approximately 5% and 12% of wild-type Hex S and Hex A activity, respectively. Western blot analysis revealed a small amount of residual mature {alpha}-subunit and a normal level of precursor protein. We conclude that the Trp474Cys mutation is the cause of the Hex A deficiency associated with a subacute (juvenile-onset) phenotype in this patient. Like other mutations in exon 13 of HEXA, it appears to affect intracellular processing. Studies of the defect in intracellular processing are in progress.

Universal Effectiveness of Inducing Magnetic Moments in Graphene by Amino-Type sp3-Defects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Tang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Inducing magnetic moments in graphene is very important for its potential application in spintronics. Introducing sp3-defects on the graphene basal plane is deemed as the most promising approach to produce magnetic graphene. However, its universal validity has not been very well verified experimentally. By functionalization of approximately pure amino groups on graphene basal plane, a spin-generalization efficiency of ~1 μB/100 NH2 was obtained for the first time, thus providing substantial evidence for the validity of inducing magnetic moments by sp3-defects. As well, amino groups provide another potential sp3-type candidate to prepare magnetic graphene.

Stack semantics of type theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Coquand, Thierry; Mannaa, Bassel; Ruch, Fabian

2017-01-01

We give a model of dependent type theory with one univalent universe and propositional truncation interpreting a type as a stack, generalizing the groupoid model of type theory. As an application, we show that countable choice cannot be proved in dependent type theory with one univalent universe...

77 FR 59423 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE MKT LLC; Order Granting Approval of a Proposed Rule Change...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-27

... America Strategic Investments Corporation (``BAML''), Barclays Electronic Commerce Holdings Inc...''), Goldman, Sachs & Co. (``Goldman Sachs''), Datek Online Management Corp. (``TD Ameritrade'') and UBS...

Gravitational corrections to light propagation in a perturbed FLRW universe and corresponding weak-lensing spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Cuesta-Lazaro, Carolina; Quera-Bofarull, Arnau; Reischke, Robert; Schäfer, Björn Malte

2018-06-01

When the gravitational lensing of the large-scale structure is calculated from a cosmological model a few assumptions enter: (i) one assumes that the photons follow unperturbed background geodesics, which is usually referred to as the Born approximation, (ii) the lenses move slowly, (iii) the source-redshift distribution is evaluated relative to the background quantities, and (iv) the lensing effect is linear in the gravitational potential. Even though these approximations are small individually they could sum up, especially since they include local effects such as the Sachs-Wolfe and peculiar motion, but also non-local ones like the Born approximation and the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect. In this work, we will address all points mentioned and perturbatively calculate the effect on a tomographic cosmic shear power spectrum of each effect individually as well as all cross-correlations. Our findings show that each effect is at least 4-5 orders of magnitude below the leading order lensing signal. Finally, we sum up all effects to estimate the overall impact on parameter estimation by a future cosmological weak-lensing survey such as Euclid in a wcold dark matter cosmology with parametrization Ωm, σ8, ns, h, w0, and wa, using five tomographic bins. We consistently find a parameter bias of 10-5, which is therefore completely negligible for all practical purposes, confirming that other effects such as intrinsic alignments, magnification bias and uncertainties in the redshift distribution will be the dominant systematic source in future surveys.

Einstein-aether theory: dynamics of relativistic particles with spin or polarization in a Gödel-type universe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balakin, Alexander B.; Popov, Vladimir A., E-mail: alexander.balakin@kpfu.ru, E-mail: vladipopov@mail.ru [Department of General Relativity and Gravitation, Institute of Physics, Kazan Federal University, Kremlevskaya str. 18, Kazan 420008 (Russian Federation)

2017-04-01

In the framework of the Einstein-aether theory we consider a cosmological model, which describes the evolution of the unit dynamic vector field with activated rotational degree of freedom. We discuss exact solutions of the Einstein-aether theory, for which the space-time is of the Gödel-type, the velocity four-vector of the aether motion is characterized by a non-vanishing vorticity, thus the rotational vectorial modes can be associated with the source of the universe rotation. The main goal of our paper is to study the motion of test relativistic particles with a vectorial internal degree of freedom (spin or polarization), which is coupled to the unit dynamic vector field. The particles are considered as the test ones in the given space-time background of the Gödel-type; the spin (polarization) coupling to the unit dynamic vector field is modeled using exact solutions of three types. The first exact solution describes the aether with arbitrary Jacobson's coupling constants; the second one relates to the case, when the Jacobson's constant responsible for the vorticity is vanishing; the third exact solution is obtained using three constraints for the coupling constants. The analysis of the exact expressions, which are obtained for the particle momentum and for the spin (polarization) four-vector components, shows that the interaction of the spin (polarization) with the unit vector field induces a rotation, which is additional to the geodesic precession of the spin (polarization) associated with the universe rotation as a whole.

Tactical Economics: The U.S. Army’s Tactical Contribution to Economic Development

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-08

Sachs, and Dr. William Easterly. Sachs is a world-renowned scholar made popular with his involvement on the transition of the former Soviet Union from...health, education, power and communications, and water and sanitation.30 Dr. William Easterly gives a contrasting view to Sachs. Easterly is an...34Muhammad Yunus and Ray Porter, Banker to the Poor [Micro-Lending and the Battle against World Poverty] (Ashland, OR: Blackstone Audiobooks). 35

Improving accuracy of Tay Sachs carrier screening of the non-Jewish population: analysis of 34 carriers and six late-onset patients with HEXA enzyme and DNA sequence analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Noh Jin; Morgan, Craig; Sharma, Rajesh; Li, Yuanyin; Lobo, Raynah M; Redman, Joy B; Salazar, Denise; Sun, Weimin; Neidich, Julie A; Strom, Charles M

2010-02-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether combining different testing modalities namely beta-hexosaminidase A (HEXA) enzyme analysis, HEXA DNA common mutation assay, and HEXA gene sequencing could improve the sensitivity for carrier detection in non-Ashkenazi (AJ) individuals. We performed a HEXA gene sequencing assay, a HEXA DNA common mutation assay, and a HEXA enzyme assay on 34 self-reported Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) carriers, six late-onset patients with TSD, and one pseudodeficiency allele carrier. Sensitivity of TSD carrier detection was 91% for gene sequencing compared with 91% for the enzyme assay and 52% for the DNA mutation assay. Gene sequencing combined with enzyme testing had the highest sensitivity (100%) for carrier detection. Gene sequencing detected four novel mutations, three of which are predicted to be disease causing [118.delT, 965A-->T (D322V), and 775A-->G (T259A)]. Gene sequencing is useful in identifying rare mutations in patients with TSD and their families, in evaluating spouses of known carriers for TSD who have indeterminate enzyme analysis and negative for common mutation analysis, and in resolving ambiguous enzyme testing results.

Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of capsulolabral tears after traumatic primary anterior shoulder dislocation. A prospective comparison with arthroscopy of 25 cases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Suder, P.A.; Frich, Lars Henrik; Hougaard, K.

1995-01-01

. Subacute MRI evaluation identified 15 labral tears, 12 Hill-Sachs lesions, 1 total rotator cuff lesion, 1 partial joint side rotator cuff lesion, and 1 partial rupture of the biceps tendon. Arthroscopic examination revealed 22 labral tears, 15 Hill-Sachs lesions, 1 total rotator cuff lesion, 1 partial...... joint side rotator cuff tear, 1 partial rupture of the biceps tendon, and 1 osseous Bankart lesion. Anterior capsulolabral tears and Hill-Sachs lesions appeared with a high incidence after acute anterior primary shoulder dislocation. Conventional MRI was only moderately reliable in the preoperative...... evaluation of labral tears and Hill-Sachs lesions, and it failed to give an accurate, differentiated preoperative diagnosis of the capsulolabral lesions....

Universics: a Theory of Universes of Discourse for Metamathematics and Foundations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ioachim Drugus

2016-04-01

Full Text Available A new type of structures called ``universes'' is introduced to subsume the ``von Neumann universe'', ``Grothendieck universes'' and ``universes of discourse'' of various theories. Theories are also treated as universes, ``universes of ideas'', where ``idea" is a common term for assertions and terms. A dualism between induction and deduction and their treatment on a common basis is provided. The described approach referenced as ``universics'' is expected to be useful for metamathematical analysis and to serve as a foundation for mathematics. As a motivation for this research served the Harvey Friedman's desideratum to develop a foundational theory based on ``induction construction'', possibly comprising set theory. This desideratum emerged due to ``foundational incompleteness'' of set theory. The main results of this paper are an explication of the notion ``foundational completeness'', and a generalization of well-founded-ness.

Global structure of the inflationary Universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goncharov, A.S.; Linde, A.D.

1987-01-01

The global structure of the Universe is analyzed within the framework of the haotic inflation scenario. It is shown that under certain conditions inflation of the Universe in accordance with this scenario has no the end and may not have the beginning. Consequently, a large part of the physical volume of the Universe should always be in a state of inflation at a density of the order of the Planck density. During inflation the Universe separates into regions of exponentially large sizes. Within these regions all possible types of metastable vacuum states and all possible types of compactification, consistent with the presence of inflation are realized. The investigation is performed by employing the diffusion equation for a fluctuating scalar field in the inflationary Universe

Universality and the dynamical space-time dimensionality in the Lorentzian type IIB matrix model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ito, Yuta [KEK Theory Center, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization,1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); Nishimura, Jun [KEK Theory Center, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization,1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI),1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); Tsuchiya, Asato [Department of Physics, Shizuoka University,836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529 (Japan)

2017-03-27

The type IIB matrix model is one of the most promising candidates for a nonperturbative formulation of superstring theory. In particular, its Lorentzian version was shown to exhibit an interesting real-time dynamics such as the spontaneous breaking of the 9-dimensional rotational symmetry to the 3-dimensional one. This result, however, was obtained after regularizing the original matrix integration by introducing “infrared” cutoffs on the quadratic moments of the Hermitian matrices. In this paper, we generalize the form of the cutoffs in such a way that it involves an arbitrary power (2p) of the matrices. By performing Monte Carlo simulation of a simplified model, we find that the results become independent of p and hence universal for p≳1.3. For p as large as 2.0, however, we find that large-N scaling behaviors do not show up, and we cannot take a sensible large-N limit. Thus we find that there is a certain range of p in which a universal large-N limit can be taken. Within this range of p, the dynamical space-time dimensionality turns out to be (3+1), while for p=2.0, where we cannot take a sensible large-N limit, we observe a (5+1)d structure.

Effect of cyclic, low dose pyrimethamine treatment in patients with Late Onset Tay Sachs: an open label, extended pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Osher, Etty; Fattal-Valevski, Aviva; Sagie, Liora; Urshanski, Nataly; Sagiv, Nadav; Peleg, Leah; Lerman-Sagie, Tally; Zimran, Ari; Elstein, Deborah; Navon, Ruth; Valevski, Avi; Stern, Naftali

2015-04-17

Late Onset Tay- Sachs disease (LOTS) is a rare neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disease which results from mutations in the gene encoding the α subunit (HEXA) of β-hexosaminidase enzyme (HexA). At the present time, no effective treatment exists for LOTS and other neurodegenerative diseases involving the central nerve system (CNS). Pyrimethamine (PMT) was previously shown to act as a HexA chaperone in human fibroblasts in vitro carrying some (e.g., αG269S), but not all LOTS-related mutations. The present study assessed the effect of cyclic, low dose and long term pyrimethamine treatment on HexA in subjects with LOTS. In an open label trial in 4 LOTS patients, PMT was initiated at an average daily dose of ~2.7 mg and administered cyclically guided by blood lymphocyte HexA activity for a mean duration of 82.8 (±22.5; SD) weeks (~1.5 year). HexA activity rose in all subjects, with a mean peak increase of 2.24 folds (±0.52; SD) over baseline activity (range 1.87-3). The mean treatment time required to attain this peak was of 15.7 (±4.8; SD) weeks. Following increase in activity, HexA gradually declined with the continued use of PMT, which was then stopped, resulting in the return of HexA activity to baseline. A second cycle of PMT treatment was then initiated, resulting again in an increase in HexA activity. Three of the patients experienced a measurable neuropsychiatric deterioration whereas one subject remained entirely stable. Cyclic low dose of PMT can increase HexA activity in LOTS patients. However, the observed increase is repeatedly transient and not associated with discernible beneficial neurological or psychiatric effects.

Universal (Global Evolutionism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arkady Ursul

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In this article investigate a general scientific concept of a global (universal evolution, in which selforganization of the material systems acts as a common ground and a permanent process of progressive development in the visible Universe. The main problem of research of this type of evolution is seen as a superhighway trajectory of evolutionary processes in the Universe, in which there is a continuous selforganization of the material systems, ranging from the Big Bang and to the social level of evolution, which may have an indefinite continuation of society and nature

Cosmological constraints on the amplitude of relic gravitational waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novosyadlij, B.; Apunevich, S.

2005-01-01

The evolution of the amplitude of relic gravitational waves (RGW) generated in early Universe has been analyzed. The analytical approximation is presented for angular power spectrum of cosmic microwave background anisotropies caused by gravitational waves through Sachs-Wolfe effect. The estimate of the most probable value for this amplitude was obtained on the basis of observation data on cosmic microwave background anisotropies from COBE, WMAP and BOOMERanG experiments along with large-scale structure observations

A double mutation in exon 6 of the [beta]-hexosaminidase [alpha] subunit in a patient with the B1 variant of Tay-Sachs disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ainsworth, P.J. (Univ. of Western Ontario, Ontario (Canada) Child Health Research Institute, London, Ontario (Canada)); Coulter-Mackie, M.B. (Univ. of Western Ontario, Ontario (Canada) Child Health Research Institute, London, Ontario (Canada) Children' s Psychiatric Research Institute, London, Ontario (Canada))

1992-10-01

The B1 variant form of Tay-Sachs disease is enzymologically unique in that the causative mutation(s) appear to affect the active site in the [alpha] subunit of [beta]-hexosaminidase A without altering its ability to associate with the [beta] subunit. Most previously reported B1 variant mutations were found in exon 5 within codon 178. The coding sequence of the [alpha] subunit gene of a patient with the B1 variant form was examined with a combination of reverse transcription of mRNA to cDNA, PCR, and dideoxy sequencing. A double mutation in exon 6 has been identified: a G[sub 574][yields]C transversion causing a val[sub 192][yields]leu change and a G[sub 598][yields] A transition resulting in a val[sub 200][yields]met alteration. The amplified cDNAs were otherwise normal throughout their sequence. The 574 and 598 alterations have been confirmed by amplification directly from genomic DNA from the patient and her mother. Transient-expression studies of the two exon 6 mutations (singly or together) in COS-1 cells show that the G[sub 574][yields]C change is sufficient to cause the loss of enzyme activity. The biochemical phenotype of the 574 alteration in transfection studies is consistent with that expected for a B1 variant mutation. As such, this mutation differs from previously reported B1 variant mutations, all of which occur in exon 5. 31 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.

77 FR 47138 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE MKT LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change Amending...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-07

..., NYSE Euronext, Banc of America Strategic Investments Corporation (``BAML''), Barclays Electronic Commerce Holdings Inc. (``Barclays''), Citadel Securities LLC (``Citadel''), Citigroup Financial Strategies, Inc. (``Citigroup''), Goldman, Sachs & Co. (``Goldman Sachs''), Datek Online Management Corp. (``TD...

Psychological distress and tension-type headache among health professional senior students in a historically black university in south africa.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.L. Amosun

2002-02-01

Full Text Available Studies in well-defined populations contribute to the body ofevidence that the psychosocial aspects of people’s environment can have a substantial effect on their physical health. Senior students in health professional education programs were interviewed using structured instruments to assess the prevalence of psychological distress and tension-type headaches in a young adult university population.  Almost 70%of the study sample was either at risk of becoming distressed, or already distressed with somatic or depressive symptoms. About two-thirds of thestudents reported symptoms of either tension-type headache or other typesof headache, while over 30% of all the students complained of tension-type headache. Almost 20% of the students whoreported symptoms of tension-type headache were also distressed, while another 47% were at risk of being distressed.The possible impact on the academic performance of the students and their future role as health care professionalsis discussed.

Novel Vector Design and Hexosaminidase Variant Enabling Self-Complementary Adeno-Associated Virus for the Treatment of Tay-Sachs Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Karumuthil-Melethil, Subha; Nagabhushan Kalburgi, Sahana; Thompson, Patrick; Tropak, Michael; Kaytor, Michael D; Keimel, John G; Mark, Brian L; Mahuran, Don; Walia, Jagdeep S; Gray, Steven J

2016-07-01

GM2 gangliosidosis is a family of three genetic neurodegenerative disorders caused by the accumulation of GM2 ganglioside (GM2) in neuronal tissue. Two of these are due to the deficiency of the heterodimeric (α-β), "A" isoenzyme of lysosomal β-hexosaminidase (HexA). Mutations in the α-subunit (encoded by HEXA) lead to Tay-Sachs disease (TSD), whereas mutations in the β-subunit (encoded by HEXB) lead to Sandhoff disease (SD). The third form results from a deficiency of the GM2 activator protein (GM2AP), a substrate-specific cofactor for HexA. In their infantile, acute forms, these diseases rapidly progress with mental and psychomotor deterioration resulting in death by approximately 4 years of age. After gene transfer that overexpresses one of the deficient subunits, the amount of HexA heterodimer formed would empirically be limited by the availability of the other endogenous Hex subunit. The present study used a new variant of the human HexA α-subunit, μ, incorporating critical sequences from the β-subunit that produce a stable homodimer (HexM) and promote functional interactions with the GM2AP- GM2 complex. We report the design of a compact adeno-associated viral (AAV) genome using a synthetic promoter-intron combination to allow self-complementary (sc) packaging of the HEXM gene. Also, a previously published capsid mutant, AAV9.47, was used to deliver the gene to brain and spinal cord while having restricted biodistribution to the liver. The novel capsid and cassette design combination was characterized in vivo in TSD mice for its ability to efficiently transduce cells in the central nervous system when delivered intravenously in both adult and neonatal mice. This study demonstrates that the modified HexM is capable of degrading long-standing GM2 storage in mice, and it further demonstrates the potential of this novel scAAV vector design to facilitate widespread distribution of the HEXM gene or potentially other similar-sized genes to the nervous system.

Roles of configuration mixing and exchange currents in nuclear magnetic moments and beta decays. Chapter 17

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arima, A.; Hyuga, H.

1979-01-01

The authors review systematically several important mechanisms which affect magnetic moments, magnetic dipole transitions and allowed beta-decays. They are first order configuration mixing, second order configuration mixing, the Sachs moment and other exchange magnetic moments, the contribution of the Sachs moment and other exchange magnetic moments with first order configuration mixing. It is shown that first order configuration mixing and the Sachs moment are important for heavy nuclei, and that all the effects except first order mixing are important for light nuclei. (Auth.)

A Type System For Certified Runtime Type Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

2002-12-01

1999 ACM SIGPLAN International Conf. on Functional Pro- gramming (ICFP’99), pages 183–196. ACM Press, September 1999. [Min97] Yasuhiko Minamide. Full...lifting of type parameters. Technical report, RIMS, Kyoto University, 1997. [MMH96] Yasuhiko Minamide, Greg Morrisett, and Robert Harper. Typed

Prenatal Genetic Screening Tests

Science.gov (United States)

... Inherited disorders include sickle cell disease , cystic fibrosis , Tay–Sachs disease , and many others. In most cases, both parents ... pain. It occurs most often in African Americans. Tay–Sachs Disease: An inherited birth defect that causes intellectual disability, ...

Helical-type device and laser fusion. Rivals for tokamak-type device at n-fusion development in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1994-01-01

Under the current policy on the research and development of nuclear fusion in Japan, as enunciated by the Atomic Energy Commission of Japan, the type of a prototype fusion reactor will be chosen after 2020 from tokamak, helical or some other type including the inertial confinement fusion using lasers. A prototype fusion reactor is the next step following the tokamak type International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). With the prototype reactor, the feasibility as a power plant will be examined. At present the main research and development of nuclear fusion in Japan are on tokamak type, which have been promoted by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). As for the other types of nuclear fusion, researches have been carried out on the helical type in Kyoto University and National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), the mirror type in Tsukuba University, the tokamak type using superconductive coils in Kyushu University, and the laser fusion in Osaka University. The features and the present state of research and development of the Large Helical Device and the laser fusion which is one step away from the break-even condition are reported. (K.I.)

Development of public health program for type 1 diabetes in a university community: preliminary evaluation of behavioural change wheel.

Science.gov (United States)

Nwose, Ezekiel Uba; Digban, K A; Anyasodor, A E; Bwititi, P T; Richards, R S; Igumbor, E O

2017-10-23

Diabetes mellitus, including type 1 is a global public health problem among the young persons. While public health campaign and screening program is a potential strategy, but communication skills, knowledge and opinion of the healthcare personnel are indicated as variables that can impact patient's education, which will lead to better outcome of care. Thus, in designing or planning a program for public health, workforce development considers opinion and behavioural change wheel of prospective personnel. The purpose of this preliminary study was to evaluate if a university academic department has the behavioural change wheel to function as workforce infrastructure for an envisioned program. Survey of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of a university community regarding diabetes type 1 was performed. The KAP were translated into behavioural change wheel comprising capacity, motivation and opportunity (CMO). There are baseline indications of the behavioural change wheel potential of the public health department to run a T1D screening program. The number of participants who knew someone with T1D was significantly higher than the subgroup with no such knowledge (pwheel or CMO to develop a workforce infrastructure for T1D screening program, the experience that comes with age of lecturers will be an important factor to enable such program to succeed.

Entropy and the Typicality of Universes

OpenAIRE

Barbour, Julian; Koslowski, Tim; Mercati, Flavio

2015-01-01

The universal validity of the second law of thermodynamics is widely attributed to a finely tuned initial condition of the universe. This creates a problem: why is the universe atypical? We suggest that the problem is an artefact created by inappropriate transfer of the traditional concept of entropy to the whole universe. Use of what we call the relational $N$-body problem as a model indicates the need to employ two distinct entropy-type concepts to describe the universe. One, which we call ...

Virtual Universities: Current Models and Future Trends.

Science.gov (United States)

Guri-Rosenblit, Sarah

2001-01-01

Describes current models of distance education (single-mode distance teaching universities, dual- and mixed-mode universities, extension services, consortia-type ventures, and new technology-based universities), including their merits and problems. Discusses future trends in potential student constituencies, faculty roles, forms of knowledge…

The Cyclic Stress-Strain Curve of Polycrystals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Ole Bøcker; Rasmussen, K. V.; Winter, A. T.

1982-01-01

The internal stresses implied by the Sachs model are estimated for individual PSBs at low plastic strain amplitudes and for homogeneously sheared grains at higher plastic strain amplitudes. The analysis shows that the Sachs model can account semi-quantitatively for experimentally measured cyclic...... stress-strain curves for copper. A similar approximative analysis of the Taylor model cannot account for the data. An interesting feature of the Sachs model is that, although it is assumed that the flow condition is entirely controlled by the PSBs. the predicted cyclic stress-strain curve displays...

Possible physical universes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gordon McCabe

2005-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to discuss the various types of physical universe which could exist according to modern mathematical physics. The paper begins with an introduction that approaches the question from the viewpoint of ontic structural realism. Section 2 takes the case of the 'multiverse' of spatially homogeneous universes, and analyses the famous Collins-Hawking argument, which purports to show that our own universe is a very special member of this collection. Section 3 considers the multiverse of all solutions to the Einstein field equations, and continues the discussion of whether the notions of special and typical can be defined within such a collection.

Acceleration of black hole universe

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, T. X.; Frederick, C.

2014-01-01

Recently, Zhang slightly modified the standard big bang theory and developed a new cosmological model called black hole universe, which is consistent with Mach's principle, governed by Einstein's general theory of relativity, and able to explain all observations of the universe. Previous studies accounted for the origin, structure, evolution, expansion, and cosmic microwave background radiation of the black hole universe, which grew from a star-like black hole with several solar masses through a supermassive black hole with billions of solar masses to the present state with hundred billion-trillions of solar masses by accreting ambient matter and merging with other black holes. This paper investigates acceleration of the black hole universe and provides an alternative explanation for the redshift and luminosity distance measurements of type Ia supernovae. The results indicate that the black hole universe accelerates its expansion when it accretes the ambient matter in an increasing rate. In other words, i.e., when the second-order derivative of the mass of the black hole universe with respect to the time is positive . For a constant deceleration parameter , we can perfectly explain the type Ia supernova measurements with the reduced chi-square to be very close to unity, χ red˜1.0012. The expansion and acceleration of black hole universe are driven by external energy.

University-Industry Collaboration from a Relationship Marketing Perspective: An Empirical Analysis in a Spanish University

Science.gov (United States)

Frasquet, Marta; Calderon, Haydee; Cervera, Amparo

2012-01-01

Building relationships between universities and industry bodies is of prime importance for creating value for universities' stakeholders. This paper focuses on relationships in relation to undergraduate internship programmes in the Social Sciences. Using the relationship marketing approach, we analyze this type of collaboration of firms with a…

Population-based Tay-Sachs screening among Ashkenazi Jewish young adults in the 21st century: Hexosaminidase A enzyme assay is essential for accurate testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Adele; Nakagawa, Sachiko; Keep, Rosanne; Dorsainville, Darnelle; Charrow, Joel; Aleck, Kirk; Hoffman, Jodi; Minkoff, Sherman; Finegold, David; Sun, Wei; Spencer, Andrew; Lebow, Johannah; Zhan, Jie; Apfelroth, Stephen; Schreiber-Agus, Nicole; Gross, Susan

2009-11-01

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) carrier screening, initiated in the 1970s, has reduced the birth-rate of Ashkenazi Jews with TSD worldwide by 90%. Recently, several nationwide programs have been established that provide carrier screening for the updated panel of Jewish genetic diseases on college campuses and in Jewish community settings. The goals of this study were to determine the performance characteristics of clinical TSD testing in college- and community-based screening programs and to determine if molecular testing alone is adequate in those settings. Clinical data for TSD testing were retrospectively anonymized and subsequently analyzed for 1,036 individuals who participated in these programs. The performance characteristics of the serum and the platelet Hexosaminidase assays were compared, and also correlated with the results of targeted DNA analysis. The serum assay identified 29 carriers and the platelet assay identified 35 carriers for carrier rates of 1/36 and 1/29, respectively. One hundred sixty-nine samples (16.3%) were inconclusive by serum assay in marked contrast to four inconclusive samples (0.4%) by the platelet assay. Molecular analysis alone would have missed four of the 35 carriers detected by the platelet assay, yielding a false negative rate of 11.4% with a sensitivity of 88.6%. Based on the results of this study, platelet assay was superior to serum with a minimal inconclusive rate. Due to changing demographics of the Ashkenazi Jewish population, molecular testing alone in the setting of broad-based population screening programs is not sufficient, and biochemical analysis should be the assay of choice. Copyright 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Geneva University

CERN Multimedia

2009-01-01

École de physique - Département de physique nucléaire et corpusculaire 24, quai Ernest-Ansermet 1211 GENÈVE 4 Tél: (022) 379 62 73 - Fax: (022) 379 69 92 Wednesday 13 May 2009 PARTICLE PHYSICS SEMINAR at 17:00 – Stückelberg Auditorium Observing the extreme universe with the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope Prof. Olaf Reimer / Stanford University The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (FGST, formerly GLAST) is an international observatory-type satellite mission with a physics program spanning from gamma-ray astronomy to particle astrophysics and cosmology. FGST was launched on June 11, 2008 and is successfully conducting science observations of the high-energy gamma-ray sky since August 2008. A varienty of discoveries has been made already, including monitoring rapid blazar variability, the existence of GeV gamma-ray bursts, and numerous new gamma-ray sources of different types, including those belonging to previously unknown gamma-ray source classes like msPSRs, globula...

Effect of intravenous iron saccharate on the requirements ofErythropoietin in Hemodialysis patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaheen, F.A.M.; Akeel, N.; Souqiyye, M.Z.

2002-01-01

We attempt in this study to evaluate the effect of intravenous ironsaccharate (i.v. Sach) on the erythropoietin (EPO) requirements during theinitial phase of replacement therapy with recombinant human erythropoietin(r-HuEPO) in adult chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients. We evaluated 96 studypatients who completed 12 weeks of treatment with EPO. There were 69 (72%)males and 27 (28%) females with a mean age of 44+-10 years (range 24 to 74years). The patients were initiated on EPO at 50 units/kg body weightsubcutaneously post-dialysis two to three times weekly. Intravenous iron wasadministered to maintain the ferritin levels and transferrin saturation ratiowithin normal range. There were 36 (37.5%) patients who received i.v. Sach atdoses of 100 mg at the end of dialysis two or three times per week during thewhole study period (total dose 2400-3600 mg). Of the 96 study patients, 91(94.8%) responded to the EPO. The mean hemoglobin (Hb) at entry to the studywas 72+-84 g/L (range 52-88 g/L). There was significant increase of the meanHb to 108+-10 g/L (range 70-120 grams/L) at the end of study (P 0.2and ferritin 0.2 and ferritin >100ng/ml. There were 19 patients in group I (13 received i.v. Sach), 26 in groupII (16 received i.v. Sach) and 44 in group III (seven received i.v. Sach).There was a group of seven patients who had TSAT 100ng/ml, however, none received i.v. sach and they were not included in thestratification. There was no significant difference in the mean Hb betweenpatients who received and those who did not receive i.v. Sach in thesub-groups studied. However, there was a significant decrease in the meanweekly dose of EPO in the patients who received i.v. Sach. We conclude thatroutine use of i.v. iron supplementation in chronic HD patients receivingrecombinant EPO may be beneficial in the initial phase of treatment inattaining the target Hb with lower doses of EPO, regardless of the status ofthe iron indices. (author)

The Comparison of Healthy and Unhealthy Perfectionism and Type A Personality in The Perceived Parenting Styles in University Students

OpenAIRE

مریم جهان بخش; ابوالقاسم خوش کنش; محمود حیدری

2016-01-01

The purpose of the present research is to study healthy and unhealthy perfectionism as well as type A personality based on different parenting styles. With a ex-post-facto method, a sample of undergraduate students at Shahid Beheshti University was selected through random multistage cluster sampling with at least 80 students in every parenting style. This sample consists of 407 students: 235 girls and 172 boys. The subjects completed three questionnaires of perceived parenting style, positive...

On the universality of knot probability ratios

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Janse van Rensburg, E J [Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3 (Canada); Rechnitzer, A, E-mail: rensburg@yorku.ca, E-mail: andrewr@math.ubc.ca [Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, 1984 Mathematics Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2 (Canada)

2011-04-22

Let p{sub n} denote the number of self-avoiding polygons of length n on a regular three-dimensional lattice, and let p{sub n}(K) be the number which have knot type K. The probability that a random polygon of length n has knot type K is p{sub n}(K)/p{sub n} and is known to decay exponentially with length (Sumners and Whittington 1988 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 21 1689-94, Pippenger 1989 Discrete Appl. Math. 25 273-8). Little is known rigorously about the asymptotics of p{sub n}(K), but there is substantial numerical evidence. It is believed that the entropic exponent, {alpha}, is universal, while the exponential growth rate is independent of the knot type but varies with the lattice. The amplitude, C{sub K}, depends on both the lattice and the knot type. The above asymptotic form implies that the relative probability of a random polygon of length n having prime knot type K over prime knot type L. In the thermodynamic limit this probability ratio becomes an amplitude ratio; it should be universal and depend only on the knot types K and L. In this communication we examine the universality of these probability ratios for polygons in the simple cubic, face-centred cubic and body-centred cubic lattices. Our results support the hypothesis that these are universal quantities. For example, we estimate that a long random polygon is approximately 28 times more likely to be a trefoil than be a figure-eight, independent of the underlying lattice, giving an estimate of the intrinsic entropy associated with knot types in closed curves. (fast track communication)

Oscillating universe with quintom matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong Huahui; Cai Yifu; Qiu Taotao; Piao Yunsong; Zhang Xinmin

2008-01-01

In this Letter, we study the possibility of building a model of the oscillating universe with quintom matter in the framework of 4-dimensional Friedmann-Robertson-Walker background. Taking the two-scalar-field quintom model as an example, we find in the model parameter space there are five different types of solutions which correspond to: (I) a cyclic universe with the minimal and maximal values of the scale factor remaining the same in every cycle, (II) an oscillating universe with its minimal and maximal values of the scale factor increasing cycle by cycle, (III) an oscillating universe with its scale factor always increasing, (IV) an oscillating universe with its minimal and maximal values of the scale factor decreasing cycle by cycle, and (V) an oscillating universe with its scale factor always decreasing

A higher-dimensional Bianchi type-I inflationary Universe in general ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Inflation, the stage of accelerated expansion of the Universe, first proposed ... ary model in the context of grand unified theory (GUT), which has been ... The role of self-interacting scalar fields in inflationary cosmology in four-dimensional.

USING BAYESIAN NETWORKS TO UNDERSTAND RELATIONSHIPS AMONG MATH ANXIETY, GENDERS, PERSONALITY TYPES, AND STUDY HABITS AT A UNIVERSITY IN JORDAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linda Smail

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Mathematics is the foundation of all sciences, but most students have problems learning math. Although students’ success in life related to their success in learning, many would not take a math course unless it is their university’s core requirements. Multiple reasons exist for students’ poor performance in mathematics, but one prevalent variable worth consideration is the personality type. This work seeks to uncover relationships, if any, between students’ math anxiety and the students’ learning type in learning math and preparing for exams and tests. We use Bayesian networks to link those different variables and detect possible relationships among these variables. The data was obtained from population of 468 students during spring in 2009 at a U.S. institution in Jordan. Not many researches have been performed in the area of math study and personality types so we undertook this study to add to this area of knowledge. The study reveals that math anxiety related to gender, personality type, and study habits among this group of university students. Keywords: Mathematics Anxiety, MBTI, Personality Types, Bayesian Networks DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22342/jme.8.1.3405.17-34

Quantum entanglement of baby universes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aganagic, Mina; Okuda, Takuya; Ooguri, Hirosi

2007-01-01

We study quantum entanglements of baby universes which appear in non-perturbative corrections to the OSV formula for the entropy of extremal black holes in type IIA string theory compactified on the local Calabi-Yau manifold defined as a rank 2 vector bundle over an arbitrary genus G Riemann surface. This generalizes the result for G=1 in hep-th/0504221. Non-perturbative terms can be organized into a sum over contributions from baby universes, and the total wave-function is their coherent superposition in the third quantized Hilbert space. We find that half of the universes preserve one set of supercharges while the other half preserve a different set, making the total universe stable but non-BPS. The parent universe generates baby universes by brane/anti-brane pair creation, and baby universes are correlated by conservation of non-normalizable D-brane charges under the process. There are no other source of entanglement of baby universes, and all possible states are superposed with the equal weight

Quantum entanglement of baby universes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Essman, Eric P.; Aganagic, Mina; Okuda, Takuya; Ooguri, Hirosi

2006-01-01

We study quantum entanglements of baby universes which appear in non-perturbative corrections to the OSV formula for the entropy of extremal black holes in type IIA string theory compactified on the local Calabi-Yau manifold defined as a rank 2 vector bundle over an arbitrary genus G Riemann surface. This generalizes the result for G=1 in hep-th/0504221. Non-perturbative terms can be organized into a sum over contributions from baby universes, and the total wave-function is their coherent superposition in the third quantized Hilbert space. We find that half of the universes preserve one set of supercharges while the other half preserve a different set, making the total universe stable but non-BPS. The parent universe generates baby universes by brane/anti-brane pair creation, and baby universes are correlated by conservation of non-normalizable D-brane charges under the process. There are no other source of entanglement of baby universes, and all possible states are superposed with the equal weight

Two novel exonic point mutations in HEXA identified in a juvenile Tay-Sachs patient: role of alternative splicing and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay.

Science.gov (United States)

Levit, A; Nutman, D; Osher, E; Kamhi, E; Navon, R

2010-06-01

We have identified three mutations in the beta-hexoseaminidase A (HEXA) gene in a juvenile Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) patient, which exhibited a reduced level of HEXA mRNA. Two mutations are novel, c.814G>A (p.Gly272Arg) and c.1305C>T (p.=), located in exon 8 and in exon 11, respectively. The third mutation, c.1195A>G (p.Asn399Asp) in exon 11, has been previously characterized as a common polymorphism in African-Americans. Hex A activity measured in TSD Glial cells, transfected with HEXA cDNA constructs bearing these mutations, was unaltered from the activity level measured in normal HEXA cDNA. Analysis of RT-PCR products revealed three aberrant transcripts in the patient, one where exon 8 was absent, one where exon 11 was absent and a third lacking both exons 10 and 11. All three novel transcripts contain frameshifts resulting in premature termination codons (PTCs). Transfection of mini-gene constructs carrying the c.814G>A and c.1305C>T mutations proved that the two mutations result in exon skipping. mRNAs that harbor a PTC are detected and degraded by the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway to prevent synthesis of abnormal proteins. However, although NMD is functional in the patient's fibroblasts, aberrant transcripts are still present. We suggest that the level of correctly spliced transcripts as well as the efficiency in which NMD degrade the PTC-containing transcripts, apparently plays an important role in the phenotype severity of the unique patient and thus should be considered as a potential target for drug therapy.

Employee Assistance Programmes and Their Place within Universities.

Science.gov (United States)

Smewing, Chris; Cox, Tom

1998-01-01

The response in British universities to the 'troubled employee' is considered, and then contrasted with the development of Employee Assistance Programs in North American universities. Different types of programs are discussed, and it is argued that British universities might benefit from introducing such programs. (Author/EMK)

Denotational semantics for guarded dependent type theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bizjak, Aleš; Møgelberg, Rasmus Ejlers

2018-01-01

We present a new model of Guarded Dependent Type Theory (GDTT), a type theory with guarded recursion and multiple clocks in which one can program with, and reason about coinductive types. Productivity of recursively defined coinductive programs and proofs is encoded in types using guarded recursion......, crucial for programming with coinductive types, types must be interpreted as presheaves orthogonal to the object of clocks. In the case of dependent types, this translates to a unique lifting condition similar to the one found in homotopy theoretic models of type theory. Since the universes defined...... by inclusions of clock variable contexts commute on the nose with type operations on the universes....

Perceptions of Students towards ICT Competencies at the University

Science.gov (United States)

Torres-Gastelú, Carlos Arturo; Kiss, Gábor

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify the perceptions of university students towards their ICT Competencies from two universities, one in Mexico and the other in Hungary. The research type is quantitative and exploratory. The instrument consists of 14 questions related to three types of competencies: Basic, Application and Ethical. The sample…

Creditor Panic, Asset Bubbles and Sharks: Three Views of the Asian Crisis

OpenAIRE

Marcus Miller; Lei Zhang

1999-01-01

How are we to understand the East Asian crisis? There are two popular explanations: first that it was just like a nineteenth century British bank panic, calling for prompt action by a 'lender of last resort', namely the IMF; second that it was much worse —nothing less than the bursting of a modern-day South Sea Bubble. Jeffrey Sachs of Harvard University is closely associated with the first view. He stresses the liquidity crisis facing the emerging East Asian economies as foreign short-term c...

Baby universe theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, H.B.; Ninomiya, Masao

1989-12-01

We give an elementary review of the so called 'the theory of baby universes' which is a series of ideas or speculations about some effects in quantum gravity, viz. the effect of a certain type of wormholes, representing the exchange of small 3-space universes called baby universes. We consider this 'theory' as being physically and scientifically a very promising candidate for a theory of everything. It is, however, mathematically lacking any strong foundation at all. It solves several fine-tuning problems: First of all the cosmological constant problem, and also the strong CP-problem and the hierarchy problem. We also speculate that it might predict the possibility of influencing the probability distributions of the outcome of quantum mechanical measurements at one time by acts at a later time. (orig.)

Electromagnetic Gowdy universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charach, C.

1979-01-01

Following Gowdy and Berger we construct an inhomogeneous closed electromagnetic universe with three-torus topology. This model is obtained as a result of the homogeneity breaking in the electromagnetic Bianchi type-I universe and contains interacting gravitational and electromagnetic waves. This cosmological solution provides an exactly solvable model for the study of the nonlinear fully relativistic regime of coupled electromagnetic and gravitational fields in the early universe. The asymptotic behavior is considered (i) in the vicinity of the initial singularity and (ii) in the high-frequency limit. It is shown that the effects of coupling between electromagnetic and gravitational waves cause an evolution which is significantly different from that of the vacuum model. The influence of the primordial homogeneous electromagnetic field on the dynamics of the model is also discussed

Interpersonal Conflicts In Ghanaian University Libraries | Kofi ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Results indicate that personality differences, superior/subordinate relationships, power struggle and competition are responsible for interpersonal conflicts in Ghanaian university libraries. It then makes recommendations on how to manage the various types of interpersonal conflicts within university libraries. Keywords: ...

The Funding of Virtual Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Poulin, Russell; Michelau, Demaree K.

2009-01-01

This article reviews categorization models and the outcomes of a virtual university funding survey. Although categorization of types of funding mechanisms is a necessary analytical tool, it often hides the many and varied political decisions that created them. In commenting on the implications of the type of funding model, political forces behind…

Contemporary collaborations between museums and universities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Line Vestergaard; Simonsen, Celia Ekelund

2017-01-01

Numerous new types of cross-institutional collaborations have been conducted recently at the intersection between museums and universities. Museums of all subject areas have collaborated with university researchers, just as scholars from a broad range of disciplines including communications, media...... studies, IT and performance design and tourism increasingly collaborate with museums. Based on qualitative evaluation material and autobiographical experiences, this article analyzes a large Danish research project in which collaborations between several museums and universities took place. We investigate...

Universal requisition for waste data collection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nisbet, B.; Gage, M.

1995-05-01

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has developed a data management tool for information gathering that encompasses all types of waste generated by the site. It is referred to as the Universal Requisition. It can be used to record information for the following types of waste: non-hazardous, hazardous, low level radioactive, mixed, transuranic (TRU), and TRU mixed wastestreams. It provides the salient information needed for the safe handling, storage, and disposal of waste, and satisfies our regulatory, record keeping, and reporting requirements. There are forty two numbered fields on the requisition and several other fields for signatures, compatibility codes, internal tracking numbers, and other information. Not all of these fields are applicable to every type of waste. As an aid to using the Universal requisition, templates with the applicable fields highlighted in color were produced and distributed. There are six different waste type templates. Each is highlighted in a different color.

78 FR 41797 - Granting of Request for Early Termination of the Waiting Period Under the Premerger Notification...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-11

....; Virgin Group Holdings Limited; Delta Airlines, Inc. 20130889 G Centre Capital Investors V, L.P.; Overhill....; Vista Equity Partners Fund IV, L.P. 20130906 G The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.; APT Software Holdings, Inc.; The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. 20130908 G MABEG/Verein zur Fordurung und Beratung der MAHLE Gruppe e.V...

Psychological type and attitude toward Christianity: a replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Francis, Leslie J; Robbins, Mandy; Boxer, Anna; Lewis, Christopher Alan; McGuckin, Conor; McDaid, Charles J

2003-02-01

A sample of 149 university students completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales together with the Francis Scale of Attitude Toward Christianity. The data indicated that university students classified as Feeling Types hold a more positive attitude toward Christianity than those classified as Thinking Types. These findings replicate the 1999 report of Jones and Francis.

Intralobar fibres of the occipital lobe: a post mortem dissection study.

Science.gov (United States)

Vergani, Francesco; Mahmood, Sajedha; Morris, Cristopher M; Mitchell, Patrick; Forkel, Stephanie J

2014-07-01

The atlas by Heinrich Sachs (1892) provided an accurate description of the intralobar fibres of the occipital lobe, with a detailed representation of the short associative tracts connecting different parts of the lobe. Little attention has been paid to the work of Sachs since its publication. In this study, we present the results of the dissection of three hemispheres, performed according to the Klingler technique (1935). Our anatomical findings are then compared to the original description of the occipital fibres anatomy as detailed by Sachs. Three hemispheres were dissected according to Klingler's technique (1935). Specimens were fixed in 10% formalin and frozen at -15 °C for two weeks. After defreezing, dissection of the white matter fibres was performed with blunt dissectors. Coronal sections were obtained according to the cuts originally described by Sachs. In addition, medial to lateral and lateral to medial dissection of the white matter of the occipital lobe was also performed. A network of short association fibres was demonstrated in the occipital lobe, comprising intralobar association fibres and U-shaped fibres, which are connecting neighbouring gyri. Lateral to the ventricles, longitudinal fibres of the stratum sagittale were also identified that are arranged as external and internal layers. Fibres of the forceps major were also found to be in direct contact with the ventricular walls. We were able to replicate all tracts originally described by Sachs. In addition, a previously unrecognised tract, connecting the cuneus to the lingual gyrus, was identified. This tract corresponds to the "sledge runner", described in tractography studies. The occipital lobe shows a rich network of intralobar fibres, arranged around the ventricular wall. Good concordance was observed between the Klingler dissection technique and the histological preparations of Sachs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diferentes formas de aplicação da semente de Moringa oleifera no tratamento de água

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camila C. Arantes

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Coagulantes naturais e sistemas de filtração são tecnologias de tratamento de água, indicadas para comunidades rurais ou isoladas. Este estudo objetivou comparar duas formas de aplicação de coagulante extraído de sementes de Moringa oleifera. Utilizaram-se o coagulante líquido (10 mL L-1 a 20 g L-1 e sachê contendo 0,8 g de pó de sementes de Moringa oleifera. Após as etapas de dispersão da proteína presente nas sementes de Moringa oleifera, coagulação e floculação efetuaram-se pré-filtração ascendente e filtração lenta. Diferenças significativas foram observadas entre o uso do coagulante líquido e sachê na redução de turbidez e cor aparente. Com o uso dos sachês o pré-filtro foi menos eficiente notando-se reduções médias de turbidez igual 73 e 83% para os sachês e coagulante líquido, respectivamente. No filtro lento verificou-se redução média de 84 e 60% com o uso de sachês e coagulante líquido, respectivamente. Considerando todo o sistema de filtração, o uso dos sachês resultou em elevados percentuais de redução de turbidez e cor aparente; além de que seu preparo não requer o uso de água, condição que favorece sua aplicação em regiões em que há escassez de água com qualidade.

Michelson-type Radio Interferometer for University Education

Science.gov (United States)

Koda, Jin; Barrett, J. W.; Hasegawa, T.; Hayashi, M.; Shafto, G.; Slechta, J.

2013-01-01

Despite the increasing importance of interferometry in astronomy, the lack of educational interferometers is an obstacle to training the futue generation of astronomers. Students need hands-on experiments to fully understand the basic concepts of interferometry. Professional interferometers are often too complicated for education, and it is difficult to guarantee access for classes in a university course. We have built a simple and affordable radio interferometer for education and used it for an undergraduate and graduate laboratory project. This interferometer's design is based on the Michelson & Peace's stellar optical interferometer, but operates at a radio wavelength using a commercial broadcast satellite dish and receiver. Two side mirrors are surfaced with kitchen aluminum foil and slide on a ladder, providing baseline coverage. This interferometer can resolve and measure the diameter of the Sun, a nice daytime experiment which can be carried out even under a marginal weather (i.e., partial cloud coverage). Commercial broadcast satellites provide convenient point sources. By comparing the Sun and satellites, students can learn how an interferometer works and resolves structures in the sky.

Reliability of agriculture universal joint shafts based on temperature measuring in universal joint bearing assemblies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Аleksandar Asonja

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a research into reliability calculations of agriculture double universal joint shafts based on temperature measuring in cardan-type universal joint bearing assemblies. Special laboratory equipment was developed for this research which is presented in the paper. The objective of this research was to test the real life span of universal joint shafts in the laboratory and in field, to obtain the results which can be used to improve the reliability of universal joint shafts. If the presented research were used along with maintenance measures recommended in the paper and with proper use, the level of reliability of the shafts would be 2.1 times higher. The presented results of the research showed that needle bearings, i.e. bearing assemblies of the joints, are the most critical elements on universal joint shafts and are possible causes of their lower reliability. The second universal joint is the part with the lowest reliability in the observed technical system.

High-throughput multiplex HLA-typing by ligase detection reaction (LDR) and universal array (UA) approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Consolandi, Clarissa

2009-01-01

One major goal of genetic research is to understand the role of genetic variation in living systems. In humans, by far the most common type of such variation involves differences in single DNA nucleotides, and is thus termed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). The need for improvement in throughput and reliability of traditional techniques makes it necessary to develop new technologies. Thus the past few years have witnessed an extraordinary surge of interest in DNA microarray technology. This new technology offers the first great hope for providing a systematic way to explore the genome. It permits a very rapid analysis of thousands genes for the purpose of gene discovery, sequencing, mapping, expression, and polymorphism detection. We generated a series of analytical tools to address the manufacturing, detection and data analysis components of a microarray experiment. In particular, we set up a universal array approach in combination with a PCR-LDR (polymerase chain reaction-ligation detection reaction) strategy for allele identification in the HLA gene.

Why does gravitational radiation produce vorticity?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrera, L; Barreto, W; Carot, J; Prisco, A Di

2007-01-01

We calculate the vorticity of worldlines of observers at rest in a Bondi-Sachs frame, produced by gravitational radiation, in a general Sachs metric. We claim that such an effect is related to the super-Poynting vector, in a similar way as the existence of the electromagnetic Poynting vector is related to the vorticity in stationary electrovacuum spacetimes

Universe out of a breathing bubble

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guendelman, Eduardo I.; Sakai, Nobuyuki

2008-01-01

We consider the model of a false-vacuum bubble with a thin wall where the surface energy density is composed of two different components, 'domain-wall' type and 'dust' type, with opposite signs. We find stably oscillating solutions, which we call 'breathing bubbles'. By decay to a lower mass state, such a breathing bubble could become either (i) a child universe or ii) a bubble that 'eats up' the original universe, depending on the sign of the surface energy of the domain-wall component. We also discuss the effect of the finite-thickness corrections to the thin-wall approximation and possible origins of the energy contents of our model

Multiple Intelligences of Students at Jordanian Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Khataybeh, Abdalla; Al-Sheikh, Kholoud

2011-01-01

The present study aimed at investigating different intelligence types among Jordanian students at different public and private universities in Jordan. To achieve such aim, it sought to identify and rank multiple intelligences that characterize students at Jordanian universities, and to identify and rank the differences in multiple intelligences…

Exponential Cardassian universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Daojun; Sun Changbo; Li Xinzhou

2006-01-01

The expectation of explaining cosmological observations without requiring new energy sources is forsooth worthy of investigation. In this Letter, a new kind of Cardassian models, called exponential Cardassian models, for the late-time universe are investigated in the context of the spatially flat FRW universe scenario. We fit the exponential Cardassian models to current type Ia supernovae data and find they are consistent with the observations. Furthermore, we point out that the equation-of-state parameter for the effective dark fluid component in exponential Cardassian models can naturally cross the cosmological constant divide w=-1 that observations favor mildly without introducing exotic material that destroy the weak energy condition

Medical universities educational and research online services: benchmarking universities' website towards e-government.

Science.gov (United States)

Farzandipour, Mehrdad; Meidani, Zahra

2014-06-01

Websites as one of the initial steps towards an e-government adoption do facilitate delivery of online and customer-oriented services. In this study we intended to investigate the role of the websites of medical universities in providing educational and research services following the E-government maturity model in the Iranian universities. This descriptive and cross- sectional study was conducted through content analysis and benchmarking the websites in 2012. The research population included the entire medical university website (37). Delivery of educational and research services through these university websites including information, interaction, transaction, and Integration were investigated using a checklist. The data were then analyzed by means of descriptive statistics and using SPSS software. Level of educational and research services by websites of the medical universities type I and II was evaluated medium as 1.99 and 1.89, respectively. All the universities gained a mean score of 1 out of 3 in terms of integration of educational and research services. Results of the study indicated that Iranian universities have passed information and interaction stages, but they have not made much progress in transaction and integration stages. Failure to adapt to e-government in Iranian medical universities in which limiting factors such as users' e-literacy, access to the internet and ICT infrastructure are not so crucial as in other organizations, suggest that e-government realization goes beyond technical challenges.

Psychological and Educational Variables in University Dropout

Science.gov (United States)

Bethencourt, Jose Tomas; Cabrera, Lidia; Hernandez, Juan Andres; Alvarez-Perez, Pedro; Gonzalez-Afonso, Miriam

2008-01-01

Introduction: The purpose of this research is to demonstrate that on the perceptions of university students, the student variables are seen as most important than the context variables to dropout their university studies. Method: The used methodology was cross-sectional or of cut, of retrospective type. 558 undergraduates were interviewed by…

The Comparison of Healthy and Unhealthy Perfectionism and Type A Personality in The Perceived Parenting Styles in University Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

مریم جهان بخش

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present research is to study healthy and unhealthy perfectionism as well as type A personality based on different parenting styles. With a ex-post-facto method, a sample of undergraduate students at Shahid Beheshti University was selected through random multistage cluster sampling with at least 80 students in every parenting style. This sample consists of 407 students: 235 girls and 172 boys. The subjects completed three questionnaires of perceived parenting style, positive and negative perfectionism scale and type A personality. The collected data was analyzed by statistical tests MANOVA and ANOVA and Scheffe post hoc test. Results indicated that healthy perfectionism in the authoritative parenting style is more and in negligent parenting style is lower than the other parenting styles. The unhealthy perfectionism of the boys was more than girls. The interactive effect of the two variables namely parenting styles and gender upon healthy perfectionism was significant. Healthy­ perfectionism in authoritative parenting style in girls was more than boys and in permissive parenting style healthy perfectionism in boys was more than girls. The general effect of parenting styles and general effect of gender in score of type A personality did not show significant difference; however, the interactive effect of parenting styles and gender upon type A personality was supported. Here in permissive parenting style the type A personality in boys is higher than girls and in authoritarian parenting style the type A personality in girls is higher than boys. Conclusion: Due to the crucial role of parents' parenting styles in creating healthy and unhealthy perfectionism and also due to interactive effect of parenting style and gender on the healthy perfectionism and type A personality, educating parents on parenting styles and also giving instruction to the families for raising healthy persons in the society is a high priority.

Tay-Sachs Disease

Science.gov (United States)

... During the next months — or even years — the baby will progressively lose the ability to see, hear, and move. A red spot will develop in the back of the child's eyes. The child will stop smiling, crawling, turning over, and reaching out for things. By ...

Tay-Sachs Disease

Science.gov (United States)

... better understanding of how neurological deficits arise in lipid storage diseases and on the development of new treatments targeting disease mechanisms. Specific research on the gangliodisoses including expanding the use of ...

Type 2 diabetes in 'the young' | Iro | Abia State University Medical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abia State University Medical Students' Association Journal. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 2, No 1 (2000) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

Effects of physical therapy and relaxation techniques on the parameters of pain in university students with tension-type headache: A randomised controlled clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Álvarez-Melcón, A C; Valero-Alcaide, R; Atín-Arratibel, M A; Melcón-Álvarez, A; Beneit-Montesinos, J V

2018-05-01

Non-pharmacological treatments help control tension-type headache; however, evidence about their effectiveness is still limited. This study evaluates the effectiveness of physical therapy based on cervical spine kinesiotherapy and posture correction exercises compared to a programme of relaxation techniques only (Schultz's Autogenic Training, AT). Tension-type headache is very common among university students. We randomly selected 152 university students with a diagnosis of tension-type headache according to the criteria of the International Headache Society. Eighty-four were women (55.3%) and 68 were men (44.7%). Mean age was 20.42±2.36 years. The study design is a randomised controlled trial of a non-pharmacological intervention with a blinded evaluation of response variables. We compared the results of two independent samples: AT was used in one of the groups while the other group received AT plus cervical spine kinesiotherapy and posture correction training. Patients recorded any changes in the parameters of pain (frequency, intensity, and duration) and drug consumption in a headache diary before treatment, at 4 weeks, and at 3 months. Both interventions achieved a decrease in all the parameters of pain; however, decreases in frequency and intensity were more significant in the combined treatment group (Pcervical spine kinesiotherapy, and especially the combination of both, effectively reduce tension-type headache by preventing and managing the potential psychophysical causes of this disorder. Future research should aim to assess the long-term effects of these interventions. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Measurement of Omegam, OmegaLambda from a blind analysis of TypeIa supernovae with CMAGIC: Using color information to verify the acceleration of the Universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conley, A.; Goldhaber, G.; Wang, L.; Aldering, G.; Amanullah, R.; Commins, E.D.; Fadeyev, V.; Folatelli, G.; Garavini, G.; Gibbons, R.; Goobar, A.; Groom, D.E.; Hook, I.; Howell, D.A.; Kim, A.G.; Knop, R.A.; Kowalski, M.; Kuznetsova, N.; Lidman, C.; Nobili, S.; Nugent, P.E.; Pain, R.; Perlmutter, S.; Smith, E.; Spadafora, A.L.; Stanishev, V.; Strovink, M.; Thomas, R.C.; Wood-Vasey, W.M.

2006-01-01

We present measurements of (Omega) m and (Omega) # Lambda# from a blind analysis of 21 high redshift supernovae using a new technique (CMAGIC) for fitting the multicolor lightcurves of Type Ia supernovae, first introduced in Wang et al. (2003). CMAGIC takes advantage of the remarkably simple behavior of Type Ia supernovae on color-magnitude diagrams, and has several advantages over current techniques based on maximum magnitudes. Among these are a reduced sensitivity to host galaxy dust extinction, a shallower luminosity-width relation, and the relative simplicity of the fitting procedure. This allows us to provide a cross check of previous supernova cosmology results, despite the fact that current data sets were not observed in a manner optimized for CMAGIC. We describe the details of our novel blindness procedure, which is designed to prevent experimenter bias. The data are broadly consistent with the picture of an accelerating Universe, and agree with a at Universe within 1.7σ, including systematics. We also compare the CMAGIC results directly with those of a maximum magnitude fit to the same SNe, finding that CMAGIC favors more acceleration at the 1.6σ level, including systematics and the correlation between the two measurements. A fit for w assuming a at Universe yields a value which is consistent with a cosmological constant within 1.2σ

Measurement of Omega_m, Omega_Lambda from a blind analysis of TypeIa supernovae with CMAGIC: Using color information to verify theacceleration of the Universe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conley, A.; Goldhaber, G.; Wang, L.; Aldering, G.; Amanullah, R.; Commins, E.D.; Fadeyev, V.; Folatelli, G.; Garavini, G.; Gibbons, R.; Goobar, A.; Groom, D.E.; Hook, I.; Howell, D.A.; Kim, A.G.; Knop, R.A.; Kowalski, M.; Kuznetsova, N.; Lidman, C.; Nobili, S.; Nugent, P.E.; Pain,R.; Perlmutter, S.; Smith, E.; Spadafora, A.L.; Stanishev, V.; Strovink,M.; Thomas, R.C.; Wood-Vasey, W.M.

2006-02-21

We present measurements of {Omega}{sub m} and {Omega}{sub {Lambda}} from a blind analysis of 21 high redshift supernovae using a new technique (CMAGIC) for fitting the multicolor lightcurves of Type Ia supernovae, first introduced in Wang et al. (2003). CMAGIC takes advantage of the remarkably simple behavior of Type Ia supernovae on color-magnitude diagrams, and has several advantages over current techniques based on maximum magnitudes. Among these are a reduced sensitivity to host galaxy dust extinction, a shallower luminosity-width relation, and the relative simplicity of the fitting procedure. This allows us to provide a cross check of previous supernova cosmology results, despite the fact that current data sets were not observed in a manner optimized for CMAGIC. We describe the details of our novel blindness procedure, which is designed to prevent experimenter bias. The data are broadly consistent with the picture of an accelerating Universe, and agree with a at Universe within 1.7{sigma}, including systematics. We also compare the CMAGIC results directly with those of a maximum magnitude fit to the same SNe, finding that CMAGIC favors more acceleration at the 1.6{sigma} level, including systematics and the correlation between the two measurements. A fit for w assuming a at Universe yields a value which is consistent with a cosmological constant within 1.2{sigma}.

Stories, Heroes and Commercials. Spreading the Message across with a New Type of Responsibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana ADI

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Stories have always been a form of communication, the first form of narrative we have encountered in early childhood. And although we have grown up they continue to fascinate us. They maintain and recreate bonds with old traditions, legends, archetypes, myths and symbols. In analyzing stories, Joseph Campbell (2008 proposed the monomyth or the Hero's Journey, a basic pattern, which comprises fundamental stages and structures identifiable in all narratives from different cultures and ages. Although the pattern was further refined and enriched according to the specifics of the narrative (myth, fairy tale, dream, movie etc. the common structural elements of the Hero's Journey from the ordinary world to a challenging and unfamiliar world include: the departure, the initiation and the return. Picking up on Campbell’s model, Sachs (2012 proposes a circular representation of the hero and his/her journey. In this model, a new character, the mentor, plays a pivotal role in the shaping of the hero and his/her transformation. It is the mentor that supports the hero in her/his taking the call to adventure as well as in providing the needed support for crossing the thresholds to the supernatural world and back. Based on what Sachs (2012 suggests that brands could use storytelling as a means to engage with consumers. In doing so he argues that brands should reflect and adopt the role of mentors in their consumers’ journeys, guiding them through the challenges on their own world and contributing to their personal fulfillment. This paper aims to evaluate four stories, all focused on women and empowerment and as a result our discussion focuses mainly on the position of the brand within the story and its role. This, we believe, may contribute to a new trend focused on the adoption and applications of empowerment storytelling.

The early period of the universal Fermi interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiomno, J.

1984-01-01

A critical analysis of the contributions which lead, in the early period, to the discovery of the universality of Fermi-type weak interactions is made. In particular the current references to this universality as 'Puppi's triangle' are shown to be incorrect. (Author) [pt

Women in University Management: The Nigerian Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Abiodun-Oyebanji, Olayemi; Olaleye, F.

2011-01-01

This study examined women in university management in Nigeria. It was a descriptive research of the survey type. The population of the study comprised all the public universities in southwest Nigeria, out of which three were selected through the stratified random sampling technique. Three hundred respondents who were in management positions were…

Student Target Marketing Strategies for Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Lewison, Dale M.; Hawes, Jon M.

2007-01-01

As colleges and universities adopt marketing orientations to an ever-increasing extent, the relative merits of mass marketing and target marketing must also be explored. Researchers identify buyer types as potential students focused on quality, value or economy. On the other axis, learner types are described as those who focus on career,…

Neuraminidase-1 contributes significantly to the degradation of neuronal B-series gangliosides but not to the bypass of the catabolic block in Tay–Sachs mouse models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z.K. Timur

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Tay–Sachs disease is a severe lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the HEXA gene coding for α subunit of lysosomal β-Hexosaminidase A enzyme, which converts GM2 to GM3 ganglioside. HexA−/− mice, depleted of the β-Hexosaminidase A iso-enzyme, remain asymptomatic up to 1 year of age because of a metabolic bypass by neuraminidase(s. These enzymes remove a sialic acid residue converting GM2 to GA2, which is further degraded by the still intact β-Hexosaminidase B iso-enzyme into lactosylceramide. A previously identified ganglioside metabolizing neuraminidase, Neu4, is abundantly expressed in the mouse brain and has activity against gangliosides like GM2 in vitro. Neu4−/− mice showed increased GD1a and decreased GM1 ganglioside in the brain suggesting the importance of the Neu4 in ganglioside catabolism. Mice with targeted disruption of both HexA and Neu4 genes showed accumulating GM2 ganglioside and epileptic seizures with 40% penetrance, indicating that the neuraminidase Neu4 is a modulatory gene, but may not be the only neuraminidase contributing to the metabolic bypass in HexA−/− mice. Therefore, we elucidated the biological role of neuraminidase-1 in ganglioside degradation in mouse. Analysis of HexA−/−Neu1−/− and HexA−/−Neu4−/−Neu1−/− mice models showed significant contribution of neuraminidase-1 on B-series ganglioside degradation in the brain. Therefore, we speculate that other neuraminidase/neuraminidases such as Neu2 and/or Neu3 might be also involved in the ganglioside degradation pathway in HexA−/− mice.

A G {r_arrow} A transition at position IVS-11 +1 of the HEX A {alpha}-chain gene in a non-Ashkenazic Mexican Tay-Sachs infant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miranda, S.R.P.; Gwon, S.; DeGasperi, R. [New York Univ. Medical Center, NY (United States)] [and others

1994-09-01

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is an autosomal recessive storage disorder caused by a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme, {beta}-N-acetylhexosaminidase A (Hex A), a heteropolymer composed of two polypeptides, {alpha} and {beta}. Mutations in the {alpha}-chain gene render the enzyme defective, resulting in the accumulation of g{sub m2} ganglioside in the nervous system. Deficiency of Hex A was detected in a non-Ashkenazic girl of Mexican origin indicating infantile onset of TSD. Molecular investigation of the {alpha}-chain gene excluded the typical Ashkenazic 4 bp insertion in the exon 11 and the intron 12 splice-junction mutations by Hae III and Dde I restriction analysis, respectively. Single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis showed a different pattern in the sample where exon 11 and flanking regions were amplified in the patient DNA as compared to the migration of control DNA. Sequencing of PCR amplified genomic DNA containing exon 11 and flanking intronic regions showed a single base substitution (G {r_arrow} A) at position IVS-11 +1. This mutation creates a recognition site for the restriction enzyme Mbo II. Digestion of exon 11 and flanking regions with Mbo II demonstrated homozygosity of the patient for this mutation and heterozygosity in the mother. mRNA from cultured fibroblasts obtained from a normal control and from the propositus was reverse transcribed. The cDNAs coding for Hex A {alpha}-chain were amplified in four overlapping fragments. In the patient sample it was not possible to amplify the fragment containing the exon 11/intron 11 junction, indicating that this mutation alters normal RNA processing of the Hex A pre-mRNA resulting in the deficiency of Hex A activity.

Nonlinear photons in the type-I Bianchi universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svaiter, N.F.

1984-01-01

It is shown that there exist several anisotropic solutions for the non-minimal coupled electromagnetic and gravitational field equations. A solution to vacuum is firstly presented, and afterwards a solution with matter and electric field, where the photon acquires a 'mass' proportional to the square root of the curvature scalar. This solution presents a true singularity in τ=0. A Kasner-like solution is also presented, with matter to the Einstein equations, where appears an ultra-relativistic perfect fluid (p=p). These two models give a good description of the universe dynamics in the neighborhood of the singularity. In this model, near to the singularity, does not occur the phenomenon described by lifshitz of the 'vacuum stage' because the influence of the matter can not be disregarded in regions near to the singularity. (L.C.) [pt

Treatise on intuitionistic type theory

CERN Document Server

Granström, Johan Georg

2011-01-01

Intuitionistic type theory can be described, somewhat boldly, as a fulfillment of the dream of a universal language for science.  In particular, intuitionistic type theory is a foundation for mathematics and a programming language.

From ideas to construction innovations: firms and universities collaborating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Bröchner

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose here is to study patterns of project collaboration found in one government supported programme for construction innovation. Preferred types of interaction were identified using data from two questionnaire surveys, one with experienced construction sector respondents and one aimed at construction researchers. All sixteen development projects within the Swedish Bygginnovationen programme were investigated, relying on documents and a survey of project managers. Important types of interaction, according to construction respondents, are informal contacts, joint research projects and staff mobility. For university respondents, informal contacts is also seen as the most important type of interaction, followed by MSc thesis work in firms and industrial PhD candidates. Grant applicants from manufacturing depended more on university laboratories and were less sensitive to firm/university distance. Laboratory use was also more frequent for projects relying on the field of materials engineering. In conclusion, there is a consensus about which types of collaboration are valuable. The broadness of participation in the programme, ranging over many industries, both as to origin of ideas and ultimate applications, reaches beyond narrow interpretations of the construction industry. Policy makers should recognize the innovation importance of university laboratory facilities and field testing, rather than seeing researchers as sources of ideas.

Evaluation of the quality of the college library websites in Iranian medical Universities based on the Stover model.

Science.gov (United States)

Nasajpour, Mohammad Reza; Ashrafi-Rizi, Hasan; Soleymani, Mohammad Reza; Shahrzadi, Leila; Hassanzadeh, Akbar

2014-01-01

Today, the websites of college and university libraries play an important role in providing the necessary services for clients. These websites not only allow the users to access different collections of library resources, but also provide them with the necessary guidance in order to use the information. The goal of this study is the quality evaluation of the college library websites in Iranian Medical Universities based on the Stover model. This study uses an analytical survey method and is an applied study. The data gathering tool is the standard checklist provided by Stover, which was modified by the researchers for this study. The statistical population is the college library websites of the Iranian Medical Universities (146 websites) and census method was used for investigation. The data gathering method was a direct access to each website and filling of the checklist was based on the researchers' observations. Descriptive and analytical statistics (Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)) were used for data analysis with the help of the SPSS software. The findings showed that in the dimension of the quality of contents, the highest average belonged to type one universities (46.2%) and the lowest average belonged to type three universities (24.8%). In the search and research capabilities, the highest average belonged to type one universities (48.2%) and the lowest average belonged to type three universities. In the dimension of facilities provided for the users, type one universities again had the highest average (37.2%), while type three universities had the lowest average (15%). In general the library websites of type one universities had the highest quality (44.2%), while type three universities had the lowest quality (21.1%). Also the library websites of the College of Rehabilitation and the College of Paramedics, of the Shiraz University of Medical Science, had the highest quality scores. The results showed that there was a meaningful difference between the quality

Exploring Engaged Spaces in Community-University Partnership

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Ceri; Gant, Nick; Millican, Juliet; Wolff, David; Prosser, Bethan; Laing, Stuart; Hart, Angie

2016-01-01

The Community University Partnership Programme (CUPP) has been operating at the University of Brighton for the past 10 years. This article explores the different types of space we think need to exist to support a variety of partnership and engaged work. We therefore explore our understandings of shared or "engaged" spaces as a physical,…

Postsecondary Education--Participation and Dropping out: Differences across University, College and Other Types of Postsecondary Institutions. Culture, Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics. Research Paper. Catalogue no. 81-595-M No. 070

Science.gov (United States)

Shaienks, Danielle; Gluszynski, Tomasz; Bayard, Justin

2008-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to capture and profile postsecondary education dropouts from three different types of postsecondary education--university, college and other types of institutions. It compares them with graduates from these three types of institutions. The analysis for this report is based on data from the Youth in Transition Survey…

Relationship between Leadership Style and Personality Type in Three Levels of Nursing Managers in Iran-Esfahan Medical University Hospitals In 2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahra Akbari

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Proper leadership style helps proper functioning of nurses who are the most frequent experts in hospitals and improves quality of their work. One of the important factors affecting nurses` performance is the behaviors of managers toward them which is due to their personality type. The purpose of this study was to study the relationship between personality type and leadership style of nursing managers in Iran-Esfahan medical university hospitals in 2015. Present study is descriptive correlation type. The research community are 150 nursing managers of three levels, Matron, Supervisor and head nurse, from hospitals belonging to Esfahan medical university. Data collection was done by a 3-part questionnaire consisting of demographic information, McCurry and Costa 5-factor personality questionnaire and Renesis Likert questionnaire for determining leadership style. Data were analyzed using SPSS software ver. 22 in two level, descriptive and inferential. The average scores of dominant responsible personality among the first, second and third level were 36.33±5.12, 39.59±5.51 and 36.50±6.75, respectively and a verage scores of dominant organization oriented leadership style were 12.56±1.88, 11.03±4.54 and 12.30±4.40. Hospitals like other organizations require modern leadership styles instead of conventional one. Although organizationoriented leadership has been beneficial to achieve organizational objectives in short term, but in the long term it decreases productivity and job satisfaction because of lack of proper attention to the staff. Thus, applying humanoriented leadership, specially combined leadership will have much better results. Responsible personality is useful for the organization and increases productivity but it seems that in health care department in which interaction with humans is crucial, flexible or extroverted personality is more beneficial.

Partition efficiencies of newly fabricated universal high-speed counter-current chromatograph for separation of two different types of sugar derivatives with organic-aqueous two-phase solvent systems

Science.gov (United States)

Shinomiya, Kazufusa; Sato, Kazuki; Yoshida, Kazunori; Tokura, Koji; Maruyama, Hiroshi; Yanagidaira, Kazuhiro; Ito, Yoichiro

2013-01-01

Universal high-speed counter-current chromatograph (HSCCC) was newly designed and fabricated in our laboratory. It holds a set of four column holders symmetrically around the rotary frame at a distance of 11.2 cm from the central axis. By engaging the stationary gear on the central axis of the centrifuge to the planetary gears on the column holder shaft through a set of idle gears, two pairs of diagonally located column holders simultaneously rotate about their own axes in the opposite directions: one forward (type-J planetary motion) and the other backward (type-I planetary motion) each synchronously with the revolution. Using the eccentric coil assembly, partition efficiencies produced by these two planetary motions were compared on the separation of two different types of sugar derivatives (4-methylumbelliferyl and 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indoxyl sugar derivatives) using organic-aqueous two-phase solvent systems composed of n-hexane/ethyl acetate/1-butanol/methanol/water and aqueous 0.1 M sodium tetraborate, respectively. With lower phase mobile, better peak resolution was obtained by the type-J forward rotation for both samples probably due to higher retention of the stationary phase. With upper phase mobile, however, similar peak resolutions were obtained between these two planetary motions for both sugar derivatives. The overall results indicate that the present universal HSCCC is useful for counter-current chromatographic separation since each planetary motion has its specific applications: e.g., vortex CCC by the type-I planetary motion and HSCCC by the type-J planetary motion both for separation of various natural and synthetic products. PMID:24267319

Identity Work at a Normal University in Shanghai

Science.gov (United States)

Cockain, Alex

2016-01-01

Based upon ethnographic research, this article explores undergraduate students' experiences at a normal university in Shanghai focusing on the types of identities and forms of sociality emerging therein. Although students' symptoms of disappointment seem to indicate the power of university experiences to extinguish purposeful action, this article…

Types of Open Access Publishers in Scopus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Solomon

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This study assessed characteristics of publishers who published 2010 open access (OA journals indexed in Scopus. Publishers were categorized into six types; professional, society, university, scholar/researcher, government, and other organizations. Type of publisher was broken down by number of journals/articles published in 2010, funding model, location, discipline and whether the journal was born or converted to OA. Universities and societies accounted for 50% of the journals and 43% of the articles published. Professional publisher accounted for a third of the journals and 42% of the articles. With the exception of professional and scholar/researcher publishers, most journals were originally subscription journals that made at least their digital version freely available. Arts, humanities and social science journals are largely published by societies and universities outside the major publishing countries. Professional OA publishing is most common in biomedicine, mathematics, the sciences and engineering. Approximately a quarter of the journals are hosted on national/international platforms, in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia largely published by universities and societies without the need for publishing fees. This type of collaboration between governments, universities and/or societies may be an effective means of expanding open access publications.

Problem of construction of the operator of the electromagnetic current of a nucleus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korchin, A.Y.; Shebeko, A.V.

1984-01-01

The idea of R. G. Sachs [Phys. Rev. 74, 433 (1948)] in the phenomenological theory of exchange currents in nuclei is developed to obtain an expression for the Hamiltonian of a nucleus. An expression is obtained for the current which has the same isospin structure as the pion and seagull currents in the theory of meson exchange currents. Sachs' result follows for the case of point nucleons

Wall Street som kreationistisk forkynder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ekman, Susanne

2016-01-01

Artiklen gennemgår Karen Hos etnografi om Wall Street: "Liquidated: An ethnography of Wall Street" set i lyset af den offentlige debat vedrørende Goldman Sachs opkøb af Dong......Artiklen gennemgår Karen Hos etnografi om Wall Street: "Liquidated: An ethnography of Wall Street" set i lyset af den offentlige debat vedrørende Goldman Sachs opkøb af Dong...

Influence Of Collapsing Matter On The Enveloping Expanding Universe

OpenAIRE

Choudhury, A. Latif

2005-01-01

Using a collapsing matter model at the center of an expanding universe as described by Weinberg we assume a special type of generated pressure. This pressure transmits into the surrounding expanding universe. Under certain restriction the ensuing hubble parameter is positive. The deacceleration parameter fluctuates with time, indicating that the universe accelerates for certain time and decelerates for other time intervals.

Varsity letters documenting modern colleges and universities

CERN Document Server

Samuels, Helen Willa

1998-01-01

A study of the functions of colleges and universities, Varsity Letters is intended to aid those responsible for the documentation of these institutions. Samuels offers specific advice about the records of modern colleges and universities and proposes a method to ensure their adequate documentation. She also offers a method to analyze and plan the preservation of records for any type of institution.

Body Image and Attachment Style Among University Students

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bo, Inger Glavind

2018-01-01

The main focus of this study is to investigate how body image and attachment style among university students are related. We approach these different student types on a cross sectional dataset including 898 university students from Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Croatia and Czechoslovakia. Based...... on the combination of the Body Esteem Scale (BES) and the Attachment Style Scale (WASQ) we create four types: "double jeopardy students", "well-balanced students", "nurturing solitude students" and "social mirroring students". The "double jeopardy students" are students with low social attachment and a high dislike...... of their body. Based on this combination of body image and social attachment we investigate how these four student types are related to three different dimensions: parental characteristics, northern versus southern countries and different field of study....

Gender and Campus Violence: A Study of University of Lagos ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This research is an attempt to investigate the incidence of violence among university students using University of Lagos as a case study. A questionnaire on different kinds of violence was administered to 446 students of the university. In addition, four focus group discussion sessions were conducted to assess the types of ...

Electronic universal vade-mecum

CERN Document Server

Mikolajczyk, Piotr

1964-01-01

Electronic Universal Vade-Mecum, Volume 1 considers the classification of about 15,000 types of electron devices into a number of groups. Each group includes similar devices irrespective of their marking and production origin. The group arrangement presented in this book has been devised according to a range principle, such as each group includes electron devices differing only insignificantly from those placed in neighboring groups. This indicates that any user of the vade-mecum can easily find all other types of identical or similar characteristics produced by various firms. Each group incl

The Process of Change in University Management: From the "Ivory Tower" to Entreprunialism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emerson Wagner MAINARDES

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The article aims to provide a retrospective overview of the changes experienced by the management of universities in their recent histories. In describing this type of organization, it was possible to understand the complexity inherent to universities. After briefly detailing the more traditional university management models, we proceed to discuss the need for organizational change based upon the most recent management approaches. Among the new types of university, the entrepreneurial university stands out as a good option for changing university organizations worldwide. However, university management has yet to be subject to sufficient research since there are a series of shortcomings that need answering. Finally, we set out a list of future research options with the objective of completing those answers as well as stimulating research on this theme important to the university itself or to society in general.

Today's University Students and Their Need to Connect

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, Theresa J.; Fallon, Moira A.; Zhang, Jie; Acevedo, Veronica C.

2014-01-01

Higher education is rapidly changing and university instructors are presented with new types of students for whom technology is a significant influence. They perceive technology as a way of life and express a need to feel connected at all times. With increasingly diverse university classroom, technology integration is both a challenge and an…

Learning biases predict a word order universal.

Science.gov (United States)

Culbertson, Jennifer; Smolensky, Paul; Legendre, Géraldine

2012-03-01

How recurrent typological patterns, or universals, emerge from the extensive diversity found across the world's languages constitutes a central question for linguistics and cognitive science. Recent challenges to a fundamental assumption of generative linguistics-that universal properties of the human language acquisition faculty constrain the types of grammatical systems which can occur-suggest the need for new types of empirical evidence connecting typology to biases of learners. Using an artificial language learning paradigm in which adult subjects are exposed to a mix of grammatical systems (similar to a period of linguistic change), we show that learners' biases mirror a word-order universal, first proposed by Joseph Greenberg, which constrains typological patterns of adjective, numeral, and noun ordering. We briefly summarize the results of a probabilistic model of the hypothesized biases and their effect on learning, and discuss the broader implications of the results for current theories of the origins of cross-linguistic word-order preferences. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Accelerating Photons with Gravitational Radiation

CERN Document Server

Shore, Graham M

2001-01-01

The nature of superluminal photon propagation in the gravitational field describing radiation from a time-dependent, isolated source (the Bondi-Sachs metric) is considered in an effective theory which includes interactions which violate the strong equivalence principle. Such interactions are, for example, generated by vacuum polarisation in conventional QED in curved spacetime. The relation of the resulting light-cone modifications to the Peeling Theorem for the Bondi-Sachs spacetime is explained.

Strategic management for university hospitals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martha Isabel Riaño-Casallas

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: There are several approaches and schools that support strategic management processes. University hospitals require the implementation of a strategic approach to their management, since they are a particular type of organization with the triple mission of providing health care, education and research. Objective: To propose a strategic profile for a university hospital. Materials and methods: The theoretical framework of strategic management was analyzed and some particular components of hospital management were studied; based on these criteria, the strategic management process in three high complexity hospitals of Bogotá, D.C. was examined and a profile of both the objectives and the functional strategies for the hospital was proposed. Results: The main strategic thinking schools are presented; the processes and components of strategic management are described, and a strategic management profile for a university hospital is proposed. Conclusion: The strategic orientation of management for an institution with the characteristics of a university hospital facilitates achieving organizational objectives.

Universal varicella vaccine immunization in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshikawa, Tetsushi; Kawamura, Yoshiki; Ohashi, Masahiro

2016-04-07

In 1974, Japanese scientists developed a live attenuated varicella vaccine based on the Oka strain. The efficacy of the vaccine for the prevention of varicella has been primarily demonstrated in studies conducted in the United States following the adoption of universal immunization using the Oka strain varicella vaccine in 1996. Although the vaccine was developed by Japanese scientists, until recently, the vaccine has been administered on a voluntary basis in Japan resulting in a vaccine coverage rate of approximately 40%. Therefore, Japan initiated universal immunization using the Oka strain varicella vaccine in November 2014. Given the transition from voluntary to universal immunization in Japan, it will also be important to monitor the epidemiology of varicella and herpes zoster. The efficacy and safety of co-administration of the varicella vaccine and measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine have been demonstrated in many countries; however, there was no data from Japan. In order to adopt the practice of universal immunization using the Oka strain varicella vaccine in Japan, data demonstrating the efficacy and safety of co-administration of varicella vaccine and measles and rubella (MR) vaccine were required. Additionally, we needed to elucidate the appropriate time interval between the first and second administrations of the vaccine. It is also important to differentiate between wild type and Oka vaccine type strains in herpes zoster patient with past history of varicella vaccine. Thus, there are many factors to consider regarding the adoption of universal immunization in Japan to control varicella zoster virus (VZV) infections. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sociodemographic and occupational risk factors associated with the development of different burnout types: the cross-sectional University of Zaragoza study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

García-Campayo Javier

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Three different burnout types have been described: The "frenetic" type describes involved and ambitious subjects who sacrifice their health and personal lives for their jobs; the "underchallenged" type describes indifferent and bored workers who fail to find personal development in their jobs and the "worn-out" in type describes neglectful subjects who feel they have little control over results and whose efforts go unacknowledged. The study aimed to describe the possible associations between burnout types and general sociodemographic and occupational characteristics. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out on a multi-occupational sample of randomly selected university employees (n = 409. The presence of burnout types was assessed by means of the "Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire (BCSQ-36", and the degree of association between variables was assessed using an adjusted odds ratio (OR obtained from multivariate logistic regression models. Results Individuals working more than 40 hours per week presented with the greatest risk for "frenetic" burnout compared to those working fewer than 35 hours (adjusted OR = 5.69; 95% CI = 2.52-12.82; p p = 0.023. Employees with more than sixteen years of service in the organisation presented the greatest risk of "worn-out" burnout compared to those with less than four years of service (adjusted OR = 4.56; 95% CI = 1.47-14.16; p = 0.009. Conclusions This study is the first to our knowledge that suggests the existence of associations between the different burnout subtypes (classified according to the degree of dedication to work and the different sociodemographic and occupational characteristics that are congruent with the definition of each of the subtypes. These results are consistent with the clinical profile definitions of burnout syndrome. In addition, they assist the recognition of distinct profiles and reinforce the idea of differential characterisation of the syndrome for

Type Ia Supernova Cosmology

Science.gov (United States)

Leibundgut, B.; Sullivan, M.

2018-03-01

The primary agent for Type Ia supernova cosmology is the uniformity of their appearance. We present the current status, achievements and uncertainties. The Hubble constant and the expansion history of the universe are key measurements provided by Type Ia supernovae. They were also instrumental in showing time dilation, which is a direct observational signature of expansion. Connections to explosion physics are made in the context of potential improvements of the quality of Type Ia supernovae as distance indicators. The coming years will see large efforts to use Type Ia supernovae to characterise dark energy.

Universal Preschool Programs and Long-Term Child Outcomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dietrichson, Jens; Kristiansen, Ida Lykke; Viinholt Nielsen, Bjørn Christian

2018-01-01

This systematic review included 25 studies using natural experiments to estimate the effects of universal preschool programs for children aged 0-6 years on child outcomes measured from third grade to adulthood. Studies comparing preschool with parental, family, or other informal modes of care...... alternative types of universal preschool programs in terms of long-term outcomes....

University contracts summary book

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1980-08-01

The principal objectives of the Fossil Energy Program are to seek new ideas, new data, fundamental knowledge that will support the ongoing programs, and new processes to better utilize the nation's fossil energy resources with greater efficiency and environmental acceptability. Toward this end, the Department of Energy supports research projects conducted by universities and colleges to: Ensure a foundation for innovative technology through the use of the capabilities and talents in our academic institutions; provide an effective, two-way channel of communication between the Department of Energy and the academic community; and ensure that trained technical manpower is developed to carry out basic and applied research in support of DOE's mission. Fossil Energy's university activities emphasize the type of research that universities can do best - research to explore the potential of novel process concepts, develop innovative methods and materials for improving existing processes, and obtain fundamental information on the structure of coal and mechanisms of reactions of coal, shale oil, and other fossil energy sources. University programs are managed by different Fossil Energy technical groups; the individual projects are described in greater detail in this book. It is clear that a number of research areas related to the DOE Fossil Energy Program have been appropriate for university involvement, and that, with support from DOE, university scientific and technical expertise can be expected to continue to play a significant role in the advancement of fossil energy technology in the years to come.

Radiating Kerr particle in Einstein universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaidya, P.C.; Patel, L.K.

1989-01-01

A generalized Kerr-NUT type metric is considered in connection with Einstein field equations corresponding to perfect fluid plus a pure radiation field. A general scheme for obtaining the exact solutions of these field equations is developed. Two physically meaningful particular cases are investigated in detail. One gives the field of a radiating Kerr particle embedded in the Einstein universe. The other solution may probably represent a deSitter-like universe pervaded by a pure radiation field. (author). 7 refs

On the stability of the Einstein universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soares, I.D.

1983-01-01

It is shown sthat the Einstein Universe is stable by a large class of exact perturbations, which are made starting from a detailed exam of the topology of the model, and which include perturbations of the type considered by Lemaitre. The problem is reduced to the one-dimensional motion of a particle, in a potential well whose minimum corresponds to the configuration of the Einstein Universe. (Author) [pt

The fear of the Lord as key pastoral guidance, for a healing ministry to survivors of generational ritual abuse / by Karen Hayward

OpenAIRE

Hayward, Karen

2010-01-01

Generational ritual abuse within satanic or fertility (abusive witchcraft) cults is a controversial subject. This study shows that, while not all reported memories may be true, False Memory Syndrome is not an intrinsic scientific reality of generational ritual abuse. Recent publications under the editorial pens of Noblitt and Perskin Noblitt (2008), as well as Sachs and Galton (2008), describe the types of abuse and torture perpetrated in various forms of ritual abuse (including the results o...

'Big bang' of quantum universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pawlowski, M.; Pervushin, V.N.

2000-01-01

The reparametrization-invariant generating functional for the unitary and causal perturbation theory in general relativity in a finite space-time is obtained. The classical cosmology of a Universe and the Faddeev-Popov-DeWitt functional correspond to different orders of decomposition of this functional over the inverse 'mass' of a Universe. It is shown that the invariant content of general relativity as a constrained system can be covered by two 'equivalent' unconstrained systems: the 'dynamic' (with 'dynamic' time as the cosmic scale factor and conformal field variables) and 'geometric' (given by the Levi-Civita type canonical transformation to the action-angle variables which determine initial cosmological states with the arrow of the proper time measured by the watch of an observer in the comoving frame). 'Big Bang', the Hubble evolution, and creation of 'dynamic' particles by the 'geometric' vacuum are determined by 'relations' between the dynamic and geometric systems as pure relativistic phenomena, like the Lorentz-type 'relation' between the rest and comoving frames in special relativity

Vitamin D Deficiency : Universal Risk Factor for Multifactorial Diseases?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Borst, Martin H.; de Boer, Rudolf A.; Stolk, Ronald P.; Slaets, Joris P. J.; Wolffenbuttel, Bruce H. R.; Navis, Gerjan

In the Western world, the majority of morbidity and mortality are caused by multifactorial diseases. Some risk factors are related to more than one type of disease. These so-called universal risk factors are highly relevant to the population, as reduction of universal risk factors may reduce the

Chaotic universe model.

Science.gov (United States)

Aydiner, Ekrem

2018-01-15

In this study, we consider nonlinear interactions between components such as dark energy, dark matter, matter and radiation in the framework of the Friedman-Robertson-Walker space-time and propose a simple interaction model based on the time evolution of the densities of these components. By using this model we show that these interactions can be given by Lotka-Volterra type equations. We numerically solve these coupling equations and show that interaction dynamics between dark energy-dark matter-matter or dark energy-dark matter-matter-radiation has a strange attractor for 0 > w de  >-1, w dm  ≥ 0, w m  ≥ 0 and w r  ≥ 0 values. These strange attractors with the positive Lyapunov exponent clearly show that chaotic dynamics appears in the time evolution of the densities. These results provide that the time evolution of the universe is chaotic. The present model may have potential to solve some of the cosmological problems such as the singularity, cosmic coincidence, big crunch, big rip, horizon, oscillation, the emergence of the galaxies, matter distribution and large-scale organization of the universe. The model also connects between dynamics of the competing species in biological systems and dynamics of the time evolution of the universe and offers a new perspective and a new different scenario for the universe evolution.

University psychiatry in Italy: organisation and integration of university clinics and the National Health Service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pier Maria Furlan

2013-09-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: In the Italian psychiatric system, community-based care has become increasingly important and widespread since the national reform of 1978. This report aims to provide an overview of the involvement of university medical schools in this process, considering their responsibility for teaching and training specialist practitioners and professionals. METHODS: The study was carried out between early 2010 and February 2011. An 18-items, self-administered, questionnaire was designed to investigate the number of faculty members that are responsible both for running a clinical ward and for providing community-based healthcare. RESULTS: Nine out of 53 faculty members (17% manage a Mental Health Department, 9 (17% manage a University Department, and 2 (3.8% manage both types of department. Less than half of the teachers have full responsibility (hospital and community; however the percentage reaches 73.2% if we include the hospital wards open to the community emergencies. The remaining 26.8% have no responsibility for community psychiatry. Moreover there were undoubtedly still too many universities with specialisation schools that are without an appropriate network of facilities enabling them to offer complex psychiatric training. DISCUSSION: As expected, there were several types of healthcare management that were not uniformly distributed throughout Italy and there were also marked differences between mental health care provision in the North, Centre, and South of Italy. The university involvement in clinical responsibility was great, but at the management level there was a lack of equality in terms of clinical care, which risks being reflected also on the institutional functions of teaching and research.

Material content of the universe - Introductory survey

Science.gov (United States)

Tayler, R. J.

1986-12-01

Matter in the universe can be detected either by the radiation it emits or by its gravitational influence. There is a strong suggestion that the universe contains substantial hidden matter, mass without corresponding light. There are also arguments from elementary particle physics that the universe should have closure density, which would also imply hidden mass. Observations of the chemical composition of the universe interpreted in terms of the hot Big Bang cosmological theory suggest that this hidden matter cannot all be of baryonic form but must consist of weakly interacting elementary particles. A combination of observations and theoretical ideas about the origin of large-scale structure may demand that these particles are of a type which is not yet definitely known to exist.

Auditory Pattern Memory

Science.gov (United States)

1990-10-31

Creelman , 1962; Getty, 1975; Divenyi and Danner, kin et aL (1982) jitter-detection paradigm. An advantage of 1977; Divenyi and Sachs, 1978; and Allen...discrimination of tonal se- Creelman . C. D. (1962). "’Human discrimination ofauditory duration." 3. quences.’" J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 82.1218-1226. Acoust...single marked intervals (Abel, 1972a,b; Creelman , 1962; Getty, 1975; Divenyi and Danner, 1977; Divenyi and Sachs, 1978; Espinoza-Varas and Jamieson

Creating a Universe, a Conceptual Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James R. Johnson

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Space is something. Space inherently contains laws of nature: universal rules (mathematics, space dimensions, types of forces, types of fields, and particle species, laws (relativity, quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism and symmetries (Lorentz, Gauge, and symmetry breaking. We have significant knowledge about these laws of nature because all our scientific theories assume their presence. Their existence is critical for developing either a unique theory of our universe or more speculative multiverse theories. Scientists generally ignore the laws of nature because they “are what they are” and because visualizing different laws of nature challenges the imagination. This article defines a conceptual model separating space (laws of nature from the universe’s energy source (initial conditions and expansion (big bang. By considering the ramifications of changing the laws of nature, initial condition parameters, and two variables in the big bang theory, the model demonstrates that traditional fine tuning is not the whole story when creating a universe. Supporting the model, space and “nothing” are related to the laws of nature, mathematics and multiverse possibilities. Speculation on the beginning of time completes the model.

University Internationalization and University Autonomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Turcan, Romeo V.; Gulieva, Valeria

2016-01-01

Turcan and Gulieva deepen our theoretical understanding of the process of university internationalisation by exploring the relationship between university internationalisation and university autonomy. They conjecture that the process of university internationalisation and its sustainability are d......, dissimilar, and sometimes conflicting dimensions of the financial, legal, organisational, staffing, and academic autonomy of the host country, are compromising key aspects of their own autonomy and core mission?......Turcan and Gulieva deepen our theoretical understanding of the process of university internationalisation by exploring the relationship between university internationalisation and university autonomy. They conjecture that the process of university internationalisation and its sustainability...... are determined by the structure and exercise of university autonomy settings at home and in the host countries, and that the process itself cannot be successfully achieved and maintained without changes in the autonomy settings. The key question the authors ask is to what degree universities, in embracing new...

Universal MI definition update for cardiovascular disease.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Harvey; Thygesen, Kristian; Alpert, Joseph S; Jaffe, Allan

2014-01-01

The new third universal definition of myocardial infarction (MI) is based on troponin elevation together with ischemic symptoms, ischemic ECG changes, and imaging evidence. MIs are classified into five types as to whether they are spontaneous, secondary to imbalance between coronary artery blood supply and demand, related to sudden death, or related to revascularization procedures. The definition is based on a rise and/or fall in troponin levels occurring in a clinical setting. There have been modifications over previous definitions with adding intracoronary thrombus as a criterion, adding a new type of MI type 4c, and raising the cutpoint for the diagnosis of MI related to percutaneous coronary intervention to five times the 99(th) percentile upper reference limit and requiring evidence of ischemia or angiographic complications. In clinical practice, trials, and registries, different definitions are used. There is a need for consistency with regard to the definition of MI and the universal definition should be implemented.

University building safety index measurement using risk and implementation matrix

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, A.; Arumsari, F.; Maryani, A.

2018-04-01

Many high rise building constructed in several universities in Indonesia. The high-rise building management must provide the safety planning and proper safety equipment in each part of the building. Unfortunately, most of the university in Indonesia have not been applying safety policy yet and less awareness on treating safety facilities. Several fire accidents in university showed that some significant risk should be managed by the building management. This research developed a framework for measuring the high rise building safety index in university The framework is not only assessed the risk magnitude but also designed modular building safety checklist for measuring the safety implementation level. The safety checklist has been developed for 8 types of the university rooms, i.e.: office, classroom, 4 type of laboratories, canteen, and library. University building safety index determined using risk-implementation matrix by measuring the risk magnitude and assessing the safety implementation level. Building Safety Index measurement has been applied in 4 high rise buildings in ITS Campus. The building assessment showed that the rectorate building in secure condition and chemical department building in beware condition. While the library and administration center building was in less secure condition.

Object-Oriented Type Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schwartzbach, Michael Ignatieff; Palsberg, Jens

binding. Existing languages employ different type systems, and it can be difficult to compare, evaluate and improve them, since there is currently no uniform theory for such languages. This book provides such a theory. The authors review the type systems of Simula, Smalltalk, C++ and Eiffel and present......Object-Oriented Type Systems Jens Palsberg and Michael I. Schwartzbach Aarhus University, Denmark Type systems are required to ensure reliability and efficiency of software. For object-oriented languages, typing is an especially challenging problem because of inheritance, assignment, and late...... a type system that generalizes and explains them. The theory is based on an idealized object-oriented language called BOPL (Basic Object Programming Language), containing common features of the above languages. A type system, type inference algorithm, and typings of inheritance and genericity...

Alfredo Dugès' type specimens of amphibians and reptiles revisited.

Science.gov (United States)

Flores-Villela, Oscar; Ríos-Muñoz, César A; Magaña-Cota, Gloria E; Quezadas-Tapia, Néstor L

2016-03-14

The type specimens of amphibians and reptiles of the Museo de Historia Natural Alfredo Dugès, at the University of Guanajuato (MADUG) were reviewed following Smith & Necker's (1943) summary. Owing to this collection's eventful history and its historical importance as the oldest herpetological collection in Mexico, a review of its conservation status was needed. After many years, the collection has received proper recognition at the University of Guanajuato with a portion of the herpetological types considered "Precious Assets" of the university. We found 34 type specimens pertaining to 18 taxa; six are additional specimens to those previously reported; six herpetological types are missing, including the body of the type of Adelophis copei. All specimens are in good to reasonable condition except for the type of Rhinocheilus antonii, which has dried out completely. All specimens are illustrated to show their condition.

Study of experimentally undetermined neutrino parameters in the light of baryogenesis considering type I and type II Seesaw models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalita, Rupam

2017-01-01

We study to connect all the experimentally undetermined neutrino parameters namely lightest neutrino mass, neutrino CP phases and baryon asymmetry of the Universe within the framework of a model where both type I and type II seesaw mechanisms can contribute to tiny neutrino masses. In this work we study the effects of Dirac and Majorana neutrino phases in the origin of matter-antimatter asymmetry through the mechanism of leptogenesis. Type I seesaw mass matrix considered to a tri-bimaximal (TBM) type neutrino mixing which always gives non zero reactor mixing angle. The type II seesaw mass matrix is then considered in such a way that the necessary deviation from TBM mixing and the best fit values of neutrino parameters can be obtained when both type I and type II seesaw contributions are taken into account. We consider different contribution from type I and type II seesaw mechanism to study the effects of neutrino CP phases in the baryon asymmetry of the universe. We further study to connect all these experimentally undetermined neutrino parameters by considering various contribution of type I and type II seesaw. (author)

Can specific transcriptional regulators assemble a universal cancer signature?

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Janine; Isik, Zerrin; Pilarsky, Christian; Schroeder, Michael

2013-10-01

Recently, there is a lot of interest in using biomarker signatures derived from gene expression data to predict cancer progression. We assembled signatures of 25 published datasets covering 13 types of cancers. How do these signatures compare with each other? On one hand signatures answering the same biological question should overlap, whereas signatures predicting different cancer types should differ. On the other hand, there could also be a Universal Cancer Signature that is predictive independently of the cancer type. Initially, we generate signatures for all datasets using classical approaches such as t-test and fold change and then, we explore signatures resulting from a network-based method, that applies the random surfer model of Google's PageRank algorithm. We show that the signatures as published by the authors and the signatures generated with classical methods do not overlap - not even for the same cancer type - whereas the network-based signatures strongly overlap. Selecting 10 out of 37 universal cancer genes gives the optimal prediction for all cancers thus taking a first step towards a Universal Cancer Signature. We furthermore analyze and discuss the involved genes in terms of the Hallmarks of cancer and in particular single out SP1, JUN/FOS and NFKB1 and examine their specific role in cancer progression.

The Determinants of University Dropouts: A Bivariate Probability Model with Sample Selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Montmarquette, Claude; Mahseredjian, Sophie; Houle, Rachel

2001-01-01

Studies determinants of university dropouts, using a longitudinal data set on student enrollments at the University of Montreal. Variables explaining persistence and dropouts are related to a nontraditional class-size effect in first-year required courses and to type of university program. Strong academic performance influences student…

A workplace physical activity program at a public university in Mexico can reduce medical costs associated with type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Méndez-Hernández, Pablo; Dosamantes-Carrasco, Darina; Siani, Carole; Flores, Yvonne N; Arredondo, Armando; Lumbreras-Delgado, Irma; Granados-García, Víctor M; Denova-Gutiérrez, Edgar; Gallegos-Carrillo, Katia; Salmerón, Jorge

2012-01-01

To assess the impact of a workplace leisure physical activity program on healthcare expenditures for type 2 diabetes and hypertension treatment. We assessed a workplace program's potential to reduce costs by multiplying the annual healthcare costs of patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension by the population attributable risk fraction of non-recommended physical activity levels. Feasibility of a physical activity program was assessed among 425 employees of a public university in Mexico. If 400 sedentary employees engaged in a physical activity program to decrease their risk of diabetes and hypertension, the potential annual healthcare cost reduction would be 138 880 US dollars. Each dollar invested in physical activity could reduce treatment costs of both diseases by 5.3 dollars. This research meets the call to use health economics methods to re-appraise health priorities, and devise strategies for optimal allocation of financial resources in the health sector.

Leading Organizations for Universal Design

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Joseph B.; Van Thanh, Duong

2004-01-01

The purpose of this article is to provide a model for helping campus leaders create and sustain efforts to fully incorporate Universal Instructional Design (UID) throughout their institutions. The article uses a multiple dimension model of organizational behavior as the basis for making recommendations to support this type of institutional…

Object-Oriented Type Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schwartzbach, Michael Ignatieff; Palsberg, Jens

a type system that generalizes and explains them. The theory is based on an idealized object-oriented language called BOPL (Basic Object Programming Language), containing common features of the above languages. A type system, type inference algorithm, and typings of inheritance and genericity......Object-Oriented Type Systems Jens Palsberg and Michael I. Schwartzbach Aarhus University, Denmark Type systems are required to ensure reliability and efficiency of software. For object-oriented languages, typing is an especially challenging problem because of inheritance, assignment, and late...... are provided for BOPL. Throughout, the results are related to the languages on which BOPL is based. This text offers advanced undergraduates and professional software developers a sound understanding of the key aspects of object-oriented type systems. All algorithms are implemented in a freely available...

Rethinking Modal Gender in the Context of the Universe of Tn-Types: Definitions and Mathematical Models for Tonicity and Phonicity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcus Alessi Bittencourt

2016-07-01

Full Text Available An indisputable cornerstone of the Western music tradition, the dialectic opposition between the major and minor grammatical modal genders has always been present in the imagination of musicians and music theorists for centuries. Such dialectics of opposition is especially important in the context of nineteenth-century harmonic dualism, with its ideas of tonicity and phonicity. These concepts serve as the main foundation for the way harmonic dualism conceives the major and minor worlds: two worlds with equivalent rights and properties, but with opposed polarities. This paper presents a redefinition of the terms tonicity and phonicity, translating those concepts to the context of post-tonal music theory. The terminologies of generatrix, tonicity, root, phonicity, vertex, and azimuth are explained in this paper, followed by propositions of mathematical models for those concepts, which spring from Richard Parncutt’s root-salience model for pitch-class sets. In order to demonstrate the possibilities of using modal gender as a criterion for the study and classification of the universe of Tn-types, we will present a taxonomy of the 351 transpositional set types, which comprises the categories of tonic (major, phonic (minor and neutral (genderless. In addition, there will be a small discussion on the effect of set symmetries and set asymmetries on the tonic/phonic properties of a Tn-type.

A universe model confronted to observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souriau, J.M.

1982-09-01

Present work is a detailed study of a Universe model elaborated in several steps, and some of its consequences. Absence zone in quasar spatial distribution is first described; demonstration is made it is sufficient to determine a cosmological model. Each following paragraph is concerned with a type of observation, which is confronted with the model. Universe age and density, redshift-luminosity relation for galaxies and quasars, diameter-redshift relation for radiosources, radiation isotropy at 3 0 K, matter-antimatter contact zone physics. An eventual stratification of universe parallel to this zone is more peculiarly studied; absorption lines in quasar spectra are in way interpreted, just as local super-cluster and local group of galaxies, galaxy HI region orientation, and at last neighbouring galaxy kinematics [fr

Evolution of universes in quadratic theories of gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrow, John D.; Hervik, Sigbjoern

2006-01-01

We use a dynamical systems approach to investigate Bianchi type I and II universes in quadratic theories of gravity. Because of the complicated nature of the equations of motion we focus on the stability of exact solutions and find that there exists an isotropic Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universe acting as a past attractor. This may indicate that there is an isotropization mechanism at early times for these kind of theories. We also discuss the Kasner universes, elucidate the associated center manifold structure, and show that there exists a set of nonzero measure which has the Kasner solutions as a past attractor. Regarding the late-time behavior, the stability shows a dependence of the parameters of the theory. We give the conditions under which the de Sitter solution is stable and also show that for certain values of the parameters there is a possible late-time behavior with phantomlike behavior. New types of anisotropic inflationary behavior are found which do not have counterparts in general relativity

University Mergers in Russia: Four Waves of Educational Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Romanenko, K. R.; Lisyutkin, M. A.

2018-01-01

This article is aimed at identifying distinctive features of the educational policy of university mergers--their main stages, types, and declared goals. We analyzed cases of university mergers and acquisitions (M&A) from the 1990s to the present, which allowed us to identify and describe four Russia-specific waves of educational policy. Based…

On the universality of the attribution-affect model of helping.

Science.gov (United States)

Reisenzein, Rainer

2015-08-01

Although Pilati et al.'s (2014) findings question the strong quantitative universality of the attribution-affect model of helping, they are consistent with a weak form of quantitative universality, as well as with the qualitative universality of the theory. However, universality is put into question by previous studies revealing significant and sizeable between-study differences in the strength of the causal paths postulated by the theory. These differences may in part reflect differences in the type of helping situations studied. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

Inhomogeneous generalizations of Bianchi type VIh models with perfect fluid

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, S. R.; Prasad, A.

1991-07-01

Inhomogeneous universes admitting an Abelian G2 of isometry and filled with perfect fluid have been derived. These contain as special cases exact homogeneous universes of Bianchi type VIh. Many of these universes asymptotically tend to homogeneous Bianchi VIh universes. The models have been discussed for their physical and kinematical behaviors.

Radical change of the university classroom: The views of some ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

With recent changes in higher education policies, the concept of the university classroom is undergoing change. This article explores the various aspects that make up the university classroom: the physical space, the resources available, the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and the type of intellectual ...

Interpreting the universal phylogenetic tree

Science.gov (United States)

Woese, C. R.

2000-01-01

The universal phylogenetic tree not only spans all extant life, but its root and earliest branchings represent stages in the evolutionary process before modern cell types had come into being. The evolution of the cell is an interplay between vertically derived and horizontally acquired variation. Primitive cellular entities were necessarily simpler and more modular in design than are modern cells. Consequently, horizontal gene transfer early on was pervasive, dominating the evolutionary dynamic. The root of the universal phylogenetic tree represents the first stage in cellular evolution when the evolving cell became sufficiently integrated and stable to the erosive effects of horizontal gene transfer that true organismal lineages could exist.

THE SOCIAL OPERATING LICENSE OF CORPORATIONS: MINING COMPANIES AND THEIR CONSTITUENTS

OpenAIRE

Dumitru Borțun; Camelia Crişan

2012-01-01

Several authors from the CSR literature have proposed the term “license to operate” when referring to companies and their activities in the relevant communities (Visser, 2008, Post, Preston & Sachs, 2002). Others have implied this term when referring to the types of responsibilities a company needs to have in order to be able to exercise its activity in the society (Blair [1994] 2004, Clarke [1998] 2004 and Philips 2003). Consultancy companies have already coined the term: social license to o...

University Ranking, an Important Quality-Assurance Tool

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Crina Rădulescu

2012-05-01

Full Text Available “University Rankings” - or “League Tables”, as they are known in the United Kingdom – have in ashort period of time become an important feature in policy-making and practice in higher education. They arenow a global phenomenon serving different purposes for different and varied audiences. Even if they are notnecessarily universally appreciated, there is an increasing understanding that they have become the “third armof the quality-assurance tool, together with accreditation, government regulation and licensing" and they areclearly here to stay. Indisputably university ranking has changed the way higher education institutions andtheir activities are being presented, perceived and assessed at the institutional, local, national and internationallevels.In our research we will try to answer some questions concerning this topic: is university ranking aninflexible tool, which favors traditional universities, with resources and experience?; what types ofperformance indicators, procedure and ethical considerations should be included in a conceptual frameworkor typology for higher education ranking systems?

Third age university, social and institucional commitment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flora Moritz da Silva

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This article brings reflections on the social commitment of permanent education programs for the elderly, at the universities, in the face of their institutional commitment to the plans. It was possible to rescue the responsibility concepts, social commitment and identify the elderly in the university, within the federal legislation, through bibliographical and documentary research. There was a survey of permanent education programs with at least 20 years, in 2016. It was carried out for the elderly in the 63 Brazilian Federal, and Public Universities and 17 cases were found. Thus, nine Pro-Rectors of Extension and a Unit Director accepted to participate in interviews by Skype or telephone, in the second semester of 2016, fulfilling the objective of describing the university authorities’ vision on the type of institutional support for such programs’ operation. Although it is possible to realize their relevance to the environment and the university, the institutional commitment is still far short of what is necessary.

Conflict Avoidance in a University Context

Science.gov (United States)

Barsky, Allan E.; Wood, Lorinda

2005-01-01

This ethnographic study explores patterns of conflict avoidance among university students, professors, administrators and staff. Analysis of their narratives of conflict avoidance suggests that avoidance can be beneficial in some circumstances, depending upon personality issues, cost?benefit analysis, power imbalance, type of work, length of…

A Narrative Inquiry of Identity Formation of EFL University Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Xiangli

2016-01-01

Drawing on narrative inquiry, the present study aims to investigate the trajectory of identity formation of EFL university teachers. Two types of data are collected. One type comes from life histories of Hyland (2014), Nunan (2011) and Widdowson (2009), and the other type comes from semi-structured interviews with three excellent university…

Neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis, a type of amaurotic family idiocy: clinical and pathological study of four cases Ceróide-lipofuscinose neuronal, um tipo de idiotia amaurótica familiar: estudo clínico-patológico de quatro casos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciano de Souza Queiroz

1974-03-01

Full Text Available Neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis (NCL is a recent term, proposed for acurate designation of the late-onset types of Amaurotic Family Idiocy (AFI. Histopathology shows ubiquitous intraneuronal accumulation of lipopigments, being the most important factor for characterization of the entity at present time. Biochemical changes and pathogenesis are obscure. NCL is in contrast to the infantile type of AFI (Tay-Sachs disease, in which intraneuronal accumulation of gangliosides (sphingolipids is due to the well known deficiency of a lysosomal enzyme. The authors report on four cases of NCL, two brothers of the late infantile (Jansky-Bielschowsky type and a brother and a sister of the juvenile (Spielmeyer-Sjögren type. One autopsy and three cortical biopsies revealed moderate to severe distention of the neurons by lipopigment, with nerve cell loss, gliosis and cerebral atrophy. Lipopigment was also increased in liver, heart and spleen. The patients were the first in Brazilian literature in whom the storage material was identified as lipopigment by histochemical methods. A brief summary of the clinical features of NCL is presented, and relevant problems are discussed, concerning interpretation of the nature of the storage material, and significance of the disease for gerontological research.Estudos histoquímicos, bioquímicos e ultraestruturais permitiram recentemente distinguir dois tipos de entidades nosológicas dentre as doenças conhecidas como "Idiotia amaurótica familiar" (IAF. O primeiro, que inclue a doença de Tay-Sachs, ou tipo infantil de IAF, é constituido por doenças de armazenamento de gangliósides. Sua patogenia é conhecida, baseando-se em deficiências de enzimas lisossômicos. O segundo grupo, cuja patogenia é desconhecida, foi recentemente designado "Ceróide-lipofuscinose neuronal" (CLN por Zeman e colaboradores. Corresponde aos tipos infantil tardio, juvenil e adulto de IAF, caracterizando-se histopatologicamente pelo ac

Cosmological signatures of anisotropic spatial curvature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, Thiago S.; Marugán, Guillermo A. Mena; Carneiro, Saulo

2015-01-01

If one is willing to give up the cherished hypothesis of spatial isotropy, many interesting cosmological models can be developed beyond the simple anisotropically expanding scenarios. One interesting possibility is presented by shear-free models in which the anisotropy emerges at the level of the curvature of the homogeneous spatial sections, whereas the expansion is dictated by a single scale factor. We show that such models represent viable alternatives to describe the large-scale structure of the inflationary universe, leading to a kinematically equivalent Sachs-Wolfe effect. Through the definition of a complete set of spatial eigenfunctions we compute the two-point correlation function of scalar perturbations in these models. In addition, we show how such scenarios would modify the spectrum of the CMB assuming that the observations take place in a small patch of a universe with anisotropic curvature

Cosmological signatures of anisotropic spatial curvature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pereira, Thiago S. [Departamento de Física, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, 86057-970, Londrina – PR (Brazil); Marugán, Guillermo A. Mena [Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, IEM-CSIC, Serrano 121, 28006, Madrid (Spain); Carneiro, Saulo, E-mail: tspereira@uel.br, E-mail: mena@iem.cfmac.csic.es, E-mail: saulo.carneiro@pq.cnpq.br [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal da Bahia, 40210-340, Salvador – BA (Brazil)

2015-07-01

If one is willing to give up the cherished hypothesis of spatial isotropy, many interesting cosmological models can be developed beyond the simple anisotropically expanding scenarios. One interesting possibility is presented by shear-free models in which the anisotropy emerges at the level of the curvature of the homogeneous spatial sections, whereas the expansion is dictated by a single scale factor. We show that such models represent viable alternatives to describe the large-scale structure of the inflationary universe, leading to a kinematically equivalent Sachs-Wolfe effect. Through the definition of a complete set of spatial eigenfunctions we compute the two-point correlation function of scalar perturbations in these models. In addition, we show how such scenarios would modify the spectrum of the CMB assuming that the observations take place in a small patch of a universe with anisotropic curvature.

Conceptualizing type 2 diabetes and its management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsasis P

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Peter Tsasis,1 Jianhong Wu,2 Aijun An,3 Hannah J Wong,1 Xiandong An,3,4 Zhen Mei,4 Ted Hains4 1School of Health Policy and Management, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada; 2Centre for Disease Modelling, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada; 3Department of Electrical Engineering of Computer Science, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada; 4Manifold Data Mining Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada Abstract: Type 2 diabetes is growing worldwide due to population growth, increased rates of obesity, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity. Risk assessment methods can effectively evaluate the risk of diabetes, and a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce risk or prevent complications of type 2 diabetes. However, risk assessment alone has not significantly improved poor adherence to recommended medical interventions and lifestyle changes. This paper focuses on the challenge of nonadherence and posits that improving adherence requires tailoring interventions that explicitly consider the social determinants of health. Keywords: type 2 diabetes, nonadherence, tailored interventions, data mining and cluster analysis 

Linking universities and marginalised communities: South African ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Upgrading the capabilities of women in an informal clothing enterprise: the .... Greater emphasis is accorded to the roles the knowledge work of university ... and the main barriers and blockages across distinct types of institution in each higher ...

Reconfigurable Mixed Mode Universal Filter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neelofer Afzal

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel mixed mode universal filter configuration capable of working in voltage and transimpedance mode. The proposed single filter configuration can be reconfigured digitally to realize all the five second order filter functions (types at single output port. Other salient features of proposed configuration include independently programmable filter parameters, full cascadability, and low sensitivity figure. However, all these features are provided at the cost of quite large number of active elements. It needs three digitally programmable current feedback amplifiers and three digitally programmable current conveyors. Use of six active elements is justified by introducing three additional reduced hardware mixed mode universal filter configurations and its comparison with reported filters.

Universal Test Facility

Science.gov (United States)

Laughery, Mike

A universal test facility (UTF) for Space Station Freedom is developed. In this context, universal means that the experimental rack design must be: automated, highly marketable, and able to perform diverse microgravity experiments according to NASA space station requirements. In order to fulfill these broad objectives, the facility's customers, and their respective requirements, are first defined. From these definitions, specific design goals and the scope of the first phase of this project are determined. An examination is first made into what types of research are most likely to make the UTF marketable. Based on our findings, the experiments for which the UTF would most likely be used included: protein crystal growth, hydroponics food growth, gas combustion, gallium arsenide crystal growth, microorganism development, and cell encapsulation. Therefore, the UTF is designed to fulfill all of the major requirements for the experiments listed above. The versatility of the design is achieved by taking advantage of the many overlapping requirements presented by these experiments.

High school achievement as a predictor for university performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meshkani Z

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Background: The high-school grade point average ( GPA-H and university entrance examination can predict the university achievement and Purpose. To examine the predictive value of GPA-H for GPA-U Methods: In this cross sectional study, the subjects were 240 medical students at basic science phase of their medical education. Data were collected by a questionnaire, consisting of questions measuring factual background variable and 10 Llikert-type questions measuring attitude. The multiple regression analysis was used. Results: The analysis showed that student GPA were a better predictor for educational achievement of medical students than rank on university entrance exam and students with high GPA have not been on probation at all. Also parent's education and occupation influence the students' attitudes toward their medical study. Conclusion: High-school GPA is a predictor for university GPA .This may warrant further investigation into criteria of medical university entrance exam. Keywords: UNIVERSITY ACHIEVEMENT, HIGH-SCHOOL GPA, UNIVERSITY SUCCESS, PREDICTOR

Psychosocial Costs of Racism to Whites: Understanding Patterns among University Students

Science.gov (United States)

Spanierman, Lisa B.; Todd, Nathan R.; Anderson, Carolyn J.

2010-01-01

This investigation adds to the growing body of scholarship on the psychosocial costs of racism to Whites (PCRW), which refer to consequences of being in the dominant position in an unjust, hierarchical system of societal racism. Extending research that identified five distinct constellations of costs of racism (Spanierman, Poteat, Beer, & Armstrong, 2006), we used multinomial logistic regression in the current study to examine what factors related to membership in one of the five PCRW types during the course of an academic year. Among a sample of White university freshmen (n = 287), we found that (a) diversity attitudes (i.e., universal diverse orientation and unawareness of privilege) explain PCRW type at entrance; (b) PCRW type at entrance explained participation in interracial friendships at the end of the year; (c) 45% of participants changed PCRW type during the course of the year; and (d) among those who changed type, particular PCRW types at entrance resulted in greater likelihood of membership in particular PCRW types at the end of the year. PMID:21866985

The Use of Institutional Repositories: The Ohio State University Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Connell, Tschera Harkness

2011-01-01

In this paper the author compares the use of digital materials that have been deposited in The Ohio State University (OSU) Knowledge Bank (KB). Comparisons are made for content considered in scope of the university archives and those considered out of scope, for materials originating from different campus sources, and for different types of…

A Typology of University Ethical Lapses: Types, Levels of Seriousness, and Originating Location

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Patricia C.; Chang, Pepe Lee

2007-01-01

Scandals ranging from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) violations to falsified research results have fueled criticism of America's universities. Sports violations, research manipulation, gender discrimination, and other ethical lapses affect an entire institution as they have a spillover effect on its reputation. The results of…

Bianchi Type I Cosmological Models in Eddington-inspired Born–Infeld Gravity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiberiu Harko

2014-10-01

Full Text Available We consider the dynamics of a barotropic cosmological fluid in an anisotropic, Bianchi type I space-time in Eddington-inspired Born–Infeld (EiBI gravity. By assuming isotropic pressure distribution, we obtain the general solution of the field equations in an exact parametric form. The behavior of the geometric and thermodynamic parameters of the Bianchi type I Universe is studied, by using both analytical and numerical methods, for some classes of high density matter, described by the stiff causal, radiation, and pressureless fluid equations of state. In all cases the study of the models with different equations of state can be reduced to the integration of a highly nonlinear second order ordinary differential equation for the energy density. The time evolution of the anisotropic Bianchi type I Universe strongly depends on the initial values of the energy density and of the Hubble function. An important observational parameter, the mean anisotropy parameter, is also studied in detail, and we show that for the dust filled Universe the cosmological evolution always ends into isotropic phase, while for high density matter filled universes the isotropization of Bianchi type I universes is essentially determined by the initial conditions of the energy density.

D-brane anti-brane annihilation in an expanding universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majumdar, Mahbub; Davis, Anne-Christine

2003-01-01

The time-varying density of D-branes and anti-D-branes in an expanding universe is calculated. The D-brane anti-brane annihilation rate is shown to be too small to compete with the expansion rate of a FRW type universe and the branes over-close the universe. This brane problem is analogous to the old monopole problem. Interestingly however, it is shown that small dimension D-branes annihilate more slowly than high dimension branes. Hence, an initially brany universe may be filled with only low dimension branes at late times. When combined with an appropriate late inflationary theory this leads to an attractive dynamical way to create a realistic braneworld scenario. (author)

Restorative treatment decisions of Croatian university teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Baraba, Anja; Doméjean, Sophie; Jurić, Hrvoje; Espelid, Ivar; Tveit, Anne B; Anić, Ivica

2012-12-01

This study aimed to identify differences in diagnostic criteria and restorative treatment among Croatian university teachers. The questionnaire was distributed to 120 Croatian university teachers in Zagreb and Rijeka. Responses were collected from 59 (49.2%) university teachers. Treatment thresholds for hypothetical approximal and occlusal caries, as well as most favored types of restorative techniques and materials were assessed. The majority (34%) of the respondents would intervene for an approximal caries lesion at the enamel-dentin junction. The leading strategy for occlusal caries was postponing operative treatment until the caries lesion was in the outer third of dentin and removing caries tissue only. Composite resin was the predominant material of choice for restoration of approximal and occlusal caries (70% and 81% respectively). More than half (54%) of Croatian university teachers believed the radiographs underestimated the depth of the caries lesion compared with clinical finding. Findings of this study should be a guideline for Croatian university teachers for a more consistent and modern teaching on the subject of caries management.

System integration of CDC attenuation in the new Opel Astra; Systemintegration der CDC-Daempfung beim neuen Opel Astra

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balandat, W.; Kutsche, T. [ZF Sachs AG, Schweinfurt (Germany)

2004-08-01

The optional carriage system IDS Plus of the new Opel Astra was developed in close cooperation between opel, ZF Sachs and other suppliers. This networking approach resulted in a high degree of system integration with the electronic attenuation control system CDC as key element. (orig.) [German] Das optionale Fahrwerksystem IDS Plus im neuen Opel Astra entstand in enger Kooperation zwischen Opel, ZF Sachs und weiteren Zulieferern. Die Arbeit im Netzwerk fuehrte zu einer hohen Systemintegration, in deren Kern die elektronische Daempferregelung CDC steht. (orig.)

Book Review: The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time

OpenAIRE

Rector, Shiela G

2010-01-01

The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey D. Sachs details the work of Sachs, a global economist in helping impoverished countries to improve their economy. His passion and sense of possibility for ending poverty is backed by real-life experience in a number of third world countries. He makes a call for the American government and citizens to take the challenge to end extreme world poverty by the year 2025. He also points out the vital role education plays in helping ...

estimation of background radiation at rivers state university

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DJFLEX

State University of Science and Technology was measured using a specialize digital, radiation meter type, radalert ... KEYWORDS: Radiation, Radalert-50, electronic devices, radiation limit ... electron gun and the back of CRT (Philip and pick,.

A simple solution to type specialization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danvy, Olivier

1998-01-01

Partial evaluation specializes terms, but traditionally this specialization does not apply to the type of these terms. As a result, specializing, e.g., an interpreter written in a typed language, which requires a “universal” type to encode expressible values, yields residual programs with type tags...... all over. Neil Jones has stated that getting rid of these type tags was an open problem, despite possible solutions such as Torben Mogensen's “constructor specialization.” To solve this problem, John Hughes has proposed a new paradigm for partial evaluation, “Type Specialization”, based on type...... from the universal type to the specific type of the residual program. Standard partial evaluation then yields a residual program without type tags, simply and efficiently....

University physics Arfken Griffing Kelly Priest

CERN Document Server

Houk, T William; Snider, John W

1984-01-01

University Physics: Arfken Griffing Kelly Priest covers the concepts upon which the quantitative nature of physics as a science depends; the types of quantities with which physics deals are defined as well as their nature; and the concepts of units and dimensions. The book describes the concepts of scalars and vectors; the rules for performing mathematical operations on vector quantities; the concepts of force, torque, center of gravity, and types of equilibrium. The text also describes the concepts and quantities required to describe motion; the linear kinematical relationships to describe m

Influence of Application Time and Etching Mode of Universal Adhesives on Enamel Adhesion.

Science.gov (United States)

Sai, Keiichi; Takamizawa, Toshiki; Imai, Arisa; Tsujimoto, Akimasa; Ishii, Ryo; Barkmeier, Wayne W; Latta, Mark A; Miyazaki, Masashi

2018-01-01

To investigate the influence of application time and etching mode of universal adhesives on enamel adhesion. Five universal adhesives, Adhese Universal, Bondmer Lightless, Clearfil Universal Bond Quick, G-Premio Bond, and Scotchbond Universal, were used. Bovine incisors were prepared and divided into four groups of ten teeth each. SBS, Ra, and SFE were determined after the following procedures: 1. self-etch mode with immediate air blowing after application (IA); 2. self-etch mode with prolonged application time (PA); 3. etch-and-rinse mode with IA; 4. etch-and-rinse mode with PA. After 24-h water storage, the bonded assemblies were subjected to shear bond strength (SBS) tests. For surface roughness (Ra) and surface free energy (SFE) measurements, the adhesives were simply applied to the enamel and rinsed with acetone and water before the measurements were carried out. Significantly higher SBS and Ra values were obtained with etch-and-rinse mode than with self-etch mode regardless of the application time or type of adhesive. Although most adhesives showed decreased SFE values with increased application time in self-etch mode, SFE values in etch-and-rinse mode were dependent on the adhesive type and application time. Etching mode, application time, and type of adhesive significantly influenced the SBS, Ra, and SFE values.

The Artful Universe Expanded

Science.gov (United States)

Barrow, John D.

2005-07-01

Our love of art, writes John Barrow, is the end product of millions of years of evolution. How we react to a beautiful painting or symphony draws upon instincts laid down long before humans existed. Now, in this enhanced edition of the highly popular The Artful Universe , Barrow further explores the close ties between our aesthetic appreciation and the basic nature of the Universe. Barrow argues that the laws of the Universe have imprinted themselves upon our thoughts and actions in subtle and unexpected ways. Why do we like certain types of art or music? What games and puzzles do we find challenging? Why do so many myths and legends have common elements? In this eclectic and entertaining survey, Barrow answers these questions and more as he explains how the landscape of the Universe has influenced the development of philosophy and mythology, and how millions of years of evolutionary history have fashioned our attraction to certain patterns of sound and color. Barrow casts the story of human creativity and thought in a fascinating light, considering such diverse topics as our instinct for language, the origins and uses of color in nature, why we divide time into intervals as we do, the sources of our appreciation of landscape painting, and whether computer-generated fractal art is really art. Drawing on a wide variety of examples, from the theological questions raised by St. Augustine and C.S. Lewis to the relationship between the pure math of Pythagoras and the music of the Beatles, The Artful Universe Expanded covers new ground and enters a wide-ranging debate about the meaning and significance of the links between art and science.

Dark matter universe

Science.gov (United States)

Bahcall, Neta A.

2015-01-01

Most of the mass in the universe is in the form of dark matter—a new type of nonbaryonic particle not yet detected in the laboratory or in other detection experiments. The evidence for the existence of dark matter through its gravitational impact is clear in astronomical observations—from the early observations of the large motions of galaxies in clusters and the motions of stars and gas in galaxies, to observations of the large-scale structure in the universe, gravitational lensing, and the cosmic microwave background. The extensive data consistently show the dominance of dark matter and quantify its amount and distribution, assuming general relativity is valid. The data inform us that the dark matter is nonbaryonic, is “cold” (i.e., moves nonrelativistically in the early universe), and interacts only weakly with matter other than by gravity. The current Lambda cold dark matter cosmology—a simple (but strange) flat cold dark matter model dominated by a cosmological constant Lambda, with only six basic parameters (including the density of matter and of baryons, the initial mass fluctuations amplitude and its scale dependence, and the age of the universe and of the first stars)—fits remarkably well all the accumulated data. However, what is the dark matter? This is one of the most fundamental open questions in cosmology and particle physics. Its existence requires an extension of our current understanding of particle physics or otherwise point to a modification of gravity on cosmological scales. The exploration and ultimate detection of dark matter are led by experiments for direct and indirect detection of this yet mysterious particle. PMID:26417091

Dark matter universe.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahcall, Neta A

2015-10-06

Most of the mass in the universe is in the form of dark matter--a new type of nonbaryonic particle not yet detected in the laboratory or in other detection experiments. The evidence for the existence of dark matter through its gravitational impact is clear in astronomical observations--from the early observations of the large motions of galaxies in clusters and the motions of stars and gas in galaxies, to observations of the large-scale structure in the universe, gravitational lensing, and the cosmic microwave background. The extensive data consistently show the dominance of dark matter and quantify its amount and distribution, assuming general relativity is valid. The data inform us that the dark matter is nonbaryonic, is "cold" (i.e., moves nonrelativistically in the early universe), and interacts only weakly with matter other than by gravity. The current Lambda cold dark matter cosmology--a simple (but strange) flat cold dark matter model dominated by a cosmological constant Lambda, with only six basic parameters (including the density of matter and of baryons, the initial mass fluctuations amplitude and its scale dependence, and the age of the universe and of the first stars)--fits remarkably well all the accumulated data. However, what is the dark matter? This is one of the most fundamental open questions in cosmology and particle physics. Its existence requires an extension of our current understanding of particle physics or otherwise point to a modification of gravity on cosmological scales. The exploration and ultimate detection of dark matter are led by experiments for direct and indirect detection of this yet mysterious particle.

Virtual Reference at a Global University: An Analysis of Patron and Question Type

Science.gov (United States)

Rawson, Joseph; Davis, Megan A.; Harding, Julie; Miller, Clare

2013-01-01

This paper covers material presented at the 15th Annual Off-Campus conference (formerly known as the Off Campus Library Services Conference) in Memphis, Tennessee. During the course of this presentation, participants learned how both chat and instant messaging reference are being conducted and evaluated at a major online learning university. This…

Sharing Resources: Benefits of University Partnerships to Improve Teaching, Learning and Research

Science.gov (United States)

Hilliard, Ann

2012-01-01

Today, many higher educational institutions are forward thinking about promoting strategic initiatives by establishing partnerships with other universities nationally and internationally. Being financial and academically savvy, universities are reaching out to meet the demands of public interests in different types of college programs and…

Students' perceptions of contraceptives in university of ghana.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nana Nimo Appiah-Agyekum

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This study sought to explore University of Ghana Business School diploma student's knowledge of contraceptives, types of contraceptives, attitudes towards contraceptive users, preference for contraceptives, benefits, and side-effects of contraceptives.Data was conducted with three sets of focus group discussions. Participants were systematically sampled from accounting and public administration departments.Findings showed that students had little knowledge of contraceptives. The male and female condoms were the main contraceptive types reported out of the many modern and traditional methods of contraceptives. The main benefits of contraceptives were; ability to protect against STIs, abortions, unwanted pregnancy and psychological trauma. Whilst most respondents preferred future use of pills, side-effects of contraceptives were mostly reported for condoms than other contraceptive methods. Results showed that participants had bad attitudes towards unmarried contraceptive users.Generally, our findings show that detailed knowledge about contraceptives is low. There is a little gap of information on contraception knowledge, timing, and contraceptive types among university diploma students. Reproductive and maternal services should be available and accessible for tertiary students.

THE PREDICTIVE POWER OF RELIGIOUS ORIENTATION TYPES ON AMBIVALENT SEXISM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatih Ozdemir

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present study was to predict ambivalent sexism (including hostile sexism and benevolent sexism with religious orientation types as intrinsic religiosity, extrinsic religiosity and quest religiosity. In addition, the effect of demographic variables (including age, gender, education on sexist attitudes was tested. 583 (N_female= 318; N_male= 265 university students who study in different universities of Ankara/Turkey (M_age= 22.10; SD = 2.33 completed Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, and Religious Orientation Scale. Findings indicated significant gender differences on study variables and significant associations between ambivalent sexism and religious orientation types within university students sample in Turkey.

The learning type makes the difference - the interrelation of Kolb's learning styles and psychological status of preclinical medical students at the University of Erlangen.

Science.gov (United States)

Burger, Pascal H; Scholz, Michael

2014-01-01

Theories on learning styles and types have been integral to discussions on the basics of teaching for nearly 40 years. The learning style typology of Kolb divides learners into four groups (Diverger, Assimilator, Converger and Accomodator), which differ both in terms of their learning behaviour as well as personality and preferences. We studied the sense of coherence and burnout symptoms in medical students of the preclinical semesters (1(st) to 4(th) semester) at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen within the context of the observed learning styles. A total of 530 students were interviewed in winter semester 2012/13 using standardized psychometric questionnaires. Our students showed a significant correlation between the respective learning styles and expression of a sense of coherence, as well as cognitive and emotional burnout symptoms. The learning styles of the students differed significantly within these same parameters. We also demonstrated that learning styles and types not only influence study performance, but that there are also relationships to sense of coherence and psychological ailments. A more forward-looking integration of the theory of learning types in the medical education curriculum could positively influence both the performance and psychological well-being of the students.

Cosmic acceleration as an optical illusion

Science.gov (United States)

Skarke, Harald

2017-03-01

We consider light propagation in an inhomogeneous irrotational dust universe with vanishing cosmological constant, with initial conditions as in standard linear perturbation theory. A non-perturbative approach to the dynamics of such a universe is combined with a distance formula based on the Sachs optical equations. Then a numerical study implies a redshift-distance relation that roughly agrees with observations. Interpreted in the standard homogeneous setup, our results would appear to imply the currently accepted values for the Hubble rate and the deceleration parameter; furthermore there is consistency with density perturbations at last scattering. The determination of these three quantities relies only on a single parameter related to a cutoff scale. Discrepancies with the existing literature are related to subtleties of higher order perturbation theory which make both the reliability of the present approach and the magnitude of perturbative effects beyond second order hard to assess.

Cosmic acceleration as an optical illusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skarke, Harald

2017-01-01

We consider light propagation in an inhomogeneous irrotational dust universe with vanishing cosmological constant, with initial conditions as in standard linear perturbation theory. A non-perturbative approach to the dynamics of such a universe is combined with a distance formula based on the Sachs optical equations. Then a numerical study implies a redshift-distance relation that roughly agrees with observations. Interpreted in the standard homogeneous setup, our results would appear to imply the currently accepted values for the Hubble rate and the deceleration parameter; furthermore there is consistency with density perturbations at last scattering. The determination of these three quantities relies only on a single parameter related to a cutoff scale. Discrepancies with the existing literature are related to subtleties of higher order perturbation theory which make both the reliability of the present approach and the magnitude of perturbative effects beyond second order hard to assess. (orig.)

Some fluid dynamical problems in astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drury, L.O.

1979-06-01

Certain aspects of the cosmic turbulence theory of galaxy formation are considered. Using a generalized form of a transformation due to Kurskov and Ozernoi I exhibit a formal equivalence between the problem of turbulence in an expanding universe containing a coupled matter-radiation fluid and in a non-expanding fluid with a time-dependent viscosity. This enables me to extend the Olson-Sachs formula for vorticity generation in cosmic turbulence to a matter-radiation fluid and to show that, the turbulence can not have an inertial subrange at the epoch of recombination. The linear inviscid stability of axisymmetric flows is considered. Using the projective form of the perturbation equations I obtain a simple proof of a generalised Richardson criterion which holds for all boundary conditions which do not actively feed energy to the perturbation. Further analysis shows the uniform density and pressure discs with self-similar rotation laws, are stable to perturbations which are incompressible in character, but that instability is a generic feature of differentially rotating compressible systems. The problem of numerically solving boundary value problems of the Orr-Sommerfeld type by shooting methods is considered, and a unifying geometrical interpretation of the principal methods is described. (author)

An Investigation of Conflict Management in Public and Private Sector Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Din, Siraj ud; Khan, Bakhtiar; Rehman, Rashid; Bibi, Zainab

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to gain an insight into the conflict management in public and private sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. To achieve the earlier mentioned purpose, survey method was used with the help of questionnaire. In this research, impact of university type (public and private sector) was examined on the conflict…

Characterization of the active deformation mechanisms in Zirconium alpha alloys, and use of micro-macro transfer models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Francillette, H.; Bacroix, B.; Gasperini, M.; Lebensohn, R.A.

1996-01-01

The aim of this study is to model the evolution of the crystallographic textures of rolled zirconium sheet metals, based on the active deformation mechanisms. Plane compression tests have been carried out on Zr 702 polycrystalline samples, at ambient temperature. Active mechanisms were identified and characterized by the means of local orientation measurements (EBSD: electron BackScattering Diffraction), completed with global texture measurements. Measured orientations are then introduced in Taylor, Sachs and self-coherent type micro-macro models in order to validate these models with respect to mechanism activation and texture evolution. (A.B.)

Academic Goals and Self-Handicapping Strategies in University Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferradás, María del Mar; Freire, Carlos; Valle, Antonio; Núñez, José Carlos

2016-05-23

In highly competitive settings like university, the fear of failure leads some students to protect their self-worth using self-handicapping strategies. The present investigation examines to what extent academic goals are related to those tactics in university students. Specifically, MANCOVA was applied to estimate statistical differences linked to behavioral and claimed self-handicapping strategies according to the level (high/medium/low) of four types of academic goal (achievement approach, achievement avoidance, mastery approach, and work avoidance). Degree, year in school, and gender were entered as covariates. 940 students (86.5% women) from University of A Coruña (M = 20.44; SD = 1.73) participated. Results show that: (a) both behavioral and claimed self-handicapping are promoted by ego-oriented goals (achievement avoidance, F(2, 937) = 23.56, p self-handicapping (F(2, 937) = 9.09, p self-handicapping; and (c) mastery approach goals are significantly, negatively related to both types of self-handicapping (F(2, 937) = 20.09, p < .001, η p 2 = .041). Psychological and educational implications of the findings are discussed.

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

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

2015-01-01

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

Behavioral economics survey of patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emoto N

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Naoya Emoto,1 Fumitaka Okajima,1 Hitoshi Sugihara,2 Rei Goto3,4 1Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Chiba, 2Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, 3Hakubi Center of Advanced Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 4Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan Background: Adherence to treatment and the metabolic control of diabetes are challenging in many patients with diabetes. The theory of neuroeconomics can provide important clues for understanding unreasonable human behavior concerning decisions between outcomes occurring at different time points.  Objective: We investigated patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to determine whether patients who are at a risk of developing complications are less risk averse. We also examined whether patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes have different behavioral traits in decision making under risk.  Methods: We conducted a behavioral economics survey of 219 outpatients, 66 with type 1 diabetes and 153 with type 2 diabetes. All patients had been referred by general practitioners or other departments in the hospital. At the time of the survey, levels of hemoglobin A1c were not significantly different between patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.  Results: Patients with type 2 diabetes showed a lower response rate to the survey compared with patients with type 1 diabetes (71.9% vs 87.9%, P<0.01. Logistic regression analysis indicated that diabetic retinopathy was negatively associated with risk averse in pricing of hypothetical lotteries, myopic time preference, willingness to pay for preventive medicine, and levels of satisfaction with life. Diabetic nephropathy was also negatively associated with risk averse in pricing of hypothetical lotteries. Detailed analysis revealed that a lower proportion of patients with type 2 diabetes (22.7% were categorized

Stability of cylindrical thin shell wormhole during evolution of universe from inflation to late time acceleration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Setare, M.R. [Department of Science, Campus of Bijar, University of Kurdistan,Bijar (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Sepehri, A. [Faculty of Physics, Shahid Bahonar University,P.O. Box 76175, Kerman (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-03-16

In this paper, we consider the stability of cylindrical wormholes during evolution of universe from inflation to late time acceleration epochs. We show that there are two types of cylindrical wormholes. The first type is produced at the corresponding point where k black F-strings are transited to BIon configuration. This wormhole transfers energy from extra dimensions into our universe, causes inflation, loses it’s energy and vanishes. The second type of cylindrical wormhole is created by a tachyonic potential and causes a new phase of acceleration. We show that wormhole parameters grow faster than the scale factor in this era, overtake it at ripping time and lead to the destruction of universe at big rip singularity.

Early Onset of Type 1 Diabetes and Educational Field at Upper Secondary and University Level: Is Own Experience an Asset for a Health Care Career?

Science.gov (United States)

Lovén, Ida; Steen Carlsson, Katarina

2017-06-30

Ill health in early life has a significant negative impact on school grades, grade repetition, educational level, and labor market outcomes. However, less is known about qualitative socio-economic consequences of a health shock in childhood or adolescence. We investigate the relationship between onset of type 1 diabetes up to age 15 and the probability of choosing and completing a health-oriented path at upper secondary and university level of education. We analyze the Swedish Childhood Diabetes Register, the National Educational Register, and other population registers in Sweden for 2756 people with type 1 diabetes and 10,020 matched population controls. Educational decisions are modeled as unsorted series of binary choices to assess the choice of educational field as a potential mechanism linking early life health to adult outcomes. The analyses reject the hypothesis of no systematic differences in choice of educational field between people with and without type 1 diabetes at both levels. The results are robust to selection on ability proxies and across sensitivity analysis. We conclude that the observed pro health-oriented educational choices among people with type 1 diabetes in our data are consistent with disease onset in childhood and adolescence having qualitative impact on life-course choices.

Early Onset of Type 1 Diabetes and Educational Field at Upper Secondary and University Level: Is Own Experience an Asset for a Health Care Career?

Science.gov (United States)

Steen Carlsson, Katarina

2017-01-01

Ill health in early life has a significant negative impact on school grades, grade repetition, educational level, and labor market outcomes. However, less is known about qualitative socio-economic consequences of a health shock in childhood or adolescence. We investigate the relationship between onset of type 1 diabetes up to age 15 and the probability of choosing and completing a health-oriented path at upper secondary and university level of education. We analyze the Swedish Childhood Diabetes Register, the National Educational Register, and other population registers in Sweden for 2756 people with type 1 diabetes and 10,020 matched population controls. Educational decisions are modeled as unsorted series of binary choices to assess the choice of educational field as a potential mechanism linking early life health to adult outcomes. The analyses reject the hypothesis of no systematic differences in choice of educational field between people with and without type 1 diabetes at both levels. The results are robust to selection on ability proxies and across sensitivity analysis. We conclude that the observed pro health-oriented educational choices among people with type 1 diabetes in our data are consistent with disease onset in childhood and adolescence having qualitative impact on life-course choices. PMID:28665347

An annotated catalogue of the type material of Elateroidea Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera) deposited in the Coleoptera collection of the Museum of Zoology of the University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Vinicius De Souza

2015-03-25

The Museum of Zoology of the University of São Paulo (MZSP) houses one of the most important Coleoptera collections of Brazil and Neotropical Region with nearly 900,000 adult mounted material and about 1,500,000 specimens to be mounted. The superfamily Elateroidea Leach, 1815 (including Cantharoidea) comprises about 24,077 described species in 17 families. The MZSP owns type material of Brachypsectridae LeConte & Horn, 1883, Cantharidae, 1856 (1815), Cerophytidae Latreille, 1834, Elateridae Leach 1815, Eucnemidae Eschscholtz, 1829, Lampyridae Rafinesque, 1815, Lycidae Laporte, 1836, Phengodidae LeConte, 1861 and Rhinorhipidae Lawrence, 1988. This catalogue includes type material of 166 species distributed in 69 genera. Among 1,223 type specimens, are 86 holotypes, 1,133 paratypes, 2 allotypes, 1 lectotype and 1 paralectotype.

How Reading Strategy Use and Personality Types Are Related?

Science.gov (United States)

Safdarian, Zahra; Ghyasi, Majid; Farsani, Mohammad Amini

2014-01-01

This study sought to uncover the reading strategies utilized by Iranian undergraduate English Foreign Language (EFL) learners and their relationship with personality types. To this end, 194 university EFL learners were asked to fill out the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to identify their personality types and answer a reading strategy…

The Evaluation of Teacher Perfomance at the University

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Mario Rueda Beltrán

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Assessing teacher's performance in the university. This text synthesizes the most important characteristics of teacher's performance assessment in Mexico Citie's public universities. It also synthesizes some positive issues that could very well be adopted. This type of assessment is universal and is associated with programs of financial compensation and certification, thus confirming the influence of assessment public policies. Assessment of teacher's performance is predominant through student's opinions and questionnaires, and it implies a high degree of specialization of technical knowledge from those who assume such responsibility, and this is why universities should facilitate the participation of specialists and the development of ad hoc professional training programs. Assessment efforts linked to institutional actions taken to support academicians in the bettering of their teacher’s performance are still scarce. T his text proposes some actions directed to improve the assessment processes in use.

The Battle for Knowledge Management. The Booming Economy in the Spanish University Policy

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Belén Espejo Villar

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Starting from the collaborative framework established by Community policy in matters of higher education in this paper the objective is to review the changing functions that traditional universities face in the context of a capitalist economy. The article examines from a critical perspective the role that corporate universities have in the construction of a common area of knowledge, and we posit an analysis of the identities established between these two types of organizations. Above all, however, we attempt to dismantle the idea of the subordination of traditional universities to the growing international tensions that could lead us to think that the Spanish university system is facing the search for innovation based on models of academic superiority. Far from showing resistance to corporate practices, the university system of governance is playing a very active role in the consolidation of global economic policies. This study shows that the dynamics of reinforcement and compensation between Bologna and corporate universities not only does not question the new market formulas that these centres of learning make use of, but they are even contributing tools that foster the discursive and managerial confluence of both types of institution.

Personal and Emotional Factors in the Labour Integration of University Graduates in the Field of Education. Implications for University Teaching

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Juan L. Castejón

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The main aim of this paper is to analyse the role of intellectual, personal and emotional competencies as well as technical knowledge - academic achievement - in the employment of university graduates, with the purpose of incorporating these competencies into training programmes developed within the European Framework of Higher Education. This study is based on an initial sample of 118 university graduates in the field of education. We have gathered information about academic achievement and the intellectual, personal and emotional traits of this sample. From these data, and given the importance of non-intellectual aspects of intelligence associated with professional success, the specific contribution -incremental validity - of personal and emotional intelligence in explaining theemployment - labour integration - of university graduates in the field of education is studied. From this point onwards, we attempt to identify the key socio-emotional competencies in the field of education in order to establish the implications of including this type of skills in university training programmes within the European Higher Education Area.

Benefits of a Graduate Business Degree: Students' Perspectives and Universities' Challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, Marion Stanton; Allen, Lida Cherie

1995-01-01

A survey of 1,499 graduate business students at 7 colleges and universities investigated perceptions of potential benefits of an advanced degree, and their relationships with degree type, school size/type, and student characteristics. Five perceived benefits included research and analytical skills, competitive advantage, monetary reward, career…

Duality Theory and Categorical Universal Logic: With Emphasis on Quantum Structures

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Yoshihiro Maruyama

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Categorical Universal Logic is a theory of monad-relativised hyperdoctrines (or fibred universal algebras, which in particular encompasses categorical forms of both first-order and higher-order quantum logics as well as classical, intuitionistic, and diverse substructural logics. Here we show there are those dual adjunctions that have inherent hyperdoctrine structures in their predicate functor parts. We systematically investigate into the categorical logics of dual adjunctions by utilising Johnstone-Dimov-Tholen's duality-theoretic framework. Our set-theoretical duality-based hyperdoctrines for quantum logic have both universal and existential quantifiers (and higher-order structures, giving rise to a universe of Takeuti-Ozawa's quantum sets via the tripos-to-topos construction by Hyland-Johnstone-Pitts. The set-theoretical hyperdoctrinal models of quantum logic, as well as all quantum hyperdoctrines with cartesian base categories, turn out to give sound and complete semantics for Faggian-Sambin's first-order quantum sequent calculus over cartesian type theory; in addition, quantum hyperdoctrines with monoidal base categories are sound and complete for the calculus over linear type theory. We finally consider how to reconcile Birkhoff-von Neumann's quantum logic and Abramsky-Coecke's categorical quantum mechanics (which is modernised quantum logic as an antithesis to the traditional one via categorical universal logic.

Short-term mortality in patients with myocardial injury and myocardial infarction type 1 and type 2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sarkisian, Laura; Saaby, L.; Poulsen, T. S.

2015-01-01

-year period we prospectively studied hospitalized patients having cardiac troponin I (cTnI) measured on clinical indication. The diagnosis of type 1 and type 2 MI was according to the universal definition involving a rising and/or falling pattern of cTnI values above the decision limit of 30 ng/L. c....... The results are depicted in the figure (Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank-test; p-value...

Compensation of Disadvantages in University Examination Procedures

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Ulrike Quapp

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Active social participation of disabled people is one of the major tasks of modern society. That also includes access to the academic community by higher education. Universities all over the world work hard to give handicapped students a chance to graduate. In this context, compensation of disadvantages in examination procedures is an important matter. But, also chronic illness may impair the student's examination performance. To ensure equal examination opportunities for all students, responsible university officials must be creative to find individual compensation solutions. The paper analyzes examination regulations at universities in different countries and offers solutions to compensate disabled and chronic ill students' disadvantages. It discusses the necessity of compensation for different types of disability and chronic illness. Finally, an overview of current German case law and solutions for compensation problems are provided.

Text Comprehension And roduction in University Students: Text Reformulation

OpenAIRE

Tittarelli, Ana María; Piacente, Irma Telma

2006-01-01

This paper sets out to report on findings about features of task-specific reformulation observed in university students in the middle stretch of the Psychology degree course (N=58) and in a reference group of students from the degree courses in Modern Languages, Spanish and Library Studies (N=33) from the National University of La Plata (Argentina). Three types of reformulation were modeled: summary reformulation, comprehensive and productive reformulation.The study was based on a corpus of 6...

Text comprehension and production in university students: text reformulation

OpenAIRE

Tittarelli, Ana María; Piacente, Telma

2006-01-01

This paper sets out to report on findings about features of task-specific reformulation observed in university students in the middle stretch of the Psychology degree course (N=58) and in a reference group of students from the degree courses in Modern Languages, Spanish and Library Studies (N=33) from the National University of La Plata (Argentina). Three types of reformulation were modeled: summary reformulation, comprehensive and productive reformulation.The study was based on a corpus of 6...

The Natural History of Juvenile or Subacute GM2 Gangliosidosis: 21 New Cases and Literature Review of 134 Previously Reported

Science.gov (United States)

Maegawa, Gustavo H. B.; Stockley, Tracy; Tropak, Michael; Banwell, Brenda; Blaser, Susan; Kok, Fernando; Giugliani, Roberto; Mahuran, Don; Clarke, Joe T. R.

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVE Juvenile GM2 gangliosidosis is a group of inherited neurodegenerative diseases caused by deficiency of lysosomal β-hexosaminidase resulting in GM2 ganglioside accumulation in brain. The purpose of this study was to delineate the natural history of the condition and identify genotype-phenotype correlations that might be helpful in predicting the course of the disease in individual patients. METHODS A cohort of 21 patients with juvenile GM2 gangliosidosis, 15 with the Tay-Sachs variant and 6 with the Sandhoff variant, was studied prospectively in 2 centers. Our experience was compared with previously published reports on 134 patients. Information about clinical features, β-hexosaminidase enzyme activity, and mutation analysis was collected. RESULTS In our cohort of patients, the mean (±SD) age of onset of symptoms was 5.3 ± 4.1 years, with a mean follow-up time of 8.4 years. The most common symptoms at onset were gait disturbances (66.7%), incoordination (52.4%), speech problems (28.6%), and developmental delay (28.6%). The age of onset of gait disturbances was 7.1 ± 5.6 years. The mean time for progression to becoming wheelchair-bound was 6.2 ± 5.5 years. The mean age of onset of speech problems was 7.0 ± 5.6 years, with a mean time of progression to anarthria of 5.6 ± 5.3 years. Muscle wasting (10.6 ± 7.4 years), proximal weakness (11.1 ± 7.7 years), and incontinence of sphincters (14.6 ± 9.7 years) appeared later in the course of the disease. Psychiatric disturbances and neuropathy were more prevalent in patients with the Sandhoff variant than in those with the Tay-Sachs variant. However, dysphagia, sphincter incontinence, and sleep problems occurred earlier in those with the Tay-Sachs variant. Cerebellar atrophy was the most common finding on brain MRI (52.9%). The median survival time among the studied and reviewed patients was 14.5 years. The genotype-phenotype correlation revealed that in patients with the Tay-Sachs variant, the presence

An investigation of the universe and anatomy of work

OpenAIRE

Beruvides, Mario G

1993-01-01

This research study investigated eight specific work characteristics (outputs, inputs, work type, discretion level, work pursuit level, level of endeavor, decision type and maturity level), on three sub-populations of workers (production personnel, office/secretarial personnel, and university engineering professors). Thirty one production personnel from two organizations (the Print Shop and ABC Corporation-pseudonyms) located in southwest Virginia were used for the first group (B group). The...

Auditors of the Managerial University: Neo-Liberal Business Advisers or Paternal Controllers?

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Ian C.

2009-01-01

Universities are increasingly being seen as commercial enterprises, and are represented as particular types of business entities in manuals provided to university managers. Critical discourse analysis is employed in this paper to construct an analytical framework for the study of managerial advice, which is then used to examine the manual provided…

Energy Consumption Forecasting for University Sector Buildings

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Khuram Pervez Amber

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Reliable energy forecasting helps managers to prepare future budgets for their buildings. Therefore, a simple, easier, less time consuming and reliable forecasting model which could be used for different types of buildings is desired. In this paper, we have presented a forecasting model based on five years of real data sets for one dependent variable (the daily electricity consumption and six explanatory variables (ambient temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity, wind speed, weekday index and building type. A single mathematical equation for forecasting daily electricity usage of university buildings has been developed using the Multiple Regression (MR technique. Data of two such buildings, located at the Southwark Campus of London South Bank University in London, have been used for this study. The predicted test results of MR model are examined and judged against real electricity consumption data of both buildings for year 2011. The results demonstrate that out of six explanatory variables, three variables; surrounding temperature, weekday index and building type have significant influence on buildings energy consumption. The results of this model are associated with a Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE of 12% for the administrative building and 13% for the academic building. Finally, some limitations of this study have also been discussed.

Thinking Styles and Quality of University Life Among Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Hearing Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Sanyin; Zhang, Li-Fang

2017-01-01

The authors explored how thinking styles relate to quality of university life among deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) and hearing university students in mainland China. The first of two studies affirmed the validity and reliability of a modified version of the Quality of University Life Measure (QULM; Sirgy, Grezskowiak, & Rahtz, 2007) among 833 university students (366 DHH, 467 hearing). The second investigated relationships between thinking styles and quality of university life; the Thinking Styles Inventory-Revised II (Sternberg, Wagner, & Zhang, 2007) and modified QULM were administered to 542 students (256 DHH, 286 hearing). Students scoring higher on Type I styles (i.e., more creativity-generating, less structured, cognitively more complex) tended toward greater satisfaction with university life; those scoring higher on Type II (i.e., more norm-favoring, more structured, cognitively more simplistic) tended toward less satisfaction. Contributions, limitations, and implications of the research are discussed.

The Islamic Movement at Khairun University Ternate

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Muhammad Irfan Syuhudi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article aims to describe Islamic religious thought of Muslim student at KhairunUniversity in Ternate and the dynamic of religious movement organizations on  campus. Informants of this study were selected using purposive method including activists of  Islamic organizations, students, and lecturers of the university. Data were collected using interviews, observation, and documentation, and searching data related to social context of the study from the internet. Findings of the research shows that the type of religious understanding and nationality of Muslim students after the reformation era at Khairun University began experiencing a shift since the presence of trans-national organizations, such as the Indonesian Muslim Student Action Union (KAMMI, Campus Propagation Institute (LDK, Hizbut Tahrir (HT, and Wahdah Islamiyah (WI. Those organizations adopt fundamentalists thought who want purification of Islam, and anti-tradition. Nationality thought adopted by these organizations is a country that imposes Islamic law and Establishes a state of Khilafah (HT. Nevertheless, most students at the Khairun University embrace cultural Islam, following the footsteps of their parents and Ternate society in general.

Students’ Views of Distance Education Provision at One University

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Nalan YILMAZ

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Students’ Views of Distance Education Provision at One University Assist. Prof. Dr. Binnur Genç ILTERAkdeniz University, Faculty of Education Prof. Dr. Mualla Bilgin AKSUInönü University, Faculty of Education Lecturer. Nalan YILMAZAkdeniz University, Faculty of Education ABSTRACT Providing university students with distance education is of great importance in the global world. Distance education provides advantages and benefits especially for students who don’t have the chance to meet lecturers from other universities face to face. Distance education connects the learner and teacher to resources that are difficult to access otherwise. It is not necessary to gather students in one classroom at the same time in a distance program. Through distance education facilities students and lecturers can store, update and transfer information very quickly. Furthermore, distance education helps save money in terms of accommodation and travel expenses. This paper describes students’ perceptions and attitudes towards distance education based on their gender, school types attended, age and access to educational technology such as computer and internet. This paper also describes the specific program used by the faculty of Law at Akdeniz University,Turkey.

Fingerprints of primordial universe paradigms as features in density perturbations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Xingang

2011-01-01

Experimentally distinguishing different primordial universe paradigms that lead to the Big Bang model is an outstanding challenge in modern cosmology and astrophysics. We show that a generic type of signals that exist in primordial universe models can be used for such purpose. These signals are induced by tiny oscillations of massive fields and manifest as features in primordial density perturbations. They are capable of recording the time-dependence of the scale factor of the primordial universe, and therefore provide direct evidence for specific paradigm. These signals present special opportunities and challenges for experiments and data analyses.

An emergent universe from a loop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mulryne, David J.; Tavakol, Reza; Lidsey, James E.; Ellis, George F. R.

2005-01-01

Closed, singularity-free, inflationary cosmological models have recently been studied in the context of general relativity. Despite their appeal, these so called emergent models suffer from a number of limitations. These include the fact that they rely on an initial Einstein static state to describe the past-eternal phase of the universe. Given the instability of such a state within the context of general relativity, this amounts to a very severe fine tuning. Also in order to be able to study the dynamics of the universe within the context of general relativity, they set the initial conditions for the universe in the classical phase. Here we study the existence and stability of such models in the context of Loop Quantum Cosmology and show that both these limitations can be partially remedied, once semiclassical effects are taken into account. An important consequence of these effects is to give rise to a static solution (not present in GR), which dynamically is a center equilibrium point and located in the more natural semiclassical regime. This allows the construction of emergent models in which the universe oscillates indefinitely about such an initial static state. We construct an explicit emergent model of this type, in which a nonsingular past-eternal oscillating universe enters a phase where the symmetry of the oscillations is broken, leading to an emergent inflationary epoch, while satisfying all observational and semiclassical constraints. We also discuss emergent models in which the universe possesses both early- and late-time accelerating phases

The Higgs and the inflation of the Universe

CERN Multimedia

Antonella Del Rosso

2013-01-01

“Inflation” is the theorized very rapid and powerful expansion of the early Universe. This type of evolution could be explained by the presence of a spin-zero elementary particle born with the Big Bang. The Higgs boson is such a particle but this is not sufficient for it to be identified as the “inflaton”, the hypothetical particle thought to be responsible for this inflation.   "The Higgs universe". Image: ATLAS, NASA, ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) - edited by Katarina Anthony. It is thought that almost immediately (around 10-35 seconds) after the Big Bang, the Universe increased in volume extremely rapidly by undergoing an exponential expansion phase. Following this “inflationary” period, the Universe continued to expand but at a slower rate. A quantum field corresponding to an elementary spin-zero boson could, in principle, have caused such a violent evolution. According to the Standard Model, the...

Analog insulin detemir for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregory E Peterson

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Gregory E PetersonDepartment of Internal Medicine, Des Moines University, USAObjective: To review insulin detemir for clinical use to better manage patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.Methods: A MEDLINE search, in English, from June 30, 2006 to December 1, 2008, using the terms “insulin analogs,” “insulin detemir” and “long-acting insulin analog.”Results: Insulin detemir improves glycemic control, based on HbA1C reduction and fasting glucose levels, without increasing the risk of hypoglycemia and weight gain. Insulin detemir has lower glycemic variability, with less intra-subject variability in blood glucose levels in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, without increasing the risk of hypoglycemia. When added to oral anti-diabetes agents (OADs in type 2 diabetes, insulin detemir demonstrates superiority to other basal insulin options.Conclusion: Insulin detemir appears to provide better glycemic control with a lower risk of hypoglycemia and less weight gain in the treatment of patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.Keywords: type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, insulin analogs, insulin detemir

Cosmic Accelerators: Engines of the Extreme Universe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Funk, Stefan

2009-06-23

The universe is home to numerous exotic and beautiful phenomena, some of which can generate almost inconceivable amounts of energy. While the night sky appears calm, it is populated by colossal explosions, jets from supermassive black holes, rapidly rotating neutron stars, and shock waves of gas moving at supersonic speeds. These accelerators in the sky boost particles to energies far beyond those we can produce on earth. New types of telescopes, including the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope orbiting in space, are now discovering a host of new and more powerful accelerators. Please come and see how these observations are revising our picture of the most energetic phenomena in the universe.

A South African postmodern university of technology? | Thanthiah ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Kraak argues that the establishment of South African universities of technology was the result of political lobbying rather than being informed by a rational process of policy development. This conceptualisation has been largely focused on the development of institutional type rather than on academic substance.

Apres le Deluge at State U: A Comprehensive Public University Responds to the Great Recession

Science.gov (United States)

Skinner, Richard A.; Miller, Emily R.

2013-01-01

In this article, the authors describe one institution--East Carolina University--that they think is representative of an important type and a large proportion of American universities, the comprehensive public university, and its responses to the lingering Great Recession. As a group, comprehensives handle almost 40 per cent of the total student…

Instability of an emergent universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mithani, Audrey T.; Vilenkin, Alexander

2014-01-01

Oscillating solutions to the effective equations of Loop Quantum Cosmology have been suggested for the role of an 'eternal seed', providing a possible starting point for the emergent universe scenario. We investigate the stability of a particular model, sourced by a homogeneous massless scalar field and a negative cosmological constant, with respect to small perturbations and to quantum collapse. We find that the model has perturbatively stable and unstable solutions, with both types of solutions occupying significant regions of the parameter space. All solutions are unstable with respect to collapse by quantum tunneling to zero size. We discuss the possibility that the state resulting from the collapse is non-singular, so it may tunnel back to the oscillating regime. We argue that the universe is then likely to evolve to states of very large size with large particle occupation numbers

University rankings in computer science

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ehret, Philip; Zuccala, Alesia Ann; Gipp, Bela

2017-01-01

This is a research-in-progress paper concerning two types of institutional rankings, the Leiden and QS World ranking, and their relationship to a list of universities’ ‘geo-based’ impact scores, and Computing Research and Education Conference (CORE) participation scores in the field of computer...... science. A ‘geo-based’ impact measure examines the geographical distribution of incoming citations to a particular university’s journal articles for a specific period of time. It takes into account both the number of citations and the geographical variability in these citations. The CORE participation...... score is calculated on the basis of the number of weighted proceedings papers that a university has contributed to either an A*, A, B, or C conference as ranked by the Computing Research and Education Association of Australasia. In addition to calculating the correlations between the distinct university...

Optimistic, Defensive-Pessimistic, Impulsive and Self-Handicapping Strategies in University Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Eronen, Sanna; Nurmi, Jari-Erik; Salmela-Aro, Katariina

1998-01-01

A person-oriented approach was used to study the types of achievement strategy students apply in university environments and how these are associated with academic achievement, related satisfaction, and personal well-being. Results with 254 undergraduates over 2 years found academic achievement associated with 4 types of achievement strategy, each…

The Lived Experience of Students with an Invisible Disability at a Canadian University

Science.gov (United States)

Mullins, Laura; Preyde, Michele

2013-01-01

University institutions are required by law to make their services accessible to students with disabilities. Canadian universities have gone a long way to eliminate the physical obstacles that present barriers for students. Many students with disabilities have invisible disabilities that require different types of adjustments. Although some…

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphism in type 1 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mohammed A AboElAsrar

2012-05-05

May 5, 2012 ... in type 1 diabetes mellitus: Relationship to microvascular complications ... b Pediatric Molecular Genetics Department, Ankara University, Turkey. Received 15 .... Patients with diabetic nephropathy were classified into two.

CT diagnosis with shoulder joint injuries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gay, B.; Hoerl, M.; Schindler, G.

1986-01-01

With recidivistic shoulder luxation the CT examination makes possible the objective comprehension of predisposable anatomical evidence as well as the proof of posttraumatic changes. Changes in the acetabular margin (Bankart lesion) as well as in the humerus head (Hills-Sachs lesion) are depicted with recidivistic shoulder luxation as the morphological substrate of the posttraumatic damage. Individual examinations of 83 patients with recidivistic shoulder luxations showed that the mentioned changes often appear in combinations. With the CT examination the Hills-Sachs lesion can be comprehended and its location, extension and depth can be judged as well. (orig./MG) [de

Prevalence of herpes simplex types 1 and 2, varicella zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, immunoglobulin G antibodies among female university students in Syria.

Science.gov (United States)

Barah, Faraj

2012-09-01

To examine the current seroepidemiology of immunoglobulin (Ig)G for herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV 1-2), varicella zoster virus (VZV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) among university females of childbearing age in Syria. A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the female students of the Pharmacy College, Kalamoon University, Deratiah, Syria, where 316 sera were collected from October 2009 to November 2010, and subjected to HSV 1-2, VZV, and CMV IgG screening and titration using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based techniques in the Microbiology Laboratory. A total of 164 participants were positive for HSV 1-2 IgG giving a prevalence of 52%, leaving a relatively high proportion of susceptibility among the tested group. For VZV, 91% of the participants (n=287) were positive for its specific IgG, while, regarding CMV, 74.5% (n=235) were positive, and 25.5% were negative for CMV specific IgG. Although most participants were seropositive for herpes viruses IgG, suggesting a natural virus circulation within the community, screening for protective immunity is suggested against HSV, since a relatively high proportion of tested females are still susceptible. In addition, and because of its nasty outcomes during pregnancy, IgG against CMV should also be tested. High percentage of positivity towards VZV could be explained due to introduction of the new vaccine program, and therefore, further analysis during pregnancy is not recommended.

Universities' New Role in Professional Training - Combining Education and Practice Learning in Environmental Management and Cleaner Technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Ulrik

2002-01-01

The article presents the experiences from the continued academic education in Environmental Management at DTU and identifies the demands that these types of professional educations forces on universities.......The article presents the experiences from the continued academic education in Environmental Management at DTU and identifies the demands that these types of professional educations forces on universities....

Horizontal Stratification in Access to Danish University Programmes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munk, Martin D.; Thomsen, Jens Peter

2018-01-01

a relatively detailed classification of parents’ occupations to determine how students are endowed with different forms of capital, even when their parents would typically be characterised as belonging to the same social group. Second, we distinguish among disciplines and among university institutions...... to explain the dynamics of horizontal stratification in the Danish university system. Using unique and exhaustive register data, including all higher education institutions and the entire 1984 cohort as of the age of 24, we uncover distinct differences in the magnitude and type of horizontal stratification...... in different fields of study and university institutions. Most importantly, we find distinct patterns of horizontal stratification by field of study and parental occupation that would have remained hidden had we used more aggregated classifications for field of study and social origin....

Representing Clarity: Using Universal Design Principles to Create Effective Hybrid Course Learning Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Spiegel, Cheri Lemieux

2012-01-01

This article describes how the author applied principles of universal design to hybrid course materials to increase student understanding and, ultimately, success. Pulling the three principles of universal design--consistency, color, and icon representation--into the author's Blackboard course allowed her to change the types of reading skills…

Comparative Analysis of Institutional Policy Definitions of Plagiarism: A Pan-Canadian University Study

Science.gov (United States)

Eaton, Sarah Elaine

2017-01-01

This article shares the findings of a study investigating institutional policy definitions of plagiarism at twenty English-speaking Canadian universities. The types of primary sources consulted for this study included: (1) university academic calendars for 2016-2017, (2) institutional policies on academic misconduct, and (3) student academic codes…

Low-z Type Ia Supernova Calibration

Science.gov (United States)

Hamuy, Mario

The discovery of acceleration and dark energy in 1998 arguably constitutes one of the most revolutionary discoveries in astrophysics in recent years. This paradigm shift was possible thanks to one of the most traditional cosmological tests: the redshift-distance relation between galaxies. This discovery was based on a differential measurement of the expansion rate of the universe: the current one provided by nearby (low-z) type Ia supernovae and the one in the past measured from distant (high-z) supernovae. This paper focuses on the first part of this journey: the calibration of the type Ia supernova luminosities and the local expansion rate of the universe, which was made possible thanks to the introduction of digital CCD (charge-coupled device) digital photometry. The new technology permitted us in the early 1990s to convert supernovae as precise tools to measure extragalactic distances through two key surveys: (1) the "Tololo Supernova Program" which made possible the critical discovery of the "peak luminosity-decline rate" relation for type Ia supernovae, the key underlying idea today behind precise cosmology from supernovae, and (2) the Calán/Tololo project which provided the low - z type Ia supernova sample for the discovery of acceleration.

Assessment of personality type and medical specialty choice among medical students from Karachi; using Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Jafrani, Sana; Zehra, Nosheen; Zehra, Muneeza; Abuzar Ali, Syed Muhmmad; Abubakar Mohsin, Saiyed Abdullah; Azhar, Rasheed

2017-04-01

To assess personality type of medical students and associate it with their choice of medical specialty. This cross-sectional study was conducted in February 2014 at one public and one private medical university of Karachi, and comprised medical students. A self- administered questionnaire based on Myers-Briggs type indicator was used to collect data which was analysed using SPSS 20. Of the 400 participants, there were 200(50%) each from public and private universities. Of all, 201(50.3%) students were found to be extroverted and 199(49.8%) were introverted personality types. Clinical fields were the main preference of students after their medical degree as selected by 317(79.2%) students; of the, Extroverted-Sensing-Feeling-Perceptive was the most common type identified in39(7.2%) students. Extroverted-Sensing-Feeling-Perceptive 11(2.8%), Extroverted-Sensing-Thinking-Judging 12(3%), Extroverted-Sensing-Feeling-Judging 5(1.3%), Introverted-Sensing-Feeling-Judging 6(1.5%), Introverted-Sensing-Thinking-Perceptive 7(1.8%) had preference for surgery, medicine, gynaecology, paediatrics and cardiology, respectively. Personality had significant impact on specialty and career choice.

Oncogenic HPV Types Infection in Adolescents and University Women from North Portugal: From Self-Sampling to Cancer Prevention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jani Silva

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to characterize the HPV infection status in adolescents and young university women in Portugal. The distribution of HPV genotypes was evaluated by PCR DNA genotyping after self-sampling collection from 435 women of exfoliated cervical cells using a commercial kit. We observed an overall frequency of HPV infection of 11.5%. Furthermore, HPV DNA prevalence was 16.6% in those young women that self-declared as sexually active. The more frequently detected HPV types were 31, 16, 53, and 61. Statistical analysis identified median age (OR=3.56; P=0.001, the number of lifetime sexual partners (OR=4.50; P<0.001, and years of sexual activity (OR=2.36; P=0.008 as risk factors for HPV acquisition. Hence, our study revealed that oncogenic HPV infection is common in young asymptomatic women Portuguese women, with a history of 2–5 sexual partners and over 2 year of sexual activity. Moreover, these results demonstrate that HPV detection performed in self-collected samples may be important to appraise better preventive strategies and to monitorize the influence of vaccination programmes within different populations.

Measuring the Level of Organizational Performance in the Yemeni Public Universities from the Perspective of the Balanced Score Card: A Field Study in the Universities of Sana'a and Aden

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بسام مسلم

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The research aimed at measuring the level of organizational performance according to the perspective of the Balanced Score Card (BSC. It also aimed to identify the nature of the differences in measuring the performance level in the light of the variables and type of higher management positions, faculty type, and years of service years. The researcher used the descriptive analytical methodology, where the concept of organizational performance was explained, and the related previous studies were reviewed and presented, with a focus on the strategic approach to measure the performance from the BSC perspective. To achieve the objective of the study, a questionnaire was designed, consisting of 36 indictors distributed over the four dimensions of the BSC (learning and growth, internal operations, clients, and finance. The sample included 80 participants representing academic and administrative leaders in the Universities of Sana'a and Aden. The research concluded that the organizational performance level was generally low in both universities. This was a reflection of weak performance in the BSC four dimensions. No differences occurred in the evaluation levels of those dimensions that could be attributed to these variables: type of higher management positions, faculty type, and years of service. Keywords: Balanced Score Card, Organizational performance, Public universities.

ENTREPRENEURIAL CAPACITY OF UNIVERSITIES AND ITS IMPACT ON REGIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH

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Dmitry Mikhaylovich Kochetkov

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The scope of our research is the university as the key actor of economic change. Historically, it is possible to allocate four types of the university by analogy to four industrial revolutions. In the conditions of the fourth industrial revolution, there is a radical shift in the university model. From research and development and technology transfer, the university moves to the creation of the intellectual capital. The university does not simply conduct R&D for business but creates essentially new industries. The university becomes the center around which the new hi-tech enterprises grow. This phenomenon has been entitled entrepreneurial university that is the main actor of the entrepreneurial (startup economy. In this study, we examined the different approaches to the evaluation of universities, first of all, global university rankings. Each ranking methodology assesses the different functional areas; a unified methodology of the evaluation of university as a complex system is currently lacking. At the same time, we tried to define the mechanism of the impact of the universities on regional economic growth grounding on a case of Russian universities. A comparative study of Novosibirsk and Tomsk universities has revealed key problem areas and barriers in the process of university engagement in regional economic systems. The findings will be used in further theoretical and applied research, as well as decision-making in the area of educational policy

Discriminating the reaction types of plant type III polyketide synthases.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Yugo; Ogata, Hiroyuki; Goto, Susumu

2017-07-01

Functional prediction of paralogs is challenging in bioinformatics because of rapid functional diversification after gene duplication events combined with parallel acquisitions of similar functions by different paralogs. Plant type III polyketide synthases (PKSs), producing various secondary metabolites, represent a paralogous family that has undergone gene duplication and functional alteration. Currently, there is no computational method available for the functional prediction of type III PKSs. We developed a plant type III PKS reaction predictor, pPAP, based on the recently proposed classification of type III PKSs. pPAP combines two kinds of similarity measures: one calculated by profile hidden Markov models (pHMMs) built from functionally and structurally important partial sequence regions, and the other based on mutual information between residue positions. pPAP targets PKSs acting on ring-type starter substrates, and classifies their functions into four reaction types. The pHMM approach discriminated two reaction types with high accuracy (97.5%, 39/40), but its accuracy decreased when discriminating three reaction types (87.8%, 43/49). When combined with a correlation-based approach, all 49 PKSs were correctly discriminated, and pPAP was still highly accurate (91.4%, 64/70) even after adding other reaction types. These results suggest pPAP, which is based on linear discriminant analyses of similarity measures, is effective for plant type III PKS function prediction. pPAP is freely available at ftp://ftp.genome.jp/pub/tools/ppap/. goto@kuicr.kyoto-u.ac.jp. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Users or Students? Privacy in University MOOCS.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Meg Leta; Regner, Lucas

2016-10-01

Two terms, student privacy and Massive Open Online Courses, have received a significant amount of attention recently. Both represent interesting sites of change in entrenched structures, one educational and one legal. MOOCs represent something college courses have never been able to provide: universal access. Universities not wanting to miss the MOOC wave have started to build MOOC courses and integrate them into the university system in various ways. However, the design and scale of university MOOCs create tension for privacy laws intended to regulate information practices exercised by educational institutions. Are MOOCs part of the educational institutions these laws and policies aim to regulate? Are MOOC users students whose data are protected by aforementioned laws and policies? Many university researchers and faculty members are asked to participate as designers and instructors in MOOCs but may not know how to approach the issues proposed. While recent scholarship has addressed the disruptive nature of MOOCs, student privacy generally, and data privacy in the K-12 system, we provide an in-depth description and analysis of the MOOC phenomenon and the privacy laws and policies that guide and regulate educational institutions today. We offer privacy case studies of three major MOOC providers active in the market today to reveal inconsistencies among MOOC platform and the level and type of legal uncertainty surrounding them. Finally, we provide a list of organizational questions to pose internally to navigate the uncertainty presented to university MOOC teams.

Promotional discourse in the websites of two Australian universities: A discourse analytic approach

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Thi Van Yen Hoang

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article shows how universities represent themselves through the use of language on their institutional websites. Specifically, it compares and contrasts how a long established university, the University of Melbourne and a young university, Macquarie University construct their institutional identities and build up a relationship with potential students. A three-dimensional framework developed by Fairclough is utilised for three stages of discourse analysis. The analysis reveals that the websites of the two universities exhibit a promotional discourse which reflects the impacts of globalisation and the trend of academic marketing on higher education. This type of discourse is utilised by the universities to promote themselves in order attract more students and other resources. A comparison and contrast of the two university websites show that the representation of the two universities is not only determined by the social trends, but also their own tradition and reputation.

The impact of science shops on university research and education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard

2000-01-01

Science shops are mediating agencies at universities that give citizens and citizen groups access to the resources of the university through co-operation with students and researchers. Science shops have three aims: to support citizens and citizen groups in their efforts getting influence...... to the impact of science shops on universities and on society are discussed. A typology for the different types of knowledge requested by citizens and citizen groups through science shops is presented (documentation, knowledge building, development of new perspectives). As important aspects of the potentials......, prerequisites and limits to the impact of science shops are discussed the networking between the science shop and the researchers and teachers and with the citizens and other external actors, and the content and the structure of the curricula at the university....

Sociocultural Factors and Bureaucratic Practices in Universities in Ghana

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SOLOMON KOFI AMOAH

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Max Weber, one of the pioneers in bureaucratic organisational studies believes in the ultimate triumph of bureaucracy over the collegial culture of universities. This paper argues that rather than ultimate triumph of bureaucracy over the collegial culture of universities (Weber 1947, the interests of universities would be better served when the bureaucratic culture is designed to accommodate some core socio-cultural expectations of organizational members, without compromising productivity.  The research examined the implications of some selected sociocultural factors for bureaucratic practices in selected universities in Ghana through a mix method approach. The findings show that, the authority structures of the two universities typify the Weberian Ideal type bureaucracy with   hierarchical culture and standardized rules and procedures for carrying out every task. This notwithstanding, the societal culture was found to be influential in shaping the bureaucratic behaviour and conducts of organizations’ members. The paper aims at bringing to the fore the strength of the informal structures in reshaping bureaucratic culture and work behaviour, and the need to consider socio-cultural contexts in designing bureaucratic organizations.

The first university research reactor in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murty, G.S.

1999-01-01

As the first university research reactor in India, the low power, pool type with fixed core and low enriched uranium fuel research reactor is under construction in the Andhra university campus, Andhra Pradesh, India. The reactor is expected to be commissioned during 2001-2002. The mission of the reactor is to play the research center as a regional research facility catering to the needs of academic institutions and industrial organizations of this region of the country. Further, to encourage interdisplinary and multidisplinary research activities, to supply radioisotope and labelled compounds to the user institutions and to create awareness towards the peaceful uses of atomic energy. This report describes its objectives, status and future plans in brief. (H. Itami)

The first university research reactor in India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murty, G.S. [Co-ordinator, Low Power Research Reactor, Andhra Univ., Visakapatnam (India)

1999-08-01

As the first university research reactor in India, the low power, pool type with fixed core and low enriched uranium fuel research reactor is under construction in the Andhra university campus, Andhra Pradesh, India. The reactor is expected to be commissioned during 2001-2002. The mission of the reactor is to play the research center as a regional research facility catering to the needs of academic institutions and industrial organizations of this region of the country. Further, to encourage interdisplinary and multidisplinary research activities, to supply radioisotope and labelled compounds to the user institutions and to create awareness towards the peaceful uses of atomic energy. This report describes its objectives, status and future plans in brief. (H. Itami)

A problem with the analysis of type Ia supernovae

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Crawford David F.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Type Ia supernovae have light curves that have widths and magnitudes that can be used for testing cosmologies and they provide one of the few direct measurements of time dilation. It is shown that the standard analysis that calibrates the light curve against a rest-frame average (such as SALT2 removes all the cosmological information from the calibrated light curves. Consequently type Ia supernovae calibrated with these methods cannot be used to investigate cosmology. The major evidence that supports the hypothesis of a static universe is that the measurements of the widths of the rawlight curves of type Ia supernovae do not show any time dilation. The intrinsicwavelength dependence shown by the SALT2 calibration templates is also consistent with no time dilation. Using a static cosmological model the peak absolute magnitudes of raw type Ia supernovae observations are also independent of redshift. These results support the hypothesis of a static universe.

Black holes in an expanding universe.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibbons, Gary W; Maeda, Kei-ichi

2010-04-02

An exact solution representing black holes in an expanding universe is found. The black holes are maximally charged and the universe is expanding with arbitrary equation of state (P = w rho with -1 < or = for all w < or = 1). It is an exact solution of the Einstein-scalar-Maxwell system, in which we have two Maxwell-type U(1) fields coupled to the scalar field. The potential of the scalar field is an exponential. We find a regular horizon, which depends on one parameter [the ratio of the energy density of U(1) fields to that of the scalar field]. The horizon is static because of the balance on the horizon between gravitational attractive force and U(1) repulsive force acting on the scalar field. We also calculate the black hole temperature.

Kaubandussanktsioonide otstarbekusest / Jeffrey D. Sachs

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Sachs, Jeffrey D.

2003-01-01

Autor leiab, et kaubandus- ja finantssanktsioonide rakendamine diktaatorlikele režiimidele on vale lähenemine, kuna rahvusvaheline marginaalitsemine haavab tavalisi kodanikke enam kui despootlikke süsteeme.

Learning about Tay-Sachs Disease

Science.gov (United States)

... Care Genomic Medicine Working Group New Horizons and Research Patient Management Policy and Ethics Issues Quick Links for Patient Care Education All About the Human Genome Project Fact Sheets Genetic Education Resources for ...

Efficiency of oxygen: absorbing sachets in different relative humidities and temperatures Eficiência de absorvedores de oxigênio sob diferentes umidades relativas e temperaturas

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Renato Souza Cruz

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of oxygen - absorbing sachets at relative humidity of 75%, 80% and 85% and different temperatures, 10±2 ºC and 25±2 ºC. The experiment consisted in determining the O2 absorption under these conditions. A sachet was placed in desiccators with an internal air homogenization system. Aliquots of air were removed at pre-established time intervals and analyzed for oxygen content. The results showed that oxygen absorption by the sachet increased as the relative humidity increased for both temperature. Therefore the oxygen - absorbing sachets were most active under 25±2ºC and 85% relative humidity. At ambient condition (25±2ºC/75%RH the rate of oxygen absorbed was 50 mL/day and 18,5 mL/day for 10±2ºC. It was used a totally casualized design with three replicates.O objetivo principal deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficiência de sachês absorvedores de oxigênio a 75%, 80% e 85% de umidade relativa e diferentes temperaturas, 10±2 ºC e 25±2 ºC. O experimento consiste em determinar a absorção de O2 sob essas condições. Um sachê foi colocado dentro de um dessecador contendo um sistema de homogeneização do ar interno. Alíquotas de ar são retiradas dos dessecadores em intervalos de tempos pré-estabelecido e seu conteúdo de oxigênio analisado. Os resultados mostraram que a absorção de oxigênio pelos saches aumentaram com o aumento da temperatura para ambas as temperaturas. No entanto, os sachês mostraram uma maior eficiência para 85% de umidade relativa e 25±2ºC de temperatura. Na condição ambiente (25±2ºC/75%RH, a taxa de absorção dos sachês foi de 50 mL/dia e 18,5 mL/dia para 10±2ºC. O experimento foi conduzido com delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, com três repetições.

Researches at the University of Tokyo fast neutron sources reactor, YAYOI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koshizuka, S.; Oka, Y.; Saito, I.

1992-01-01

The Fast neutron source reactor YAYOI was critical in 1971 at the Nuclear Engineering Research Laboratory, the Faculty of Engineering, the University of Tokyo (UTNL). The core is fueled with the enriched uranium surrounded by the depleted uranium. YAYOI is the first fast reactor in Japan. Many types of studies have been carried out by the researchers of the University of Tokyo in these 20 years. It also contributed to the Japan's national project of developing fast breeder reactors. The reactor is opened to the visiting researchers from universities and research institutes. YAYOI has also been utilized for education of undergraduate and graduate students of the Department of Nuclear Engineering of the University of Tokyo. The present paper briefly summerizes past and present researchers. (author)

Open problems and results in the group theoretic approach to quantum gravity via the BMS group and its generalizations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melas, Evangelos

2011-01-01

The Bondi-Metzner-Sachs group B is the common asymptotic group of all asymptotically flat (lorentzian) space-times, and is the best candidate for the universal symmetry group of General Relativity. However, in quantum gravity, complexified or euclidean versions of General Relativity are frequently considered. McCarthy has shown that there are forty-two generalizations of B for these versions of the theory and a variety of further ones, either real in any signature, or complex. A firm foundation for quantum gravity can be laid by following through the analogue of Wigner's programme for special relativity with B replacing the Poincare group P. Here the main results which have been obtained so far in this research programme are reported and the more important open problems are stated.

THE COMPARISON OF SELF-ESTEEM AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SEX AMONG FEMALE STUDENTS OF DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES

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Romanowska-Tolloczko Anna

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The process of shaping one's self-esteem and psychological sex is to a large extent determined by the immediate social environment. The major impact is exerted by family members as well as significant others, whose opinions and judgements are deemed to be of cardinal importance. Psychological sex and self-esteem directly affect the quality of relations with other people, which, in turn, results in the feeling of satisfaction or discontentment. The aim of the undertaken research was to determine and compare the level of self-esteem and the type of psychological sex of female students at different types of universities. The data were collected by means of A. Kuczynska's Psychological Sex Inventory and L. Niebrzydowski's Self-esteem Questionnaire. The research group consisted of 320 women studying at four university schools in Wroclaw. The research allows to conclude that there are significant differences in terms of a multitude of psychological sex types and the level of self-esteem among female students of different universities. It appears that the highest level of self-esteem was observed in students of University School of Physical Education. This group of subjects comprises also the largest amount of female students with male and androgynous psychological sex.

Type D personality as a predictor of self-efficacy and social support in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

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Shao Y

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Yechang Shao,1,2 Honglei Yin,3 Chengsong Wan4 1School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, 2Department of Internal Medicine, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, 3Department of Psychiatry, Nanfang Hospital, 4Department of Microbiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of Type D personality and assess the relationship between this personality type and self-efficacy/social support in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM.Patients and methods: From January 1, 2014, to July 31, 2014, 532 consecutive patients with T2DM were recruited from two hospitals in Guangzhou, China. The participants completed questionnaires containing questions about sociodemographic characteristics, Type D personality, self-efficacy, and social support scales, and their medical records were reviewed for additional data.Results: Of the 532 patients, 18.2% had Type D personality. Patients with this personality type reported significantly lower levels of self-efficacy (P<0.001, total social support (P<0.001, subjective support (P<0.001, and support utilization (P=0.003, but similar level of objective support (P=0.314, compared to those of patients without Type D personality. Negative affectivity and social inhibition, two intrinsic traits of Type D personality, negatively correlated with self-efficacy and social support scores. Type D personality was significantly associated with less self-efficacy and social support (P<0.001, controlling for other sociodemographic factors. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c levels were significantly higher in T2DM patients with Type D personality than in patients with non-Type D personality.Conclusion: This study provides new evidence linking Type D personality with self-efficacy, social support, and poor

Ship Design and Construction. An Integrated University Course

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Poul; Jensen, Jørgen Juncher

1996-01-01

This paper describes an integrated course in design and construction of merchant ships taught at the Department of Naval Architecture andOffshore Engineering, the Technical University of Denmark. During the course, the students make a preliminary design of a ship of selected type and also design...... its engine room. The teaching combines lectures with laboratory work at the drawing tables and computer terminals. During the summer holiday, sea time on board ships of the relevant types are offered. Experienced naval architects from shipyards and ship consultancies give lectures and instructions...

Comparison of enamel bond fatigue durability of universal adhesives and two-step self-etch adhesives in self-etch mode.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsujimoto, Akimasa; Barkmeier, Wayne W; Hosoya, Yumiko; Nojiri, Kie; Nagura, Yuko; Takamizawa, Toshiki; Latta, Mark A; Miyazaki, Masashi

2017-10-01

To comparatively evaluate universal adhesives and two-step self-etch adhesives for enamel bond fatigue durability in self-etch mode. Three universal adhesives (Clearfil Universal Bond; G-Premio Bond; Scotchbond Universal Adhesive) and three two-step self-etch adhesives (Clearfil SE Bond; Clearfil SE Bond 2; OptiBond XTR) were used. The initial shear bond strength and shear fatigue strength of the adhesive to enamel in self-etch mode were determined. The initial shear bond strengths of the universal adhesives to enamel in self-etch mode was significantly lower than those of two-step self-etch adhesives and initial shear bond strengths were not influenced by type of adhesive in each adhesive category. The shear fatigue strengths of universal adhesives to enamel in self-etch mode were significantly lower than that of Clearfil SE Bond and Clearfil SE Bond 2, but similar to that OptiBond XTR. Unlike two-step self-etch adhesives, the initial shear bond strength and shear fatigue strength of universal adhesives to enamel in self-etch mode was not influenced by the type of adhesive. This laboratory study showed that the enamel bond fatigue durability of universal adhesives was lower than Clearfil SE Bond and Clearfil SE Bond 2, similar to Optibond XTR, and was not influenced by type of adhesive, unlike two-step self-etch adhesives.

Evolutionary explanations in medical and health profession courses: are you answering your students' "why" questions?

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Malyango Avelin A

2005-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Medical and pre-professional health students ask questions about human health that can be answered in two ways, by giving proximate and evolutionary explanations. Proximate explanations, most common in textbooks and classes, describe the immediate scientifically known biological mechanisms of anatomical characteristics or physiological processes. These explanations are necessary but insufficient. They can be complemented with evolutionary explanations that describe the evolutionary processes and principles that have resulted in human biology we study today. The main goal of the science of Darwinian Medicine is to investigate human disease, disorders, and medical complications from an evolutionary perspective. Discussion This paper contrasts the differences between these two types of explanations by describing principles of natural selection that underlie medical questions. Thus, why is human birth complicated? Why does sickle cell anemia exist? Why do we show symptoms like fever, diarrhea, and coughing when we have infection? Why do we suffer from ubiquitous age-related diseases like arteriosclerosis, Alzheimer's and others? Why are chronic diseases like type II diabetes and obesity so prevalent in modern society? Why hasn't natural selection eliminated the genes that cause common genetic diseases like hemochromatosis, cystic fibrosis, Tay sachs, PKU and others? Summary In giving students evolutionary explanations professors should underscore principles of natural selection, since these can be generalized for the analysis of many medical questions. From a research perspective, natural selection seems central to leading hypotheses of obesity and type II diabetes and might very well explain the occurrence of certain common genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis, hemochromatosis, Tay sachs, Fragile X syndrome, G6PD and others because of their compensating advantages. Furthermore, armed with evolutionary explanations, health care

A Descriptive Study of Students with Disabilities at Montana State University Billings

Science.gov (United States)

Dell, Thomas Francis

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze how the characteristics of age, major and type of disabilities for students who received services through Disability Support Services at Montana State University-Billings have changed from 1999 to 2011. Furthermore, this analysis contrasted local trends for types of disabilities with national…

University Presentation to Potential Students Using Web 2.0 Environments

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Andrius Eidimtas

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Choosing what to study for school graduates is a compound and multi-stage process (Chapman, 1981; Hossler et al., 1999; Brennan, 2001; Shankle, 2009. In the information retrieval stage, future students have to gather and assimilate actual information, form a list of possible higher education institutions. Nowadays modern internet technologies enable universities to create conditions for attractive and interactive information retrieval. Userfriendliness and accessibility of Web 2.0-based environments attract more young people to search for information in the web. Western universities have noticed a great potential of Web 2.0 in information dissemination back in 2007. Meanwhile, Lithuanian universities began using Web 2.0 to assemble virtual communities only in 2010 (Valinevičienė, 2010. Purpose—to disclose possibilities to present universities to school graduates in Web 2.0 environments. Design/methodology/approach—strategies of a case study by using methods of scientific literature analysis, observation and quantitative content analysis. Findings—referring to the information retrieval types and particularity of information retrieval by school graduates disclosed in the analysis of scientific literature, it has been identified that 76 per cent of Lithuanian universities apply at least one website created on the basis of Web 2.0 technology for their official presentation. The variety of Web 2.0 being used distributes only from 1 to 6 different tools, while in scientific literature more possibilities to apply Web 2.0 environments can be found. Research limitations/implications—the empiric part of the case study has been contextualized for Lithuania; however, the theoretic construct of possibilities to present universities in Web 2.0 environments can be used for the analysis presentation of foreign universities in Web 2.0 environments. Practical implications—the work can become the recommendation to develop possibilities for Lithuanian

University Presentation to Potential Students Using Web 2.0 Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrius Eidimtas

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Choosing what to study for school graduates is a compound and multi-stage process (Chapman, 1981; Hossler et al., 1999; Brennan, 2001; Shankle, 2009. In the information retrieval stage, future students have to gather and assimilate actual information, form a list of possible higher education institutions. Nowadays modern internet technologies enable universities to create conditions for attractive and interactive information retrieval. Userfriendliness and accessibility of Web 2.0-based environments attract more young people to search for information in the web. Western universities have noticed a great potential of Web 2.0 in information dissemination back in 2007. Meanwhile, Lithuanian universities began using Web 2.0 to assemble virtual communities only in 2010 (Valinevičienė, 2010.Purpose—to disclose possibilities to present universities to school graduates in Web 2.0 environments.Design/methodology/approach—strategies of a case study by using methods of scientific literature analysis, observation and quantitative content analysis.Findings—referring to the information retrieval types and particularity of information retrieval by school graduates disclosed in the analysis of scientific literature, it has been identified that 76 per cent of Lithuanian universities apply at least one website created on the basis of Web 2.0 technology for their official presentation. The variety of Web 2.0 being used distributes only from 1 to 6 different tools, while in scientific literature more possibilities to apply Web 2.0 environments can be found.Research limitations/implications—the empiric part of the case study has been contextualized for Lithuania; however, the theoretic construct of possibilities to present universities in Web 2.0 environments can be used for the analysis presentation of foreign universities in Web 2.0 environments.Practical implications—the work can become the recommendation to develop possibilities for Lithuanian

Sheet universes and the shapes of Friedmann universes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lynden-Bell, D.; Redmount, I.H.

1989-01-01

Unless Ω>1,the Big Bang did not start from a point. Consideration shows sheet universes in which matter is confined to a homogeneous universe. Sheet universes and the corresponding embeddings of FRW universes into Minkowski space are drawn. Their initial singularities are shown to be point-like for the 'closed' case, line-like for the 'flat' (Ω=1) case and surface-like for the 'open' case. In contrast to the cross-sections at constant comoving proper time, typical spacelike cross-sections of the 'flat' universes are closed and encounter their extensive singularities. All cross-sections of the 'closed' universe are closed and only very special cross-sections encounter the point singularities at the Big Bang or the Big Crunch. (author)

Project-Oriented University – Building the Capability for Innovation

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Paul DOBRESCU

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Global economy is increasingly a knowledge economy, making people’s skills and qualifications more important than traditional power indicators such as territory, geography, natural resources. Globalization imposes new rhythms of performance to every economic or social field. Higher education is no exception to this, since it lies at the interface with the external environment, where skills and qualifications will be used and exploited for economic benefits. Universities are under a two-fold pressure. First, they provide services, knowledge, skills for fast-moving sectors. The knowledge and skills may quickly become obsolete and irrelevant for the economy. Second, universities need to innovate and to adapt to situations of constant change. Both types of pressure force universities to develop their capability for innovation, which becomes a prerequisite for survival. The purpose of this paper is to explain the concept of projectoriented university as a type of university that explicitly uses projects to perform processes of medium to high complexity, thus allowing it to deal with the increasing turbulence and dynamics of its environments. This concept is premised on the idea that there is a connection between a university’s maturity in project management and its managerial competitiveness and innovativeness. The concept inherits the conceptual core of the model of the projectoriented company and it comprises two components. The former is concerned with the structural dimensions of project management, “the hard” component – processes, procedures, organizational structures, terminology. The latter is concerned with the social dimension of project management, the “soft” component – skills, attitudes, competences, project management culture. Empirical results are considered representative for the Romanian higher education system as a whole, with due nuances and exceptions.