Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy at 20 years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yan, Tristan D; Cao, Christopher; D'Amico, Thomas A

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy has been gradually accepted as an alternative surgical approach to open thoracotomy for selected patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) over the past 20 years. The aim of this project was to standardize the perioperative....... No statistically significant differences in the responses between the two rounds of questioning were identified. Consensus was reached on 21 controversial points, outlining the current accepted definition of VATS lobectomy, its indications and contraindications, perioperative clinical management...... and recommendations for training and future research directions. CONCLUSION: The present Consensus Statement represents a collective agreement among 50 international experts to establish a standardized practice of VATS lobectomy for the thoracic surgical community after 20 years of clinical experience....

CERN Library | Book presentation: "60 years of CERN experiments and discoveries" | 15 December

CERN Document Server

CERN Library

2015-01-01

"60 years of CERN experiments and discoveries", edited by Herwig Schopper and Luigi Di Lella.   Tuesday 15 December at 16:00 Room C (Building 61) The presentation will be followed by refreshments The book contains a description of the most important experimental results achieved at CERN during the past 60 years, from the mid-1950s to the latest discovery of the Higgs particle. It covers the results from early accelerators at CERN to the most recent results at the LHC and thus provides an excellent review of the achievements of this outstanding laboratory. It reflects not only the impressive scientific progress achieved during the past six decades but demonstrates also the special way of successful international collaboration developed at CERN. The e-book is available in Open Access here thanks to an agreement between CERN and the publisher. "60 years of CERN experiments and discoveries", ed. by Herwig Schopper and Luigi Di Lella, World Scientific, 2015, ISBN 9789...

Rural development and bioenergy - experiences from 20 years of development in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hillring, B.

2002-01-01

Activities have been going on for a number of decades in Sweden in the field of job creation, rural development and development of local economies through the use of bioenergy. This paper relates the experience of different strategies of rural development projects over a 20-year period based on the rapid development of biofuel use, especially wood fuel use in Sweden. A successful strategy for people and companies involved, has been to specify the products and services opposed to bulky raw material production and to integrate them into the companies operations. Another success factor has been size rationalisation. Systems thinking with respect to the market and in different environmental values in the environmental cycle have also been successful. In the future, there will probably be room for different niche companies that can meet the needs of the market that the strongly rationalised companies cannot. This study calls for new studies of direct employment effects and multipliers. Continued internationalisation of the biofuel market will give greater competitiveness and press down prices among local producers. The strong competition will mean that the survivors will be those who are flexible and have activities and products integrated and apply systems thinking where contact will be with different parts of the chain and not only with the production of the raw material.(author)

20 CFR 615.2 - Definitions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Definitions. 615.2 Section 615.2 Employees... UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION PROGRAM § 615.2 Definitions. For the purposes of the Act and this part— (a) Act means... latest continued claim for regular compensation was filed. The individual's most recent benefit year...

Surgical treatment of bronchiectasis: A review of 20 years of experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Coutinho

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Bronchiectasis is defined as an abnormal and irreversible dilation and distortion of the bronchi, which has numerous causes. Surgical treatment of this disease is usually reserved for focal disease and when the medical treatment is no longer effective. We report our center experience and outcomes in bronchiectasis surgery during the last 20 years. Methods: Between 1994 and 2014, sixty-nine patients underwent surgical resection for bronchiectasis. Patient demographics, presenting symptoms, indications for surgical treatment, type of lung resection, morbidity and mortality, as well as clinical follow-up and outcomes were analyzed. Results: From the 69 patients included, 31 (44.9% were male and 38 (55.1% were female. Surgery was indicated because of unsuccessful medical therapy in 33 patients (47.8%, haemoptysis in 22 patients (31.9%, nondiagnostic lung mass in 9 patients (13.0% and lung abscess in 5 patients (7.3%. The surgical procedures were lobectomy in 45 (65.2% patients, pneumonectomy in 10 (14.5% patients, bilobectomy in 8 (11.6% patients, lobectomy plus segmentectomy in 3 (4.3% patients and only segmentectomy in 3 (4.3% patients. Morbidity rate was 14.5% and there was no perioperative mortality. The follow-up was possible in 60 patients, with an outcome reported as excellent in 44 (73.3% patients, as improved in 11 (18.3% and as unchanged in 5 (8.3%. Conclusion: Although the number of patients with bronchiectasis referred for surgical treatment has decreased, pulmonary resection still plays a significant role. Surgical resection of localized bronchiectasis is a safe procedure with proven improvement of quality of life for the majority of patients. Keywords: Bronchiectasis, Thoracic surgery

Childhood neoplasms presenting at autopsy: A 20-year experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, Victoria A; Booth, John; Palm, Liina; Ashworth, Michael; Jacques, Thomas S; Sebire, Neil J

2017-09-01

The aims of the review are to establish the number of undiagnosed neoplasms presenting at autopsy in a single centre and to determine the incidence and most common causes of sudden unexpected death due to neoplasia in infancy and childhood (SUDNIC). Retrospective observational study of paediatric autopsies performed on behalf of Her Majesty's Coroner over a 20-year period (1996-2015; n = 2,432). Neoplasms first diagnosed at autopsy were identified from an established database and cases meeting the criteria for sudden unexpected death were further categorised. Thirteen previously undiagnosed neoplasms were identified, including five haematological malignancies, two medulloblastomas, two neuroblastomas, two cardiac tumours and two malignancies of renal origin. Eight cases met the criteria for SUDNIC (0.33% of autopsies), the commonest group of which were haematological malignancies (n = 3). Neoplasms presenting as unexpected death in infancy and childhood and diagnosed at autopsy are rare. The findings suggest that haematological malignancies are the commonest cause of SUDNIC and highlight the importance of specialist autopsy in cases of sudden unexpected death. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Surgical Management of Renal Cell Carcinoma Extending Into Venous System: A 20-Year Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, X; Zhang, L; Chen, X; Cui, L; Zhu, H; Pang, D; Yang, Y; Wang, Q; Wang, M; Gao, C

2017-11-01

The purpose of this study is to report our 20-year experience with the surgical management of renal cell carcinoma extending into the inferior vena cava using a novel classification system. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 103 patients (69 males, 34 females, mean age: 52.9 ± 12.6 years) with renal cell carcinoma involving the venous system treated between 1993 and 2014. The inferior vena cava tumor thrombus was classified into five levels: 0 (renal vein, n = 12), 1 (infrahepatic, n = 33), 2a (low retrohepatic, n = 26), 2b (high retrohepatic, n = 19), and 3 (supradiaphragmatic, n = 13). Clinical data were summarized, and overall survival, cancer-specific survival, and disease-free survival were examined by Cox regression analysis. All patients underwent radical surgery. Complete resections of the renal tumor and thrombus were achieved in 101 patients (98.1%). Two intraoperative and one postoperative in-hospital deaths (2.9%) occurred. In total, 19 patients (18.8%) had a total of 29 postoperative complications. Mean follow-up time was 46 months (range, 1-239 months). The 5- and 10-year overall survival rates were 62.9% and 56.0%, respectively. Metastasis, rather than thrombus level, was a significant risk factor associated with overall survival (hazard ratio = 4.89, 95% confidence interval: 2.24-10.67, p system can be used to select the optimal surgical approach and method for patients with renal cell carcinoma and venous thrombus. Its use is associated with prolonged survival and relatively few complications. Metastasis is an independent risk factor of overall survival.

Warmed up for ten-year test in the Boom Clay formation PRACLAY Heater Experiment is launched

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

The article discusses latest developments concerning the PRACLAY Heater Experiment. The PRACLAY experiment investigates the impact of heat on the properties of clay adjacent to a repository for the geological disposal of radioactive waste. Results from the PRACLAY experiment will provide significant input for the NIRAS research programme on the disposal of high-level and long-lived radioactive waste in clay formations.The heating phase of the PRACLAY underground experiment was launched in 2014. The latest preparations comprised the improvement and installation of a back-up heating system. In the future, the control, monitoring, and analysis and interpretation of the measured data will receive the greatest attention in the PRACLAY Heater Experiment.

Chernobyl - 20 years and beyond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lacronique, J.F.; Deconinck, F.; Govaerts, P.; Eggermont, C.; Cort, M. de; Joulia, J.P.; Dal, A.H.; Balonov, M.; Kenigsberg, J.; Hindie, E.; Havenaar, M.

2006-01-01

In commemoration of the Chernobyl accident 20 years ago, the French society for radiation protection (S.F.R.P.) and the Belgian society for radiation protection (B.V.S.A.B.R.) organise jointly a one day colloquium in Brussels. This colloquium is divided in two parts: the first one concerns the technical and organisational aspects of the accident with the scenario and its global impact, the international environmental radioactivity information exchange through the Chernobyl experience, the European Union (E.U.) assistance to mitigate the Chernobyl accident consequences, the crisis communication and management and the lessons learned from them; the second part is devoted to the medical and humanitarian aspects through the thyroid cancers after Chernobyl accident, the health effects in the European Union (E.U.) and the psychological factors affecting health after the Chernobyl disaster. (N.C.)

Chernobyl - 20 years and beyond

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lacronique, J F [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, 92 - Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Deconinck, F; Govaerts, P; Eggermont, C [SCK-CEN - Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie, Centre d' Etude de l' Energie Nucleaire, Mol (Belgium); Cort, M de [Institute for Environment and Sustainability, DG JRC EC (Italy); Joulia, J P [EuropeAid Co-operation Office, EC, Brussels (Belgium); Dal, A H; Balonov, M [International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna (Austria); Kenigsberg, J [Commission on Radiation protection, council of ministry (Belarus); Hindie, E [Universites Paris, 75 (France); Havenaar, M [Amsterdam Univ. (Netherlands)

2006-07-01

In commemoration of the Chernobyl accident 20 years ago, the French society for radiation protection (S.F.R.P.) and the Belgian society for radiation protection (B.V.S.A.B.R.) organise jointly a one day colloquium in Brussels. This colloquium is divided in two parts: the first one concerns the technical and organisational aspects of the accident with the scenario and its global impact, the international environmental radioactivity information exchange through the Chernobyl experience, the European Union (E.U.) assistance to mitigate the Chernobyl accident consequences, the crisis communication and management and the lessons learned from them; the second part is devoted to the medical and humanitarian aspects through the thyroid cancers after Chernobyl accident, the health effects in the European Union (E.U.) and the psychological factors affecting health after the Chernobyl disaster. (N.C.)

Keywords Review of IT Security Literature in Recent 20 Years

OpenAIRE

WANG Lidong; LIN Yan; QIAN Liping

2012-01-01

The volume of published scientific literature available on Internet has been increasing exponentially. Some of them reflect the latest achievement of the specific research domain. In recent years, many projects have been funded aiming to online scientific literature mining, especially in biomedical research. Scientific literature covers most of the hot topics in the research field and has a very large domain-specific vocabulary. The exploitation of domain knowledge and specialized vocabulary ...

The Ross Procedure in Pediatric Patients: A 20-Year Experience of Ross Procedure in a Single Institution.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Dong Woog; Yang, Ji-Hyuk; Jun, Tae-Gook; Park, Pyo Won

2017-08-01

The Ross/Ross-Konno procedure is considered a good option for irreparable aortic valve disease in pediatric patients because of its hemodynamic performance and potential for growth of the pulmonary autograft. This study is a review of the long-term results of our 20-year experience with the Ross and Ross-Konno operations in a single institution. Between June 1995 and January 2016, 16 consecutive patients (mean age, 6.0±5.9 years; range, 16 days to 17.4 years) underwent either a Ross operation (n=9) or a Ross-Konno operation (n=7). The study included 12 males and 4 females, with a median follow-up period of 47 months (range, 6 to 256 months). There were no cases of in-hospital or late mortality. Six reoperations were performed in 5 patients. Four patients underwent right ventricular-pulmonary artery (RV-PA) conduit replacement. Two patients underwent concomitant replacement of the pulmonary autograft and RV-PA conduit 10 years and 8 years after the Ross operation, respectively. The rate of freedom from adverse outcomes of the pulmonary autograft was 88% and 70% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. The rate of freedom from valve-related reoperations was 79% and 63% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Pulmonary autografts demonstrated good durability with low mortality. The Ross/Ross-Konno procedure is a good option that can be performed safely in pediatric patients with aortic valve disease, even in a small-volume center.

'20 days protected learning' - students' experiences of an overseas nurses programme - 4 years on: a retrospective survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Gill; Brown, Petra

2011-04-19

From September 2005 the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) introduced new arrangements for the registration of non-EU overseas nurses which requires all applicants to undertake '20 days of protected learning' time in the UK and for some, a period of supervised practice. A survey was undertaken at Bournemouth University, which offers a '20 days protected learning only' programme, to elicit overseas nurses' demographic details, experiences in completing the programme and their 'final destinations' once registered. An online survey was devised which contained a mixture of tick box and open ended questions which covered demographic details, views on the programme and final destinations This was uploaded to http://www.surveymonkey.com/ and sent out to nurses who had completed the Overseas Nurses Programme (ONP) with Bournemouth University (n = 1050). Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data were coded and analysed using content analysis. There were 251 respondents (27.7% response rate). The typical 'profile' of a nurse who responded to the survey was female, aged 25-40 years and had been qualified for more than 5 years with a bachelors degree. The majority came from Australia on a 2 year working holiday visa and the key final destination in the UK, on registration with the NMC, was working for an agency.There were five key findings regarding experience of the programme. Of those surveyed 61.2% did not feel it necessary to undergo an ONP; 71.6% felt that they should be able to complete the programme on-line in their own country; 64.2% that the ONP should only contain information about delivery of healthcare in UK and Legal and professional (NMC) issues; 57% that European nurses should also undergo the same programme and sit an IELTS test; and 68.2% that the programme was too theory orientated; and should have links to practice (21%). The NMC set the admissions criteria for entry to the register and Standards for an ONP. The

'20 days protected learning' - students' experiences of an overseas nurses programme - 4 years on: a retrospective survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brown Petra

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background From September 2005 the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC introduced new arrangements for the registration of non-EU overseas nurses which requires all applicants to undertake '20 days of protected learning' time in the UK and for some, a period of supervised practice. A survey was undertaken at Bournemouth University, which offers a '20 days protected learning only' programme, to elicit overseas nurses' demographic details, experiences in completing the programme and their 'final destinations' once registered. Methods An online survey was devised which contained a mixture of tick box and open ended questions which covered demographic details, views on the programme and final destinations This was uploaded to http://www.surveymonkey.com/ and sent out to nurses who had completed the Overseas Nurses Programme (ONP with Bournemouth University (n = 1050. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data were coded and analysed using content analysis. Results There were 251 respondents (27.7% response rate. The typical 'profile' of a nurse who responded to the survey was female, aged 25-40 years and had been qualified for more than 5 years with a bachelors degree. The majority came from Australia on a 2 year working holiday visa and the key final destination in the UK, on registration with the NMC, was working for an agency. There were five key findings regarding experience of the programme. Of those surveyed 61.2% did not feel it necessary to undergo an ONP; 71.6% felt that they should be able to complete the programme on-line in their own country; 64.2% that the ONP should only contain information about delivery of healthcare in UK and Legal and professional (NMC issues; 57% that European nurses should also undergo the same programme and sit an IELTS test; and 68.2% that the programme was too theory orientated; and should have links to practice (21%. Conclusions The NMC set the admissions

Latest ATLAS results on $\\phi_s$

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00222462; The ATLAS collaboration

2017-01-01

New Physics effects beyond the predictions of the Standard Model may manifest in the $CP$-violation of $b$-hadron decays. This paper presents the latest analysis of $B^0_s \\to J/\\psi\\phi$ decay at the ATLAS experiment, measuring the $CP$-violating phase $\\phi_s$, the decay width $\\Gamma_s$ and the difference of widths between the mass eigenstates $\\Delta\\Gamma_s$. The latest results are using integrated luminosity of 14.3 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the ATLAS detector from $\\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV $pp$ collisions at the Large Hadron Collider, and are statistically combined with the results from 4.9 fb$^{-1}$ of $\\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV data, leading to: \\begin{eqnarray*} \\phi_s & = & -0.090 \\pm 0.078 \\;\\mathrm{(stat.)} \\pm 0.041 \\;\\mathrm{(syst.)~rad} ,\\;\\;\\\\ \\Delta\\Gamma_s & = & 0.085 \\pm 0.011 \\;\\mathrm{(stat.)} \\pm 0.007 \\;\\mathrm{(syst.)~ps}^{-1} ,\\;\\;\\\\ \\Gamma_s & = & 0.675 \\pm 0.003 \\;\\mathrm{(stat.)} \\pm 0.003 \\;\\mathrm{(syst.)~ps}^{-1}. \\end{eqnarray*} The results are also presented in the form...

Latest Results on Top Quark Properties: \\\\ Deciphering the DNA of the heaviest quark

CERN Document Server

Gallinaro, Michele

2017-01-01

The top quark, the heaviest known elementary particle discovered at the Fermilab Tevatron more than twenty years ago, has taken a central role in the study of fundamental interactions. Due to its large mass, the top quark provides a unique environment for tests of the standard model. With a cumulative luminosity of more than 100~fb$^{-1}$ collected at $\\sqrt{s}=7,8,13$~TeV by each of the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider in the first ten years of operation, top quark physics is probing uncharted territories in precision and rare measurements with sensitivity to New Physics processes. This document summarizes the latest experimental measurements and studies of top quark properties.

Latest Results of Open Heavy Flavor and Quarkonia from the PHENIX Experiment at RHIC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nouicer, Rachid

2017-01-01

The PHENIX Collaboration carries out a comprehensive physics program which studies heavy flavor production in relativistic heavy ion collisions at RHIC. The discovery at RHIC of large high-p T suppression and flow of electrons from heavy quarks flavors have altered our view of the hot and dense matter formed in central Au+Au collisions at GeV. These results suggest a large energy loss and flow of heavy quarks in the hot, dense matter. In recent years, the PHENIX has installed a silicon vertex tracker both in central rapidity (VTX) and in forward rapidity (FVTX) regions, and has collected large data samples. These two silicon trackers enhance the capability of heavy flavor measurements via precision tracking. This paper summarizes some of the latest PHENIX results concerning open heavy flavor and quarkonia production as a function of rapidity, energy and system size. (paper)

Diagnosis and treatment of congenital choledochal cyst: 20 years' experience in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, L B; Peng, S Y; Meng, X K; Peng, C H; Liu, Y B; Chen, X P; Ji, Z L; Yang, D T; Chen, H R

2001-10-01

To summarize the experience of diagnosis and treatment of congenital choledochal cyst in the past 20 years (1980-2000). The clinical data of 108 patients admitted from 1980 to 2000 were analyzed retrospectively. Abdominal pain,jaundice and abdominal mass were presented in most child cases. Clinical symptoms in adult cases were non-specific, resulting in delayed diagnosis frequently. Fifty-seven patients (52.7%) had coexistent pancreatiobiliary disease. Carcinoma of the biliary duct occurred in 18 patients (16.6%). Ultrasonic examination was undertaken in 94 cases, ERCP performed in 46 cases and CT in 71 cases. All of the cases were correctly diagnosed before operation. Abnormal pancreatobiliary duct junction was found in 39 patients. Before 1985 the diagnosis and classification of congenital choledochal cyst were established by ultrasonography preoperatively and confirmed during operation, the main procedures were internal drainage by cyst enterostomy. After 1985, the diagnosis was established by ERCP and CT, and cystectomy with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy was the conventional procedures.In 1994, we reported a new and simplified operative procedure in order to reduce the risk of choledochal cyst malignancy. Postoperative complication was mainly retrograde infection of biliary tract, which could be controlled by the administration of antibiotics, there was no perioperative mortality. The concept in diagnosis and treatment of congenital choledochal cyst has obviously been changed greatly.CT and ERCP were of great help in the classification of the disease.Currently, cystectomy with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy is strongly recommended as the choice for patients with type I and type IV cysts. Piggyback orthotopic liver transplantation is indicated in type V cysts (Caroli's disease) with frequently recurrent cholangitis.

Supersymmetry searches with ATLAS: overview and latest results

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2013-01-01

Despite the absence of experimental evidence, weak scale supersymmetry remains one of the best motivated and studied Standard Model extensions. The ATLAS experiment searches for signs of supersymmetry in a large variety of signatures involving events with abnormal production of missing transverse momentum, jets, leptons, photons, third generation fermions, gauge bosons or massive long-lived particles. The talk presents the latest results obtained in these searches.

[Extracorporeal circulation and hypothermy surgery in tumors with vena cava extension: 20 years experience at the University Clinic of Navarra].

Science.gov (United States)

Rioja Zuazu, J; Rodríguez-Rubio Cortadillas, F; Zudaire Bergera, J J; Saiz Sansi, A; Rosell Costa, D; Robles García, J E; Rábago, G; Berián Polo, J M

2008-04-01

We present our 20 years experience treating patients with vena cava extension in whom an extracorporeal circulation, hypothermia, cardio circulatory arrest (ECC-H-CCA) in order to perform, together with a tumoral resection, a thrombus resection. From 1985 to 2005 a total of 28 retroperitoneal tumor were treated: 25 renal cancers, a Wilms tumor, a paratesticular rabdomiosarcoma, and a pheocromocitoma. All of them had an extension by means of thrombus above the suprahepatics veins. All of them were treated by means of ECC-H-CCA for thrombus extraction. A descriptive study of the serie is performed as well as a Kaplan Meyer survival study. Surgical complications were present within 10 patients (35%), with a surgical mortality of two patients (7%): one intra-operatively because a massive embolism of the lungs and the other because of a lung embolism on the 4th post-operative day. Global actuarial survival was 29.1+/-10% at three years and 17.5+/-8% at five years. Analyzing only who do not have metastatic lesions, nor lymph nodes at diagnosis their three year survival was 50.9+/-16.3% and 32.2+/-16% at five years. Mean while those who have any metastatic lesion at diagnosis their three and five years survival was 20.8+/-12% and 10.4+/-9% respectively. The employ of surgical techniques with ECC-H-CCA with in oncological pathology associated with vena cava thrombus is justified and its employment does not worsen the survival; it is indicated because its results, allowing a complete tumoral resection in a safe and reproducible fashion.

Latest results from LUNA

Science.gov (United States)

Depalo, Rosanna; LUNA Collaboration

2018-01-01

A precise knowledge of the cross section of nuclear fusion reactions is a crucial ingredient in understanding stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis. At stellar temperatures, fusion cross sections are extremely small and difficult to measure. Measuring nuclear cross sections at astrophysical energies is a challenge that triggered a huge amount of experimental work. A breakthrough in this direction was the first operation of an underground accelerator at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) in Gran Sasso, Italy. The 1400 meters of rocks above the laboratory act as a natural shield against cosmic radiation, suppressing the background by orders of magnitude. The latest results achieved at LUNA are discussed, with special emphasis on the 22Ne(p,γ)23Na reaction. Future perspectives of the LUNA experiment are also illustrated.

Latest experiences in inspecting the inside of BWR vessel shields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alberdi, R.; Gonzalez, E.

2001-07-01

In the last few years, the owners of BWR nuclear power plants have been forced to address new fuel shield inspection requirements, TECNATOM has responded to this situation by launching the TEIDE projects, which include development of an inspection machine and the corresponding Non-Destructive Tests to examine the inside of this shield. With these projects, TECNATOM has performed more than 12 fuel shield inspections in different countries. This article describes the experience gained in the last three years. (Author)

EBR-II: twenty years of operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lentz, G.L.; Buschman, H.W.; Smith, R.N.

1985-01-01

Experimental Breeder Reactor No. 2 (EBR-II) is an unmoderated, sodium-cooled reactor with a design power of 62.5 MWt. For the last 20 years EBR-II has operated safely, has demonstrated stable operating characteristics, has shown excellent performance of its sodium components, and has had an excellent plant factor. These years of operating experience provide a valuable resource to the nuclear community for the development and design of future liquid metal fast reactors. This report provides a brief description of the EBR-II plant and its early operating experience, describes some recent problems of interest to the nuclear community, and also mentions some of the significant operating achievements of EBR-II. Finally, a few words and speculations on EBR-II's future are offered. 4 figs., 1 tab

Use of two calcium concentrations in hemodialysis--report of a 20-year clinical experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Seyffart, G; Schulz, T; Stiller, S

2009-03-01

Over the past almost 50 years several calcium concentrations in the dialysate (CaD) have been used to balance calcium in hemodialysis (HD) patients but a consensus as to which is most appropriate has not been established. Moreover, since the late 1980s, further confusion has been caused following the use of calcium salts as intestinal phosphate binders. This paper reports results of 387 chronic HD patients with respect to secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT) and renal osteodystrophy (ROD) of a single center over 20 years. The most important therapeutic measures applied were use of only 2 CaD, 1.5 and 1.75 mmol/l, with very few exceptions, administration of either calcium-containing or calcium-magnesium-containing and/or calcium-free phosphate binders, no dietary restrictions and continuous compensation of uremic acidosis via dialysate and oral supplements of bicarbonate. Using one of the two CaD and selective administration of different phosphate binders for fine adjustment of serum calcium through this combination, we were able to maintain in the long term almost physiological conditions. With exception of the phosphate metabolism, most physiological functions with regard to sHPT and ROD returned close to normal. As a result, the incidence of hypercalcemia, hypocalcemia, extraosseous, extravascular calcification, bone pain and spontaneous bone fractures was extremely low. We conclude that the clinical advantages of the therapeutic measures, above all precise balance of calcium homeostasis, in our investigation were demonstrated by high survival rates (92% after the first year on HD, 82% after 2, and 55% after 5 years), low incidence of cardiovascular fatalities (about 25%), and very low incidence of sHPT (mostly normal parathyroid hormone levels, 1 parathyrdoidectomy within 20 years).

Cl@ssi 2.0: experience in Emilia Romagna

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Pacetti

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This article presents some of the results of the Ministerial Initiative Cl@ssi 2.0 in the Emilia Romagna Region. Having described the reference field in which the scaffolding action of the research group of the University of Bologna, coordinated by Prof. Luigi Guerra, is positioned, the paper presents the coaching model through which the design and documentation of the teaching practices adopted in schools was supported. Analysing the experiences of the ER classes, we have identified eight project themes, subsequently modelled on two levels: the didactic modelling of the experiences (construction of interpretation hypotheses; and the construction of a themes/models map (checking/adapting the hypotheses, experimentation through which each school was able to describe and publish processes, products, etc. which characterised their specific project experience. The paper concludes with a series of general reflections on the three years' work.

The Biochemistry Over 20 Years In The High School Textbooks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. E.S. Rocha

2014-08-01

Full Text Available   The Biochemistry Over 20 Years In The High School Textbooks   Rocha, C. E. S.1; Büttenbender, M. D.1; Denardin, E.L.G.2, Roehrs, R.1,2 1Grupo Interdisciplinar de Pesquisa em Práticas de Ensino, UNIPAMPA, RS. 2Laboratório de Estudos Físico Químicos e Produtos Naturais, UNIPAMPA, RS.   INTRODUCTION: Many teachers make use of textbook to lead content in the classroom. The chemistry books introduce concepts that should relate biochemistry to students in schools. It is important that this first contact turns out into an encouraging experience for the students, because once it worked as expected it arouses interest and makes the students see themselves curious to delve into the subject. The research aims to evaluate the presence of related concepts in biochemistry textbooks in chemistry in high school, over 20 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In order to perform this study, we analyzed the following content related to biochemistry: proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids in the books "Chemistry - Structure of Matter and Organic Chemistry" of the year 1993 and the book "Chemistry in approach to daily life" of the year 2012 with the purpose of verifying the changes in the content of biochemistry in the last 20 years. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In the 90s, as used in the book, concepts and explanations are introduced in a very objective approach, making a total of 22 pages. The current largest is 23 pages with experiments and curiosities. Through analysis we found that current textbooks present the same issues related to biochemistry, however, a greater amount of data, bringing students to more examples and applications in everyday life. Today we see that the contents and processes are most exploited and that there is a concern on the importance of the study of issues that relate to biochemistry. CONCLUSIONS: The study of the biochemistry textbooks has been more attractive in recent years, contextualizing content with the daily life of

Operational experience for the latest generation of ATRIUM trademark 10 fuel assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoss, Volker; Hoffmann, Petra Britt; Schaefer, Jens

2011-01-01

AREVA NP's ATRIUM trademark 10 product family was first introduced to the BWR market in 1992. Lead test campaigns confirmed the outstanding product performance and justified introduction of reload quantities. Further development of particular product features was demonstrated and implemented in the fuel design to meet highest expectations for reliability and fuel economics. The latest generation called ATRIUM trademark 10XP and subsequently ATRIUM trademark 10XM was introduced in 2002 and 2005, respectively. The first lead test assemblies completed their operation successfully after seven cycles. (orig.)

International radiation protection recommendations. Five years experience of ICRP Publication 26

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindell, B.; Beninson, D.; Sowby, F.D.

1983-01-01

The International Commission on Radiological Protection has issued radiation protection recommendations since 1928. The latest set of basic recommendations was adopted by the Commission on 17 January 1977, and subsequently published as ICRP Publication 26. This document has met with a wider interest than any of the previous ICRP recommendations. It has been considered to mark a radical change in the protection policy advocated by ICRP. It is not often appreciated that recommendations which are believed to be 'new' in ICRP Publication 26 had already been made in ICRP Publication 9 more than ten years earlier. In any event, ICRP Publication 26 has had a substantial impact on regulatory work in countries all over the world. It forms the basis for the Basic Safety Standards of the international organizations IAEA, ILO, OECD/NEA and WHO. The paper refers to the experience gained in using the new ICRP recommendations over the five years that have passed since ICRP Publication 26 was adopted and discusses some of the problems that have arisen in the practical application of the new recommendations in various countries. (author)

60 years of CERN experiments and discoveries

CERN Document Server

Di Lella, Luigi

2015-01-01

The book contains a description of the most important experimental results achieved at CERN during the past 60 years, from the mid-1950s to the latest discovery of the Higgs particle. It covers the results from early accelerators at CERN to the most recent results at the LHC and thus provides an excellent review of the achievements of this outstanding laboratory. It reflects not only the impressive scientific progress achieved during the past six decades but demonstrates also the special way of successful international collaboration developed at CERN.

The Latest Forecast.

Science.gov (United States)

Laurence, David

2002-01-01

Discusses the "latest forecast" for the future of English departments. Addresses departmental and institutional staffing practices, employment opportunities for PhDs, the acceleration of change in the institution, and the general state of the study and teaching of English. (RS)

Oregon's Death With Dignity Act: 20 Years of Experience to Inform the Debate.

Science.gov (United States)

Hedberg, Katrina; New, Craig

2017-10-17

Twenty years ago, Oregon voters approved the Death With Dignity Act, making Oregon the first state in the United States to allow physicians to prescribe medications to be self-administered by terminally ill patients to hasten their death. This report summarizes the experience in Oregon, including the numbers and types of participating patients and providers. These data should inform the ongoing policy debate as additional jurisdictions consider such legislation.

[Pulmonary resection using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery--20 years experience].

Science.gov (United States)

Baste, J-M; Orsini, B; Rinieri, P; Melki, J; Peillon, C

2014-04-01

Major lung resection using minimally invasive techniques - video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) - was first described 20 years ago. However, its development has been slow in many countries because the value of this approach has been questioned. Different techniques and definitions of VATS are used and this can be confusing for physicians and surgeons. The benefit of minimally invasive thoracic surgery was not always apparent, while many surgeons pointed to suboptimal operative outcomes. Recently, technological advances (radiology, full HD monitor and new stapler devices) have improved VATS outcomes. The objectives of this review are to emphasize the accepted definition of VATS resection, outline the different techniques developed and their results including morbidity and mortality compared to conventional approaches. Minimally invasive thoracic surgery has not been proven to give superior survival (level one evidence) compared to thoracotomy. A slight advantage has been demonstrated for short-term outcomes. VATS is not a surgical revolution but rather an evolution of surgery. It should be considered together with the new medical environment including stereotactic radiotherapy and radiofrequency. VATS seems to be more accurate in the treatment of small lung lesions diagnosed with screening CT scan. In the academic field, VATS allows easier teaching and diffusion of techniques. Copyright © 2014 SPLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

20 years of experience in the treatment of epidermoid carcinoma of anal canal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres, M.

2010-01-01

Objectives: An experimental, longitudinal, prospective and descriptive study was designed (Phase II) with the purpose to evaluate the efficacy of concomitant chemoradiotherapy in local control, toxicity and survival squamous cell carcinoma Anal Canal. Material and Methods: Between 01/01/1989 and 31/12/2008, 120 consecutive patients were treated who had not received any cancer treatment, and did not show neoplasia simultaneously and all were HIV (-). The average age was 59.3 years (Range 34-74) and 80% were females; the performance status was 0-2 ECOG and the TNM (AJCC) classification in the distributed: T1, 36 (30%); T2, 43 (36%); T3 17 (14%); T4, 24 (20%); N0, 86 (72%); N1, 24 (20%); N2, 5 (4%); N3, 5 (4%); M0, 120 (100%). Radiotherapy megavoltage photons used as recommended ICRU-50 (GTV, CTV, PTV); a conventional fractionation was used with fractions 1.8 Gy daily, 5 times per week until 50.40 Gy, using multiple fields ( b ox technique ) ; CDDP chemotherapy was administered, 75 mg / m2 i / v 1 and 24 and 5-FU, 1000 mg / m2 continuous infusion i / v on days 1-5, and 24-28 the course of radiotherapy. The monitoring and the objective of the evaluation was performed according to the RTOG / EORTC and the Kaplan-Meyer recommendations. Results: Local control was : complete remission, 84%; partial remission, 2%; lesional stabilization, 6%; lesion progression, 8%; toxicity was cutaneous, gastrointestinal, and peripheral haematological, grades 2 and 3, and primarily acute neuropathy; There were no deaths due to the combined proceeding or increase colostomies. Survival Overall at 5, 10, 15 and 20 years it was 80%, 75%, 72% and 72% respectively. Conclusions: 1)The results of our study are comparable to those reported in the international literature; 2) Reconsider the current indications of the radiotherapy ( s plit-course, boost, total dose ) and chemotherapy ( i nduction adjuvant, new drugs ) ; 3) The concomitant radiochemotherapy remains the treatment universally accepted

Industrial production of SC RF accelerating cavities at CERCA. Latest results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boutes, J.L.; Maccioni, P.

1996-01-01

CERCA is one of the most experienced companies throughout the world for the manufacture of superconducting RF accelerating devices. The latest results obtained during the past 2 years on CERCA's superconducting cavities are presented. (K.A.)

The JESSICA experiment. Part II. Results from the JESSICA-experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pohl, Ch.; Conrad, H.; Filges, D.; Goldenbaum, F.; Neef, R.D.; Nuenighoff, K.; Schaal, H.; Stelzer, H.; Tietze-Jaensch, H.; Paul, N.; Wohlmuther, W.; Ninaus, W.; Smirnov, A.

2004-01-01

In this article we like to report on the latest results of the JESSICA experiment. We focus on the experiments with an ice moderator at 20 K and 70 K. The measured time of flight spectra and the derived energy spectra will be presented. For the ice moderator we will show also the time of flight spectra for specific wavelengths. For the first time we investigated the moderation properties of a methane-hydrate moderator in a realistic environment. We compared this new data with the previous obtained ice data. (orig.)

Social class and gender patterning of insomnia symptoms and psychiatric distress: a 20-year prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Michael J; Espie, Colin A; Benzeval, Michael

2014-05-25

Psychiatric distress and insomnia symptoms exhibit similar patterning by gender and socioeconomic position. Prospective evidence indicates a bi-directional relationship between psychiatric distress and insomnia symptoms so similarities in social patterning may not be coincidental. Treatment for insomnia can also improve distress outcomes. We investigate the extent to which the prospective patterning of distress over 20 years is associated with insomnia symptoms over that period. 999 respondents to the Twenty-07 Study had been followed for 20 years from approximately ages 36-57 (73.2% of the living baseline sample). Psychiatric distress was measured using the GHQ-12 at baseline and at 20-year follow-up. Gender and social class were ascertained at baseline. Insomnia symptoms were self-reported approximately every five years. Latent class analysis was used to classify patterns of insomnia symptoms over the 20 years. Structural Equation Models were used to assess how much of the social patterning of distress was associated with insomnia symptoms. Missing data was addressed with a combination of multiple-imputation and weighting. Patterns of insomnia symptoms over 20 years were classified as either healthy, episodic, developing or chronic. Respondents from a manual social class were more likely to experience episodic, developing or chronic patterns than those from non-manual occupations but this was mostly explained by baseline psychiatric distress. People in manual occupations experiencing psychiatric distress however were particularly likely to experience chronic patterns of insomnia symptoms. Women were more likely to experience a developing pattern than men, independent of baseline distress. Psychiatric distress was more persistent over the 20 years for those in manual social classes and this effect disappeared when adjusting for insomnia symptoms. Irrespective of baseline symptoms, women, and especially those in a manual social class, were more likely than men to

Competence and Usage of Web 2.0 Technologies by Higher Education Faculty

Science.gov (United States)

Soomro, Kamal Ahmed; Zai, Sajid Yousuf; Jafri, Iftikhar Hussain

2015-01-01

Literature on Web 2.0 experiences of higher education faculty in developing countries such as Pakistan is very limited. An insight on awareness and practices of higher education faculty with these tools can be helpful to map strategies and plan of action for adopting latest technologies to support teaching-learning processes in higher education of…

Meningitis and Meningoencephalitis among Israel Defense Force Soldiers: 20 Years Experience at the Hadassah Medical Centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Pikkel, Yoav Y; Ben-Hur, Tamir; Eliahou, Ruth; Honig, Asaf

2015-11-01

Meningitis and meningoencephalitis pose major risks of morbidity and mortality. To describe 20 years of experience treating infections of the central nervous system in Israel Defense Force (IDF) soldiers, including the common presentations, pathogens and sequelae, and to identify risk groups among soldiers. All soldiers who were admitted to the Hadassah University Medical Center (both campuses: Ein Kerem and Mt. Scopus) due to meningitis and meningoencephalitis from January 1993 to January 2014 were included in this retrospective study. Clinical, laboratory and radiologic data were reviewed from their hospital and army medical corps files. Attention was given to patients' military job description, i.e., combat vs. non-combat soldier, soldiers in training, and medical personnel. We identified 97 cases of suspected meningitis or meningoencephalitis. Six were mistakenly filed and these patients were found to have other disorders. Four soldiers were diagnosed with epidural abscess and five with meningitis due to non-infectious in flammatory diseases. Eighty-two soldiers in active and reserve duty had infectious meningitis or meningoencephalitis. Of these, 46 (56.1%) were combat soldiers and 31 (37.8%) non-combat; 20 (29.2%) were soldiers in training, 10 (12.2%) were training staff and 8 (9.8%) were medical staff. The main pathogens were enteroviruses, Epstein-Barr virus an d Neisseria meningitidis. In our series, soldiers in training, combat soldiers and medical personnel had meningitis and meningoencephalitis more than other soldiers. Enteroviruses are highly infectious pathogens and can cause outbreaks. N. meningitidis among IDF soldiers is still a concern. Early and aggressive treatment with steroids should be considered especially in robust meningoencephalitis cases.

The OPERA Experiment. Latest results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hollnagel, Annika [Universitaet Hamburg, Institut fuer Experimentalphysik (Germany); Collaboration: OPERA-Hamburg-Collaboration

2015-07-01

The long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment OPERA has been designed for the direct observation of ν{sub τ} appearance in the CNGS ν{sub μ} beam. The OPERA detector is located at the LNGS underground laboratory, with a distance of 730 km from the neutrino source at CERN. It is a hybrid detector, combining the micrometric precision of emulsion cloud chambers with electronic detector elements for online readout. While CNGS beam data taking lasted from 2008 to 2012, the neutrino oscillation analysis is still ongoing. Updated results with increased statistics are presented, including the recent observation of ν{sub τ} appearance.

Clinical experience with the Bentall procedure: 28 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Joo, Hyun-Chel; Chang, Byung-Chul; Youn, Young-Nam; Yoo, Kyung-Jong; Lee, Sak

2012-09-01

We retrospectively analyzed 28 years of experience with the Bentall procedure in patients with aortic valve, aortic root, and ascending aortic disease. Between March 1982 and December 2010, a total of 218 patients underwent the Bentall procedure using a composite valved conduit. The "inclusion technique" was used in 30 patients (13.8%), the "open-button technique" in 181 patients (83.0%), and the Cabrol technique in 7 patients (3.2%). The early mortality rate was 5.5% (12/218). The mean follow-up duration was 108.0±81.0 months (range: 1-329 months). Seven patients required re-operation, and 1 patient required stent graft insertion at the descending thoracic aorta for progression of aortic arch or descending thoracic aortic dissection or aneurysm after the first operation, and 5 of them had Marfan syndrome. Kaplan-Meier estimated survival rates at 1, 5, 10, 20, and 25 years were 90.4%, 82.7%, 77.6%, 65.3%, and 60.3%, respectively. Freedom from reoperation rates at 1, 5, 10, 20, and 25 years were 99.0%, 98.3%, 95.5%, 90.8%, and 90.8%, respectively. In our experience, the Bentall procedure provided optimal survival with improved functional status. The disease of the aorta may progress, especially in patients with Marfan syndrome. Therefore, careful follow-up with regular computed tomography angiograms should be performed in these patients.

[Primary lymphoma of the central nervous system: 20 years' experience in a referral hospital].

Science.gov (United States)

Calderón-Garcidueñas, A L; Pacheco-Calleros, J; Castelán-Maldonado, E; Nocedal-Rustrián, F C

Primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSL) are rare neoplasms. AIM. To study the clinical aspects and the immuno-phenotype of all cases of PCNSL in a 20 years lapse in a referral hospital in Northeastern Mexico. From January 1986 to December 2005 all PCNSL histologically confirmed were studied. The primary lymphomas were 1% of malignant central nervous system neoplasms. 21 cases were studied (ages from 9-70 years) with male predominance (2:1). 24% patients had immuno-suppression. The more frequent clinical data were: papilledema (71%), headache (62%), paresis (48%) and seizures (33%). 33% of patients died during the first six months after diagnosis. The T lymphomas were 19% of cases and corresponded to small cell type. PCNSL are still a diagnostic challenge. Multicenter studies are required in order to determine the best treatment protocol.

NDT in Canada - the next 20 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kittmer, C.A.

1985-01-01

The theme for the Fifth Canadian Conference on Nondestructive Testing was 'NDT in Canada - The Next 20 years'. The three day conference with 42 presentations provided a short overview of NDT in Canada, a look at NDT in pipeline, materials, offshore, nuclear and training applications, and a glimpse into the next 20 years with recent advances in research and development as related to this 'hi-tech' field of work

Genetic and epigenetic divergence between disturbed and undisturbed subpopulations of a Mediterranean shrub: a 20-year field experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera, Carlos M; Bazaga, Pilar

2016-06-01

Little is known on the potential of ecological disturbance to cause genetic and epigenetic changes in plant populations. We take advantage of a long-term field experiment initiated in 1986 to study the demography of the shrub Lavandula latifolia , and compare genetic and epigenetic characteristics of plants in two adjacent subplots, one experimentally disturbed and one left undisturbed, 20 years after disturbance. Experimental setup was comparable to an unreplicated 'Before-After-Control-Impact' (BACI) design where a single pair of perturbed and control areas were compared. When sampled in 2005, plants in the two subplots had roughly similar ages, but they had established in contrasting environments: dense conspecific population ('Undisturbed' subpopulation) versus open area with all conspecifics removed ('Disturbed' subpopulation). Plants were characterized genetically and epigenetically using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and two classes of methylation-sensitive AFLP (MSAP) markers. Subpopulations were similar in genetic diversity but differed in epigenetic diversity and multilocus genetic and epigenetic characteristics. Epigenetic divergence between subpopulations was statistically unrelated to genetic divergence. Bayesian clustering revealed an abrupt linear boundary between subpopulations closely coincident with the arbitrary demarcation line between subplots drawn 20 years back, which supports that genetic and epigenetic divergence between subpopulations was caused by artificial disturbance. There was significant fine-scale spatial structuring of MSAP markers in both subpopulations, which in the Undisturbed one was indistinguishable from that of AFLP markers. Genetic differences between subpopulations could be explained by divergent selection alone, while the concerted action of divergent selection and disturbance-driven appearance of new methylation variants in the Disturbed subpopulation is proposed to explain epigenetic differences. This

Latest News from the MEG Experiment

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2013-01-01

Within the Standard Model (SM), in spite of neutrino oscillations, the flavor of charged leptons is conserved in very good approximation, and therefore charged Lepton Flavor Violation (cLFV) is expected to be unobservable. On the other hand, most new physics models predict cLFV at a level within the experimental reach, and processes like the mu to e gamma decay became standard probes for physics beyond the SM. The MEG experiment, at the Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland), searches for the mu to e gamma decay, down to a Branching Ratio of about 5 10^-13, exploiting the most intense continuous muon beam in the word and innovative detectors. In this seminar, I will present the most recent results from MEG, and the plan for an upgrade of the experiment, aiming at an improvement of the sensitivity by one order of magnitude within this decade.

The Glenwood Estate: our 32-year experience using Arbotect® 20-S to control Dutch elm disease

Science.gov (United States)

William L. MacDonald; Mark L. Double; Cameron M. Stauder; Kemp. Winfree

2017-01-01

We report a case study that demonstrates the successful use of the fungicide Arbotect® 20-S to protect American elms (Ulmus americana) from Dutch elm disease at a historic site in Charleston, WV. Standard injection protocols were used every 3 to 4 years to deliver the chemical into the root flares. Twelve of the original 16 trees remain 34 years...

World Nuclear University School of Uranium Production: Eight years' experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trojacek, J.

2014-01-01

The World Nuclear University School of Uranium Production was established by DIAMO, state enterprise in 2006 year under the auspices of the World Nuclear University in London in partnership with international nuclear organizations – OECD/NEA and IAEA. Using the expertise and infrastructure of DIAMO State Enterprise, in conjuction with national and international universities, scientific institutions, regulatory authorities and other individual experts, the “school” covers its mission with the aim to provide world-class training on all aspects of uranium production cycle to equip operators, regulators and executives with the knowledge and expertise needed to provide expanded, environmentally-sound uranium mining throughout the world: • to educate students on all aspects of uranium production cycle including exploration, planning, development, operation, remediation and closure of uranium production facilities; • to improve the state of the art of uranium exploration, mining and mine remediation through research and development; • to provide a forum for the exchange of information on the latest uranium mining technologies and experiences – best practices.

[Prevalence of central nervous system tumours and histological identification in the operated patient: 20 years of experience].

Science.gov (United States)

Anaya-Delgadillo, Gustavo; de Juambelz-Cisneros, Pedro Pablo; Fernández-Alvarado, Basilio; Pazos-Gómez, Fernando; Velasco-Torre, Andrea; Revuelta-Gutiérrez, Rogelio

Central nervous system tumours comprise a heterogeneous group of neoplasms with great histological diversity. Despite the rising prevalence of these tumours in developing countries, some places like Mexico and Latin America have no representative studies that show the real impact of these tumours in our population. To describe the characteristics of the primary and secondary tumours of the central nervous system in the last 20 years in a Mexican institution. Patients with histopathological diagnosis from 1993 to 2013 in our institution, grouping them according to WHO classification 2007, characterising them by age group, gender, and anatomical location. There were a total of 511 tumours of the central nervous system. Of those, 292 were women and 219 men, with a ratio 1.3: 1, and a mean age of 49.3 years. Tumours with higher prevalence were: Meningeal tumours, 171 (33%), followed by neuroepithelial, 121 (24%). Astrocytoma had the highest prevalence in paediatric patients, whereas in those older than 20 years it was the meningioma. The supratentorial location was the most involved. This is the first study of a series of cases in Mexico that is performed by taking into account benign and malignant tumours of the central nervous system, with patients of all age groups with a range of 20 years. While this work only represents a retrospective analysis of an institution, it can be a strong indication of the epidemiology of these tumours in our environment. Copyright © 2016. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A.

Latest development in project site radwaste treatment facility (SRTF) Sanmen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mennicken, K.; Lohmann, P.

2015-01-01

Westinghouse Electric Germany GmbH (WEG) was successful in being awarded a contract as to the planning, delivery, installation and commissioning of radwaste treatment systems for the AP1000 units at Sanmen site, PR China. Operational low and intermediate level radioactive waste will be processed in the Site Radwaste Treatment Facility (SRTF). This paper explains the latest developments of the project, especially the experience with customer-hired Chinese planning partners, installation companies and Customer operating personnel. (authors)

Afghan and Kurdish refugees, 8-20 years after resettlement, still experience psychological distress and challenges to well being.

Science.gov (United States)

Sulaiman-Hill, Cheryl M R; Thompson, Sandra C

2012-04-01

To examine the resettlement experiences and provide data of well being and psychological distress for Afghan and Kurdish refugees settled between eight and 20 years in New Zealand and Australia. Participants completed the Kessler-10 Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and Personal Well Being Index (PWI) for subjective well being. A mixed methods approach was used, with participants also discussing during interview resettlement difficulties, quality of life (QOL) and sources of stress. Data from 81 Muslim participants is reported; all spoke English, were generally well educated with 88% having secondary or tertiary level education, and the majority of those resettled before 2001 lived in Perth. Although psychological distress levels were mostly within the low-moderate risk range, significant differences were observed by gender and employment status. Participants identified a range of ongoing stressors with unemployment of particular concern. Social isolation and a sense that they would never really 'fit in' was also reported by some. Participants particularly valued the safety and improved quality of life in their host communities. Despite their appreciation of the overall resettlement experience, too much time to introspect, separation from family, status dissonance and still occasionally feeling overwhelmed by resettlement challenges is a long-term ongoing reality for some former refugees. Former refugees continue to struggle with unemployment, possible discrimination and loss of status long-term. © 2012 The Authors. ANZJPH © 2012 Public Health Association of Australia.

20 years of RERTR. Where we are and where to go?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krull, W.; Jager, W.

1997-01-01

This review will not survey the 20 years with all the efforts made in different countries to develop higher density fuel, to perform test irradiations and typical prototype fuel irradiation experiments, post irradiation examinations and actual core conversions. The emphasis is directed to the situation a few years ago when efforts have been rapidly slowing down, and the situation today after having had an international wake up call and comparing these efforts with the primary demand to reduce the proliferation risk worldwide and to have this as an indispensable goal of the international politics. The RERTR program is being back on the stony way. There are some (many?) hopes but many doubts to have the RERTR program a real success. Such a success needs the strong continue support and activities of many governments and especially of the IAEA for years. (author)

Using 20-million-year-old amber to test the super-Arrhenius behaviour of glass-forming systems

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jing; Simon, Sindee L.; McKenna, Gregory B.

2013-04-01

Fossil amber offers the opportunity to investigate the dynamics of glass-forming materials far below the nominal glass transition temperature. This is important in the context of classical theory, as well as some new theories that challenge the idea of an ‘ideal’ glass transition. Here we report results from calorimetric and stress relaxation experiments using a 20-million-year-old Dominican amber. By performing the stress relaxation experiments in a step-wise fashion, we measured the relaxation time at each temperature and, above the fictive temperature of this 20-million-year-old glass, this is an upper bound to the equilibrium relaxation time. The results deviate dramatically from the expectation of classical theory and are consistent with some modern ideas, in which the diverging timescale signature of complex fluids disappears below the glass transition temperature.

Latest Results in SLAC 75-MW PPM Klystrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sprehn, D.; Caryotakis, G.; Haase, A.; Jongewaard, E.; Laurent, L.; Pearson, C.; Phillips, R.

2006-01-01

75 MW X-band klystrons utilizing Periodic Permanent Magnet (PPM) focusing have been undergoing design, fabrication and testing at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) for almost nine years. The klystron development has been geared toward realizing the necessary components for the construction of the Next Linear Collider (NLC). The PPM devices built to date which fit this class of operation consist of a variety of 50 MW and 75 MW devices constructed by SLAC, KEK (Tsukuba, Japan) and industry. All these tubes follow from the successful SLAC design of a 50 MW PPM klystron in 1996. In 2004 the latest two klystrons were constructed and tested with preliminary results reported at EPAC2004. The first of these two devices was tested to the full NLC specifications of 75 MW, 1.6 microseconds pulse length, and 120 Hz. This 14.4 kW average power operation came with a tube efficiency >50%. The most recent testing of these last two devices will be presented here. Design and manufacturing issues of the latest klystron, due to be tested by the Fall of 2005, are also discussed

Psychiatric disorders revealing multiple sclerosis after 20 years of evolvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aicha Slassi Sennou

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Previous research indicates that the onset of psychiatric disorders is sometimes associated with multiple sclerosis (MS evolving several years later. However, information on why this might occur, and on the outcomes of such patients, is still lacking. We aim to discuss these limitations with the current paper. We describe a 51-year-old female who demonstrated severe anxiety disorder and depression years before developing MS neurological symptoms. The patient was treated for these psychiatric disorders over 20 years. In the last 3 years of her treatment, the patient demonstrated a choreic-type of movement disorder in all her limbs. This disorder is consistent with relapsing-remitting MS. Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI examinations demonstrated aspects of MS, without MS being diagnosed conclusively. The visual evoked potential indicated a diagnosis of conduction abnormalities. The established diagnosis was slow relapsing MS. The patient underwent methylprednisolone bolus (1 g/day. This case-study suggests that health professionals should conduct a full neurological assessment when they find atypical psychiatric symptoms in a patient. This would make sure that patients receive a better standard of care, and thus experience a better quality of life.

The latest figures on uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vance, R.

2010-01-01

According to the latest figures on uranium, soon to be published by the NEA, uranium resources, production and demand are all on the rise. Exploration efforts have increased recently in line with the expected expansion of nuclear energy in the coming years. Total identified resources have grown and are now sufficient to cover 100 years of supply at 2008 rates of consumption. Costs of production have, however, also increased. This article is based on the latest edition of the 'Red Book', Uranium 2009: Resources, Production and Demand, which presents the results of the most recent biennial review of world uranium market fundamentals and a statistical profile of the world uranium industry as of 1 January 2009. It contains official data provided by OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) member countries on uranium exploration, resources, production and reactor-related requirements. Projections of nuclear generating capacity and reactor-related uranium requirements through 2035 are also provided as well as a discussion of long-term uranium supply and demand issues. Despite recent declines stemming from the global financial crisis, world demand for electricity is expected to continue to grow significantly over the next several decades to meet the needs of an increasing population and economic growth. The recognition by an increasing number of governments that nuclear power can produce competitively priced, base-load electricity that is essentially free of greenhouse gas emissions, coupled with the role that nuclear can play in enhancing security of energy supply, increases the prospects for growth in nuclear generating capacity, although the magnitude of that growth remains to be determined. Regardless of the role that nuclear energy ultimately plays in meeting rising electricity demand, the uranium resource base is more than adequate to meet projected requirements. Meeting even high-case requirements to 2035 would consume less

Older adults' alcohol consumption and late-life drinking problems: a 20-year perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Moos, Rudolf H; Schutte, Kathleen K; Brennan, Penny L; Moos, Bernice S

2009-08-01

The aim of this study was to identify changes in patterns of alcohol consumption over a 20-year interval among older women and men, and to examine the associations between guideline-defined excessive drinking and late-life drinking problems. DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS AND MEASURES: A community sample of 719 adults between 55 and 65 years of age who consumed alcohol at or prior to baseline participated in a survey of alcohol consumption and drinking problems and was followed 10 years and 20 years later. The likelihood of excessive drinking declined over the 20-year interval as adults matured into their 70s and 80s. However, at ages 75-85, 27.1% of women and 48.6% of men consumed more than two drinks per day or seven drinks per week. At comparable guideline levels of alcohol consumption, older men were more likely to have drinking problems than were older women. Consumption of more than two drinks per day or seven drinks per week was identified as a potential conservative guideline for identifying excessive drinking associated with an elevated likelihood of drinking problems. A substantial percentage of older adults who consume alcohol engage in guideline-defined excessive drinking and incur drinking problems. The finding that older men may be more likely than older women to experience problems when they drink beyond guideline levels suggests that alcohol guidelines for men should not be set higher than those for women.

Older Adults’ Alcohol Consumption and Late-Life Drinking Problems: A 20-Year Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Moos, Rudolf H.; Schutte, Kathleen K.; Brennan, Penny L.; Moos, Bernice S.

2009-01-01

Aims The aim was to identify changes in patterns of alcohol consumption over a 20-year interval among older women and men, and to examine the associations between guideline-defined excessive drinking and late-life drinking problems. Design, Participants, and Measures A community sample of 719 adults between 55 and 65 years of age who consumed alcohol at or prior to baseline participated in a survey of alcohol consumption and drinking problems and was followed 10 years and 20 years later. Findings The likelihood of excessive drinking declined over the 20-year interval as adults matured into their 70s and 80s. However, at ages 75–85, 27% of women and 49% of men consumed more than 2 drinks per day or 7 drinks per week. At comparable guideline levels of alcohol consumption, older men were more likely to have drinking problems than were older women. Consumption of more than 2 drinks per day or 7 drinks per week was identified as a potential conservative guideline for identifying excessive drinking associated with an elevated likelihood of drinking problems. Conclusions A substantial percentage of older adults who consume alcohol engage in guideline-defined excessive drinking and incur drinking problems. The finding that older men may be more likely than older women to experience problems when they drink beyond guideline levels suggests that alcohol guidelines for men should not be set higher than those for women. PMID:19438836

20 years ago: first collisions (at LEP)

CERN Multimedia

2009-01-01

It’s been 20 years since the first electron positron collision at LEP, and I have to confess to a little self-indulgence in my message this week. Back then I was a member of the OPAL collaboration, the first to see collisions at LEP just before midnight on 13 August 1989 and almost exactly one month after the first circulating beam. It was a historic moment, and the atmosphere in the OPAL control room, 100 metres underground, was one of anticipation and excitement. We reported back to the LEP control room, champagne duly arrived, and over the next few hours, all the experiments were recording data. The pilot run was as smooth as it could be, and within weeks we were announcing new physics. It’s interesting to contrast the start-up of LEP with that of the LHC. With the benefit of hindsight, LEP seems to have got going without a hitch, and indeed it was a smooth start. We circulated beam on 14 July, much to the joy of one of our host states, and it was just a month ...

Editorial: Latest methods and advances in biotechnology.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sang Yup; Jungbauer, Alois

2014-01-01

The latest "Biotech Methods and Advances" special issue of Biotechnology Journal continues the BTJ tradition of featuring the latest breakthroughs in biotechnology. The special issue is edited by our Editors-in-Chief, Prof. Sang Yup Lee and Prof. Alois Jungbauer and covers a wide array of topics in biotechnology, including the perennial favorite workhorses of the biotech industry, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell and Escherichia coli. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Latest status of manufacturing activity of ITER divertor and engineering issues on tungsten divertor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Satoshi

2011-01-01

Divertors for ITER are now in construction. In the present chapter, the specification and the latest status of manufacturing of ITER divertors are presented. In addition, issues in the development of divertors for the fusion demo reactor are given on the basis of experiences on the ITER divertor development. (J.P.N.)

Implementation of an Emergency Medicine Research Associates Program: Sharing 20 Years of Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent DeRienzo

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The use of research associates (RA programs to facilitate study enrollment in the emergency department was initiated during the mid-1990s. The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC was an early adopting site for this model, which has experienced considerable growth and development over the past 20 years. Methods: Our goal was to detail the Emergency Department Research Associates (EDRA program processes developed at the URMC that has led to our program’s sustainability and productivity. These processes, and the lessons learned during their development, can assist institutions seeking to establish an RA program or refine an existing program. Results: Defined procedures for selecting, training, and monitoring EDRAs have been created and refined with the goal of maximizing study enrollment and minimizing protocol deviations. Our EDRA program functions as a paid service center for investigators, and our EDRAs engage in a variety of study-related activities including screening and enrolling patients, administering surveys, collecting bio-specimens, and making follow-up calls. Over the past two years, our program has averaged 222 enrollments/month (standard deviation = 79.93, gathering roughly 25 participants per study per month. Conclusion: Our EDRA model has consistently resulted in some of the highest number of enrollments across a variety of recently funded, multi-center studies. Maintaining a high-quality EDRA program requires continual investment on the part of the leadership team, though the benefits to investigators within and outside the department outweigh these costs.

Experience of Google's latest deep learning library, TensorFlow, in a large-scale WLCG cluster

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawamura, Gen; Smith, Joshua Wyatt; Quadt, Arnulf [II. Physikalisches Institut, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen (Germany)

2016-07-01

The researchers at the Google Brain team released their second generation's Deep Learning library, TensorFlow, as an open-source package under the Apache 2.0 license in November, 2015. Google has already deployed the first generation's library using DistBlief in various systems such as Google Search, advertising systems, speech recognition systems, Google Images, Google Maps, Street View, Google Translate and many other latest products. In addition, many researchers in high energy physics have recently started to understand and use Deep Learning algorithms in their own research and analysis. We conceive a first use-case scenario of TensorFlow to create the Deep Learning models from high-dimensional inputs like physics analysis data in a large-scale WLCG computing cluster. TensorFlow carries out computations using a dataflow model and graph structure onto a wide variety of different hardware platforms and systems, such as many CPU architectures, GPUs and smartphone platforms. Having a single library that can distribute the computations to create a model to the various platforms and systems would significantly simplify the use of Deep Learning algorithms in high energy physics. We deploy TensorFlow with the Docker container environments and present the first use in our grid system.

Development of an ICSBEP Benchmark Evaluation, Nearly 20 Years of Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briggs, J. Blair; Bess, John D.

2011-01-01

The basic structure of all ICSBEP benchmark evaluations is essentially the same and includes (1) a detailed description of the experiment; (2) an evaluation of the experiment, including an exhaustive effort to quantify the effects of uncertainties on measured quantities; (3) a concise presentation of benchmark-model specifications; (4) sample calculation results; and (5) a summary of experimental references. Computer code input listings and other relevant information are generally preserved in appendixes. Details of an ICSBEP evaluation is presented.

Controlled thermonuclear fusion and the latest progress on China's HT-7 superconducting tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jiangang; Yang Yu

2003-01-01

After 50 years of research on controlled thermonuclear fusion, a new stage will be reached in 2003, when a site for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project will be chosen to start the construction. Scientists hope that this project could herald a new era in which the energy problem will be solved completely. The great progress made on the HT-7 superconducting tokamak in China has provided positive and powerful support for fusion research. The HT-7 is one of the only two superconducting tokamaks in the world that can carry out minute-scale high temperature plasma research, and has achieved a duration of 63.95s for the hot plasma discharge. This is a major step towards real steady-state operation of the tokamak configuration. We present an overview of the latest progress on the tokamak experiments in the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

The Titan Haze Simulation Experiment: Latest Laboratory Results and Dedicated Plasma Chemistry Model

Science.gov (United States)

Sciamma-O'Brien, Ella; Raymond, Alexander; Mazur, Eric; Salama, Farid

2018-06-01

Here, we present the latest results on the gas and solid phase analyses in the Titan Haze Simulation (THS) experiment. The THS experiment, developed at NASA Ames’ COSmIC facility is a unique experimental platform that allows us to simulate Titan’s complex atmospheric chemistry at Titan-like temperature (200 K) by cooling down N2-CH4-based mixtures in a supersonic expansion before inducing the chemistry by plasma.Gas phase: The residence time of the jet-accelerated gas in the active plasma region is less than 4 µs, which results in a truncated chemistry enabling us to control how far in the chain of reactions the chemistry is processing. By adding heavier molecules in the initial gas mixture, it is then possible to study the first and intermediate steps of Titan’s atmospheric chemistry as well as specific chemical pathways, as demonstrated by mass spectrometry and comparison to Cassini CAPS data [1]. A new model was recently developed to simulate the plasma chemistry in the THS. Calculated mass spectra produced by this model are in good agreement with the experimental THS mass spectra, confirming that the short residence time in the plasma cavity limits the growth of larger species [2].Solid phase: Scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy have been used to investigate the effect of the initial gas mixture on the morphology of the THS Titan aerosol analogs as well as on the level and nature of the nitrogen incorporation into these aerosols. A comparison to Cassini VIMS observational data has shown that the THS aerosols produced in simpler mixtures, i.e., that contain more nitrogen and where the N-incorporation is in isocyanide-type molecules instead of nitriles, are more representative of Titan’s aerosols [3]. In addition, a new optical constant facility has been developed at NASA Ames that allows us to determine the complex refractive indices of THS Titan aerosol analogs from NIR to FIR (0.76-222 cm-1). The facility and preliminary results

REDUCED HEATING LEVEL DURING THE END-OF-YEAR CLOSURE

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ST/CV - ST/TFM Groupes

2001-01-01

To save on energy costs, the heating will once again be operating at a reduced level during the end-of-year closure of the Laboratory. We would ask all those in charge of premises where normal temperature have to be maintained to let us know by 20 December 2001 at the latest (tel.74195 or 72201).

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Infants: 20 years of Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda Ibagy

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To analyze patients younger than 2 years with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, treated in the period between 1990 and 2010 in a state reference center. Methods: This was a clinical-epidemiological, cross-sectional, observational, and descriptive study. It included patients younger than 2 years with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, treated in the period of 1990 to 2010 in a pediatric oncology unit of a state reference center, totaling 41 cases. Results: All patients were white ethnicity, and 60.9% were females. Regarding age, 24.38% were younger than 6 months, 17.07% were between 6 months and 1 year, and 58.53% were older than 1 year. The age of 6 months was statistically significant for the outcome of death. Predominant signs and symptoms were fever, bruising, and petechiae. A leukocyte count > 100,000 was found in 34.14% of cases, hemoglobin count < 11 in 95.13%, and platelet count < 100,000 in 75.61. Infiltration of central nervous system was present in 12.91% of patients. According to the lineage, B-cell lineage predominated (73%, but the T-cell line was statistically significant for death. 39% of patients had disease recurrence. In relation to vital status, 70.73% of the patients died; septic shock was the main cause. Conclusions: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in infants has a high mortality rate, especially in children under 1 year and those with T-cell derived lineage. Resumo: Objetivo: Analisar pacientes com menos de dois anos de idade com leucemia linfoblásti- ca aguda atendidos no período de 1990 a 2010, em um centro de referência estadual. Métodos: Estudo clínico, epidemiológico, transversal, descritivo e observacional. Pacientes incluídos tinham menos de dois anos de idade, com leucemia linfoblástica aguda, tratados no período de 1990 a 2010 na unidade de oncologia pediátrica de um centro de referência estadual, totalizando 41 casos. Resultados: Todos os pacientes eram Caucasianos e 60,9% eram do sexo feminino. Com rela

[SOS-repair--60 years].

Science.gov (United States)

Zavil'gel'skiĭ, G B

2013-01-01

This review integrates 60 years of research on SOS-repair and SOS-mutagenesis in procaryotes and eucaryotes, from Jean Weigle experiment in 1953 year (mutagenesis of lambda bacteriophage in UV-irradiated bacteria) to the latest achievements in studying SOS-mutagenesis on all living organisms--Eukarya, Archaea and Bacteria. A key role in establishing of a biochemical basis for SOS-mutagenesis belonges to the finding in 1998-1999 years that specific error-prone DNA polymerases (PolV and others) catalysed translesion synthesis on damaged DNA. This review focuses on recent studies addressing the new models for SOS-induced mutagenesis in Escherichia coli and Home sapiens cells.

20 years PSI accelerator. The speeches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

This publication contains the text of four papers presented at the occasion of the 20 year Symposium of the PSI accelerator. The papers dealt with the following topics: Scientific research and its dual interaction with industry and with the general public, the history of the PSI accelerator, μ-n-γ investigations on high temperature superconductors, therapy with charged particles. figs., tabs., refs

Long term sequelae of pediatric craniopharyngioma - literature review and 20 years of experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michal eCohen

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Craniopharyngioma are rare histologically benign brain tumors that develop in the pituitary- hypothalamic area. They may invade nearby anatomical structures causing significant rates of neurological, neurocognitive and endocrinological complications including remarkable hypothalamic damage. Information regarding long term implications of the tumors and treatment in the pediatric population is accumulating, and treatment goals appear to be changing accordingly. In this review we aim to present data regarding long term complications of craniopharyngioma in children and adolescents and our experience from a large tertiary center. Hypothalamic dysfunction was noted to be the most significant complication, adversely affecting quality of life in survivors. Obesity, fatigue and sleep disorders are the most notable manifestations of this dysfunction, and treatment is extremely difficult. Changes in management in recent years show a potential for improved long term outcomes; we found a trend towards less aggressive surgical management and increasing use of adjuvant treatment, accompanied by a decrease in complication rates.

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma in a 20 year old Nigerian male

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper presents misdiagnosis of a 20 year old male with Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA). Methods: The case record of a 20year old male who presented with recurrent spontaneous profuse epistaxis, progressive nasal obstruction, hyponasality and conductive hearing loss with mass in the post nasal space ...

Outcomes of Reoperative Valve Replacement in Patients with Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis: A 20-Year Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young Woong Kim

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE is a serious complication of cardiac valve replacement, and many p atients with P VE r equire r eoperation. The aim of t his study was to r eview our institutional 2 0 -year experience of surgical reoperative valve replacement in patients with PVE. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 84 patients (mean age, 54.8±12.7 years; 51 males who were diagnosed with PVE and underwent reoperative valve replacement from January 1995 to December 2016. Results: PVE was found in 1 valve in 61 cases (72.6%, and in 2 or more valves in 23 cases (27.4%. The median follow-up duration was 47.3 months (range, 0 to 250 months. Postoperative complications occurred in 39 patients (46.4%. Reinfection occurred in 6 cases, all within 1 year. The freedom from reinfection rate at 5 years was 91.0%±3.5%. The overall survival rates at 5 and 10 years were 64.4%±5.8% and 54.3%±7.3%, respectively. In stepwise multivariable Cox proportional hazard models, older age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05 to 2.10; p=0.027 and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB time (HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.0 1; p =0 . 0 33 e merged a s independent risk f actors f or d eath. Conclusion: Older age and a longer CPB time were associated with an increased risk of overall mortality in PVE patients.

REMINDER - extension/suppression of allowance for dependent children aged 20 to 25

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HR Department

2008-01-01

Members of the personnel with dependent children aged 20 to 25 (or reaching 20 during the 2008/2009 school year), for whom an allowance for dependent children is paid, must provide the School fees service with a: SCHOOL CERTIFICATE Unless we receive, by 31 October 2008 at the latest, a school certificate or similar written proof (contract of work placement, sandwich courses or apprenticeship) covering your child / children for the school year 2008/2009, we will be obliged to stop payment of the allowance for dependent children as well as affiliation to the health insurance retroactively as of 1 July 2008. School fees service (33-1-017) HR/SPS-SER Tel. 72862

REMINDER - Extension/suppression of allowance for dependent children aged 20 to 25

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2008-01-01

Members of the personnel with dependent children aged 20 to 25 (or reaching 20 during the 2008/2009 school year), for whom an allowance for dependent children is paid, must provide the School Fees service with a: SCHOOL CERTIFICATE Unless we receive, by 31 October, 2008 at the latest, a school certificate or similar written proof (contract of work placement, sandwich course or apprenticeship) covering your child / children for the school year 2008/2009, we will be obliged to stop payment of the allowance for dependent children as well as affiliation to the health insurance scheme retroactively as of1st July 2008. School fees service (33-1-017) HR/SPS-SER Tel. 72862

REMINDER - Extension/suppression of allowance for dependent children aged 20 to 25

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HR Department

2010-01-01

Members of the personnel with dependent children aged 20 to 25 (or reaching 20 during the 2010/2011 school year), for whom an allowance for dependent children is currently paid, are invited to provide the Education fees service with a: SCHOOL CERTIFICATE Unless we receive, by October 31, 2010 at the latest, a school certificate or similar written proof (contract of work placement, sandwich courses or apprenticeship) covering your child / children for the school year 2010/2011, we will be obliged to stop payment of the allowance for dependent children as well as affiliation to the health insurance at the appropriate date and retroactively if necessary. Education fees service HR/SPS-SER Tel. 72862 / 71421

Reminder - Extension/suppression of allowance for dependent children aged 20 to 25

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HR Department

2011-01-01

Members of the personnel with dependent children aged 20 to 25 (or reaching 20 during the 2011/2012 school year), for whom an allowance for dependent children is currently paid, are invited to provide the Education Fees Service with a: SCHOOL CERTIFICATE Unless we receive, by 31 October 2011 at the latest, a school certificate or similar written proof (contract of work placement, sandwich courses or apprenticeship) covering your child / children for the school year 2011/2012, we will be obliged to stop payment of the allowance for dependent children as well as affiliation to the health insurance at the appropriate date and retroactively if necessary. Education Fees Service Mailbox C20000 schoolfees.service@cern.ch Tel. 72862 / 71421

REMINDER - Extension/suppression of allowance for dependent children aged 20 to 25

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2010-01-01

Members of the personnel with dependent children aged 20 to 25 (or reaching 20 during the 2010/2011 school year), for whom an allowance for dependent children is currently paid, are invited to provide the Education Fees Service with a: SCHOOL CERTIFICATE Unless we receive, by 31 October 2010 at the latest, a school certificate or similar written proof (work placement contract, evidence of sandwich courses or apprenticeship) covering your child / children for the school year 2010/2011, we will be obliged to stop payment of the allowance for dependent children as well as membership of the health insurance scheme at the appropriate date, retroactively if necessary. Education Fees Service HR/SPS-SER Tel. 72862 / 71421

Reminder - Extension/suppression of allowance for dependent children aged 20 to 25

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2009-01-01

Members of the personnel with dependent children aged 20 to 25 (or reaching 20 during the 2009/2010 school year), for whom a dependent child’s allowance is currently paid, are invited to provide the Education Fees service with a: SCHOOL CERTIFICATE Unless we receive, by October 31, 2009 at the latest, a school certificate or similar written proof (contract of work placement, sandwich course or apprenticeship) covering your child / children for the 2009/2010 school year, we will be obliged to stop payment of the dependent child’s allowance as well as membership of the health insurance scheme at the appropriate date, retroactively if necessary. Education Fees service (33-1-017) HR Department - Tel. 72862

Teaching with Socio-Scientific Issues in Physical Science: Teacher and Students' Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Talens, Joy

2016-01-01

Socio-scientific issues (SSI) are recommended by many science educators worldwide for learners to acquire first hand experience to apply what they learned in class. This investigated experiences of teacher-researcher and students in using SSI in Physical Science, Second Semester, School Year 2012-2013. Latest and controversial news articles on…

Long-Term Outcomes of Homografts in the Aortic Valve and Root Position: A 20-Year Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joo Yeon Kim

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background: The advantages of using a homograft in valve replacement surgery are the excellent hemodynamic profile, low risk of thromboembolism, and low risk of prosthetic valve infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of homograft implantation in the aortic valve position. Methods: This is a retrospective study of 33 patients (＞20 years old who underwent aortic valve replacement or root replacement with homografts between April 1995 and May 2015. Valves were collected within 24 hours from explanted hearts of heart transplant recipients (＜60 years and organ donors who were not suitable for heart transplantation. The median follow-up duration was 35.6 months (range, 0 to 168 months. Results: Aortic homografts were used in all patients. The 30-day mortality rate was 9.1%. The 1- and 5-year survival rates were 80.0%±7.3% and 60.8%±10.1%, respectively. The 1-, 5-, and 10-year freedom from reoperation rates were 92.3%±5.2%, 68.9%±10.2%, and 50.3%±13.6%, respectively. The 1-, 5-, and 10-year freedom from significant aortic dysfunction rates were 91.7%±8.0%, 41.7%±14.2%, and 25.0%±12.5%, respectively. Conclusion: Homografts had the advantages of a good hemodynamic profile and low risk of thromboembolic events, and with good outcomes in cases of aortitis.

20 CFR 345.403 - Multiple base year employers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

..., benefits will be charged in reverse chronological order, but the amount charged to each base year employer...) In all other cases, benefits will be charged in the same ratio as the compensation paid to such... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Multiple base year employers. 345.403 Section...

Research reactor FR2 - 20 years chemical and radiochemical measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feuerstein, H.; Graebner, H.; Oschinski, J.; Hoffmann, W.; Beyer, J.

1986-09-01

The FR2 has been a D 2 O cooled and moderated research reactor with a thermal output of 44 MW. It was in operation from 1961 to 1981. Because of the operating conditions of the reactor, only a small number of routine measurements were performed. For these however special techniques had to be developed. During the 20 years of operation a number of special events occured or have been observed, sometimes with very amazing results, e.g. the 'aceton effect'. This report describes the chemical and radiochemical conditions of the reactor systems, as well as the results of the surveilance work. Not described are measurements for the many experiments. The last chapter gives in a short form a description of the most unusual events and observations. (orig.) [de

Latest AMS Results on elementary particles in cosmic rays

Science.gov (United States)

Kounine, Andrei; AMS Collaboration

2017-01-01

AMS-02 is a particle physics detector collecting data on the International Space Station since May 2011. Precision measurements of all elementary charged cosmic ray particles have been performed by AMS using a data sample of 85 billion cosmic ray events collected during the first five years of operations on the Station. The latest AMS results on the fluxes and flux ratios of the elementary cosmic ray particles are presented. They show unique features that require accurate theoretical interpretation as to their origin, be it from dark matter collisions or new astrophysical sources. On behalf of the AMS Collaboration.

Latest advances in high brightness disk lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Kuhn, Vincent; Gottwald, Tina; Stolzenburg, Christian; Schad, Sven-Silvius; Killi, Alexander; Ryba, Tracey

2015-02-01

In the last decade diode pumped solid state lasers have become an important tool for many industrial materials processing applications. They combine ease of operation with efficiency, robustness and low cost. This paper will give insight in latest progress in disk laser technology ranging from kW-class CW-Lasers over frequency converted lasers to ultra-short pulsed lasers. The disk laser enables high beam quality at high average power and at high peak power at the same time. The power from a single disk was scaled from 1 kW around the year 2000 up to more than 10 kW nowadays. Recently was demonstrated more than 4 kW of average power from a single disk close to fundamental mode beam quality (M²=1.38). Coupling of multiple disks in a common resonator results in even higher power. As an example we show 20 kW extracted from two disks of a common resonator. The disk also reduces optical nonlinearities making it ideally suited for short and ultrashort pulsed lasers. In a joint project between TRUMPF and IFSW Stuttgart more than 1.3 kW of average power at ps pulse duration and exceptionally good beam quality was recently demonstrated. The extremely low saturated gain makes the disk laser ideal for internal frequency conversion. We show >1 kW average power and >6 kW peak power in multi ms pulsed regime from an internally frequency doubled disk laser emitting at 515 nm (green). Also external frequency conversion can be done efficiently with ns pulses. >500 W of average UV power was demonstrated.

Evaluation of results of more than 20 years treating hyperthyroidism by I-131

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phan, S.A.; Mai, T.K.; Tran, D.H.

2001-01-01

The authors have summarized their works of more than 20 years using I-131 for treatment and close observation of 723 patients with hyperthyroidism in 1000 ones in the Nuclear Medicine Department, Bach Mai University Hospital in Hanoi to collect data and draw experience for the report. Patient selection for the treatment is based on clinical features and laboratory tests results by the Nuclear Medicine Department such as thyroid uptake, scintigraphy and RIA determinations of thyroid hormones. I-131 dose is determined in compliance with a prevailing formula. The average dose is 6.2 ± 1.1 mCi (that is 233.1 ± 40.7 MBq). The average number of times is 1.3 time for one patient. The results are as follows: Euthyroid status after 4- year following- up from date of I-131 dose administration: 72.3%; Persistent or recurrent hyperthyroidism: 20.0%; Hypothyroid complications: appear 4 to 12 months after date of I-131 administration: 3.0%; appear 4 years after date of I-131 administration: 7.7%; appear 6 years after date of I-131 administration. 14.0%; so the cumulative hypothyroid rate is 2.3% per year. No occurrence of other serious complications by all the observed patients. This is therefore a safe, efficient treatment method to be applied on a large scale including adolescents and children. However, much more study has still to be made on the dose due to high rate of recurrence of the therapeutic method although the hypothyroid complications cases are not serious. Hyperthyroidism is a common health problem in Viet Nam. Previously, only anti-thyroid drugs and surgery were used. Use of I-131 was firstly introduced to Viet Nam in the Nuclear Medicine Department in Bach Mai in 1974 and afterwards applied larger nationwide. Initial therapeutic results have been published in national medical magazines. This is a general study aiming at analyzing the way to carry out the work and get experience and recommendation from gained results for further work in the future. (author)

Benchmarking the new JENDL-4.0 library on criticality experiments of a research reactor with oxide LEU (20 w/o) fuel, light water moderator and beryllium reflectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liem, Peng Hong; Sembiring, Tagor Malem

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Benchmark calculations of the new JENDL-4.0 library. ► Thermal research reactor with oxide LEU fuel, H 2 O moderator and Be reflector. ► JENDL-4.0 library shows better C/E values for criticality evaluations. - Abstract: Benchmark calculations of the new JENDL-4.0 library on the criticality experiments of a thermal research reactor with oxide low enriched uranium (LEU, 20 w/o) fuel, light water moderator and beryllium reflector (RSG GAS) have been conducted using a continuous energy Monte Carlo code, MVP-II. The JENDL-4.0 library shows better C/E values compared to the former library JENDL-3.3 and other world-widely used latest libraries (ENDF/B-VII.0 and JEFF-3.1).

Final reminder - Extension/suppression of allowance for dependent children aged 20 to 25

CERN Document Server

HR Department

2007-01-01

Members of the personnel with dependent children aged 20 to 25 (or reaching 20 during the 2007/2008 school year), for whom an allowance for dependent children is paid, must provide the School fees service as soon as possible with a: SCHOOL CERTIFICATE Unless we receive, by November 30, 2007 at the latest, a school certificate or similar written proof (contract of work placement, sandwich courses or apprenticeship) covering your child / children for the school year 2007/2008, we will be obliged to stop payment of the allowance for dependent children as well as affiliation to the health insurance retroactively as of July 1, 2007. School fees service (33-1-017) HR/SPS-SER Tel. 72862

Final reminder - Extension/suppression of allowance for dependent children aged 20 to 25

CERN Document Server

HR Department

2007-01-01

Members of the personnel with dependent children aged 20 to 25 (or reaching 20 during the 2007/2008 school year), for whom an allowance for dependent children is paid, must provide the School Fees service as soon as possible with a: SCHOOL CERTIFICATE Unless we receive, by November 30, 2007 at the latest, a school certificate or similar written proof (contract of work placement, sandwich courses or apprenticeship) covering your child / children for the school year 2007/2008, we will be obliged to stop payment of the allowance for dependent children as well as affiliation to the health insurance scheme retroactively as of 1 July 2007. School Fees service (33-1-017) HR/SPS-SER Tel. 72862

Cancer consequences of the Chernobyl accident: 20 years on

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardis, Elisabeth; Howe, Geoffrey; Ron, Elaine

2006-01-01

26 April 2006 marks the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident. On this occasion, the World Health Organization (WHO), within the UN Chernobyl Forum initiative, convened an Expert Group to evaluate the health impacts of Chernobyl. This paper summarises the findings relating to cancer. A dramatic increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer has been observed among those exposed to radioactive iodines in childhood and adolescence in the most contaminated territories. Iodine deficiency may have increased the risk of developing thyroid cancer following exposure to radioactive iodines, while prolonged stable iodine supplementation in the years after exposure may reduce this risk. Although increases in rates of other cancers have been reported, much of these increases appear to be due to other factors, including improvements in registration, reporting and diagnosis. Studies are few, however, and have methodological limitations. Further, because most radiation-related solid cancers continue to occur decades after exposure and because only 20 years have passed since the accident, it is too early to evaluate the full radiological impact of the accident. Apart from the large increase in thyroid cancer incidence in young people, there are at present no clearly demonstrated radiation-related increases in cancer risk. This should not, however, be interpreted to mean that no increase has in fact occurred: based on the experience of other populations exposed to ionising radiation, a small increase in the relative risk of cancer is expected, even at the low to moderate doses received. Although it is expected that epidemiological studies will have difficulty identifying such a risk, it may nevertheless translate into a substantial number of radiation-related cancer cases in the future, given the very large number of individuals exposed. (review)

Cancer consequences of the Chernobyl accident: 20 years on

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cardis, Elisabeth [International Agency for Research on Cancer, 150 Cours Albert Thomas, 69372 Lyon CEDEX 08 (France); Howe, Geoffrey [Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th Street, Room 1104, New York, NY 10032 (United States); Ron, Elaine [Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Building EPS, MS 7238, Rockville, MD 20852 (United States)] (and others)

2006-06-15

26 April 2006 marks the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident. On this occasion, the World Health Organization (WHO), within the UN Chernobyl Forum initiative, convened an Expert Group to evaluate the health impacts of Chernobyl. This paper summarises the findings relating to cancer. A dramatic increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer has been observed among those exposed to radioactive iodines in childhood and adolescence in the most contaminated territories. Iodine deficiency may have increased the risk of developing thyroid cancer following exposure to radioactive iodines, while prolonged stable iodine supplementation in the years after exposure may reduce this risk. Although increases in rates of other cancers have been reported, much of these increases appear to be due to other factors, including improvements in registration, reporting and diagnosis. Studies are few, however, and have methodological limitations. Further, because most radiation-related solid cancers continue to occur decades after exposure and because only 20 years have passed since the accident, it is too early to evaluate the full radiological impact of the accident. Apart from the large increase in thyroid cancer incidence in young people, there are at present no clearly demonstrated radiation-related increases in cancer risk. This should not, however, be interpreted to mean that no increase has in fact occurred: based on the experience of other populations exposed to ionising radiation, a small increase in the relative risk of cancer is expected, even at the low to moderate doses received. Although it is expected that epidemiological studies will have difficulty identifying such a risk, it may nevertheless translate into a substantial number of radiation-related cancer cases in the future, given the very large number of individuals exposed. (rev0009i.

Coartação de aorta em crianças até um ano: análise de 20 anos de experiência Coarctation of the aorta in infants under one year of age: an analysis of 20 years of experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriel Lorier

2005-07-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Revisão da experiência com diversas técnicas de correção empregadas, nos últimos 20 anos, em crianças menores de um ano de idade. MÉTODOS: No período de 1978 a 1998, foram operados 148 pacientes (pc consecutivos com coartação de aorta (CoAo com até um ano de idade, com ou sem defeitos intracardíacos associados. A idade apresentou mediana de 50 dias, 92 pc do sexo feminino (62,1%. O peso foi de 4.367±1.897 gramas. O seguimento foi em média de 1.152±1.462 dias. A população foi dividida em 3 grupos: Grupo I, CoAo isolada: 74 pc (50%; Grupo II, CoAo e comunicação interventricular (CIV: 41 pacientes (27,7% e Grupo III, CoAo com malformações complexas: 33 pc (22,3%. RESULTADOS: Mortalidade total foi 43 pc (29%: com menos de 30 dias, foi 53%, p=0,009, OR=4,5, entre 31 e 90 dias, foi 14,7%, p=0,69, e acima de 91 dias, 15%, p=0,004. A probabilidade de sobrevida atuarial de toda a população foi de 67% aos 5 e 10 anos. Trinta e seis pacientes (24,3% recoartaram, dos quais 18 pacientes (50% tinham menos de 30 dias, OR=6,35. A incidência de recoartação foi com a técnica de Waldhausen em 4 pacientes (10% e com a término-terminal clássica em 19 pacientes (26% p=0.03, e a istmoplastia em 6 pacientes (37,5%. A probabilidade de sobrevida atuarial livre de recoartação aos 5 e 10 anos foi de 69% com a técnica de Waldhausen e 63% com a técnica término-terminal clássica. CONCLUSÃO: Pacientes com menos de 30 dias apresentaram risco aumentado de mortalidade e recoartação. A técnica de Waldhausen em pacientes com mais de 30 dias mostrou-se efetiva. A técnica término-terminal clássica mostrou não ser uma boa opção em todas as faixas etárias, sendo imperativo executar variantes técnicas como término-terminal estendida.OBJECTIVE: A review of experience with techniques of correction used, in the last 20 years, in children younger than one year old. METHODS: In the period from 1978 to 1998, 148 patients (pt with

New Developments in Web Based Monitoring at the CMS Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badgett, William; Lopez-Perez, Juan Antonio; Maeshima, Kaori; Maruyama, Sho; Soha, Aron; Sulmanas, Balys; Wan, Zongru; Chakaberia, Irakli

2012-01-01

The rate of performance improvements of the LHC at CERN has had a strong influence on the characteristics of the monitoring tools developed for the experiments. We present some of the latest additions to the suite of Web Based Monitoring services for the CMS experiment, and explore the aspects that address the roughly 20-fold increase in peak instantaneous luminosity over the course of 2011. One of these user-friendly tools allows collaborators to easily view, and make correlations among, accelerator configuration information such as bunch patterns, measured quantities such as intensities, vacuum pressures, and background conditions, as well as derived quantities such as luminosity and the number of simultaneous interactions per beam crossing. An additional tool summarizes the daily, weekly, and yearly luminosity and efficiency. Finally, we discuss a trigger cross section and rate fitting service that uses data from previous runs to validate current running conditions, as well as to serve as a predictive extrapolation tool for developing triggers for higher luminosity running.

Reminder: extension/suppression of allowance for dependent children aged 20 to 25

CERN Multimedia

2013-01-01

Members of the personnel with dependent children aged 20 to 25 (or reaching 20 during the 2013/2014 school year), for whom an allowance for dependent children is currently paid, are invited to provide the Education Fees service with a SCHOOL CERTIFICATE.   Unless we receive, by October 31, 2013 at the latest, a school certificate or similar written proof (contract of work placement, sandwich course or apprenticeship) covering your child / children for the school year 2013/2014, we will be obliged to stop payment of the allowance for dependent children as well as affiliation to the health insurance at the appropriate date and retroactively if necessary.   Education fees service HR/CB-B Mailbox C20000 schoolfees.service@cern.ch Tel.: 72862 / 71421

REMINDER: Extension/suppression of allowance for dependent children aged 20 to 25

CERN Multimedia

2012-01-01

Members of the personnel with dependent children aged 20 to 25 (or reaching 20 during the 2012/2013 school year), for whom an allowance for dependent children is currently paid, are invited to provide the Education fees service with a   SCHOOL CERTIFICATE.   Unless we receive, by October 31, 2012 at the latest, a school certificate or similar written proof (contract of work placement, sandwich courses or apprenticeship) covering your child / children for the school year 2012/2013, we will be obliged to stop payment of the allowance for dependent children as well as affiliation to the health insurance at the appropriate date and retroactively if necessary.   Education fees service HR/CB-B Mailbox C20000 schoolfees.service@cern.ch Tel. 72862 / 71421

Latest trends and directions of development of crowdfunding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Pieniążek

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the latest trends and directions of development of crowdfunding on selected examples of English-language websites.The scope of work includes topics such as aggregates of crowdfunding sites, local investing, franchise, pre-sales platforms, open source sites and leveraging the competitive advantages of e-commerce platforms which offer product crowdfunding. This article aims to discuss the latest trends and directions of crowdfunding, assess their usefulness and the chances of popularising the ideas presented. The article provides an overview of the literature on the subject and an analysis of the selected sites, comparison sites and crowdfunding search engines.

Evolution of the EAF library following FENDL/A-2.0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forrest, R.A.; Sublet, J.C.

1999-01-01

The European Activation File (EAF) project has been an ongoing process performed through European and worldwide co-operation that has led to the creation of succeeding EAF versions. EAF-4.1 was used in the construction of the FENDL/A-2.0 activation library. Since then versions EAF-97, EAF-97.1 and EAF-99 have been released. The latest release, EAF-99, has benefited from the results of integral experiments that have been used to adjust data. Details of some of the corrections used in the construction of EAF-99, and the library itself are described. (author)

Hydrocephalus shunt technology: 20 years of experience from the Cambridge Shunt Evaluation Laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Chari, Aswin; Czosnyka, Marek; Richards, Hugh K; Pickard, John D; Czosnyka, Zofia H

2014-03-01

The Cambridge Shunt Evaluation Laboratory was established 20 years ago. This paper summarizes the findings of that laboratory for the clinician. Twenty-six models of valves have been tested long-term in the shunt laboratory according to the expanded International Organization for Standardization 7197 standard protocol. The majority of the valves had a nonphysiologically low hydrodynamic resistance (from 1.5 to 3 mm Hg/[ml/min]), which may result in overdrainage related to posture and during nocturnal cerebral vasogenic waves. A long distal catheter increases the resistance of these valves by 100%-200%. Drainage through valves without a siphon-preventing mechanism is very sensitive to body posture, which may result in grossly negative intracranial pressure. Siphon-preventing accessories offer a reasonable resistance to negative outlet pressure; however, accessories with membrane devices may be blocked by raised subcutaneous pressure. In adjustable valves, the settings may be changed by external magnetic fields of intensity above 40 mT (exceptions: ProGAV, Polaris, and Certas). Most of the magnetically adjustable valves produce large distortions on MRI studies. The behavior of a valve revealed during testing is of relevance to the surgeon and may not be adequately described in the manufacturer's product information. The results of shunt testing are helpful in many circumstances, such as the initial choice of shunt and the evaluation of the shunt when its dysfunction is suspected.

The latest general chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Geun Bae; Choi, Se Yeong; Kim, Chin Yeong; Yoon, Gil Jung; Lee, Eun Seok; Seo, Moon Gyu

1995-02-01

This book deals with the latest general chemistry, which is comprised of twenty-three chapters, the contents of this book are introduction, theory of atoms and molecule, chemical formula and a chemical reaction formula, structure of atoms, nature of atoms and the periodic table, structure of molecule and spectrum, gas, solution, solid, chemical combination, chemical reaction speed, chemical equilibrium, thermal chemistry, oxidation-reduction, electrochemistry, acid-base, complex, aquatic chemistry, air chemistry, nuclear chemistry, metal and nonmetal, organic chemistry and biochemistry. It has exercise in the end of each chapter.

20 years PSI accelerator. The speeches; 20 Jahre PSI-Beschleuniger. Die Festreden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-12-31

This publication contains the text of four papers presented at the occasion of the 20 year Symposium of the PSI accelerator. The papers dealt with the following topics: Scientific research and its dual interaction with industry and with the general public, the history of the PSI accelerator, {mu}-n-{gamma} investigations on high temperature superconductors, therapy with charged particles. figs., tabs., refs.

Long Term Sequelae of Pediatric Craniopharyngioma – Literature Review and 20 Years of Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Michal; Guger, Sharon; Hamilton, Jill

2011-01-01

Craniopharyngioma are rare histologically benign brain tumors that develop in the pituitary–hypothalamic area. They may invade nearby anatomical structures causing significant rates of neurological, neurocognitive, and endocrinological complications including remarkable hypothalamic damage. Information regarding long term implications of the tumors and treatment in the pediatric population is accumulating, and treatment goals appear to be changing accordingly. In this review we aim to present data regarding long term complications of craniopharyngioma in children and adolescents and our experience from a large tertiary center. Hypothalamic dysfunction was noted to be the most significant complication, adversely affecting quality of life in survivors. Obesity, fatigue, and sleep disorders are the most notable manifestations of this dysfunction, and treatment is extremely difficult. Changes in management in recent years show a potential for improved long term outcomes; we found a trend toward less aggressive surgical management and increasing use of adjuvant treatment, accompanied by a decrease in complication rates. PMID:22645511

The latest Light Robotics breakthroughs - Postdeadline

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glückstad, Jesper; Palima, Darwin; Bañas, Andrew

Contemporary nanoscopy provides functionalities, not only for observing life science on the smallest scales but also for actively reaching into and manipulating at subcellular levels. This post-deadline contribution describes the latest generation of 3D-printed micro-tools for enabling light-acti......-activated robotics on sub-diffraction scales: Light Robotics....

Latest Surprises from Mira the Wonderful

Science.gov (United States)

Karovska, Margarita; Marengo, Massimo; Wood, Brian

We report the latest results from our long-term study of Mira A and its companion Mira B. These include a study of the dust environment in mid-IR wavelengths (Marengo et al. 2001), and of the accretion processes in the Mira AB interacting system (Wood, Karovska, and Raymond 2002).

Glaucoma: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Latest Research

Science.gov (United States)

... of this page please turn Javascript on. Feature: Glaucoma Glaucoma: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Latest Research Past Issues / Fall 2009 Table of Contents Symptoms and Diagnosis Glaucoma can develop in one or both eyes. Often ...

High Efficiency S-Band 20 Watt Amplifier

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This project includes the design and build of a prototype 20 W, high efficiency, S-Band amplifier.   The design will incorporate the latest semiconductor technology,...

Holocene and latest Pleistocene oblique dextral faulting on the southern Inyo Mountains fault, Owens Lake basin, California

Science.gov (United States)

Bacon, S.N.; Jayko, A.S.; McGeehin, J.P.

2005-01-01

The Inyo Mountains fault (IMF) is a more or less continuous range-front fault system, with discontinuous late Quaternary activity, at the western base of the Inyo Mountains in Owens Valley, California. The southern section of the IMF trends ???N20??-40?? W for at least 12 km at the base of and within the range front near Keeler in Owens Lake basin. The southern IMF cuts across a relict early Pliocene alluvial fan complex, which has formed shutter ridges and northeast-facing scarps, and which has dextrally offset, well-developed drainages indicating long-term activity. Numerous fault scarps along the mapped trace are northeast-facing, mountain-side down, and developed in both bedrock and younger alluvium, indicating latest Quaternary activity. Latest Quaternary multiple- and single-event scarps that cut alluvium range in height from 0.5 to 3.0 m. The penultimate event on the southern IMF is bracketed between 13,310 and 10,590 cal years B.P., based on radiocarbon dates from faulted alluvium and fissure-fill stratigraphy exposed in a natural wash cut. Evidence of the most recent event is found at many sites along the mapped fault, and, in particular, is seen in an ???0.5-m northeast-facing scarp and several right-stepping en echelon ???0.5-m-deep depressions that pond fine sediment on a younger than 13,310 cal years B.P. alluvial fan. A channel that crosses transverse to this scarp is dextrally offset 2.3 ?? 0.8 m, providing a poorly constrained oblique slip rate of 0.1-0. 3 m/ k.y. The identified tectonic geomorphology and sense of displacement demonstrate that the southern IMF accommodates predominately dextral slip and should be integrated into kinematic fault models of strain distribution in Owens Valley.

Radiation protection issues after 20 years of LHC operation

CERN Document Server

Forkel-Wirth, D.; Roesler, S.; Theis, C.; Ulrici, L.; Vincke, H.; Vincke, Hz.

2011-01-01

Since November 2009, the LHC commissioning progresses very well, both with proton and lead beams. It will continue in 2011 and nominal LHC operation is expected to be attained in 2013. In parallel, plans for various LHC upgrades are under discussion, suggesting a High-Luminosity (HL) upgrade first and a High-Energy (HE) upgrade in a later state. Whereas the upgrade in luminosity would require the modification of only some few key accelerator components like the inner triplets, the upgrade in beam energy from 7 TeV to 16.5 TeV would require the exchange of all dipoles and of numerous other accelerator components. The paper gives an overview of the radiation protection issues related to the dismantling of LHC components prior to the installation of the HE-LHC components, i.e. after about 20 years of LHC operation. Two main topics will be discussed: (i) the exposure of workers to ionizing radiation during the dismantling of dipoles, inner triplets or collimators and experiments and (ii) the production, condition...

The latest technical solutions in rail vehicles drives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrzejewski Maciej

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the latest trends and solutions used in the offers of rail vehicles manufacturers. The study is mainly concerned with the technical solutions used in hybrid rail vehicles, whose development has become one of the priorities for the development of rail vehicles in the European Union in recent years. Stricter emissions standards for harmful compounds in the European Union have forced manufacturers to use increasingly sophisticated technology, including hybrid drives and alternative fuels. The products and solutions offered by the major manufacturers on the market, along with their capabilities and future applications are described. The predicted trends in the development of propulsion technology for rail and road-rail vehicles are also indicated in view of the current legislative aspirations among the EU Member States.

Web 2.0 and health 2.0: are you in?

Science.gov (United States)

Felkey, Bill G

2008-01-01

With over 6 billion web pages, over $100 billion in online sales every year in the U.S. alone and the average growth rate of online purchasing exceeding 26% over the last 5 years, the Internet is a powerful business tool. Today's shopper sees your actual pharmacy location and your Internet presence as one and the same. One study showed that 82% of the consumers surveyed who had a single frustrating experience online with a retailer would not return to the site for future dealings. A bad experience online made 28% of those surveyed unlikely to return to the retail location of the business, and over 55% said a bad online experience would have a negative impact on their overall opinion of the retailer. Web 2.0 refers to the social networking applications of the internet, Health 2.0 to its special health applications. Taking your Internet presence to the 2.0 level must be balanced with all of the other demands you are facing-but be aware that it's happening all around you.

The latest results on top quark pair cross-section measurement at the LHC-ATLAS experiment

CERN Document Server

Yamauchi, Katsuya; The ATLAS collaboration

2015-01-01

The latest results on top quark pair production cross-section measurement in proton-proton collisions at $\\sqrt{s}$ = 7\\,TeV and $\\sqrt{s}$ = 8\\,TeV with the ATLAS detector are reported. The inclusive cross-section was measured with relative uncertainty of 4\\% using the final state of the top quark pair including an electron and a muon. The measurement of the differential cross-section as functions of various observables such as the transverse momentum and the rapidity of the top quark and the invariant mass of the top quark pair system are also reported. These results are compared with various generators such as {\\sc Powheg}, {\\sc Alpgen} and {\\sc MC@NLO} and various sets of parton distribution functions.

The latest radiation instrument

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Se Sik; Gwon, Dal Gwan; Kim, Gyeong Geum

2008-08-01

This book deals with the latest radiation instrument, which is comprised of eight chapters. It explains X rays instrument for medial treatment, X-ray tube instrument and permissible burden with its history, structure and characteristic high voltage apparatus with high voltage rectifier circuit, X-ray control apparatus for medical treatment, X-ray image equipment X-ray television apparatus and CCD 205, X-ray apparatus of install and types, Digital X-ray apparatus with CR 261 and DR 269, performance management on X-ray for medical treatment with its history, necessity and management in the radiation field.

[State and developmental trends of urogenital tuberculosis--20 years clinical and pathologic-anatomical experiences].

Science.gov (United States)

Köhler, H; Haenselt, V; Endmann, P

1978-10-01

On the basis of own experiences of twenty years and taking into consideration the knowledge of other authors the developmental tendency in the treatment of the urogenital tuberculosis is demonstrated, the indications to nephrectomy, resection of the kidney, and epididymectomy are reified as well as kind and sequelae of errors in chemotherapy analysed. From 1958 to 1977 2,868 patients with urogenital tuberculosis were hospitalized in the Central Clinic Bad Berka. Of them about 41% had to undergo an operation. A decrease of the quantity of operations can be observed only in the renal resections, whereas the nephrectomy rate is unchangedly high (16.3% of the own patients) and even shows an increasing tendency since 1975. Comparative examinations show that the pathologo-anatomical picture of the ectomized kidneys has not changed during the period of observation. The knowledge of the symptom-poor course obliges also further on differential-diagnostically to take into consideration the urogenital tuberculosis. Only on this way the still large number of organ endangering complications may be encountered in time.

Are History Textbooks More "Considerate" after 20 Years?

Science.gov (United States)

Berkeley, Sheri; King-Sears, Margaret E.; Hott, Brittany L.; Bradley-Black, Katherine

2014-01-01

Features of eighth-grade history textbooks were examined through replication of a 20-year-old study that investigated "considerateness" of textbooks. Considerate texts provide clear, coherent information and include features that promote students' comprehension, such as explicit use of organizational structures, a range of question types…

Treatment of Pediatric Condylar Fractures: A 20-Year Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghasemzadeh, Ali; Mundinger, Gerhard S; Swanson, Edward W; Utria, Alan F; Dorafshar, Amir H

2015-12-01

The purpose of this study was to define patterns of injury and treatment for condylar and subcondylar fractures and evaluate short-term outcomes in the pediatric population. A retrospective chart review was performed on pediatric patients with mandibular condylar fractures who presented between 1990 and 2010. Computed tomographic imaging was reviewed for all patients to assess fracture characteristics. Mandibular fractures were codified using the Strasbourg Osteosynthesis Research Group and Lindahl classification methods. Sixty-four patients with 92 condylar fractures were identified. Of these patients, 29 had isolated condylar fracture and 35 had a condylar fracture associated with an additional mandibular arch fracture. The most common fracture patterns were diacapitular fracture in the Strasbourg Osteosynthesis Research Group system (n = 46) and vertical condylar head fracture in the Lindahl system (n = 14). Condylar fracture with additional mandibular arch fractures were treated with maxillomandibular fixation more often than patients with condylar fracture [n = 40 (74.1 percent) versus n = 14 (25.9 percent); p = 0.004]. No condylar fracture was treated in an open fashion. Forty-three patients returned for follow-up. The median follow-up period was 81 days (interquartile range, 35 to 294 days). Ten patients had complications (23.3 percent). The most common complication was malocclusion (n = 5). Nine of 10 patients with complications had condylar fracture with an additional mandibular arch fracture. Closed treatment of condylar fractures yields satisfactory results in pediatric patients. Pediatric patients with condylar fractures combined with additional arch fractures experience a higher rate of unfavorable outcomes.

The vehicle routing problem latest advances and new challenges

CERN Document Server

Golden, Bruce L; Wasil, Edward A

2008-01-01

The Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) has been an especially active and fertile area of research. Over the past five to seven years, there have been numerous technological advances and exciting challenges that are of considerable interest to students, teachers, and researchers. The Vehicle Routing Problem: Latest Advances and New Challenges will focus on a host of significant technical advances that have evolved over the past few years for modeling and solving vehicle routing problems and variants. New approaches for solving VRPs have been developed from important methodological advances. These developments have resulted in faster solution algorithms, more accurate techniques, and an improvement in the ability to solve large-scale, complex problems. The book will systematically examine these recent developments in the VRP and provide the following in a unified and carefully developed presentation: Present novel problems that have arisen in the vehicle routing domain and highlight new challenges for the field; Pre...

The Psychiatry OSCE: a 20-year retrospective.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodges, Brian D; Hollenberg, Elisa; McNaughton, Nancy; Hanson, Mark D; Regehr, Glenn

2014-02-01

Twenty years ago researchers at the University of Toronto launched the Psychiatry Skills Assessment Project (PSAP), a research program exploring Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) in psychiatry. Between 1994 and 2005 PSAP produced publications on the feasibility, reliability, validity, ethics, and practical concerns of OSCEs in psychiatry. The current review has two parts: a review of the state of the art of OSCEs in psychiatry 20 years after they were introduced and documentation of the impact of the PSAP research program. A literature search identified all publications on OSCEs and psychiatry. Articles were coded thematically, and locations of agreement and controversies were identified. Bibliometric analysis identified citations of PSAP research papers, which were analyzed thematically. As of May 2013, there were 250 publications related to OSCEs in psychiatry (not including 10 PSAP papers), published in 29 different countries and ten languages. Prominent topics were the validity and acceptability of OSCEs and SPs, systems issues in adopting OSCEs in psychiatry, and the effects on learning. Eighty-eight percent of all publications cited PSAP work (300 citations). Citations were employed for four purposes: as evidence/justification (54 %); to frame replication research (14 %); to support adaptation of OSCEs in other countries and professions (15 %); and for debate (18 %). Over the past 20 years, use of OSCEs has grown steadily in psychiatry, and several national certification organizations have adopted OSCEs. PSAP work, introduced two decades ago, continues to provide a scholarly foundation for psychometric, practical, and ethical issues of interest to this field.

Earth and Space Science Electronic Theater: State-of-the-Art Visualization from the Latest Remote Sensing Observations. High Definition Television on the SMM IMAX Screen with Ultra High Performance Projector

Science.gov (United States)

Hasler, A. F.; Starr, David (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Fritz Hasler (NASA/Goddard) will demonstrate the latest Blue Marble Digital Earth technology. We will fly in from space through Terra, Landsat 7, to 1 m Ikonos "Spy Satellite" data to Washington, NYC, Chicago, and LA. You will see animations using the new 1 km global datasets from the EOS Terra satellite. Spectacular new animations from Terra, Landsat 7, and SeaWiFS will be presented. See the latest animations of the super hurricanes like, Floyd, Luis, and Mitch, from GOES & TRMM. See movies assembled using new low cost HDTV nonlinear editing equipment that is revolutionizing the way we communicate scientific results. See climate change in action with Global Land & Ocean productivity changes over the last 20 years. Remote sensing observations of ocean SST, height, winds, color, and El Nino from GOES, AVHRR, SSMI & SeaWiFS are put in context with atmospheric and ocean simulations. Compare symmetrical equatorial eddies observed by GOES with the simulations.

Latest results from the Double Chooz experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goeger-Neff, Marianne [Physik Department E15, Technische Universitaet Muenchen (Germany); Collaboration: Double Chooz-Collaboration

2016-07-01

Double Chooz aims at a precise measurement of the neutrino mixing angle θ{sub 13} through the disappearance of reactor electron antineutrinos. The experiment relies on the measurement of neutrino flux and spectrum with two identical detectors at 400 m and 1000 m from the reactor cores of two nuclear power reactors. anti ν{sub e} are detected by inverse beta decay on free protons in 8.3 tons of Gd-loaded liquid scintillator, providing a unique delayed coincidence signature. Double Chooz has been running since 2011 with the far detector only, providing the first indication for non-zero θ{sub 13} with reactor antineutrinos. With a rate+shape analysis of 467.90 live days from 2011-2013 we obtain a value of sin {sup 2} 2 θ{sub 13}=0.090{sup +0.032}{sub -0.029}. Data taking with the near detector has started beginning of 2015, allowing a significant reduction of both reactor and detector related systematic uncertainties. The talk reviews the most recent results obtained with the far detector only and discuss first data from the near detector.

Cuts will stop time for a year at Big Bang laboratory

CERN Multimedia

Henderson, Mark

2010-01-01

"The nuclear research laboratory that develped the world's most powerful particle accelerator has become the latest victim of Europe's financial crisis. All the accelerator experiments at Cern, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, are to be closed for a year in 2012, after Britain led demands by financially troubled member states for a 215 million pounds cut to its budget" (1 page)

20 years TraumaRegister DGU(®): development, aims and structure.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-10-01

The TraumaRegister DGU(®) organisational and technical development has undergone an evolution process, which started 20 years ago. Currently, the management of the registry is under the management of the "AUC - Academy for Trauma Surgery" (infrastructure) and the "Sektion NIS" (scientific responsibility). The aim of the registry was to establish an inter-hospital quality assessment tool with the option to use the increasing database for scientific evaluations of acute care. Year after year and most recently with the obligatory participation of certified hospitals the number of participating hospitals has grown as well as the registered cases per annum. Recently, even hospitals from other countries joined the registry too. Starting with six German hospitals and 260 cases in 1993, 20 years later more than 600 hospitals from eleven countries deliver over 30,000 trauma cases per year resulting in over 150,000 reported cases until 2013. In this article a historical perspective is presented of the evolution and current status of the TraumaRegister DGU(®). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introducing chinese treatment experience of Budd-Chiari syndrome to world wide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Linsun

2008-01-01

During the latest 20 years, the crucial progress has been made in the field of treatment for Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS)in China with therapeutic methods transferring from surgical to interventional and achieving successful rate of 96%. Our unique contribution to the BCS interventional therapy should have made ourselves proud for being as a superior world position on account of large number of cases, abundant therapeutic contents and consummate skills. What a pity is that our achievement was not appreciated by international colleagues because of only a few papers published in SCI journals. So that, Chinese scholars ought to have doing more necessarily through diligently learning English, doing long term follow-up and performing more basic researches and actively joining international academic exchanges, let our good experiences of treatment for BCS be introduced to the world-wide. (authors)

A Wireless Sensor Network for Structural Health Monitoring: Performance and Experience

OpenAIRE

Paek, Jeongyeup; Chintalapudi, Krishna; Caffrey, John; Govindan, Ramesh; Masri, Sami

2005-01-01

While sensor network research has made significant strides in the past few years, the literature has relatively few examples of papers that have evaluated and validated a complete experimental system. In this paper we discuss our deployment experiences and evaluate the performance of a multi-hop wireless data acquisition system (called Wisden) for structural health monitoring (SHM) on a large seismic test structure used by civil engineers. Our experiments indicate that, with the latest sensor...

Latest results from the Soviet-American gallium experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavrin, V.N.; Anosov, O.L.; Faizov, E.L.; Kalikhov, A.V.; Knodel, T.V.; Knyshenko, I.I.; Kornoukhov, V.N.; Mirmov, I.N.; Ostrinsky, A.V.; Pshukov, A.M.; Shikhin, A.A.; Timofeyev, P.V.; Veretenkin, E.P.; Vermul, V.M.; Zatsepin, G.T.; Bowles, T.J.; Elliott, S.R.; Nico, J.S.; O'Brien, H.A.; Wark, D.L.; Wilkerson, J.F.; Cleveland, B.T.; Davis, R. Jr.; Lande, K.; Cherry, M.L.; Kouzes, R.T.

1992-01-01

A radiochemical 71 Ga- 71 Ge experiment to determine the primary flux of neutrinos from the Sun began measurements of the solar neutrino flux at the Baksan Neutrino Observatory in 1990. The number of 71 Ge atoms extracted from 30 tons of gallium in 1990 and from 57 tons of gallium in 1991 was measured in twelve runs during the period of January 1990 to December 1991. The combined 1990 and 1991 data sets give a value of 58+17/-24 (stat)±14 (syst) SNU. This is to be compared with 132 SNU predicted by the Standard Solar Model

Recent updates on the Standard Model Higgs boson measurements from the ATLAS and CMS experiments

CERN Document Server

Wang, Song-Ming

2017-01-01

This report presents the latest results from the ATLAS and CMS experiments on the measurements of the Standard Model Higgs boson by using the proton-proton collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider during the first two years of Run 2 data taking.

Celebrating 20 years of the discovery of the top quark

CERN Document Server

Azzi, P

2015-01-01

An historical recount of the events leading to the discovery of the top quark in 1995 by the CDF and DO experiments at the Tevatron. 1 Introduction This presentation brings us back to the early nineties. It is interesting to picture ourselves without iphone and laptops, working on DEC VAX and having to stay in the office to work because there was no internet at home. The programming language was Fortran and plots were made with PAW. Detectors were becoming bigger and more complex, but no Silicon detector had been tried in a hadron collider yet. To put things in perspective for the LHC physicist of today: the MonteCarlo programs of the time did not differentiate between heavy and light quarks (VECBOS), there were no b-tagging algorithms, it was not clear that a Silicon detector could survive the radiation environement of an hadron collider such as the Tevatron and collecting data took a long time (one year for 20 pb-1). Nonetheless, working at the most powerful accelerator of the time was as exciting as it tod...

The latest electrical installation (I)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Won, Jong Su

1976-04-01

This book deals with the latest electrical installation. The contents of this book are construction electrical installation, regulations related electrical installation, foundation and principle of wiring, main line feeder, lighting installation, power of wiring, main line feeder, lighting installation, power installation, method to read structure drawing for electrical construct drawing electric lamp wiring diagram, working drawing, material and tools and method of construction of electrical installation on types of wiring construction, metallic conduit, rigid poly-vinyl conduit wiring, bus duct work, cable work and insulation out of metal lathed.

Latest Proterozoic stratigraphy and earth history

Science.gov (United States)

Knoll, Andrew H.; Walter, Malcolm R.

1992-01-01

Novel biostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic data furnish an improved framework for stratigraphic correlation of the Proterozoic Eon as well as tools for a chronostratigraphic division of the late Proterozoic. It is argued that, in conjunction with geochronometric data, protistan microfossils and isotope geochemistry can furnish a means for an eventual integration of the latest Proterozoic Eon. Attention is given to the emerging methodologies of fossil protists and prokaryotes and of isotopic chemostratigraphy.

The Komplast Experiment: Space Environmental Effects after 12 Years in LEO (and Counting)

Science.gov (United States)

Golden, J. L.; Shaevich, S.; Aleksandrov, N. G.; Shumov, A. E.; Novikov, L. S.; Alred, J. A.; Shindo, D. J.; Kravchenko, M.

2014-01-01

The Komplast materials experiment was designed by the Khrunichev Space Center, together with other Russian scientific institutes, and has been carried out by Mission Control Moscow since 1998. The purpose is to study the effect of the low earth orbit (LEO) environment on exposed samples of various spacecraft materials. The Komplast experiment began with the launch of the first International Space Station (ISS) module on November 20, 1998. Two of eight experiment panels were retrieved during Russian extravehicular activity in February 2011 after 12 years of LEO exposure, and were subsequently returned to Earth by Space Shuttle "Discovery" on the STS-133/ULF-5 mission. The retrieved panels contained an experiment to detect micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) impacts, radiation sensors, a temperature sensor, several pieces of electrical cable, both carbon composite and adhesive-bonded samples, and many samples made from elastomeric and fluoroplastic materials. Our investigation is complete and a summary of the results obtained from this uniquely long-duration exposure experiment will be presented.

Performance of the latest MPPCs with reduced dark counts and improved photon detection efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsujikawa, T.; Funamoto, H.; Kataoka, J.; Fujita, T.; Nishiyama, T.; Kurei, Y.; Sato, K.; Yamamura, K.; Nakamura, S.

2014-01-01

We have tested the performance of two types of the latest Multi-Pixel Photon Counters (MPPCs; measuring 3×3 mm 2 in size) developed by Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. The new S12572-050C is a successor to the S10362-33-050C (i.e., conventional 3×3-mm 2 pixel MPPC of 50 μm pitch), comprises 3600 Geiger mode avalanche photodiodes (APDs), and also features high gain (up to 1.25×10 6 ), a low dark count (up to 10 6 cps), and improved photon detection efficiency (PDE) by up to 30%. The S12572-015C is a new type of fine-pitch (15 μm) MPPC featuring a wide dynamic range and fast timing response. This paper first presents the detailed performance of these latest MPPCs as photon counting devices. It then describes our fabrication of a prototype detector consisting of a MPPC optically coupled with a Ce:GAGG scintillator. We obtained average FWHM energy resolutions of 7.3% (15 μm) and 6.7% (new-50 μm), as compared to 6.9% (old-50 μm) for 662-keV gamma rays from the 137 Cs source, as measured at 20 °C. Moreover, the number of fired pixels for 662-keV gamma rays increased by 30% for the new-50 μm (as compared to the old-50 μm). We confirmed that the low energy threshold improved from 10 keV to 4 keV, when using the latest MPPC device (new-50 μm). We also confirmed that the timing resolution of the new MPPC is 50 ps or even better, as compared to 89 ps of the old MPPC. The results thus confirm that these new types of MPPCs are promising for various applications as scintillation detectors. - Highlights: • We tested the performance of the latest MPPC. • We confirmed that the new MPPC is superior to the old MPPC. • We plan to apply the new MPPC for a next-generation PET and a handy Compton camera

Performance of the latest MPPCs with reduced dark counts and improved photon detection efficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsujikawa, T., E-mail: takayuki-t.w@asagi.waseda.jp [Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1, Ohkubo, Shinjuku, Tokyo (Japan); Funamoto, H.; Kataoka, J.; Fujita, T.; Nishiyama, T.; Kurei, Y. [Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1, Ohkubo, Shinjuku, Tokyo (Japan); Sato, K.; Yamamura, K.; Nakamura, S. [Solid State Division, Hamamatsu Photonics K. K., 1126-1, Ichino-cho, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka (Japan)

2014-11-21

We have tested the performance of two types of the latest Multi-Pixel Photon Counters (MPPCs; measuring 3×3 mm{sup 2} in size) developed by Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. The new S12572-050C is a successor to the S10362-33-050C (i.e., conventional 3×3-mm{sup 2} pixel MPPC of 50 μm pitch), comprises 3600 Geiger mode avalanche photodiodes (APDs), and also features high gain (up to 1.25×10{sup 6}), a low dark count (up to 10{sup 6} cps), and improved photon detection efficiency (PDE) by up to 30%. The S12572-015C is a new type of fine-pitch (15 μm) MPPC featuring a wide dynamic range and fast timing response. This paper first presents the detailed performance of these latest MPPCs as photon counting devices. It then describes our fabrication of a prototype detector consisting of a MPPC optically coupled with a Ce:GAGG scintillator. We obtained average FWHM energy resolutions of 7.3% (15 μm) and 6.7% (new-50 μm), as compared to 6.9% (old-50 μm) for 662-keV gamma rays from the {sup 137}Cs source, as measured at 20 °C. Moreover, the number of fired pixels for 662-keV gamma rays increased by 30% for the new-50 μm (as compared to the old-50 μm). We confirmed that the low energy threshold improved from 10 keV to 4 keV, when using the latest MPPC device (new-50 μm). We also confirmed that the timing resolution of the new MPPC is 50 ps or even better, as compared to 89 ps of the old MPPC. The results thus confirm that these new types of MPPCs are promising for various applications as scintillation detectors. - Highlights: • We tested the performance of the latest MPPC. • We confirmed that the new MPPC is superior to the old MPPC. • We plan to apply the new MPPC for a next-generation PET and a handy Compton camera.

[The 20 to 29 year old population: sociodemographic profile].

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez, A

1990-01-01

The age group born in 1960-69 and currently 20 to 29 years old is of great interest in Mexico because it has been most affected by changes in fertility, education, and employment. The cohort was born at the period of highest fertility in Mexico¿s history. While families of their parents¿ generation averaged 5 or 6 children, evidence suggests that the 1960-69 cohort will average just 3. Men born in 1960-69 had on average 6.8 years of schooling and women 5.9, compared to 5 years for the population over age 15 as a whole. 88% of the men, 40% of the women, and 64% overall are economically active. The cohort arrived at working age in the midst of an economic crisis marked by declining purchasing power, loss of jobs in noncompetitive industries, and reduced government employment. A high proportion of the cohort had low incomes, with 36% earning less than the minimum salary. Among women, 45% aged 20-24 and 19% aged 25-29 were single, compared to 62% and 46% of men in the same age groups. 10% of the women and 9% of the men in union lived with the partner¿s family. The population aged 20-29 numbered slightly under 16.9 million in 1990 and constituted 18.4% of the total population. The group will increase by nearly 2.9 million between 1990-95, and can be expected to exert considerable pressure on demand for employment and housing.

Status of the T20 experiment at VEPP--3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popov, S.G.; Mishnev, S.I.; Nikolenko, D.M.; Petrov, D.V.; Rachek, I.A.; Sukhanov, A.V.; Toporkov, D.K.; Tsentalovich, E.P.; Volosov, A.V.; Wojtsekhowski, B.B.; Jones, C.E.; Kowalczyk, R.S.; Poelker, M.; Potterveld, D.H.; Young, L.; Holt, R.J.; Gilman, R.; Kinney, E.R.; Coulter, K.P.; Theunissen, J.A.P.; de Jager, C.W.; de Vries, H.; Nelyubin, V.V.; Vikhrov, V.V.; Osipov, A.N.; Stibunov, V.N.

1995-01-01

Using a gaseous polarized deuterium and the 2 GeV electron beam at 2 GeV beam energy the tensor analyzing power, T 20 , for the NN potential will be measured with the elastic rvec d(e,e) reaction at VEPP-3, Novosibirsk. A description and progress report of the experiment is given

Characterizing Adult Sleep Behavior Over 20 Years-The Population-Based Doetinchem Cohort Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zomers, Margot L; Hulsegge, Gerben; van Oostrom, Sandra H; Proper, Karin I.; Verschuren, W M Monique; Picavet, H. Susan J

2017-01-01

Study Objectives: To describe sleep duration patterns of adults over a 20-year period; to compare sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health characteristics across these patterns; and to relate the patterns to sleep quality. Methods: The study population consisted of 3695 adults aged 20 to 59 years at

The latest progress of TILLING technique and its prospects in irradiation mutation breeding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du Yan; Yu Lixia; Liu Qingfang; Zhou Libin; Li Wenjian

2011-01-01

TILLING (Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes) is a novel, high-throughput and low-cost reverse genetics technique. In recent years, with innovation of the mutation screening techniques, TILLING platform has become more diversified, which makes the operation of TILLING technique more simple and rapid. For this reason, it is widely used in crop breeding research. In this paper, we summarized the latest progress of TILLING technique, meanwhile, we also discussed the prospect of combining irradiation mutation with the high-throughput TILLING technique in mutation breeding. (authors)

Latest progress of BIGH3 gene in corneal diseases and diabetic retinopathy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fan-Qian Song

2017-03-01

Full Text Available BIGH3 gene plays an important role in ocular diseases. On the one hand, it is closely related to the occurrence of corneal diseases. BIGH3 gene can inhibit corneal neovascularization, lead to corneal dystrophy, participate in keratoconus formation. On the other hand, it can lead to the formation of neovascularization in diabetic retinopathy. The latest experiments show that TGF beta secreted by macrophages can promote the expression of BIGH3 mRNA and BIGH3 protein, and promote apoptosis of retinal endothelial cells and pericytes, which leads to the formation of neovascularization in diabetic retinopathy. This article will describe the new progress of BIGH3 gene in ocular diseases from several aspects as mentioned above.

Research on plant utilization and adaptation to environment of human in Guangxi of Southern China during the latest 30000 years

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Y.; Xie, G.

2017-12-01

It is an important scientific problem in the study of the relationship between man and land to select the key areas and important periods of human evolution. In the latest 30 thousand years, it is an important period for late Pleistocene climate change, which has a profound impact on human evolution. Southern China including Guangxi has a unique geographical landscape pattern and unique vegetation and climate background, which is not only an important channel for the diffusion and migration of ancient humans but also an ideal refuge to avoid climate changes. It preserved the rich archaeological remains of the evolution and development of human beings, and provided a rare place for the adaptive strategies of human survival and early the environment. In this paper, Yahuai cave site in Guangxi will be selected for investigation. We will analyze the continuous accumulation of ancient human remains, and utilized AMS14C to reconstruct the dating framework. We will also extract the plant information and environment of the site through pollen, phytolith, grain and starch grains. We will further explore the succession mode of utilization of plant resources and its relationship with climate change and reveal the adaptability to the environment and strategy.

A search for sterile neutrinos with the latest cosmological observations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, Lu; Zhang, Jing-Fei [Northeastern University, Department of Physics, College of Sciences, Shenyang (China); Zhang, Xin [Northeastern University, Department of Physics, College of Sciences, Shenyang (China); Peking University, Center for High Energy Physics, Beijing (China)

2017-06-15

We report the result of a search for sterile neutrinos with the latest cosmological observations. Both cases of massless and massive sterile neutrinos are considered in the ΛCDM cosmology. The cosmological observations used in this work include the Planck 2015 temperature and polarization data, the baryon acoustic oscillation data, the Hubble constant direct measurement data, the Planck Sunyaev-Zeldovich cluster counts data, the Planck lensing data, and the cosmic shear data. We find that the current observational data give a hint of the existence of massless sterile neutrino (as dark radiation) at the 1.44σ level, and the consideration of an extra massless sterile neutrino can indeed relieve the tension between observations and improve the cosmological fit. For the case of massive sterile neutrino, the observations give a rather tight upper limit on the mass, which implies that actually a massless sterile neutrino is more favored. Our result is consistent with the recent result of neutrino oscillation experiment done by the Daya Bay and MINOS collaborations, as well as the recent result of cosmic ray experiment done by the IceCube collaboration. (orig.)

Satisfaction with dental care and life-course predictors: A 20-year prospective study of a Swedish 1942 birth cohort?

Science.gov (United States)

Ekbäck, Gunnar; Ordell, Sven; Ståhlnacke, Katri

2016-01-01

The aim was to assess the impact of care experience, health factors and socioeconomic factors on satisfaction with dental care across time and to assess the stability or change in levels of self-reported satisfaction with dental care in individuals as they progress from middle age to early old age. The present work is based on five separate data collections from a cohort study with 3585 individuals responding in all years of the survey. Data collection was conducted in 1992 when the subjects were 50 years of age and again 5, 10, 15 and 20 years later. Absolute stability in satisfaction with dental care was assessed by calculating the proportion of individuals who maintained their position in the same category from one survey period to another. Changes across time were tested using Cochran's Q test. Satisfaction with dental care across the 20-year survey period was modeled using the generalized estimating equation (GEE). The result showed that 85% of women and 83% of men remained satisfied with dental care. Binomial GEE revealed no statistical significant change in satisfaction with dental care between 1992-2012. In sum, this study has shown that this age group, born in 1942, was stably satisfied with dental care between age 50 and age 70, despite all changes during this time period. Females are more satisfied than men and the most important factors are the experience of attention during the last visit, satisfaction with dental appearance and good chewing capability.

Transforming patient experience: health web science meets medicine 2.0.

Science.gov (United States)

McHattie, Lynn-Sayers; Cumming, Grant; French, Tara

2014-01-01

Until recently, the Western biomedical paradigm has been effective in delivering health care, however this model is not positioned to tackle complex societal challenges or solve the current problems facing health care and delivery. The future of medicine requires a shift to a patient-centric model and in so doing the Internet has a significant role to play. The disciplines of Health Web Science and Medicine 2.0 are pivotal to this approach. This viewpoint paper argues that these disciplines, together with the field of design, can tackle these challenges. Drawing together ideas from design practice and research, complexity theory, and participatory action research we depict design as an approach that is fundamentally social and linked to concepts of person-centered care. We discuss the role of design, specifically co-design, in understanding the social, psychological, and behavioral dimensions of illness and the implications for the design of future care towards transforming the patient experience. This paper builds on the presentations and subsequent interdisciplinary dialogue that developed from the panel session "Transforming Patient Experience: Health Web Science Meets Web 2.0" at the 2013 Medicine 2.0 conference in London.

Transforming Patient Experience: Health Web Science Meets Medicine 2.0

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Until recently, the Western biomedical paradigm has been effective in delivering health care, however this model is not positioned to tackle complex societal challenges or solve the current problems facing health care and delivery. The future of medicine requires a shift to a patient-centric model and in so doing the Internet has a significant role to play. The disciplines of Health Web Science and Medicine 2.0 are pivotal to this approach. This viewpoint paper argues that these disciplines, together with the field of design, can tackle these challenges. Drawing together ideas from design practice and research, complexity theory, and participatory action research we depict design as an approach that is fundamentally social and linked to concepts of person-centered care. We discuss the role of design, specifically co-design, in understanding the social, psychological, and behavioral dimensions of illness and the implications for the design of future care towards transforming the patient experience. This paper builds on the presentations and subsequent interdisciplinary dialogue that developed from the panel session "Transforming Patient Experience: Health Web Science Meets Web 2.0" at the 2013 Medicine 2.0 conference in London. PMID:25075246

20 Years of ClO Measurements in the Antarctic Lower Stratosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Nedoluha, Gerald E.; Connor, Brian J.; Mooney, Thomas; Barrett, James W.; Parrish, Alan; Gomez, R. Michael; Boyd, Ian; Allen, Douglas R.; Kotkamp, Michael; Kremser, Stefanie;

Radiotherapy for stage I Hodgkin's disease: 20 years experience at St Bartholomew's Hospital

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganesan, T.S.; Wrigley, P.F.M.; Murray, P.A.

1990-01-01

One hundred and one consecutive patients with newly diagnosed stage I Hodgkin's disease (HD) received treatment at St Bartholomew's Hospital, between 1968 and 1987, with a median follow-up of 12 years. Actuarial analysis predicts 78% to be alive and without relapse of Hodgkin's disease at 15 years. Ninety evaluable patients received either mantle or inverted 'Y' radiotherapy. Histology at presentation was nodular sclerosing (39), lymphocytic predominant (27) or mixed cellularity (24). The presenting site was neck (78), axilla (6) groin (4) and mediastinum (2). Complete remission was achieved in all evaluable patients, the actuarial proportion in remission being 75% at 15 years. Factors predictive of a prolonged remission were pathological staging versus clinical staging and lymph node size < 3 cm. Actuarial overall survival in these 90 patients was 75% at 15 years. Relapse of HD has occurred in 18 patients. Second remission was achieved in 15/18. The actuarial rate of second remission and survival was 40% at 10 years. Sixteen patients have died, 7 of Hodgkin's disease, 7 of unrelated causes and 2 of second malignancy. A further 3 patients who developed second malignancy are still alive. At 15 years the actuarial mortality related to HD was 12%. These results confirm the importance of long follow up to assess the efficacy of primary therapy. (author)

The fate of stranded oil at the BIOS site twenty years after the experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owens, E.H.; Sergy, G.A.; Prince, R.C.

2002-01-01

As part of the 1981 Baffin Island Oil Spill (BIOS) Project, 15 cubic metres of aged crude oil was released onto the shores of an experimental beach at Cape Hatt, northern Baffin Island, Canada. The oil was left to weather naturally and the distribution, quantity and character of the oil was monitored over time. The experiment provided a unique opportunity to study and sample oil as it weathers over a 20 year period in a low-energy, arctic environment. Over the 20 years of the study, the oil was exposed to weathering processes for about 40 months during ice-free periods. While most of the stranded oil was removed in the first few months of open water immediately following the experiment, some small surface patches still persist. It was noted that there has been very little change in the distribution or in the physical condition of the oil patches between 1993 and 2001. Geochemical analysis reveals that some samples are unaltered despite more than 20 years of exposure to elements. Other samples indicate that biodegradation and photo-oxidation play a major role in removing most of the components of the oil in this low-energy arctic environment. Some highly biodegraded samples had less than 87 per cent of the original hydrocarbons. The study revealed that there are 4 stages in the evolution of the stranded oil: (1) initial rapid refloating of oil during the first 24 to 48 hours in 1981, (2) period of relative stability up to the formation of an asphalt pavement within 4 open-water months, (3) degradation of an asphalt pavement in the upper intertidal zone over a 10-month open-water period from August 1983 to August 1989, and (4) disintegration of the pavement after 1989 and before August 1991, with soft interstitial surface oil still present in 2001. 21 refs., 1 tab., 1 fig

Smoke Inhalation and Cyanide Poisoning: 20 Years of Paris Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baud, F. J.

2007-01-01

Hydroxocobalamin has been used as a cyanide poisoning antidote for many years in France. It has recently been approved by the US FDA. In Paris, hydroxocobalamin is carried by the Brigade de Sapeurs Pompiers (Paris Fire Brigade) in mobile intensive care vehicles and has been administered empirically to victims of enclosed-space fire smoke inhalation who meet the criteria of having soot in the nose, mouth, or throat, any alteration in mental status or disturbance in consciousness, and especially if any degree of hypotension is present (BP less than or equal to 100 mmHg systolic). The administration of hydroxocobalamin at the scene was shown to be safe. Hydroxocobalamin has also been efficacious and safe in 'pure' cyanide poisoning, as long as brain death has not already occurred. A 'toxidrome' of cyanide poisoning has been developed in our institution in Paris, and its application can assist in making the diagnosis of this life-threatening poisoning which cannot be emergent diagnosed by currently-available laboratory methods.(author)

Kaposi sarcoma appearing 20 year post renal transplant | Yassir ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A kidney- transplanted Saudi patient presented with a skin rash for which he was treated as fungal infection .The patient developed these lesions 20 years after transplantation. The clinical picture was that of Kaposi\\'s sarcoma which was confirmed by histopathology .The patient developed these lesions after he was shifted ...

Mortality in acromegaly: a 20-year follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritvonen, Elina; Löyttyniemi, Eliisa; Jaatinen, Pia; Ebeling, Tapani; Moilanen, Leena; Nuutila, Pirjo; Kauppinen-Mäkelin, Ritva; Schalin-Jäntti, Camilla

2016-06-01

It is unclear whether mortality still is increased in acromegaly and whether there are gender-related differences. We dynamically assessed outcome during long-term follow-up in our nationwide cohort. We studied standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) relative to the general population and causes of death in acromegaly (n=333) compared with age- and gender-matched controls (n=4995). During 20 (0-33) years follow-up, 113 (34%) patients (n=333, 52% women) and 1334 (27%) controls (n=4995) died (P=0.004). SMR (1.9, 95% CI: 1.53-2.34, Pacromegaly. Overall distribution of causes of death (Pacromegaly, but not in controls, causes of deaths shifted from 44% cardiovascular and 28% cancer deaths during the first decade, to 23% cardiovascular and 35% cancer deaths during the next two decades. In acromegaly, cancer deaths were mostly attributed to pancreatic adenocarcinoma (n=5), breast (n=4), lung (n=3) and colon (n=3) carcinoma. In acromegaly, men were younger than women at diagnosis (median 44.5 vs 50 years, Pacromegaly, men are younger at diagnosis and death than women. Compared with controls, mortality is increased during 20 years of follow-up, especially in women. Causes of deaths shift from predominantly cardiovascular to cancer deaths. © 2016 Society for Endocrinology.

The neutron lifetime experiment PENeLOPE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schreyer, Wolfgang [Technische Universitaet Muenchen (Germany); Collaboration: PENeLOPE-Collaboration

2015-07-01

The neutron lifetime τ{sub n}=880.3±1.1 s is an important parameter in the Standard Model of particle physics and in Big Bang cosmology. Several systematic corrections of previously published results reduced the PDG world average by several σ in the last years and call for a new experiment with complementary systematics. The experiment PENeLOPE, currently under construction at the Physik-Department of Technische Universitaet Muenchen, aims to determine the neutron lifetime with a precision of 0.1 s. It will trap ultra-cold neutrons in a magneto-gravitational trap using a large superconducting magnet and will measure their lifetime by both neutron counting and online proton detection. This presentation gives an overview over the latest developments of the experiment.

[Latest trends and recommendations on epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)].

Science.gov (United States)

Gabuev, A; Oelke, M

2011-05-01

A re-evaluation of established tests and treatments has become necessary after publication of several new guidelines on BPH during the past two years. This article describes the latest developments concerning epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of BPH. Diagnostic and treatment guidelines on BPH of the German, European, or North American urologists as well as UK doctors were reviewed according to key articles and latest modifications. The only German epidemiological trial on BPH demonstrated that all components of the BPH disease (symptoms - prostate enlargement - bladder outlet obstruction) increase with ageing. 27 % of German men will have disease progression within the next 5 years. Risk factors for disease progression are: age, symptoms, prostate size, PSA, urinary flow rate, and postvoiding residual urine. Diagnosis aims to distinguish BPH from other diseases with similar symptoms, quantify the BPH components, and estimate the individual risk of disease progression. BPH is an exclusion diagnosis. Ultrasonic measurement of detrusor wall thickness at the anterior wall of bladders filled with ≥ 250 mL can securely detect bladder outlet obstruction if the value is ≥ 2 mm. Watchful waiting and lifestyle modifications are suitable for men with mild symptoms and low disease progression risk. All drugs used in BPH treatment reduce symptoms but have no influence on bladder outlet obstruction. α-blockers are first-line drugs and may be combined with muscarinic receptor antagonists or 5α-reductase inhibitors to further increase efficacy. Prostate surgery is indicated when drug treatment is insufficient, the patient develops complications in the upper or lower urinary tract (absolute indications), or has severe bladder outlet obstruction. Standard operations are TURP in small (≤ 80 mL) or open prostatectomy in large prostates (> 80 mL). Minimally invasive, alter-native surgeries may be considered in selected men and -offer advantages with regard to the risk of

Zika virus: the latest newcomer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan-Carlos eSaiz

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Since the beginning of this century, humanity has been facing a new emerging, or re-emerging, virus threat almost every year: West Nile, Influenza A, avian flu, dengue, Chikungunya, SARS, MERS, Ebola, and now Zika, the latest newcomer. Zika virus (ZIKV, a flavivirus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, was identified in 1947 in a sentinel monkey in Uganda, and later on in humans in Nigeria. The virus was mainly confined to the African continent until it was detected in south-east Asia the 1980´s, then in the Micronesia in 2007 and, more recently in the Americas in 2014, where it has displayed an explosive spread, as advised by the World Health Organization (WHO, which resulted in the infection of hundreds of thousands of people. ZIKV infection was characterized by causing a mild disease presented with fever, headache, rash, arthralgia, and conjunctivitis, with exceptional reports of an association with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS and microcephaly. However, since the end of 2015, an increase in the number of GBS associated cases and an astonishing number of microcephaly in foetus and new-borns in Brazil have been related to ZIKV infection, raising serious worldwide public health concerns. Clarifying such worrisome relationships is, thus, a current unavoidable goal. Here, we extensively review what is currently known about ZIKV, from molecular biology, transmission routes, ecology and epidemiology, to clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, diagnosis, prophylaxis and public health.

First Year Experiences in School of Mechanical Engineering Kanazawa University

Science.gov (United States)

Kinari, Toshiyasu; Kanjin, Yuichi; Furuhata, Toru; Tada, Yukio

This paper reports two lectures of the first year experience, ‧Lecture on Life in Campus and Society‧ and ‧Freshman Seminar‧ and discusses their effects. Both lectures have been given freshmen of the school of mechanical engineering, Kanazawa University in H20 spring term. The former lecture is aimed at freshmen to keep on a proper way in both social and college life. It consists of normal class and e-learning system lectures. E-learning system examination requires students to review the whole text book and that seems to have brought better results in the survey. The latter seminar is aimed at freshmen to get active and self-disciplined learning way through their investigation, discussion, presentation, writing work, and so on.

International Perspectives on the First-Year Experience in Higher Education. The First-Year Experience Monograph Series No. 52

Science.gov (United States)

Nutt, Diane, Ed.; Calderon, Denis, Ed.

2009-01-01

Students around the globe have unique first-year experiences but struggle with many of the same challenges. This monograph focuses on their journeys and provides insights for educators interested in learning about how institutions across the globe provide supports to students dealing with first-year transition issues. Based on the successful…

The Elon Gap Experience: A Transformative First-Year Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Stephen T.; Burr, Katherine H.; Waters, Rexford A.; Hall, Eric E.

2016-01-01

The Elon Gap Experience (EGE) was conceived out of Elon University's most recent strategic plan, the Elon Commitment (Elon University, 2009). One theme calls for "strategic and innovative pathways in undergraduate and graduate education," specifically "to launch a service program as part of a gap-year program" (Elon University,…

Double Valve Replacement (Mitral and Aortic for Rheumatic Heart Disease: A 20-year experience with 300 patients.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prashant Mishra

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Rheumatic heart disease still remains one of the leading causes of congestive heart failure and death owing to valvular pathologies, in developing countries. Valve replacement still remains the treatment of choice in such patients.The aim of this study wasto analyze the postoperative outcome of  double valve replacement (Mitral and Aortic in patients of rheumatic heart disease. Materials and Methods: Between 1988 and 2008, 300 patients of rheumatic heart disease underwent double (Mitral and Aortic valve replacement with Starr Edwards valve or St Jude mechanical valve prosthesis were implanted. These patients were studied retrospectively for preoperative data and postoperative outcome including causes of early and late deaths and the data was analyzed statistically. Results: The 30-day hospital death rate was 11.3% andlate death occurred in 11.6%. Anticoagulant regimen was followed to maintain the target pro-thrombin time at 1.5 times the control value. The actuarial survival (exclusive of hospital mortality was 92.4%, 84.6%, and 84.4%, per year at 5, 10, and 20 years, respectively Conclusions: In view of the acknowledged advantageof superior durability, increased thromboresistance in our patient population, and its cost effectiveness the Starr-Edwards ball valve or St. Jude valve is the mechanical prosthesis of choice for advanced combined valvular disease. The low-intensity anticoagulant regimen has offered suffcient protection against thromboembolism as well as hemorrhage.

Four-year experience with methotrexate exposures.

Science.gov (United States)

LoVecchio, Frank; Katz, Kenneth; Watts, David; Wood, Ian

2008-09-01

Unintentional methotrexate (MTX) acute oral overdose is rarely reported. We conducted a retrospective chart review of all human exposure calls (>150,000 charts) for MTX ingestions reported to our Poison Center during 2000-2003. Thirteen patients met the criteria. The average amount of MTX ingested was 13.03 mg (data from 7 cases), and the average patient age was 43 years (20 months to 80 years). No significant toxicities occurred. Although intravenous MTX toxicity can be severe, this does not appear to be a phenomenon associated with either acute unintentional or suicidal oral ingestion.

The Latest from ATLAS

CERN Multimedia

2009-01-01

Since November 2008, ATLAS has undertaken detailed maintenance, consolidation and repair work on the detector (see Bulletin of 20 July 2009). Today, the fraction of the detector that is operational has increased compared to last year: less than 1% of dead channels for most of the sub-systems. "We are going to start taking data this year with a detector which is even more efficient than it was last year," agrees ATLAS Spokesperson, Fabiola Gianotti. By mid-September the detector was fully closed again, and the cavern sealed. The magnet system has been operated at nominal current for extensive periods over recent months. Once the cavern was sealed, ATLAS began two weeks of combined running. Right now, subsystems are joining the run incrementally until the point where the whole detector is integrated and running as one. In the words of ATLAS Technical Coordinator, Marzio Nessi: "Now we really start physics." In parallel, the analysis ...

Practical Applications and Experiences in K-20 Blended Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Kyei-Blankson, Lydia, Ed.; Ntuli, Esther, Ed.

2014-01-01

Learning environments continue to change considerably and is no longer confined to the face-to-face classroom setting. As learning options have evolved, educators must adopt a variety of pedagogical strategies and innovative technologies to enable learning. "Practical Applications and Experiences in K-20 Blended Learning Environments"…

20 CFR 220.130 - Work experience as a vocational factor.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Work experience as a vocational factor. 220.130 Section 220.130 Employees' Benefits RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD... amount of walking, standing, sitting, lifting and carrying the claimant did during the work day, as well...

[False aneurysm on dacron prosthesis, 20 years after aortofemoral bypass].

Science.gov (United States)

Illuminati, G; Bertagni, A; Nasti, A G; Montesano, G

2001-10-01

A 85-year-old male developed a false, non septic, non anastomotic aneurysm, 20 years after right aorto-femoral Dacron grafting for claudication. On account of the proximity to the femoral anastomosis, and the association with a profunda femoris stenosis, a conventional surgical repair was preferred to an endovascular treatment. The patient underwent a successful aneurysm resection followed by PTFE interposition between the primary graft and the profunda femoris artery, with uneventful recovery.

Exploiting the information revolution: call for independent evaluation of the latest English national experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Philip

2015-02-19

The English National Health Service (NHS) has a long history of national experiments with information technology; some successful, others less so. The NHS England Five Year Forward View aspires to 'Exploit the information revolution' through the transformational work of the National Information Board (NIB). NIB has published a 'Framework for Action' that promotes citizen empowerment, information availability, transparency, public trust, innovation, informatics skills and societal value. The framework sets out many laudable and common sense ambitions, but is light on evidence to support its aspirations, or plans for its evaluation. Considerable resource was invested in evaluation studies in the later stages of the National Programme for IT in England, but the analyses do not seem to have been included. Most of the cited evidence is from an unpublished report by management consultants rather than independent peer-reviewed work. National experiments of this importance should be evidence based and properly evaluated so that each iteration of 'information revolution' produces an evidence base to inform subsequent generations of care provision models and technology innovation. Evaluation should be planned from the very start rather than added in as an afterthought. Like any good business plan there should be defined critical success factors for health and social care, and a declaration of how they might be measured. Unintended consequences should be qualitatively explored. Evaluation should also consider critical-interpretive social perspectives to understand the human factors in technology deployment and should seek a theoretically informed insight into the mechanisms of change. The NHS Five Year Forward View and the NIB framework set out challenging ambitions based on transformative use of information technology and collaborative partnerships with commissioners and providers. The framework stands up very well against the Hayes principles, but the learning opportunities

Latest German-English Terminology in CADCAM and Robotics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussain, S M

2014-01-01

As a technical translator who speaks German fluently, the author would like to study and display the latest bilingual technical terminology in German being used in hardware, software and process technology involved in CADCAM and ROBOTICS. This will greatly help technical translators to correctly translate difficult texts from this area of technology

PANCREATODUODENECTOMY (WHIPPLE’S PROCEDURE FOR THE MENAGEMENT OF CARCINOMA OF THE PANCREAS – OWN EXPERIENCE AND 20-YEAR SERIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stane Repše

2002-07-01

Full Text Available Background. Pancreatoduodenectomy – the procedure of choice in patients with pancreatic head cancer – has the reputation as a high risk operation with frequent postoperative complications, high postoperative mortality and poor 5-year survival. The development of the operative technique in the world and in Slovenia is presented. The autor’s own 20-year series of patients resected by this method is analysed.Patients and methods. In the period from Jan. 1981 to Dec. 2000 the author resected 58 patients with pancreatic head or periampular cancer. They underwent presumably radical or only paliative procedure (R0, R1, R2 – 30 patients with periampullary tumours and 28 patients with ductal adenocarcinoma. In 52 patients classical Whipple pancreatoduodenectomy was performed and in 6 patients pylorus preserving pancreatoduodenectomy. In 8 patients it was necessary to enlarge the resection – 4 times to partial resection of portal vein, once to total pancreatectomy, once to extended right hemicolectomy and twice to simultaneous resection of liver methastasis.Results. During postoperative course 6 patients had to be reoperated for surgical complications. Three patients died in the 30 days after operation – postoperative mortality rate 5.2%. Five-year survival rate is known only for the patients who are Slovene residents (38/58. Among them 5 patients lived longer than 5 years (107, 100, 87, 80 and 69 months. At the end of 2001 only 4 resected patients were alive – 2 women (3.5 and 3 years after surgery and 2 men (4 and 3.5 year after surgery. The 5-year survival rate calculated by Kaplan-Meier method is 22.6%.Conclusions. In spite of numerous postoperative complications and high postoperative mortality pancreatoduodenectomy is the method of choice in pancreatic head cancer patients. It is possible to improve the outcome to lower the postoperative mortality below 5% and to raise the 5-year survival of resected patients over 25%.

Cryogen free high magnetic field and low temperature sample environments for neutron scattering - latest developments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burgoyne, John

2016-01-01

Continuous progress has been made over many years now in the provision of low- and ultra-low temperature sample environments, together with new high-field superconducting magnets and increased convenience for both the user and the neutron research facility via new cooling technologies. Within Oxford Instrument's experience, this has been achieved in many cases through close collaboration with neutron scientists, and with the neutron facilities' sample environment leaders in particular. Superconducting magnet designs ranging from compact Small Angle (SANS) systems up to custom-engineered wide-angle scattering systems have been continuously developed. Recondensing, or 'zero boil-off' (ZBO), systems are well established for situations in which a high field magnet is not conducive to totally cryogen free cooling solutions, and offer a reliable route with the best trade-offs of maximum system capability versus running costs and user convenience. Fully cryogen free solutions for cryostats, dilution refrigerators, and medium-field magnets are readily available. Here we will present the latest technology developments in these options, describing the state-of-the art, the relative advantages of each, and the opportunities they offer to the neutron science community. (author)

Collaborative learning through advanced Web2.0 practices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tambouris, Efthimios; Panopoulou, Eleni; Tarabanis, Konstantinos

2010-01-01

Latest advances in ICT have started impacting also the field of education and training. Social computing and Web2.0 technologies have brought vigorous opportunities for learning and have realised a shift of the web‟s role in learning from an information carrier to a facilitator for the creation...

Latest LHCb measurements of Electroweak Boson Production in Run-1

CERN Document Server

CERN. Geneva

2015-01-01

We present the latest LHCb measurements of forward Electroweak Boson Production using proton-proton collisions recorded in LHC Run-1. The seminar shall discuss measurements of the 8 TeV W & Z boson production cross-sections. These results make use of LHCb's excellent integrated luminosity determination to provide constraints on the parton distribution functions which describe the inner structure of the proton. These LHCb measurements probe a region of phase space at low Bjorken-x where the other LHC experiments have limited sensitivity. We also present measurements of cross-section ratios, and ratios of results in 7 TeV and 8 TeV proton-proton collisions. These results provide precision tests of the Standard Model. The seminar shall also present a measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry (A_FB) in Z boson decays to two muons. This result allows for precision tests of the coupling of the Z boson to left and right handed particles, providing sensitivity to the effective weak mixing angle (...

Looking Back and Ahead: 20 Years of Technologies for Language Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Godwin-Jones, Robert

2016-01-01

Over the last 20 years Robert Godwin-Jones has written 48 columns on "Emerging Technologies"; an additional six columns have been written by guest columnists. Several topics have been re-examined in regular intervals of approximately five years, namely digital literacy (Vol. 4, Num. 2; Vol. 10, Num. 2; Vol. 14, Num. 3; Vol. 19, Num. 3)…

Latest Development in Superconducting RF Structures for beta=1 Particle Acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peter Kneisel

2006-01-01

Superconducting RF technology is since nearly a decade routinely applied to different kinds of accelerating devices: linear accelerators, storage rings, synchrotron light sources and FEL's. With the technology recommendation for the International Linear Collider (ILC) a year ago, new emphasis has been placed on improving the performance of accelerating cavities both in Q-value and in accelerating gradients with the goal to achieve performance levels close to the fundamental limits given by the material parameters of the choice material, niobium. This paper will summarize the challenges to SRF technology and will review the latest developments in superconducting structure design. Additionally, it will give an overview of the newest results and will report on the developments in alternative materials and technologies

The DAFT/FADA Survey status and latest results

Science.gov (United States)

Guennou, L.

2011-12-01

We present here the latest results obtained from the American French collaboration called the Dark energy American French Team/French American DArk energy Team (DAFT/FADA). The goal of the DAFT/FADA collaboration is to carry out a weak lensing tomography survey of z = 0.4-0.9 rich clusters of galaxies. Unlike supernovae or other methods such as cluster of galaxy counts, weak lensing tomography is purely based on geometry and does not depend on knowledge of the physics of the objects used as distance indicators. In addition, the reason for analyzing observations in the direction of clusters is that the shear signal is enhanced by about 10 over the field. Our work will eventually contain results obtained on 91 rich clusters from the HST archive combined with ground based work to obtain photo-zs. This combination of photo-z and weak lensing tomography will enable us to constrain the equation of state of dark energy. We present here the latest results obtained so far in this study.

20 years of ClO measurements in the Antarctic lower stratosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Nedoluha, Gerald E.; Connor, Brian J.; Mooney, Thomas; Barrett, James W.; Parrish, Alan; Gomez, R. Michael; Boyd, Ian; Allen, Douglas R.; Kotkamp, Michael; Kremser, Stefanie; Deshler, Terry; Newman, Paul; Santee, Michelle L.

2016-08-01

We present 20 years (1996-2015) of austral springtime measurements of chlorine monoxide (ClO) over Antarctica from the Chlorine Oxide Experiment (ChlOE1) ground-based millimeter wave spectrometer at Scott Base, Antarctica, as well 12 years (2004-2015) of ClO measurements from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS). From August onwards we observe a strong increase in lower stratospheric ClO, with a peak column amount usually occurring in early September. From mid-September onwards we observe a strong decrease in ClO. In order to study interannual differences, we focus on a 3-week period from 28 August to 17 September for each year and compare the average column ClO anomalies. These column ClO anomalies are shown to be highly correlated with the average ozone mass deficit for September and October of each year. We also show that anomalies in column ClO are strongly anti-correlated with 30 hPa temperature anomalies, both on a daily and an interannual timescale. Making use of this anti-correlation we calculate the linear dependence of the interannual variations in column ClO on interannual variations in temperature. By making use of this relationship, we can better estimate the underlying trend in the total chlorine (Cly = HCl + ClONO2 + HOCl + 2 × Cl2 + 2 × Cl2O2 + ClO + Cl). The resultant trends in Cly, which determine the long-term trend in ClO, are estimated to be -0.5 ± 0.2, -1.4 ± 0.9, and -0.6 ± 0.4 % year-1, for zonal MLS, Scott Base MLS (both 2004-2015), and ChlOE (1996-2015) respectively. These trends are within 1σ of trends in stratospheric Cly previously found at other latitudes. The decrease in ClO is consistent with the trend expected from regulations enacted under the Montreal Protocol.

The latest dictionary of nuclear energy term

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-06-01

This book is the latest dictionary of nuclear energy term. It deals with explanations of nuclear energy term in alphabetical order. It also lists abbreviation of nuclear energy term. This book contains symbol and unit, radiation units, greek letters, the symbol of for element, the table of an isotope and the periodic table on nuclear power term. It includes glossary of nuclear power in Korean and French and conceptual map about development of nuclear power.

Heterogeneous computing with OpenCL 2.0

CERN Document Server

Kaeli, David R; Schaa, Dana; Zhang, Dong Ping

2015-01-01

Heterogeneous Computing with OpenCL 2.0 teaches OpenCL and parallel programming for complex systems that may include a variety of device architectures: multi-core CPUs, GPUs, and fully-integrated Accelerated Processing Units (APUs). This fully-revised edition includes the latest enhancements in OpenCL 2.0 including: Shared virtual memory to increase programming flexibility and reduce data transfers that consume resources Dynamic parallelism which reduces processor load and avoids bottlenecks Improved imaging support and integration with OpenGL  Designed to work on multiple platfor

Diabetes, glycosuria, and proteinuria in a Japanese cohort followed for 20 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brodsky, J.B.; Moore, D.F.; Hamilton, H.B.; Kawate, Ryoso.

1988-07-01

An analysis of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, glycosuria, and proteinuria in a Japanese cohort, which has been followed for 20 years, is presented. For the last 14 years of follow-up in Hiroshima, the sex-specific incidence rates of diabetes were approximately constant at 1.2 - 1.4 cases/100 per 2-year interval for males (p > .50) and at 0.5 - 0.6 cases/100 per 2-year interval for females (p > .20). The diagnosis of diabetes depended on first screening for glycosuria and then administering an oral glucose tolerance test only to those with glycosuria. The relatively greater prevalence of glycosuria and diabetes among males has also been noted by others using similar methods. It has been reported elsewhere that if the glucose tolerance test were used to screen for diabetes, the sex difference may not be apparent. The prevalence of diabetes increased over the course of study (p < .001), and the increase was attributed to aging of the cohort. The size of the undiagnosed diabetic population was estimated and the observed prevalence rate was determined to be about 75 % of the actual prevalence rate at the end of 8 years of follow-up and to be about 89 % of the actual prevalence rate at the end of 20 years of follow-up. Proteinuria prevalence was 4.3 % in nondiabetics, 23.5 % in Hiroshima diabetics, and 18.7 % in Nagasaki diabetics. The differences in prevalence rates between nondiabetics and diabetics were highly significant (p < .001). (author)

Time trends in upper gastrointestinal diseases and Helicobacter pylori infection in a multiracial Asian population--a 20-year experience over three time periods.

Science.gov (United States)

Leow, A H-R; Lim, Y-Y; Liew, W-C; Goh, K-L

2016-04-01

Marked epidemiological changes in upper gastrointestinal diseases and Helicobacter pylori infection have taken place in the Asian Pacific region. In particular, differences with respect to race in the multiracial Asian population in Malaysia have been important and interesting. A time trend study of upper gastrointestinal disease and H. pylori infection in three time periods: 1989-1990, 1999-2000 and 2009-2010 spanning a period of 20 years was carried out. Consecutive first time gastroscopies carried out on patients attending the University of Malaya Medical Center were studied. Diagnoses and H. pylori infection status were carefully recorded. A steady decline in prevalence of duodenal ulcer (DU) and gastric ulcer (GU) from 21.1% to 9.5% to 5.0% and from 11.9% to 9.4% to 9.9% while an increase in erosive oesophagitis (EO) from 2.0% to 8.4% to 9.5% (chi-square for trend; P Chinese and Indians but the difference over time was most marked in Malays. There was a steady decline in the proportion of patients with gastric and oesophageal cancers. Peptic ulcers have declined significantly over a 20-year period together with a decline in H. pylori infection. In contrast, a steady increase in erosive oesophagitis was observed. Gastric and oesophageal squamous cell cancers have declined to low levels. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Artificial sensory organs: latest progress.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Tatsuo; Inada, Yuji; Shigeno, Keiji

2018-03-01

This study introduces the latest progress on the study of artificial sensory organs, with a special emphasis on the clinical results of artificial nerves and the concept of in situ tissue engineering. Peripheral nerves have a strong potential for regeneration. An artificial nerve uses this potential to recover a damaged peripheral nerve. The polyglycolic acid collagen tube (PGA-C tube) is a bio-absorbable tube stuffed with collagen of multi-chamber structure that consists of thin collagen films. The clinical application of the PGA-C tube began in 2002 in Japan. The number of PGA-C tubes used is now beyond 300, and satisfactory results have been reported on peripheral nerve repairs. This PGA-C tube is also effective for patients suffering from neuropathic pain.

20 CFR 404.144 - How we credit self-employment income to calendar years for taxable years beginning after 1977.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How we credit self-employment income to... Quarters of Coverage Quarters of Coverage § 404.144 How we credit self-employment income to calendar years... credit self-employment income you derived during a taxable year that begins after 1977 to calendar years...

Latest results from Daya Bay

Science.gov (United States)

Vorobel, Vit; Daya Bay Collaboration

2017-07-01

The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment was designed to measure θ 13, the smallest mixing angle in the three-neutrino mixing framework, with unprecedented precision. The experiment consists of eight functionally identical detectors placed underground at different baselines from three pairs of nuclear reactors in South China. Since Dec. 2011, the experiment has been running stably for more than 4 years, and has collected the largest reactor anti-neutrino sample to date. Daya Bay is able to greatly improve the precision on θ 13 and to make an independent measurement of the effective mass splitting in the electron antineutrino disappearance channel. Daya Bay can also perform a number of other precise measurements, such as a high-statistics determination of the absolute reactor antineutrino flux and spectrum, as well as a search for sterile neutrino mixing, among others. The most recent results from Daya Bay are discussed in this paper, as well as the current status and future prospects of the experiment.

Surgical management of gynecomastia: 20 years' experience

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lapid, O.; Jolink, F.

2014-01-01

Gynecomastia, breast hypertrophy in men, is a common finding. The diagnosis is clinical, and ancillary tests may be performed; however, there is no unanimity in the literature about their use or utility. The mainstay of management is conservative, with a minority of patients being operated on. The

Experience economy brimming with potential

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Flemming; Sundbo, Jon

2014-01-01

In these days of economic uncertainty, businesses ought to make better use of recent research into the experience economy. Perhaps co-creation and individualisation can save us from the crisis, argue the editors of a new book about the latest research into the experience economy....

Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garfagnini, A.

2014-08-01

Neutrinoless double beta decay is the only process known so far able to test the neutrino intrinsic nature: its experimental observation would imply that the lepton number is violated by two units and prove that neutrinos have a Majorana mass components, being their own anti-particle. While several experiments searching for such a rare decay have been per- formed in the past, a new generation of experiments using different isotopes and techniques have recently released their results or are taking data and will provide new limits, should no signal be observed, in the next few years to come. The present contribution reviews the latest public results on double beta decay searches and gives an overview on the expected sensitivities of the experiments in construction which will be able to set stronger limits in the near future. EXO and KamLAND-Zen experiments are based on the decay of Xe 136 , GERDA and MAJORANA experiments are based on the decay of Ge 76 , and the CUORE experiment is based on the decay of Te 130

Latest Results on 2-FGHP Tetrode To Fulfill ITER ICRH Requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robert, Ch.

2006-01-01

The requirements for the RF generation of ITER ICRH include several parameters that are not compatible for a tetrode to fulfill. High power, from 1.7 to 2.5 MW according to the ICRH design options, have to combined with, both, a cw operation (more than 1000 seconds of continuous running time) and a high VSWR (higher than 1:2.0), over the required frequency range of 40 to 56 MHz. The proposed paper will overview the existing tetrodes on the market used in similar type of operations, i.e. in fusion applications. This analysis shows clearly the limitations of the conventional tetrode technology that can only fulfill some of the ICRH requirements, but not all together. The first part of the paper will describe the latest results on conventional tetrodes, after years of operation at TORE SUPRA and JET, for which tetrodes such as TH 525 and TH 526 are used. The results clearly indicate that tetrodes are well suited for Fusion applications but not with the combination of parameters necessary for ITER ICRH. The second part will describe the extended performance tetrodes, based on a Double Folded Grid High Performance (2-FGHP) tetrode technology, used for scientific and TV broadcast applications for years. This 2-FGHP concept extends drastically the performance of tetrodes, either in terms of frequency, or power or pulse duration, allowing such tetrodes to be used in ITER. The third part shows results of operation in these scientific and broadcast areas of 2-FGHP tetrodes in order to demonstrate the advantages of this technology over conventional tetrodes. Real operation data allow to give performance together with duration of operation in full service, on a 24 hour per day basis. Finally the last part will be dedicated to present the latest results obtained in a Fusion type tests at Thales Electron Devices in 2006 of a 2-FGHP tetrode. These results show the possibilities of this technology to fulfill ITER ICRH requirements and its capabilities to allow some evolutions of

Current situation and prospect of market on the latest radiation measuring instrument

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ha, Chang Ho; Kim, Wang Geum; Cho, Gyu Seong

2009-12-01

This book deals with current situation and prospect of market on the latest radiation measuring instrument. The contents of this book are basic of technology on radiation measuring instrument with basic principle of various measuring instrument, current situation of technology and prospect of radiation measuring instrument, effect of spreading and application field of radiation measuring instrument, facility for making and research and development of radiation measuring instrument, prospect of market about radiation measuring instrument, strategy for market entry with the latest radiation measuring instrument and general prospect for the future.

The increasing incidence of paranasal organizing hematoma: a 20-year experience of 23 cases at a single center.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jong Seung; Oh, Jong Seok; Kwon, Sam Hyun

2016-06-01

Sinonasal organized hematoma is a rare, benign disease that can be locally aggressive and may be mistaken for malignancy. Because of its rarity, the clinical characteristics are not well known. The aim of this study is to investigate the distinguishing features of organized hematoma with an emphasis on incidence change. In this retrospective study, we reviewed the records of 23 patients with organized hematoma confirmed histopathologically among 5,378 patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery performed by a single surgeon from January 1995 to December 2014 at a tertiary care center. Clinical symptoms, endoscopic photography, computed tomography, and operative findings were reviewed. We also reviewed the relevant literature. Age, sex, site, origin subsite and histopathology were investigated. A statistical review was performed using R 3.1.2 to examine incidence change. The most common complaint was frequent epistaxis and nasal obstruction (52.1%). Of the 23 patients, eight were women and 15 were men with an age range of 18 to 75 years. (mean 38.9 years). Nine of these hematomas occurred on the right side and 14 on the left side. The predominant occurrence site was the antrum (65%), followed by the septum (17.3%), inferior turbinate (8%), and ethmoid sinus (8%). The incidence steadily increased over 20 years. Investigation of the clinical characteristics and incidence change of organized hematoma can provide useful information. Through analysis of the 23 cases in our study, the age distribution was found to be bimodal and the incidence of organizing hematoma was observed to steadily increase. Clinicians should be aware of these characteristics to avoid misdiagnoses of malignant tumors.

Solar neutrino experiments: An update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hahn, R.L.

1993-01-01

The situation in solar neutrino physics has changed drastically in the past few years, so that now there are four neutrino experiments in operation, using different methods to look at different regions of the solar neutrino energy spectrum. These experiments are the radiochemical 37 Cl Homestake detector, the realtime Kamiokande detector, and the different forms of radiochemical 71 Ga detectors used in the GALLEX and SAGE projects. It is noteworthy that all of these experiments report a deficit of observed neutrinos relative to the predictions of standard solar models (although in the case of the gallium detectors, the statistical errors are still relatively large). This paper reviews the basic principles of operation of these neutrino detectors, reports their latest results and discusses some theoretical interpretations. The progress of three realtime neutrino detectors that are currently under construction, SuperKamiok, SNO and Borexino, is also discussed

Solar neutrino experiments: An update

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hahn, R.L.

1993-12-31

The situation in solar neutrino physics has changed drastically in the past few years, so that now there are four neutrino experiments in operation, using different methods to look at different regions of the solar neutrino energy spectrum. These experiments are the radiochemical {sup 37}Cl Homestake detector, the realtime Kamiokande detector, and the different forms of radiochemical {sup 71}Ga detectors used in the GALLEX and SAGE projects. It is noteworthy that all of these experiments report a deficit of observed neutrinos relative to the predictions of standard solar models (although in the case of the gallium detectors, the statistical errors are still relatively large). This paper reviews the basic principles of operation of these neutrino detectors, reports their latest results and discusses some theoretical interpretations. The progress of three realtime neutrino detectors that are currently under construction, SuperKamiok, SNO and Borexino, is also discussed.

Exploring diffusion and sorption processes at the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland): lessons learned from 20 years of field research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leupin, O.X. [National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA), Wettingen (Switzerland); Van Loon, L.R. [Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, Villigen (Switzerland); Gimmi, T. [Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Berne, Berne (Switzerland); Gimmi, T. [Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research IDAEA-CSIC, Barcelona (Spain); and others

2017-04-15

Transport and retardation parameters of radionuclides, which are needed to perform a safety analysis for a deep geological repository for radioactive waste in a compacted claystone such as Opalinus Clay, must be based on a detailed understanding of the mobility of nuclides at different spatial scales (laboratory, field, geological unit). Thanks to steadily improving experimental designs, similar tracer compositions in different experiments and complementary small laboratory-scale diffusion tests, a unique and large database could be compiled. This paper presents the main findings of 20 years of diffusion and retention experiments at the Mont Terri rock laboratory and their impact on safety analysis. (authors)

(The latest developments of the physical aspects of electrochemistry)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, S.H.

1990-09-24

The author was one of 26 invited lecturers to discuss the latest developments of the physical aspects of electrochemistry. He interacted extensively with other lecturers and many participants from developing countries. He also visited with the Director of the Italian Synchrotron Radiation Source now under construction in Trieste, Italy.

Acute mastoiditis in a Norwegian population: a 20 year retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Vassbotn, Flemming S; Klausen, Olav G; Lind, Ola; Moller, Per

2002-02-25

We have retrospectively examined the nature of acute mastioditis (in western Norway) during a 20 year period (1980-2000). Sixty-one cases of AM were identified in 57 patients with a mean age of 3.6 years. We found no significant change in the incidence of AM during the last 20 years. Seven patients were treated solely with intravenous antibiotics and myringotomies. Fifty patients also underwent cortical mastoidectomy, four cases with bilateral surgery. Antibiotic treatment was given to 31 of the patients before admission to hospital and this group had a significant longer duration of symptoms (12.4 days) compared to untreated patients (7.3 days). Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common organism recovered from patient cultures. Surgery was found to correlate to patients with retroauricular fluctuation or to children with at least two of the three clinical signs: protrusion of the ear, retroauricular oedema and swelling of the ear canal. Our data show that clinical examination only reveal 50% of the cases with surgically proven retroauricular subperiostal abscess. We therefore recommend a CT scan of patients treated conservatively.

20 CFR 416.965 - Your work experience as a vocational factor.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Your work experience as a vocational factor. 416.965 Section 416.965 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY..., machinery, and equipment you used. We will need to know about the amount of walking, standing, sitting...

The latest occupational radiation exposure data from U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Licensees

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brock, T.

2007-01-01

This presentation summarizes the latest - 2005 occupational exposure data that are maintained in the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Radiation Exposure Information and Reporting System. The bulk of the information contained in the paper was compiled from the 2005 annual reports submitted by NRC licensees subject to the reporting requirements of U.S. regulations (10 CFR 20.2206). Those licensees subject to reporting include commercial nuclear power plants, industrial radiographers, fuel processors, independent spent fuel storage installations, manufacturers and distributors of by-product material, facilities for low-level waste disposal, and geologic repositories for high-level waste. The annual reports submitted by these licensees consist of radiation exposure records for each monitored individual. These records are analyzed for trends and presented in terms of collective dose and the distribution of doses by licensee category. (author)

Surgical Treatment of Primary Intracardiac Myxoma: 20-Year Experience in “Shahid Modarres Hospital”—A Tertiary University Hospital—Tehran, Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahra Ansari Aval

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Although cardiac tumors are not common they may vary in terms of race and surgical approach in different countries. Method. Patients data of 20 years was collected and evaluated in the “Shahid Modarres Hospital”—a tertiary university hospital—Tehran, Iran. Results. 42 patients with cardiac myxoma (all cases in 20 years were included in study, 17 males and 25 females, age difference: 13 to 76 years (mean 50.6. Most of patients were in functional classes I, II. 35 patients complained of dyspnea and 3 patients had embolic events. 97.6% of tumors were primary (41 patients and one tumor was recurrent (2.4%, 85.7% of tumors (36 cases were located in LA, and 88.1% of tumors (37 cases were pediculated. 40 patients (95% had one tumor. In 22 patients (52.3% after tumor resection septal defects were repaired primarily while in 18 patients (42.8% the defects were repaired with pericardial patch and In one patient, tumor resected without any septal defect. Mean tumor size was about 5.22 cm (range of 2.2 to 8.2 cm. Postoperatively, 33 patients discharged from hospital without any complication. Discussion. The research reveals that patients’ age and gender were similar to that of other studies in other countries while tumor’s incidence seems to be higher. 3 patients were diagnosed after remote embolic event and one patient was diagnosed after MI reflecting relatively high tumor complications and late diagnosis. Conclusion. In our study mean time from diagnosis to operation was too long. The patients had more preoperative embolic events and complication. However, size of myxoma and location of that was as same as its rate in the other literature. As recommendation we suggested that in all patients with vague chest pain or remote embolic events cardiac myxomas should be ruled out.

Trends in referral to a single encopresis clinic over 20 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Fishman, Laurie; Rappaport, Leonard; Schonwald, Alison; Nurko, Samuel

2003-05-01

To compare the characteristics of children with encopresis referred to a single encopresis clinic over the course of 20 years, including symptoms, previous diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, and parental attitudes. A retrospective study was conducted of an encopresis clinic at a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Questionnaires at initial evaluation elicited information about bowel habits, soiling, previous evaluations, previous treatments, and parental attitudes. In 503 children with encopresis, the average age of referral dropped from 115 months during the earliest 5 years to 77 months during the most recent 5 years. Children who had soiling for >3 years before referral decreased from 63% to 12%. The use of barium enema before referral decreased from 14% to 5%, as did psychological evaluation, from 25% to 14%. Previous therapy with enemas decreased from 45% to 27%. Mineral oil use remained at approximately 50%, and 20% of children had no previous treatment. Symptoms at referral and parental attitudes did not change across the years. Children are now referred at an earlier age to our tertiary encopresis clinic. The number of invasive and psychological evaluations has decreased before referral. However, treatment by many primary care providers before the referral has not changed. These data may suggest that pediatricians have increased awareness of encopresis and greater appreciation of its primarily physical rather than psychological nature. Additional studies will be needed to determine how these factors affect outcome.

A FRAMEWORK FOR INTERPRETING FAST RADIO TRANSIENTS SEARCH EXPERIMENTS: APPLICATION TO THE V-FASTR EXPERIMENT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trott, Cathryn M.; Tingay, Steven J.; Wayth, Randall B.; Macquart, Jean-Pierre R.; Palaniswamy, Divya; Thompson, David R.; Wagstaff, Kiri L.; Majid, Walid A.; Burke-Spolaor, Sarah; Deller, Adam T.; Brisken, Walter F.

2013-01-01

We define a framework for determining constraints on the detection rate of fast transient events from a population of underlying sources, with a view to incorporate beam shape, frequency effects, scattering effects, and detection efficiency into the metric. We then demonstrate a method for combining independent data sets into a single event rate constraint diagram, using a probabilistic approach to the limits on parameter space. We apply this new framework to present the latest results from the V-FASTR experiment, a commensal fast transients search using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). In the 20 cm band, V-FASTR now has the ability to probe the regions of parameter space of importance for the observed Lorimer and Keane fast radio transient candidates by combining the information from observations with differing bandwidths, and properly accounting for the source dispersion measure, VLBA antenna beam shape, experiment time sampling, and stochastic nature of events. We then apply the framework to combine the results of the V-FASTR and Allen Telescope Array Fly's Eye experiments, demonstrating their complementarity. Expectations for fast transients experiments for the SKA Phase I dish array are then computed, and the impact of large differential bandwidths is discussed.

Carotid Body Tumors: A Review of 25 Years Experience in Diagnosis and Management of 56 Tumors

Science.gov (United States)

Sayed, Ahmed; Elwan, Hussein; Fouad, Fouad M.S.; Kamal Eldin, Hussein; Khairy, Hussein; Elhindawy, Khaled; Taha, Ahmed; Hefnawy, Engie

2014-01-01

Objective: To report our experience in the management of CBTs and review the literature. Materials and Methods: 56 CBTs were operated upon over a period of 25 years. Surgical intervention was planned according to the Shamblin classification. Thirty-nine of the tumors were in males (69.64%), and 17 of the tumors were in females (30.36%). The average age was 42 (ages ranging between 32 and 47). Twenty-two tumors were diagnosed and treated with Shamblin type I, twenty-eight with type II and eight tumors with type III. All patients were unilateral except two had bilateral carotid tumors. Thirty-five lumps were de novo (group A), while 21 lumps were treated after a prior trial of removal (group B). Results: The incidence of carotid reconstruction was lower among group A (1/35) compared to group B (9/21). Complications were less in group A than group B (23% vs. 30%). There were 4 cases with suspected malignancy and no recurrences during the follow-up period. Conclusion: There is an increased incidence of major vascular reconstruction in cases not properly investigated or diagnosed and in cases with prior attempts of removal in Primary Hospitals. Proper diagnosis of suspicious lumps is mandatory. Resection of CBTs by surgeons with experience in vascular reconstruction is recommended. Vascular reconstructions have to be performed safely without serious complications. Also today, prior attempts of removal are not so common, with preoperative evaluation using the latest diagnostic tools. Cranial nerves injury (especially the Hypoglossal Nv) continues to be the most common complication. PMID:25298832

Real World SharePoint 2010 Indispensable Experiences from 22 MVPs

CERN Document Server

Hillier, Scot; Bishop, Darrin; Bleeker, Todd; Bogue, Robert; Bosch, Karine; Brotto, Claudio; Buenz, Adam; Connell, Andrew; Drisgill, Randy; Lapointe, Gary; Medero, Jason; Molnar, Agnes; O'Brien, Chris; Klindt, Todd; Poelmans, Joris; Rehmani, Asif; Ross, John; Swan, Nick; Walsh, Mike; Williams, Randy; Young, Shane; Macori, Igor

2010-01-01

Proven real-world best practices from leading Microsoft SharePoint MVPsSharePoint enables Web sites to host shared workspaces and is a leading solution for Enterprise Content Management. The newest version boasts significant changes, impressive enhancements, and new features, requiring developers and administrators of all levels of experience to quickly get up to speed on the latest changes. This book is a must-have anthology of current best practices for SharePoint 2010 from 20 of the top SharePoint MVPs. They offer insider advice on everything from installation, workflow, and Web parts to bu

BN-600 power unit 15-year operating experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saraev, O.M.; Oshkanov, N.N.; Vylomov, V.V.

1996-01-01

Comprehensive experience has been gained with the operating fast reactor BN-600 with a power out of 600 MWe. This paper includes important performance results and gives also an overview of the experience gained from BN-600 NPP commercial operation during 15 years. (author). 2 figs, 1 tab

Latest results on the performance of the multigap resistive plate chamber used for the ALICE TOF

CERN Document Server

Akindinov, A; Anselmo, F; Antonioli, P; Basile, M; Cara Romeo, G; Cifarelli, Luisa; Cindolo, F; Cosenza, F; D'Antone, I; De Caro, A; De Pasquale, S; Di Bartolomeo, A; Fusco-Girard, M; Golovine, V; Guerzoni, M; Guida, M; Hatzifotiadou, D; Kaidalov, A B; Kim, D H; Kim, D W; Kisselev, S M; Laurenti, G; Lioublev, E; Lee, K; Lee, S C; Luvisetto, M L; Margotti, A; Martemyanov, A N; Massera, F; Meneghini, S; Michinelli, R; Nania, R; Otiougova, P; Pancaldi, G; Pesci, A; Pilastrini, R; Pinazza, O; Polozov, P A; Rizzi, M; Scapparone, E; Scioli, G; Sellitto, S B; Semeria, F; Serra, S; Smirnitsky, A V; Tchoumakov, M M; Ugolini, E; Usenko, E; Valenti, G; Voloshin, K G; Williams, M C S; Zagreev, B V; Zampolli, C; Zichichi, A; Zucchini, A; Zuffa, M

2004-01-01

For the identification of particles in the momentum range 0.5-2.5 GeV /c, the ALICE experiment uses a Time Of Flight array consisting of Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPC) in the form of long strips. The design of the detector elements is as follows: double stack MRPCs with glass resistive plates and 5 gas gaps of 250 mum per stack. The latest results on the performance of these MRPCs are presented. Typical values of time resolution sigma are better than 50 ps, with an efficiency of 99.9% and a long, more than 1.5kV, streamer-free plateau.

PREVAIL: latest electron optics results

Science.gov (United States)

Pfeiffer, Hans C.; Golladay, Steven D.; Gordon, Michael S.; Kendall, Rodney A.; Lieberman, Jon E.; Rockrohr, James D.; Stickel, Werner; Yamaguchi, Takeshi; Okamoto, Kazuya; Umemoto, Takaaki; Shimizu, Hiroyasu; Kojima, Shinichi; Hamashima, Muneki

2002-07-01

The PREVAIL electron optics subsystem developed by IBM has been installed at Nikon's facility in Kumagaya, Japan, for integration into the Nikon commercial EPL stepper. The cornerstone of the electron optics design is the Curvilinear Variable Axis Lens (CVAL) technique originally demonstrated with a proof of concept system. This paper presents the latest experimental results obtained with the electron optical subsystem at Nikon's facility. The results include micrographs illustrating proper CVAL operation through the spatial resolution achieved over the entire optical field of view. They also include data on the most critical issue of the EPL exposure approach: subfield stitching. The methodology of distortion correction will be described and both micrographs and metrology data of stitched subfields will be presented. This paper represents a progress report of the IBM/Nikon alliance activity on EPL.

20 CFR 404.1565 - Your work experience as a vocational factor.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Your work experience as a vocational factor. 404.1565 Section 404.1565 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL OLD-AGE..., machinery, and equipment you used. We will need to know about the amount of walking, standing, sitting...

The Latest IceCube Results and the Implications

Science.gov (United States)

Mase, Keiichi

IceCube was built at the South Pole and aims to detect high energy neutrinos from the universe mainly above 100 GeV. The transparent ice media allows us to build a 1 km3 large detection volume to detect the rarely interacting particles. Neutrinos are thought to be generated at astrophysical sources such as active galactic nuclei and gamma-ray bursts. Nature of the rare interaction with matters and little deflection by a magnetic field makes it possible to explore such sources located at the deep universe. Since the neutrinos are produced through collisions of hadronic particles, the observation can elucidate the origin of cosmic rays, which is still mystery after the discovery 100 years ago. The detector was completed at the end of 2010 and is running smoothly. Recently, IceCube has found the first evidence of extraterrestrial neutrinos with energies above approximately 60 TeV. IceCube also contributes to elementary particle physics by searching for neutrinos produced in self-annihilation of SUSY particles such as neutralinos and by investigating atmospheric neutrino oscillations. The latest IceCube results and the corresponding implications are presented.

The scientific challenges of NEPA: Future directions based on 20 years of experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hildebrand, S.G.; Cannon, J.B.

1989-01-01

January 1, 1990, marked the 20th anniversary of the signing of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Since this law was enacted, numerous institutions have assisted federal agencies in the implementation of NEPA, including the preparation of environmental impact statements and environmental assessments. The Ninth Oak Ridge National Laboratory Life Sciences Symposium was dedicated to the celebration of this anniversary. The symposium was held October 24--27, 1989, in Knoxville, Tennessee. The intent of the symposium was (1) to review what has been learned while performing NEPA assessments, (2) to summarize the state-of-the-art in methods and approaches, and (3) to define future opportunities and new approaches required to link high quality science to the decision-making process

Latest results of SEE measurements obtained by the STRURED demonstrator ASIC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Candelori, A. [INFN, Section of Padova, Via Marzolo 8, c.a.p. 35131, Padova (Italy); De Robertis, G. [INFN Section of Bari, Via Orabona 4, c.a.p. 70126, Bari (Italy); Gabrielli, A. [Physics Department, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, c.a.p. 40127, Bologna (Italy); Mattiazzo, S.; Pantano, D. [INFN, Section of Padova, Via Marzolo 8, c.a.p. 35131, Padova (Italy); Ranieri, A., E-mail: antonio.ranieri@ba.infn.i [INFN Section of Bari, Via Orabona 4, c.a.p. 70126, Bari (Italy); Tessaro, M. [INFN, Section of Padova, Via Marzolo 8, c.a.p. 35131, Padova (Italy)

2011-01-21

With the perspective to develop a radiation-tolerant circuit for High Energy Physics (HEP) applications, a test digital ASIC VLSI chip, called STRURED, has been designed and fabricated using a standard-cell library of commercial 130 nm CMOS technology by implementing three different radiation-tolerant architectures (Hamming, Triple Modular Redundancy and Triple Time Redundancy) in order to correct circuit malfunctions induced by the occurrence of Soft Errors (SEs). SEs are one of the main reasons of failures affecting electronic digital circuits operating in harsh radiation environments, such as in experiments performed at HEP colliders or in apparatus to be operated in space. In this paper we present and discuss the latest results of SE cross-section measurements performed using the STRURED digital device, exposed to high energy heavy ions at the SIRAD irradiation facility of the INFN National Laboratories of Legnaro (Padova, Italy). In particular the different behaviors of the input part and the core of the three radiation-tolerant architectures are analyzed in detail.

Clinical observations over 20 years period of Bikini victims

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumatori, Toshiyuki

1976-01-01

The author outlined the results of medical examinations performed in a period of 20 years on the Japanese fishermen who were exposed at Bikini in 1954. Exposure doses were estimated, and the progress of medical examinations for skin injury, hematological changes, cytogenetic changes, and spermatogenetic disturbance was described. In view of internal exposure, none of the long half-life nuclides was retained in the body. The victims were compared with the victims exposed in Marshall Islands. (Serizawa, K.)

Choledochal cysts: our ten year experience.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Cianci, F

2012-04-01

We present our experience in the management of choledochal cysts from 1999 to 2009. A retrospective review of all charts with a diagnosis of choledochal cysts in our institution in this ten-year period. Data was collated using Excel. A total of 17 patients were diagnosed with choledochal cyst: 9 females and 8 males. The average age at diagnosis was 28 months (range from 0 to 9 years). The most common presenting symptoms were obstructive jaundice 6 (35%) and abdominal pain and vomiting 4 (23%). Ultrasound (US) was the initial diagnostic test in all cases with 4 patients requiring further investigations. All patients underwent Roux-en-Y Hepaticojejunostomy. The average length of stay was 11 days. Patients were followed up with Liver Function Tests (LFTS) and US 4-6 weeks post-operatively. Three patients developed complications including post-op collection, high drain output requiring blood transfusion and adhesive bowel obstruction. Our overall experience with choledochal cyst patients has been a positive one with effective management and low complication rates.

Education 2.0 -- how has social media and Web 2.0 been integrated into medical education? A systematical literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hollinderbäumer, Anke; Hartz, Tobias; Uckert, Frank

2013-01-01

Present-day students have grown up with considerable knowledge concerning multi-media. The communication modes they use are faster, more spontaneous, and independent of place and time. These new web-based forms of information and communication are used by students, educators, and patients in various ways. Universities which have already used these tools report many positive effects on the learning behaviour of the students. In a systematic literature review, we summarized the manner in which the integration of Social Media and Web 2.0 into education has taken place. A systematic literature search covering the last 5 years using MeSH terms was carried out via PubMed. Among the 20 chosen publications, there was only one German publication. Most of the publications are from the US and Great Britain. The latest publications report on the concrete usage of the tools in education, including social networking, podcasts, blogs, wikis, YouTube, Twitter and Skype. The integration of Web 2.0 and Social Media is the modern form of self-determined learning. It stimulates reflection and actively integrates the students in the construction of their knowledge. With these new tools, the students acquire skills which they need in both their social and professional lives.

Seamless user experiences in a brand new library

KAUST Repository

Vijayakumar, J.K.

2012-10-30

In order to provide seamless user experiences, the brand new libraries are far better positioned. They do not have to manage much in print, at least for the journal section, but huge electronic collection accessible via Internet. They do not worry about migrating to new systems or technology; they just start with whatever the latest available in the market, whether it is new generation ILMS, discovery tools, content management systems, mobile technologies, cloud computing etc. Patrons\\' expectations for seamless experience are met - regardless of their location, device and service they opted for. The story of the two and half years old, Saudi Arabia\\'s brand new King Abdullah University of Science and Technology\\'s Library is not different. Huge amount of electronic resources also provide ever increasing challenges to the new generation libraries in collecting, organizing and delivering the right information, to the right person at the right time. Implementation of a good ILMS supported with better electronic resource management features will help in setting the house right. Well-designed user interfaces, supported with the web scale discovery tools will help the users to have a better search experience. Availability of library collection through the campus mobile applications, latest proxy technologies for out-campus access and integrating the resources to the campus e-learning platform are the main features of the library’s seamless experiences. Libguide platform is used for the first time in Saudi Arabia, to create online research guides by subject librarians. An institutional repository, based on D-Space platform is about to release. Ninety percent of our collection is online; they are purchased, organized and accessed online, like any other brand new academic research libraries. Analysis of usage statistics of different resources show that they are highly used and usage is increased over two years, as the technology improved and implemented.

A History of the Environmental Management Advisory Board: 20 Years of Service and Partnership - 13219

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellis, Kristen; Schmitt, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

The Environmental Management Advisory Board (EMAB or Board) was chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) in 1992 to provide the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM) with independent and external advice, information, and recommendations on corporate issues relating to accelerated site clean-up and risk reduction throughout the EM complex. Over the course of the past 20 years, the composition and focus of the Board have varied widely to address the changing needs of the program. EMAB began as the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Advisory Committee, formed to provide advice on an EM Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. In 1994, the Board was restructured to function more as an executive-level, limited member advisory board whose membership provides insight of leading industry experts and the viewpoints of representatives from critical stakeholder constituencies. Throughout the 20 years of its existence, EMAB has covered a wide variety of topics and produced nearly 200 recommendations. These recommendations have resulted in several policy changes and improvements within EM. Most recently, EMAB has been credited for its contribution to the EM Energy Park Initiative, forerunner of the DOE Asset Revitalization Initiative; creation of the EM Offices of Communications and External Affairs; improvement of acquisition and project management strategies and culture; and several recommendations related to the Waste Treatment Plant and the tank waste programs at Hanford and the Savannah River Site. The wealth of experience and knowledge the Assistant Secretary can leverage through utilization of the Board continues to support fulfillment of EM's mission. In commemoration of EMAB's 20. anniversary, this paper will provide further context for the evolution of the Board, the role FACA plays in its administration, and a look at the members' current objectives and EM's expectations for the future. (authors)

A History of the Environmental Management Advisory Board: 20 Years of Service and Partnership - 13219

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ellis, Kristen; Schmitt, Elizabeth [Environmental Management Advisory Board, US DoE (United States)

2013-07-01

The Environmental Management Advisory Board (EMAB or Board) was chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) in 1992 to provide the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM) with independent and external advice, information, and recommendations on corporate issues relating to accelerated site clean-up and risk reduction throughout the EM complex. Over the course of the past 20 years, the composition and focus of the Board have varied widely to address the changing needs of the program. EMAB began as the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Advisory Committee, formed to provide advice on an EM Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. In 1994, the Board was restructured to function more as an executive-level, limited member advisory board whose membership provides insight of leading industry experts and the viewpoints of representatives from critical stakeholder constituencies. Throughout the 20 years of its existence, EMAB has covered a wide variety of topics and produced nearly 200 recommendations. These recommendations have resulted in several policy changes and improvements within EM. Most recently, EMAB has been credited for its contribution to the EM Energy Park Initiative, forerunner of the DOE Asset Revitalization Initiative; creation of the EM Offices of Communications and External Affairs; improvement of acquisition and project management strategies and culture; and several recommendations related to the Waste Treatment Plant and the tank waste programs at Hanford and the Savannah River Site. The wealth of experience and knowledge the Assistant Secretary can leverage through utilization of the Board continues to support fulfillment of EM's mission. In commemoration of EMAB's 20. anniversary, this paper will provide further context for the evolution of the Board, the role FACA plays in its administration, and a look at the members' current objectives and EM's expectations for the future. (authors)

Software quality assurance - seven years experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malsbury, J.A.

1987-01-01

This paper describes seven years experience with software quality assurance at PPPL. It covers the early attempts of 1980 and 1981 to establish software quality assurance; the first attempt of 1982 to develop a complete software quality assurance plan; the significant modifications of this plan in 1985; and the future. In addition, the paper describes the role of the Quality Assurance organization within each plan. The scope of this paper is limited to discussions of the software development procedures used in the seven year period. Other software quality topics, such as configuration control or problem identification and resolution, are not discussed

Characterizing Adult Sleep Behavior Over 20 Years-The Population-Based Doetinchem Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zomers, Margot L; Hulsegge, Gerben; van Oostrom, Sandra H; Proper, Karin I; Verschuren, W M Monique; Picavet, H Susan J

2017-07-01

To describe sleep duration patterns of adults over a 20-year period; to compare sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health characteristics across these patterns; and to relate the patterns to sleep quality. The study population consisted of 3695 adults aged 20 to 59 years at baseline. Five measurements of self-reported sleep duration were used to compose seven patterns from 1987 to 2012: persistent short (≤6 hours), moderate (7-8 hours), or long (≥9 hours) sleep duration and several changing patterns (varying and became short, moderate, or long sleepers). Multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to compare characteristics across sleep duration patterns. About 56% of the adults had persistent moderate sleep duration over 20 years. This group had a better sleep quality than the other groups. Of the adults who changed in their sleep duration (40%), 43% became a short sleeper. Sleep duration patterns that deviate from persistent moderate sleep duration were associated with physical inactivity during leisure time (odds ratios [ORs] and 95% confidence intervals [95% CIs] varied between 1.26 [1.04-1.53] and 1.58 [1.06-2.37]) and with poor self-rated health (ORs [95% CIs] varied between 1.50 [1.20-1.87] and 2.15 [1.48-3.12]). Nearly half of the adults did not have persistent moderate sleep duration over a 20-year period and more than one-sixth became short sleeper. This is reason for concern considering the adverse health status associated with short and long sleep duration. Leisure-time physical activity is a potential important target to prevent unfavorable changes in sleep duration over the life course. © Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press [on behalf of the Sleep Research Society].

Latest Results from the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2014-01-01

Among all the fundamental particles that have been experimentally observed, neutrinos remain one of the least understood. The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment in China consists of eight identical detectors placed underground at different baselines from three groups of nuclear reactors, a configuration that is ideally suited for studying the properties of these elusive particles. This talk will present three sets of results that have just recently been released by the Daya Bay Collaboration: (i) a precision measurement of the oscillation parameters that drive the disappearance of electron antineutrinos at short baselines, (ii) a search for sterile neutrino mixing, and (iii) a high-statistics determination of the absolute flux and spectrum of reactor-produced electron antineutrinos. All of these results extend the limits of our knowledge in their respective areas and thus shed new light on neutrinos and the physics that surround them.

Deep penetrating brain injury with 20 years asymptomatic survival. Case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buczek, M.; Pieninski, A.

1993-01-01

Authors report the case of penetrating injury of the head with large metallic fragment embedded to the brain with 20 years asymptomatic survival. Patient sustained head injury during work, 20 years ago and for these period of time was not aware of having foreign body intracranially with excellent general condition and no signs of neurological deficit. Metal nail was detected incidentally by plain skull X-ray films( and subsequent CT scan) during routine procedures when patient was admitted for surgical procedure. In our opinion presented case is uncommon because of asymptomatic course. Most of penetrating head injuries are considered as life threatening due to sudden onset, severe general patient condition and possible deterioration according to the type of injury and extent of cerebral destruction. For those reasons earliest possible neurosurgical treatment is recommended. We emphasize the role of debridement for most of brain penetration injuries. (author)

RSIC after 20 years: a look back and a look ahead

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maskewitz, B.F.; Roussin, R.W.; Trubev, D.K.

1983-01-01

On the occasion of RSIC's 20th anniversary year, this review includes highlights and lessons learned. In June 1963, the first RSIC Newsletter was published, and information analyses procedures and practices were initiated. Evidence indicates that RSIC served for 20 years as the focal point for the exchange and transfer of radiation transport technology and contributed to the advancement of the state of the art. The original concept is found to be sound: operate an information analysis center by collecting, organizing, evaluating, and analyzing all relevant information and making the information available in a form readily useful to scientists and engineers. Computing technology, a computer-based literature information system, and an advisory service remain important elements of the center. Continuing interaction between the center, developers, and users of information products and services has been a key to RSIC success. A look to the future reflects optimism

Latest LHCf results and preparation to the LHC run for 13 TeV proton–proton interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bonechi L.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The LHCf experiment is a CERN experiment dedicated to forward physics which is optimized to measure the neutral particle flow at extreme pseudo-rapidity values, ranging from 8.4 up to infinity. LHCf results are extremely important for the calibration of the hadronic interaction models used for the study of the development of atmospheric showers in the Earth atmosphere. Starting from the recent run of proton-Lead nucleus interactions at LHC, the LHCf and ATLAS collaborations have performed a common data taking which allows a combined study of the central and forward regions of the interaction. The latest results of LHCf, the upgrade of the detectors for the next 6.5 TeV + 6.5 TeV proton–proton run and the status of the LHCf-ATLAS common activities are summarized in this paper.

Reports of child sexual abuse of boys and girls: Longitudinal trends over a 20-year period in Victoria, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathews, Ben; Bromfield, Leah; Walsh, Kerryann; Cheng, Qinglu; Norman, Rosana E

2017-04-01

Although prevalence studies show girls are more frequently sexually abused than boys, a significant proportion of boys also experience child sexual abuse (CSA). The challenges for public policy are amplified for boys due to less developed public and professional sensitisation to boys' experiences, conceptions of masculinity, and less research on boys including into reporting trends and outcomes. We conducted a 20-year longitudinal time-trend analysis of government data to identify reporting trends and report outcomes for CSA in Victoria, Australia from 1993 to 2012. We stratified by child gender and reporter status. Results indicate a new sensitisation to CSA, especially for boys, although this trend was not stable. Marked change occurred in the last five years, likely influenced by major social and political events. Comparison over time revealed that from 1993 to 2012, the rate of reporting of boys increased 2.6-fold whereas there was a 1.5-fold increase for girls. Comparing genders, with regards to rate of reporting, in 1993, the sex ratio of girls to boys was 2:1, while by 2012 this ratio changed to 1.14:1. Reports by police and other mandated reporters accounted for the majority of the increase in reports over the 20-year period, suggesting unequal sensitisation. Positive report outcomes (i.e. substantiations, findings of harm, and referral to services) increased twelve-fold for boys, and nearly five-fold for girls, indicating the increased levels of reports were based in actual clinical need. Most of this increase occurred from 2009 to 2012, influenced by a compound of social, political and agency-related factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gregor Mendel's Genetic Experiments: A Statistical Analysis after 150 Years

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kalina, Jan

2016-01-01

Roč. 12, č. 2 (2016), s. 20-26 ISSN 1801-5603 Institutional support: RVO:67985807 Keywords : genetics * history of science * biostatistics * design of experiments Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research

20 years Rossendorf cyclotron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-08-01

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of initiating of the Rossendorf cyclotron accounts are given of most important works and results in the field of accelerator engineering and utilization of this machine. The reports show the trend of development and actual spectrum of application. The enclosed literature lists give a survey of technical and experimental works at cyclotron. (author)

Change in the incidence and anatomic distribution of colorectal adenoma and cancer over a period of 20 years: A single center experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milovanović-Alempijević Tamara

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim. In recent years, many studies have demonstrated a proximal shift in the distribution of adenomas and colorectal cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there are differences in the incidence and anatomical distribution of adenomas and colorectal cancers spanning a 20 year time gap. Methods. We performed a retrospective observational study of colorectal adenomas and cancers diagnosed during total colonoscopy in a high volume tertiary care facility in two 1-year periods of time – 1990 and 2010. Results. During the analyzed period, 4,048 colonoscopies were performed, 1,148 were performed in 1990 and 2,900 were done in 2010. The study included 466 patients with adenomas and 121 patients with colorectal cancers. Frequency of proximal adenoma changed from 16.5% to 32.7% (p < 0.001. By analyzing colonoscopies in 2010, an increase in the incidence of adenomas compared to 1990 was noticed. The number of adenomas sized 0–5 mm rose from 32.8% to 56.9% (p < 0.001. Frequency of colon carcinoma changed from 5.3% to 2.0% (p < 0.001. Incidence of cancers in the proximal colon rose from 21.3% to 48.4% (p = 0.002. A higher incidence of cancers in the proximal colon and a lower incidence of distal cancers were observed, while no difference was observed in the incidence of rectal cancers. Conclusion. Presence of proximal colon adenoma and cancer is higher, while the overall incidence of colon cancer is lower. This finding should be taken into account when planning the screening for colorectal cancer.

Sport nutrition: A review of the latest guidelines for exercise and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sport nutrition: A review of the latest guidelines for exercise and sport nutrition from the American College of Sport Nutrition, the International Olympic Committee and the International Society for Sports Nutrition.

Cina Benteng: The Latest Generations and Acculturation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Billy Nathan Setiawan

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper was to investigate the acculturation process encountered by the two latest generations of Cina Benteng. A Skype interview was conducted with two young Cina Benteng descents. The analysis was also supported by insightful remark from the parents of the two interviewees. This study discovers that the two generations seem to respond to the acculturation process in different ways. However, although some traditions are no longer relevant to the later generation, their identity as a Chinese descent cannot be easily removed.

Radial Artery as a Coronary Artery Bypass Conduit: 20-Year Results.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaudino, Mario; Tondi, Paolo; Benedetto, Umberto; Milazzo, Valentina; Flore, Roberto; Glieca, Franco; Ponziani, Francesca Romana; Luciani, Nicola; Girardi, Leonard N; Crea, Filippo; Massetti, Massimo

2016-08-09

There is a lack of evidence for the choice of the second conduit in coronary surgery. The radial artery (RA) is a possible option, but few data on very-long-term outcomes exist. This study describes 20-year results of RA grafts used for coronary artery bypass grafting and the effects of RA removal on forearm circulation. We report the results of the prospective 20-year follow-up of the first 100 consecutive patients who received the RA as a coronary bypass conduit at our institution. Follow-up was 100% complete. There were 64 deaths, 23 (35.9%) from cardiovascular causes. Kaplan-Meier 20-year survival was 31%. Of the 36 survivors, 33 (91.6%) underwent RA graft control at a mean of 19.0 ± 2.5 years after surgery. The RA was found to be patent in 24 cases (84.8% patency). In the overall population, probability of graft failure at 20 years was 19.0 ± 0.2% for the left internal thoracic artery (ITA), 25.0 ± 0.2% for the RA, and 55.0 ± 0.2% for the saphenous vein (p = 0.002 for RA vs. saphenous vein, 0.11 for RA vs. ITA, and p 90%, but not location of distal anastomosis, significantly influenced long-term RA graft patency. No patients reported hand or forearm symptoms. The ulnar artery diameter was increased in the operated arm (2.44 ± 0.43 mm vs. 2.01 ± 0.47 mm; p 90% stenosis. RA harvesting does not lead to hand or forearm symptoms, even at a very-long-term follow-up. Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High resolution sea-level curve for the latest Frasnian and earliest Famennian derived for high frequency sequences in the Appalachian Basin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Filer, J.K. (Washington and Lee Univ., Lexington, VA (United States). Dept. of Geology)

1992-01-01

Siliciclastic sequences have been mapped in the subsurface and outcrop of much of the Appalachian basin in facies ranging from shale in the basin plain to shelf sandstone. Eleven transgressive/regressive cycles have been defined in an estimated 1.5 to 2.0 Ma period in the latest Frasnian and earliest Famennian, and range in duration from about 75,000 to 400,000 years. Lithofacies maps, covering most of the basin, were prepared for each sequence. These maps show both the area of basinal black shale deposition, which defines the base of each cycle, and the areal extent of subsequent clinoform siltstone and shelf sandstone deposition in the upper portion of each cycle. The stratigraphic patterns show two stacked sets of progradational basinwide sequences. Geographic scale of the study precludes autocyclic controls of cycles. Sea-level/climate cycles, probably superimposed on longer term tectonic cycles, are the proposed cause of these observed depositional patterns. Removal of the long-term progradational trend of Upper Devonian basin filling results in a proposed eustatic sea-level curve (Johnson and others (1985)) reveals correspondence of three regressive maxima in both models. The curve presented here reveals that an ongoing process of higher frequency sea-level modification was active at this time. Higher frequency sea-level events, nested within previously interpreted lower frequency global events, are inferred to also be eustatic. Models of a biotic crises which occurs at this time should consider the implications of these high frequency sea-level cycles. The patterns observed are consistent with latest Frasnian initiation of glaciation in South America. This would be somewhat earlier than has generally been accepted.

Male breast cancer: 20-year survival data for post-mastectomy radiotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Eggemann, Holm; Ignatov, Atanas; Stabenow, Roland; von Minckwitz, Gunter; Röhl, Friedrich Wilhelm; Hass, Peter; Costa, Serban-Dan

2013-08-01

The goal of this population-based study was to determine the impact of post-mastectomy radiation therapy on long-term overall survival (OS) of male patients with breast cancer. We investigated 20-year OS rates of 664 patients diagnosed with primary stage I-III breast cancer in former East Germany between 1970 and 1989. Patients had a radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection without systemic adjuvant therapy. Median follow-up time was 26.2 years (range 19-38 years). 52.4% of the patients had post-mastectomy radiotherapy. Radiotherapy showed different effects in each stage group after 20 years. Whereas there was an OS trend for radiotherapy to harm patients with stage I disease (hazard ratio (HR) 1.45; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.98-2.15; p = 0.065), radiotherapy showed no benefit in patients with stage II disease (HR 0.82; 95% CI 0.62-1.1; p = 0.15). There was a significant survival benefit for patients with stage III disease receiving radiotherapy (HR 0.60; 95% CI 0.41-0.88; p = 0.008). Post-mastectomy radiotherapy is associated with longer OS in male patients with stage III breast cancer. Male breast cancer patients at stages I and II do not seem to benefit from radiotherapy, but obsolete irradiation techniques might explain adverse long-term effects in earlier stages.

The use of circular external fixators in the management of lower limb trauma in Dublin: a single surgeon's 20-year experience.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Neill, B J; Fox, C M; Molloy, A P; O'hEireamhoin, S; Moore, D P

2016-02-01

It has been estimated that approximately 520,000 injury presentations are made to Irish accident and emergency departments each year. Fractures account for 20 % of these injuries. Circular external fixators (frames) have been shown to be a safe and effective method of treatment for long bone fractures where internal fixation is impossible or in-advisable. We present the outcomes of all frames applied at our institution for stabilisation of acute fractures over a 20-year period. We retrospectively reviewed a prospectively compiled database of all frames applied in our institution and identified all frames which were applied for acute lower limb trauma. We identified 68 fractures in 63 patients. There were 11 femoral fractures and 57 tibial fractures. All fractures were classified using the AO Classification system, and most fractures were Type C fractures. We used an Ilizarov frame for 53 fractures and a Taylor Spatial Frame for 15 fractures. The mean time in frame was 365 days for a femoral fracture and 230 days for a tibial fracture. There were five tibial non-unions giving an overall union rate of 93 %. Factors associated with non-union included high-energy trauma and cigarette smoking. The vast majority of lower limb fractures can be treated using 'conventional' methods. Complex fractures which are not amenable to open reduction and internal fixation or cast immobilisation can be treated in a frame with excellent results. The paucity of published reports regarding the use of frames for complex trauma reflects the under-utilisation of the technique.

RCM [reliability-centered maintenance] at Ginna: Preventive maintenance program optimization at year 20

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edgar, E.C.

1989-01-01

The reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) program at Rochester Gas ampersand Electric Company's Ginna station is entering its second year. Of the 20 systems originally selected for evaluation, 10 are in various stages of completion, and recommendations resulting from the earliest systems studied are now being implemented. As expected, few major discoveries have been made in terms of preventive maintenance program failings or excesses. The performance of the now 20-yr-old plant has been excellent in recent years, and objectives focus more on ensuring continued high standards of safety, reliability, and economy than on maintenance program cost reduction

Socioeconomic factors and mortality in emergency general surgery: trends over a 20-year period.

Science.gov (United States)

Armenia, Sarah J; Pentakota, Sri Ram; Merchant, Aziz M

2017-05-15

Socioeconomic factors such as race, insurance, and income quartiles have been identified as independent risk factors in emergency general surgery (EGS), but this impact has not been studied over time. We sought to identify trends in disparities in EGS-related operative mortality over a 20-y period. The National Inpatient Sample was used to identify patient encounters coded for EGS in 1993, 2003, and 2013. Logistic regression models were used to examine the adjusted relationship between race, primary payer status, and median income quartiles and in-hospital mortality after adjusting for patients' age, gender, Elixhauser comorbidity score, and hospital region, size, and location-cum-teaching status. We identified 391,040 patient encounters. In 1993, Black race was associated with higher odds of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.35 [1.20-1.53]) than White race, although this difference dissipated in subsequent years. Medicare, Medicaid, and underinsured patients had a higher odds of mortality than those with private insurance for the entire 20-y period; only the disparity in the underinsured decreased over time (1993, 1.63 [1.35-1.98]; 2013, 1.41 [1.20-1.67]). In 2003 (1.23 [1.10-1.38]) and 2013 (1.23 [1.11-1.37]), patients from the lowest income quartile were more likely to die after EGS than patients from the highest income quartile. Socioeconomic disparities in EGS-related operative morality followed inconsistent trends. Over time, while gaps in in-hospital mortality among Blacks and Whites have narrowed, disparities among patients belonging to lowest income quartile have worsened. Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries continued to experience higher odds of in-hospital mortality relative to those with private insurance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

20 year long term air quality trends in Israel

Science.gov (United States)

Luria, M.

2017-12-01

The Israeli air monitoring network was established in the mid 1990's with dozens of measuring sites near most populated areas. During these past 20 years the Israel economy has increased significantly. The population grew by 30%, energy consumption and power generation by more than 40% and the number of motor vehicles increased by nearly 50%. Most of the fossil energy is consumed by the electric power industry that has changed immensely during this period. Until the early 2000's the vast majority of the electricity was generated from coal and heavy oil. However, during the last ten years natural gas has gradually becomes the major source for power generation and for most of the heavy industry. In the present study we examined the impact of these economic trends on the major criteria air pollution parameters; O3, NOx, SO2 and PM10. The analyses was based on the long term trend of median value (50th percentile) and the 90th percentile. The results revealed that SO2 levels throughout the country decreased to very low levels, with the 90th percentile near the detection limit. The levels of PM10, that are relatively high compare with other global regions, did not show any trend during the 20 year period. This is consistent with the fact that most particulate matter results from long range transport of dust from the surrounding deserts. The long term trend of NOx indicates a gradual and steady increase at most measuring sites, which is consistent with the increase of fossil fuel consumption. The increase in NOx levels is most likely the cause for the significant increase in O3 levels found at most sites in a few of them to levels that are considered as an environmental hazard.

Training multidisciplinary biomedical informatics students: three years of experience.

Science.gov (United States)

van Mulligen, Erik M; Cases, Montserrat; Hettne, Kristina; Molero, Eva; Weeber, Marc; Robertson, Kevin A; Oliva, Baldomero; de la Calle, Guillermo; Maojo, Victor

2008-01-01

The European INFOBIOMED Network of Excellence recognized that a successful education program in biomedical informatics should include not only traditional teaching activities in the basic sciences but also the development of skills for working in multidisciplinary teams. A carefully developed 3-year training program for biomedical informatics students addressed these educational aspects through the following four activities: (1) an internet course database containing an overview of all Medical Informatics and BioInformatics courses, (2) a BioMedical Informatics Summer School, (3) a mobility program based on a 'brokerage service' which published demands and offers, including funding for research exchange projects, and (4) training challenges aimed at the development of multi-disciplinary skills. This paper focuses on experiences gained in the development of novel educational activities addressing work in multidisciplinary teams. The training challenges described here were evaluated by asking participants to fill out forms with Likert scale based questions. For the mobility program a needs assessment was carried out. The mobility program supported 20 exchanges which fostered new BMI research, resulted in a number of peer-reviewed publications and demonstrated the feasibility of this multidisciplinary BMI approach within the European Union. Students unanimously indicated that the training challenge experience had contributed to their understanding and appreciation of multidisciplinary teamwork. The training activities undertaken in INFOBIOMED have contributed to a multi-disciplinary BMI approach. It is our hope that this work might provide an impetus for training efforts in Europe, and yield a new generation of biomedical informaticians.

Experience gained during 10 years transmutation experiments in Dubna

Science.gov (United States)

Zamani, M.; Fragopoulou, M.; Manolopoulou, M.; Stoulos, S.; Brandt, R.; Westmeier, W.; Krivopustov, M.; Sosnin, A.; Golovatyuk, S.

2006-05-01

Transmutation, the procedure of transforming long-lived radioactive isotopes into stable or short-lived, was proposed for reducing the amount of radioactive waste resulting from technological applications of nuclear fission. The Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS) provide the possibility to generate intense neutron spectrum yielding in an effective transmutation of unwanted isotopes. Such experiments are being carried out for the last 10 years in Synchrophasotron / Nuclotron accelerators at the Veksler-Baldin Laboratory of High Energies of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia. Thick Pb and Pb-U targets, surrounded by moderators, have been irradiated by protons in the energy range of 0.5-7.4 GeV. Neutron fluence measurements have been performed by different techniques of passive detectors (neutron activation detectors, solid state nuclear track detectors). Transmutation of 129I, 237Np, 239Pu was studied. The results of these experiments are presented and discussed.

Dyscirculatory encephalopathy in Chernobyl disaster clean-up workers (a 20-year study).

Science.gov (United States)

Podsonnaya, I V; Shumakher, G I; Golovin, V A

2010-05-01

Results obtained over 20-years of following 536 Chernobyl clean-up workers and 436 control subjects are presented. Dyscirculatory encephalopathy developed more frequently in persons exposed to radiation at age 30 years. As compared with the control group, workers were characterized by early onset of disease, faster progression, stable symptomatology for 5-6 years, and further progression of disease in the form of autonomic dysfunction, psycho-organic syndrome, and epilepsy. Major strokes were also more common in clean-up workers.

Nuclear Poland? The second approach after 20 years

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sawicki, L.; Gołębiewski, T.; Fornalski, K.W.; Gadja, D.

2015-07-01

Poland’s plan for reorganization of its energy mix is to construct several nuclear reactors (2 NPPs with number of units depending on reactor type) of total capacity 6000 MW. It is assumed that energy from NPPs will provide up to 19% of the electricity production in Poland after 2035. Currently there is no nuclear power plant in operation. The previous nuclear programme was canceled in 1990. Almost 20 years later Polish government has undertaken second attempt to construct first NPP by adoption of The Polish Nuclear Power Program in January 2014. Since that moment were started intensive preparations to implement many legal regulations related to future nuclear industry in Poland e.g. Atomic Law amendment. In the same year the Owner’s Engineer was chosen by the main investor PGE S.A. Following “nuclear” a lot of Polish Universities launched studies connected with the subject to ensure employees for deployment and sustaining of nuclear technologies in Poland. This paper describes the rationale staying behind the government decision, present situation of Polish energy market and current work status. (Author)

Latest results on the performance of the multigap resistive plate chamber used for the ALICE TOF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akindinov, A.N.; Alici, A.; Anselmo, F.

2004-01-01

For the identification of particles in the momentum range 0.5-2.5GeV/c, the ALICE experiment uses a Time Of Flight array consisting of Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPC) in the form of long strips. The design of the detector elements is as follows : double stack MRPCs with glass resistive plates and 5 gas gaps of 250μm per stack. The latest results on the performance of these MRPCs are presented. Typical values of time resolution σ are better than 50ps, with an efficiency of 99.9% and a long, more than 1.5kV, streamer-free plateau

Morbidity and mortality according to latest CD4+ cell count among HIV positive individuals in South Africa who enrolled in project Phidisa.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrick H Maduna

Full Text Available Short-term morbidity and mortality rates for HIV positive soldiers in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF would inform decisions about deployment and HIV disease management. Risks were determined according to the latest CD4+ cell count and use of antiretroviral therapy (ART for HIV positive individuals in the SANDF and their dependents.A total of 7,114 participants were enrolled and followed for mortality over a median of 4.7 years (IQR: 1.9, 7.1 years. For a planned subset (5,976, progression of disease (POD and grade 4, potentially life-threatening events were also ascertained. CD4+ count and viral load were measured every 3 to 6 months. Poisson regression was used to compare event rates by latest CD4+ count (<50, 50-99, 100-199, 200-349, 350-499, 500+ with a focus on upper three strata, and to estimate relative risks (RRs (ART/no ART. Median entry CD4+ was 207 cells/mm3. During follow-up over 70% were prescribed ART. Over follow-up 1,226 participants died; rates ranged from 57.6 (< 50 cells to 0.8 (500+ cells per 100 person years (py. Compared to those with latest CD4+ 200-349 (2.2/100 py, death rates were significantly lower (p<0.001, as expected, for those with 350-499 (0.9/100 py and with 500+ cells (0.8/100 py. The composite outcome of death, POD or grade 4 events occurred in 2,302 participants (4,045 events; rates were similar in higher CD4+ count strata (9.4 for 350-499 and 7.9 for 500+ cells and lower than those with counts 200-349 cells (13.5 (p<0.001. For those with latest CD4+ 350+ cells, 63% of the composite outcomes (680 of 1,074 were grade 4 events.Rates of morbidity and mortality are lowest among those with CD4+ count of 350 or higher and rates do not differ for those with counts of 350-499 versus 500+ cells. Grade 4 events are the predominant morbidity for participants with CD4+ counts of 350+ cells.

A 20 year retrospective histomorphological analysis of juvenile soft tissue tumors

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Odokuma Emmanuel Igho

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Soft tissue tumours (STT are defined traditionally as mesenchymal proliferations that occur in the extra-.skeletal nonepithelial tissues of the body excluding viscera, meninges and lymphoreticular system. These tumours occur in children where they may result in severe debilitating disease. This study was therefore aimed at determining the age, gender and site distribution of soft tissue tumours in the young. Materials and Methods: The records of all pathology consultations during the 20 year period from (1990-2010, from the Department of Morbid Anatomy/Histopathology, University of Benin Teaching Hospital from birth to 20 years, were utilized for this study. The lesions were standardized in accordance with the world health organization (WHO classification. Permission for this study was obtained from the UBTH ethics committee (protocol number ADM/E22/A/VOL.VII/142. Results: A total of 139 lesions were recorded, 72 males and 67 females with a male/female ratio of 1.1:1. Benign tumours constituted 113(81% while malignant tumours accounted for 26(19%. This study demonstrated that, nerve sheath tumours and vascular tumours accounted for 25% of STT in children followed by adipocytic tumours 22%, skeletal muscle tumours 17%, fibrohistiocytic tumours 7%, fibroblastic tumours 5%, and perivascular tumours 1% respectively. Majority of these tumours were located in the head and lower extremities with fewer in the upper extremities and trunk. These lesions were predominant in females of the older age group (10-20 years unlike in their male counterparts. Conclusion: This study has shown that benign soft tissue tumours are more prevalent than the malignant varieties in juveniles.

[Experiences and results in hypertension screening in women between 20 and 65 years of age in Karl-Marx-City].

Science.gov (United States)

Voigt, G; Börker, G; Edelmann, S; Hartung, A; Hartung, G; Heyne, S; Töpfer, V

1980-11-15

From 1975 to 1979 in the district of the City of Karl-Marx-Stadt 91,130 females at the age between 20 and 65 years were summoned to a gynaecologico-cardiological mass examination which was supported by computer. 56,460 females underwent the examination. According to the WHO-criteria two measurements of blood pressure were carried out, when increased blood pressure was present a third one and a fourth one by an examination group. A diagnostic standard programme was used. In the second measurement of blood pressure we established 19.8% of patients with hypertension and 28.6% patients with borderline values. 52.8% of the hypertensions were known. Of 10,685 females with known or established hypertension 10.1% underwent an optimum therapy. On the basis of these results a programme for the fight against hypertension was developed for the county Karl-Marx-Stadt.

Longitudinal Analysis of Adiponectin through 20-Year Type 1 Diabetes Duration.

Science.gov (United States)

LeCaire, Tamara J; Palta, Mari

2015-01-01

Little information exists on the trajectory and determinants of adiponectin, a possible insulin sensitizer and marker for inflammation and endothelial function, across the duration of type 1 diabetes. The Wisconsin Diabetes Registry Study followed an incident cohort ≤ 30 years of age when diagnosed with type 1 diabetes during 1987-1992 up to 20-year duration. Adiponectin was concurrently and retrospectively (from samples frozen at -80 °C) measured for those participating in a 20-year exam (n = 304), during 2007-2011. Adiponectin levels were higher in females, declined through adolescence, and increased with age thereafter. Lower levels were associated with greater body weight and waist circumference and with higher insulin dose, especially at longer diabetes durations. Higher levels were associated with higher HbA1c and, at longer durations, with higher albumin-creatinine ratio. Adiponectin levels showed consistency within individuals that was not explained by these factors. We conclude that markers for insulin resistance are associated with lower adiponectin, and markers for potential microvascular complications are associated with higher adiponectin. The previously reported relationship with HbA1c remains largely unexplained. Additional individual specific factors likely also influence adiponectin level. The relationship between adiponectin and urinary protein excretion may enable identification of those predisposed to kidney disease earlier in type 1 diabetes.

Comparative study of millennials' (age 20-34 years) grip and lateral pinch with the norms.

Science.gov (United States)

Fain, Elizabeth; Weatherford, Cara

Cross-sectional research design. Clinical practice continues to use normative data for grip and pinch measurements that were established in 1985. There is no updated norms despite different hand usage patterns in today's society. Measuring and comparing grip and pinch strengths with normative data is a valid method to determine hand function. This research was implemented to compare the grip and pinch measurements obtained from healthy millennials to the established norms and to describe hand usage patterns for millennials. Grip and lateral pinch measurements were obtained from a sample of 237 healthy millennials (ages 20-34 years). Strength scores were statistically lower that older normative data in all millennial grip strengths, with the exception of the women in the age group of 30-34 years. Specifically, this statistically significant trend was observed in all male grip strengths, as well as in women in the age group of 20-24 years (bilateral grip) and 25-29 years (right grip). However, the lateral pinch data reflected was similar to the older norms with variances of 0.5-1 kg. Current data reflect statistically significant differences from the norms for all male grip measurements, as well as for women in the age group of 20-24 years (bilateral grip) and 25-29 years (right grip). No statistical significance was observed in the independent-sample t tests for the lateral pinch in men of all age groups. Statistical significance was noted for lateral pinch for female age groups for the left hand (20-24 years) and for bilateral lateral pinches (30-34 years). IV. Copyright © 2016 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

North American Integration after 20 Years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Galina M. Kostyunina

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Formation of the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA among the three countries - the U.S., Canada and Mexico is the most striking example of successful development of integration processes in the Western Hemisphere. This year NAFTA marks the 20th anniversary of its foundation (1994. NAFTA covers trade in goods, services and movement of capital, intellectual property rights, environmental cooperation and labor cooperation. Its main advantages for member countries related to the dynamic growth of regional trade and investments, promoting the growth of industrial production (capital-intensive and high-tech industries in the U.S. and Canada, and labor-intensive industries in Mexico, increase the investment attractiveness of the economies of member countries and the promotion of employment. But there are costs, both general and specific to the individual member countries. Common costs are primarily asymmetrical level of economic interdependence, where mutual economic relations are the most developed between the U.S. and Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, and the least developed between Mexico and Canada due to historical conditions. Other costs are the differentiation in the levels of economic development, in volumes of overall GDP and per capita, population and size of the territory. But despite the costs, integration processes are successfully developed and repeatedly raised the issue of deepening economic integration between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. So, in 2000, there was put forward the concept of creating the North American community as an economic and security community by 2010, and in 2005 proposed the idea of a common currency called the Amero. But these proposals did not come true. On the agenda - the possibility of signing a new, more expanded NAFTA+, and even in the last year - the possibility to form a customs union under NAFTA.

20 years of ClO measurements in the Antarctic lower stratosphere

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G. E. Nedoluha

2016-08-01

Full Text Available We present 20 years (1996–2015 of austral springtime measurements of chlorine monoxide (ClO over Antarctica from the Chlorine Oxide Experiment (ChlOE1 ground-based millimeter wave spectrometer at Scott Base, Antarctica, as well 12 years (2004–2015 of ClO measurements from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS. From August onwards we observe a strong increase in lower stratospheric ClO, with a peak column amount usually occurring in early September. From mid-September onwards we observe a strong decrease in ClO. In order to study interannual differences, we focus on a 3-week period from 28 August to 17 September for each year and compare the average column ClO anomalies. These column ClO anomalies are shown to be highly correlated with the average ozone mass deficit for September and October of each year. We also show that anomalies in column ClO are strongly anti-correlated with 30 hPa temperature anomalies, both on a daily and an interannual timescale. Making use of this anti-correlation we calculate the linear dependence of the interannual variations in column ClO on interannual variations in temperature. By making use of this relationship, we can better estimate the underlying trend in the total chlorine (Cly  =  HCl + ClONO2 + HOCl + 2  ×  Cl2 + 2  ×  Cl2O2 + ClO + Cl. The resultant trends in Cly, which determine the long-term trend in ClO, are estimated to be −0.5 ± 0.2, −1.4 ± 0.9, and −0.6 ± 0.4 % year−1, for zonal MLS, Scott Base MLS (both 2004–2015, and ChlOE (1996–2015 respectively. These trends are within 1σ of trends in stratospheric Cly previously found at other latitudes. The decrease in ClO is consistent with the trend expected from regulations enacted under the Montreal Protocol.

Turbomachinery: latest developments in a changing scene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

The contributions to the 1991 European Conference on the latest developments in turbomachinery are presented. The topics covered include: computational fluid dynamics methods applied to the aerodynamics of turbine blades; developments associated with steam turbines and gas turbines; flow patterns for turbine blades; compressor design and development; turbine test facilities; film cooling; heat transfer; theoretical treatment of transonic and unsteady flow; condensation phenomena and wet steam flow; water extraction from steam turbine blades; wetness losses in steam turbines in nuclear power plants and pressure loss reduction; aerodynamic instabilities arising from governing valves in Pressurized Water Reactor steam turbines. (UK)

Fifteen years experience: Egyptian metabolic lab

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Ekram M. Fateen

2014-10-01

Conclusion: This study illustrates the experience of the reference metabolic lab in Egypt over 15 years. The lab began metabolic disorder screening by using simple diagnostic techniques like thin layer chromatography and colored tests in urine which by time updated and upgraded the methods to diagnose a wide range of disorders. This study shows the most common diagnosed inherited inborn errors of metabolism among the Egyptian population.

Top Quark Properties Measurements with the ATLAS Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quijada, J A Murillo

2016-01-01

Results on recent measurements of top quark properties with the ATLAS experiment at the European Laboratory, CERN, are shown. The measurements are performed using the full data set recorded during the LHC Run-I. The full data set consists of a collected integrated luminosities ∫Tdt of 4.6 fb -1 recorded at a proton-proton collision energy of √ s = 7 TeV and 20.3 fb -1 collected at 8 TeV. The mentioned top quark properties include: spin correlation, charge asymmetry, W-boson polarization, color flow, top mass and top width in events with a top and anti-top quark pair ( tt ). An introduction to the LHC and the ATLAS detector is included and latest main results from this experiment. The contents include the current world benchmark results for the different properties and plans for future measurements during the ongoing LHC Run-II. (paper)

20 YEARS OF PROGRESS IN MALARIA RESEARCH

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J. Kevin Baird

2012-09-01

Full Text Available U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 2 Detachment (NAMRU, in collaboration with National Institute of Health Research and Development (NIHRD and many other Indonesian government agencies and universities, has conducted studies of malaria throughout Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Flores, Timor, and Irian Jaya. Most studies have characterized the disease epidemiologically by defining the parasitologic distribution of the disease in the population, and by defining the entomologic parameters of local transmission. Studies of patterns of resistance to antimalarials have also been done at many field sites. Several studies on the clinical management of malaria occurred in Rumah Sakit Umum Propinsi in Jayapura. In addition to these studies which impact upon local public health planning policy, immunologic studies routinely occurred in support of the global effort to develop a vaccine against malaria. This report summarizes the progress made in these areas of research during the first 20 years of NAMRU in Indonesia.

Mobile Web 2.0 in the Workplace: A Case Study of Employees' Informal Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Jia; Churchill, Daniel; Lu, Jie

2014-01-01

Employees' informal learning in the workplace warrants more attention, and such learning could benefit from the latest mobile technologies such as Web 2.0 applications, which have increasingly been utilized and have the potential to enhance learning outcomes. This multiple-case study examined the impact of mobile Web 2.0 applications on…

Efficacy of external fractionated radiation therapy in the treatment of meningiomas: a 20-year experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pourel, Nicolas; Auque, Jean; Bracard, Serge; Hoffstetter, Sylvette; Luporsi, Elisabeth; Vignaud, Jean-Michek; Bey, Pierre

2001-01-01

Background: This is a retrospective analysis of a series of meningiomas treated by radiotherapy. Materials and methods: From 1978 to 1997, 45 patients with intracranial meningiomas were referred for external fractionated radiotherapy at Centre Alexis Vautrin. All patients were given 50-70 Gy to the tumor bed (median: 56 Gy), 1.8-2 Gy per fraction. Results: Evaluation was performed in June 1999 using the Kaplan-Meyer actuarial method with a median follow-up of 30 months (range: 1-166), relapse-free survivals (RFSs) were 75% at 5 years and 67% at 8 years; overall survival (OS) was 74% at 5 and 8 years. For the 26 benign histologically documented lesions, RFSs were 95% at 5 years and 81% at 8 years; OS was 85% at 5 and 8 years. One major radiation-induced complication occurred in this series (decline of cognitive function). According to the indication of radiotherapy, we divided the series into four groups: postoperative irradiation after a first subtotal resection (11 patients), 5-year RFS was 90%; after first recurrence (±salvage surgery, 14 patients), 73%; after further recurrence (±salvage surgery, 11 patients), 67%; as exclusive treatment (nine patients), 80%. Atypical and malignant lesions (n=7) all relapsed before 24 months of follow-up, all patients but one died before 42 months. Age at the time of irradiation (≥60 vs. <60 years) and radiotherapy dose (≥60 vs. <60 Gy) did not influence local control or OS. Atypical and malignant lesions (WHO grades II and III) meningiomas had a worse outcome than benign lesions (WHO grade I, P<0.01). Conclusions: These results compare favorably with previously published data. External fractionated radiotherapy is well tolerated and effective. There is still a debate about the place of radiotherapy in the treatment of meningiomas: after subtotal resection, should radiotherapy be given postoperatively or at the time of progression? Should radiotherapy replace surgery when the risk of postoperative sequellae is high

The Role of Lifestyle Behaviors on 20-Year Cognitive Decline

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D. Cadar

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This study examined the association between smoking, physical activity and dietary choice at 36 and 43 years, and change in these lifestyle behaviors between these ages, and decline in verbal memory and visual search speed between 43 and 60–64 years in 1018 participants from MRC National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD, the British 1946 birth cohort. ANCOVA models were adjusted for sex, social class of origin, childhood cognition, educational attainment, adult social class, and depression; then the lifestyle behaviors were additionally mutually adjusted. Results showed that healthy dietary choice and physical activity were associated, respectively, with slower memory and visual search speed decline over 20 years, with evidence that increasing physical activity was important. Adopting positive health behaviors from early midlife may be beneficial in reducing the rate of cognitive decline and ultimately reducing the risk of dementia.

Older adults' health and late-life drinking patterns: a 20-year perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Moos, Rudolf H; Brennan, Penny L; Schutte, Kathleen K; Moos, Bernice S

2010-01-01

This study focused on the associations between older adults' health-related problems and their late-life alcohol consumption and drinking problems. A sample of 719 late-middle-aged community residents (55-65 years old at baseline) participated in a survey of health and alcohol consumption and this survey was followed 10 years and 20 years later. Health-related problems increased and alcohol consumption and drinking problems declined over the 20-year interval. Medical conditions, depressive symptoms, medication use, and acute health events were associated with a higher likelihood of abstinence; acute health events were also associated with less alcohol consumption. In contrast, reliance on alcohol to reduce pain was linked to more alcohol consumption. Moreover, an individual's overall health burden and reliance on alcohol to reduce pain were associated with more drinking problems. Reliance on alcohol to reduce pain potentiated the association between health burden, alcohol consumption and drinking problems. Older adults who have more health problems and rely on alcohol to manage pain are at elevated risk for drinking problems. Health care providers should target high-risk older adults, such as those who drink to reduce pain, for screening and brief interventions to help them identify new ways to cope with pain and curtail their drinking.

Alignment of the CMS Tracker: Latest results from LHC Run-II

CERN Document Server

Mittag, Gregor

2017-01-01

The all-silicon design of the tracking system of the CMS experiment provides excellent measurements of charged-particle tracks and an efficient tagging of jets. Conditions of the CMS tracker changed repeatedly during the 2015/2016 shutdown and the 2016 data-taking period. Still the true position and orientation of each of the 15 148 silicon strip and 1440 silicon pixel modules need to be known with high precision for all intervals. The alignment constants also need to be promptly re-adjusted each time the state of the CMS magnet is changed between 0T and 3.8 T. Latest Run-II results of the CMS tracker alignment and resolution performance are presented, which are obtained using several millions of reconstructed tracks from collision and cosmic-ray data of 2016. The geometries and the resulting performance of physics observables are carefully validated. In addition to the offline alignment, an online procedure has been put in place which continuously monitors movements of the pixel high-level structures and tri...

Identifying Attrition Risk Based on the First Year Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Naylor, Ryan; Baik, Chi; Arkoudis, Sophia

2018-01-01

Using data collected from a recent national survey of Australian first-year students, this paper defines and validates four scales--belonging, feeling supported, intellectual engagement and workload stress--to measure the student experience of university. These scales provide insights into the university experience for both groups and individual…

Latest Insights on Adenovirus Structure and Assembly

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Carmen San Martín

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Adenovirus (AdV capsid organization is considerably complex, not only because of its large size (~950 Å and triangulation number (pseudo T = 25, but also because it contains four types of minor proteins in specialized locations modulating the quasi-equivalent icosahedral interactions. Up until 2009, only its major components (hexon, penton, and fiber had separately been described in atomic detail. Their relationships within the virion, and the location of minor coat proteins, were inferred from combining the known crystal structures with increasingly more detailed cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM maps. There was no structural information on assembly intermediates. Later on that year, two reports described the structural differences between the mature and immature adenoviral particle, starting to shed light on the different stages of viral assembly, and giving further insights into the roles of core and minor coat proteins during morphogenesis [1,2]. Finally, in 2010, two papers describing the atomic resolution structure of the complete virion appeared [3,4]. These reports represent a veritable tour de force for two structural biology techniques: X-ray crystallography and cryoEM, as this is the largest macromolecular complex solved at high resolution by either of them. In particular, the cryoEM analysis provided an unprecedented clear picture of the complex protein networks shaping the icosahedral shell. Here I review these latest developments in the field of AdV structural studies.

Non-Formal Education Implementations in Turkey: Issues and Latest Challenges

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Bilir, Mehmet

2007-01-01

The aim of this article is to analyse the latest implementations and issues raised in Turkish non-formal education from a historical perspective in Turkey. The high population rate and lack of adequate educational opportunities for adults and migration from rural areas to urban areas caused many educational, social and cultural problems in…

The Latest from LHCf

CERN Multimedia

2009-01-01

At the end of September, the LHCf collaboration installed RadMon dosimeters inside the TAN absorbers containing the detectors. Being located on the same level as the LHCf detectors, the dosimeters will provide precise information on the particle dose received. These data will be visible online as they are acquired. Hitherto, the only dosimeters of this type were located underneath the TAN absorbers, which did not provide precise information on the particle dose received by the detectors. The LHCf experiment has been ready for a year and the LHCf the collaboration is eagerly awaiting circulation of the first particle beams in the LHC at the end of the autumn. LHCf Collaboration

Longitudinal Analysis of Adiponectin through 20-Year Type 1 Diabetes Duration

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Tamara J. LeCaire

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Little information exists on the trajectory and determinants of adiponectin, a possible insulin sensitizer and marker for inflammation and endothelial function, across the duration of type 1 diabetes. The Wisconsin Diabetes Registry Study followed an incident cohort ≤30 years of age when diagnosed with type 1 diabetes during 1987–1992 up to 20-year duration. Adiponectin was concurrently and retrospectively (from samples frozen at −80°C measured for those participating in a 20-year exam (n=304, during 2007–2011. Adiponectin levels were higher in females, declined through adolescence, and increased with age thereafter. Lower levels were associated with greater body weight and waist circumference and with higher insulin dose, especially at longer diabetes durations. Higher levels were associated with higher HbA1c and, at longer durations, with higher albumin-creatinine ratio. Adiponectin levels showed consistency within individuals that was not explained by these factors. We conclude that markers for insulin resistance are associated with lower adiponectin, and markers for potential microvascular complications are associated with higher adiponectin. The previously reported relationship with HbA1c remains largely unexplained. Additional individual specific factors likely also influence adiponectin level. The relationship between adiponectin and urinary protein excretion may enable identification of those predisposed to kidney disease earlier in type 1 diabetes.

Residential Transitions among Adults with Intellectual Disability across 20 Years

Science.gov (United States)

Woodman, Ashley C.; Mailick, Marsha R.; Anderson, Kristy A.; Esbensen, Anna J.

2014-01-01

The present study addresses critical gaps in the literature by examining residential transitions among 303 adults with intellectual disability over 10 years (Part 1) and 75 adults with Down syndrome over 20 years (Part 2). All adults lived at home at the start of the study, but many moved to a variety of settings. Several characteristics of the adults with intellectual disability differed across settings, most notably adaptive behavior and the number of residential transitions, while characteristics such as age, type of disability, and behavior problems were less predictive of residential placements. The number of moves over the course of the study varied widely, with critical links to earlier family dynamics, social relationships, and health and adaptive behavior. PMID:25354121

Latest innovations for tattoo and permanent makeup removal.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Johnny C; DeJoseph, Louis M

2012-05-01

The goal of this article is to reveal the latest techniques and advances in laser removal of both amateur and professional tattoos, as well as cosmetic tattoos and permanent makeup. Each pose different challenges to the removing physician, but the goal is always the same: removal without sequelae. The authors' technique is detailed, and discussion of basic principles of light reflection, ink properties, effects of laser energy and heat, and outcomes and complications of tattoo removal are presented. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rumination, Age, and Years of Experience: A Predictive Study of Burnout

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McDuffy, Moriel S.

2016-01-01

This study used a non-experimental design to examine whether job satisfaction, rumination, age and years of experience predict burnout among human service workers serving high-risk populations. The study also used a stepwise regression to assess whether job satisfaction, rumination, age, or years of experience predict burnout equally. Burnout was…

Comparison of differentiated thyroid cancer in children and adolescents (≤20 years) with young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Alzahrani, Ali S; Alkhafaji, Dania; Tuli, Mahmoud; Al-Hindi, Hindi; Sadiq, Bakr Bin

2016-04-01

Age is a major prognostic factor in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). It is not clear if paediatric DTC has a different histopathological profile and outcome than DTC in adult patients age. To assess whether DTC in children and adolescents differs from young age group by comparing paediatric DTC (age ≤ 20) with DTC in patients >20 to age. We studied all cases of paediatric DTC seen during the period 1998-2011. We compared this group with a large sample of 213 consecutive adult patients in the age group >20 to age 17 years (range, 8-20)] and 213 young adult patients [median age 33 years (range, 20·5-44·9)]. There was no difference in gender distribution, tumour subtypes, size and tumour multifocality, but there was a significantly higher rate of extrathyroidal extension [40/75 (53·3%) vs 81/213 (38·0%), P = 0·03], lymph node [57/73 (78%) vs 102/183 (55·7%), P adult groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a higher risk of persistent/recurrent disease in the paediatric group than adults (log-rank test 0·03). However, there was no mortality secondary to DTC in both groups. Paediatric DTC is distinct from DTC in the young adults (age >20 to <45 years). It is characterized by a higher rate of extrathyroidal extension, lymph node and distant metastases and a higher risk of persistent/recurrent DTC. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Horizontal inequality in education and wealth in Tanzania: A 20-year perspective

OpenAIRE

Maliti, Emmanuel

2016-01-01

This study uses five series of demographic and health surveys to answer the question: 'Is horizontal inequality in education and wealth increasing or decreasing in the 20-year interval between 1991 and 2010?'. Horizontal inequality in education attainment has been moving in waves; however, there was an invested U-shaped trend where inequality increased between 2004 and 2007 before a declining trend in recent years. Unlike the fluctuating trends of the overall horizontal inequality in educatio...

The laser microprobe dating drives K-Ar geochronology into a new milestone at the end of 20th century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mu Zhiguo; Gao Yongjun

2001-01-01

K-Ar age dating method is facing a serious challenge to its application due to that both Ar loss and Ar excess are widespread found even though it has been undergoing 50 years. In the latest few years of the 20th century, studies on K-Ar geochronology have been pushing on a new step as a sign of method perfected and precision enhanced. High precision and high resolution 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating, can use in both micro-area and a single grain, extends dating limit into the historical realm. Applied range of K-Ar geochronology is getting bigger and bigger due to fine analytical techniques while solved geological problems are getting wider and wider

Combined visual and motor evoked potentials predict multiple sclerosis disability after 20 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlaeger, Regina; Schindler, Christian; Grize, Leticia; Dellas, Sophie; Radue, Ernst W; Kappos, Ludwig; Fuhr, Peter

2014-09-01

The development of predictors of multiple sclerosis (MS) disability is difficult due to the complex interplay of pathophysiological and adaptive processes. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether combined evoked potential (EP)-measures allow prediction of MS disability after 20 years. We examined 28 patients with clinically definite MS according to Poser's criteria with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores, combined visual and motor EPs at entry (T0), 6 (T1), 12 (T2) and 24 (T3) months, and a cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan at T0 and T2. EDSS testing was repeated at year 14 (T4) and year 20 (T5). Spearman rank correlation was used. We performed a multivariable regression analysis to examine predictive relationships of the sum of z-transformed EP latencies (s-EPT0) and other baseline variables with EDSST5. We found that s-EPT0 correlated with EDSST5 (rho=0.72, pdisability in MS. © The Author(s) 2014.

Lung Cancer Risk and Demographic Characteristics of Current 20-29 Pack-year Smokers: Implications for Screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinsky, Paul F; Kramer, Barnett S

2015-11-01

Based on current recommendations, 30+ pack-years of smoking are required for eligibility for low-dose CT (LDCT) lung cancer screening; former smokers must have quit within 15 years. We investigated whether current smokers with 20 to 29 pack-years have similar lung cancer risks as eligible former smokers and also whether they have a different demographic profile. The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) was a randomly assigned screening trial of subjects age 55 to 74 years with chest radiographs (CXR) used for lung cancer. Subjects completed a baseline questionnaire containing smoking history questions. Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for age and sex, were utilized to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for various smoking history groups. Next, we utilized the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which inquired about smoking history and race/ethnicity, to analyze the demographic profiles of various high-risk smoking history categories. All statistical tests were two-sided. The PLCO cohort included 18 114 former and 12 243 current LDCT-eligible smokers, plus 2283 20- to 29-pack-year current smokers. The hazard ratio for 20- to 29-pack-year current smokers compared with eligible (30+ pack-year) former smokers was 1.07 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.75 to 1.5). Based on the NHIS, 10 million persons in the United States are currently LDCT eligible; an additional 1.6 million (16%, 95% CI = 13.6% to 19.0%) are 20- to 29-pack-year current smokers. The percentage increase in eligibles if 20- to 29-pack-year current smokers were included was substantially greater for women than men (22.2%, 95% CI = 17.9% to 26.7%; vs 12.2%, 95% CI = 9.3% to 15.3%, P non-Hispanic whites (30.0%, 95% CI = 24.2% to 36.0%; vs 14.1%, 95% CI = 11.1% to 17.0%, P smokers should be assessed. Published by Oxford University Press 2015. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

5 years of experience with a large-scale mentoring program for medical students

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Pinilla, Severin

2015-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper we present our 5-year-experience with a large-scale mentoring program for undergraduate medical students at the Ludwig Maximilians-Universität Munich (LMU. We implemented a two-tiered program with a peer-mentoring concept for preclinical students and a 1:1-mentoring concept for clinical students aided by a fully automated online-based matching algorithm. Approximately 20-30% of each student cohort participates in our voluntary mentoring program. Defining ideal program evaluation strategies, recruiting mentors from beyond the academic environment and accounting for the mentoring network reality remain challenging. We conclude that a two-tiered program is well accepted by students and faculty. In addition the online-based matching seems to be effective for large-scale mentoring programs.

Measurement of solar neutrinos flux in Russian-American gallium experiment SAGE for half 22-years cycle of solar activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdurashitov, D.N.; Veretenkin, E.P.; Vermul, V.M.

2002-01-01

The results of measuring the solar neutrino capture on the metallic gallium in the Russian-American experiment SAGE for the period slightly exceeding the half of the 22-year cycle of solar activity, are presented. The results of new measurements since April 1998 are quoted and the analysis of all the measurements, performed by years, months and two-year periods, beginning since 1990 are also presented. Simple analysis of the SAGE results together with the results of other solar neutrino experiments leads to estimating the value of the flux of the pp-neutrinos, reaching the Earth without change in their around, equal to (4.6 ± 1.2) x 10 10 neutrino/(cm 2 s). The value of the flux of the pp-neutrinos, originating in the Sun thermonuclear reactions, is equal to (7.6 ± 2.0) x 10 10 neutrino/(cm 2 s), which agrees well with the standard solar model (5.95 ± 0.6) x 10 10 neutrino/(cm 2 s) [ru

Latest developments at the ALBA magnetic measurements laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Marcos, J.; Massana, V.; García, L.; Campmany, J.

2018-02-01

ALBA is a third-generation synchrotron light source that has been in operation since 2012 near Barcelona. A magnetic measurements laboratory has been associated with the facility since its very early stages and has been active for the last 20 years. In the first part of this work, the different instruments available at the laboratory are described, and a brief overview of the measurement campaigns carried out during its 20 years of history is presented. In the second part, a more detailed description of the approach to Hall probe measurements adopted at ALBA is offered, with an explanation of the methods and ancillary equipment that have been developed along the years in order to improve the accuracy of the system. In the third part, a new concept of Hall probe bench devoted to the measurement of closed structures is presented. The in-house design and building of a prototype for such a bench is described, together with its mechanical and magnetic characterization. As a conclusion, the first results obtained with this bench are discussed.

Emotional Experience Improves With Age: Evidence Based on Over 10 Years of Experience Sampling

Science.gov (United States)

Carstensen, Laura L.; Turan, Bulent; Scheibe, Susanne; Ram, Nilam; Ersner-Hershfield, Hal; Samanez-Larkin, Gregory R.; Brooks, Kathryn P.; Nesselroade, John R.

2012-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that emotional well-being improves from early adulthood to old age. This study used experience-sampling to examine the developmental course of emotional experience in a representative sample of adults spanning early to very late adulthood. Participants (N = 184, Wave 1; N = 191, Wave 2; N = 178, Wave 3) reported their emotional states at five randomly selected times each day for a one week period. Using a measurement burst design, the one-week sampling procedure was repeated five and then ten years later. Cross-sectional and growth curve analyses indicate that aging is associated with more positive overall emotional well-being, with greater emotional stability and with more complexity (as evidenced by greater co-occurrence of positive and negative emotions). These findings remained robust after accounting for other variables that may be related to emotional experience (personality, verbal fluency, physical health, and demographic variables). Finally, emotional experience predicted mortality; controlling for age, sex, and ethnicity, individuals who experienced relatively more positive than negative emotions in everyday life were more likely to have survived over a 13 year period. Findings are discussed in the theoretical context of socioemotional selectivity theory. PMID:20973600

Outcome of radioiodine-131 therapy in hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules: a 20 years' retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ceccarelli, Claudia; Bencivelli, Walter; Vitti, Paolo; Grasso, Lucia; Pinchera, Aldo

2005-03-01

To investigate the risk of hypothyroidism after radioiodine (131I) treatment for hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules. Retrospective analysis of patients treated with 131I for hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules and followed up for a maximum of 20 years. A total of 346 patients treated with 131I in the years 1975-95, for a single hyperfunctioning nodule. Hypothyroidism was defined as TSH levels > 3.7 mU/l. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to analyse permanence of euthyroidism after 131I. A stepwise Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify factors influencing the progression to hypothyroidism. The cumulative incidence of hypothyroidism was 7.6% at 1 year, 28% at 5 years, 46% at 10 years and 60% at 20 years. Age (P thyroid and nodule size, thyroid status at diagnosis and degree of extranodular thyroid parenchymal suppression had no influence. In hyperthyroid patients with partial parenchymal suppression, however, previous MMI treatment was the most important prognostic factor (P hyperfunctioning nodule are hypothyroid. Factors increasing the risk of hypothyroidism are age, 131I uptake and MMI pretreatment. The prognostic value of this last factor, however, depends on the degree of suppression of the extranodular thyroid parenchyma at the scan.

Radiation protection training: twenty year experience in Hungary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pellet, Sandor; Kanyar, Bela; Zagyvay, Peter; Solymosi, Jozsef; Bujtas, Tibor; Feher, Istvan; Giczi, Ferenc; Deme, Sandor; Uray, Istvan

2008-01-01

In Hungary, radiation protection training for radiation workers has been introduced in very early, just following the publication of the ICRP recommendation No. 26. Before that, in some of the institutions, radiation protection training was recommended for technicians and medical doctors working in nuclear medicine, X-ray diagnostic radiology and radiation therapy, as well as in some of industrial applications, but not on regular way. Since 1988, radiation protection training regulated by the Ministry of Health and required for all of the workers in radiation workplaces licensed by the authority the State Public Health and Medical Officers Service (SPHAMOS). Decree No. 16/2000. (VI. 8.) EuM of the Minister of Health on the enforcement of Clauses of the Nuclear Law 116/1996 regulates the radiation protection training of Radiation Workers (RW). Annex 4 of Decree sees radiation protection training and in-service training: Persons performing conducted work in the field of the use of the nuclear energy and any other work within legal relationship shall be educated in training and in-service training at an interval of 5 years. Three levels of the training introduced; basic, extended and comprehensive, based on radiation risk related to the given job. Several institutions are involved in performing radiation protection training, such universities, scientific institutions, Regional Radiological Health Centers (RRHC) of SPHAMOS, private enterprises etc. All training course material is subject to accreditation. Most of the faculties of the universities involved in training of natural sciences and engineering provide subjects on the fundamentals of dosimetry, radiobiology and radiation protection within the courses of physics, biophysics, chemistry, biology, ecology etc. These courses take 5-10 contact hours per week on average. The members of the Hungarian Committee of EUTERP Platform summarize their broad experience collected in the past 20 year. (author)

Latest Cretaceous climatic and environmental change in the South Atlantic region

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Woelders, L.; Vellekoop, J.; Kroon, D.; Smit, J.; Casadío, S.; Prámparo, M. B.; Dinarès-Turell, J.; Peterse, F.; Sluijs, A.; Lenaerts, J.T.M.; Speijer, R. P.

Latest Maastrichtian climate change caused by Deccan volcanism has been invoked as a cause of mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary (~66.0 Ma). Yet late Maastrichtian climate and ecological changes are poorly documented, in particular on the Southern Hemisphere. Here we present

Latest Cretaceous climatic and environmental change in the South Atlantic region

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Woelders, L.; Vellekoop, J.; Kroon, D.; Smit, J.; Casadío, S.; Prámparo, M. B.; Dinarès-Turell, J.; Peterse, F.; Sluijs, A.; Lenaerts, J. T.M.; Speijer, R. P.

2017-01-01

Latest Maastrichtian climate change caused by Deccan volcanism has been invoked as a cause of mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary (~66.0 Ma). Yet late Maastrichtian climate and ecological changes are poorly documented, in particular on the Southern Hemisphere. Here we present

Paraurethral Leiomyoma in a 20 Year-old Woman: A Case Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily Adams-Piper

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We present the case of a 20 year-old woman with a vulvar mass, found to be a paraurethral leiomyoma. She subsequently underwent supermedial-approach paraurethral mass excision, distal urethral reconstruction and cystourethroscopy. Paraurethral leiomyoma make up approximately five percent of urethral tumors. This case depicts the presentation and treatment of a paraurethral leiomyoma in one of the youngest women reported in the literature.

The Parent-Child Home Program in Western Manitoba: A 20-Year Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Gfellner, Barbara M.; McLaren, Lorraine; Metcalfe, Arron

2008-01-01

This article is a 20-year evaluation of the Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP) of Child and Family Services in Western Manitoba. Following Levenstein's (1979, 1988) approach, home visitors model parent-child interchanges using books and toys to enhance children's cognitive development through appropriate parenting behaviors. The evaluation provides…

[TRENDS OF PERMANENT PACEMAKER IMPLANTATION IN A SINGLE CENTER OVER A 20-YEAR PERIOD].

Science.gov (United States)

Antonelli, Dante; Ilan, Limor Bushar; Freedberg, Nahum A; Feldman, Alexander; Turgeman, Yoav

2015-05-01

To review the changes in permanent pacemaker implantation indications, pacing modes and patients' demographics over a 20-year period. We retrospectively retrieved data on patients who underwent first implantation of the pacemaker between 1-1-1991 and 31-12-2010. One thousand and nine (1,009) patients underwent a first pacemaker implantation during that period; 535 were men (53%), their mean age was 74.6±19.5 years; the highest rate of implanted pacemaker was in patients ranging in age from 70-79 years, however there was an increasing number of patients aged over 80 years. The median survival time after initial pacemaker implantation was 8 years. Syncope was the most common symptom (62.5%) and atrioventricular block was the most common electrocardiographic indication (56.4%) leading to pacemaker implantation. There was increased utilization of dual chamber and rate responsive pacemakers over the years. There was no difference regarding mode selection between genders. Pacemaker implantation rates have increased over a 20-year period. Dual chamber replaced most of the single ventricular chamber pacemaker and rate responsive pacemakers became the norm. The data of a small volume center are similar to those reported in pacemaker surveys of high volume pacemaker implantation centers. They confirm adherence to the published guidelines for pacing.

PREFACE: Celebrating 20 years of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter—in honour of Richard Palmer Celebrating 20 years of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter—in honour of Richard Palmer

Science.gov (United States)

Ferry, David; Dowben, Peter; Inglesfield, John

2009-11-01

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter in 1989. The journal was formed from the merger of Journal of Physics C: Solid State Physics and Journal of Physics F: Metal Physics which had separated in 1971. In the 20 years since its launch, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter has more than doubled in size, while raising standards. Indeed, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter has become one of the leading scientific journals for our field. This could not have occurred without great leadership at the top. No one has been more responsible for this growth in both size and quality than our Senior Publisher, Richard Palmer. Richard first started work at IOP in March 1971 as an Editorial Assistant with J. Phys. B After a few months, he transferred to J. Phys.C The following year, the Assistant Editor of J. Phys. C, Malcolm Haines, left suddenly in order to work on his family vineyard in France, and Richard stepped into the breach. In those days, external editors had a much more hands-on role in IOP Publishing and he had to travel to Harwell to be interviewed by Alan Lidiard, the Honorary Editor of J. Phys. C, before being given the job of Assistant Editor permanently. Since J. Phys. C and J. Phys. F re-merged to form Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, Richard gradually shed his other journal responsibilities, except for Reports on Progress in Physics, to build up Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. He has worked closely with four Editors-in-Chief of J. Phys. C and five of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. When Richard announced his retirement this past winter, we met it with a great deal of both happiness and sadness. Of course, we are happy that he is going to be allowed to enjoy his retirement, but we remain very sad to lose such a valuable member of our team, especially the one who had provided the heart and soul of the journal over its 20 years. We will be able to rely upon the team which Richard ably trained as

Insights into Adherence among a Cohort of Adolescents Aged 12–20 Years in South Africa: Reported Barriers to Antiretroviral Treatment

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Mhairi Maskew

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Adolescents experience disproportionately high rates of poor ART outcomes compared to adults despite prolonged use of antiretroviral therapy in Southern African treatment programs, presenting a significant challenge to national attempts to meet the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets for 2020. This cohort study among adolescents aged 12–20 years accessing ART care at two urban public-sector clinics in Johannesburg between September and November 2013 aimed to identify factors potentially associated with poor attendance at clinic visits. Patients were followed up through routine medical records to identify missed visits (failing to attend clinic within 30 days of scheduled visit date up to 2 years after enrolment. We enrolled 126 adolescents on ART for a median of 6.3 years (IQR: 2.7–8.4. A total of 47 (38% adolescents missed a scheduled visit within 24 months of enrolment. Older adolescents (18–20 years were more likely to miss a visit compared to adolescents aged 12–14 years (risk ratio (RR = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.00–2.95. Those who were identified to have difficulty in taking medication (RR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.13–2.18 as a barrier to care were more likely to miss a visit compared to adolescents who did not. Awareness of treatment fatigue, challenges to taking ART, and caregiver difficulties is important when considering interventions to improve treatment outcomes among adolescents.

The Latest Books on Globalization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elia Zaru

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The latest books published on globalization raise interesting issues which reflect upon the very complexity of the process we are facing. In The Great Convergence: Information Technology and the New Globalization Richard Baldwin proposes a history of globalization divided into two stages. As Baldwin argues, the process of globalization has to be divided into “old” and “new” age. The “old” globalization took place between 1820 and 1990. It was characterized by the “great divergence”, that is by the centralization of world income in today’s wealthy nations. However, since 1990 the sharing of world income has plummeted to where it was in 1900. According to Baldwin, this reversal of fortune is a symptom of a shift in the globalization process. The “new” globalization, driven by information technology, has combined high tech with low wages, and lead simultaneously to the industrialization of developing nations and deindustrialization of developed ones. This is the “great convergence”: in the “new” globalization rich and developing nations are alike and they face equal global challenges.

15 years experience with helium ion radiotherapy for uveal melanoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro, J.R.; Char, D.H.; Petti, P.L.; Daftari, I.K.; Quivey, J.M.; Singh, R.P.; Phillips, T.L.

1996-01-01

Purpose/Objective: In this study we review our long term experience with helium ion therapy in treating uveal melanoma. Materials and Methods: At UCSF-LBL, 347 patients with uveal melanoma were treated with helium ions from December 1978 - May 1992. A non randomized dose searching study was undertaken beginning with 80 GyE in 5 fractions and subsequently lowered through several levels to 48 GyE in 4 fractions. The treatment period ranged from 3 to 15 days, with a mean of 7 days. The various dose groups were similar in tumor characteristics and size. Results: An overall local control rate of 96% has been achieved, with no dose response being seen at 80, 70, 60 or 50 GyE in 5 fxs. At the lowest dose level of 48 GyE in 4 fxs, the local control rate fell to 87%. Fifteen patients (4%) had local failure in the eye requiring enucleation (12 pts), laser (1 pt) or reirradiation (2 pts). The time of appearance of local failures ranges from 4 to 64 months with most occurring within 2 years. Eight of the 15 patients with local failure are dead of distant metastases. Of the 347 patients, 308 had (20(200)) vision or better in the affected eye prior to treatment. Of these, 125 (41%) have retained at least(20(200)) vision in the treated eye. Patients with tumors greater than 5 mm in ultrasound height or close to the optic nerve or fovea have a reduced chance of retaining useful vision. The total enucleation rate is 15%, 1% for local failure and 14% because of complications of the helium RT, mostly secondary to severe glaucoma. Of the 347 patients, 230 are still alive. The median follow up is 75 months, range 3-206 months. Kaplan-Maier (K-M) survival for all 347 patients was 80% at 5 years, 77% at 10 years and 68% at 15 years post treatment. Results for patients whose tumor involves the ciliary body is much worse with a 15 year K-M survival of 42%, whereas patients not having ciliary involvement have a 15 year K-M survival of 75%. The K-M survival in patients with local failure in

The world at 7:00 : Comparing the experience of situations across 20 countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guillaume, Esther; Baranski, Erica; Todd, Elysia; Bastian, Brock; Bronin, Igor; Ivanova, Christina; Cheng, Joey T.; de Kock, Francois S.; Denissen, J. J.A.; Gallardo-Pujol, David; Halama, Peter; Han, Gyuseog Q.; Bae, Jaechang; Moon, Jungsoon; Hong, Ryan Y.; Hrebickova, Martina; Graf, Sylvie; Izdebski, Pawel; Lundmann, Lars; Penke, Lars; Perugini, Marco; Costantini, Giulio; Rauthmann, John; Ziegler, Matthias; Realo, Anu; Elme, Liisalotte; Sato, Tatsuya; Kawamoto, Shizuka; Szarota, Piotr; Tracy, Jessica L.; van Aken, Marcel A. G.; Yang, Yu; Funder, David C.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this research is to quantitatively compare everyday situational experience around the world. Local collaborators recruited 5,447 members of college communities in 20 countries, who provided data via a Web site in 14 languages. Using the 89 items of the Riverside Situational Q-sort

UML 2.0 Pocket Reference UML Syntax and Usage

CERN Document Server

Pilone, Dan

2006-01-01

Globe-trotting travelers have long resorted to handy, pocket-size dictionaries as an aid to communicating across the language barrier. Dan Pilone's UML 2.0 Pocket Reference is just such an aid for on-the-go developers who need to converse in the Unified Modeling Language (UML). Use this book to decipher the many UML diagrams you'll encounter on the path to delivering a modern software system. Updated to cover the very latest in UML, you'll find coverage of the following UML 2.0 diagram types: Class diagramsComponent diagrams*Sequence diagrams*Communication diagrams*Timing diagrams*Interactio

The Japan Marrow Donor Program, 25 years of experience in achieving 20,000 bone marrow transplantations: organization structure, activity, and financial basis.

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Hidehiko; Ito, Masaharu; Kato, Shunichi; Kodera, Yoshihisa; Okamoto, Shinichiro; Taniguchi, Shuichi; Takanashi, Minoko; Kanamori, Heiwa; Masaoka, Toru; Takaku, Fumimaro

2018-01-24

The Japan Marrow Donor Program (JMDP), established in 1991, has continued to grow in its capacity to facilitate unrelated bone marrow (BMT) and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) for the past 25 years in Japan. The current donor pool is 463,465 (as of 31 December 2016) and 20,237 transplants were performed with the help of the Japanese Red Cross, government, and supporters. As JMDP introduced PBSCT in 2010, the vast majority of transplants are BMT. All donors are fully typed for HLA-A, B, C, and DR. The peak age of registered donors is around 40 years. The 8/8 HLA-matched donors are found in our registry for 96% of the patients and 54% of the patients receive a transplant. The median time between the initiation of donor search and the transplantation is approximately 122 days. The median interval between the initiation of donor search and identification of the first potential donor is 40 days. The most common diseases for which unrelated BMT/PBSCT is indicated are acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and malignant lymphoma. In recent years we have seen a marked increase in elderly patients who received BMT.

Sport nutrition: A review of the latest guidelines for exercise and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sport nutrition: A review of the latest guidelines for exercise and sport nutrition from the American College of Sport Nutrition, the International Olympic Committee ... Habitual carbohydrate intake is essential for physically active individuals and should be timed according to training sessions to ensure optimal pre-, during, and ...

20 years of experience on treatment of large contaminated components and on clearance of material for recycling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lorenzen, Joachim; Lindberg, Maria; Amcoff, Bjoern; Wirendal, Bo

2005-01-01

This paper will describe the treatment of contaminated, large, retired components from NPP:s, at low and intermediate activity waste levels for recycling in Sweden. Decontamination and melting of various large components, as well as other metal scrap, has been conducted at Studsvik since the mid 1980:ies. Experience on clearance for recycling, i.e. for unconditional re-use of the metals in the public domain will be described. The contaminated material may be Co-60 dominated as well as Uranium Bearing Waste. During these years different techniques for decontamination and segmentation as well as pre- and post treatment have been developed and successively applied at Studsvik melting facility in Nykoeping, Sweden. This collective experience is presently used for the planning and treatment of both domestic and foreign larger components, like heat exchangers, reactors vessel heads, turbine parts, steam generators, fuel bottles and Giant boilers. During 2005 one 300 ton full size, 400 m 3 Westinghouse Steam Generator is under treatment using advanced decontamination, segmentation and melting techniques to be applied in a specifically designed and confined environment. The conduction of demonstration projects as well as commercial projects will be explained and described. The Studsvik melting facility is today treating components and scrap metal comprising stainless and carbon steel as well as aluminium, copper, brass and lead. Studsvik RadWaste has licenses for treating not only components from Swedish nuclear facilities but also for processing components from nuclear industries outside Sweden, including temporary import and export within a limited time window for each international project. Direct clearance or clearance after limited decay storage at Studsvik site is possible. The high Recycling Rate is due to optimized production to leave an extremely low percentage of secondary waste, including post-treatment of the secondary waste volume. Further, the waste volume

Latest Cretaceous climatic and environmental change in the South Atlantic region

Science.gov (United States)

Woelders, L.; Vellekoop, J.; Kroon, D.; Smit, J.; Casadío, S.; Prámparo, M. B.; Dinarès-Turell, J.; Peterse, F.; Sluijs, A.; Lenaerts, J. T. M.; Speijer, R. P.

2017-05-01

Latest Maastrichtian climate change caused by Deccan volcanism has been invoked as a cause of mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary ( 66.0 Ma). Yet late Maastrichtian climate and ecological changes are poorly documented, in particular on the Southern Hemisphere. Here we present upper Maastrichtian-lower Danian climate and biotic records from the Bajada del Jagüel (BJ) shelf site (Neuquén Basin, Argentina), employing the TEX86 paleothermometer, marine palynology (dinoflagellate cysts), and micropaleontology (foraminifera). These records are correlated to the astronomically tuned Ocean Drilling Program Site 1262 (Walvis Ridge). Collectively, we use these records to assess climatic and ecological effects of Deccan volcanism in the Southern Atlantic region. Both the TEX86-based sea surface temperature (SST) record at BJ and the bulk carbonate δ18O-based SST record of Site 1262 show a latest Maastrichtian warming of 2.5-4°C, at 450 to 150 kyr before the K-Pg boundary, coinciding with the a large Deccan outpouring phase. Benthic foraminiferal and dinocyst assemblage changes indicate that this warming resulted in enhanced runoff and stratification of the water column, likely resulting from more humid climate conditions in the Neuquén Basin. These climate conditions could have been caused by an expanding and strengthening thermal low over the South American continent. Biotic changes in response to late Maastrichtian environmental changes are rather limited, when compared to the major turnovers observed at many K-Pg boundary sites worldwide. This suggests that environmental perturbations during the latest Maastrichtian warming event were less severe than those following the K-Pg boundary impact.

12 years' experience with intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) of malignant gliomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schueller, P.; Micke, O.; Moustakis, C.; Bruns, F.; Schuck, A.; Willich, N.; Palkovic, S.; Schroeder, J.; Wassmann, H.

2005-01-01

Background: Even after surgery and radiotherapy, malignant gliomas still have a poor prognosis. The authors report on their experience with IORT in 71 patients. Patients and methods: From May 1992 to February 2004, 71 patients with malignant gliomas were treated with IORT. 26 patients suffered from grade III gliomas, 45 patients from glioblastomas (GBM). IORT was carried out using a standard electron tube and 9- to 18-MeV electrons. 52/71 patients who were primarily treated received 20 Gy IORT + 60 Gy postoperative radiotherapy, 19/71 patients with recurrences only received IORT (20-25 Gy). Results: The complication rates were 1.4% for wound infections and 5.6% for hemorrhage. Median disease-specific survival amounted to 14.9 months (gliomass III) and 14.2 months (GBM). The 2-year survival rates amounted to 26.9% (gliomas III) and 6.8% (GBM; p=0.0296). Total versus subtotal resection had no significant influence on survival (p=0.0741), nor had age, sex, tumor site, performance status, size, primary versus recurrence, and radiation dose. A comparison to a conventionally treated patient group did not show a significant survival improvement. 3 months after treatment, initial symptoms had improved in 59% (hemiparesis), 50% (aphasia), 50% (hemianopsia), and 60% (convulsions). Conclusion: IORT has been shown to be feasible; perioperative complication rates were not increased. Survival was generally not improved compared to a historical control group. Recurrences achieved the same survival as primary tumors, and GBM also had a slightly increased survival, thus being possible indications for IORT. (orig.)

Conceptualizing 20 years of engaged scholarship: A scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Beaulieu, Marianne; Breton, Mylaine; Brousselle, Astrid

2018-01-01

Engaged scholarship, a movement that has been growing steadily since 1995, offers a new way of bridging gaps between the university and civil society. Numerous papers and reports have been published since Boyer's foundational discourse in 1996. Yet, beyond a growing interest in orienting universities' missions, we observed a lack a formal definition and conceptualization of this movement. Based on a scoping review of the literature over the past 20 years, the objective of this article is to propose a conceptualization of engaged scholarship. More specifically, we define its values, principles, and processes. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of this new posture for faculty and students, as well as for the university as an institution.

Review of 20 years research in fatigue of high pressure loaded components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thumser, Rayk [Bauhaus Univ. Weimar (Germany). Materialforschungs- und -pruefanstalt; Scheibe, Wolfgang

2011-07-01

This paper gives an overview of the research in fatigue of high pressure loaded components. In the last 20 years the main research was carried out in Germany. This research was mainly driven by the fatigue requirements for high pressure loaded Diesel engine injection parts as common rails, injectors and pipes. (orig.)

Multiple episodes of extensive marine anoxia linked to global warming and continental weathering following the latest Permian mass extinction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Feifei; Romaniello, Stephen J; Algeo, Thomas J; Lau, Kimberly V; Clapham, Matthew E; Richoz, Sylvain; Herrmann, Achim D; Smith, Harrison; Horacek, Micha; Anbar, Ariel D

2018-04-01

Explaining the ~5-million-year delay in marine biotic recovery following the latest Permian mass extinction, the largest biotic crisis of the Phanerozoic, is a fundamental challenge for both geological and biological sciences. Ocean redox perturbations may have played a critical role in this delayed recovery. However, the lack of quantitative constraints on the details of Early Triassic oceanic anoxia (for example, time, duration, and extent) leaves the links between oceanic conditions and the delayed biotic recovery ambiguous. We report high-resolution U-isotope (δ 238 U) data from carbonates of the uppermost Permian to lowermost Middle Triassic Zal section (Iran) to characterize the timing and global extent of ocean redox variation during the Early Triassic. Our δ 238 U record reveals multiple negative shifts during the Early Triassic. Isotope mass-balance modeling suggests that the global area of anoxic seafloor expanded substantially in the Early Triassic, peaking during the latest Permian to mid-Griesbachian, the late Griesbachian to mid-Dienerian, the Smithian-Spathian transition, and the Early/Middle Triassic transition. Comparisons of the U-, C-, and Sr-isotope records with a modeled seawater PO 4 3- concentration curve for the Early Triassic suggest that elevated marine productivity and enhanced oceanic stratification were likely the immediate causes of expanded oceanic anoxia. The patterns of redox variation documented by the U-isotope record show a good first-order correspondence to peaks in ammonoid extinctions during the Early Triassic. Our results indicate that multiple oscillations in oceanic anoxia modulated the recovery of marine ecosystems following the latest Permian mass extinction.

20 CFR 345.302 - Definition of terms and phrases used in experience-rating.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... for the current calendar year. This ratio is computed to four decimal places. (k) Pooled credit ratio... employer for the calendar year involved in the computation. This ratio is computed to four decimal places... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Definition of terms and phrases used in...

First year clinical tutorials: students’ learning experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burgess A

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Annette Burgess,1 Kim Oates,2 Kerry Goulston,2 Craig Mellis1 1Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 2Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia Background: Bedside teaching lies at the heart of medical education. The learning environment afforded to students during clinical tutorials contributes substantially to their knowledge, thinking, and learning. Situated cognition theory posits that the depth and breadth of the students' learning experience is dependent upon the attitude of the clinical teacher, the structure of the tutorial, and the understanding of tutorial and learning objectives. This theory provides a useful framework to conceptualize how students' experience within their clinical tutorials impacts their knowledge, thinking, and learning. Methods: The study was conducted with one cohort (n=301 of students who had completed year 1 of the medical program at Sydney Medical School in 2013. All students were asked to complete a three-part questionnaire regarding their perceptions of their clinical tutor's attributes, the consistency of the tutor, and the best features of the tutorials and need for improvement. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: The response rate to the questionnaire was 88% (265/301. Students perceived that their tutors displayed good communication skills and enthusiasm, encouraged their learning, and were empathetic toward patients. Fifty-two percent of students reported having the same communications tutor for the entire year, and 28% reported having the same physical examination tutor for the entire year. Students would like increased patient contact, greater structure within their tutorials, and greater alignment of teaching with the curriculum. Conclusion: Situated cognition theory provides a valuable lens to view students' experience of learning within the

Pharmacist home visits: A 1-year experience from a community pharmacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Monte, Scott V; Passafiume, Sarah N; Kufel, Wesley D; Comerford, Patrick; Trzewieczynski, Dean P; Andrus, Kenneth; Brody, Peter M

2016-01-01

To provide experience on the methods and costs for delivering a large-scale community pharmacist home visit service. Independent urban community pharmacy, Buffalo, NY. Mobile Pharmacy Solutions provides traditional community pharmacy walk-in service and a suite of clinically oriented services, including outbound adherence calls linked to home delivery, payment planning, medication refill synchronization, adherence packaging, and pharmacist home visits. Pharmacist daily staffing included three dispensing pharmacists, one residency-trained pharmacist, and two postgraduate year 1 community pharmacy residents. A large-scale community pharmacy home visit service delivered over a 1-year period. Pharmacist time and cost to administer the home visit service as well as home visit request sources and description of patient demographics. A total of 172 visits were conducted (137 initial, 35 follow-up). Patients who received a home visit averaged 9.8 ± 5.2 medications and 3.0 ± 1.6 chronic disease states. On average, a home visit required 2.0 ± 0.8 hours, which included travel time. The percentages of visits completed by pharmacists and residents were 60% and 40%, respectively. The amounts of time to complete a visit were similar. Average home visit cost including pharmacist time and travel was $119 ($147 for a pharmacist, $77 for a resident). In this community pharmacy-based home visit service, costs are an important factor, with each pharmacist visit requiring 2 hours to complete. This experience provides a blueprint and real-world perspective for community pharmacies endeavoring to implement a home visit service and sets a foundation for future prospective trials to evaluate the impact of the service on important indicators of health and cost. Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Accelerated Total Lymphoid Irradiation-containing Salvage Regimen for Patients With Refractory and Relapsed Hodgkin Lymphoma: 20 Years of Experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rimner, Andreas; Lovie, Shona [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Hsu, Meier [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Chelius, Monica [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Zhang, Zhigang [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Chau, Karen [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Moskowitz, Alison J.; Matasar, Matthew; Moskowitz, Craig H. [Lymphoma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Yahalom, Joachim, E-mail: yahalomj@mskcc.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States)

2017-04-01

Purpose: We report the long-term results of integrated accelerated involved field radiation therapy (IFRT) followed by total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) as part of the high-dose salvage regimen followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation or autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Methods and Materials: From November 1985 to July 2008, 186 previously unirradiated patients with relapsed or refractory HL underwent salvage therapy on 4 consecutive institutional review board–approved protocols. All patients had biopsy-proven primary refractory or relapsed HL. After standard-dose salvage chemotherapy (SC), accelerated IFRT (18-20 Gy) was given to relapsed or refractory sites, followed by TLI (15-18 Gy) and high-dose chemotherapy. Overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were analyzed by Cox analysis and disease-specific survival (DSS) by competing-risk regression. Results: With a median follow-up period of 57 months among survivors, 5- and 10-year OS rates were 68% and 56%, respectively; 5- and 10-year EFS rates were 62% and 56%, respectively; and 5- and 10-year cumulative incidences of HL-related deaths were 21% and 29%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, complete response to SC was independently associated with improved OS and EFS. Primary refractory disease and extranodal disease were independently associated with poor DSS. Eight patients had grade 3 or higher cardiac toxicity, with 3 deaths. Second malignancies developed in 10 patients, 5 of whom died. Conclusions: Accelerated IFRT followed by TLI and high-dose chemotherapy is an effective, feasible, and safe salvage strategy for patients with relapsed or refractory HL with excellent long-term OS, EFS, and DSS. Complete response to SC is the most important prognostic factor.

Accelerated Total Lymphoid Irradiation-containing Salvage Regimen for Patients With Refractory and Relapsed Hodgkin Lymphoma: 20 Years of Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rimner, Andreas; Lovie, Shona; Hsu, Meier; Chelius, Monica; Zhang, Zhigang; Chau, Karen; Moskowitz, Alison J.; Matasar, Matthew; Moskowitz, Craig H.; Yahalom, Joachim

2017-01-01

Purpose: We report the long-term results of integrated accelerated involved field radiation therapy (IFRT) followed by total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) as part of the high-dose salvage regimen followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation or autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Methods and Materials: From November 1985 to July 2008, 186 previously unirradiated patients with relapsed or refractory HL underwent salvage therapy on 4 consecutive institutional review board–approved protocols. All patients had biopsy-proven primary refractory or relapsed HL. After standard-dose salvage chemotherapy (SC), accelerated IFRT (18-20 Gy) was given to relapsed or refractory sites, followed by TLI (15-18 Gy) and high-dose chemotherapy. Overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were analyzed by Cox analysis and disease-specific survival (DSS) by competing-risk regression. Results: With a median follow-up period of 57 months among survivors, 5- and 10-year OS rates were 68% and 56%, respectively; 5- and 10-year EFS rates were 62% and 56%, respectively; and 5- and 10-year cumulative incidences of HL-related deaths were 21% and 29%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, complete response to SC was independently associated with improved OS and EFS. Primary refractory disease and extranodal disease were independently associated with poor DSS. Eight patients had grade 3 or higher cardiac toxicity, with 3 deaths. Second malignancies developed in 10 patients, 5 of whom died. Conclusions: Accelerated IFRT followed by TLI and high-dose chemotherapy is an effective, feasible, and safe salvage strategy for patients with relapsed or refractory HL with excellent long-term OS, EFS, and DSS. Complete response to SC is the most important prognostic factor.

The latest full-scale PWR simulator in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishimuru, Y.; Tagi, H.; Nakabayashi, T.

2004-01-01

The latest MHI Full-scale Simulator has an excellent system configuration, in both flexibility and extendability, and has highly sophisticated performance in PWR simulation by the adoption of CANAC-II and PRETTY codes. It also has an instructive character to display the plant's internal status, such as RCS condition, through animation. Further, the simulation has been verified to meet a functional examination at model plant, and with a scale model test result in a two-phase flow event, after evaluation for its accuracy. Thus, the Simulator can be devoted to a sophisticated and broad training course on PWR operation. (author)

Latest developments in on- and off-line inspection of bank notes during production

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Stephen C.

2004-06-01

The inspection of bank notes is a highly labour intensive process where traditionally every note on every sheet is inspected manually. However with the advent of more and more sophisticated security features, both visible and invisible, and the requirement of cost reduction in the printing process, it is clear that automation is required. Machines for the automatic inspection of bank notes have been on the market for the past 10 to 12 years, but recent developments in technology have enabled a new generation of detectors and machines to be developed. This paper focuses on the latest developments in both the off-line and on-line inspection of bank notes covering not only the visible spectrum but also a new range of detectors for inspection some of the more common invisible features used as covert features in today's bank notes.

Suicide risk in schizophrenia – a follow-up study after 20 years ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective. This study re-evaluated, after a period of 20 years, a cohort of patients with schizophrenia who had been considered to be at high risk for suicide. The outcome and social factors associated with their suicide risk were investigated over the two decades. Method. Subjects were contacted and interviewed face to face ...

Sacrococcygeal teratoma: 10-year experience in upper Egypt ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose To evaluate our experience with 45 patients with sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) in our community (upper Egypt) over a period of 10 years between 2001 and 2011 and determine the outcome of the management and recommendations for treatment strategies. Patients and methods A retrospective study was ...

Planetary nebulae: 20 years of Hubble inquiry

Science.gov (United States)

Balick, Bruce

2012-08-01

The Hubble Space Telescope has served the critical roles of microscope and movie camera in the past 20 years of research on planetary nebulae (``PNe''). We have glimpsed the details of the evolving structures of neutral and ionized post-AGB objects, built ingenious heuristic models that mimic these structures, and constrained most of the relevant physical processes with careful observations and interpretation. We have searched for close physical binary stars with spatial resolution ~50 AU at 1 AU, located jets emerging from the nucleus at speeds up to 2000 km s-1 and matched newly discovered molecular and X-ray emission regions to physical substructures in order to better understand how stellar winds and ionizing radiation interact to form the lovely symmetries that are observed. Ultraviolet spectra of CNO in PNe help to uncover how stars process deep inside AGB stars with unstable nuclear burning zones. HST broadband imaging has been at the forefront of uncovering surprisingly complex wind morphologies produced at the tip of the AGB, and has led to an increasing realization of the potentially vital roles of close binary stars and emerging magnetic fields in shaping stellar winds.

Mobile application for reading latest news from multiple sources

OpenAIRE

Watzak, Aleš

2013-01-01

Thesis covers development of an application for mobile devices running Android operating system. It enables users to keep up to date with the latest news, weather and traffic report. News delivery service is available wherever there is Internet access and not limited to a physical location like an office with desktop computer. To this end we developed two applications. First represents server part of the application and runs on Apache web server. The second part is a client application which ...

[Tobacco use by adolescents in Barcelona (Spain) and trends in the last 20 years].

Science.gov (United States)

Ariza, Carles; García-Continente, Xavier; Villalbí, Joan Ramon; Sánchez-Martínez, Francesca; Pérez, Anna; Nebot, Manel

2014-01-01

Smoking is a preventable cause of early death and the habit starts in adolescence. The aim of this study was to describe tobacco consumption in secondary school students in 2008 and trends in the last 20 years in Barcelona. We analyzed the trend in tobacco consumption by comparing data from 8 surveys carried out between 1987 and 2008 in the 8th (2nd year of Compulsory Secondary Education), 10th (4th year of Compulsory Secondary Education) and 12th (2nd year of Compulsory Secondary Education) years of secondary school. The FRESC questionnaire was used. Data on regular and daily consumption and associated factors in 2008 were gathered and compared with those corresponding to the previous studies. Percentages of annual change were calculated with Joinpoint regression and data were stratified by sex and year of education. In 2008, 6.1% of boys and 4.5% of girls in the 8th year, 15.8% and 20.4% of those in the 10th year, respectively, and 26.1% and 33.1% of those in the 12th year, respectively, were regular smokers. A strong association was noted between regular smoking and cannabis consumption in three school years, as well as with having friends who were smokers and poor school performance. At 15-16 years old, the average annual decrease from 1996 to 2008 was 6.8% in girls and 6.1% in boys. Adolescent smoking has been decreasing in the last few years in Barcelona. There is a strong association between tobacco use and cannabis consumption. Copyright © 2013 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Pacemakers in patients with familial dysautonomia--a review of experience with 20 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Gold-von Simson, Gabrielle; Rutkowski, Monika; Berlin, Dena; Axelrod, Felicia B

2005-02-01

Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a genetic disease associated with a high incidence of sudden death. If fatal bradyarrhythmia is an etiological factor then the incidence of sudden death should decrease after pacemaker placement. Retrospective review of 596 registered FD patients revealed that 22 FD patients (3.7%) had pacemakers placed between December 1984 and June 2003. Clinical and electrocardiographic indications for placement and demographic data were assessed for 20 of the 22 patients (10 males, 10 females, ages 4 to 48 years). Two patients were excluded because of insufficient data. Prior to pacemaker placement, presenting symptoms were syncope and cardiac arrest, 16/20 (80%) and 6/20 (30 %), respectively. Asystole was the most frequent electrocardiographic finding and was documented in 17/20 patients (85 %). Other electrocardiographic abnormalities included bradycardia, AV block, prolonged QTc and prolonged JTc. The average duration of pacemaker utilization was 5.7 years (range 5 months to 14.5 years). Complications included infection (1 patient) and wire migration (2 patients). In the one patient with infection, the pacemaker was permanently removed. This patient then experienced multiple syncopal episodes and death. There were 7 other deaths. Three deaths occurred suddenly without preceding events, and 4 patients had non-cardiac causes of death. None of these 7 deceased patients had recurrence of syncope after pacemaker placement. In the 12 surviving patients, 6 had recurrence of syncope but none had cardiac arrest. Pacemaker placement may protect FD patients from fatal bradyarrhythmia and may decrease the incidence of syncope. However, data are limited and prospective analysis is needed.

[Study of Basal metabolic rate of 81 young adults aged 20-29 years old in Changsha].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, X; Mao, D Q; Luo, J Y; Wu, J H; Zhuo, Q; Li, Y M

2017-07-06

Objective: To determine the basal metabolic rate (BMR) of young adults aged between 20-29 years old in Changsha. Methods: We recruited volunteers to join in our research project from April to May, 2015. All recruited volunteers must meet the inclusion criteria: aged 20-29 years old, height between 164-180 centimeters in males and 154-167 centimeters in females, in good health condition, and with no habit of regular physical exercise in last year. Finally, 81 qualified volunteers were selected as research objects, including 43 males and 38 females. The BMR, resting lying metabolism rate and resting sitting metabolism rate of the subjects were detected, and the determined BMR was compared with the calculated results: from the adjusted Schofield equation. Results The BMR, resting lying metabolism rate and resting sitting metabolism rate among males were (166.10±22.09), (174.22±24.56), and (179.54±23.35) kJ·m(-2)·h(-1), respectively, which were all higher than those among females were (137.70±20.04), (149.79±19.25), and (167.78±26.02) kJ·m(-2)·h(-1), respectively, ( PBMR of males and females calculated from the adjusted Schofield equation were (160.83±3.93), and (140.29±4.18) kJ·m(-2)·h(-1), respectively, and there was no significantly statistical difference found between the determined BMR and the calculated results from Schofield equation (adjusted) classified by sex, all P values >0.05. Conclusion: The BMR of young adults aged 20-29 years old in Changsha was in the national average level, and the adjusted Schofield equation displayed fine accuracy in predicting BMR of young adults aged 20-29 years old in Changsha.

29 CFR 4219.14 - Amount of liability for 20-year-limitation amounts.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... amount equal to the present value of all initial withdrawal liability payments for which the employer was not liable pursuant to section 4219(c)(1)(B) of ERISA. The present value of such payments shall be... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Amount of liability for 20-year-limitation amounts. 4219.14...

Low-cost regeneration techniques for mixed-species management – 20 years later

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas A. Waldrop; Helen H. Mohr

2012-01-01

Four variations of the fell-and-burn technique, a low-cost regeneration system developed for pine-hardwood mixtures in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, were tested in the Piedmont of South Carolina. All variations successfully improved the commercial value of low-quality hardwood stands by introducing a pine component. After 20 years, pines were almost as numerous...

Spacing and shrub competition influence 20-year development of planted ponderosa pine

Science.gov (United States)

William W. Oliver

1990-01-01

Growth and stand development of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) were monitored for 20 years after planting at five different square spacings (6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 ft) in the presence or absence of competing shrubs on the westside Sierra Nevada. Mean tree size was positively correlated and stand values negatively correlated with spacing in the...

Fifteen years experience: Egyptian metabolic lab | Fateen | Egyptian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Those patients were classified as: 722 patients (69.4%) with lysosomal storage disorders, 302 patients (29%) with amino acid disorders and 17 patients (1.6%) with galactosemia. Conclusion: This study illustrates the experience of the reference metabolic lab in Egypt over 15 years. The lab began metabolic disorder ...

CANDU steam generator aging management: Some perspectives after 20 years in-service experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tapping, R.I.; Nickerson, J.; Subash, N.; Roy, S.

2002-01-01

assessment of the future field data. Subtle changes to plant operation and also the unique plant-specific details of materials and design often can have a significant impact on the life capability of this complicated equipment. From the plant-specific assessments, and from the experience from our R and D program and utility interaction, AECL has developed a detailed proactive SG aging management strategy for long and reliable life capability (to 50 years). This proactive strategy has a number of important elements that are recommended to be incorporated into current plant programs. With CANDU plants continuing operation with aging equipment, such as steam generators, AECL is continuing to undertake comprehensive programs to support operations and provide enhanced technologies for performance attainment and improvement in inspection, surveillance and performance/safety analysis methodologies. These technologies are also continuously improved by programs that are targeted to important in-service degradation mechanisms, understanding of the system/equipment tolerance to this degradation, and to measures that can be applied to both new reactors and back fitted to existing plants. Systematic and continuous feedback of experience from operations to the performance programs is another important part of the approach. This paper will outline the results of several CANDU SG condition assessments, and place the recommendations from these assessments in context with effective aging Management programs that need to be followed to achieve economic life. For CANDU 6 utilities, which have had a very good steam generator service record with little or no significant active degradation to date, the paper will outline the approach to proactive aging Management that will see equipment through to long and reliable extended life. Also mentioned will be examples of AECL performance improvement and operations support programs for steam generators. (author)

Uruguayan experience melanomauveal: results of 63 patients at 20 years follow-up; Experiencia uruguaya en melanoma uveal: resultados de 63 pacientes en 20 años de seguimiento

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krygier, G; Castillo, C; Della Valle, A; Ugartemendia, E; Sabini, G; Viola, A; Musé, I. [Hospital de Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Montevideo (Uruguay)

2010-12-15

Fulltext: Uveal melanoma is the most common malignant intraocular tumor in primitive adults (70%). It happens so often sporadic and uveal melanoma family comprises only 0.6% of patients. 63 patients assisted information was collected at six different institutions Montevideo, Uruguay, for a period of 20 years. The diagnosis was confirmed by pathology in 55/63 (87%) cases. Radical surgery (predominantly enucleation) was performed on 54/63 (86%) patients. other options treatment were orbital exenteration, radiotherapy and brachytherapy protons. 25/63 (40%) developed distant metastases, mainly in liver. The median age at diagnosis was 59 years old. The most common symptom was decreased visual acuity in 50/63 (77%). Three patients had extension extrascleral tumor and pigmented lesions presented. There was a correlation between mixed and epithelioid tumors with survival statistically significant (p <0.01) but there was no relationship between tumor diameter and survival (p = 0.06). Three clinical cases of familial uveal melanoma demonstrated that They involved the first generation of the same family (brothers), one of the which also had breast cancer 2 years before ocular tumor. a mutation in the BRCA2 gene was identified. The three brothers were enucleated and died with a median survival of 19 months due to distant metastases. Secundarismo liver was confirmed radiologically in 23/63 (36.5%) cases. The disease-free interval from diagnosis of ocular tumor metastasis was 40.5 months and the median survival for the disease metastasis was 4 months. Overall survival was 88 months (95% CI 75-100). This study illustrates the natural history of this entity by taking into account the behavior heterogeneous of it in our country, especially with outstanding fatal and family with uveal melanoma (three brothers), and commitment extrascleral as the first clinical fact present in three other cases.

Portal vein thrombosis in children and adolescents: 20 years experience of a pediatric hepatology reference center

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priscila Menezes Ferri

2012-03-01

Full Text Available CONTEXT: Portal vein thrombosis refers to a total or partial obstruction of the blood flow in this vein due to a thrombus formation. It is an important cause of portal hypertension in the pediatric age group with high morbidity rates due to its main complication - the upper gastrointestinal bleeding. OBJECTIVE: To describe a group of patients with portal vein thrombosis without associated hepatic disease of the Pediatric Hepatology Clinic of the Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil with emphasis on diagnosis, presentation form and clinical complications, and the treatment of portal hypertension. METHODS: This is a descriptive study of a series of children and adolescents cases assisted from January 1990 to December 2010. The portal vein thrombosis diagnosis was established by ultrasound. RESULTS: Of the 55 studied patients, 30 (54.5% were male. In 29 patients (52.7%, none of the risk factors for portal vein thrombosis was observed. The predominant form of presentation was the upper gastrointestinal bleeding (52.7%. In 20 patients (36.4%, the initial manifestation was splenomegaly. During the whole following period of the study, 39 patients (70.9% showed at least one episode of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The mean age of patients in the first episode was 4.6 ± 3.4 years old. The endoscopic procedure carried out in the urgency or electively for search of esophageal varices showed its presence in 84.9% of the evaluated patients. The prophylactic endoscopic treatment was performed with endoscopic band ligation of varices in 31.3% of patients. Only one died due to refractory bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: The portal vein thrombosis is one of the most important causes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in children. In all non febrile children with splenomegaly and/or hematemesis and without hepatomegaly and with normal hepatic function tests, it should be suspect of portal vein thrombosis. Thus, an

The ICN Leadership For Change™ Programme – 20 years of growing influence

Science.gov (United States)

Ferguson, Stephanie L.; Rifai, Fatima Al; Maay'a, Maisa; Nguyen, Luu Bich; Qureshi, Kristine; Tse, Alice M.; Casken, John; Parsons, Teresa; Shannon, Maureen; Napa, Maria Diana; Samson-Langidrik, Malia; Jeadrik, Glorine

2017-01-01

Aim The aim of this article was to present experiences from the field in the context of the International Council of Nurses' Leadership for Change™ programme, which celebrates 20 years of excellence in 2016 for developing the leadership and management capacity of nurses worldwide. Background The programme was launched in 1996 in order to boost nurse participation in the healthcare policy-making process, globally, and to foster within the nursing profession the requisite skills for nurses to lobby for and assume a greater responsibility in the leadership and management of health care services. Introduction Over the course of two decades, the programme has been implemented in cooperation between ICN, national nurses associations, the World Health Organization, Ministries of Health and a variety of donor organizations such as the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and development agencies such as USAID and AUSAID. The programme has been implemented in more than 60 nations throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and the Pacific Islands, to name a few regions. Methods This article offers an overview of the impact that certified ICN LFC nurse trainers and their colleagues have had in the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and the United States of America and is affiliated islands and the North Pacific Islands. Results Twenty years of growth and empowerment are now the ongoing legacy of the ICN LFC Program, which has graduated and deployed nurse trainers around the world and achieved significant advances in the professional development of nurse leaders on an international scale. Implications for nursing and health policy Nurse leaders can improve the health and well-being of their nations in collaboration with consumers and other key stakeholders. Nurse leaders are critical in improving health systems, their work places and broader societal challenges through sound nursing practice, education, research and evidence-based health and social policy change. PMID

Testing Benefits Transfer of Forest Recreation Values over a 20-year time Horizon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zandersen, Marianne; Termansen, Mette; Jensen, F.S.

2007-01-01

We conduct a functional benefit transfer over 20 years of total willingness to pay based on car-borne forest recreation in 52 forests, using a mixed logit specification of a random utility model and geographic information systems to allow heterogeneous preferences across the population and for he......We conduct a functional benefit transfer over 20 years of total willingness to pay based on car-borne forest recreation in 52 forests, using a mixed logit specification of a random utility model and geographic information systems to allow heterogeneous preferences across the population...... and for heterogeneity over space. Results show that preferences for some forest attributes, such as species diversity and age, as well as transport mode have changed significantly over the period. Updating the transfer model with present total demand for recreation improves the error margins by an average of 282......%. Average errors of the best transfer model remain 25%....

U.S. Strategic Command Chief Talks Deterrence, Partnerships During Latest SGL

OpenAIRE

Ochoa, Victoria

2017-01-01

Today@NPS The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) welcomed U.S. Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten, Commander, U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), for its latest Secretary of the Navy Guest Lecture (SGL), May 18 in King Auditorium. Hyten spoke about the importance of maintaining strategic deterrence and NPS' inclusion into the USSTRATCOM's Academic Alliance.

Conceptualizing 20 years of engaged scholarship: A scoping review.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marianne Beaulieu

Full Text Available Engaged scholarship, a movement that has been growing steadily since 1995, offers a new way of bridging gaps between the university and civil society. Numerous papers and reports have been published since Boyer's foundational discourse in 1996. Yet, beyond a growing interest in orienting universities' missions, we observed a lack a formal definition and conceptualization of this movement. Based on a scoping review of the literature over the past 20 years, the objective of this article is to propose a conceptualization of engaged scholarship. More specifically, we define its values, principles, and processes. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of this new posture for faculty and students, as well as for the university as an institution.

Conceptualizing 20 years of engaged scholarship: A scoping review

Science.gov (United States)

Beaulieu, Marianne; Breton, Mylaine

2018-01-01

Engaged scholarship, a movement that has been growing steadily since 1995, offers a new way of bridging gaps between the university and civil society. Numerous papers and reports have been published since Boyer’s foundational discourse in 1996. Yet, beyond a growing interest in orienting universities’ missions, we observed a lack a formal definition and conceptualization of this movement. Based on a scoping review of the literature over the past 20 years, the objective of this article is to propose a conceptualization of engaged scholarship. More specifically, we define its values, principles, and processes. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of this new posture for faculty and students, as well as for the university as an institution. PMID:29489870

Wind turbines - facts from 20 years of technological progress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansen, L H; Dannemand Andersen, P [Risoe Ntaional Lab., Roskilde (Denmark)

1999-03-01

The first Danish commercial wind turbines were installed in the late 1970s. Over the last 20 years the Danish wind turbine market has been relatively stable concerning annual installations, and the wind turbine technology has been able to develop continuously. This gives a unique time track for technology analysts. The aim of this paper is to extract reliable information on this time track from existing archives and statistics. Seven generations of wind turbine technology have been identified mainly based on `characteristic` rotor diameters. The technological development of each generation is described using indicators such as: market share in Denmark, generator size, rotor diameter, hub height, electricity production and productivity. Economical indicators comprise: costs of turbine and standard foundation. (au)

Wind turbines - facts from 20 years of technological progress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, L.H.; Dannemand Andersen, P.

1999-01-01

The first Danish commercial wind turbines were installed in the late 1970s. Over the last 20 years the Danish wind turbine market has been relatively stable concerning annual installations, and the wind turbine technology has been able to develop continuously. This gives a unique time track for technology analysts. The aim of this paper is to extract reliable information on this time track from existing archives and statistics. Seven generations of wind turbine technology have been identified mainly based on 'characteristic' rotor diameters. The technological development of each generation is described using indicators such as: market share in Denmark, generator size, rotor diameter, hub height, electricity production and productivity. Economical indicators comprise: costs of turbine and standard foundation. (au)

20 Years of Dukovany NPP Operation and Plans for Future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vlcek, J.

2006-01-01

NPP Dukovany (4x440MW), the first Czech nuclear power plant and a keystone of Czech Electricity Grid, in 2005 celebrated 20 years of successful operation. In my presentation I am going to speak about next areas. I will start about construction and commissioning history of Dukovany NPP, then I'll put forward what milestones of Dukovany NPP operation were accomplished, I'll say examples about our modernisation and investment activities (including replacement of IandC equipment, modifications for increasing of power and support grid services) and in the end our plans for future. (author)

Latest polarization and beam characterization results of the Orsay polarized electron source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arianer, J.; Cohen, S.; Essabaa, S.; Frascaria, R.; Zerhouni, O.

1995-01-01

The Orsay polarized electron source based on the chemi-ionization of aligned He(2 3 S 1 ) atoms and CO 2 molecules is briefly described. The latest results concerning electron polarization and beam emittance are presented. The present development status is also discussed. (K.A.)

Valve-sparing David I procedure in acute aortic type A dissection: a 20-year experience with more than 100 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Beckmann, Erik; Martens, Andreas; Pertz, Jana; Kaufeld, Tim; Umminger, Julia; Hanke, Jasmin S; Schmitto, Jan D; Cebotari, Serghei; Haverich, Axel; Shrestha, Malakh Lal

2017-08-01

The aortic valve-sparing David procedure has been applied to the elective treatment of patients with aortic aneurysms with excellent results. The use of this technique in patients with acute aortic dissection type A (AADA) is still a matter of debate. We present our long-term experience with 109 patients with AADA who had the valve-sparing David I procedure. Between July 1993 and October 2015, 109 patients with AADA had the valve-sparing David I procedure at our centre. We conducted a retrospective review with follow-up. The mean age was 54 ± 12 years; 78 (72%) patients were men. Marfan syndrome was present in 6 (5%) patients and bicuspid aortic valve in 3 (3%). Only 4 (4%) patients received the isolated David procedure; 50 (46%) underwent additional proximal, 13 (12%) subtotal and 42 (39%) total aortic arch replacement. The in-hospital mortality rate was 11% ( n  = 12). Intraoperative/discharge echocardiography showed aortic insufficiency ≤ I° in 93 of 97 patients (96%). Mean follow-up time was 8.3 ± 5.7 years. The survival rate after discharge at 1, 5 and 10 years was 94%, 90% and 78%, respectively. Thirteen percent ( n  = 13) of patients underwent valve-related reoperation. Freedom from valve-related reoperation at 1, 5 and 10 years was 96%, 88% and 85%, respectively. Compared to patients who underwent the David I procedure for any reason other than AADA, there were no significant differences in long-term survival rates ( P  = 0.29) and freedom from a valve-related reoperation ( P  = 0.39). The valve-sparing David I procedure has acceptable long-term results even in emergent operations for AADA and is not inferior when performed in elective settings. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Dancetime! 500 Years of Social Dance. Volume II: 20th Century. [Videotape].

Science.gov (United States)

Teten, Carol

This 50-minute VHS videotape is the second in a 2-volume series that presents 500 years of social dance, music, and fashion. It features dance and music of the 20th century, including; 1910s: animal dances, castle walk, apache, and tango; 1920s: black bottom and charleston; 1930s: marathon, movie musicals, big apple, and jitterbug; 1940s: rumba;…

Long-term outcomes of the Ross procedure in adults with severe aortic stenosis: single-centre experience with 20 years of follow-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalfa, David; Mohammadi, Siamak; Kalavrouziotis, Dimitri; Kharroubi, Mounir; Doyle, Daniel; Marzouk, Mohamed; Metras, Jacques; Perron, Jean

2015-01-01

The optimal prosthesis option for aortic valve replacement in adult patientsreplacement (n=190; 86%) or the subcoronary technique (n=31; 14%). There were 169 patients with bicuspid valves and 33 redo operations including previous aortic valve repair (n=6) and replacement (n=9) for severe AS. Demographic, preoperative, postoperative and longitudinal clinical and echocardiographic data were collected prospectively. The median and mean follow-up were 11.4 years (range: 1-20.1 years) and 10.1±5.9 years, respectively. The follow-up was complete in all patients. Kaplan-Meier actuarial survival analysis was performed to assess long-term survival, freedom from reoperation for autograft and/or homograft failure and freedom from autograft valve insufficiency. Cox regression risk analysis was performed to identify factors associated with autograft or homograft reoperations. The perioperative mortality rate was 0.9% (n=2). The incidence rate of early reoperation for bleeding was 5.9%. The actuarial survival rate at 10 and 15 years following surgery was 92.1 and 90.5%, respectively. Ross-related reoperations occurred in 21 patients during follow-up: autograft dysfunction (n=9), homograft dysfunction (n=6) and both (n=6). The rate of freedom from Ross-related reoperation was 94.7 and 87.7% at 10 and 15 years, respectively. The rate of freedom from reoperation for autograft failure was 97.6 and 91.5%, the rate of freedom from reoperation for homograft failure was 95.7 and 90.8%, and the rate of freedom from moderate or severe autograft regurgitation was 94.1 and 85.6% at 10 and 15 years, respectively. Compared with available aortic bioprosthetic alternatives in young adults with severe AS, the Ross procedure provides an excellent long-term option for patients with predominant severe AS who seek a durable operation without anticoagulation. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights

Latest results from CERES/NA45

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2074200; Adamova, D; Agakichiev, G; Appelshuser, H; Belaga, V; Braun-Munzinger, P; Campagnolo, R; Castillo, A; Cherlin, A; Damjanovic, S; Dietel, T; Dietrich, L; Drees, A; Esumi, S I; Filimonov, K; Fomenko, K; Fraenkel, Zeev; Garabatos, C; Glässel, P; Hering, G; Holeczek, J; Kushpil, V; Lenkeit, B C; Ludolphs, W; Maas, A; Marin, A; Messer, F; Milosevic, J; Milov, A; Mikowiec, D; Musa, L; Panebratsev, Yu A; Petchenova, O Yu; Petracek, V; Pfeiffer, A; Rak, J; Ravinovich, I; Rehak, P; Richter, M; Sako, H; Schmitz, W; Schükraft, J; Sedykh, S; Seipp, W; Sharma, A; Shimansky, S S; Slivova, J; Specht, H J; Stachel, J; Sumbera, M; Tilsner, H; Tserruya, Itzhak; Wienold, T; Windelband, B; Wurm, J P; Xie, W; Yurevich, S; Yurevich, V; Wessels, Johannes P.

2003-01-01

In this talk latest results from the analysis of $e^{+}e^{-}$ pairs emitted in Pb + Au collisions at 40 AGeV/c and a combined analysis of all data available at 158 AGeV/c are presented. The enhancement of low-mass $e^{+}e^{-}$ pairs $(m_{ee}>0.2 GeV/c^{2})$ with respect to the expected yield from hadron decays first reported at 158 AGeV/c is also found at 40 AGeV/c and is even larger there. Comparing to various theoretical models based on $\\pi^{+}\\pi^{-}$ annihilation, the data can only be reproduced, if the properties of the intermediate $\\rho$ in the hot and dense medium are modified. Theoretically, the modification is linked to baryon density rather than temperature. Constraints from hadron data taken at the same beam energies indeed indicate a fireball evolution along a trajectory of higher baryon density at 40 AGeV/c, consistent with the observed larger enhancement factor.

New Mid-Cretaceous (Latest Albian) Dinosaurs from Winton, Queensland, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Hocknull, Scott A.; White, Matt A.; Tischler, Travis R.; Cook, Alex G.; Calleja, Naomi D.; Sloan, Trish; Elliott, David A.

2009-01-01

Background Australia's dinosaurian fossil record is exceptionally poor compared to that of other similar-sized continents. Most taxa are known from fragmentary isolated remains with uncertain taxonomic and phylogenetic placement. A better understanding of the Australian dinosaurian record is crucial to understanding the global palaeobiogeography of dinosaurian groups, including groups previously considered to have had Gondwanan origins, such as the titanosaurs and carcharodontosaurids. Methodology/Principal Findings We describe three new dinosaurs from the late Early Cretaceous (latest Albian) Winton Formation of eastern Australia, including; Wintonotitan wattsi gen. et sp. nov., a basal titanosauriform; Diamantinasaurus matildae gen. et sp. nov., a derived lithostrotian titanosaur; and Australovenator wintonensis gen. et sp. nov., an allosauroid. We compare an isolated astragalus from the Early Cretaceous of southern Australia; formerly identified as Allosaurus sp., and conclude that it most-likely represents Australovenator sp. Conclusion/Significance The occurrence of Australovenator from the Aptian to latest Albian confirms the presence in Australia of allosauroids basal to the Carcharodontosauridae. These new taxa, along with the fragmentary remains of other taxa, indicate a diverse Early Cretaceous sauropod and theropod fauna in Australia, including plesiomorphic forms (e.g. Wintonotitan and Australovenator) and more derived forms (e.g. Diamantinasaurus). PMID:19584929

New Mid-Cretaceous (latest Albian dinosaurs fromWinton, Queensland, Australia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott A Hocknull

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Australia's dinosaurian fossil record is exceptionally poor compared to that of other similar-sized continents. Most taxa are known from fragmentary isolated remains with uncertain taxonomic and phylogenetic placement. A better understanding of the Australian dinosaurian record is crucial to understanding the global palaeobiogeography of dinosaurian groups, including groups previously considered to have had Gondwanan origins, such as the titanosaurs and carcharodontosaurids. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We describe three new dinosaurs from the late Early Cretaceous (latest Albian Winton Formation of eastern Australia, including; Wintonotitan wattsi gen. et sp. nov., a basal titanosauriform; Diamantinasaurus matildae gen. et sp. nov., a derived lithostrotian titanosaur; and Australovenator wintonensis gen. et sp. nov., an allosauroid. We compare an isolated astragalus from the Early Cretaceous of southern Australia; formerly identified as Allosaurus sp., and conclude that it most-likely represents Australovenator sp. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The occurrence of Australovenator from the Aptian to latest Albian confirms the presence in Australia of allosauroids basal to the Carcharodontosauridae. These new taxa, along with the fragmentary remains of other taxa, indicate a diverse Early Cretaceous sauropod and theropod fauna in Australia, including plesiomorphic forms (e.g. Wintonotitan and Australovenator and more derived forms (e.g. Diamantinasaurus.

African Savanna-Forest Boundary Dynamics: A 20-Year Study

Science.gov (United States)

Cuni-Sanchez, Aida; White, Lee J. T.; Calders, Kim; Jeffery, Kathryn J.; Abernethy, Katharine; Burt, Andrew; Disney, Mathias; Gilpin, Martin; Gomez-Dans, Jose L.; Lewis, Simon L.

2016-01-01

Recent studies show widespread encroachment of forest into savannas with important consequences for the global carbon cycle and land-atmosphere interactions. However, little research has focused on in situ measurements of the successional sequence of savanna to forest in Africa. Using long-term inventory plots we quantify changes in vegetation structure, above-ground biomass (AGB) and biodiversity of trees ≥10 cm diameter over 20 years for five vegetation types: savanna; colonising forest (F1), monodominant Okoume forest (F2); young Marantaceae forest (F3); and mixed Marantaceae forest (F4) in Lopé National Park, central Gabon, plus novel 3D terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) measurements to assess forest structure differences. Over 20 years no plot changed to a new stage in the putative succession, but F1 forests strongly moved towards the structure, AGB and diversity of F2 forests. Overall, savanna plots showed no detectable change in structure, AGB or diversity using this method, with zero trees ≥10 cm diameter in 1993 and 2013. F1 and F2 forests increased in AGB, mainly as a result of adding recruited stems (F1) and increased Basal Area (F2), whereas F3 and F4 forests did not change substantially in structure, AGB or diversity. Critically, the stability of the F3 stage implies that this stage may be maintained for long periods. Soil carbon was low, and did not show a successional gradient as for AGB and diversity. TLS vertical plant profiles showed distinctive differences amongst the vegetation types, indicating that this technique can improve ecological understanding. We highlight two points: (i) as forest colonises, changes in biodiversity are much slower than changes in forest structure or AGB; and (ii) all forest types store substantial quantities of carbon. Multi-decadal monitoring is likely to be required to assess the speed of transition between vegetation types. PMID:27336632

The 20 and 30 GHz MMIC technology for future space communication antenna system

Science.gov (United States)

Anzic, G.; Connolly, D. J.

1984-10-01

The development of fully monolithic gallium arsenide receive and transmit modules is described. These modules are slated for phased array antenna applications in future 30/20 gigahertz communications satellite systems. Performance goals and various approaches to achieve them are discussed. The latest design and performance results of components, submodules and modules are presented.

20 Years Health Promotion Research in and on settings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heiko Waller

2007-12-01

Full Text Available In 2006 we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Ottawa Charta for Health Promotion. During these 20 years health promotion became a very influential public health strategy. Let us - with reference to the WHO Health Promotion Glossary - recall some of the core elements of health promotion: “Health promotion represents a comprehensive social and political process, it not only embraces actions directed at strengthening skills and capabilities of individuals, but also actions directed towards changing social, environmental and economic conditions so as to alleviate their impact on public and individual health.Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over the determinants of health and thereby improve their health. Participation is essential to sustain health promotion action.” The Ottawa Charter identifies three basic strategies for health promotion. These are (1 advocacy for health to create the essential conditions for health indicated above; (2 enabling all people to achieve their full health potential; and (3 mediating between different interests in society in the pursuit of health. The Ottawa Charter identifies three basic strategies for health promotion. These are (1 advocacy for health to create the essential conditions for health indicated above; (2 enabling all people to achieve their full health potential; and (3 mediating between different interests in society in the pursuit of health.

[Laparoscopic adjustable gastric-banding treatment for morbid obesity our first year experience].

Science.gov (United States)

Iordache, N; Vizeteu, R; Iorgulescu, A; Zmeu, B; Iordache, M

2003-01-01

The authors present the results of a prospective study regarding their 1st year experience in laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LABG), which included 21 patients (5 males, 16 females), with an average age of 39 (between 20-53 years). The follow up was made at one and six months postoperative. The medium weight was 138 kg (between 95-172 kg), with a medium excess of body mass of 66.89 kg (extremes between 27.75 and 104 kg). The medium BMI (body mass index) was 48.9 (extremes: 34.5-66), 8 patients being superobese (BMI > 50). The average operating time was 120 min, all operations were finished laparosopically. Postoperative complications were: total disfagia (1 case), parietal suppuration (2 cases) and partial intragastric migration of the prosthesis (1 case). There were no deceased patients. The medium excess of body mass at 6 months after surgery was 46.57 (only 13 patients evaluated in this interval). After 6 months postoperative the comorbidities were healed at half of the patients. Although we do not benefit of a long time follow up, the favorable initial results permits us to state that LABG must find its place in the efforts of struggling against obesity and its consequences.

Latest research progress on food waste management: a comprehensive review

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Shangzhen; Gao, Hetong; Duan, Lunbo

2018-05-01

Since a large amount of food supplying is provided as a basic line measuring increasing residents’ life standard, food waste has become progressively numeral considerable. Much attention has been drawn to this problem. This work gave an overview on latest researches about anaerobic digestion, composting, generalized management and other developments on management of food waste. Different technologies were introduced and evaluated. Further views on future research in such a field were proposed.

ICMI 1966-2016: A Double Insiders' View of the Latest Hal Century of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hodgson, Bernard; Niss, Mogens Allan

2018-01-01

This paper concentrates on the latest five decades of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction. We had the privilege of occupying leading positions within ICMI for roughly half the period under consideration, which has provided us with a unique standpoint for identifying and refle......This paper concentrates on the latest five decades of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction. We had the privilege of occupying leading positions within ICMI for roughly half the period under consideration, which has provided us with a unique standpoint for identifying...... and reflecting on main trends and developments of the relationship between ICMI and mathematics education. The years 1966–2016 have seen marked trends and developments in mathematics teaching and learning around the world, at the same time as mathematics education as a scientific discipline came of age...... and matured. ICMI as an organisation has not only observed these developments but has also been a key player in charting and analysing them, as well as in fostering and facilitating (some of) them. We offer, here, observations, analyses and reflections on key issues in mathematics education as perceived by us...

The Deep Space Network: The challenges of the next 20 years - The 21st century

Science.gov (United States)

Dumas, L. N.; Edwards, C. D.; Hall, J. R.; Posner, E. C.

1990-01-01

The Deep Space Network (DSN) has been the radio navigation and communications link between NASA's lunar and deep space missions for 30 years. In this paper, new mission opportunities over the next 20 years are discussed. The system design drivers and the DSN architectural concepts for those challenges are briefly considered.

Acute extradural haematomas in children: A single neurosurgery unit's 12-year experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Enicker, B; Louw, H; Madiba, T

2016-11-01

Acute extradural haematomas (AEDHs) occur infrequently in children. This study was undertaken to review our experience with management and outcomes of this condition in children treated in the Neurosurgery Unit at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital. A retrospective review of medical records of all children (age less than or equal to (≤) 12 years) with a diagnosis of AEDH admitted from January 2003 to December 2014 was performed. Records were analyzed for demographics, mechanisms of injury, clinical presentation, neuroradiology findings, management and outcomes at discharge. A total of 150 children with AEDHs were admitted during this period. The mean age was 6.6 ± 3.8 years with a peak incidence in the 7-9 year age group. There were 84 (56%) males, (M: F= 1.3:1). Sixty AEDHs resulted from road traffic crashes (40%). On admission 104 (69.3%) children were Glasgow coma scale (GCS) 13-15, 26 (17.3%) GCS 9-12 and 20 (13.4%) GCS 3-8. Haemoglobin was less than (children and the mean hospital stay was 6.9 ± 6.1 days. Four children (2.7%) died during in-hospital stay period. One hundred and forty one (94%) children had a favourable Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) at discharge. AEDHs in children carry a good prognosis, but can be potentially fatal. A vigilant approach is required when assessing these children, as early diagnosis and treatment yields gratifying results.

Continuous Improvement of a Groundwater Model over a 20-Year Period: Lessons Learned.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Peter F; Ross, James L; Fenske, Jon P

2018-04-17

Groundwater models developed for specific sites generally become obsolete within a few years due to changes in: (1) modeling technology; (2) site/project personnel; (3) project funding; and (4) modeling objectives. Consequently, new models are sometimes developed for the same sites using the latest technology and data, but without potential knowledge gained from the prior models. When it occurs, this practice is particularly problematic because, although technology, data, and observed conditions change, development of the new numerical model may not consider the conceptual model's underpinnings. As a contrary situation, we present the unique case of a numerical flow and trichloroethylene (TCE) transport model that was first developed in 1993 and since revised and updated annually by the same personnel. The updates are prompted by an increase in the amount of data, exposure to a wider range of hydrologic conditions over increasingly longer timeframes, technological advances, evolving modeling objectives, and revised modeling methodologies. The history of updates shows smooth, incremental changes in the conceptual model and modeled aquifer parameters that result from both increase and decrease in complexity. Myriad modeling objectives have included demonstrating the ineffectiveness of a groundwater extraction/injection system, evaluating potential TCE degradation, locating new monitoring points, and predicting likelihood of exceedance of groundwater standards. The application emphasizes an original tenet of successful groundwater modeling: iterative adjustment of the conceptual model based on observations of actual vs. model response. © 2018, National Ground Water Association.

Managing high risk glaucoma with the Ahmed valve implant: 20 years of experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Rotsos, Tryfon; Tsioga, Anastasia; Andreanos, Konstantinos; Diagourtas, Andreas; Petrou, Petros; Georgalas, Ilias; Papaconstantinou, Dimitrios

2018-01-01

To estimate the efficacy and safety of the Ahmed implant in patients with high risk for failure after glaucoma surgery. In 342 eyes of 342 patients with refractory glaucoma, even with application of medical treatment, the Ahmed valve was introduced for intraocular pressure (IOP) control, in the period of the last 20y. The nature of glaucoma was neovascular in 162 eyes, pseudophakic or aphakic in 49 eyes, inflammatory in 29 eyes and non working previous antiglaucomatic surgical interventions in 102 eyes. Follow-up ranged from 18 to 120mo with a mean follow-up of 63.2mo. IOP before the operation decreased from 31.6±10.4 mm Hg to 18.3±5.4 mm Hg (no systemic treatment) at the end of follow up period. When we compared the IOP values before the operation using ANOVA showed statistically significant difference ( P glaucoma, 63.2% in aphakic glaucoma and 73.8% in non working previous antiglaucomatic surgical interventions. Complications due to the implant were: serous choroidal detachment in 14.8%, blockage of the tube in 2.8%, malposition of the tube in 4.9%, suprachoroidal hemorrhage in 2.1%, cataract progression in 39.6% (phakic eyes), shallow anterior chamber in 9.2%, hyphaema in 28.9%, exposure of valve in 2.6%, exposure of tube in 9.3%, hypotony in 4.9% and conjunctival fibrosis in 41.5%. Despite the fact that Ahmed valve implant had suchlike results as other implants concerning the IOP control, complications rate due to hypotony or over filtration in the first days after the intervention are not that frequent as with other valve implants.

The experiments ALICE

CERN Document Server

Fabjan, Christian

2009-01-01

This article documents the main design choices and the close to 20 years of preparation, detector R&D, construction and installation of ALICE, the dedicated heavy ion experiment at the CERN LHC accelerator.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast, 20 years of experience in a single center with review of literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Treitl, Daniela; Radkani, Pejman; Rizer, Magda; El Hussein, Siba; Paramo, Juan C; Mesko, Thomas W

2018-01-01

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the breast is a rare type of breast cancer, which presents inconsistencies in the optimal management strategy. A retrospective review of prospectively collected data, spanning the last 20 years, was performed using the cancer registry database at our institution. Six patients were diagnosed with ACC of the breast, out of 5,813 total patients diagnosed with breast cancer (0.1%). Our identified patients had a median age of 66, all with the early stage cancer (Stage I/II). The average size of the breast lesion was 1.62 cm, and nodal status was negative for all cases. All patients had resection as primary therapy (partial or total mastectomy), with one patient also undergoing external beam radiation and tamoxifen hormonal therapy. Median follow-up was 85 months, with all patients being disease-free at last follow-up. ACC of the breast has an indolent course, despite triple negative status. Our study suggests that radiation may not be warranted and confirms the rarity of axillary node metastases, indicating that sentinel node excision may also not be necessary. Ultimately, the hope is that our findings along with the reviewed literature will aid in determining the most appropriate options for management of ACC of the breast.

Stroke Prevalence, Mortality and Disability-Adjusted Life Years in Adults Aged 20-64 Years in 1990-2013

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krishnamurthi, Rita V; Moran, Andrew E; Feigin, Valery L

2015-01-01

in younger adults. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to estimate prevalence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and their trends for total, ischemic stroke (IS) and hemorrhagic stroke (HS) in the world for 1990-2013 in adults aged 20-64 years. METHODOLOGY: Stroke prevalence, mortality and DALYs......BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests that stroke is increasing as a cause of morbidity and mortality in younger adults, where it carries particular significance for working individuals. Accurate and up-to-date estimates of stroke burden are important for planning stroke prevention and management...... were estimated using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2013 methods. All available data on rates of stroke incidence, excess mortality, prevalence and death were collected. Statistical models were used along with country-level covariates to estimate country-specific stroke burden. Stroke...

Validation of the Arabic Version of the Internet Gaming Disorder-20 Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawi, Nazir S; Samaha, Maya

2017-04-01

In recent years, researchers have been trying to shed light on gaming addiction and its association with different psychiatric disorders and psychological determinants. The latest edition version of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) included in its Section 3 Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) as a condition for further empirical study and proposed nine criteria for the diagnosis of IGD. The 20-item Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD-20) Test was developed as a valid and reliable tool to assess gaming addiction based on the nine criteria set by the DSM-5. The aim of this study is to validate an Arabic version of the IGD-20 Test. The Arabic version of IGD-20 will not only help in identifying Arabic-speaking pathological gamers but also stimulate cross-cultural studies that could contribute to an area in need of more research for insight and treatment. After a process of translation and back-translation and with the participation of a sizable sample of Arabic-speaking adolescents, the present study conducted a psychometric validation of the IGD-20 Test. Our confirmatory factor analysis showed the validity of the Arabic version of the IGD-20 Test. The one-factor model of the Arabic IGD-20 Test had very good psychometric properties, and it fitted the sample data extremely well. In addition, correlation analysis between the IGD-20 Test and the daily duration on weekdays and weekends gameplay revealed significant positive relationships that warranted a criterion-related validation. Thus, the Arabic version of the IGD-20 Test is a valid and reliable measure of IGD among Arabic-speaking populations.

20 years of interlaboratory tests in the service of radioactivity measurement quality. 20 ans de tests interlaboratoires au service de la qualite des mesures de radioactivite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cance, M. (CEA Centre d' Etudes de Saclay, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France). Dept. des Applications et de la Metrologie des Rayonnements Ionisants)

1992-01-01

In the framework of French national metrological coordination, the Laboratoire de Metrologie des Rayonnements Ionisants (LMRI) organizes since 20 years, each year an interlaboratory test program. The tests concern radioactivity, radio analysis and neutron and gamma dosimetry. In this paper, a review of interlaboratory tests proposed by LMRI is proposed from 1971 to 1991. For the last twenty years, 97 tests have been realized, half in activity measurement, third in radio analysis and 20% in dosimetry. About forty radionuclides (from Tritium to Americium 241) are concerned by these tests with an activity range from 1 Becquerel to 100 megabecquerels. The 120 laboratories having participated at these tests belong essentially to CEA group, EDF or medical sector.

15 years of experience with mechatronics research and education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Amerongen, J.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the experiences with mechatronic research projects and several educational structures in the University of Twente since 1989. Education took place in a two-year Mechatronic Designer programme, in specialisations in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering and in an (international)

Ocean anoxia did not cause the Latest Permian Extinction

Science.gov (United States)

Proemse, Bernadette C.; Grasby, Stephen E.; Wieser, Michael E.; Mayer, Bernhard; Beauchamp, Benoit

2014-05-01

The Latest Permian Extinction (LPE, ~252 million years ago) was a turning point in the history of life on Earth with a loss of ~96% of all marine species and ~70% of all terrestrial species. While, the event undoubtedly shaped the evolution of life its cause remains enigmatic. A leading hypothesis is that the global oceans became depleted in oxygen (anoxia). In order to test this hypothesis we investigated a proxy for marine oxygen levels (molybdenum isotopic composition) in shale across the LPE horizon located on the subtropical northwest margin of Pangea at that time. We studied two sedimentary records in the Sverdrup basin, Canadian High Arctic: Buchanan Lake (eastern Axel Heiberg Island; 79° 26.1'N, 87° 12.6'W), representing a distal deep-water slope environment, and West Blind Fiord (southwest Ellesmere Island; 78° 23.9'N, 85° 57.2'W), representing a deep outer shelf environment (below storm wave base). The molybdenum isotopic composition (δ98/95Mo) of sediments has recently become a powerful tool as a paleo-oceanographic proxy of marine oxygen levels. Sample preparation was carried out in a metal-free clean room facility in the isotope laboratory of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Canada, that is supplied by HEPA-filtered air. Molybdenum isotope ratios were determined on a Thermo Scientific multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) with an uncertainty better than ±0.10o for δ98/95Mo values. Results from the Buchanan Lake section show a large shift in δ98/95Mo values from 2.02o to +2.23o at the extinction horizon, consistent with onset of euxinic conditions. In contrast, West Blind Fiord shales, representing the sub-storm wave base shelf environment, show little change in the molybdenum isotopic composition (1.34o to +0.05), indicating ongoing oxic conditions across the LPE (Proemse et al., 2013). Our results suggest that areas of the Pangea continental shelf (North West Pangea) experienced

Opinion Mining in Web 2.0

OpenAIRE

Pérez Gallego, Pablo José

2012-01-01

During the last years we are assisting to an intense Web transformation process. It is no longer a mere static information repository but a dynamic system in which users have become the main content contributors. They actively participate in sharing their opinions, thoughts and views about products, events and almost anything in social networks, forums, blogs, etc. With the latest advances in mobile technologies, users can actually interact anytime from anywhere; real time info...

Building Connections in the First-year Undergraduate Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

June Countryman

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Concerned about the success rate of new students in our program we designed and implemented a compulsory set of experiences which aim to support students in their transition from high school to university by 1 developing their sense of belonging to a community of learners and by 2 articulating with them the interrelationships among their first year core courses. We initiated various strategies which we have refined in response to student feedback over the past three years. In this paper we describe the pedagogical moves that constitute our initiative and the lessons we learned. We explore essential academic and personal issues that first-year students in all programs face. We share our research findings and address the big ideas that could be applied to any discipline or multi-disciplinary program.

Persistence of antibody to Hepatitis A virus 20 years after receipt of Hepatitis A vaccine in Alaska.

Science.gov (United States)

Plumb, I D; Bulkow, L R; Bruce, M G; Hennessy, T W; Morris, J; Rudolph, K; Spradling, P; Snowball, M; McMahon, B J

2017-07-01

Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for children ≥1 year old to prevent hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection. However, the duration of vaccine-induced immunity is unknown. We evaluated a cohort of Alaska Native persons 20 years after HAV vaccination. Children aged 3-6 years had been previously randomized to receive three doses of HAV vaccine (360 ELISA units/dose) at: (i) 0,1,2 months; (ii) 0,1,6 months; and (iii) 0,1,12 months. We measured anti-HAV antibody concentrations every 2-3 years; described geometric mean concentrations (GMC) and the proportion with protective antibody (≥20 mIU mL -1 ) over time; and modelled the change in GMC using fractional polynomial regression. Of the 144 participants, after 20 years 52 (36.1%) were available for the follow-up (17, 18, 17 children in Groups A, B and C, respectively). Overall, 46 (88.5%) of 52 available participants had anti-HAV antibody concentrations ≥20 mIU mL -1 , and overall GMC was 107 mIU mL -1 . Although GMC levels were lower in Group A (60; CI 34-104) than in Group B (110; CI 68-177) or Group C (184; CI 98-345) (B vs C: P=.168; A vs B/C: P=.011), there was no difference between groups after adjusting for peak antibody levels post-vaccination (P=.579). Models predicted geometric mean concentrations of 124 mIU mL -1 after 25 years, and 106 mIU mL -1 after 30 years. HAV vaccine provides protective antibody levels 20 years after childhood vaccination. Lower antibody levels in Group A may be explained by a lower initial peak response. Our results suggest a booster vaccine dose is unnecessary for at least 25-30 years. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

20 Years after "The Ontogeny of Human Memory: A Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective," Where Are We?

Science.gov (United States)

Jabès, Adeline; Nelson, Charles A.

2015-01-01

In 1995, Nelson published a paper describing a model of memory development during the first years of life. The current article seeks to provide an update on the original work published 20 years ago. Specifically, we review our current knowledge on the relation between the emergence of explicit memory functions throughout development and the…

Modelling and simulation SSM: latest state of the art technology

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Jahajeeah, N

2005-10-01

Full Text Available as one phase ? One Phase model ?Wider volume solid fraction 0 – 1 ? Implementation in Power Law Cut-Off Model (PLCO) of Procast Supporting the Manufacturing and Materials Industry in its quest for global competitiveness Assumptions of the PLCO Model... and Materials Industry in its quest for global competitiveness Modelling and Simulation SSM Latest state of the art technology N Jahajeeah Supporting the Manufacturing and Materials Industry in its quest for global competitiveness BEHAVIOUR OF THIXOTROPIC...

Employment of persons with spinal cord lesions injured more than 20 years ago

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lidal, Ingeborg Beate; Hjeltnes, Nils; Røislien, Jo

2009-01-01

PURPOSE: The primary objective was to study factors influencing post-injury employment and withdrawal from work in persons who sustained traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) more than 20 years ago. A secondary objective was to study life satisfaction in the same patients. METHOD: A cross...... before, and a history of pre-injury medical condition(s). Life satisfaction was better for currently employed participants. CONCLUSION: The study indicates a low employment-rate in persons with SCI, even several years after injury. From the results, we suggest more support, especially to persons of older...

12 years' experience with intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) of malignant gliomas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schueller, P.; Micke, O.; Moustakis, C.; Bruns, F.; Schuck, A.; Willich, N. [University Hospital Muenster (Germany). Dept. of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology; Palkovic, S.; Schroeder, J.; Wassmann, H. [University Hospital Muenster (Germany). Dept. of Neurosurgery

2005-08-01

Background: Even after surgery and radiotherapy, malignant gliomas still have a poor prognosis. The authors report on their experience with IORT in 71 patients. Patients and methods: From May 1992 to February 2004, 71 patients with malignant gliomas were treated with IORT. 26 patients suffered from grade III gliomas, 45 patients from glioblastomas (GBM). IORT was carried out using a standard electron tube and 9- to 18-MeV electrons. 52/71 patients who were primarily treated received 20 Gy IORT + 60 Gy postoperative radiotherapy, 19/71 patients with recurrences only received IORT (20-25 Gy). Results: The complication rates were 1.4% for wound infections and 5.6% for hemorrhage. Median disease-specific survival amounted to 14.9 months (gliomass III) and 14.2 months (GBM). The 2-year survival rates amounted to 26.9% (gliomas III) and 6.8% (GBM; p=0.0296). Total versus subtotal resection had no significant influence on survival (p=0.0741), nor had age, sex, tumor site, performance status, size, primary versus recurrence, and radiation dose. A comparison to a conventionally treated patient group did not show a significant survival improvement. 3 months after treatment, initial symptoms had improved in 59% (hemiparesis), 50% (aphasia), 50% (hemianopsia), and 60% (convulsions). Conclusion: IORT has been shown to be feasible; perioperative complication rates were not increased. Survival was generally not improved compared to a historical control group. Recurrences achieved the same survival as primary tumors, and GBM also had a slightly increased survival, thus being possible indications for IORT. (orig.)

Operating experience with a new accelerator control system based upon microprocessors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Magyary, S.; Lancaster, H.; Selph, F.; Fahmie, M.; Timossi, C.; Glatz, J.; Ritchie, A.; Hinkson, J.; Benjegerdes, R.; Brodzik, D.

1981-03-01

This paper describes the design and operating experience with a high performance control system tailored to the requirements of the SuperHILAC accelerator. A large number (20) of the latest 16-bit microcomputer boards are used in a parallel-distributed manner to get a high system bandwidth. Because of the high bandwidth, software costs and complexity are significantly reduced. The system by its very nature and design is easily upgraded and repaired. Dynamically assigned and labeled knobs, together with touch-panels, allow a flexible and efficient operator interface. An X-Y vector graphics system provides for display and labeling of real-time signals as well as general plotting functions. This control system allows attachment of a powerful auxiliary computer for scientific processing with access to accelerator parameters.

20 CFR 627.245 - Work experience.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...) Definition. Work experience means a short-term or part-time training assignment with a public or private... requirements. It is prohibited in the private for-profit sector. (b) Suitability. Work experience should be...

Cytogenetic effects of radioiodine therapy: a 20-year follow-up study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Livingston, Gordon K. [Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Khvostunov, Igor K. [Medical Radiological Research Center, Obninsk, Kaluga Region (Russian Federation); Gregoire, Eric [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, PRP-HOM/SRBE/LDB, BP 17, Fontenay aux roses Cedex (France); Barquinero, Joan-Francesc [Universtitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Facultat de Biociencies, Cerdanyola del Valles (Spain); Shi, Lin; Tashiro, Satoshi [Hiroshima University, Department of Cellular Biology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima (Japan)

2016-05-15

The purpose of this study was to compare cytogenetic data in a patient before and after treatment with radioiodine to evaluate the assays in the context of biological dosimetry. We studied a 34-year-old male patient who underwent a total thyroidectomy followed by ablation therapy with {sup 131}I (19.28 GBq) for a papillary thyroid carcinoma. The patient provided blood samples before treatment and then serial samples at monthly intervals during the first year period and quarterly intervals for 5 years and finally 20 years after treatment. A micronucleus assay, dicentric assay, FISH method and G-banding were used to detect and measure DNA damage in circulating peripheral blood lymphocytes of the patient. The results showed that radiation-induced cytogenetic effects persisted for many years after treatment as shown by elevated micronuclei and chromosome aberrations as a result of exposure to {sup 131}I. At 5 years after treatment, the micronucleus count was tenfold higher than the pre-exposure frequency. Shortly after the treatment, micronucleus counts produced a dose estimate of 0.47 ± 0.09 Gy. The dose to the patient evaluated retrospectively using FISH-measured translocations was 0.70 ± 0.16 Gy. Overall, our results show that the micronucleus assay is a retrospective biomarker of low-dose radiation exposure. However, this method is not able to determine local dose to the target tissue which in this case was any residual thyroid cells plus metastases of thyroidal origin. (orig.)

Changing the rules of the game - experiences with Web 2.0 learning in higher education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nicolajsen, Hanne Westh

2012-01-01

The use of Web 2.0 as tools for social learning within higher education is not as widespread as expected, nor with the expected results within non-distance teaching programmes. The question is why? Many have argued that Web 2.0 tools have potentials to support learning in various ways. It has been...... argued, but also questioned, that the current generation of students are digital natives prepared to use new media for learning. At the same time critical voices argue that learning designs with high degrees of Web2.0 characteristics challenge the prevailing norms for learning within most teaching...... systems. This study investigates reasons why Web 2.0 is difficult to adopt in teaching by looking at reflected feedback from students participating in an experiment using Web 2.0 for social learning. The challenges investigated are derived by looking into 37 undergraduate students’ reflections...

Brand Extensions: A Qualitative Meta-Analysis Of 20 Years Of Marketing Research

OpenAIRE

Elise Prosser; Melissa St. James

2011-01-01

Brand extensions, or new product introductions under an existing brand name, have become increasingly popular over the past 20 years. Marketers tout brand extensions as enjoying higher market share and profitability than launching new brand names that require exorbitant advertising expenditures (Smith & Park 1992). According to some estimates, brand extensions account for more than 90% of new product introductions in some categories (Volckner & Sattler 2002). However, one study found that 27%...

Vocal fold immobility: a longitudinal analysis of etiology over 20 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenthal, Laura H Swibel; Benninger, Michael S; Deeb, Robert H

2007-10-01

To determine the current etiology of vocal fold immobility, identify changing trends over the last 20 years, and compare results to historical reports. The present study is a retrospective analysis of all patients seen within a tertiary care institution between 1996 and 2005 with vocal fold immobility. The results were combined with a previous study of patients within the same institution from 1985 through 1995. Results were compared to the literature. The medical records of all patients assigned a primary or additional diagnostic code for vocal cord paralysis were obtained from the electronic database. Eight hundred twenty-seven patients were available for analysis (435 from the most recent cohort), which is substantially larger than any reported series to date. Vocal fold immobility was most commonly associated with a surgical procedure (37%). Nonthyroid surgeries (66%), such as anterior cervical approaches to the spine and carotid endarterectomies, have surpassed thyroid surgery (33%) as the most common iatrogenic causes. These data represent a change from historical figures in which extralaryngeal malignancies were considered the major cause of unilateral immobility. Thyroidectomy continues to cause the majority (80%) of iatrogenic bilateral vocal fold immobility and 30% of all bilateral immobility. This 20-year longitudinal assessment revealed that the etiology of unilateral vocal fold immobility has changed such that there has been a shift from extralaryngeal malignancies to nonthyroid surgical procedures as the major cause. Thyroid surgery remains the most common cause of bilateral vocal fold immobility.

Determining cosmological parameters with the latest observational data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Junqing; Li Hong; Zhao Gongbo; Zhang Xinmin

2008-01-01

In this paper, we combine the latest observational data, including the WMAP five-year data (WMAP5), BOOMERanG, CBI, VSA, ACBAR, as well as the baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) and type Ia supernovae (SN) ''union'' compilation (307 sample), and use the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method to determine the cosmological parameters, such as the equation of state (EoS) of dark energy, the curvature of the universe, the total neutrino mass, and the parameters associated with the power spectrum of primordial fluctuations. In a flat universe, we obtain the tight limit on the constant EoS of dark energy as w=-0.977±0.056(stat)±0.057(sys). For the dynamical dark energy models with the time evolving EoS parametrized as w de (a)=w 0 +w 1 (1-a), we find that the best-fit values are w 0 =-1.08 and w 1 =0.368, while the ΛCDM model remains a good fit to the current data. For the curvature of the universe Ω k , our results give -0.012 k de =-1. When considering the dynamics of dark energy, the flat universe is still a good fit to the current data, -0.015 k s ≥1 are excluded at more than 2σ confidence level. However, in the framework of dynamical dark energy models, the allowed region in the parameter space of (n s ,r) is enlarged significantly. Finally, we find no strong evidence for the large running of the spectral index.

Mechatronics methodology: 15 years of experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Efren Gorrostieta

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This article presents a methodology to teach students to develop mechatronic projects. It was taught in higher education schools, in different universities in Mexico, in courses such as: Robotics, Control Systems, Mechatronic Systems, Artificial Intelligence, etc. The intention of this methodology is not only to achieve the integration of different subjects but also to accomplish synergy between them so that the final result may be the best possible in quality, time and robustness. Since its introduction into the educational area, this methodology was evaluated and modified for approximately five years, were substantial characteristics were adopted. For the next ten years, only minor alterations were carried out. Fifteen years of experience have proven that the methodology is useful not only for training but also for real projects. In this article, we first explain the methodology and its main characteristics, as well as a brief history of its teaching in different educational programs. Then, we present two cases were the methodology was successfully applied. The first project consisted in the design, construction and evaluation of a mobile robotic manipulator which aims to be used as an explosives ordnance device. In the second case, we document the results of a project assignment for robotics tasks carried out by students which were formerly taught with the methodology.

Prevalence of Ectopic Breast Tissue and Tumor: A 20-Year Single Center Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Famá, Fausto; Cicciú, Marco; Sindoni, Alessandro; Scarfó, Paola; Pollicino, Andrea; Giacobbe, Giuseppa; Buccheri, Giancarlo; Taranto, Filippo; Palella, Jessica; Gioffré-Florio, Maria

2016-08-01

Ectopic breast tissue, which includes both supernumerary breast and aberrant breast tissue, is the most common congenital breast abnormality. Ectopic breast cancers are rare neoplasms that occur in 0.3% to 0.6% of all cases of breast cancer. We retrospectively report, using a large series of breast abnormalities diagnosed and treated, our clinical experience on the management of the ectopic breast cancer. In 2 decades, we observed 327 (2.7%) patients with ectopic breast tissue out of a total of 12,177 subjects undergoing a breast visit for lesions. All patients were classified into 8 classes, according to the classification of Kajava, and assessed by a physician examination, ultrasounds, and, when appropriate, further studies with fine needle aspiration cytology and mammography. All specimens were submitted to the anatomo-pathologist. The most frequent benign histological diagnosis was fibrocystic disease. A rare granulosa cell tumor was also found in the right anterior thoracic wall of 1 patient. Four malignancies were also diagnosed in 4 women: an infiltrating lobular cancer in 1 patient with a lesion classified as class I, and an infiltrating apocrine carcinoma, an infiltrating ductal cancer, and an infiltrating ductal cancer with tubular pattern, occurring in 3 patients with lesions classified as class IV. Only 1 recurrence was observed. We recommend an earlier surgical approach for patients with lesions from class I to IV. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Laser performance upgrade for precise ICF experiment in SG-Ⅲ laser facility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wanguo Zheng

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The SG-Ⅲ laser facility (SG-Ⅲ is the largest laser driver for inertial confinement fusion (ICF researches in China, which has 48 beamlines and can deliver 180 kJ ultraviolet laser energy in 3 ns. In order to meet the requirements of precise physics experiments, some new functionalities need to be added to SG-Ⅲ and some intrinsic laser performances need upgrade. So at the end of SG-Ⅲ's engineering construction, the 2-year laser performance upgrade project started. This paper will introduce the newly added functionalities and the latest laser performance of SG-Ⅲ. With these function extensions and performance upgrade, SG-Ⅲ is now fully prepared for precise ICF experiments and solidly paves the way towards fusion ignition.

Cumulative risk, cumulative outcome: a 20-year longitudinal study.

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Leslie Atkinson

Full Text Available Cumulative risk (CR models provide some of the most robust findings in the developmental literature, predicting numerous and varied outcomes. Typically, however, these outcomes are predicted one at a time, across different samples, using concurrent designs, longitudinal designs of short duration, or retrospective designs. We predicted that a single CR index, applied within a single sample, would prospectively predict diverse outcomes, i.e., depression, intelligence, school dropout, arrest, smoking, and physical disease from childhood to adulthood. Further, we predicted that number of risk factors would predict number of adverse outcomes (cumulative outcome; CO. We also predicted that early CR (assessed at age 5/6 explains variance in CO above and beyond that explained by subsequent risk (assessed at ages 12/13 and 19/20. The sample consisted of 284 individuals, 48% of whom were diagnosed with a speech/language disorder. Cumulative risk, assessed at 5/6-, 12/13-, and 19/20-years-old, predicted aforementioned outcomes at age 25/26 in every instance. Furthermore, number of risk factors was positively associated with number of negative outcomes. Finally, early risk accounted for variance beyond that explained by later risk in the prediction of CO. We discuss these findings in terms of five criteria posed by these data, positing a "mediated net of adversity" model, suggesting that CR may increase some central integrative factor, simultaneously augmenting risk across cognitive, quality of life, psychiatric and physical health outcomes.

Spectrum of Childhood and Adolescent Ovarian Tumors in India: 25 Years Experience at a Single Institution

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Ruchi Rathore

2016-09-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Ovarian tumour in children and adolescent girls form an uncommon but important part of gynaecological malignancies. They account for 1% of all the childhood malignancies and 8% of all abdominal tumours in children. Since the ovarian cysts are thought to arise from mature follicles, these tumours were considered to be infrequent in the paediatric population. AIM: The rarity of this condition prompted us to conduct this study and share our experience on the incidence and clinicopathological features of different ovarian tumours in girls up to 20 years of age observed in last 25 years at a single tertiary care hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted in the Department of Pathology at a tertiary hospital, Delhi. All ovarian tumours up to the age of 20 years in the past 25 years (1990-2014 were included for the purpose of studying the clinicopathological aspects of ovarian tumours in this age group. Descriptive statistics for prevalence and age-wise prevalence was done. Chi-square test, to find an association between the age, laterality and size with malignancy was performed. RESULTS: We received a total of 1102 cases of ovarian tumours over the period of 25 years  (1990 to 2014, of which 112 (10% cases were seen in girls up to 20 years of age. The mean age of the patients was 15.3 ± 4 years. The most common presenting complaint was pain abdomen (46.4 % There was a statistically significant correlation found between size and malignancy status of tumours in our study (p = 0.00. Of 112 cases of ovarian tumours, 39/112 (34.8% were malignant and 73/112 (65.2% were benign. Mature  cystic teratoma (27.6% was the most common type of benign tumour in this age group and immature teratomas were the most common type of malignant ovarian neoplasms. CONCLUSION: Premenarchal girls with ovarian masses may have varied presentations. Abdominal pain is the most common presenting complaint of young adolescent girls with

Emissions Inventory Report Summary: Reporting Requirements for the New Mexico Administrative Code, Title 20, Chapter 2, Part 73 (20 NMAC 2.73) for Calendar Year 2001

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Margorie Stockton

2003-01-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory is subject to annual emissions-reporting requirements for regulated air contaminants under Title 20 of the New Mexico Administrative Code, Chapter 2, Part 73 (20.2.73 NMAC), Notice of Intent and Emissions Inventory Requirements. The applicability of the requirements is based on the Laboratory's potential to emit 100 tons per year of suspended particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, or volatile organic compounds. For calendar year 2001, the Technical Area 3 steam plant was the primary source of criteria air pollutants from the Laboratory, while research and development activities were the primary source of volatile organic compounds. Emissions of beryllium and aluminum were reported for activities permitted under 20.2.72 NMAC. Hazardous air pollutant emissions from chemical use for research and development activities were also reported

The fungal and acritarch events as time markers for the latest Permian mass extinction: An update

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Michael R. Rampino

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The latest Permian extinction (252 Myr ago was the most severe in the geologic record. On land, widespread Late Permian gymnosperm/seed-fern dominated forests appear to have suffered rapid and almost complete destruction, as evidenced by increased soil erosion and changes in fluvial style in deforested areas, signs of wildfires, replacement of trees by lower plants, and almost complete loss of peat-forming and fire-susceptible vegetation. Permian–Triassic boundary strata at many sites show two widespread palynological events in the wake of the forest destruction: The fungal event, evidenced by a thin zone with >95% fungal cells (Reduviasporonites and woody debris, found in terrestrial and marine sediments, and the acritarch event, marked by the sudden flood of unusual phytoplankton in the marine realm. These two events represent the global temporary explosive spread of stress-tolerant and opportunistic organisms on land and in the sea just after the latest Permian disaster. They represent unique events, and thus they can provide a time marker in correlating latest Permian marine and terrestrial sequences.

Over 20 years experience with aortic homograft in aortic valve replacement during acute infective endocarditis.

Science.gov (United States)

Solari, Silvia; Mastrobuoni, Stefano; De Kerchove, Laurent; Navarra, Emiliano; Astarci, Parla; Noirhomme, Philippe; Poncelet, Alain; Jashari, Ramadan; Rubay, Jean; El Khoury, Gebrine

2016-12-01

Despite the controversy, the aortic homograft is supposedly the best option in acute infective endocarditis (AIE), due to its resistance to reinfection. However, the technical complexity and the risk of structural deterioration over time have limited its utilization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of aortic homograft for the treatment of infective endocarditis in our institution with particular attention to predictors of survival and homograft reoperation. The cohort includes 112 patients who underwent aortic valve replacement with an aortic homograft for AIE between January 1990 and December 2014. Fifteen patients (13.4%) died during the first 30 days after the operation. Two patients were lost to follow-up after discharge from the hospital; therefore, 95 patients were available for long-term analysis. The median duration of follow-up was 7.8 years (IQR 4.7-17.6). Five patients (5.3%) suffered a recurrence of infective endocarditis (1 relapse and 4 new episodes). Sixteen patients (16.8%) were reoperated for structural valve degeneration (SVD; n = 14, 87.5%) or for infection recurrence (n = 2, 12.5%). Freedom from homograft reoperation for infective endocarditis or structural homograft degeneration at 10 and 15 years postoperatively was 86.3 ± 5.5 and 47.3 ± 11.0%, respectively. For patients requiring homograft reoperation, the median interval to reintervention was 11.6 years (IQR 8.3-14.5). Long-term survival was 63.6% (95% CI 52.4-72.8%) and 53.8% (95% CI 40.6-65.3%) at 10 and 15 years, respectively. The use of aortic homograft in acute aortic valve endocarditis is associated with a remarkably low risk of relapsing infection and very acceptable long-term survival. The risk of reoperation due to SVD is significant after one decade especially in young patients. The aortic homograft seems to be ideally suited for reconstruction of the aortic valve and cardiac structures damaged by the infective process especially in early surgery. �

Spermatic feasibility after 20 years of freezing and refreezing: case study

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Paulo Franco Taitson

2010-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present work was to study the spermatic feasibility after 20 years of freezing, thawing and refreezing. A young man affected by testicular cancer sought the sperm freezing service. After 20 years, the samples were thawed and frozen again. After two days, thawing and analysis of the material took place. Comparison of the findings showed activity reduction from the first thawing to the fresh semen 59.09%. For the second thawing it was 77.27%. Considering the morphology, first thawing showed a reduction of 44.64% in relation to fresh semen. In the second thawing, the reduction was of 75%. Spermatic motility decreased by 64.28% in relation to fresh semen and 92.85% at the level of second thawing. The patient had gone through in vitro fertilization in 2007, obtaining success in the first one attempt.Este trabalho mostra a viabilidade espermática após 20 anos de congelamento seminal, descongelamento e novo congelamento. Jovem do sexo masculino afetado por câncer testicular procurou o serviço para congelamento de espermatozóides. Após vinte anos, as amostras foram descongeladas e congeladas novamente. Após dois dias, realizou-se um novo descongelamento e análise do material. As comparações dos resultados mostraram uma redução da atividade do primeiro descongelamento ao semen fresco em 59,09%. A partir do segundo descongelamento era de 77,27%. Considerando a morfologia, o primeiro descongelamento mostrou uma redução de 44,64% em relação ao sêmen fresco. No segundo descongelamento, a redução foi de 75%. A motilidade espermática diminuiu 64,28% em relação ao semen fresco e 92,85% a nível do segundo descongelamento. O paciente passou por fertilização in vitro em 2007, obtendo sucesso na primeira tentativa.

Survival and Competitiveness of Bradyrhizobium japonicum Strains 20 Years after Introduction into Field Locations in Poland.

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Narożna, Dorota; Pudełko, Krzysztof; Króliczak, Joanna; Golińska, Barbara; Sugawara, Masayuki; Mądrzak, Cezary J; Sadowsky, Michael J

2015-08-15

It was previously demonstrated that there are no indigenous strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum forming nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbioses with soybean plants in arable field soils in Poland. However, bacteria currently classified within this species are present (together with Bradyrhizobium canariense) as indigenous populations of strains specific for nodulation of legumes in the Genisteae tribe. These rhizobia, infecting legumes such as lupins, are well established in Polish soils. The studies described here were based on soybean nodulation field experiments, established at the Poznań University of Life Sciences Experiment Station in Gorzyń, Poland, and initiated in the spring of 1994. Long-term research was then conducted in order to study the relation between B. japonicum USDA 110 and USDA 123, introduced together into the same location, where no soybean rhizobia were earlier detected, and nodulation and competitive success were followed over time. Here we report the extra-long-term saprophytic survival of B. japonicum strains nodulating soybeans that were introduced as inoculants 20 years earlier and where soybeans were not grown for the next 17 years. The strains remained viable and symbiotically competent, and molecular and immunochemical methods showed that the strains were undistinguishable from the original inoculum strains USDA 110 and USDA 123. We also show that the strains had balanced numbers and their mobility in soil was low. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing the extra-long-term persistence of soybean-nodulating strains introduced into Polish soils and the first analyzing the long-term competitive relations of USDA 110 and USDA 123 after the two strains, neither of which was native, were introduced into the environment almost 2 decades ago. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Polyethylene wear of mobile-bearing unicompartmental knee replacement at 20 years.

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Kendrick, B J L; Simpson, D J; Kaptein, B L; Valstar, E R; Gill, H S; Murray, D W; Price, A J

2011-04-01

The Oxford unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) was designed to minimise wear utilising a fully-congruent, mobile, polyethylene bearing. Wear of polyethylene is a significant cause of revision surgery in UKR in the first decade, and the incidence increases in the second decade. Our study used model-based radiostereometric analysis to measure the combined wear of the upper and lower bearing surfaces in 13 medial-compartment Oxford UKRs at a mean of 20.9 years (17.2 to 25.9) post-operatively. The mean linear penetration of the polyethylene bearing was 1.04 mm (0.307 to 2.15), with a mean annual wear rate of 0.045 mm/year (0.016 to 0.099). The annual wear rate of the phase-2 bearings (mean 0.022 mm/year) was significantly less (p = 0.01) than that of phase-1 bearings (mean 0.07 mm/year). The linear wear rate of the Oxford UKR remains very low into the third decade. We believe that phase-2 bearings had lower wear rates than phase-1 implants because of the improved bearing design and surgical technique which decreased the incidence of impingement. We conclude that the design of the Oxford UKR gives low rates of wear in the long term.

Self-Rated Activity Levels and Longevity: Evidence from a 20 Year Longitudinal Study

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Mullee, Mark A.; Coleman, Peter G.; Briggs, Roger S. J.; Stevenson, James E.; Turnbull, Joanne C.

2008-01-01

The study reports on factors predicting the longevity of 328 people over the age of 65 drawn from an English city and followed over 20 years. Both the reported activities score and the individual's comparative evaluation of their own level of activity independently reduced the risk of death, even when health and cognitive status were taken into…

Reflecting on 20+ Years of “Executive Program in Defense Decision Making” Curriculum

OpenAIRE

2017-01-01

CCMR News Article CCMR hosted a version of its biannual “Executive Program in Defense Decision Making” offering for 21 international military and civilian participants, from November 6-17, 2017. Often described as CCMR’s “flagship” course, this curriculum has been offered at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California for over 20 years.

Energy secretary Spencer Abraham announces department of energy 20-year science facility plan

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

"In a speech at the National Press Club today, U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham outlined the Department of Energy's Office of Science 20-year science facility plan, a roadmap for future scientific facilities to support the department's basic science and research missions. The plan prioritizes new, major scientific facilities and upgrades to current facilities" (1 page).

Assessment of the Latest GPM-Era High-Resolution Satellite Precipitation Products by Comparison with Observation Gauge Data over the Chinese Mainland

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Shaowei Ning

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The Global Precipitation Mission (GPM Core Observatory that was launched on 27 February 2014 ushered in a new era for estimating precipitation from satellites. Based on their high spatial–temporal resolution and near global coverage, satellite-based precipitation products have been applied in many research fields. The goal of this study was to quantitatively compare two of the latest GPM-era satellite precipitation products (GPM IMERG and GSMap-Gauge Ver. 6 with a network of 840 precipitation gauges over the Chinese mainland. Direct comparisons of satellite-based precipitation products with rain gauge observations over a 20 month period from April 2014 to November 2015 at 0.1° and daily/monthly resolutions showed the following results: Both of the products were capable of capturing the overall spatial pattern of the 20 month mean daily precipitation, which was characterized by a decreasing trend from the southeast to the northwest. GPM IMERG overestimated precipitation by approximately 0.09 mm/day while GSMap-Gauge Ver. 6 underestimated precipitation by −0.04 mm/day. The two satellite-based precipitation products performed better over wet southern regions than over dry northern regions. They also showed better performance in summer than in winter. In terms of mean error, root mean square error, correlation coefficient, and probability of detection, GSMap-Gauge was better able to estimate precipitation and had more stable quality results than GPM IMERG on both daily and monthly scales. GPM IMERG was more sensitive to conditions of no rain or light rainfall and demonstrated good capability of capturing the behavior of extreme precipitation events. Overall, the results revealed some limitations of these two latest satellite-based precipitation products when used over the Chinese mainland, helping to characterize some of the error features in these datasets for potential users.

Suicide among young people in Spain: Facts and possible causes. An analysis of latest data available

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Noelia Navarro-Gómez

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the age group between 15 to 29 years, surpassed only by external causes of death and tumors according to the National Institute of Statistics. The latest data available shows that 310 children and young people under 30 took their own lives, which represents 7.77% of all suicide victims. This article aims to extensively describe the state of the art from the data available in the literature, based on the overview worldwide. The causes that can lead to such acts are discussed, indicating the presence of psychological disorders, specific personality variables, the high burden of emotional stress or bullying, lately displaced by new variants such as cyberbullying or sexting.

Latest Results from the AMS Experiment on the International Space Station

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CERN. Geneva

2018-01-01

In seven years on the Space Station, AMS has collected more than 115 billion charged cosmic rays with energies up to multi TeV.  The measured positron spectra agrees well with dark matter models. The energy dependence of elementary particles (electrons, positrons, protons and antiprotons)  as well as the rigidity dependence of primary cosmic rays and secondary cosmic rays are unique and distinct.  These results require a new understanding of the cosmos. 

Comfort and experience with online learning: trends over nine years and associations with knowledge.

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Cook, David A; Thompson, Warren G

2014-07-01

Some evidence suggests that attitude toward computer-based instruction is an important determinant of success in online learning. We sought to determine how comfort using computers and perceptions of prior online learning experiences have changed over the past decade, and how these associate with learning outcomes. Each year from 2003-2011 we conducted a prospective trial of online learning. As part of each year's study, we asked medicine residents about their comfort using computers and if their previous experiences with online learning were favorable. We assessed knowledge using a multiple-choice test. We used regression to analyze associations and changes over time. 371 internal medicine and family medicine residents participated. Neither comfort with computers nor perceptions of prior online learning experiences showed a significant change across years (p > 0.61), with mean comfort rating 3.96 (maximum 5 = very comfortable) and mean experience rating 4.42 (maximum 6 = strongly agree [favorable]). Comfort showed no significant association with knowledge scores (p = 0.39) but perceptions of prior experiences did, with a 1.56% rise in knowledge score for a 1-point rise in experience score (p = 0.02). Correlations among comfort, perceptions of prior experiences, and number of prior experiences were all small and not statistically significant. Comfort with computers and perceptions of prior experience with online learning remained stable over nine years. Prior good experiences (but not comfort with computers) demonstrated a modest association with knowledge outcomes, suggesting that prior course satisfaction may influence subsequent learning.

Managing high risk glaucoma with the Ahmed valve implant: 20 years of experience

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Tryfon Rotsos

2018-02-01

Full Text Available AIM: To estimate the efficacy and safety of the Ahmed implant in patients with high risk for failure after glaucoma surgery. METHODS: In 342 eyes of 342 patients with refractory glaucoma, even with application of medical treatment, the Ahmed valve was introduced for intraocular pressure (IOP control, in the period of the last 20y. The nature of glaucoma was neovascular in 162 eyes, pseudophakic or aphakic in 49 eyes, inflammatory in 29 eyes and non working previous antiglaucomatic surgical interventions in 102 eyes. RESULTS: Follow-up ranged from 18 to 120mo with a mean follow-up of 63.2mo. IOP before the operation decreased from 31.6±10.4 mm Hg to 18.3±5.4 mm Hg (no systemic treatment at the end of follow up period. When we compared the IOP values before the operation using ANOVA showed statistically significant difference (P<0.001. The success rate was 85.2% during the first semester, 76.8% at 12mo and 50.3% at the end of follow up period (18 to 120mo after implantation. Success rate was 25.7% in neovascular glaucoma, 63.2% in aphakic glaucoma and 73.8% in non working previous antiglaucomatic surgical interventions. Complications due to the implant were: serous choroidal detachment in 14.8%, blockage of the tube in 2.8%, malposition of the tube in 4.9%, suprachoroidal hemorrhage in 2.1%, cataract progression in 39.6% (phakic eyes, shallow anterior chamber in 9.2%, hyphaema in 28.9%, exposure of valve in 2.6%, exposure of tube in 9.3%, hypotony in 4.9% and conjunctival fibrosis in 41.5%. CONCLUSION: Despite the fact that Ahmed valve implant had suchlike results as other implants concerning the IOP control, complications rate due to hypotony or over filtration in the first days after the intervention are not that frequent as with other valve implants.

Sustainable E-Participation through participatory experiences in education

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Ursula Maier-Rabler

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 21 false false false DE-AT X-NONE X-NONE The understanding of participation as a political matter has changed back and forth over the years. The latest twist back to appreciative attributions towards participation is fuelled by the development of the Internet, and especially the Social Web. Citizen participation is unanimously seen as an essential precondition for Deliberative-Collaborative eDemocracy (Petrik, 2010 enabled by Web 2.0. This paper considers participatory culture and its specific political, cultural, societal, and educational characteristics as a prerequisite for e-participation and argues that social media literacy is indispensable for e-participation to be sustainable. Young people’s affinity spaces (Jenkins, et.al., 2006 can only lay down the foundations for social media literacy, but their further development depends on education. Political Education would be well advised to adapt innovative pedagogical approaches to the acquirement of new media literacy. This paper introduces an exemplary educational tool – predominately but not exclusively for political/civic education – namely the website PoliPedia.at. Teachers can use it to deliberately create a balanced space for collaboration between Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives. PoliPedia – as a participative online tool – has the potential to facilitate participation experience in political/civic education and supports social media education. Thereby the embedding of technology in pedagogical and societal conceptualizations is crucial.

Sustainable E-Participation through participatory experiences in education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ursula Maier-Rabler

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The understanding of participation as a political matter has changed back and forth over the years. The latest twist back to appreciative attributions towards participation is fuelled by the development of the Internet, and especially the Social Web. Citizen participation is unanimously seen as an essential precondition for Deliberative-Collaborative eDemocracy (Petrik, 2010 enabled by Web 2.0. This paper considers participatory culture and its specific political, cultural, societal, and educational characteristics as a prerequisite for e-participation and argues that social media literacy is indispensable for e-participation to be sustainable. Young people’s affinity spaces (Jenkins, et.al., 2006 can only lay down the foundations for social media literacy, but their further development depends on education. Political Education would be well advised to adapt innovative pedagogical approaches to the acquirement of new media literacy. This paper introduces an exemplary educational tool – predominately but not exclusively for political/civic education – namely the website PoliPedia.at. Teachers can use it to deliberately create a balanced space for collaboration between Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives. PoliPedia – as a participative online tool – has the potential to facilitate participation experience in political/civic education and supports social media education. Thereby the embedding of technology in pedagogical and societal conceptualizations is crucial.

School Issues Under [Section] 504 and the ADA: The Latest and Greatest.

Science.gov (United States)

Aleman, Steven R.

This paper highlights recent guidance and rulings from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) of interest to administrators, advocates, and attorneys. It is a companion piece to Student Issues on SectionNB504/ADA: The Latest and Greatest. Compliance with SectionNB504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) continues to involve debate and dialog on…

LATEST TOURNAISIAN (EARLY CARBONIFEROUS CONODONTS FROM THE TABAI LIMESTONE, TIRAH, NORTHWESTERN PAKISTAN

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FAZL-I-RABBI KHAN

2004-11-01

Full Text Available A new stratigraphic unit, the Tabai Limestone of the poorly known Tirah area of northwest Pakistan, is one of several Early Carboniferous carbonate units distributed along the North Gondwana margin, some connected with transgressive interludes. The Tabai Limestone has produced latest Tournaisian (Early Carboniferous conodonts indicative of the middle of the anchoralis-latus Zone.

Treatment of Chagas' disease with itraconazole: electrocardiographic and parasitological conditions after 20 years of follow-up.

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Apt, Werner; Arribada, Arturo; Zulantay, Inés; Rodríguez, Jorge; Saavedra, Miguel; Muñoz, Andrea

2013-09-01

To evaluate cases of chronic Chagas' disease for the long-term effects of treatment with itraconazole on Trypanosoma cruzi infections and the regression or development of ECG abnormalities. In March 1992, we treated 46 patients with chronic Chagas' disease with 6 mg/kg/day of itraconazole for 120 days in a blind evaluation. The patients came from an area of Chile where the disease was endemic and were checked for ECG abnormalities and with xenodiagnosis (XD) or real-time XD-quantitative PCR (XD-qPCR) for Trypanosoma cruzi infection before treatment and once a year for 20 years. Twenty-one patients proved to be uninfected after 20 years and 15 of the patients had a normal ECG. Of the latter cases, 32.6% could be considered cured, although all of them had positive serology. Itraconazole prevents the development of ECG abnormalities, because after 20 years of treatment only 10.86% of patients developed ECG abnormalities (Z = 1.70, P = 0.046). XD-qPCR performed on 16 patients demonstrated 10 cases with XD; these cases correspond to therapy failure, since re-infection was ruled out. In one case, XD-qPCR did not present amplification. Itraconazole is useful in the treatment of chronic Chagas' disease as it prevented the development of ECG abnormalities and cured 32.6% of patients.

Friendship 2.0: Adolescents' Experiences of Belonging and Self-Disclosure Online

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Katie

2012-01-01

This study explores the role that digital media technologies play in adolescents' experiences of friendship and identity. The author draws on findings from in-depth interviews with 32 adolescents (15 girls, 17 boys) ages 13-18 (M = 15.5 years) attending one of seven secondary schools in Bermuda. The adolescents were asked to describe the nature of…

LHC experiments present new results at Quark Matter 2011 Conference

CERN Multimedia

CERN Press Office

2011-01-01

The three LHC experiments that study lead ion collisions all presented their latest results today at the annual Quark Matter conference, held this year in Annecy, France. The results are based on analysis of data collected during the last two weeks of the 2010 LHC run, when the LHC switched from protons to lead-ions. All experiments report highly subtle measurements, bringing heavy-ion physics into a new era of high precision studies.   Events recorded by the ALICE experiment from the first lead ion collisions (Nov-Dec 2010). “These results from the LHC lead ion programme are already starting bring new understanding of the primordial universe,” said CERN Director General Rolf Heuer. “The subtleties they are already seeing are very impressive.” In its infancy, just microseconds after the Big Bang, the universe consisted of a plasma of quarks and gluons (QGP), the fundamental building blocks of matter. By colliding heavy ions, physicists can turn back time an...

Video-Teleconferencing in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology: Ten Years of Experience

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Nisreen Amayiri

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The management of central nervous system tumors is challenging in low- and middle-income countries. Little is known about applicability of twinning initiatives with high-income countries in neuro-oncology. In 2004, a monthly neuro-oncology video-teleconference program was started between King Hussein Cancer Center (Amman, Jordan and the Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, Ontario, Canada. More than 100 conferences were held and > 400 cases were discussed. The aim of this work was to assess the sustainability of such an initiative and the evolution of the impact over time. Methods: We divided the duration in to three eras according to the initial 2 to 3 years of work of three consecutive oncologists in charge of the neuro-oncology program at King Hussein Cancer Center. We retrospectively reviewed the written minutes and compared the preconference suggested plans with the postconference recommendations. Impact of changes on the patient care was recorded. Results: Thirty-three sets of written minutes (covering 161 cases in the middle era and 32 sets of written minutes (covering 122 cases in the last era were compared with the initial experience (20 meetings, 72 cases. Running costs of these conferences has dropped from $360/h to < $40/h. Important concepts were introduced, such as multidisciplinary teamwork, second-look surgery, and early referral. Suggestions for plan changes have decreased from 44% to 30% and 24% in the respective consecutive eras. Most recommendations involved alternative intervention modalities or pathology review. Most of these recommendations were followed. Conclusion: Video-teleconferencing in neuro-oncology is feasible and sustainable. With time, team experience is built while the percentage and the type of treatment modifications change. Commitment and motivation helped maintain this initiative rather than availability of financial resources. Improvement in patients’ care was achieved, in particular, with the

A longitudinal study of women's memories of their childbirth experiences at five years postpartum.

Science.gov (United States)

Takehara, Kenji; Noguchi, Makiko; Shimane, Takuya; Misago, Chizuru

2014-07-05

Few studies have investigated whether women can accurately recall their birthing experiences after a long period. We investigated the consistency of women's memories of their childbirth experiences between those at a few days postpartum and 5 years later. This prospective cohort study comprised 1,168 women who delivered at a maternity hospital and four maternity homes in Japan between May 2002 and August 2003. Data were collected using structured interviews and transcriptions from medical records. The childbirth experience was assessed using the Childbirth Experience Scale (CBE-Scale) at a few days postpartum and 5 years later. We obtained 584 (50.0%) valid responses from women who completed the survey at a few days postpartum and 5 years later. Significant differences were observed in 16 out of 18 items on the CBE-Scale when responses were compared at both time points. Women who answered "yes" to any item on the CBE-Scale at the baseline survey tended to demonstrate a more precise recollection for that item 5 years after childbirth than those who answered "no" for the corresponding item. We conclude that women remember their childbirth experience clearly at 5 years after the childbirth.

Changes in environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure over a 20-year period: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Jefferis, Barbara J; Thomson, Andrew G; Lennon, Lucy T; Feyerabend, Colin; Doig, Mira; McMeekin, Laura; Wannamethee, S Goya; Cook, Derek G; Whincup, Peter H

2009-01-01

Aims To examine long-term changes in environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure in British men between 1978 and 2000, using serum cotinine. Design Prospective cohort: British Regional Heart Study. Setting General practices in 24 towns in England, Wales and Scotland. Participants Non-smoking men: 2125 studied at baseline [questionnaire (Q1): 1978–80, aged 40–59 years], 3046 studied 20 years later (Q20: 1998–2000, aged 60–79 years) and 1208 studied at both times. Non-smokers were men reporting no current smoking with cotinine < 15 ng/ml at Q1 and/or Q20. Measurements Serum cotinine to assess ETS exposure. Findings In cross-sectional analysis, geometric mean cotinine level declined from 1.36 ng/ml [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.31, 1.42] at Q1 to 0.19 ng/ml (95% CI: 0.18, 0.19) at Q20. The prevalence of cotinine levels ≤ 0.7 ng/ml [associated with low coronary heart disease (CHD) risk] rose from 27.1% at Q1 to 83.3% at Q20. Manual social class and northern region of residence were associated with higher mean cotinine levels both at Q1 and Q20; older age was associated with lower cotinine level at Q20 only. Among 1208 persistent non-smokers, cotinine fell by 1.47 ng/ml (95% CI: 1.37, 1.57), 86% decline. Absolute falls in cotinine were greater in manual occupational groups, in the Midlands and Scotland compared to southern England, although percentage decline was very similar across groups. Conclusions A marked decline in ETS exposure occurred in Britain between 1978 and 2000, which is likely to have reduced ETS-related disease risks appreciably before the introduction of legislation banning smoking in public places. PMID:19207361

Environmental monitoring of the Kozloduy NPP: 20 year experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aleksiev, A; Tsochev, S; Dimitrov, M; Avramov, V [Kombinat Atomna Energetika, Kozloduj (Bulgaria)

1996-12-31

The radiation monitoring system of the Kozloduy NPP is described and the assessment of the environmental impact of the power plant is presented. Measurements are carried out in 36 control points distributed in 3 areas: radiation protected area (3 km diameter), radiation controlled area (12 km) and surveillance area (100 km). Comparison of radiation monitoring data for 1993 with data recorded in the pre-operational period (1972-74) show that no significant changes can be detected in the activity of {sup 90} Sr and gross beta activity. An increase in Cs-137 activity (38 Bq/kg d.w. versus 7 Bq/kg d.w.) is found in the soil and bottom sediments in the Danube river, which is attributed to Chernobyl accident. The Kozloduy NPP operation is continuously monitored for release of artificial radionuclides by gaseous and liquid effluents. It is reported that the average population exposure in the 30 km area due to liquid effluents is 3-4.10{sup -4} man Sv/a. A system for automated continuous radiation monitoring in 10 control stations is available in case of radiation accidents. It is supplemented by a mobile laboratory. Meteorological measurements are carried out by automatic station MC-10 and a second station is under construction. 21 refs., 2 figs., 6 tabs.

Environmental monitoring of the Kozloduy NPP: 20 year experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aleksiev, A.; Tsochev, S.; Dimitrov, M.; Avramov, V.

1995-01-01

The radiation monitoring system of the Kozloduy NPP is described and the assessment of the environmental impact of the power plant is presented. Measurements are carried out in 36 control points distributed in 3 areas: radiation protected area (3 km diameter), radiation controlled area (12 km) and surveillance area (100 km). Comparison of radiation monitoring data for 1993 with data recorded in the pre-operational period (1972-74) show that no significant changes can be detected in the activity of 90 Sr and gross beta activity. An increase in Cs-137 activity (38 Bq/kg d.w. versus 7 Bq/kg d.w.) is found in the soil and bottom sediments in the Danube river, which is attributed to Chernobyl accident. The Kozloduy NPP operation is continuously monitored for release of artificial radionuclides by gaseous and liquid effluents. It is reported that the average population exposure in the 30 km area due to liquid effluents is 3-4.10 -4 man Sv/a. A system for automated continuous radiation monitoring in 10 control stations is available in case of radiation accidents. It is supplemented by a mobile laboratory. Meteorological measurements are carried out by automatic station MC-10 and a second station is under construction. 21 refs., 2 figs., 6 tabs

Sperm banking for fertility preservation: a 20-year experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Matrika D; Cooper, Amber R; Jungheim, Emily S; Lanzendorf, Susan E; Odem, Randall R; Ratts, Valerie S

2013-09-01

Sperm banking is an effective method to preserve fertility, but is not universally offered to males facing gonadotoxic treatment in the United States. We compared the disposition and semen parameters of cryopreserved sperm from individuals referred for sperm banking secondary to a cancer diagnosis to those of sperm from men banking for infertility reasons. We performed a retrospective cohort study that reviewed 1118 records from males who presented to bank sperm at Washington University between 1991 and 2010. We collected and analyzed demographics, semen parameters, and disposition of banked sperm. Four hundred and twenty-three men with cancer and 348 banking for infertility reasons attempted sperm cryopreservation in our unit during the specified time period. The most prevalent cancers in our cohort were testicular (32%), lymphoma (25%), and leukemia (11%). Patients with leukemia had the lowest pre-thaw counts and motility. Most cancer patients (57%) who banked elected to use, transfer to another facility, or keep their specimens in storage. The remaining samples were discarded electively (34%) or following death (8%). Overall semen parameters were similar between the cancer and infertility groups, but demographics, ability to bank a sample, azoospermia rates, length of storage, current banking status, and use of banked sperm differed significantly between the two groups. The majority of cancer patients who banked survived their cancer and chose to continue storage of banked samples. Cancer patients were more likely than infertility patients to use or continue storage of banked samples. Our study provides evidence that sperm banking is a utilized modality of fertility preservation in patients with a myriad of cancer diagnoses and should be offered to all men facing gonadotoxic therapies. Further work is needed to determine where disparities in access to sperm banking exist to improve the potential for future fertility in these males. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diagnosis and management of functional neurological symptoms: The Dutch experience

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Schipper, Laura J.; Vermeulen, Marinus; Eeckhout, Augustinus M.; Foncke, Elisabeth M. J.

2014-01-01

Functional neurological symptoms (FNS) were considered as a psychiatric disorder at the beginning of the 20th century (conversion disorder). Psychiatrists performed diagnosis and treatment throughout most of the past century in the Netherlands, but in the latest decades patients were usually firstly

Diagnosis and management of functional neurological symptoms: The Dutch experience

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Schipper, L.J.; Vermeulen, M; Eeckhout, A.M.; Foncke, E.M.J.

2014-01-01

Objectives Functional neurological symptoms (FNS) were considered as a psychiatric disorder at the beginning of the 20th century (conversion disorder). Psychiatrists performed diagnosis and treatment throughout most of the past century in the Netherlands, but in the latest decades patients were

Operational strategy, economic and environmental performance of sludge treatment reed bed systems - based on 28 years of experience

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, S.; Larsen, Julie Dam

2016-01-01

Sludge treatment reed bed (STRB) systems have been used for dewatering and mineralisation of sludge in Europe since 1988. STRB systems provide substantial environmental, economic, and operational benefits compared to mechanical sludge dewatering solutions such as belt presses and centrifuges....... They require less energy, no chemicals, reduce the sludge volume and produce bio solids with dry solid contents up to 20-40% under Danish climate conditions, depending on the sludge quality. Experience has shown that sludge treated in STRBs represents a high quality product with a low content of pathogens...... compared to conventional mechanical dewatering devices, delivering an economic break-even of about 3-5 years. This paper provides an overview of the operation and maintenance costs and environmental benefits of a typical STRB based on the experiences gained from the operation of a large number of STRBs...

20th International Symposium on Advancement of Construction Management and Real Estate

CERN Document Server

Zheng, Sheng; Luo, Jiaojiao; Wang, Wei; Mo, Zhibin; Shan, Liping

2017-01-01

These conference proceedings offer an outstanding resource for academics and professionals, sharing essential findings on the latest developments in real estate and construction management. The subject is “Advancement of Construction Management and Real Estate” in the context of new-type urbanization. The Chinese Research Institute of Construction Management (CRIOCM), working in close collaboration with Zhejiang University, organized CRIOCM2015, the 20th International Symposium. Written by academics and professionals from all over the world, these proceedings discuss the latest achievements, research outputs and advances between frontier disciplines in the field of construction management and real estate. They cover a wide range of topics, including new-type urbanization, land development and land use, urban development and management, the real estate market and housing policies. The discussions will provide an important reference source on the implementation of new-type urbanization in China and abroad.

Synergy and Diffusion with a Borax-Copper Hydroxide Groundline Preservative: 20 Year Update

Science.gov (United States)

Stan Lebow; Bessie Woodward; Bill Abbott; Mike West

2014-01-01

A groundline remedial treatment containing 3.1% copper hydroxide (2% elemental copper) and 40% sodium tetraborate decahydrate (borax) was applied to unseasoned pine posts prior to placement in a test site in southern Mississippi. The soundness of the posts was periodically evaluated using a push test. After 3.5, 6.5, 10, 15 and 20 years, sections were taken from two...

20 years after Chernobyl Accident. Future outlook. National Report of Ukraine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baloga, V I [ed.

2006-07-01

The scale of the Chernobyl catastrophe - the most severe man made nuclear accident in the history of mankind - is well known to both scientists and politicians worldwide. The basic causes of the catastrophe were as follows: Conduction an incompletely and incorrectly prepared electrical experiment; The low professional level of operators, and of the NPP management and the officials of the Ministry of Electrification as a whole in the area of NPP safety; Insufficient safety level of the graphite-uranium reactor RBMK-1000; Constructive faults RBMK-1000; Personnel mistakes. The report describes and reviews the actions of the governments of the USSR, Ukraine, and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; the activities of scientists in elimination of the accident consequences; and elimination of the additional experience gained over the past years. Mistakes made during these activities are highlighted.

20 years after Chernobyl Accident. Future outlook. National Report of Ukraine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baloga, V.I.

2006-01-01

The scale of the Chernobyl catastrophe - the most severe man made nuclear accident in the history of mankind - is well known to both scientists and politicians worldwide. The basic causes of the catastrophe were as follows: Conduction an incompletely and incorrectly prepared electrical experiment; The low professional level of operators, and of the NPP management and the officials of the Ministry of Electrification as a whole in the area of NPP safety; Insufficient safety level of the graphite-uranium reactor RBMK-1000; Constructive faults RBMK-1000; Personnel mistakes. The report describes and reviews the actions of the governments of the USSR, Ukraine, and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; the activities of scientists in elimination of the accident consequences; and elimination of the additional experience gained over the past years. Mistakes made during these activities are highlighted

Regular Exercise and Plasma Lipid Levels Associated with the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A 20-Year Longitudinal Study

Science.gov (United States)

Teramoto, Masaru; Golding, Lawrence A.

2009-01-01

We investigated the effects of regular exercise on the plasma lipid levels that contribute to coronary heart disease (CHD), of 20 sedentary men who participated in an exercise program over 20 consecutive years. The men, whose initial ages ranged from 30-51 years, participated in the University of Nevada-based exercise program for an average of 45…

Experiences of final year nursing students in their preparedness to become registered nurses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Carlson

2005-09-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this study were: firstly, to explore and describe the experiences of final year nursing students relating to how they experience their preparedness to fulfil the role of professional nurse; secondly, to explore and describe the experiences of novice professional nurses in the role of professional nurse; finally, to generate a model which will assist the final year nursing student to become a professional nurse. A theory-generative, qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was utilized to reach the objectives of the study. Results indicated that final year nursing students experience a lack of confidence to take on the responsibilities of professional nursing. The results are displayed in table form and discussed in the article. This abstract forms part of a bigger study that addresses the professional maturity of the novice professional nurse for the practice of nursing.

Freshmen Marketing: A First-Year Experience with Experiential Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, Henry

2011-01-01

This paper describes an experiential learning activity designed for a New England university freshmen course, BUS101-Marketing First-Year Experience (FYE). The purpose of the activity is to teach basic principles of marketing, develop a general perspective of business, and provide FYE activities that facilitate the college transition. The specific…

Large mandibular central odontogenic fibroma documented over 20 years: A case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrick Bandura

Full Text Available Introduction: Central odontogenic fibroma (COF is a rare, benign, slow-growing intraosseous odontogenic tumor, and accounts for 0.1% of all odontogenic tumors. It is often confused with other entities, such as keratocysts, ameloblastomas, and odontogenic myxomas. Complete enucleation followed by curettage is the treatment of choice for COF to ensure the lowest possible chance of recurrence. Case presentation: We report the case of a young Caucasian woman with COF that went undiagnosed for several years despite repeated radiologic examinations. Finally, a massive tumor was surgically removed and the wound was curetted. The specimen was histologically confirmed to be a COF. The patient remains under regular follow-up, and thus far there have been no clinical or radiologic signs of recurrence. Discussion: This rare case of COF, which was documented over a period of 20 years, has helped us to describe the features of this tumor. It also confirms that adequate surgical treatment can lead to impressive bone regeneration in healthy individuals, as evident from the radiologic findings acquired before, during, and after enucleation of the COF in our patient. Our findings also confirm the view that COF has a favorable prognosis regardless of its final size. Conclusion: Early diagnosis is key to successful treatment of COF. The slow but steady increase in the size of a COF with no accompanying symptoms has not been reported previously. To our knowledge, this is the only documented case of a COF that has been under continuous radiologic observation for over 20 years. Keywords: Case report, Central odontogenic fibroma, Long-term, Bone deformation, Follow-up, Tumor enucleation

Recent operating experiences and programs at EBR-II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lentz, G.L.

1984-01-01

Experimental Breeder Reactor No. II (EBR-II) is a pool-type, unmoderated, sodium-cooled reactor with a design power of 62.5 MWt and an electrical generation capability of 20 MW. It has been operated by Argonne National Laboratory for the US government for almost 20 years. During that time, it has operated safely and has demonstrated stable operating characteristics, high availability, and excellent performance of its sodium components. The 20 years of operating experience of EBR-II is a valuable resource to the nuclear community for the development and design of future LMFBR's. Since past operating experience has been extensively reported, this report will focus on recent programs and events

Continuous 500,000-year climate record from vein calcite in Devils Hole, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winograd, I.J.; Coplen, T.B.; Landwehr, J.M.; Revesz, K.M.; Riggs, A.C.; Ludwig, K.R.; Szabo, B.J.; Kolesar, P.T.

1992-01-01

Oxygen-18 (δ 18 O) variations in a 36-centimeter-long core (DH-11) of vein calcite from Devils Hole, Nevada, yield an uninterrupted 500,000-year paleotemperature record that closely mimics all major features in the Vostok (Antarctica) paleotemperature and marine δ 18 O ice-volume records. The chronology for this continental record is based on 21 replicated mass-spectrometric uranium-series dates. Between the middle and latest Pleistocene, the duration of the last four glacial cycles recorded in the calcite increased from 80,000 to 130,000 years; this variation suggests that major climate changes were aperiodic. The timing of specific climatic events indicates that orbitally controlled variations in solar insolation were not a major factor in trigering deglaciations. Interglacial climates lasted about 20,000 years. Collectively, these observations are inconsistent with the Milankovitch hypothesis for the origin of the Pleistocene glacial cycles but they are consistent with the thesis that these cycles originated from internal nonlinear feedbacks within the atmosphere-ice sheet-ocean system

Where's Papa? Fathers' Role in Child Care. Population Trends and Public Policy No. 20.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connell, Martin

Men are taking a more active role in child care. By 1991, 20% of preschool children were cared for by their fathers while their mothers worked outside the home--an increase since 1988, when only 15 percent of preschoolers were cared for by their fathers. This report summarizes the latest findings on child care arrangements of mothers who work…

Changes in phenology and the influence on the carbon sequestration in a Danish beech forest over 20 years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pilegaard, Kim; Ibrom, Andreas

Observations of carbon sequestration in a Danish beech forest over the last 20 years have shown a steady increase in NEE. Earlier studies (Pile- gaard et al. 2011) have shown, that about half of the increase can be attributed to an increase in the growing season length. The growing sea- son has...... 6 years using the R package Phenopix (Filippa et al. 2016). The new data is compared with CUP and LP to give more detailed information on the phenology. The information is used to examine the evolution of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) over the 20 year period....

FIELDWORK EDUCATION IN HEALTH CONTEXTS: EXPERIENCES OF FOURTH-YEAR BSW STUDENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beytell, Anna-Marie

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The Social Work profession experiences various challenges in practice that influence the practice education of students. Educators, practitioners and the experiences of students should inform practice education in curriculums. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of fourth-year BSW students at the University of the Western Cape doing their fieldwork education in healthcare contexts. Integration of social work theories, the types of client problems, emotions caused by fieldwork and ethical dilemmas were challenges to students in health contexts. Supervision was emphasised by the students as a positive experience during fieldwork.

Final year students' learning experiences of the Bachelor of Midwifery course.

Science.gov (United States)

Carolan-Olah, Mary; Kruger, Gina

2014-08-01

the aim of the study was to explore the concerns of 3rd year Bachelor of Midwifery students. earlier research indicates that midwifery students experience a number of conflicting learning demands and expectations, during their student years. These difficulties can lead to anxiety and a lack of confidence, which have implications for student integration and socialisation into the profession. a qualitative method was used, underpinned by Smith and Osborn's (2008) approach to interpretative phenomenological analysis IPA. In-depth interviews were conducted among 10 senior midwifery students as they looked back over their three year course. Data were analysed using steps proposed by Smith and Osborn (2008). more than two-thirds of participants were over 35 years, and had two or more children. More than half were living with a spouse/partner and the majority worked 16 hours or less per week. Themes emerging from the data included (1) linking theory to practice; (2) a focus on clinical skills; (3) learning expectations and experiences; and (4) the role of midwifery lecturers/educators. midwifery students experience a number of challenges associated with their pre-registration midwifery education, including difficulty understanding the relevance of some study units to midwifery practice. A strong focus on practical skills may inhibit the development of cognitive skills such as critical evaluation and reflection. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surgical treatment in Osteogenesis Imperfecta - 10 years experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Georgescu, I; Vlad, C; Gavriliu, T Ş; Dan, S; Pârvan, A A

2013-06-15

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a very rare disease compared to other afflictions, running the risk of social isolation for children and their parents, due to the problems specific to the disease. All the social, psychological and physical disadvantages must be removed or at least mitigated, all within the society's limited resources. In Romania, this situation has led in the last couple of years to the selection of a number of extremely severe cases, which could not be solved by orthopedic and classic surgical treatment methods. These patients exhibit gracile long bones, which are distorted, often with cystic degeneration at the level of the extremities, pseudarthroses, limb length discrepancies, most of them being unable to walk, being condemned to sitting in a wheelchair. This paper deals with the experience of the Orthopedics Department of "Maria Sklodowska Curie" Clinical Emergency Hospital for Children, in Bucharest, in the field of surgical treatment for moderate and severe forms of OI, within the time frame of May 2002-May 2012. For the first time in Romania, on May 20, 2002, the team led by Professor Gh. Burnei, MD, has implanted telescopic rods in the femur and tibia of a patient with OI. One of the most important themes, of great interest in the orthopedic surgery, is the osteoarticular regularization and reconstruction in severe forms of OI, which should allow the patients to stand and walk. These cases are a challenge for the surgeon, who is in the position of applying new, complex procedures, or perfecting, modifying and adapting techniques that have already been established. The aim of the surgical treatment is the increase of the quality of life of these children and adolescents and of their social integration. In the above-mentioned period, from the OI patients who are in the evidence of our clinic, 32 were operated on, totaling 81 surgeries. Out of these, 28 patients, aged 2-27 years, have benefited from reconstructive surgery of the pelvic limbs

Bibliometric analysis of global environmental assessment research in a 20-year period

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Wei, E-mail: weili@bnu.edu.cn; Zhao, Yang

2015-01-15

Based on the samples of 113,468 publications on environmental assessment (EA) from the past 20 years, we used a bibliometric analysis to study the literature in terms of trends of growth, subject categories and journals, international collaboration, geographic distribution of publications, and scientific research issues. By applying thresholds to network centralities, a core group of countries can be distinguished as part of the international collaboration network. A frequently used keywords analysis found that the priority in assessment would gradually change from project environmental impact assessment (EIA) to strategic environmental assessment (SEA). Decision-theoretic approaches (i.e., environmental indicator selection, life cycle assessment, etc.), along with new technologies and methods (i.e., the geographic information system and modeling) have been widely applied in the EA research field over the past 20 years. Hot spots such as “biodiversity” and “climate change” have been emphasized in current EA research, a trend that will likely continue in the future. The h-index has been used to evaluate the research quality among countries all over the world, while the improvement of developing countries' EA systems is becoming a popular research topic. Our study reveals patterns in scientific outputs and academic collaborations and serves as an alternative and innovative way of revealing global research trends in the EA research field.

Bibliometric analysis of global environmental assessment research in a 20-year period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Wei; Zhao, Yang

2015-01-01

Based on the samples of 113,468 publications on environmental assessment (EA) from the past 20 years, we used a bibliometric analysis to study the literature in terms of trends of growth, subject categories and journals, international collaboration, geographic distribution of publications, and scientific research issues. By applying thresholds to network centralities, a core group of countries can be distinguished as part of the international collaboration network. A frequently used keywords analysis found that the priority in assessment would gradually change from project environmental impact assessment (EIA) to strategic environmental assessment (SEA). Decision-theoretic approaches (i.e., environmental indicator selection, life cycle assessment, etc.), along with new technologies and methods (i.e., the geographic information system and modeling) have been widely applied in the EA research field over the past 20 years. Hot spots such as “biodiversity” and “climate change” have been emphasized in current EA research, a trend that will likely continue in the future. The h-index has been used to evaluate the research quality among countries all over the world, while the improvement of developing countries' EA systems is becoming a popular research topic. Our study reveals patterns in scientific outputs and academic collaborations and serves as an alternative and innovative way of revealing global research trends in the EA research field

Computed tomography findings in patients less than 20 years old with lymphoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borba, Adriana Moreira Viana; Skinner, Luis Flavio

2007-01-01

Objective: To describe the general findings of lymphoma and their histological patterns in patients less than 20 years old. Materials And Methods: Twenty-two cases (16 male and 6 female, mean age 11.5 years) from the digital archive of computed tomography at the Cancer Control Center of Hospital Universitario Pedro Ernesto - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, were retrospectively analyzed in the period between March 2003 and July 2005. Of these 22 cases, 12 were Hodgkin's and 10 were non-Hodgkin's. Results: Overall, mediastinal lymphadenomegaly was the most frequent finding (59%), with predominance in the Hodgkin's subgroup (75%), followed by hepatosplenomegaly (50%) and cervical and retroperitoneal lymphadenomegaly (27.3%). The Hodgkin's subgroup presented a prevalence of lymphadenopathy, in many lymph node chains, followed by hepatosplenomegaly (50%). One case was found with unilateral tonsillar mass, pulmonary ground-glass opacities, and renal nodules. In the non-Hodgkin's subgroup, the disease was predominantly extranodal, characterized by hepatosplenomegaly (50%), thickening of the intestinal wall (40%), pleural effusion (30%), pulmonary nodule (20%), ascites (10%), pericardial effusion (10%) and mixed bone lesions (10%). Conclusion: Computed tomography is an extremely useful method for detection, staging and follow-up of lymphomas, with alert findings like mediastinal lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, unilateral tonsillar mass and thickening of intestinal wall. (author)

Validity of dietary recall over 20 years among California Seventh-day Adventists.

Science.gov (United States)

Fraser, G E; Lindsted, K D; Knutsen, S F; Beeson, W L; Bennett, H; Shavlik, D J

1998-10-15

Past dietary habits are etiologically important to incident disease. Yet the validity of such measurements from the previous 10-20 years is poorly understood. In this study, the authors correlated food frequency results that were obtained in 1994-1995 but pertained to recalled diet in 1974 with the weighted mean of five random 24-hour dietary recalls obtained by telephone in 1974. The subjects studied were 72 Seventh-day Adventists who lived within 30 miles of Loma Linda, California; had participated in a 1974 validation study; were still alive; and were willing to participate again in 1994. A method was developed to allow correction for random error in the reference data when these data had differentially weighted components. The results showed partially corrected correlation coefficients of greater than 0.30 for coffee, whole milk, eggs, chips, beef, fish, chicken, fruit, and legumes. Higher correlations on average were obtained when the food frequencies were scored simply 1-9, reflecting the nine frequency categories. The 95% confidence intervals for 15 of the 28 correlations excluded zero. Incorporation of portion size information was unhelpful. The authors concluded that in this population, data recalled from 20 years ago should be treated with caution but, for a number of important foods, that the degree of validity achieved approached that obtained when assessing current dietary habits.

20 Years of persistent identifiers - Which systems are here to stay?

Science.gov (United States)

Klump, Jens; Huber, Robert; Lehnert, Kerstin

2016-04-01

Web-based persistent identifiers have been around for more than 20 years, a period long enough to start observing patterns of success and failure. Persistent identifiers were invented to address challenges arising from the distributed and disorganised nature of the internet, which not only allowed new technologies to emerge, it also made it difficult to maintain a persistent record of science. Persistent identifiers now allow unambiguous identification of resources on the net. The expectations were that persistent identifiers would lead to greater accessibility, transparency and reproducibility of research results. Over the past two decades a number of persistent identifier systems have been built, one of them being Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). While DOI were originally invented by the publishing industry, they quickly became an established way for the identification of research resources. At first, these resources referred to scholarly literature and related resources. Other identifier systems, some of them using DOI as an example, were developed as grass-roots efforts by the scientific community. The concept of using persistent identifiers has since been expanded to other, non-textual resources, like datasets (DOI, EPIC) and geological specimens (IGSN), and more recently to authors and contributors of scholarly works (ORCID), and to software and instruments. A common witticism states that "a great thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from." Setting up identifier systems is technically trivial. The real challenge lies in creating a governance system for the respective identifiers. Which systems will stand the test of time? Drawing on data from the Registry of Research Data Repositories (re3data.org) and our own experience in the field, this presentation looks at the history and adoption of existing identifier systems and how this gives us some indications towards factors influencing sustainability of these systems.

Criticality experiments of the years 1981 and 1982

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinicke, W.; Tischer, A.

1983-01-01

This report presents a collection of published criticality experiments made in 1981 and 1982 and thus continues the collection of experimental data of this type commenced with the GRS report A-644 of November 1981, which covers criticality experiments of the years 1975 to 1980. The report gives the main data of about 30 publications which, just a those cited in the GRS report, can be retrieved from the improved KRITEXP data base using 14 index terms, and printed out at random sequence. The collection of experimental data is of particular value with regard to the licensing of all installations forming part of the nuclear fuel cycle, which is subject to the atomic energy law and requires the verification of computed criticality analyses by experimental data. (orig.) [de

Implications of surgical intervention in the treatment of neuroblastomas. 20-year experience of a single institution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tajiri, Tatsuro; Souzaki, Ryota; Kinoshita, Yoshiaki; Koga, Yuhki; Suminoe, Aiko; Hara, Toshiro; Taguchi, Tomoaki

2012-01-01

The implications of surgical intervention for neuroblastomas were assessed in one institution. We analyzed the clinical characteristics and extension of resection in 123 pediatric patients with neuroblastoma diagnosed between 1985 and 2004. The 5-year survival rate of the 82 patients under 12 months of age, 59 of whom were treated with complete resection of the primary tumor, was 97%. The 5-year survival rate of the 41 patients over 12 months of age did not differ significantly according to whether complete (n=19) or incomplete resection (n=22) was performed (46 vs. 38%, respectively). No local recurrence was observed in ten patients over 12 months of age with stage 4 disease who underwent complete resection of the primary tumor; however, four of these ten patients died of metastatic recurrence. Considering that the majority of infantile neuroblastomas in this study had favorable biology, complete resection might be unnecessary for patients under 12 years of age. For advanced neuroblastomas in patients over 12 months of age, the main treatment for metastasis is systemic chemotherapy, although extirpation of the primary tumor without extensive surgery might prevent local recurrence when combined with radiation therapy. (author)

Globanomalina luxorensis, a Tethyan biostratigraphic marker of latest Paleocene global events

OpenAIRE

Speijer, Robert; Samir, AM

1997-01-01

The lowest common occurrence (LCO) of the planktonic foraminifera Globanomalina luxorensis marks the level of the latest Paleocene global benthic extinction event (BEE) and associated negative delta(13) C excursion in various bathyal and neritic successions in the Mediterranean region. Below the BEE level, G. luxorensis is extremely rare and subordinate in abundance relative to its precursor G, chapmani. From this level onwards, G. luxorensis generally constitutes a large proportion of the pl...

Health procrastination: The experience of 35-44 years old men

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silkane V.

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The focal concept of this study is health procrastination. Delay in seeking help from medical practitioners is an increasing problem in Latvia, particularly with men between the ages of 35-44. Failures in primary and secondary prevention create a number of negative consequences, for instance, longer and more complex treatment; lower recovery prognosis as well as higher treatment costs. Nevertheless, the aforementioned group often avoids medical treatment. The aim of this study was to understand the experience of 35-44 years old men in terms of their health procrastination in qualitative terms. Semi-structured in-depth interviews with 48 men within the age range of 35-44 years were conducted. Data was analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The following dominant themes are: delay of health behaviour, time management, motivation emerged during the analysis: conscientiousness, task avoidance, effort, short-term vs. long-term thinking, gains and losses assessment, and time discounting. Conclusions followed: there are three main concepts – personality traits, discounting and task characteristics – that bring together the experience of health procrastination for 35-44 years old males.

Kootenay Lake Fertilization Experiment, Year 15 (North Arm) and Year 3 (South Arm) (2006) Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schindler, E.U.; Sebastian, D.; Andrusak, G.F. [Fish and Wildlife Science and Allocation, Ministry of Environment, Province of British Columbia

2009-07-01

This report summarizes results from the fifteenth year (2006) of nutrient additions to the North Arm of Kootenay Lake and three years of nutrient additions to the South Arm. Experimental fertilization of the lake has been conducted using an adaptive management approach in an effort to restore lake productivity lost as a result of nutrient uptake in upstream reservoirs. The primary objective of the experiment is to restore kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) populations, which are the main food source for Gerrard rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus). The quantity of agricultural grade liquid fertilizer (10-34-0, ammonium polyphosphate and 28-0-0, urea ammonium nitrate) added to the North Arm in 2006 was 44.7 tonnes of P and 248.4 tonnes of N. The total fertilizer load added to the South Arm was 257 tonnes of nitrogen; no P was added. Kootenay Lake has an area of 395 km{sup 2}, a maximum depth of 150 m, a mean depth of 94 m, and a water renewal time of approximately two years. Kootenay Lake is a monomictic lake, generally mixing from late fall to early spring and stratifying during the summer. Surface water temperatures generally exceed 20 C for only a few weeks in July. Results of oxygen profiles were similar to previous years with the lake being well oxygenated from the surface to the bottom depths at all stations. Similar to past years, Secchi disc measurements at all stations in 2006 indicate a typical seasonal pattern of decreasing depths associated with the spring phytoplankton bloom, followed by increasing depths as the bloom gradually decreases by the late summer and fall. Total phosphorus (TP) ranged from 2-7 {micro}g/L and tended to decrease as summer advanced. Over the sampling season dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations decreased, with the decline corresponding to nitrate (the dominant component of DIN) being utilized by phytoplankton during summer stratification. Owing to the importance of epilimnetic nitrate

Parabolic distribution of circumeastern Snake River Plain seismicity and latest Quaternary faulting: Migratory pattern and association with the Yellowstone hotspot

Science.gov (United States)

Anders, Mark H.; Geissman, John Wm.; Piety, Lucille A.; Sullivan, J. Timothy

1989-02-01

The Intermountain and Idaho seismic belts within Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana form an unusual parabolic pattern about the axis of the aseismic eastern Snake River Plain (SRP). This pattern is also reflected in the distribution of latest Quaternary normal faults. Several late Cenozoic normal faults that trend perpendicular to the axis of the eastern SRP extend from the aseismic region to the region of latest Quaternary faulting and seismicity. A study of the late Miocene to Holocene displacement history of one of these, the Grand Valley fault system in southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming, indicates that a locus of high displacement rates has migrated away from the eastern SRP to its present location in southern Star Valley in western Wyoming. In Swan Valley the studied area closest to the eastern SRP, isotopic ages, and paleomagnetic data for over 300 samples from 47 sites on well-exposed late Cenozoic volcanic rocks (the tuff of Spring Creek, the tuff of Heise, the Huckleberry Ridge tuff, the Pine Creek Basalt, and an older tuff thought to be the tuff of Cosgrove Road) are used to demonstrate differences in the displacement rate on the Grand Valley fault over the last ˜10 m.y. Tectonic tilts for these volcanic rocks are estimated by comparing the results of paleomagnetic analyses in Swan Valley to similar analyses of samples from undeformed volcanic rocks outside of Swan Valley. Basin geometry and tilt axes are established using seismic reflection profiles and field mapping. Combining these data with the tilt data makes it possible to calculate displacement rates during discrete temporal intervals. An average displacement rate of ˜1.8 mm/yr is calculated for the Grand Valley fault in Swan Valley between 4.4 and 2.0 Ma. In the subsequent 2.0-m.y. interval the rate dropped 2 orders of magnitude to ˜0.014 mm/yr; during the preceding 5.5-m.y. interval the displacement rate is ˜0.15 mm/yr, or about 1 order of magnitude less than the rate between 4.4 and 2.0 Ma

Survey of Endodontic Irrigants Used by Dentists With Varying Years of Professional Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharkov Nikolai

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim: The aim of the present study was to describe the use of irrigants by dentists in Bulgaria in relation to their years of professional experience. Material and Methods: The data were collected with the help of a questionnaire. The survey included questions concerning frequency of irrigants applied, their respective concentrations, as well as spectrum of disinfectants used in endodontics. In addition, information about respondents’ age, years of professional experience, gender, and main areas of continuing education was collected. The statistical analysis was performed with the help of IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0. Results: 219 replies were analysed (response rate 27,3%. The majority of the respondents (31.1% had 21 to 30 years of professional experience. 18.7% had over 30 years. Most of the practitioners reported their continuing education to be in the area of general dentistry - 52%, while about 1.2 % had specialised in endodontics. Dentists with long-standing professional experience use predominantly H2O2 - 78%. Dentists with least experience use 17% EDTA - 53.6%. No significant differences were established for the use of sodium hypochlorite and 2% chlorhexidine. 82% of the respondents use conventional needle 27G for intracanal irrigation; 60% never use ultrasonic irrigation. Conclusions: The analysis of the usage of irrigants shows that many general dental practitioners do not follow the quality recommended protocols for endodontic irrigation protocols.

Improved outcomes in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction during the last 20 years are related to implementation of evidence-based treatments: experiences from the SWEDEHEART registry 1995–2014

Science.gov (United States)

Szummer, Karolina; Wallentin, Lars; Lindhagen, Lars; Alfredsson, Joakim; Erlinge, David; Held, Claes; James, Stefan; Kellerth, Thomas; Lindahl, Bertil; Ravn-Fischer, Annica; Rydberg, Erik; Yndigegn, Troels; Jernberg, Tomas

2017-01-01

Abstract Aims Impact of changes of treatments on outcomes in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients in real-life health care has not been documented. Methods and results All STEMI cases (n = 105.674) registered in the nation-wide SWEDEHEART registry between 1995 and 2014 were included and followed for fatal and non-fatal outcomes for up to 20 years. Most changes in treatment and outcomes occurred from 1994 to 2008. Evidence-based treatments increased: reperfusion from 66.2 to 81.7%; primary percutaneous coronary intervention: 4.5 to 78.0%; dual antiplatelet therapy from 0 to 89.6%; statin: 14.1 to 93.6%; beta-blocker: 78.2 to 91.0%, and angiotensin-converting-enzyme/angiotensin-2-receptor inhibitors: 40.8 to 85.2% (P-value for-trend <0.001 for all). One-year mortality decreased from 22.1 to 14.1%. Standardized incidence ratio compared with the general population decreased from 5.54 to 3.74 (P < 0.001). Cardiovascular (CV) death decreased from 20.1 to 11.1%, myocardial infarction (MI) from 11.5 to 5.8%; stroke from 2.9 to 2.1%; heart failure from 7.1 to 6.2%. After standardization for differences in demography and baseline characteristics, the change of 1-year CV-death or MI corresponded to a linear trend of 0.915 (95% confidence interval: 0.906–0.923) per 2-year period which no longer was significant, 0.997 (0.984–1.009), after adjustment for changes in treatment. The changes in treatment and outcomes were most pronounced from 1994 to 2008. Conclusion Gradual implementation of new and established evidence-based treatments in STEMI patients during the last 20 years has been associated with prolonged survival and lower risk of recurrent ischaemic events, although a plateauing is seen since around 2008. PMID:29020314

The DTU13 MSS (Mean Sea Surface) and MDT (Mean Dynamic Topography) from 20 Years of Satellite Altimetry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Ole Baltazar; Knudsen, Per; Stenseng, Lars

2015-01-01

The DTU13MSS is the latest release of the global high resolution mean sea surface (MSS) from DTU Space. The new MSS is based on multi-mission satellite altimetry from 10 different satellites. Three major advances have been made in order to release the new MSS. The time series have been extended t...

Eight years' experience with an IVF surrogate gestational pregnancy programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Raziel, Arieh; Schachter, Morey; Strassburger, Deborah; Komarovsky, Dafna; Ron-El, Raphael; Friedler, Shevach

2005-08-01

The aim of this study was to retrospectively audit eight years' experience of an IVF surrogate gestational programme and to compare the outcome of surrogacy due to absence of the uterus with surrogacy indicated for repeated IVF failure and recurrent abortions. A total of 60 cycles of IVF surrogate pregnancy were initiated in 19 treated couples. Absence of the uterus was the indication for surrogacy in 10 cases: Rokitansky syndrome (eight cases) and post-hysterectomy (two cases) designated as group A. The indications in the remaining nine patients (group B) were: IVF implantation failure (three cases), habitual abortions (four cases) and deteriorating maternal diseases (two cases). IVF performance and subsequent pregnancy outcome of groups A and B were compared. There was no difference in ovarian stimulation parameters and in IVF performance between the groups A and B. The overall pregnancy rate per transfer was 10/60 (17%). The pregnancy rates per patient and per transfer were 7/10 (70%) and 7/35 (20%) in group A compared with 3/9 (33%) and 3/25 (12%) in group B. A median number of three treatment cycles were needed to achieve pregnancy. In conclusion, the existence or absence of the uterus in the commissioning mothers is irrelevant for their IVF performance and conception rates. In patients who conceived after more than three IVF cycles, an additional 'oocyte factor' might be present.

Undergraduates’ opinion after 5-year experience with rotary endodontic instruments

OpenAIRE

Flávia Sens Fagundes Tomazinho; Gisele Aihara Haragushiku; Flares Baratto Filho; Denise Piotto Leonardi; Maria da Graça Kfouri Lopes; Alexandre Moro

2011-01-01

Introduction: Dentistry evolution in the past few years has revolutionized daily practice in some specialties. One of these revolutions has occurred in Endodontics due to the advancement of rotary techniques for root canal preparation and its subsequent incorporation into the teaching of Dentistry undergraduates. Objective: The aim of this study was to report a 5-year experience on the undergraduate laboratorial and clinical use of rotary endodontic preparation at a private university. Materi...

Latest improvements on TRACPWR six-equations thermohydraulic code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rivero, N.; Batuecas, T.; Martinez, R.; Munoz, J.; Lenhardt, G.; Serrano, P.

1999-01-01

The paper presents the latest improvements on TRACPWR aimed at adapting the code to present trends on computer platforms, architectures and training requirements as well as extending the scope of the code itself and its applicability to other technologies different from Westinghouse PWR one. Firstly major features of TRACPWR as best estimate and real time simulation code are summed, then the areas where TRACPWR is being improved are presented. These areas comprising: (1) Architecture: integrating TRACPWR and RELAP5 codes, (2) Code scope enhancement: modelling the Mid-Loop operation, (3) Code speed-up: applying parallelization techniques, (4) Code platform downswing: porting to Windows N1 platform, (5) On-line performance: allowing simulation initialisation from a Plant Process Computer, and (6) Code scope extension: using the code for modelling VVER and PHWR technology. (author)

Latest NASA Instrument Cost Model (NICM): Version VI

Science.gov (United States)

Mrozinski, Joe; Habib-Agahi, Hamid; Fox, George; Ball, Gary

2014-01-01

The NASA Instrument Cost Model, NICM, is a suite of tools which allow for probabilistic cost estimation of NASA's space-flight instruments at both the system and subsystem level. NICM also includes the ability to perform cost by analogy as well as joint confidence level (JCL) analysis. The latest version of NICM, Version VI, was released in Spring 2014. This paper will focus on the new features released with NICM VI, which include: 1) The NICM-E cost estimating relationship, which is applicable for instruments flying on Explorer-like class missions; 2) The new cluster analysis ability which, alongside the results of the parametric cost estimation for the user's instrument, also provides a visualization of the user's instrument's similarity to previously flown instruments; and 3) includes new cost estimating relationships for in-situ instruments.

TIPSS: 10 years of experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richter, G.M.; Brado, M.; Simon, C.; Radeleff, B.; Kauffmann, G.W.; Noeldge, G.; Scharf, J.; Hansmann, J.

1998-01-01

Purpose: To demonstrate and document 10 years of clinical experience gathered by us with TIPSS and to discuss achievements, problems and outlook. Results: Variceal filling was widely reduced by TIPSS, and significantly reduced portal liver perfusion as assessed morphologically and rheologically. However, there was an immediate onset of compensated liver perfusion by increased arterial inflow. Total liver perfusion did not change significantly. In TIPSS portal decompression was readily achieved, the portosystemic gradient dropping from an average of 24 mm Hg to 10.5 mm Hg. In our series we could not demonstrate an increased incidence of hepatic encephalopathy during the 30-day post-TIPSS period. Early mortality was 4% and early rebleeding rate 3%. The 12-month re-intervention rate based on an invasive portography follow-up protocol was 76%, and the 24-month re-intervention rate was 90%. The definite occlusion rate was below 5%. Beyond a follow-up time span of 24-months the necessity for re-intervention dropped significantly: Less than one-third of our patients required some sort of re-intervention. (orig./AJ) [de

Solar neutrino flux measurements by the Soviet-American Gallium Experiment (SAGE) for half the 22-year solar cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdurashitov, J.N.; Veretenkin, E.P.; Vermul, V.M.; Gavrin, V.N.; Girin, S.V.; Gorbachev, V.V.; Gurkina, P.P.; Zatsepin, G.T.; Ibragimova, T.V.; Kalikhov, A.V.; Knodel, T.V.; Mirmov, I.N.; Khairnasov, N.G.; Shikhin, A.A.; Yants, V.E.; Bowles, T.J.; Teasdale, W.A.; Nico, J.S.; Wilkerson, J.F.; Cleveland, B.T.

2002-01-01

We present measurements of the solar neutrino capture rate on metallic gallium in the Soviet-American gallium experiment (SAGE) over a period of slightly more than half the 22-year solar cycle. A combined analysis of 92 runs over the twelve-year period from January 1990 until December 2001 yields a capture rate of 70.8 +5.3 -5.2 (stat) +3.7 -3.2 (sys) SNU for solar neutrinos with energies above 0.233 MeV. This value is slightly more than half the rate predicted by the standard solar model, 130 SNU. We present the results of new runs since April 1998 and analyze all runs combined by years, months, and bimonthly periods beginning in 1990. A simple analysis of the SAGE results together with the results of other solar neutrino experiments gives an estimate of (4.6 ± 1.2) x 10 10 neutrinos cm -2 s -1 for the flux of the electron pp neutrinos that reach the Earth without changing their flavor. The flux of the pp neutrinos produced in thermonuclear reactions in the Sun is estimated to be (7.6 ± 2.0) x 10 10 neutrinos cm -2 s -1 , in agreement with the value of (5.95 ± 0.06) x 10 10 neutrinos cm -2 s -1 predicted by the standard solar model

Classic intrafascial supracervical hysterectomy (CISH): 10-year experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, John E; Jacobs, Volker R

2006-01-01

We report and review herein our 10-year experience with classic intrafascial supracervical hysterectomy focusing on our long-term experience, evolution of the operative technique, and increased use of this technique. We performed a parallel, observational study with retrospective data to evaluate classic intrafascial supracervical hysterectomy, a laparoscopic hysterectomy technique, at Fayette Medical Center, a community hospital in Northwestern Alabama, USA. Patients comprised a consecutive series of 579 over a 10-year period from November 1992 through November 2002. The classic intrafascial supracervical hysterectomy technique, similar to standard supracervical hysterectomy, leaves the cardinal ligament, uterosacral ligament, vascular supply, and innervation to the upper vagina and cervix intact, but unlike supracervical hysterectomy removes the transition zone and endocervical canal. For 579 patients, the average age was 45.4 years (range, 22 to 92), follow-up was 75.3 months (range, 17 to 137), operating room time was 69 minutes (range, 44 to 370), blood loss was 72 mL (range, 10 to 765), length of hospital stay was 23.2 hours (range, 14 hours to 5 days), time to return to work was 13.2 days (range, 3 to 28). Complications include 11 cervical bleedings, 1 uterine artery bleeding, 1 pelvic hematoma, 1 postoperative ileus, and 16 mucoceles of the cervical stump. Three patients were converted from a laparoscopic to an open procedure (0.52%). Long-term follow-up of up to 137 months shows no adverse events thus far. Classic intrafascial supracervical hysterectomy is a safe procedure with a low short- and long-term complication rate. It has a short recuperation period and high patient satisfaction. It is the procedure of choice when hysterectomy is indicated for benign disease.

Treatment Outcome of Carcinoma Vulva Ten-Year Experience from a Tertiary Cancer Centre in South India.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeevarajan, Sakthiushadevi; Duraipandian, Amudhan; Kottayasamy Seenivasagam, Rajkumar; Shanmugam, Subbiah; Ramamurthy, Rajaraman

2017-01-01

Carcinoma vulva is a rare disease accounting for 1.3% of all gynaecological malignancies. The present study is a 10-year retrospective review of our experience of the surgical options, morbidity, failure pattern, and survival for invasive carcinoma vulva. Retrospective analysis of case records of 39 patients who underwent surgery for invasive vulval cancer between 2004 and 2013 in the Department of Surgical Oncology at the Government Royapettah Hospital, Chennai. The median age was 55 years. Radical vulvectomy was the preferred surgery. 31 patients underwent lymphadenectomy. Seroma formation and groin skin necrosis were the most common postoperative complications. With a median follow-up of 32 months, 8 patients (20.5%) developed recurrence (systemic = 1, regional = 4, and local = 3). The estimated 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 65.4% and the overall survival (OS) was 85.1%. On univariate analysis, stage and lymph node involvement significantly affected OS. Nodal involvement with extracapsular spread (ECS) significantly affected both DFS and OS. The treatment of carcinoma vulva should be individualized with multidisciplinary cooperation. The paucity of data, especially from India, necessitates the need for more studies, preferably multicentric, keeping in mind the low prevalence.

Aboveground biomass and nutrient accumulation 20 years after clear-cutting a southern Appalachian watershed

Science.gov (United States)

Katherine J. Elliott; Lindsay R. Boring; Wayne T. Swank

2002-01-01

In 1975, we initiated a long-term interdisciplinary study of forest watershed ecosystem response to clear- cutting and cable logging in watershed 7 at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in the southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. This paper describes ~20 years of change in species composition, aboveground biomass, leaf area index (LAI),...

A ponderosa pine-lodgepole pine spacing study in central Oregon: results after 20 years.

Science.gov (United States)

K.W. Seidel

1989-01-01

The growth response after 20 years from an initial spacing study established in a ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud.) plantation was measured in central Oregon. The study was designed to compare the growth rates of pure ponderosa pine, pure lodgepole pine, and a...

History of Division 29, 1993-2013: another 20 years of psychotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Elizabeth Nutt; Barnett, Jeffrey E; Canter, Mathilda B

2013-03-01

The history of Division 29 (Psychotherapy) of the American Psychological Association (APA) from 1993 to 2013 is reviewed. The 20 years of history can be traced via the Division's primary publications (the journal Psychotherapy and its newsletter Psychotherapy Bulletin) as well as the history of those who have served leadership roles in the Division and have won Divisional awards. Several recurring themes emerge related to the Division's articulations of its own identity, the Division's advocacy efforts vis-à-vis the profession and the APA, and the work of the Division on behalf of major social issues (such as disaster relief and the nation's health care).

Higgs boson results from the ATLAS experiment at LHC

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00216944; The ATLAS collaboration

2017-01-01

This report highlights some of the latest results on the Higgs boson studies with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, using proton-proton collision data at centre-of-mass energy of $\\sqrt {s} =$ 13~TeV collected during 2015 and 2016.

Design process and philosophy of TVA's latest advance control room complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owens, G.R.; Masters, D.W.

1979-01-01

TVA's latest nuclear power plant control room design includes a greater emphasis on human factors as compared to their earlier plant designs. This emphasis has resulted in changes in the overall design philosophy and design process. This paper discusses some of the prominent design features of both the control room and the surrounding control room complex. In addition, it also presents some of the important activities involved in the process of developing the advanced control room design

Picosecond spectroscopy: The first 20 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rentzepis, P.M.

1987-01-01

Lasers were at first operating in the pulsed mode. That was the ruby, Cr/sup 3+/, emitting at 694.3 nm with a few kilowatts power, several microseconds time width, and a rather broad non-smooth-spiky-intensity profile. Even with such a primitive laser source, several noteworthy, novel experiments were performed such as two photon processes and second harmonic generation. The advent of Q-switch lasers by means of dyes, Kerr cells and electro-optic crystals introduced the era of high power lasers and laser spectroscopy. The high intensity and rather smooth intensity versus time profile pulses emitted by ruby and Nd/sup 3+//glass lasers provided excellent means for non-linear spectroscopy studies and nanosecond Raman spectroscopy, a field which flourished ten years later. In the mid-sixties, the He/Ne laser was mode locked, and shortly thereafter, the Nd/sup 3+//glass laser was also mode locked and shown to emit picosecond duration pulses. This paper presents what one observes on the screen of an oscilloscope once a laser is set up so as to generate picosecond pulses by use of either a saturable absorbing dye or solid state modulator. What is seen is, of course, a train of pulses. It is characteristic of these pulses that their intensity is extremely high, in the gigawatt region. In this particular case, the band width is approximately twenty to thirty wavenumbers. The method utilized to measure the picosecond pulses, initially, was the two photon method. This paper also gives a more graphic illustration how this technique operates. This same procedure provides an extremely simple technique which the author believes made possible the initial development of the picosecond spectroscopy field

3 Years Experience with Energy Production on the Nissum Bredning Wave Dragon Prototype

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frigaard, Peter; Tedd, James; Kofoed, Jens Peter

2006-01-01

Wave Dragon is a floating wave energy converter working by extracting energy principally by means of overtopping of waves into a reservoir. A 1:4.5 scale prototype has been sea tested for 20 months. This paper presents results from testing, experiences gained and developments made during this ext......Wave Dragon is a floating wave energy converter working by extracting energy principally by means of overtopping of waves into a reservoir. A 1:4.5 scale prototype has been sea tested for 20 months. This paper presents results from testing, experiences gained and developments made during...... this extended period. The prototype is highly instrumented. The overtopping characteristic and the power produced are presented here. This has enabled comparison between the prototype and earlier results from both laboratory model and computer simulation. This gives the optimal operating point and the expected...... power of the device. The project development team has gained much soft experience from working in the harsh offshore environment. In particular the effect of marine growth in the draft tubes of the turbines has been investigated. The control of the device has been a focus for development as is operates...

Evaluation of MR issues for the latest standard brands of orthopedic metal implants: plates and screws.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Yue-Fen; Chu, Bin; Wang, Chuan-Bing; Hu, Zhi-Yi

2015-03-01

The study was performed to evaluate magnetic resonance (MR) issues for the latest standard brands of plates and screws used in orthopedic surgery at a 1.5-T MR system, including the safety and metallic artifacts. The plates and screws (made of titanium alloy and stainless steel materials, according to the latest standard brands) were assessed for displacement in degrees, MRI-related heating and artifacts at a 1.5-T MR system. The displacement in degrees of the plates and screws was evaluated on an angel-measurement instrument at the entrance of the MR scanner. The MRI-related heating was assessed on a swine leg fixed with a plate by using a "worst-case" pulse sequence. A rectangular water phantom was designed to evaluate metallic artifacts of a screw on different sequences (T1/T2-weighted FSE, STIR, T2-FSE fat saturation, GRE, DWI) and then artifacts were evaluated on T2-weighted FSE sequence by modifying the scanning parameters including field of view (FOV), echo train length (ETL) and bandwidth to identify the influence of parameters on metallic artifacts. 15 volunteers with internal vertebral fixation (titanium alloy materials) were scanned with MR using axial and sagittal T2-FSE, sagittal T2-FSE fat suppression and STIR with conventional and optimized parameters, respectively. Then all images were graded by two experienced radiologists having the experience of more than 7 years under double-blind studies that is neither of them knew which was conventional parameter group and optimized parameter group. The average deflection angle of titanium alloy and stainless steel implants were 4.3° and 7.7°, respectively, (less than 45°) which indicated that the magnetically induced force was less than the weight of the object. The deflection angle of the titanium alloy implants was less than the stainless steel one (t=9.69, Ptitanium alloy before and after the scan was 0.48°C and stainless steel implants was 0.74°C, respectively, with the background temperature

Holographic dark energy models: a comparison from the latest observational data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Miao; Li, Xiao-Dong; Wang, Shuang; Zhang, Xin

2009-01-01

The holographic principle of quantum gravity theory has been applied to the dark energy (DE) problem, and so far three holographic DE models have been proposed: the original holographic dark energy (HDE) model, the agegraphic dark energy (ADE) model, and the holographic Ricci dark energy (RDE) model. In this work, we perform the best-fit analysis on these three models, by using the latest observational data including the Union+CFA3 sample of 397 Type Ia supernovae (SNIa), the shift parameter of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) given by the five-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP5) observations, and the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurement from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The analysis shows that for HDE, χ min 2 = 465.912; for RDE, χ min 2 = 483.130; for ADE, χ min 2 = 481.694. Among these models, HDE model can give the smallest χ 2 min . Besides, we also use the Bayesian evidence (BE) as a model selection criterion to make a comparison. It is found that for HDE, ADE, and RDE, Δln BE = −0.86, −5.17, and −8.14, respectively. So, it seems that the HDE model is more favored by the observational data

20 year old lady with a paraspinal mass.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Toole, Orna

2010-05-01

A 20 year old female presented with a 4 month history of right upper limb pain and paraesthesias. She had no systemic symptoms and no prior medical or family history of note. MRI revealed a right-sided intradural extramedullary mass extending from C7-T1 and displacing the spinal cord. While awaiting surgery her symptoms progressed to involve the right lower limb. She was re-imaged and the lesion now extended from C5 to T3 with spinal cord compression at C7-T1. The radiological features and recent rapid growth were felt to be in keeping with a large plexiform neurofibroma. The patient underwent emergency resection of the lesion and pathology revealed Hodgkin\\'s Lymphoma (HL)-mixed cellularity type. A mediastinal mass was identified on further imaging and biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of HL-stage IV. The patient is currently undergoing treatment with ABVD chemotherapy. CNS-HL is extremely rare and may occur de novo or in association with systemic disease. Lesions may be parenchymal or dural based and are usually intracranial with an increased risk of CNS involvement in HL-mixed-cellularity type as in our patient. This is the first report in the literature of CNS-HL radiologically mimicking a paraspinal plexiform neurofibroma.

Foundations and latest advances in replica exchange transition interface sampling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cabriolu, R.; Refsnes, K.M.S; Bolhuis, P.G.; van Erp, T.S.

2017-01-01

Nearly 20 years ago, transition path sampling (TPS) emerged as an alternative method to free energy based approaches for the study of rare events such as nucleation, protein folding, chemical reactions, and phase transitions. TPS effectively performs Monte Carlo simulations with relatively short

Fasting proinsulin levels are significantly associated with 20 year cancer mortality rates. The Hoorn Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Walraven, I.; van 't Riet, E.; Stehouwer, C.D.A.; Polak, B.C.P.; Moll, A.C.; Dekker, J.M.; Nijpels, G.

2013-01-01

Aims/hypothesis: Proinsulin is possibly associated with cancer through activation of insulin receptor isoform A. We sought to investigate the associations between proinsulin and 20 year cancer mortality rates. Methods: The study was performed within the Hoorn Study, a population-based study of

Latest Pleistocene to Holocene Evolution of the Baie de Port au Prince, Haiti

Science.gov (United States)

Rios, J. K.; McHugh, C. M.; Seeber, L.; Blair, S.; Sorlien, C. C.

2012-12-01

The Baie de Port au Prince (BPP) is adjacent a restraining segment of the sinistral Caribbean-North America plate boundary and is therefore situated between converging high-relief thrust systems, the Massif Selle (Peninsula Range) to the south and the Chaine de Matheux (Hispaniola highlands) to the north. To evaluate neotectonic deformation, seismic hazards and sedimentation patterns for the BPP, six gravity cores were studied within the framework of chirp profiles collected from the R/V Endeavor in 2010. The cores were recovered from 76 m to 148 m of water depth sampling sediment from the carbonate platform that rims the BPP and from the slope. We studied the biostratigraphy (foraminifers, nannoplankton), geochemical elemental composition and physical properties of the sediment. An age model from the last glacial to the present (~20 ka BP) was derived from radiocarbon. Nannoplankton biostratigraphy provide constraints on the late Pleistocene. The BPP is 150 m maximum water depth and is rimmed by an ~30 m deep carbonate platform that has undergone dissolution. Terraces characterize the sub-bottom topography to the NE. This topography was covered by sediment during at least one relative sea-level cycle. Sediment progradation and mass-wasting on the northern and southern flanks of the BPP respectively, occurred during the latest Pleistocene low stand (~20 ka BP). Increased sedimentation from 0.2 mm/year to 0.8 mm/year occurred from 14.2 ka BP to 9.5 ka BP. This period also corresponds with a global rapid rate in sea-level rise from -94 m to -37 m. A basin wide acoustically transparent layer of sediment ~10 m thick covered the BPP. Mass-wasting, microfaulting, fluidization and turbidites caused by erosion triggered by pre-historic earthquakes possibly associated with EPG transform fault are found in the cores. One such deposit is possibly associated to the 2010 earthquake and another to an unconformable surface that separates early- from late-Holocene sediment on the

Latest design of gate valves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurzhofer, U.; Stolte, J.; Weyand, M.

1996-12-01

Babcock Sempell, one of the most important valve manufacturers in Europe, has delivered valves for the nuclear power industry since the beginning of the peaceful application of nuclear power in the 1960s. The latest innovation by Babcock Sempell is a gate valve that meets all recent technical requirements of the nuclear power technology. At the moment in the United States, Germany, Sweden, and many other countries, motor-operated gate and globe valves are judged very critically. Besides the absolute control of the so-called {open_quotes}trip failure,{close_quotes} the integrity of all valve parts submitted to operational forces must be maintained. In case of failure of the limit and torque switches, all valve designs have been tested with respect to the quality of guidance of the gate. The guidances (i.e., guides) shall avoid a tilting of the gate during the closing procedure. The gate valve newly designed by Babcock Sempell fulfills all these characteristic criteria. In addition, the valve has cobalt-free seat hardfacing, the suitability of which has been proven by friction tests as well as full-scale blowdown tests at the GAP of Siemens in Karlstein, West Germany. Babcock Sempell was to deliver more than 30 gate valves of this type for 5 Swedish nuclear power stations by autumn 1995. In the presentation, the author will report on the testing performed, qualifications, and sizing criteria which led to the new technical design.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for radioinduced osteosarcoma of the extremity: The Rizzoli experience in 20 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacci, Gaetano; Longhi, Alessandra; Forni, Cristiana R.N.; Fabbri, Nicola; Briccoli, Antonio; Barbieri, Enza; Mercuri, Mario; Balladelli, Alba B.A.; Ferrari, Stefano; Picci, Piero

2007-01-01

Purpose: Evaluate treatment and outcome of 20 patients with radioinduced osteosarcoma (RIO). Because of previous primary tumor treatment, RIO protocols were different from others we used for non-RIO. Patients and Methods: Between 1983 and 1998, we treated 20 RIO patients, ages 4-36 years (mean 16 years), with chemotherapy (two cycles before surgery, three postoperatively). The first preoperative cycle consisted of high-dose Methotrexate (HDMTX)/Cisplatinum (CDP)/Adriamycin (ADM) and the second of HDMTX/CDP/Ifosfamide (IFO). The three postoperative treatments were performed with cycles of MTX/CDP; IFO was used as single agent per cycle repeated three times. Results: Two patients received palliative treatment because their osteosarcoma remained unresectable after preoperative chemotherapy. The remaining 18 patients had surgery (7 amputations, 11 resections); histologic response to preoperative chemotherapy was good in 8 patients, poor in 10. At a mean follow-up of 11 years (range, 7-22 years), 9 patients remained continuously disease-free, 10 died from osteosarcoma and 1 died from a third neoplasm (myeloid acute leukemia). These results are not significantly different from those achieved in 754 patients with conventional osteosarcoma treated in the same period with protocols used for conventional treatment. However, this later group had an 18% 3-year event-free survival after treatment of relapse vs. 0% in the RIO group. Conclusion: Treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy RIO seem to have an outcome that is not significantly different from that of comparable patients with conventional primary high grade osteosarcoma (5-year event-free survival: 40% vs. 60%, p = NS; 5-year overall survival 40% vs. 67%, p < 0.01)

Measuring Cognitive Engagement with Self-Report Scales: Reflections from over 20 Years of Research

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, Barbara A.

2015-01-01

Research spanning 20 years is reviewed as it relates to the measurement of cognitive engagement using self-report scales. The author's research program is at the forefront of the review, although the review is couched within the broader context of the research on motivation and cognitive engagement that began in the early 1990s. The…

A Physician’s Perspective on Volunteering Overseas… It Is Not All about Sharing the Latest Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jon Kolkin

2018-02-01

Full Text Available As health-care professionals, there often comes a time in our career when we are intrigued by the possibility of participating in humanitarian work in underserved countries. However, the desire to serve is often tempered by some ambivalence about whether our skill sets are applicable in less technologically advanced health-care settings. Furthermore, there may be some concern about the cultural and logistical challenges one might face while working overseas. A volunteer may also be worried that, despite their best intentions, the medical personnel in the host country will not take advantage of our knowledge and their patients will not achieve the best results. As a consequence, a talented and well-intentioned professional may decide not to volunteer, resulting in a lost opportunity to participate in what can be an extremely rewarding experience. I will be discussing a number of key factors that can strongly influence the quality of one’s experience from the perspective of a Hand Specialist. My comments will primarily be a reflection of my personal experience over 20 years as a member of Health Volunteers Overseas (www.hvousa.org.

Latest developments in GaN-based quantum devices for infrared optoelectronics

OpenAIRE

Monroy, Eva; Guillot, Fabien; Leconte, Sylvain; Nevou, Laurent; Doyennette, Laeticia; Tchernycheva, Maria; Julien, François H.; Baumann, Esther; Giorgetta, Fabrizio R.; Hofstetter, Daniel

2011-01-01

In this work, we summarize the latest progress in intersubband devices based on GaN/AlN nanostructures for operation in the near-infrared. We first discuss the growth and characterization of ultra-thin GaN/AlN quantum well and quantum dot superlattices by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy. Then, we present the performance of nitride-based infrared photodetectors and electro-optical modulators operating at 1.55 μm. Finally, we discuss the progress towards intersubband light emitters, incl...

Understanding the post-surgical bariatric experiences of patients two or more years after surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Rebecca H; Irwin, Jennifer D

2017-11-01

In Canada, one year after bariatric surgery follow-up appointments become less frequent and surgical recipients must cope with weight management more independently. Up to 50% of patients experience weight regain by two years post-surgery. Understanding the lived experiences of those who have gone through the bariatric process may shed light on what is needed to support others moving forward. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to gain an understanding of the physical, psychological, social, and clinic-related experiences of individuals who have undergone bariatric surgery at least two years prior. The purpose of the study was to gain an understanding of the physical, psychological, social, and clinic-related experiences of individuals who have undergone bariatric surgery at least two years prior. In-depth, individual semi-structured interviews lasting approximately 60 min were conducted. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and inductive content analysis was used to identify emerging themes. Methods were employed throughout to support data trustworthiness. Participants (n = 28; 21 female) were primarily middle-aged (mean: 49.7 ± 12.7 years old), Caucasian (71%), and completed bariatric surgery more than three years. The data fell naturally into four primary themes, namely physical changes and challenges, psychological experiences, social functioning and support, and clinic-related experiences and reflections. Generally, participants described positive improvements in their physical, psychological, and social state since surgery. However, concerns pertaining to several unanticipated outcomes of the surgery were underscored and informed the recommendations for other patients to be prepared to relearn about ones' body, utilize the support services available, and be aware that social relationships may change and/or require tending. Participants' insights can be used to help others meet with long-term success post-bariatric surgery.

20 years of local ecological public health: the experience of Sandwell in the English West Midlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Middleton, J; Saunders, P

2015-10-01

A long-term picture of the economy and living conditions of Sandwell, an area of England's industrial Midlands, is presented to explore how these underpin and influence its 'health economy'. Sandwell's experience illustrates how public health actors have to tackle industrial and other factors which shape human health. The paper explores how the ecological public health perspective has helped inform the modern public health task in an area such as Sandwell. Some lessons are offered, including: the need to understand the specific economic legacy of a local area (in Sandwell, principally one of polluting and then declining manufacturing industries); the continuing story of infection control; the complexity of tackling poor diet; and the importance of the built environment and town planning. Faced by such challenges, local public health action represents, in effect, an attempt to transcend unecological public health. This can be exciting, innovative and ultimately successful; but it also means being prepared to face daunting and politically charged obstacles and superior national or international forces over which local public health practitioners conventionally have little leverage. The paper argues that, in such unequal power circumstances, public health practitioners have to draw on the creativity within the local population and build a facilitative alliance of formal and informal pro-public health actors. Despite the confounding odds and ever-present stretched resources, the Sandwell experience gives grounds for optimism, being a story of constant creativity and effective local alliances. Copyright © 2015 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of methodologies for TMY generation using 20 years data for Athens, Greece

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Argiriou, A.; Lykoudis, S.; Kontoyiannidis, S.; Balaras, C.A.; Asimakopoulos, D.; Petrakis, M.; Kassomenos, P. [National Observatory of Athens (Greece). Institute of Meteorology and Physics

1999-05-01

The need of accurate Test Reference Years (TRYs) for simulations has been well recognised over the years. Various methods for deriving TRYs have been developed, but their final results can be significantly different. In this paper, the major methodologies reported in literature were applied to 20-year hourly measurements of weather data from Athens, covering the period 1977 to 1996. Seventeen TRYs were produced in total. The basis to select the best performing TRY includes meteorological criteria (inherent in the selection process used by each method) and comparisons of results from various simulations for typical energy systems (i.e. a solar water heater, a building, a large scale solar heating system with interseasonal storage and a photovoltaic system). Based on the results of each simulation exercise, a scoring system was developed and applied. The best performing TRY was found to be the one produced by a modified Festa-Ratto method. (author)

Publication of noninferiority clinical trials: changes over a 20-year interval.

Science.gov (United States)

Suda, Katie J; Hurley, Anne M; McKibbin, Trevor; Motl Moroney, Susannah E

2011-09-01

The primary objective was to evaluate the change in publication rate of noninferiority trials over a 20-year interval (1989-2009). Secondary objectives were to analyze the frequency of noninferiority trials by therapeutic category, the frequency of noninferiority trial publication by journal, the impact factors of the publishing journals, any potential special advantages of the study drug over the control, the funding sources of the trials, pharmaceutical industry affiliation of the authors, and the use of ghostwriters in the creation of manuscripts. Retrospective literature review of 583 articles. PubMed (January 1989-December 2009) and EMBASE (first quarter 1989-fourth quarter 2009) databases. A total of 583 articles of the results of randomized controlled clinical trials with a noninferiority study design that evaluated drug therapies, published in English, between 1989 and 2009, were included in the analysis. A consistent increase was noted in their yearly publication rates, with no trials published in 1989 versus 133 in 2009. One hundred twenty-six articles (21.6%) were in the therapeutic category of infectious diseases, followed by 78 (13.4%) in cardiology. Among the journals identified, The New England Journal of Medicine had the highest publication rate of trials with a noninferiority design, with 29 (5.0%) of the identified trials published in this journal. The median impact factor of the journals publishing noninferiority trials was 4.807 (interquartile range 3.064-7.5). The most common advantage of the study drug over the control was reduced duration of treatment or reduced pill burden (80 studies [22.9%]). A total of 425 trials (72.9%) listed the pharmaceutical industry as the only funding source. Among 369 trials with authors employed by the pharmaceutical industry, 101 (17.3%) disclosed an acknowledgment to an individual, other than those listed as authors, who contributed to writing the manuscript and who was affiliated with a medical information

Changing the rules of the game - experiences with Web 2.0 learning in higher education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nicolajsen, Hanne Westh

2012-01-01

the communication genre, the authenticity, quality assurance and blurring of the existing border between university and private life. Social status is found to influence the interaction to a worrying degree. However, at the same time the interaction holds the potential to challenge student images if students...... argued, but also questioned, that the current generation of students are digital natives prepared to use new media for learning. At the same time critical voices argue that learning designs with high degrees of Web2.0 characteristics challenge the prevailing norms for learning within most teaching...... systems. This study investigates reasons why Web 2.0 is difficult to adopt in teaching by looking at reflected feedback from students participating in an experiment using Web 2.0 for social learning. The challenges investigated are derived by looking into 37 undergraduate students’ reflections...

Cosmogenic 10Be Dating of Early and Latest Holocene Moraines on Nevado Salcantay in the Southern Peruvian Andes

Science.gov (United States)

Licciardi, J. M.; Schaefer, J. M.; Lund, D. C.

2007-12-01

A two-fold sequence of nested lateral and end moraines was mapped in a glacial trough emanating from the southwest flank of Nevado Salcantay (6271 m; ~13°S latitude), the highest peak in the Cordillera Vilcabamba of southern Peru. The field area is situated 25 km due south of the archaeological site of Machu Picchu. Outer and inner moraines in the sequence were deposited by valley glaciers that terminated ~5 km and ~3 km, respectively, from their headwall on the Salcantay summit massif. Cosmogenic 10Be surface exposure dating of granitic boulders sampled on the Salcantay moraines is underway and has provided the first numerical ages for these deposits. Initial results indicate ages of 8.1 ± 0.1 10Be ka for the outer moraine and 200 ± 20 10Be years for the sharp-crested inner moraine. These ages are derived using the CRONUS-Earth 10Be exposure age calculator (version 2.0) and expressed with respect to the Lal- Stone production rate scaling scheme using the standard atmosphere. The outer and inner moraine ages correspond to glacial events during the early and latest Holocene, respectively. Further 10Be dating of the mapped moraines and similar deposits observed in adjacent drainages on Nevado Salcantay is anticipated to yield a high-resolution chronology of valley glaciation in this segment of the southern Peruvian Andes. The new results bridge an important gap between existing Andean glacier records to the north and south, and complement available ice core and lacustrine paleoclimate records in the vicinity, thereby expanding spatial and temporal coverage for identifying patterns of Holocene climate change in the tropical Andes. Notably, the inner moraine age correlates with the timing of the Little Ice Age as defined in northern mid- and high latitude glacier records, and suggests considerable expansion of valley glaciers in the southern Peruvian Andes during this climatic minimum. Apart from their paleoclimatic significance, the initial results also demonstrate

Tourist product in experience economy

OpenAIRE

Stasiak Andrzej

2014-01-01

The turn of the 20th and 21st c. was marked by the development of experience economy, in which the basic commodities are not specific products, but the customers’ emotions, impressions and experiences. Tourism has always been a particular “holiday experience industry”. In recent years, however, the importance of the conscious creation of emotional tourism products has become even greater; we may observe continuous efforts to multiply and intensify tourism experience. The key activities to ach...

Geostatistical Model-Based Estimates of Schistosomiasis Prevalence among Individuals Aged ≤20 Years in West Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Schur, Nadine; Hürlimann, Eveline; Garba, Amadou; Traoré, Mamadou S.; Ndir, Omar; Ratard, Raoult C.; Tchuem Tchuenté, Louis-Albert; Kristensen, Thomas K.; Utzinger, Jürg; Vounatsou, Penelope

2011-01-01

Background Schistosomiasis is a water-based disease that is believed to affect over 200 million people with an estimated 97% of the infections concentrated in Africa. However, these statistics are largely based on population re-adjusted data originally published by Utroska and colleagues more than 20 years ago. Hence, these estimates are outdated due to large-scale preventive chemotherapy programs, improved sanitation, water resources development and management, among other reasons. For planning, coordination, and evaluation of control activities, it is essential to possess reliable schistosomiasis prevalence maps. Methodology We analyzed survey data compiled on a newly established open-access global neglected tropical diseases database (i) to create smooth empirical prevalence maps for Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium for individuals aged ≤20 years in West Africa, including Cameroon, and (ii) to derive country-specific prevalence estimates. We used Bayesian geostatistical models based on environmental predictors to take into account potential clustering due to common spatially structured exposures. Prediction at unobserved locations was facilitated by joint kriging. Principal Findings Our models revealed that 50.8 million individuals aged ≤20 years in West Africa are infected with either S. mansoni, or S. haematobium, or both species concurrently. The country prevalence estimates ranged between 0.5% (The Gambia) and 37.1% (Liberia) for S. mansoni, and between 17.6% (The Gambia) and 51.6% (Sierra Leone) for S. haematobium. We observed that the combined prevalence for both schistosome species is two-fold lower in Gambia than previously reported, while we found an almost two-fold higher estimate for Liberia (58.3%) than reported before (30.0%). Our predictions are likely to overestimate overall country prevalence, since modeling was based on children and adolescents up to the age of 20 years who are at highest risk of infection. Conclusion/Significance We

Publication Trends in Acupuncture Research: A 20-Year Bibliometric Analysis Based on PubMed.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Yan; Dong, Ming; Zhou, Kehua; Mita, Carol; Liu, Jianping; Wayne, Peter M

2016-01-01

Acupuncture has become popular and widely practiced in many countries around the world. Despite the large amount of acupuncture-related literature that has been published, broader trends in the prevalence and scope of acupuncture research remain underexplored. The current study quantitatively analyzes trends in acupuncture research publications in the past 20 years. A bibliometric approach was used to search PubMed for all acupuncture-related research articles including clinical and animal studies. Inclusion criteria were articles published between 1995 and 2014 with sufficient information for bibliometric analyses. Rates and patterns of acupuncture publication within the 20 year observational period were estimated, and compared with broader publication rates in biomedicine. Identified eligible publications were further analyzed with respect to study type/design, clinical condition addressed, country of origin, and journal impact factor. A total of 13,320 acupuncture-related publications were identified using our search strategy and eligibility criteria. Regression analyses indicated an exponential growth in publications over the past two decades, with a mean annual growth rate of 10.7%. This compares to a mean annual growth rate of 4.5% in biomedicine. A striking trend was an observed increase in the proportion of randomized clinical trials (RCTs), from 7.4% in 1995 to 20.3% in 2014, exceeding the 4.5% proportional growth of RCTs in biomedicine. Over the 20 year period, pain was consistently the most common focus of acupuncture research (37.9% of publications). Other top rankings with respect to medical focus were arthritis, neoplasms/cancer, pregnancy or labor, mood disorders, stroke, nausea/vomiting, sleep, and paralysis/palsy. Acupuncture research was conducted in 60 countries, with the top 3 contributors being China (47.4%), United States (17.5%), and United Kingdom (8.2%). Retrieved articles were published mostly in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM

“The cut has a female face”: 20 years after Beijing platform, inequalities are deepening

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriela Bard Wigdor

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Argentina is experiencing a political and economic transition that in a few months show social impact of extreme worry. In clear contradiction with the commitments assumed by our country in the Beijing conference (1995, and after 20 years of its celebration, Argentine’s women as European’s, appear to face new setbacks in the conquered social rights and little prospect to make progress on outstanding debts of Democracy. Workers fired massively from state areas, closures of programs "Assistance to Victims of Domestic Violence", resource restrictions for sexual and reproductive health policies; and many social implications due to the economic policies  that capitalism implements in its neoliberal version, exacerbating the subordinate status of women because of their gender, class and geographical measures. As it is shown in Argentinian history and current European experience, especially in the popular sectors, on the economic crisis, women constitute the reserve army of labor that becomes available and flexible. Indeed, when the state ceases to assume functions related to its role as rights guarantor and social policies maker, women replace it and assume more responsibilities than usual, almost always related to health, nutrition and care, affecting their access and practice of their own human rights.

A STUDY PAPER HOW LATEST TECHNOLOGIES LIKES TABS AND DIGITAL MEDIA CAN PROVIDE EFFICIENT WAY TO LEARNING AND EDUCATION

OpenAIRE

Aditya Jain*, Aditya Sharma, Aditya Singh Baghel, Ambar Pathak

2016-01-01

The use of latest trends and technologies in academic research may now be changing with such a frequency in the universities in terms of faculties who teaches and students that learn. Each and every universities wants to not only improve the syllabus but they also want to upgrade their labs with latest use of hardware and software. They are also focusing upon the technological growth of the students and their students can also develop their applications in different zones like traffic managem...

The DAMPE experiment: 2 year in orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Gargano, Fabio; DAMPE Collaboration

2017-12-01

The DArk Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) is a space mission within the strategic framework of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, resulting from a collaboration of Chinese, Italian, and Swiss institutions, and is a new addition to the growing number of particle detectors in space. It was successfully launched in December 2015 and has commenced nominal science operations since shortly after launch. Lending technologies from its predecessors such as AMS and Fermi-LAT, it features a powerful segmented electromagnetic calorimeter which thanks to its 31 radiation lengths enables the study of charged cosmic rays in the energy domain of up to 100 TeV and gamma rays of up to 10 TeV. The calorimeter is complemented with a silicon-tungsten tracker converter which yields a comparable angular resolution as current space-borne pair-conversion gamma-ray detectors. In addition, the detector features a top anti-coincidence shield made of segmented silicon plastic scintillators and a boron-doped plastic scintillator on the bottom of the instrument to detect delayed neutrons arising from cosmic ray protons showering in the calorimeter. An overview of the mission and a summary of the latest results in the domain of charged cosmic rays, gamma rays and heavy ions will be presented.

Three Years of Experience of Wet Gas Allocation on Canyon Express

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Aditya; Hall, James; Letton, Winsor

2005-07-01

In September 2002, production was begun from the three fields that together form the Canyon Express System- King's Peak, Aconcagua, and Camden Hills. The 9 wells from these fields are connected to a pair of 12-inch flow lines carrying the commingled wet gas a distance of approximately 92 kilometers back to the Canyon Station platform for processing. At the 21st NSFMW in October 2003, an initial report was given on the status of Wet Gas Allocation for the Canyon Express project. As discussed in that paper, dual-differential, subsea wet gas meters were chosen for the task of allocating gas and liquids back to individual wells. However, since the gas from all three fields was very dry (Lockhart-Martinelli parameter less than 0.01) and because the operating pressures were quite high (250 bar), application of the dual-differential function of the meters yielded errors in both liquid and gas flow rates. Furthermore, as these problems were being uncovered, scale was beginning to collect inside some of the meters. Taken together, these problems produced system imbalances as great as 20%. To address the problems, one of the individual flow metering elements within each wet gas meter was chosen as the allocation meter, operating as a single-phase gas meter. After three years of operation of the Canyon Express Project, considerable experience has been accumulated. Since at the time it held the record for deep water hydrocarbon production, application of the technologies discussed here were challenging and required considerable flexibility. It is believed that the Canyon Express experiences will benefit future deep water flow metering projects. The knowledge acquired thus far is surveyed and summarized. The emphasis is on the technical aspects. (tk)

Latest developments at GANIL for stable and radioactive ion beam production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jardin, P.; Barue, C.; Bajeat, O.; Canet, C.; Clement, E.; Cornell, J. C.; Delahaye, P.; Dubois, M.; Dupuis, M.; Flambard, J. L.; Fraanberg, H.; Frigot, R.; Leboucher, C.; Lecesne, N.; Lecomte, P.; Leherissier, P.; Lemagnen, F.; Leroy, R.; Maunoury, L.; Mery, A.

2010-01-01

In the frame of the SPIRAL II (Systeme de Production d'Ions Radioactifs Acceleres en Ligne Partie II) project, several developments of stable and radioactive ion production systems have been started up. In parallel, GANIL has the ambition to preserve the existing stable and radioactive beams and also to increase its range by offering new ones. In order to identify the best directions for this development, a new group called GANISOL has been formed. Its preliminary conclusions and the latest developments at GANIL are presented.

Application of hormonal treatment in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: more than ten years experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Luo; Zhang, Si Xiao; Dong, Qiang; Xiong, Zi Bing; Li, Xiang

2012-04-01

To demonstrate the efficacy of hormone treatment on the patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH), we summarized our more than 10 years experience. A total of 242 male patients (age range 15-52 years old) with HH including two Kallmann syndrome treated at the andrology outpatient clinics of university hospital in the past 10 years were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were divided into three groups based on the different treatment strategy. There were 84 patients treated with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (group 1, hCG treatment group), 74 patients treated with hCG plus human menopause gonadotropin (hMG) (group 2, hCG + hMG treatment group), and 84 patients treated with testosterone (group 3, T treatment group). Sex characteristics, testicular volume, and sperm production were determined before and after the treatments. The therapeutic effects in the three groups were analyzed statistically. In total, 42 patients of group 1 (50.0%) and 56 of group 2 (75.7%) had their testicular volumes increased after 6-18 months treatment, from 2.0 ± 1.1 to 6.8 ± 3.2 mL and 2.1 ± 1.1 to 8.8 ± 3.9 mL, respectively. Only six patients of group 3 had their testicular volumes increased but no statistically significant. Among the patients with testes growth, 34 patients of group 1 and 48 patients of group 2 achieved spermatogenesis, and three of them made their wives pregnant naturally. During the follow-up after treatment, there were 36 patients finally defined as delayed puberty, and 204 patients defined as idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. For the hormonal treatment of HH, testosterone therapy could not stimulate testes growth and spermatogenesis, but HCG therapy and hCG/hMG combination therapy both are effective, while hCG/hMG combination therapy could achieve better therapeutic effects.

A comparative evaluation of oral hygiene using Braille and audio instructions among institutionalized visually impaired children aged between 6 years and 20 years: A 3-monthfollow-up study

OpenAIRE

Mahantesha, Taranatha; Nara, Asha; Kumari, Parveen Reddy; Halemani, Praveen Kumar Nugadoni; Buddiga, Vinutna; Mythri, Sarpangala

2015-01-01

Aim: The aim of this study is to compare the oral hygiene status among institutionalized visually impaired children of age between 6 and 20 years given with Braille and audio instructions in Raichur city of Karnataka. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 children aged between 6 to 20 years were included in this study from a residential school for visually impaired children. These children were randomly divided into two equal groups. One group was given oral hygiene instructions by audio recor...

LAPAROSCOPIC PANCREATIC RESECTION. FROM ENUCLEATION TO PANCREATODUODENECTOMY. 11-YEAR EXPERIENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcel Autran Cesar MACHADO

Full Text Available Context Our experience with laparoscopic pancreatic resection began in 2001. During initial experience, laparoscopy was reserved for selected cases. With increasing experience more complex laparoscopic procedures such as central pancreatectomy and pancreatoduodenectomies were performed. Objectives The aim of this paper is to review our personal experience with laparoscopic pancreatic resection over 11-year period. Methods All patients who underwent laparoscopic pancreatic resection from 2001 through 2012 were reviewed. Preoperative data included age, gender, and indication for surgery. Intraoperative variables included operative time, bleeding, blood transfusion. Diagnosis, tumor size, margin status were determined from final pathology reports. Results Since 2001, 96 patients underwent laparoscopic pancreatectomy. Median age was 55 years old. 60 patients were female and 36 male. Of these, 88 (91.6% were performed totally laparoscopic; 4 (4.2% needed hand-assistance, 1 robotic assistance. Three patients were converted. Four patients needed blood transfusion. Operative time varied according type of operation. Mortality was nil but morbidity was high, mainly due to pancreatic fistula (28.1%. Sixty-one patients underwent distal pancreatectomy, 18 underwent pancreatic enucleation, 7 pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomies, 5 uncinate process resection, 3 central and 2 total pancreatectomies. Conclusions Laparoscopic resection of the pancreas is a reality. Pancreas sparing techniques, such as enucleation, resection of uncinate process and central pancreatectomy, should be used to avoid exocrine and/or endocrine insufficiency that could be detrimental to the patient's quality of life. Laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy is a safe operation but should be performed in specialized centers by highly skilled laparoscopic surgeons.

A 20-year simulated climatology of global dust aerosol deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yu; Zhao, Tianliang; Che, Huizheng; Liu, Yu; Han, Yongxiang; Liu, Chong; Xiong, Jie; Liu, Jianhui; Zhou, Yike

2016-07-01

Based on a 20-year (1991-2010) simulation of dust aerosol deposition with the global climate model CAM5.1 (Community Atmosphere Model, version 5.1), the spatial and temporal variations of dust aerosol deposition were analyzed using climate statistical methods. The results indicated that the annual amount of global dust aerosol deposition was approximately 1161±31Mt, with a decreasing trend, and its interannual variation range of 2.70% over 1991-2010. The 20-year average ratio of global dust dry to wet depositions was 1.12, with interannual variation of 2.24%, showing the quantity of dry deposition of dust aerosol was greater than dust wet deposition. High dry deposition was centered over continental deserts and surrounding regions, while wet deposition was a dominant deposition process over the North Atlantic, North Pacific and northern Indian Ocean. Furthermore, both dry and wet deposition presented a zonal distribution. To examine the regional changes of dust aerosol deposition on land and sea areas, we chose the North Atlantic, Eurasia, northern Indian Ocean, North Pacific and Australia to analyze the interannual and seasonal variations of dust deposition and dry-to-wet deposition ratio. The deposition amounts of each region showed interannual fluctuations with the largest variation range at around 26.96% in the northern Indian Ocean area, followed by the North Pacific (16.47%), Australia (9.76%), North Atlantic (9.43%) and Eurasia (6.03%). The northern Indian Ocean also had the greatest amplitude of interannual variation in dry-to-wet deposition ratio, at 22.41%, followed by the North Atlantic (9.69%), Australia (6.82%), North Pacific (6.31%) and Eurasia (4.36%). Dust aerosol presented a seasonal cycle, with typically strong deposition in spring and summer and weak deposition in autumn and winter. The dust deposition over the northern Indian Ocean exhibited the greatest seasonal change range at about 118.00%, while the North Atlantic showed the lowest seasonal

Latest ATLAS measurements on top quark properties

CERN Document Server

Derue, Frederic; The ATLAS collaboration

2017-01-01

The top quark is unique among the known quarks in that it decays before it has an opportunity to form hadronic bound states. This makes measurements of its properties particularly interesting as one can access directly the properties of a bare quark. The latest measurements of these properties with the ATLAS detector at the LHC are presented using 8 TeV and 13 TeV data, excluding results from single top production. Measurements of top quark spin observables in top-antitop events, each sensitive to a different coefficient of the spin density matrix, are presented and compared to the Standard Model predictions. The helicity of the W boson from the top decays and the production angles of the top quark are further discussed. New results on the measurment of color flow effects in $t{\\bar t}$ events are presented. Limits on the rate of flavour changing neutral currents in the production or decay of the top quark are reported. The cross-section measurement of photons produced in association with top-quark pairs is a...

Indico 2.0 - the whole Iceberg

Science.gov (United States)

Mönnich, A.; Avilés, A.; Ferreira, P.; Kolodziejski, M.; Trichopoulos, I.; Vessaz, F.

2017-10-01

The last two years have been atypical to the Indico community, as the development team undertook an extensive rewrite of the application and deployed no less than 9 major releases of the system. Users at CERN have had the opportunity to experience the results of this ambitious endeavour. They have only seen, however, the “tip of the iceberg“. Indico 2.0 employs a completely new stack, leveraging open source packages in order to provide a web application that is not only more feature-rich but, more importantly, builds on a solid foundation of modern technologies and patterns. But this milestone represents not only a complete change in technology - it is also an important step in terms of user experience and usability that opens the way to many potential improvements in the years to come. In this article, we will describe the technology and all the different dimensions in which Indico 2.0 constitutes an evolution vis-à-vis its predecessor and what it can provide to users and server administrators alike. We will go over all major system features and explain what has changed, the reasoning behind the most significant modifications and the new possibilities that they pave the way for.

Pediatric Burns from Glass-Fronted Fireplaces in Canada: A Growing Issue Over the Past 20 Years.

Science.gov (United States)

Toor, Jay; Crain, Jennifer; Kelly, Charis; Verchere, Cindy; Fish, Joel

2016-01-01

There is an alarming lack of public awareness surrounding the safety of glass-fronted fireplaces. This has resulted in an active campaign from the American Burn Association Prevention Committee. One issue encountered while advocating for prevention among manufacturers is the lack of corroborating and accurate data. The purpose of this study was to examine the annual trends and epidemiology of glass-fronted fireplace-related burn injuries to children less than 15 years old, who presented to Canadian emergency departments between 1990 and 2010. Records of pediatric burn injuries related to glass-fronted fireplaces were extracted from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program database for the study period (1990-2010). Cases were analyzed in terms of anatomic area affected, demographics, seasonality, safety device use, and injury severity. A total of 616 cases of burns from glass-fronted fireplaces were identified. The incidence increased at an average of 2.7 cases per year. This is a greater than 20-fold increase over 20 years. Seventy-five percentage of the cases occurred in children less than 2 years, and 95% occurred in children less than 5 years. The study demonstrated a growing risk from glass-fronted fireplace burns, likely due to the increasing popularity of household gas fireplace units. These units are a particular risk to children less than 2 years, attributable to their developing mobility and reduced reaction time. This is a preventable injury that should be addressed through changes to legislation and manufacturing.