Helsinki Stroke Model Is Transferrable With “Real-World” Resources and Reduced Stroke Thrombolysis Delay to 34 min in Christchurch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teddy Y. Wu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available BackgroundChristchurch hospital is a tertiary hospital in New Zealand supported by five general neurologists with after-hours services provided mainly by onsite non-neurology medical residents. We assessed the transferrability and impact of the Helsinki Stroke model on stroke thrombolysis door-to-needle time (DNT in Christchurch hospital.MethodsKey components of the Helsinki Stroke model were implemented first in 2015 with introduction of patient pre-notification and thrombolysis by the computed tomography (CT suite, followed by implementation of direct transfer to CT on ambulance stretcher in May 2017. Data from the prospective thrombolysis registry which began in 2012 were analyzed for the impact of these interventions on median DNT.ResultsBetween May and December 2017, 46 patients were treated with alteplase, 25 (54% patients were treated in-hours (08:00–17:00 non-public holiday weekdays and 21 (46% patients were treated after-hours. The in-hours, after-hours, and overall median (interquartile range DNTs were 34 (28–43, 47 (38–60, and 40 (30–51 minutes. The corresponding times in 2012–2014 prior to interventions were 87 (68–106, 86 (72–116, and 87 (71–112 minutes, representing median DNT reduction of 53, 39, and 47 minutes, respectively (p-values <0.01. The interventions also resulted in significant reductions in the overall median door-to-CT time (from 49 to 19 min, CT-to-needle time (32 to 20 min and onset-to-needle time (168 to 120 min.ConclusionThe Helsinki stroke model is transferrable with real-world resources and reduced stroke DNT in Christchurch by over 50%.

Using the Min/Max Method for Replenishment of Picking Locations

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Apsalons Raitis

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The irregularity of removing quantities from a definite picking location in a warehouse very often results in the stock out in the particular picking address. In practice, the Red Card principle is used to determine a critical level for each picking location when it is necessary to start the replenishment of stock in the picking address. The question is how to calculate an adequate critical level. The guidelines in this paper explain in detail the solution of the problem using the Min/Max stock control method and mathematical algorithms adjusted by authors. In order to check the validity of these mathematical algorithms of the Min/Max method, the simulation modelling has been also done and presented.

Dissecting the role of conformational change and membrane binding by the bacterial cell division regulator MinE in the stimulation of MinD ATPase activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayed, Saud H; Cloutier, Adam D; McLeod, Laura J; Foo, Alexander C Y; Damry, Adam M; Goto, Natalie K

2017-12-15

The bacterial cell division regulators MinD and MinE together with the division inhibitor MinC localize to the membrane in concentrated zones undergoing coordinated pole-to-pole oscillation to help ensure that the cytokinetic division septum forms only at the mid-cell position. This dynamic localization is driven by MinD-catalyzed ATP hydrolysis, stimulated by interactions with MinE's anti-MinCD domain. This domain is buried in the 6-β-stranded MinE "closed" structure, but is liberated for interactions with MinD, giving rise to a 4-β-stranded "open" structure through an unknown mechanism. Here we show that MinE-membrane interactions induce a structural change into a state resembling the open conformation. However, MinE mutants lacking the MinE membrane-targeting sequence stimulated higher ATP hydrolysis rates than the full-length protein, indicating that binding to MinD is sufficient to trigger this conformational transition in MinE. In contrast, conformational change between the open and closed states did not affect stimulation of ATP hydrolysis rates in the absence of membrane binding, although the MinD-binding residue Ile-25 is critical for this conformational transition. We therefore propose an updated model where MinE is brought to the membrane through interactions with MinD. After stimulation of ATP hydrolysis, MinE remains bound to the membrane in a state that does not catalyze additional rounds of ATP hydrolysis. Although the molecular basis for this inhibited state is unknown, previous observations of higher-order MinE self-association may explain this inhibition. Overall, our findings have general implications for Min protein oscillation cycles, including those that regulate cell division in bacterial pathogens. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Timing matters: negative emotion elicited 5 min but not 30 min or 45 min after learning enhances consolidation of internal-monitoring source memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bo; Bukuan, Sun

2015-05-01

Two experiments examined the time-dependent effects of negative emotion on consolidation of item and internal-monitoring source memory. In Experiment 1, participants (n=121) learned a list of words. They were asked to read aloud half of the words and to think about the remaining half. They were instructed to memorize each word and its associative cognitive operation ("reading" versus "thinking"). Immediately following learning they conducted free recall and then watched a 3-min either neutral or negative video clip when 5 min, 30 min or 45 min had elapsed after learning. Twenty-four hours later they returned to take surprise tests for item and source memory. Experiment 2 was similar to Experiment 1 except that participants, without conducting an immediate test of free recall, took tests of source memory for all encoded words both immediately and 24 h after learning. Experiment 1 showed that negative emotion enhanced consolidation of item memory (as measured by retention ratio of free recall) regardless of delay of emotion elicitation and that negative emotion enhanced consolidation of source memory when it was elicited at a 5 min delay but reduced consolidation of source memory when it was elicited at a 30 min delay; when elicited at a 45 min delay, negative emotion had little effect. Furthermore, Experiment 2 replicated the enhancement effect on source memory in the 5 min delay even when participants were tested on all the encoded words. The current study partially replicated prior studies on item memory and extends the literature by providing evidence for a time-dependent effect of negative emotion on consolidation of source memory based on internal monitoring. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Primary standards for measuring flow rates from 100 nl/min to 1 ml/min - gravimetric principle.

Science.gov (United States)

Bissig, Hugo; Petter, Harm Tido; Lucas, Peter; Batista, Elsa; Filipe, Eduarda; Almeida, Nelson; Ribeiro, Luis Filipe; Gala, João; Martins, Rui; Savanier, Benoit; Ogheard, Florestan; Niemann, Anders Koustrup; Lötters, Joost; Sparreboom, Wouter

2015-08-01

Microflow and nanoflow rate calibrations are important in several applications such as liquid chromatography, (scaled-down) process technology, and special health-care applications. However, traceability in the microflow and nanoflow range does not go below 16 μl/min in Europe. Furthermore, the European metrology organization EURAMET did not yet validate this traceability by means of an intercomparison between different National Metrology Institutes (NMIs). The NMIs METAS, Centre Technique des Industries Aérauliques et Thermiques, IPQ, Danish Technological Institute, and VSL have therefore developed and validated primary standards to cover the flow rate range from 0.1 μl/min to at least 1 ml/min. In this article, we describe the different designs and methods of the primary standards of the gravimetric principle and the results obtained at the intercomparison for the upper flow rate range for the various NMIs and Bronkhorst High-Tech, the manufacturer of the transfer standards used.

Quantitative approach of Min protein researches and applications ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-12-29

Dec 29, 2009 ... 4Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Salaya Campus, Nakhon ... Numerous studies of Min protein dynamics have focused on dynamic spatial- .... techniques or by modeling and simulation (Rothfield et.

Detection of active bile leak with Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MR cholangiography: Comparison of 20–25 min delayed and 60–180 min delayed images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cieszanowski, Andrzej; Stadnik, Anna; Lezak, Aleksandra; Maj, Edyta; Zieniewicz, Krzysztof; Rowinska-Berman, Katarzyna; Grudzinski, Ireneusz P.; Krawczyk, Marek; Rowiński, Olgierd

2013-01-01

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the value of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) performed in different time delays after injection of gadoxetic acid disodium (Gd-EOB-DTPA) for the diagnosis of active bile leak. Methods: This retrospective analysis included Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MR images of 34 patients suspected of bile leak. Images were acquired 20–25 min after Gd-EOB-DTPA injection. If there was inadequate contrast in the bile ducts then delayed images after 60–90 min and 150–180 min were obtained. Results were correlated with intraoperative findings, ERCP results, clinical data, laboratory tests, and follow-up examinations. Results: Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRC yielded an overall sensitivity of 96.4%, specificity of 100% and accuracy of 97.1% for the diagnosis of an active bile leak. The sensitivity of 20–25 min delayed MR images was 42.9%, of combined 20–25 min and 60–90 min delayed images was 92.9% and of combined 20–25 min, 60–90 min and 150–180 min delayed images was 96.4%. Conclusions: Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRC utilizing delayed phase images was effective for detecting the presence and location of active bile leaks. The images acquired 60–180 min post-injection enabled identification of bile leaks even in patients with a dilated biliary system or moderate liver dysfunction

Asymptotic identity in min-plus algebra: a report on CPNS.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ming; Zhao, Wei

2012-01-01

Network calculus is a theory initiated primarily in computer communication networks, especially in the aspect of real-time communications, where min-plus algebra plays a role. Cyber-physical networking systems (CPNSs) are recently developing fast and models in data flows as well as systems in CPNS are, accordingly, greatly desired. Though min-plus algebra may be a promising tool to linearize any node in CPNS as can be seen from its applications to the Internet computing, there are tough problems remaining unsolved in this regard. The identity in min-plus algebra is one problem we shall address. We shall point out the confusions about the conventional identity in the min-plus algebra and present an analytical expression of the asymptotic identity that may not cause confusions.

Septal membrane localization by C-terminal amphipathic α-helices of MinD in Bacillus subtilis mutant cells lacking MinJ or DivIVA.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishikawa, Kazuki; Matsuoka, Satoshi; Hara, Hiroshi; Matsumoto, Kouji

2017-10-18

The Min system, which inhibits assembly of the cytokinetic protein FtsZ, is largely responsible for positioning the division site in rod-shaped bacteria. It has been reported that MinJ, which bridges DivIVA and MinD, is targeted to the cell poles by an interaction with DivIVA, and that MinJ in turn recruits MinCD to the cell poles. MinC, however, is located primarily at active division sites at mid-cell when expressed from its native promoter. Surprisingly, we found that Bacillus subtilis MinD is located at nascent septal membranes and at an asymmetric site on lateral membranes between nascent septal membranes in filamentous cells lacking MinJ or DivIVA. Bacillus subtilis MinD has two amphipathic α-helices rich in basic amino acid residues at its C-terminus; one of these, named MTS1 here, is the counterpart of the membrane targeting sequence (MTS) in Escherichia coli MinD while the other, named MTS-like sequence (MTSL), is the nearest helix to MTS1. These amphipathic helices were located independently at nascent septal membranes in cells lacking MinJ or DivIVA, whereas elimination of the helices from the wild type protein reduced its localization considerably. MinD variants with altered MTS1 and MTSL, in which basic amino acid residues were replaced with proline or acidic residues, were not located at nascent septal membranes, indicating that the binding to the nascent septal membranes requires basic residues and a helical structure. The septal localization of MTSL, but not of MTS1, was dependent on host cell MinD. These results suggest that MinD is targeted to nascent septal membranes via its C-terminal amphipathic α-helices in B. subtilis cells lacking MinJ or DivIVA. Moreover, the diffuse distribution of MinD lacking both MTSs suggests that only a small fraction of MinD depends on MinJ for its localization to nascent septal membranes.

Therapeutic utility of aspirin in the ApcMin/+ murine model of colon carcinogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reuter, Brian K; Zhang, Xiao-Jing; Miller, Mark JS

2002-01-01

In recent years it has become evident that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, in particular aspirin represent a potential class of cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Despite the wealth of knowledge gained from epidemiological, clinical and animal studies, the effectiveness of aspirin to treat established gastrointestinal cancer has not been determined. The present study examines the ability of aspirin to treat established polyposis in Min/+ mice. Min/+ mice with established polyposis were treated orally once daily from 12–16 weeks of age with either drug vehicle or aspirin (25 mg/kg). Upon completion of treatment, the number, location and size of intestinal tumours was determined. Additional variables examined were the number of apoptotic cells within tumours and COX activity. Administration of aspirin for 4 weeks to Min/+ mice produce no effect on tumour number compared to vehicle-treated Min/+ mice (65 ± 8 vs. 63 ± 9, respectively). In addition, aspirin had no effect on tumour size or location. However, aspirin treatment produced a greater than 2-fold (p < 0.05) increase in the number of apoptotic positive cells within tumours and significantly decreased hepatic PGE 2 content. Aspirin was found to have no effect on tumour number and size when administered to Min/+ mice with established polyposis. The findings in the present study call in to question the utility of aspirin as a stand-alone treatment for established GI cancer. However, aspirin's ability to significantly promote apoptosis may render it suitable for use in combinatorial chemotherapy

The food processing contaminant glyoxal promotes tumour growth in the multiple intestinal neoplasia (Min) mouse model.

Science.gov (United States)

Svendsen, Camilla; Høie, Anja Hortemo; Alexander, Jan; Murkovic, Michael; Husøy, Trine

2016-08-01

Glyoxal is formed endogenously and at a higher rate in the case of hyperglycemia. Glyoxal is also a food processing contaminant and has been shown to be mutagenic and genotoxic in vitro. The tumourigenic potential of glyoxal was investigated using the multiple intestinal neoplasia (Min) mouse model, which spontaneously develops intestinal tumours and is susceptible to intestinal carcinogens. C57BL/6J females were mated with Min males. Four days after mating and throughout gestation and lactation, the pregnant dams were exposed to glyoxal through drinking water (0.0125%, 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.1%) or regular tap water. Female and male offspring were housed separately from PND21 and continued with the same treatment. One group were only exposed to 0.1% glyoxal from postnatal day (PND) 21. There was no difference in the number of intestinal tumours between control and treatment groups. However, exposure to 0.1% glyoxal starting in utero and at PND21 caused a significant increase in tumour size in the small intestine for male and female mice in comparison with respective control groups. This study suggests that glyoxal has tumour growth promoting properties in the small intestine in Min mice. Copyright © 2016 Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Min-max event-triggered computation tree logic

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

Temporal logic model-checking (Clarkeet al1986) is one of the most popular and well studied ... Min-max CTL, for reasoning about such extremal timing properties and showed .... A control flow decision is taken based on the value of one or more variables (like a ... We first present a few examples to informally explain the.

Asymptotic Identity in Min-Plus Algebra: A Report on CPNS

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ming; Zhao, Wei

2012-01-01

Network calculus is a theory initiated primarily in computer communication networks, especially in the aspect of real-time communications, where min-plus algebra plays a role. Cyber-physical networking systems (CPNSs) are recently developing fast and models in data flows as well as systems in CPNS are, accordingly, greatly desired. Though min-plus algebra may be a promising tool to linearize any node in CPNS as can be seen from its applications to the Internet computing, there are tough problems remaining unsolved in this regard. The identity in min-plus algebra is one problem we shall address. We shall point out the confusions about the conventional identity in the min-plus algebra and present an analytical expression of the asymptotic identity that may not cause confusions. PMID:21822446

A Fuzzy Max–Min Decision Bi-Level Fuzzy Programming Model for Water Resources Optimization Allocation under Uncertainty

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Chongfeng Ren

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Water competing conflict among water competing sectors from different levels should be taken under consideration during the optimization allocation of water resources. Furthermore, uncertainties are inevitable in the optimization allocation of water resources. In order to deal with the above problems, this study developed a fuzzy max–min decision bi-level fuzzy programming model. The developed model was then applied to a case study in Wuwei, Gansu Province, China. In this study, the net benefit and yield were regarded as the upper-level and lower-level objectives, respectively. Optimal water resource plans were obtained under different possibility levels of fuzzy parameters, which could deal with water competing conflict between the upper level and the lower level effectively. The obtained results are expected to make great contribution in helping local decision-makers to make decisions on dealing with the water competing conflict between the upper and lower level and the optimal use of water resources under uncertainty.

Mammary tumorigenesis in APC{sup min/+} mice is enhanced by X-irradiation with a characteristic age dependence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tatsuhiko, Imaoka; Mayumi, Nishimura; Shizuko, Kakinuma; Yoshiya, Shimada [National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Experimental Radiobiology for Children' s Health Research Group, Research, Center for Radiation Protection (Japan); Mieko, Okamoto [Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science (Japan)

2006-07-01

The ApcM{sup min/+} (Min) mouse is a genetically predisposed model of both intestinal and mammary tumorigenesis. We investigated age-related changes in the susceptibility of mice (before, during and after puberty) to radiation-induced mammary tumorigenesis using this model. Female Min and wild-type mice having the C57BL/6J background were irradiated with 2 Gy of X-rays at 2, 5, 7 and 10 weeks and sacrificed at 18 weeks of age. Min mice irradiated at 7 to 10 weeks of age (after puberty) developed mammary tumors with squamous metaplasia, whereas their wild-type litter-mates did not. Interestingly, irradiation of Min mice at 2 to 5 weeks (before and during puberty, respectively) did not induce mammary tumors but rather cystic nodules with metaplasia. The mammary tumors exhibited increased nuclear beta-catenin protein and loss of the wild-type Apc allele. Our results show that susceptibility to radiation-induced mammary tumorigenesis increases after puberty in Min mice, suggesting that the tumorigenic effect of ionizing radiation targets the lobular-alveolar progenitor cells, which increase in number with age and are controlled by beta-catenin signaling. (author)

Instant MinGW starter

CERN Document Server

Shpigor, Ilya

2013-01-01

This is a Starter guide designed to enable the reader to start using MinGW to develop Microsoft Windows applications as quickly, and as efficiently, as possible. This book is for C and C++ developers who are looking for new and effective instruments to use in application development for Microsoft Windows. No experience of MinGW is needed: this book will guide you through the essentials to get you using the software like a pro in a matter of hours.

MinT: Middleware for Cooperative Interaction of Things.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Soobin; Jung, Inbum

2017-06-20

This paper proposes an Internet of Things (IoT) middleware called Middleware for Cooperative Interaction of Things (MinT). MinT supports a fully distributed IoT environment in which IoT devices directly connect to peripheral devices easily construct a local or global network, and share their data in an energy efficient manner. MinT provides a sensor abstract layer, a system layer and an interaction layer. These enable integrated sensing device operations, efficient resource management, and active interconnection between peripheral IoT devices. In addition, MinT provides a high-level API to develop IoT devices easily for IoT device developers. We aim to enhance the energy efficiency and performance of IoT devices through the performance improvements offered by MinT resource management and request processing. The experimental results show that the average request rate increased by 25% compared to Californium, which is a middleware for efficient interaction in IoT environments with powerful performance, an average response time decrease of 90% when resource management was used, and power consumption decreased by up to 68%. Finally, the proposed platform can reduce the latency and power consumption of IoT devices.

Quantum Max-flow/Min-cut

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Shawn X.; Freedman, Michael H.; Sattath, Or; Stong, Richard; Minton, Greg

2016-06-01

The classical max-flow min-cut theorem describes transport through certain idealized classical networks. We consider the quantum analog for tensor networks. By associating an integral capacity to each edge and a tensor to each vertex in a flow network, we can also interpret it as a tensor network and, more specifically, as a linear map from the input space to the output space. The quantum max-flow is defined to be the maximal rank of this linear map over all choices of tensors. The quantum min-cut is defined to be the minimum product of the capacities of edges over all cuts of the tensor network. We show that unlike the classical case, the quantum max-flow=min-cut conjecture is not true in general. Under certain conditions, e.g., when the capacity on each edge is some power of a fixed integer, the quantum max-flow is proved to equal the quantum min-cut. However, concrete examples are also provided where the equality does not hold. We also found connections of quantum max-flow/min-cut with entropy of entanglement and the quantum satisfiability problem. We speculate that the phenomena revealed may be of interest both in spin systems in condensed matter and in quantum gravity.

Quantum Max-flow/Min-cut

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cui, Shawn X., E-mail: xingshan@math.ucsb.edu [Department of Mathematics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States); Quantum Architectures and Computation Group, Microsoft Research, Redmond, Washington 98052 (United States); Freedman, Michael H., E-mail: michaelf@microsoft.com [Department of Mathematics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States); Microsoft Research, Station Q, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States); Sattath, Or, E-mail: sattath@gmail.com [Computer Science Division, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Stong, Richard, E-mail: stong@ccrwest.org; Minton, Greg, E-mail: gtminto@ccrwest.org [Center for Communications Research, La Jolla, California 92121 (United States)

2016-06-15

The classical max-flow min-cut theorem describes transport through certain idealized classical networks. We consider the quantum analog for tensor networks. By associating an integral capacity to each edge and a tensor to each vertex in a flow network, we can also interpret it as a tensor network and, more specifically, as a linear map from the input space to the output space. The quantum max-flow is defined to be the maximal rank of this linear map over all choices of tensors. The quantum min-cut is defined to be the minimum product of the capacities of edges over all cuts of the tensor network. We show that unlike the classical case, the quantum max-flow=min-cut conjecture is not true in general. Under certain conditions, e.g., when the capacity on each edge is some power of a fixed integer, the quantum max-flow is proved to equal the quantum min-cut. However, concrete examples are also provided where the equality does not hold. We also found connections of quantum max-flow/min-cut with entropy of entanglement and the quantum satisfiability problem. We speculate that the phenomena revealed may be of interest both in spin systems in condensed matter and in quantum gravity.

A novel approach to assess the spontaneous gastrointestinal bleeding risk of antithrombotic agents using Apc(min/+) mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Huijun; Shang, Jin; Keohane, CarolAnn; Wang, Min; Li, Qiu; Ni, Weihua; O'Neill, Kim; Chintala, Madhu

2014-06-01

Assessment of the bleeding risk of antithrombotic agents is usually performed in healthy animals with some form of vascular injury to peripheral organs to induce bleeding. However, bleeding observed in patients with currently marketed antithrombotic drugs is typically spontaneous in nature such as intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) and gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, which happens most frequently on top of preexisting pathologies such as GI ulcerations and polyps. Apc(min/+) mice are reported to develop multiple adenomas through the entire intestinal tract and display progressive anaemia.In this study, we evaluated the potential utility of Apc(min/+) mice as a model for assessing spontaneous GI bleeding with antithrombotic agents. Apc(min/+) mice exhibited progressive blood loss starting at the age of nine weeks. Despite the increase in bleeding, Apc(min/+) mice were in a hypercoagulable state and displayed an age-dependent increase in thrombin generation and circulating fibrinogen as well as a significant decrease in clotting times. We evaluated the effect of warfarin, dabigatran etexilate, apixaban and clopidogrel in this model by administering them in diet or in the drinking water to mice for 1-4 weeks. All of these marketed drugs significantly increased GI bleeding in Apc(min/+) mice, but not in wild-type mice. Although different exposure profiles of these antithrombotic agents make it challenging to compare the bleeding risk of compounds, our results indicate that the Apc(min/+) mouse may be a sensitive preclinical model for assessing the spontaneous GI bleeding risk of novel antithrombotic agents.

Interdependency of formation and localisation of the Min complex controls symmetric plastid division.

Science.gov (United States)

Maple, Jodi; Møller, Simon G

2007-10-01

Plastid division represents a fundamental biological process essential for plant development; however, the molecular basis of symmetric plastid division is unclear. AtMinE1 plays a pivotal role in selection of the plastid division site in concert with AtMinD1. AtMinE1 localises to discrete foci in chloroplasts and interacts with AtMinD1, which shows a similar localisation pattern. Here, we investigate the importance of Min protein complex formation during the chloroplast division process. Dissection of the assembly of the Min protein complex and determination of the interdependency of complex assembly and localisation in planta allow us to present a model of the molecular basis of selection of the division site in plastids. Moreover, functional analysis of AtMinE1 in bacteria demonstrates the level of functional conservation and divergence of the plastidic MinE proteins.

A min-max variational principle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Georgiev, P.G.

1995-11-01

In this paper a variational principle for min-max problems is proved that is of the same spirit as Deville-Godefroy-Zizler's variational principle for minimization problems. A localization theorem in which the mini-max points for the perturbed function with respect top a given ε-min-max point are localized is presented. 3 refs

Model of the impact of parameters controlling replenishment in the bs (min-max continuous review system on the actual inventory availibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanisław Krzyżaniak

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Due to random changes in demand, inventory management is still - despite the development of alternative goods flow management concepts - an important issue both in terms of costs of maintenance and replenishment as well as the level of service measured by inventory availability levels. There are a number of replenishment systems to be used in such conditions, but they are most often formed on the basis of two basic ones: a system based on the reorder point and based on periodic inspection.  This paper refers to the former system, the BS system (min-max, in which an order is placed after reaching inventory level B (information level, reorder point for a quantity allowing to reach level S. This system is very often used in business practice. Observations conducted under realistic conditions indicate the need to improve the classical models describing the system.  This results, among other things, from the fact that the actual level of available inventory at the start of the replenishment cycle may be significantly lower than level B, resulting in lower than expected levels of customer service. Taking account of this phenomenon through model determination of the cumulative distribution function for the observed difference makes it possible to select the correct parameters to control the replenishment system in question and - therefore - to achieve the expected economic effects. Methods: The object of the study is to create a mathematical model allowing the determination of the required inventory level B taking into account the difference D between this level and the actual level of inventory at the start of the replenishment cycle.  To determine the effect of various factors such as demand distribution parameters in the adopted unit of time and the difference between level S (max and B (min, a dedicated tool (simulator in EXCEL spreadsheet for determining the distribution of frequency of value D has been developed.  Then a

Kaiso overexpression promotes intestinal inflammation and potentiates intestinal tumorigenesis in Apc(Min/+) mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierre, Christina C; Longo, Joseph; Mavor, Meaghan; Milosavljevic, Snezana B; Chaudhary, Roopali; Gilbreath, Ebony; Yates, Clayton; Daniel, Juliet M

2015-09-01

Constitutive Wnt/β-catenin signaling is a key contributor to colorectal cancer (CRC). Although inactivation of the tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is recognized as an early event in CRC development, it is the accumulation of multiple subsequent oncogenic insults facilitates malignant transformation. One potential contributor to colorectal carcinogenesis is the POZ-ZF transcription factor Kaiso, whose depletion extends lifespan and delays polyp onset in the widely used Apc(Min/+) mouse model of intestinal cancer. These findings suggested that Kaiso potentiates intestinal tumorigenesis, but this was paradoxical as Kaiso was previously implicated as a negative regulator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. To resolve Kaiso's role in intestinal tumorigenesis and canonical Wnt signaling, we generated a transgenic mouse model (Kaiso(Tg/+)) expressing an intestinal-specific myc-tagged Kaiso transgene. We then mated Kaiso(Tg/+) and Apc(Min/+) mice to generate Kaiso(Tg/+):Apc(Min/+) mice for further characterization. Kaiso(Tg/+):Apc(Min/+) mice exhibited reduced lifespan and increased polyp multiplicity compared to Apc(Min/+) mice. Consistent with this murine phenotype, we found increased Kaiso expression in human CRC tissue, supporting a role for Kaiso in human CRC. Interestingly, Wnt target gene expression was increased in Kaiso(Tg/+):Apc(Min/+) mice, suggesting that Kaiso's function as a negative regulator of canonical Wnt signaling, as seen in Xenopus, is not maintained in this context. Notably, Kaiso(Tg/+):Apc(Min/+) mice exhibited increased inflammation and activation of NFκB signaling compared to their Apc(Min/+) counterparts. This phenotype was consistent with our previous report that Kaiso(Tg/+) mice exhibit chronic intestinal inflammation. Together our findings highlight a role for Kaiso in promoting Wnt signaling, inflammation and tumorigenesis in the mammalian intestine. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Extensive metabolic disorders are present in APC(min) tumorigenesis mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhenzhen; Xiao, Yi; Zhou, Zhengxiang; Mao, Xiaoxiao; Cai, Jinxing; Xiong, Lu; Liao, Chaonan; Huang, Fulian; Liu, Zehao; Ali Sheikh, Md Sayed; Plutzky, Jorge; Huang, He; Yang, Tianlun; Duan, Qiong

2016-05-15

Wnt signaling plays essential role in mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation. Activation of Wnt signaling suppresses adipogenesis, but promotes osteogenesis in MSC. Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is a negative regulator of β-catenin and Wnt signaling activity. The mutation of APC gene leads to the activation of Wnt signaling and is responsible for tumorigenesis in APC(min) mouse; however, very few studies focused on its metabolic abnormalities. The present study reports a widespread metabolic disorder phenotype in APC(min) mice. The old APC(min) mice have decreased body weight and impaired adipogenesis, but severe hyperlipidemia, which mimic the phenotypes of Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP), an inherited disease also caused by APC gene mutation in human. We found that the expression of lipid metabolism and free fat acids (FA) use genes in the white adipose tissue (WAT) of the APC(min) mice is much lower than those of control. The changed gene expression pattern may lead to the disability of circulatory lipid transportation and storage at WAT. Moreover, the APC(min) mice could not maintain the core body temperature in cold condition. PET-CT determination revealed that the BAT of APC(min) mice has significantly impaired ability to take up (18)FDG from the blood. Morphological studies identified that the brown adipocytes of APC(min) mice were filled with lipid droplets but fewer mitochondria. These results matched with the findings of impaired BAT function in APC(min) mice. Collectively, our study explores a new mechanism that explains abnormal metabolism in APC(min) mice and provides insights into studying the metabolic disorders of FAP patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The 1-min Screening Test for Reading Problems in College Students: Psychometric Properties of the 1-min TIL.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Tânia; Araújo, Susana; Sucena, Ana; Reis, Alexandra; Castro, São Luís

2017-02-01

Reading is a central cognitive domain, but little research has been devoted to standardized tests for adults. We, thus, examined the psychometric properties of the 1-min version of Teste de Idade de Leitura (Reading Age Test; 1-min TIL), the Portuguese version of Lobrot L3 test, in three experiments with college students: typical readers in Experiment 1A and B, dyslexic readers and chronological age controls in Experiment 2. In Experiment 1A, test-retest reliability and convergent validity were evaluated in 185 students. Reliability was >.70, and phonological decoding underpinned 1-min TIL. In Experiment 1B, internal consistency was assessed by presenting two 45-s versions of the test to 19 students, and performance in these versions was significantly associated (r = .78). In Experiment 2, construct validity, criterion validity and clinical utility of 1-min TIL were investigated. A multiple regression analysis corroborated construct validity; both phonological decoding and listening comprehension were reliable predictors of 1-min TIL scores. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristics analyses revealed the high accuracy of this test in distinguishing dyslexic from typical readers. Therefore, the 1-min TIL, which assesses reading comprehension and potential reading difficulties in college students, has the necessary psychometric properties to become a useful screening instrument in neuropsychological assessment and research. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An Optimal Free Energy Dissipation Strategy of the MinCDE Oscillator in Regulating Symmetric Bacterial Cell Division

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Liping; Lan, Ganhui

2015-01-01

Sustained molecular oscillations are ubiquitous in biology. The obtained oscillatory patterns provide vital functions as timekeepers, pacemakers and spacemarkers. Models based on control theory have been introduced to explain how specific oscillatory behaviors stem from protein interaction feedbacks, whereas the energy dissipation through the oscillating processes and its role in the regulatory function remain unexplored. Here we developed a general framework to assess an oscillator’s regulation performance at different dissipation levels. Using the Escherichia coli MinCDE oscillator as a model system, we showed that a sufficient amount of energy dissipation is needed to switch on the oscillation, which is tightly coupled to the system’s regulatory performance. Once the dissipation level is beyond this threshold, unlike stationary regulators’ monotonic performance-to-cost relation, excess dissipation at certain steps in the oscillating process damages the oscillator’s regulatory performance. We further discovered that the chemical free energy from ATP hydrolysis has to be strategically assigned to the MinE-aided MinD release and the MinD immobilization steps for optimal performance, and a higher energy budget improves the robustness of the oscillator. These results unfold a novel mode by which living systems trade energy for regulatory function. PMID:26317492

Epithelial-derived IL-33 promotes intestinal tumorigenesis in Apc Min/+ mice.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Zhengxiang; Chen, Lili; Souto, Fabricio O; Canasto-Chibuque, Claudia; Bongers, Gerold; Deshpande, Madhura; Harpaz, Noam; Ko, Huaibin M; Kelley, Kevin; Furtado, Glaucia C; Lira, Sergio A

2017-07-14

Increased expression of Interleukin (IL)-33 has been detected in intestinal samples of patients with ulcerative colitis, a condition associated with increased risk for colon cancer, but its role in the development of colorectal cancer has yet to be fully examined. Here, we investigated the role of epithelial expressed IL-33 during development of intestinal tumors. IL-33 expression was detected in epithelial cells in colorectal cancer specimens and in the Apc Min/+ mice. To better understand the role of epithelial-derived IL-33 in the intestinal tumorigenesis, we generated transgenic mice expressing IL-33 in intestinal epithelial cells (V33 mice). V33 Apc Min/+ mice, resulting from the cross of V33 with Apc Min/+ mice, had increased intestinal tumor burden compared with littermate Apc Min/+ mice. Consistently, Apc Min/+ mice deficient for IL-33 receptor (ST2), had reduced polyp burden. Mechanistically, overexpression of IL-33 promoted expansion of ST2 + regulatory T cells, increased Th2 cytokine milieu, and induced alternatively activated macrophages in the gut. IL-33 promoted marked changes in the expression of antimicrobial peptides, and antibiotic treatment of V33 Apc Min/+ mice abrogated the tumor promoting-effects of IL-33 in the colon. In conclusion, elevated IL-33 signaling increases tumor development in the Apc Min/+ mice.

A Count Model to Study the Correlates of 60 Min of Daily Physical Activity in Portuguese Children

Science.gov (United States)

Borges, Alessandra; Gomes, Thayse Natacha; Santos, Daniel; Pereira, Sara; dos Santos, Fernanda K.; Chaves, Raquel; Katzmarzyk, Peter T.; Maia, José

2015-01-01

This study aimed to present data on Portuguese children (aged 9–11 years) complying with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) guidelines, and to identify the importance of correlates from multiple domains associated with meeting the guidelines. Physical activity (PA) was objectively assessed by accelerometry throughout seven days on 777 children. A count model using Poisson regression was used to identify the best set of correlates that predicts the variability in meeting the guidelines. Only 3.1% of children met the recommended daily 60 min of MVPA for all seven days of the week. Further, the Cochrane–Armitage chi-square test indicated a linear and negative trend (p < 0.001) from none to all seven days of children complying with the guidelines. The count model explained 22% of the variance in meeting MVPA guidelines daily. Being a girl, having a higher BMI, belonging to families with higher income, sleeping more and taking greater time walking from home to a sporting venue significantly reduced the probability of meeting daily recommended MVPA across the seven days. Furthermore, compared to girls, increasing sleep time in boys increased their chances of compliance with the MVPA recommendations. These results reinforce the relevance of considering different covariates’ roles on PA compliance when designing efficient intervention strategies to promote healthy and active lifestyles in children. PMID:25730296

A Count Model to Study the Correlates of 60 Min of Daily Physical Activity in Portuguese Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandra Borges

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to present data on Portuguese children (aged 9–11 years complying with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA guidelines, and to identify the importance of correlates from multiple domains associated with meeting the guidelines. Physical activity (PA was objectively assessed by accelerometry throughout seven days on 777 children. A count model using Poisson regression was used to identify the best set of correlates that predicts the variability in meeting the guidelines. Only 3.1% of children met the recommended daily 60 min of MVPA for all seven days of the week. Further, the Cochrane–Armitage chi-square test indicated a linear and negative trend (p < 0.001 from none to all seven days of children complying with the guidelines. The count model explained 22% of the variance in meeting MVPA guidelines daily. Being a girl, having a higher BMI, belonging to families with higher income, sleeping more and taking greater time walking from home to a sporting venue significantly reduced the probability of meeting daily recommended MVPA across the seven days. Furthermore, compared to girls, increasing sleep time in boys increased their chances of compliance with the MVPA recommendations. These results reinforce the relevance of considering different covariates’ roles on PA compliance when designing efficient intervention strategies to promote healthy and active lifestyles in children.

A Modified MinMax k-Means Algorithm Based on PSO.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaoyan; Bai, Yanping

The MinMax k -means algorithm is widely used to tackle the effect of bad initialization by minimizing the maximum intraclustering errors. Two parameters, including the exponent parameter and memory parameter, are involved in the executive process. Since different parameters have different clustering errors, it is crucial to choose appropriate parameters. In the original algorithm, a practical framework is given. Such framework extends the MinMax k -means to automatically adapt the exponent parameter to the data set. It has been believed that if the maximum exponent parameter has been set, then the programme can reach the lowest intraclustering errors. However, our experiments show that this is not always correct. In this paper, we modified the MinMax k -means algorithm by PSO to determine the proper values of parameters which can subject the algorithm to attain the lowest clustering errors. The proposed clustering method is tested on some favorite data sets in several different initial situations and is compared to the k -means algorithm and the original MinMax k -means algorithm. The experimental results indicate that our proposed algorithm can reach the lowest clustering errors automatically.

New Min-Max Approach to Optimal Choice of the Weights in Multi-Criteria Group Decision-Making Problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming Chen

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In multi-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM, one of the most important problems is to determine the weights of criteria and experts. This paper intends to present two Min-Max models to optimize the point estimates of the weights. Since each expert generally possesses a uniform viewpoint on the importance (weighted value of each criterion when he/she needs to rank the alternatives, the objective function in the first model is to minimize the maximum variation between the actual score vector and the ideal one for all the alternatives such that the optimal weights of criteria are consistent in ranking all the alternatives for the same expert. The second model is designed to optimize the weights of experts such that the obtained overall evaluation for each alternative can collect the perspectives of the experts as many as possible. Thus, the objective function in the second model is to minimize the maximum variation between the actual vector of evaluations and the ideal one for all the experts, such that the optimal weights can reduce the difference among the experts in evaluating the same alternative. For the constructed Min-Max models, another focus in this paper is on the development of an efficient algorithm for the optimal weights. Some applications are employed to show the significance of the models and algorithm. From the numerical results, it is clear that the developed Min-Max models more effectively solve the MCGDM problems including the ones with incomplete score matrices, compared with the methods available in the literature. Specifically, by the proposed method, (1 the evaluation uniformity of each expert on the same criteria is guaranteed; (2 The overall evaluation for each alternative can collect the judgements of the experts as many as possible; (3 The highest discrimination degree of the alternatives is obtained.

Quantitative study of the f-occupation in CeMIn{sub 5} and other cerium compounds with hard X-ray core level photo emission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sundermann, Martin; Strigari, Fabio; Willers, Thomas; Severing, Andrea [University of Cologne, Cologne (Germany); Weinen, Jonas; Tjeng, Liu Hao [Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden (Germany); Liao, Yen-Fa; Tsuei, Ku-Ding [National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu (China); Bauer, Eric D.; Sarrao, John L.; Thompson, Joe D. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos (United States); Lejay, Pascal [Institut NEEL, CNRS, Grenoble (France); Tanaka, Arata [Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima (Japan)

2016-07-01

Bulk-sensitive hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) data of the Ce3d core levels of the CeMIn{sub 5} family with M = Co, Rh, and Ir will be presented. The data analysis combines a full multiplet and configuration interaction model so that the strong plasmons intensities can be corrected for. This way spectral f{sup n} weights can be extracted and the configuration interaction model yields quantitative values for the initial state f-occupation of the CeMIn{sub 5}. The results are compared with HAXPES data of other heavy Ce compounds of very different hybridization strength. A systematic decrease of the hybridization strength V{sub eff} from CePd{sub 3} to CeRh{sub 3}B{sub 2} to CeRu{sub 2}Si{sub 2} is observed, and it is smallest for the three CeMIn{sub 5} compounds. The f-occupation increases in the same sequence and is close to one for the CeMIn{sub 5} family.

Voluntary exercise inhibits intestinal tumorigenesis in ApcMin/+ mice and azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium-treated mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ju, Jihyeung; Nolan, Bonnie; Cheh, Michelle; Bose, Mousumi; Lin, Yong; Wagner, George C; Yang, Chung S

2008-01-01

Epidemiological studies suggest that physical activity reduces the risk of colon cancer in humans. Results from animal studies, however, are inconclusive. The present study investigated the effects of voluntary exercise on intestinal tumor formation in two different animal models, Apc Min/+ mice and azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-treated mice. In Experiments 1 and 2, five-week old female Apc Min/+ mice were either housed in regular cages or cages equipped with a running wheel for 6 weeks (for mice maintained on the AIN93G diet; Experiment 1) or 9 weeks (for mice on a high-fat diet; Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, male CF-1 mice at 6 weeks of age were given a dose of AOM (10 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) and, 12 days later, 1.5% DSS in drinking fluid for 1 week. The mice were then maintained on a high-fat diet and housed in regular cages or cages equipped with a running wheel for 16 weeks. In the Apc Min/+ mice maintained on either the AIN93G or the high-fat diet, voluntary exercise decreased the number of small intestinal tumors. In the AOM/DSS-treated mice maintained on a high-fat diet, voluntary exercise also decreased the number of colon tumors. In Apc Min/+ mice, voluntary exercise decreased the ratio of serum insulin like growth factor (IGF)-1 to IGF binding protein (BP)-3 levels. It also decreased prostaglandin E 2 and nuclear β-catenin levels, but increased E-cadherin levels in the tumors. These results indicate hat voluntary exercise inhibited intestinal tumorigenesis in Apc Min/+ mice and AOM/DSS-treated mice, and the inhibitory effect is associated with decreased IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio, aberrant β-catenin signaling, and arachidonic acid metabolism

The sensorimotor and cognitive deficits in rats following 90- and 120-min transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery.

Science.gov (United States)

Zvejniece, Liga; Svalbe, Baiba; Liepinsh, Edgars; Pulks, Eduards; Dambrova, Maija

2012-07-15

Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) is the most commonly used method to study the neurological and histological outcomes and the pathological mechanisms of ischaemic stroke. The current work compares sensorimotor and cognitive deficits and the infarct volume in rats following a transient 90- or 120-min MCAO, which allows the appropriate behavioural tests to be chosen based on the goal and design of the experiment. In the beam-walking test, we found significant differences between the 90- and 120-min MCAO groups in the number of foot faults made with the impaired hindlimb on post-stroke days 3, 7 and 14. In the cylinder test, a difference between the 90- and 120-min groups was observed on post-operation day 14. The responses to tactile and proprioceptive stimulation were impaired to a similar extent after 90- and 120-min MCAO in the vibrissae-evoked forelimb-placing and limb-placing tests. Moreover, we found significant memory impairment in the 120-min MCAO group 6 days after the acquisition trial. The brain tissue damage was significantly higher after 120-min occlusion of the MCA compared with 90-min occlusion; the infarct volumes were 13% and 25% of the contralateral hemispheres, respectively. In conclusion, both the 90- and 120-min occlusion models result in a significant impairment of sensorimotor, tactile and proprioceptive function, but memory impairment is only observed in the 120-min MCAO group. The beam-walking and cylinder tests detected neurological dysfunction after the 120-min MCAO, whereas the limb-placing and vibrissae-evoked forelimb-placing tests were able to evaluate the neurological dysfunction in rats after 90- and 120-min MCAO. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Oscillating behavior of Clostridium difficile Min proteins in Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Makroczyová, Jana; Jamroškovič, Ján; Krascsenitsová, Eva; Labajová, Nad'a; Barák, Imrich

2016-06-01

In rod-shaped bacteria, the proper placement of the division septum at the midcell relies, at least partially, on the proteins of the Min system as an inhibitor of cell division. The main principle of Min system function involves the formation of an inhibitor gradient along the cell axis; however, the establishment of this gradient differs between two well-studied gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. While in gram-negative Escherichia coli, the Min system undergoes pole-to-pole oscillation, in gram-positive Bacillus subtilis, proper spatial inhibition is achieved by the preferential attraction of the Min proteins to the cell poles. Nevertheless, when E.coli Min proteins are inserted into B.subtilis cells, they still oscillate, which negatively affects asymmetric septation during sporulation in this organism. Interestingly, homologs of both Min systems were found to be present in various combinations in the genomes of anaerobic and endospore-forming Clostridia, including the pathogenic Clostridium difficile. Here, we have investigated the localization and behavior of C.difficile Min protein homologs and showed that MinDE proteins of C.difficile can oscillate when expressed together in B.subtilis cells. We have also investigated the effects of this oscillation on B.subtilis sporulation, and observed decreased sporulation efficiency in strains harboring the MinDE genes. Additionally, we have evaluated the effects of C.difficile Min protein expression on vegetative division in this heterologous host. © 2016 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Loss of PACS-2 delays regeneration in DSS-induced colitis but does not affect the ApcMin model of colorectal cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dombernowsky, Sarah L.; Schwarz, Jeanette; Samsøe-Petersen, Jacob

2017-01-01

in these processes. Specifically, we analyzed the role of Pacs2- deficiency in a DSS-induced colitis model as well as in the genetic ApcMin colon cancer model. We now report that loss of PACS-2 delays tissue regeneration after colonic injury with little effect on key inflammatory parameters. We did however...... not observe any apparent effects on tumor formation driven by excessive proliferative signaling downstream from APC-deficiency. Our findings reveal that the role of PACS- 2 in regulating ADAM17-mediated shedding is not an obligate requirement for the epithelium to respond to the strong inflammatory...

Using the MDCT thick slab MinIP method for the follow-up of pulmonary emphysema.

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Hai; Nishitani, Hiromu; Nishihara, Sadamitsu; Ueno, Junji; Takao, Shoichiro; Iwamoto, Seiji; Kawanaka, Takashi; Mahmut, Mawlan; Qingge, Si

2011-08-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of thick slab minimum intensity projection (MinIP) as a follow-up method in patients with pulmonary emphysema. This method was used to determine the presence or absence of changes over time in the lung field based on multi-detector-row CT (MDCT) data. Among patients diagnosed with pulmonary emphysema who underwent 16-MDCT (slice thickness, 1 mm) twice at an interval of 6 months or more, 12 patients without changes in the lung field and 14 with clear changes in the lung field were selected as subjects. An image interpretation experiment was performed by five image interpreters. Pulmonary emphysema was followed up using two types of thick slab MinIP (thick slab MinIP 1 and 2) and multi-planar reformation (MPR), and the results of image interpretation were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. In addition, the time required for image interpretation was compared among the three follow-up methods. The area under the ROC curve (Az) was 0.794 for thick slab MinIP 1, 0.778 for the thick slab MinIP 2, and 0.759 for MPR, showing no significant differences among the three methods. Individual differences in each item were significantly more marked for MPR than for thick slab MinIP. The time required for image interpretation was around 18 seconds for thick slab MinIP 1, 11 seconds for thick slab MinIP 2, and approximately 127 seconds for MPR, showing significant differences among the three methods. There were no significant differences in the results of image interpretation regarding the presence or absence of changes in the lung fields between thick slab MinIP and MPR. However, thick slab MinIP showed a shorter image interpretation time and smaller individual differences in the results among image interpreters than MPR, suggesting the usefulness of this method for determining the presence or absence of changes with time in the lung fields of patients with pulmonary emphysema.

Lack of anti-tumor activity with the β-catenin expression inhibitor EZN-3892 in the C57BL/6J Min/+ model of intestinal carcinogenesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasson, Rian M.; Briggs, Alexandra; Rizvi, Hira; Carothers, Adelaide M.; Davids, Jennifer S.; Bertagnolli, Monica M.; Cho, Nancy L., E-mail: nlcho@partners.org

2014-02-14

Highlights: • Wnt/β-catenin signaling is aberrantly activated in most colorectal cancers. • Locked nucleic acid (LNA)-based antisense is a novel tool for cancer therapy. • β-Catenin inhibition was observed in mature intestinal tissue of LNA-treated mice. • Further investigation of Wnt/β-catenin targeted therapies is warranted. - Abstract: Background: Previously, we showed that short-term inhibition of β-catenin expression and reversal of aberrant β-catenin subcellular localization by the selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib is associated with adenoma regression in the C57BL/6J Min/+ mouse. Conversly, long-term administration resulted in tumor resistance, leading us to investigate alternative methods for selective β-catenin chemoprevention. In this study, we hypothesized that disruption of β-catenin expression by EZN-3892, a selective locked nucleic acid (LNA)-based β-catenin inhibitor, would counteract the tumorigenic effect of Apc loss in Min/+ adenomas while preserving normal intestinal function. Materials and methods: C57BL/6J Apc{sup +/+} wild-type (WT) and Min/+ mice were treated with the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of EZN-3892 (30 mg/kg). Drug effect on tumor numbers, β-catenin protein expression, and nuclear β-catenin localization were determined. Results: Although the tumor phenotype and β-catenin nuclear localization in Min/+ mice did not change following drug administration, we observed a decrease in β-catenin expression levels in the mature intestinal tissue of treated Min/+ and WT mice, providing proof of principle regarding successful delivery of the LNA-based antisense vehicle. Higher doses of EZN-3892 resulted in fatal outcomes in Min/+ mice, likely due to β-catenin ablation in the intestinal tissue and loss of function. Conclusions: Our data support the critical role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in maintaining intestinal homeostasis and highlight the challenges of effective drug delivery to target disease without permanent

Application of the Min-Projection and the Model Predictive Strategies for Current Control of Three-Phase Grid-Connected Converters: a Comparative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Oloumi

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This paper provides a detailed comparative study concerning the performance of min-projection strategy (MPS and model predictive control (MPC systems to control the three-phase grid connected converters. To do so, first, the converter is modeled as a switched linear system. Then, the feasibility of the MPS technique is investigated and its stability criterion is derived as a lower limit on the DC link voltage. Next, the fundamental equations of the MPS to control a VSC are obtained in the stationary reference frame. The mathematical analysis reveals that the MPS is independent of the load, grid, filter and converter parameters. This feature is a great advantage of MPS over the MPC approach. However, the latter is a well-known model-based control technique, has already developed for controlling the VSC in the stationary reference frame. To control the grid connected VSC, both MPS and MPC approaches are simulated in the PSCAD/EMTDC environment. Simulation results illustrate that the MPS is functioning well and is less sensitive to grid and filter inductances as well as the DC link voltage level. However, the MPC approach renders slightly a better performance in the steady state conditions.

Deriving the Normalized Min-Sum Algorithm from Cooperative Optimization

OpenAIRE

Huang, Xiaofei

2006-01-01

The normalized min-sum algorithm can achieve near-optimal performance at decoding LDPC codes. However, it is a critical question to understand the mathematical principle underlying the algorithm. Traditionally, people thought that the normalized min-sum algorithm is a good approximation to the sum-product algorithm, the best known algorithm for decoding LDPC codes and Turbo codes. This paper offers an alternative approach to understand the normalized min-sum algorithm. The algorithm is derive...

Quantum key distribution with finite resources: calculating the min-entropy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bratzik, Sylvia; Mertz, Markus; Kampermann, Hermann; Abruzzo, Silvestre; Bruss, Dagmar [Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet, Duesseldorf (Germany)

2010-07-01

The min-entropy is an important quantity in quantum key distribution. Recently, a connection between the min- entropy and the minimal-error discrimination problem was found. We use this connection to evaluate the min-entropy for different quantum key distribution setups.

Genetic and Biochemical Characterization of the MinC-FtsZ Interaction in Bacillus subtilis

Science.gov (United States)

Castellen, Patricia; Nogueira, Maria Luiza C.; Bettini, Jefferson; Portugal, Rodrigo V.; Zeri, Ana Carolina M.; Gueiros-Filho, Frederico J.

2013-01-01

Cell division in bacteria is regulated by proteins that interact with FtsZ and modulate its ability to polymerize into the Z ring structure. The best studied of these regulators is MinC, an inhibitor of FtsZ polymerization that plays a crucial role in the spatial control of Z ring formation. Recent work established that E. coli MinC interacts with two regions of FtsZ, the bottom face of the H10 helix and the extreme C-terminal peptide (CTP). Here we determined the binding site for MinC on Bacillus subtilis FtsZ. Selection of a library of FtsZ mutants for survival in the presence of Min overexpression resulted in the isolation of 13 Min-resistant mutants. Most of the substitutions that gave rise to Min resistance clustered around the H9 and H10 helices in the C-terminal domain of FtsZ. In addition, a mutation in the CTP of B. subtilis FtsZ also produced MinC resistance. Biochemical characterization of some of the mutant proteins showed that they exhibited normal polymerization properties but reduced interaction with MinC, as expected for binding site mutations. Thus, our study shows that the overall architecture of the MinC-FtsZ interaction is conserved in E. coli and B. subtilis. Nevertheless, there was a clear difference in the mutations that conferred Min resistance, with those in B. subtilis FtsZ pointing to the side of the molecule rather than to its polymerization interface. This observation suggests that the mechanism of Z ring inhibition by MinC differs in both species. PMID:23577149

Mechanistic insights of the Min oscillator via cell-free reconstitution and imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Mizuuchi, Kiyoshi; Vecchiarelli, Anthony G.

2018-05-01

The MinD and MinE proteins of Escherichia coli self-organize into a standing-wave oscillator on the membrane to help align division at mid-cell. When unleashed from cellular confines, MinD and MinE form a spectrum of patterns on artificial bilayers—static amoebas, traveling waves, traveling mushrooms, and bursts with standing-wave dynamics. We recently focused our cell-free studies on bursts because their dynamics recapitulate many features of Min oscillation observed in vivo. The data unveiled a patterning mechanism largely governed by MinE regulation of MinD interaction with membrane. We proposed that the MinD to MinE ratio on the membrane acts as a toggle switch between MinE-stimulated recruitment and release of MinD from the membrane. In this review, we summarize cell-free data on the Min system and expand upon a molecular mechanism that provides a biochemical explanation as to how these two ‘simple’ proteins can form the remarkable spectrum of patterns.

Min-max optimal public service system design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek Kvet

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with designing a fair public service system. To achieve fairness, various schemes are be applied. The strongest criterion in the process is minimization of disutility of the worst situated users and then optimization of disutility of the better situated users under the condition that disutility of the worst situated users does not worsen, otherwise called lexicographical minimization. Focusing on the first step, this paper endeavours to find an effective solution to the weighted p-median problem based on radial formulation. Attempts at solving real instances when using a location-allocation model often fail due to enormous computational time or huge memory demands. Radial formulation can be implemented using commercial optimisation software. The main goal of this study is to show that the suitability solving of the min-max optimal public service system design can save computational time.

Secrecy Outage of Max-Min TAS Scheme in MIMO-NOMA Systems

KAUST Repository

Lei, Hongjiang

2018-04-09

This paper considers a secure non-orthogonal multiple access system, where confidential messages are transmitted from a base station to multiple legitimate destinations and wiretapped by multiple illegitimate receivers. It is assumed that all the channels experience Nakagami-m fading model and all the nodes are equipped with multiple antennas, respectively. Both non-colluding and colluding eavesdroppers are respectively considered. Max-min (MM) transmit antenna selection (TAS) strategy is adopted to improve the secrecy performance of the target system, in which both users in user paring are considered simultaneously. In particular, closed-form expressions for the cumulative distribution function of the signal-to-interference-noise ratio at the legitimate user are derived firstly. Then we obtain the exact and asymptotic analytical results in a closed form for the secrecy outage probability of MM TAS scheme. Monte-Carlo simulation results are presented to corroborate the correctness of the analysis. The results show that the secrecy diversity order is zero and non-zero for fixed and dynamic power allocations, respectively.

Secrecy Outage of Max-Min TAS Scheme in MIMO-NOMA Systems

KAUST Repository

Lei, Hongjiang; Zhang, Jianming; Park, Kihong; Xu, Peng; Zhang, Zufan; Pan, Gaofeng; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2018-01-01

This paper considers a secure non-orthogonal multiple access system, where confidential messages are transmitted from a base station to multiple legitimate destinations and wiretapped by multiple illegitimate receivers. It is assumed that all the channels experience Nakagami-m fading model and all the nodes are equipped with multiple antennas, respectively. Both non-colluding and colluding eavesdroppers are respectively considered. Max-min (MM) transmit antenna selection (TAS) strategy is adopted to improve the secrecy performance of the target system, in which both users in user paring are considered simultaneously. In particular, closed-form expressions for the cumulative distribution function of the signal-to-interference-noise ratio at the legitimate user are derived firstly. Then we obtain the exact and asymptotic analytical results in a closed form for the secrecy outage probability of MM TAS scheme. Monte-Carlo simulation results are presented to corroborate the correctness of the analysis. The results show that the secrecy diversity order is zero and non-zero for fixed and dynamic power allocations, respectively.

Braking materials for emergency stop device of super high speed elevator (810 m/min); 810 m/min erebeta hijo tome sochiyo masatsuzai

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okada, R.; Yamada, T.; Sugahara, J. [Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1995-04-20

Accompanied with a super multistoried building, making the elevator a higher speed is essential and it requires for a performance rise not only on drive unit and control unit, but also on safety device as well, as for especially an emergency stop device to get the cage, which has a kinetic energy proportional to the square of speed, stopped, its performance improvement is indispensable. Because it was anticipated that a braking would become difficult with a speed exceeding 800 m/min by using the iron system materials centering around cast iron used conventionally, an emergency stop device using the special ceramics as a friction material has been developed. In order to develop an elevator with a super high speed of 810 m/min this time, a development of the friction material for emergency stop device, which can brake stably the cage with a kinetic energy substantially exceeding the conventional value, has been advanced. As a result, a strength drop at a high temperature was prevented by adding Cr, Ni and P, and moreover a cast iron with 1,5 times in mean friction coefficient and about 1/10 in specific abrasive quantity compared with FC 250 was developed, and furthermore an emergency stop device with a high performance, which guarantees more than 3 times of braking energy in the emergency stop device of elevator with a speed of 540 m/min, was realized. 5 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.

New EB curing system for narrow web, using Min-EB

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Tetsuhisa; Tominaga, Hiroshi; Oizumi, Kei

2003-01-01

We, TOYO INK, developed the new equipment of EB curing system for narrow web composed of vacuum tube-type electron beam irradiation apparatus called Min-EB which is specialized with ultra-low voltage, 50-60 KV, and not damaging against the substrate. The new development is very small size, 66 cm width, 64 cm depth, 80 cm height and convenient to install into printing and coating machines. Several tubes, Min-EB, are assembled to be multi-tube module, called MTM, to easily handle. Basically we can change the irradiation width and printing and coating speed by increasing MTM due to the sheet size and printing and coating condition. We got good results, showing high density for the printed film, after used new EB curing system. (author)

MinION™ nanopore sequencing of environmental metagenomes: a synthetic approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Bonnie L; Watson, Mick; Minot, Samuel S; Rivera, Maria C; Franklin, Rima B

2017-03-01

Environmental metagenomic analysis is typically accomplished by assigning taxonomy and/or function from whole genome sequencing or 16S amplicon sequences. Both of these approaches are limited, however, by read length, among other technical and biological factors. A nanopore-based sequencing platform, MinION™, produces reads that are ≥1 × 104 bp in length, potentially providing for more precise assignment, thereby alleviating some of the limitations inherent in determining metagenome composition from short reads. We tested the ability of sequence data produced by MinION (R7.3 flow cells) to correctly assign taxonomy in single bacterial species runs and in three types of low-complexity synthetic communities: a mixture of DNA using equal mass from four species, a community with one relatively rare (1%) and three abundant (33% each) components, and a mixture of genomic DNA from 20 bacterial strains of staggered representation. Taxonomic composition of the low-complexity communities was assessed by analyzing the MinION sequence data with three different bioinformatic approaches: Kraken, MG-RAST, and One Codex. Results: Long read sequences generated from libraries prepared from single strains using the version 5 kit and chemistry, run on the original MinION device, yielded as few as 224 to as many as 3497 bidirectional high-quality (2D) reads with an average overall study length of 6000 bp. For the single-strain analyses, assignment of reads to the correct genus by different methods ranged from 53.1% to 99.5%, assignment to the correct species ranged from 23.9% to 99.5%, and the majority of misassigned reads were to closely related organisms. A synthetic metagenome sequenced with the same setup yielded 714 high quality 2D reads of approximately 5500 bp that were up to 98% correctly assigned to the species level. Synthetic metagenome MinION libraries generated using version 6 kit and chemistry yielded from 899 to 3497 2D reads with lengths averaging 5700 bp with up

High passage MIN6 cells have impaired insulin secretion with impaired glucose and lipid oxidation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kim Cheng

Full Text Available Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by the inability of beta-cells to secrete enough insulin to maintain glucose homeostasis. MIN6 cells secrete insulin in response to glucose and other secretagogues, but high passage (HP MIN6 cells lose their ability to secrete insulin in response to glucose. We hypothesized that metabolism of glucose and lipids were defective in HP MIN6 cells causing impaired glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS. HP MIN6 cells had no first phase and impaired second phase GSIS indicative of global functional impairment. This was coupled with a markedly reduced ATP content at basal and glucose stimulated states. Glucose uptake and oxidation were higher at basal glucose but ATP content failed to increase with glucose. HP MIN6 cells had decreased basal lipid oxidation. This was accompanied by reduced expressions of Glut1, Gck, Pfk, Srebp1c, Ucp2, Sirt3, Nampt. MIN6 cells represent an important model of beta cells which, as passage numbers increased lost first phase but retained partial second phase GSIS, similar to patients early in type 2 diabetes onset. We believe a number of gene expression changes occurred to produce this defect, with emphasis on Sirt3 and Nampt, two genes that have been implicated in maintenance of glucose homeostasis.

Min-Max decoding for non binary LDPC codes

OpenAIRE

Savin, Valentin

2008-01-01

Iterative decoding of non-binary LDPC codes is currently performed using either the Sum-Product or the Min-Sum algorithms or slightly different versions of them. In this paper, several low-complexity quasi-optimal iterative algorithms are proposed for decoding non-binary codes. The Min-Max algorithm is one of them and it has the benefit of two possible LLR domain implementations: a standard implementation, whose complexity scales as the square of the Galois field's cardinality and a reduced c...

Maxi-Min Language Use A Critical Remark on a Concept by Philippe van Parijs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kruse Jan

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Philippe van Parijs explains in Linguistic Justice for Europe and for the World the concept of maxi-min language use as a process of language choice. He suggests that the language chosen as a common language should maximize the minimal competence of a community. Within a multilingual group of people, the chosen language is the language known best by a participant who knows it least. For obvious reasons, only English would qualify for having that status. This article argues that maxi-min is rather a normative concept, not only because the process itself remains empirically unfounded. Moreover, language choice is the result of complex social and psychological structures. As a descriptive process, the maxi-min choice happens in the reality fairly seldom, whereas the max-min use of languages seen as a normative process could be a very effective tool to measure linguistic justice.

Decay of the 16.3 min Decay of the 16.3 min {sup 182}Ta Isomer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoejeberg, M [Inst. of Physics, Univ. of Stockholm, Stockholm (Sweden); Malmskog, S G [AB Atomenergi, Nykoeping (Sweden)

1967-01-15

Some transitions in the decay of the 16.3 min {sup 182}Ta isomer have been studied with a Ge(Li) detector and a double lens electron coincidence spectrometer. Gamma ray and conversion electron intensities were measured. From a delayed coincidence experiment it was concluded that both of the two lowest excited states in {sup 182}Ta had a half life less than 30 psec.

Maslinic acid-enriched diet decreases intestinal tumorigenesis in Apc(Min/+ mice through transcriptomic and metabolomic reprogramming.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susana Sánchez-Tena

Full Text Available Chemoprevention is a pragmatic approach to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in western countries. In this regard, maslinic acid (MA, a pentacyclic triterpene extracted from wax-like coatings of olives, is known to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in colon cancer cell lines without affecting normal intestinal cells. The present study evaluated the chemopreventive efficacy and associated mechanisms of maslinic acid treatment on spontaneous intestinal tumorigenesis in Apc(Min/+ mice. Twenty-two mice were randomized into 2 groups: control group and MA group, fed with a maslinic acid-supplemented diet for six weeks. MA treatment reduced total intestinal polyp formation by 45% (P<0.01. Putative molecular mechanisms associated with suppressing intestinal polyposis in Apc(Min/+ mice were investigated by comparing microarray expression profiles of MA-treated and control mice and by analyzing the serum metabolic profile using NMR techniques. The different expression phenotype induced by MA suggested that it exerts its chemopreventive action mainly by inhibiting cell-survival signaling and inflammation. These changes eventually induce G1-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, the metabolic changes induced by MA treatment were associated with a protective profile against intestinal tumorigenesis. These results show the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of MA against intestinal tumor development in the Apc(Min/+ mice model, suggesting its chemopreventive potential against colorectal cancer.

AREVA announces US$ 7.75 Per share friendly cash offer for UraMin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

AREVA and UraMin Inc. ('UraMin') entered on June 15, 2007 into an agreement in respect of AREVA's friendly cash offer for 100% of the share capital of UraMin. UraMin is listed in London (AIM) and Toronto (TSX). AREVA (Euronext Paris) already owns 5.5% of UraMin's share capital. This cash offer of AREVA will be made through its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary CFMM Development ('AREVA') based on a price of US$ 7.75 per UraMin share. The total offer consideration amounts to more than USD 2.5 billion for 100% of the fully diluted share capital of UraMin. This represents a premium of 21% over UraMin 20-day weighted average trading price ending on June 8, 2007. The UraMin Board of Directors, after consulting with its financial advisors, has determined that the offer is fair and in the best interest of the UraMin shareholders and it has resolved to recommend acceptance of the Offer. BMO Capital Markets has provided an opinion that the offer is fair, from a financial point of view, to the UraMin shareholders. In connection with the offer, all directors and certain other shareholders representing approximately 25% of the outstanding UraMin shares (calculated on a fully diluted basis) have entered into lock-up agreements with AREVA pursuant to which they have agreed to tender all their UraMin shares to AREVA's offer. The support agreement entered into between AREVA and UraMin provides for, among other things, in case a superior proposal is accepted by UraMin, a right to match in favour of AREVA. The support agreement also includes a break up fee in favour of AREVA of US$ 75 million under certain circumstances. Concurrently with the closing of the proposed offer, UraMin will declare a dividend payable in shares of the capital of Niger Uranium Limited held by UraMin (where permitted by law) or a cash equivalent of the value of such shares

Rapid and Accurate Sequencing of Enterovirus Genomes Using MinION Nanopore Sequencer.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ji; Ke, Yue Hua; Zhang, Yong; Huang, Ke Qiang; Wang, Lei; Shen, Xin Xin; Dong, Xiao Ping; Xu, Wen Bo; Ma, Xue Jun

2017-10-01

Knowledge of an enterovirus genome sequence is very important in epidemiological investigation to identify transmission patterns and ascertain the extent of an outbreak. The MinION sequencer is increasingly used to sequence various viral pathogens in many clinical situations because of its long reads, portability, real-time accessibility of sequenced data, and very low initial costs. However, information is lacking on MinION sequencing of enterovirus genomes. In this proof-of-concept study using Enterovirus 71 (EV71) and Coxsackievirus A16 (CA16) strains as examples, we established an amplicon-based whole genome sequencing method using MinION. We explored the accuracy, minimum sequencing time, discrimination and high-throughput sequencing ability of MinION, and compared its performance with Sanger sequencing. Within the first minute (min) of sequencing, the accuracy of MinION was 98.5% for the single EV71 strain and 94.12%-97.33% for 10 genetically-related CA16 strains. In as little as 14 min, 99% identity was reached for the single EV71 strain, and in 17 min (on average), 99% identity was achieved for 10 CA16 strains in a single run. MinION is suitable for whole genome sequencing of enteroviruses with sufficient accuracy and fine discrimination and has the potential as a fast, reliable and convenient method for routine use. Copyright © 2017 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.

Nuclear decay scheme studies of 30-h 131Te/sup m/, 25-min 131Te/sup g/, and 55.5-min 105Cd

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, S.V.

1975-01-01

High-resolution Ge(Li) detectors have been used to observe γ-ray singles and coincidence spectra of 30-h 11 / 2 - , /sup 131m/Te, 25-min 3 / 2 + , and 55.5-min 5 / 2 + 105 Cd. Sources of /sup 131m/Te and /sup 131g/Te were produced by neutron irradiation of enriched 130 Te metal, and, in the case of /sup 131m/Te, were chemically purified to remove the 131 I daughter. A total of 190 and 80 γ-rays are attributed to the decays of /sup 131m/Te and /sup 131g/Te, respectively; and 174 and 77 of these transitions have been placed in a 131 I level scheme involving 52 excited states. Absolute β group intensities were determined for the transitions to 131 I levels. Spin and parity assignments were made for all observed levels. The β feeding from the 11 / 2 - /sup 131m/Te to the 7 / 2 + 131 I ground state was determined to be (5.2 +- 3.0) percent (log ft = 10.5). The isomeric transition of 11 / 2 - /sup 131m/Te to 3 / 2 + /sup 131g/Te was determined to be (22.2 +- 1.6) percent. The 6-nsec isomer in 131 I at 1797 keV has been assigned as 15 / 2 - and interpreted as a πν 1 ν 2 three quasi-particle state. Sources of 105 Cd were produced via the 106 Cd(n,2n) reaction on enriched 106 CdO using 14 MeV neutrons. A total of 274 γ-rays are attributed to the decay of 105 Cd, and 248 of these have been placed in a 105 Ag level scheme involving 50 excited states. Absolute values for the β + /EC transition intensities to 105 Ag levels were determined. The β + /EC feeding from the 5 / 2 + 105 Cd to the 7 / 2 + 25.5-keV isomeric state in 105 Ag was determined to be (51.4 +- 4.0) percent (log ft = 5.4). The experimentally determined level structures of 131 I and 105 Cd are interpreted in terms of the shell model and core excitation considerations with emphasis placed on the core coupling model and the three-particle models. (U.S.)

The TLR3/TICAM-1 signal constitutively controls spontaneous polyposis through suppression of c-Myc in Apc Min/+ mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Ono, Junya; Shime, Hiroaki; Takaki, Hiromi; Takashima, Ken; Funami, Kenji; Yoshida, Sumito; Takeda, Yohei; Matsumoto, Misako; Kasahara, Masanori; Seya, Tsukasa

2017-10-17

Intestinal tumorigenesis is promoted by myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) activation in response to the components of microbiota in Apc Min/+ mice. Microbiota also contains double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), a ligand for TLR3, which activates the toll-like receptor adaptor molecule 1 (TICAM-1, also known as TRIF) pathway. We established Apc Min/+ Ticam1 -/- mice and their survival was compared to survival of Apc Min/+ Myd88 -/- and wild-type (WT) mice. The properties of polyps were investigated using immunofluorescence staining and RT-PCR analysis. We demonstrate that TICAM-1 is essential for suppression of polyp formation in Apc Min/+ mice. TICAM-1 knockout resulted in shorter survival of mice compared to WT mice or mice with knockout of MyD88 in the Apc Min/+ background. Polyps were more frequently formed in the distal intestine of Apc Min/+ Ticam1 -/- mice than in Apc Min/+ mice. Infiltration of immune cells such as CD11b + and CD8α + cells into the polyps was detected histologically. CD11b and CD8α mRNAs were increased in polyps of Apc Min/+ Ticam1 -/- mice compared to Apc Min/+ mice. Gene expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interferon (IFN)-γ, CXCL9 and IL-12p40 was increased in polyps of Apc Min/+ Ticam1 -/- mice. mRNA and protein expression of c-Myc, a critical transcription factor for inflammation-associated polyposis, were increased in polyps of Apc Min/+ Ticam1 -/- mice. A Lactobacillus strain producing dsRNA was detected in feces of Apc Min/+ mice. These results imply that the TLR3/TICAM-1 pathway inhibits polyposis through suppression of c-Myc expression and supports long survival in Apc Min/+ mice.

Min st-cut oracle for planar graphs with near-linear preprocessing time

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borradaile, Glencora; Sankowski, Piotr; Wulff-Nilsen, Christian

2010-01-01

For an undirected n-vertex planar graph G with non-negative edge-weights, we consider the following type of query: given two vertices s and t in G, what is the weight of a min st-cut in G? We show how to answer such queries in constant time with O(n log5 n) preprocessing time and O(n log n) space....... We use a Gomory-Hu tree to represent all the pairwise min st-cuts implicitly. Previously, no subquadratic time algorithm was known for this problem. Our oracle can be extended to report the min st-cuts in time proportional to their size. Since all-pairs min st-cut and the minimum cycle basis are dual...... problems in planar graphs, we also obtain an implicit representation of a minimum cycle basis in O(n log5 n) time and O(n log n) space and an explicit representation with additional O(C) time and space where C is the size of the basis. To obtain our results, we require that shortest paths be unique...

Separation of sup(115m)In from mother 115Cd

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kersulis, V.J.

1979-01-01

The methods of the accelerated isolation of the metallic sup(115m)In from the mother solution of 115 Cd were worked out. The sample was dissolved in the concentrated HCl with the presence of H 2 O 2 . After the injection of 5 mg (recalculated for the metallic In) of the carrier, the solution was evaporated dry, the remainder was dissolved in 2n HCl. The obtained solution was lead through an ion-exchange column (9 mm in diameter and with the 250 mm height of the layer with the anionite Dowex 2x8 (50-100 mesh). The sup(115m)In was eluated by 0.15n HCl, and 115 Cd - by 1.5n HCl. Radiochemical purity of the sup(115m)In was not less than 99.99%. The isolation of the sup(115m)In from the eluent (alkalined up to ph=2.3) was carried out electrochemically during approximately 1 hour on the platinum cathode at high (400 mA/cm 2 ) cathode density of current

Penerapan Manajemen Pembelajaran untuk Meningkatkan Kompetensi Guru di MIN Kendari

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rasmi Rasmi

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract This study aims to reveal about how the implementation of learning management to improve the competence of teachers in MIN  Kendari, how the forms teacher competence, and the factors that support and hinder the implementation of learning management to improve the competence of teachers. The result showed that the implementation of learning management to improve the competence of teachers in MIN Kendari not been implemented optimally in the planning stages of learning, organizational learning, learning implementation, evaluation of learning.  There factors supporting the implementation of learning management to improve the competence of teachers that is flexible and democratic principals in leading institutions, teachers have an average qualified Tier One and a few teachers qualified master, increased professionalism and competence of teachers that are specifically has been carried out by the head MIN Kendari to include teachers conduct seminars, workshops, training, availability of CCTV, LCD. While inhibiting factorss still the lack of availability of books supporting, the unavailability of rooms in the main learning laboratory science and language subjects, still lack the skills of teachers in the use of learning technology tools, the double post by teachers, teachers in addition to functional positions are also burdened with additional duty structural position.   Keywords: Management, Learning, Teacher Competency   Abstrak   Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengungkap tentang bagaimana penerapan manajemen pembelajaran untuk meningkatkan kompetensi guru di Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negeri (MIN Kendari, bagaimana bentuk-bentuk kompetensi guru, dan faktor-faktor yang mendukung dan menghambat. Dan jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian lapangan yang sifatnya kualitatif deskriftif. Adapun sumber data dalam penelitian ini adalah guru-guru dan staf tata usaha MIN Kendari, sedangkan metode pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan observasi, wawancara

Decay of mass-separated 187Au (8.4 min) to 187Pt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gnade, B.E.; Fink, R.W.; Wood, J.L.

1983-01-01

The decay of 187 Au to 187 Pt has been studied with mass-separated sources from the UNISOR facility. Multiscaled spectra of γ-rays, X-rays, and conversion electrons, as well as γγt, Xγt, eγt, and eXt coincidences were obtained. The half-life of the 187 Au ground state was measured to be 8.4 +- 0.3 min. A decay scheme has been constructed incorporating 88% of the decay intensity assigned to 187 Au. The isub(13/2) band in 187 Pt is populated through low-spin band members. The levels at 260 and 288 keV are found to de-excite by EO transitions. From a γ-ray-gated K/β + ratio, the β-decay energy of 8.4 min 187 Au is deduced to be Qsub(EC)=3.90 +- 0.15 MeV. The positive-parity states in 187 Pt are compared with calculations made using the Nilsson model with a triaxial degree of freedom. The possibility that shape coexistence is present at low energy in 187 Pt is discussed. (orig.)

Quasi-min-max Fuzzy MPC of UTSG Water Level Based on Off-Line Invariant Set

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiangjie; Jiang, Di; Lee, Kwang Y.

2015-10-01

In a nuclear power plant, the water level of the U-tube steam generator (UTSG) must be maintained within a safe range. Traditional control methods encounter difficulties due to the complexity, strong nonlinearity and “swell and shrink” effects, especially at low power levels. A properly designed robust model predictive control can well solve this problem. In this paper, a quasi-min-max fuzzy model predictive controller is developed for controlling the constrained UTSG system. While the online computational burden could be quite large for the real-time control, a bank of ellipsoid invariant sets together with the corresponding feedback control laws are obtained by off-line solving linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Based on the UTSG states, the online optimization is simplified as a constrained optimization problem with a bisection search for the corresponding ellipsoid invariant set. Simulation results are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed controller.

Planck intermediate results XXIX. All-sky dust modelling with Planck, IRAS, and WISE observations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Alves, M. I. R.

2016-01-01

We present all-sky modelling of the high resolution Planck, IRAS, andWISE infrared (IR) observations using the physical dust model presented by Draine & Li in 2007 (DL, ApJ, 657, 810). We study the performance and results of this model, and discuss implications for future dust modelling....... The present work extends the DL dust modelling carried out on nearby galaxies using Herschel and Spitzer data to Galactic dust emission. We employ the DL dust model to generate maps of the dust mass surface density Sigma(Md), the dust optical extinction A(V), and the starlight intensity heating the bulk...... of the dust, parametrized by U-min. The DL model reproduces the observed spectral energy distribution (SED) satisfactorily over most of the sky, with small deviations in the inner Galactic disk and in low ecliptic latitude areas, presumably due to zodiacal light contamination. In the Andromeda galaxy (M31...

Validation of functional fetal autonomic brain age score fABAS in 5 min short recordings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoyer, Dirk; Kowalski, Eva-Maria; Schmidt, Alexander; Witte, Otto W; Schneider, Uwe; Schleußner, Ekkehard; Hatzmann, Wolfgang; Grönemeyer, Dietrich HW; Van Leeuwen, Peter

2015-01-01

With the objective of evaluating the functional maturation age and developmental disturbances we have previously introduced the fetal autonomic brain age score (fABAS) using 30 min fetal magnetocardiographic recordings (fMCG, Jena). The score is based on heart rate pattern indices that are related to universal principles of developmental biology. The present work aims at the validation of the fABAS methodology on 5 min recordings from an independent database (fMCG, Bochum).We found high agreement of fABAS obtained from Jena normal fetuses (5 min subsets, n  =  364) and Bochum recordings (n  =  322, normal fetuses). fABAS of 48 recordings from fetuses with intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR, Bochum) was reduced in most of the cases, a result consistent with IUGR fetuses from Jena previously reported. fABAS calculated from 5 min snapshots only partly covers the accuracy when compared to fABAS from 30 min recordings. More precise diagnosis requires longer recordings.fABAS obtained from fMCG recordings is a strong candidate for standardized assessment of functional maturation age and developmental disturbances. Even 5 min recordings seem to be valuable for screening for maturation problems. (paper)

Analysis and stochastic modelling of Intensity-Duration-Frequency relationship from 88 years of 10 min rainfall data in North Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Delgado, Oihane; Campo-Bescós, Miguel A.; López, J. Javier

2017-04-01

Frequently, when we are trying to solve certain hydrological engineering problems, it is often necessary to know rain intensity values related to a specific probability or return period, T. Based on analyses of extreme rainfall events at different time scale aggregation, we can deduce the relationships among Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF), that are widely used in hydraulic infrastructure design. However, the lack of long time series of rainfall intensities for smaller time periods, minutes or hours, leads to use mathematical expressions to characterize and extend these curves. One way to deduce them is through the development of synthetic rainfall time series generated from stochastic models, which is evaluated in this work. From recorded accumulated rainfall time series every 10 min in the pluviograph of Igueldo (San Sebastian, Spain) for the time period between 1927-2005, their homogeneity has been checked and possible statistically significant increasing or decreasing trends have also been shown. Subsequently, two models have been calibrated: Bartlett-Lewis and Markov chains models, which are based on the successions of storms, composed for a series of rainfall events, separated by a short interval of time each. Finally, synthetic ten-minute rainfall time series are generated, which allow to estimate detailed IDF curves and compare them with the estimated IDF based on the recorded data.

Breast MRI at very short TE (minTE). Image analysis of minTE sequences on non-fat-saturated, subtracted T1-weighted images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wenkel, Evelyn; Janka, Rolf; Kaemmerer, Nadine; Uder, Michael; Hammon, Matthias; Brand, Michael [Univ. Hospital Erlangen (Germany). Dept. of Radiology; Geppert, Christian [Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen (Germany); Hartmann, Arndt [Univ. Hospital Erlangen (Germany). Dept. of Pathology

2017-02-15

The aim was to evaluate a minimum echo time (minTE) protocol for breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with breast lesions compared to a standard TE (nTE) time protocol. Breasts of 144 women were examined with a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner. Additionally to the standard gradient-echo sequence with nTE (4.8 ms), a variant with minimum TE (1.2 ms) was used in an interleaved fashion which leads to a better temporal resolution and should reduce the scan time by approximately 50%. Lesion sizes were measured and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as well as the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated. Subjective confidence was evaluated using a 3-point scale before looking at the nTE sequences (1 = very sure that I can identify a lesion and classify it, 2 = quite sure that I can identify a lesion and classify it, 3 = definitely want to see nTE for final assessment) and the subjective image quality of all examinations was evaluated using a four-grade scale (1 = sharp, 2 = slight blur, 3 = moderate blur and 4 = severe blur/not evaluable) for lesion and skin sharpness. Lesion morphology and contrast enhancement were also evaluated. With minTE sequences, no lesion was rated with ''definitely want to see nTE sequences for final assessment''. The difference of the longitudinal and transverse diameter did not differ significantly (p>0.05). With minTE, lesions and skin were rated to be significantly more blurry (p<0.01 for lesions and p<0.05 for skin). There was no difference between both sequences with respect to SNR, CNR, lesion morphology, contrast enhancement and detection of multifocal disease. Dynamic breast MRI with a minTE protocol is feasible without a major loss of information (SNR, CNR, lesion morphology, contrast enhancement and lesion sizes) and the temporal resolution can be increased by a factor of 2 using minTE sequences.

Breast MRI at very short TE (minTE). Image analysis of minTE sequences on non-fat-saturated, subtracted T1-weighted images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wenkel, Evelyn; Janka, Rolf; Kaemmerer, Nadine; Uder, Michael; Hammon, Matthias; Brand, Michael; Hartmann, Arndt

2017-01-01

The aim was to evaluate a minimum echo time (minTE) protocol for breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with breast lesions compared to a standard TE (nTE) time protocol. Breasts of 144 women were examined with a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner. Additionally to the standard gradient-echo sequence with nTE (4.8 ms), a variant with minimum TE (1.2 ms) was used in an interleaved fashion which leads to a better temporal resolution and should reduce the scan time by approximately 50%. Lesion sizes were measured and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as well as the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated. Subjective confidence was evaluated using a 3-point scale before looking at the nTE sequences (1 = very sure that I can identify a lesion and classify it, 2 = quite sure that I can identify a lesion and classify it, 3 = definitely want to see nTE for final assessment) and the subjective image quality of all examinations was evaluated using a four-grade scale (1 = sharp, 2 = slight blur, 3 = moderate blur and 4 = severe blur/not evaluable) for lesion and skin sharpness. Lesion morphology and contrast enhancement were also evaluated. With minTE sequences, no lesion was rated with ''definitely want to see nTE sequences for final assessment''. The difference of the longitudinal and transverse diameter did not differ significantly (p>0.05). With minTE, lesions and skin were rated to be significantly more blurry (p<0.01 for lesions and p<0.05 for skin). There was no difference between both sequences with respect to SNR, CNR, lesion morphology, contrast enhancement and detection of multifocal disease. Dynamic breast MRI with a minTE protocol is feasible without a major loss of information (SNR, CNR, lesion morphology, contrast enhancement and lesion sizes) and the temporal resolution can be increased by a factor of 2 using minTE sequences.

Period 2 Mutation Accelerates ApcMin/+ Tumorigenesis

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Patricia A.; Yang, Xiaoming; Taber, Andrew; Oh, Eun-Young; Ansell, Christine; Ayers, Stacy E.; Al-Assaad, Ziad; Carnevale, Kevin; Berger, Franklin G.; Peña, Maria Marjorette O.; Hrushesky, William J.M.

2014-01-01

Colorectal cancer risk is increased in shift workers with presumed circadian disruption. Intestinal epithelial cell proliferation is gated throughout each day by the circadian clock. Period 2 (Per2) is a key circadian clock gene. Per2 mutant (Per2m/m) mice show an increase in lymphomas and deregulated expression of cyclin D and c-Myc genes that are key to proliferation control. We asked whether Per2 clock gene inactivation would accelerate intestinal and colonic tumorigenesis. The effects of PER2 on cell proliferation and β-catenin were studied in colon cancer cell lines by its down-regulation following RNA interference. The effects of Per2 inactivation in vivo on β-catenin and on intestinal and colonic polyp formation were studied in mice with Per2 mutation alone and in combination with an Apc mutation using polyp-prone ApcMin/+ mice. Down-regulation of PER2 in colon cell lines (HCT116 and SW480) increases β-catenin, cyclin D, and cell proliferation. Down-regulation of β-catenin along with Per2 blocks the increase in cyclin D and cell proliferation. Per2m/m mice develop colonic polyps and show an increase in small intestinal mucosa β-catenin and cyclin D protein levels compared with wild-type mice. ApcMin/+Per2m/m mice develop twice the number of small intestinal and colonic polyps, with more severe anemia and splenomegaly, compared with ApcMin/+ mice. These data suggest that Per2 gene product suppresses tumorigenesis in the small intestine and colon by down-regulation of β-catenin and β-catenin target genes, and this circadian core clock gene may represent a novel target for colorectal cancer prevention and control. PMID:19010825

Projekti Min-E-Max kohtumine Saksamaal / Katrin Arge

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Arge, Katrin

2005-01-01

Oktoobri keskel toimus Lõuna-Saksamaa väikelinnas Oberderdingenis Hispaania, Portugali, Ungari, Leedu, Eesti ja Saksamaa õpetajate kohtumine seoses Euroopa Liidu poolt rahastatava Comenius1 projektiga Min-E-Max (minimum energy input maximum output)

The Instruments and Capabilities of the Miniature X-Ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS) CubeSats

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Christopher S.; Caspi, Amir; Woods, Thomas N.; Chamberlin, Phillip C.; Dennis, Brian R.; Jones, Andrew R.; Mason, James P.; Schwartz, Richard A.; Tolbert, Anne K.

2018-02-01

The Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS) CubeSat is the first solar science oriented CubeSat mission flown for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, with the main objective of measuring the solar soft X-ray (SXR) flux and a science goal of determining its influence on Earth's ionosphere and thermosphere. These observations can also be used to investigate solar quiescent, active region, and flare properties. The MinXSS X-ray instruments consist of a spectrometer, called X123, with a nominal 0.15 keV full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) resolution at 5.9 keV and a broadband X-ray photometer, called XP. Both instruments are designed to obtain measurements from 0.5 - 30 keV at a nominal time cadence of 10 s. A description of the MinXSS instruments, performance capabilities, and relation to the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) 0.1 - 0.8 nm flux is given in this article. Early MinXSS results demonstrate the capability of measuring variations of the solar spectral soft X-ray (SXR) flux between 0.8 - 12 keV from at least GOES A5-M5 (5 × 10^{-8} - 5 ×10^{-5} W m^{-2}) levels and of inferring physical properties (temperature and emission measure) from the MinXSS data alone. Moreover, coronal elemental abundances can be inferred, specifically for Fe, Ca, Si, Mg, S, Ar, and Ni, when the count rate is sufficiently high at each elemental spectral feature. Additionally, temperature response curves and emission measure loci demonstrate the MinXSS sensitivity to plasma emission at different temperatures. MinXSS observations coupled with those from other solar observatories can help address some of the most compelling questions in solar coronal physics. Finally, simultaneous observations by MinXSS and the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) can provide the most spectrally complete soft X-ray solar flare photon flux measurements to date.

Curcumin suppresses intestinal polyps in APC Min mice fed a high fat diet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina Pettan-Brewer

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Colorectal cancer (CRC is a leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Various risk factors have been associated with CRC including increasing age and diet. Epidemiological and experimental studies have implicated a diet high in fat as an important risk factor for colon cancer. High fat diets can promote obesity resulting in insulin resistance and inflammation and the development of oxidative stress, increased cell proliferation, and suppression of apoptosis. Because of the high consumption of dietary fats, especially saturated fats, by Western countries, it is of interest to see if non-nutrient food factors might be effective in preventing or delaying CRC in the presence of high saturated fat intake. Curcumin (Curcuma longa, the main yellow pigment in turmeric, was selected to test because of its reported anti-tumor activity. APC Min mice, which develop intestinal polyps and have many molecular features of CRC, were fed a diet containing 35% pork fat, 33% sucrose, and a protein and vitamin mineral mixture (HFD with or without 0.5% curcumin. These cohorts were compared to APC Min mice receiving standard rodent chow (RC with 8% fat. APC Min mice fed the HFD for 3 months had a 23% increase in total number of polyps compared to APC Min mice on RC. Curcumin was able to significantly reverse the accelerated polyp development associated with the HFD suggesting it may be effective clinically in helping prevent colon cancer even when ingesting high amounts of fatty foods. The anti-tumor effect of curcumin was shown to be associated with enhanced apoptosis and increased efficiency of DNA repair. Since curcumin prevented the gain in body weight seen in APC Min mice ingesting the HFD, modulation of energy metabolism may also be a factor.

Phenotypic and gene expression changes between low (glucose-responsive) and High (glucose non-responsive) MIN-6 beta cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

O´Driscoll, L.; Gammell, p.; McKierman, E.

2006-01-01

The long-term potential to routinely use replacement beta cells/islets as cell therapy for type 1 diabetes relies on our ability to culture such cells/islets, in vitro, while maintaining their functional status. Previous beta cell studies, by ourselves and other researchers, have indicated...... that the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) phenotype is relatively unstable, in long-term culture. This study aimed to investigate phenotypic and gene expression changes associated with this loss of GSIS, using the MIN-6 cell line as model. Phenotypic differences between MIN-6(L, low passage) and MIN-6(H......, high passage) were determined by ELISA (assessing GSIS and cellular (pro)insulin content), proliferation assays, phase contrast light microscopy and analysis of alkaline phosphatase expression. Differential mRNA expression was investigated using microarray, bioinformatics and real-time PCR technologies...

Reliability of the 6-min walk test after total knee arthroplasty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Thomas Linding; Kehlet, Henrik; Bandholm, Thomas

2013-01-01

PURPOSE: The 6-min walk test is a simple clinical outcome measure, which has been used frequently to assess functional performance in many different patient groups, including patients with total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The 6-min walk test measures the maximal distance a subject is able to walk i...

Comparison of bacterial genome assembly software for MinION data and their applicability to medical microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Judge, Kim; Hunt, Martin; Reuter, Sandra; Tracey, Alan; Quail, Michael A; Parkhill, Julian; Peacock, Sharon J

2016-09-01

Translating the Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing technology into medical microbiology requires on-going analysis that keeps pace with technological improvements to the instrument and release of associated analysis software. Here, we use a multidrug-resistant Enterobacter kobei isolate as a model organism to compare open source software for the assembly of genome data, and relate this to the time taken to generate actionable information. Three software tools (PBcR, Canu and miniasm) were used to assemble MinION data and a fourth (SPAdes) was used to combine MinION and Illumina data to produce a hybrid assembly. All four had a similar number of contigs and were more contiguous than the assembly using Illumina data alone, with SPAdes producing a single chromosomal contig. Evaluation of the four assemblies to represent the genome structure revealed a single large inversion in the SPAdes assembly, which also incorrectly integrated a plasmid into the chromosomal contig. Almost 50 %, 80 % and 90 % of MinION pass reads were generated in the first 6, 9 and 12 h, respectively. Using data from the first 6 h alone led to a less accurate, fragmented assembly, but data from the first 9 or 12 h generated similar assemblies to that from 48 h sequencing. Assemblies were generated in 2 h using Canu, indicating that going from isolate to assembled data is possible in less than 48 h. MinION data identified that genes responsible for resistance were carried by two plasmids encoding resistance to carbapenem and to sulphonamides, rifampicin and aminoglycosides, respectively.

Oxford Nanopore MinION Sequencing and Genome Assembly

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Hengyun Lu

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The revolution of genome sequencing is continuing after the successful second-generation sequencing (SGS technology. The third-generation sequencing (TGS technology, led by Pacific Biosciences (PacBio, is progressing rapidly, moving from a technology once only capable of providing data for small genome analysis, or for performing targeted screening, to one that promises high quality de novo assembly and structural variation detection for human-sized genomes. In 2014, the MinION, the first commercial sequencer using nanopore technology, was released by Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT. MinION identifies DNA bases by measuring the changes in electrical conductivity generated as DNA strands pass through a biological pore. Its portability, affordability, and speed in data production makes it suitable for real-time applications, the release of the long read sequencer MinION has thus generated much excitement and interest in the genomics community. While de novo genome assemblies can be cheaply produced from SGS data, assembly continuity is often relatively poor, due to the limited ability of short reads to handle long repeats. Assembly quality can be greatly improved by using TGS long reads, since repetitive regions can be easily expanded into using longer sequencing lengths, despite having higher error rates at the base level. The potential of nanopore sequencing has been demonstrated by various studies in genome surveillance at locations where rapid and reliable sequencing is needed, but where resources are limited.

The development of a differential game related to terrorism: Min-Max differential game

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Abd El-Monem A. Megahed

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In this work, we study a differential game related to terrorism: Min-Max differential game taking into account the governmental activities such as the education quality, increasing the chances of labor, social justice, religious awareness and security arrangements. A Min-Max differential game between government and terrorist organizations is considered in this study. To obtain the optimal strategy of solving this problem, we study the analytic form of a Min-Max differential game and the governmental activities. Furthermore, a saddle point of a Min-Max differential game is studied.

Disruption of estrogen receptor signaling enhances intestinal neoplasia in ApcMin/+ mice

Science.gov (United States)

Cleveland, Alicia G.; Oikarinen, Seija I.; Bynoté, Kimberly K.; Marttinen, Maija; Rafter, Joseph J.; Gustafsson, Jan-Åke; Roy, Shyamal K.; Pitot, Henry C.; Korach, Kenneth S.; Lubahn, Dennis B.; Mutanen, Marja; Gould, Karen A.

2009-01-01

Estrogen receptors (ERs) [ERα (Esr1) and ERβ (Esr2)] are expressed in the human colon, but during the multistep process of colorectal carcinogenesis, expression of both ERα and ERβ is lost, suggesting that loss of ER function might promote colorectal carcinogenesis. Through crosses between an ERα knockout and ApcMin mouse strains, we demonstrate that ERα deficiency is associated with a significant increase in intestinal tumor multiplicity, size and burden in ApcMin/+ mice. Within the normal intestinal epithelium of ApcMin/+ mice, ERα deficiency is associated with an accumulation of nuclear β-catenin, an indicator of activation of the Wnt–β-catenin-signaling pathway, which is known to play a critical role in intestinal cancers. Consistent with the hypothesis that ERα deficiency is associated with activation of Wnt–β-catenin signaling, ERα deficiency in the intestinal epithelium of ApcMin/+ mice also correlated with increased expression of Wnt–β-catenin target genes. Through crosses between an ERβ knockout and ApcMin mouse strains, we observed some evidence that ERβ deficiency is associated with an increased incidence of colon tumors in ApcMin/+ mice. This effect of ERβ deficiency does not involve modulation of Wnt–β-catenin signaling. Our studies suggest that ERα and ERβ signaling modulate colorectal carcinogenesis, and ERα does so, at least in part, by regulating the activity of the Wnt–β-catenin pathway. PMID:19520794

Signaling-Free Max-Min Airtime Fairness in IEEE 802.11 Ad Hoc Networks

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Youngsoo Lee

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We propose a novel media access control (MAC protocol, referred to as signaling-free max-min airtime fair (SMAF MAC, to improve fairness and channel utilization in ad hoc networks based on IEEE 802.11 wireless local area networks (WLANs. We introduce busy time ratio (BTR as a measure for max-min airtime fairness. Each node estimates its BTR and adjusts the transmission duration by means of frame aggregation and fragmentation, so that it can implicitly announce the BTR to neighbor nodes. Based on the announced BTR, each of the neighbor nodes controls its contention window. In this way, the SMAF MAC works in a distributed manner without the need to know the max-min fair share of airtime, and it does not require exchanging explicit control messages among nodes to attain fairness. Moreover, we successfully incorporate the hidden node detection and resolution mechanisms into the SMAF MAC to deal with the hidden node problem in ad hoc networks. The simulation results confirm that the SMAF MAC enhances airtime fairness without degrading channel utilization, and it effectively resolves several serious problems in ad hoc networks such as the starvation, performance anomaly, and hidden node problems.

Heart Rate Recovery After 6-Min Walk Test Predicts Survival in Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Science.gov (United States)

Swigris, Jeffrey J.; Swick, Jeff; Wamboldt, Frederick S.; Sprunger, David; du Bois, Roland; Fischer, Aryeh; Cosgrove, Gregory P.; Frankel, Stephen K.; Fernandez-Perez, Evans R.; Kervitsky, Dolly; Brown, Kevin K.

2009-01-01

Background: In patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), our objectives were to identify predictors of abnormal heart rate recovery (HRR) at 1 min after completion of a 6-min walk test (6MWT) [HRR1] and 2 min after completion of a 6MWT (HRR2), and to determine whether abnormal HRR predicts mortality. Methods: From 2003 to 2008, we identified IPF patients who had been evaluated at our center (n = 76) with a pulmonary physiologic examination and the 6MWT. We used logistic regression to identify predictors of abnormal HRR, the product-limit method to compare survival in the sample stratified on HRR, and Cox proportional hazards analysis to estimate the prognostic capability of abnormal HRR. Results: Cutoff values were 13 beats for abnormal HRR1 and 22 beats for HRR2. In a multivariable model, predictors of abnormal HRR1 were diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (odds ratio [OR], 0.4 per 10% predicted; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2 to 0.7; p = 0.003), change in heart rate from baseline to maximum (OR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.8 to 0.97; p = 0.01), and having a right ventricular systolic pressure > 35 mm Hg as determined by transthoracic echocardiogram (OR, 12.7; 95% CI, 2.0 to 79.7; p = 0.01). Subjects with an abnormal HRR had significantly worse survival than subjects with a normal HRR (for HRR1, p = 0.0007 [log-rank test]; for HRR2, p = 0.03 [log-rank test]); these results held for the subgroup of 30 subjects without resting pulmonary hypertension (HRR1, p = 0.04 [log-rank test]). Among several candidate variables, abnormal HRR1 appeared to be the most potent predictor of mortality (hazard ratio, 5.2; 95% CI, 1.8 to 15.2; p = 0.004). Conclusion: Abnormal HRR after 6MWT predicts mortality in IPF patients. Research is needed to confirm these findings prospectively and to examine the mechanisms of HRR in IPF patients. PMID:19395579

Creatinine generation from kinetic modeling with or without postdialysis serum creatinine measurement: results from the HEMO study.

Science.gov (United States)

Daugirdas, John T; Depner, Thomas A

2017-11-01

A convenient method to estimate the creatinine generation rate and measures of creatinine clearance in hemodialysis patients using formal kinetic modeling and standard pre- and postdialysis blood samples has not been described. We used data from 366 dialysis sessions characterized during follow-up month 4 of the HEMO study, during which cross-dialyzer clearances for both urea and creatinine were available. Blood samples taken at 1 h into dialysis and 30 min and 60 min after dialysis were used to determine how well a two-pool kinetic model could predict creatinine concentrations and other kinetic parameters, including the creatinine generation rate. An extrarenal creatinine clearance of 0.038 l/kg/24 h was included in the model. Diffusive cross-dialyzer clearances of urea [230 (SD 37 mL/min] correlated well (R2 = 0.78) with creatinine clearances [164 (SD 30) mL/min]. When the effective diffusion volume flow rate was set at 0.791 times the blood flow rate for the cross-dialyzer clearance measurements at 1 h into dialysis, the mean calculated volume of creatinine distribution averaged 29.6 (SD 7.2) L], compared with 31.6 (SD 7.0) L for urea (P creatinine generation rate [1183 (SD 463) mg/day] averaged 100.1 % (SD 29; median 99.3) of that predicted in nondialysis patients by an anthropometric equation. A simplified method for modeling the creatinine generation rate using the urea distribution volume and urea dialyzer clearance without use of the postdialysis serum creatinine measurement gave results for creatinine generation rate [1187 (SD 475) mg/day; that closely matched the value calculated using the formally modeled value, R2 = 0.971]. Our analysis confirms previous findings of similar distribution volumes for creatinine and urea. After taking extra-renal clearance into consideration, the creatinine generation rate in dialysis patients is similar to that in nondialysis patients. A simplified method based on urea clearance

MIN-CUT BASED SEGMENTATION OF AIRBORNE LIDAR POINT CLOUDS

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S. Ural

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Introducing an organization to the unstructured point cloud before extracting information from airborne lidar data is common in many applications. Aggregating the points with similar features into segments in 3-D which comply with the nature of actual objects is affected by the neighborhood, scale, features and noise among other aspects. In this study, we present a min-cut based method for segmenting the point cloud. We first assess the neighborhood of each point in 3-D by investigating the local geometric and statistical properties of the candidates. Neighborhood selection is essential since point features are calculated within their local neighborhood. Following neighborhood determination, we calculate point features and determine the clusters in the feature space. We adapt a graph representation from image processing which is especially used in pixel labeling problems and establish it for the unstructured 3-D point clouds. The edges of the graph that are connecting the points with each other and nodes representing feature clusters hold the smoothness costs in the spatial domain and data costs in the feature domain. Smoothness costs ensure spatial coherence, while data costs control the consistency with the representative feature clusters. This graph representation formalizes the segmentation task as an energy minimization problem. It allows the implementation of an approximate solution by min-cuts for a global minimum of this NP hard minimization problem in low order polynomial time. We test our method with airborne lidar point cloud acquired with maximum planned post spacing of 1.4 m and a vertical accuracy 10.5 cm as RMSE. We present the effects of neighborhood and feature determination in the segmentation results and assess the accuracy and efficiency of the implemented min-cut algorithm as well as its sensitivity to the parameters of the smoothness and data cost functions. We find that smoothness cost that only considers simple distance

Promotion of minTBP-1-PRGDN on the attachment, proliferation and collagen I synthesis of human keratocyte on titanium

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Xin-Yu Li

2014-02-01

Full Text Available AIM:To investigate the influence of minTBP-1-PRGDN on the attachment, proliferation and collagen I synthesis of human keratocyte on titanium (Ti surface.METHODS:The chimeric peptide RKLPDAPRGDN (minTBP-1-PRGDN was synthesized by connecting RKLPDA (minTBP-1 to the N-terminal of PRGDN , the influence of minTBP-1-PRGDN on the attachment, proliferation and collagen I synthesis of human keratocyte on Ti surface were tested using PRGDN and minTBP-1as controls. The keratocytes attached to the surface of Ti were either stained with FITC-labeled phalloidin and viewed with fluorescence microscope or quantified with alamar Blue method. The proliferation of keratocytes on Ti were quantified with 3-(4,5-dim- ethylthiazol-2-yl-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide up-taking methods. The secretion of type I collagen were determined using an ELISA kit.RESULTS:The results showed that minTBP-1-PRGDN at a concentration of 100ng/mL was the most potent peptide to enhance the attachment of human keratocytes to the surface of Ti (1.40±0.03 folds, P=0.003, to promote the proliferation (1.26±0.05 folds, P=0.014 and the synthesis of type I collagen (1.530±0.128, P=0.008. MinTBP-1 at the same concentration could only promote the attachment (1.13±0.04 folds, P=0.020 and proliferation(1.15±0.06 folds, P=0.021, while PRGDN had no significant influence (P＞0.05.CONCLUSION:Our data shows that the novel chimeric peptide minTBP-1-PRGDN could promote the attachment, proliferation and type I collagen synthesis of human keratocytes on the surface of Ti.

The Role of the Petite Bourgeoisie within Capitalism: A Response to Pyong Gap Min.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonacich, Edna

1989-01-01

Presents an argument against Pyong Gap Min's interpretations of the author's views on Korean immigrant entrepreneurship in Los Angeles (California). Addresses the issues of empirical accuracy and policy implications that Min criticized. Discusses differences between Min's approach to social knowledge and her own. (JS)

MinHash-Based Fuzzy Keyword Search of Encrypted Data across Multiple Cloud Servers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jingsha He

2018-05-01

Full Text Available To enhance the efficiency of data searching, most data owners store their data files in different cloud servers in the form of cipher-text. Thus, efficient search using fuzzy keywords becomes a critical issue in such a cloud computing environment. This paper proposes a method that aims at improving the efficiency of cipher-text retrieval and lowering storage overhead for fuzzy keyword search. In contrast to traditional approaches, the proposed method can reduce the complexity of Min-Hash-based fuzzy keyword search by using Min-Hash fingerprints to avoid the need to construct the fuzzy keyword set. The method will utilize Jaccard similarity to rank the results of retrieval, thus reducing the amount of calculation for similarity and saving a lot of time and space overhead. The method will also take consideration of multiple user queries through re-encryption technology and update user permissions dynamically. Security analysis demonstrates that the method can provide better privacy preservation and experimental results show that efficiency of cipher-text using the proposed method can improve the retrieval time and lower storage overhead as well.

The CheMin XRD on the Mars Science Laboratory Rover Curiosity: Construction, Operation, and Quantitative Mineralogical Results from the Surface of Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Blake, David F.

2015-01-01

The Mars Science Laboratory mission was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Nov. 26, 2011 and landed in Gale crater, Mars on Aug. 6, 2012. MSL's mission is to identify and characterize ancient "habitable" environments on Mars. MSL's precision landing system placed the Curiosity rover within 2 km of the center of its 20 X 6 km landing ellipse, next to Gale's central mound, a 5,000 meter high pile of laminated sediment which may contain 1 billion years of Mars history. Curiosity carries with it a full suite of analytical instruments, including the CheMin X-ray diffractometer, the first XRD flown in space. CheMin is essentially a transmission X-ray pinhole camera. A fine-focus Co source and collimator transmits a 50µm beam through a powdered sample held between X-ray transparent plastic windows. The sample holder is shaken by a piezoelectric actuator such that the powder flows like a liquid, each grain passing in random orientation through the beam over time. Forward-diffracted and fluoresced X-ray photons from the sample are detected by an X-ray sensitive Charge Coupled Device (CCD) operated in single photon counting mode. When operated in this way, both the x,y position and the energy of each photon are detected. The resulting energy-selected Co Kalpha Debye-Scherrer pattern is used to determine the identities and amounts of minerals present via Rietveld refinement, and a histogram of all X-ray events constitutes an X-ray fluorescence analysis of the sample.The key role that definitive mineralogy plays in understanding the Martian surface is a consequence of the fact that minerals are thermodynamic phases, having known and specific ranges of temperature, pressure and composition within which they are stable. More than simple compositional analysis, definitive mineralogical analysis can provide information about pressure/temperature conditions of formation, past climate, water activity and the like. Definitive mineralogical analyses are necessary to establish

Short-term pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate administration attenuates cachexia-induced alterations to muscle and liver in ApcMin/+ mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Narsale, Aditi A; Puppa, Melissa J; Hardee, Justin P; VanderVeen, Brandon N; Enos, Reilly T; Murphy, E Angela; Carson, James A

2016-09-13

Cancer cachexia is a complex wasting condition characterized by chronic inflammation, disrupted energy metabolism, and severe muscle wasting. While evidence in pre-clinical cancer cachexia models have determined that different systemic inflammatory inhibitors can attenuate several characteristics of cachexia, there is a limited understanding of their effects after cachexia has developed, and whether short-term administration is sufficient to reverse cachexia-induced signaling in distinctive target tissues. Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) is a thiol compound having anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which can inhibit STAT3 and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling in mice. This study examined the effect of short-term PDTC administration to ApcMin/+ mice on cachexia-induced disruption of skeletal muscle protein turnover and liver metabolic function. At 16 weeks of age ApcMin/+ mice initiating cachexia (7% BW loss) were administered PDTC (10mg/kg bw/d) for 2 weeks. Control ApcMin/+ mice continued to lose body weight during the treatment period, while mice receiving PDTC had no further body weight decrease. PDTC had no effect on either intestinal tumor burden or circulating IL-6. In muscle, PDTC rescued signaling disrupting protein turnover regulation. PDTC suppressed the cachexia induction of STAT3, increased mTORC1 signaling and protein synthesis, and suppressed the induction of Atrogin-1 protein expression. Related to cachectic liver metabolic function, PDTC treatment attenuated glycogen and lipid content depletion independent to the activation of STAT3 and mTORC1 signaling. Overall, these results demonstrate short-term PDTC treatment to cachectic mice attenuated cancer-induced disruptions to muscle and liver signaling, and these changes were independent to altered tumor burden and circulating IL-6.

Short-term pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate administration attenuates cachexia-induced alterations to muscle and liver in ApcMin/+ mice

Science.gov (United States)

VanderVeen, Brandon N.; Enos, Reilly T.; Murphy, E. Angela; Carson, James A.

2016-01-01

Cancer cachexia is a complex wasting condition characterized by chronic inflammation, disrupted energy metabolism, and severe muscle wasting. While evidence in pre-clinical cancer cachexia models have determined that different systemic inflammatory inhibitors can attenuate several characteristics of cachexia, there is a limited understanding of their effects after cachexia has developed, and whether short-term administration is sufficient to reverse cachexia-induced signaling in distinctive target tissues. Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) is a thiol compound having anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which can inhibit STAT3 and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling in mice. This study examined the effect of short-term PDTC administration to ApcMin/+ mice on cachexia-induced disruption of skeletal muscle protein turnover and liver metabolic function. At 16 weeks of age ApcMin/+ mice initiating cachexia (7% BW loss) were administered PDTC (10mg/kg bw/d) for 2 weeks. Control ApcMin/+ mice continued to lose body weight during the treatment period, while mice receiving PDTC had no further body weight decrease. PDTC had no effect on either intestinal tumor burden or circulating IL-6. In muscle, PDTC rescued signaling disrupting protein turnover regulation. PDTC suppressed the cachexia induction of STAT3, increased mTORC1 signaling and protein synthesis, and suppressed the induction of Atrogin-1 protein expression. Related to cachectic liver metabolic function, PDTC treatment attenuated glycogen and lipid content depletion independent to the activation of STAT3 and mTORC1 signaling. Overall, these results demonstrate short-term PDTC treatment to cachectic mice attenuated cancer-induced disruptions to muscle and liver signaling, and these changes were independent to altered tumor burden and circulating IL-6. PMID:27449092

Decay of mass-separated 189mHg (8.7 min) and 189gHg (7.7 min) to 189Au

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, J.L.; Zganjar, E.F.; Semmes, P.B.

1996-01-01

The decays of 189 Hg (8.7 min; J π =13/2 + ) and 189 Hg (7.7 min; J π =3/2 - ) have been studied with mass-separated sources from the UNISOR facility. Multiscaled spectra of γ-rays, X-rays, and conversion electrons, as well as γγt, γXt, eγt, and eXt coincidences were obtained. Decay schemes have been constructed incorporating >95% of the decay intensities assigned to the high-spin and low-spin decays. The γ-ray gated conversion-electron spectra permitted the determination of 119 conversion-electron subshell ratios. Portions of the level scheme bear a remarkable resemblance to the heavier and lighter odd-mass Au isotopes. An extensive band of states is observed built upon the h 9/2 intruder state at 325 keV. This band is markedly different from the corresponding bands in 187 Au and 185 Au, indicating a major change in the cores, i.e. between 188 Pt and 186,184 Pt. Evidence for oblate-hole-prolate-particle symmetry in 189 Au is discussed. Completeness of complex decay schemes far from stability is addressed. (orig.)

Applying the min-projection strategy to improve the transient performance of the three-phase grid-connected inverter.

Science.gov (United States)

Baygi, Mahdi Oloumi; Ghazi, Reza; Monfared, Mohammad

2014-07-01

Applying the min-projection strategy (MPS) to a three-phase grid-connected inverter to improve its transient performance is the main objective of this paper. For this purpose, the inverter is first modeled as a switched linear system. Then, the feasibility of the MPS technique is investigated and the stability criterion is derived. Hereafter, the fundamental equations of the MPS for the control of the inverter are obtained. The proposed scheme is simulated in PSCAD/EMTDC environment. The validity of the MPS approach is confirmed by comparing the obtained results with those of VOC method. The results demonstrate that the proposed method despite its simplicity provides an excellent transient performance, fully decoupled control of active and reactive powers, acceptable THD level and a reasonable switching frequency. Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

X-Ray Diffraction on Mars: Scientific Discoveries Made by the CheMin Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Rampe, E. B.; Blake, D. F.; Ming, D. W.; Bristow, T. F.

2017-01-01

The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity landed in Gale crater in August 2012 with the goal to identify and characterize habitable environments on Mars. Curiosity has been studying a series of sedimentary rocks primarily deposited in fluviolacustrine environments approximately 3.5 Ga. Minerals in the rocks and soils on Mars can help place further constraints on these ancient aqueous environments, including pH, salinity, and relative duration of liquid water. The Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence instrument on Curiosity uses a Co X-ray source and charge-coupled device detector in transmission geometry to collect 2D Debye-Scherrer ring patterns of the less than 150 micron size fraction of drilled rock powders or scooped sediments. With an angular range of approximately 2.52deg 20 and a 20 resolution of approximately 0.3deg, mineral abundances can be quantified with a detection limit of approximately 1-2 wt. %. CheMin has returned quantitative mineral abundances from 16 mudstone, sandstone, and aeolian sand samples so far. The mineralogy of these samples is incredibly diverse, suggesting a variety of depositional and diagenetic environments and different source regions for the sediments. Results from CheMin have been essential for reconstructing the geologic history of Gale crater and addressing the question of habitability on ancient Mars.

The application of Max-Plus/Min-Plus algebra for an automated analysis; Einsatz der Max-Plus/Min-Plus Algebra zur automatisierten Sicherheitsanalyse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laengst, W.; Lapp, A.; Stuebbe, K.; Schirmer, J.; Kraft, D. [Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart (Germany). Zentralbereich Forschung und Vorausentwicklung

2003-07-01

The methodology introduced in this article is capable of describing a binary behavior of distributed discrete event systems. This is the basis for a safety analysis in early phases of system development and for an automated determination of failure dependencies. For this purpose a system equation similar to the state-space representation in system theory is used. The equation is evaluated applying the Max-Plus/Min-Plus algebra. The procedure is exemplified by a simplified braking system. (orig.) [German] In dem vorliegenden Artikel wird ein Verfahren zur binaeren Beschreibung von verteilten ereignisdiskreten Systemen vorgestellt. Dieses wird als Grundlage fuer eine Sicherheitsanalyse in einer fruehen Phase der Systementwicklung und zur automatisierten Ermittlung von Fehlerabhaengigkeiten eingesetzt. Hierzu wird eine Systemgleichung verwendet, die aehnlich zu der Zustandsraumdarstellung der konventionellen Systemtheorie ist. Dabei erfolgt die Auswertung der Systemgleichung durch Anwendung der Max-Plus/Min-Plus Algebra. Die Vorgehensweise wird anhand des Beispiels eines vereinfachten Bremssystems erlaeutert. (orig.)

Optimized Min-Sum Decoding Algorithm for Low Density Parity Check Codes

OpenAIRE

Mohammad Rakibul Islam; Dewan Siam Shafiullah; Muhammad Mostafa Amir Faisal; Imran Rahman

2011-01-01

Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) code approaches Shannon–limit performance for binary field and long code lengths. However, performance of binary LDPC code is degraded when the code word length is small. An optimized min-sum algorithm for LDPC code is proposed in this paper. In this algorithm unlike other decoding methods, an optimization factor has been introduced in both check node and bit node of the Min-sum algorithm. The optimization factor is obtained before decoding program, and the sam...

AtMIN7 mediated disease resistance to Pseudomonas syringae in Arabidopsis

Science.gov (United States)

He, Sheng Yang [Okemos, MI; Nomura, Kinya [East Lansing, MI

2011-07-26

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for enhancing plant defenses against pathogens. More particularly, the invention relates to enhancing plant immunity against bacterial pathogens, wherein AtMIN7 mediated protection is enhanced and/or there is a decrease in activity of an AtMIN7 associated virulence protein such as a Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 HopM1. Reagents of the present invention provide a means of studying cellular trafficking while formulations of the present inventions provide increased pathogen resistance in plants.

Regulation of the Min Cell Division Inhibition Complex by the Rcs Phosphorelay in Proteus mirabilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Howery, Kristen E; Clemmer, Katy M; Şimşek, Emrah; Kim, Minsu; Rather, Philip N

2015-08-01

A key regulator of swarming in Proteus mirabilis is the Rcs phosphorelay, which represses flhDC, encoding the master flagellar regulator FlhD4C2. Mutants in rcsB, the response regulator in the Rcs phosphorelay, hyperswarm on solid agar and differentiate into swarmer cells in liquid, demonstrating that this system also influences the expression of genes central to differentiation. To gain a further understanding of RcsB-regulated genes involved in swarmer cell differentiation, transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) was used to examine the RcsB regulon. Among the 133 genes identified, minC and minD, encoding cell division inhibitors, were identified as RcsB-activated genes. A third gene, minE, was shown to be part of an operon with minCD. To examine minCDE regulation, the min promoter was identified by 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5'-RACE), and both transcriptional lacZ fusions and quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase (qRT) PCR were used to confirm that the minCDE operon was RcsB activated. Purified RcsB was capable of directly binding the minC promoter region. To determine the role of RcsB-mediated activation of minCDE in swarmer cell differentiation, a polar minC mutation was constructed. This mutant formed minicells during growth in liquid, produced shortened swarmer cells during differentiation, and exhibited decreased swarming motility. This work describes the regulation and role of the MinCDE cell division system in P. mirabilis swarming and swarmer cell elongation. Prior to this study, the mechanisms that inhibit cell division and allow swarmer cell elongation were unknown. In addition, this work outlines for the first time the RcsB regulon in P. mirabilis. Taken together, the data presented in this study begin to address how P. mirabilis elongates upon contact with a solid surface. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Characterization of ftsZ mutations that render Bacillus subtilis resistant to MinC

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Oliveira, I.F.F.; Sousa Borges, A.; Kooij, V.; Bartosiak-Jentys, J.; Luirink, S.; Scheffers, D.J.

2010-01-01

Background: Cell division in Bacillus subtilis occurs precisely at midcell. Positional control of cell division is exerted by two mechanisms: nucleoid occlusion, through Noc, which prevents division through nucleoids, and the Min system, where the combined action of the MinC, D and J proteins

The chloroplast min system functions differentially in two specific nongreen plastids in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Peng; Zhang, Jie; Su, Jianbin; Wang, Peng; Liu, Jun; Liu, Bing; Feng, Dongru; Wang, Jinfa; Wang, Hongbin

2013-01-01

The nongreen plastids, such as etioplasts, chromoplasts, etc., as well as chloroplasts, are all derived from proplastids in the meristem. To date, the Min system members in plants have been identified as regulators of FtsZ-ring placement, which are essential for the symmetrical division of chloroplasts. However, the regulation of FtsZ-ring placement in nongreen plastids is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the division site placement of nongreen plastids by examining the etioplasts as representative in Arabidopsis Min system mutants. Surprisingly, the shape and number of etioplasts in cotyledons of arc3, arc11 and mcd1 mutants were similar to that observed in wild-type plants, whereas arc12 and parc6 mutants exhibited enlarged etioplasts that were reduced in number. In order to examine nongreen plastids in true leaves, we silenced the ALB3 gene in these Min system mutant backgrounds to produce immature chloroplasts without the thylakoidal network using virus induced gene silencing (VIGS). Interestingly, consistent with our observations in etioplasts, enlarged and fewer nongreen plastids were only detected in leaves of parc6 (VIGS-ALB3) and arc12 (VIGS-ALB3) plants. Further, the FtsZ-ring assembled properly at the midpoint in nongreen plastids of arc3, arc11 and mcd1 (VIGS-ALB3) plants, but organized into multiple rings in parc6 (VIGS-ALB3) and presented fragmented filaments in arc12 (VIGS-ALB3) plants, suggesting that division site placement in nongreen plastids requires fewer components of the plant Min system. Taken together, these results suggest that division site placement in nongreen plastids is different from that in chloroplasts.

The chloroplast min system functions differentially in two specific nongreen plastids in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng Wang

Full Text Available The nongreen plastids, such as etioplasts, chromoplasts, etc., as well as chloroplasts, are all derived from proplastids in the meristem. To date, the Min system members in plants have been identified as regulators of FtsZ-ring placement, which are essential for the symmetrical division of chloroplasts. However, the regulation of FtsZ-ring placement in nongreen plastids is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the division site placement of nongreen plastids by examining the etioplasts as representative in Arabidopsis Min system mutants. Surprisingly, the shape and number of etioplasts in cotyledons of arc3, arc11 and mcd1 mutants were similar to that observed in wild-type plants, whereas arc12 and parc6 mutants exhibited enlarged etioplasts that were reduced in number. In order to examine nongreen plastids in true leaves, we silenced the ALB3 gene in these Min system mutant backgrounds to produce immature chloroplasts without the thylakoidal network using virus induced gene silencing (VIGS. Interestingly, consistent with our observations in etioplasts, enlarged and fewer nongreen plastids were only detected in leaves of parc6 (VIGS-ALB3 and arc12 (VIGS-ALB3 plants. Further, the FtsZ-ring assembled properly at the midpoint in nongreen plastids of arc3, arc11 and mcd1 (VIGS-ALB3 plants, but organized into multiple rings in parc6 (VIGS-ALB3 and presented fragmented filaments in arc12 (VIGS-ALB3 plants, suggesting that division site placement in nongreen plastids requires fewer components of the plant Min system. Taken together, these results suggest that division site placement in nongreen plastids is different from that in chloroplasts.

Scintigraphy of the Placenta With {sup 113m}In

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewitus, Z.; Lubin, E.; Rechnic, J.; Laor, J.; Eckerling, E. [Beilinson Medical Centre, University of Tel Aviv School of Medicine (Israel)

1969-05-15

The paper describes the merits of using {sup 113m}In in scintigraphic placental localization. The {sup 113m}In, generated from a commercial {sup 113}Sn cow, eluted with 0.05N HC1, stabilized with gelatin at pH 4.0 and autoclaved in the carrier-free form, becomes bound to the plasma proteins after being injected intravenously and stays in the vascular system long enough to enable scanning of the placental blood pools. The short physical half-life and the decay by isomeric transition reduces the radiation dose compared with other scanning agents. The minimal elimination of the molecule into the bladder during scanning has the advantage over the use of {sup 99m}Tc because it diminishes the possible confusion of activity in this area with a low-lying placenta. The placentography has been found of value in the diagnosis of placenta praevia, twins and hydatidiform mole. (author)

MSL Chemistry and Mineralogy X-Ray Diffraction X-Ray Fluorescence (CheMin) Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmerman, Wayne; Blake, Dave; Harris, William; Morookian, John Michael; Randall, Dave; Reder, Leonard J.; Sarrazin, Phillipe

2013-01-01

This paper provides an overview of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Chemistry and Mineralogy Xray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) (CheMin) Instrument, an element of the landed Curiosity rover payload, which landed on Mars in August of 2012. The scientific goal of the MSL mission is to explore and quantitatively assess regions in Gale Crater as a potential habitat for life - past or present. The CheMin instrument will receive Martian rock and soil samples from the MSL Sample Acquisition/Sample Processing and Handling (SA/SPaH) system, and process it utilizing X-Ray spectroscopy methods to determine mineral composition. The Chemin instrument will analyze Martian soil and rocks to enable scientists to investigate geophysical processes occurring on Mars. The CheMin science objectives and proposed surface operations are described along with the CheMin hardware with an emphasis on the system engineering challenges associated with developing such a complex instrument.

Laypersons may learn basic life support in 24min using a personal resuscitation manikin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Isbye, Dan Lou; Rasmussen, Lars Simon; Lippert, Freddy Knudsen

2006-01-01

-training. The second group attended a conventional 6 h BLS course (6 HR). After 3 months BLS skills were assessed on a Laerdal ResusciAnne manikin using the Laerdal PC Skill reporting System, and a total score was calculated. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between groups in BLS performance using...... assessed after 3 months, a 24 min DVD-based instruction plus subsequent self-training in BLS appears equally effective compared to a 6h BLS course and hence is more efficient. Udgivelsesdato: 2006-Jun...... and the challenge is to find the most efficient one. AIMS: To compare the efficiency of a 24 min instruction using a DVD-based self-training BLS course combined with a simple, take-home resuscitation manikin to a conventional 6h course for teaching BLS to laypersons. METHODS: In total, 238 laypersons (age 21...

Acute Oxidative Effect and Muscle Damage after a Maximum 4 Min Test in High Performance Athletes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heros Ribeiro Ferreira

Full Text Available The purpose of this investigation was to determine lipid peroxidation markers, physiological stress and muscle damage in elite kayakers in response to a maximum 4-min kayak ergometer test (KE test, and possible correlations with individual 1000m kayaking performances. The sample consisted of twenty-three adult male and nine adult female elite kayakers, with more than three years' experience in international events, who voluntarily took part in this study. The subjects performed a 10-min warm-up, followed by a 2-min passive interval, before starting the test itself, which consisted of a maximum 4-min work paddling on an ergometer; right after the end of the test, an 8 ml blood sample was collected for analysis. 72 hours after the test, all athletes took part in an official race, when then it was possible to check their performance in the on site K1 1000m test (P1000m. The results showed that all lipoproteins and hematological parameters tested presented a significant difference (p≤0.05 after exercise for both genders. In addition, parameters related to muscle damage such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH and creatine kinase (CK presented significant differences after stress. Uric acid presented an inverse correlation with the performance (r = -0.76, while CK presented a positive correlation (r = 0.46 with it. Based on these results, it was possible to verify muscle damage and the level of oxidative stress caused by indoor training with specific ergometers for speed kayaking, highlighting the importance of analyzing and getting to know the physiological responses to this type of training, in order to provide information to coaches and optimize athletic performance.

Cell enlargement of plant tissue explants oscillates with a temperature-compensated period of ca. 24 min

Science.gov (United States)

Morre, D. James; Ternes, Philipp; Morre, Dorothy M.

2002-01-01

Rate of plant cell enlargement, measured at intervals of 3 min using a sensitive linear transducer, oscillates with a minimum period of about 24 min that parallels the 24-min periodicity observed with the oxidation of NADH by the external plasma membrane NADH oxidase and of single cells measured previously by video-enhanced light microscopy. Also exhibiting 24-min oscillations is the steady-state rate of cell enlargement induced by the addition of the auxin herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) or the natural auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Immediately following 2,4-D addition, a very complex pattern of oscillations is frequently observed. However, after several hours a dominant 24-min period emerges. The length of the 24-min period is temperature compensated and remains constant at 24 min when measured at 15, 25 or 35 degrees C, despite the fact that the rate of cell enlargement approximately doubles for each 10 degree C rise over this same range of temperatures.

Global statistical maps of extreme-event magnetic observatory 1 min first differences in horizontal intensity

Science.gov (United States)

Love, Jeffrey J.; Coisson, Pierdavide; Pulkkinen, Antti

2016-01-01

Analysis is made of the long-term statistics of three different measures of ground level, storm time geomagnetic activity: instantaneous 1 min first differences in horizontal intensity ΔBh, the root-mean-square of 10 consecutive 1 min differences S, and the ramp change R over 10 min. Geomagnetic latitude maps of the cumulative exceedances of these three quantities are constructed, giving the threshold (nT/min) for which activity within a 24 h period can be expected to occur once per year, decade, and century. Specifically, at geomagnetic 55°, we estimate once-per-century ΔBh, S, and R exceedances and a site-to-site, proportional, 1 standard deviation range [1 σ, lower and upper] to be, respectively, 1000, [690, 1450]; 500, [350, 720]; and 200, [140, 280] nT/min. At 40°, we estimate once-per-century ΔBh, S, and R exceedances and 1 σ values to be 200, [140, 290]; 100, [70, 140]; and 40, [30, 60] nT/min.

Phosphorylation events implicating p38 and PI3K mediate tungstate-effects in MIN6 beta cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piquer, Sandra; Barcelo-Batllori, Silvia; Julia, Marta; Marzo, Nuria; Nadal, Belen; Guinovart, Joan J.; Gomis, Ramon

2007-01-01

Oral administration of sodium tungstate is an effective treatment for diabetes in animal models. Several lines of evidence indicate the pancreatic beta cell as one of the targets of tungstate action. Here, we examined the molecular mechanism by which this compound exerts its effects on the beta cell line MIN6. Tungstate treatment induced phosphorylation and subsequent activation of p38 and PI3K which in turn are implicated in tungstate PDX-1 nuclear localization and activation. Although no effect was observed in glucose-induced insulin secretion we found that tungstate activates basal insulin release, a process driven, at least in part, by activation of p38. These results show a direct involvement of p38 and PI3K phosphorylation in the mechanism of action of tungstate in the beta cell

The 1-min sit-to-stand test in cystic fibrosis - Insights into cardiorespiratory responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Radtke, Thomas; Hebestreit, Helge; Puhan, Milo A; Kriemler, Susi

2017-11-01

We aimed to characterize the cardiopulmonary response during a 1-min sit-to-stand (STS) test and compare peak exercise cardiorespiratory variables to a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) in cystic fibrosis (CF). We further aimed to assess the validity of the STS power index (Power STS ) as a measure of exercise capacity. Fifteen adult CF patients performed spirometry, CPET and the 1-min STS test with respiratory gas analysis. Peak-exercise cardiorespiratory variables during the 1-min STS test correlated strongly (r=0.69-0.98) with those measured during the CPET. Oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide production, heart rate, ventilation, and tidal volume at peak exercise were 24%, 26%, 9%, 10% and 21% lower in the 1-min STS test, while respiratory frequencies were 14% higher. Power STS showed strong to very strong correlations with CPET-derived absolute peak oxygen uptake and maximal workload. The 1-min STS test elicits a substantial but lower cardiorespiratory response compared to a maximal cycle ergometry CPET. While Power STS and STS repetitions are both valid outcome measures of functional capacity, STS repetitions are clinically more practical. Copyright © 2017 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cross-section measurement for the reaction 115In(n,n')/sup 115m/In

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liskien, H.; Arnotte, F.; Widera, R.; Paulsen, A.

1978-01-01

The excitation function for the reaction 115 In(n,n')/sup 115m/In was measured by the activation technique from threshold up to 4.1 MeV in 0.1-MeV steps. The absolute normalization of this excitation junction was performed at 2.1 MeV and is based on n-p scattering. The total uncertainty of the results is typically +- 6% above 1 MeV. The results are in good agreement with recently published data. 2 figures, 3 tables

160-min solar pulsation recorded simultaneously by two radio telescopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nesterov, N.S.; Urpo, S.; Kotov, V.A.

1983-01-01

Independent differential (center--limb) measurements of the brightness of the quiet sun on 1981 June 22 at lambda = 13.5 mm in the Crimea and at 8 mm in Finland show synchronous variations with 160-min periodicity

2.5-min Isostatic Gravity Grid for the United States

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The 2.5-min isostatic gravity data set was produced by regridding the 4-km residual isostatic gravity grid of the U.S. The isostatic residual gravity grid was...

The max–min ant system and tabu search for pressurized water reactor loading pattern design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Chaung; Chen, Ying-Hsiu

2014-01-01

Highlights: • An automatic loading pattern design tool for a pressurized water reactor is developed. • The design method consists of max–min ant system and tabu search. • The heuristic rules are developed to generate the candidates for tabu search. • The initial solution of tabu search is provided by max–min ant system. • The new algorithm shows very satisfactory results compared to the old one. - Abstract: An automatic loading pattern (LP) design tool for a pressurized water reactor is developed. The design procedure consists of two steps: first, a LP is generated using max–min ant system (MMAS) and then tabu search (TS) is adopted to search the satisfactory LP. The MMAS is previously developed and the TS process is newly-developed. The heuristic rules are implemented to generate the candidate LP in TS process. The heuristic rules are comprised of two kinds of action, i.e., a single swap in the location of two fuel assemblies and rotation of fuel assembly. Since developed TS process is a local search algorithm, it is efficient for the minor change of LP. It means that a proper initial LP should be provided by the first step, i.e., by MMAS. The design requirements such as hot channel factor, the hot zero power moderator temperature coefficient, and cycle length are formulated in the objective function. The results show that the developed tool can obtain the satisfactory LP and dramatically reduce the computation time compared with previous tool using ant system alone

Association of serum orosomucoid with 30-min plasma glucose and glucose excursion during oral glucose tolerance tests in non-obese young Japanese women.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuboi, Ayaka; Minato, Satomi; Yano, Megumu; Takeuchi, Mika; Kitaoka, Kaori; Kurata, Miki; Yoshino, Gen; Wu, Bin; Kazumi, Tsutomu; Fukuo, Keisuke

2018-01-01

Inflammatory markers are elevated in insulin resistance (IR) and diabetes. We tested whether serum orosomucoid (ORM) is associated with postload glucose, β-cell dysfunction and IR inferred from plasma insulin kinetics during a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). 75 g OGTTs were performed with multiple postload glucose and insulin measurements over a 30-120 min period in 168 non-obese Japanese women (aged 18-24 years). OGTT responses, serum adiponectin and high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP) were cross-sectionally analyzed by analysis of variance and then Bonferroni's multiple comparison procedure. Stepwise multivariate linear regression analyses were used to identify most important determinants of ORM. Of 168 women, 161 had normal glucose tolerance. Postload glucose levels and the area under the glucose curve (AUCg) increased in a stepwise fashion from the first through the third ORM tertile. In contrast, there was no or modest, if any, association with fat mass index, trunk/leg fat ratio, adiponectin, hsCRP, postload insulinemia, the Matsuda index and homeostasis model assessment IR. In multivariable models, which incorporated the insulinogenic index, the Matsuda index and HOMA-IR, 30 min glucose (standardized β: 0.517) and AUCg (standardized β: 0.495) explained 92.8% of ORM variations. Elevated circulating orosomucoid was associated with elevated 30 min glucose and glucose excursion in non-obese young Japanese women independently of adiposity, IR, insulin secretion, adiponectin and other investigated markers of inflammation. Although further research is needed, these results may suggest a clue to identify novel pathways that may have utility in monitoring dysglycemia within normal glucose tolerance.

Etude physico-chimique et minéralogique comparative des ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

La valorisation des ressources locales constitue un impératif afin d'atteindre des objectifs de développement durable. Cette étude a consisté à évaluer les caractéristiques physiques, chimiques et minéralogiques d'une argile provenant de Mbodiène (Sénégal), l'attapulgite, comparativement avec un médicament ...

Shallow fractionation signature of phase chemistry in Taburiente lavas, La Palma, Canary Islands: Results of MELTS modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Guetschow, H. A.; Nelson, B. K.

2002-12-01

Depth of crystal fractionation influences the chemical evolution of ocean island basalts and has significant implications for the physical structures of these volcanoes. In contrast to dominantly shallow systems such as Hawaii, a range of fractionation depths have been reported for Canary Islands lavas. Magmas erupted on La Palma preserve fluid- and melt-inclusion evidence for high-pressure (> 10 kbar) crystallization (Klügel et al., 1998; Hansteen et al., 1998; Nikogosian et al., 2002). If high-pressure fractional crystallization were an early and dominant process, it would generate specific patterns in rock and phase chemistry of eruptive sequences. Alkalic basalts from Taburiente volcano display coherent major element trends consistent with evolution dominated by fractional crystallization while their phenocryst compositions, trace elements, and isotopic trends require mixing between multiple sources. The current model confirms the importance of both fractionation and mixing to achieve the full range of lavas observed. A low-pressure (1 kbar) thermodynamic fractional crystallization model performed with the MELTS (Ghiorso and Sack, 1995) software closely reproduces major element trends from two stratigraphic sequences. This model also predicts the observed sequence of groundmass clinopyroxene compositions and phenocryst zoning reversals. In all low pressure simulations, olivine remains a modally significant liquidus phase during the first 20% and last 30% of the crystallization sequence, resulting in a negative correlation between the CaO and Fo content of olivine. These results are consistent with the presence of olivine phenocrysts that bear petrographic evidence of early crystallization, as well as observed compositional trends of groundmass olivine and clinopyroxene in Taburiente lavas. MELTS models that include an initial period of high pressure (12 kbar) clinopyroxene fractionation produce major element trends comparable to the low pressure model, but

Intestinal tumor suppression in ApcMin/+ mice by prostaglandin D2 receptor PTGDR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tippin, Brigette L; Kwong, Alan M; Inadomi, Michael J; Lee, Oliver J; Park, Jae Man; Materi, Alicia M; Buslon, Virgilio S; Lin, Amy M; Kudo, Lili C; Karsten, Stanislav L; French, Samuel W; Narumiya, Shuh; Urade, Yoshihiro; Salido, Eduardo; Lin, Henry J

2014-01-01

Our earlier work showed that knockout of hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase (HPGDS, an enzyme that produces prostaglandin D 2 ) caused more adenomas in Apc Min/+ mice. Conversely, highly expressed transgenic HPGDS allowed fewer tumors. Prostaglandin D 2 (PGD 2 ) binds to the prostaglandin D 2 receptor known as PTGDR (or DP1). PGD 2 metabolites bind to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARG). We hypothesized that Ptgdr or Pparg knockouts may raise numbers of tumors, if these receptors take part in tumor suppression by PGD 2 . To assess, we produced Apc Min/+ mice with and without Ptgdr knockouts (147 mice). In separate experiments, we produced Apc Min/+ mice expressing transgenic lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase (PTGDS), with and without heterozygous Pparg knockouts (104 mice). Homozygous Ptgdr knockouts raised total numbers of tumors by 30–40% at 6 and 14 weeks. Colon tumors were not affected. Heterozygous Pparg knockouts alone did not affect tumor numbers in Apc Min/+ mice. As mentioned above, our Pparg knockout assessment also included mice with highly expressed PTGDS transgenes. Apc Min/+ mice with transgenic PTGDS had fewer large adenomas (63% of control) and lower levels of v-myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (MYC) mRNA in the colon. Heterozygous Pparg knockouts appeared to blunt the tumor-suppressing effect of transgenic PTGDS. However, tumor suppression by PGD 2 was more clearly mediated by receptor PTGDR in our experiments. The suppression mechanism did not appear to involve changes in microvessel density or slower proliferation of tumor cells. The data support a role for PGD 2 signals acting through PTGDR in suppression of intestinal tumors

Quicksort, largest bucket, and min-wise hashing with limited independence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Mathias Bæk Tejs; Stöckel, Morten

2015-01-01

Randomized algorithms and data structures are often analyzed under the assumption of access to a perfect source of randomness. The most fundamental metric used to measure how “random” a hash function or a random number generator is, is its independence: a sequence of random variables is said...... to be k-independent if every variable is uniform and every size k subset is independent. In this paper we consider three classic algorithms under limited independence. Besides the theoretical interest in removing the unrealistic assumption of full independence, the work is motivated by lower independence...... being more practical. We provide new bounds for randomized quicksort, min-wise hashing and largest bucket size under limited independence. Our results can be summarized as follows. Randomized Quicksort. When pivot elements are computed using a 5-independent hash function, Karloff and Raghavan, J.ACM’93...

Implementation of Layered Decoding Architecture for LDPC Code using Layered Min-Sum Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandeep Kakde

2017-12-01

Full Text Available For binary field and long code lengths, Low Density Parity Check (LDPC code approaches Shannon limit performance. LDPC codes provide remarkable error correction performance and therefore enlarge the design space for communication systems.In this paper, we have compare different digital modulation techniques and found that BPSK modulation technique is better than other modulation techniques in terms of BER. It also gives error performance of LDPC decoder over AWGN channel using Min-Sum algorithm. VLSI Architecture is proposed which uses the value re-use property of min-sum algorithm and gives high throughput. The proposed work has been implemented and tested on Xilinx Virtex 5 FPGA. The MATLAB result of LDPC decoder for low bit error rate (BER gives bit error rate in the range of 10-1 to 10-3.5 at SNR=1 to 2 for 20 no of iterations. So it gives good bit error rate performance. The latency of the parallel design of LDPC decoder has also reduced. It has accomplished 141.22 MHz maximum frequency and throughput of 2.02 Gbps while consuming less area of the design.

Nonconvergence of the plain Newton-min algorithm for linear complementarity problems with a P-matrix --- The full report.

OpenAIRE

Ben Gharbia , Ibtihel; Gilbert , Jean Charles

2012-01-01

The plain Newton-min algorithm to solve the linear complementarity problem (LCP for short) 0 ≤ x ⊥ (Mx+q) ≥ 0 can be viewed as a nonsmooth Newton algorithm without globalization technique to solve the system of piecewise linear equations min(x,Mx+q)=0, which is equivalent to the LCP. When M is an M-matrix of order n, the algorithm is known to converge in at most n iterations. We show in this paper that this result no longer holds when M is a P-matrix of order ≥ 3, since then the algorithm may...

The N-terminal amphipathic helix of the topological specificity factor MinE is associated with shaping membrane curvature.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Ling Shih

Full Text Available Pole-to-pole oscillations of the Min proteins in Escherichia coli are required for the proper placement of the division septum. Direct interaction of MinE with the cell membrane is critical for the dynamic behavior of the Min system. In vitro, this MinE-membrane interaction led to membrane deformation; however, the underlying mechanism remained unclear. Here we report that MinE-induced membrane deformation involves the formation of an amphipathic helix of MinE(2-9, which, together with the adjacent basic residues, function as membrane anchors. Biochemical evidence suggested that the membrane association induces formation of the helix, with the helical face, consisting of A2, L3, and F6, inserted into the membrane. Insertion of this helix into the cell membrane can influence local membrane curvature and lead to drastic changes in membrane topology. Accordingly, MinE showed characteristic features of protein-induced membrane tubulation and lipid clustering in in vitro reconstituted systems. In conclusion, MinE shares common protein signatures with a group of membrane trafficking proteins in eukaryotic cells. These MinE signatures appear to affect membrane curvature.

Olkiluoto surface hydrological modelling: Update 2012 including salt transport modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karvonen, T.

2013-11-01

Posiva Oy is responsible for implementing a final disposal program for spent nuclear fuel of its owners Teollisuuden Voima Oyj and Fortum Power and Heat Oy. The spent nuclear fuel is planned to be disposed at a depth of about 400-450 meters in the crystalline bedrock at the Olkiluoto site. Leakages located at or close to spent fuel repository may give rise to the upconing of deep highly saline groundwater and this is a concern with regard to the performance of the tunnel backfill material after the closure of the tunnels. Therefore a salt transport sub-model was added to the Olkiluoto surface hydrological model (SHYD). The other improvements include update of the particle tracking algorithm and possibility to estimate the influence of open drillholes in a case where overpressure in inflatable packers decreases causing a hydraulic short-circuit between hydrogeological zones HZ19 and HZ20 along the drillhole. Four new hydrogeological zones HZ056, HZ146, BFZ100 and HZ039 were added to the model. In addition, zones HZ20A and HZ20B intersect with each other in the new structure model, which influences salinity upconing caused by leakages in shafts. The aim of the modelling of long-term influence of ONKALO, shafts and repository tunnels provide computational results that can be used to suggest limits for allowed leakages. The model input data included all the existing leakages into ONKALO (35-38 l/min) and shafts in the present day conditions. The influence of shafts was computed using eight different values for total shaft leakage: 5, 11, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 l/min. The selection of the leakage criteria for shafts was influenced by the fact that upconing of saline water increases TDS-values close to the repository areas although HZ20B does not intersect any deposition tunnels. The total limit for all leakages was suggested to be 120 l/min. The limit for HZ20 zones was proposed to be 40 l/min: about 5 l/min the present day leakages to access tunnel, 25 l/min from

Olkiluoto surface hydrological modelling: Update 2012 including salt transport modelling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karvonen, T. [WaterHope, Helsinki (Finland)

2013-11-15

Posiva Oy is responsible for implementing a final disposal program for spent nuclear fuel of its owners Teollisuuden Voima Oyj and Fortum Power and Heat Oy. The spent nuclear fuel is planned to be disposed at a depth of about 400-450 meters in the crystalline bedrock at the Olkiluoto site. Leakages located at or close to spent fuel repository may give rise to the upconing of deep highly saline groundwater and this is a concern with regard to the performance of the tunnel backfill material after the closure of the tunnels. Therefore a salt transport sub-model was added to the Olkiluoto surface hydrological model (SHYD). The other improvements include update of the particle tracking algorithm and possibility to estimate the influence of open drillholes in a case where overpressure in inflatable packers decreases causing a hydraulic short-circuit between hydrogeological zones HZ19 and HZ20 along the drillhole. Four new hydrogeological zones HZ056, HZ146, BFZ100 and HZ039 were added to the model. In addition, zones HZ20A and HZ20B intersect with each other in the new structure model, which influences salinity upconing caused by leakages in shafts. The aim of the modelling of long-term influence of ONKALO, shafts and repository tunnels provide computational results that can be used to suggest limits for allowed leakages. The model input data included all the existing leakages into ONKALO (35-38 l/min) and shafts in the present day conditions. The influence of shafts was computed using eight different values for total shaft leakage: 5, 11, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 l/min. The selection of the leakage criteria for shafts was influenced by the fact that upconing of saline water increases TDS-values close to the repository areas although HZ20B does not intersect any deposition tunnels. The total limit for all leakages was suggested to be 120 l/min. The limit for HZ20 zones was proposed to be 40 l/min: about 5 l/min the present day leakages to access tunnel, 25 l/min from

The effect of soy isoflavones on the development of intestinal neoplasia in Apc(Min) mouse

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Ilona Kryspin; Kristiansen, Eva; Mortensen, Alicja

1998-01-01

Data from epidemiological studies suggest that isoflavones in soy may have a protective effect on the development of colon cancer in humans. Therefore, we have investigated whether soy isoflavones will inhibit intestinal tumour development in Apc(Min) mice. The mice were fed a Western-type high...... risk diet (high fat, low fibre and calcium) containing two different isolates of soy protein as a protein source. For the control and test groups this resulted in the administration of about 16 and 475 mg of total isoflavones per kg diet, respectively. As a positive control, a third group of mice...... was administered a low isoflavone diet supplemented with 300 ppm sulindac. No significant differences in the incidence, multiplicity, size and distribution of intestinal tumours were observed between Min mice fed low and high isoflavone-containing diets. However, a clear reduction in the number of small intestinal...

Early static {sup 18}F-FET-PET scans have a higher accuracy for glioma grading than the standard 20-40 min scans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Albert, Nathalie L.; Winkelmann, Isabel; Wenter, Vera; Mille, Erik; Todica, Andrei; Brendel, Matthias; Bartenstein, Peter [Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Munich (Germany); Suchorska, Bogdana; Tonn, Joerg-Christian [Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Department of Neurosurgery, Munich (Germany); Schmid-Tannwald, Christine [Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Institute for Clinical Radiology, Munich (Germany); La Fougere, Christian [University of Tuebingen, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Clinical Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Tuebingen (Germany)

2016-06-15

Current guidelines for glioma imaging by positron emission tomography (PET) using the amino acid analogue O-(2-[{sup 18}F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine ({sup 18}F-FET) recommend image acquisition from 20-40 min post injection (p.i.). The maximal tumour-to-background evaluation (TBR{sub max}) obtained in these summation images does not enable reliable differentiation between low and high grade glioma (LGG and HGG), which, however, can be achieved by dynamic {sup 18}F-FET-PET. We investigated the accuracy of tumour grading using TBR{sub max} values at different earlier time points after tracer injection. Three hundred and fourteen patients with histologically proven primary diagnosis of glioma (131 LGG, 183 HGG) who had undergone 40-min dynamic {sup 18}F-FET-PET scans were retrospectively evaluated. TBR{sub max} was assessed in the standard 20-40 min summation images, as well as in summation images from 0-10 min, 5-15 min, 5-20 min, and 15-30 min p.i., and kinetic analysis was performed. TBR{sub max} values and kinetic analysis were correlated with histological classification. ROC analyses were performed for each time frame and sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were assessed. TBR{sub max} values in the earlier summation images were significantly better for tumour grading (P < 0.001) when compared to standard 20-40 min scans, with best results for the early 5-15 min scan. This was due to higher TBR{sub max} in the HGG (3.9 vs. 3.3; p < 0.001), while TBR{sub max} remained nearly stable in the LGG (2.2 vs. 2.1). Overall, accuracy increased from 70 % in the 20-40 min analysis to 77 % in the 5-15 min images, but did not reach the accuracy of dynamic analysis (80 %). Early TBR{sub max} assessment (5-15 min p.i.) is more accurate for the differentiation between LGG and HGG than the standard static scan (20-40 min p.i.) mainly caused by the characteristic high {sup 18}F-FET uptake of HGG in the initial phase. Therefore, when dynamic {sup 18}F-FET-PET cannot be performed

Determination of Glomerular Filtration Rate with {sup 51}Cr, {sup 58}Co, {sup 114m}In, {sup 115m}In and {sup 169}Yb- Labelled EDTA and DTPA Complexes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Molnar, Gy.; Pal, I.; Stuetzel, M.; Jaky, L. [Third Department of Medicine, University Medical School and Institute of Isotopes of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest (Hungary)

1971-02-15

Some metal complexes are suitable for determination of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). A series of labelled EDTA and DTPA complexes have been produced during the last two years by the Isotope Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The common property of EDTA and DTPA complexes is their great stability, which is a major advantage over the iodinated compounds. We have demonstrated that none of the complexes used by us combine with plasma proteins or penetrate into the red blood cells. There is evidence that EDTA and DTPA leave the body exclusively by way of glomerular filtration. The results of more than 600 cases are presented. {sup 169}Yb EDTA was used in 315, {sup 51}Cr EDTA in 126, {sup 114m}In EDTA in 83, {sup 58}Co DTPA in 72 and {sup 115m}In EDTA in 28 cases for determination of GFR. The injected activity was 0.3 -4.0 {mu}Ci/kg body weight. In most cases the result has been compared with the 24-h endogenous creatine clearance, and in 50 cases with inulin clearance also. In general the single-shot method was used. Blood samples were taken about the first and the second hour after injection of the isotope. A formula is given for calculating GFR. In a few cases we administered the isotope in the same way as inulin (priming dose and constant plasma concentration sustained by an infusion pump). Our results show that the single-shot method is a very suitable one in routine clinical practice either in states of normal or reduced kidney function. Using the single-shot method for GFR determination is especially important in those cases where the collection of urine is impossible without using a catheter, which always entails the risk of infection. Results are reliable even in disorders of the urinary tract. During or after the procedure no side effects could be observed. (author)

Statistical Properties of Gamma-Ray Burst Host Galaxies Jie-Min ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Statistical Properties of Gamma-Ray Burst Host Galaxies. Jie-Min Chen1, Jin Zhang2,3, ... of GRB host galaxies and explore possible correlations between these properties. We also investigate possible cosmic ... hydrogen column density for the GRB host galaxies in our sample. 6.295. The stellar masses are mainly in the ...

Rapid Multiplex Small DNA Sequencing on the MinION Nanopore Sequencing Platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shan Wei

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Real-time sequencing of short DNA reads has a wide variety of clinical and research applications including screening for mutations, target sequences and aneuploidy. We recently demonstrated that MinION, a nanopore-based DNA sequencing device the size of a USB drive, could be used for short-read DNA sequencing. In this study, an ultra-rapid multiplex library preparation and sequencing method for the MinION is presented and applied to accurately test normal diploid and aneuploidy samples’ genomic DNA in under three hours, including library preparation and sequencing. This novel method shows great promise as a clinical diagnostic test for applications requiring rapid short-read DNA sequencing.

An Analysis of the Max-Min Texture Measure.

Science.gov (United States)

1982-01-01

PANC 33 D2 Confusion Matrices for Scene A, IR 34 D3 Confusion Matrices for Scene B, PANC 35 D4 Confusion Matrices for Scene B, IR 36 D5 Confusion...Matrices for Scene C, PANC 37 D6 Confusion Matrices for Scene C, IR 38 D7 Confusion Matrices for Scene E, PANC 39 D8 Confusion Matrices for Scene E, IR 40...D9 Confusion Matrices for Scene H, PANC 41 DIO Confusion Matrices for Scene H, JR 42 3 .D 10CnuinMtie o cn ,IR4 AN ANALYSIS OF THE MAX-MIN TEXTURE

Chain rules for smooth min-and max-entropies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vitanov, Alexande; Dupont-Dupuis, Fréderic; Tomamichel, Marco

2013-01-01

The chain rule for the Shannon and von Neumann en- tropy, which relates the total entropy of a system to the entropies of its parts, is of central importance to information theory. Here, we consider the chain rule for the more general smooth min- and max-entropies, used in one-shot in formation...... theory. For these en- tropy measures, the chain rule no longer holds as an equality. How- ever, the standard chain rule for the von Neum ann entropy is re- trieved asymptotically when evaluating the smooth entropies for many identical and independently distributed states....

Constrained Balancing of Two Industrial Rotor Systems: Least Squares and Min-Max Approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Huang

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Rotor vibrations caused by rotor mass unbalance distributions are a major source of maintenance problems in high-speed rotating machinery. Minimizing this vibration by balancing under practical constraints is quite important to industry. This paper considers balancing of two large industrial rotor systems by constrained least squares and min-max balancing methods. In current industrial practice, the weighted least squares method has been utilized to minimize rotor vibrations for many years. One of its disadvantages is that it cannot guarantee that the maximum value of vibration is below a specified value. To achieve better balancing performance, the min-max balancing method utilizing the Second Order Cone Programming (SOCP with the maximum correction weight constraint, the maximum residual response constraint as well as the weight splitting constraint has been utilized for effective balancing. The min-max balancing method can guarantee a maximum residual vibration value below an optimum value and is shown by simulation to significantly outperform the weighted least squares method.

[Professor YANG Zhao-min's contribution to the education of modern acupuncture and moxibustion].

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Qin; Mu, Yan-Yun; Xia, You-Bing; Zhang, Jian-Bin

2012-05-01

It was completely collected and summarized the teaching history and the relevant historical materials of Professor YANG Zhao-min via consulting the literatures, investigation, interview, etc. in this paper. The summaries indicated that from the beginning of running a school, Professor YANG Zhao-min adhered to the CHENG's moral, worked hard and successfully explored and practiced the training pattern of teaching tour for the personnel training of acupuncture and moxibustion. He established the specialty of acupuncture and moxibustion, formatted courses and inherited the feature of practice teaching. He was in charge of the compilation of textbook and engaged in scientific innovation. He inherited the past and forged ahead into the future and had made the decision to cultivate the personnel of acupuncture and moxibustion. Professor YANG Zhao-min had practiced and developed the modern educational thought from the CHENG Dan-an and had made the important contribution to the training of acupuncture and moxibustion professionals.

Return period curves for extreme 5-min rainfall amounts at the Barcelona urban network

Science.gov (United States)

Lana, X.; Casas-Castillo, M. C.; Serra, C.; Rodríguez-Solà, R.; Redaño, A.; Burgueño, A.; Martínez, M. D.

2018-03-01

Heavy rainfall episodes are relatively common in the conurbation of Barcelona and neighbouring cities (NE Spain), usually due to storms generated by convective phenomena in summer and eastern and south-eastern advections in autumn. Prevention of local flood episodes and right design of urban drainage have to take into account the rainfall intensity spread instead of a simple evaluation of daily rainfall amounts. The database comes from 5-min rain amounts recorded by tipping buckets in the Barcelona urban network along the years 1994-2009. From these data, extreme 5-min rain amounts are selected applying the peaks-over-threshold method for thresholds derived from both 95% percentile and the mean excess plot. The return period curves are derived from their statistical distribution for every gauge, describing with detail expected extreme 5-min rain amounts across the urban network. These curves are compared with those derived from annual extreme time series. In this way, areas in Barcelona submitted to different levels of flood risk from the point of view of rainfall intensity are detected. Additionally, global time trends on extreme 5-min rain amounts are quantified for the whole network and found as not statistically significant.

Effect of a 5-min cold-water immersion recovery on exercise performance in the heat.

Science.gov (United States)

Peiffer, J J; Abbiss, C R; Watson, G; Nosaka, K; Laursen, P B

2010-05-01

This study examined the effect of a 5-min cold-water immersion (14 degrees C) recovery intervention on repeated cycling performance in the heat. 10 male cyclists performed two bouts of a 25-min constant-paced (254 (22) W) cycling session followed by a 4-km time trial in hot conditions (35 degrees C, 40% relative humidity). The two bouts were separated by either 15 min of seated recovery in the heat (control) or the same condition with 5-min cold-water immersion (5th-10th minute), using a counterbalanced cross-over design (CP(1)TT(1) --> CWI or CON --> CP(2)TT(2)). Rectal temperature was measured immediately before and after both the constant-paced sessions and 4-km timed trials. Cycling economy and Vo(2) were measured during the constant-paced sessions, and the average power output and completion times were recorded for each time trial. Compared with control, rectal temperature was significantly lower (0.5 (0.4) degrees C) in cold-water immersion before CP(2) until the end of the second 4-km timed trial. However, the increase in rectal temperature (0.5 (0.2) degrees C) during CP(2) was not significantly different between conditions. During the second 4-km timed trial, power output was significantly greater in cold-water immersion (327.9 (55.7) W) compared with control (288.0 (58.8) W), leading to a faster completion time in cold-water immersion (6.1 (0.3) min) compared with control (6.4 (0.5) min). Economy and Vo(2) were not influenced by the cold-water immersion recovery intervention. 5-min cold-water immersion recovery significantly lowered rectal temperature and maintained endurance performance during subsequent high-intensity exercise. These data indicate that repeated exercise performance in heat may be improved when a short period of cold-water immersion is applied during the recovery period.

Demonstrating the Open Data Repository's Data Publisher: The CheMin Database

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, N.; Lafuente, B.; Bristow, T.; Pires, A.; Keller, R. M.; Downs, R. T.; Blake, D.; Dateo, C. E.; Fonda, M.

2018-04-01

The Open Data Repository's Data Publisher aims to provide an easy-to-use software tool that will allow researchers to create and publish database templates and related data. The CheMin Database developed using this framework is shown as an example.

Benchmarking of the Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing for quantitative and qualitative assessment of cDNA populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Oikonomopoulos, Spyros; Wang, Yu Chang; Djambazian, Haig; Badescu, Dunarel; Ragoussis, Jiannis

2016-08-24

To assess the performance of the Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION sequencing platform, cDNAs from the External RNA Controls Consortium (ERCC) RNA Spike-In mix were sequenced. This mix mimics mammalian mRNA species and consists of 92 polyadenylated transcripts with known concentration. cDNA libraries were generated using a template switching protocol to facilitate the direct comparison between different sequencing platforms. The MinION performance was assessed for its ability to sequence the cDNAs directly with good accuracy in terms of abundance and full length. The abundance of the ERCC cDNA molecules sequenced by MinION agreed with their expected concentration. No length or GC content bias was observed. The majority of cDNAs were sequenced as full length. Additionally, a complex cDNA population derived from a human HEK-293 cell line was sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq 2500, PacBio RS II and ONT MinION platforms. We observed that there was a good agreement in the measured cDNA abundance between PacBio RS II and ONT MinION (rpearson = 0.82, isoforms with length more than 700bp) and between Illumina HiSeq 2500 and ONT MinION (rpearson = 0.75). This indicates that the ONT MinION can sequence quantitatively both long and short full length cDNA molecules.

Training the Recurrent neural network by the Fuzzy Min-Max algorithm for fault prediction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zemouri, Ryad; Racoceanu, Daniel; Zerhouni, Noureddine; Minca, Eugenia; Filip, Florin

2009-01-01

In this paper, we present a training technique of a Recurrent Radial Basis Function neural network for fault prediction. We use the Fuzzy Min-Max technique to initialize the k-center of the RRBF neural network. The k-means algorithm is then applied to calculate the centers that minimize the mean square error of the prediction task. The performances of the k-means algorithm are then boosted by the Fuzzy Min-Max technique.

Radioprotective effects of melanin-glucan complex from Fomes Fomentarius and indralin at irradiation of mice BALB/C by dose of 5,95 Gy/8,5 min

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. F. Seniuk

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Protective effect of melanin-glucan complex from F. fomentarius (MGC and Russian armed forces radiopro-tector indralin in the model of acute exposure by dose of 5.95 Gy/8.5min care is compared. Obtained results indi-cate availabi¬lity at MGC and indralin both direct and indirect "bystander effect” of DNA-protective properties, as well as severe anxiolytic activity. Thus for indralin protection factor was 0.33 when in MGC it was 2.3 times higher (0.75.

Max-Min Optimality of Service Rate Control in Closed Queueing Networks

KAUST Repository

Xia, Li

2013-04-01

In this technical note, we discuss the optimality properties of service rate control in closed Jackson networks. We prove that when the cost function is linear to a particular service rate, the system performance is monotonic w.r.t. (with respect to) that service rate and the optimal value of that service rate can be either maximum or minimum (we call it Max-Min optimality); When the second-order derivative of the cost function w.r.t. a particular service rate is always positive (negative), which makes the cost function strictly convex (concave), the optimal value of such service rate for the performance maximization (minimization) problem can be either maximum or minimum. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most general result for the optimality of service rates in closed Jackson networks and all the previous works only involve the first conclusion. Moreover, our result is also valid for both the state-dependent and load-dependent service rates, under both the time-average and customer-average performance criteria.

Caffeine, but not bicarbonate, improves 6 min maximal performance in elite rowers.

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen, Peter M; Petersen, Mads H; Friis, Signe N; Bangsbo, Jens

2014-09-01

This study examined the ergogenic effects in a 6 min maximal performance test (PT) on 12 elite rowers: 6 open-weight (mean ± SD; 25 ± 1 years, and 92 ± 3 kg) and 6 light-weight (25 ± 3 years, and 73 ± 6 kg), following supplementation with caffeine (CAF), sodium bicarbonate (SB), and the combination of both, in a double-blind randomized placebo (PLA) controlled design. PT was executed on 4 occasions, on separate days within a week, and in a non-fasted state, with standardized training being performed the day before PT. Protocols were as follows: (i) CAF, 3 mg/kg, 45 min prior to PT + calcium as SB-PLA; (ii) SB, 0.3 g/kg, 75 min prior to PT + dextrose as CAF-PLA; (iii) CAF + SB; and (iv) PLA; CAF-PLA + SB-PLA. The total distance in the CAF (1878 ± 97 m) and CAF + SB (1877 ± 97 m) was longer than in the PLA (1865 ± 104 m; P 0.05). No difference between interventions was observed for readiness and stomach comfort before PT and perceived exertion during PT. This study demonstrates that caffeine ingestion does improve performance in elite rowing. In contrast sodium bicarbonate does not appear to be ergogenic, but it does not abolish the ergogenic effect of caffeine.

Multimodel inference applied to oxygen recovery kinetics after 6-min walk tests in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baty, Florent; Ritz, Christian; Jensen, Signe Marie

2017-01-01

6-min walk tests (6MWT) are routinely performed in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]) kinetics during 6MWT can be modeled and derived parameters provide indicators of patients' exercise capacity. Post-exercise [Formula: see text] recovery...... also provides important parameters of patients' fitness which has not been extensively investigated in COPD. Several nonlinear regression models with different underlying biological assumptions may be suitable for describing recovery kinetics. Multimodel inference (model averaging) can then be used...... to capture the uncertainty in considering several models. Our aim was to apply multimodel inference in order to better understand the physiological underpinnings of [Formula: see text] recovery after 6MWT in patients with COPD. 61 patients with COPD (stages 2 to 4) were included in this study. Oxygen...

Measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction with ionic sup(113m)In and a cardiac probe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, X.; Harrison, K.S.; Wagner, H.N. Jr.

1982-09-01

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was measured with a cardiac probe (Nuclear Stethoscope. Bios Inc., Valhalla, New York) and sup(113m)In in 28 normal subjects and 86 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). In 20 normal subjects sup(99m)TC-RBCs were compared with sup(113m)In, which binds to transferrin after IV injection. With sup(99m)Tc-RBCs average LVEF was 57+-7% (1 SD); with sup(113m)In, average LEVF was 55+-8% (N.S.). Sequential measurements at different times over 60 min revealed good reproducibility. Comparison of LVEF's obtained using sup(99m)Tc-RBCs with a gamma camera and cardiac probe revealed a good correlation. The correlation coefficients were 0.92 in 25 patients with CAD and 0.95 in 10 patients with LV wall motion abnormalities. The LVEF obtained using a cardiac probe and sup(113m)In increased in 28 normals from 57+-9% to 64+-13% (P<0.001) during handgrip exercise, while the LVEF decreased from 45+-9% to 41+-10% (P<0.01) in patients with acute myocardial infarction 4-7 weeks after episode, from 48+-11 to 40+-12% (P<0.001) in patients with old myocardial infarction, and from 52+-9 to 42+-9% (P<0.001) in patients with angina pectoris. The cardiac probe and sup(113m)In provide a useful alternate means of determining left ventricular dysfunction in facilities where sup(99m)Tc and a gamma camera computer system are not readily available.

Measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction with ionic sup(113m)In and a cardiac probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, X.; Harrison, K.S.; Wagner, H.N. Jr.

1982-01-01

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was measured with a cardiac probe (Nuclear Stethoscope. Bios Inc., Valhalla, New York) and sup(113m)In in 28 normal subjects and 86 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). In 20 normal subjects sup(99m)TC-RBCs were compared with sup(113m)In, which binds to transferrin after IV injection. With sup(99m)Tc-RBCs average LVEF was 57+-7% (1 SD); with sup(113m)In, average LEVF was 55+-8% (N.S.). Sequential measurements at different times over 60 min revealed good reproducibility. Comparison of LVEF's obtained using sup(99m)Tc-RBCs with a gamma camera and cardiac probe revealed a good correlation. The correlation coefficients were 0.92 in 25 patients with CAD and 0.95 in 10 patients with LV wall motion abnormalities. The LVEF obtained using a cardiac probe and sup(113m)In increased in 28 normals from 57+-9% to 64+-13% (P<0.001) during handgrip exercise, while the LVEF decreased from 45+-9% to 41+-10% (P<0.01) in patients with acute myocardial infarction 4-7 weeks after episode, from 48+-11 to 40+-12% (P<0.001) in patients with old myocardial infarction, and from 52+-9 to 42+-9% (P<0.001) in patients with angina pectoris. The cardiac probe and sup(113m)In provide a useful alternate means of determining left ventricular dysfunction in facilities where sup(99m)Tc and a gamma camera computer system are not readily available. (orig.)

Fuzzy Mutual Information Based min-Redundancy and Max-Relevance Heterogeneous Feature Selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daren Yu

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Feature selection is an important preprocessing step in pattern classification and machine learning, and mutual information is widely used to measure relevance between features and decision. However, it is difficult to directly calculate relevance between continuous or fuzzy features using mutual information. In this paper we introduce the fuzzy information entropy and fuzzy mutual information for computing relevance between numerical or fuzzy features and decision. The relationship between fuzzy information entropy and differential entropy is also discussed. Moreover, we combine fuzzy mutual information with qmin-Redundancy-Max-Relevanceq, qMax-Dependencyq and min-Redundancy-Max-Dependencyq algorithms. The performance and stability of the proposed algorithms are tested on benchmark data sets. Experimental results show the proposed algorithms are effective and stable.

METAPHORIZATION AND METONYMIZATIO: DIACHRONIC DEVELOPMENT OF VERBS OF VOLITION IN SOUTHERN MIN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miao-Hsia Chang

2009-06-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the diachrony of the verbs of volition ai and beh in Southern Min (SM. The data include historical SM texts (16th-19th century, folk songs in the late 19th to early 20th century, and contemporary natural Taiwanese Southern Min conversations. The results mainly mark two stages of the development of ai and beh: historical (before 1900 and contemporary SM. Since the 16th century (Ming Dynasty, ai has been used as a verb of volition indicating love, intention or hope. As for historical ai, it marked future, specialized however for predicting an adverse future. In contemporary SM, a sense of necessity emerged with the use of ai denoting general agreement among people. Seven senses are attributed to historical beh: want/intention/hope, future, excessiveness, necessity, proximity and conditionality. In contemporary SM, the indication of the want of an entity has become a less preferred use, and necessity is only preserved when indicating puzzlement and helplessness. The diachronic developments of ai and beh demonstrate an interplay of metaphorization and metonymization (Traugott and Dasher 2002:27. Metaphorization contributes first to the semantic shift of ai and beh from “to want; to love” to “to intend to” and a concurrent categorical change from lexical verb into auxiliary, and second, to the evolution of future. Metonymization activates an even wider range of uses and meaning change, including the pragmatic strengthening of interpretations such as excessiveness (beh, necessity (ai, beh, proximity (beh and conditional (beh, and prediction of an undesirable future (ai.

Quantum key distribution with finite resources: Smooth Min entropy vs. Smooth Renyi entropy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mertz, Markus; Abruzzo, Silvestre; Bratzik, Sylvia; Kampermann, Hermann; Bruss, Dagmar [Institut fuer Theoretische Physik III, Duesseldorf (Germany)

2010-07-01

We consider different entropy measures that play an important role in the analysis of the security of QKD with finite resources. The smooth min entropy leads to an optimal bound for the length of a secure key. Another bound on the secure key length was derived by using Renyi entropies. Unfortunately, it is very hard or even impossible to calculate these entropies for realistic QKD scenarios. To estimate the security rate it becomes important to find computable bounds on these entropies. Here, we compare a lower bound for the smooth min entropy with a bound using Renyi entropies. We compare these entropies for the six-state protocol with symmetric attacks.

Experimental and modeling results of creep fatigue life of Inconel 617 and Haynes 230 at 850 C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Xiang; Sokolov, Mikhail A.; Sham, Sam; Erdman, Donald L. III; Busby, Jeremy T.; Mo, Kun; Stubbins, James

2013-01-01

Creep fatigue testing of Ni-based superalloy Inconel 617 and Haynes 230 were conducted in the air at 850 C. Tests were performed with fully reversed axial strain control at a total strain range of 0.5%, 1.0% or 1.5% and hold time at maximum tensile strain for 3, 10 or 30 min. In addition, two creep fatigue life prediction methods, i.e. linear damage summation and frequency-modified tensile hysteresis energy modeling, were evaluated and compared with experimental results. Under all creep fatigue tests, Haynes 230 performed better than Inconel 617. Compared to the low cycle fatigue life, the cycles to failure for both materials decreased under creep fatigue test conditions. Longer hold time at maximum tensile strain would cause a further reduction in both material creep fatigue life. The linear damage summation could predict the creep fatigue life of Inconel 617 for limited test conditions, but considerably underestimated the creep fatigue life of Haynes 230. In contrast, frequency-modified tensile hysteresis energy modeling showed promising creep fatigue life prediction results for both materials.

Atmospheric Deposition Modeling Results

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This asset provides data on model results for dry and total deposition of sulfur, nitrogen and base cation species. Components include deposition velocities, dry...

[Contribution of Professor SHI Xue-min's academic thoughts to treatment of stroke].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jian; Fan, Xiao-Nong; Wang, Shu

2014-01-01

Based on the thought of Zhishen (a kind of mind regulation), Professor SHI Xue-min, academician of the China Academy of Engineering, found the Xingnao Kaiqiao (to refresh the mind and to cause resuscitation) acupuncture method, which still plays an important role in the acupuncture treatment of wind stroke nowadays. Meanwhile, great importance is attached to the comprehensive treatment of wind stroke. Danqi Piantan capsule (see text) is developed and "wind stroke unit" is set up. In recent years, Professor SHI shifts the center of research to the treatment of hypertension, the risk factor of wind stroke. Taking Renying (ST 9) as the major acupoint, acupuncture with standard measurement and manipulations is established. And good clinical effect has been obtained as well. Therefore, this article focuses on the introduction of Professor SHI Xue-min's contribution to wind stroke treatment.

Minásbate Equivalents of Mathematical Concepts: Their Socio-Cultural Undertones

Science.gov (United States)

Balbuena, Sherwin E.; Cantoria, Uranus E.; Cantoria, Amancio L., Jr.; Ferriol, Eny B.

2015-01-01

This paper presents the collection and analysis of Minásbate equivalents of some concepts used in the study of arithmetic, counting, and geometry as provided by the elderly residents of the province of Masbate. The glossary of mathematical terms derived from interviews would serve as an authoritative reference for mother tongue teachers in the…

Illumination Tolerance for Visual Navigation with the Holistic Min-Warping Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ralf Möller

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Holistic visual navigation methods are an emerging alternative to the ubiquitous feature-based methods. Holistic methods match entire images pixel-wise instead of extracting and comparing local feature descriptors. In this paper we investigate which pixel-wise distance measures are most suitable for the holistic min-warping method with respect to illumination invariance. Two novel approaches are presented: tunable distance measures—weighted combinations of illumination-invariant and illumination-sensitive terms—and two novel forms of “sequential” correlation which are only invariant against intensity shifts but not against multiplicative changes. Navigation experiments on indoor image databases collected at the same locations but under different conditions of illumination demonstrate that tunable distance measures perform optimally by mixing their two portions instead of using the illumination-invariant term alone. Sequential correlation performs best among all tested methods, and as well but much faster in an approximated form. Mixing with an additional illumination-sensitive term is not necessary for sequential correlation. We show that min-warping with approximated sequential correlation can successfully be applied to visual navigation of cleaning robots.

MODIS/Aqua Aerosol 5-Min L2 Swath 10km V006

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The MODIS/Aqua Aerosol 5-Min L2 Swath 10km (MYD04_L2) product continues to provide full global coverage of aerosol properties from the Dark Target (DT) and Deep Blue...

Evaluation of mosaic pattern areas in HRCT with Min-IP reconstructions in patients with pulmonary hypertension: Could this evaluation replace lung perfusion scintigraphy?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rossi, A.; Attinà, D.; Borgonovi, A.; Buia, F.; De Luca, F.; Guidalotti, P.L.; Fughelli, P.; Galiè, N.; Zompatori, M.

2012-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate a possible correlation between areas of lung attenuation, found in minimum intensity projection (Min-IP) reconstruction images performed with high resolution computed tomography without contrast medium (HRCT), and areas of lung perfusion alteration, found in lung perfusion scintigraphy (LPS). Materials and methods: Two independent radiologists, unaware of LPS results, evaluated retrospectively a group of 113 patients affected by pulmonary hypertension (HP) of different aetiology. These have been examined in a period of two years in our centre both by spiral computed tomography (CT) with and without contrast-medium and by LPS. The final diagnosis was determined on clinical data, right heart catheterisation and contrast enhanced CT in angiographic phase (CTPA). We reconstructed the Min-IP images of lung parenchyma in all the cases both in HRCT without contrast-medium, and in contrast enhanced CT in angiographic phase (CTPA) in axial, sagittal and coronal planes. The obtained images were qualitatively graded into three categories of pulmonary attenuation: homogeneous, inhomogeneous with non-segmental patchy defects, inhomogeneous with segmental defects. The same criteria of classification were used also for LPS images. In the group of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) we also compared the number of areas of lung attenuation found in Min-IP images in HRCT without contrast-medium, and their exact localization, with not perfused areas in LPS. Gold standard for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism was spiral contrast enhanced CT in angiographic phase (CTPA). Results: In all cases we found exact correspondence between the Min-IP images in HRCT with and without contras agent. The attenuation pattern seen on Min-IP images was concordant with those of LPS in 96 out of 113 patients (85%). In the remaining 17 cases (15%) it was discordant: in 12 cases inhomogeneous in Min-IP images (7 with non

Metabolic effect of bodyweight whole-body vibration in a 20-min exercise session: A crossover study using verified vibration stimulus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiara Milanese

Full Text Available The ability of whole body vibration (WBV to increase energy expenditure (EE has been investigated to some extent in the past using short-term single exercises or sets of single exercises. However, the current practice in WBV training for fitness is based on the execution of multiple exercises during a WBV training session for a period of at least 20 min; nevertheless, very limited and inconsistent data are available on EE during long term WBV training session. This crossover study was designed to demonstrate, in an adequately powered sample of participants, the ability of WBV to increase the metabolic cost of exercise vs. no vibration over the time span of a typical WBV session for fitness (20 min. Twenty-two physically active young males exercised on a vibration platform (three identical sets of six different exercises using an accelerometer-verified vibration stimulus in both the WBV and no vibration condition. Oxygen consumption was measured with indirect calorimetry and expressed as area under the curve (O2(AUC. Results showed that, in the overall 20-min training session, WBV increased both the O2(AUC and the estimated EE vs. no vibration by about 22% and 20%, respectively (P<0.001 for both, partial eta squared [η2] ≥0.35 as well as the metabolic equivalent of task (+5.5%, P = 0.043; η2 = 0.02 and the rate of perceived exertion (+13%, P<0.001; ŋ2 = 0.16. Results demonstrated that vibration is able to significantly increase the metabolic cost of exercise in a 20-min WBV training session.

Results of the naive quark model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gignoux, C.

1987-10-01

The hypotheses and limits of the naive quark model are recalled and results on nucleon-nucleon scattering and possible multiquark states are presented. Results show that with this model, ropers do not come. For hadron-hadron interactions, the model predicts Van der Waals forces that the resonance group method does not allow. Known many-body forces are not found in the model. The lack of mesons shows up in the absence of a far reaching force. However, the model does have strengths. It is free from spuriousness of center of mass, and allows a democratic handling of flavor. It has few parameters, and its predictions are very good [fr

Determinants of poor 6-min walking distance in patients with COPD: the ECLIPSE cohort

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spruit, Martijn A; Watkins, Michael L; Edwards, Lisa D

2010-01-01

>/=2) are significant clinical determinants of poor 6MWD performance (poor 6MWD are complex and depend on both physical (both pulmonary and non-pulmonary factors) and psychological factors as evaluated from a large multinational cohort of well......BACKGROUND: The 6-min walking test (6MWT) is widely used to assess exercise tolerance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Given the prognostic significance of the 6MWT, it is important to identify why some COPD patients perform poorly in terms of this outcome. We aimed...... to identify clinical determinants of a poor 6-min walking distance (

Numerical Analysis of Strongly Nonlinear Oscillation Systems using He's Max-Min Method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Babazadeh, H; Domairry, G; Barari, Amin

2011-01-01

Nonlinear functions are crucial points and terms in engineering problems. Actual and physical problems can be solved by solving and processing such functions. Thus, most scientists and engineers focus on solving these equations. This paper presents a novel method called the max-min method...

Overview of fuel behaviour and core degradation, based on modelling analyses. Overview of fuel behaviour and core degradation, on the basis of modelling results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massara, Simone

2013-01-01

Since the very first hours after the accident at Fukushima-Daiichi, numerical simulations by means of severe accident codes have been carried out, aiming at highlighting the key physical phenomena allowing a correct understanding of the sequence of events, and - on a long enough timeline - improving models and methods, in order to reduce the discrepancy between calculated and measured data. A last long-term objective is to support the future decommissioning phase. The presentation summarises some of the available elements on the role of the fuel/cladding-water interaction, which became available only through modelling because of the absence of measured data directly related to the cladding-steam interaction. This presentation also aims at drawing some conclusions on the status of the modelling capabilities of current tools, particularly for the purpose of the foreseen application to ATF fuels: - analyses with MELCOR, MAAP, THALES2 and RELAP5 are presented; - input data are taken from BWR Mark-I Fukushima-Daiichi Units 1, 2 and 3, completed with operational data published by TEPCO. In the case of missing or incomplete data or hypotheses, these are adjusted to reduce the calculation/measurement discrepancy. The behaviour of the accident is well understood on a qualitative level (major trends on RPV pressure and water level, dry-wet and PCV pressure are well represented), allowing a certain level of confidence in the results of the analysis of the zirconium-steam reaction - which is accessible only through numerical simulations. These show an extremely fast sequence of events (here for Unit 1): - the top of fuel is uncovered in 3 hours (after the tsunami); - the steam line breaks at 6.5 hours. Vessel dries at 10 hours, with a heat-up rate in a first moment driven by the decay heat only (∼7 K/min) and afterwards by the chemical heat from Zr-oxidation (over 30 K/min), associated with massive hydrogen production. It appears that the level of uncertainty increases with

Effect of Acylglycerol Composition and Fatty Acyl Chain Length on Lipid Digestion in pH-Stat Digestion Model and Simulated In Vitro Digestion Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Jin F; Jia, Cai H; Shin, Jung A; Woo, Jeong M; Wang, Xiang Y; Park, Jong T; Hong, Soon T; Lee, K-T

2016-02-01

In this study, a pH-stat digestion model and a simulated in vitro digestion model were employed to evaluate the digestion degree of lipids depending on different acylglycerols and acyl chain length (that is, diacylglycerol [DAG] compared with soybean oil representing long-chain triacylglycerol compared with medium-chain triacylglycerol [MCT]). In the pH-stat digestion model, differences were observed among the digestion degrees of 3 oils using digestion rate (k), digestion half-time (t1/2 ), and digestion extent (Φmax). The results showed the digestion rate order was MCT > soybean oil > DAG. Accordingly, the order of digestion half-times was MCT digestion model, digestion rates (k') and digestion half-times (t'1/2 ) were also obtained and the results showed a digestion rate order of MCT (k' = 0.068 min(-1) ) > soybean oil (k' = 0.037 min(-1) ) > DAG (k' = 0.024 min(-1) ). Consequently, the order of digestion half-times was MCT (t'1/2 = 10.20 min) digested faster than soybean oil, and that soybean oil was digested faster than DAG. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Reducing Conservatism in Aircraft Engine Response Using Conditionally Active Min-Max Limit Regulators

Science.gov (United States)

May, Ryan D.; Garg, Sanjay

2012-01-01

Current aircraft engine control logic uses a Min-Max control selection structure to prevent the engine from exceeding any safety or operational limits during transients due to throttle commands. This structure is inherently conservative and produces transient responses that are slower than necessary. In order to utilize the existing safety margins more effectively, a modification to this architecture is proposed, referred to as a Conditionally Active (CA) limit regulator. This concept uses the existing Min-Max architecture with the modification that limit regulators are active only when the operating point is close to a particular limit. This paper explores the use of CA limit regulators using a publicly available commercial aircraft engine simulation. The improvement in thrust response while maintaining all necessary safety limits is demonstrated in a number of cases.

Intermittent KoldBlue cryotherapy of 3×10 min changes mid‐portion Achilles tendon microcirculation

Science.gov (United States)

Knobloch, Karsten; Grasemann, Ruth; Spies, Marcus; Vogt, Peter M

2007-01-01

Background Neovascularisation and microcirculatory changes have been reported in Achilles tendinopathy. Cryotherapy and compression, as part of a rest, ice, compression and elevation regimen, are shown to decrease pain and improve function. However, the microcirculatory changes following a given dosage of cryotherapy on mid‐portion Achilles tendon remain unclear. Study design Prospective clinical cohort study, level of evidence 2. Methods 30 people (12 males, 33 (SD 12) years, body mass index 25.6 (5.3) kg/m2) were included in the cohort. 3×10 min KoldBlue ankle‐cooling bandages were applied and microcirculation of Achilles tendon mid‐portion was real‐time and continuously assessed using a laser‐Doppler‐spectrophotometry system (O2C, Germany). Results Superficial capillary blood flow was reduced from 42 to 6, 5 and 3 relative units (rU) in the first, second and third cryotherapy periods, respectively (−65%, p = 0.001), with no significant capillary hyperaemia. Deep capillary tendon blood flow was reduced from 180 to 82, 53 and 52 rU (−71%, p = 0.001) within 6–9 min of application without hyperaemia. Superficial tendon oxygen saturation dropped significantly from 43% to 26%, 18% and 11% (p = 0.001) after repetitive cryotherapy, with persisting increase of tendon oxygenation during rewarming (51%, 49% and 54%, p = 0.077) up to 27% of the baseline level. At 8 mm tendon depth, cryotherapy preserved local oxygenation. Relative postcapillary venous tendon filling pressures were favourably reduced from 41 (11) to 31, 28 and 26 rU (−36%, p = 0.001) superficially and from 56 (11) to 45, 46 and 48 rU (−18%, p = 0.001) in deep capillary blood flow during cryotherapy, facilitating capillary venous clearance. Conclusion Intermittent cryotherapy of 3×10 min significantly decreases local Achilles tendon mid‐portion capillary blood flow by 71%. Within 2 min of rewarming, tendon oxygen saturation is re�

MinION Analysis and Reference Consortium: Phase 2 data release and analysis of R9.0 chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Miten; Tyson, John R; Loose, Matthew; Ip, Camilla L C; Eccles, David A; O'Grady, Justin; Malla, Sunir; Leggett, Richard M; Wallerman, Ola; Jansen, Hans J; Zalunin, Vadim; Birney, Ewan; Brown, Bonnie L; Snutch, Terrance P; Olsen, Hugh E

2017-01-01

Long-read sequencing is rapidly evolving and reshaping the suite of opportunities for genomic analysis. For the MinION in particular, as both the platform and chemistry develop, the user community requires reference data to set performance expectations and maximally exploit third-generation sequencing. We performed an analysis of MinION data derived from whole genome sequencing of Escherichia coli K-12 using the R9.0 chemistry, comparing the results with the older R7.3 chemistry. We computed the error-rate estimates for insertions, deletions, and mismatches in MinION reads. Run-time characteristics of the flow cell and run scripts for R9.0 were similar to those observed for R7.3 chemistry, but with an 8-fold increase in bases per second (from 30 bps in R7.3 and SQK-MAP005 library preparation, to 250 bps in R9.0) processed by individual nanopores, and less drop-off in yield over time. The 2-dimensional ("2D") N50 read length was unchanged from the prior chemistry. Using the proportion of alignable reads as a measure of base-call accuracy, 99.9% of "pass" template reads from 1-dimensional ("1D")  experiments were mappable and ~97% from 2D experiments. The median identity of reads was ~89% for 1D and ~94% for 2D experiments. The total error rate (miscall + insertion + deletion ) decreased for 2D "pass" reads from 9.1% in R7.3 to 7.5% in R9.0 and for template "pass" reads from 26.7% in R7.3 to 14.5% in R9.0. These Phase 2 MinION experiments serve as a baseline by providing estimates for read quality, throughput, and mappability. The datasets further enable the development of bioinformatic tools tailored to the new R9.0 chemistry and the design of novel biological applications for this technology. K: thousand, Kb: kilobase (one thousand base pairs), M: million, Mb: megabase (one million base pairs), Gb: gigabase (one billion base pairs).

Improvement of Tidal Analysis Results by a Priori Rain Fall Modelling at the Vienna and Membach stations

Science.gov (United States)

Meurers, B.; van Camp, M.; Petermans, T.

2005-12-01

We investigate how far tidal analysis results can be improved when a rain fall admittance model is applied on the superconducting gravity (SG) data. For that purpose both Vienna and Membach data have been analysed with and without a priori rain fall correction. In Membach the residual drop for most events (80%) can be explained by the rain water load, while in Vienna only 50% of all events fit the model in detail. In the other cases the Newtonian effect of vertical air mass redistribution (vertical density variation without air pressure change), predominantly connected with high vertical convection activity, e.g. thunderstorms, plays an essential role: short-term atmospheric signals show up steep gravity residual decreases of a few nms-2 within 10 - 60 min, well correlated with outdoor air temperature in most cases. However, even in those cases the water load model is able to explain the dominating part of the residual drop especially during heavy rain fall. In Vienna more than 110 events have been detected over 10 years. 84% of them are associated with heavy rain starting at or up to 10 min later than the residual drop while the rest (16%) shows no or only little rainfall. The magnitude of the gravity drop depends on the total amount of rainfall accumulated during the meteorological event. Step like signals deteriorate the frequency spectrum estimates. This even holds for tidal analysis. As the drops are of physical origin, they should not be eliminated blindly but corrected using water load modeling constrained by high temporal resolution (1 min) rain data. 3D modeling of the water mass load due to a rain event is based on the following assumptions: (1) Rain water intrudes into the uppermost soil layer (close to the topography surface) and remains there at least until rain has stopped. This is justified for a period of some hours after the rainfall as evapotranspiration is not yet effective. (2) No run-off except of sealed areas or building roofs, where water can

Plasma Volume Expansion Resulting from Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert G. Hahn

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To quantify the degree of plasma volume expansion that occurs during an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT. Methods. Twenty healthy volunteers (mean age, 28 years underwent IVGTTs in which 0.3 g/kg of glucose 30% was injected as a bolus over 1 min. Twelve blood samples were collected over 75 min. The plasma glucose and blood hemoglobin concentrations were used to calculate the volume distribution (Vd and the clearance (CL of both the exogenous glucose and the injected fluid volume. Results. The IVGTT caused a virtually instant plasma volume expansion of 10%. The half-life of the glucose averaged 15 min and the plasma volume expansion 16 min. Correction of the fluid kinetic model for osmotic effects after injection reduced CL for the infused volume by 85%, which illustrates the strength of osmosis in allocating fluid back to the intracellular fluid space. Simulations indicated that plasma volume expansion can be reduced to 60% by increasing the injection time from 1 to 5 min and reducing the glucose load from 0.3 to 0.2 g/kg. Conclusion. A regular IVGTT induced an acute plasma volume expansion that peaked at 10% despite the fact that only 50–80 mL of fluid were administered.

The regulation of skeletal muscle protein turnover during the progression of cancer cachexia in the Apc(Min/+ mouse.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James P White

Full Text Available Muscle wasting that occurs with cancer cachexia is caused by an imbalance in the rates of muscle protein synthesis and degradation. The Apc(Min/+ mouse is a model of colorectal cancer that develops cachexia that is dependent on circulating IL-6. However, the IL-6 regulation of muscle protein turnover during the initiation and progression of cachexia in the Apc(Min/+ mouse is not known. Cachexia progression was studied in Apc(Min/+ mice that were either weight stable (WS or had initial (≤5%, intermediate (6-19%, or extreme (≥20% body weight loss. The initiation of cachexia reduced %MPS 19% and a further ∼50% with additional weight loss. Muscle IGF-1 mRNA expression and mTOR targets were suppressed with the progression of body weight loss, while muscle AMPK phosphorylation (Thr 172, AMPK activity, and raptor phosphorylation (Ser 792 were not increased with the initiation of weight loss, but were induced as cachexia progressed. ATP dependent protein degradation increased during the initiation and progression of cachexia. However, ATP independent protein degradation was not increased until cachexia had progressed beyond the initial phase. IL-6 receptor antibody administration prevented body weight loss and suppressed muscle protein degradation, without any effect on muscle %MPS or IGF-1 associated signaling. In summary, the %MPS reduction during the initiation of cachexia is associated with IGF-1/mTOR signaling repression, while muscle AMPK activation and activation of ATP independent protein degradation occur later in the progression of cachexia. IL-6 receptor antibody treatment blocked cachexia progression through the suppression of muscle protein degradation, while not rescuing the suppression of muscle protein synthesis. Attenuation of IL-6 signaling was effective in blocking the progression of cachexia, but not sufficient to reverse the process.

The Regulation of Skeletal Muscle Protein Turnover during the Progression of Cancer Cachexia in the ApcMin/+ Mouse

Science.gov (United States)

White, James P.; Baynes, John W.; Welle, Stephen L.; Kostek, Matthew C.; Matesic, Lydia E.; Sato, Shuichi; Carson, James A.

2011-01-01

Muscle wasting that occurs with cancer cachexia is caused by an imbalance in the rates of muscle protein synthesis and degradation. The ApcMin/+ mouse is a model of colorectal cancer that develops cachexia that is dependent on circulating IL-6. However, the IL-6 regulation of muscle protein turnover during the initiation and progression of cachexia in the ApcMin/+ mouse is not known. Cachexia progression was studied in ApcMin/+ mice that were either weight stable (WS) or had initial (≤5%), intermediate (6–19%), or extreme (≥20%) body weight loss. The initiation of cachexia reduced %MPS 19% and a further ∼50% with additional weight loss. Muscle IGF-1 mRNA expression and mTOR targets were suppressed with the progression of body weight loss, while muscle AMPK phosphorylation (Thr 172), AMPK activity, and raptor phosphorylation (Ser 792) were not increased with the initiation of weight loss, but were induced as cachexia progressed. ATP dependent protein degradation increased during the initiation and progression of cachexia. However, ATP independent protein degradation was not increased until cachexia had progressed beyond the initial phase. IL-6 receptor antibody administration prevented body weight loss and suppressed muscle protein degradation, without any effect on muscle %MPS or IGF-1 associated signaling. In summary, the %MPS reduction during the initiation of cachexia is associated with IGF-1/mTOR signaling repression, while muscle AMPK activation and activation of ATP independent protein degradation occur later in the progression of cachexia. IL-6 receptor antibody treatment blocked cachexia progression through the suppression of muscle protein degradation, while not rescuing the suppression of muscle protein synthesis. Attenuation of IL-6 signaling was effective in blocking the progression of cachexia, but not sufficient to reverse the process. PMID:21949739

Simultaneous Aurora-A/STK15 overexpression and centrosome amplification induce chromosomal instability in tumour cells with a MIN phenotype

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schillaci Tiziana

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Genetic instability is a hallmark of tumours and preneoplastic lesions. The predominant form of genome instability in human cancer is chromosome instability (CIN. CIN is characterized by chromosomal aberrations, gains or losses of whole chromosomes (aneuploidy, and it is often associated with centrosome amplification. Centrosomes control cell division by forming a bipolar mitotic spindle and play an essential role in the maintenance of chromosomal stability. However, whether centrosome amplification could directly cause aneuploidy is not fully established. Also, alterations in genes required for mitotic progression could be involved in CIN. A major candidate is represented by Aurora-A/STK15 that associates with centrosomes and is overexpressed in several types of human tumour. Methods Centrosome amplification were induced by hydroxyurea treatment and visualized by immunofluorescence microscopy. Aurora-A/STK15 ectopic expression was achieved by retroviral infection and puromycin selection in HCT116 tumour cells. Effects of Aurora-A/STK15 depletion on centrosome status and ploidy were determined by Aurora-A/STK15 transcriptional silencing by RNA interference. Changes in the expression levels of some mitotic genes were determined by Real time RT-PCR. Results We investigated whether amplification of centrosomes and overexpression of Aurora-A/STK15 induce CIN using as a model system a colon carcinoma cell line (HCT116. We found that in HCT116 cells, chromosomally stable and near diploid cells harbouring a MIN phenotype, centrosome amplification induced by hydroxyurea treatment is neither maintained nor induces aneuploidy. On the contrary, ectopic overexpression of Aurora-A/STK15 induced supernumerary centrosomes and aneuploidy. Aurora-A/STK15 transcriptional silencing by RNA interference in cells ectopically overexpressing this kinase promptly decreased cell numbers with supernumerary centrosomes and aneuploidy. Conclusion Our

Geometric effect of the hydrogel grid structure on in vitro formation of homogeneous MIN6 cell clusters.

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Chae Yun; Min, Mun-kyeong; Kim, Hail; Park, Je-Kyun

2014-07-07

A microstructure-based hydrogel was employed to study the relationship between spatial specificity and cellular behavior, including cell fate, proliferation, morphology, and insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells. To effectively form homogeneous cell clusters in vitro, we made cell-containing hydrogel membrane constructs with an adapted grid structure based on a hexagonal micropattern. Homogeneous cell clusters (average diameter: 83.6 ± 14.2 μm) of pancreatic insulinoma (MIN6) cells were spontaneously generated in the floating hydrogel membrane constructs, including a hexagonal grid structure (size of cavity: 100 μm, interval between cavities: 30 μm). Interestingly, 3D clustering of MIN6 cells mimicking the structure of pancreatic islets was coalesced into a merged aggregate attaching to each hexagonal cavity of the hydrogel grid structure. The fate and insulin secretion of homogeneous cell clusters in the hydrogel grid structure were also assessed. The results of these designable hydrogel-cell membrane constructs suggest that facultative in vitro β-cell proliferation and maintenance can be applied to biofunctional assessments.

Effective photoexcitation cross section of 115In(γ,γ′115mIn from photoactivation data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Versteegen M.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Photoexcitation yields of the 115mIn metastable state were measured with Bremsstrahlung γ beams over a range of endpoint energies between 4.5 and 18 MeV. An effective cross section of the 115In(γ,γ′115mIn photoexcitation cross section was determinedto reproduce the data. This cross section is built from a cross section calculated with the TALYS code, to which an enhancement is added at about 8.5 MeV.

Studies on derivatives of bat chelates labelled with 67Ca, 113mIn and 201Tl: Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng Min; Jin Yutai; Liu Boli; Zhu Lin

1989-01-01

The use of 3, 3, 10, 10-tetraethy 1-1, 2-dithio-5, 8-diazacyclodecane (BAT-TE) and 3, 3, 6, 6, 10, 10-hexamethyl-1, 2-dithio-5, 8-diazacy-clodecane (BAT-HM) as new ligands for the preparation of M-BAT-TE (M = Ca 3+ , In 3+ ) and M-BAT-HM (M = Ca 3+ , In 3+ , Tl 3+ ) were investigated. The chelating reactions with high labelling yield are fairly simple and rapid. The biodistribution of BAT derivative chelates in mice exhibited considerable myocardial uptake and good selectivity. Slow washout in heart and high heart-to-blood ratios were observed during the period from 2 min to 30 min after intravenous injection. Based on these experimental results, M-BAT-TE (M = Ca 3+ , In 3+ ) and M-BAT-HM (M = Ca 3+ , IN 3+ , Tl 3+ ) are considered as potential myocardial imaging agents, and particularly Tl-BAT-HM is likely a promising imaging agent

Data from the Mars Science Laboratory CheMin XRD/XRF Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Vaniman, David; Blake, David; Bristow, Tom; DesMarais, David; Achilles, Cherie; Anderson, Robert; Crips, Joy; Morookian, John Michael; Spanovich, Nicole; Vasavada, Ashwin;

Cellular architecture mediates DivIVA ultrastructure and regulates min activity in Bacillus subtilis | Center for Cancer Research

Science.gov (United States)

The Min system in rod-shaped bacteria restricts improper assembly of the division septum. In Escherichia coli, the Min system localizes to the cell poles, but in Bacillus subtilis, it is recruited to nascent cell division sites at mid-cell to prevent aberrant septation events immediately adjacent to a constricting septum. How does the cell spatially and temporally restrict the

Preparation of Radio-pharmaceuticals-III: An evaluation of the eluate from a {sup 113}Sn-{sup 113m}In cow system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, You Sun; Kim, Tae Young [Korea Atomic Research Institue, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1969-03-15

In 1968 total 94,660 mc of radioactive iodocompound were prepared and distributed to the urers. In order to obtain an effective liver scanning {sup 113m}Incolloidal of even partical size from a {sup 113}Sn-{sup 113m}In cow, the eluate(pH; 1.5) was examined by a radio paper partition chromatography. It was found that the eluate was composed of two components, ionic from and colloidal form. The ionid from could be eliminated by cation exchange resine and the eluate from the ion exchange resine was of even particle size to give an excellent liver scanning results. Labelling of {sup 113m}In to human serum albumine was attempted.

A Gridded Daily Min/Max Temperature Dataset With 0.1° Resolution for the Yangtze River Valley and its Error Estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Qiufen; Hu, Jianglin

2013-05-01

The minimum/maximum (Min/Max) temperature in the Yangtze River valley is decomposed into the climatic mean and anomaly component. A spatial interpolation is developed which combines the 3D thin-plate spline scheme for climatological mean and the 2D Barnes scheme for the anomaly component to create a daily Min/Max temperature dataset. The climatic mean field is obtained by the 3D thin-plate spline scheme because the relationship between the decreases in Min/Max temperature with elevation is robust and reliable on a long time-scale. The characteristics of the anomaly field tend to be related to elevation variation weakly, and the anomaly component is adequately analyzed by the 2D Barnes procedure, which is computationally efficient and readily tunable. With this hybridized interpolation method, a daily Min/Max temperature dataset that covers the domain from 99°E to 123°E and from 24°N to 36°N with 0.1° longitudinal and latitudinal resolution is obtained by utilizing daily Min/Max temperature data from three kinds of station observations, which are national reference climatological stations, the basic meteorological observing stations and the ordinary meteorological observing stations in 15 provinces and municipalities in the Yangtze River valley from 1971 to 2005. The error estimation of the gridded dataset is assessed by examining cross-validation statistics. The results show that the statistics of daily Min/Max temperature interpolation not only have high correlation coefficient (0.99) and interpolation efficiency (0.98), but also the mean bias error is 0.00 °C. For the maximum temperature, the root mean square error is 1.1 °C and the mean absolute error is 0.85 °C. For the minimum temperature, the root mean square error is 0.89 °C and the mean absolute error is 0.67 °C. Thus, the new dataset provides the distribution of Min/Max temperature over the Yangtze River valley with realistic, successive gridded data with 0.1° × 0.1° spatial resolution and

Assessing the utility of the Oxford Nanopore MinION for snake venom gland cDNA sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Hargreaves, Adam D; Mulley, John F

2015-01-01

Portable DNA sequencers such as the Oxford Nanopore MinION device have the potential to be truly disruptive technologies, facilitating new approaches and analyses and, in some cases, taking sequencing out of the lab and into the field. However, the capabilities of these technologies are still being revealed. Here we show that single-molecule cDNA sequencing using the MinION accurately characterises venom toxin-encoding genes in the painted saw-scaled viper, Echis coloratus. We find the raw sequencing error rate to be around 12%, improved to 0-2% with hybrid error correction and 3% with de novo error correction. Our corrected data provides full coding sequences and 5' and 3' UTRs for 29 of 33 candidate venom toxins detected, far superior to Illumina data (13/40 complete) and Sanger-based ESTs (15/29). We suggest that, should the current pace of improvement continue, the MinION will become the default approach for cDNA sequencing in a variety of species.

Interpreting Results from the Multinomial Logit Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wulff, Jesper

2015-01-01

This article provides guidelines and illustrates practical steps necessary for an analysis of results from the multinomial logit model (MLM). The MLM is a popular model in the strategy literature because it allows researchers to examine strategic choices with multiple outcomes. However, there see...... suitable for both interpretation and communication of results. The pratical steps are illustrated through an application of the MLM to the choice of foreign market entry mode.......This article provides guidelines and illustrates practical steps necessary for an analysis of results from the multinomial logit model (MLM). The MLM is a popular model in the strategy literature because it allows researchers to examine strategic choices with multiple outcomes. However, there seem...... to be systematic issues with regard to how researchers interpret their results when using the MLM. In this study, I present a set of guidelines critical to analyzing and interpreting results from the MLM. The procedure involves intuitive graphical representations of predicted probabilities and marginal effects...

Analysis of Highly Nonlinear Oscillation System Using He's Max-Min Method and Comparison with Homotopy Analysis Method and Energy Balance Methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ibsen, Lars Bo; Barari, Amin; Kimiaeifar, Amin

2010-01-01

of calculations. Results obtained by max–min are compared with Homotopy Analysis Method (HAM), energy balance and numerical solution and it is shown that, simply one term is enough to obtain a highly accurate result in contrast to HAM with just one term in series solution. Finally, the phase plane to show...... the stability of systems is plotted and discussed....

Analysis of Highly Nonlinear Oscillation Systems Using He’s Max-Min Method and Comparison with Homotopy Analysis and Energy Balance Methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ibsen, Lars Bo; Barari, Amin; Kimiaeifar, Amin

2010-01-01

of calculations. Results obtained by max–min are compared with Homotopy Analysis Method (HAM), energy balance and numerical solution and it is shown that, simply one term is enough to obtain a highly accurate result in contrast to HAM with just one term in series solution. Finally, the phase plane to show...... the stability of systems is plotted and discussed....

Liver Inflammation and Metabolic Signaling in ApcMin/+ Mice: The Role of Cachexia Progression

Science.gov (United States)

Narsale, Aditi A.; Enos, Reilly T.; Puppa, Melissa J.; Chatterjee, Saurabh; Murphy, E. Angela; Fayad, Raja; Pena, Majorette O’; Durstine, J. Larry; Carson, James A.

2015-01-01

The ApcMin/+ mouse exhibits an intestinal tumor associated loss of muscle and fat that is accompanied by chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia. Since the liver governs systemic energy demands through regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism, it is likely that the liver is a pathological target of cachexia progression in the ApcMin/+ mouse. The purpose of this study was to determine if cancer and the progression of cachexia affected liver endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress, inflammation, metabolism, and protein synthesis signaling. The effect of cancer (without cachexia) was examined in wild-type and weight-stable ApcMin/+ mice. Cachexia progression was examined in weight-stable, pre-cachectic, and severely-cachectic ApcMin/+ mice. Livers were analyzed for morphology, glycogen content, ER-stress, inflammation, and metabolic changes. Cancer induced hepatic expression of ER-stress markers BiP (binding immunoglobulin protein), IRE-1α (endoplasmic reticulum to nucleus signaling 1), and inflammatory intermediate STAT-3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3). While gluconeogenic enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) mRNA expression was suppressed by cancer, glycogen content or protein synthesis signaling remained unaffected. Cachexia progression depleted liver glycogen content and increased mRNA expression of glycolytic enzyme PFK (phosphofrucktokinase) and gluconeogenic enzyme PEPCK. Cachexia progression further increased pSTAT-3 but suppressed p-65 and JNK (c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase) activation. Interestingly, progression of cachexia suppressed upstream ER-stress markers BiP and IRE-1α, while inducing its downstream target CHOP (DNA-damage inducible transcript 3). Cachectic mice exhibited a dysregulation of protein synthesis signaling, with an induction of p-mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin), despite a suppression of Akt (thymoma viral proto-oncogene 1) and S6 (ribosomal protein S6) phosphorylation. Thus, cancer

Liver inflammation and metabolic signaling in ApcMin/+ mice: the role of cachexia progression.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aditi A Narsale

Full Text Available The ApcMin/+ mouse exhibits an intestinal tumor associated loss of muscle and fat that is accompanied by chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia. Since the liver governs systemic energy demands through regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism, it is likely that the liver is a pathological target of cachexia progression in the ApcMin/+ mouse. The purpose of this study was to determine if cancer and the progression of cachexia affected liver endoplasmic reticulum (ER-stress, inflammation, metabolism, and protein synthesis signaling. The effect of cancer (without cachexia was examined in wild-type and weight-stable ApcMin/+ mice. Cachexia progression was examined in weight-stable, pre-cachectic, and severely-cachectic ApcMin/+ mice. Livers were analyzed for morphology, glycogen content, ER-stress, inflammation, and metabolic changes. Cancer induced hepatic expression of ER-stress markers BiP (binding immunoglobulin protein, IRE-1α (endoplasmic reticulum to nucleus signaling 1, and inflammatory intermediate STAT-3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3. While gluconeogenic enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK mRNA expression was suppressed by cancer, glycogen content or protein synthesis signaling remained unaffected. Cachexia progression depleted liver glycogen content and increased mRNA expression of glycolytic enzyme PFK (phosphofrucktokinase and gluconeogenic enzyme PEPCK. Cachexia progression further increased pSTAT-3 but suppressed p-65 and JNK (c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase activation. Interestingly, progression of cachexia suppressed upstream ER-stress markers BiP and IRE-1α, while inducing its downstream target CHOP (DNA-damage inducible transcript 3. Cachectic mice exhibited a dysregulation of protein synthesis signaling, with an induction of p-mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin, despite a suppression of Akt (thymoma viral proto-oncogene 1 and S6 (ribosomal protein S6 phosphorylation. Thus

MODIS/Aqua Raw Radiances in Counts 5-Min L1A Swath V006

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The MODIS/Aqua Raw Radiances in Counts 5-Min L1A Swath (MYD01) product contains reformatted and packaged raw instrument data. MODIS instrument data, in packetized...

Inhibition of intestinal adenoma formation in APC(Min/+ mice by Riccardin D, a natural product derived from liverwort plant Dumortiera hirsuta.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui-Ping Liu

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Mutation of tumor suppressor gene, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC, is the primary molecular event in the development of most intestinal carcinomas. Animal model with APC gene mutation is an effective tool for study of preventive approaches against intestinal carcinomas. We aimed to evaluate the effect of Riccardin D, a macrocyclic bisbibenzyl compound, as a chemopreventive agent against intestinal adenoma formation in APC(Min/+ mice. METHODS: APC(Min/+ mice were given Riccardin D by p.o. gavage for 7 weeks. Mice were sacrificed, and the number, size and histopathology of intestinal polyps were examined under a microscope. We performed immunohistochemical staining, western blotting, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA in intestinal polyps to investigate the mechanism of chemopreventive effect of Riccardin D. RESULTS: Riccardin D treatment resulted in a significant inhibition of intestinal adenoma formation, showing a reduction of polyp number by 41.7%, 31.1% and 44.4%, respectively, in proximal, middle and distal portions of small intestine. The activity of Riccardin D against polyp formation was more profound in colon, wherein Riccardin D decreased polyp number by 79.3%. Size distribution analysis revealed a significant reduction in large-size polyps (2-3 mm by 40.0%, 42.5% and 33.3%, respectively, in proximal, middle and distal portions of small intestine, and 77.8% in colon. Histopathological analysis of the intestinal polyps revealed mostly hyperplastic morphology without obvious dysplasia in Riccardin D-treated mice. Molecular analyses of the polyps suggested that the inhibitory effect of Riccardin D on intestinal adenoma formation was associated with its abilities of reduction in cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis, antiangiogenesis, inhibition of the Wnt signaling pathway and suppression of inflammatory mediators in polyps. CONCLUSIONS: Our results

Acute effects of 15min static or contract-relax stretching modalities on plantar flexors neuromuscular properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Babault, Nicolas; Kouassi, Blah Y L; Desbrosses, Kevin

2010-03-01

The present study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of 15 min static or sub-maximal contract-relax stretching modalities on the neuromuscular properties of plantar flexor muscles. Ten male volunteers were tested before and immediately after 15 min static or contract-relax stretching programs of plantar flexor muscles (20 stretches). Static stretching consisted in 30s stretches to the point of discomfort. For the contract-relax stretching modality, subjects performed 6s sub-maximal isometric plantar flexion before 24s static stretches. Measurements included maximal voluntary isometric torque (MVT) and the corresponding electromyographic activity of soleus (SOL) and medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscles (RMS values), as well as maximal peak torque (Pt) elicited at rest by single supramaximal electrical stimulation of the tibial nerve. After 15 min stretching, significant MVT and SOL RMS decreases were obtained (-6.9+/-11.6% and -6.5+/-15.4%, respectively). No difference was obtained between stretching modalities. Pt remained unchanged after stretching. MG RMS changes were significantly different between stretching modalities (-9.4+/-18.3% and +3.5+/-11.6% after static and contract-relax stretching modalities, respectively). These findings indicated that performing 15 min static or contract-relax stretching had detrimental effects on the torque production capacity of plantar flexor muscles and should be precluded before competition. Mechanisms explaining this alteration seemed to be stretch modality dependent. Copyright 2009 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of dietary beef, pork, chicken and salmon on intestinal carcinogenesis in A/J Min/+ mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina Steppeler

Full Text Available The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified red meat as "probably carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2A. In mechanistic studies exploring the link between intake of red meat and CRC, heme iron, the pigment of red meat, is proposed to play a central role as a catalyzer of luminal lipid peroxidation and cytotoxicity. In the present work, the novel A/J Min/+ mouse was used to investigate the effects of dietary beef, pork, chicken, or salmon (40% muscle food (dry weight and 60% powder diet on Apc-driven intestinal carcinogenesis, from week 3-13 of age. Muscle food diets did not differentially affect carcinogenesis in the colon (flat ACF and tumors. In the small intestine, salmon intake resulted in a lower tumor size and load than did meat from terrestrial animals (beef, pork or chicken, while no differences were observed between the effects of white meat (chicken and red meat (pork and beef. Additional results indicated that intestinal carcinogenesis was not related to dietary n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, intestinal formation of lipid peroxidation products (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS, or cytotoxic effects of fecal water on Apc-/+ cells. Notably, the amount of heme reaching the colon appeared to be relatively low in this study. The greatest tumor load was induced by the reference diet RM1, underlining the importance of the basic diets in experimental CRC. The present study in A/J Min/+ mice does not support the hypothesis of a role of red meat in intestinal carcinogenesis.

Division site selection in Escherichia coli involves dynamic redistribution of Min proteins within coiled structures that extend between the two cell poles

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, Yu-Ling; Le, Trung; Rothfield, Lawrence

2003-06-01

The MinCDE proteins of Escherichia coli are required for proper placement of the division septum at midcell. The site selection process requires the rapid oscillatory redistribution of the proteins from pole to pole. We report that the three Min proteins are organized into extended membrane-associated coiled structures that wind around the cell between the two poles. The pole-to-pole oscillation of the proteins reflects oscillatory changes in their distribution within the coiled structure. We also report that the E. coli MreB protein, which is required for maintaining the rod shape of the cell, also forms extended coiled structures, which are similar to the MreB structures that have previously been reported in Bacillus subtilis. The MreB and MinCDE coiled arrays do not appear identical. The results suggest that at least two functionally distinct cytoskeletal-like elements are present in E. coli and that structures of this type can undergo dynamic changes that play important roles in division site placement and possibly other aspects of the life of the cell.

MinION Nanopore Sequencing Enables Correlation between Resistome Phenotype and Genotype of Coliform Bacteria in Municipal Sewage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Xia

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs functioned as the intersection between the human society and nature environment, are receiving increasingly more attention on risk assessment of the acquisition of environmental antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs by pathogenetic populations during treatment. However, because of the general lack of robust resistome profiling methods, genotype, and resistance phenotype is still poorly correlated in human pathogens of sewage samples. Here we applied MinION sequencing to quantify the resistance genes of multiple antibiotic resistant (MAR coliform bacteria, a common indicator for human enteric pathogens in sewage samples. Our pipeline could deliver the results within 30 h from sample collection and the resistome quantification was consistent to that based on the Illumina platform. Additionally, the long nanopore reads not only enabled a simultaneous identification of the carrier populations of ARGs detected, but also facilitated the genome reconstruction of a representative MAR strain, from which we identified an instance of chromosomal integration of environmental resistance gene obtained by plasmid exchange with a porcine pathogen. This study demonstrated the utilization of MinION sequencing in quick monitoring and simultaneous phylogenetic tracking of environmental ARGs to address potential health risk associated with them.

MinION Nanopore Sequencing Enables Correlation between Resistome Phenotype and Genotype of Coliform Bacteria in Municipal Sewage.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Yu; Li, An-Dong; Deng, Yu; Jiang, Xiao-Tao; Li, Li-Guan; Zhang, Tong

2017-01-01

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) functioned as the intersection between the human society and nature environment, are receiving increasingly more attention on risk assessment of the acquisition of environmental antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) by pathogenetic populations during treatment. However, because of the general lack of robust resistome profiling methods, genotype, and resistance phenotype is still poorly correlated in human pathogens of sewage samples. Here we applied MinION sequencing to quantify the resistance genes of multiple antibiotic resistant (MAR) coliform bacteria, a common indicator for human enteric pathogens in sewage samples. Our pipeline could deliver the results within 30 h from sample collection and the resistome quantification was consistent to that based on the Illumina platform. Additionally, the long nanopore reads not only enabled a simultaneous identification of the carrier populations of ARGs detected, but also facilitated the genome reconstruction of a representative MAR strain, from which we identified an instance of chromosomal integration of environmental resistance gene obtained by plasmid exchange with a porcine pathogen. This study demonstrated the utilization of MinION sequencing in quick monitoring and simultaneous phylogenetic tracking of environmental ARGs to address potential health risk associated with them.

MODIS/Terra Calibrated Radiances 5-Min L1B Swath 1km V006

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The MODIS/Terra Calibrated Radiances 5-Min L1B Swath 1km (MOD021KM) contains calibrated and geolocated at-aperture radiances for 36 discrete bands located in the 0.4...

Max–min-plus expressions for one-dimensional particle cellular automata obtained from a fundamental diagram

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okumura, Takazumi; Matsukidaira, Junta; Takahashi, Daisuke

2013-01-01

We study one-dimensional neighborhood-five conservative cellular automata (CA), referred to as particle cellular automata five (particle CA5). We show that evolution equations for particle CA5s that belong to certain types can be obtained in the form of max–min-plus expressions from a fundamental diagram. The obtained equations are transformed into other max–min-plus expressions by ultradiscrete Cole–Hopf transformations, which enable us to analyze the asymptotic behaviors of general solutions. The equations in the Lagrange representation, which describe particle motion, are also presented, which can also be obtained from a fundamental diagram. Finally, we discuss the generalization to a one-dimensional conservative neighborhood-n CA, i.e., particle CAn. (paper)

Simultaneous detection of the 160-min pulsations of the Sun with two radiotelescopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nesterov, N.S.; Urno, S.; Kotov, V.A.

1983-01-01

The differential (center-to-limb) radio briqhtness of the quet Sun was measured on June 22, 1981 simultaneously in Crimea at 13.5-mm wavelength and in Finland at 8-mm wavelength. Both independent sets of observations have shown the presence of synchronous variation of the solar radioemission with the 160-min period

Assessing the utility of the Oxford Nanopore MinION for snake venom gland cDNA sequencing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam D. Hargreaves

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Portable DNA sequencers such as the Oxford Nanopore MinION device have the potential to be truly disruptive technologies, facilitating new approaches and analyses and, in some cases, taking sequencing out of the lab and into the field. However, the capabilities of these technologies are still being revealed. Here we show that single-molecule cDNA sequencing using the MinION accurately characterises venom toxin-encoding genes in the painted saw-scaled viper, Echis coloratus. We find the raw sequencing error rate to be around 12%, improved to 0–2% with hybrid error correction and 3% with de novo error correction. Our corrected data provides full coding sequences and 5′ and 3′ UTRs for 29 of 33 candidate venom toxins detected, far superior to Illumina data (13/40 complete and Sanger-based ESTs (15/29. We suggest that, should the current pace of improvement continue, the MinION will become the default approach for cDNA sequencing in a variety of species.

Min mentor er min voksenven

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaiser, Birte

2009-01-01

En artikel i bogen: 6 belysninger af vejledning, brydninger, forståelser & praksis. Artiklen er et sammendrag af en diskursanalyse fra 2008 fra projetrapporten: Ind under huden, www.vejledning.net...

Influencing factors of the 6-min walk distance in adult Arab populations: a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Joobeur, Samah; Rouatbi, Sonia; Latiri, Imed; Sfaxi, Raoudha; Ben Saad, Helmi

2016-05-01

Background Walk tests, especially the 6-min walk-test (6MWT), are commonly used in order to evaluate submaximal exercise capacity. The primary outcome of the 6MWT is the 6-min walk-distance (6MWD). Numerous demographic, physiological and anthropometric factors can influence the 6MWD in healthy adults. Objective The purpose of the present review is to highlight and discuss the 6MWD influencing factors in healthy of the healthy adult Arab populations. Methods It is a review including a literature search, from 1970 to September 31th 2015 using the PubMed, the Science Direct databases and the World Wide Web on Google search engine. Reference lists of retrieved English/French articles were searched for any additional references. Results Six studies, conducted in Tunisia (n=2), Saudi Arabia (n=3) and Algeria (n=1) were included. All studies were conducted according to the 2002-American-thoracic-society guidelines for the 6MWT. In addition to anthropometric data (sex, age, height, weight, body mass index, lean mass), the following data were recognized as 6MWD influencing factors: schooling and socioeconomic levels, urban origin, parity, physical activity score or status, metabolic equivalent task for moderate activity, spirometric data, end-walk heart-rate, resting diastolic blood pressure, dyspnoea Borg value and niqab-wearing. Conclusion The 6MWD influencing factors in adult Arab populations are numerous and include some specific predictors such as parity, physical activity level and niqab-wearing.

Assessment of aortitis by semiquantitative analysis of 180-min {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT acquisition images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martinez-Rodriguez, Isabel [University of Cantabria, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Marques de Valdecilla University Hospital, Santander (Spain); Hospital Universitario Marques de Valdecilla, S. Medicina Nuclear, Santander (Spain); Martinez-Amador, N.; Banzo, I.; Quirce, R.; Jimenez-Bonilla, J.; Arcocha-Torres, M. de; Ibanez-Bravo, S.; Lavado-Perez, C.; Bravo-Ferrer, Z.; Carril, J.M. [University of Cantabria, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Marques de Valdecilla University Hospital, Santander (Spain); Blanco, R.; Gonzalez-Gay, M.A. [University of Cantabria, Department of Rheumatology, Marques de Valdecilla University Hospital, Santander (Spain)

2014-12-15

The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of semiquantitative analysis of 180-min {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT images for the assessment of aortitis in cases of suspected large vessel vasculitis (LVV) and to establish a threshold index for application in the clinical setting. This prospective study included 43 patients (mean age 67.5 ± 12.9 years) with suspicion of LVV (25 with a final diagnosis of aortitis). {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT scan was acquired 180 min after injection of 7 MBq/kg of {sup 18}F-FDG. A semiquantitative analysis was performed calculating the aortic wall maximum standardized uptake value (SUV{sub max}) (T), the lumen SUV{sub max} (B) and the target to background ratio (TBR). These results were also compared with those obtained in a control population. The mean aortic wall SUV{sub max} was 2.00 ± 0.62 for patients with aortitis and 1.45 ± 0.31 for patients without aortitis (p < 0.0001). The TBR was 1.66 ± 0.26 for patients with aortitis and 1.24 ± 0.08 for patients without aortitis (p < 0.0001). The differences were also statistically significant when the patients with aortitis and controls were compared. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that the area under the curve was greater for the TBR than for the aortic wall SUV{sub max} (0.997 vs 0.871). The highest sensitivity and specificity was obtained for a TBR of 1.34 (sensitivity 100 %, specificity 94.4 %). Semiquantitative analysis of PET/CT images acquired 180 min after {sup 18}F-FDG injection and the TBR index of 1.34 show very high accuracy and, therefore, are strongly recommended for the diagnosis of aortitis in the clinical setting. (orig.)

Unilateral Partial Nephrectomy with Warm Ischemia Results in Acute Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1-Alpha (HIF-1α and Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4 Overexpression in a Porcine Model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhiyong Zhang

Full Text Available Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R during partial nephrectomy (PN contributes to acute kidney injury (AKI, which is inaccurately assessed using existent clinical markers of renal function. We evaluated I/R-related changes in expression in hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4, within kidney tissue and peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL in a porcine model of PN.Three adult pigs each underwent unilateral renal hilar cross clamping for 180 min followed by a 15 min reperfusion. The contralateral kidney served as control. Biopsies of clamped kidneys were obtained at baseline (time 0, every 60 min during the hypoxic phase, and post-reperfusion. Control kidneys were biopsied once at 180 min. Peripheral blood was sampled at time 0, every 30 min during the hypoxic phase, and post-reperfusion. HIF-1α and TLR4 expression in kidney tissue and PBL were analyzed by Western blotting. I/R-related histological changes were assessed.Expression of HIF-1α in clamped kidneys and PBL was below detection level at baseline, rising to detectable levels after 60 min of hypoxia, and continuing to rise throughout the hypoxic and reperfusion phases. Expression of TLR-4 in clamped kidneys followed a similar trend with initial detection after 30-60 min of hypoxia. Control kidneys exhibited no change in HIF-1α or TLR-4 expression. I/R-related histologic changes were minimal, primarily mild tubular dilatation.In a porcine model of PN, HIF-1α and TLR4 exhibited robust, I/R-related increases in expression in kidney tissue and PBL. Further studies investigating these molecules as potential markers of AKI are warranted.

"Mu vend mu õde ja mina põgeneme Valguskoonused kalduvad ..." = "Min bror min syster och jag flyr Ljuskäglor välter över vägkanten ..." : [luuletused] / Catharina Gripenberg ; tlk. Juta-Tiia Mägi

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Gripenberg, Catharina

2004-01-01

Sisu: "Mu vend mu õde ja mina põgeneme Valguskoonused kalduvad ..." = "Min bror min syster och jag flyr Ljuskäglor välter över vägkanten ..."; "Tean, et kajad vastavad, aga väga lühidalt. Valad sa välja oma ..." = "Vet att ekon svarar, men i all korthet. Gjuter du ut ditt hjärta ..."; "Kirjasõber, ma otsin välja jääkraabitsa ..." = "Brevvän, jag lagrar upp med fönsterskapare ..."; "Säravselge hommik. Linnupojad trügivad välja kolbast ..." = "Det var en glasklar morgon. Fågelungarna knuffas från skallen ..."; Armastuskiri = Kärleksbrev

A physiological production model for cacao : results of model simulations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zuidema, P.A.; Leffelaar, P.A.

2002-01-01

CASE2 is a physiological model for cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) growth and yield. This report introduces the CAcao Simulation Engine for water-limited production in a non-technical way and presents simulation results obtained with the model.

Genotoxic effects of high dose rate X-ray and low dose rate gamma radiation in ApcMin/+ mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Graupner, Anne; Eide, Dag M; Brede, Dag A; Ellender, Michele; Lindbo Hansen, Elisabeth; Oughton, Deborah H; Bouffler, Simon D; Brunborg, Gunnar; Olsen, Ann Karin

2017-10-01

Risk estimates for radiation-induced cancer in humans are based on epidemiological data largely drawn from the Japanese atomic bomb survivor studies, which received an acute high dose rate (HDR) ionising radiation. Limited knowledge exists about the effects of chronic low dose rate (LDR) exposure, particularly with respect to the application of the dose and dose rate effectiveness factor. As part of a study to investigate the development of colon cancer following chronic LDR vs. acute HDR radiation, this study presents the results of genotoxic effects in blood of exposed mice. CBAB6 F1 Apc +/+ (wild type) and Apc Min/+ mice were chronically exposed to estimated whole body absorbed doses of 1.7 or 3.2 Gy 60 Co-γ-rays at a LDR (2.2 mGy h -1 ) or acutely exposed to 2.6 Gy HDR X-rays (1.3 Gy min -1 ). Genotoxic endpoints assessed in blood included chromosomal damage (flow cytometry based micronuclei (MN) assay), mutation analyses (Pig-a gene mutation assay), and levels of DNA lesions (Comet assay, single-strand breaks (ssb), alkali labile sites (als), oxidized DNA bases). Ionising radiation (ca. 3 Gy) induced genotoxic effects dependent on the dose rate. Chromosomal aberrations (MN assay) increased 3- and 10-fold after chronic LDR and acute HDR, respectively. Phenotypic mutation frequencies as well as DNA lesions (ssb/als) were modulated after acute HDR but not after chronic LDR. The Apc Min/+ genotype did not influence the outcome in any of the investigated endpoints. The results herein will add to the scant data available on genotoxic effects following chronic LDR of ionising radiation. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 58:560-569, 2017. © 2017 The Authors Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Environmental Mutagen Society. © 2017 The Authors Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Environmental Mutagen Society.

[Distribution Characteristics of Sedimentary Pigments in the Changjiang Estuary and Zhe-Min Coast and its Implications].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Dong; Yao, Peng; Zhao, Bin; Wang, Jin-peng; Pan, Hui-hui

2015-08-01

Compositions and contents of sedimentary pigments were examined using high performance liquid chromatography in order to discuss the spatial distributions of phytoplankton primary production, phytoplankton functional type and the preservation efficiency of phytoplankton pigments and their influencing factors. The results showed that: chloropigments [Chlorins, including chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and pheopigments (Pheo-a), such as pheophytin-a (PHtin-a), pheophorbide-a (PHide-a), pPheophytin-a (pPHtin-a), sterol chlorin esters (SCEs) and carotenol chlorin esters (CCEs)] were the major type of sedimentary pigments. The nutrients inputs from Changjiang Diluted Water and upwelling in the Zhe-Min coastal mud area were the major cause for the patchy distribution with high sedimentary chloropigment contents. Carotenoid contents showed no trending changes and exhibited high values in the Changjiang Estuary and Zhe-Min Coasts. Based on the relative proportions of each diagnostic carotenoid to the total diagnostic carotenoids in the sediments, the relative contributions of diatoms, dinoflagellates, prymnesiophytes, prasinophytes, cryptophytes and cyanobacterias in the phytoplankton fuctional types were 48.8% +/- 17.4%, 10.7% +/- 11.5%, 8.1% +/- 7.2%, 18.6% +/- 8.2%, 9.4% +/- 6.4% and 4.3% +/- 3.2%, respectively. The preference for external environmental conditions (e.g., nutrient level and water salinity) was the main cause for the decreasing trends of diatoms and dinoflagellates proportions and the increasing trends of prasinophytes, cryptophytes and cyanobacterias seawards. Based on the spatial distribution of Chl-a/Pheo-a ratios, the higher preservation efficiencies of sedimentary pigments in the coastal regions (e.g., outer edge of maximum turbidity zone in the Changjiang Estuary, mouth of the Hangzhou Bay and upwelling region in the Zhe-Min Coast) were mainly due to the higher sedimentation rate and seasonal occurrences of hypoxia in bottom water, and these regions with

Sudden f/sub min/ enhancements and sudden cosmic noise absorptions associated with solar X-ray flares

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sato, T [Hyogo Coll. of Medicine, Hyogo (Japan). Dept. of Physics

1975-01-01

Sudden fsub(min) enhancements (SFsub(m)E's) and sudden cosmic noise absorptions (SCNA's) associated with increments of X-ray fluxes during solar flares are studied on the basis of X-ray flux data measured by SOLRAD 9 and 10 satellites. Some statistical analyses on SFsub(m)E's observed at five observatories in Japan, corresponding to increased X-ray fluxes in the 1-8 A band are made for 50 solar flare events during the period January 1972 to December 1973, and value of fsub(min) is expressed as functions of cos x(x; solar zenith angle) and 1-8 A band X-ray flux. Similar study is also made for SCNA's observed by 30 MHz riometer at Hiraiso for 15 great solar flare events during the same period, together with 27.6 MHz riometer data reported by Schwentek (1973) and 18 MHz data published by Deshpande and Mitra (1972b). It is found that fsub(min) value (MHz) and SCNA value (L, dB) of a radio wave with frequency f(MHz) are related to X-ray flux (F/sub 0/, erg cm/sup -2/ sec/sup -1/) in the 1-8 A band and to cos x, by following approximate expressions, fsub(min)(MHz)=10F/sub 0/sup(1/4) cossup(1/2) x, and L(dB)=4.37x10/sup 3/f/sup -2/F/sub 0/sup(1/2) cos x, respectively. Blackout seems to occur for F/sub 0/ values causing fsub(min)'s greater than about 5 MHz. It is shown that these expressions can be derived from a brief theoretical calculation of radio wave absorption in the lower ionosphere. Also it is suggested that threshold X-ray fluxes in the 1-8 A band which may produce a minimum SFsub(m)E (2 MHz), blackout and minimum SCNA (0.27-0.36 dB for 30 MHz noise) are 1.6x10/sup -3/, 6.2x10/sup -2/ and (3-8) x 10/sup -3/ erg cm/sup -2/ sec/sup -1/, respectively, for cos x=1.

Generalised Chou-Yang model and recent results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fazal-e-Aleem; Rashid, H.

1996-01-01

It is shown that most recent results of E710 and UA4/2 collaboration for the total cross section and ρ together with earlier measurements give good agreement with measurements for the differential cross section at 546 and 1800 GeV within the framework of Generalised Chou-Yang model. These results are also compared with the predictions of other models. (author)

A Study on Liver Scan using 113mIn Colloid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koh, Chang Soon; Rhee, Chong Hoen; Chang, Kochang; Hong, Chang Gi

1969-01-01

There have been reported numberous cases of liver scanning in use of 198 Au colloid by many investigators, however, one in use of 113m In colloid has not been reported as yet in this country. The dose of 113 mIn for high diagnostic value in examination of each organ was determined and the diagnostic interpretability of liver scanning with the use of 113m In was carefully evaluated in comparison with the results of the liver scanning by the conventionally applied radioisotope. The comparative study of both figures of liver scanning with the use of 113m In colloid and 198 Au colloid delivered following results:1) The liver uptake rate and clearance into peripheral blood were accentuated more in case of 113m In colloid than in case of 198 Au colloid. 2) The interpretability of space occupying lesion in liver scanning with 113m In was also superior to one with 198 Au. 3) The figure of liver scanning with 113m In colloid corresponds not always to the figure with 198 Au. This difference can be explained by difference of phagocytic ability of reticuloendothelial system within liver. 4) In the liver scanning with 113m In colloid, the spleen is also visualized even in normal examine. 5) In the cases of disturbed liver function, uptake is more decreased in use of 113m In colloid than in 198 Au, in the spleen, however, the way is contrary. 6) With use of 113m In colloid, the time required for scanning could be shortened in comparison with 198 Au. 7) The filtration of 113m In colloid for scanning prior to human administration gives an expectation for better scanning figure.

Preparation of {sup 114m}In low energy conversion electron sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wrede, C., E-mail: wrede@uw.ed [Center for Experimental Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics, and Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Filippone, B.W. [Kellogg Radiation Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125 (United States); Garcia, A.; Harper, G.C. [Center for Experimental Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics, and Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Lassell, S. [Department of Nuclear Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States); Liu, J. [Kellogg Radiation Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125 (United States); Department of Physics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Mendenhall, M.P. [Kellogg Radiation Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125 (United States); Palmer, A.S.C. [Center for Experimental Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics, and Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Pattie, R.W. [Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States); Will, D.I. [Center for Experimental Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics, and Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Young, A.R. [Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States)

2011-05-15

Highlights: {yields} Controlled ion implantation of In-113 into thin Al substrate. {yields} Production of In-114m (half life = 50 days) by neutron irradiation. {yields} Use of In-114m as a source of electron lines and continuum for calibrations. {yields} Source reactivation by short neutron irradiation. -- Abstract: The preparation of {sup 114m}In sources of conversion electrons in the energy range 162-190 keV and {beta} continuum with a 1989 keV endpoint via ion implantation of {sup 113}In into Al substrates and subsequent irradiation by thermal and epi-thermal neutrons in a nuclear reactor is described.

Peculiarities of natural electromagnetic field variations in the interval of periods of 60-240 min

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovtun, A.A.; Smirnov, M.Yu.

1996-01-01

Intensification of the oscillation amplitude of the natural electromagnetic field within 60-240 min period interval at practically all the latitudes was observed during the Earth re-entry to plasma high-speed flow

IMPLEMENTASI SUPERVISI PENDIDIKAN DALAM MENINGKATKAN PROSES PEMBELAJARAN DI MIN SUKADAMAI KOTA BANDA ACEH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cut Suryani

2015-08-01

Full Text Available A principal as a supervisor has to conduct supervision in his/her school. Hence he/she must be able to perform a variety of monitoring and control to improve the performance of teachers. Supervision and control are preventive ways to prevent teachers to do irregularities and thus will be more careful in carrying out his work as educators. This research is intended to study supervision activities performed by principal of Islamic Elementary School (Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negeri (MIN Sukadamai Banda Aceh. The results of this research show several findings: 1. The focus of supervision activities performed by principal can be identified in two things i.e supervision activities concerning the teachers’ administration and teachers’ teaching practices; 2. Supervision activity is useful for teachers to solve educational problems at the time of learning, and to provide motivation for them to improve the knowledge to become professionals in teaching and learning process; 3. Principal’s barriers in supervision consists of overlapping activities and lack of operational budget.

Monitoring and forecasting of radiation hazard from great solar energetic particle events by using on-line one-min neutron monitor and satellite data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dorman, L. I.

2007-01-01

The method of automatically determining the start of great solar energetic particle (SEP) events are described on the basis of cosmic ray (CR) one-min observations by neutron monitors in real-time scale. It is shown that the probabilities of false alarms and missed triggers are negligible. After the start of SEP event, it is automatically determined by the method of coupling functions the SEP energy spectrum and flux for each minute of observations. By solving the inverse problem during few first minutes of SEP event, diffusion coefficient in the interplanetary space, source function on the Sun, and time of ejection of SEP into solar wind are determined. For extending obtained results into small energy range we use also available from Internet the satellite one-min CR data. This make possible to give forecast of space-time variation of SEP for more than 2 days and estimate expected radiation dose for satellite and aircraft. With each new minute of observations, the quality of forecast increased, and after ∼30 min became near 100%. (authors)

Results of steel containment vessel model test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luk, V.K.; Ludwigsen, J.S.; Hessheimer, M.F.; Komine, Kuniaki; Matsumoto, Tomoyuki; Costello, J.F.

1998-05-01

A series of static overpressurization tests of scale models of nuclear containment structures is being conducted by Sandia National Laboratories for the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation of Japan and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Two tests are being conducted: (1) a test of a model of a steel containment vessel (SCV) and (2) a test of a model of a prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV). This paper summarizes the conduct of the high pressure pneumatic test of the SCV model and the results of that test. Results of this test are summarized and are compared with pretest predictions performed by the sponsoring organizations and others who participated in a blind pretest prediction effort. Questions raised by this comparison are identified and plans for posttest analysis are discussed

Intermittent KoldBlue cryotherapy of 3x10 min changes mid-portion Achilles tendon microcirculation.

Science.gov (United States)

Knobloch, Karsten; Grasemann, Ruth; Spies, Marcus; Vogt, Peter M

2007-06-01

Neovascularisation and microcirculatory changes have been reported in Achilles tendinopathy. Cryotherapy and compression, as part of a rest, ice, compression and elevation regimen, are shown to decrease pain and improve function. However, the microcirculatory changes following a given dosage of cryotherapy on mid-portion Achilles tendon remain unclear. Prospective clinical cohort study, level of evidence 2. 30 people (12 males, 33 (SD 12) years, body mass index 25.6 (5.3) kg/m2) were included in the cohort. 3x10 min KoldBlue ankle-cooling bandages were applied and microcirculation of Achilles tendon mid-portion was real-time and continuously assessed using a laser-Doppler-spectrophotometry system (O2C, Germany). Superficial capillary blood flow was reduced from 42 to 6, 5 and 3 relative units (rU) in the first, second and third cryotherapy periods, respectively (-65%, p = 0.001), with no significant capillary hyperaemia. Deep capillary tendon blood flow was reduced from 180 to 82, 53 and 52 rU (-71%, p = 0.001) within 6-9 min of application without hyperaemia. Superficial tendon oxygen saturation dropped significantly from 43% to 26%, 18% and 11% (p = 0.001) after repetitive cryotherapy, with persisting increase of tendon oxygenation during rewarming (51%, 49% and 54%, p = 0.077) up to 27% of the baseline level. At 8 mm tendon depth, cryotherapy preserved local oxygenation. Relative postcapillary venous tendon filling pressures were favourably reduced from 41 (11) to 31, 28 and 26 rU (-36%, p = 0.001) superficially and from 56 (11) to 45, 46 and 48 rU (-18%, p = 0.001) in deep capillary blood flow during cryotherapy, facilitating capillary venous clearance. Intermittent cryotherapy of 3x10 min significantly decreases local Achilles tendon mid-portion capillary blood flow by 71%. Within 2 min of rewarming, tendon oxygen saturation is re-established following cryotherapy. Postcapillary venous filling pressures are reduced during cryotherapy, favouring capillary

Generalised Chou-Yang model and recent results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fazal-e-Aleem; Rashid, H.

1995-09-01

It is shown that most recent results of E710 and UA4/2 collaboration for the total cross section and ρ together with earlier measurements give good agreement with measurements for the differential cross section at 546 and 1800 GeV the framework of Generalised Chou-Yang model. These results are also compared with the predictions of other models. (author). 16 refs, 2 figs

Generalised Chou-Yang model and recent results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fazal-e-Aleem [International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste (Italy); Rashid, H. [Punjab Univ., Lahore (Pakistan). Centre for High Energy Physics

1996-12-31

It is shown that most recent results of E710 and UA4/2 collaboration for the total cross section and {rho} together with earlier measurements give good agreement with measurements for the differential cross section at 546 and 1800 GeV within the framework of Generalised Chou-Yang model. These results are also compared with the predictions of other models. (author) 16 refs.

Effects of Kapton Sample Cell Windows on the Detection Limit of Smectite: Implications for CheMin on the Mars Science Laboratory Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Achilles, C. N.; Ming, Douglas W.; Morris, R. V.; Blake, D. F.

2012-01-01

The CheMin instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity is an X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrument capable of providing the mineralogical and chemical compositions of rocks and soils on the surface of Mars. CheMin uses a microfocus X-ray tube with a Co target, transmission geometry, and an energy-discriminating X-ray sensitive CCD to produce simultaneous 2-D XRD patterns and energy-dispersive X-ray histograms from powdered samples. CheMin has two different window materials used for sample cells -- Mylar and Kapton. Instrument details are provided elsewhere. Fe/Mg-smectite (e.g., nontronite) has been identified in Gale Crater, the MSL future landing site, by CRISM spectra. While large quantities of phyllosilicate minerals will be easily detected by CheMin, it is important to establish detection limits of such phases to understand capabilities and limitations of the instrument. A previous study indicated that the (001) peak of smectite at 15 Ang was detectable in a mixture of 1 wt.% smectite with olivine when Mylar is the window material for the sample cell. Complications arise when Kapton is the window material because Kapton itself also has a diffraction peak near 15 Ang (6.8 deg 2 Theta). This study presents results of mineral mixtures of smectite and olivine to determine smectite detection limits for Kapton sample cells. Because the intensity and position of the smectite (001) peak depends on the hydration state, we also analyzed mixtures with "hydrated" and "dehydrated"h smectite to examine the effects of hydration state on detection limits.

Reproducibility of automated simplified voxel-based analysis of PET amyloid ligand [11C]PIB uptake using 30-min scanning data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aalto, Sargo; Scheinin, Noora M.; Naagren, Kjell; Rinne, Juha O.; Kemppainen, Nina M.; Kailajaervi, Marita; Leinonen, Mika; Scheinin, Mika

2009-01-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) with 11 C-labelled Pittsburgh compound B ([ 11 C]PIB) enables the quantitation of β-amyloid accumulation in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Voxel-based image analysis techniques conducted in a standard brain space provide an objective, rapid and fully automated method to analyze [ 11 C]PIB PET data. The purpose of this study was to evaluate both region- and voxel-level reproducibility of automated and simplified [ 11 C]PIB quantitation when using only 30 min of imaging data. Six AD patients and four healthy controls were scanned twice with an average interval of 6 weeks. To evaluate the feasibility of short scanning (convenient for AD patients), [ 11 C]PIB uptake was quantitated using 30 min of imaging data (60 to 90 min after tracer injection) for region-to-cerebellum ratio calculations. To evaluate the reproducibility, a test-retest design was used to derive absolute variability (VAR) estimates and intraclass correlation coefficients at both region-of-interest (ROI) and voxel level. The reproducibility both at the region level (VAR 0.9-5.5%) and at the voxel level (VAR 4.2-6.4%) was good to excellent. Based on the variability estimates obtained, power calculations indicated that 90% power to obtain statistically significant difference can be achieved using a sample size of five subjects per group when a 15% change from baseline (increase or decrease) in [ 11 C]PIB accumulation in the frontal cortex is anticipated in one group compared to no change in another group. Our results showed that an automated analysis method based on an efficient scanning protocol provides reproducible results for [ 11 C]PIB uptake and appears suitable for PET studies aiming at the quantitation of amyloid accumulation in the brain of AD patients for the evaluation of progression and treatment effects. (orig.)

The Danish national passenger model – Model specification and results

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rich, Jeppe; Hansen, Christian Overgaard

2016-01-01

The paper describes the structure of the new Danish National Passenger model and provides on this basis a general discussion of large-scale model design, cost-damping and model validation. The paper aims at providing three main contributions to the existing literature. Firstly, at the general level......, the paper provides a description of a large-scale forecast model with a discussion of the linkage between population synthesis, demand and assignment. Secondly, the paper gives specific attention to model specification and in particular choice of functional form and cost-damping. Specifically we suggest...... a family of logarithmic spline functions and illustrate how it is applied in the model. Thirdly and finally, we evaluate model sensitivity and performance by evaluating the distance distribution and elasticities. In the paper we present results where the spline-function is compared with more traditional...

Storm-time ring current: model-dependent results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Yu. Ganushkina

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The main point of the paper is to investigate how much the modeled ring current depends on the representations of magnetic and electric fields and boundary conditions used in simulations. Two storm events, one moderate (SymH minimum of −120 nT on 6–7 November 1997 and one intense (SymH minimum of −230 nT on 21–22 October 1999, are modeled. A rather simple ring current model is employed, namely, the Inner Magnetosphere Particle Transport and Acceleration model (IMPTAM, in order to make the results most evident. Four different magnetic field and two electric field representations and four boundary conditions are used. We find that different combinations of the magnetic and electric field configurations and boundary conditions result in very different modeled ring current, and, therefore, the physical conclusions based on simulation results can differ significantly. A time-dependent boundary outside of 6.6 RE gives a possibility to take into account the particles in the transition region (between dipole and stretched field lines forming partial ring current and near-Earth tail current in that region. Calculating the model SymH* by Biot-Savart's law instead of the widely used Dessler-Parker-Sckopke (DPS relation gives larger and more realistic values, since the currents are calculated in the regions with nondipolar magnetic field. Therefore, the boundary location and the method of SymH* calculation are of key importance for ring current data-model comparisons to be correctly interpreted.

The new 157Tm isotope, Tsub(1/2)=(3.6+-0.3) min

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latuszynski, A.; Mikulski, J.; Potempa, A.W.; Zielinski, A.; Zuber, K.; Penev, I.; Zuber, J.

1975-01-01

The new isotope 157 Tm was discovered, and its half-life Tsub(1/2) (3.6+-0.3)min was measured. On the basis of the balance of energies and intensities of γ-transitions occurring in the 157 Tm decay a number of excited states of the 157 Er nucleus with energies of 110.2; 241.3; 357.3 and 457.1 keV were found. (author)

Diet models with linear goal programming: impact of achievement functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerdessen, J C; de Vries, J H M

2015-11-01

Diet models based on goal programming (GP) are valuable tools in designing diets that comply with nutritional, palatability and cost constraints. Results derived from GP models are usually very sensitive to the type of achievement function that is chosen.This paper aims to provide a methodological insight into several achievement functions. It describes the extended GP (EGP) achievement function, which enables the decision maker to use either a MinSum achievement function (which minimizes the sum of the unwanted deviations) or a MinMax achievement function (which minimizes the largest unwanted deviation), or a compromise between both. An additional advantage of EGP models is that from one set of data and weights multiple solutions can be obtained. We use small numerical examples to illustrate the 'mechanics' of achievement functions. Then, the EGP achievement function is demonstrated on a diet problem with 144 foods, 19 nutrients and several types of palatability constraints, in which the nutritional constraints are modeled with fuzzy sets. Choice of achievement function affects the results of diet models. MinSum achievement functions can give rise to solutions that are sensitive to weight changes, and that pile all unwanted deviations on a limited number of nutritional constraints. MinMax achievement functions spread the unwanted deviations as evenly as possible, but may create many (small) deviations. EGP comprises both types of achievement functions, as well as compromises between them. It can thus, from one data set, find a range of solutions with various properties.

Simultaneous Aurora-A/STK15 overexpression and centrosome amplification induce chromosomal instability in tumour cells with a MIN phenotype

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lentini, Laura; Amato, Angela; Schillaci, Tiziana; Di Leonardo, Aldo

2007-01-01

Genetic instability is a hallmark of tumours and preneoplastic lesions. The predominant form of genome instability in human cancer is chromosome instability (CIN). CIN is characterized by chromosomal aberrations, gains or losses of whole chromosomes (aneuploidy), and it is often associated with centrosome amplification. Centrosomes control cell division by forming a bipolar mitotic spindle and play an essential role in the maintenance of chromosomal stability. However, whether centrosome amplification could directly cause aneuploidy is not fully established. Also, alterations in genes required for mitotic progression could be involved in CIN. A major candidate is represented by Aurora-A/STK15 that associates with centrosomes and is overexpressed in several types of human tumour. Centrosome amplification were induced by hydroxyurea treatment and visualized by immunofluorescence microscopy. Aurora-A/STK15 ectopic expression was achieved by retroviral infection and puromycin selection in HCT116 tumour cells. Effects of Aurora-A/STK15 depletion on centrosome status and ploidy were determined by Aurora-A/STK15 transcriptional silencing by RNA interference. Changes in the expression levels of some mitotic genes were determined by Real time RT-PCR. We investigated whether amplification of centrosomes and overexpression of Aurora-A/STK15 induce CIN using as a model system a colon carcinoma cell line (HCT116). We found that in HCT116 cells, chromosomally stable and near diploid cells harbouring a MIN phenotype, centrosome amplification induced by hydroxyurea treatment is neither maintained nor induces aneuploidy. On the contrary, ectopic overexpression of Aurora-A/STK15 induced supernumerary centrosomes and aneuploidy. Aurora-A/STK15 transcriptional silencing by RNA interference in cells ectopically overexpressing this kinase promptly decreased cell numbers with supernumerary centrosomes and aneuploidy. Our results show that centrosome amplification alone is not sufficient

MODIS/Aqua Clouds 5-Min L2 Swath 1km and 5km V006

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The MODIS/Aqua Clouds 5-Min L2 Swath 1km and 5km (MYD06_L2) product consists of cloud optical and physical parameters. These parameters are derived using remotely...

New bound on MIS and MIN-CDS for a unit ball graph

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.A. Mojdeh

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The size of the maximum independent set (MIS in a graph G is called the independence number. The size of the minimum connected dominating set (MIN-CDS in G is called the connected domination number. The aim of this paper is to determine two better upper bounds of the independence number; dependent on the connected domination number for a unit ball graph. Further, we improve the upper bound to obtain the best bound with respect to the upper bounds obtained thus far.

Safely prolonging single breath-holds to >5 min in patients with cancer; feasibility and applications for radiotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Stuart; Stevens, Andrea M; Parveen, Sophia; Stephens, Rebecca; Clutton-Brock, Thomas H

2016-01-01

Objective: Multiple, short and deep inspiratory breath-holds with air of approximately 20 s are now used in radiotherapy to reduce the influence of ventilatory motion and damage to healthy tissue. There may be further clinical advantages in delivering each treatment session in only one single, prolonged breath-hold. We have previously developed techniques enabling healthy subjects to breath-hold for 7 min. Here, we demonstrate their successful application in patients with cancer. Methods: 15 patients aged 37–74 years undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer were trained to breath-hold safely with pre-oxygenation and mechanically induced hypocapnia under simulated radiotherapy treatment conditions. Results: The mean breath-hold duration was 5.3 ± 0.2 min. At breakpoint, all patients were normocapnic and normoxic [mean end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide was 36 ± 1 standard error millimetre of mercury, (mmHg) and mean oxygen saturation was 100 ± 0 standard error %]. None were distressed, nor had gasping, dizziness or disturbed breathing in the post-breath-hold period. Mean blood pressure had risen significantly from 125 ± 3 to 166 ± 4 mmHg at breakpoint (without heart rate falling), but normalized within approximately 20 s of the breakpoint. During breath-holding, the mean linear anteroposterior displacement slope of the L breast marker was radiotherapy treatment conditions for longer than the typical beam-on time of a single fraction. We discuss the important applications of this technique for radiotherapy. Advances in knowledge: We demonstrate for the first time a technique enabling patients with cancer to deliver safely a single prolonged breath-hold of >5 min (10 times longer than currently used in radiotherapy practice), under simulated radiotherapy treatment conditions. PMID:27168468

Max-min SINR low complexity transceiver design for single cell massive MIMO

KAUST Repository

Sifaou, Houssem

2016-08-11

This work focuses on large scale multi-user MIMO systems in which the base station (BS) outfitted with M antennas communicates with K single antenna user equipments (UEs). In particular, we aim at designing the linear precoder and receiver that maximizes the minimum signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) subject to a given power constraint. To gain insights into the structure of the optimal precoder and receiver as well as to reduce the computational complexity for their implementation, we analyze the asymptotic regime where M and K grow large with a given ratio and make use of random matrix theory (RMT) tools to compute accurate approximations. Although simpler, the implementation of the asymptotic precoder and receiver requires fast inversions of large matrices in every coherence period. To overcome this issue, we apply the truncated polynomial expansion (TPE) technique to the precoding and receiving vector of each UE and make use of RMT to determine the optimal weighting coefficients that asymptotically solve the max-min SINR problem. Numerical results are used to show that the proposed TPE-based precoder and receiver almost achieve the same performance as the optimal ones while requiring a lower complexity.

INTRAVAL test case 1b - modelling results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jakob, A.; Hadermann, J.

1991-07-01

This report presents results obtained within Phase I of the INTRAVAL study. Six different models are fitted to the results of four infiltration experiments with 233 U tracer on small samples of crystalline bore cores originating from deep drillings in Northern Switzerland. Four of these are dual porosity media models taking into account advection and dispersion in water conducting zones (either tubelike veins or planar fractures), matrix diffusion out of these into pores of the solid phase, and either non-linear or linear sorption of the tracer onto inner surfaces. The remaining two are equivalent porous media models (excluding matrix diffusion) including either non-linear sorption onto surfaces of a single fissure family or linear sorption onto surfaces of several different fissure families. The fits to the experimental data have been carried out by Marquardt-Levenberg procedure yielding error estimates of the parameters, correlation coefficients and also, as a measure for the goodness of the fits, the minimum values of the χ 2 merit function. The effects of different upstream boundary conditions are demonstrated and the penetration depth for matrix diffusion is discussed briefly for both alternative flow path scenarios. The calculations show that the dual porosity media models are significantly more appropriate to the experimental data than the single porosity media concepts. Moreover, it is matrix diffusion rather than the non-linearity of the sorption isotherm which is responsible for the tailing part of the break-through curves. The extracted parameter values for some models for both the linear and non-linear (Freundlich) sorption isotherms are consistent with the results of independent static batch sorption experiments. From the fits, it is generally not possible to discriminate between the two alternative flow path geometries. On the basis of the modelling results, some proposals for further experiments are presented. (author) 15 refs., 23 figs., 7 tabs

Astrobiological Significance of Definitive Mineralogical Analysis of Martian Surface Samples Using the CheMin XRD/XRF Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Feldman, S. M.; Blake, D. F.; Sarrazin, P.; Bish, D. L.; Chipera, S. J.; Vaniman, D. T.; Collins, S.

2004-01-01

The search for evidence of habitability, or of extant or extinct life on Mars, will initially be a search for evidence of past or present conditions supportive of life. The three key requirements for the emergence of life are thought to be liquid water; a suitable energy source; and chemical building blocks. CheMin is a miniaturized XRD/XRF (X-Ray diffraction / X-ray fluorescence) instrument which has been developed for definitive mineralogic analysis of soils and rocks on the Martian surface. The CheMin instrument can provide information that is highly relevant to each of these habitability requirements as summarized below.

Influence des substrats carbonés et minéraux sur l'activité des ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

p < 0.0001). BLIS were stable to heat treatment ranging from 50 °C to 100 °C for 30 min. Conclusion and application of findings: These inhibitory substances produced, could be bacteriocins and could contribute to a better food preservation.

Intestinal microbiota: a potential diet-responsive prevention target in ApcMin mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Mai, Volker; Colbert, Lisa H; Perkins, Susan N; Schatzkin, Arthur; Hursting, Stephen D

2007-01-01

We previously reported that two dietary regimens, calorie restriction (CR) and a high olive oil-containing diet supplemented with a freeze-dried fruit and vegetable extract (OFV), reduced the development of intestinal adenomas in Apc(Min) mice by 57% and 33%, respectively, compared to control mice fed a defined diet ad libitum. The OFV diet was designed to have a strong effect on the composition of the intestinal microbiota through its high content of fiber, which represents a major source of fermentable substrate for the gut bacteria. We hypothesized that some of the observed effects of diet on intestinal carcinogenesis might be mediated by diet-related changes in the bacterial species that thrive in the gut. Therefore, we determined by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) how the dietary interventions affected the composition of the intestinal microbiota, and we characterized specific microbiota changes that were associated with diet and reduced intestinal carcinogenesis. The OFV diet changed the overall composition of the intestinal microbiota, smaller changes were observed for the CR diet. Furthermore, we detected a 16S rDNA fragment associated with mice that did not develop polyps. Sequence analysis suggested that hitherto unidentified bacteria belonging to the family Lachnospiraceae (order Clostridiales) were its source. Thus, these bacteria may be an indicator of intestinal conditions associated with reduced intestinal carcinogenesis in Apc(Min) mice. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Min-max optimization and the radial approach to the public service system design with generalized utility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaroslav Janáček

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the min-max public service system design, where the generalized utility is considered. In contrast to the formulations presented in the literature, the generalized utility defined for a public service system assumes that the user’s utility comes generally from more than one located service center and the individual contributions from relevant centers are weighted by reduction coefficients depending on a center order. Given that commercial IP-solvers often fail due to enormous computational times or extreme memory demands when resolving this issue, we suggested and compared several approaches based on a bisection process with the purpose of developing an effective max-min approach to the public service system design with a generalized utility.

Using an implicit min/max KD-Tree for doing efficient terrain line of sight calculations

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Duvenhage, B

2009-02-01

Full Text Available -dimensional tree (kd-tree) based raytracing approach, to calculating LOS information, is efficient. A new implicit min/max kd-tree algorithm is discussed for evaluating LOS queries on large scale spherical terrain. In particular the value of low resolution boundary...

Chronic Trichuris muris infection causes neoplastic change in the intestine and exacerbates tumour formation in APC min/+ mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelly S Hayes

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Incidences of infection-related cancers are on the rise in developing countries where the prevalence of intestinal nematode worm infections are also high. Trichuris muris (T. muris is a murine gut-dwelling nematode that is the direct model for human T. trichiura, one of the major soil-transmitted helminth infections of humans. In order to assess whether chronic infection with T. muris does indeed influence the development of cancer hallmarks, both wild type mice and colon cancer model (APC min/+ mice were infected with this parasite. Parasite infection in wild type mice led to the development of neoplastic change similar to that seen in mice that had been treated with the carcinogen azoxymethane. Additionally, both chronic and acute infection in the APCmin/+ mice led to an enhanced tumour development that was distinct to the site of infection suggesting systemic control. By blocking the parasite induced T regulatory response in these mice, the increase in the number of tumours following infection was abrogated. Thus T. muris infection alone causes an increase in gut pathologies that are known to be markers of cancer but also increases the incidence of tumour formation in a colon cancer model. The influence of parasitic worm infection on the development of cancer may therefore be significant.

Modification of the Ti40Cu36Zr10Pd14 BMG Crystallization Mechanism with Heating Rates 10-140 K/min

Science.gov (United States)

Czeppe, T.; Sypien, A.; Wierzbicka-Miernik, A.

2016-12-01

The article presents investigations of Ti40Cu36Zr10Pd14 bulk metallic glass crystallization process heated with the rates of 10, 60, 100 and 140 K/min. High heating rates experiments were performed in a new type of differential scanning calorimeter equipped with a fast responding thermal sensor. Phase composition and microstructure were studied with x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The observed crystallization proceeded in two separate steps. Applied high rates of heating/cooling resulted in the crystallization of only one CuTi phase, replacing typical multi-phase crystallization. The microstructure after crystallization was polycrystalline with some amount of amorphous phase retained. Kinetic parameters were determined with the use of the Kissinger and Friedman iso-conversional analysis and Matusita-Sakka iso-kinetic model. The kinetic analysis supplies results concerning autocatalytically activated mechanism of primary crystallization with decreasing activation energy and small density of quenched-in nuclei, in good agreement with previous structural investigations. The mechanism of secondary crystallization required dense nuclei site, increasing activation energy and large nucleation frequency. The amorphous phase of Ti40Cu36Zr10Pd14 BMG revealed high thermal stability against crystallization. Application of high heating rates in DSC experiments might be useful for the determination of mechanism and kinetic parameters in investigations of metallic glasses crystallization, giving reasonable results.

Direct measurements of the 160.01-min oscillation in the solar radio brightness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Efanov, V.A.; Moiseev, I.G.; Nesterov, N.S.

1983-01-01

Direct (nondifferential) brightness measurements of the quiet sun at lambda = 8.2 and 13.5 mm, corrected by the Bouguer law for absorption in the terrestrial atmosphere, confirm the presence of a 160.009 +- 0.002 min periodicity. At the two wavelengths the relative amplitudes are roughly-equal0.6 x 10 -3 , 1 x 10 -3 . Maximum radio brightness occurs at the phase when optical data indicate the photosphere radius is largest

Implementation of Layered Decoding Architecture for LDPC Code using Layered Min-Sum Algorithm

OpenAIRE

Sandeep Kakde; Atish Khobragade; Shrikant Ambatkar; Pranay Nandanwar

2017-01-01

For binary field and long code lengths, Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) code approaches Shannon limit performance. LDPC codes provide remarkable error correction performance and therefore enlarge the design space for communication systems.In this paper, we have compare different digital modulation techniques and found that BPSK modulation technique is better than other modulation techniques in terms of BER. It also gives error performance of LDPC decoder over AWGN channel using Min-Sum algori...

12 min/week of high-intensity interval training reduces aortic reservoir pressure in individuals with metabolic syndrome: a randomized trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Joyce S; Dalleck, Lance C; Ramos, Maximiano V; Borrani, Fabio; Roberts, Llion; Gomersall, Sjaan; Beetham, Kassia S; Dias, Katrin A; Keating, Shelley E; Fassett, Robert G; Sharman, James E; Coombes, Jeff S

2016-10-01

Decreased aortic reservoir function leads to a rise in aortic reservoir pressure that is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events. Although there is evidence that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) would be useful to improve aortic reservoir pressure, the optimal dose of high-intensity exercise to improve aortic reservoir function has yet to be investigated. Therefore, this study compared the effect of different volumes of HIIT and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on aortic reservoir pressure in participants with the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Fifty individuals with MetS were randomized into one of the following 16-week training programs: MICT [n = 17, 30 min at 60-70% peak heart rate (HRpeak), five times/week]; 4 × 4-min high-intensity interval training (4HIIT) (n = 15, 4 × 4 min bouts at 85-95% HRpeak, interspersed with 3 min of active recovery at 50-70% HRpeak, three times/week); and 1 × 4-min high-intensity interval training (1HIIT) (n = 18, 1 × 4 min bout at 85-95% HRpeak, three times/week). Aortic reservoir pressure was calculated from radial applanation tonometry. Although not statistically significant, there was a trend for a small-to-medium group × time interaction effect on aortic reservoir pressure, indicating a positive adaptation following 1HIIT compared with 4HIIT and MICT [F (2,46) = 2.9, P = 0.07, η = 0.06]. This is supported by our within-group analysis wherein only 1HIIT significantly decreased aortic reservoir pressure from pre to postintervention (pre-post: 1HIIT 33 ± 16 to 31 ± 13, P = 0.03; MICT 29 ± 9-28 ± 8, P = 0.78; 4HIIT 28 ± 10-30 ± 9 mmHg, P = 0.10). Three sessions of 4 min of high-intensity exercise per week (12 min/week) was sufficient to improve aortic reservoir pressure, and thus may be a time-efficient exercise modality for reducing cardiovascular risk in individuals with MetS.

Sleep inertia associated with a 10-min nap before the commute home following a night shift: A laboratory simulation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hilditch, Cassie J; Dorrian, Jillian; Centofanti, Stephanie A; Van Dongen, Hans P; Banks, Siobhan

2017-02-01

Night shift workers are at risk of road accidents due to sleepiness on the commute home. A brief nap at the end of the night shift, before the commute, may serve as a sleepiness countermeasure. However, there is potential for sleep inertia, i.e. transient impairment immediately after awakening from the nap. We investigated whether sleep inertia diminishes the effectiveness of napping as a sleepiness countermeasure before a simulated commute after a simulated night shift. N=21 healthy subjects (aged 21-35 y; 12 females) participated in a 3-day laboratory study. After a baseline night, subjects were kept awake for 27h for a simulated night shift. They were randomised to either receive a 10-min nap ending at 04:00 plus a 10-min pre-drive nap ending at 07:10 (10-NAP) or total sleep deprivation (NO-NAP). A 40-min York highway driving task was performed at 07:15 to simulate the commute. A 3-min psychomotor vigilance test (PVT-B) and the Samn-Perelli Fatigue Scale (SP-Fatigue) were administered at 06:30 (pre-nap), 07:12 (post-nap), and 07:55 (post-drive). In the 10-NAP condition, total pre-drive nap sleep time was 9.1±1.2min (mean±SD), with 1.3±1.9min spent in slow wave sleep, as determined polysomnographically. There was no difference between conditions in PVT-B performance at 06:30 (before the nap). In the 10-NAP condition, PVT-B performance was worse after the nap (07:12) compared to before the nap (06:30); no change across time was found in the NO-NAP condition. There was no significant difference between conditions in PVT-B performance after the drive. SP-Fatigue and driving performance did not differ significantly between conditions. In conclusion, the pre-drive nap showed objective, but not subjective, evidence of sleep inertia immediately after awakening. The 10-min nap did not affect driving performance during the simulated commute home, and was not effective as a sleepiness countermeasure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Western diet enhances intestinal tumorigenesis in Min/+ mice, associating with mucosal metabolic and inflammatory stress and loss of Apc heterozygosity.

Science.gov (United States)

Niku, Mikael; Pajari, Anne-Maria; Sarantaus, Laura; Päivärinta, Essi; Storvik, Markus; Heiman-Lindh, Anu; Suokas, Santeri; Nyström, Minna; Mutanen, Marja

2017-01-01

Western-type diet (WD) is a risk factor for colorectal cancer, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We investigated the interaction of WD and heterozygous mutation in the Apc gene on adenoma formation and metabolic and immunological changes in the histologically normal intestinal mucosa of Apc Min/+ (Min/+) mice. The diet used was high in saturated fat and low in calcium, vitamin D, fiber and folate. The number of adenomas was twofold higher in the WD mice compared to controls, but adenoma size, proliferation or apoptosis did not differ. The ratio of the Min to wild-type allele was higher in the WD mice, indicating accelerated loss of Apc heterozygosity (LOH). Densities of intraepithelial CD3ε + T lymphocytes and of mucosal FoxP3 + regulatory T cells were higher in the WD mice, implying inflammatory changes. Western blot analyses from the mucosa of the WD mice showed suppressed activation of the ERK and AKT pathways and a tendency for reduced activation of the mTOR pathway as measured in phosphoS6/S6 levels. The expression of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 was up-regulated in both mRNA and protein levels. Gene expression analyses showed changes in oxidation/reduction, fatty acid and monosaccharide metabolic pathways, tissue organization, cell fate and regulation of apoptosis. Together, our results suggest that the high-risk Western diet primes the intestine to tumorigenesis through synergistic effects in energy metabolism, inflammation and oxidative stress, which culminate in the acceleration of LOH of the Apc gene. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CAIPIRINHA accelerated SPACE enables 10-min isotropic 3D TSE MRI of the ankle for optimized visualization of curved and oblique ligaments and tendons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalia, Vivek [University of Vermont Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Burlington, VT (United States); Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Section of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Baltimore, MD (United States); Fritz, Benjamin [University Medical Center Freiburg, Department of Radiology, Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany); Johnson, Rory [Siemens Healthcare USA, Inc, Cary, NC (United States); Gilson, Wesley D. [Siemens Healthcare USA, Inc, Baltimore, MD (United States); Raithel, Esther [Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen (Germany); Fritz, Jan [Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Section of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Baltimore, MD (United States)

2017-09-15

To test the hypothesis that a fourfold CAIPIRINHA accelerated, 10-min, high-resolution, isotropic 3D TSE MRI prototype protocol of the ankle derives equal or better quality than a 20-min 2D TSE standard protocol. Following internal review board approval and informed consent, 3-Tesla MRI of the ankle was obtained in 24 asymptomatic subjects including 10-min 3D CAIPIRINHA SPACE TSE prototype and 20-min 2D TSE standard protocols. Outcome variables included image quality and visibility of anatomical structures using 5-point Likert scales. Non-parametric statistical testing was used. P values ≤0.001 were considered significant. Edge sharpness, contrast resolution, uniformity, noise, fat suppression and magic angle effects were without statistical difference on 2D and 3D TSE images (p > 0.035). Fluid was mildly brighter on intermediate-weighted 2D images (p < 0.001), whereas 3D images had substantially less partial volume, chemical shift and no pulsatile-flow artifacts (p < 0.001). Oblique and curved planar 3D images resulted in mildly-to-substantially improved visualization of joints, spring, bifurcate, syndesmotic, collateral and sinus tarsi ligaments, and tendons (p < 0.001, respectively). 3D TSE MRI with CAIPIRINHA acceleration enables high-spatial resolution oblique and curved planar MRI of the ankle and visualization of ligaments, tendons and joints equally well or better than a more time-consuming anisotropic 2D TSE MRI. (orig.)

CAIPIRINHA accelerated SPACE enables 10-min isotropic 3D TSE MRI of the ankle for optimized visualization of curved and oblique ligaments and tendons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalia, Vivek; Fritz, Benjamin; Johnson, Rory; Gilson, Wesley D.; Raithel, Esther; Fritz, Jan

2017-01-01

To test the hypothesis that a fourfold CAIPIRINHA accelerated, 10-min, high-resolution, isotropic 3D TSE MRI prototype protocol of the ankle derives equal or better quality than a 20-min 2D TSE standard protocol. Following internal review board approval and informed consent, 3-Tesla MRI of the ankle was obtained in 24 asymptomatic subjects including 10-min 3D CAIPIRINHA SPACE TSE prototype and 20-min 2D TSE standard protocols. Outcome variables included image quality and visibility of anatomical structures using 5-point Likert scales. Non-parametric statistical testing was used. P values ≤0.001 were considered significant. Edge sharpness, contrast resolution, uniformity, noise, fat suppression and magic angle effects were without statistical difference on 2D and 3D TSE images (p > 0.035). Fluid was mildly brighter on intermediate-weighted 2D images (p < 0.001), whereas 3D images had substantially less partial volume, chemical shift and no pulsatile-flow artifacts (p < 0.001). Oblique and curved planar 3D images resulted in mildly-to-substantially improved visualization of joints, spring, bifurcate, syndesmotic, collateral and sinus tarsi ligaments, and tendons (p < 0.001, respectively). 3D TSE MRI with CAIPIRINHA acceleration enables high-spatial resolution oblique and curved planar MRI of the ankle and visualization of ligaments, tendons and joints equally well or better than a more time-consuming anisotropic 2D TSE MRI. (orig.)

The uncertainty analysis of model results a practical guide

CERN Document Server

Hofer, Eduard

2018-01-01

This book is a practical guide to the uncertainty analysis of computer model applications. Used in many areas, such as engineering, ecology and economics, computer models are subject to various uncertainties at the level of model formulations, parameter values and input data. Naturally, it would be advantageous to know the combined effect of these uncertainties on the model results as well as whether the state of knowledge should be improved in order to reduce the uncertainty of the results most effectively. The book supports decision-makers, model developers and users in their argumentation for an uncertainty analysis and assists them in the interpretation of the analysis results.

Modelling rainfall erosion resulting from climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Kinnell, Peter

2016-04-01

It is well known that soil erosion leads to agricultural productivity decline and contributes to water quality decline. The current widely used models for determining soil erosion for management purposes in agriculture focus on long term (~20 years) average annual soil loss and are not well suited to determining variations that occur over short timespans and as a result of climate change. Soil loss resulting from rainfall erosion is directly dependent on the product of runoff and sediment concentration both of which are likely to be influenced by climate change. This presentation demonstrates the capacity of models like the USLE, USLE-M and WEPP to predict variations in runoff and erosion associated with rainfall events eroding bare fallow plots in the USA with a view to modelling rainfall erosion in areas subject to climate change.

Disposition of smoked cannabis with high Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol content: A kinetic model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunault, Claudine C.; Eijkeren, Jan C.H. van; Mensinga, Tjeert T.; Vries, Irma de; Leenders, Marianne E.C.; Meulenbelt, Jan

2010-01-01

Introduction: No model exists to describe the disposition and kinetics of inhaled cannabis containing a high THC dose. We aimed to develop a kinetic model providing estimates of the THC serum concentrations after smoking cannabis cigarettes containing high THC doses (up to 69 mg THC). Methods: Twenty-four male non-daily cannabis users smoked cannabis cigarettes containing 29.3 mg, 49.1 mg, and 69.4 mg THC. Blood samples were collected over a period of 0-8 h and serum THC concentrations were measured. A two-compartment open model was fitted on the individual observed data. Results: Large inter-individual variability was observed in the pharmacokinetic parameters. The median pharmacokinetic parameters generated by the model were C max = 175 ng/mL, T max = 14 min, and AUC 0-8h = 8150 ng x min/mL for the 69.4 mg THC dose. Median model results show an almost linear dose response relation for C max /Dose = 2.8 x 10 -6 /mL and AUC 0-8h /Dose = 136 x 10 -6 min/mL. However, for increasing dose level, there was a clear decreasing trend: C max /Dose = 3.4, 2.6 and 2.5 x 10 -6 /mL and AUC 0-8h /Dose = 157, 133 and 117 x 10 -6 min/mL for the 29.3, 49.1 and 69.4 mg dose, respectively. Within the restriction of 8 h of observation, the apparent terminal half life of THC was 150 min. Conclusion: The model offers insight into the pharmacokinetics of THC in recreational cannabis users smoking cannabis containing high doses of THC mixed with tobacco. The model is an objective method for providing serum THC concentrations up to 8 h after smoking cannabis with a high THC content (up to 23%).

Minimum Cycle Basis and All-Pairs Min Cut of a Planar Graph in Subquadratic Time

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wulff-Nilsen, Christian

2009-01-01

equivalent to the minimum cycle basis problem for planar graphs. We also obtain O(n3/2 log n) time and O(n3/2) space algorithms for finding, respectively, the weight vector and a Gomory-Hu tree of G. The previous best time and space bound for these two problems was quadratic. From our Gomory-Hu tree...... show that this is optimal if an explicit represen- tation of the basis is required. We then present an O(n3/2 log n) time and O(n3/2) space algorithm that computes a minimum cycle basis implicitly. From this result, we obtain an output-sensitive algorithm that explicitly computes a minimum cycle basis...... in O(n3/2 log n + C) time and O(n3/2 + C) space, where C is the total size (number of edges and vertices) of the cycles in the basis. These bounds reduce to O(n3/2 log n) and O(n3/2), respectively, when G is unweighted. We get similar results for the all-pairs min cut problem since it is dual...

Modelling the Ozone-Based Treatments for Inactivation of Microorganisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnieszka Joanna Brodowska

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the development of a model for ozone treatment in a dynamic bed of different microorganisms (Bacillus subtilis, B. cereus, B. pumilus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Aspergillus niger, Eupenicillium cinnamopurpureum on a heterogeneous matrix (juniper berries, cardamom seeds initially treated with numerous ozone doses during various contact times was studied. Taking into account various microorganism susceptibility to ozone, it was of great importance to develop a sufficiently effective ozone dose to preserve food products using different strains based on the microbial model. For this purpose, we have chosen the Weibull model to describe the survival curves of different microorganisms. Based on the results of microorganism survival modelling after ozone treatment and considering the least susceptible strains to ozone, we selected the critical ones. Among tested strains, those from genus Bacillus were recognized as the most critical strains. In particular, B. subtilis and B. pumilus possessed the highest resistance to ozone treatment because the time needed to achieve the lowest level of its survival was the longest (up to 17.04 min and 16.89 min for B. pumilus reduction on juniper berry and cardamom seed matrix, respectively. Ozone treatment allow inactivate microorganisms to achieving lower survival rates by ozone dose (20.0 g O3/m3 O2, with a flow rate of 0.4 L/min and contact time (up to 20 min. The results demonstrated that a linear correlation between parameters p and k in Weibull distribution, providing an opportunity to calculate a fitted equation of the process.

Modelling the Ozone-Based Treatments for Inactivation of Microorganisms

Science.gov (United States)

Brodowska, Agnieszka Joanna; Nowak, Agnieszka; Kondratiuk-Janyska, Alina; Piątkowski, Marcin; Śmigielski, Krzysztof

2017-01-01

The paper presents the development of a model for ozone treatment in a dynamic bed of different microorganisms (Bacillus subtilis, B. cereus, B. pumilus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Aspergillus niger, Eupenicillium cinnamopurpureum) on a heterogeneous matrix (juniper berries, cardamom seeds) initially treated with numerous ozone doses during various contact times was studied. Taking into account various microorganism susceptibility to ozone, it was of great importance to develop a sufficiently effective ozone dose to preserve food products using different strains based on the microbial model. For this purpose, we have chosen the Weibull model to describe the survival curves of different microorganisms. Based on the results of microorganism survival modelling after ozone treatment and considering the least susceptible strains to ozone, we selected the critical ones. Among tested strains, those from genus Bacillus were recognized as the most critical strains. In particular, B. subtilis and B. pumilus possessed the highest resistance to ozone treatment because the time needed to achieve the lowest level of its survival was the longest (up to 17.04 min and 16.89 min for B. pumilus reduction on juniper berry and cardamom seed matrix, respectively). Ozone treatment allow inactivate microorganisms to achieving lower survival rates by ozone dose (20.0 g O3/m3 O2, with a flow rate of 0.4 L/min) and contact time (up to 20 min). The results demonstrated that a linear correlation between parameters p and k in Weibull distribution, providing an opportunity to calculate a fitted equation of the process. PMID:28991199

The golden 35 min of stroke intervention with ADAPT: effect of thrombectomy procedural time in acute ischemic stroke on outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Alawieh, Ali; Pierce, Alyssa K; Vargas, Jan; Turk, Aquilla S; Turner, Raymond D; Chaudry, M Imran; Spiotta, Alejandro M

2018-03-01

In acute ischemic stroke (AIS), extending mechanical thrombectomy procedural times beyond 60 min has previously been associated with an increased complication rate and poorer outcomes. After improvements in thrombectomy methods, to reassess whether this relationship holds true with a more contemporary thrombectomy approach: a direct aspiration first pass technique (ADAPT). We retrospectively studied a database of patients with AIS who underwent ADAPT thrombectomy for large vessel occlusions. Patients were dichotomized into two groups: 'early recan', in which recanalization (recan) was achieved in ≤35 min, and 'late recan', in which procedures extended beyond 35 min. 197 patients (47.7% women, mean age 66.3 years) were identified. We determined that after 35 min, a poor outcome was more likely than a good (modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 0-2) outcome. The baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was similar between 'early recan' (n=122) (14.7±6.9) and 'late recan' patients (n=75) (15.9±7.2). Among 'early recan' patients, recanalization was achieved in 17.8±8.8 min compared with 70±39.8 min in 'late recan' patients. The likelihood of achieving a good outcome was higher in the 'early recan' group (65.2%) than in the 'late recan' group (38.2%; p<0.001). Patients in the 'late recan' group had a higher likelihood of postprocedural hemorrhage, specifically parenchymal hematoma type 2, than those in the 'early recan' group. Logistic regression analysis showed that baseline NIHSS, recanalization time, and atrial fibrillation had a significant impact on 90-day outcomes. Our findings suggest that extending ADAPT thrombectomy procedure times beyond 35 min increases the likelihood of complications such as intracerebral hemorrhage while reducing the likelihood of a good outcome. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Educação e arte na redução missioneira de San Ignacio Miní - Education and art in the mission of San Ignacio Miní

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graciela Ormezzano, Brasil

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Esta investigação trata da arte nos processos educativos introduzidos pelos je-suítas junto aos índios guaranis. Objetiva-se descrever o espaço e a produção artística da redução de San Ignacio Miní e interpretar os modos educacionais dos europeus e sua influência na população autóctone, entre 1611 e 1768.  Trata-se de uma pesquisa bibliográfica que utiliza também fontes primárias embasadas na documentação já publicada e fotografias. Optou-se por uma abordagem qualitativa, seguindo o método histórico-antropológico descritivo de um grupo populacional assentado numa determinada redução e discute-se as relações educacionais entre ambas as culturas. Nesse sentido, são apontadas as diferenças culturais e o que pode ser compreendido como suas possibilidades de mixagem.Palavras-chave: arte, educação, missões. EDUCATION AND ART IN THE MISSION OF SAN IGNACIO MINÍAbstractThis research is about art in Jesuitical educative process with guaranis indians in the missions. The objective is to describe the space and the artistic production in San Ignacio Miní and to interpret the educational ways of Europeans and their influence in autochthons, between 1611 and 1768. This is a bibliographic research that uses also published primary fountains and photographs. It’s a qualitative study that follows the historic-anthropologic method that describe a group of people living in a determinate mission and talks about educational relations between both cultures and possibilities of fusion.Key-words: art, education, missions. EDUCACIÓN Y ARTE EN LA REDUCCIÓN MISIONERA  DE SAN IGNACIO MINÍResumenEsta investigación trata del arte en los procesos educativos introducidos por los jesuitas entre los indios guaraníes. El estudio objetiva describir el espacio y la producción artística de la reducción de San Ignacio Miní e interpretar las modalidades educacionales de los europeos y su influencia en la población autóctona, entre 1611

The energetics of semicontact 3 x 2-min amateur boxing.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Philip; Leithäuser, Renate M; Beneke, Ralph

2014-03-01

The energy expenditure of amateur boxing is unknown. Total metabolic cost (Wtot) as an aggregate of aerobic (Waer), anaerobic lactic (W[lactate]), and anaerobic alactic (WPCr) energy of a 3 × 2-min semicontact amateur boxing bout was analyzed. Ten boxers (mean ± SD [lower/upper 95% confidence intervals]) age 23.7 ± 4.1 (20.8/26.6) y, height 180.2 ± 7.0 (175.2/185.2) cm, body mass 70.6 ± 5.7 (66.5/74.7) kg performed a semicontact bout against handheld pads created from previously analyzed video footage of competitive bouts. Net metabolic energy was calculated using respiratory gases and blood [lactate]. Waer, 526.0 ± 57.1 (485.1/566.9) kJ, was higher (P boxing is predominantly aerobic. They also highlight the importance of a highly developed aerobic capacity as a prerequisite of a high activity rate during rounds and recovery of the high-energy phosphate system during breaks as interrelated requirements of successful boxing.

Effects of different centrifugation conditions on clinical chemistry and Immunology test results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nesic Predrag

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The effect of centrifugation time of heparinized blood samples on clinical chemistry and immunology results has rarely been studied. WHO guideline proposed a 15 min centrifugation time without citing any scientific publications. The centrifugation time has a considerable impact on the turn-around-time. Methods We investigated 74 parameters in samples from 44 patients on a Roche Cobas 6000 system, to see whether there was a statistical significant difference in the test results among specimens centrifuged at 2180 g for 15 min, at 2180 g for 10 min or at 1870 g for 7 min, respectively. Two tubes with different plasma separators (both Greiner Bio-One were used for each centrifugation condition. Statistical comparisons were made by Deming fit. Results Tubes with different separators showed identical results in all parameters. Likewise, excellent correlations were found among tubes to which different centrifugation conditions were applied. Fifty percent of the slopes lay between 0.99 and 1.01. Only 3.6 percent of the statistical tests results fell outside the significance level of p Conclusion A centrifugation time of either 7 or 10 min provided identical test results compared to the time of 15 min as proposed by WHO under the conditions used in our study.

MODIS/Aqua Temperature and Water Vapor Profiles 5-Min L2 Swath 5km V006

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — MODIS/Aqua Temperature and Water Vapor Profiles 5-Min L2 Swath 5km (MYD07_L2). MODIS was launched aboard the Aqua satellite on May 04, 2002 (1:30 pm equator crossing...

P-Q characteristic of the electromagnetic pump with the flow rate of 60 l/min

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hee Reyoun; KIm, Jong Man; Cha, Jae Eun; Choi, Jong Hyun; Nam, Ho Yoon

2005-01-01

In general, an EM pump has been employed to circulate electrically conductive liquids like molten metals by Lorentz force generated from the magnetic field and its perpendicular current. Especially, at the Liquid Metal Reactor (LMR) which uses liquid sodium with high electrical conductivity as a coolant, an EM pump is noticed due to advantages over mechanical pump such as no rotating part, no noise and simplicity. In the present study, the EM pump of a pilot annular linear induction type with the flowrate of 60 l/min is designed by using electrical equivalent circuit method that is applied to linear induction machines. The designed pump is manufactured by consideration of the requirements of material and function in high temperature and sodium environments. Experimental characterization is carried out according to input currents and frequency. And compared analyses between theoretical prediction and experimental results are performed

Caffeine, but not bicarbonate, improves 6 min maximal performance in elite rowers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Peter Møller; Petersen, Mads H; Friis, Signe N

2014-01-01

This study examined the ergogenic effects in a 6 min maximal performance test (PT) on 12 elite rowers: 6 open-weight (mean ± SD; 25 ± 1 years, and 92 ± 3 kg) and 6 light-weight (25 ± 3 years, and 73 ± 6 kg), following supplementation with caffeine (CAF), sodium bicarbonate (SB), and the combination.......05) than in open-weight rowers (0.3% ± 0.8%; P > 0.05). No difference between interventions was observed for readiness and stomach comfort before PT and perceived exertion during PT. This study demonstrates that caffeine ingestion does improve performance in elite rowing. In contrast sodium bicarbonate...

Identifiability Results for Several Classes of Linear Compartment Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Meshkat, Nicolette; Sullivant, Seth; Eisenberg, Marisa

2015-08-01

Identifiability concerns finding which unknown parameters of a model can be estimated, uniquely or otherwise, from given input-output data. If some subset of the parameters of a model cannot be determined given input-output data, then we say the model is unidentifiable. In this work, we study linear compartment models, which are a class of biological models commonly used in pharmacokinetics, physiology, and ecology. In past work, we used commutative algebra and graph theory to identify a class of linear compartment models that we call identifiable cycle models, which are unidentifiable but have the simplest possible identifiable functions (so-called monomial cycles). Here we show how to modify identifiable cycle models by adding inputs, adding outputs, or removing leaks, in such a way that we obtain an identifiable model. We also prove a constructive result on how to combine identifiable models, each corresponding to strongly connected graphs, into a larger identifiable model. We apply these theoretical results to several real-world biological models from physiology, cell biology, and ecology.

Mathematical method to build an empirical model for inhaled anesthetic agent wash-in

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grouls René EJ

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The wide range of fresh gas flow - vaporizer setting (FGF - FD combinations used by different anesthesiologists during the wash-in period of inhaled anesthetics indicates that the selection of FGF and FD is based on habit and personal experience. An empirical model could rationalize FGF - FD selection during wash-in. Methods During model derivation, 50 ASA PS I-II patients received desflurane in O2 with an ADU® anesthesia machine with a random combination of a fixed FGF - FD setting. The resulting course of the end-expired desflurane concentration (FA was modeled with Excel Solver, with patient age, height, and weight as covariates; NONMEM was used to check for parsimony. The resulting equation was solved for FD, and prospectively tested by having the formula calculate FD to be used by the anesthesiologist after randomly selecting a FGF, a target FA (FAt, and a specified time interval (1 - 5 min after turning on the vaporizer after which FAt had to be reached. The following targets were tested: desflurane FAt 3.5% after 3.5 min (n = 40, 5% after 5 min (n = 37, and 6% after 4.5 min (n = 37. Results Solving the equation derived during model development for FD yields FD=-(e(-FGF*-0.23+FGF*0.24*(e(FGF*-0.23*FAt*Ht*0.1-e(FGF*-0.23*FGF*2.55+40.46-e(FGF*-0.23*40.46+e(FGF*-0.23+Time/-4.08*40.46-e(Time/-4.08*40.46/((-1+e(FGF*0.24*(-1+e(Time/-4.08*39.29. Only height (Ht could be withheld as a significant covariate. Median performance error and median absolute performance error were -2.9 and 7.0% in the 3.5% after 3.5 min group, -3.4 and 11.4% in the 5% after 5 min group, and -16.2 and 16.2% in the 6% after 4.5 min groups, respectively. Conclusions An empirical model can be used to predict the FGF - FD combinations that attain a target end-expired anesthetic agent concentration with clinically acceptable accuracy within the first 5 min of the start of administration. The sequences are easily calculated in an Excel file and simple to

Efficacy and Safety of MIN-101: A 12-Week Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of a New Drug in Development for the Treatment of Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Davidson, Michael; Saoud, Jay; Staner, Corinne; Noel, Nadine; Luthringer, Elisabeth; Werner, Sandra; Reilly, Joseph; Schaffhauser, Jean-Yves; Rabinowitz, Jonathan; Weiser, Mark; Luthringer, Remy

2017-12-01

The authors assessed the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of MIN-101, a compound with affinities for sigma-2 and 5-HT 2A receptors and no direct dopamine affinities, in comparison with placebo in treating negative symptoms in stabilized patients with schizophrenia. The trial enrolled 244 patients who had been symptomatically stable for at least 3 months and had scores of at least 20 on the negative subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). After at least 5 days' withdrawal from all antipsychotic medication, patients were randomly assigned to receive placebo or 32 mg/day or 64 mg/day of MIN-101 for 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the PANSS negative factor score (pentagonal structure model). Secondary outcome measures were PANSS total score and scores on the Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI), the Brief Negative Symptom Scale, the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia, and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia. A statistically significant difference in PANSS negative factor score was observed, with lower scores for the MIN-101 32 mg/day and 64 mg/day groups compared with the placebo group (effect sizes, d=0.45 and d=0.57, respectively). Supporting these findings were similar effects on several of the secondary outcome measures, such as the PANSS negative symptom, total, and activation factor scores, the CGI severity item, and the Brief Negative Symptom Scale. There were no statistically significant differences in PANSS positive scale score between the MIN-101 and placebo groups. No clinically significant changes were observed in vital signs, routine laboratory values, weight, metabolic indices, and Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale score. MIN-101 demonstrated statistically significant efficacy in reducing negative symptoms and good tolerability in stable schizophrenia patients.

Nebulized salbutamol for asthma: Effects on serum potassium and phosphate levels at the 60 min

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Sahan

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: We conducted this prospective study to expand available information in relation to serum phosphate levels in treatment of acute asthma. A β-adrenergic agonist, salbutamol, was used for this purpose. Material and methods: Twenty-six patients who met the inclusion criteria as; age over 16 years, asthma history, and an acute exacerbation were included. Serum blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, glucose were within normal limits in all the patients. None of the patients were on chronic theophylline therapy. Baseline serum phosphate and potassium levels were measured. Nebulized salbutamol (2.5 mg was used three times at every hour. After 60 min, serum phosphate and potassium levels were measured. Results: Serum phosphate levels decreased from 3.7 ± 0.9 mg/dL (baseline to 3.6±0.9 mg/dL at 60 min. This decrease was not statistically significant (p = 0.373. Serum potassium levels decreased significantly (p < 0.001 from 4.6 ± 0.7 mmol/L (baseline to 4.3 ± 0.7 mmol/L (60 min. Conclusion: Administration of nebulized salbutamol during the emergency treatment of acute exacerbation of asthma is not associated with a statistical decrease in serum phosphate. There was significant hypokalemia. This study indicates that a further study is needed to elucidate the clinical significance of nebulized salbutamol on serum phosphate. Resumo: Objetivo: Levámos a cabo este estudo prospetivo para ampliar a informação disponível relativamente aos níveis de fosfato sérico no tratamento de asma aguda. Foi utilizado um agonista β-adrenérgico, salbutamol, para este efeito. Materiais e métodos: Foram incluídos 26 doentes que cumpriam os critérios de inclusão de: idade superior a 16 anos, história de asma, incluindo uma exacerbação aguda. A ureia do soro sanguíneo, creatinina e glucose estavam nos limites normais em todos os doentes. Nenhum dos doentes era

MinGenome: An In Silico Top-Down Approach for the Synthesis of Minimized Genomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lin; Maranas, Costas D

2018-02-16

Genome minimized strains offer advantages as production chassis by reducing transcriptional cost, eliminating competing functions and limiting unwanted regulatory interactions. Existing approaches for identifying stretches of DNA to remove are largely ad hoc based on information on presumably dispensable regions through experimentally determined nonessential genes and comparative genomics. Here we introduce a versatile genome reduction algorithm MinGenome that implements a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) algorithm to identify in size descending order all dispensable contiguous sequences without affecting the organism's growth or other desirable traits. Known essential genes or genes that cause significant fitness or performance loss can be flagged and their deletion can be prohibited. MinGenome also preserves needed transcription factors and promoter regions ensuring that retained genes will be properly transcribed while also avoiding the simultaneous deletion of synthetic lethal pairs. The potential benefit of removing even larger contiguous stretches of DNA if only one or two essential genes (to be reinserted elsewhere) are within the deleted sequence is explored. We applied the algorithm to design a minimized E. coli strain and found that we were able to recapitulate the long deletions identified in previous experimental studies and discover alternative combinations of deletions that have not yet been explored in vivo.

30 min of treadmill walking at self-selected speed does not increase gait variability in independent elderly.

Science.gov (United States)

Da Rocha, Emmanuel S; Kunzler, Marcos R; Bobbert, Maarten F; Duysens, Jacques; Carpes, Felipe P

2018-06-01

Walking is one of the preferred exercises among elderly, but could a prolonged walking increase gait variability, a risk factor for a fall in the elderly? Here we determine whether 30 min of treadmill walking increases coefficient of variation of gait in elderly. Because gait responses to exercise depend on fitness level, we included 15 sedentary and 15 active elderly. Sedentary participants preferred a lower gait speed and made smaller steps than the actives. Step length coefficient of variation decreased ~16.9% by the end of the exercise in both the groups. Stride length coefficient of variation decreased ~9% after 10 minutes of walking, and sedentary elderly showed a slightly larger step width coefficient of variation (~2%) at 10 min than active elderly. Active elderly showed higher walk ratio (step length/cadence) than sedentary in all times of walking, but the times did not differ in both the groups. In conclusion, treadmill gait kinematics differ between sedentary and active elderly, but changes over time are similar in sedentary and active elderly. As a practical implication, 30 min of walking might be a good strategy of exercise for elderly, independently of the fitness level, because it did not increase variability in step and stride kinematics, which is considered a risk of fall in this population.

CAIPIRINHA accelerated SPACE enables 10-min isotropic 3D TSE MRI of the ankle for optimized visualization of curved and oblique ligaments and tendons.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalia, Vivek; Fritz, Benjamin; Johnson, Rory; Gilson, Wesley D; Raithel, Esther; Fritz, Jan

2017-09-01

To test the hypothesis that a fourfold CAIPIRINHA accelerated, 10-min, high-resolution, isotropic 3D TSE MRI prototype protocol of the ankle derives equal or better quality than a 20-min 2D TSE standard protocol. Following internal review board approval and informed consent, 3-Tesla MRI of the ankle was obtained in 24 asymptomatic subjects including 10-min 3D CAIPIRINHA SPACE TSE prototype and 20-min 2D TSE standard protocols. Outcome variables included image quality and visibility of anatomical structures using 5-point Likert scales. Non-parametric statistical testing was used. P values ≤0.001 were considered significant. Edge sharpness, contrast resolution, uniformity, noise, fat suppression and magic angle effects were without statistical difference on 2D and 3D TSE images (p > 0.035). Fluid was mildly brighter on intermediate-weighted 2D images (p acceleration enables high-spatial resolution oblique and curved planar MRI of the ankle and visualization of ligaments, tendons and joints equally well or better than a more time-consuming anisotropic 2D TSE MRI. • High-resolution 3D TSE MRI improves visualization of ankle structures. • Limitations of current 3D TSE MRI include long scan times. • 3D CAIPIRINHA SPACE allows now a fourfold-accelerated data acquisition. • 3D CAIPIRINHA SPACE enables high-spatial-resolution ankle MRI within 10 min. • 10-min 3D CAIPIRINHA SPACE produces equal-or-better quality than 20-min 2D TSE.

Xanthomonas citri MinC Oscillates from Pole to Pole to Ensure Proper Cell Division and Shape

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Soibelmann Glock Lorenzoni, André; Dantas, Giordanni; Bergsma, Tessa; Ferreira, Henrique; Scheffers, Dirk

2017-01-01

Xanthomonas citri (Xac) is the causal agent of citrus canker, a disease that affects citrus crops and causes economic impact worldwide. To further characterize cell division in this plant pathogen, we investigated the role of the protein MinC in cell division, chromosome segregation, and

Photovoltaic Grid-Connected Modeling and Characterization Based on Experimental Results.

Science.gov (United States)

Humada, Ali M; Hojabri, Mojgan; Sulaiman, Mohd Herwan Bin; Hamada, Hussein M; Ahmed, Mushtaq N

2016-01-01

A grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system operates under fluctuated weather condition has been modeled and characterized based on specific test bed. A mathematical model of a small-scale PV system has been developed mainly for residential usage, and the potential results have been simulated. The proposed PV model based on three PV parameters, which are the photocurrent, IL, the reverse diode saturation current, Io, the ideality factor of diode, n. Accuracy of the proposed model and its parameters evaluated based on different benchmarks. The results showed that the proposed model fitting the experimental results with high accuracy compare to the other models, as well as the I-V characteristic curve. The results of this study can be considered valuable in terms of the installation of a grid-connected PV system in fluctuated climatic conditions.

Max-Min SINR in Large-Scale Single-Cell MU-MIMO: Asymptotic Analysis and Low Complexity Transceivers

KAUST Repository

Sifaou, Houssem

2016-12-28

This work focuses on the downlink and uplink of large-scale single-cell MU-MIMO systems in which the base station (BS) endowed with M antennas communicates with K single-antenna user equipments (UEs). Particularly, we aim at reducing the complexity of the linear precoder and receiver that maximize the minimum signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio subject to a given power constraint. To this end, we consider the asymptotic regime in which M and K grow large with a given ratio. Tools from random matrix theory (RMT) are then used to compute, in closed form, accurate approximations for the parameters of the optimal precoder and receiver, when imperfect channel state information (modeled by the generic Gauss-Markov formulation form) is available at the BS. The asymptotic analysis allows us to derive the asymptotically optimal linear precoder and receiver that are characterized by a lower complexity (due to the dependence on the large scale components of the channel) and, possibly, by a better resilience to imperfect channel state information. However, the implementation of both is still challenging as it requires fast inversions of large matrices in every coherence period. To overcome this issue, we apply the truncated polynomial expansion (TPE) technique to the precoding and receiving vector of each UE and make use of RMT to determine the optimal weighting coefficients on a per- UE basis that asymptotically solve the max-min SINR problem. Numerical results are used to validate the asymptotic analysis in the finite system regime and to show that the proposed TPE transceivers efficiently mimic the optimal ones, while requiring much lower computational complexity.

Time-driven activity-based costing: A dynamic value assessment model in pediatric appendicitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yangyang R; Abbas, Paulette I; Smith, Carolyn M; Carberry, Kathleen E; Ren, Hui; Patel, Binita; Nuchtern, Jed G; Lopez, Monica E

2017-06-01

Healthcare reform policies are emphasizing value-based healthcare delivery. We hypothesize that time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) can be used to appraise healthcare interventions in pediatric appendicitis. Triage-based standing delegation orders, surgical advanced practice providers, and a same-day discharge protocol were implemented to target deficiencies identified in our initial TDABC model. Post-intervention process maps for a hospital episode were created using electronic time stamp data for simple appendicitis cases during February to March 2016. Total personnel and consumable costs were determined using TDABC methodology. The post-intervention TDABC model featured 6 phases of care, 33 processes, and 19 personnel types. Our interventions reduced duration and costs in the emergency department (-41min, -$23) and pre-operative floor (-57min, -$18). While post-anesthesia care unit duration and costs increased (+224min, +$41), the same-day discharge protocol eliminated post-operative floor costs (-$306). Our model incorporating all three interventions reduced total direct costs by 11% ($2753.39 to $2447.68) and duration of hospitalization by 51% (1984min to 966min). Time-driven activity-based costing can dynamically model changes in our healthcare delivery as a result of process improvement interventions. It is an effective tool to continuously assess the impact of these interventions on the value of appendicitis care. II, Type of study: Economic Analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Controlling measurement-induced nonlocality in the Heisenberg XX model by three-spin interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Yu-Xia; Sun, Yu-Hang; Li, Zhao

2018-01-01

We investigate the well-defined measures of measurement-induced nonlocality (MIN) for thermal states of the transverse field XX model, with the addition of three-spin interaction terms being introduced. The results showed that the MINs are very sensitive to system parameters of the chain. The three-spin interactions can serve as flexible parameters for enhancing MINs of the boundary spins, and the maximum enhancement achievable by varying strengths of the three-spin interactions are different for the chain with different number of spins.

Fabrication of a cantilever-based microfluidic flow meter with nL min(-1) resolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Noeth, Nadine-Nicole; Keller, Stephan Sylvest; Boisen, Anja

2011-01-01

A microfluidic flow meter based on cantilever deflection is developed, showing a resolution down to 3 nL min(-1) for flows in the microliter range. The cantilevers are fabricated in SU-8 and have integrated holes with dimensions from 5 x 5 to20x 20 mu m(2). The holes make it possible to measure i......, hole-to-hole distance, amount of holes, etc) the sensitivity of the sensor can be changed....

A review of short naps and sleep inertia: do naps of 30 min or less really avoid sleep inertia and slow-wave sleep?

Science.gov (United States)

Hilditch, Cassie J; Dorrian, Jillian; Banks, Siobhan

2017-04-01

Napping is a widely used countermeasure to sleepiness and impaired performance caused by sleep loss and circadian pressure. Sleep inertia, the period of grogginess and impaired performance experienced after waking, is a potential side effect of napping. Many industry publications recommend naps of 30 min or less to avoid this side effect. However, the evidence to support this advice is yet to be thoroughly reviewed. Electronic databases were searched, and defined criteria were applied to select articles for review. The review covers literature on naps of 30 min or less regarding (a) sleep inertia, (b) slow-wave sleep (SWS) and (c) the relationship between sleep inertia and SWS. The review found that although the literature on short afternoon naps is relatively comprehensive, there are very few studies on naps of 30 min or less at night. Studies have mixed results regarding the onset of SWS and the duration and severity of sleep inertia following short naps, making guidelines regarding their use unclear. The varying results are likely due to differing sleep/wake profiles before the nap of interest and the time of the day at waking. The review highlights the need to have more detailed guidelines about the implementation of short naps according to the time of the day and prior sleep/wake history. Without this context, such a recommendation is potentially misleading. Further research is required to better understand the interactions between these factors, especially at night, and to provide more specific recommendations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Curcumin attenuates palmitate-induced apoptosis in MIN6 pancreatic β-cells through PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 and mitochondrial survival pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Feng; Kang, Jinsen; Cao, Yajun; Fan, Shengjun; Yang, Haopeng; An, Yu; Pan, Yan; Tie, Lu; Li, Xuejun

2015-11-01

Lipotoxicity plays a vital role in development and progression of type 2 diabetes. Prolonged elevation of free fatty acids especially the palmitate leads to pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a polyphenol from the curry spice turmeric, is considered to be a broadly cytoprotective agent. The present study was designed to determine the protective effect of curcumin on palmitate-induced apoptosis in β-cells and investigate underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that curcumin improved cell viability and enhanced glucose-induced insulin secretory function in MIN6 pancreatic β-cells. Palmitate incubation evoked chromatin condensation, DNA nick end labeling and activation of caspase-3 and -9. Curcumin treatment inhibited palmitate-induced apoptosis, relieved mitochondrial depolarization and up-regulated Bcl-2/Bax ratio. Palmitate induced the generation of reactive oxygen species and inhibited activities of antioxidant enzymes, which could be neutralized by curcumin treatment. Moreover, curcumin could promote rapid phosphorylation of Akt and nuclear exclusion of FoxO1 in MIN6 cells under lipotoxic condition. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Akt specific inhibitors abolished the anti-lipotoxic effect of curcumin and stimulated FoxO1 nuclear translocation. These findings suggested that curcumin protected MIN6 pancreatic β-Cells against apoptosis through activation of Akt, inhibition of nuclear translocation of FoxO1 and mitochondrial survival pathway.

[An experimental model of transgastric ooforectomy using a porcine model].

Science.gov (United States)

Tomulescu, V; Gheorghe, C; Piţigoi, D; Kosa, A; Ciocarlan, M; Pietrăreanu, D; Turcu, F; Copăescu, C; Droc, G; Popescu, H; Grigorescu, B; Stănciulea, O; Herlea, V; Popescu, I

2010-01-01

Transabdominal routes for surgery entail general anaesthesia with its inherent risks and complications (prolonged hospital stay, abdominal incisions that may be difficult in obese patients). Minimally invasive procedures require shorter hospitalization, have shorter recovery periods, less postoperative discomfort, and lower morbidity and complications. The purpose of this study was to use a porcine model to determine the feasibility and the safety of organ resection (oophorectomy and tubectomy). 10 Big White pigs between 25-30 kg underwent transgastric ooforectomy. The first 5 cases were performed in a hybrid procedure (laparoscopic-NOTES) in order to have a better control and supervise the maneuvers done by the mobile endoscope and to guide in the abdominal cavity. Adnexectomy was possible in all ten experiments. Full operative time (from starting endoscopy to complete gastrectomy closing) was 180 min to 270 min. The gastric defect closing was the most difficult manoever lasting from 10 min with OTSC clips to 100 using endoloops and clips. The animals have tolerated well the experiments and there have been no remarkable incidents during our 10 experments. In only one case a bleeding from gastotomy required electric coagulation. Transgastric ooforectomy in an experimental model is a procedure that requires advanced laparoscopical and endoscopical skills. Our early results are promissing. Its application in humans needs further confirmation of the method.

Photovoltaic Grid-Connected Modeling and Characterization Based on Experimental Results

Science.gov (United States)

Humada, Ali M.; Hojabri, Mojgan; Sulaiman, Mohd Herwan Bin; Hamada, Hussein M.; Ahmed, Mushtaq N.

2016-01-01

A grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system operates under fluctuated weather condition has been modeled and characterized based on specific test bed. A mathematical model of a small-scale PV system has been developed mainly for residential usage, and the potential results have been simulated. The proposed PV model based on three PV parameters, which are the photocurrent, IL, the reverse diode saturation current, Io, the ideality factor of diode, n. Accuracy of the proposed model and its parameters evaluated based on different benchmarks. The results showed that the proposed model fitting the experimental results with high accuracy compare to the other models, as well as the I-V characteristic curve. The results of this study can be considered valuable in terms of the installation of a grid-connected PV system in fluctuated climatic conditions. PMID:27035575

ak_sc_2min.new.grd

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — NGDC builds and distributes high-resolution, coastal digital elevation models (DEMs) that integrate ocean bathymetry and land topography to support NOAA's mission to...

Abnormal glomerular filtration rate in children, adolescents and young adults starts below 75 mL/min/1.73 m(2).

Science.gov (United States)

Pottel, Hans; Hoste, Liesbeth; Delanaye, Pierre

2015-05-01

The chronic kidney disease (CKD) classification system for children is similar to that for adults, with both mainly based on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) combined with fixed cut-off values. The main cut-off eGFR value used to define CKD is 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2), a value that is also applied for children older than 2 years of age, adolescents and young adults. Based on a literature search, we evaluated inclusion criteria for eGFR in clinical trials or research studies on CKD for children. We also collected information on direct measurements of GFR (mGFR) in children and adolescents, with the aim to estimate the normal reference range for GFR. Using serum creatinine (Scr) normal reference values and Scr-based eGFR-equations, we also evaluated the correspondence between Scr normal reference values and (e)GFR normal reference values. Based on our literature search, the inclusion of children in published CKD studies has been based on cut-off values for eGFR of >60 mL/min/1.73 m(2). The lower reference limits for mGFR far exceed this adult threshold. Using eGFR values calculated using Scr-based formulas, we found that abnormal Scr levels in children already correspond to eGFR values that are below a cut-off of 75 mL/min/1.73 m(2). Abnormal GFR in children, adolescents and young adults starts below 75 mL/min/1.73 m(2), and as abnormality is a sign of disease, we recommend referring children, adolescents and young adults with an (e)GFR of <75 mL/min/1.73 m(2) for further clinical assessment.

The EURAD model: Design and first results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

The contributions are abridged versions of lectures delivered on the occasion of the presentation meeting of the EURAD project on the 20th and 21st of February 1989 in Cologne. EURAD stands for European Acid Deposition Model. The project takes one of the possible and necessary ways to search for scientific answers to the questions which the modifications of the atmosphere caused by anthropogenic influence raise. One of the objectives is to develop a realistic numeric model of long-distance transport of harmful substances in the troposphere over Europe and to use this model for the investigation of pollutant distribution but also for the support of their experimental study. The EURAD Model consists of two parts: a meteorologic mesoscale model and a chemical transport model. In the first part of the presentation, these parts are introduced and questions concerning the implementation of the entire model on the computer system CRAY X-MP/22 discussed. Afterwards it is reported upon the results of the test calculations for the cases 'Chernobyl' and 'Alpex'. Thereafter selected problems concerning the treatments of meteorological and air-chemistry processes as well as the parametrization of subscale processes within the model are discussed. The conclusion is made by two lectures upon emission evaluations and emission scenarios. (orig./KW) [de

The physical model of a terraced plot: first results

Science.gov (United States)

Perlotto, Chiara; D'Agostino, Vincenzo; Buzzanca, Giacomo

2017-04-01

Terrace building have been expanded in the 19th century because of the increased demographic pressure and the need to crop additional areas at steeper slopes. Terraces are also important to regulate the hydrological behavior of the hillslope. Few studies are available in literature on rainfall-runoff processes and flood risk mitigation in terraced areas. Bench terraces, reducing the terrain slope and the length of the overland flow, quantitatively control the runoff flow velocity, facilitating the drainage and thus leading to a reduction of soil erosion. The study of the hydrologic-hydraulic function of terraced slopes is essential in order to evaluate their possible use to cooperate for flood-risk mitigation also preserving the landscape value. This research aims to better focus the times of the hydrological response, which are determined by a hillslope plot bounded by a dry-stone wall, considering both the overland flow and the groundwater. A physical model, characterized by a quasi-real scale, has been built to reproduce the behavior of a 3% outward sloped terrace at bare soil condition. The model consists of a steel metal box (1 m large, 3.3 m long, 2 m high) containing the hillslope terrain. The terrain is equipped with two piezometers, 9 TDR sensors measuring the volumetric water content, a surface spillway at the head releasing the steady discharge under test, a scale at the wall base to measure the outflowing discharge. The experiments deal with different initial moisture condition (non-saturated and saturated), and discharges of 19.5, 12.0 and 5.0 l/min. Each experiment has been replicated, conducting a total number of 12 tests. The volumetric water content analysis produced by the 9 TDR sensors was able to provide a quite satisfactory representation of the soil moisture during the runs. Then, different lag times at the outlet since the inflow initiation were measured both for runoff and groundwater. Moreover, the time of depletion and the piezometer

Review of Current Standard Model Results in ATLAS

CERN Document Server

Brandt, Gerhard; The ATLAS collaboration

2018-01-01

This talk highlights results selected from the Standard Model research programme of the ATLAS Collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider. Results using data from $p-p$ collisions at $\\sqrt{s}=7,8$~TeV in LHC Run-1 as well as results using data at $\\sqrt{s}=13$~TeV in LHC Run-2 are covered. The status of cross section measurements from soft QCD processes and jet production as well as photon production are presented. The presentation extends to vector boson production with associated jets. Precision measurements of the production of $W$ and $Z$ bosons, including a first measurement of the mass of the $W$ bosons, $m_W$, are discussed. The programme to measure electroweak processes with di-boson and tri-boson final states is outlined. All presented measurements are compatible with Standard Model descriptions and allow to further constrain it. In addition they allow to probe new physics which would manifest through extra gauge couplings, or Standard Model gauge couplings deviating from their predicted value.

The 6-min mastication test: a unique test to assess endurance of continuous chewing, normal values, reliability, reproducibility and usability in patients with mitochondrial disease.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Engel-Hoek, L; Knuijt, S; van Gerven, M H J C; Lagarde, M L J; Groothuis, J T; de Groot, I J M; Janssen, M C H

2017-03-01

In patients with mitochondrial disease, fatigue and muscle problems are the most common complaints. They also experience these complaints during mastication. To measure endurance of continuous mastication in patients with mitochondrial diseases, the 6-min mastication test (6MMT) was developed. This study included the collection of normal data for the 6MMT in a healthy population (children and adults). During 6 min of continuous mastication on a chew tube chewing cycles per minute, total amount of chewing cycles and the difference between minute 1 (M 1 ) and minute 6 (M 2 ) were collected in 271 healthy participants (5-80 years old). These results were compared with those of nine paediatric and 25 adult patients with a mitochondrial disease. Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were collected directly after the test and after 5 min. A qualitative rating was made on masticatory movements. The reproducibility of the 6MMT in the healthy population with an interval of approximately 2 weeks was good. The inter-rater reliability for the observations was excellent. The patient group demonstrated lower total amount of chewing cycles or had greater differences between M 1 and M 6 . The 6MMT is a reliable and objective test to assess endurance of continuous chewing. It demonstrates the ability of healthy children and adults to chew during 6 min with a highly stable frequency of mastication movements. The test may give an explanation for the masticatory problems in patient groups, who are complaining of pain and fatigue during mastication. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Flow patterns from metallic vascular endoprostheses: in vitro results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller-Huelsbeck, S.; Grimm, J.; Jahnke, T.; Haeselbarth, G.; Heller, M. [Dept. of Radiology, University Hospital, Kiel (Germany)

2001-05-01

The aim of this study was to determine flow characteristics and pressure gradients of different balloon- and self-expandable stents in an in vitro flow-model. Seven vascular stents (Bridge, Cragg, Memotherm, Palmaz PS 784, Sinus, Symphony, Wallstent), equal in length (60 mm) and diameter (10 mm), were deployed in a closed flow model. The inner diameter of the tube measured 9 mm. Flow at 1.5 and 6 l/min was applied. Flow patterns were visualized by anionic particles illuminated with two helium-neon lasers. Late laminary flow characteristics and pre- /post-stent pressure gradients were determined in either expanded stent, 25 and 50 % tube stenosis. Stent implantation induced a decrease of laminary flow when compared with an unstented tube with and without concentric 25 % stenosis (p < 0.01) at all flow rates and an increase of pressure gradients when compared with an unstented tube for a flow rate of 6 l/min and all stenoses (p < 0.01). At 1.5 l/min most stents revealed no significant change of pressure gradient, the highest gradient measured 4.0 mmHg. Sinus permitted maximum (expanded: 82.1 % and 76.9 % at 25 % stenosis at 1.5 l/min; p < 0.01) and Palmaz minimum of laminary flow at all flow rates and stenoses (70.2 and 52.4 % at 25 % stenosis at 1.5 l/min; p < 0.01). At 6 l/min, when completely expanded, Sinus is equal to Bridge and Memotherm; in 25 % stenosis Sinus is equal to Bridge, Memotherm, and additionally to Cragg and Wall. None of the endoprostheses revealed laminary flow at 50 % stenosis. Inadequate stent deployment bears the risk of creating less laminary flow and pressure gradients. Since flow disturbances and pressure gradients may influence neointimal hyperplasia, stent design and completeness of stent expansion are important factors regarding the appearance of thrombus formation and postinterventional restenosis. (orig.)

Radioactive Indium({sup 114m}In) complexes derived thiosemicarbazones for development of glioma radionuclide therapy tools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ribeiro, Thais S.; Menezes, Maria Ângela B.C.; Belo, Luiz Cláudio M.; Santos, Raquel G. dos, E-mail: thaissribeiro01@gmail.com, E-mail: lcmb@cdtn.br, E-mail: menezes@cdtn.br, E-mail: gouvears@gmail.com [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Franco, Lucas L.; Oliveira, Alexandre A.; Beraldo, Heloisa O., E-mail: lucas_lopardi@yahoo.com.br, E-mail: a13xandr31@hotmail.com, E-mail: heloisaberaldoufmg@gmail.com [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Departamento de Química

2017-07-01

Chemotherapy is widely used as the main course of treatment for various types of cancer. However, the side effects derived from the prolonged use of highly cytotoxic drugs in association with chemotherapy induced resistance are important challenges for effective therapy. In this context, radionuclide therapy (RNT) can be an alternative way to decrease the toxicity and improve the specificity of anti tumoral drugs. Our group has recently demonstrated that Indium (III) coordination to N(4)-Tolyl-2-acetylpyridine-derived thiosemicarbazones improves cytotoxic effects on leukemia cell lines. Once {sup 114m}In is a prolific Auger electron emitter, in this study In (III) complexes and their radioactive analogs were produced by neutron activation and their potential for RNT was further studied. Native and radioactive complexes were tested in different concentrations in U87 and T98 glioblastoma multiform (GBM) cell lines, as well as in MRC5 fibroblast cell line. All drugs presented a dose dependent cytotoxicity against cancer cells at submicromolar concentrations. The treatment with 1 μM of the radioactive analogs containing {sup 114m}In proved to be at least 1.5 times more potent than non-radioactive complexes in GBM cell lines. Due to the innate resistance of glioblastomas to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the potentiation factor showed by the test radioactive complexes may be interesting in the course of treatment against these tumors. Therefore, the presented data suggests a synergistic effect of the radionuclide therapy conducted in this study, which might be due to the combinations of pharmacological and radiotherapeutic activities of the {sup 114m}In - thiosemicarbazone compounds. (author)

A Comparison and Integration of MiSeq and MinION Platforms for Sequencing Single Source and Mixed Mitochondrial Genomes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael R Lindberg

Full Text Available Single source and multiple donor (mixed samples of human mitochondrial DNA were analyzed and compared using the MinION and the MiSeq platforms. A generalized variant detection strategy was employed to provide a cursory framework for evaluating the reliability and accuracy of mitochondrial sequences produced by the MinION. The feasibility of long-read phasing was investigated to establish its efficacy in quantitatively distinguishing and deconvolving individuals in a mixture. Finally, a proof-of-concept was demonstrated by integrating both platforms in a hybrid assembly that leverages solely mixture data to accurately reconstruct full mitochondrial genomes.

Effect of maternal and post weaning folate supply on gene-specific DNA methylation in the small intestine of weaning and adult Apc+/Min and wild type mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jill Ann Mckay

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Increasing evidence supports the developmental origins of adult health and disease hypothesis which argues for a causal relationship between adverse early life nutrition and increased disease risk in adulthood. Modulation of epigenetic marks, e.g. DNA methylation and consequential altered gene expression, has been proposed as a mechanism mediating these effects. Via its role as a methyl donor, dietary folate supply may influence DNA methylation. As aberrant methylation is an early event in colorectal cancer (CRC pathogenesis, we hypothesised low maternal and/or post-weaning folate intake may influence methylation of genes involved in CRC development. We investigated the effects of maternal folate depletion during pregnancy and lactation on selected gene methylation in the small intestine (SI of wild type (WT and Apc+/Min mice at weaning and as adults. We also investigated the effects of folate depletion post-weaning on gene methylation in adult mice. Female C57Bl6/J mice were fed low or normal folate diets from mating with Apc+/Min males to the end of lactation. A sub set of offspring were killed at weaning. Remaining offspring were weaned on to low or normal folate diets, resulting in 4 treatment groups of Apc+/Min and WT mice. p53 was more methylated in weaning and adult WT compared with Apc+/Min mice (p>0.001. Igf2 and Apc were hypermethylated in adult Apc+/Mi n compared with WT mice (p=0.004 & p=0.012 respectively. Low maternal folate reduced p53 methylation in adults (p=0.04. Low post-weaning folate increased Apc methylation in Apc+/Min mice only (p=0.008 for interaction. These observations demonstrate that folate depletion in early life can alter epigenetic marks in a gene specific manner. Also, the differential effects of altered folate supply on DNA methylation in WT and Apc+/Min mice suggest that genotype may modulate epigenetic responses to environmental cues and may have implications for the development of personalised nutrition.

Agent-Based Computational Modeling of Cell Culture ...

Science.gov (United States)

Quantitative characterization of cellular dose in vitro is needed for alignment of doses in vitro and in vivo. We used the agent-based software, CompuCell3D (CC3D), to provide a stochastic description of cell growth in culture. The model was configured so that isolated cells assumed a “fried egg shape” but became increasingly cuboidal with increasing confluency. The surface area presented by each cell to the overlying medium varies from cell-to-cell and is a determinant of diffusional flux of toxicant from the medium into the cell. Thus, dose varies among cells for a given concentration of toxicant in the medium. Computer code describing diffusion of H2O2 from medium into each cell and clearance of H2O2 was calibrated against H2O2 time-course data (25, 50, or 75 uM H2O2 for 60 min) obtained with the Amplex Red assay for the medium and the H2O2-sensitive fluorescent reporter, HyPer, for cytosol. Cellular H2O2 concentrations peaked at about 5 min and were near baseline by 10 min. The model predicted a skewed distribution of surface areas, with between cell variation usually 2 fold or less. Predicted variability in cellular dose was in rough agreement with the variation in the HyPer data. These results are preliminary, as the model was not calibrated to the morphology of a specific cell type. Future work will involve morphology model calibration against human bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cells. Our results show, however, the potential of agent-based modeling

Analysing the strength of friction stir welded dissimilar aluminium alloys using Sugeno Fuzzy model

Science.gov (United States)

Barath, V. R.; Vaira Vignesh, R.; Padmanaban, R.

2018-02-01

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a promising solid state joining technique for aluminium alloys. In this study, FSW trials were conducted on two dissimilar plates of aluminium alloy AA2024 and AA7075 by varying the tool rotation speed (TRS) and welding speed (WS). Tensile strength (TS) of the joints were measured and a Sugeno - Fuzzy model was developed to interconnect the FSW process parameters with the tensile strength. From the developed model, it was observed that the optimum heat generation at WS of 15 mm.min-1 and TRS of 1050 rpm resulted in dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallization of the material. This refined the grains in the FSW zone and resulted in peak tensile strength among the tested specimens. Crest parabolic trend was observed in tensile strength with variation of TRS from 900 rpm to 1200 rpm and TTS from 10 mm.min-1 to 20 mm.min-1.

Functional results-oriented healthcare leadership: a novel leadership model.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Touby, Salem Said

2012-03-01

This article modifies the traditional functional leadership model to accommodate contemporary needs in healthcare leadership based on two findings. First, the article argues that it is important that the ideal healthcare leadership emphasizes the outcomes of the patient care more than processes and structures used to deliver such care; and secondly, that the leadership must strive to attain effectiveness of their care provision and not merely targeting the attractive option of efficient operations. Based on these premises, the paper reviews the traditional Functional Leadership Model and the three elements that define the type of leadership an organization has namely, the tasks, the individuals, and the team. The article argues that concentrating on any one of these elements is not ideal and proposes adding a new element to the model to construct a novel Functional Result-Oriented healthcare leadership model. The recommended Functional-Results Oriented leadership model embosses the results element on top of the other three elements so that every effort on healthcare leadership is directed towards attaining excellent patient outcomes.

Value of the distant future: Model-independent results

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, Yuri A.

2017-01-01

This paper shows that the model-independent account of correlations in an interest rate process or a log-consumption growth process leads to declining long-term tails of discount curves. Under the assumption of an exponentially decaying memory in fluctuations of risk-free real interest rates, I derive the analytical expression for an apt value of the long run discount factor and provide a detailed comparison of the obtained result with the outcome of the benchmark risk-free interest rate models. Utilizing the standard consumption-based model with an isoelastic power utility of the representative economic agent, I derive the non-Markovian generalization of the Ramsey discounting formula. Obtained analytical results allowing simple calibration, may augment the rigorous cost-benefit and regulatory impact analysis of long-term environmental and infrastructure projects.

Detection of solar radio brightness oscillations with 160.01-min period from direct measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Efanov, V.A.; Moiseev, I.G.; Nesterov, N.S.

1983-01-01

It is shown that direct measurements of the quiet Sun brightness at 8.2 and 13.5 mm wavelengths corrected for extinction in the Earth atmosphere by means of the Bouguer law reveal the 160.01-min periodic component. The relative amplitudes of variations are of approximately 6x10 -4 at the shorter wavelength and of 10 -3 at the longer one. The brightness maximum coincides with the phase of the maximal radius of the photosphere as derived from the optical data

Evaluation of the 115In(n,n)/sup 115m/In reaction for the ENDF/B-V dosimetry file

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, D.L.

1976-12-01

An evaluation of the 115 In(n,n')/sup 115m/In reaction for the ENDF/B-V Dosimetry File is presented. This evaluation is based entirely on reported experimental differential data. Several data sets were renormalized prior to the evaluation in order to take into account recent adjustments in corresponding standard cross sections and in other nuclear parameters used for derivation of cross sections. The present evaluation is compared with the corresponding ENDF/B-IV evaluation. The value of the spectrum-average cross section for the standard neutron field resulting from thermal-neutron fission of 235 U has been computed for this reaction using cross section values from the present evaluation. This computed cross section compares favorably with the result of a recent evaluation of integral data

Results from the IAEA benchmark of spallation models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leray, S.; David, J.C.; Khandaker, M.; Mank, G.; Mengoni, A.; Otsuka, N.; Filges, D.; Gallmeier, F.; Konobeyev, A.; Michel, R.

2011-01-01

Spallation reactions play an important role in a wide domain of applications. In the simulation codes used in this field, the nuclear interaction cross-sections and characteristics are computed by spallation models. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has recently organised a benchmark of the spallation models used or that could be used in the future into high-energy transport codes. The objectives were, first, to assess the prediction capabilities of the different spallation models for the different mass and energy regions and the different exit channels and, second, to understand the reason for the success or deficiency of the models. Results of the benchmark concerning both the analysis of the prediction capabilities of the models and the first conclusions on the physics of spallation models are presented. (authors)

Disposition of smoked cannabis with high {Delta}{sup 9}-tetrahydrocannabinol content: A kinetic model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hunault, Claudine C., E-mail: claudine.hunault@rivm.n [National Poisons Information Center, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Eijkeren, Jan C.H. van [Expertise Center for Methodology and Information Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Mensinga, Tjeert T [National Poisons Information Center, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Clinic for treatment of drug addiction in Northern, Vondellaan 71-73, 9721 LB, Groningen (Netherlands); Vries, Irma de [National Poisons Information Center, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Leenders, Marianne E.C. [National Poisons Information Center, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Division of Perioperative and Emergency Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX (Netherlands); Meulenbelt, Jan [National Poisons Information Center, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Division Intensive Care Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX, Utrecht (Netherlands); Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht (Netherlands)

2010-08-01

Introduction: No model exists to describe the disposition and kinetics of inhaled cannabis containing a high THC dose. We aimed to develop a kinetic model providing estimates of the THC serum concentrations after smoking cannabis cigarettes containing high THC doses (up to 69 mg THC). Methods: Twenty-four male non-daily cannabis users smoked cannabis cigarettes containing 29.3 mg, 49.1 mg, and 69.4 mg THC. Blood samples were collected over a period of 0-8 h and serum THC concentrations were measured. A two-compartment open model was fitted on the individual observed data. Results: Large inter-individual variability was observed in the pharmacokinetic parameters. The median pharmacokinetic parameters generated by the model were C{sub max} = 175 ng/mL, T{sub max} = 14 min, and AUC{sub 0-8h} = 8150 ng x min/mL for the 69.4 mg THC dose. Median model results show an almost linear dose response relation for C{sub max}/Dose = 2.8 x 10{sup -6}/mL and AUC{sub 0-8h}/Dose = 136 x 10{sup -6} min/mL. However, for increasing dose level, there was a clear decreasing trend: C{sub max}/Dose = 3.4, 2.6 and 2.5 x 10{sup -6}/mL and AUC{sub 0-8h}/Dose = 157, 133 and 117 x 10{sup -6} min/mL for the 29.3, 49.1 and 69.4 mg dose, respectively. Within the restriction of 8 h of observation, the apparent terminal half life of THC was 150 min. Conclusion: The model offers insight into the pharmacokinetics of THC in recreational cannabis users smoking cannabis containing high doses of THC mixed with tobacco. The model is an objective method for providing serum THC concentrations up to 8 h after smoking cannabis with a high THC content (up to 23%).

Investigation of acrylamide formation on bakery products using a crust-like model.

Science.gov (United States)

Açar, Ozge C; Gökmen, Vural

2009-12-01

Baking is a complex process where a temperature gradient occurs within the product as a result of simultaneous heat and mass transfers. This behaviour makes the physical parameters (baking temperature and product dimensions) as effective as the chemical parameters on the rate of acrylamide formation in bakery foods. In this study, the change of temperature in different locations of the sample was shown as influenced by the product thickness. The temperature values were close to each other in the sample having thickness of 1 mm (crust model). The product temperature rapidly increased to the oven temperature. A temperature gradient was recorded in the sample having a thickness of 10 mm. As a result, the product temperature did not exceed 100 degrees C within a baking time of 30 min. The product thickness significantly influenced the rate of acrylamide formation during baking. Acrylamide concentration rapidly increased to 411+/-49 ng/g within 8 min in the crust model sample. However, no acrylamide was detected in the thicker sample within 15 min under the same conditions, because the moisture content was still above 10%. The crust model was considered useful to test the effectiveness of different mitigation strategies in bakery foods.

Effects of different centrifugation conditions on clinical chemistry and Immunology test results.

Science.gov (United States)

Minder, Elisabeth I; Schibli, Adrian; Mahrer, Dagmar; Nesic, Predrag; Plüer, Kathrin

2011-05-10

The effect of centrifugation time of heparinized blood samples on clinical chemistry and immunology results has rarely been studied. WHO guideline proposed a 15 min centrifugation time without citing any scientific publications. The centrifugation time has a considerable impact on the turn-around-time. We investigated 74 parameters in samples from 44 patients on a Roche Cobas 6000 system, to see whether there was a statistical significant difference in the test results among specimens centrifuged at 2180 g for 15 min, at 2180 g for 10 min or at 1870 g for 7 min, respectively. Two tubes with different plasma separators (both Greiner Bio-One) were used for each centrifugation condition. Statistical comparisons were made by Deming fit. Tubes with different separators showed identical results in all parameters. Likewise, excellent correlations were found among tubes to which different centrifugation conditions were applied. Fifty percent of the slopes lay between 0.99 and 1.01. Only 3.6 percent of the statistical tests results fell outside the significance level of p < 0.05, which was less than the expected 5%. This suggests that the outliers are the result of random variation and the large number of statistical tests performed. Further, we found that our data are sufficient not to miss a biased test (beta error) with a probability of 0.10 to 0.05 in most parameters. A centrifugation time of either 7 or 10 min provided identical test results compared to the time of 15 min as proposed by WHO under the conditions used in our study.

Numerical proceessing of radioimmunoassay results using logit-log transformation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Textoris, R.

1983-01-01

The mathematical model and algorithm are described of the numerical processing of the results of a radioimmunoassay by the logit-log transformation method and by linear regression with weight factors. The limiting value of the curve for zero concentration is optimized with regard to the residual sum by the iterative method by multiple repeats of the linear regression. Typical examples are presented of the approximation of calibration curves. The method proved suitable for all hitherto used RIA sets and is well suited for small computers with internal memory of min. 8 Kbyte. (author)

FUNPACK-2, Subroutine Library, Bessel Function, Elliptical Integrals, Min-max Approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cody, W.J.; Garbow, Burton S.

1975-01-01

1 - Description of problem or function: FUNPACK is a collection of FORTRAN subroutines to evaluate certain special functions. The individual subroutines are (Identification/Description): NATSI0 F2I0 Bessel function I 0 ; NATSI1 F2I1 Bessel function I 1 ; NATSJ0 F2J0 Bessel function J 0 ; NATSJ1 F2J1 Bessel function J 1 ; NATSK0 F2K0 Bessel function K 0 ; NATSK1 F2K1 Bessel function K 1 ; NATSBESY F2BY Bessel function Y ν ; DAW F1DW Dawson's integral; DELIPK F1EK Complete elliptic integral of the first kind; DELIPE F1EE Complete elliptic integral of the second kind; DEI F1EI Exponential integrals; NATSPSI F2PS Psi (logarithmic derivative of gamma function); MONERR F1MO Error monitoring package . 2 - Method of solution: FUNPACK uses evaluation of min-max approximations

MODIS/Aqua Clear Radiance Statistics Indexed to Global Grid 5-Min L2 Swath 10km V006

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The MODIS/Aqua Clear Radiance Statistics Indexed to Global Grid 5-Min L2 Swath 10km (MYDCSR_G) provides a variety of statistical measures that characterize observed...

Optimising resolution for a preparative separation of Chinese herbal medicine using a surrogate model sample system.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Haoyu; Ignatova, Svetlana; Peng, Aihua; Chen, Lijuan; Sutherland, Ian

2009-06-26

This paper builds on previous modelling research with short single layer columns to develop rapid methods for optimising high-performance counter-current chromatography at constant stationary phase retention. Benzyl alcohol and p-cresol are used as model compounds to rapidly optimise first flow and then rotational speed operating conditions at a preparative scale with long columns for a given phase system using a Dynamic Extractions Midi-DE centrifuge. The transfer to a high value extract such as the crude ethanol extract of Chinese herbal medicine Millettia pachycarpa Benth. is then demonstrated and validated using the same phase system. The results show that constant stationary phase modelling of flow and speed with long multilayer columns works well as a cheap, quick and effective method of optimising operating conditions for the chosen phase system-hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-water (1:0.8:1:0.6, v/v). Optimum conditions for resolution were a flow of 20 ml/min and speed of 1200 rpm, but for throughput were 80 ml/min at the same speed. The results show that 80 ml/min gave the best throughputs for tephrosin (518 mg/h), pyranoisoflavone (47.2 mg/h) and dehydrodeguelin (10.4 mg/h), whereas for deguelin (100.5 mg/h), the best flow rate was 40 ml/min.

Fate of inorganic contaminants post treatment of acid mine drainage by cryptocrystalline magnesite: Complimenting experimental results with a geochemical model

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Masindi, V

2016-03-01

Full Text Available at an optimum solid: liquid ratio of 1:100 and contact time of 60 min led to an increase in pH, reaching a maximum pH of 10, resulting in significant precipitation of most metal species. Increase of pH in solution with contact time caused the removal...

Deriving user-informed climate information from climate model ensemble results

Science.gov (United States)

Huebener, Heike; Hoffmann, Peter; Keuler, Klaus; Pfeifer, Susanne; Ramthun, Hans; Spekat, Arne; Steger, Christian; Warrach-Sagi, Kirsten

2017-07-01

Communication between providers and users of climate model simulation results still needs to be improved. In the German regional climate modeling project ReKliEs-De a midterm user workshop was conducted to allow the intended users of the project results to assess the preliminary results and to streamline the final project results to their needs. The user feedback highlighted, in particular, the still considerable gap between climate research output and user-tailored input for climate impact research. Two major requests from the user community addressed the selection of sub-ensembles and some condensed, easy to understand information on the strengths and weaknesses of the climate models involved in the project.

Reagent' sets for the concentration of sup(99m)Tc and sup(113m)In

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bianco de Salas, G.N.; Arciprete, J.; Mitta, A.E.A.

1976-10-01

A simple technique for the concentration of the eluates from 99 Mo/sup(99m)Tc and 113 Sn/sup(113m)In generators is described. The reagents' sets provided by the C.N.E.A. for the labelling of different radiopharmaceuticals can be used by only reducing their volumes proportionally. Both concentration techniques for Tc-99m and In-113m will be supplied to users as reagents' sets. (author) [es

Les consommations d'énergie dans l'industrie minérale (résumé Energy Consumption in the Mineral Industry (Summary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gentilhomme P. H.

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Dans le cadre limité de cette présentation, il était préférable de placer l'accent, non sur les évaluations du coût énergétique des diverses substances minérales, mais plutôt sur les paramètres de ces coûts, leur évolution récente et leur devenir dans une prospective à moyen terme, questions susceptibles d'alimenter ensuite les discussions. Après un bref rappel méthodologique, seront successivement examinés : - d'un point de vue global, la consommation d'énergie de l'industrie minérale, sa répartition et son évolution par formes d'énergie mises en oeuvre ; - d'un point de vue analytique, la nature des facteurs qui régissent les coûts énergétiques miniers, minéralurgiques et métallurgiques, les tendances récentes constatées et leurs implications pour l'avenir ; - d'un point de vue prospectif, enfin, quelques-uns des remèdes - ou palliatifs ? - à l'élévation des coûts énergétiques des substances minérales. Within the required time for the presentation of this paper, it was more advisable to emphasize, not the sizing up of the energy cost of mineral raw materials and products, but rather the parameters of thes costs, and their evolution, actual and in a medium-term prospective, questions of eventual interest for the discussions. After a short recall of methodology, we have to examine successively: - on a global standpoint, the energy consumption of the mineral industry, the breakdown of this consumption by forms of energy used, and its evolution; - on an analytical standpoint, the main factors which direct the energy requirements in mining, beneficiating and smeltinq operations, the trends that are observed and their results for the future; - on a prospective standpoint, at last, what are the possibilities to cut off - or palliate? - the increase of the mineral commodities energy costs.

Applications of a saving method with max-min ant system to a vehicle routing problem with time windows and speed limits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suphan Sodsoon

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims to solve a Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows and Speed Limits (VRPTWSL, which has received considerable attention in recent years. The vehicle routing problem with time windows is an extension of the well-known Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP and involves a fleet of vehicles set of from a depot to serve a number of customers at different geographic locations with various demands within specific time and speed limits before returning to the depot eventually. To solve the problem, an efficient Saving Method-Max Min Ant System (Saving-MMAS with Local Search algorithm is applied. Using minimization of the total transportation costs as the objective of the extension VRPTWSL, a mathematic model is constructed. Finally, the Saving-MMAS algorithms indicated the good quality of the method in this problem.

Temperature, salinity, sigma_t, pressure measurement collected using CTD from an unknown platform in the Min Fang Bay from 1984 to 1985 (NODC Accession 0048830)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Southern Ocean data - Min Fang Bay , temperature and salinity measurements collected using CTD from unknown platform in the Min Fang Bay from 1984 to 1985

Análise das velocidades: referencial de 4mM, de equilíbrio de 30 min e velocidade crítica em nadadoras adolescentes Velocities analysis: 4 mM reference, 30 min steady-state and critical velocity in female adolescent swimmers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emilson Colantonio

2007-12-01

velocity determined in the 30 min test (VMT30 in female adolescent swimmers. METHODS: Twenty female swimmers (14.36 ± 1.22 years old; 52.75 ± 5.32 kg ; 159.97 ± 11.26 cm; % body fat 22.5 ± 4.73,with city and state level with at least two years of sistematic training participated in this study. Performed tests: 30 min test (MVT30, two-distance test (V4-2, four-distance test (V4-4 and critical velocity (CV. Statistical analysis: the procedure adopted to compare all methodologies, two by two, was the single regression analysis technique. RESULTS: The mean velocities were: T30: 1.12 ± 0.06 m/s; V4-2: 1.14 ± 0.12 m/s; V4-4: 1.12 ± 0.06 m/s and CV mean = 1.14 ± 0.07 m/s. Single regression analysis between metodologies, two by two: V4-4 and V4-2 (r = 0.324; CVand V4-2 (r = 0,058; MVT30 and V4-2 (r = 0.595; CV and V4-4 (r = 0.807; MVT30 and V4-4 (r = 0,796 and MVT30 and CV (r = 0,77. The adjusted regression lines presented in relation to the bisectrix the values of p = 0.3060; 0.1716 and 0.0058. CONCLUSIONS: The VMT30 determination is a good instrument for training prescription for the female adolescent swimmers studied, unlike the V4-2 model. The 4mM [La] with four points and lactate threshold calculation using random effects technique was useful for the AT determination in female adolescent swimmers, when compared to the MVT30; the CV and V4-4 presented a good correlation as well as the CV and MVT30.

Verification of aseismic design model by using experimental results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizuno, N.; Sugiyama, N.; Suzuki, T.; Shibata, Y.; Miura, K.; Miyagawa, N.

1985-01-01

A lattice model is applied as an analysis model for an aseismic design of the Hamaoka nuclear reactor building. With object to verify an availability of this design model, two reinforced concrete blocks are constructed on the ground and the forced vibration tests are carried out. The test results are well followed by simulation analysis using the lattice model. Damping value of the ground obtained from the test is more conservative than the design value. (orig.)

First results from the International Urban Energy Balance Model Comparison: Model Complexity

Science.gov (United States)

Blackett, M.; Grimmond, S.; Best, M.

2009-04-01

A great variety of urban energy balance models has been developed. These vary in complexity from simple schemes that represent the city as a slab, through those which model various facets (i.e. road, walls and roof) to more complex urban forms (including street canyons with intersections) and features (such as vegetation cover and anthropogenic heat fluxes). Some schemes also incorporate detailed representations of momentum and energy fluxes distributed throughout various layers of the urban canopy layer. The models each differ in the parameters they require to describe the site and the in demands they make on computational processing power. Many of these models have been evaluated using observational datasets but to date, no controlled comparisons have been conducted. Urban surface energy balance models provide a means to predict the energy exchange processes which influence factors such as urban temperature, humidity, atmospheric stability and winds. These all need to be modelled accurately to capture features such as the urban heat island effect and to provide key information for dispersion and air quality modelling. A comparison of the various models available will assist in improving current and future models and will assist in formulating research priorities for future observational campaigns within urban areas. In this presentation we will summarise the initial results of this international urban energy balance model comparison. In particular, the relative performance of the models involved will be compared based on their degree of complexity. These results will inform us on ways in which we can improve the modelling of air quality within, and climate impacts of, global megacities. The methodology employed in conducting this comparison followed that used in PILPS (the Project for Intercomparison of Land-Surface Parameterization Schemes) which is also endorsed by the GEWEX Global Land Atmosphere System Study (GLASS) panel. In all cases, models were run

The effect of bathymetric filtering on nearshore process model results

Science.gov (United States)

Plant, N.G.; Edwards, K.L.; Kaihatu, J.M.; Veeramony, J.; Hsu, L.; Holland, K.T.

2009-01-01

Nearshore wave and flow model results are shown to exhibit a strong sensitivity to the resolution of the input bathymetry. In this analysis, bathymetric resolution was varied by applying smoothing filters to high-resolution survey data to produce a number of bathymetric grid surfaces. We demonstrate that the sensitivity of model-predicted wave height and flow to variations in bathymetric resolution had different characteristics. Wave height predictions were most sensitive to resolution of cross-shore variability associated with the structure of nearshore sandbars. Flow predictions were most sensitive to the resolution of intermediate scale alongshore variability associated with the prominent sandbar rhythmicity. Flow sensitivity increased in cases where a sandbar was closer to shore and shallower. Perhaps the most surprising implication of these results is that the interpolation and smoothing of bathymetric data could be optimized differently for the wave and flow models. We show that errors between observed and modeled flow and wave heights are well predicted by comparing model simulation results using progressively filtered bathymetry to results from the highest resolution simulation. The damage done by over smoothing or inadequate sampling can therefore be estimated using model simulations. We conclude that the ability to quantify prediction errors will be useful for supporting future data assimilation efforts that require this information.

Test results of the SMES model coil. Pulse performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamajima, Takataro; Shimada, Mamoru; Ono, Michitaka

1998-01-01

A model coil for superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES model coil) has been developed to establish the component technologies needed for a small-scale 100 kWh SMES device. The SMES model coil was fabricated, and then performance tests were carried out in 1996. The coil was successfully charged up to around 30 kA and down to zero at the same ramp rate of magnetic field experienced in a 100 kWh SMES device. AC loss in the coil was measured by an enthalpy method as parameters of ramp rate and flat top current. The results were evaluated by an analysis and compared with short-sample test results. The measured hysteresis loss is in good agreement with that estimated from the short-sample results. It was found that the coupling loss of the coil consists of two major coupling time constants. One is a short time constant of about 200 ms, which is in agreement with the test results of a short real conductor. The other is a long time constant of about 30 s, which could not be expected from the short sample test results. (author)

The Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS) CubeSats: instrument capabilities and early science analysis on the quiet Sun, active regions, and flares.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Christopher S.; Woods, Tom; Caspi, Amir; Dennis, Brian R.; MinXSS Instrument Team, NIST-SURF Measurement Team

2018-01-01

Detection of soft X-rays (sxr) from the Sun provide direct information on coronal plasma at temperatures in excess of ~1 MK, but there have been relatively few solar spectrally resolved measurements from 0.5 – 10. keV. The Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS) CubeSat is the first solar science oriented CubeSat mission flown for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, and has provided measurements from 0.8 -12 keV, with resolving power ~40 at 5.9 keV, at a nominal ~10 second time cadence. MinXSS design and development has involved over 40 graduate students supervised by professors and professionals at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Instrument radiometric calibration was performed at the National Institute for Standard and Technology (NIST) Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility (SURF) and spectral resolution determined from radioactive X-ray sources. The MinXSS spectra allow for determining coronal abundance variations for Fe, Mg, Ni, Ca, Si, S, and Ar in active regions and during flares. Measurements from the first of the twin CubeSats, MinXSS-1, have proven to be consistent with the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) 0.1 – 0.8 nm energy flux. Simultaneous MinXSS-1 and Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) observations have provided the most complete sxr spectral coverage of flares in recent years. These combined measurements are vital in estimating the heating flare loops by non-thermal accelerated electrons. MinXSS-1 measurements have been combined with the Hinode X-ray Telescope (XRT) and Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (SDO-AIA) to further constrain the coronal temperature distribution during quiescent times. The structure of the temperature distribution (especially for T > 5 MK) is important for deducing heating processes in the solar atmosphere. MinXSS-1 observations yield some of the tightest constraints on the high temperature component of the coronal plasma, in the

Results of the Marine Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project, MISMIP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Pattyn

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Predictions of marine ice-sheet behaviour require models that are able to robustly simulate grounding line migration. We present results of an intercomparison exercise for marine ice-sheet models. Verification is effected by comparison with approximate analytical solutions for flux across the grounding line using simplified geometrical configurations (no lateral variations, no effects of lateral buttressing. Unique steady state grounding line positions exist for ice sheets on a downward sloping bed, while hysteresis occurs across an overdeepened bed, and stable steady state grounding line positions only occur on the downward-sloping sections. Models based on the shallow ice approximation, which does not resolve extensional stresses, do not reproduce the approximate analytical results unless appropriate parameterizations for ice flux are imposed at the grounding line. For extensional-stress resolving "shelfy stream" models, differences between model results were mainly due to the choice of spatial discretization. Moving grid methods were found to be the most accurate at capturing grounding line evolution, since they track the grounding line explicitly. Adaptive mesh refinement can further improve accuracy, including fixed grid models that generally perform poorly at coarse resolution. Fixed grid models, with nested grid representations of the grounding line, are able to generate accurate steady state positions, but can be inaccurate over transients. Only one full-Stokes model was included in the intercomparison, and consequently the accuracy of shelfy stream models as approximations of full-Stokes models remains to be determined in detail, especially during transients.

Analysis of the kinetics of sup(99m)Tc-HIDA using an adaptive model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Misochko, I.V.; Gordeev, V.F.; Kharlap, V.I.; Toropchina, I.A.

1985-01-01

The paper is concerned with the results of assaying hepatocyte function on the basis of an adaptive pharmacokinetic model worked out by the authors. Hepatoscintigraphy with sup(99m)Tc-HIDA was used in 3 phases: the vascular phase of radiopharmaceutical transport (the 1st min of investigation, scintigrams with a 2 s interval), the parenchymatous phase (with a 20 s interval in subsequent 10 min), the biliary phase (with a 3 min interval). The hepatocytic phase of sUp(99m)Tc-HIDA transport was evaluated on the basis of the adaptive 5-compartmental model calculating the value of transpopt constants. In terms of differential diagnosis, the intercompartmental constants Ksub(1,2) (blood-liver) and Ksub(2,1) (liver-blood) turned out to be the most informative. The assaying of hepatocyte transport function using the proposed adaptive model helps to define the degree of liver involvement in a pathological process, to choose the therapeutic tactics and method, to evaluate its efficacy and to predict possible complications

Development and biodistrubition modeling of 99mTc-DTPA

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Mohammed Bricha

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose: In this study, the team modeled the biodistribution and the efficiency of two 99m-technetium diethylene triamine penta acetate (99mTc-DTPA based radiopharmaceuticals.Methods: The first radiopharmaceutical (DTPA-CNESTEN is developed at the laboratories of the radiopharmaceutical production unit of the National Center for Nuclear Energy, Sciences and Technologies (CNESTEN-Morocco, and the second one is the commercial DTPA (DTPA-ref. Freeze-dried kits were successfully radiolabeled (radiochemical purity >95% with the 99m Tc. Then drugs were injected to male BALB/c mice. In each 2 min, 5 min, 15 min, 1 h and 2 h time points after injections we evaluate tissue’s distributions characteristics. At the end, an automatic modeling of the data were recorded from thyroid, blood and urinary excretion kinetics and biodistribution in mice using both DTPA kits. The study aimed to extract the parameters of the function used to fit the recorded data. Results and Conclusion: the team concluded that the biodistribution of 99mTc-DTPA can be modeled using a combination of two exponential parts. Moreover, the resultant plots showed that there is strong correlation between the formula found in literature and the one derived on the basis of the fit of data sets in this study. In addition, it was found that the biodistribution behaviors of the developed kit and the commercial one were very close. The obtained results suggest that the developed DTPA has practically the same kinetics as the commercial one.

Meteorological uncertainty of atmospheric dispersion model results (MUD)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Havskov Soerensen, J.; Amstrup, B.; Feddersen, H.

2013-08-01

The MUD project addresses assessment of uncertainties of atmospheric dispersion model predictions, as well as possibilities for optimum presentation to decision makers. Previously, it has not been possible to estimate such uncertainties quantitatively, but merely to calculate the 'most likely' dispersion scenario. However, recent developments in numerical weather prediction (NWP) include probabilistic forecasting techniques, which can be utilised also for long-range atmospheric dispersion models. The ensemble statistical methods developed and applied to NWP models aim at describing the inherent uncertainties of the meteorological model results. These uncertainties stem from e.g. limits in meteorological observations used to initialise meteorological forecast series. By perturbing e.g. the initial state of an NWP model run in agreement with the available observational data, an ensemble of meteorological forecasts is produced from which uncertainties in the various meteorological parameters are estimated, e.g. probabilities for rain. Corresponding ensembles of atmospheric dispersion can now be computed from which uncertainties of predicted radionuclide concentration and deposition patterns can be derived. (Author)

How important is the land use mix measure in understanding walking behaviour? Results from the RESIDE study

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Hooper Paula

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Understanding the relationship between urban design and physical activity is a high priority. Different representations of land use diversity may impact the association between neighbourhood design and specific walking behaviours. This study examined different entropy based computations of land use mix (LUM used in the development of walkability indices (WIs and their association with walking behaviour. Methods Participants in the RESIDential Environments project (RESIDE self-reported mins/week of recreational, transport and total walking using the Neighbourhood Physical Activity Questionnaire (n = 1798. Land use categories were incrementally added to test five different LUM models to identify the strongest associations with recreational, transport and total walking. Logistic regression was used to analyse associations between WIs and walking behaviour using three cut points: any (> 0 mins, ≥ 60 mins and ≥ 150 mins walking/week. Results Participants in high (vs. low walkable neighbourhoods reported up to almost twice the amount of walking, irrespective of the LUM measure used. However, different computations of LUM were found to be relevant for different types and amounts of walking (i.e., > 0, ≥ 60 or ≥ 150 mins/week. Transport walking (≥ 60 mins/week had the strongest and most significant association (OR = 2.24; 95% CI:1.58-3.18 with the WI when the LUM included 'residential', 'retail', 'office', 'health, welfare and community', and 'entertainment, culture and recreation'. However, any (> 0 mins/week recreational walking was more strongly associated with the WI (OR = 1.36; 95% CI:1.04-1.78 when land use categories included 'public open space', 'sporting infrastructure' and 'primary and rural' land uses. The observed associations were generally stronger for ≥ 60 mins/week compared with > 0 mins/week of transport walking and total walking but this relationship was not seen for recreational walking. Conclusions

Neural fuzzy modelization of copper removal from water by biosorption in fixed-bed columns using olive stone and pinion shell.

Science.gov (United States)

Calero, M; Iáñez-Rodríguez, I; Pérez, A; Martín-Lara, M A; Blázquez, G

2018-03-01

Continuous copper biosorption in fixed-bed column by olive stone and pinion shell was studied. The effect of three operational parameters was analyzed: feed flow rate (2-6 ml/min), inlet copper concentration (40-100 mg/L) and bed-height (4.4-13.4 cm). Artificial Neural-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) was used in order to optimize the percentage of copper removal and the retention capacity in the column. The highest percentage of copper retained was achieved at 2 ml/min, 40 mg/L and 4.4 cm. However, the optimum biosorption capacity was obtained at 6 ml/min, 100 mg/L and 13.4 cm. Finally, breakthrough curves were simulated with mathematical traditional models and ANFIS model. The calculated results obtained with each model were compared with experimental data. The best results were given by ANFIS modelling that predicted copper biosorption with high accuracy. Breakthrough curves surfaces, which enable the visualization of the behavior of the system in different process conditions, were represented. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HUBUNGAN PENYAKIT GONDOK DENGAN PRESTASI BELAJAR DAN TINGGI BADAN ANAK MADRASAH IBTIDAIYAH NEGERI (MIN KORONG GADANG KECAMATAN KURANJI KOTA PADANG

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Yusri Dianne Jurnalis

2008-09-01

necessary for the development of nervous system in the fetus and infant. Lack of dietary iodine is cause of goitre, an enlargement of the thyroidARTIKEL PENELITIAN161gland. Endemic goiter results from increased thyroid stimulation by thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH to maximize the utilization of available iodine and thus respresents maladaption to iodine deficiency. However, the most damaging disorders induced by iodine deficiency are irreversible mental retardation and growth restriction. Within 5 years, prevalence of goitre in Padang City increased from 8.5% to 21.5%.The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of goiter and its relation with academic performance and stature of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negeri (MIN students in Korong Gadang Kuranji District, Padang City.A cross sectional study has been done in 169 students of the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth degree of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negeri (MIN Korong Gadang Kuranji District, Padang City. Data of academic performance was taken from the result of study in a semester. Stature was determined based on height for age.During the research, there were 84 children (49.7% who suffered from goitre. The correlation between goitre and academic performance are unsignificant (p>0.05. This study was also found that there was no correlation between goitre and physical growth (p>0.05.Keywords: Goitre, Academic Performance, Child Stature

A database of 10 min average measurements of solar radiation and meteorological variables in Ostrava, Czech Republic

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M. Opálková

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A database containing 10 min means of solar irradiance measured on a horizontal plane in several ultraviolet and visible bands from July 2014 to December 2016 at three stations in the area of the city of Ostrava (Czech Republic is presented. The database contains time series of 10 min average irradiances or photosynthetic photon flux densities measured in the following spectral bands: 280–315 nm (UVB; 315–380 nm (UVA; and 400–700 nm (photosynthetically active radiation, PAR; 510–700 nm; 600–700 nm; 610–680 nm; 690–780 nm; 400–1100 nm. A series of meteorological variables including relative air humidity and air temperature at surface is also provided at the same 10 min time step at all three stations, and precipitation is provided for two stations. Air pressure, wind speed, wind direction, and concentrations of air pollutants PM10, SO2, NOx, NO, NO2 were measured at the 1 h time step at the fourth station owned by the Public Health Institute of Ostrava. The details of the experimental sites and instruments used for the measurements are given. Special attention is given to the data quality, and the original approach to the data quality which was established is described in detail. About 130 000 records for each of the three stations are available in the database. This database offers a unique ensemble of variables having a high temporal resolution and it is a reliable source for radiation in relation to environment and vegetation in highly polluted areas of industrial cities in the of northern mid-latitudes. The database has been placed on the PANGAEA repository (https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.879722 and contains individual data files for each station.

A database of 10 min average measurements of solar radiation and meteorological variables in Ostrava, Czech Republic

Science.gov (United States)

Opálková, Marie; Navrátil, Martin; Špunda, Vladimír; Blanc, Philippe; Wald, Lucien

2018-04-01

A database containing 10 min means of solar irradiance measured on a horizontal plane in several ultraviolet and visible bands from July 2014 to December 2016 at three stations in the area of the city of Ostrava (Czech Republic) is presented. The database contains time series of 10 min average irradiances or photosynthetic photon flux densities measured in the following spectral bands: 280-315 nm (UVB); 315-380 nm (UVA); and 400-700 nm (photosynthetically active radiation, PAR); 510-700 nm; 600-700 nm; 610-680 nm; 690-780 nm; 400-1100 nm. A series of meteorological variables including relative air humidity and air temperature at surface is also provided at the same 10 min time step at all three stations, and precipitation is provided for two stations. Air pressure, wind speed, wind direction, and concentrations of air pollutants PM10, SO2, NOx, NO, NO2 were measured at the 1 h time step at the fourth station owned by the Public Health Institute of Ostrava. The details of the experimental sites and instruments used for the measurements are given. Special attention is given to the data quality, and the original approach to the data quality which was established is described in detail. About 130 000 records for each of the three stations are available in the database. This database offers a unique ensemble of variables having a high temporal resolution and it is a reliable source for radiation in relation to environment and vegetation in highly polluted areas of industrial cities in the of northern mid-latitudes. The database has been placed on the PANGAEA repository (https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.879722" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.879722) and contains individual data files for each station.

Analyzing Sub-Threshold Bitcell Topologies and the Effects of Assist Methods on SRAM V_MIN

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James Boley

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The need for ultra low power circuits has forced circuit designers to scale voltage supplies into the sub-threshold region where energy per operation is minimized [1]. The problem with this is that the traditional 6T SRAM bitcell, used for data storage, becomes unreliable at voltages below about 700 mV due to process variations and decreased device drive strength [2]. In order to achieve reliable operation, new bitcell topologies and assist methods have been proposed. This paper provides a comparison of four different bitcell topologies using read and write V_MIN as the metrics for evaluation. In addition, read and write assist methods were tested using the periphery voltage scaling techniques discussed in [4–13]. Measurements taken from a 180 nm test chip show read functionality (without assist methods down to 500 mV and write functionality down to 600 mV. Using assist methods can reduce both read and write V_MIN by 100 mV over the unassisted test case.

 Functional Results-Oriented Healthcare Leadership: A Novel Leadership Model

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Salem Said Al-Touby

2012-03-01

Full Text Available  This article modifies the traditional functional leadership model to accommodate contemporary needs in healthcare leadership based on two findings. First, the article argues that it is important that the ideal healthcare leadership emphasizes the outcomes of the patient care more than processes and structures used to deliver such care; and secondly, that the leadership must strive to attain effectiveness of their care provision and not merely targeting the attractive option of efficient operations. Based on these premises, the paper reviews the traditional Functional Leadership Model and the three elements that define the type of leadership an organization has namely, the tasks, the individuals, and the team. The article argues that concentrating on any one of these elements is not ideal and proposes adding a new element to the model to construct a novel Functional Result-Oriented healthcare leadership model. The recommended Functional-Results Oriented leadership model embosses the results element on top of the other three elements so that every effort on healthcare leadership is directed towards attaining excellent patient outcomes.

Numerical study of RF exposure and the resulting temperature rise in the foetus during a magnetic resonance procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hand, J W; Li, Y; Hajnal, J V

2010-01-01

Numerical simulations of specific absorption rate (SAR) and temperature changes in a 26-week pregnant woman model within typical birdcage body coils as used in 1.5 T and 3 T MRI scanners are described. Spatial distributions of SAR and the resulting spatial and temporal changes in temperature are determined using a finite difference time domain method and a finite difference bio-heat transfer solver that accounts for discrete vessels. Heat transfer from foetus to placenta via the umbilical vein and arteries as well as that across the foetal skin/amniotic fluid/uterine wall boundaries is modelled. Results suggest that for procedures compliant with IEC normal mode conditions (maternal whole-body averaged SAR MWB ≤ 2 W kg -1 (continuous or time-averaged over 6 min)), whole foetal SAR, local foetal SAR 10g and average foetal temperature are within international safety limits. For continuous RF exposure at SAR MWB = 2 W kg -1 over periods of 7.5 min or longer, a maximum local foetal temperature >38 deg. C may occur. However, assessment of the risk posed by such maximum temperatures predicted in a static model is difficult because of frequent foetal movement. Results also confirm that when SAR MWB = 2 W kg -1 , some local SAR 10g values in the mother's trunk and extremities exceed recommended limits.

V and V Efforts of Auroral Precipitation Models: Preliminary Results

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yihua; Kuznetsova, Masha; Rastaetter, Lutz; Hesse, Michael

2011-01-01

Auroral precipitation models have been valuable both in terms of space weather applications and space science research. Yet very limited testing has been performed regarding model performance. A variety of auroral models are available, including empirical models that are parameterized by geomagnetic indices or upstream solar wind conditions, now casting models that are based on satellite observations, or those derived from physics-based, coupled global models. In this presentation, we will show our preliminary results regarding V&V efforts of some of the models.

The Novel Attempt for Finding Minimum Solution in Fuzzy Neutrosophic Relational Geometric Programming (FNRGP with (max,min Composition

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Huda E. Khalid

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This article sheds light on the possibility of finding the minimum solution set of neutrosophic relational geometric programming with (max, min composition. This work examines the privacy enjoyed by both neutrosophic logic and geometric programming, and how it affects the minimum solutions.

Ventricular Fibrillation-Induced Cardiac Arrest Results in Regional Cardiac Injury Preferentially in Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery Territory in Piglet Model

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Giridhar Kaliki Venkata

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. Decreased cardiac function after resuscitation from cardiac arrest (CA results from global ischemia of the myocardium. In the evolution of postarrest myocardial dysfunction, preferential involvement of any coronary arterial territory is not known. We hypothesized that there is no preferential involvement of any coronary artery during electrical induced ventricular fibrillation (VF in piglet model. Design. Prospective, randomized controlled study. Methods. 12 piglets were randomized to baseline and electrical induced VF. After 5 min, the animals were resuscitated according to AHA PALS guidelines. After return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC, animals were observed for an additional 4 hours prior to cardiac MRI. Data (mean ± SD was analyzed using unpaired t-test; p value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. Segmental wall motion (mm; baseline versus postarrest group in segment 7 (left anterior descending (LAD was 4.68±0.54 versus 3.31±0.64, p=0.0026. In segment 13, it was 3.82±0.96 versus 2.58±0.82, p=0.02. In segment 14, it was 2.42±0.44 versus 1.29±0.99, p=0.028. Conclusion. Postarrest myocardial dysfunction resulted in segmental wall motion defects in the LAD territory. There were no perfusion defects in the involved segments.

Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in the canine model.

Science.gov (United States)

Price, D T; Chari, R S; Neighbors, J D; Eubanks, S; Schuessler, W W; Preminger, G M

1996-12-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of performing laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in a canine model. Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy was performed on six adult male canines. A new endoscopic needle driver was used to construct a secure vesicourethral anastomosis. Average operative time required to complete the procedure was 304 min (range 270-345 min). Dissection of the prostate gland took an average of 67 min (range 35-90 min), and construction of the vesicourethral anastomosis took 154 min (rage 80-240 min). There were no intraoperative complications and only one postoperative complication (anastomotic leak). Five of the six animals recovered uneventfully from the procedure, and their foley catheters were removed 10-14 days postoperatively after a retrograde cystourethrogram demonstrated an intact vesicourethral anastomosis. Four (80%) of the surviving animals were clinically continent within 10 days after catheter removal. Post mortem examination confirmed that the vesicourethral anastomosis was intact with no evidence of urine extravasation. These data demonstrate the feasibility of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in a canine model, and suggest that additional work with this technique should be continued to develop its potential clinical application.

Chemopreventive Effects of RXR-Selective Rexinoid Bexarotene on Intestinal Neoplasia of ApcMin/+ Mice

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Naveena B. Janakiram

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Retinoid X receptor (RXR has been implicated in several neoplastic diseases. Previously, we have shown that RXR-α is downregulated in human and rodent colonic tumors, suggesting a potential target for colon cancer prevention (http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/ColonandRectumCancer/DetailedGuide/colorectal-cancer-key-statistics. Experiments were designed to assess the chemopreventive efficacy of the selective RXR agonist bexarotene for the suppression of intestinal tumorigenesis in ApcMin/+ mice. Before the efficacy studies, we determined that the maximal tolerated dose in C57BL/6J mice was less than 400 ppm. For the efficacy study, 6-week-old male and female C57BL/6J-ApcMin/+ mice (nine mice per group were fed diets containing 0, 30, and 60 ppm of bexarotene or 200 ppm of bexarotene for 80 days before intestinal tumors were evaluated. Dietary administration of 30 and 60 ppm of bexarotene suppressed the intestinal polyp formation by 38% (P < .015 and 60% (P < .0001 in males, respectively, and by 8.5% and 37% (P < .007 in females, respectively. Also, significant inhibition (50%–100% of colonic tumor formation was observed in both male and female mice with bexarotene treatment. Administration of 200 ppm of bexarotene showed significant suppression of tumor formation (66%, P < .0001; however, it had significant toxicity. Intestinal tumors of bexarotene-fed mice showed significantly reduced expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (60%, P < .0001, cyclin D1, and cyclooxygenase 2 and increased RXR-α messenger RNA and uptake of oleate (34%, P < .01. Also, bexarotene-fed mice showed dose-dependent suppression of serum triglycerides (25%–72%, P < .0001 and inflammatory cytokines.

Laparoscopic and open subtotal colectomies have similar short-term results.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoogenboom, Froukje J; Bosker, Robbert J I; Groen, Henk; Meijerink, Wilhelmus J H J; Lamme, Bas; Pierie, Jean Pierre E N

2013-01-01

Laparoscopic subtotal colectomy (STC) is a complex procedure. It is possible that short-term benefits for segmental resections cannot be attributed to this complex procedure. This study aims to assess differences in short-term results for laparoscopic versus open STC during a 15-year single-institute experience. We reviewed consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic or open elective or subacute STC from January 1997 to December 2012. Fifty-six laparoscopic and 50 open STCs were performed. The operation time was significantly longer in the laparoscopic group, median 266 min (range 121-420 min), compared to 153 min (range 90-408 min) in the open group (p < 0.001). Median hospital stay showed no statistical difference, 14 days (range 1-129 days) in the laparoscopic and 13 days (range 1-85 days) in the open group. Between-group postoperative complications were not statistically different. Laparoscopic STC has short-term results similar to the open procedure, except for a longer operation time. The laparoscopic approach for STC is therefore only advisable in selected patients combined with extensive preoperative counseling. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Polyyne-Enriched Extract from Oplopanax elatus Significantly Ameliorates the Progression of Colon Carcinogenesis in ApcMin/+ Mice

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Xin Qiao

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Colorectal cancer (CRC is the third most common cancer in the world. Oplopanax elatus is widely used in traditional medicine. However, little is known about its pharmacological effects and bioactive compounds. We evaluated the effects of the polyyne-enriched extract from O. elatus (PEO on the progression of colon carcinogenesis in ApcMin/+ mice. In addition, these effects were also investigated in HCT116 and SW480 cells. After PEO oral administration (0.2% diet for 12 weeks, PEO significantly improved body weight changes and reduced the tumor burden and tumor multiplicity compared with the untreated mice. Meanwhile, western blot and immunohistochemistry results showed PEO significantly reduced the expression of β-catenin and cyclinD1 in both small intestine and the colon tissues compared with the untreated mice. In addition, PEO treatment significant decreased the cell viability in both HCT116 and SW480 cell lines. It also decreased the levels of β-catenin, cyclinD1, c-myc and p-GSK-3β in HCT116 and SW480 cells at 25 μM. These results indicate that PEO may have potential value in prevention of colon cancer by down-regulating Wnt-related protein.

Study of the binding of {sup 114m}In radiotracer to human serum components by ultrafiltration and chromatography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hulle, M. van; De Cremer, K.; Cornelis, R. [Ghent Rijksuniversiteit (Belgium). Lab. for Analytical Chemistry

2000-10-01

The chemical speciation of indium in serum was studied. Ultrafiltration was used to investigate the influence of several buffer systems on the binding characteristics of indium in serum and to study the association of indium with transferrin and albumin. This was performed by means of batch incubation experiments with a {sup 114m}In tracer. Different buffer systems were investigated. A series of bicarbonate, Tris:HCl and HEPES buffers were found to fit for this purpose. Phosphate buffer was not suitable, as it is capable of disrupting the binding between indium and transferrin. Batch ultrafiltration experiments with {sup 114m}In incubated solutions of transferrin and albumin showed that both proteins are capable of binding indium to a high degree. Three chromatographic techniques (SEC, AEC, AC) were used to study the different chemically active species of indium in serum. It is concluded that next to transferrin, albumin is also responsible for the binding and transport of indium in serum. (orig.)

Arrhythmia phenotype in mouse models of human long QT.

Science.gov (United States)

Salama, Guy; Baker, Linda; Wolk, Robert; Barhanin, Jacques; London, Barry

2009-03-01

Enhanced dispersion of repolarization (DR) was proposed as a unifying mechanism, central to arrhythmia genesis in the long QT (LQT) syndrome. In mammalian hearts, K(+) channels are heterogeneously expressed across the ventricles resulting in 'intrinsic' DR that may worsen in long QT. DR was shown to be central to the arrhythmia phenotype of transgenic mice with LQT caused by loss of function of the dominant mouse K(+) currents. Here, we investigated the arrhythmia phenotype of mice with targeted deletions of KCNE1 and KCNH2 genes which encode for minK/IsK and Merg1 (mouse homolog of human ERG) proteins resulting in loss of function of I(Ks) and I(Kr), respectively. Both currents are important human K(+) currents associated with LQT5 and LQT2. Loss of minK, a protein subunit that interacts with KvLQT1, results in a marked reduction of I(Ks) giving rise to the Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome and the reduced KCNH2 gene reduces MERG and I(Kr). Hearts were perfused, stained with di-4-ANEPPS and optically mapped to compare action potential durations (APDs) and arrhythmia phenotype in homozygous minK (minK(-/-)) and heterozygous Merg1 (Merg(+/-)) deletions and littermate control mice. MinK(-/-) mice has similar APDs and no arrhythmias (n = 4). Merg(+/-) mice had prolonged APDs (from 20 +/- 6 to 32 +/- 9 ms at the base, p mice (60% vs. 10%). A comparison of mouse models of LQT based on K(+) channel mutations important to human and mouse repolarization emphasizes DR as a major determinant of arrhythmia vulnerability.

Meteorological uncertainty of atmospheric dispersion model results (MUD)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Havskov Soerensen, J.; Amstrup, B.; Feddersen, H. [Danish Meteorological Institute, Copenhagen (Denmark)] [and others

2013-08-15

The MUD project addresses assessment of uncertainties of atmospheric dispersion model predictions, as well as possibilities for optimum presentation to decision makers. Previously, it has not been possible to estimate such uncertainties quantitatively, but merely to calculate the 'most likely' dispersion scenario. However, recent developments in numerical weather prediction (NWP) include probabilistic forecasting techniques, which can be utilised also for long-range atmospheric dispersion models. The ensemble statistical methods developed and applied to NWP models aim at describing the inherent uncertainties of the meteorological model results. These uncertainties stem from e.g. limits in meteorological observations used to initialise meteorological forecast series. By perturbing e.g. the initial state of an NWP model run in agreement with the available observational data, an ensemble of meteorological forecasts is produced from which uncertainties in the various meteorological parameters are estimated, e.g. probabilities for rain. Corresponding ensembles of atmospheric dispersion can now be computed from which uncertainties of predicted radionuclide concentration and deposition patterns can be derived. (Author)

Preliminary time-phased TWRS process model results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orme, R.M.

1995-01-01

This report documents the first phase of efforts to model the retrieval and processing of Hanford tank waste within the constraints of an assumed tank farm configuration. This time-phased approach simulates a first try at a retrieval sequence, the batching of waste through retrieval facilities, the batching of retrieved waste through enhanced sludge washing, the batching of liquids through pretreatment and low-level waste (LLW) vitrification, and the batching of pretreated solids through high-level waste (HLW) vitrification. The results reflect the outcome of an assumed retrieval sequence that has not been tailored with respect to accepted measures of performance. The batch data, composition variability, and final waste volume projects in this report should be regarded as tentative. Nevertheless, the results provide interesting insights into time-phased processing of the tank waste. Inspection of the composition variability, for example, suggests modifications to the retrieval sequence that will further improve the uniformity of feed to the vitrification facilities. This model will be a valuable tool for evaluating suggested retrieval sequences and establishing a time-phased processing baseline. An official recommendation on tank retrieval sequence will be made in September, 1995

Superconducting solenoid model magnet test results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carcagno, R.; Dimarco, J.; Feher, S.; Ginsburg, C.M.; Hess, C.; Kashikhin, V.V.; Orris, D.F.; Pischalnikov, Y.; Sylvester, C.; Tartaglia, M.A.; Terechkine, I.; Tompkins, J.C.; Wokas, T.; Fermilab

2006-01-01

Superconducting solenoid magnets suitable for the room temperature front end of the Fermilab High Intensity Neutrino Source (formerly known as Proton Driver), an 8 GeV superconducting H- linac, have been designed and fabricated at Fermilab, and tested in the Fermilab Magnet Test Facility. We report here results of studies on the first model magnets in this program, including the mechanical properties during fabrication and testing in liquid helium at 4.2 K, quench performance, and magnetic field measurements. We also describe new test facility systems and instrumentation that have been developed to accomplish these tests

Superconducting solenoid model magnet test results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carcagno, R.; Dimarco, J.; Feher, S.; Ginsburg, C.M.; Hess, C.; Kashikhin, V.V.; Orris, D.F.; Pischalnikov, Y.; Sylvester, C.; Tartaglia, M.A.; Terechkine, I.; /Fermilab

2006-08-01

Superconducting solenoid magnets suitable for the room temperature front end of the Fermilab High Intensity Neutrino Source (formerly known as Proton Driver), an 8 GeV superconducting H- linac, have been designed and fabricated at Fermilab, and tested in the Fermilab Magnet Test Facility. We report here results of studies on the first model magnets in this program, including the mechanical properties during fabrication and testing in liquid helium at 4.2 K, quench performance, and magnetic field measurements. We also describe new test facility systems and instrumentation that have been developed to accomplish these tests.

Serotonin- and Dopamine-Related Gene Expression in db/db Mice Islets and in MIN6 β-Cells Treated with Palmitate and Oleate

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L. R. Cataldo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available High circulating nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs concentration, often reported in diabetes, leads to impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS through not yet well-defined mechanisms. Serotonin and dopamine might contribute to NEFA-dependent β-cell dysfunction, since extracellular signal of these monoamines decreases GSIS. Moreover, palmitate-treated β-cells may enhance the expression of the serotonin receptor Htr2c, affecting insulin secretion. Additionally, the expression of monoamine-oxidase type B (Maob seems to be lower in islets from humans and mice with diabetes compared to nondiabetic islets, which may lead to increased monoamine concentrations. We assessed the expression of serotonin- and dopamine-related genes in islets from db/db and wild-type (WT mice. In addition, the effect of palmitate and oleate on the expression of such genes, 5HT content, and GSIS in MIN6 β-cell was determined. Lower Maob expression was found in islets from db/db versus WT mice and in MIN6 β-cells in response to palmitate and oleate treatment compared to vehicle. Reduced 5HT content and impaired GSIS in response to palmitate (−25%; p<0.0001 and oleate (−43%; p<0.0001 were detected in MIN6 β-cells. In conclusion, known defects of GSIS in islets from db/db mice and MIN6 β-cells treated with NEFAs are accompanied by reduced Maob expression and reduced 5HT content.

Graph and model transformation tools for model migration : empirical results from the transformation tool contest

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rose, L.M.; Herrmannsdoerfer, M.; Mazanek, S.; Van Gorp, P.M.E.; Buchwald, S.; Horn, T.; Kalnina, E.; Koch, A.; Lano, K.; Schätz, B.; Wimmer, M.

2014-01-01

We describe the results of the Transformation Tool Contest 2010 workshop, in which nine graph and model transformation tools were compared for specifying model migration. The model migration problem—migration of UML activity diagrams from version 1.4 to version 2.2—is non-trivial and practically

Discussion of gas trade model (GTM) results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manne, A.

1989-01-01

This is in response to your invitation to comment on the structure of GTM and also upon the differences between its results and those of other models participating in EMF9. First a word upon the structure. GTM was originally designed to provide both regional and sectoral detail within the North American market for natural gas at a single point in time, e.g. the year 2000. It is a spatial equilibrium model in which a solution is obtained by maximizing a nonlinear function, the sum of consumers and producers surplus. Since transport costs are included in producers cost, this formulation automatically ensures that geographical price differentials will not differ by more than transport costs. For purposes of EMF9, GTM was modified to allow for resource development and depletion over time

Implementasi Perbandingan Metode Simple Additive Weighting Dengan Weighted Sum Model Dalam Pemilihan Siswa Berprestasi

OpenAIRE

Siregar, M. Fajrul Falah

2015-01-01

Good Performance Student Selection Program of MIN Tanjung Sari aims to increase students interest in learning. The selection is based on determined criterion. To assist the selection process, then a decision support system is needed. The method used is Simple Additive Weighting and Weighted Sum Model. In this research the results of both methods performed will be tested with the three periods of good performance students data possessed by MIN Tanjung Sari Medan Selayang. This s...

Melt coolability modeling and comparison to MACE test results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farmer, M.T.; Sienicki, J.J.; Spencer, B.W.

1992-01-01

An important question in the assessment of severe accidents in light water nuclear reactors is the ability of water to quench a molten corium-concrete interaction and thereby terminate the accident progression. As part of the Melt Attack and Coolability Experiment (MACE) Program, phenomenological models of the corium quenching process are under development. The modeling approach considers both bulk cooldown and crust-limited heat transfer regimes, as well as criteria for the pool thermal hydraulic conditions which separate the two regimes. The model is then compared with results of the MACE experiments

Seeking for the rational basis of the Median Model: the optimal combination of multi-model ensemble results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Riccio

2007-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper we present an approach for the statistical analysis of multi-model ensemble results. The models considered here are operational long-range transport and dispersion models, also used for the real-time simulation of pollutant dispersion or the accidental release of radioactive nuclides.

We first introduce the theoretical basis (with its roots sinking into the Bayes theorem and then apply this approach to the analysis of model results obtained during the ETEX-1 exercise. We recover some interesting results, supporting the heuristic approach called "median model", originally introduced in Galmarini et al. (2004a, b.

This approach also provides a way to systematically reduce (and quantify model uncertainties, thus supporting the decision-making process and/or regulatory-purpose activities in a very effective manner.

Measurement model choice influenced randomized controlled trial results.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorter, Rosalie; Fox, Jean-Paul; Apeldoorn, Adri; Twisk, Jos

2016-11-01

In randomized controlled trials (RCTs), outcome variables are often patient-reported outcomes measured with questionnaires. Ideally, all available item information is used for score construction, which requires an item response theory (IRT) measurement model. However, in practice, the classical test theory measurement model (sum scores) is mostly used, and differences between response patterns leading to the same sum score are ignored. The enhanced differentiation between scores with IRT enables more precise estimation of individual trajectories over time and group effects. The objective of this study was to show the advantages of using IRT scores instead of sum scores when analyzing RCTs. Two studies are presented, a real-life RCT, and a simulation study. Both IRT and sum scores are used to measure the construct and are subsequently used as outcomes for effect calculation. The bias in RCT results is conditional on the measurement model that was used to construct the scores. A bias in estimated trend of around one standard deviation was found when sum scores were used, where IRT showed negligible bias. Accurate statistical inferences are made from an RCT study when using IRT to estimate construct measurements. The use of sum scores leads to incorrect RCT results. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A new mathematical model of wrist pulse waveforms characterizes patients with cardiovascular disease - A pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Dianning; Wang, Lu; Fan, Xiaobing; Yao, Yang; Geng, Ning; Sun, Yingxian; Xu, Lisheng; Qian, Wei

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare a series of measured radial pulse waves as a function of contact pressure for young and old healthy volunteers, and old patients with cardiovascular disease. The radial pulse waves were detected with a pressure sensor and the contact pressure of the sensor was incremented by 20gf during the signal acquisition. A mathematical model of radial pulse waveform was developed by using two Gaussian functions modulated by radical functions and used to fit the pulse waveforms. Then, a ratio of area (r A ) and a ratio of peak height (r PH ) between percussion wave and dicrotic wave as a function of contact pressure were calculated based on fitted parameters. The results demonstrated that there was a maximum for waveform peak height, a minimum for r A (r A min ) and a minimum for r PH (r PH min ) appeared as contact pressure varied. On average, older patients had higher peak amplitude and a significantly smaller r A min (pmathematical model had moderate to strong positive linear correlations (r=0.66 to 0.84, pmodel. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the r A min calculated with the model and the contact pressure measured at the r A min had good diagnostic accuracy to distinguish healthy volunteers vs. diseased patients. Therefore, using the mathematical model to quantitatively analyze the radial pulse waveforms as a function of contact pressure could be useful in the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. Copyright © 2017 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The 1-min sit-to-stand test--A simple functional capacity test in cystic fibrosis?

Science.gov (United States)

Radtke, Thomas; Puhan, Milo A; Hebestreit, Helge; Kriemler, Susi

2016-03-01

We aimed to assess the measurement properties and the minimal important difference (MID) of the 1-min sit-to-stand (STS) test in cystic fibrosis (CF). Patients with CF were tested during a pulmonary rehabilitation program. Five STS tests were performed during the program; two tests at the beginning (STS0 and STS1) and three tests at the end (STS2a-2c). Exercise capacity, pulmonary function, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and patient-reported health status were measured at the beginning and end of the program. We calculated overall mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation (CV), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the STS test. The MID was calculated using anchor-based and distributional methods. Fourteen participants (8 female, mean age 30.4±6.1years) were included. STS test performance increased significantly from STS0 to STS1 indicative of a learning effect. Test-retest reliability for the subsequent STS2a-2c tests was excellent (ICC 0.98, 95% CI 0.96-0.99). The estimated MID for the STS test was 5 repetitions. STS test performance was responsive to change (effect size of 0.97) and correlated with exercise capacity (r=0.63-0.73) and with the physical functioning HRQoL scale (r=0.72). The 1-min STS test appears to be a reliable, valid, and feasible test to measure functional capacity in patients with CF. Copyright © 2015 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relationship Marketing results: proposition of a cognitive mapping model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iná Futino Barreto

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Objective - This research sought to develop a cognitive model that expresses how marketing professionals understand the relationship between the constructs that define relationship marketing (RM. It also tried to understand, using the obtained model, how objectives in this field are achieved. Design/methodology/approach – Through cognitive mapping, we traced 35 individual mental maps, highlighting how each respondent understands the interactions between RM elements. Based on the views of these individuals, we established an aggregate mental map. Theoretical foundation – The topic is based on a literature review that explores the RM concept and its main elements. Based on this review, we listed eleven main constructs. Findings – We established an aggregate mental map that represents the RM structural model. Model analysis identified that CLV is understood as the final result of RM. We also observed that the impact of most of the RM elements on CLV is brokered by loyalty. Personalization and quality, on the other hand, proved to be process input elements, and are the ones that most strongly impact others. Finally, we highlight that elements that punish customers are much less effective than elements that benefit them. Contributions - The model was able to insert core elements of RM, but absent from most formal models: CLV and customization. The analysis allowed us to understand the interactions between the RM elements and how the end result of RM (CLV is formed. This understanding improves knowledge on the subject and helps guide, assess and correct actions.

Compact modelling of InAlN/GaN HEMT for low noise applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakalas, P; Šimukovič, A; Matulionis, A; Piotrowicz, S; Jardel, O; Delage, S L; Mukherjee, A

2014-01-01

This paper presents results of high-frequency noise modelling of InAlN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) with different formulations of the minimum noise figure NF min . Current–voltage characteristics and s-parameters of 0.15 μm gate length and 2 × 75 μm gate width InAlN/GaN HEMTs were measured at room temperature in a wide frequency range (300 MHz to 50 GHz) and bias range (V GS from −4.8 to 1 V and V DS from 0 to 21 V). Both the EEHEMT1 and Angelov GaN compact models yielded excellent agreement for transfer and output characteristics, transconductance g m , and f T , f max. High-frequency noise parameters NF min , R n , Γ OPT of InAlN/GaN HEMT were measured in 8–50 GHz frequency band. Noise formulation within the EEHEMT1 model underestimates the measured NF min and R n . The well known three-parameter PRC noise model is in a better agreement with the measured data but neglects the shot noise resulting from the gate leakage. The inductive degenerated source matching method and EEHEMT1 were used to design a single stage LNA operated at 8 GHz frequency. A 10 dB gain with an input reflection of −12 dB with a 2.5 dB of noise factor were obtained at 8 GHz. (paper)

First Results of Modeling Radiation Belt Electron Dynamics with the SAMI3 Plasmasphere Model

Science.gov (United States)

Komar, C. M.; Glocer, A.; Huba, J.; Fok, M. C. H.; Kang, S. B.; Buzulukova, N.

2017-12-01

The radiation belts were one of the first discoveries of the Space Age some sixty years ago and radiation belt models have been improving since the discovery of the radiation belts. The plasmasphere is one region that has been critically important to determining the dynamics of radiation belt populations. This region of space plays a critical role in describing the distribution of chorus and magnetospheric hiss waves throughout the inner magnetosphere. Both of these waves have been shown to interact with energetic electrons in the radiation belts and can result in the energization or loss of radiation belt electrons. However, radiation belt models have been historically limited in describing the distribution of cold plasmaspheric plasma and have relied on empirically determined plasmasphere models. Some plasmasphere models use an azimuthally symmetric distribution of the plasmasphere which can fail to capture important plasmaspheric dynamics such as the development of plasmaspheric drainage plumes. Previous work have coupled the kinetic bounce-averaged Comprehensive Inner Magnetosphere-Ionosphere (CIMI) model used to model ring current and radiation belt populations with the Block-adaptive Tree Solar wind Roe-type Upwind Scheme (BATSRUS) global magnetohydrodynamic model to self-consistently obtain the magnetospheric magnetic field and ionospheric potential. The present work will utilize this previous coupling and will additionally couple the SAMI3 plasmasphere model to better represent the dynamics on the plasmasphere and its role in determining the distribution of waves throughout the inner magnetosphere. First results on the relevance of chorus, hiss, and ultralow frequency waves on radiation belt electron dynamics will be discussed in context of the June 1st, 2013 storm-time dropout event.

First experiments results about the engineering model of Rapsodie

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chalot, A.; Ginier, R.; Sauvage, M.

1964-01-01

This report deals with the first series of experiments carried out on the engineering model of Rapsodie and on an associated sodium facility set in a laboratory hall of Cadarache. It conveys more precisely: 1/ - The difficulties encountered during the erection and assembly of the engineering model and a compilation of the results of the first series of experiments and tests carried out on this installation (loading of the subassemblies preheating, thermal chocks...). 2/ - The experiments and tests carried out on the two prototypes control rod drive mechanisms which brought to the choice for the design of the definitive drive mechanism. As a whole, the results proved the validity of the general design principles adopted for Rapsodie. (authors) [fr

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

Circulation in the Gulf of Trieste: measurements and model results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogunovici, B.; Malacic, V.

2008-01-01

The study presents seasonal variability of currents in the southern part of the Gulf of Trieste. A time series analysis of currents and wind stress for the period 2003-2006, which were measured by the coastal oceanographic buoy, was conducted. A comparison between these data and results obtained from a numerical model of circulation in the Gulf was performed to validate model results. Three different approaches were applied to the wind data to determine the wind stress. Similarities were found between Kondo and Smith approaches while the method of Vera shows differences which were particularly noticeable for lower (= 1 m/s) and higher wind speeds (= 15 m/s). Mean currents in the surface layer are generally outflow currents from the Gulf due to wind forcing (bora). However in all other depth layers inflow currents are dominant. With the principal component analysis (Pca) major and minor axes were determined for all seasons. The major axis of maximum variance in years between 2003 and 2006 is prevailing in Ne-Sw direction, which is parallel to the coastline. Comparison of observation and model results is showing that currents are similar (in direction) for the surface and bottom layers but are significantly different for the middle layer (5-13 m). At a depth between 14-21 m velocities are comparable in direction as well as in magnitude even though model values are higher. Higher values of modelled currents at the surface and near the bottom are explained by higher values of wind stress that were used in the model as driving input with respect to the stress calculated from the measured winds. Larger values of modelled currents near the bottom are related to the larger inflow that needs to compensate for the larger modelled outflow at the surface. However, inspection of the vertical structure of temperature, salinity and density shows that the model is reproducing a weaker density gradient which enables the penetration of the outflow surface currents to larger depths.

Modeling of inactivation of surface borne microorganisms occurring on seeds by cold atmospheric plasma (CAP)

Science.gov (United States)

Mitra, Anindita; Li, Y.-F.; Shimizu, T.; Klämpfl, Tobias; Zimmermann, J. L.; Morfill, G. E.

2012-10-01

Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) is a fast, low cost, simple, easy to handle technology for biological application. Our group has developed a number of different CAP devices using the microwave technology and the surface micro discharge (SMD) technology. In this study, FlatPlaSter2.0 at different time intervals (0.5 to 5 min) is used for microbial inactivation. There is a continuous demand for deactivation of microorganisms associated with raw foods/seeds without loosing their properties. This research focuses on the kinetics of CAP induced microbial inactivation of naturally growing surface microorganisms on seeds. The data were assessed for log- linear and non-log-linear models for survivor curves as a function of time. The Weibull model showed the best fitting performance of the data. No shoulder and tail was observed. The models are focused in terms of the number of log cycles reduction rather than on classical D-values with statistical measurements. The viability of seeds was not affected for CAP treatment times up to 3 min with our device. The optimum result was observed at 1 min with increased percentage of germination from 60.83% to 89.16% compared to the control. This result suggests the advantage and promising role of CAP in food industry.

The Dangers of Estimating V˙O2max Using Linear, Nonexercise Prediction Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Nevill, Alan M; Cooke, Carlton B

2017-05-01

This study aimed to compare the accuracy and goodness of fit of two competing models (linear vs allometric) when estimating V˙O2max (mL·kg·min) using nonexercise prediction models. The two competing models were fitted to the V˙O2max (mL·kg·min) data taken from two previously published studies. Study 1 (the Allied Dunbar National Fitness Survey) recruited 1732 randomly selected healthy participants, 16 yr and older, from 30 English parliamentary constituencies. Estimates of V˙O2max were obtained using a progressive incremental test on a motorized treadmill. In study 2, maximal oxygen uptake was measured directly during a fatigue limited treadmill test in older men (n = 152) and women (n = 146) 55 to 86 yr old. In both studies, the quality of fit associated with estimating V˙O2max (mL·kg·min) was superior using allometric rather than linear (additive) models based on all criteria (R, maximum log-likelihood, and Akaike information criteria). Results suggest that linear models will systematically overestimate V˙O2max for participants in their 20s and underestimate V˙O2max for participants in their 60s and older. The residuals saved from the linear models were neither normally distributed nor independent of the predicted values nor age. This will probably explain the absence of a key quadratic age term in the linear models, crucially identified using allometric models. Not only does the curvilinear age decline within an exponential function follow a more realistic age decline (the right-hand side of a bell-shaped curve), but the allometric models identified either a stature-to-body mass ratio (study 1) or a fat-free mass-to-body mass ratio (study 2), both associated with leanness when estimating V˙O2max. Adopting allometric models will provide more accurate predictions of V˙O2max (mL·kg·min) using plausible, biologically sound, and interpretable models.

Comparison of functional ramp walk test and 6-min walk test in healthy volunteers: A new approach in functional capacity evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manivel Arumugam

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: Inclined surfaces or ramps are the common obstacles faced by elderly and cardiopulmonary disabled in accessing public amenities. Ramp walking is one of the most common functional demands to be met by a common man in the industrialized world. To assess the functional (uphill walking capacity, we need a different functional stress test over the routinely used 6-min walk test (6MWT. Hence, a new 3-min steep ramp walk test (3MRWT was constructed to meet the demands similar to an uphill walk and to provide more functional stress than routinely used 6MWT. Methodology: The observational, crossover study design was adopted for this study. Fifteen healthy participants (8 males, 7 females performed both tests in a randomized order with a washout time of 6 h in between the tests. Walking distance to both ramp and ground, heart rate, blood pressure, saturation (SpO2, dyspnea, and fatigue with Borg exertion scale were compared prior and after the two walk tests. Results: The average distances covered in 6MWT were 510.5 ± 55.06 and 440.65 ± 25.08 meters and in 3MRWT were 270.18 ± 30.8, 230.05 ± 15.06 meters for male and female respectively. The difference between 3MRWT and 6MWT distances covered by the participants was statistically significant (t = 0.893. The mean difference between the heart rate, saturation and perceptions were highly significant (P < 0.001. Conclusion: The study results show that 3MRWT is valid over routinely administered 6MWT and may provide greater functional stress (uphill or ramp walk capacity in a shorter duration in healthy individuals in assessing the maximal functional capacity in a ramp or uphill walking.

Comparative Analyses between Skeletal Muscle miRNAomes from Large White and Min Pigs Revealed MicroRNAs Associated with Postnatal Muscle Hypertrophy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Xihui; Wang, Ligang; Ni, Hemin; Wang, Lixian; Qi, Xiaolong; Xing, Shuhan; Guo, Yong

2016-01-01

The molecular mechanism regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs) that underlies postnatal hypertrophy of skeletal muscle is complex and remains unclear. Here, the miRNAomes of longissimus dorsi muscle collected at five postnatal stages (60, 120, 150, 180, and 210 days after birth) from Large White (commercial breed) and Min pigs (indigenous breed of China) were analyzed by Illumina sequencing. We identified 734 miRNAs comprising 308 annotated miRNAs and 426 novel miRNAs, of which 307 could be considered pig-specific. Comparative analysis between two breeds suggested that 60 and 120 days after birth were important stages for skeletal muscle hypertrophy and intramuscular fat accumulation. A total of 263 miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed between two breeds at one or more developmental stages. In addition, the differentially expressed miRNAs between every two adjacent developmental stages in each breed were determined. Notably, ssc-miR-204 was significantly more highly expressed in Min pig skeletal muscle at all postnatal stages compared with its expression in Large White pig skeletal muscle. Based on gene ontology and KEGG pathway analyses of its predicted target genes, we concluded that ssc-miR-204 may exert an impact on postnatal hypertrophy of skeletal muscle by regulating myoblast proliferation. The results of this study will help in elucidating the mechanism underlying postnatal hypertrophy of skeletal muscle modulated by miRNAs, which could provide valuable information for improvement of pork quality and human myopathy.

Minério de ferro, geologia econômica e redes de expertsentre Wisconsin e Minas Gerais, 1881-1914

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georg Fischer

2014-03-01

Full Text Available O presente artigo trata da “descoberta” do minério de ferro brasileiro a partir de duas perspectivas. A primeira analisa a crescente ênfase das geociências em sua aplicação prática e em sua globalidade desde a segunda metade do século XIX. Enquanto no Brasil a geologia econômica foi integrada passo a passo às instituições do Estado, no nível global ela viveu momento de triunfo com o 11o Congresso Geológico Internacional, em 1910. A segunda trata de uma rede social específica com papel decisivo na corrida pelo minério de ferro brasileiro: experts transnacionais movimentandose entre as lógicas do mercado e as da academia. O artigo mostra a importância das negociações locais na incorporação do subsolo mineiro ao espaço global de mineração.

Modelos da distribuição temporal de chuvas intensas em Piracicaba, SP Time distribution models of intense rainfall in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Décio E. Cruciani

2002-04-01

rains fractions were distributed as 72.3, 21.4 and 6.2% of a total 20.7 mm precipitation. For 120 min rains, the result was 60.1, 25.2, 11.1 and 3.6% of a total 33.3 mm precipitation, in four successive intervals. Time distribution models for these rains were not affected by the amount of precipitation nor by their duration, in the intervals considered in this study.

Results on a Binding Neuron Model and Their Implications for Modified Hourglass Model for Neuronal Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viswanathan Arunachalam

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The classical models of single neuron like Hodgkin-Huxley point neuron or leaky integrate and fire neuron assume the influence of postsynaptic potentials to last till the neuron fires. Vidybida (2008 in a refreshing departure has proposed models for binding neurons in which the trace of an input is remembered only for a finite fixed period of time after which it is forgotten. The binding neurons conform to the behaviour of real neurons and are applicable in constructing fast recurrent networks for computer modeling. This paper develops explicitly several useful results for a binding neuron like the firing time distribution and other statistical characteristics. We also discuss the applicability of the developed results in constructing a modified hourglass network model in which there are interconnected neurons with excitatory as well as inhibitory inputs. Limited simulation results of the hourglass network are presented.

Comparison of radial 4D Flow-MRI with perivascular ultrasound to quantify blood flow in the abdomen and introduction of a porcine model of pre-hepatic portal hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Frydrychowicz, A; Roldan-Alzate, A; Winslow, E; Consigny, D; Campo, C A; Motosugi, U; Johnson, K M; Wieben, O; Reeder, S B

2017-12-01

Objectives of this study were to compare radial time-resolved phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging (4D Flow-MRI) with perivascular ultrasound (pvUS) and to explore a porcine model of acute pre-hepatic portal hypertension (PHTN). Abdominal 4D Flow-MRI and pvUS in portal and splenic vein, hepatic and both renal arteries were performed in 13 pigs of approximately 60 kg. In six pigs, measurements were repeated after partial portal vein (PV) ligature. Inter- and intra-reader comparisons and statistical analysis including Bland-Altman (BA) comparison, paired Student's t tests and linear regression were performed. PvUS and 4D Flow-MRI measurements agreed well; flow before partial PV ligature was 322 ± 30 ml/min in pvUS and 297 ± 27 ml/min in MRI (p = 0.294), and average BA difference was 25 ml/min [-322; 372]. Inter- and intra-reader results differed very little, revealed excellent correlation (R 2  = 0.98 and 0.99, respectively) and resulted in BA differences of -5 ml/min [-161; 150] and -2 ml/min [-28; 25], respectively. After PV ligature, PV flow decreased from 356 ± 50 to 298 ± 61 ml/min (p = 0.02), and hepatic arterial flow increased from 277 ± 36 to 331 ± 65 ml/min (p = n.s.). The successful in vivo comparison of radial 4D Flow-MRI to perivascular ultrasound revealed good agreement of abdominal blood flow although with considerable spread of results. A model of pre-hepatic PHTN was successfully introduced and acute responses monitored. • Radial 4D Flow-MRI in the abdomen was successfully compared to perivascular ultrasound. • Inter- and intra-reader testing demonstrated excellent reproducibility of upper abdominal 4D Flow-MRI. • A porcine model of acute pre-hepatic portal hypertension was successfully introduced. • 4D Flow-MRI successfully monitored acute changes in a model of portal hypertension.

Effects of Secondary Circuit Modeling on Results of Pressurized Water Reactor Main Steam Line Break Benchmark Calculations with New Coupled Code TRAB-3D/SMABRE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daavittila, Antti; Haemaelaeinen, Anitta; Kyrki-Rajamaeki, Riitta

2003-01-01

All of the three exercises of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/Nuclear Regulatory Commission pressurized water reactor main steam line break (PWR MSLB) benchmark were calculated at VTT, the Technical Research Centre of Finland. For the first exercise, the plant simulation with point-kinetic neutronics, the thermal-hydraulics code SMABRE was used. The second exercise was calculated with the three-dimensional reactor dynamics code TRAB-3D, and the third exercise with the combination TRAB-3D/SMABRE. VTT has over ten years' experience of coupling neutronic and thermal-hydraulic codes, but this benchmark was the first time these two codes, both developed at VTT, were coupled together. The coupled code system is fast and efficient; the total computation time of the 100-s transient in the third exercise was 16 min on a modern UNIX workstation. The results of all the exercises are similar to those of the other participants. In order to demonstrate the effect of secondary circuit modeling on the results, three different cases were calculated. In case 1 there is no phase separation in the steam lines and no flow reversal in the aspirator. In case 2 the flow reversal in the aspirator is allowed, but there is no phase separation in the steam lines. Finally, in case 3 the drift-flux model is used for the phase separation in the steam lines, but the aspirator flow reversal is not allowed. With these two modeling variations, it is possible to cover a remarkably broad range of results. The maximum power level reached after the reactor trip varies from 534 to 904 MW, the range of the time of the power maximum being close to 30 s. Compared to the total calculated transient time of 100 s, the effect of the secondary side modeling is extremely important

Determinants of poor 6-min walking distance in patients with COPD: the ECLIPSE cohort

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spruit, Martijn A; Watkins, Michael L; Edwards, Lisa D

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: The 6-min walking test (6MWT) is widely used to assess exercise tolerance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Given the prognostic significance of the 6MWT, it is important to identify why some COPD patients perform poorly in terms of this outcome. We aimed...... with COPD have significant differences in performance in the 6MWT even after stratification for GOLD stages. Moreover, severe airflow limitation by GOLD stage, degree of emphysema by CT, oxygen use during/after the 6MWT, presence of depressive symptoms and moderate to severe symptoms of dyspnea (mMRC grade...... >/=2) are significant clinical determinants of poor 6MWD performance (pulmonary and non-pulmonary factors) and psychological factors as evaluated from a large multinational cohort of well...

Modelling of tracer-kinetic results using xylene isomerization as an example

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauer, F.J.; Dermietzel, J.; Roesseler, M.; Koch, H.

1976-01-01

The analysis of results from differential or/and integral reactor experiments often admits the interpretation of a chemical reaction in several ways. In addition, the use of mathematical methods for the model selection and planning of experiments is rendered more difficult by great confidence intervals of the ascertained model parameters. The application of radioactively labelled molecules results in improving the knowledge of reaction mechanisms as well as the assessment of parameters obtained. This is shown on the basis of modelling the isomerization of xylene. (author)

Validation Results for Core-Scale Oil Shale Pyrolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Staten, Josh; Tiwari, Pankaj

2015-03-01

This report summarizes a study of oil shale pyrolysis at various scales and the subsequent development a model for in situ production of oil from oil shale. Oil shale from the Mahogany zone of the Green River formation was used in all experiments. Pyrolysis experiments were conducted at four scales, powdered samples (100 mesh) and core samples of 0.75”, 1” and 2.5” diameters. The batch, semibatch and continuous flow pyrolysis experiments were designed to study the effect of temperature (300°C to 500°C), heating rate (1°C/min to 10°C/min), pressure (ambient and 500 psig) and size of the sample on product formation. Comprehensive analyses were performed on reactants and products - liquid, gas and spent shale. These experimental studies were designed to understand the relevant coupled phenomena (reaction kinetics, heat transfer, mass transfer, thermodynamics) at multiple scales. A model for oil shale pyrolysis was developed in the COMSOL multiphysics platform. A general kinetic model was integrated with important physical and chemical phenomena that occur during pyrolysis. The secondary reactions of coking and cracking in the product phase were addressed. The multiscale experimental data generated and the models developed provide an understanding of the simultaneous effects of chemical kinetics, and heat and mass transfer on oil quality and yield. The comprehensive data collected in this study will help advance the move to large-scale in situ oil production from the pyrolysis of oil shale.

Intrastriatal convection-enhanced delivery results in widespread perivascular distribution in a pre-clinical model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barua Neil U

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Convection-enhanced delivery (CED, a direct method for drug delivery to the brain through intraparenchymal microcatheters, is a promising strategy for intracerebral pharmacological therapy. By establishing a pressure gradient at the tip of the catheter, drugs can be delivered in uniform concentration throughout a large volume of interstitial fluid. However, the variables affecting perivascular distribution of drugs delivered by CED are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to determine whether the perivascular distribution of solutes delivered by CED into the striatum of rats is affected by the molecular weight of the infused agent, by co-infusion of vasodilator, alteration of infusion rates or use of a ramping regime. We also wanted to make a preliminary comparison of the distribution of solutes with that of nanoparticles. Methods We analysed the perivascular distribution of 4, 10, 20, 70, 150 kDa fluorescein-labelled dextran and fluorescent nanoparticles at 10 min and 3 h following CED into rat striatum. We investigated the effect of local vasodilatation, slow infusion rates and ramping on the perivascular distribution of solutes. Co-localisation with perivascular basement membranes and vascular endothelial cells was identified by immunohistochemistry. The uptake of infusates by perivascular macrophages was quantified using stereological methods. Results Widespread perivascular distribution and macrophage uptake of fluorescein-labelled dextran was visible 10 min after cessation of CED irrespective of molecular weight. However, a significantly higher proportion of perivascular macrophages had taken up 4, 10 and 20 kDa fluorescein-labelled dextran than 150 kDa dextran (p Conclusions This study suggests that widespread perivascular distribution and interaction with perivascular macrophages is likely to be an inevitable consequence of CED of solutes. The potential consequences of perivascular distribution of

HUBUNGAN PENYAKIT GONDOK DENGAN KADAR YODIUM DALAM URIN MURID MADRASAH IBTIDAIYAH NEGERI (MIN KORONG GADANG KECAMATAN KURANJI KOTA PADANG

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Yustini Alioes

2010-09-01

.The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between goiter with academic performance and urinary excretion iodine of children in Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negeri (MIN in Korong Gadang Kuranji District, Padang City.ARTIKEL PENELITIAN185A cross sectional study has been done in 130 students of the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth degree of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negeri (MIN Korong Gadang Kecamatan Kuranji Padang City. Data of academic performance was taken from the result of study in a semester. Physical growth was determined based on weight and height.During the research, there were 80 children (65,1% who suffered from goitre. The correlation between goitre and academic performance are unsignificant (p>0,05. This study was also found that there was no correlation between goitre and physical growth (p>0,05.Key Word : Iodine, urine, hyperthyroidism

Scientific Results of Yoga for Health and Well-Being

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Technical note: Improving modeling of coagulation, curd firming, and syneresis of sheep milk.

Science.gov (United States)

Cipolat-Gotet, Claudio; Pazzola, Michele; Ferragina, Alessandro; Cecchinato, Alessio; Dettori, Maria L; Vacca, Giuseppe M

2018-04-18

The importance of milk coagulation properties for milk processing, cheese yield, and quality is widely recognized. The use of traditional coagulation traits presents several limitations for testing bovine milk and even more for sheep milk, due to its rapid coagulation and curd firming, and early syneresis of coagulum. The aim of this technical note is to test and improve model fitting for assessing coagulation, curd firming, and syneresis of sheep milk. Using milk samples from 87 Sarda ewes, we performed in duplicate lactodynamographic testing. On each of the 174 analyzed milk aliquots, using 180 observations from each aliquot (one every 15 s for 45 min after rennet addition), we compared 4 different curd firming models as a function of time (CF t , mm) using a nonlinear procedure. The most accurate and informative results were observed using a modified 4-parameter model, structured as follows: [Formula: see text] , where t is time, RCT eq (min) is the gelation time, CF P (mm) is the potential asymptotical CF at an infinite time, k CF (%/min) is the curd firming rate constant, and k SR (%/min) is the curd syneresis rate constant. To avoid nonconvergence and computational problems due to interrelations among the equation parameters, CF P was preliminarily defined as a function of maximum observed curd firmness (CF max , mm) recorded during the analysis. For this model, all the modeling equations of individual sheep milk aliquots were converging, with a negligible standard error of the estimates (coefficient of determination >0.99 for all individual sample equations). Repeatability of the modeled parameters was acceptable, also in the presence of curd syneresis during the lactodynamographic analysis. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CMS standard model Higgs boson results

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Garcia-Abia Pablo

2013-11-01

Full Text Available In July 2012 CMS announced the discovery of a new boson with properties resembling those of the long-sought Higgs boson. The analysis of the proton-proton collision data recorded by the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 5.1 fb−1 at √s = 7 TeV and 19.6 fb−1 at √s = 8 TeV, confirm the Higgs-like nature of the new boson, with a signal strength associated with vector bosons and fermions consistent with the expectations for a standard model (SM Higgs boson, and spin-parity clearly favouring the scalar nature of the new boson. In this note I review the updated results of the CMS experiment.

EFFECT OF UPPER-LIMB AND THORACIC MUSCLE STRENGTH ON 6-MIN WALK DISTANCE IN COPD PATIENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D Varalakshmi

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD is the only cause of death from chronic disease that will increase worldwide until 2020 and it represents a big burden for patients and society. Patients with COPD characteristically show poor exercise performance indicated by a marked reduction in both peak pulmonary 02 uptake and work rate at peak exercise. The sequelae of exercise intolerance include increased difficulty in performing daily tasks, etc. The objective of the study is to investigate the influence of thoracic and upper limb muscle function on 6-min walk distance (6MWD in patients with COPD. Method: Thirty eight COPD patients were included if they fulfilled the criteria for COPD according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease guidelines. Prospective, cross-sectional design with sample size of 38 patients. All patients performed 6MWD and 1RM exercises. Results: To study the correlation between variables, Pearson or Spearman coefficients of correlation were used with the level of statistical significance set at 5%.Results of this study suggested for the first time that thoracic muscle strength is a predictor of 6MWD in COPD patients. It also confirms the influence of respiratory muscle strength (Pimax, dyspnea, on the 6MWD of these patients. Conclusion: It is concluded that peripheral muscle strength, respiratory muscle strength, and the sensation of dyspnea all have an influence on the capacity of COPD patients to perform exercises.

Scientific Results of Yoga for Health and Well-Being

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Comparison of radial 4D Flow-MRI with perivascular ultrasound to quantify blood flow in the abdomen and introduction of a porcine model of pre-hepatic portal hypertension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frydrychowicz, A. [University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, E3/366 Clinical Science Center, Madison, WI (United States); University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck, Clinic for Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Luebeck (Germany); University of Luebeck, Luebeck (Germany); Roldan-Alzate, A. [University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, E3/366 Clinical Science Center, Madison, WI (United States); University of Wisconsin, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Madison (United States); Winslow, E. [University of Wisconsin, Department of Surgery, Madison (United States); Consigny, D.; Campo, C.A.; Motosugi, U. [University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, E3/366 Clinical Science Center, Madison, WI (United States); Johnson, K.M. [University of Wisconsin, Department of Medical Physics, Madison (United States); Wieben, O. [University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, E3/366 Clinical Science Center, Madison, WI (United States); University of Wisconsin, Department of Medical Physics, Madison (United States); Reeder, S.B. [University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, E3/366 Clinical Science Center, Madison, WI (United States); University of Wisconsin, Department of Medical Physics, Madison (United States); University of Wisconsin, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Madison (United States); University of Wisconsin, Department of Medicine, Madison (United States); University of Wisconsin, Department of Emergency Medicine, Madison (United States)

2017-12-15

Objectives of this study were to compare radial time-resolved phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging (4D Flow-MRI) with perivascular ultrasound (pvUS) and to explore a porcine model of acute pre-hepatic portal hypertension (PHTN). Abdominal 4D Flow-MRI and pvUS in portal and splenic vein, hepatic and both renal arteries were performed in 13 pigs of approximately 60 kg. In six pigs, measurements were repeated after partial portal vein (PV) ligature. Inter- and intra-reader comparisons and statistical analysis including Bland-Altman (BA) comparison, paired Student's t tests and linear regression were performed. PvUS and 4D Flow-MRI measurements agreed well; flow before partial PV ligature was 322 ± 30 ml/min in pvUS and 297 ± 27 ml/min in MRI (p = 0.294), and average BA difference was 25 ml/min [-322; 372]. Inter- and intra-reader results differed very little, revealed excellent correlation (R {sup 2} = 0.98 and 0.99, respectively) and resulted in BA differences of -5 ml/min [-161; 150] and -2 ml/min [-28; 25], respectively. After PV ligature, PV flow decreased from 356 ± 50 to 298 ± 61 ml/min (p = 0.02), and hepatic arterial flow increased from 277 ± 36 to 331 ± 65 ml/min (p = n.s.). The successful in vivo comparison of radial 4D Flow-MRI to perivascular ultrasound revealed good agreement of abdominal blood flow although with considerable spread of results. A model of pre-hepatic PHTN was successfully introduced and acute responses monitored. (orig.)

Local and Global Function Model of the Liver

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Hesheng, E-mail: hesheng@umich.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Feng, Mary [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Jackson, Andrew [Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Ten Haken, Randall K.; Lawrence, Theodore S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Cao, Yue [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States); Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States)

2016-01-01

Purpose: To develop a local and global function model in the liver based on regional and organ function measurements to support individualized adaptive radiation therapy (RT). Methods and Materials: A local and global model for liver function was developed to include both functional volume and the effect of functional variation of subunits. Adopting the assumption of parallel architecture in the liver, the global function was composed of a sum of local function probabilities of subunits, varying between 0 and 1. The model was fit to 59 datasets of liver regional and organ function measures from 23 patients obtained before, during, and 1 month after RT. The local function probabilities of subunits were modeled by a sigmoid function in relating to MRI-derived portal venous perfusion values. The global function was fitted to a logarithm of an indocyanine green retention rate at 15 minutes (an overall liver function measure). Cross-validation was performed by leave-m-out tests. The model was further evaluated by fitting to the data divided according to whether the patients had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or not. Results: The liver function model showed that (1) a perfusion value of 68.6 mL/(100 g · min) yielded a local function probability of 0.5; (2) the probability reached 0.9 at a perfusion value of 98 mL/(100 g · min); and (3) at a probability of 0.03 [corresponding perfusion of 38 mL/(100 g · min)] or lower, the contribution to global function was lost. Cross-validations showed that the model parameters were stable. The model fitted to the data from the patients with HCC indicated that the same amount of portal venous perfusion was translated into less local function probability than in the patients with non-HCC tumors. Conclusions: The developed liver function model could provide a means to better assess individual and regional dose-responses of hepatic functions, and provide guidance for individualized treatment planning of RT.

Results from flamelet and non-flamelet models for supersonic combustion

Science.gov (United States)

Ladeinde, Foluso; Li, Wenhai

2017-11-01

Air-breathing propulsion systems (scramjets) have been identified as a viable alternative to rocket engines for improved efficiency. A scramjet engine, which operates at flight Mach numbers around 7 or above, is characterized by the existence of supersonic flow conditions in the combustor. In a dual-mode scramjet, this phenomenon is possible because of the relatively low value of the equivalence ratio and high stagnation temperature, which, together, inhibits thermal choking downstream of transverse injectors. The flamelet method has been our choice for turbulence-combustion interaction modeling and we have extended the basic approach in several dimensions, with a focus on the way the pressure and progress variable are modeled. Improved results have been obtained. We have also examined non-flamelet models, including laminar chemistry (QL), eddy dissipation concept (EDC), and partially-stirred reactor (PaSR). The pressure/progress variable-corrected simulations give better results compared with the original model, with reaction rates that are lower than those from EDC and PaSR. In general, QL tends to over-predict the reaction rate for the supersonic combustion problems investigated in our work.

A regional climate model for northern Europe: model description and results from the downscaling of two GCM control simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Rummukainen, M.; Räisänen, J.; Bringfelt, B.; Ullerstig, A.; Omstedt, A.; Willén, U.; Hansson, U.; Jones, C.

This work presents a regional climate model, the Rossby Centre regional Atmospheric model (RCA1), recently developed from the High Resolution Limited Area Model (HIRLAM). The changes in the HIRLAM parametrizations, necessary for climate-length integrations, are described. A regional Baltic Sea ocean model and a modeling system for the Nordic inland lake systems have been coupled with RCA1. The coupled system has been used to downscale 10-year time slices from two different general circulation model (GCM) simulations to provide high-resolution regional interpretation of large-scale modeling. A selection of the results from the control runs, i.e. the present-day climate simulations, are presented: large-scale free atmospheric fields, the surface temperature and precipitation results and results for the on-line simulated regional ocean and lake surface climates. The regional model modifies the surface climate description compared to the GCM simulations, but it is also substantially affected by the biases in the GCM simulations. The regional model also improves the representation of the regional ocean and the inland lakes, compared to the GCM results.

A regional climate model for northern Europe: model description and results from the downscaling of two GCM control simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rummukainen, M.; Raeisaenen, J.; Bringfelt, B.; Ullerstig, A.; Omstedt, A.; Willen, U.; Hansson, U.; Jones, C. [Rossby Centre, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Inst., Norrkoeping (Sweden)

2001-03-01

This work presents a regional climate model, the Rossby Centre regional Atmospheric model (RCA1), recently developed from the High Resolution Limited Area Model (HIRLAM). The changes in the HIRLAM parametrizations, necessary for climate-length integrations, are described. A regional Baltic Sea ocean model and a modeling system for the Nordic inland lake systems have been coupled with RCA1. The coupled system has been used to downscale 10-year time slices from two different general circulation model (GCM) simulations to provide high-resolution regional interpretation of large-scale modeling. A selection of the results from the control runs, i.e. the present-day climate simulations, are presented: large-scale free atmospheric fields, the surface temperature and precipitation results and results for the on-line simulated regional ocean and lake surface climates. The regional model modifies the surface climate description compared to the GCM simulations, but it is also substantially affected by the biases in the GCM simulations. The regional model also improves the representation of the regional ocean and the inland lakes, compared to the GCM results. (orig.)

Thermal-Chemical Model Of Subduction: Results And Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Gorczyk, W.; Gerya, T. V.; Connolly, J. A.; Yuen, D. A.; Rudolph, M.

2005-12-01

Seismic structures with strong positive and negative velocity anomalies in the mantle wedge above subduction zones have been interpreted as thermally and/or chemically induced phenomena. We have developed a thermal-chemical model of subduction, which constrains the dynamics of seismic velocity structure beneath volcanic arcs. Our simulations have been calculated over a finite-difference grid with (201×101) to (201×401) regularly spaced Eulerian points, using 0.5 million to 10 billion markers. The model couples numerical thermo-mechanical solution with Gibbs energy minimization to investigate the dynamic behavior of partially molten upwellings from slabs (cold plumes) and structures associated with their development. The model demonstrates two chemically distinct types of plumes (mixed and unmixed), and various rigid body rotation phenomena in the wedge (subduction wheel, fore-arc spin, wedge pin-ball). These thermal-chemical features strongly perturb seismic structure. Their occurrence is dependent on the age of subducting slab and the rate of subduction.The model has been validated through a series of test cases and its results are consistent with a variety of geological and geophysical data. In contrast to models that attribute a purely thermal origin for mantle wedge seismic anomalies, the thermal-chemical model is able to simulate the strong variations of seismic velocity existing beneath volcanic arcs which are associated with development of cold plumes. In particular, molten regions that form beneath volcanic arcs as a consequence of vigorous cold wet plumes are manifest by > 20% variations in the local Poisson ratio, as compared to variations of ~ 2% expected as a consequence of temperature variation within the mantle wedge.

Modeling Results For the ITER Cryogenic Fore Pump. Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pfotenhauer, John M. [University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Zhang, Dongsheng [University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

2014-03-31

A numerical model characterizing the operation of a cryogenic fore-pump (CFP) for ITER has been developed at the University of Wisconsin – Madison during the period from March 15, 2011 through June 30, 2014. The purpose of the ITER-CFP is to separate hydrogen isotopes from helium gas, both making up the exhaust components from the ITER reactor. The model explicitly determines the amount of hydrogen that is captured by the supercritical-helium-cooled pump as a function of the inlet temperature of the supercritical helium, its flow rate, and the inlet conditions of the hydrogen gas flow. Furthermore the model computes the location and amount of hydrogen captured in the pump as a function of time. Throughout the model’s development, and as a calibration check for its results, it has been extensively compared with the measurements of a CFP prototype tested at Oak Ridge National Lab. The results of the model demonstrate that the quantity of captured hydrogen is very sensitive to the inlet temperature of the helium coolant on the outside of the cryopump. Furthermore, the model can be utilized to refine those tests, and suggests methods that could be incorporated in the testing to enhance the usefulness of the measured data.

Modelling Extortion Racket Systems: Preliminary Results

Science.gov (United States)

Nardin, Luis G.; Andrighetto, Giulia; Székely, Áron; Conte, Rosaria

Mafias are highly powerful and deeply entrenched organised criminal groups that cause both economic and social damage. Overcoming, or at least limiting, their harmful effects is a societally beneficial objective, which renders its dynamics understanding an objective of both scientific and political interests. We propose an agent-based simulation model aimed at understanding how independent and combined effects of legal and social norm-based processes help to counter mafias. Our results show that legal processes are effective in directly countering mafias by reducing their activities and changing the behaviour of the rest of population, yet they are not able to change people's mind-set that renders the change fragile. When combined with social norm-based processes, however, people's mind-set shifts towards a culture of legality rendering the observed behaviour resilient to change.

SR-Site groundwater flow modelling methodology, setup and results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selroos, Jan-Olof; Follin, Sven

2010-12-01

As a part of the license application for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has undertaken three groundwater flow modelling studies. These are performed within the SR-Site project and represent time periods with different climate conditions. The simulations carried out contribute to the overall evaluation of the repository design and long-term radiological safety. Three time periods are addressed; the Excavation and operational phases, the Initial period of temperate climate after closure, and the Remaining part of the reference glacial cycle. The present report is a synthesis of the background reports describing the modelling methodology, setup, and results. It is the primary reference for the conclusions drawn in a SR-Site specific context concerning groundwater flow during the three climate periods. These conclusions are not necessarily provided explicitly in the background reports, but are based on the results provided in these reports. The main results and comparisons presented in the present report are summarised in the SR-Site Main report

SR-Site groundwater flow modelling methodology, setup and results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Selroos, Jan-Olof (Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden)); Follin, Sven (SF GeoLogic AB, Taeby (Sweden))

2010-12-15

As a part of the license application for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has undertaken three groundwater flow modelling studies. These are performed within the SR-Site project and represent time periods with different climate conditions. The simulations carried out contribute to the overall evaluation of the repository design and long-term radiological safety. Three time periods are addressed; the Excavation and operational phases, the Initial period of temperate climate after closure, and the Remaining part of the reference glacial cycle. The present report is a synthesis of the background reports describing the modelling methodology, setup, and results. It is the primary reference for the conclusions drawn in a SR-Site specific context concerning groundwater flow during the three climate periods. These conclusions are not necessarily provided explicitly in the background reports, but are based on the results provided in these reports. The main results and comparisons presented in the present report are summarised in the SR-Site Main report.

Short-Term Solar Irradiance Forecasts Using Sky Images and Radiative Transfer Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Du

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we propose a novel forecast method which addresses the difficulty in short-term solar irradiance forecasting that arises due to rapidly evolving environmental factors over short time periods. This involves the forecasting of Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI that combines prediction sky images with a Radiative Transfer Model (RTM. The prediction images (up to 10 min ahead are produced by a non-local optical flow method, which is used to calculate the cloud motion for each pixel, with consecutive sky images at 1 min intervals. The Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI and the diffuse radiation intensity field under clear sky and overcast conditions obtained from the RTM are then mapped to the sky images. Through combining the cloud locations on the prediction image with the corresponding instance of image-based DNI and diffuse radiation intensity fields, the GHI can be quantitatively forecasted for time horizons of 1–10 min ahead. The solar forecasts are evaluated in terms of root mean square error (RMSE and mean absolute error (MAE in relation to in-situ measurements and compared to the performance of the persistence model. The results of our experiment show that GHI forecasts using the proposed method perform better than the persistence model.

Max–min Bin Packing Algorithm and its application in nano-particles filling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Dingju

2016-01-01

With regard to existing bin packing algorithms, higher packing efficiency often leads to lower packing speed while higher packing speed leads to lower packing efficiency. Packing speed and packing efficiency of existing bin packing algorithms including NFD, NF, FF, FFD, BF and BFD correlates negatively with each other, thus resulting in the failure of existing bin packing algorithms to satisfy the demand of nano-particles filling for both high speed and high efficiency. The paper provides a new bin packing algorithm, Max–min Bin Packing Algorithm (MM), which realizes both high packing speed and high packing efficiency. MM has the same packing speed as NFD (whose packing speed ranks no. 1 among existing bin packing algorithms); in case that the size repetition rate of objects to be packed is over 5, MM can realize almost the same packing efficiency as BFD (whose packing efficiency ranks No. 1 among existing bin packing algorithms), and in case that the size repetition rate of objects to be packed is over 500, MM can achieve exactly the same packing efficiency as BFD. With respect to application of nano-particles filling, the size repetition rate of nano particles to be packed is usually in thousands or ten thousands, far higher than 5 or 500. Consequently, in application of nano-particles filling, the packing efficiency of MM is exactly equal to that of BFD. Thus the irreconcilable conflict between packing speed and packing efficiency is successfully removed by MM, which leads to MM having better packing effect than any existing bin packing algorithm. In practice, there are few cases when the size repetition of objects to be packed is lower than 5. Therefore the MM is not necessarily limited to nano-particles filling, and can also be widely used in other applications besides nano-particles filling. Especially, MM has significant value in application of nano-particles filling such as nano printing and nano tooth filling.

Vidas célebres, vidas minúsculas: Vasari, Foucault, Michon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelvin Falcão

2014-12-01

Full Text Available O primeiro movimento deste ensaio consiste no esboço de um percurso breve a partir da obra de Michel Foucault, rastreando o uso do significante “vidas” em alguns textos do autor francês. Dois eixos são delineados a partir daí: o primeiro deles diz respeito à leitura foucaultiana das “vidas célebres” de Giorgio Vasari; o segundo diz respeito às “vidas infames”, que Foucault rastreia nos arquivos policiais franceses. Em seguida, inicia-se um desvio em direção à literatura do século XX, considerando o envolvimento da ficção com a emergência da discursividade biográfica, sua ressonância política e o emprego crítico, mais uma vez, do significante “vidas”. Com esse contexto de fundo estabelecido, o ensaio conclui-se com uma análise de Vidas minúsculas, do escritor francês Pierre Michon. The first movement of this essay is to outline a brief path from the work of Michel Foucault, tracking the use of the signifier “lives” in some texts of the French author. Two axes are delineated from there, the first one concerns Foucault’s reading of “renowed lives” by Giorgio Vasari; the second concerns the “infamous lives”, which Foucault traces from the French police files. Then begins a shift toward twentiethcentury literature, considering the involvement of fiction with the emergence of biographical discourse, its political resonance and, again, the critical use of the signifier “lives”. With this background context established, the essay concludes with a analysis of Small Lives, by French writer Pierre Michon.

Model-based sensor-augmented pump therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Grosman, Benyamin; Voskanyan, Gayane; Loutseiko, Mikhail; Roy, Anirban; Mehta, Aloke; Kurtz, Natalie; Parikh, Neha; Kaufman, Francine R; Mastrototaro, John J; Keenan, Barry

2013-03-01

In insulin pump therapy, optimization of bolus and basal insulin dose settings is a challenge. We introduce a new algorithm that provides individualized basal rates and new carbohydrate ratio and correction factor recommendations. The algorithm utilizes a mathematical model of blood glucose (BG) as a function of carbohydrate intake and delivered insulin, which includes individualized parameters derived from sensor BG and insulin delivery data downloaded from a patient's pump. A mathematical model of BG as a function of carbohydrate intake and delivered insulin was developed. The model includes fixed parameters and several individualized parameters derived from the subject's BG measurements and pump data. Performance of the new algorithm was assessed using n = 4 diabetic canine experiments over a 32 h duration. In addition, 10 in silico adults from the University of Virginia/Padova type 1 diabetes mellitus metabolic simulator were tested. The percentage of time in glucose range 80-180 mg/dl was 86%, 85%, 61%, and 30% using model-based therapy and [78%, 100%] (brackets denote multiple experiments conducted under the same therapy and animal model), [75%, 67%], 47%, and 86% for the control experiments for dogs 1 to 4, respectively. The BG measurements obtained in the simulation using our individualized algorithm were in 61-231 mg/dl min-max envelope, whereas use of the simulator's default treatment resulted in BG measurements 90-210 mg/dl min-max envelope. The study results demonstrate the potential of this method, which could serve as a platform for improving, facilitating, and standardizing insulin pump therapy based on a single download of data. © 2013 Diabetes Technology Society.

Some important results from the air pollution distribution model STACKS (1988-1992)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erbrink, J.J.

1993-01-01

Attention is paid to the results of the study on the distribution of air pollutants by high chimney-stacks of electric power plants. An important product of the study is the integrated distribution model STACKS (Short Term Air-pollutant Concentrations Kema modelling System). The improvements and the extensions of STACKS are described in relation to the National Model, which has been used to estimate the environmental effects of individual chimney-stacks. The National Model shows unacceptable variations for high pollutant sources. Based on the results of STACKS revision of the National model has been taken into consideration. By means of the revised National Model a more realistic estimation of the environmental effects of electric power plants can be carried out

Finiteness results for Abelian tree models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Draisma, J.; Eggermont, R.H.

2015-01-01

Equivariant tree models are statistical models used in the reconstruction of phylogenetic trees from genetic data. Here equivariant refers to a symmetry group imposed on the root distribution and on the transition matrices in the model. We prove that if that symmetry group is Abelian, then the

Finiteness results for Abelian tree models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Draisma, J.; Eggermont, R.H.

2012-01-01

Equivariant tree models are statistical models used in the reconstruction of phylogenetic trees from genetic data. Here equivariant refers to a symmetry group imposed on the root distribution and on the transition matrices in the model. We prove that if that symmetry group is Abelian, then the

Assessing flood risk at the global scale: model setup, results, and sensitivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ward, Philip J; Jongman, Brenden; Weiland, Frederiek Sperna; Winsemius, Hessel C; Bouwman, Arno; Ligtvoet, Willem; Van Beek, Rens; Bierkens, Marc F P

2013-01-01

Globally, economic losses from flooding exceeded $19 billion in 2012, and are rising rapidly. Hence, there is an increasing need for global-scale flood risk assessments, also within the context of integrated global assessments. We have developed and validated a model cascade for producing global flood risk maps, based on numerous flood return-periods. Validation results indicate that the model simulates interannual fluctuations in flood impacts well. The cascade involves: hydrological and hydraulic modelling; extreme value statistics; inundation modelling; flood impact modelling; and estimating annual expected impacts. The initial results estimate global impacts for several indicators, for example annual expected exposed population (169 million); and annual expected exposed GDP ($1383 billion). These results are relatively insensitive to the extreme value distribution employed to estimate low frequency flood volumes. However, they are extremely sensitive to the assumed flood protection standard; developing a database of such standards should be a research priority. Also, results are sensitive to the use of two different climate forcing datasets. The impact model can easily accommodate new, user-defined, impact indicators. We envisage several applications, for example: identifying risk hotspots; calculating macro-scale risk for the insurance industry and large companies; and assessing potential benefits (and costs) of adaptation measures. (letter)

Finiteness results for Abelian tree models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Draisma, J.; Eggermont, R.H.

2015-01-01

Equivariant tree models are statistical models used in the reconstruction of phylogenetic trees from genetic data. Here equivariant§ refers to a symmetry group imposed on the root distribution and on the transition matrices in the model. We prove that if that symmetry group is Abelian, then the

Multilayer perceptron neural network-based approach for modeling phycocyanin pigment concentrations: case study from lower Charles River buoy, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Heddam, Salim

2016-09-01

This paper proposes multilayer perceptron neural network (MLPNN) to predict phycocyanin (PC) pigment using water quality variables as predictor. In the proposed model, four water quality variables that are water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance were selected as the inputs for the MLPNN model, and the PC as the output. To demonstrate the capability and the usefulness of the MLPNN model, a total of 15,849 data measured at 15-min (15 min) intervals of time are used for the development of the model. The data are collected at the lower Charles River buoy, and available from the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). For comparison purposes, a multiple linear regression (MLR) model that was frequently used for predicting water quality variables in previous studies is also built. The performances of the models are evaluated using a set of widely used statistical indices. The performance of the MLPNN and MLR models is compared with the measured data. The obtained results show that (i) the all proposed MLPNN models are more accurate than the MLR models and (ii) the results obtained are very promising and encouraging for the development of phycocyanin-predictive models.

CIEMAT model results for Esthwaite Water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguero, A.; Garcia-Olivares, A.

2000-01-01

This study used the transfer model PRYMA-LO, developed by CIEMAT-IMA, Madrid, Spain, to simulate the transfer of Cs-137 in watershed scenarios. The main processes considered by the model include: transfer of the fallout to the ground, incorporation of the fallout radioisotopes into the water flow, and their removal from the system. The model was tested against observation data obtained in water and sediments of Esthwaite Water, Lake District, UK. This comparison made it possible to calibrate the parameters of the model to the specific scenario

Designing a model to minimize inequities in hemodialysis facilities distribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teresa M. Salgado

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Portugal has an uneven, city-centered bias in the distribution of hemodialysis centers found to contribute to health care inequities. A model has been developed with the aim of minimizing access inequity through the identification of the best possible localization of new hemodialysis facilities. The model was designed under the assumption that individuals from different geographic areas, ceteris paribus, present the same likelihood of requiring hemodialysis in the future. Distances to reach the closest hemodialysis facility were calculated for every municipality lacking one. Regions were scored by aggregating weights of the “individual burden”, defined as the burden for an individual living in a region lacking a hemodialysis center to reach one as often as needed, and the “population burden”, defined as the burden for the total population living in such a region. The model revealed that the average travelling distance for inhabitants in municipalities without a hemodialysis center is 32 km and that 145,551 inhabitants (1.5% live more than 60 min away from a hemodialysis center, while 1,393,770 (13.8% live 30-60 min away. Multivariate analysis showed that the current localization of hemodialysis facilities is associated with major urban areas. The model developed recommends 12 locations for establishing hemodialysis centers that would result in drastically reduced travel for 34 other municipalities, leaving only six (34,800 people with over 60 min of travel. The application of this model should facilitate the planning of future hemodialysis services as it takes into consideration the potential impact of travel time for individuals in need of dialysis, as well as the logistic arrangements required to transport all patients with end-stage renal disease. The model is applicable in any country and health care planners can opt to weigh these two elements differently in the model according to their priorities.

Reducing Operating Room Turnover Time for Robotic Surgery Using a Motor Racing Pit Stop Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Souders, Colby P; Catchpole, Ken R; Wood, Lauren N; Solnik, Jonathon M; Avenido, Raymund M; Strauss, Paul L; Eilber, Karyn S; Anger, Jennifer T

2017-08-01

Operating room (OR) turnover time, time taken between one patient leaving the OR and the next entering, is an important determinant of OR utilization, a key value metric for hospital administrators. Surgical robots have increased the complexity and number of tasks required during an OR turnover, resulting in highly variable OR turnover times. We sought to streamline the turnover process and decrease robotic OR turnover times and increase efficiency. Direct observation of 45 pre-intervention robotic OR turnovers was performed. Following a previously successful model for handoffs, we employed concepts from motor racing pit stops, including briefings, leadership, role definition, task allocation and task sequencing. Turnover task cards for staff were developed, and card assignments were distributed for each turnover. Forty-one cases were observed post-intervention. Average total OR turnover time was 99.2 min (95% CI 88.0-110.3) pre-intervention and 53.2 min (95% CI 48.0-58.5) at 3 months post-intervention. Average room ready time from when the patient exited the OR until the surgical technician was ready to receive the next patient was 42.2 min (95% CI 36.7-47.7) before the intervention, which reduced to 27.2 min at 3 months (95% CI 24.7-29.7) post-intervention (p system changes are needed to capitalize on that result. Pit stop and other high-risk industry models may inform approaches to the management of tasks and teams.

Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model for Fentanyl in support of the development of Provisional Advisory Levels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shankaran, Harish, E-mail: harish.shankaran@pnnl.gov [Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352 (United States); Adeshina, Femi [National Homeland Security Research Center, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460 (United States); Teeguarden, Justin G. [Systems Toxicology Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352 (United States)

2013-12-15

Provisional Advisory Levels (PALs) are tiered exposure limits for toxic chemicals in air and drinking water that are developed to assist in emergency responses. Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling can support this process by enabling extrapolations across doses, and exposure routes, thereby addressing gaps in the available toxicity data. Here, we describe the development of a PBPK model for Fentanyl – a synthetic opioid used clinically for pain management – to support the establishment of PALs. Starting from an existing model for intravenous Fentanyl, we first optimized distribution and clearance parameters using several additional IV datasets. We then calibrated the model using pharmacokinetic data for various formulations, and determined the absorbed fraction, F, and time taken for the absorbed amount to reach 90% of its final value, t90. For aerosolized pulmonary Fentanyl, F = 1 and t90 < 1 min indicating complete and rapid absorption. The F value ranged from 0.35 to 0.74 for oral and various transmucosal routes. Oral Fentanyl was absorbed the slowest (t90 ∼ 300 min); the absorption of intranasal Fentanyl was relatively rapid (t90 ∼ 20–40 min); and the various oral transmucosal routes had intermediate absorption rates (t90 ∼ 160–300 min). Based on these results, for inhalation exposures, we assumed that all of the Fentanyl inhaled from the air during each breath directly, and instantaneously enters the arterial circulation. We present model predictions of Fentanyl blood concentrations in oral and inhalation scenarios relevant for PAL development, and provide an analytical expression that can be used to extrapolate between oral and inhalation routes for the derivation of PALs. - Highlights: • We develop a Fentanyl PBPK model for relating external dose to internal levels. • We calibrate the model to oral and inhalation exposures using > 50 human datasets. • Model predictions are in good agreement with the available

The investigation of in-vivo measurement of individual renal blood perfusion, effective renal plasma flow and quantitation of renogram and 15 min bladder collection percentage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Kangchu

1991-01-01

25 normals and 43 renal diseases were examined by the RBF-I multifunctioning renography. The result showed that the determination of ERPF has no difference between blood sampling and noin-blood sampling method, and actually the lattrer can replace the former one. Above method can be also used for the measurement of the individual renal blood perfusion, the quantitation of renogram and the 15 min bladder coolection percentage at the same time. Thereby it provides more complete diagnostic information for the renal vascular diseases, renal pancren chymations and other urologic diseases

Analysis and comparison of safety models using average daily, average hourly, and microscopic traffic.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ling; Abdel-Aty, Mohamed; Wang, Xuesong; Yu, Rongjie

2018-02-01

There have been plenty of traffic safety studies based on average daily traffic (ADT), average hourly traffic (AHT), or microscopic traffic at 5 min intervals. Nevertheless, not enough research has compared the performance of these three types of safety studies, and seldom of previous studies have intended to find whether the results of one type of study is transferable to the other two studies. First, this study built three models: a Bayesian Poisson-lognormal model to estimate the daily crash frequency using ADT, a Bayesian Poisson-lognormal model to estimate the hourly crash frequency using AHT, and a Bayesian logistic regression model for the real-time safety analysis using microscopic traffic. The model results showed that the crash contributing factors found by different models were comparable but not the same. Four variables, i.e., the logarithm of volume, the standard deviation of speed, the logarithm of segment length, and the existence of diverge segment, were positively significant in the three models. Additionally, weaving segments experienced higher daily and hourly crash frequencies than merge and basic segments. Then, each of the ADT-based, AHT-based, and real-time models was used to estimate safety conditions at different levels: daily and hourly, meanwhile, the real-time model was also used in 5 min intervals. The results uncovered that the ADT- and AHT-based safety models performed similar in predicting daily and hourly crash frequencies, and the real-time safety model was able to provide hourly crash frequency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study on Evaporation Characteristics of Bio-oil and its Compound Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tan Long

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In this study, bio-oil was analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS, and the evaporation characteristics of bio-oil were studied at different heating rates (10, 20, and 30 °C/min from 35 °C to 250 °C by a thermal analyzer (TG-DSC. The TG-DSC results of bio-oil showed that the heat requirement of bio-oil during the evaporation process ranged from 2.072103 to 2.299103 J/g, and the bio-oil activation energy ranged from 1.22×104 to 3.34×104 J/mol. Moreover, four models with five compounds (methanol, water, ethanol, furfural, and phenol were established to study the bio-oil evaporation process. By comparing the TG-DSC results of bio-oil and its models at 30 °C/min, it was shown that the optimal model was model 2, which has the following chemical composition: methanol (27.10 wt.%, water (44.96 wt.%, ethanol (16.24 wt.%, furfural (4.40 wt.%, and phenol (7.30 wt.%. Model 2 exhibited a minimal relative error in dynamic parameters and characteristic curve parameters. The errors for activation energy of the TG, activation energy of the DSC, maximum endothermic rates, and the total of the heat absorption were 3.04%, 5.88%, 2.49%, and 1.06%, respectively.

Modeling vertical loads in pools resulting from fluid injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, W.; McCauley, E.W.

1978-01-01

Table-top model experiments were performed to investigate pressure suppression pool dynamics effects due to a postulated loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) for the Peachbottom Mark I boiling water reactor containment system. The results guided subsequent conduct of experiments in the 1 / 5 -scale facility and provided new insight into the vertical load function (VLF). Model experiments show an oscillatory VLF with the download typically double-spiked followed by a more gradual sinusoidal upload. The load function contains a high frequency oscillation superimposed on a low frequency one; evidence from measurements indicates that the oscillations are initiated by fluid dynamics phenomena

Development and validation of risk models to predict outcomes following in-hospital cardiac arrest attended by a hospital-based resuscitation team☆

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, David A.; Patel, Krishna; Nixon, Edel; Soar, Jasmeet; Smith, Gary B.; Gwinnutt, Carl; Nolan, Jerry P.; Rowan, Kathryn M.

2014-01-01

Aim The National Cardiac Arrest Audit (NCAA) is the UK national clinical audit for in-hospital cardiac arrest. To make fair comparisons among health care providers, clinical indicators require case mix adjustment using a validated risk model. The aim of this study was to develop and validate risk models to predict outcomes following in-hospital cardiac arrest attended by a hospital-based resuscitation team in UK hospitals. Methods Risk models for two outcomes—return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) for greater than 20 min and survival to hospital discharge—were developed and validated using data for in-hospital cardiac arrests between April 2011 and March 2013. For each outcome, a full model was fitted and then simplified by testing for non-linearity, combining categories and stepwise reduction. Finally, interactions between predictors were considered. Models were assessed for discrimination, calibration and accuracy. Results 22,479 in-hospital cardiac arrests in 143 hospitals were included (14,688 development, 7791 validation). The final risk model for ROSC > 20 min included: age (non-linear), sex, prior length of stay in hospital, reason for attendance, location of arrest, presenting rhythm, and interactions between presenting rhythm and location of arrest. The model for hospital survival included the same predictors, excluding sex. Both models had acceptable performance across the range of measures, although discrimination for hospital mortality exceeded that for ROSC > 20 min (c index 0.81 versus 0.72). Conclusions Validated risk models for ROSC > 20 min and hospital survival following in-hospital cardiac arrest have been developed. These models will strengthen comparative reporting in NCAA and support local quality improvement. PMID:24830872

Anesthetic efficacy of a repeated intraosseous injection given 30 min following an inferior alveolar nerve block/intraosseous injection.

OpenAIRE

Reitz, J.; Reader, A.; Nist, R.; Beck, M.; Meyers, W. J.

1998-01-01

To determine whether a repeated intraosseous (IO) injection would increase or prolong pulpal anesthesia, we measured the degree of anesthesia obtained by a repeated IO injection given 30 min following a combination inferior alveolar nerve block/intraosseous injection (IAN/IO) in mandibular second premolars and in first and second molars. Using a repeated-measures design, we randomly assigned 38 subjects to receive two combinations of injections at two separate appointments. The combinations w...

Lead/acid batteries for photovoltaic applications. Test results and modelling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Copetti, J B [CIEMAT, Inst. de Energias Renovables, Madrid (Spain); Chenlo, F [CIEMAT, Inst. de Energias Renovables, Madrid (Spain)

1994-01-01

This work presents the results of experiments carried out on lead/acid batteries during charge and discharge processes at different currents and temperatures, selected to a cover a large range of operating conditions, including those encountered in photovoltaic (PV) system applications. The results allow us to verify the relations among the battery external parameters (voltage, current, state-of-charge and temperature), the behaviour of the internal resistance, and to deduce a model that represents the discharge and charge processes, including the overcharge. Finally, normalized equations with respect to the battery capacity are proposed, which allow us to fix the values of parameters and hence the model is valid for any type and size of lead/acid battery. (orig.)

Reconstructing Holocene climate using a climate model: Model strategy and preliminary results

Science.gov (United States)

Haberkorn, K.; Blender, R.; Lunkeit, F.; Fraedrich, K.

2009-04-01

An Earth system model of intermediate complexity (Planet Simulator; PlaSim) is used to reconstruct Holocene climate based on proxy data. The Planet Simulator is a user friendly general circulation model (GCM) suitable for palaeoclimate research. Its easy handling and the modular structure allow for fast and problem dependent simulations. The spectral model is based on the moist primitive equations conserving momentum, mass, energy and moisture. Besides the atmospheric part, a mixed layer-ocean with sea ice and a land surface with biosphere are included. The present-day climate of PlaSim, based on an AMIP II control-run (T21/10L resolution), shows reasonable agreement with ERA-40 reanalysis data. Combining PlaSim with a socio-technological model (GLUES; DFG priority project INTERDYNAMIK) provides improved knowledge on the shift from hunting-gathering to agropastoral subsistence societies. This is achieved by a data assimilation approach, incorporating proxy time series into PlaSim to initialize palaeoclimate simulations during the Holocene. For this, the following strategy is applied: The sensitivities of the terrestrial PlaSim climate are determined with respect to sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. Here, the focus is the impact of regionally varying SST both in the tropics and the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes. The inverse of these sensitivities is used to determine the SST conditions necessary for the nudging of land and coastal proxy climates. Preliminary results indicate the potential, the uncertainty and the limitations of the method.

Scale Model Thruster Acoustic Measurement Results

Science.gov (United States)

Vargas, Magda; Kenny, R. Jeremy

2013-01-01

The Space Launch System (SLS) Scale Model Acoustic Test (SMAT) is a 5% scale representation of the SLS vehicle, mobile launcher, tower, and launch pad trench. The SLS launch propulsion system will be comprised of the Rocket Assisted Take-Off (RATO) motors representing the solid boosters and 4 Gas Hydrogen (GH2) thrusters representing the core engines. The GH2 thrusters were tested in a horizontal configuration in order to characterize their performance. In Phase 1, a single thruster was fired to determine the engine performance parameters necessary for scaling a single engine. A cluster configuration, consisting of the 4 thrusters, was tested in Phase 2 to integrate the system and determine their combined performance. Acoustic and overpressure data was collected during both test phases in order to characterize the system's acoustic performance. The results from the single thruster and 4- thuster system are discussed and compared.

Does the quality of chest compressions deteriorate when the chest compression rate is above 120/min?

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Soo Hoon; Kim, Kyuseok; Lee, Jae Hyuk; Kim, Taeyun; Kang, Changwoo; Park, Chanjong; Kim, Joonghee; Jo, You Hwan; Rhee, Joong Eui; Kim, Dong Hoon

2014-08-01

The quality of chest compressions along with defibrillation is the cornerstone of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which is known to improve the outcome of cardiac arrest. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the compression rate and other CPR quality parameters including compression depth and recoil. A conventional CPR training for lay rescuers was performed 2 weeks before the 'CPR contest'. CPR anytime training kits were distributed to respective participants for self-training on their own in their own time. The participants were tested for two-person CPR in pairs. The quantitative and qualitative data regarding the quality of CPR were collected from a standardised check list and SkillReporter, and compared by the compression rate. A total of 161 teams consisting of 322 students, which includes 116 men and 206 women, participated in the CPR contest. The mean depth and rate for chest compression were 49.0±8.2 mm and 110.2±10.2/min. Significantly deeper chest compression depths were noted at rates over 120/min than those at any other rates (47.0±7.4, 48.8±8.4, 52.3±6.7, p=0.008). Chest compression depth was proportional to chest compression rate (r=0.206, pcompression including chest compression depth and chest recoil by chest compression rate. Further evaluation regarding the upper limit of the chest compression rate is needed to ensure complete full chest wall recoil while maintaining an adequate chest compression depth. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Comparative performance of the CKD Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) and the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study equations for estimating GFR levels above 60 mL/min/1.73 m2.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Lesley A; Schmid, Christopher H; Greene, Tom; Zhang, Yaping Lucy; Beck, Gerald J; Froissart, Marc; Hamm, Lee L; Lewis, Julia B; Mauer, Michael; Navis, Gerjan J; Steffes, Michael W; Eggers, Paul W; Coresh, Josef; Levey, Andrew S

2010-09-01

The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study equation underestimates measured glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at levels>60 mL/min/1.73 m2, with variable accuracy among subgroups; consequently, estimated GFR (eGFR)>or=60 mL/min/1.73 m2 is not reported by clinical laboratories. Here, performance of a more accurate GFR-estimating equation, the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation, is reported by level of GFR and clinical characteristics. Test of diagnostic accuracy. Pooled data set of 3,896 people from 16 studies with measured GFR (not used for the development of either equation). Subgroups were defined by eGFR, age, sex, race, diabetes, prior solid-organ transplant, and body mass index. eGFR from the CKD-EPI and MDRD Study equations and standardized serum creatinine. Measured GFR using urinary or plasma clearance of exogenous filtration markers. Mean measured GFR was 68+/-36 (SD) mL/min/1.73 m2. For eGFR73 m2, both equations have similar bias (median difference compared with measured GFR). For eGFR of 30-59 mL/min/1.73 m2, bias was decreased from 4.9 to 2.1 mL/min/1.73 m2 (57% improvement). For eGFR of 60-89 mL/min/1.73 m2, bias was decreased from 11.9 to 4.2 mL/min/1.73 m2 (61% improvement). For eGFR of 90-119 mL/min/1.73 m2, bias was decreased from 10.0 to 1.9 mL/min/1.73 m2 (75% improvement). Similar or improved performance was noted for most subgroups with eGFR73 m2, other than body mass indexor=90 mL/min/1.73 m2. Limited number of elderly people and racial and ethnic minorities with measured GFR. The CKD-EPI equation is more accurate than the MDRD Study equation overall and across most subgroups. In contrast to the MDRD Study equation, eGFR>or=60 mL/min/1.73 m2 can be reported using the CKD-EPI equation. Copyright (c) 2010 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.

Preliminary results of steel containment vessel model test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, T.; Komine, K.; Arai, S.

1997-01-01

A high pressure test of a mixed-scaled model (1:10 in geometry and 1:4 in shell thickness) of a steel containment vessel (SCV), representing an improved boiling water reactor (BWR) Mark II containment, was conducted on December 11-12, 1996 at Sandia National Laboratories. This paper describes the preliminary results of the high pressure test. In addition, the preliminary post-test measurement data and the preliminary comparison of test data with pretest analysis predictions are also presented

Asymmetry of the Martian Current Sheet in a Multi-fluid MHD Model

Science.gov (United States)

Panoncillo, S. G.; Egan, H. L.; Dong, C.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Brain, D. A.; Jakosky, B. M.

2017-12-01

The solar wind carries interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) lines toward Mars, where they drape around the planet's conducting ionosphere, creating a current sheet behind the planet where the magnetic field has opposite polarity on either side. In its simplest form, the current sheet is often thought of as symmetric, extending behind the planet along the Mars-Sun line. Observations and model simulations, however, demonstrate that this idealized representation is only an approximation, and the actual scenario is much more complex. The current sheet can have 3D structure, move back and forth, and be situated dawnward or duskward of the Mars-Sun line. In this project, we utilized a library of global plasma model results for Mars consisting of a collection of multi-fluid MHD simulations where solar max/min, sub-solar longitude, and the orbital position of Mars are varied individually. The model includes Martian crustal fields, and was run for identical steady solar wind conditions. This library was created for the purpose of comparing model results to MAVEN data; we looked at the results of this model library to investigate current sheet asymmetries. By altering one variable at a time we were able to measure how these variables influence the location of the current sheet. We found that the current sheet is typically shifted toward the dusk side of the planet, and that modeled asymmetries are especially prevalent during solar min. Previous model studies that lack crustal fields have found that, for a Parker spiral IMF, the current sheet will shift dawnward, while our results typically show the opposite. This could expose certain limitations in the models used, or it could reveal an interaction between the solar wind and the plasma environment of Mars that has not yet been explored. MAVEN data may be compared to the model results to confirm the sense of the modeled asymmetry. These results help us to probe the physics controlling the Martian magnetotail and atmospheric

Development and installation in cell of generators of 113Sn/sup(113m)In in the Argentine National Atomic Energy Commission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bianco de Salas, G.N.; Arciprete, J.A.; Mitta, A.E.A.

1978-05-01

The preparation of 113 Sn/sup(113m)In generators is described as well as its installation in cell. The chemical and radiochemical controls and the conditions to concentrate the eluate, if necessary, are described in detail. Production and exportation figures are given. (author) [es

Results of the eruptive column model inter-comparison study

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Antonio; Suzuki, Yujiro; Cerminara, M.; Devenish, Ben J.; Esposti Ongaro, T.; Herzog, Michael; Van Eaton, Alexa; Denby, L.C.; Bursik, Marcus; de' Michieli Vitturi, Mattia; Engwell, S.; Neri, Augusto; Barsotti, Sara; Folch, Arnau; Macedonio, Giovanni; Girault, F.; Carazzo, G.; Tait, S.; Kaminski, E.; Mastin, Larry G.; Woodhouse, Mark J.; Phillips, Jeremy C.; Hogg, Andrew J.; Degruyter, Wim; Bonadonna, Costanza

2016-01-01

This study compares and evaluates one-dimensional (1D) and three-dimensional (3D) numerical models of volcanic eruption columns in a set of different inter-comparison exercises. The exercises were designed as a blind test in which a set of common input parameters was given for two reference eruptions, representing a strong and a weak eruption column under different meteorological conditions. Comparing the results of the different models allows us to evaluate their capabilities and target areas for future improvement. Despite their different formulations, the 1D and 3D models provide reasonably consistent predictions of some of the key global descriptors of the volcanic plumes. Variability in plume height, estimated from the standard deviation of model predictions, is within ~ 20% for the weak plume and ~ 10% for the strong plume. Predictions of neutral buoyancy level are also in reasonably good agreement among the different models, with a standard deviation ranging from 9 to 19% (the latter for the weak plume in a windy atmosphere). Overall, these discrepancies are in the range of observational uncertainty of column height. However, there are important differences amongst models in terms of local properties along the plume axis, particularly for the strong plume. Our analysis suggests that the simplified treatment of entrainment in 1D models is adequate to resolve the general behaviour of the weak plume. However, it is inadequate to capture complex features of the strong plume, such as large vortices, partial column collapse, or gravitational fountaining that strongly enhance entrainment in the lower atmosphere. We conclude that there is a need to more accurately quantify entrainment rates, improve the representation of plume radius, and incorporate the effects of column instability in future versions of 1D volcanic plume models.

Animal Model of Acute Deep Vein Thrombosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roy, Sumit; Laerum, Frode; Brosstad, Frank; Kvernebo, Knut; Sakariassen, Kjell S.

1998-01-01

Purpose: To develop an animal model of acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Methods: In part I of the study nine juvenile domestic pigs were used. Each external iliac vein was transluminally occluded with a balloon catheter. Thrombin was infused through a microcatheter in one leg according to one of the following protocols: (1) intraarterial (IA): 1250 U at 25 U/min in the common femoral artery (n= 3); (2) intravenous (IV): 5000 U in the popliteal vein at 500 U/min (n= 3), or at 100 U/min (n= 3). Saline was administered in the opposite leg. After the animals were killed, the mass of thrombus in the iliofemoral veins was measured. The pudendoepiploic (PEV), profunda femoris (PF), and popliteal veins (PV) were examined. Thrombosis in the tributaries of the superficial femoral vein (SFVt) was graded according to a three-point scale (0, +, ++). In part II of the study IV administration was further investigated in nine pigs using the following three regimens with 1000 U at 25 U/min serving as the control: (1) 1000 U at 100 U/min, (2) 250 U at 25 U/min, (3) 250 U at 6.25 U/min. Results: All animals survived. In part I median thrombus mass in the test limbs was 1.40 g as compared with 0.25 g in the controls (p= 0.01). PEV, PFV and PV were thrombosed in all limbs infused with thrombin. IV infusion was more effective in inducing thrombosis in both the parent veins (mass 1.32-1.78 g) and SVFt (++ in 4 of 6 legs), as compared with IA infusion (mass 0.0-1.16 g; SFVt ++ in 1 of 3 legs). In part II thrombus mass in axial veins ranged from 1.23 to 2.86 g, and showed no relationship with the dose of thrombin or the rate of infusion. Tributary thrombosis was less extensive with 250 U at 25 U/min than with the other regimens. Conclusion: Slow distal intravenous thrombin infusion in the hind legs of pigs combined with proximal venous occlusion induces thrombosis in the leg veins that closely resembles clinical DVT in distribution

Velocity-mass correlation of the O-type stars: model results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stone, R.C.

1982-01-01

This paper presents new model results describing the evolution of massive close binaries from their initial ZAMS to post-supernova stages. Unlike the previous conservative study by Stone [Astrophys. J. 232, 520 (1979) (Paper II)], these results allow explicitly for mass loss from the binary system occurring during the core hydrogen- and helium-burning stages of the primary binary star as well as during the Roche lobe overflow. Because of uncertainties in these rates, model results are given for several reasonable choices for these rates. All of the models consistently predict an increasing relation between the peculiar space velocities and masses for runaway OB stars which agrees well with the observed correlations discussed in Stone [Astron. J. 86, 544 (1981) (Paper III)] and also predict a lower limit at Mroughly-equal11M/sub sun/ for the masses of runaway stars, in agreement with the observational limit found by A. Blaauw (Bull. Astron. Inst. Neth. 15, 265, 1961), both of which support the binary-supernova scenario described by van den Heuvel and Heise for the origin of runaway stars. These models also predict that the more massive O stars will produce correspondingly more massive compact remnants, and that most binaries experiencing supernova-induced kick velocities of magnitude V/sub k/> or approx. =300 km s -1 will disrupt following the explosions. The best estimate for this velocity as established from pulsar observations is V/sub k/roughly-equal150 km s -1 , in which case probably only 15% if these binaries will be disrupted by the supernova explosions, and therefore, almost all runaway stars should have either neutron star or black hole companions

Dose response from pharmacological interventions for CBF changes in a baboon model using 99Tcm-HMPAO and SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dormehl, I.C.; Hugo, N.; Oliver, D.W.

1993-01-01

This study assesses the sensitivity of the baboon model under anaesthesia to determine by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and 99 Tc m -hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) dose responses from drugs (acetazolamide) with known regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) effects on humans. Three dosages of acetazolamide were chosen: 250, 500 and 750 mg. The effects of these were studied by conventional SPECT 5 min after intravenous (i.v.) administration and compared to previous studies of rCBF with the baboons under anaesthesia only. An additional study concerned the effect of 500 mg acetazolamide at 15 min after administration. Haemodynamic parameters and blood gases were also monitored. No statistically significant regional effects were noted. The largest increase in CBF (39%) was observed from 500 mg acetazolamide after 5 min. This was statistically significantly different from control values only at a 10% level of confidence; then following a 27% increase above control values after 750 mg (5 min). At 15 min 500 mg yielded values lower by 10% than the high dose. No effects were observed from 250 mg acetazolamide; only pO 2 showed changes which largely confirm the CBF findings. The model did not give significant results at a 5% level of confidence but large fluctuations were observed, also in the haemodynamic and blood gas values. At a 10% level a significant dose response was confirmed for acetazolamide. (author)

Linear regression metamodeling as a tool to summarize and present simulation model results.

Science.gov (United States)

Jalal, Hawre; Dowd, Bryan; Sainfort, François; Kuntz, Karen M

2013-10-01

Modelers lack a tool to systematically and clearly present complex model results, including those from sensitivity analyses. The objective was to propose linear regression metamodeling as a tool to increase transparency of decision analytic models and better communicate their results. We used a simplified cancer cure model to demonstrate our approach. The model computed the lifetime cost and benefit of 3 treatment options for cancer patients. We simulated 10,000 cohorts in a probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) and regressed the model outcomes on the standardized input parameter values in a set of regression analyses. We used the regression coefficients to describe measures of sensitivity analyses, including threshold and parameter sensitivity analyses. We also compared the results of the PSA to deterministic full-factorial and one-factor-at-a-time designs. The regression intercept represented the estimated base-case outcome, and the other coefficients described the relative parameter uncertainty in the model. We defined simple relationships that compute the average and incremental net benefit of each intervention. Metamodeling produced outputs similar to traditional deterministic 1-way or 2-way sensitivity analyses but was more reliable since it used all parameter values. Linear regression metamodeling is a simple, yet powerful, tool that can assist modelers in communicating model characteristics and sensitivity analyses.

The discovery of 13.72-min oscillations in the cool magnetic Ap star HD 217522

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurtz, D.W.

1983-01-01

The discovery is announced of oscillations with a period near 13.72 min in the cool magnetic Ap star HD 217522. 97 hr of high-speed photometric observations are presented, obtained on 18 nights spread over a time span of 74 days in 1982. The amplitude of the oscillations in HD 217522 is variable from night to night and also on a longer time-scale. A frequency analysis of the data identifies the principal frequency of oscillation to be 4.37435+-0.00014 hr -1 . Because of the complexities of the amplitude modulation of the light curve and the very low amplitude of the light variations, the data are insufficient for a complete frequency solution. This star is the seventh member of the class of rapidly oscillating Ap stars. (author)

INJECT and the modeling of waste recycling processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gracyalny, E.J.; Corradini, M.L. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

1995-09-01

Enhancements were performed to the computer model CORCON to allow for more general energy and transport processes, thus creating a general equilibrium, chemistry tool for a liquid pool with fluid injection. The summation of these model modifications are referred to as INJECT. It is believed that with these enhancements, INJECT becomes a useful tool to study waste management technologies and materials processing. A demonstration of such was performed with a simulation of pyrolysis and materials extraction of ion exchange resins produced by pressurized water reactors. A 5 kg pool consisting of iron, carbon and alumina was injected with CO{sub 2} and contaminated resin, commonly known as styrene. The injection rates varied from 0.2-1.0 {sub min}{sup L} for the CO{sub 2} and 0.5-1.5 {sub min}{sup g} for the resin. Simulation results indicated that the cesium and zinc contaminants were released as gases, cobalt would be in the metallic phase, cerium remained in the oxidic phase and manganese was found in both the oxidic and metallic phases.

Some exact results for the three-layer Zamolodchikov model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boos, H.E.; Mangazeev, V.V.

2001-01-01

In this paper we continue the study of the three-layer Zamolodchikov model started in our previous works (H.E. Boos, V.V. Mangazeev, J. Phys. A 32 (1999) 3041-3054 and H.E. Boos, V.V. Mangazeev, J. Phys. A 32 (1999) 5285-5298). We analyse numerically the solutions to the Bethe ansatz equations obtained in H.E. Boos, V.V. Mangazeev, J. Phys. A 32 (1999) 5285-5298. We consider two regimes I and II which differ by the signs of the spherical sides (a 1 ,a 2 ,a 3 )→(-a 1 ,-a 2 ,-a 3 ). We accept the two-line hypothesis for the regime I and the one-line hypothesis for the regime II. In the thermodynamic limit we derive integral equations for distribution densities and solve them exactly. We calculate the partition function for the three-layer Zamolodchikov model and check a compatibility of this result with the functional relations obtained in H.E. Boos, V.V. Mangazeev, J. Phys. A 32 (1999) 5285-5298. We also do some numeric checkings of our results

Initial CGE Model Results Summary Exogenous and Endogenous Variables Tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Edwards, Brian Keith [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Boero, Riccardo [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Rivera, Michael Kelly [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-08-07

The following discussion presents initial results of tests of the most recent version of the National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center Dynamic Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The intent of this is to test and assess the model’s behavioral properties. The test evaluated whether the predicted impacts are reasonable from a qualitative perspective. This issue is whether the predicted change, be it an increase or decrease in other model variables, is consistent with prior economic intuition and expectations about the predicted change. One of the purposes of this effort is to determine whether model changes are needed in order to improve its behavior qualitatively and quantitatively.

A method for modeling laterally asymmetric proton beamlets resulting from collimation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gelover, Edgar; Wang, Dongxu; Flynn, Ryan T.; Hyer, Daniel E. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52242 (United States); Hill, Patrick M. [Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53792 (United States); Gao, Mingcheng; Laub, Steve; Pankuch, Mark [Division of Medical Physics, CDH Proton Center, 4455 Weaver Parkway, Warrenville, Illinois 60555 (United States)

2015-03-15

Purpose: To introduce a method to model the 3D dose distribution of laterally asymmetric proton beamlets resulting from collimation. The model enables rapid beamlet calculation for spot scanning (SS) delivery using a novel penumbra-reducing dynamic collimation system (DCS) with two pairs of trimmers oriented perpendicular to each other. Methods: Trimmed beamlet dose distributions in water were simulated with MCNPX and the collimating effects noted in the simulations were validated by experimental measurement. The simulated beamlets were modeled analytically using integral depth dose curves along with an asymmetric Gaussian function to represent fluence in the beam’s eye view (BEV). The BEV parameters consisted of Gaussian standard deviations (sigmas) along each primary axis (σ{sub x1},σ{sub x2},σ{sub y1},σ{sub y2}) together with the spatial location of the maximum dose (μ{sub x},μ{sub y}). Percent depth dose variation with trimmer position was accounted for with a depth-dependent correction function. Beamlet growth with depth was accounted for by combining the in-air divergence with Hong’s fit of the Highland approximation along each axis in the BEV. Results: The beamlet model showed excellent agreement with the Monte Carlo simulation data used as a benchmark. The overall passing rate for a 3D gamma test with 3%/3 mm passing criteria was 96.1% between the analytical model and Monte Carlo data in an example treatment plan. Conclusions: The analytical model is capable of accurately representing individual asymmetric beamlets resulting from use of the DCS. This method enables integration of the DCS into a treatment planning system to perform dose computation in patient datasets. The method could be generalized for use with any SS collimation system in which blades, leaves, or trimmers are used to laterally sharpen beamlets.

A method for modeling laterally asymmetric proton beamlets resulting from collimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gelover, Edgar; Wang, Dongxu; Flynn, Ryan T.; Hyer, Daniel E.; Hill, Patrick M.; Gao, Mingcheng; Laub, Steve; Pankuch, Mark

2015-01-01

Purpose: To introduce a method to model the 3D dose distribution of laterally asymmetric proton beamlets resulting from collimation. The model enables rapid beamlet calculation for spot scanning (SS) delivery using a novel penumbra-reducing dynamic collimation system (DCS) with two pairs of trimmers oriented perpendicular to each other. Methods: Trimmed beamlet dose distributions in water were simulated with MCNPX and the collimating effects noted in the simulations were validated by experimental measurement. The simulated beamlets were modeled analytically using integral depth dose curves along with an asymmetric Gaussian function to represent fluence in the beam’s eye view (BEV). The BEV parameters consisted of Gaussian standard deviations (sigmas) along each primary axis (σ x1 ,σ x2 ,σ y1 ,σ y2 ) together with the spatial location of the maximum dose (μ x ,μ y ). Percent depth dose variation with trimmer position was accounted for with a depth-dependent correction function. Beamlet growth with depth was accounted for by combining the in-air divergence with Hong’s fit of the Highland approximation along each axis in the BEV. Results: The beamlet model showed excellent agreement with the Monte Carlo simulation data used as a benchmark. The overall passing rate for a 3D gamma test with 3%/3 mm passing criteria was 96.1% between the analytical model and Monte Carlo data in an example treatment plan. Conclusions: The analytical model is capable of accurately representing individual asymmetric beamlets resulting from use of the DCS. This method enables integration of the DCS into a treatment planning system to perform dose computation in patient datasets. The method could be generalized for use with any SS collimation system in which blades, leaves, or trimmers are used to laterally sharpen beamlets

A method for modeling laterally asymmetric proton beamlets resulting from collimation

Science.gov (United States)

Gelover, Edgar; Wang, Dongxu; Hill, Patrick M.; Flynn, Ryan T.; Gao, Mingcheng; Laub, Steve; Pankuch, Mark; Hyer, Daniel E.

2015-01-01

Purpose: To introduce a method to model the 3D dose distribution of laterally asymmetric proton beamlets resulting from collimation. The model enables rapid beamlet calculation for spot scanning (SS) delivery using a novel penumbra-reducing dynamic collimation system (DCS) with two pairs of trimmers oriented perpendicular to each other. Methods: Trimmed beamlet dose distributions in water were simulated with MCNPX and the collimating effects noted in the simulations were validated by experimental measurement. The simulated beamlets were modeled analytically using integral depth dose curves along with an asymmetric Gaussian function to represent fluence in the beam’s eye view (BEV). The BEV parameters consisted of Gaussian standard deviations (sigmas) along each primary axis (σx1,σx2,σy1,σy2) together with the spatial location of the maximum dose (μx,μy). Percent depth dose variation with trimmer position was accounted for with a depth-dependent correction function. Beamlet growth with depth was accounted for by combining the in-air divergence with Hong’s fit of the Highland approximation along each axis in the BEV. Results: The beamlet model showed excellent agreement with the Monte Carlo simulation data used as a benchmark. The overall passing rate for a 3D gamma test with 3%/3 mm passing criteria was 96.1% between the analytical model and Monte Carlo data in an example treatment plan. Conclusions: The analytical model is capable of accurately representing individual asymmetric beamlets resulting from use of the DCS. This method enables integration of the DCS into a treatment planning system to perform dose computation in patient datasets. The method could be generalized for use with any SS collimation system in which blades, leaves, or trimmers are used to laterally sharpen beamlets. PMID:25735287

An athymic mouse model to mimic cobalt-60 cutaneous radiation injury

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mosca, Rodrigo Crespo; Ferreira, Danilo Cardenuto; Napolitano, Celia Marina; Santin, Stefany Plumeri; Dornelles, Leonardo Dalla Porta; Alvarenga, Eluara Ortigoso; Mathor, Monica Beatriz, E-mail: rcmosca@usp.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2013-07-01

Propose: Cutaneous wound from irradiation is the most common complication in radiotherapy treatment, and can be lead to mortality. We describe an athymic mouse model to mimic cutaneous radiation injury by Cobalt-60. Methods: A protocol was including dosimetry with silicon diodes,10x10x5 cm arrangement made by four lead bricks and PVC pipe designed to immobilize the athymic mouse in order to irradiate one clamped back skin point that was subdivided in four parts. To get the measurements of dose rates on the arrangement in Panoramic Irradiator, it was used a silicon diode encased in an opaque protection for ambient light and connected to an electric cable, forming a dosing probe. The currents generated in diode sensitive volume as a function of time of exposure to gamma radiation coming from the radiator, with dose rate of 0,015 Gy/min in positions 1, 0,021 Gy/min in position 2, 0,55 Gy/min in position 3 and 1,45 Gy/min in position four. After the dosimetry, each athymic mouse was anesthetized using Xylazine and Ketamine dilution and entered into a PVC pipe and a small portion of skin (1 cm{sup 3}) was clamped. This tube was then fixed to arrangement and the athymic mouse was irradiate for 60 min, than it was being returned to its cage. Results: The wound was visualized in all animals and photographed after 5 days of irradiation, with the emergence of ulceration after 9 days. No systemic or lethal sequelae occurred or visualized in any animals. Late clinical signs included a wound healing after 22 days. Conclusion: While still being a baseline study, we created a new functional preclinical animal model that can be used for new therapies and may improve radiotherapy management. (author)

An athymic mouse model to mimic cobalt-60 cutaneous radiation injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosca, Rodrigo Crespo; Ferreira, Danilo Cardenuto; Napolitano, Celia Marina; Santin, Stefany Plumeri; Dornelles, Leonardo Dalla Porta; Alvarenga, Eluara Ortigoso; Mathor, Monica Beatriz

2013-01-01

Propose: Cutaneous wound from irradiation is the most common complication in radiotherapy treatment, and can be lead to mortality. We describe an athymic mouse model to mimic cutaneous radiation injury by Cobalt-60. Methods: A protocol was including dosimetry with silicon diodes,10x10x5 cm arrangement made by four lead bricks and PVC pipe designed to immobilize the athymic mouse in order to irradiate one clamped back skin point that was subdivided in four parts. To get the measurements of dose rates on the arrangement in Panoramic Irradiator, it was used a silicon diode encased in an opaque protection for ambient light and connected to an electric cable, forming a dosing probe. The currents generated in diode sensitive volume as a function of time of exposure to gamma radiation coming from the radiator, with dose rate of 0,015 Gy/min in positions 1, 0,021 Gy/min in position 2, 0,55 Gy/min in position 3 and 1,45 Gy/min in position four. After the dosimetry, each athymic mouse was anesthetized using Xylazine and Ketamine dilution and entered into a PVC pipe and a small portion of skin (1 cm 3 ) was clamped. This tube was then fixed to arrangement and the athymic mouse was irradiate for 60 min, than it was being returned to its cage. Results: The wound was visualized in all animals and photographed after 5 days of irradiation, with the emergence of ulceration after 9 days. No systemic or lethal sequelae occurred or visualized in any animals. Late clinical signs included a wound healing after 22 days. Conclusion: While still being a baseline study, we created a new functional preclinical animal model that can be used for new therapies and may improve radiotherapy management. (author)

Application of the IPCC model to a Brazilian landfill: First results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penteado, Roger; Cavalli, Massimo; Magnano, Enrico; Chiampo, Fulvia

2012-01-01

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change gave a methodology to estimate the methane emissions from Municipal Solid Wastes landfills, based on a First Order Decay (FOD) model that assumes biodegradation kinetics depending on the type of wastes. This model can be used to estimate both the National greenhouse gas emissions in the industrialized countries as well as the reductions of these emissions in the developing ones when the Clean Development Mechanism, as defined by the Kyoto Protocol, is implemented. In this paper, the FOD model has been use to evaluate the biogas flow rates emitted by a Brazilian landfill and the results have been compared to the extracted ones: some first results can be useful to evidence the weight of key parameters and do a correct use of the model. - Highlights: ► Landfill biogas is greenhouse gas and fuel at the same time. ► In developing countries its collection can implement Kyoto Protocol mechanisms. ► Biogas collection and exploiting become part of energy policy. ► Project economical balance is based on reliable estimates of generated quantities.

Solar Deployment System (SolarDS) Model: Documentation and Sample Results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Denholm, P.; Drury, E.; Margolis, R.

2009-09-01

The Solar Deployment System (SolarDS) model is a bottom-up, market penetration model that simulates the potential adoption of photovoltaics (PV) on residential and commercial rooftops in the continental United States through 2030. NREL developed SolarDS to examine the market competitiveness of PV based on regional solar resources, capital costs, electricity prices, utility rate structures, and federal and local incentives. The model uses the projected financial performance of PV systems to simulate PV adoption for building types and regions then aggregates adoption to state and national levels. The main components of SolarDS include a PV performance simulator, a PV annual revenue calculator, a PV financial performance calculator, a PV market share calculator, and a regional aggregator. The model simulates a variety of installed PV capacity for a range of user-specified input parameters. PV market penetration levels from 15 to 193 GW by 2030 were simulated in preliminary model runs. SolarDS results are primarily driven by three model assumptions: (1) future PV cost reductions, (2) the maximum PV market share assumed for systems with given financial performance, and (3) PV financing parameters and policy-driven assumptions, such as the possible future cost of carbon emissions.

Intestinal tumorigenesis is not affected by progesterone signaling in rodent models.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jarom Heijmans

Full Text Available Clinical data suggest that progestins have chemopreventive properties in the development of colorectal cancer. We set out to examine a potential protective effect of progestins and progesterone signaling on colon cancer development. In normal and neoplastic intestinal tissue, we found that the progesterone receptor (PR is not expressed. Expression was confined to sporadic mesenchymal cells. To analyze the influence of systemic progesterone receptor signaling, we crossed mice that lacked the progesterone receptor (PRKO to the Apc(Min/+ mouse, a model for spontaneous intestinal polyposis. PRKO-Apc(Min/+ mice exhibited no change in polyp number, size or localization compared to Apc(Min/+. To examine effects of progestins on the intestinal epithelium that are independent of the PR, we treated mice with MPA. We found no effects of either progesterone or MPA on gross intestinal morphology or epithelial proliferation. Also, in rats treated with MPA, injection with the carcinogen azoxymethane did not result in a difference in the number or size of aberrant crypt foci, a surrogate end-point for adenoma development. We conclude that expression of the progesterone receptor is limited to cells in the intestinal mesenchyme. We did not observe any effect of progesterone receptor signaling or of progestin treatment in rodent models of intestinal tumorigenesis.

Updated Results from the Michigan Titan Thermospheric General Circulation Model (TTGCM)

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, J. M.; Bougher, S. W.; de Lahaye, V.; Waite, J. H.; Ridley, A.

2006-05-01

This paper presents updated results from the Michigan Titan Thermospheric General Circulation Model (TTGCM) that was recently unveiled in operational form (Bell et al 2005 Spring AGU). Since then, we have incorporated a suite of chemical reactions for the major neutral constituents in Titan's upper atmosphere (N2, CH4). Additionally, some selected minor neutral constituents and major ionic species are also supported in the framework. At this time, HCN, which remains one of the critical thermally active species in the upper atmosphere, remains specified at all altitudes, utilizing profiles derived from recent Cassini-Huygen's measurements. In addition to these improvements, a parallel effort is underway to develop a non-hydrostatic Titan Thermospheric General Circulation Model for further comparisons. In this work, we emphasize the impacts of self-consistent chemistry on the results of the updated TTGCM relative to its frozen chemistry predecessor. Meanwhile, the thermosphere's thermodynamics remains determined by the interplay of solar EUV forcing and HCN rotational cooling, which is calculated by a full line- by-line radiative transfer routine along the lines of Yelle (1991) and Mueller-Wodarg (2000, 2002). In addition to these primary drivers, a treatment of magnetospheric heating is further tested. The model's results will be compared with both the Cassini INMS data and the model of Mueller-Wodarg (2000,2002).

A novel method for oxygen glucose deprivation model in organotypic spinal cord slices.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jing-Jie; Ding, Xiao-Yan; Xiang, Li; Zhao, Feng; Huang, Sheng-Li

2017-10-01

This study aimed to establish a model to closely mimic spinal cord hypoxic-ischemic injury with high production and high reproducibility. Fourteen-day cultured organotypic spinal cord slices were divided into 4 groups: control (Ctrl), oxygen glucose deprived for 30min (OGD 30min), OGD 60min, and OGD 120min. The Ctrl slices were incubated with 1ml propidium iodide (PI) solution (5μg/ml) for 30min. The OGD groups were incubated with 1ml glucose-free DMEM/F12 medium and 5μl PI solution (1mg/ml) for 30min, 60min and 120min, respectively. Positive control slice was fixed by 4% paraformaldehyde for 20min. The culture medium in each group was then collected and the Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) level in the medium was tested using Multi-Analyte ELISArray kits. Structure and refraction of the spinal cord slices were observed by light microscope. Fluorescence intensity of PI was examined by fluorescence microscopy and was tested by IPP Software. Morphology of astrocytes was observed by immunofluorescence histochemistry. Caspase 3 and caspase 3 active in different groups were tested by Western blot. In the OGD groups, the refraction of spinal cord slices decreased and the structure was unclear. The changes of refraction and structure in the OGD 120min group were similar to that in the positive control slice. Astrocyte morphology changed significantly. With the increase of OGD time, processes became thick and twisted, and nuclear condensations became more apparent. Obvious changes in morphology were observed in the OGD 60min group, and normal morphology disappeared in the OGD 120min group. Fluorescence intensity of PI increased along with the extension of OGD time. The difference was significant between 30min and 60min, but not significant between 60min and 120min. The intensity at OGD 120min was close to that in the positive control. Compare with the Ctrl group, the OGD groups had significantly higher LDH levels and caspase 3 active/caspase 3 ratios. The values increased

Max–min distance nonnegative matrix factorization

KAUST Repository

Wang, Jim Jing-Yan; Gao, Xin

2014-01-01

Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF) has been a popular representation method for pattern classification problems. It tries to decompose a nonnegative matrix of data samples as the product of a nonnegative basis matrix and a nonnegative coefficient matrix. The columns of the coefficient matrix can be used as new representations of these data samples. However, traditional NMF methods ignore class labels of the data samples. In this paper, we propose a novel supervised NMF algorithm to improve the discriminative ability of the new representation by using the class labels. Using the class labels, we separate all the data sample pairs into within-class pairs and between-class pairs. To improve the discriminative ability of the new NMF representations, we propose to minimize the maximum distance of the within-class pairs in the new NMF space, and meanwhile to maximize the minimum distance of the between-class pairs. With this criterion, we construct an objective function and optimize it with regard to basis and coefficient matrices, and slack variables alternatively, resulting in an iterative algorithm. The proposed algorithm is evaluated on three pattern classification problems and experiment results show that it outperforms the state-of-the-art supervised NMF methods.

Max–min distance nonnegative matrix factorization

KAUST Repository

Wang, Jim Jing-Yan

2014-10-26

Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF) has been a popular representation method for pattern classification problems. It tries to decompose a nonnegative matrix of data samples as the product of a nonnegative basis matrix and a nonnegative coefficient matrix. The columns of the coefficient matrix can be used as new representations of these data samples. However, traditional NMF methods ignore class labels of the data samples. In this paper, we propose a novel supervised NMF algorithm to improve the discriminative ability of the new representation by using the class labels. Using the class labels, we separate all the data sample pairs into within-class pairs and between-class pairs. To improve the discriminative ability of the new NMF representations, we propose to minimize the maximum distance of the within-class pairs in the new NMF space, and meanwhile to maximize the minimum distance of the between-class pairs. With this criterion, we construct an objective function and optimize it with regard to basis and coefficient matrices, and slack variables alternatively, resulting in an iterative algorithm. The proposed algorithm is evaluated on three pattern classification problems and experiment results show that it outperforms the state-of-the-art supervised NMF methods.

Actin-based vesicular transport in the first 20 min after dusk is crucial for daily rhabdom synthesis in the compound eye of the grapsid crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsushita, A; Arikawa, K

1997-09-01

In the crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus, maintained under a 12 h:12 h light:dark cycle, the amount of vesicular smooth endoplasmic reticulum (vesicular sER) in the photoreceptor cell body increases after the light is turned off. This paper demonstrates that actin filaments in the photoreceptor cell body are involved in the transport of vesicular sER towards the rhabdom. To specify the time of actin contribution to rhabdom synthesis, we disrupted the organization of actin filaments in the cell body with cytochalasin D at various time around dusk. We then measured the rhabdom size and also examined the ultrastructure of the photoreceptor cell body 3 h after extinguishing the light. When cytochalasin D was applied from either 1 h before or immediately after extinguishing the light, the rhabdom size did not increase, whereas vesicular sER accumulated in the cell body. In contrast, cytochalasin D applied to the eyes from 20 min after turning the light off did not inhibit rhabdom synthesis. These results indicate that the first 20 min after the light is turned off is particularly important for the transport of vesicular sER towards the rhabdom by the cell body actin filaments.

Minocycline through attenuation of oxidative stress and inflammatory response reduces the neuropathic pain in a rat model of chronic constriction injury

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abolfazl Abbaszadeh

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Objective(s: Several lines of evidence showed that minocycline possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to demonstrate the effects of minocycline in rats subjected to chronic constriction injury (CCI. Materials and Methods: In this study four groups (n = 6–8 of rats were used as follows: Sham, CCI, CCI + minocycline (MIN 10 mg/Kg (IP and CCI + MIN 30 mg/Kg (IP. On days 3, 7, 14, and 21 post-surgery hot-plate, acetone, and von Frey tests were carried out. Finally, Motor Nerve Conduction Velocity Evaluation (MNCV assessment was performed and spinal cords were harvested in order to measure tissue concentrations of TNF_α, IL-1β, Glutathione peroxidase (GPx, Superoxide dismutase (SOD and Malondialdehyde (MDA. Extent of perineural inflammation and damage around the sciatic nerve was histopathologically evaluated. Results: Our results demonstrated that CCI significantly caused hyperalgesia and allodynia twenty-one days after CCI. MIN attenuated heat hyperalgesia, cold and mechanical allodynia and MNCV in animals. MIN also decreased the levels of TNF_α and IL-1β. Antioxidative enzymes (SOD, MDA, and GPx were restored following MIN treatment. Our findings showed that MIN decreased perineural inflammation around the sciatic nerve. According to the results, the neuropathic pain reduced in the CCI hyperalgesia model using 30 mg/kg of minocycline. Conclusion: It is suggested that antinociceptive effects of minocycline might be mediated through the inhibition of inflammatory response and attenuation of oxidative stress.

Treeline dynamics in response to climate change in the Min Mountains, southwestern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhi-Jiang; Shen, Guo-Zhen; Tan, Liu-Yi; Kang, Dong-Wei; Wang, Meng-Jun; Kang, Wen; Guo, Wen-Xia; Zeppel, Melanie Jb; Yu, Qiang; Li, Jun-Qing

2013-12-01

Abies faxoniana is the dominant plant species of the forest ecosystem on the eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where the treeline is strongly defined by climate. The tree-ring chronologies and age structure of Abies faxoniana were developed in the treeline ecotones on the northwestern and southeastern aspects of the Min Mountains in the Wanglang Nature Reserve to examine the treeline dynamics of recent decades in response to climate change. On the northwestern aspect, correlation analysis showed that the radial growth was significantly and positively correlated with precipitation in current January and monthly mean temperature in current April, but significantly and negatively correlated with monthly mean temperature in previous August. On the southeastern aspect, the radial growth was significantly negatively correlated with monthly mean temperature in previous July and August. The different responses of radial growth to climatic variability on both the aspects might be mainly due to the micro-environmental conditions. The recruitment benefited from the warm temperature in current April, July and September on the northwestern aspect. The responses of radial growth and recruitment to climatic variability were similar on the northwestern slope. Recruitment was greatly restricted by competition with dense bamboos on the southeastern aspect.

Estimating daily minimum, maximum, and mean near surface air temperature using hybrid satellite models across Israel.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenfeld, Adar; Dorman, Michael; Schwartz, Joel; Novack, Victor; Just, Allan C; Kloog, Itai

2017-11-01

Meteorological stations measure air temperature (Ta) accurately with high temporal resolution, but usually suffer from limited spatial resolution due to their sparse distribution across rural, undeveloped or less populated areas. Remote sensing satellite-based measurements provide daily surface temperature (Ts) data in high spatial and temporal resolution and can improve the estimation of daily Ta. In this study we developed spatiotemporally resolved models which allow us to predict three daily parameters: Ta Max (day time), 24h mean, and Ta Min (night time) on a fine 1km grid across the state of Israel. We used and compared both the Aqua and Terra MODIS satellites. We used linear mixed effect models, IDW (inverse distance weighted) interpolations and thin plate splines (using a smooth nonparametric function of longitude and latitude) to first calibrate between Ts and Ta in those locations where we have available data for both and used that calibration to fill in neighboring cells without surface monitors or missing Ts. Out-of-sample ten-fold cross validation (CV) was used to quantify the accuracy of our predictions. Our model performance was excellent for both days with and without available Ts observations for both Aqua and Terra (CV Aqua R 2 results for min 0.966, mean 0.986, and max 0.967; CV Terra R 2 results for min 0.965, mean 0.987, and max 0.968). Our research shows that daily min, mean and max Ta can be reliably predicted using daily MODIS Ts data even across Israel, with high accuracy even for days without Ta or Ts data. These predictions can be used as three separate Ta exposures in epidemiology studies for better diurnal exposure assessment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Short-Term Bus Passenger Demand Prediction Based on Time Series Model and Interactive Multiple Model Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui Xue

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Although bus passenger demand prediction has attracted increased attention during recent years, limited research has been conducted in the context of short-term passenger demand forecasting. This paper proposes an interactive multiple model (IMM filter algorithm-based model to predict short-term passenger demand. After aggregated in 15 min interval, passenger demand data collected from a busy bus route over four months were used to generate time series. Considering that passenger demand exhibits various characteristics in different time scales, three time series were developed, named weekly, daily, and 15 min time series. After the correlation, periodicity, and stationarity analyses, time series models were constructed. Particularly, the heteroscedasticity of time series was explored to achieve better prediction performance. Finally, IMM filter algorithm was applied to combine individual forecasting models with dynamically predicted passenger demand for next interval. Different error indices were adopted for the analyses of individual and hybrid models. The performance comparison indicates that hybrid model forecasts are superior to individual ones in accuracy. Findings of this study are of theoretical and practical significance in bus scheduling.

Loss of spent fuel pool cooling PRA: Model and results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siu, N.; Khericha, S.; Conroy, S.; Beck, S.; Blackman, H.

1996-09-01

This letter report documents models for quantifying the likelihood of loss of spent fuel pool cooling; models for identifying post-boiling scenarios that lead to core damage; qualitative and quantitative results generated for a selected plant that account for plant design and operational practices; a comparison of these results and those generated from earlier studies; and a review of available data on spent fuel pool accidents. The results of this study show that for a representative two-unit boiling water reactor, the annual probability of spent fuel pool boiling is 5 x 10 -5 and the annual probability of flooding associated with loss of spent fuel pool cooling scenarios is 1 x 10 -3 . Qualitative arguments are provided to show that the likelihood of core damage due to spent fuel pool boiling accidents is low for most US commercial nuclear power plants. It is also shown that, depending on the design characteristics of a given plant, the likelihood of either: (a) core damage due to spent fuel pool-associated flooding, or (b) spent fuel damage due to pool dryout, may not be negligible