Approximate inverse preconditioning of iterative methods for nonsymmetric linear systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benzi, M. [Universita di Bologna (Italy); Tuma, M. [Inst. of Computer Sciences, Prague (Czech Republic)

1996-12-31

A method for computing an incomplete factorization of the inverse of a nonsymmetric matrix A is presented. The resulting factorized sparse approximate inverse is used as a preconditioner in the iterative solution of Ax = b by Krylov subspace methods.

Traversible wormholes and the negative-stress-energy problem in the nonsymmetric gravitational theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moffat, J.W.; Svoboda, T.

1991-01-01

The stress-energy tensor for a a general spherically symmetric matter distribution in the nonsymmetric gravitational theory (NGT) is determined using a heuristic argument. Using this tensor and the NGT field equations, it is shown that a wormhole threaded with matter must necessarily have a radial tension greater than the mass-energy density in the throat region. Hence, as in general relativity, a traversible wormhole in NGT must contain matter with a negative stress energy

Synthesis of High Purity Nonsymmetric Dialkylphosphinic Acid Extractants.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Junlian; Xie, Meiying; Liu, Xinyu; Xu, Shengming

2017-10-19

We present the synthesis of (2,3-dimethylbutyl)(2,4,4'-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid as an example to demonstrate a method for the synthesis of high purity nonsymmetric dialkylphosphinic acid extractants. Low toxic sodium hypophosphite was chosen as the phosphorus source to react with olefin A (2,3-dimethyl-1-butene) to generate a monoalkylphosphinic acid intermediate. Amantadine was adopted to remove the dialkylphosphinic acid byproduct, as only the monoalkylphosphinic acid can react with amantadine to form an amantadine∙mono-alkylphosphinic acid salt, while the dialkylphosphinic acid cannot react with amantadine due to its large steric hindrance. The purified monoalkylphosphinic acid was then reacted with olefin B (diisobutylene) to yield nonsymmetric dialkylphosphinic acid (NSDAPA). The unreacted monoalkylphosphinic acid can be easily removed by a simple base-acid post-treatment and other organic impurities can be separated out through the precipitation of the cobalt salt. The structure of the (2,3-dimethylbutyl)(2,4,4'-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid was confirmed by 31 P NMR, 1 H NMR, ESI-MS, and FT-IR. The purity was determined by a potentiometric titration method, and the results indicate that the purity can exceed 96%.

Markov Jump Processes Approximating a Non-Symmetric Generalized Diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Limić, Nedžad

2011-01-01

Consider a non-symmetric generalized diffusion X(⋅) in ℝ d determined by the differential operator A(x) = -Σ ij ∂ i a ij (x)∂ j + Σ i b i (x)∂ i . In this paper the diffusion process is approximated by Markov jump processes X n (⋅), in homogeneous and isotropic grids G n ⊂ℝ d , which converge in distribution in the Skorokhod space D([0,∞),ℝ d ) to the diffusion X(⋅). The generators of X n (⋅) are constructed explicitly. Due to the homogeneity and isotropy of grids, the proposed method for d≥3 can be applied to processes for which the diffusion tensor {a ij (x)} 11 dd fulfills an additional condition. The proposed construction offers a simple method for simulation of sample paths of non-symmetric generalized diffusion. Simulations are carried out in terms of jump processes X n (⋅). For piece-wise constant functions a ij on ℝ d and piece-wise continuous functions a ij on ℝ 2 the construction and principal algorithm are described enabling an easy implementation into a computer code.

Schur rings and non-symmetric association schemes on 64 vertices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Leif Kjær

2010-01-01

In this paper we enumerate essentially all non-symmetric association schemes with three classes, less than 96 vertices and with a regular group of automorphisms. The enumeration is based on a computer search in Schur rings. The most interesting cases have 64 vertices. In one primitive case and in...

Efficient Nonlocal M-Control and N-Target Controlled Unitary Gate Using Non-symmetric GHZ States

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Li-Bing; Lu, Hong

2018-03-01

Efficient local implementation of a nonlocal M-control and N-target controlled unitary gate is considered. We first show that with the assistance of two non-symmetric qubit(1)-qutrit(N) Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states, a nonlocal 2-control and N-target controlled unitary gate can be constructed from 2 local two-qubit CNOT gates, 2 N local two-qutrit conditional SWAP gates, N local qutrit-qubit controlled unitary gates, and 2 N single-qutrit gates. At each target node, the two third levels of the two GHZ target qutrits are used to expose one and only one initial computational state to the local qutrit-qubit controlled unitary gate, instead of being used to hide certain states from the conditional dynamics. This scheme can be generalized straightforwardly to implement a higher-order nonlocal M-control and N-target controlled unitary gate by using M non-symmetric qubit(1)-qutrit(N) GHZ states as quantum channels. Neither the number of the additional levels of each GHZ target particle nor that of single-qutrit gates needs to increase with M. For certain realistic physical systems, the total gate time may be reduced compared with that required in previous schemes.

Uniform convergence of multigrid V-cycle iterations for indefinite and nonsymmetric problems

Science.gov (United States)

Bramble, James H.; Kwak, Do Y.; Pasciak, Joseph E.

1993-01-01

In this paper, we present an analysis of a multigrid method for nonsymmetric and/or indefinite elliptic problems. In this multigrid method various types of smoothers may be used. One type of smoother which we consider is defined in terms of an associated symmetric problem and includes point and line, Jacobi, and Gauss-Seidel iterations. We also study smoothers based entirely on the original operator. One is based on the normal form, that is, the product of the operator and its transpose. Other smoothers studied include point and line, Jacobi, and Gauss-Seidel. We show that the uniform estimates for symmetric positive definite problems carry over to these algorithms. More precisely, the multigrid iteration for the nonsymmetric and/or indefinite problem is shown to converge at a uniform rate provided that the coarsest grid in the multilevel iteration is sufficiently fine (but not depending on the number of multigrid levels).

Producing and Recognizing Analogical Relations

Science.gov (United States)

Lipkens, Regina; Hayes, Steven C

2009-01-01

Analogical reasoning is an important component of intelligent behavior, and a key test of any approach to human language and cognition. Only a limited amount of empirical work has been conducted from a behavior analytic point of view, most of that within Relational Frame Theory (RFT), which views analogy as a matter of deriving relations among relations. The present series of four studies expands previous work by exploring the applicability of this model of analogy to topography-based rather than merely selection-based responses and by extending the work into additional relations, including nonsymmetrical ones. In each of the four studies participants pretrained in contextual control over nonarbitrary stimulus relations of sameness and opposition, or of sameness, smaller than, and larger than, learned arbitrary stimulus relations in the presence of these relational cues and derived analogies involving directly trained relations and derived relations of mutual and combinatorial entailment, measured using a variety of productive and selection-based measures. In Experiment 1 participants successfully recognized analogies among stimulus networks containing same and opposite relations; in Experiment 2 analogy was successfully used to extend derived relations to pairs of novel stimuli; in Experiment 3 the procedure used in Experiment 1 was extended to nonsymmetrical comparative relations; in Experiment 4 the procedure used in Experiment 2 was extended to nonsymmetrical comparative relations. Although not every participant showed the effects predicted, overall the procedures occasioned relational responses consistent with an RFT account that have not yet been demonstrated in a behavior-analytic laboratory setting, including productive responding on the basis of analogies. PMID:19230515

On integrability conditions of the equations of nonsymmetrical chiral field on SO(4)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tskhakaya, D.D.

1990-01-01

Possibility of integrating the equations of nonsymmetrical chiral field on SO(4) by means of the inverse scattering method is investigated. Maximal number of the motion integrals is found for the corresponding system of ordinary differential equations

Tailoring of the electrical and thermal properties using ultra-short period non-symmetric superlattices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulina Komar

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Thermoelectric modules based on half-Heusler compounds offer a cheap and clean way to create eco-friendly electrical energy from waste heat. Here we study the impact of the period composition on the electrical and thermal properties in non-symmetric superlattices, where the ratio of components varies according to (TiNiSnn:(HfNiSn6−n, and 0 ⩽ n ⩽ 6 unit cells. The thermal conductivity (κ showed a strong dependence on the material content achieving a minimum value for n = 3, whereas the highest value of the figure of merit ZT was achieved for n = 4. The measured κ can be well modeled using non-symmetric strain relaxation applied to the model of the series of thermal resistances.

Probabilistic Teleportation of Arbitrary Two-Qubit Quantum State via Non-Symmetric Quantum Channel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kan Wang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Quantum teleportation has significant meaning in quantum information. In particular, entangled states can also be used for perfectly teleporting the quantum state with some probability. This is more practical and efficient in practice. In this paper, we propose schemes to use non-symmetric quantum channel combinations for probabilistic teleportation of an arbitrary two-qubit quantum state from sender to receiver. The non-symmetric quantum channel is composed of a two-qubit partially entangled state and a three-qubit partially entangled state, where partially entangled Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ state and W state are considered, respectively. All schemes are presented in detail and the unitary operations required are given in concise formulas. Methods are provided for reducing classical communication cost and combining operations to simplify the manipulation. Moreover, our schemes are flexible and applicable in different situations.

A class of non-symmetric band determinants with the Gaussian q ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A class of symmetric band matrices of bandwidth 2r+1 with the binomial coefficients entries was studied earlier. We consider a class of non-symmetric band matrices with the Gaussian q-binomial coefficients whose upper bandwith is s and lower bandwith is r. We give explicit formulæ for the determinant, the inverse (along ...

Analytical prediction model for non-symmetric fatigue crack growth in Fibre Metal Laminates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, W.; Rans, C.D.; Benedictus, R.

2017-01-01

This paper proposes an analytical model for predicting the non-symmetric crack growth and accompanying delamination growth in FMLs. The general approach of this model applies Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics, the principle of superposition, and displacement compatibility based on the

Non-symmetric bi-stable flow around the Ahmed body

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meile, W.; Ladinek, T.; Brenn, G.; Reppenhagen, A.; Fuchs, A.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The non-symmetric bi-stable flow around the Ahmed body is investigated experimentally. • Bi-stability, described for symmetric flow by Cadot and co-workers, was found in nonsymmetric flow also. • The flow field randomly switches between two states. • The flow is subject to a spanwise instability identified by Cadot and co-workers for symmetric flow. • Aerodynamic forces fluctuate strongly due to the bi-stability. - Abstract: The flow around the Ahmed body at varying Reynolds numbers under yawing conditions is investigated experimentally. The body geometry belongs to a regime subject to spanwise flow instability identified in symmetric flow by Cadot and co-workers (Grandemange et al., 2013b). Our experiments cover the two slant angles 25° and 35° and Reynolds numbers up to 2.784 × 10"6. Special emphasis lies on the aerodynamics under side wind influence. For the 35° slant angle, forces and moments change significantly with the yawing angle in the range 10° ≤ |β| ≤ 15°. The lift and the pitching moment exhibit strong fluctuations due to bi-stable flow around a critical angle β of ±12.5°, where the pitching moment changes sign. Time series of the forces and moments are studied and explained by PIV measurements in the flow field near the rear of the body.

A Non-symmetric Digital Image Secure Communication Scheme Based on Generalized Chaos Synchronization System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiaohong; Min Lequan

2005-01-01

Based on a generalized chaos synchronization system and a discrete Sinai map, a non-symmetric true color (RGB) digital image secure communication scheme is proposed. The scheme first changes an ordinary RGB digital image with 8 bits into unrecognizable disorder codes and then transforms the disorder codes into an RGB digital image with 16 bits for transmitting. A receiver uses a non-symmetric key to verify the authentication of the received data origin, and decrypts the ciphertext. The scheme can encrypt and decrypt most formatted digital RGB images recognized by computers, and recover the plaintext almost without any errors. The scheme is suitable to be applied in network image communications. The analysis of the key space, sensitivity of key parameters, and correlation of encrypted images imply that this scheme has sound security.

Dual and mixed nonsymmetric stress-based variational formulations for coupled thermoelastodynamics with second sound effect

Science.gov (United States)

Tóth, Balázs

2018-03-01

Some new dual and mixed variational formulations based on a priori nonsymmetric stresses will be developed for linearly coupled irreversible thermoelastodynamic problems associated with second sound effect according to the Lord-Shulman theory. Having introduced the entropy flux vector instead of the entropy field and defining the dissipation and the relaxation potential as the function of the entropy flux, a seven-field dual and mixed variational formulation will be derived from the complementary Biot-Hamilton-type variational principle, using the Lagrange multiplier method. The momentum-, the displacement- and the infinitesimal rotation vector, and the a priori nonsymmetric stress tensor, the temperature change, the entropy field and its flux vector are considered as the independent field variables of this formulation. In order to handle appropriately the six different groups of temporal prescriptions in the relaxed- and/or the strong form, two variational integrals will be incorporated into the seven-field functional. Then, eliminating the entropy from this formulation through the strong fulfillment of the constitutive relation for the temperature change with the use of the Legendre transformation between the enthalpy and Gibbs potential, a six-field dual and mixed action functional is obtained. As a further development, the elimination of the momentum- and the velocity vector from the six-field principle through the a priori satisfaction of the kinematic equation and the constitutive relation for the momentum vector leads to a five-field variational formulation. These principles are suitable for the transient analyses of the structures exposed to a thermal shock of short temporal domain or a large heat flux.

A parallel algorithm for the non-symmetric eigenvalue problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sidani, M.M.

1991-01-01

An algorithm is presented for the solution of the non-symmetric eigenvalue problem. The algorithm is based on a divide-and-conquer procedure that provides initial approximations to the eigenpairs, which are then refined using Newton iterations. Since the smaller subproblems can be solved independently, and since Newton iterations with different initial guesses can be started simultaneously, the algorithm - unlike the standard QR method - is ideal for parallel computers. The author also reports on his investigation of deflation methods designed to obtain further eigenpairs if needed. Numerical results from implementations on a host of parallel machines (distributed and shared-memory) are presented

NEW METHOD FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF NONSYMMETRIC DINUCLEATING LIGANDS BY AMINOMETHYLATION OF PHENOLS AND SALICYLALDEHYDES

NARCIS (Netherlands)

LUBBEN, M; FERINGA, BL

1994-01-01

Monoaminomethylated phenols 5-7 and symmetrically diaminomethylated phenols 8 and 9 were prepared in a one-step procedure-from p-cresol, formaldehyde, and a variety of secondary amines by making use of the aromatic Mannich reaction. Nonsymmetric diaminomethylated phenols 10 and 11 were prepared by a

Fracture mechanics assessment of surface and sub-surface cracks in the RPV under non-symmetric PTS loading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keim, E; Shoepper, A; Fricke, S [Siemens AG Unternehmensbereich KWU, Erlangen (Germany)

1997-09-01

One of the most severe loading conditions of a reactor pressure vessel (rpv) under operation is the loss of coolant accident (LOCA) condition. Cold water is injected through nozzles in the downcomer of the rpv, while the internal pressure may remain at a high level. Complex thermal hydraulic situations occur and the fluid and downcomer temperatures as well as the fluid to wall heat transfer coefficient at the inner surface are highly non-linear. Due to this non-symmetric conditions, the problem is investigated by three-dimensional non-linear finite element analyses, which allow for an accurate assessment of the postulated flaws. Transient heat transfer analyses are carried out to analyze the effect of non-symmetrical cooling of the inner surface of the pressure vessel. In a following uncoupled stress analysis the thermal shock effects for different types of defects, surface flaws and sub-surface flaws are investigated for linear elastic and elastic-plastic material behaviour. The obtained fracture parameters are calculated along the crack fronts. By a fast fracture analysis the fracture parameters at different positions along the crack front are compared to the material resistance. Safety margins are pointed out in an assessment diagram of the fracture parameters and the fracture resistance versus the transient temperature at the crack tip position. (author). 4 refs, 10 figs.

Non-symmetric forms of non-linear vibrations of flexible cylindrical panels and plates under longitudinal load and additive white noise

Science.gov (United States)

Krysko, V. A.; Awrejcewicz, J.; Krylova, E. Yu; Papkova, I. V.; Krysko, A. V.

2018-06-01

Parametric non-linear vibrations of flexible cylindrical panels subjected to additive white noise are studied. The governing Marguerre equations are investigated using the finite difference method (FDM) of the second-order accuracy and the Runge-Kutta method. The considered mechanical structural member is treated as a system of many/infinite number of degrees of freedom (DoF). The dependence of chaotic vibrations on the number of DoFs is investigated. Reliability of results is guaranteed by comparing the results obtained using two qualitatively different methods to reduce the problem of PDEs (partial differential equations) to ODEs (ordinary differential equations), i.e. the Faedo-Galerkin method in higher approximations and the 4th and 6th order FDM. The Cauchy problem obtained by the FDM is eventually solved using the 4th-order Runge-Kutta methods. The numerical experiment yielded, for a certain set of parameters, the non-symmetric vibration modes/forms with and without white noise. In particular, it has been illustrated and discussed that action of white noise on chaotic vibrations implies quasi-periodicity, whereas the previously non-symmetric vibration modes are closer to symmetric ones.

The arbitrary order mimetic finite difference method for a diffusion equation with a non-symmetric diffusion tensor

Science.gov (United States)

Gyrya, V.; Lipnikov, K.

2017-11-01

We present the arbitrary order mimetic finite difference (MFD) discretization for the diffusion equation with non-symmetric tensorial diffusion coefficient in a mixed formulation on general polygonal meshes. The diffusion tensor is assumed to be positive definite. The asymmetry of the diffusion tensor requires changes to the standard MFD construction. We present new approach for the construction that guarantees positive definiteness of the non-symmetric mass matrix in the space of discrete velocities. The numerically observed convergence rate for the scalar quantity matches the predicted one in the case of the lowest order mimetic scheme. For higher orders schemes, we observed super-convergence by one order for the scalar variable which is consistent with the previously published result for a symmetric diffusion tensor. The new scheme was also tested on a time-dependent problem modeling the Hall effect in the resistive magnetohydrodynamics.

On Implementing a Homogeneous Interior-Point Algorithm for Nonsymmetric Conic Optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skajaa, Anders; Jørgensen, John Bagterp; Hansen, Per Christian

Based on earlier work by Nesterov, an implementation of a homogeneous infeasible-start interior-point algorithm for solving nonsymmetric conic optimization problems is presented. Starting each iteration from (the vicinity of) the central path, the method computes (nearly) primal-dual symmetric...... approximate tangent directions followed by a purely primal centering procedure to locate the next central primal-dual point. Features of the algorithm include that it makes use only of the primal barrier function, that it is able to detect infeasibilities in the problem and that no phase-I method is needed...

On a Non-Symmetric Eigenvalue Problem Governing Interior Structural–Acoustic Vibrations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heinrich Voss

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Small amplitude vibrations of a structure completely filled with a fluid are considered. Describing the structure by displacements and the fluid by its pressure field, the free vibrations are governed by a non-self-adjoint eigenvalue problem. This survey reports on a framework for taking advantage of the structure of the non-symmetric eigenvalue problem allowing for a variational characterization of its eigenvalues. Structure-preserving iterative projection methods of the the Arnoldi and of the Jacobi–Davidson type and an automated multi-level sub-structuring method are reviewed. The reliability and efficiency of the methods are demonstrated by a numerical example.

Seismic response of a nonsymmetric nuclear reactor building with a flexible stepped foundation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okano, H.; Sakai, A.; Takita, H.; Fukunishi, S.; Nakatogawa, T.; Kabayama, K.

1993-01-01

The effect of the non symmetry of a nuclear reactor building on its seismic response was studied. The nonsymmetric natures we considered, Included the eccentricity of the superstructure and the non symmetry of the cross section of the foundation. A three-dimensional analysis which employed Green's function was applied to study the interaction between the soil and the non symmetrically sectioned foundation. The effect of a flexible foundation on its seismic response was also studied by applying the sub structuring method, which combines the finite element method and Green's function method. (author)

Test-particle motion in the nonsymmetric gravitation theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moffat, J.W.

1987-01-01

A derivation of the motion of test particles in the nonsymmetric gravitational theory (NGT) is given using the field equations in the presence of matter. The motion of the particle is governed by the Christoffel symbols, which are formed from the symmetric part of the fundamental tensor g/sub μ//sub ν/, as well as by a tensorial piece determined by the skew part of the contracted curvature tensor R/sub μ//sub ν/. Given the energy-momentum tensor for a perfect fluid and the definition of a test particle in the NGT, the equations of motion follow from the conservation laws. The tensorial piece in the equations of motion describes a new force in nature that acts on the conserved charge in a body. Particles that carry this new charge do not follow geodesic world lines in the NGT, whereas photons do satisfy geodesic equations of motion and the equivalence principle of general relativity. Astronomical predictions, based on the exact static, spherically symmetric solution of the field equations in a vacuum and the test-particle equations of motion, are derived in detail. The maximally extended coordinates that remove the event-horizon singularities in the static, spherically symmetric solution are presented. It is shown how an inward radially falling test particle can be prevented from forming an event horizon for a value greater than a specified critical value of the source charge. If a test particle does fall through an event horizon, then it must continue to fall until it reaches the singularity at r = 0

Test-particle motion in the nonsymmetric gravitation theory

Science.gov (United States)

Moffat, J. W.

1987-06-01

A derivation of the motion of test particles in the nonsymmetric gravitational theory (NGT) is given using the field equations in the presence of matter. The motion of the particle is governed by the Christoffel symbols, which are formed from the symmetric part of the fundamental tensor gμν, as well as by a tensorial piece determined by the skew part of the contracted curvature tensor Rμν. Given the energy-momentum tensor for a perfect fluid and the definition of a test particle in the NGT, the equations of motion follow from the conservation laws. The tensorial piece in the equations of motion describes a new force in nature that acts on the conserved charge in a body. Particles that carry this new charge do not follow geodesic world lines in the NGT, whereas photons do satisfy geodesic equations of motion and the equivalence principle of general relativity. Astronomical predictions, based on the exact static, spherically symmetric solution of the field equations in a vacuum and the test-particle equations of motion, are derived in detail. The maximally extended coordinates that remove the event-horizon singularities in the static, spherically symmetric solution are presented. It is shown how an inward radially falling test particle can be prevented from forming an event horizon for a value greater than a specified critical value of the source charge. If a test particle does fall through an event horizon, then it must continue to fall until it reaches the singularity at r=0.

The simple production of nonsymmetric quaterpyridines through Kröhnke pyridine synthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isabelle Sasaki

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Quaterpyridines have been demonstrated to be useful building blocks in metallo-supramolecular chemistry; however, their synthesis requires the preparation of sensitive building blocks. We present here three examples of nonsymmetric quaterpyridines that were easily obtained in yields of 70–85% by condensation of commercially available enones with 6-acetyl-2,2’:6’,2’’-terpyridine through a Kröhnke pyridine synthesis. Easy access to 6-acetyl-2,2’:6’,2’’-terpyridine starting from 2,6-diacetylpyridine and 2-acetylpyridine is described. The X-ray analysis of a chiral quaterpyridine and its Pt(II complex is presented.

Hochstadt-Lieberman Type Theorem for a Non-Symmetric System of First-Order Ordinary Differential Operators

Science.gov (United States)

Trooshin, Igor; Yamamoto, Masahiro

2003-04-01

We consider an eigenvalue problem for a nonsymmetric first order differential operator Au( x ; ) = ( {matrix { 0 & 1 ŗ1 & 0 ŗ} } ; ){{du} / {dx}}( x ; ) + Q( x ; )u( x ; ), 0 < x < 1 , where Q is a 2 × 2 matrix whose components are of C1 class on [0, 1]. Assuming that Q(x) is known in the half interval of (0, 1), we prove the uniqueness in an inverse eigenvalue problem of determining Q(x) from the spectra.

Iminobisphosphines to (non-)symmetrical diphosphinoamine ligands : Metal-induced synthesis of diphosphorus nickel complexes and application in ethylene oligomerisation reactions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boulens, Pierre; Lutz, Martin|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304828971; Jeanneau, Erwann; Olivier-Bourbigou, Hélène; Reek, Joost N H; Breuil, Pierre Alain R

2014-01-01

We describe the synthesis of a range of novel iminobisphosphine ligands based on a sulfonamido moiety [R1SO2N=P(R 2)2-P(R3)2]. These molecules rearrange in the presence of nickel by metal-induced breakage of the P-P bond to yield symmetrical and nonsymmetrical diphosphinoamine nickel complexes of

A non-symmetric pillar[5]arene based on triazole-linked 8-oxyquinolines as a sequential sensor for thorium(IV) followed by fluoride ions.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Yuyu; Li, Caixia; Wu, Lei; Bai, Bing; Li, Xing; Jia, Yiming; Feng, Wen; Yuan, Lihua

2015-09-07

A novel non-symmetric pillar[5]arene bearing triazole-linked 8-oxyquinolines at one rim was synthesized and demonstrated as a sequential fluorescence sensor for thorium(iv) followed by fluoride ions with high sensitivity and selectivity.

Reaction of Non-Symmetric Schiff Base Metallo-Ligand Complexes Possessing an Oxime Function with Ln Ions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean-Pierre Costes

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The preparation of non-symmetric Schiff base ligands possessing one oxime function that is associated to a second function such as pyrrole or phenol function is first described. These ligands, which possess inner N4 or N3O coordination sites, allow formation of cationic or neutral non-symmetric CuII or NiII metallo-ligand complexes under their mono- or di-deprotonated forms. In presence of Lanthanide ions the neutral complexes do not coordinate to the LnIII ions, the oxygen atom of the oxime function being only hydrogen-bonded to a water molecule that is linked to the LnIII ion. This surprising behavior allows for the isolation of LnIII ions by non-interacting metal complexes. Reaction of cationic NiII complexes possessing a protonated oxime function with LnIII ions leads to the formation of original and dianionic (Gd(NO352− entities that are well separated from each other. This work highlights the preparation of well isolated mononuclear LnIII entities into a matrix of diamagnetic metal complexes. These new complexes complete our previous work dealing with the complexing ability of the oxime function toward Lanthanide ions. It could open the way to the synthesis of new entities with interesting properties, such as single-ion magnets for example.

Suppression of chaos by weak resonant excitations in a non-linear oscillator with a non-symmetric potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Litak, Grzegorz; Syta, Arkadiusz; Borowiec, Marek

2007-01-01

We examine the Melnikov criterion for transition to chaos in case of one degree of freedom non-linear oscillator with non-symmetric potential. This system, when subjected to an external periodic force, shows homoclinic transition from regular vibrations to chaos just before escape from a potential well. We focus especially on the effect of a second resonant excitation with a different phase on the system transition to chaos. We propose a way of its control

Complex stiffness formulation for the finite element analysis of anisotropic axisymmetric solids subjected to nonsymmetric loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frater, J.; Lestingi, J.; Padovan, J.

1977-01-01

This paper describes the development of an improved semi-analytical finite element for the stress analysis of anisotropic axisymmetric solids subjected to nonsymmetric loads. Orthogonal functions in the form of finite Fourier exponential transforms, which satisfy the equations of equilibrium of the theory of elasticity for an anisotropic solid of revolution, are used to expand the imposed loadings and displacement field. It is found that the orthogonality conditions for the assumed solution reduce the theta-dependency, thus reducing the three dimensional problem to an infinite series of two dimensional problems. (Auth.)

An iteration for indefinite and non-symmetric systems and its application to the Navier-Stokes equations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wathen, A. [Oxford Univ. (United Kingdom); Golub, G. [Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

1996-12-31

A simple fixed point linearisation of the Navier-Stokes equations leads to the Oseen problem which after appropriate discretisation yields large sparse linear systems with coefficient matrices of the form (A B{sup T} B -C). Here A is non-symmetric but its symmetric part is positive definite, and C is symmetric and positive semi-definite. Such systems arise in other situations. In this talk we will describe and present some analysis for an iteration based on an indefinite and symmetric preconditioner of the form (D B{sup T} B -C).

ILUBCG2-11: Solution of 11-banded nonsymmetric linear equation systems by a preconditioned biconjugate gradient routine

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Y.-M.; Koniges, A. E.; Anderson, D. V.

1989-10-01

The biconjugate gradient method (BCG) provides an attractive alternative to the usual conjugate gradient algorithms for the solution of sparse systems of linear equations with nonsymmetric and indefinite matrix operators. A preconditioned algorithm is given, whose form resembles the incomplete L-U conjugate gradient scheme (ILUCG2) previously presented. Although the BCG scheme requires the storage of two additional vectors, it converges in a significantly lesser number of iterations (often half), while the number of calculations per iteration remains essentially the same.

Non-symmetric approach to single-screw expander and compressor modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Ziviani, Davide; Groll, Eckhard A.; Braun, James E.; Horton, W. Travis; De Paepe, M.; van den Broek, M.

2017-08-01

Single-screw type volumetric machines are employed both as compressors in refrigeration systems and, more recently, as expanders in organic Rankine cycle (ORC) applications. The single-screw machine is characterized by having a central grooved rotor and two mating toothed starwheels that isolate the working chambers. One of the main features of such machine is related to the simultaneous occurrence of the compression or expansion processes on both sides of the main rotor which results in a more balanced loading on the main shaft bearings with respect to twin-screw machines. However, the meshing between starwheels and main rotor is a critical aspect as it heavily affects the volumetric performance of the machine. To allow flow interactions between the two sides of the rotor, a non-symmetric modelling approach has been established to obtain a more comprehensive model of the single-screw machine. The resulting mechanistic model includes in-chamber governing equations, leakage flow models, heat transfer mechanisms, viscous and mechanical losses. Forces and moments balances are used to estimate the loads on the main shaft bearings as well as on the starwheel bearings. An 11 kWe single-screw expander (SSE) adapted from an air compressor operating with R245fa as working fluid is used to validate the model. A total of 60 steady-steady points at four different rotational speeds have been collected to characterize the performance of the machine. The maximum electrical power output and overall isentropic efficiency measured were 7.31 kW and 51.91%, respectively.

Unprecedented Hexanuclear Cobalt(II Nonsymmetrical Salamo-Based Coordination Compound: Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Photophysical Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zong-Li Ren

2018-03-01

Full Text Available A novel hexanuclear Co(II coordination compound with a nonsymmetrical Salamo-type bisoxime ligandH4L, namely [{Co3(HL(MeO(MeOH2(OAc2}2]·2MeOH, was prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, UV–vis, IR and fluorescence spectra, and X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis. Each Co(II is hexacoordinated, and possesses a distorted CoO6 or CoO4N2 octahedrons. The Co(II coordination compound possesses a self-assembled infinite 2D supramolecular structure with the help of the intermolecular C–H···O interactions. Meanwhile, the photophysical properties of the Co(II coordination compound were studied.

A composite step conjugate gradients squared algorithm for solving nonsymmetric linear systems

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Tony; Szeto, Tedd

1994-03-01

We propose a new and more stable variant of the CGS method [27] for solving nonsymmetric linear systems. The method is based on squaring the Composite Step BCG method, introduced recently by Bank and Chan [1,2], which itself is a stabilized variant of BCG in that it skips over steps for which the BCG iterate is not defined and causes one kind of breakdown in BCG. By doing this, we obtain a method (Composite Step CGS or CSCGS) which not only handles the breakdowns described above, but does so with the advantages of CGS, namely, no multiplications by the transpose matrix and a faster convergence rate than BCG. Our strategy for deciding whether to skip a step does not involve any machine dependent parameters and is designed to skip near breakdowns as well as produce smoother iterates. Numerical experiments show that the new method does produce improved performance over CGS on practical problems.

Consistency of the postulates of special relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gron, O.; Nicola, M.

1976-01-01

In a recent article in this journal, Kingsley has tried to show that the postulates of special relativity contradict each other. It is shown that the arguments of Kingsley are invalid because of an erroneous appeal to symmetry in a nonsymmetric situation. The consistency of the postulates of special relativity and the relativistic kinematics deduced from them is restated

Seeking Space Aliens and the Strong Approximation Property: A (disjoint) Study in Dust Plumes on Planetary Satellites and Nonsymmetric Algebraic Multigrid

Science.gov (United States)

Southworth, Benjamin Scott

PART I: One of the most fascinating questions to humans has long been whether life exists outside of our planet. To our knowledge, water is a fundamental building block of life, which makes liquid water on other bodies in the universe a topic of great interest. In fact, there are large bodies of water right here in our solar system, underneath the icy crust of moons around Saturn and Jupiter. The NASA-ESA Cassini Mission spent two decades studying the Saturnian system. One of the many exciting discoveries was a "plume" on the south pole of Enceladus, emitting hundreds of kg/s of water vapor and frozen water-ice particles from Enceladus' subsurface ocean. It has since been determined that Enceladus likely has a global liquid water ocean separating its rocky core from icy surface, with conditions that are relatively favorable to support life. The plume is of particular interest because it gives direct access to ocean particles from space, by flying through the plume. Recently, evidence has been found for similar geological activity occurring on Jupiter's moon Europa, long considered one of the most likely candidate bodies to support life in our solar system. Here, a model for plume-particle dynamics is developed based on studies of the Enceladus plume and data from the Cassini Cosmic Dust Analyzer. A C++, OpenMP/MPI parallel software package is then built to run large scale simulations of dust plumes on planetary satellites. In the case of Enceladus, data from simulations and the Cassini mission provide insight into the structure of emissions on the surface, the total mass production of the plume, and the distribution of particles being emitted. Each of these are fundamental to understanding the plume and, for Europa and Enceladus, simulation data provide important results for the planning of future missions to these icy moons. In particular, this work has contributed to the Europa Clipper mission and proposed Enceladus Life Finder. PART II: Solving large, sparse

Subspace orthogonalization for substructuring preconditioners for nonsymmetric systems of linear equations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Starke, G. [Universitaet Karlsruhe (Germany)

1994-12-31

For nonselfadjoint elliptic boundary value problems which are preconditioned by a substructuring method, i.e., nonoverlapping domain decomposition, the author introduces and studies the concept of subspace orthogonalization. In subspace orthogonalization variants of Krylov methods the computation of inner products and vector updates, and the storage of basis elements is restricted to a (presumably small) subspace, in this case the edge and vertex unknowns with respect to the partitioning into subdomains. The author investigates subspace orthogonalization for two specific iterative algorithms, GMRES and the full orthogonalization method (FOM). This is intended to eliminate certain drawbacks of the Arnoldi-based Krylov subspace methods mentioned above. Above all, the length of the Arnoldi recurrences grows linearly with the iteration index which is therefore restricted to the number of basis elements that can be held in memory. Restarts become necessary and this often results in much slower convergence. The subspace orthogonalization methods, in contrast, require the storage of only the edge and vertex unknowns of each basis element which means that one can iterate much longer before restarts become necessary. Moreover, the computation of inner products is also restricted to the edge and vertex points which avoids the disturbance of the computational flow associated with the solution of subdomain problems. The author views subspace orthogonalization as an alternative to restarting or truncating Krylov subspace methods for nonsymmetric linear systems of equations. Instead of shortening the recurrences, one restricts them to a subset of the unknowns which has to be carefully chosen in order to be able to extend this partial solution to the entire space. The author discusses the convergence properties of these iteration schemes and its advantages compared to restarted or truncated versions of Krylov methods applied to the full preconditioned system.

Multi-catalysis cascade reactions based on the methoxycarbonylketene platform: diversity-oriented synthesis of functionalized non-symmetrical malonates for agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramachary, Dhevalapally B; Venkaiah, Chintalapudi; Reddy, Y Vijayendar; Kishor, Mamillapalli

2009-05-21

In this paper we describe new multi-catalysis cascade (MCC) reactions for the one-pot synthesis of highly functionalized non-symmetrical malonates. These metal-free reactions are either five-step (olefination/hydrogenation/alkylation/ketenization/esterification) or six-step (olefination/hydrogenation/alkylation/ketenization/esterification/alkylation), and employ aldehydes/ketones, Meldrum's acid, 1,4-dihydropyridine/o-phenylenediamine, diazomethane, alcohols and active ethylene/acetylenes, and involve iminium-, self-, self-, self- and base-catalysis, respectively. Many of the products have direct application in agricultural and pharmaceutical chemistry.

Triply coupled vibrational band gap in a periodic and nonsymmetrical axially loaded thin-walled Bernoulli-Euler beam including the warping effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Dianlong; Fang Jianyu; Cai Li; Han Xiaoyun; Wen Jihong

2009-01-01

The propagation of triply coupled vibrations in a periodic, nonsymmetrical and axially loaded thin-walled Bernoulli-Euler beam composed of two kinds of materials is investigated with the transfer matrix method. The cross-section of the beam lacks symmetrical axes, and bending vibrations in the two perpendicular directions are coupled with torsional vibrations. Furthermore, the effect of warping stiffness is included. The band structures of the periodic beam, both including and excluding the warping effect, are obtained. The frequency response function of the finite periodic beam is simulated with the finite element method. These simulations show large vibration-based attenuation in the frequency range of the gap, as expected. By comparing the band structure of the beam with plane wave expansion method calculations that are available in the literature, one finds that including the warping effect leads to a more accurate simulation. The effects of warping stiffness and axial force on the band structure are also discussed.

X-ray Structural Investigation of Nonsymmetrically and Symmetrically Alkylated [1]Benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene Derivatives in Bulk and Thin Films.

OpenAIRE

Gbabode , Gabin; Dohr , Michael; Niebel , Claude; Balandier , Jean-Yves; Ruzié , Christian; Négrier , Philippe; Mondieig , Denise; Geerts , Yves H; Resel , Roland; Sferrazza , Michele

2014-01-01

International audience; A detailed structural study of the bulk and thin film phases observed for two potential high-performance organic semiconductors has been carried out. The molecules are based on [1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene (BTBT) as conjugated core and octyl side groups, which are anchored either symmetrically at both sides of the BTBT core (C8-BTBT-C8) or nonsymmetrically at one side only (C8-BTBT). Thin films of different thickness (8-85 nm) have been prepared by spin-coating ...

Thermal Behaviour of Beams with Slant End-Plate Connection Subjected to Nonsymmetric Gravity Load

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farshad Zahmatkesh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Research on the steel structures with confining of axial expansion in fixed beams has been quite intensive in the past decade. It is well established that the thermal behaviour has a key influence on steel structural behaviours. This paper describes mechanical behaviour of beams with bolted slant end-plate connection with nonsymmetric gravity load, subjected to temperature increase. Furthermore, the performance of slant connections of beams in steel moment frame structures in the elastic field is investigated. The proposed model proved that this flexible connection system could successfully decrease the extra thermal induced axial force by both of the friction force dissipation among two faces of slant connection and a small upward movement on the slant plane. The applicability of primary assumption is illustrated. The results from the proposed model are examined within various slant angles, thermal and friction factors. It can be concluded that higher thermal conditions are tolerable when slanting connection is used.

Two Glass Transitions Associated to Different Dynamic Disorders in the Nematic Glassy State of a Non-Symmetric Liquid Crystal Dimer Dopped with γ-Alumina Nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Diez-Berart, Sergio; López, David O.; Salud, Josep; Diego, José Antonio; Sellarès, Jordi; Robles-Hernández, Beatriz; de la Fuente, María Rosario; Ros, María Blanca

2015-01-01

In the present work, the nematic glassy state of the non-symmetric LC dimer α-(4-cyanobiphenyl-4′-yloxy)-ω-(1-pyrenimine-benzylidene-4′-oxy) undecane is studied by means of calorimetric and dielectric measurements. The most striking result of the work is the presence of two different glass transition temperatures: one due to the freezing of the flip-flop motions of the bulkier unit of the dimer and the other, at a lower temperature, related to the freezing of the flip-flop and precessional motions of the cyanobiphenyl unit. This result shows the fact that glass transition is the consequence of the freezing of one or more coupled dynamic disorders and not of the disordered phase itself. In order to avoid crystallization when the bulk sample is cooled down, the LC dimer has been confined via the dispersion of γ-alumina nanoparticles, in several concentrations.

中央银行再贷款利率与同业拆借利率的非对称动态传导机制%Unsymmetric Dynamic Transmitting System of Refinancing Rate and Inter Bank Operating Rate

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

徐寒飞

2004-01-01

The interest rate is an important tool for the monetary policy, while in China it is not as effective as which the macroeconomics theory has expected. This paper makes a nonsymmetrical error correction model for the re-loan rate and inter-bank rate, to research the dynamic transmission mechanism of the relation of these interest rates. The significant nonsymmetrical relation is found between the two interest rates and it is the nonsymmetrical relation that has great influence in the transmission effect of the interest rate policy, furthermore, the economics explanation of the nonsymmetrical relation is the arbitrage of the banks and the single direction of the re-loan rate.

First step of the project for implementation of two non-symmetric cooling loops modeled by the ALMOD3 code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez, L.; Camargo, C.T.M.

1984-09-01

The first step of the project for implementation of two non-symmetric cooling loops modeled by the ALMOD3 computer code is presented. This step consists of the introduction of a simplified model for simulating the steam generator. This model is the GEVAP computer code, integrant part of LOOP code, which simulates the primary coolant circuit of PWR nuclear power plants during transients. The ALMOD3 computer code has a model for the steam generator, called UTSG, which is very detailed. This model has spatial dependence, correlations for 2-phase flow, distinguished correlations for different heat transfer process. The GEVAP model has thermal equilibrium between phases (gaseous and liquid homogeneous mixture), no spatial dependence and uses only one generalized correlation to treat several heat transfer processes. (Author) [pt

Perceived Emotional Intelligence and Learning Strategies in Spanish University Students: A New Perspective from a Canonical Non-symmetrical Correspondence Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María C. Vega-Hernández

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Recent studies have revealed that emotional competences are relevant to the student’s learning process and, more specifically, in the use of learning strategies (LSs. The aim of this study is twofold. First, we aim to analyze the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence (PEI and LSs applying the scales TMMS-24 and Abridged ACRA to a sample of 2334 Spanish university students, whilst also exploring possible gender differences. Second, we aim to propose a methodological alternative based on the Canonical non-symmetrical correspondence analysis (CNCA, as an alternative to the methods traditionally used in Psychology and Education. Our results show that PEI has an impact on the LS of the students. Male participants with high scores on learning support strategies are positively related to high attention, clarity, and emotional repair. However, the use of cognitive and control LS is related to low values on the PEI dimensions. For women, high scores on cognitive, control, and learning support LS are related to high emotional attention, whereas dimensions such as study habits and learning support are related to adequate emotional repair. Participants in the 18–19 and 22–23 years age groups showed similar behavior. High scores on learning support strategies are related to high values on three dimensions of the PEI, and high values of study habits show high values for clarity and low values for attention and repair. The 20–21 and older than 24 years age groups behaved similarly. High scores on learning support strategies are related to low values on clarity, and study habits show high values for clarity and repair. This article presents the relationship between PEI and LS in university students, the differences by gender and age, and CNCA as an alternative method to techniques used in this field to study this association.

Perceived Emotional Intelligence and Learning Strategies in Spanish University Students: A New Perspective from a Canonical Non-symmetrical Correspondence Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Vega-Hernández, María C; Patino-Alonso, María C; Cabello, Rosario; Galindo-Villardón, María P; Fernández-Berrocal, Pablo

2017-01-01

Recent studies have revealed that emotional competences are relevant to the student's learning process and, more specifically, in the use of learning strategies (LSs). The aim of this study is twofold. First, we aim to analyze the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence (PEI) and LSs applying the scales TMMS-24 and Abridged ACRA to a sample of 2334 Spanish university students, whilst also exploring possible gender differences. Second, we aim to propose a methodological alternative based on the Canonical non-symmetrical correspondence analysis (CNCA), as an alternative to the methods traditionally used in Psychology and Education. Our results show that PEI has an impact on the LS of the students. Male participants with high scores on learning support strategies are positively related to high attention, clarity, and emotional repair. However, the use of cognitive and control LS is related to low values on the PEI dimensions. For women, high scores on cognitive, control, and learning support LS are related to high emotional attention, whereas dimensions such as study habits and learning support are related to adequate emotional repair. Participants in the 18-19 and 22-23 years age groups showed similar behavior. High scores on learning support strategies are related to high values on three dimensions of the PEI, and high values of study habits show high values for clarity and low values for attention and repair. The 20-21 and older than 24 years age groups behaved similarly. High scores on learning support strategies are related to low values on clarity, and study habits show high values for clarity and repair. This article presents the relationship between PEI and LS in university students, the differences by gender and age, and CNCA as an alternative method to techniques used in this field to study this association.

Ferroelectric response in an achiral non-symmetric bent liquid crystal:C{sub 12}C{sub 10}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Subrahmanyam, S.V.; Chalapathi, P.V. [Department of Physics, University College of Engineering, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada, Kakinada 533003 (India); Mahabaleshwara, S.; Srinivasulu, M. [Department of Chemistry, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal University, Manipal 576104 (India); George, A.K. [Department of Physics, College of Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, PO Box-36, PC-123, Muscat (Oman); Potukuchi, D.M., E-mail: potukuchidm@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, University College of Engineering, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada, Kakinada 533003 (India)

2014-10-01

An achiral Non-Symmetric Bent Liquid Crystal (BLC) with a Oxadiazole based hetero cyclic central moiety, abbreviated as C{sub 12}C{sub 10} viz., dodecyl[4-{5-(4′-decyloxy)biphenyl-4-yl}-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl]benzoate, exhibiting FerroElectric (FE) response is reported. Product is confirmed by {sup 1}H NMR, {sup 13}C NMR and elemental analysis. Characterization of BLC phases is carried out by Polarized Optical Microscopy (POM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Spontaneous Polarization (P{sub S}) and Low Frequency (10 Hz–10 MHz) Dielectric Relaxation studies. C{sub 12}C{sub 10} exhibits enantiotropic LC SmA, FE B{sub 2}, SmG, SmE phase variance. I–SmA, B{sub 2}–SmG and SmG–SmE transitions are of first order nature. FE B{sub 2} phases exhibits a moderate P{sub S} of ∼80 nC cm{sup −2}. B{sub 2} phase exhibits Curie–Weiss behavior to confirm FE nature. Off-centered low frequency (KHz) dispersion infers a scissor mode and a high frequency (MHz) mode to reflect the distinct time-scale response. Dielectric Dispersion is relatively susceptible in lower frequency KHz region. Arrhenius shift in Relaxation Frequency (f{sub R}) infers higher activation energy (E{sub a}) in non-FE phases for HF mode and lower value for KHz mode. Trends of f{sub R}, dielectric strength Δε, α-parameter and E{sub a} are discussed in view of the data reported in other LC compounds.

Greedy algorithms for high-dimensional non-symmetric linear problems***

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cancès E.

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In this article, we present a family of numerical approaches to solve high-dimensional linear non-symmetric problems. The principle of these methods is to approximate a function which depends on a large number of variates by a sum of tensor product functions, each term of which is iteratively computed via a greedy algorithm ? . There exists a good theoretical framework for these methods in the case of (linear and nonlinear symmetric elliptic problems. However, the convergence results are not valid any more as soon as the problems under consideration are not symmetric. We present here a review of the main algorithms proposed in the literature to circumvent this difficulty, together with some new approaches. The theoretical convergence results and the practical implementation of these algorithms are discussed. Their behaviors are illustrated through some numerical examples. Dans cet article, nous présentons une famille de méthodes numériques pour résoudre des problèmes linéaires non symétriques en grande dimension. Le principe de ces approches est de représenter une fonction dépendant d’un grand nombre de variables sous la forme d’une somme de fonctions produit tensoriel, dont chaque terme est calculé itérativement via un algorithme glouton ? . Ces méthodes possèdent de bonnes propriétés théoriques dans le cas de problèmes elliptiques symétriques (linéaires ou non linéaires, mais celles-ci ne sont plus valables dès lors que les problèmes considérés ne sont plus symétriques. Nous présentons une revue des principaux algorithmes proposés dans la littérature pour contourner cette difficulté ainsi que de nouvelles approches que nous proposons. Les résultats de convergence théoriques et la mise en oeuvre pratique de ces algorithmes sont détaillés et leur comportement est illustré au travers d’exemples numériques.

Effect of Molecular Flexibility on the Nematic-to-Isotropic Phase Transition for Highly Biaxial Molecular Non-Symmetric Liquid Crystal Dimers

Science.gov (United States)

Sebastián, Nerea; López, David Orencio; Diez-Berart, Sergio; de la Fuente, María Rosario; Salud, Josep; Pérez-Jubindo, Miguel Angel; Ros, María Blanca

2011-01-01

In this work, a study of the nematic (N)–isotropic (I) phase transition has been made in a series of odd non-symmetric liquid crystal dimers, the α-(4-cyanobiphenyl-4’-yloxy)-ω-(1-pyrenimine-benzylidene-4’-oxy) alkanes, by means of accurate calorimetric and dielectric measurements. These materials are potential candidates to present the elusive biaxial nematic (NB) phase, as they exhibit both molecular biaxiality and flexibility. According to the theory, the uniaxial nematic (NU)–isotropic (I) phase transition is first-order in nature, whereas the NB–I phase transition is second-order. Thus, a fine analysis of the critical behavior of the N–I phase transition would allow us to determine the presence or not of the biaxial nematic phase and understand how the molecular biaxiality and flexibility of these compounds influences the critical behavior of the N–I phase transition. PMID:28824100

Electrochemically Triggered Co-Conformational Switching in a [2]catenane Comprising a Non-Symmetric Calix[6]arene Wheel and a Two-Station Oriented Macrocycle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valeria Zanichelli

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Catenanes with desymmetrized ring components can undergo co-conformational rearrangements upon external stimulation and can form the basis for the development of molecular rotary motors. We describe the design, synthesis and properties of a [2]catenane consisting of a macrocycle—the ‘track’ ring—endowed with two distinct recognition sites (a bipyridinium and an ammonium for a calix[6]arene—the ‘shuttle’ ring. By exploiting the ability of the calixarene to thread appropriate non-symmetric axles with directional selectivity, we assembled an oriented pseudorotaxane and converted it into the corresponding oriented catenane by intramolecular ring closing metathesis. Cyclic voltammetric experiments indicate that the calixarene wheel initially surrounds the bipyridinium site, moves away from it when it is reduced, and returns in the original position upon reoxidation. A comparison with appropriate model compounds shows that the presence of the ammonium station is necessary for the calixarene to leave the reduced bipyridinium site.

A scalable geometric multigrid solver for nonsymmetric elliptic systems with application to variable-density flows

Science.gov (United States)

Esmaily, M.; Jofre, L.; Mani, A.; Iaccarino, G.

2018-03-01

A geometric multigrid algorithm is introduced for solving nonsymmetric linear systems resulting from the discretization of the variable density Navier-Stokes equations on nonuniform structured rectilinear grids and high-Reynolds number flows. The restriction operation is defined such that the resulting system on the coarser grids is symmetric, thereby allowing for the use of efficient smoother algorithms. To achieve an optimal rate of convergence, the sequence of interpolation and restriction operations are determined through a dynamic procedure. A parallel partitioning strategy is introduced to minimize communication while maintaining the load balance between all processors. To test the proposed algorithm, we consider two cases: 1) homogeneous isotropic turbulence discretized on uniform grids and 2) turbulent duct flow discretized on stretched grids. Testing the algorithm on systems with up to a billion unknowns shows that the cost varies linearly with the number of unknowns. This O (N) behavior confirms the robustness of the proposed multigrid method regarding ill-conditioning of large systems characteristic of multiscale high-Reynolds number turbulent flows. The robustness of our method to density variations is established by considering cases where density varies sharply in space by a factor of up to 104, showing its applicability to two-phase flow problems. Strong and weak scalability studies are carried out, employing up to 30,000 processors, to examine the parallel performance of our implementation. Excellent scalability of our solver is shown for a granularity as low as 104 to 105 unknowns per processor. At its tested peak throughput, it solves approximately 4 billion unknowns per second employing over 16,000 processors with a parallel efficiency higher than 50%.

The mathematics of xenology: di-cographs, symbolic ultrametrics, 2-structures and tree-representable systems of binary relations.

Science.gov (United States)

Hellmuth, Marc; Stadler, Peter F; Wieseke, Nicolas

2017-07-01

The concepts of orthology, paralogy, and xenology play a key role in molecular evolution. Orthology and paralogy distinguish whether a pair of genes originated by speciation or duplication. The corresponding binary relations on a set of genes form complementary cographs. Allowing more than two types of ancestral event types leads to symmetric symbolic ultrametrics. Horizontal gene transfer, which leads to xenologous gene pairs, however, is inherent asymmetric since one offspring copy "jumps" into another genome, while the other continues to be inherited vertically. We therefore explore here the mathematical structure of the non-symmetric generalization of symbolic ultrametrics. Our main results tie non-symmetric ultrametrics together with di-cographs (the directed generalization of cographs), so-called uniformly non-prime ([Formula: see text]) 2-structures, and hierarchical structures on the set of strong modules. This yields a characterization of relation structures that can be explained in terms of trees and types of ancestral events. This framework accommodates a horizontal-transfer relation in terms of an ancestral event and thus, is slightly different from the the most commonly used definition of xenology. As a first step towards a practical use, we present a simple polynomial-time recognition algorithm of [Formula: see text] 2-structures and investigate the computational complexity of several types of editing problems for [Formula: see text] 2-structures. We show, finally that these NP-complete problems can be solved exactly as Integer Linear Programs.

New ghost-free extensions of general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mann, R.B.

1989-01-01

The method of algebraic extension is shown to yield a large class of gravitational theories which are extensions of general relativity. Requiring positivity of energy in the flat-space limit of such theories provides some constraints, but a large set of theories of potential phenomenological interest survives this condition. Explicit examples of such theories include the non-symmetric gravitational theory, algebraically extended Hilbert gravity and a one-parameter family of theories with dynamical torsion. In general such theories do not alter general relativistic post-Newtonian predictions for time delay experiments; rather they alter the non-linearities of the post-Newtonian gravitational potential. Such effects may be probed by measuring periastron shifts, as in the eclipsing binary systems Di Her and As Cam, as well as in the binary pulsar PSR 1913 + 16 (author)

Relative fault and efficient negligence: Comparative negligence explained

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dari-Mattiacci, G.; Hendriks, E.S.

2013-01-01

This paper shows that the rule of comparative negligence with relative fault - a sharing of the loss proportional to the parties’ relative departures from due care - induces the parties to an accident to be efficiently negligent. Comparative negligence is more efficient than simple or contributory

Succinic acid dihydrazide: a convenient N,N-double block for the synthesis of symmetrical and non-symmetrical succinyl-bis[5-trifluoro(chloro)methyl-1H-pyrazoles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonacorso, Helio G.; Cechinel, Cleber A.; Pittaluga, Everton P.; Ferla, Adriana; Porte, Liliane M.F; Martins, Marcos A.P; Zanatta, Nilo

2010-01-01

This paper describes the conventional regioselective synthesis of a series of new succinyl spacer bis-(3,5-substituted 2-pyrazolines and 1H-pyrazoles), namely; 1,4-bis[5-(trifluoromethyl)-5- hydroxy-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]butane-1,4-diones (46-88%) and the respective dehydrated system (60-78%), new 1-[5-(trifluoromethyl)-5-hydroxy-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]-4- oxobutane hydrazides (52-81%) and the non-symmetrical 2-pyrazolines derivatives thereof as 1-[5-(trifluoromethyl)- 5-hydroxy-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-4-(5-(trichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy- 4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]butane-1,4-diones (75-91%). All succinyl substituted bispyrazoles were obtained from the cyclocondensation reactions of 4-substituted 4-alkoxy-1,1,1-trihaloalk-3- en-2-ones, where the 4-substituents are H, Me, Ph, 4-FC 6 H 4 , 4-ClC 6 H 4 , 4-OMeC 6 H 4 , 4-NO 2 C 6 H 4 , 1-naphthyl and 2-furyl, with succinic acid dihydrazide in ethanol as solvent under controlled reaction conditions. (author)

Comparing EU hospital efficiency using diagnosis-related groups

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rhodes, G.; Wiley, M.; Tomas, R.; Casas, M.; Leidl, R.

1997-01-01

This article considers the feasibility of comparing the differences in efficiency and price in the provision of hospital products defined on the basis of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). Two measures of resource use are compared, the length of stay and the administrative price, both independently

X-ray structural investigation of nonsymmetrically and symmetrically alkylated [1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene derivatives in bulk and thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Gbabode, Gabin; Dohr, Michael; Niebel, Claude; Balandier, Jean-Yves; Ruzié, Christian; Négrier, Philippe; Mondieig, Denise; Geerts, Yves H; Resel, Roland; Sferrazza, Michele

2014-08-27

A detailed structural study of the bulk and thin film phases observed for two potential high-performance organic semiconductors has been carried out. The molecules are based on [1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene (BTBT) as conjugated core and octyl side groups, which are anchored either symmetrically at both sides of the BTBT core (C8-BTBT-C8) or nonsymmetrically at one side only (C8-BTBT). Thin films of different thickness (8-85 nm) have been prepared by spin-coating for both systems and analyzed by combining specular and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. In the case of C8-BTBT-C8, the known crystal structure obtained from single-crystal investigations is observed within all thin films, down to a film thickness of 9 nm. In the case of C8-BTBT, the crystal structure of the bulk phase has been determined from X-ray powder diffraction data with a consistent matching of experimental and calculated X-ray diffraction patterns (Rwp = 5.8%). The packing arrangement of C8-BTBT is similar to that of C8-BTBT-C8, that is, consisting of a lamellar structure with molecules arranged in a "herringbone" fashion, yet with lamellae composed of two head-to-head (or tail-to-tail as the structure is periodic) superimposed molecules instead of only one molecule for C8-BTBT-C8. As for C8-BTBT-C8, we demonstrate that the same phase is observed in bulk and thin films for C8-BTBT whatever the film thickness investigated.

On-chip broadband ultra-compact optical couplers and polarization splitters based on off-centered and non-symmetric slotted Si-wire waveguides

Science.gov (United States)

Haldar, Raktim; Mishra, V.; Dutt, Avik; Varshney, Shailendra K.

2016-10-01

In this work, we propose novel schemes to design on-chip ultra-compact optical directional couplers (DC) and broadband polarization beam splitters (PBS) based on off-centered and asymmetric dielectric slot waveguides, respectively. Slot dimensions and positions are optimized to achieve maximum coupling coefficients between two symmetric and non-symmetric slotted Si wire waveguides through overlap integral method. We observe >88% of enhancement in the coupling coefficients when the size-optimized slots are placed in optimal positions, with respect to the same waveguides with no slot. When the waveguides are parallel, in that case, a coupling length as short as 1.73 μm is accomplished for TM mode with the off-centered and optimized slots. This scheme enables us to design optical DC with very small footprint, L c ∼ 0.9 μm in the presence of S-bends. We also report a compact (L c ∼ 1.1 μm) on-chip broadband PBS with hybrid slots. Extinction ratios of 13 dB and 22.3 dB are realized with very low insertion loss (0.055 dB and 0.008 dB) for TM and TE modes at 1.55 μm, respectively. The designed PBS exhibits a bandwidth of 78 nm for the TM mode (C-and partial L-bands) and >100 nm for the TE mode (S + C + L wavelength bands). Such on-chip devices can be used to design compact photonic interconnects and quantum information processing units efficiently. We have also investigated the fabrication tolerances of the proposed devices and described the fabrication steps to realize such hybrid devices. Our results are in good agreement with 3D FDTD simulations.

A comparative study of iterative solutions to linear systems arising in quantum mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jing Yanfei; Huang Tingzhu; Duan Yong; Carpentieri, Bruno

2010-01-01

This study is mainly focused on iterative solutions with simple diagonal preconditioning to two complex-valued nonsymmetric systems of linear equations arising from a computational chemistry model problem proposed by Sherry Li of NERSC. Numerical experiments show the feasibility of iterative methods to some extent when applied to the problems and reveal the competitiveness of our recently proposed Lanczos biconjugate A-orthonormalization methods to other classic and popular iterative methods. By the way, experiment results also indicate that application specific preconditioners may be mandatory and required for accelerating convergence.

Numerical comparison of robustness of some reduction methods in rough grids

KAUST Repository

Hou, Jiangyong; Sun, Shuyu; Chen, Zhangxin

2014-01-01

In this article, we present three nonsymmetric mixed hybrid RT 1 2 methods and compare with some recently developed reduction methods which are suitable for the single-phase Darcy flow problem with full anisotropic and highly heterogeneous

Comparing records with related chronologies

Science.gov (United States)

Bronk Ramsey, Christopher; Albert, Paul; Kearney, Rebecca; Staff, Richard A.

2016-04-01

In order to integrate ice, terrestrial and marine records, it is necessary to deal with records on different timescales. These timescales can be grouped into those that use a common fundamental chronometer (such as Uranium-Thorium dating or Radiocarbon) and can also be related to one another where we have chronological tie points such as tephra horizons. More generally we can, through a number of different methodologies, derive relationships between different timescales. A good example of this is the use of cosmogenic isotope production, specifically 10Be and 14C to relate the calibrated radiocarbon timescale to that of the Greenland ice cores. The relationships between different timescales can be mathematically expressed in terms of time-transfer functions. This formalism allows any related record to be considered against any linked timescale with an appropriate associated uncertainty. The prototype INTIMATE chronological database allows records to be viewed and compared in this way and this is now being further developed, both to include a wider range of records and also to provide better connectivity to other databases and chronological tools. These developments will also include new ways to use tephra tie-points to constrain the relationship between timescales directly, without needing to remodel each associated timescale. The database as it stands allows data for particular timeframes to be recalled and plotted against any timescale, or exported in spreadsheet format. New functionality will be added to allow users to work with their own data in a private space and then to publish it when it has been through the peer-review publication process. In order to make the data easier to use for other further analysis and plotting, and with data from other sources, the database will also act as a server to deliver data in a JSON format. The aim of this work is to make the comparison of integrated data much easier for researchers and to ensure that good practice in

Comparing Structural Brain Connectivity by the Infinite Relational Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ambrosen, Karen Marie Sandø; Herlau, Tue; Dyrby, Tim

2013-01-01

The growing focus in neuroimaging on analyzing brain connectivity calls for powerful and reliable statistical modeling tools. We examine the Infinite Relational Model (IRM) as a tool to identify and compare structure in brain connectivity graphs by contrasting its performance on graphs from...

Woodworking injuries: a comparative study of work-related and hobby-related accidents.

Science.gov (United States)

Loisel, F; Bonin, S; Jeunet, L; Pauchot, J; Tropet, Y; Obert, L

2014-10-01

The primary objective of this study was to describe the injury characteristics and demographics of patients injured during woodworking activities, upon their arrival to the emergency department in a regional of France where this industry is prevalent. The secondary objective was to compare patient and injury characteristics for work-related and hobby-related accidents. A cohort of 87 patients who had suffered a woodworking accident over a two-year period was evaluated; 79 were available for follow-up. The context and circumstances of the accident, nature and location of the injuries and patient demographics were recorded. Hobby-related accidents accounted for two-thirds of the accidents (51/79). Most of the injured workers were either loggers (35%) or carpenters (46%). The hand was injured in 53 cases (67%). Work-related accidents resulted in significantly more serious consequences in terms of hospital stay, work stoppage, resumption of work or retraining than hobby-related accidents. For the workplace accidents, 86% occurred on new machines; more than 25% of the machines involved in accidents at home were over 15 years. Sixty-eight per cent of workers were wearing their safety gear, while only 31% of those injured during recreational woodworking wore the appropriate gear. Several elements of prevention should be improved: information about the need to maintain the equipment, protect the worker with suitable clothing, and learn which maneuvers are considered hazardous. Safety gear should be regularly inspected in the workplace. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier SAS.

Culture-related service expectations: a comparative study using the Kano model.

Science.gov (United States)

Hejaili, Fayez F; Assad, Lina; Shaheen, Faissal A; Moussa, Dujana H; Karkar, Ayman; AlRukhaimi, Mona; Barhamein, Majdah; Al Suwida, Abdulkareem; Al Alhejaili, Faris F; Al Harbi, Ali S; Al Homrany, Mohamed; Attar, Bisher; Al-Sayyari, Abdulla A

2009-01-01

To compare service expectations between Arab and Austrian patients. We used a Kano model-based questionnaire with 20 service attributes of relevance to the dialysis patient. We analyzed 530, 172, 60, and 68 responses from Saudi, Austrian, Syrian, and UAE patients, respectively. We compared the customer satisfaction coefficient and the frequencies of response categories ("must be," "attractive," "one-dimensional," and "indifferent") for each of the 20 service attributes and in each of the 3 national groups of patients. We also investigated whether any differences seen were related to sex, age, literacy rate, or duration on dialysis. We observed higher satisfaction coefficients and "one-directional" responses among Arab patients and higher dissatisfaction coefficients and "must be" and "attractive" responses among Austrian patients. These were not related to age or duration on dialysis but were related to literacy rate. We speculate that these discrepancies between Austrian and Arab patients might be related to underdeveloped sophistication in market competitive forces and to cultural influences.

Residual stresses in non-symmetrical carbon-epoxy laminates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijskamp, Sebastiaan; Akkerman, Remko; Lamers, E.A.D.; Martin, M.J.; Hahn, H.T.

2003-01-01

The curvature of unsymmetrical [0/90] laminates moulded from AS4/8552 uni-directional tape has been measured. A linear thermoelastic approach has been applied to predict the related residual stress state before demoulding, giving an estimate of the stress induced by polymerisation strain. The

Novel non-symmetrical bifunctionally-substituted phthalonitriles and corresponding d-metal phthalocyaninates

Science.gov (United States)

Vashurin, Artur; Maizlish, Vladimir; Tikhomirova, Tatiyana; Nemtseva, Marina; Znoyko, Serafima; Aleksandriiskii, Viktor

2018-05-01

The work reports synthesis of 4-(2-tert-butyl-4,5-dicyanophenylsulfonyl)benzene and its analogue containing carboxyl group in phenyl fragment by nucleophilic substitution of nitro-group of 4-tert-butyl-5-nitrophthalonitrile. Unique structure of the obtained compounds is explained by presence of bulky tert-butyl substituent in combination with carboxyl group, which being part of phthalocyanine molecule impart it higher solubility within different solvents (organic and water mediums) and act as anchoring groups. Based on obtained nitriles phthalocyanine complexes of copper, nickel, cobalt and magnesium are synthesized with good yields. Demetallization of initial magnesium phthalocyanine by hydrochloric acid was performed in order to obtain ligand of phthalocyanine. Synthetic and purification techniques are described in detail. Obtained substances are of specific structure making them to be applied in sensorics for smart materials production, as sensitizers or part of molecular magnets. The structure, NMR and IR spectra are modeled using special software. Resulting experimental and theoretical data are compared. The results show sufficient correlation that confirms correctness of chosen methods and its applicability for theoretical studying compounds related to investigated ones.

eShadow: A tool for comparing closely related sequences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ovcharenko, Ivan; Boffelli, Dario; Loots, Gabriela G.

2004-01-15

Primate sequence comparisons are difficult to interpret due to the high degree of sequence similarity shared between such closely related species. Recently, a novel method, phylogenetic shadowing, has been pioneered for predicting functional elements in the human genome through the analysis of multiple primate sequence alignments. We have expanded this theoretical approach to create a computational tool, eShadow, for the identification of elements under selective pressure in multiple sequence alignments of closely related genomes, such as in comparisons of human to primate or mouse to rat DNA. This tool integrates two different statistical methods and allows for the dynamic visualization of the resulting conservation profile. eShadow also includes a versatile optimization module capable of training the underlying Hidden Markov Model to differentially predict functional sequences. This module grants the tool high flexibility in the analysis of multiple sequence alignments and in comparing sequences with different divergence rates. Here, we describe the eShadow comparative tool and its potential uses for analyzing both multiple nucleotide and protein alignments to predict putative functional elements. The eShadow tool is publicly available at http://eshadow.dcode.org/

Influence of local parameters on the dispersion of traffic-related pollutants within street canyons

Science.gov (United States)

Karra, Styliani; Malki-Epshtein, Liora; Martin Hyde Collaboration

2011-11-01

Ventilation within urban cities and street canyons and the associated air quality is a problem of increasing interest in the last decades. It is important for to minimise exposure of the population to traffic-related pollutants at street level. The residence time of pollutants within the street canyons depends on the meteorological conditions such as wind speed and direction, geometry layout and local parameters (position of traffic lane within the street). An experimental study was carried out to investigate the influence of traffic lane position on the dispersion of traffic-related pollutants within different street canyons geometries: symmetrical (equal building heights on both sides of the street), non-symmetrical (uniform building heights but lower on one side of the street) and heterogeneous (non-uniform building heights on both sides of the street) under constant meteorological conditions. Laboratory experiments were carried out within a water channel and simultaneous measurements of velocity field and concentration scalar levels within and above the street canyons using PIV and PLIF techniques. Traffic -related emissions were simulated using a line emission source. Two positions were examined for all street geometries: line emission source was placed in the centre of the street canyon; line emission source was placed off the centre of the street. TSI Incorporated.

Iterative and multigrid methods in the finite element solution of incompressible and turbulent fluid flow

Science.gov (United States)

Lavery, N.; Taylor, C.

1999-07-01

Multigrid and iterative methods are used to reduce the solution time of the matrix equations which arise from the finite element (FE) discretisation of the time-independent equations of motion of the incompressible fluid in turbulent motion. Incompressible flow is solved by using the method of reduce interpolation for the pressure to satisfy the Brezzi-Babuska condition. The k-l model is used to complete the turbulence closure problem. The non-symmetric iterative matrix methods examined are the methods of least squares conjugate gradient (LSCG), biconjugate gradient (BCG), conjugate gradient squared (CGS), and the biconjugate gradient squared stabilised (BCGSTAB). The multigrid algorithm applied is based on the FAS algorithm of Brandt, and uses two and three levels of grids with a V-cycling schedule. These methods are all compared to the non-symmetric frontal solver. Copyright

Second and third stages of project for the implementation of two asymmetric cooling loops modeled by the ALMOD3 code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez, L.; Camargo, C.T.M.

1985-04-01

The second and third steps of the project for implementation of two non-symmetric cooling loops modeled by the ALMOD3 computer code are presented. These steps consists in activate the option for 2 loops already present in ALMOD3 original version and to introduce the GEVAP model for one of the two steam generators. In ALMOD3 original version the simulation of two non-symmetric loops was only possible using external functions, which provide the removed heat for each time step for one of the steam generators. With the introduction of GEVAP model, it is possible to obtain more accurate results. Due to its simplicity, the computer time required for execution is short. The results obtained in Angra 1 simulations are presented, analysed and compared with results obtained using one loop for simulating symmetric transients. (Author) [pt

Long-term repetition priming with symmetrical polygons and words.

Science.gov (United States)

Kersteen-Tucker, Z

1991-01-01

In two different tasks, subjects were asked to make lexical decisions (word or nonword) and symmetry judgments (symmetrical or nonsymmetrical) about two-dimensional polygons. In both tasks, every stimulus was repeated at one of four lags (0, 1, 4, or 8 items interposed between the first and second stimulus presentations). This paradigm, known as repetition priming, revealed comparable short-term priming (Lag 0) and long-term priming (Lags 1, 4, and 8) both for symmetrical polygons and for words. A shorter term component (Lags 0 and 1) of priming was observed for nonwords, and only very short-term priming (Lag 0) was observed for nonsymmetrical polygons. These results indicate that response facilitation accruing from repeated exposure can be observed for stimuli that have no preexisting memory representations and suggest that perceptual factors contribute to repetition-priming effects.

Performance of a Low Speed Axial Compressor Rotor Blade Row under Different Inlet Distortions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Taghavi Zenouz

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Responses of an axial compressor isolated rotor blade row to various inlet distortions have been investigated utilizing computational fluid dynamic technique. Distortions have been imposed by five screens of different geometries, but with the same blockage ratio. These screens were embedded upstream of the rotor blade row. Flow fields are simulated in detail for compressor design point and near stall conditions. Performance curves for distorted cases are extracted and compared to the undisturbed case. Flow simulations and consequent performance characteristics show that the worst cases belong to non-symmetric blockages, i.e., those of partial circumferential configurations. These cases produce the largest wakes which can disturb the flow, considerably. Superior performances correspond to the inner and outer continuous circumferential distortion screens. Since, they produce no significant disturbances to the main flow in comparison to the non-symmetric screens.

Comparative Incidence of Conformational, Neurodegenerative Disorders.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesús de Pedro-Cuesta

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to identify incidence and survival patterns in conformational neurodegenerative disorders (CNDDs.We identified 2563 reports on the incidence of eight conditions representing sporadic, acquired and genetic, protein-associated, i.e., conformational, NDD groups and age-related macular degeneration (AMD. We selected 245 papers for full-text examination and application of quality criteria. Additionally, data-collection was completed with detailed information from British, Swedish, and Spanish registries on Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD forms, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, and sporadic rapidly progressing neurodegenerative dementia (sRPNDd. For each condition, age-specific incidence curves, age-adjusted figures, and reported or calculated median survival were plotted and examined.Based on 51 valid reported and seven new incidence data sets, nine out of eleven conditions shared specific features. Age-adjusted incidence per million person-years increased from ≤1.5 for sRPNDd, different CJD forms and Huntington's disease (HD, to 1589 and 2589 for AMD and Alzheimer's disease (AD respectively. Age-specific profiles varied from (a symmetrical, inverted V-shaped curves for low incidences to (b those increasing with age for late-life sporadic CNDDs and for sRPNDd, with (c a suggested, intermediate, non-symmetrical inverted V-shape for fronto-temporal dementia and Parkinson's disease. Frequently, peak age-specific incidences from 20-24 to ≥90 years increased with age at onset and survival. Distinct patterns were seen: for HD, with a low incidence, levelling off at middle age, and long median survival, 20 years; and for sRPNDd which displayed the lowest incidence, increasing with age, and a short median disease duration.These results call for a unified population view of NDDs, with an age-at-onset-related pattern for acquired and sporadic CNDDs. The pattern linking age at onset to incidence magnitude and survival might

Comparative Incidence of Conformational, Neurodegenerative Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

de Pedro-Cuesta, Jesús; Rábano, Alberto; Martínez-Martín, Pablo; Ruiz-Tovar, María; Alcalde-Cabero, Enrique; Almazán-Isla, Javier; Avellanal, Fuencisla; Calero, Miguel

2015-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to identify incidence and survival patterns in conformational neurodegenerative disorders (CNDDs). Methods We identified 2563 reports on the incidence of eight conditions representing sporadic, acquired and genetic, protein-associated, i.e., conformational, NDD groups and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We selected 245 papers for full-text examination and application of quality criteria. Additionally, data-collection was completed with detailed information from British, Swedish, and Spanish registries on Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) forms, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and sporadic rapidly progressing neurodegenerative dementia (sRPNDd). For each condition, age-specific incidence curves, age-adjusted figures, and reported or calculated median survival were plotted and examined. Findings Based on 51 valid reported and seven new incidence data sets, nine out of eleven conditions shared specific features. Age-adjusted incidence per million person-years increased from ≤1.5 for sRPNDd, different CJD forms and Huntington's disease (HD), to 1589 and 2589 for AMD and Alzheimer's disease (AD) respectively. Age-specific profiles varied from (a) symmetrical, inverted V-shaped curves for low incidences to (b) those increasing with age for late-life sporadic CNDDs and for sRPNDd, with (c) a suggested, intermediate, non-symmetrical inverted V-shape for fronto-temporal dementia and Parkinson's disease. Frequently, peak age-specific incidences from 20–24 to ≥90 years increased with age at onset and survival. Distinct patterns were seen: for HD, with a low incidence, levelling off at middle age, and long median survival, 20 years; and for sRPNDd which displayed the lowest incidence, increasing with age, and a short median disease duration. Interpretation These results call for a unified population view of NDDs, with an age-at-onset-related pattern for acquired and sporadic CNDDs. The pattern linking age at onset to

Comparative sequence analysis of nitrogen fixation-related genes in six legumes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong Hyun eKim

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Legumes play an important role as food and forage crops in international agriculture especially in developing countries. Legumes have a unique biological process called nitrogen fixation (NF by which they convert atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia. Although legume genomes have undergone polyploidization, duplication and divergence, NF-related genes, because of their essential functional role for legumes, might have remained conserved. To understand the relationship of divergence and evolutionary processes in legumes, this study analyzes orthologs and paralogs for selected 20 NF-related genes by using comparative genomic approaches in six legumes i.e. Medicago truncatula (Mt, Cicer arietinum, Lotus japonicus, Cajanus cajan (Cc, Phaseolus vulgaris (Pv and Glycine max (Gm. Subsequently, sequence distances, numbers of synonymous substitutions per synonymous site (Ks and nonsynonymous substitutions per nonsynonymous site (Ka between orthologs and paralogs were calculated and compared across legumes. These analyses suggest the closest relationship between Gm and Cc and the farthest distance between Mt and Pv in 6 legumes. Ks proportional plots clearly showed ancient genome duplication in all legumes, whole genome duplication event in Gm and also speciation pattern in different legumes. This study also reported some interesting observations e.g. no peak at Ks 0.4 in Gm-Gm, location of two independent genes next to each other in Mt and low Ks values for outparalogs for three genes as compared to other 12 genes. In summary, this study underlines the importance of NF-related genes and provides important insights in genome organization and evolutionary aspects of six legume species analyzed.

Two Step Synthesis of a Non-symmetric Acetylcholinesterase Reactivator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vit Koleckar

2007-08-01

Full Text Available The newly developed and very promising acetylcholinesterase reactivator (E-1- (2-hydroxyiminomethylpyridinium-4-(4-hydroxyiminomethylpyridinium-but-2-ene dibromide was prepared using two different pathways via a two-step synthesis involving the appropriate (E-1-(4-bromobut-2-enyl-2- or 4-hydroxyiminomethyl-pyridinium bromides. Afterwards, purities and yields of the desired product prepared by both routes were compared. Finally, its potency to reactivate several nerve agent-inhibited acetylcholinesterases was tested.

Asymmetry quantization and application to human mandibles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glerup, Nanna; Nielsen, Mads; Sporring, Jon

2004-01-01

of asymmetry, the statistics on asymmetry for normal and pathological anatomical structures can be compared. Symmetry is a well-known mathematical group theoretical concept. In this paper, we will mathematically define the concept of weak symmetry, including topological symmetry, which serves as a basis...... of pathological assumed non-symmetric mandibles exhibiting a statistically significant increase of asymmetry....

Parent's Relative Perceived Work Flexibility Compared to Their Partner Is Associated With Emotional Exhaustion.

Science.gov (United States)

Leineweber, Constanze; Falkenberg, Helena; Albrecht, Sophie C

2018-01-01

A number of studies have found that control over work conditions and hours is positively related to mental health. Still, potential positive and negative effects of work flexibility remain to be fully explored. On the one hand, higher work flexibility might provide better opportunities for recovery. On the other hand, especially mothers may use flexibility to meet household and family demands. Here, we investigated the association between parent's work flexibility, rated relative to their partner, and emotional exhaustion in interaction with gender. Additionally, gender differences in time use were investigated. Cross-sectional analyses based on responses of employed parents to the 2012 wave of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) were conducted ( N = 2,911). Generalized linear models with gamma distribution and a log-link function were used to investigate associations between relative work-flexibility (lower, equal, or higher as compared to partner), gender, and emotional exhaustion. After control for potential confounders, we found that having lower work flexibility than the partner was associated with higher levels of emotional exhaustion as compared to those with higher relative work flexibility. Also, being a mother was associated with higher levels of emotional exhaustion, independent of possible confounders. An interaction effect between low relative work flexibility and gender was found in relation to emotional exhaustion. Regarding time use, clear differences between mothers' and fathers' were found. However, few indications were found that relative work flexibility influenced time use. Mothers spent more time on household chores as compared to fathers, while fathers reported longer working hours. Fathers spent more time on relaxation compared with mothers. To conclude, our results indicate that lower relative work flexibility is detrimental for mental health both for mothers and fathers. However, while gender seems to have a

Parent's Relative Perceived Work Flexibility Compared to Their Partner Is Associated With Emotional Exhaustion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constanze Leineweber

2018-05-01

Full Text Available A number of studies have found that control over work conditions and hours is positively related to mental health. Still, potential positive and negative effects of work flexibility remain to be fully explored. On the one hand, higher work flexibility might provide better opportunities for recovery. On the other hand, especially mothers may use flexibility to meet household and family demands. Here, we investigated the association between parent's work flexibility, rated relative to their partner, and emotional exhaustion in interaction with gender. Additionally, gender differences in time use were investigated. Cross-sectional analyses based on responses of employed parents to the 2012 wave of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH were conducted (N = 2,911. Generalized linear models with gamma distribution and a log-link function were used to investigate associations between relative work-flexibility (lower, equal, or higher as compared to partner, gender, and emotional exhaustion. After control for potential confounders, we found that having lower work flexibility than the partner was associated with higher levels of emotional exhaustion as compared to those with higher relative work flexibility. Also, being a mother was associated with higher levels of emotional exhaustion, independent of possible confounders. An interaction effect between low relative work flexibility and gender was found in relation to emotional exhaustion. Regarding time use, clear differences between mothers' and fathers' were found. However, few indications were found that relative work flexibility influenced time use. Mothers spent more time on household chores as compared to fathers, while fathers reported longer working hours. Fathers spent more time on relaxation compared with mothers. To conclude, our results indicate that lower relative work flexibility is detrimental for mental health both for mothers and fathers. However, while gender

Comparative analysis of safety related site characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, Johan

2010-12-01

This document presents a comparative analysis of site characteristics related to long-term safety for the two candidate sites for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel in Forsmark (municipality of Oesthammar) and in Laxemar (municipality of Oskarshamn) from the point of view of site selection. The analyses are based on the updated site descriptions of Forsmark /SKB 2008a/ and Laxemar /SKB 2009a/, together with associated updated repository layouts and designs /SKB 2008b and SKB 2009b/. The basis for the comparison is thus two equally and thoroughly assessed sites. However, the analyses presented here are focussed on differences between the sites rather than evaluating them in absolute terms. The document serves as a basis for the site selection, from the perspective of long-term safety, in SKB's application for a final repository. A full evaluation of safety is made for a repository at the selected site in the safety assessment SR-Site /SKB 2011/, referred to as SR-Site main report in the following

Comparative analysis of safety related site characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, Johan (ed.)

2010-12-15

This document presents a comparative analysis of site characteristics related to long-term safety for the two candidate sites for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel in Forsmark (municipality of Oesthammar) and in Laxemar (municipality of Oskarshamn) from the point of view of site selection. The analyses are based on the updated site descriptions of Forsmark /SKB 2008a/ and Laxemar /SKB 2009a/, together with associated updated repository layouts and designs /SKB 2008b and SKB 2009b/. The basis for the comparison is thus two equally and thoroughly assessed sites. However, the analyses presented here are focussed on differences between the sites rather than evaluating them in absolute terms. The document serves as a basis for the site selection, from the perspective of long-term safety, in SKB's application for a final repository. A full evaluation of safety is made for a repository at the selected site in the safety assessment SR-Site /SKB 2011/, referred to as SR-Site main report in the following

Lympho-vascular invasion in BRCA related breast cancer compared to sporadic controls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voss, Marise R Heerma van; Groep, Petra van der; Bart, Jos; Wall, Elsken van der; Diest, Paul J van

2010-01-01

Germline mutations in the BRCA1 gene predispose to the development of breast cancer, exhibiting a specific histological phenotype. Identification of possible hallmarks of these tumors is important for selecting patients for genetic screening and provides inside in carcinogenetic pathways. Since BRCA1-associated breast cancers have pushing borders that prevent them from easily reaching vessels and are often of the medullary (like) type that is known to have a low rate of lympho-vascular invasion (LVI), we hypothesized that absence of LVI could characterize BRCA1 related breast cancer. A population of 68 BRCA1 related invasive breast cancers was evaluated for LVI by an experienced breast pathologist blinded to mutation status, and compared to a control group matched for age, grade and tumor type. LVI was present in 25.0% of BRCA1 related cases, compared to 20.6% of controls (P = 0.54, OR = 1.29, CI 0.58-2.78). LVI is frequent in BRCA1 germline mutation related breast cancers, but seems to occur as often in sporadic controls matched for age, grade and tumor type. Apparently, these hereditary cancers find their way to the blood and lymph vessels despite their well demarcation and often medullary differentiation

Lympho-vascular invasion in BRCA related breast cancer compared to sporadic controls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

van der Wall Elsken

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Germline mutations in the BRCA1 gene predispose to the development of breast cancer, exhibiting a specific histological phenotype. Identification of possible hallmarks of these tumors is important for selecting patients for genetic screening and provides inside in carcinogenetic pathways. Since BRCA1-associated breast cancers have pushing borders that prevent them from easily reaching vessels and are often of the medullary (like type that is known to have a low rate of lympho-vascular invasion (LVI, we hypothesized that absence of LVI could characterize BRCA1 related breast cancer. Methods A population of 68 BRCA1 related invasive breast cancers was evaluated for LVI by an experienced breast pathologist blinded to mutation status, and compared to a control group matched for age, grade and tumor type. Results LVI was present in 25.0% of BRCA1 related cases, compared to 20.6% of controls (P = 0.54, OR = 1.29, CI 0.58-2.78. Conclusion LVI is frequent in BRCA1 germline mutation related breast cancers, but seems to occur as often in sporadic controls matched for age, grade and tumor type. Apparently, these hereditary cancers find their way to the blood and lymph vessels despite their well demarcation and often medullary differentiation.

Health-related quality of life after maxillectomy: obturator rehabilitation compared with flap reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Breeze, J; Rennie, A; Morrison, A; Dawson, D; Tipper, J; Rehman, K; Grew, N; Snee, D; Pigadas, N

2016-10-01

Health-related quality of life (QoL) reported by patients has the potential to improve care after ablative surgery of the midface, as existing treatment algorithms still generally revolve around outcomes assessed traditionally only by clinicians. Decisions in particular relate to reconstruction with a flap compared with rehabilitation with an obturator, the need for adjuvant treatment, and morbidity related to the size of the defect. We prospectively collected health-related QoL assessments for 39 consecutive patients treated by maxillectomy between 01 January 2010 and 31 December 2014 using the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire, and who had a mean (SD) duration of follow-up of 14 (4). We made sub-group analyses using paired t tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare reconstruction with a flap with rehabilitation with obturators, size of the vertical defect, and whether adjuvant treatment with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy adversely affected it. Overall there was a significant decrease in health-related QoL after treatment compared with before (p<0.001), but there was no significant difference in the effects of any of the paired reconstructive and rehabilitation treatments on it. Obturators remain an important option for rehabilitation in selected patients in addition to reconstruction with a flap. We found that neither increasing the size of the vertical defect (in an attempt to ensure clear margins) nor the use of postoperative radiotherapy seemed to have any adverse effect on QoL. More patients are required before we can conclude that the potential survival benefits of such measures may outweigh any adverse effects. Copyright © 2016 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A continuum based fem model for friction stir welding-model development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buffa, G. [Ohio State University, Department of Industrial, Welding and Systems Engineering, 1971 Neil Avenue, 210 Baker Systems, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States) and Dipartimento di Tecnologia Meccanica, Produzione e Ingegneria Gestionale, Universita di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo (Italy)]. E-mail: g.buffa@dtpm.unipa.it; Hua, J. [Ohio State University, Department of Industrial, Welding and Systems Engineering, 1971 Neil Avenue, 210 Baker Systems, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)]. E-mail: hua.14@osu.edu; Shivpuri, R. [Ohio State University, Department of Industrial, Welding and Systems Engineering, 1971 Neil Avenue, 210 Baker Systems, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)]. E-mail: shivpuri.1@osu.edu; Fratini, L. [Dipartimento di Tecnologia Meccanica, Produzione e Ingegneria Gestionale, Universita di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo (Italy)]. E-mail: abaqus@dtpm.unipa.it

2006-03-15

Although friction stir welding (FSW) has been successfully used to join materials that are difficult-to-weld or unweldeable by fusion welding methods, it is still in its early development stage and, therefore, a scientific knowledge based predictive model is of significant help for thorough understanding of FSW process. In this paper, a continuum based FEM model for friction stir welding process is proposed, that is 3D Lagrangian implicit, coupled, rigid-viscoplastic. This model is calibrated by comparing with experimental results of force and temperature distribution, then is used to investigate the distribution of temperature and strain in heat affect zone and the weld nugget. The model correctly predicts the non-symmetric nature of FSW process, and the relationships between the tool forces and the variation in the process parameters. It is found that the effective strain distribution is non-symmetric about the weld line while the temperature profile is almost symmetric in the weld zone.

Real-Time Tomography of Gas-Jets with a Wollaston Interferometer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Adelmann

2018-03-01

Full Text Available A tomographic gas-density diagnostic using a Single-Beam Wollaston Interferometer able to characterize non-symmetric density distributions in gas jets is presented. A real-time tomographic algorithm is able to reconstruct three-dimensional density distributions. A Maximum Likelihood-Expectation Maximization algorithm, an iterative method with good convergence properties compared to simple back projection, is used. With the use of graphical processing units, real-time computation and high resolution are achieved. Two different gas jets are characterized: a kHz, piezo-driven jet for lower densities and a solenoid valve-based jet producing higher densities. While the first jet is used for free electron laser photon beam characterization, the second jet is used in laser wake field acceleration experiments. In this latter application, well-tailored and non-symmetric density distributions produced by a supersonic shock front generated by a razor blade inserted laterally to the gas flow, which breaks cylindrical symmetry, need to be characterized.

A continuum based fem model for friction stir welding-model development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buffa, G.; Hua, J.; Shivpuri, R.; Fratini, L.

2006-01-01

Although friction stir welding (FSW) has been successfully used to join materials that are difficult-to-weld or unweldeable by fusion welding methods, it is still in its early development stage and, therefore, a scientific knowledge based predictive model is of significant help for thorough understanding of FSW process. In this paper, a continuum based FEM model for friction stir welding process is proposed, that is 3D Lagrangian implicit, coupled, rigid-viscoplastic. This model is calibrated by comparing with experimental results of force and temperature distribution, then is used to investigate the distribution of temperature and strain in heat affect zone and the weld nugget. The model correctly predicts the non-symmetric nature of FSW process, and the relationships between the tool forces and the variation in the process parameters. It is found that the effective strain distribution is non-symmetric about the weld line while the temperature profile is almost symmetric in the weld zone

National labour relations in internationalized markets : a comparative study of institutions, change, and performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Traxler, F.; Blaschke, S.; Kittel, B.E.A.

2001-01-01

Presents and examines evidence and theories about changing patterns of industrial relations and their links to convergence on the one hand, and economic competitiveness on the other. Includes a comprehensive set of comparable date on industrial relations in twenty OECD countries including Australia,

Relations and effects of transformational leadership: a comparative analysis with traditional leadership styles.

Science.gov (United States)

Molero, Fernando; Cuadrado, Isabel; Navas, Marisol; Morales, J Francisco

2007-11-01

This study has two main goals: (a) to compare the relationship between transformational leadership and other important leadership styles (i.e., democratic versus autocratic or relations- and task-oriented leadership) and (b) to compare the effects of transformational leadership and the other styles on some important organizational outcomes such as employees' satisfaction and performance. For this purpose, a sample of 147 participants, working in 35 various work-teams, was used. Results show high correlations between transformational leadership, relations-oriented, democratic, and task-oriented leadership. On the other hand, according to the literature, transformational leadership, especially high levels, significantly increases the percentage of variance accounted for by other leadership styles in relevant organizational outcome variables (subordinates' performance, satisfaction and extra effort).

Neutrino bi-large mixings and family

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bando, Masako; Obara, Midori

2004-01-01

After a brief review of quark-lepton relations in grand unified theories (GUT), we show that the Pati-Salam relation with only one type of Higgs field configuration with ''four zero symmetric texture'' can reproduce two large neutrino mixings as well as observed mass differences. This is quite in contrast to the case of SU(5) where bi-large mixings essentially come from the charged lepton sector with non-symmetric charged lepton mass matrix. (author)

Lack of symmetry in employees' perceptions of the psychological contract.

Science.gov (United States)

Jepsen, Denise M; Rodwell, John J

2012-06-01

Despite debate on the nature of employees' perceptions of their psychological contract, little research has compared employees' and employers' sides of the psychological contract. All 80 items from both scales in the Psychological Contract Inventory were used in a survey of 436 currently working, non-student respondents. Structural equation modeling yielded nonsymmetrical perspectives on promises and obligations, highlighting the validity of approaching the issues via individual perceptions.

Three-dimensional modelling of an embankment built on a soft soil improved with prefabricated vertical drains

OpenAIRE

Venda Oliveira, P.J.; Cruz, R.F.P.M.L.; Lemos, L.J.L.; Almeida e Sousa, J.N.V.

2015-01-01

This work compares the field measurements of a non-symmetric embankment built on a Portuguese soft soil improved with prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs), with the numerical predictions of a 3D modelling where the PVDs are simulated according to the field flow conditions. The change in the permeability with the void ratio and the effect of the smear zone are also included in the numerical analysis. The numerical predictions are compared with the field data in terms of settlement, horizontal ...

Professionalism in Public Relations Pedagogy: A Comparative Analysis of Public Relations Curricula among the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Wonjun; Choi, Jinbong

2012-01-01

Based on a concept of professionalism, this study analyzed and compared current public relations curricula of higher education among the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Korea. In terms of three educational orientations, results indicated that public relations education in the United States is the most balanced among theoretical,…

The Non–Symmetric s–Step Lanczos Algorithm: Derivation of Efficient Recurrences and Synchronization–Reducing Variants of BiCG and QMR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feuerriegel Stefan

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The Lanczos algorithm is among the most frequently used iterative techniques for computing a few dominant eigenvalues of a large sparse non-symmetric matrix. At the same time, it serves as a building block within biconjugate gradient (BiCG and quasi-minimal residual (QMR methods for solving large sparse non-symmetric systems of linear equations. It is well known that, when implemented on distributed-memory computers with a huge number of processes, the synchronization time spent on computing dot products increasingly limits the parallel scalability. Therefore, we propose synchronization-reducing variants of the Lanczos, as well as BiCG and QMR methods, in an attempt to mitigate these negative performance effects. These so-called s-step algorithms are based on grouping dot products for joint execution and replacing time-consuming matrix operations by efficient vector recurrences. The purpose of this paper is to provide a rigorous derivation of the recurrences for the s-step Lanczos algorithm, introduce s-step BiCG and QMR variants, and compare the parallel performance of these new s-step versions with previous algorithms.

Parameter estimation method that directly compares gravitational wave observations to numerical relativity

Science.gov (United States)

Lange, J.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Boyle, M.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Campanelli, M.; Chu, T.; Clark, J. A.; Demos, N.; Fong, H.; Healy, J.; Hemberger, D. A.; Hinder, I.; Jani, K.; Khamesra, B.; Kidder, L. E.; Kumar, P.; Laguna, P.; Lousto, C. O.; Lovelace, G.; Ossokine, S.; Pfeiffer, H.; Scheel, M. A.; Shoemaker, D. M.; Szilagyi, B.; Teukolsky, S.; Zlochower, Y.

2017-11-01

We present and assess a Bayesian method to interpret gravitational wave signals from binary black holes. Our method directly compares gravitational wave data to numerical relativity (NR) simulations. In this study, we present a detailed investigation of the systematic and statistical parameter estimation errors of this method. This procedure bypasses approximations used in semianalytical models for compact binary coalescence. In this work, we use the full posterior parameter distribution for only generic nonprecessing binaries, drawing inferences away from the set of NR simulations used, via interpolation of a single scalar quantity (the marginalized log likelihood, ln L ) evaluated by comparing data to nonprecessing binary black hole simulations. We also compare the data to generic simulations, and discuss the effectiveness of this procedure for generic sources. We specifically assess the impact of higher order modes, repeating our interpretation with both l ≤2 as well as l ≤3 harmonic modes. Using the l ≤3 higher modes, we gain more information from the signal and can better constrain the parameters of the gravitational wave signal. We assess and quantify several sources of systematic error that our procedure could introduce, including simulation resolution and duration; most are negligible. We show through examples that our method can recover the parameters for equal mass, zero spin, GW150914-like, and unequal mass, precessing spin sources. Our study of this new parameter estimation method demonstrates that we can quantify and understand the systematic and statistical error. This method allows us to use higher order modes from numerical relativity simulations to better constrain the black hole binary parameters.

Adaptation to Climate Change: A Comparative Analysis of Modeling Methods for Heat-Related Mortality.

Science.gov (United States)

Gosling, Simon N; Hondula, David M; Bunker, Aditi; Ibarreta, Dolores; Liu, Junguo; Zhang, Xinxin; Sauerborn, Rainer

2017-08-16

Multiple methods are employed for modeling adaptation when projecting the impact of climate change on heat-related mortality. The sensitivity of impacts to each is unknown because they have never been systematically compared. In addition, little is known about the relative sensitivity of impacts to "adaptation uncertainty" (i.e., the inclusion/exclusion of adaptation modeling) relative to using multiple climate models and emissions scenarios. This study had three aims: a ) Compare the range in projected impacts that arises from using different adaptation modeling methods; b ) compare the range in impacts that arises from adaptation uncertainty with ranges from using multiple climate models and emissions scenarios; c ) recommend modeling method(s) to use in future impact assessments. We estimated impacts for 2070-2099 for 14 European cities, applying six different methods for modeling adaptation; we also estimated impacts with five climate models run under two emissions scenarios to explore the relative effects of climate modeling and emissions uncertainty. The range of the difference (percent) in impacts between including and excluding adaptation, irrespective of climate modeling and emissions uncertainty, can be as low as 28% with one method and up to 103% with another (mean across 14 cities). In 13 of 14 cities, the ranges in projected impacts due to adaptation uncertainty are larger than those associated with climate modeling and emissions uncertainty. Researchers should carefully consider how to model adaptation because it is a source of uncertainty that can be greater than the uncertainty in emissions and climate modeling. We recommend absolute threshold shifts and reductions in slope. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP634.

A comparative study of salt tolerance parameters in 11 wild relatives of Arabidopsis thaliana

KAUST Repository

Orsini, Francesco

2010-07-01

Salinity is an abiotic stress that limits both yield and the expansion of agricultural crops to new areas. In the last 20 years our basic understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant tolerance and adaptation to saline environments has greatly improved owing to active development of advanced tools in molecular, genomics, and bioinformatics analyses. However, the full potential of investigative power has not been fully exploited, because the use of halophytes as model systems in plant salt tolerance research is largely neglected. The recent introduction of halophytic Arabidopsis-Relative Model Species (ARMS) has begun to compare and relate several unique genetic resources to the well-developed Arabidopsis model. In a search for candidates to begin to understand, through genetic analyses, the biological bases of salt tolerance, 11 wild relatives of Arabidopsis thaliana were compared: Barbarea verna, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Hirschfeldia incana, Lepidium densiflorum, Malcolmia triloba, Lepidium virginicum, Descurainia pinnata, Sisymbrium officinale, Thellungiella parvula, Thellungiella salsuginea (previously T. halophila), and Thlaspi arvense. Among these species, highly salt-tolerant (L. densiflorum and L. virginicum) and moderately salt-tolerant (M. triloba and H. incana) species were identified. Only T. parvula revealed a true halophytic habitus, comparable to the better studied Thellungiella salsuginea. Major differences in growth, water transport properties, and ion accumulation are observed and discussed to describe the distinctive traits and physiological responses that can now be studied genetically in salt stress research. 2010 The Author.

Three dimensional nilpotent singularity and Sil'nikov bifurcation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xindan; Liu Haifei

2007-01-01

In this paper, by using the normal form, blow-up theory and the technique of global bifurcations, we study the singularity at the origin with threefold zero eigenvalue for nonsymmetric vector fields with nilpotent linear part and 4-jet C ∼ -equivalent toy-bar -bar x+z-bar -bar y+ax 3 y-bar -bar z,with a 0, and analytically prove the existence of Sil'nikov bifurcation, and then of the strange attractor for certain subfamilies of the nonsymmetric versal unfoldings of this singularity under some conditions

Study on different influence of pyrimidine and phenyl on current-voltage characteristics of molecular devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Xiaoxiao; Li Zongliang

2011-01-01

By using ab initio method and elastic scattering Green's function theory, electronic transport properties of symmetric tetraphenyl and non-symmetric diblock dipyrimidinyldiphenyl molecules are investigated. The numerical results show that, the tetraphenyl molecule has better electronic conductivity than the diblock molecule. The diblock molecule exhibits pronounced rectification behavior. Some molecular orbitals of the tetraphenyl molecule are delocalized into the two gold electrodes simultaneously which results in the better electronic conductivity. However, the non-symmetric structure of diblock molecule leads to the localization of the molecular orbitals, which is a disadvantage to the electronic transport. (authors)

Approximate method for calculating heat conditions in the magnetic circuits of transformers and betatrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loginov, V.S.

1986-01-01

A technique for engineering design of two-dimensional stationary temperature field of rectangular cross section blending pile with inner heat release under nonsymmetrical cooling conditions is suggested. Area of its practical application is determined on the basis of experimental data known in literature. Different methods for calculating temperature distribution in betatron magnetic circuit are compared. Graph of maximum temperature calculation error on the basis of approximated expressions with respect to exact solution is given

Addressing the Challenges Related to Transforming Qualitative Into Quantitative Data in Qualitative Comparative Analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Block, de Debora; Vis, Barbara

2018-01-01

The use of qualitative data has so far received relatively little attention in methodological discussions on qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). This article addresses this lacuna by discussing the challenges researchers face when transforming qualitative data into quantitative data in QCA. By

Reliability, Validity, Comparability and Practical Utility of Cybercrime-Related Data, Metrics, and Information

OpenAIRE

Nir Kshetri

2013-01-01

With an increasing pervasiveness, prevalence and severity of cybercrimes, various metrics, measures and statistics have been developed and used to measure various aspects of this phenomenon. Cybercrime-related data, metrics, and information, however, pose important and difficult dilemmas regarding the issues of reliability, validity, comparability and practical utility. While many of the issues of the cybercrime economy are similar to other underground and underworld industries, this economy ...

Reliability, Validity, Comparability and Practical Utility of Cybercrime-Related Data, Metrics, and Information

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nir Kshetri

2013-02-01

Full Text Available With an increasing pervasiveness, prevalence and severity of cybercrimes, various metrics, measures and statistics have been developed and used to measure various aspects of this phenomenon. Cybercrime-related data, metrics, and information, however, pose important and difficult dilemmas regarding the issues of reliability, validity, comparability and practical utility. While many of the issues of the cybercrime economy are similar to other underground and underworld industries, this economy also has various unique aspects. For one thing, this industry also suffers from a problem partly rooted in the incredibly broad definition of the term “cybercrime”. This article seeks to provide insights and analysis into this phenomenon, which is expected to advance our understanding into cybercrime-related information.

Relative fault and efficient negligence: comparative negligence explained

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dari-Mattiacci, G.; Hendriks, E.S.

2010-01-01

Comparative negligence poses a persisting puzzle in law & economics. Under standard assumptions, its performance is identical to other negligence rules, while its implementation is slightly more complex. If so, why is it the most common rule? In this paper, we advance a novel argument: comparative

Multivariate Non-Symmetric Stochastic Models for Spatial Dependence Models

Science.gov (United States)

Haslauer, C. P.; Bárdossy, A.

2017-12-01

A copula based multivariate framework allows more flexibility to describe different kind of dependences than what is possible using models relying on the confining assumption of symmetric Gaussian models: different quantiles can be modelled with a different degree of dependence; it will be demonstrated how this can be expected given process understanding. maximum likelihood based multivariate quantitative parameter estimation yields stable and reliable results; not only improved results in cross-validation based measures of uncertainty are obtained but also a more realistic spatial structure of uncertainty compared to second order models of dependence; as much information as is available is included in the parameter estimation: incorporation of censored measurements (e.g., below detection limit, or ones that are above the sensitive range of the measurement device) yield to more realistic spatial models; the proportion of true zeros can be jointly estimated with and distinguished from censored measurements which allow estimates about the age of a contaminant in the system; secondary information (categorical and on the rational scale) has been used to improve the estimation of the primary variable; These copula based multivariate statistical techniques are demonstrated based on hydraulic conductivity observations at the Borden (Canada) site, the MADE site (USA), and a large regional groundwater quality data-set in south-west Germany. Fields of spatially distributed K were simulated with identical marginal simulation, identical second order spatial moments, yet substantially differing solute transport characteristics when numerical tracer tests were performed. A statistical methodology is shown that allows the delineation of a boundary layer separating homogenous parts of a spatial data-set. The effects of this boundary layer (macro structure) and the spatial dependence of K (micro structure) on solute transport behaviour is shown.

Comparative bacterial community analysis in relatively pristine and anthropogenically influenced mangrove ecosystems on the Red Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Ullah, Riaz; Yasir, Muhammad; Khan, Imran; Bibi, Fehmida; Sohrab, Sayed Sartaj; Al-Ansari, Ahmed; Al-Abbasi, Fahad; Al-Sofyani, Abdulmohsin A; Daur, Ihsanullah; Lee, Seon-Woo; Azhar, Esam I

2017-08-01

Mangrove habitats are ecologically important ecosystems that are under severe pressure worldwide because of environmental changes and human activities. In this study, 16S rRNA gene amplicon deep-sequencing was used to compare bacterial communities in Red Sea mangrove ecosystems at anthropogenically influenced coastal sites with those at a relatively pristine island site. In total, 32 phyla were identified from the mangrove rhizospheres, with Proteobacteria predominating at each of the studied sites; however, the relative abundance was significantly decreased at the coastal sites (Mastorah, MG-MS; Ar-Rayis, MG-AR) compared with the pristine island site near Dhahban (MG-DBI). The phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Spirochetes, and Planctomycetes were present at a relative abundance of >1% at the MG-MS and MG-AR sites, but their concentration was <1% at the MG-DBI site. A total of 1659 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified at the species level, and approximately 945 OTUs were shared across the different sampling sites. Multivariate principal coordinate data analysis separated the MG-DBI site from the MG-AR and MG-MS cluster. Specific bacterial taxa were enriched at each location, and in particular, the genera Pseudoalteromonas and Cobetia were predominantly identified in the MG-DBI site compared with the anthropogenically influenced coastal sites.

Are All Assessments Equal? The Comparability of Demands of College-Based Assessments in a Vocationally Related Qualification

Science.gov (United States)

Crisp, Victoria; Novakovic, Nadezda

2009-01-01

The consistency of assessment demands is important to validity. This research investigated the comparability of the demands of college-assessed units within a vocationally related qualification, drawing on methodological approaches that have previously been used to compare assessments. Assessment materials from five colleges were obtained. After…

Multisensory stimuli improve relative localisation judgments compared to unisensory auditory or visual stimuli

OpenAIRE

Bizley, Jennifer; Wood, Katherine; Freeman, Laura

2018-01-01

Observers performed a relative localisation task in which they reported whether the second of two sequentially presented signals occurred to the left or right of the first. Stimuli were detectability-matched auditory, visual, or auditory-visual signals and the goal was to compare changes in performance with eccentricity across modalities. Visual performance was superior to auditory at the midline, but inferior in the periphery, while auditory-visual performance exceeded both at all locations....

Psychometric comparability of English- and Spanish-language measures of anxiety and related affective symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Novy, D M; Stanley, M A; Averill, P; Daza, P

2001-09-01

An array of measures of anxiety and related disorders (viz., Albany Panic and Phobia Questionnaire; Anxiety Sensitivity Index; Beck Anxiety Inventory; Beck Depression Inventory-II; Body Sensation Questionnaire; Fear Questionnaire; Padua Inventory; Penn State Worry Questionnaire; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Diagnostic Scale; Social Interaction Anxiety Inventory; and Worry Scale) was edited or translated from English into Spanish. Following an extensive edit and translation process, bilingual participants (n = 98) were assessed with the English and Spanish versions of these measures. Coefficient alphas were excellent and comparable across language versions. Means and standard deviations were also comparable across language versions. Evidence of convergent and discriminant validity was found for both language versions. The two language versions of each measure correlated highly with each other. This psychometric comparability adds confidence in using the newly edited or translated Spanish language measures in clinical practice and research.

A Two-Step Model for Assessing Relative Interest in E-Books Compared to Print

Science.gov (United States)

Knowlton, Steven A.

2016-01-01

Librarians often wish to know whether readers in a particular discipline favor e-books or print books. Because print circulation and e-book usage statistics are not directly comparable, it can be hard to determine the relative interest of readers in the two types of books. This study demonstrates a two-step method by which librarians can assess…

Comparing the temporal dynamics of thematic and taxonomic processing using event-related potentials.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olivera Savic

Full Text Available We report the results of a study comparing the temporal dynamics of thematic and taxonomic knowledge activation in a picture-word priming paradigm using event-related potentials. Although we found no behavioral differences between thematic and taxonomic processing, ERP data revealed distinct patterns of N400 and P600 amplitude modulation for thematic and taxonomic priming. Thematically related target stimuli elicited less negativity than taxonomic targets between 280-460 ms after stimulus onset, suggesting easier semantic processing of thematic than taxonomic relationships. Moreover, P600 mean amplitude was significantly increased for taxonomic targets between 520-600 ms, consistent with a greater need for stimulus reevaluation in that condition. These results offer novel evidence in favor of a dissociation between thematic and taxonomic thinking in the early phases of conceptual evaluation.

Comparing the temporal dynamics of thematic and taxonomic processing using event-related potentials.

Science.gov (United States)

Savic, Olivera; Savic, Andrej M; Kovic, Vanja

2017-01-01

We report the results of a study comparing the temporal dynamics of thematic and taxonomic knowledge activation in a picture-word priming paradigm using event-related potentials. Although we found no behavioral differences between thematic and taxonomic processing, ERP data revealed distinct patterns of N400 and P600 amplitude modulation for thematic and taxonomic priming. Thematically related target stimuli elicited less negativity than taxonomic targets between 280-460 ms after stimulus onset, suggesting easier semantic processing of thematic than taxonomic relationships. Moreover, P600 mean amplitude was significantly increased for taxonomic targets between 520-600 ms, consistent with a greater need for stimulus reevaluation in that condition. These results offer novel evidence in favor of a dissociation between thematic and taxonomic thinking in the early phases of conceptual evaluation.

Multipartite entanglement detection with nonsymmetric probing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dellantonio, Luca; Das, Sumanta; Appel, Jürgen

2017-01-01

We show that spin-squeezing criteria commonly used for entanglement detection can be erroneous if the probe is not symmetric. We then derive a lower bound on squeezing for separable states in spin systems probed asymmetrically. Using this we further develop a procedure that allows us to verify th...... the degree of entanglement of a quantum state in the spin system. Finally, we apply our method for entanglement verification to existing experimental data, and use it to prove the existence of tripartite entanglement in a spin-squeezed atomic ensemble.......We show that spin-squeezing criteria commonly used for entanglement detection can be erroneous if the probe is not symmetric. We then derive a lower bound on squeezing for separable states in spin systems probed asymmetrically. Using this we further develop a procedure that allows us to verify...

Comparative genomics of bifidobacterium, lactobacillus and related probiotic genera

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lukjancenko, Oksana; Ussery, David; Wassenaar, Trudy M.

2012-01-01

Six bacterial genera containing species commonly used as probiotics for human consumption or starter cultures for food fermentation were compared and contrasted, based on publicly available complete genome sequences. The analysis included 19 Bifidobacterium genomes, 21 Lactobacillus genomes, 4...... Lactococcus and 3 Leuconostoc genomes, as well as a selection of Enterococcus (11) and Streptococcus (23) genomes. The latter two genera included genomes from probiotic or commensal as well as pathogenic organisms to investigate if their non-pathogenic members shared more genes with the other probiotic......- and core genome of each genus were compared. In addition, it was investigated whether pathogenic genomes contain different COG classes compared to the probiotic or fermentative organisms, again comparing their pan- and core genomes. The obtained results were compared with published data from the literature...

FeNi-based flat magnetoimpedance nanostructures with open magnetic flux: New topological approaches

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurlyandskaya, G.V., E-mail: galina@we.lc.ehu.es [Universidad del País Vasco, UPV/EHU, Dpto. de Electricidad y Electrónica, P.O. Box 644, Bilbao 48080 (Spain); Ural Federal University, Department of Magnetism and Magnetic Nanomaterials, Mira 19, 620002 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Chlenova, A.A. [Ural Federal University, Department of Magnetism and Magnetic Nanomaterials, Mira 19, 620002 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Fernández, E. [Universidad del País Vasco, UPV/EHU, Dpto. de Electricidad y Electrónica, P.O. Box 644, Bilbao 48080 (Spain); Lodewijk, K.J. [Universidad del País Vasco, UPV/EHU, Dpto. de Electricidad y Electrónica, P.O. Box 644, Bilbao 48080 (Spain); Department of Material Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen (Netherlands)

2015-06-01

Classic flat MI multilayers consist of top and bottom ferromagnetic parts of equal thickness separated by a conductive lead. In previous studies symmetric MI structures were considered because they provide the highest sensitivity with respect to uniform external magnetic fields. There are a number of applications where non-uniform magnetic fields of complex configurations must be detected. Non-symmetric MI structures can be advantageous in this particular case. We describe our experience in design, fabrication and characterization of symmetric and non-symmetric MI multilayers with open magnetic flux. Non-symmetry of the structures was obtained by the deposition of top and bottom ferromagnetic parts of MI element of different thickness. MI responses of the structures with even or odd configurations of the FeNi layers were also considered. - Highlights: • Classic flat MI multilayer consists of ferromagnetic parts of equal thickness separated by a conductive lead. • In previous studies symmetric MI structures were considered. • Non-symmetric MI structures can be advantageous for applications where non-uniform magnetic fields are detected. • MI responses of the structures with even or odd configuration can be very different.

FeNi-based flat magnetoimpedance nanostructures with open magnetic flux: New topological approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurlyandskaya, G.V.; Chlenova, A.A.; Fernández, E.; Lodewijk, K.J.

2015-01-01

Classic flat MI multilayers consist of top and bottom ferromagnetic parts of equal thickness separated by a conductive lead. In previous studies symmetric MI structures were considered because they provide the highest sensitivity with respect to uniform external magnetic fields. There are a number of applications where non-uniform magnetic fields of complex configurations must be detected. Non-symmetric MI structures can be advantageous in this particular case. We describe our experience in design, fabrication and characterization of symmetric and non-symmetric MI multilayers with open magnetic flux. Non-symmetry of the structures was obtained by the deposition of top and bottom ferromagnetic parts of MI element of different thickness. MI responses of the structures with even or odd configurations of the FeNi layers were also considered. - Highlights: • Classic flat MI multilayer consists of ferromagnetic parts of equal thickness separated by a conductive lead. • In previous studies symmetric MI structures were considered. • Non-symmetric MI structures can be advantageous for applications where non-uniform magnetic fields are detected. • MI responses of the structures with even or odd configuration can be very different

Sectoral networks and macroeconomic tail risks in an emerging economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Romero, Pedro P; López, Ricardo; Jiménez, Carlos

2018-01-01

This paper aims to explain the macroeconomic volatility due to microeconomic shocks to one or several sectors, recognizing the non-symmetrical relation in the interaction among the Ecuadorian economic sectors. To grasp the economic structure of this emerging economy, a statistical analysis of network data is applied to the respective input-output matrix of Ecuador from 1975 until 2012. We find periods wherein the production of domestic inputs is concentrated in a few suppliers; for example, in 2010, the concentration significantly affects sectors and their downstream providers, thus influencing aggregate volatility. Compared to the US productive structure, this emerging economy presents fewer sectors and degree distributions with less extreme fat-tail behavior. In this simpler economy, we continue to find a link between microeconomic shocks and aggregate volatility. Two new theoretical propositions are introduced to formalize our results.

Sectoral networks and macroeconomic tail risks in an emerging economy

Science.gov (United States)

López, Ricardo; Jiménez, Carlos

2018-01-01

This paper aims to explain the macroeconomic volatility due to microeconomic shocks to one or several sectors, recognizing the non-symmetrical relation in the interaction among the Ecuadorian economic sectors. To grasp the economic structure of this emerging economy, a statistical analysis of network data is applied to the respective input-output matrix of Ecuador from 1975 until 2012. We find periods wherein the production of domestic inputs is concentrated in a few suppliers; for example, in 2010, the concentration significantly affects sectors and their downstream providers, thus influencing aggregate volatility. Compared to the US productive structure, this emerging economy presents fewer sectors and degree distributions with less extreme fat-tail behavior. In this simpler economy, we continue to find a link between microeconomic shocks and aggregate volatility. Two new theoretical propositions are introduced to formalize our results. PMID:29293567

Self-Reported Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Impairment Compared with Cognitive Complaints following Menopause.

Science.gov (United States)

Vega, Jennifer N; Dumas, Julie; Newhouse, Paul

2018-06-15

Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is commonly reported following the administration of cancer treatment. Current longitudinal studies, primarily in women with breast cancer, suggest that up to 35%-60% of patients exhibit persistent CRCI (pCRCI) following completion of chemotherapy. Complaints of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are also commonly reported by women during and following the menopause transition in non-cancer patients. Although the majority of evidence for cognitive difficulties in cancer patients and survivors is attributed to chemotherapy, there is growing evidence to suggest that menopausal status can also influence cognitive function in cancer patients. Given that menopausal status may be contributing to pCRCI, we compared a group of primarily post-menopausal women with pCRCI to two groups of post-menopausal women: women who endorse menopause-associated SCD (maSCD+) and women who do not (maSCD-) to explore the similarities/differences between maSCD and pCRCI and the potential role of menopause in pCRCI. pCRCI participants report more severe SCD symptoms than women after natural menopause, despite being on average 2.5-years post-chemotherapy, supporting previous findings that CRCI can persist for months to years after completing treatment. pCRCI participants not only endorsed greater SCD, but also exhibited objective performance differences. In addition, pCRCI participants endorsed significantly greater menopausal symptoms compared to either maSCD group. Results were not related to menopausal status prior to chemotherapy or current endocrine therapy use. These results suggest that while menopausal symptoms may contribute to SCD experienced by cancer patients after chemotherapy, they do not fully account for pCRCI. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

High resolution IVEM tomography of biological specimens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sedat, J.W.; Agard, D.A. [Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States)

1997-02-01

Electron tomography is a powerful tool for elucidating the three-dimensional architecture of large biological complexes and subcellular organelles. The introduction of intermediate voltage electron microscopes further extended the technique by providing the means to examine very large and non-symmetrical subcellular organelles, at resolutions beyond what would be possible using light microscopy. Recent studies using electron tomography on a variety of cellular organelles and assemblies such as centrosomes, kinetochores, and chromatin have clearly demonstrated the power of this technique for obtaining 3D structural information on non-symmetric cell components. When combined with biochemical and molecular observations, these 3D reconstructions have provided significant new insights into biological function.

[Titration comparative study of TOPINA Tablets in patients with localization related epilepsy: double-blind comparative study by rapid and slow titration methods].

Science.gov (United States)

Kaneko, Sunao; Inoue, Yushi; Sasagawa, Mutsuo; Kato, Masaaki

2012-04-01

To compare the tolerability and efficacy of two titration methods (rapid and slow titration) for TOPINA Tablets with different dosages and periods of escalation, a double-blind comparative study was conducted in patients with localization-related epilepsy. A total of 183 patients were randomized to either rapid titration (initial dosage 100 mg/day increased by 100-200 mg at weekly intervals) or to slow titration (initial dosage 50 mg/day increased in 50 mg/day increments at weekly intervals). TOPINA Tablets were administered for 12 weeks to the maximum dosage of 400 mg/day. The incident of adverse events leading to treatment interruptions or withdrawals was 18.9% in rapid titration and 14.8% in slow titration, with no statistical significance (p = 0.554). The incident of adverse events and adverse reactions of slow titration was slightly lower than that of rapid titration. The common adverse events and adverse reactions reported in the two titration methods were comparable and were well tolerated. On the other hand, the efficacy of slow titration, percent reduction in seizure rate and responder rate, was comparable with that of rapid titration. In conclusion, there were no significant differences of therapeutic response to TOPINA Tablets between the two titration methods.

Comparing the relative cost-effectiveness of diagnostic studies: a new model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patton, D.D.; Woolfenden, J.M.; Wellish, K.L.

1986-01-01

We have developed a model to compare the relative cost-effectiveness of two or more diagnostic tests. The model defines a cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) for a diagnostic test as the ratio of effective cost to base cost, only dollar costs considered. Effective cost includes base cost, cost of dealing with expected side effects, and wastage due to imperfect test performance. Test performance is measured by diagnostic utility (DU), a measure of test outcomes incorporating the decision-analytic variables sensitivity, specificity, equivocal fraction, disease probability, and outcome utility. Each of these factors affecting DU, and hence CER, is a local, not universal, value; these local values strongly affect CER, which in effect becomes a property of the local medical setting. When DU = +1 and there are no adverse effects, CER = 1 and the patient benefits from the test dollar for dollar. When there are adverse effects effective cost exceeds base cost, and for an imperfect test DU 1. As DU approaches 0 (worthless test), CER approaches infinity (no effectiveness at any cost). If DU is negative, indicating that doing the test at all would be detrimental, CER also becomes negative. We conclude that the CER model is a useful preliminary method for ranking the relative cost-effectiveness of diagnostic tests, and that the comparisons would best be done using local values; different groups might well arrive at different rankings. (Author)

Comparing Relational and Ontological Triple Stores in Healthcare Domain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ozgu Can

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Today’s technological improvements have made ubiquitous healthcare systems that converge into smart healthcare applications in order to solve patients’ problems, to communicate effectively with patients, and to improve healthcare service quality. The first step of building a smart healthcare information system is representing the healthcare data as connected, reachable, and sharable. In order to achieve this representation, ontologies are used to describe the healthcare data. Combining ontological healthcare data with the used and obtained data can be maintained by storing the entire health domain data inside big data stores that support both relational and graph-based ontological data. There are several big data stores and different types of big data sets in the healthcare domain. The goal of this paper is to determine the most applicable ontology data store for storing the big healthcare data. For this purpose, AllegroGraph and Oracle 12c data stores are compared based on their infrastructural capacity, loading time, and query response times. Hence, healthcare ontologies (GENE Ontology, Gene Expression Ontology (GEXO, Regulation of Transcription Ontology (RETO, Regulation of Gene Expression Ontology (REXO are used to measure the ontology loading time. Thereafter, various queries are constructed and executed for GENE ontology in order to measure the capacity and query response times for the performance comparison between AllegroGraph and Oracle 12c triple stores.

Inferring phylogenetic trees from the knowledge of rare evolutionary events.

Science.gov (United States)

Hellmuth, Marc; Hernandez-Rosales, Maribel; Long, Yangjing; Stadler, Peter F

2018-06-01

Rare events have played an increasing role in molecular phylogenetics as potentially homoplasy-poor characters. In this contribution we analyze the phylogenetic information content from a combinatorial point of view by considering the binary relation on the set of taxa defined by the existence of a single event separating two taxa. We show that the graph-representation of this relation must be a tree. Moreover, we characterize completely the relationship between the tree of such relations and the underlying phylogenetic tree. With directed operations such as tandem-duplication-random-loss events in mind we demonstrate how non-symmetric information constrains the position of the root in the partially reconstructed phylogeny.

Unified theory of gravitation, electromagnetism, and the Yang-Mills field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borchsenius, K.

1976-01-01

The recent modification and extension of Einstein's nonsymmetric unified field theory for gravitation and electromagnetism is generalized to include the Yang-Mills field theory. The generalization consists in assuming that the components of the linear connection and of the fundamental tensor are not ordinary c numbers but are matrices related to some unitary symmetry. As an example we consider the SU(2) case. The theory is applied to the gauge-covariant formulation of electrically and isotopically charged spin-1/2 field theories

Women with coronary artery disease report worse health-related quality of life outcomes compared to men

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Galbraith P Diane

2004-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although there have been substantial medical advances that improve the outcomes following cardiac ischemic events, gender differences in the treatment and course of recovery for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD continue to exist. There is a general paucity of data comparing the health related quality of life (HRQOL in men and women undergoing treatment for CAD. The purpose of this study was to compare HRQOL outcomes of men and women in Alberta, at one-year following initial catheterization, after adjustment for known demographic, co-morbid, and disease severity predictors of outcome. Method The HRQOL outcome data were collected by means of a self-reported questionnaire mailed to patients on or near the one-year anniversary of their initial cardiac catheterization. Using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ, 5 dimensions of HRQOL were measured: exertional capacity, anginal stability, anginal frequency, quality of life and treatment satisfaction. Data from the APPROACH registry were used to risk-adjust the SAQ scale scores. Two analytical strategies were used including general least squares linear modeling, and proportional odds modeling sometimes referred to as the "ordinal logistic modeling". Results 3392 (78.1% patients responded to the follow-up survey. The adjusted proportional odds ratios for men relative to women (PORs > 1 = better indicated that men reported significantly better HRQOL on all 5 SAQ dimensions as compared to women. (PORs: Exertional Capacity 3.38 (2.75–4.15, Anginal Stability 1.23 (1.03–1.47, Anginal Frequency 1.70 (1.43–2.01, Treatment Satisfaction 1.27 (1.07–1.50, and QOL 1.74 (1.48–2.04. Conclusions Women with CAD consistently reported worse HRQOL at one year follow-up compared to men. These findings underline the fact that conclusions based on research performed on men with CAD may not be valid for women and that more gender-related research is needed. Future studies are needed to

A comparative evaluation of static and functional methods for recording centric relation and condylar guidance: a clinical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Thakur, Mridul; Jain, Veena; Parkash, Hari; Kumar, Pravesh

2012-09-01

To evaluate and compare the centric relation and horizontal condylar guidance using interocclusal wax and extra oral Gothic arch methods and subjective evaluation of dentures thus fabricated. Centric relation and horizontal condylar guidance was recorded by using interocclusal wax and gothic arch tracing in 28 completely edentulous patients. These records were transferred to the articulator and difference in both values was recorded. After that patients were divided in two groups according to the centric relation and horizontal condylar guidance recording method used to achieve balanced occlusion. Response of the dentures was subjectively evaluated using "Woelfel subjective evaluation criteria". Centric relation recorded by both the methods did coincide in 7.14 % of patients. Centric relation recorded by interocclusal wax was posterior to Gothic centric relation in 21.43 % of patients, and anterior to Gothic centric relation in 71.42 % patients. Gothic arch tracings gave higher mean guidance values on both the sides as compared to protrusive wax record in all the subjects, although the difference was statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). Subjective evaluation showed statistical insignificance for all the parameters in both groups. Gothic arch method records the centric relation at a more posterior position than the Static method, but it does not make any difference in clinical performance of the complete denture. Horizontal condylar guidance angle was approximately similar by both the methods.

Comparable Rest-related Promotion of Spatial Memory Consolidation in Younger and Older Adults

Science.gov (United States)

Craig, Michael; Wolbers, Thomas; Harris, Mathew A.; Hauff, Patrick; Della Sala, Sergio; Dewar, Michaela

2017-01-01

Flexible spatial navigation depends on cognitive mapping, a function that declines with increasing age. In young adults, a brief period of post-navigation rest promotes the consolidation/integration of spatial memories into accurate cognitive maps. We examined (1) whether rest promotes spatial memory consolidation/integration in older adults and (2) whether the magnitude of the rest benefit changes with increasing age. Young and older adults learned a route through a virtual environment, followed by a 10min delay comprising either wakeful rest or a perceptual task, and a subsequent cognitive mapping task, requiring the pointing to landmarks from different locations. Pointing accuracy was lower in the older than younger adults. However, there was a comparable rest-related enhancement in pointing accuracy in the two age groups. Together our findings suggest that (i) the age-related decline in cognitive mapping cannot be explained by increased consolidation interference in older adults, and (ii) as we grow older rest continues to support the consolidation/integration of spatial memories. PMID:27689512

Food-related lifestyles in a cross-cultural context: Comparing Australia with Singapore, Britain, France and Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reid, Mike; Li, Elton; Bruwer, Johan

2001-01-01

, to compare lifestyles across a number of different cultural contexts including Australia, Singapore, Britain, France and Denmark. The research represents the first stage in an on-going process of mapping movements in Australian consumer food-related lifestyles and linking these to global trends and changes....

Non-comparative and comparative advertising in oligopolistic markets

OpenAIRE

Alipranti, Maria; Mitrokostas, Evangelos; Petrakis, Emmanuel

2016-01-01

We study firms' advertising strategies in an oligopolistic market in which both non-comparative and comparative advertising are present. We show that in equilibrium firms mix over the two types of advertising, with the intensity of comparative advertising exceeding that of non-comparative advertising; moreover, that the intensity of comparative increases relatively to non-comparative advertising as market competition intensifies. Interestingly, the use of comparative advertising may lead to h...

Methodological and theoretical issues in the comparative analysis of gender relations in Western Europe

OpenAIRE

S Walby

1994-01-01

The aim in this paper is to contribute to the development of a research agenda for the comparative analysis of gender relations in Western Europe. Its focus is the clarification of the methodological and theoretical issues involved. Several different indices of gender inequality are assessed. It is argued that it is important to distinguish between the form and degree of patriarchy, rather than assuming that these are closely associated. Data from the EC and Scandinavia are used to illustrate...

Numerical comparison of robustness of some reduction methods in rough grids

KAUST Repository

Hou, Jiangyong

2014-04-09

In this article, we present three nonsymmetric mixed hybrid RT 1 2 methods and compare with some recently developed reduction methods which are suitable for the single-phase Darcy flow problem with full anisotropic and highly heterogeneous permeability on general quadrilateral grids. The methods reviewed are multipoint flux approximation (MPFA), multipoint flux mixed finite element method, mixed-finite element with broken RT 1 2 method, MPFA-type mimetic finite difference method, and symmetric mixed-hybrid finite element method. The numerical experiments of these methods on different distorted meshes are compared, as well as their differences in performance of fluxes are discussed. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Design-related bias in estimates of accuracy when comparing imaging tests: examples from breast imaging research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Houssami, Nehmat; Ciatto, Stefano

2010-01-01

This work highlights concepts on the potential for design-related factors to bias estimates of test accuracy in comparative imaging research. We chose two design factors, selection of eligible subjects and the reference standard, to examine the effect of design limitations on estimates of accuracy. Estimates of sensitivity in a study of the comparative accuracy of mammography and ultrasound differed according to how subjects were selected. Comparison of a new imaging test with an existing test should distinguish whether the new test is to be used as a replacement for, or as an adjunct to, the conventional test, to guide the method for subject selection. Quality of the reference standard, examined in a meta-analysis of preoperative breast MRI, varied across studies and was associated with estimates of incremental accuracy. Potential solutions to deal with the reference standard are outlined where an ideal reference standard may not be available in all subjects. These examples of breast imaging research demonstrate that design-related bias, when comparing a new imaging test with a conventional imaging test, may bias accuracy in a direction that favours the new test by overestimating the accuracy of the new test or by underestimating that of the conventional test. (orig.)

TwiMed: Twitter and PubMed Comparable Corpus of Drugs, Diseases, Symptoms, and Their Relations.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvaro, Nestor; Miyao, Yusuke; Collier, Nigel

2017-05-03

Work on pharmacovigilance systems using texts from PubMed and Twitter typically target at different elements and use different annotation guidelines resulting in a scenario where there is no comparable set of documents from both Twitter and PubMed annotated in the same manner. This study aimed to provide a comparable corpus of texts from PubMed and Twitter that can be used to study drug reports from these two sources of information, allowing researchers in the area of pharmacovigilance using natural language processing (NLP) to perform experiments to better understand the similarities and differences between drug reports in Twitter and PubMed. We produced a corpus comprising 1000 tweets and 1000 PubMed sentences selected using the same strategy and annotated at entity level by the same experts (pharmacists) using the same set of guidelines. The resulting corpus, annotated by two pharmacists, comprises semantically correct annotations for a set of drugs, diseases, and symptoms. This corpus contains the annotations for 3144 entities, 2749 relations, and 5003 attributes. We present a corpus that is unique in its characteristics as this is the first corpus for pharmacovigilance curated from Twitter messages and PubMed sentences using the same data selection and annotation strategies. We believe this corpus will be of particular interest for researchers willing to compare results from pharmacovigilance systems (eg, classifiers and named entity recognition systems) when using data from Twitter and from PubMed. We hope that given the comprehensive set of drug names and the annotated entities and relations, this corpus becomes a standard resource to compare results from different pharmacovigilance studies in the area of NLP. ©Nestor Alvaro, Yusuke Miyao, Nigel Collier. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 03.05.2017.

Device-independent quantum reading and noise-assisted quantum transmitters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roga, W; Buono, D; Illuminati, F

2015-01-01

In quantum reading, a quantum state of light (transmitter) is applied to read classical information. In the presence of noise or for sufficiently weak signals, quantum reading can outperform classical reading by reason of enhanced state distinguishability. Here we show that enhanced quantum efficiency depends on the presence in the transmitter of a particular type of quantum correlations, the discord of response. Different encodings and transmitters give rise to different levels of efficiency. Considering noisy quantum probes, we show that squeezed thermal transmitters with non-symmetrically distributed noise among the field modes yield higher quantum efficiency compared with coherent thermal quantum states. The noise-enhanced quantum advantage is a consequence of the discord of response being a non-decreasing function of increasing thermal noise under constant squeezing, a behavior that leads to increased state distinguishability. We finally show that, for non-symmetric squeezed thermal states, the probability of error, as measured by the quantum Chernoff bound, vanishes asymptotically with increasing local thermal noise with finite global squeezing. Therefore, with fixed finite squeezing, noisy but strongly discordant quantum states with a large noise imbalance between the field modes can outperform noisy classical resources as well as pure entangled transmitters with the same finite level of squeezing. (paper)

Food-related lifestyles in a cross-cultural context: Comparing Australia with Singapore, Britain, France and Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reid, Mike; Li, Elton; Bruwer, Johan

2001-01-01

is inextricably linked to values and the processes by which people seek to achieve their values through various modes of expression, including food. This research therefore employs the Food-Related Lifestyles (FRL) instrument developed by Grunert et al. (1993), which is rooted in the personal values concept......, to compare lifestyles across a number of different cultural contexts including Australia, Singapore, Britain, France and Denmark. The research represents the first stage in an on-going process of mapping movements in Australian consumer food-related lifestyles and linking these to global trends and changes....

Matrix factorization on a hypercube multiprocessor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geist, G.A.; Heath, M.T.

1985-08-01

This paper is concerned with parallel algorithms for matrix factorization on distributed-memory, message-passing multiprocessors, with special emphasis on the hypercube. Both Cholesky factorization of symmetric positive definite matrices and LU factorization of nonsymmetric matrices using partial pivoting are considered. The use of the resulting triangular factors to solve systems of linear equations by forward and back substitutions is also considered. Efficiencies of various parallel computational approaches are compared in terms of empirical results obtained on an Intel iPSC hypercube. 19 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs

Health and health-related indicators in slum, rural, and urban communities: a comparative analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mberu, Blessing U; Haregu, Tilahun Nigatu; Kyobutungi, Catherine; Ezeh, Alex C

2016-01-01

It is generally assumed that urban slum residents have worse health status when compared with other urban populations, but better health status than their rural counterparts. This belief/assumption is often because of their physical proximity and assumed better access to health care services in urban areas. However, a few recent studies have cast doubt on this belief. Whether slum dwellers are better off, similar to, or worse off as compared with rural and other urban populations remain poorly understood as indicators for slum dwellers are generally hidden in urban averages. The aim of this study was to compare health and health-related indicators among slum, rural, and other urban populations in four countries where specific efforts have been made to generate health indicators specific to slum populations. We conducted a comparative analysis of health indicators among slums, non-slums, and all urban and rural populations as well as national averages in Bangladesh, Kenya, Egypt, and India. We triangulated data from demographic and health surveys, urban health surveys, and special cross-sectional slum surveys in these countries to assess differences in health indicators across the residential domains. We focused the comparisons on child health, maternal health, reproductive health, access to health services, and HIV/AIDS indicators. Within each country, we compared indicators for slums with non-slum, city/urban averages, rural, and national indicators. Between-country differences were also highlighted. In all the countries, except India, slum children had much poorer health outcomes than children in all other residential domains, including those in rural areas. Childhood illnesses and malnutrition were higher among children living in slum communities compared to those living elsewhere. Although treatment seeking was better among slum children as compared with those in rural areas, this did not translate to better mortality outcomes. They bear a disproportionately

Comparing the Age Related Mood Profile of Veteran Basketball Players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robabeh Rostami

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Basketball, as an exciting team sport, is very popular among athletes with disabilities. Among psychological skills, mood states as an important variable have been of special interest to researchers. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to investigate and compare profile of mood states (BRUMS of disabled former soldiers who play basketball in different age groups. Methodology: After getting permit to conduct the research, 28 disabled basketball players completed the demographic survey and the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS questionnaire. BRUMS consisted of 24 items in subscales of stress, anger, depression, fatigue, confusion and vigor. The one-way analysis of variance test was used for the data analysis. The significance level was set at P≤0.05. SPSS Statistics 22.0 was used for the analysis of data. Results: The results showed that mood states become less negative with age. However, scores showed a rising trend in the 35-39 age groups (mood of anger with P=0/02 fatigue with P=0/03 and confusion with P=0/04. Conclusion: It seems that examining the psychological variables in relation to age can help develop more effective strategies in physical and mental training programs for disabled players. Keywords: Mood States, Basketball Players, veteran with disabilities, Age

The leader peptide of mutacin 1140 has distinct structural components compared to related class I lantibiotics.

Science.gov (United States)

Escano, Jerome; Stauffer, Byron; Brennan, Jacob; Bullock, Monica; Smith, Leif

2014-12-01

Lantibiotics are ribosomally synthesized peptide antibiotics composed of an N-terminal leader peptide that promotes the core peptide's interaction with the post translational modification (PTM) enzymes. Following PTMs, mutacin 1140 is transported out of the cell and the leader peptide is cleaved to yield the antibacterial peptide. Mutacin 1140 leader peptide is structurally unique compared to other class I lantibiotic leader peptides. Herein, we further our understanding of the structural differences of mutacin 1140 leader peptide with regard to other class I leader peptides. We have determined that the length of the leader peptide is important for the biosynthesis of mutacin 1140. We have also determined that mutacin 1140 leader peptide contains a novel four amino acid motif compared to related lantibiotics. PTM enzyme recognition of the leader peptide appears to be evolutionarily distinct from related class I lantibiotics. Our study on mutacin 1140 leader peptide provides a basis for future studies aimed at understanding its interaction with the PTM enzymes. © 2014 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Health challenges of young travelers visiting friends and relatives compared with those traveling for other purposes.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Pauline; Yanni, Emad; Jentes, Emily S; Hamer, Davidson H; Chen, Lin H; Wilson, Mary E; Macleod, William B; Ooi, Winnie W; Kogelman, Laura; Karchmer, Adolf W; Barnett, Elizabeth D

2012-09-01

The study objective was to assess differences in demographics and travel health challenges between youths ≤18 years old traveling internationally to visit friends and relatives (VFRs) compared with those traveling for other purposes (non-VFR). The Boston Area Travel Medicine Network consists of 5 clinics collecting anonymous data from international pretravel consultations. Data on all travelers ≤18 years of age seen between January 2008 and July 2010 were used. VFRs were compared with non-VFRs on demographics, primary language, trip characteristics, travel vaccinations administered, malaria prophylaxis and antidiarrheal medications prescribed. Thirty-five percent (610/1731) listed VFR as their purpose of travel. Almost half of VFRs were travel to countries that were yellow fever holoendemic, had malaria risk and were high-risk for typhoid (44% versus 20%, 39% versus 12%, 25% versus 15%, P travel-related morbidity, healthcare providers should be prepared to give travel advice to parents of VFR infants and children, particularly those US-born VFRs with foreign-born parents, regarding antimalarial and antidiarrheal medications and preventing yellow fever, malaria and typhoid.

A Dragon and a Dove? A Comparative Overview of Chinese and European Trade Relations with Sub-Saharan Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bert Jacobs

2011-01-01

Full Text Available As China’s footprint in African trade grows larger by the day, the need to contextualize this rise through comparative analysis becomes ever more necessary. This paper contrasts the sub-Saharan trade relations of both China and Europe with their respective designated stereotypes: those of a dragon and a dove. The article compares the trade dynamics on four levels: the policies and institutional mechanisms that shape the relationship; the composition of the trade flows; the geographic distribution of trade dominance; and the influence of norms and values on the trade pattern. It concludes that although there are empirical grounds behind these stereotypes, Chinese and European trade relations with sub-Saharan Africa are becoming more similar, partly due to a more hawkish European stance.

IgG4-related disease and lymphocyte-variant hypereosinophilic syndrome: A comparative case series.

Science.gov (United States)

Carruthers, Mollie N; Park, Sujin; Slack, Graham W; Dalal, Bakul I; Skinnider, Brian F; Schaeffer, David F; Dutz, Jan P; Law, Joanna K; Donnellan, Fergal; Marquez, Vladimir; Seidman, Michael; Wong, Patrick C; Mattman, Andre; Chen, Luke Y C

2017-04-01

To compare the clinical and laboratory features of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) and lymphocyte-variant hypereosinophilic syndrome (L-HES), two rare diseases that often present with lymphadenopathy, gastrointestinal symptoms, eosinophilia, and elevated immunoglobulins/IgE. Comparative case series of 31 patients with IgG4-RD and 13 patients with L-HES. Peripheral blood eosinophilia was present in eight of 31 patients with IgG4-RD compared to 13 of 13 patients with L-HES (median eosinophils 0.4 vs 7.0 giga/L, P=.001) and 12 of 20 patients with IgG4-RD had increased serum IgE compared to eight of 13 patients with L-HES, P=.930. Twenty-seven of 30 patients with IgG4-RD had elevated serum IgG4 compared to five of 12 patients with L-HES (median IgG4 9.6 g/L vs 0.80 g/L, P=.002). Flow cytometry demonstrated an aberrant T-cell phenotype in 7 of 23 patients with IgG4-RD and 13 of 13 patients with L-HES (PIgG4-RD vs 10 of 13 patients with L-HES (P=.143). Patients in both groups received corticosteroids as first-line therapy. For refractory disease in IgG4-RD, rituximab was the most common steroid-sparing agent, whereas in L-HES, it was pegylated interferon-α-2a. The overlapping features of these two diseases with divergent treatment options demonstrate the importance of familiarity with both entities to optimize diagnosis and treatment. © 2016 The Authors. European Journal of Haematology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Nonlinear physics approach to RNA cross-replication: Marginal stability, generalized logistic growth, and impacts of degradation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frank, T.D., E-mail: till.frank@ucd.ie [UCD School of Physics, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4 (Ireland); Systems Biology Ireland, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4 (Ireland); Center for the Ecological Study of Perception and Action, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Storrs, CT 06269 (United States)

2011-10-24

Highlights: → RNA cross-replication is a marginally stable but not asymptotically stable process. → RNA enzymes exhibits a generalized logistic growth pattern with exponent equal to 2. → Degradation results in non-symmetric saturation levels of cross-replicating RNAs. -- Abstract: It is nowadays believed that the evolution of life involved as an intermediate step an RNA world. In such an RNA world RNA molecules replicate themselves in catalytic reactions. Recent experiments on cross-replicating RNA support the RNA world hypothesis. We derive a nonlinear mass-action kinetics model to explain logistic growth patterns and non-symmetric saturation levels observed in those experiments. We also demonstrate that fixed points of the RNA growth process are only marginally stable rather than asymptotically stable.

Health and health-related indicators in slum, rural, and urban communities: a comparative analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Mberu, Blessing U.; Haregu, Tilahun Nigatu; Kyobutungi, Catherine; Ezeh, Alex C.

2016-01-01

Background It is generally assumed that urban slum residents have worse health status when compared with other urban populations, but better health status than their rural counterparts. This belief/assumption is often because of their physical proximity and assumed better access to health care services in urban areas. However, a few recent studies have cast doubt on this belief. Whether slum dwellers are better off, similar to, or worse off as compared with rural and other urban populations remain poorly understood as indicators for slum dwellers are generally hidden in urban averages. Objective The aim of this study was to compare health and health-related indicators among slum, rural, and other urban populations in four countries where specific efforts have been made to generate health indicators specific to slum populations. Design We conducted a comparative analysis of health indicators among slums, non-slums, and all urban and rural populations as well as national averages in Bangladesh, Kenya, Egypt, and India. We triangulated data from demographic and health surveys, urban health surveys, and special cross-sectional slum surveys in these countries to assess differences in health indicators across the residential domains. We focused the comparisons on child health, maternal health, reproductive health, access to health services, and HIV/AIDS indicators. Within each country, we compared indicators for slums with non-slum, city/urban averages, rural, and national indicators. Between-country differences were also highlighted. Results In all the countries, except India, slum children had much poorer health outcomes than children in all other residential domains, including those in rural areas. Childhood illnesses and malnutrition were higher among children living in slum communities compared to those living elsewhere. Although treatment seeking was better among slum children as compared with those in rural areas, this did not translate to better mortality

Health and health-related indicators in slum, rural, and urban communities: a comparative analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Blessing U. Mberu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background: It is generally assumed that urban slum residents have worse health status when compared with other urban populations, but better health status than their rural counterparts. This belief/assumption is often because of their physical proximity and assumed better access to health care services in urban areas. However, a few recent studies have cast doubt on this belief. Whether slum dwellers are better off, similar to, or worse off as compared with rural and other urban populations remain poorly understood as indicators for slum dwellers are generally hidden in urban averages. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare health and health-related indicators among slum, rural, and other urban populations in four countries where specific efforts have been made to generate health indicators specific to slum populations. Design: We conducted a comparative analysis of health indicators among slums, non-slums, and all urban and rural populations as well as national averages in Bangladesh, Kenya, Egypt, and India. We triangulated data from demographic and health surveys, urban health surveys, and special cross-sectional slum surveys in these countries to assess differences in health indicators across the residential domains. We focused the comparisons on child health, maternal health, reproductive health, access to health services, and HIV/AIDS indicators. Within each country, we compared indicators for slums with non-slum, city/urban averages, rural, and national indicators. Between-country differences were also highlighted. Results: In all the countries, except India, slum children had much poorer health outcomes than children in all other residential domains, including those in rural areas. Childhood illnesses and malnutrition were higher among children living in slum communities compared to those living elsewhere. Although treatment seeking was better among slum children as compared with those in rural areas, this did not translate to

Comparing clustering models in bank customers: Based on Fuzzy relational clustering approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayad Hendalianpour

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Clustering is absolutely useful information to explore data structures and has been employed in many places. It organizes a set of objects into similar groups called clusters, and the objects within one cluster are both highly similar and dissimilar with the objects in other clusters. The K-mean, C-mean, Fuzzy C-mean and Kernel K-mean algorithms are the most popular clustering algorithms for their easy implementation and fast work, but in some cases we cannot use these algorithms. Regarding this, in this paper, a hybrid model for customer clustering is presented that is applicable in five banks of Fars Province, Shiraz, Iran. In this way, the fuzzy relation among customers is defined by using their features described in linguistic and quantitative variables. As follows, the customers of banks are grouped according to K-mean, C-mean, Fuzzy C-mean and Kernel K-mean algorithms and the proposed Fuzzy Relation Clustering (FRC algorithm. The aim of this paper is to show how to choose the best clustering algorithms based on density-based clustering and present a new clustering algorithm for both crisp and fuzzy variables. Finally, we apply the proposed approach to five datasets of customer's segmentation in banks. The result of the FCR shows the accuracy and high performance of FRC compared other clustering methods.

Quadratic Hamiltonians on non-symmetric Poisson structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arribas, M.; Blesa, F.; Elipe, A.

2007-01-01

Many dynamical systems may be represented in a set of non-canonical coordinates that generate an su(2) algebraic structure. The topology of the phase space is the one of the S 2 sphere, the Poisson structure is the one of the rigid body, and the Hamiltonian is a parametric quadratic form in these 'spherical' coordinates. However, there are other problems in which the Poisson structure losses its symmetry. In this paper we analyze this case and, we show how the loss of the spherical symmetry affects the phase flow and parametric bifurcations for the bi-parametric cases

Emittance growth in non-symmetric beam configurations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, O.A.

1996-06-01

Emittance growth in intense beams due to nonuniformity, mismatch, and misalignment has been analyzed by Reiser for the special case of axisymmetry. A more complex problem occurs in cases where a number of discrete beamlets are to be merged into a single focusing channel, for example, in designs for Heavy Ion Fusion drivers or Magnetic Fusion negative-ion systems. Celata, assuming the system to be perfectly matched and aligned, analyzed the case of four round beamlets arranged in a square array. We generalize these previous studies and analyze emittance growth in systems that are less symmetric. We include beam systems that are not necessarily matched and where the x and y moments may be unequal. We also include the possibility of initial convergence velocities that may differ in the two planes and allow for misalignment of the beam center-of-mass position and direction

A Comparative Study On The Development Of Civil Military Relations In The Process Of Democratization In South Korea And Taiwan Until 2008

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-01

Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS IN THE PROCESS OF...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE...DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS IN THE PROCESS OF DEMOCRATIZATION IN SOUTH KOREA AND TAIWAN UNTIL 2008 by Sang bum Nam December 2017 Thesis

Coping styles relate to health and work environment of Norwegian and Dutch hospital nurses : A comparative study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schreuder, Jolanda A. H.; Roelen, Corne A. M.; Groothoff, Johan W.; van der Klink, Jac J. L.; Mageroy, Nils; Pallesen, Stale; Bjorvatn, Bjorn; Moen, Bente E.

2012-01-01

Nurses exposed to high nursing stress report no health complaints as long as they have high coping abilities. The purpose of this study was to investigate coping styles in relation to the health status and work environment of Norwegian and Dutch hospital nurses. This comparative study included a

The homogeneous boundary value problem of the thick spherical shell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linder, F.

1975-01-01

With the aim to solve boundary value problems in the same manner as it is attained at thin shell theory (Superposition of Membrane solution to solution of boundary values), one has to search solutions of the equations of equilibrium of the three dimensional thick shell which produce tensions at the cut edge and are zero on the whole shell surface inside and outside. This problem was solved with the premissions of the linear theory of Elasticity. The gained solution is exact and contains the symmetric and non-symmetric behaviour and is described in relatively short analytical expressions for the deformations and tensions, after the problem of the coupled system had been solved. The static condition of the two surfaces (zero tension) leads to a homogeneous system of complex equations with the index of the Legendre spherical function as Eigenvalue. One symmetrical case is calculated numerically and is compared with the method of finite elements. This comparison results in good accordance. (Auth.)

Evaluation of relative comparator and k0-NAA for characterization of Aboriginal Australian ochre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popelka-Filcoff, R.S.; Lenehan, C.E.; Quinton, J.S.; Bennett, J.W.; Stopic, A.; Allan Pring; Keryn Walshe

2012-01-01

Ochre is a significant material in Aboriginal Australian cultural expression from ceremonial uses to its application on many types of artifacts. However, ochre is a complex material, with associated surrounding minerals potentially challenging the overall analysis. In recent literature several studies have attempted to characterize ochre by a variety of techniques to understand procurement and trade. However, ochre is difficult to differentiate on major elemental or mineralogical composition and requires a detailed analysis of its geochemical 'fingerprint'. Neutron activation analysis (NAA) provides the high sensitivity (sub-ppm), precision and accuracy in multi-elemental analysis required for ochre. The elements of interest for ochre generally include rare earth elements (REEs) and certain transition metal elements as well as arsenic and antimony. Data from relative comparator NAA (MURR, University of Missouri, USA) is compared with data from k 0 -NAA OPAL (ANSTO, Lucas Heights, Australia). A discussion of the two methods will be examined for their utility in 'fingerprinting' the provenance of ochre. The continuing importance of NAA to archaeometry will also be discussed. (author)

Social media for arthritis-related comparative effectiveness and safety research and the impact of direct-to-consumer advertising.

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Jeffrey R; Chen, Lang; Higginbotham, Phillip; Nowell, W Benjamin; Gal-Levy, Ronit; Willig, James; Safford, Monika; Coe, Joseph; O'Hara, Kaitlin; Sa'adon, Roee

2017-03-07

Social media may complement traditional data sources to answer comparative effectiveness/safety questions after medication licensure. The Treato platform was used to analyze all publicly available social media data including Facebook, blogs, and discussion boards for posts mentioning inflammatory arthritis (e.g. rheumatoid, psoriatic). Safety events were self-reported by patients and mapped to medical ontologies, resolving synonyms. Disease and symptom-related treatment indications were manually redacted. The units of analysis were unique terms in posts. Pre-specified conditions (e.g. herpes zoster (HZ)) were selected based upon safety signals from clinical trials and reported as pairwise odds ratios (ORs); drugs were compared with Fisher's exact test. Empirically identified events were analyzed using disproportionality analysis and reported as relative reporting ratios (RRRs). The accuracy of a natural language processing (NLP) classifier to identify cases of shingles associated with arthritis medications was assessed. As of October 2015, there were 785,656 arthritis-related posts. Posts were predominantly US posts (75%) from patient authors (87%) under 40 years of age (61%). For HZ posts (n = 1815), ORs were significantly increased with tofacitinib versus other rheumatoid arthritis therapies. ORs for mentions of perforated bowel (n = 13) were higher with tocilizumab versus other therapies. RRRs associated with tofacitinib were highest in conditions related to baldness and hair regrowth, infections and cancer. The NLP classifier had a positive predictive value of 91% to identify HZ. There was a threefold increase in posts following television direct-to-consumer advertisement (p = 0.04); posts expressing medication safety concerns were significantly more frequent than favorable posts. Social media is a challenging yet promising data source that may complement traditional approaches for comparative effectiveness research for new medications.

State variable participation in the limit cycle of induction motor

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2National Institute of Technical Teachers' Training and Research, Kolkata 700 106, India. ∗ ... nonsymmetrical two stator windings named as the main winding and the auxiliary wind- ... These qualitative changes in the system's dynamics.

Effect of media relations on audiences: comparing how editorials and advertising influence behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Tkalac Verčič

2010-06-01

Full Text Available A notion, according to which editorials have a bigger communication influence than advertisements, is very common and quite popular in public relations. The said notion is so prevalent (among both public relations and marketing communications experts that it has led to the concept of perceived influence multipliers that point to a stronger editorial influence in comparison to advertising influence (2.5 to 8 times stronger. Based on the described assumption, the aim of this paper was to further explore how the target audience perceives editorial and advertising content. The research problem was to compare the effects of both types of content on behavior and behavioral intent (through four media – Internet, radio, newspapers and television. Respondents were divided into two groups – current users of the service that was in focus (for influence on behavior and potential users (for influence on behavioral intent. Even though current users said that editorials had a bigger influence on their behavior, this difference was not significant. On the other hand, potential users stated that the advertising content shaped their behavioral intent more than did editorials. These results once again show the assumption, according to which editorials have a stronger communication influence than advertisements, to be highly questionable.

Gender-specific patterns in age-related decline in general health among Danish and Chinese: A cross-national comparative study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Yili; Zhang, Dongfeng; Pang, Zengchang

2012-01-01

Aim:  Studies carried out in Western populations have shown age-related changes in multiple health domains together with gender-specific patterns. By focusing on five health domains, self-rated health, hand grip strength, sit-to-stand test, cognitive performance and depression, we examined the age....... Conclusion:  Our cross population analysis identified significant gender and population differences suggesting endogenous biological, physical and social environmental determinants in age-related decline in general health. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2011; ••: ••-••....... trajectories in general health in a cross-sectional Chinese sample representing the world's largest ethnic population and compare with Danish data that represent Western populations in developed countries. Methods:  Multiple regression models were fitted to compare patterns across genders and populations...

Comparing Evaporative Sources of Terrestrial Precipitation and Their Extremes in MERRA Using Relative Entropy

Science.gov (United States)

Dirmeyer, Paul A.; Wei, Jiangfeng; Bosilovich, Michael G.; Mocko, David M.

2014-01-01

A quasi-isentropic back trajectory scheme is applied to output from the Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications and a land-only replay with corrected precipitation to estimate surface evaporative sources of moisture supplying precipitation over every ice-free land location for the period 1979-2005. The evaporative source patterns for any location and time period are effectively two dimensional probability distributions. As such, the evaporative sources for extreme situations like droughts or wet intervals can be compared to the corresponding climatological distributions using the method of relative entropy. Significant differences are found to be common and widespread for droughts, but not wet periods, when monthly data are examined. At pentad temporal resolution, which is more able to isolate floods and situations of atmospheric rivers, values of relative entropy over North America are typically 50-400 larger than at monthly time scales. Significant differences suggest that moisture transport may be the key to precipitation extremes. Where evaporative sources do not change significantly, it implies other local causes may underlie the extreme events.

Towards an ideal preconditioner for linearized Navier-Stokes problems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murphy, M.F. [Univ. of Bristol (United Kingdom)

1996-12-31

Discretizing certain linearizations of the steady-state Navier-Stokes equations gives rise to nonsymmetric linear systems with indefinite symmetric part. We show that for such systems there exists a block diagonal preconditioner which gives convergence in three GMRES steps, independent of the mesh size and viscosity parameter (Reynolds number). While this {open_quotes}ideal{close_quotes} preconditioner is too expensive to be used in practice, it provides a useful insight into the problem. We then consider various approximations to the ideal preconditioner, and describe the eigenvalues of the preconditioned systems. Finally, we compare these preconditioners numerically, and present our conclusions.

The theory and experiment of solute migration caused by excited state absorptions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao, Jin; Ying-Lin, Song; Yu-Xiao, Wang; Min, Shui; Chang-Wei, Li; Jun-Yi, Yang; Xue-Ru, Zhang; Kun, Yang

2010-01-01

Nonsymmetrical transition from reverse-saturable absorption (RSA) to saturable absorption (SA) caused by excited state absorption induced mass transport of the CuPcTs dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide is observed in an open aperture Z-scan experiment with a 21-ps laser pulse. The nonsymmetrical transition from RSA to SA is ascribed neither to saturation of excited state absorption nor to thermal induced mass transport, the so-called Soret effect. In our consideration, strong nonlinear absorption causes the rapid accumulation of the non-uniform kinetic energy of the solute molecules. The non-uniform kinetic field in turn causes the migration of the solute molecules. Additionally, an energy-gradient-induced mass transport theory is presented to interpret the experimental results, and the theoretical calculations are also taken to fit our experimental results. (classical areas of phenomenology)

Comparative evaluation of the efficacy of occlusal splints fabricated in centric relation or maximum intercuspation in temporomandibular disorders patients

OpenAIRE

Hamata,Marcelo Matida; Zuim,Paulo Renato Junqueira; Garcia,Alicio Rosalino

2009-01-01

Fabrication of occlusal splints in centric relation for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) patients is arguable, since this position has been defined for asymptomatic stomatognathic system. Thus, maximum intercuspation might be employed in patients with occlusal stability, eliminating the need for interocclusal records. This study compared occlusal splints fabricated in centric relation and maximum intercuspation in muscle pain reduction of TMD patients. Twenty patients with TMD of myogenous o...

Determine and compare the viewpoints of nurses, patients and their relatives to workplace violence against nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Babaei, Nasib; Rahmani, Azad; Avazeh, Marziyeh; Mohajjelaghdam, Ali-Reza; Zamanzadeh, Vahid; Dadashzadeh, Abbass

2018-03-23

The present study aims to assess the perception of nurses, patients and their relatives regarding the nature of workplace violence against nurses. Workplace violence adversely affects the health, well-being and safety of nurses and the quality of nursing care. In the present descriptive comparative study, the nature of violence was assessed using a modified and validated International Labor Office, the International Council of Nurses, World Health Organization, and Public Services International Questionnaire. Nurses, patients and relatives reported verbal abuse as the most common and sexual violence as the least common type of violence against nurses. Nurses mostly blamed factors associated with patients and their relatives as the cause of violence, whereas patients and their relatives blamed social factors. This study shows that violence is significantly prevalent in clinical settings, but its nature is differently perceived by nurses, patients and their relatives. This phenomenon requires further studies because knowledge of the causes of this difference could help to reduce and control violence. It is necessary that nursing managers inform nurses about protocols for reporting all such cases in order to collect information, and based on a clear procedure, actively pursue reported cases and take the necessary measures to prevent violence against nurses. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Modal-Based Substructure Method Applied to Nonlinear Rotordynamic Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helmut J. Holl

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The discretisation of rotordynamic systems usually results in a high number of coordinates, so the computation of the solution of the equations of motion is very time consuming. An efficient semianalytic time-integration method combined with a substructure technique is given, which accounts for nonsymmetric matrices and local nonlinearities. The partitioning of the equation of motion into two substructures is performed. Symmetric and linear background systems are defined for each substructure. The excitation of the substructure comes from the given excitation force, the nonlinear restoring force, the induced force due to the gyroscopic and circulatory effects of the substructure under consideration and the coupling force of the substructures. The high effort for the analysis with complex numbers, which is necessary for nonsymmetric systems, is omitted. The solution is computed by means of an integral formulation. A suitable approximation for the unknown coordinates, which are involved in the coupling forces, has to be introduced and the integration results in Green's functions of the considered substructures. Modal analysis is performed for each linear and symmetric background system of the substructure. Modal reduction can be easily incorporated and the solution is calculated iteratively. The numerical behaviour of the algorithm is discussed and compared to other approximate methods of nonlinear structural dynamics for a benchmark problem and a representative example.

Comparing Post-Newtonian and Numerical-Relativity Precession Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Kidder, Lawrence; Ossokine, Sergei; Boyle, Michael; Pfeiffer, Harald; Scheel, Mark; Szilagyi, Bela

2015-04-01

Binary black-hole systems are expected to be important sources of gravitational waves for upcoming gravitational-wave detectors. If the spins are not colinear with each other or with the orbital angular momentum, these systems exhibit complicated precession dynamics that are imprinted on the gravitational waveform. We develop a new procedure to match the precession dynamics computed by post-Newtonian (PN) theory to those of numerical binary black-hole simulations in full general relativity. For numerical relativity (NR) simulations lasting approximately two precession cycles, we find that the PN and NR predictions for the directions of the orbital angular momentum and the spins agree to better than ~1° with NR during the inspiral, increasing to 5° near merger. Nutation of the orbital plane on the orbital time-scale agrees well between NR and PN, whereas nutation of the spin direction shows qualitatively different behavior in PN and NR. We also examine how the PN equations for precession and orbital-phase evolution converge with PN order, and we quantify the impact of various choices for handling partially known PN terms.

Surface structure enhanced second harmonic generation in organic nanofibers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fiutowski, Jacek; Maibohm, Christian; Kostiučenko, Oksana

Second-harmonic generation upon femto-second laser irradiation of nonlinearly optically active nanofibers grown from nonsymmetrically functionalized para-quarterphenylene (CNHP4) molecules is investigated. Following growth on mica templates, the nanofibers have been transferred onto lithography...

A study on some welfare-related parameters of hDAF transgenic pigs when compared with their conventional close relatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Martelli, G; Sardi, L; Stancampiano, L; Govoni, N; Zannoni, A; Nannoni, E; Forni, M; Bacci, M L

2014-05-01

Pigs are increasingly used in medical research as transgenic laboratory animals; however, little knowledge is presently available concerning their welfare assessment. The aim of the present study was to investigate some welfare-related parameters of transgenic pigs intended for xenotrasplantation (human decay-accelerating factor (hDAF)) when compared with their conventional (i.e. not transgenic) close relatives (full sibs and half sibs). A total of 14 Large White female transgenic pigs and 10 female non-transgenic (conventional) pigs from four litters were used. All pigs were from the same conventional boar, donor of the semen treated for sperm-mediated gene transfer. During the experiment, BW ranged from 50 to about 80 kg and pigs were weighed at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. Animals were subjected to a set of behavioural tests: a human approach test (HAT), a novel object test (NOT) and an open-door test (ODT). Food preferences were tested through the offer of different foods (banana, apple, carrot, cracker and lemon). During a 4-day period, pigs were diurnally videotaped to study the prevalence of the different behaviours and social interactions (aggressive and non-aggressive interactions). At the end of the trial, cortisol level had been assessed on bristles. No significant differences (P>0.05) were observed between hDAF transgenic and conventional pigs with respect to growth traits, reactivity towards unexpected situations (HAT, NOT, ODT), food preferences, main behavioural traits, social interactions and hair cortisol.

A comparative analysis of vehicle-related greenhouse gas emissions between organic and conventional dairy production.

Science.gov (United States)

Aggestam, Vivianne; Buick, Jon

2017-08-01

Agricultural industrialisation and globalisation have steadily increased the transportation of food across the world. In efforts to promote sustainability and self-sufficiency, organic milk producers in Sweden are required to produce a higher level of cattle feed on-farm in the hope that increased self-sufficiency will reduce reliance on external inputs and reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. Using data collected from 20 conventional and 20 organic milk producers in Sweden this paper aims to assess the global warming impact of farmyard vehicles and the transportation of feed produced 'off-farm' in order to compare the impact of vehicle-related emissions from the different production methods. The findings show organic and conventional production methods have different vehicle-related emission outputs that vary according to a reliance on either road transportation or increased farmyard machinery use. Mechanical weeding is more fuel demanding than conventional agrichemical sprayers. However, artificial fertilising is one of the highest farmyard vehicle-related emitters. The general findings show organic milk production emits higher levels of farm vehicle-related emissions that fail to be offset by reduced emissions occurring from international transport emissions. This paper does not propose to cover a comprehensive supply chain carbon footprint for milk production or attempt to determine which method of production has the largest climatic impact. However, it does demonstrate that Sweden's legal requirements for organic producers to produce more feed on-farm to reduce transport emissions have brought emissions back within Sweden's greenhouse gas inventory and raises questions around the effectiveness of policies to reduce vehicle-related emissions. Further research is needed into the effectiveness of climate change mitigation on food production policies, in particular looking at various trade-offs that affects the entire food supply chain.

Moral distress: a comparative analysis of theoretical understandings and inter-related concepts.

Science.gov (United States)

Lützén, Kim; Kvist, Beatrice Ewalds

2012-03-01

Research on ethical dilemmas in health care has become increasingly salient during the last two decades resulting in confusion about the concept of moral distress. The aim of the present paper is to provide an overview and a comparative analysis of the theoretical understandings of moral distress and related concepts. The focus is on five concepts: moral distress, moral stress, stress of conscience, moral sensitivity and ethical climate. It is suggested that moral distress connects mainly to a psychological perspective; stress of conscience more to a theological-philosophical standpoint; and moral stress mostly to a physiological perspective. Further analysis indicates that these thoughts can be linked to the concepts of moral sensitivity and ethical climate through a relationship to moral agency. Moral agency comprises a moral awareness of moral problems and moral responsibility for others. It is suggested that moral distress may serve as a positive catalyst in exercising moral agency. An interdisciplinary approach in research and practice broadens our understanding of moral distress and its impact on health care personnel and patient care.

Methodological and Reporting Quality of Comparative Studies Evaluating Health-Related Quality of Life of Colorectal Cancer Patients and Controls: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Carlos K H; Guo, Vivian Y W; Chen, Jing; Lam, Cindy L K

2016-11-01

Health-related quality of life is an important outcome measure in patients with colorectal cancer. Comparison with normative data has been increasingly undertaken to assess the additional impact of colorectal cancer on health-related quality of life. This review aimed to critically appraise the methodological details and reporting characteristics of comparative studies evaluating differences in health-related quality of life between patients and controls. A systematic search of English-language literature published between January 1985 and May 2014 was conducted through a database search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Medline. Comparative studies reporting health-related quality-of-life outcomes among patients who have colorectal cancer and controls were selected. Methodological and reporting quality per comparison study was evaluated based on a 11-item methodological checklist proposed by Efficace in 2003 and a set of criteria predetermined by reviewers. Thirty-one comparative studies involving >10,000 patients and >10,000 controls were included. Twenty-three studies (74.2%) originated from European countries, with the largest number from the Netherlands (n = 6). Twenty-eight studies (90.3%) compared the health-related quality of life of patients with normative data published elsewhere, whereas the remaining studies recruited a group of patients who had colorectal cancer and a group of control patients within the same studies. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire Core 30 was the most extensively used instrument (n = 16; 51.6%). Eight studies (25.8%) were classified as "probably robust" for clinical decision making according to the Efficace standard methodological checklist. Our further quality assessment revealed the lack of score differences reported (61.3%), contemporary comparisons (36.7%), statistical significance tested (38.7%), and matching of control group (58.1%), possibly leading to

On the Local Maxima of a Constrained Quadratic Form

Science.gov (United States)

Bhowmik, Jahar L.

2006-01-01

This note presents a brief and partial review of the work of Broom, Cannings and Vickers [1]. It also presents some simple examples of an extension of the their formalism to non-symmetric matrices. (Contains 1 figure.)

Field-enhanced nonlinear optical properties of organic nanofibers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kostiučenko, Oksana; Fiutowski, Jacek; Brewer, Jonathan R.

2014-01-01

Second harmonic generation in nonlinearly optically active organic nanofibers, generated via self-assembled surface growth from nonsymmetrically functionalized para-quarterphenylene (CNHP4) molecules, has been investigated. After the growth on mica templates, nanofibers have been transferred onto...

Environmental factors related to water level regulation - a comparative study in northern Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hellsten, S.K.

1997-01-01

The environmental conditions of the littoral zone were studied in the regulated Lake Ontojaervi and the unregulated Lake Lentua in northern Finland. The general aims of the study were to analyse the environmental factors related to water level regulation in the littoral zone and to produce information for assessing the effects of hydroelectric development in northern lakes. The study was basically carried out by comparing the littoral environments of the two study lakes. The most visible effects of water level regulation were related to the raised water level, which yielded erosion of sandy shores at the beginning of the regulation. Another effect of lake regulation was the altered fluctuation of the water level, which led to bottom instability and increased the size of the frozen and ice penetration zones. The effect of ice penetration was also easy to recognize on the shores of Lake Ontojaervi, where the surface sediment was frozen to a greater depth and across wider areas than in Lake Lentua. Below the freezing zone, the ice just pressed down on the sediment. The shores of Lake Ontojaervi were steeper than those of Lake Lentua, which affected the distribution of bottom types, with sandy bottoms being more common in Lake Lentua than in Lake Ontojaervi. The factors related to site exposure included effective fetch and the shape of the shoreline. The sedimentation level correlated only with the slope and was not predicted by the fetch or shape. The vertical reduction of light was estimated on the basis of water colour. The main environmental factors from the two lakes were used in a discriminant analysis to predict the bottom type distribution of the littoral (r 2 = 0.41). (orig.) 66 refs

Environmental factors related to water level regulation - a comparative study in northern Finland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hellsten, S K [VTT Communities and Infrastructure. Water Engineering and Ecotechnology, Oulu (Finland)

1998-12-31

The environmental conditions of the littoral zone were studied in the regulated Lake Ontojaervi and the unregulated Lake Lentua in northern Finland. The general aims of the study were to analyse the environmental factors related to water level regulation in the littoral zone and to produce information for assessing the effects of hydroelectric development in northern lakes. The study was basically carried out by comparing the littoral environments of the two study lakes. The most visible effects of water level regulation were related to the raised water level, which yielded erosion of sandy shores at the beginning of the regulation. Another effect of lake regulation was the altered fluctuation of the water level, which led to bottom instability and increased the size of the frozen and ice penetration zones. The effect of ice penetration was also easy to recognize on the shores of Lake Ontojaervi, where the surface sediment was frozen to a greater depth and across wider areas than in Lake Lentua. Below the freezing zone, the ice just pressed down on the sediment. The shores of Lake Ontojaervi were steeper than those of Lake Lentua, which affected the distribution of bottom types, with sandy bottoms being more common in Lake Lentua than in Lake Ontojaervi. The factors related to site exposure included effective fetch and the shape of the shoreline. The sedimentation level correlated only with the slope and was not predicted by the fetch or shape. The vertical reduction of light was estimated on the basis of water colour. The main environmental factors from the two lakes were used in a discriminant analysis to predict the bottom type distribution of the littoral (r{sup 2} = 0.41). (orig.) 66 refs.

Current system of the solar wind: results of numerical calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pisanko, Yu.V.

1985-01-01

Results of numerical calculations of surface current in the interplanetary current layer and steady volume current in the solar wind for heliocentric distances (1-10)Rsub(s) (Rsub(s) is the Sun radius) are given. The strength of current dependence on spatial coordinates is considered. Stationary nondissipative magnetohydrodynamic corona expansion (SNMCE) in the reference system rotating with the Sun is studied. Calculations show that three-dimensional current system of nonaxial-symmetric and nonsymmetric relatively to helioequator plane of SNMCE is more complicated than the zonal ring current around the Sun, which is the only component of the current system in spatial symmetric case

The construction of factorized S-matrices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chudnovsky, D.V.

1981-01-01

We study the relationships between factorized S-matrices given as representations of the Zamolodchikov algebra and exactly solvable models constructed using the Baxter method. Several new examples of symmetric and non-symmetric factorized S-matrices are proposed. (orig.)

On Asymmetries in Powerful Radio Sources and the Quasar/Galaxy ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

3National Centre for Energy Research and Development, University of Nigeria,. Nsukka, Nigeria. ∗ e-mail: ... source orientation and relativistic beaming effects in a sample of powerful non-symmetric ..... shown with open circles in Fig. 6, which ...

A Simulation Tool for the Study of Symmetric Inversions in Bacterial Genomes

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, Ulisses; Dias, Zanoni; Setubal, João C.

We present the tool SIB that simulates genomic inversions in bacterial chromosomes. The tool simulates symmetric inversions but allows the appearance of nonsymmetric inversions by simulating small syntenic blocks frequently observed on bacterial genome comparisons. We evaluate SIB by comparing its results to real genome alignments. We develop measures that allow quantitative comparisons between real pairwise alignments (in terms of dotplots) and simulated ones. These measures allow an evaluation of SIB in terms of dendrograms. We evaluate SIB by comparing its results to whole chromosome alignments and maximum likelihood trees for three bacterial groups (the Pseudomonadaceae family and the Xanthomonas and Shewanella genera). We demonstrate an application of SIB by using it to evaluate the ancestral genome reconstruction tool MGR.

Comparative Study on Reagents Involved in Grape Bud Break and Their Effects on Different Metabolites and Related Gene Expression during Winter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Khalil-Ur-Rehman

2017-08-01

Full Text Available To elucidate promoting and inhibiting effects of hydrogen cynamide (HC and abscisic acid (ABA on quiescence release of grape buds, physiological and molecular approaches were used to explore the mechanisms of quiescence based on metabolic and gene expression analysis. Physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in bud quiescence of grape were studied before and after application of HC, ABA, and ABA-HC. The data showed that ABA inhibited proclamation of quiescence in grape buds and attenuated the influence of HC. Bud quiescence was promoted and regulated by HC and ABA pre-treatment on buds of grape cultivar “Shine Muscat” with 5% HC, 100 μM ABA and combination of ABA-HC (5% HC+100 μM ABA during quiescence under forcing condition. Exogenous application of ABA elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD, peroxidase (POD and ascorbate peroxidase (APX related specific activities, while catalase (CAT activity was increased during initial period of forcing and then decreased. The concentration of plant growth hormones including gibberellins (GA and indole acetic acid increased by HC application but decreased the ABA contents under forcing condition. ABA increased the fructose content during quiescence under forcing condition while sucrose and total soluble sugars peaked in HC treated buds as compared to control. Genes related to ABA pathway, protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C family were down regulated in the buds treated with HC, ABA and ABA-HC as compared to control while two genes related to GA pathway (GID1 family, out of which one gene showed down regulation during initial period of forcing while other gene was up regulated in response to HC and ABA-HC treatments as compared to control. Exogenous ABA application up regulated genes related to antioxidant enzymes as compared to control. The gene probable fructose-bisphosphate aldolase 1, chloroplastic-like, was up regulated in response to ABA treatment as compared to control. Analysis of metabolites and

Oral health-related quality of life in Brazilian child abuse victims: A comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva-Júnior, Ivam Freire; Hartwig, Andréia Drawanz; Stüermer, Vanessa Müller; Demarco, Giulia Tarquínio; Goettems, Marília Leão; Azevedo, Marina Sousa

2018-02-01

This study aims to assess and compare Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) in child abuse victims and non-abused children in a Southern Brazilian city. The study compared two independent samples of children aged 8-10 years: 48 child abuse victims recruited from a centre for Child and Adolescent Psychological Support (NACA) for abused children, and 144 public and private school students. Data collection consisted of administration of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 8-10 (CPQ 8-10 ) to measure OHRQoL (dependent variable), clinical examination (dental caries), and collection of socioeconomic and demographic information (age, sex, skin colour, family income, and type of school). Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the association between presence of abuse and OHRQoL and subscales. After adjustment for clinical and sociodemographic variables, child abuse victims were found to exhibit higher CPQ scores on the overall scale and on the oral symptoms and functional limitations subscales. In conclusion, child abuse victims have a higher impact on OHRQoL. Based on the results, it is possible to suggest that greater care should be taken of these children, not only in providing treatment for oral disorders, but also in providing interdisciplinary care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A multipoint flux mixed finite element method on distorted quadrilaterals and hexahedra

KAUST Repository

Wheeler, Mary; Xue, Guangri; Yotov, Ivan

2011-01-01

In this paper, we develop a new mixed finite element method for elliptic problems on general quadrilateral and hexahedral grids that reduces to a cell-centered finite difference scheme. A special non-symmetric quadrature rule is employed that yields

Helically symmetric experiment, (HSX) goals, design and status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, F.S.B.; Almagri, A.F.; Anderson, D.T.; Matthews, P.G.; Talmadge, J.N.; Shohet, J.L.

1995-01-01

HSX is a quasi-helically symmetric (QHS) stellarator currently under construction at the Torsatron-Stellarator Laboratory of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This device is unique in its magnetic design in that the magnetic field spectrum possesses only a single dominant (helical) component. This design avoids the large direct orbit losses and the low-collisionality neoclassical losses associated with conventional stellarators. The restoration of symmetry to the confining magnetic field makes the neoclassical confinement in this device analogous to an axisymmetric q=1/3 tokamak. The HSX device has been designed with a clear set of primary physics goals: demonstrate the feasibility of construction of a QHS device, examine single particle confinement of injected ions with regard to magnetic field symmetry breaking, compare density and temperature profiles in this helically symmetric system to those for axisymmetric tokamaks and conventional stellarators, examine electric fields and plasma rotation with edge biasing in relation to L-H transitions in symmetric versus non-symmetric stellarator systems, investigate QHS effects on 1/v regime electron confinement, and examine how greatly-reduced neoclassical electron thermal conductivity compares to the experimental χ e profile. 3 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

Comparative analysis of functional food producers' profitability in Serbia: A leader-follower relation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Draganac Dragana

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The functional food market in Serbia is relatively young and insufficiently explored both from the aspects of producers and consumers, the qualitative aspect and especially from the quantitative aspect. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the results of the comprehensive quantitative financial analysis of profitability which focuses on the example of two companies. The main criterion applied in the selection of companies for the analysis represents the fact that one company is recognizable as a producer of foods with nutritive and health claims and is a leader within that market segment, whereas the other analyzed company mostly produces traditional products and has entered the aforementioned market segment at a later stage. The key idea is to do a comparative analysis of the profitability of these two companies for a four-year period. The profitability ratio analysis and the Du Pont analysis system are used in the paper as well as the analysis of solvency and financial leverage effect. The vertical analysis of income statement is also done in order to reveal the relation between some cost categories and operating revenues. The research results lead to a conclusion that the company that mostly produces functional foods has higher profit margins and rates of return and is therefore in a more favourable position since it can benefit from positive effects of financial leverage to a higher extent. The profitability of the second relevant company is mostly based on the better asset turnover.

A Comparative Study of Trade Relations and the Spatial-Temporal Evolution of Geo-Economy between China and Vietnam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teng Ma

2017-06-01

Full Text Available With the increasing economic importance of the Asia-Pacific Region, the economic interdependence among countries in the region has gradually enhanced. With the continuous opening up of the two countries, Sino-Vietnamese economic relations have also been deepened. However, the export trade between Vietnam and China has been competitive. China and Vietnam seek to dominate or join an agreement that is conducive to their own trade, which also exacerbates the trade competition between the two countries. This paper compares China and Vietnam and analyzes their foreign trade data from 2005 to 2014. By analyzing the competitiveness of export commodities, the trade division effect and spatio-temporal changes of the geo-economic relationship in the Asia-Pacific Region, this study explores Sino-Vietnamese trade relations and compares the pattern of geo-economic evolution between the two countries. The findings show that China and Vietnam have similarities and substitutability in textiles, apparel and footwear in terms of commodity structure. There is already a trade diversion effect between Vietnam and China on these commodities, but it is not substantial. From a geographic perspective, China’s geo-economic relations in the Pacific Rim present an increasingly dispersed trend. However, the spatial pattern of Vietnam’s geo-economy has maintained a low-level and stable spatial agglomeration over the last decade.

Passion, Relational Mobility, and Proof of Commitment: A Comparative Socio-Ecological Analysis of an Adaptive Emotion in a Sexual Market.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Junko; Kito, Mie; Yuki, Masaki

2017-01-01

Although monogamy, the exclusive bonding with a specific partner, is one characteristic of modern human mating, long-term romantic relationships inherently possess the commitment problem, which is the conflict between maintaining a relationship with a certain partner and seeking attractive alternatives. Frank has argued that love and passion help solve this problem because they make individuals commit voluntarily to the relationship, leading the other party to also be committed with less concern over being cheated on or rejected. Combining this idea with the comparative socio-ecological approach, we hypothesize that passion will be more pronounced in social environments in which people have greater freedom to choose and replace their partners (i.e., high relational mobility) than in societies in which relationships tend to be more stable and hard to change (i.e., low relational mobility). To test this hypothesis, we compared Americans (living in a society with high relational mobility) and Japanese (living in a society with low relational mobility). As predicted, Americans were more passionate toward their romantic partners than Japanese, and this cultural difference was partially explained by the levels of perceived relational mobility in participants' local ecology. Moreover, more intense passion was found to lead to greater commitment behaviors in both societies. The importance of taking socioecological factors into consideration for the theory of the adaptive function of interpersonal emotions is also discussed.

Differences in weight status and energy-balance related behaviors among schoolchildren in German-speaking Switzerland compared to seven countries in Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Herzig Michael

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Overweight in children and adolescents have increased significantly and are a major public health problem. To allow international comparisons, Switzerland joined the European study ‘ENERGY’ cross sectional survey consortium that investigated the prevalence of overweight and obesity as well as selected dietary, physical and sedentary behaviors of 10–12 years old pupils across seven other countries in Europe. The aims of the present study was to compare body composition and energy-balance related behaviors of Swiss schoolchildren to those of the seven European ENERGY-countries and to analyze overweight and energy-balance related behaviors of Swiss children according to socio-demographic factors. Methods A school-based cross-sectional study among 10–12 year old children was conducted in Switzerland and seven other European countries using a standardized protocol. Body height, weight and waist-circumference were measured by trained research assistants. Energy-balance related behaviors –i.e. selected dietary, physical activity and screen-viewing behaviors were assessed by questionnaires. Weight status and behaviors in Switzerland were compared to the seven European ENERGY countries. Within the Swiss sample, analyses stratified by gender, parental education and ethnicity were performed. Results Data of 546 Swiss children (mean age 11.6±0.8y, 48% girls were obtained and compared to the ENERGY- results (N=7.148; mean age 11.5±0.8y, 48% girls. In Switzerland significantly less children were overweight (13.9% or obese (2.3% compared to the average across the ENERGY-countries (23.7% and 4.7%, respectively, and were even somewhat lower than the ENERGY countries with the lowest prevalence. Sugar sweetened beverage intakes and breakfast habits of Swiss children did not differ significantly from those of ENERGY. However, the mean time devoted by Swiss children to walking or cycling to school and attending sports activities was

Optimal design of robust piezoelectric microgrippers undergoing large displacements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruiz, D.; Sigmund, Ole

2018-01-01

Topology optimization combined with optimal design of electrodes is used to design piezoelectric microgrippers. Fabrication at micro-scale presents an important challenge: due to non-symmetrical lamination of the structures, out-of-plane bending spoils the behaviour of the grippers. Suppression...

Development of an eight-band theory for quantum dot heterostructures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pokatilov, E.P.; Fonoberov, V.A.; Fomin, V.; Devreese, J.T.

2001-01-01

We derive a nonsymmetrized eight-band effective-mass Hamiltonian for quantum dot heterostructures (QDH's) in Burt's envelope-function representation. The 8*8 radial Hamiltonian and the boundary conditions for the Schrodinger equation are obtained for spherical QDH's. Boundary conditions for

Rural water supply and related services in developing countries — Comparative analysis of several approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Bajard, Y.; Draper, M.; Viens, P.

1981-05-01

The proposed paper deals with a comparative analysis of several approaches possible and actually used for a joint action of local institutions and foreign aid in the field of water supply and related services such as sanitation to villages and small rural agglomerations (market towns, etc.) in developing countries. This comparative analysis is based on examples of actual programmes in this field. The authors have participated in most of the programmes selected as examples, at various levels and in various capacities, from conception to design, implementation and/or evaluation (i.e. rural development programmes in Ivory Coast, Ghana (upper region), Benin and Ethiopia. The authors were not involved in other examples such as water supply and/or sanitation to small urban centres in Benin, Ivory Coast, etc. They have, however, witnessed them directly and have obtained, therefore, first-hand information on their organization, execution and results. Several typical examples of actual projects are briefly defined and characterized. The paper undertakes, then, to compare, in a clinical fashion, the advantages and drawbacks of the approaches taken in the various examples presented. The paper finally proposes a recommendation for a realistic approach to joint action between local/domestic and foreign financing/assistance agencies and executing bodies (consultants, contractors) in the field of rural water supply, sanitation, and more generally, health improvement. The definition of this line of approach is made in terms of logical framework, i.e. goals, purposes, outputs and inputs at the various stages of the project, up to actual evaluation of execution and impact if possible; description of practical indicators of the two types of evaluation. A particular attention is given to the problems of technological choices, in view of the constraints imposed by the natural environment, by the human and social patterns; in view also of the institutions and the economy. Another point

Formation of Non-symmetric Fractals During the First Stage of Pre-planetesimal Dust Growth

Science.gov (United States)

Kempf, S.; Blum, J.; Wurm, G.

It is a generally accepted view that the genesis of a planetary system coincide s with the formation of sun-like young stellar objects surrounded by gaseous disc s. The building blocks of the planetesimals are micron-sized solid particles (the so-called dust) embedded in the gas of the disc. The relevant process for formi ng larger aggregates is the growth due to collisional sticking. For particles to c ollide and stick, a relative velocity component between the grains must be present. In the onset of dust growth, Brownian motion dominates other relative-velocity sources . However, numerically determined time scales of the pure Brownian dust growth are much too large for explaining the formation of planets within the lifetime of a proto-planetary di sc. In order to verify the validity of the theoretical models, the Cosmic Dust Aggr egation Experiment CODAG was developed. It allows to observe the growth of micron-sized dust analogs under astrophysical realistic conditions. Surprisingly, the experi ments showed that at least in the onset of the dust growth needle-like fractal aggreg ates rather than symmetric fractals are formed. Here we discuss the implication of this experimental finding for the pre-planetesimal growth models.

Microscopic fracture of filaments and its relation to the critical current under bending deformation in (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10 composite superconducting tapes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hojo, Masaki; Nakamura, Mitsuhiro; Matsuoka, Tomoe; Tanaka, Mototsugu; Ochiai, Shojiro; Sugano, Michinaka; Osamura, Kozo

2003-01-01

The strain dependence of the critical current, I c , of (Bi,Pb) 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10 (Bi2223)/Ag/Ag-Mg composite superconducting tapes has been studied both experimentally and analytically under bending deformation. Tests have been carried out for one type of tape used in the VAMAS bending round-robin programme. The complex stress-strain behaviour of each component was first analysed in tension. This was done by comparing the stress-strain curves of composite tapes with those of Ag and Ag-Mg alloy tapes. Here, the plastic deformation (work hardening) of Ag and Ag-Mg alloy, and the thermal residual strain due to the manufacturing process were taken into account. The fracture strain of Bi2223 filaments was inversely determined as 0.08% to meet the global tensile stress-strain curve of the composite tape. The calculated stress-strain curves finally agreed well with the experimental results when the as-supplied bending strain was taken into account. Then, the analysis was modified to fit the bending deformation. Here, the movement of the neutral axis due to the non-symmetric and elastic-plastic stress-strain curves of the components and their Bauschinger effect were taken into account. The relative decrease of I c with the increase in the Bi2223 tape curvature was calculated from the volume fraction of the broken filaments. The calculated I c agreed well with the experimental results when the movement of the neutral axis and the Bauschinger effect were taken into account. Microscopic observation of the spatial distribution of the filament fracture indicated that the damage occurred at the outermost layer on the tensile side when the curvature was small, and then the damage front shifted to the inside layers. The observed fracture behaviour of the Bi2223 filament agreed well with the estimated location based on the above analysis

MACULAR ATROPHY FINDINGS BY OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY COMPARED WITH FUNDUS AUTOFLUORESCENCE IN TREATED EXUDATIVE AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.

Science.gov (United States)

Takasago, Yukari; Shiragami, Chieko; Kobayashi, Mamoru; Osaka, Rie; Ono, Aoi; Yamashita, Ayana; Tsujikawa, Akitaka; Hirooka, Kazuyuki

2017-11-28

To compare the areas of choriocapillaris (CC) nonperfusion and macular atrophy (MA) in treated exudative age-related macular degeneration. This was a prospective, observational, cross-sectional study. Forty-four eyes exhibiting MA (42 patients with age-related macular degeneration), with a dry macula, underwent fundus autofluorescence and optical coherence tomography angiography. The area of MA detected by fundus autofluorescence and CC nonperfusion detected by optical coherence tomography angiography was measured using image analysis software. The rates of concordance between the MA and CC nonperfusion areas were calculated. We qualitatively and quantitatively compared the areas of MA and CC nonperfusion in age-related macular degeneration eyes. The mean areas of MA and CC nonperfusion were 5.95 ± 4.50 mm and 10.66 ± 7.05 mm, respectively (paired t-test, P autofluorescence matching optical coherence tomography angiography showed that the CC nonperfusion area was almost included in the MA area. The mean concordance rate for the MA area inside the CC nonperfusion area was 87.7 ± 13.9%. The MA and CC nonperfusion areas markedly overlapped. The area of CC nonperfusion correlated with the MA area. Choroidal ischemia might be involved in the pathogenesis of MA in treated age-related macular degeneration.This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CCBY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Space-charge flow in a non-cylindrically symmetric diode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quintenz, J.P.; Poukey, J.W.

1976-01-01

The one-dimensional cylindrical space-charge-limited emission and flow results of Langmuir and Blodgett are extended to the two-dimensional (r-theta) non-symmetric case by solving a fluid model numerically. It is found that particle beams thus generated can be controlled by suitable adjustment of the applied potentials and cylinder radii. A particle code has been modified to treat razor blade cathodes by including a simplified model for the blade emission. Numerical results are compared with experimental data. These results indicate that beams produced by razor blades pinch less tightly than those from block cathodes, but in some cases may still pinch enough to be interesting

Structural peculiarities in magnetic small particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haneda, K.; Morrish, A.H.

1993-01-01

Nanostructured magnetic materials, consisting of nanometer-sized crystallites, are currently a developing subject. Evidence has been accumulating that they possess properties that can differ substantially from those of bulk materials. This paper illustrates how Moessbauer spectroscopy can yield useful information on the structural peculiarities associated with these small particles. As illustrations, metallic iron and iron-oxide systems are considered in detail. The subjects discussed include: (1) Phase stabilities in small particles, (2) deformed or nonsymmetric atomic arrangements in small particles, and (3) peculiar magnetic structures or non-collinear spin arrangements in small magnetic oxide particles that are correlated with lower specific magnetizations as compared to the bulk values. (orig.)

On Modeling the Behavior of Comparators for Complex Fuzzy Objects in a Fuzzy Object-Relational Database Management System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JuanM. Medina

2012-08-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a parameterized definition for fuzzy comparators on complex fuzzy datatypes like fuzzy collections with conjunctive semantics and fuzzy objects. This definition and its implementation on a Fuzzy Object-Relational Database Management System (FORDBMS provides the designer with a powerful tool to adapt the behavior of these operators to the semantics of the considered application.

The Relative Value of Investment in "Second Chance" Educational Opportunities for Adults in Sweden and Australia: A Comparative Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Stehlik, Tom; Christie, Michael

2007-01-01

The article presents a comparative analysis of educational policy and provision in Sweden and Australia, with particular emphasis on the relative investment in continuing and further education in both countries. The authors investigate the extent to which further education opportunities provide a "second chance" at learning for adults…

Work-related behavior and experience patterns of entrepreneurs compared to teachers and physicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Voltmer, Edgar; Spahn, Claudia; Schaarschmidt, Uwe; Kieschke, Ulf

2011-06-01

This study examined the status of health-related behavior and experience patterns of entrepreneurs in comparison with teachers and physicians to identify specific health risks and resources. Entrepreneurs (n = 632), teachers (n = 5,196), and physicians (n = 549) were surveyed in a cross-sectional design. The questionnaire Work-related Behavior and Experience Patterns (AVEM) was used for all professions and, in addition, two scales (health prevention and self-confidence) from the Checklist for Entrepreneurs in the sample of entrepreneurs. The largest proportion of the entrepreneurs (45%) presented with a healthy pattern (compared with 18.4% teachers and 18.3% physicians). Thirty-eight percent of entrepreneurs showed a risk pattern of overexertion and stress, followed by teachers (28.9%) and physicians (20.6%). Unambitious or burnout patterns were seen in only 9.3/8.2% of entrepreneurs, respectively, and 25.3/27.3% of teachers, and 39.6/21.5% of physicians. While the distribution of patterns in teachers and physicians differed significantly between genders, a gender difference was not found among entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs with the risk pattern of overexertion scored significantly (P successful enterprise depends, in part, on the health of the entrepreneur. The large proportion of entrepreneurs with the healthy pattern irrespective of gender may support the notion that self-selection effects of healthy individuals in this special career might be important. At the same time, a large proportion was at risk for overexertion and might benefit from measures to cope with professional demands and stress and promote a healthy behavior pattern.

Approach to the research and the situation of Public Relations in Europe. Comparative study between German and Spanish cases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dra. María Isabel Míguez González

2007-01-01

Full Text Available With the aim of bring near to the spanish academic field the european approaches of Public Relations, this article makes a compared revision of the situation of this subject and profession in Germany and Spain. This revision shows important resemblances on the use of the term “public relations”, the confusion of this subject with other communicative activities, the professional development and the problems of the field in both countries. However, it also shows that Germany has more tradition on public relations research than Spain and, therefore, it has a more extensive corpus of theories about this subject. For this reason, since important resemblances exist in other aspects, german research on public relations could be interesting for the spanish academic field both to explain the situation of public relations in Spain and to motivate theoretical development in our country.

The quality of intensive care unit nurse handover related to end of life: a descriptive comparative international study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ganz, Freda DeKeyser; Endacott, Ruth; Chaboyer, Wendy; Benbinishty, Julie; Ben Nun, Maureen; Ryan, Helen; Schoter, Amanda; Boulanger, Carole; Chamberlain, Wendy; Spooner, Amy

2015-01-01

Quality ICU end-of-life-care has been found to be related to good communication. Handover is one form of communication that can be problematic due to lost or omitted information. A first step in improving care is to measure and describe it. The objective of this study was to describe the quality of ICU nurse handover related to end-of-life care and to compare the practices of different ICUs in three different countries. This was a descriptive comparative study. The study was conducted in seven ICUs in three countries: Australia (1 unit), Israel (3 units) and the UK (3 units). A convenience sample of 157 handovers was studied. Handover quality was rated based on the ICU End-of-Life Handover tool, developed by the authors. The highest levels of handover quality were in the areas of goals of care and pain management while lowest levels were for legal issues (proxy and advanced directives) related to end of life. Significant differences were found between countries and units in the total handover score (country: F(2,154)=25.97, p=studied. The total score was higher when quality of care might be deemed at greater risk (if the nurses did not know the patient or the patient was expected to die), indicating that nurses were exercising some form of discretionary decision making around handover communication; thus validating the measurement tool. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A randomized controlled trial comparing alpha blocker (tamsulosin) and anticholinergic (solifenacin) in treatment of ureteral stent-related symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Nahas, Ahmed R; Tharwat, Mohamed; Elsaadany, Mohamed; Mosbah, Ahmed; Gaballah, Mohamed A

2016-07-01

To compare the effectiveness of tamsulosin and solifenacin in relieving ureteral stents related symptoms. A randomized controlled trial was conducted between January 2013 and July 2014. Inclusion criteria were patients aged 20-50 years who underwent temporary unilateral ureteral stent for drainage of calcular upper tract obstruction or after ureteroscopic lithotripsy. Patients with history of lower urinary tract symptoms before stent placement, stents that were fixed after open or laparoscopic procedures, and those who developed complications related to the primary procedure were not included. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups using computer-generated random tables. Patients in group 1 received placebo, patients in group 2 received tamsulosin 0.4 mg once daily, and those in group 3 received solifenacin 5 mg once daily. Ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire (USSQ) was answered by all patients 1-2 weeks after stent placement. The primary outcome was the comparison of total score of USSQ between all groups. The study included 131 patients. All baseline characteristics (age, sex, side, indication, length, and duration of stent) were comparable for all groups. Total USSQ score was 61 in solifenacin group, 76 in tamsulosin group, and 83 in control group (P tamsulosin group (P tamsulosin alone or solifenacin alone in patients with ureteral stents can improve the quality of life by decreasing ureteral stent-related symptoms. Solifenacin was better than tamsulosin. CLINICALTRIAL. NCT01880619.

Waves in the seas

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Varkey, M.J

, steep nonsymmetric cnoidal waves, solitons and random waves. They have different properties too. Any wave form has a wave period (T), wave height (H) and speed (C) which depends on T. Still another type of waves are breaking waves near a coast...

A quantum-mechanical perspective on linear response theory within polarizable embedding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

List, Nanna Holmgaard; Norman, Patrick; Kongsted, Jacob

2017-01-01

We present a derivation of linear response theory within polarizable embedding starting from a rigorous quantum-mechanical treatment of a composite system. To this aim, two different subsystem decompositions (symmetric and nonsymmetric) of the linear response function are introduced and the pole...

Student paper competition: Splitting the determinants of upper Hessenberg matrices and the Hyman method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zou, Xiulin [Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)

1996-12-31

In this article, an iterative algorithm is established that splits the evaluation of determinant of an upper Hessenberg matrix into two independent parts so that the evaluation can be done in parallel. This algorithm has application in parallel non-symmetric eigenvalue problems.

Comparative Assessment of Cutting Inserts and Optimization during Hard Turning: Taguchi-Based Grey Relational Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Venkata Subbaiah, K.; Raju, Ch.; Suresh, Ch.

2017-08-01

The present study aims to compare the conventional cutting inserts with wiper cutting inserts during the hard turning of AISI 4340 steel at different workpiece hardness. Type of insert, hardness, cutting speed, feed, and depth of cut are taken as process parameters. Taguchi’s L18 orthogonal array was used to conduct the experimental tests. Parametric analysis carried in order to know the influence of each process parameter on the three important Surface Roughness Characteristics (Ra, Rz, and Rt) and Material Removal Rate. Taguchi based Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) used to optimize the process parameters for individual response and multi-response outputs. Additionally, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) is also applied to identify the most significant factor.

Quantum Communication Scheme Using Non-symmetric Quantum Channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Haijing; Chen Zhonghua; Song Heshan

2008-01-01

A theoretical quantum communication scheme based on entanglement swapping and superdense coding is proposed with a 3-dimensional Bell state and 2-dimensional Bell state function as quantum channel. quantum key distribution and quantum secure direct communication can be simultaneously accomplished in the scheme. The scheme is secure and has high source capacity. At last, we generalize the quantum communication scheme to d-dimensional quantum channel

Non-symmetrical bent-shaped compounds containing chiral moiety

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Novotná, Vladimíra; Mieczkowska, B.; Hamplová, Věra; Domján, A.; Pociecha, D.; Kašpar, Miroslav; Fodor-Csorba, K.

2012-01-01

Roč. 39, č. 10 (2012), s. 1252-1260 ISSN 0267-8292 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP204/11/0723 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100520 Keywords : bent-shaped mesogen * columnar phase * ferroelectricity * polar switching Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.959, year: 2012 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02678292.2012.714485

Quantum Dialogue by Using Non-Symmetric Quantum Channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhan Youbang; Zhang Lingling; Zhang Qunyong; Wang Yuwu

2010-01-01

A protocol for quantum dialogue is proposed to exchange directly the communicator's secret messages by using a three-dimensional Bell state and a two-dimensional Bell state as quantum channel with quantum superdence coding, local collective unitary operations, and entanglement swapping. In this protocol, during the process of transmission of particles, the transmitted particles do not carry any secret messages and are transmitted only one time. The protocol has higher source capacity than protocols using symmetric two-dimensional states. The security is ensured by the unitary operations randomly performed on all checking groups before the particle sequence is transmitted and the application of entanglement swapping. (general)

Bound states for non-symmetric evolution Schroedinger potentials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corona, Gulmaro Corona [Area de Analisis Matematico y sus Aplicaciones, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Azcapotalco, Atzcapotzalco, DF (Mexico)). E-mail: ccg@correo.azc.uam.mx

2001-09-14

We consider the spectral problem associated with the evolution Schroedinger equation, (D{sup 2}+ k{sup 2}){phi}=u{phi}, where u is a matrix-square-valued function, with entries in the Schwartz class defined on the real line. The solution {phi}, called the wavefunction, consists of a function of one real variable, matrix-square-valued with entries in the Schwartz class. This problem has been dealt for symmetric potentials u. We found for the present case that the bound states are localized similarly to the scalar and symmetric cases, but by the zeroes of an analytic matrix-valued function. If we add an extra condition to the potential u, we can determine these states by an analytic scalar function. We do this by generalizing the scalar and symmetric cases but without using the fact that the Wronskian of a pair of wavefunction is constant. (author)

Efficient Preconditioning of Sequences of Nonsymmetric Linear Systems

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Duintjer Tebbens, Jurjen; Tůma, Miroslav

2007-01-01

Roč. 29, č. 5 (2007), s. 1918-1941 ISSN 1064-8275 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR 1ET400300415; GA AV ČR KJB100300703 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : preconditioned iterative methods * sparse matrices * sequences of linear algebraic systems * incomplete factorizations * factorization updates * Gauss–Jordan transformations * minimum spanning tree Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.784, year: 2007

Stock Picking via Nonsymmetrically Pruned Binary Decision Trees

OpenAIRE

Anton Andriyashin

2008-01-01

Stock picking is the field of financial analysis that is of particular interest for many professional investors and researchers. In this study stock picking is implemented via binary classification trees. Optimal tree size is believed to be the crucial factor in forecasting performance of the trees. While there exists a standard method of tree pruning, which is based on the cost-complexity tradeoff and used in the majority of studies employing binary decision trees, this paper introduces a no...

Extended Thermodynamics for Dense Gases up to Whatever Order and with Only Some Symmetries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Cristina Carrisi

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Extended Thermodynamics of dense gases is characterized by two hierarchies of field equations, which allow one to overcome some restrictions on the generality of the previous models. This idea has been introduced by Arima, Taniguchi, Ruggeri and Sugiyama. In the case of a 14-moment model, they have found the closure of the balance equations up to second order with respect to equilibrium. Here, the closure is obtained up to whatever order and imposing only the necessary symmetry conditions. It comes out that the first non-symmetric parts of the higher order fluxes appear only at third order with respect to equilibrium, even if Arima, Taniguchi, Ruggeri and Sugiyama found a non-symmetric part proportional to an arbitrary constant also at first order with respect to equilibrium. Consequently, this constant must be zero, as Arima, Taniguchi, Ruggeri and Sugiyama assumed in the applications and on an intuitive ground.

Asymmetric correlation matrices: an analysis of financial data

Science.gov (United States)

Livan, G.; Rebecchi, L.

2012-06-01

We analyse the spectral properties of correlation matrices between distinct statistical systems. Such matrices are intrinsically non-symmetric, and lend themselves to extend the spectral analyses usually performed on standard Pearson correlation matrices to the realm of complex eigenvalues. We employ some recent random matrix theory results on the average eigenvalue density of this type of matrix to distinguish between noise and non-trivial correlation structures, and we focus on financial data as a case study. Namely, we employ daily prices of stocks belonging to the American and British stock exchanges, and look for the emergence of correlations between two such markets in the eigenvalue spectrum of their non-symmetric correlation matrix. We find several non trivial results when considering time-lagged correlations over short lags, and we corroborate our findings by additionally studying the asymmetric correlation matrix of the principal components of our datasets.

Improving the family orientation process in Cuban Special Schools trough Nearest Prototype classification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caballero-Mota, Y.

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Cuban Schools for children with Affective – Behavioral Maladies (SABM have as goal to accomplish a major change in children behavior, to insert them effectively into society. One of the key elements in this objective is to give an adequate orientation to the children’s families; due to the family is one of the most important educational contexts in which the children will develop their personality. The family orientation process in SABM involves clustering and classification of mixed type data with non-symmetric similarity functions. To improve this process, this paper includes some novel characteristics in clustering and prototype selection. The proposed approach uses a hierarchical clustering based on compact sets, making it suitable for dealing with non-symmetric similarity functions, as well as with mixed and incomplete data. The proposal obtains very good results on the SABM data, and over repository databases.

A method for the solution of the RPA eigenvalue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffman, M.J.H.; De Kock, P.R.

1986-01-01

The RPA eigenvalue problem requires the diagonalization of a 2nx2n matrix. In practical calculations, n (the number of particle-hole basis states) can be a few hundred and the diagonalization of such a large non-symmetric matrix may take quite a long time. In this report we firstly discuss sufficient conditions for real and non-zero RPA eigenvalues. The presence of zero or imaginary eigenvalues is related to the relative importance of the groundstate correlations to the total interaction energy. We then rewrite the RPA eigenvalue problem for the cases where these conditions are fulfilled in a form which only requires the diagonalization of two symmetric nxn matrices. The extend to which this method can be applied when zero eigenvalues occur, is also discussed

Comparing health-related quality of life of employed women and housewives: a cross sectional study from southeast Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saravi Fatihe Kerman

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Quality of life differs for different people in different situations and is related to one's self-satisfaction with life. Considering the role of women in family and social health and the specific cultural characteristics of our province, we aimed to compare the quality of life of employed women with housewives in Zahedan, Iran. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out during 2009–2010 in Zahedan, Iran. The sample consisted of 110 housewives and 110 employed women selected randomly from ten health care centers. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the SF-36. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA was used to compare quality of life in housewives and employed women while controlling for age, education and income. Results The mean (±SD age of participants was 33.87± 8.95 years. Eighty-eight women (40% had a university degree with a mean (±SD official education of 10.8 (±4.9 years. The results indicated that employed women scored higher than housewives in all measures except for physical functioning. The differences were found to be remarkable for vitality, mental health and role emotional. However, after controlling for age, education and family income, none of differences reached significant level. Conclusion After controlling for potential confounders, the findings from this study indicated that there were no significant differences in quality of life between employed women and housewives. However, employed women scored higher on the SF-36, especially on the role emotional, vitality, and mental health. The findings suggest that associations exist between some aspects of health-related quality of life and employment. Indeed improving health-related quality of life among housewives seems essential.

Long-term effects of conflict-related sexual violence compared with non-sexual war trauma in female World War II survivors: a matched pairs study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuwert, Philipp; Glaesmer, Heide; Eichhorn, Svenja; Grundke, Elena; Pietrzak, Robert H; Freyberger, Harald J; Klauer, Thomas

2014-08-01

The aim of the study was to compare the long-term effects of conflict-related sexual violence experienced at the end of World War II (WWII) with non-sexual WWII trauma (e.g., being exposed to shell shock or physical violence). A total of 27 elderly wartime rape survivors were compared to age- and gender-matched control subjects who were drawn from a larger sample of subjects over 70 years of age who had experienced WWII-related trauma. A modified version of the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale was used to assess trauma characteristics and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 was used to assess current psychopathology. Additionally, measures of posttraumatic growth (Posttraumatic Growth Inventory) and social acknowledgement as a trauma survivor (Social Acknowledgement Questionnaire) were used to assess two mediating variables in post-trauma conditions of rape victims. Women exposed to conflict-related sexual violence reported greater severity of PTSD-related avoidance and hyperarousal symptoms, as well as anxiety, compared with female long-term survivors of non-sexual WWII trauma. The vast majority (80.9 %) of these women also reported severe sexual problems during their lifetimes relative to 19.0 % of women who experienced non-sexual war trauma. Women exposed to conflict-related sexual violence also reported greater posttraumatic growth, but less social acknowledgement as trauma survivors, compared to survivors of non-sexual war trauma. The results were consistent with emerging neurobiological research, which suggests that different traumas may be differentially associated with long-term posttraumatic sequelae in sexual assault survivors than in other survivor groups and highlights the need to treat (or better prevent) deleterious effects of conflict-related sexual violence in current worldwide crisis zones.

Parametric fitting of corneal height data to a biconic surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Janunts, Edgar; Kannengießer, Marc; Langenbucher, Achim

2015-03-01

As the average corneal shape can effectively be approximated by a conic section, a determination of the corneal shape by biconic parameters is desired. The purpose of the paper is to introduce a straightforward mathematical approach for extracting clinically relevant parameters of corneal surface, such as radii of curvature and conic constants for principle meridians and astigmatism. A general description for modeling the ocular surfaces in a biconic form is given, based on which an implicit parametric surface fitting algorithm is introduced. The solution of the biconic fitting is obtained by a two sequential least squares optimization approach with constrains. The data input can be raw information from any corneal topographer with not necessarily a uniform data distribution. Various simulated and clinical data are studied including surfaces with rotationally symmetric and non-symmetric geometries. The clinical data was obtained from the Pentacam (Oculus) for the patient having undergone a refractive surgery. A sub-micrometer fitting accuracy was obtained for all simulated surfaces: 0,08 μm RMS fitting error at max for rotationally symmetric and 0,125 μm for non-symmetric surfaces. The astigmatism was recovered in a sub-minutes resolution. The equality in rotational symmetric and the superiority in non-symmetric surfaces of the presented model over the widely used quadric fitting model is shown. The introduced biconic surface fitting algorithm is able to recover the apical radii of curvature and conic constants in principle meridians. This methodology could be a platform for advanced IOL calculations and enhanced contact lens fitting. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

THE SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS OF PROMOTIONAL JOURNALISM – A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS WITH OTHER RELATED CONCEPTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CRINA ANIŞOARA TRIFAN (LICA

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose statement – This paper’s purpose is to contribute to the development of a specific know-how through the establishment of a theoretical framework of reference. This can facilitate the research steps which follow the identification; analysis; and interpretation of a new marketing instrument – promotional journalism. The objectives, of this study, relate not only to the establishment of theoretical but, also, to the practical characteristics, of promotional journalism. These are based on a comparative analysis with other related concepts and, also, on a qualitative analysis of the contents of the specific materials. Design – The research problem imposes a methodological interdisciplinary approach; this enables the identification; systematization; analysis; and theoretical interpretation of the fundamental concepts, theories and ideas, from the specialized literature, to be orientated towards studies and articles from separate fields. From the perspective of the research objectives and this interdisciplinary study of specilized literature, there was added a qualitative analysis of the content of the materials specific to promotional journalism found between 2002 and 2006, in the fashion magazine, Elle Romania. Overview - The specialized literature presented key-concepts; different terminologies; and meanings apparently for the same studied “reality“. This made the achievement of the process of conceptual delimitations even more difficult to the extent that promotional journalism was situated at the intersection of various sciences and the acknowledgment, of its related terms, were either similar or stated vaguely. Originality – This paper’s originality stems from the interdisciplinary perspective to the approach to the problematical aspect and the analysis and interpretitive complexity of the research results. These might prove useful both to the accomplishment of the studies in the field and for the practitioners and

Sleep-Wake Differences in Relative Regional Cerebral Metabolic Rate for Glucose among Patients with Insomnia Compared with Good Sleepers

Science.gov (United States)

Kay, Daniel B.; Karim, Helmet T.; Soehner, Adriane M.; Hasler, Brant P.; Wilckens, Kristine A.; James, Jeffrey A.; Aizenstein, Howard J.; Price, Julie C.; Rosario, Bedda L.; Kupfer, David J.; Germain, Anne; Hall, Martica H.; Franzen, Peter L.; Nofzinger, Eric A.; Buysse, Daniel J.

2016-01-01

Study Objectives: The neurobiological mechanisms of insomnia may involve altered patterns of activation across sleep-wake states in brain regions associated with cognition, self-referential processes, affect, and sleep-wake promotion. The objective of this study was to compare relative regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (rCMRglc) in these brain regions across wake and nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep states in patients with primary insomnia (PI) and good sleeper controls (GS). Methods: Participants included 44 PI and 40 GS matched for age (mean = 37 y old, range 21–60), sex, and race. We conducted [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography scans in PI and GS during both morning wakefulness and NREM sleep at night. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to test for group (PI vs. GS) by state (wake vs. NREM sleep) interactions in relative rCMRglc. Results: Significant group-by-state interactions in relative rCMRglc were found in the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex, left middle frontal gyrus, left inferior/superior parietal lobules, left lingual/fusiform/occipital gyri, and right lingual gyrus. All clusters were significant at Pcorrected sleep and wakefulness. Significant group-by-state interactions in relative rCMRglc suggest that insomnia is associated with impaired disengagement of brain regions involved in cognition (left frontoparietal), self-referential processes (precuneus/posterior cingulate), and affect (left middle frontal, fusiform/lingual gyri) during NREM sleep, or alternatively, to impaired engagement of these regions during wakefulness. Citation: Kay DB, Karim HT, Soehner AM, Hasler BP, Wilckens KA, James JA, Aizenstein HJ, Price JC, Rosario BL, Kupfer DJ, Germain A, Hall MH, Franzen PL, Nofzinger EA, Buysse DJ. Sleep-wake differences in relative regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose among patients with insomnia compared with good sleepers. SLEEP 2016;39(10):1779–1794. PMID:27568812

Comparison of the FFT/matrix inversion and system matrix techniques for higher-order probe correction in spherical near-field antenna measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pivnenko, Sergey; Nielsen, Jeppe Majlund; Breinbjerg, Olav

2011-01-01

correction of general high-order probes, including non-symmetric dual-polarized antennas with independent ports. The investigation was carried out by processing with each technique the same measurement data for a challenging case with an antenna under test significantly offset from the center of rotation...

Generalized Weyl modules for twisted current algebras

Science.gov (United States)

Makedonskyi, I. A.; Feigin, E. B.

2017-08-01

We introduce the notion of generalized Weyl modules for twisted current algebras. We study their representation-theoretic and combinatorial properties and also their connection with nonsymmetric Macdonald polynomials. As an application, we compute the dimension of the classical Weyl modules in the remaining unknown case.

Mesh independent superlinear PCG rates via compact - equivalent operators

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Axelsson, Owe; Karátson, J.

2007-01-01

Roč. 45, č. 4 (2007), s. 1495-1516 ISSN 0036-1429 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30860518 Keywords : nonsymmetric elliptic problems * conjugate gradient method * preconditioning * superlinear convergence Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.470, year: 2007 http://apps.isiknowledge.com

The advantages of tomosynthesis for evaluating bisphosphonate-related atypical femur fractures compared to radiography.

Science.gov (United States)

Petraszko, Andrew; Siegal, Daniel; Flynn, Michael; Rao, Sudhaker D; Peterson, Ed; van Holsbeeck, Marnix

2016-05-01

To investigate the advantages of using tomosynthesis (TS) compared to radiographs in the detection, characterization, and follow-up of bisphosphonate-related atypical femur fractures (BP-AFF). Eight patients were identified retrospectively who underwent TS for radiographic findings suspicious for BP-AFF. Two radiologists independently interpreted 15 radiographs and 16 TS examinations, indicating the presence or absence of the following: (1) cortical "beaking" on radiographs, (2) radiolucent fracture line on radiographs, and (3) fracture lucency on TS corresponding to the site of radiographic abnormality. Radiation dose data were calculated for radiographs and TS using Monte Carlo analysis. There was agreement on 100 % of radiographs regarding the presence or absence of a cortical beak. Regarding the presence or absence of a fracture lucency, there was agreement on 100 % of TS examinations (Kappa = 1.0) and 73 % of radiographs (Kappa = 0.40 ± 0.24). For the 46 % of radiographs in which one or both radiologists did not visualize a fracture line, there was 100 % agreement for the presence of a fracture line on the corresponding TS. The interobserver agreement for fracture line detection was significantly higher for TS than for radiographs (p = 0.012). The effective radiation dose using TS was approximately 96 % lower compared to radiography. TS outperformed radiographs in the detection and characterization of BP-AFF. TS may also have advantages over radiography for BP-AFF follow-up through its unique ability to visualize fracture healing with lower effective radiation doses to the patient.

Image and surgery-related costs comparing cone beam CT and panoramic imaging before removal of impacted mandibular third molars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Lars Bo; Olsen, Kim Rose; Christensen, Jennifer Heather

2014-01-01

resource utilization. Differences in resources used for surgical and post-surgical management were calculated for each patient. Results: Converted to monetary units, the total costs for panoramic imaging equalized (sic)49.29 and for CBCT examination (sic)184.44. Modifying effects on this outcome......Objectives: The aim of this prospective clinical study was to derive the absolute and relative costs of cone beam CT (CBCT) and panoramic imaging before removal of an impacted mandibular third molar. Furthermore, the study aimed to analyse the influence of different cost-setting scenarios...... on the outcome of the absolute and relative costs and the incremental costs related to surgery. Methods: A randomized clinical trial compared complications following surgical removal of a mandibular third molar, where the pre-operative diagnostic method had been panoramic imaging or CBCT. The resources implied...

Analysis of the Relative Sustainability of Land Devoted to Bioenergy: Comparing Land-Use Alternatives in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiashun Huang

2017-05-01

Full Text Available When developing land to meet various human needs, conducting assessments of different alternatives regarding their sustainability is critical. Among different alternatives of land-use, devoting land to bioenergy is relatively novel, in high demand, and important for addressing the energy crisis and mitigating carbon emissions. Furthermore, the competition and disputes among limited land-use for bioenergy and the combination of food production and housing are tense. Thus, which alternative of land-use is more sustainable is an important question, yet it is still under-investigated. The main purposes of this study are to investigate the merits and problems of land-use for bioenergy and to compare the relative sustainability of land-use for bioenergy, food production, and housing based on habitants’ perceptions. Multi-criteria analysis is applied to the case study in the context of China, evaluating multiple criteria in economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Therefore, this study presents a comprehensive assessment of different scenarios of land-use designed to be implemented and some implications for optimum land-use policies.

Scopus and Web-of-Science 2012 compared in terms of aggregated journal-journal citation relations: Global maps and interactive overlays

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leydesdorff, L.; de Moya-Anegón, F.; de Nooy, W.; Noyons, E.

2014-01-01

We compare the networks of aggregated journal-journal citation relations as provided by the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) 2012 of the Science and Social Science Citation Indexes (SCI and SSCI) with similar data for 2012 based on Scopus. First, we develop basemaps and overlays for the two sets

Solution of the Lyapunov matrix equation for a system with a time-dependent stiffness matrix

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pommer, Christian; Kliem, Wolfhard

2004-01-01

The stability of the linearized model of a rotor system with non-symmetric strain and axial loads is investigated. Since we are using a fixed reference system, the differential equations have the advantage to be free of Coriolis and centrifugal forces. A disadvantage is nevertheless the occurrence...

Solution of the two-dimensional spectral factorization problem

Science.gov (United States)

Lawton, W. M.

1985-01-01

An approximation theorem is proven which solves a classic problem in two-dimensional (2-D) filter theory. The theorem shows that any continuous two-dimensional spectrum can be uniformly approximated by the squared modulus of a recursively stable finite trigonometric polynomial supported on a nonsymmetric half-plane.

Ring interconnection for distributed memory automation and computing system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vinogradov, V I [Inst. for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation)

1996-12-31

Problems of development of measurement, acquisition and central systems based on a distributed memory and a ring interface are discussed. It has been found that the RAM LINK-type protocol can be used for ringlet links in non-symmetrical distributed memory architecture multiprocessor system interaction. 5 refs.

Gaussian measures of entanglement versus negativities: Ordering of two-mode Gaussian states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adesso, Gerardo; Illuminati, Fabrizio

2005-01-01

We study the entanglement of general (pure or mixed) two-mode Gaussian states of continuous-variable systems by comparing the two available classes of computable measures of entanglement: entropy-inspired Gaussian convex-roof measures and positive partial transposition-inspired measures (negativity and logarithmic negativity). We first review the formalism of Gaussian measures of entanglement, adopting the framework introduced in M. M. Wolf et al., Phys. Rev. A 69, 052320 (2004), where the Gaussian entanglement of formation was defined. We compute explicitly Gaussian measures of entanglement for two important families of nonsymmetric two-mode Gaussian state: namely, the states of extremal (maximal and minimal) negativities at fixed global and local purities, introduced in G. Adesso et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 087901 (2004). This analysis allows us to compare the different orderings induced on the set of entangled two-mode Gaussian states by the negativities and by the Gaussian measures of entanglement. We find that in a certain range of values of the global and local purities (characterizing the covariance matrix of the corresponding extremal states), states of minimum negativity can have more Gaussian entanglement of formation than states of maximum negativity. Consequently, Gaussian measures and negativities are definitely inequivalent measures of entanglement on nonsymmetric two-mode Gaussian states, even when restricted to a class of extremal states. On the other hand, the two families of entanglement measures are completely equivalent on symmetric states, for which the Gaussian entanglement of formation coincides with the true entanglement of formation. Finally, we show that the inequivalence between the two families of continuous-variable entanglement measures is somehow limited. Namely, we rigorously prove that, at fixed negativities, the Gaussian measures of entanglement are bounded from below. Moreover, we provide some strong evidence suggesting that they

Efficient Syntheses of Novel Fluoro-Substituted Pentacenes and Azapentacenes: Molecular and Solid-State Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwaben, Jonas; Münster, Niels; Klues, Michael; Breuer, Tobias; Hofmann, Philipp; Harms, Klaus; Witte, Gregor; Koert, Ulrich

2015-09-21

Non-symmetrical 6,13-disubstituted pentacenes bearing trifluoromethyl and aryl substituents have been synthesized starting from pentacenequinone. Diazapentacenes with a variety of fluorine substituents were prepared either via a Hartwig-Buchwald aryl amination route or by a SNAr strategy. As a result of a non-symmetric substitution pattern containing electron-donating substituents in combination with electron-accepting fluorine substituents, the synthesized compounds feature distinct molecular dipoles. All compounds are analyzed regarding their optoelectronic properties in solution with special focus on the frontier orbital energies as well as their molecular packing in the crystal structures. The analyses of isolated molecules are complemented by thin-film studies to examine their solid-state properties. A precise comparison between these and the molecular properties gave detailed insights into the exciton binding energies of these compounds, which are explained by means of a simple model considering the molecular packing and polarizabilities. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Does really Born-Oppenheimer approximation break down in charge transfer processes? An exactly solvable model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuznetsov, Alexander M.; Medvedev, Igor G.

2006-01-01

Effects of deviation from the Born-Oppenheimer approximation (BOA) on the non-adiabatic transition probability for the transfer of a quantum particle in condensed media are studied within an exactly solvable model. The particle and the medium are modeled by a set of harmonic oscillators. The dynamic interaction of the particle with a single local mode is treated explicitly without the use of BOA. Two particular situations (symmetric and non-symmetric systems) are considered. It is shown that the difference between the exact solution and the true BOA is negligibly small at realistic parameters of the model. However, the exact results differ considerably from those of the crude Condon approximation (CCA) which is usually considered in the literature as a reference point for BOA (Marcus-Hush-Dogonadze formula). It is shown that the exact rate constant can be smaller (symmetric system) or larger (non-symmetric one) than that obtained in CCA. The non-Condon effects are also studied

Symmetry in social exchange and health

Science.gov (United States)

Siegrist, Johannes

2005-10-01

Symmetry is a relevant concept in sociological theories of exchange. It is rooted in the evolutionary old norm of social reciprocity and is particularly important in social contracts. Symmetry breaking through violation of the norm of reciprocity generates strain in micro-social systems and, above all, in victims of non-symmetric exchange. In this contribution, adverse healthconsequences of symmetry breaking in contractual social exchange are analysed, with a main focus on the employment contract. Scientific evidence is derived from prospective epidemiological studies testing the model of effort-reward imbalance at work. Overall, a twofold elevated risk of incident disease is observed in employed men and women who are exposed to non-symmetric exchange. Health risks include coronary heart disease, depression and alcohol dependence, among others. Preliminary results suggest similar effects on health produced by symmetry breaking in other types of social relationships (e.g. partnership, parental roles). These findings underline the importance of symmetry in contractual social exchange for health and well-being.

Contesting Citizenship: Comparative Analyses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Siim, Birte; Squires, Judith

2007-01-01

importance of particularized experiences and multiple ineequality agendas). These developments shape the way citizenship is both practiced and analysed. Mapping neat citizenship modles onto distinct nation-states and evaluating these in relation to formal equality is no longer an adequate approach....... Comparative citizenship analyses need to be considered in relation to multipleinequalities and their intersections and to multiple governance and trans-national organisinf. This, in turn, suggests that comparative citizenship analysis needs to consider new spaces in which struggles for equal citizenship occur...

Comparative analysis of peroxidase profiles in Chinese kale (Brassica alboglabra L.): evaluation of leaf growth related isozymes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Lei; Wang, Chenchen; Huang, Jiabao; Zhang, Jianhua; Mao, Zhonggui; Wang, Haiou

2013-01-15

Plant peroxidases (EC 1.11.1.7) with different isoforms catalyze various reactions in plant growth and development. However, it is difficult to elucidate the function of each isozyme in one plant. Here, we compared profiles of entire isozyme in young seedling and mature leaves of Chinese kale (Brassica alboglabra L.) on zymogram and ion exchange chromatography in order to investigate leaf growth related peroxidase isozymes. The results showed that four isozymes were constitutively expressed in kale leaves, whereas other two isozymes were induced in the mature leaves. The Mono Q ion exchange chromatography separated the six isozymes into two major groups due to the difference in their isoelectric points. The results suggested that although there were several isozymes in the leaves of Chinese kale, one isozyme functioned mainly through the leaf development. Two anionic isozymes with molecular weights lower than 32 kDa were considered mature related. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparing the Contribution of Two Tests of Working Memory to Reading in Relation to Phonological Awareness and Rapid Naming Speed

Science.gov (United States)

Georgiou, George K.; Das, J. P.; Hayward, Denyse V.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the contribution of two different versions of working memory to word reading and reading comprehension in relation to phonological awareness and rapid naming speed. Fifty children were administered two measures of working memory, namely an adaptation of the Daneman and Carpenter sentence span task and…

Comparing passive leg raising and suprasystolic ankle occlusion responses to quantify age-related microcirculatory status

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henrique Silva

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The skin provides an easy accessible vascular network to assess microcirculation by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF, and transcutaneous (tc gasometry, widely known techniques used for this purpose. the objective of this study was to assess and compare the microcirculation status of different age subjects, knowing that the ageing process progressively affects macro and microcirculatory vessels. We’ve chosen to compare dynamical responses to two provocation tests – passive leg raising (PLR and ankle occlusion - in 59 healthy subjects, 35 young (22.1 ± 3.7 years old. in Group 1, and 24 older (50.8 ± 7.6 years old. in Group 2, selected after informed consent. Local blood flow, tcpO2 and transepidermal water loss (TEWL were measured in distal locations of the lower limb. PLR and ankle occlusion significantly reduced blood flow and tcpO2 in both groups, while no changes were found for TEWL. While the magnitude of the hyperemic response was found to be significantly reduced in group 2, no differences were found during ankle occlusion. tcpO2-dependent parameters were also significantly different between groups. These results seem to confirm the usefulness of these experimental models to distinguish the microcirculatory function of subjects with different ages, with PLR being more sensible in detecting age-related changes.

Navigating the complexities of qualitative comparative analysis: case numbers, necessity relations, and model ambiguities.

Science.gov (United States)

Thiem, Alrik

2014-12-01

In recent years, the method of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) has been enjoying increasing levels of popularity in evaluation and directly neighboring fields. Its holistic approach to causal data analysis resonates with researchers whose theories posit complex conjunctions of conditions and events. However, due to QCA's relative immaturity, some of its technicalities and objectives have not yet been well understood. In this article, I seek to raise awareness of six pitfalls of employing QCA with regard to the following three central aspects: case numbers, necessity relations, and model ambiguities. Most importantly, I argue that case numbers are irrelevant to the methodological choice of QCA or any of its variants, that necessity is not as simple a concept as it has been suggested by many methodologists, and that doubt must be cast on the determinacy of virtually all results presented in past QCA research. By means of empirical examples from published articles, I explain the background of these pitfalls and introduce appropriate procedures, partly with reference to current software, that help avoid them. QCA carries great potential for scholars in evaluation and directly neighboring areas interested in the analysis of complex dependencies in configurational data. If users beware of the pitfalls introduced in this article, and if they avoid mechanistic adherence to doubtful "standards of good practice" at this stage of development, then research with QCA will gain in quality, as a result of which a more solid foundation for cumulative knowledge generation and well-informed policy decisions will also be created. © The Author(s) 2014.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals key genes potentially related to soluble sugar and organic acid accumulation in watermelon

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Lei; Zhao, Shengjie; Lu, Xuqiang; He, Nan; Zhu, Hongju; Dou, Junling

2018-01-01

Soluble sugars and organic acids are important components of fruit flavor and have a strong impact on the overall organoleptic quality of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruit. Several studies have analyzed the expression levels of the genes related to soluble sugar accumulation and the dynamic changes in their content during watermelon fruit development and ripening. Nevertheless, to date, there have been no reports on the organic acid content in watermelon or the genes regulating their synthesis. In this study, the soluble sugars and organic acids in watermelon were measured and a comparative transcriptome analysis was performed to identify the key genes involved in the accumulation of these substances during fruit development and ripening. The watermelon cultivar ‘203Z’ and its near-isogenic line (NIL) ‘SW’ (in the ‘203Z’ background) were used as experimental materials. The results suggested that soluble sugar consist of fructose, glucose and sucrose while malic-, citric-, and oxalic acids are the primary organic acids in watermelon fruit. Several differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to soluble sugar- and organic acid accumulation and metabolism were identified. These include the DEGs encoding raffinose synthase, sucrose synthase (SuSy), sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPSs), insoluble acid invertases (IAI), NAD-dependent malate dehydrogenase (NAD-cyt MDH), aluminum-activated malate transporter (ALMT), and citrate synthase (CS). This is the first report addressing comparative transcriptome analysis via NILs materials in watermelon fruit. These findings provide an important basis for understanding the molecular mechanism that leads to soluble sugar and organic acid accumulation and metabolism during watermelon fruit development and ripening. PMID:29324867

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals key genes potentially related to soluble sugar and organic acid accumulation in watermelon.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Gao

Full Text Available Soluble sugars and organic acids are important components of fruit flavor and have a strong impact on the overall organoleptic quality of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus fruit. Several studies have analyzed the expression levels of the genes related to soluble sugar accumulation and the dynamic changes in their content during watermelon fruit development and ripening. Nevertheless, to date, there have been no reports on the organic acid content in watermelon or the genes regulating their synthesis. In this study, the soluble sugars and organic acids in watermelon were measured and a comparative transcriptome analysis was performed to identify the key genes involved in the accumulation of these substances during fruit development and ripening. The watermelon cultivar '203Z' and its near-isogenic line (NIL 'SW' (in the '203Z' background were used as experimental materials. The results suggested that soluble sugar consist of fructose, glucose and sucrose while malic-, citric-, and oxalic acids are the primary organic acids in watermelon fruit. Several differentially expressed genes (DEGs related to soluble sugar- and organic acid accumulation and metabolism were identified. These include the DEGs encoding raffinose synthase, sucrose synthase (SuSy, sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPSs, insoluble acid invertases (IAI, NAD-dependent malate dehydrogenase (NAD-cyt MDH, aluminum-activated malate transporter (ALMT, and citrate synthase (CS. This is the first report addressing comparative transcriptome analysis via NILs materials in watermelon fruit. These findings provide an important basis for understanding the molecular mechanism that leads to soluble sugar and organic acid accumulation and metabolism during watermelon fruit development and ripening.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals key genes potentially related to soluble sugar and organic acid accumulation in watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Lei; Zhao, Shengjie; Lu, Xuqiang; He, Nan; Zhu, Hongju; Dou, Junling; Liu, Wenge

2018-01-01

Soluble sugars and organic acids are important components of fruit flavor and have a strong impact on the overall organoleptic quality of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruit. Several studies have analyzed the expression levels of the genes related to soluble sugar accumulation and the dynamic changes in their content during watermelon fruit development and ripening. Nevertheless, to date, there have been no reports on the organic acid content in watermelon or the genes regulating their synthesis. In this study, the soluble sugars and organic acids in watermelon were measured and a comparative transcriptome analysis was performed to identify the key genes involved in the accumulation of these substances during fruit development and ripening. The watermelon cultivar '203Z' and its near-isogenic line (NIL) 'SW' (in the '203Z' background) were used as experimental materials. The results suggested that soluble sugar consist of fructose, glucose and sucrose while malic-, citric-, and oxalic acids are the primary organic acids in watermelon fruit. Several differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to soluble sugar- and organic acid accumulation and metabolism were identified. These include the DEGs encoding raffinose synthase, sucrose synthase (SuSy), sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPSs), insoluble acid invertases (IAI), NAD-dependent malate dehydrogenase (NAD-cyt MDH), aluminum-activated malate transporter (ALMT), and citrate synthase (CS). This is the first report addressing comparative transcriptome analysis via NILs materials in watermelon fruit. These findings provide an important basis for understanding the molecular mechanism that leads to soluble sugar and organic acid accumulation and metabolism during watermelon fruit development and ripening.

Bounds on the capacity of constrained two-dimensional codes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Forchhammer, Søren; Justesen, Jørn

2000-01-01

Bounds on the capacity of constrained two-dimensional (2-D) codes are presented. The bounds of Calkin and Wilf apply to first-order symmetric constraints. The bounds are generalized in a weaker form to higher order and nonsymmetric constraints. Results are given for constraints specified by run-l...

Projection preconditioning for Lanczos-type methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bielawski, S.S.; Mulyarchik, S.G.; Popov, A.V. [Belarusian State Univ., Minsk (Belarus)

1996-12-31

We show how auxiliary subspaces and related projectors may be used for preconditioning nonsymmetric system of linear equations. It is shown that preconditioned in such a way (or projected) system is better conditioned than original system (at least if the coefficient matrix of the system to be solved is symmetrizable). Two approaches for solving projected system are outlined. The first one implies straightforward computation of the projected matrix and consequent using some direct or iterative method. The second approach is the projection preconditioning of conjugate gradient-type solver. The latter approach is developed here in context with biconjugate gradient iteration and some related Lanczos-type algorithms. Some possible particular choices of auxiliary subspaces are discussed. It is shown that one of them is equivalent to using colorings. Some results of numerical experiments are reported.

Comparative analysis of Mycobacterium and related Actinomycetes yields insight into the evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

McGuire, Abigail Manson; Weiner, Brian; Park, Sang Tae; Wapinski, Ilan; Raman, Sahadevan; Dolganov, Gregory; Peterson, Matthew; Riley, Robert; Zucker, Jeremy; Abeel, Thomas; White, Jared; Sisk, Peter; Stolte, Christian; Koehrsen, Mike; Yamamoto, Robert T; Iacobelli-Martinez, Milena; Kidd, Matthew J; Maer, Andreia M; Schoolnik, Gary K; Regev, Aviv; Galagan, James

2012-03-28

The sequence of the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) strain H37Rv has been available for over a decade, but the biology of the pathogen remains poorly understood. Genome sequences from other Mtb strains and closely related bacteria present an opportunity to apply the power of comparative genomics to understand the evolution of Mtb pathogenesis. We conducted a comparative analysis using 31 genomes from the Tuberculosis Database (TBDB.org), including 8 strains of Mtb and M. bovis, 11 additional Mycobacteria, 4 Corynebacteria, 2 Streptomyces, Rhodococcus jostii RHA1, Nocardia farcinia, Acidothermus cellulolyticus, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, Propionibacterium acnes, and Bifidobacterium longum. Our results highlight the functional importance of lipid metabolism and its regulation, and reveal variation between the evolutionary profiles of genes implicated in saturated and unsaturated fatty acid metabolism. It also suggests that DNA repair and molybdopterin cofactors are important in pathogenic Mycobacteria. By analyzing sequence conservation and gene expression data, we identify nearly 400 conserved noncoding regions. These include 37 predicted promoter regulatory motifs, of which 14 correspond to previously validated motifs, as well as 50 potential noncoding RNAs, of which we experimentally confirm the expression of four. Our analysis of protein evolution highlights gene families that are associated with the adaptation of environmental Mycobacteria to obligate pathogenesis. These families include fatty acid metabolism, DNA repair, and molybdopterin biosynthesis. Our analysis reinforces recent findings suggesting that small noncoding RNAs are more common in Mycobacteria than previously expected. Our data provide a foundation for understanding the genome and biology of Mtb in a comparative context, and are available online and through TBDB.org.

On relations between quality management, doing business and life quality (a comparative analysis of Balkans with western European countries)

OpenAIRE

CEKO ENRIKO

2016-01-01

The purpose of research: Determination of relations between quality management, doing business and life quality and giving some thoughts to improve the situation regarding the quality institutions and quality infrastructure parallel with doing business climate and life quality. Methods: Collection of information, data and facts for quality management, doing business and life quality mainly from primary sources, comparing the information, data and facts gathered, conducting relevant analysis a...

Detecting spatial patterns with the cumulant function – Part 2: An application to El Niño

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Yiou

2008-02-01

Full Text Available The spatial coherence of a measured variable (e.g. temperature or pressure is often studied to determine the regions of high variability or to find teleconnections, i.e. correlations between specific regions. While usual methods to find spatial patterns, such as Principal Components Analysis (PCA, are constrained by linear symmetries, the dependence of variables such as temperature or pressure at different locations is generally nonlinear. In particular, large deviations from the sample mean are expected to be strongly affected by such nonlinearities. Here we apply a newly developed nonlinear technique (Maxima of Cumulant Function, MCF for detection of typical spatial patterns that largely deviate from the mean. In order to test the technique and to introduce the methodology, we focus on the El Niño/Southern Oscillation and its spatial patterns. We find nonsymmetric temperature patterns corresponding to El Niño and La Niña, and we compare the results of MCF with other techniques, such as the symmetric solutions of PCA, and the nonsymmetric solutions of Nonlinear PCA (NLPCA. We found that MCF solutions are more reliable than the NLPCA fits, and can capture mixtures of principal components. Finally, we apply Extreme Value Theory on the temporal variations extracted from our methodology. We find that the tails of the distribution of extreme temperatures during La Niña episodes is bounded, while the tail during El Niños is less likely to be bounded. This implies that the mean spatial patterns of the two phases are asymmetric, as well as the behaviour of their extremes.

Comparative mapping of quantitative trait loci for tassel-related traits ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

QIANG YI

2018-03-15

Mar 15, 2018 ... in maize have evaluated flowering-related traits (Li et al. ... with Upadyayula et al. (2006). The measurements taken were TTL, the length (cm) of the tassel ...... M. Banziger, H. R. Mickelson and C. B. Penã–Valdivia), pp.

Compared leaf anatomy and water relations of commercial and traditional Prunus dulcis (Mill.) cultivars under rain-fed conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oliveira, I.; Meyer, A.; Afonso, S.

2018-01-01

Leaf anatomy and water relations of seven almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.) cultivars, traditional (Bonita, Casanova, Parada, Pegarinhos and Verdeal) and commercial (Ferragnès and Glorieta), grown under rain-fed conditions, were studied. The performed measurements included thickness of leaf tissues...... cuticle thickness, while Pegarinhos adds a thicker epidermis and palisade parenchyma to increase protection to water loss. These data is one of the first comparative approaches to the leaf characterization of these cultivars, and should now be combined with physiological and biochemical studies...

Finite frequency current noise in the Holstein model

Science.gov (United States)

Stadler, P.; Rastelli, G.; Belzig, W.

2018-05-01

We investigate the effects of local vibrational excitations in the nonsymmetrized current noise S (ω ) of a nanojunction. For this purpose, we analyze a simple model—the Holstein model—in which the junction is described by a single electronic level that is coupled to two metallic leads and to a single vibrational mode. Using the Keldysh Green's function technique, we calculate the nonsymmetrized current noise to the leading order in the charge-vibration interaction. For the noise associated to the latter, we identify distinct terms corresponding to the mean-field noise and the vertex correction. The mean-field result can be further divided into an elastic correction to the noise and in an inelastic correction, the second one being related to energy exchange with the vibration. To illustrate the general behavior of the noise induced by the charge-vibration interaction, we consider two limit cases. In the first case, we assume a strong coupling of the dot to the leads with an energy-independent transmission, whereas in the second case we assume a weak tunneling coupling between the dot and the leads such that the transport occurs through a sharp resonant level. We find that the noise associated to the vibration-charge interaction shows a complex pattern as a function of the frequency ω and of the transmission function or of the dot's energy level. Several transitions from enhancement to suppression of the noise occurs in different regions, which are determined, in particular, by the vibrational frequency. Remarkably, in the regime of an energy-independent transmission, the zero-order elastic noise vanishes at perfect transmission and at positive frequency, whereas the noise related to the charge-vibration interaction remains finite, enabling the analysis of the pure vibrational-induced current noise.

Ito calculus for σ-models and Yang-Mills theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patrascioiu, A.; Richard, J.L.

1984-07-01

It is pointed out that the effective continuum action for σ-models and Yang-Mills theories may differ from the naive continuum action by terms of order g 2 or higher, which are non-symmetric. The modifications are produced by a generalization of the Ito calculus to dimensions higher than one

Influence of heat and chemical reactions on the Sisko fluid model for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The present article studies the effects of heat and chemical reactions on the blood flow through tapered artery with a stenosis. The model incorporates Sisko fluid representation for the blood flow through an axially non-symmetrical but radially symmetric stenosis. Symmetry of the distribution of the wall shearing stress and ...

Using Relative Statistics and Approximate Disease Prevalence to Compare Screening Tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Samuelson, Frank; Abbey, Craig

2016-11-01

Schatzkin et al. and other authors demonstrated that the ratios of some conditional statistics such as the true positive fraction are equal to the ratios of unconditional statistics, such as disease detection rates, and therefore we can calculate these ratios between two screening tests on the same population even if negative test patients are not followed with a reference procedure and the true and false negative rates are unknown. We demonstrate that this same property applies to an expected utility metric. We also demonstrate that while simple estimates of relative specificities and relative areas under ROC curves (AUC) do depend on the unknown negative rates, we can write these ratios in terms of disease prevalence, and the dependence of these ratios on a posited prevalence is often weak particularly if that prevalence is small or the performance of the two screening tests is similar. Therefore we can estimate relative specificity or AUC with little loss of accuracy, if we use an approximate value of disease prevalence.

Domesticated, Genetically Engineered, and Wild Plant Relatives Exhibit Unintended Phenotypic Differences: A Comparative Meta-Analysis Profiling Rice, Canola, Maize, Sunflower, and Pumpkin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandra Hernández-Terán

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Agronomic management of plants is a powerful evolutionary force acting on their populations. The management of cultivated plants is carried out by the traditional process of human selection or plant breeding and, more recently, by the technologies used in genetic engineering (GE. Even though crop modification through GE is aimed at specific traits, it is possible that other non-target traits can be affected by genetic modification due to the complex regulatory processes of plant metabolism and development. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis profiling the phenotypic consequences of plant breeding and GE, and compared modified cultivars with wild relatives in five crops of global economic and cultural importance: rice, maize, canola, sunflower, and pumpkin. For these five species, we analyzed the literature with documentation of phenotypic traits that are potentially related to fitness for the same species in comparable conditions. The information was analyzed to evaluate whether the different processes of modification had influenced the phenotype in such a way as to cause statistical differences in the state of specific phenotypic traits or grouping of the organisms depending on their genetic origin [wild, domesticated with genetic engineering (domGE, and domesticated without genetic engineering (domNGE]. In addition, we tested the hypothesis that, given that transgenic plants are a construct designed to impact, in many cases, a single trait of the plant (e.g., lepidopteran resistance, the phenotypic differences between domGE and domNGE would be either less (or inexistent than between the wild and domesticated relatives (either domGE or domNGE. We conclude that (1 genetic modification (either by selective breeding or GE can be traced phenotypically when comparing wild relatives with their domesticated relatives (domGE and domNGE and (2 the existence and the magnitude of the phenotypic differences between domGE and domNGE of the same crop

Comparing the Relative Efficacy of Narrative vs Nonnarrative Health Messages in Reducing Health Disparities Using a Randomized Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Sheila T; Frank, Lauren B; Chatterjee, Joyee S; Moran, Meghan B; Zhao, Nan; Amezola de Herrera, Paula; Baezconde-Garbanati, Lourdes A

2015-10-01

We compared the relative efficacy of a fictional narrative film to a more traditional nonnarrative film in conveying the same health information. We used a random digit dial procedure to survey the cervical cancer-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of non-Hispanic White, Mexican American, and African American women, aged 25 to 45 years, living in Los Angeles, California, from 2011 to 2012. Participants (n = 704) were randomly assigned to view either a narrative or nonnarrative film containing the same information about how cervical cancer could be prevented or detected, and they were re-contacted 2 weeks and 6 months later. At 2 weeks, both films produced a significant increase in cervical cancer-related knowledge and attitudes, but these effects were significantly higher for the narrative film. At 6 months, viewers of both films retained greater than baseline knowledge and more positive attitudes toward Papanicolaou (Pap) tests, but women who saw the narrative were significantly more likely to have had or scheduled a Pap test. The narrative was particularly effective for Mexican American women, eliminating cervical cancer screening disparities found at baseline. Narratives might prove to be a useful tool for reducing health disparities.

Comparative effects of indium/ytterbium doping on, mechanical and gas-sensitivity-related morphological, properties of sprayed ZnO compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boukhachem, A.; Fridjine, S.; Amlouk, A.; Boubaker, K.; Bouhafs, M.; Amlouk, M.

2010-01-01

In this study, conducting and transparent indium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have been deposited on glass substrates by the micro-spray technique. First, zinc oxide layers were obtained by spaying a solution of propanol and zinc acetate in acidified medium. Alternatively, some of the obtained films were doped with indium (In) at the molar rates of: 1%, 2% and 3%. In addition to the classical structural investigated using XRD, AFM and SEM techniques, microhardness Vickers (Hv) measurements have been carried out along with comparative morphological prospecting. The specific gases sensitivity-related surface morphology of the doped ZnO compounds was favorably different from that of the non-doped ones, and showed a thin overlay structure. Results were compared to those recorded for similar ytterbium-doped material.

Relative Effectiveness of Letrozole Compared With Tamoxifen for Patients With Lobular Carcinoma in the BIG 1-98 Trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Metzger Filho, Otto; Giobbie-Hurder, Anita; Mallon, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

assigned onto the Breast International Group (BIG) 1-98 trial and who had centrally reviewed pathology data were included (N = 2,923). HER2-negative IDC and ILC were additionally classified as hormone receptor-positive with high (luminal B [LB] -like) or low (luminal A [LA] -like) proliferative activity......PURPOSE: To evaluate the relative effectiveness of letrozole compared with tamoxifen for patients with invasive ductal or lobular carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients diagnosed with early-stage invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) or classic invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) who were randomly...

Comparative analysis of mycobacterium and related actinomycetes yields insight into the evolution of mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McGuire Abigail

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The sequence of the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb strain H37Rv has been available for over a decade, but the biology of the pathogen remains poorly understood. Genome sequences from other Mtb strains and closely related bacteria present an opportunity to apply the power of comparative genomics to understand the evolution of Mtb pathogenesis. We conducted a comparative analysis using 31 genomes from the Tuberculosis Database (TBDB.org, including 8 strains of Mtb and M. bovis, 11 additional Mycobacteria, 4 Corynebacteria, 2 Streptomyces, Rhodococcus jostii RHA1, Nocardia farcinia, Acidothermus cellulolyticus, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, Propionibacterium acnes, and Bifidobacterium longum. Results Our results highlight the functional importance of lipid metabolism and its regulation, and reveal variation between the evolutionary profiles of genes implicated in saturated and unsaturated fatty acid metabolism. It also suggests that DNA repair and molybdopterin cofactors are important in pathogenic Mycobacteria. By analyzing sequence conservation and gene expression data, we identify nearly 400 conserved noncoding regions. These include 37 predicted promoter regulatory motifs, of which 14 correspond to previously validated motifs, as well as 50 potential noncoding RNAs, of which we experimentally confirm the expression of four. Conclusions Our analysis of protein evolution highlights gene families that are associated with the adaptation of environmental Mycobacteria to obligate pathogenesis. These families include fatty acid metabolism, DNA repair, and molybdopterin biosynthesis. Our analysis reinforces recent findings suggesting that small noncoding RNAs are more common in Mycobacteria than previously expected. Our data provide a foundation for understanding the genome and biology of Mtb in a comparative context, and are available online and through TBDB.org.

GENDER BIAS IN THE PUBLIC RELATIONS INDUSTRY IN MALAYSIA: COMPARING PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTITIONERS’ JOB FUNCTIONS, INCOMES, AND CAREER PROSPECTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yesuselvi Manickam

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Today, there is an increase in women working outside their home to sustain themselves economically and socially, but the working experiences can be problematic for women when gender discrimination exists in the workplace. In the early 1960s, women were entering the public relations industry at a rate faster than their male counterparts, but gender bias was a sore issue in the industry. Numerous studies have been conducted on gender bias, and the findings indicate that female public relations practitioners receive unequal treatment in their organisation. For that reason, this study investigated whether gender bias exists in the public relations industry in Klang Valley, Malaysia, and if so, what the impact was on the practitioners’ work performance. The study used an in-depth interview with five public relations practitioners from public relations agencies and corporate companies. Feminist Standpoint Theory served as a framework for this study. Results revealed that in Malaysia, gender bias is not prevalent because of cultural diversity and company policies. The priorities of these public relations agencies and organisations favor employee’s performance and competence over gender. The results also indicated that public relations practitioners are treated fairly in areas of career prospects, job functions, and remuneration.

Comparing the radiosensitivity of cervical and thoracic spinal cord using the relative seriality model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamus-Gorka, M.; Lind, B.K.; Brahme, A.

2003-01-01

Spinal cord is one of the most important normal tissues that are aimed to be spared during radiation therapy of cancer. This organ has been known for its strongly serial character and its high sensitivity to radiation. In order to compare the sensitivity of different parts of spinal cord, the early data (1970's) for radiation myelopathy available in the literature could be used. In the present study the relative seriality model (Kallman et al. 1992) has been fitted to two different sets of clinical data for spinal cord irradiation: radiation myelitis of cervical spinal cord after treating 248 patients for malignant disease of head and neck (Abbatucci et al. 1978) and radiation myelitis of thoracic spinal cord after radiation treating 43 patients with lung carcinoma (Reinhold et al. 1976). The maximum likelihood method was applied for the fitting and the corresponding parameters together with their 68% confidence intervals calculated for each of the datasets respectively. The alpha-beta ratio for the thoracic survival was also obtained. On the basis of the present study the following conclusions can be drawn: 1. radiation myelopathy is a strongly serial endpoint, 2. it appears to be differences in radiosensitivity between the cervical and thoracic region of spinal cord, 3. thoracic spinal cord revealed very serial characteristic of dose response, while the cervical myelopathy seems to be a bit less serial endpoint, 4. the dose-response curve is much steeper in case of myelopathy of cervical spinal cord, due to the much higher gamma value for this region. This work compares the fitting of NTCP model to the cervical and thoracic regions of the spinal cord and shows quite different responses. In the future more data should be tested for better understanding the mechanism of spinal cord sensitivity to radiation

Combining and comparing EEG, peripheral physiology and eye-related measures for the assessment of mental workload

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maarten Andreas Hogervorst

2014-10-01

Full Text Available While studies exist that compare different physiological variables with respect to their association with mental workload, it is still largely unclear which variables supply the best information about momentary workload of an individual and what is the benefit of combining them. We investigated workload using the n-back task, controlling for body movements and visual input. We recorded EEG, skin conductance, respiration, ECG, pupil size and eye blinks of 14 subjects. Various variables were extracted from these recordings and used as features in individually tuned classification models. Online classification was simulated by using the first part of the data as training set and the last part of the data for testing the models. The results indicate that EEG performs best, followed by eye related measures and peripheral physiology. Combining variables from different sensors did not significantly improve workload assessment over the best performing sensor alone. Best classification accuracy, a little over 90% (SD 4%, was reached for distinguishing between high and low workload on the basis of 2 minute segments of EEG and eye related variables. A similar and not significantly different performance of 86% (SD 5% was reached using only EEG from single electrode location Pz.

A STUDY TO COMPARE FUNDUS FLUORESCEIN ANGIOGRAPHY AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY IN AGE RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rani Sujatha

2016-02-01

Full Text Available PURPOSE To compare the diagnostic accuracy of optical coherence tomography with Fundus Fluorescein Angiography in diagnosing Age related macular degeneration. METHODS A total 25 patients newly diagnosed as Age related macular degeneration were included in the study. The study was done during the time period between August 2013 to November 2015 this is a prospective randomized hospital based study. RESULTS Maximum no of patients affected belonged to the age group of 50-70 years and 60% were females. The most common symptom was defective vision accounting for 92%. Hypertension and hyperlipidemia were the most common risk factors. 12% of the cases had unilateral disease and 88% had bilateral disease. 6% of eyes were normal in both FFA and OCT. 62% of the eyes by FFA and 61% of the eyes by OCT had dry ARMD and 32 % of the eye by FFA and 33 % by OCT had wet ARMD. CONCLUSION Fundus Fluorescein Angiography is the gold standard tool for screening ARMD and OCT is more specific in detecting early subretinal neovascular membrane and also to assess the activity of the neovascular membranes. Hence OCT is superior to FFA in diagnosing early wet ARMD and thus helps in early management of patients with ARMD.

Analysing and Comparing Encodability Criteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirstin Peters

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Encodings or the proof of their absence are the main way to compare process calculi. To analyse the quality of encodings and to rule out trivial or meaningless encodings, they are augmented with quality criteria. There exists a bunch of different criteria and different variants of criteria in order to reason in different settings. This leads to incomparable results. Moreover it is not always clear whether the criteria used to obtain a result in a particular setting do indeed fit to this setting. We show how to formally reason about and compare encodability criteria by mapping them on requirements on a relation between source and target terms that is induced by the encoding function. In particular we analyse the common criteria full abstraction, operational correspondence, divergence reflection, success sensitiveness, and respect of barbs; e.g. we analyse the exact nature of the simulation relation (coupled simulation versus bisimulation that is induced by different variants of operational correspondence. This way we reduce the problem of analysing or comparing encodability criteria to the better understood problem of comparing relations on processes.

Cancer-Related Constituents of Strawberry Jam as Compared with Fresh Fruit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gema Flores

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The health awareness recently shown by consumers has led to a demand for health beneficial products. In particular, researchers are currently focusing their studies on the search for foods for cancer prevention activity. In the present work, we study comparatively the effect of two different processing methods on the contents of phenolic compounds (i.e., ellagic acid, myricetin, quercetin and kaempferol with antioxidant and antitumor properties in strawberry jams. In turn, the results obtained were compared with those of unprocessed fruit. Additionally carcinogenic heat-induced compounds formed by the two jam making methods were evaluated. Decreases of total ellagic acid from 138.4 µg/g to 86.5 µg/g were measured in jam as compared with the intact fruit. Even higher losses of up to 90% of total flavonols were found in strawberry after the jam-making process. A comparison between the two processing methods proved shorter heating periods (around 60 min even at temperatures as high as 100 °C enabled losses of antioxidant phenolics to be minimized. Carcinogenic heat-induced volatile compounds, mainly Maillard reaction products, were formed as a result of thermal treatment during jam processing. However, shorter heating periods also helped reduce the formation of these harmful compounds. These results are deeply discussed. From a practical standpoint, the processing conditions here proposed can be used by industry to obtain strawberry jam with higher content of antioxidant flavonoids and, at the same time, reduced amounts of carcinogenic compounds.

Comparative analysis of diosgenin in Dioscorea species and related medicinal plants by UPLC-DAD-MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Tao; Fan, Lan-Lan; Chen, Hong-Li; Zhu, Guo-Yuan; Suen, Hau-Man; Tang, Yi-Na; Zhu, Lin; Chu, Chu; Zhao, Zhong-Zhen; Chen, Hu-Biao

2014-08-09

Dioscorea is a genus of flowering plants, and some Dioscorea species are known and used as a source for the steroidal sapogenin diosgenin. To screen potential resource from Dioscorea species and related medicinal plants for diosgenin extraction, a rapid method to compare the contents of diosgenin in various plants is crucial. An ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with diode array detection (DAD) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) method was developed for identification and determination of diosgenin in various plants. A comprehensive validation of the developed method was conducted. Twenty-four batches of plant samples from four Dioscorea species, one Smilax species and two Heterosmilax species were analyzed by using the developed method.The present method presented good sensitivity, precision and accuracy. Diosgenin was found in three Dioscorea species and one Heterosmilax species, namely D. zingiberensis, D. septemloba, D. collettii and H. yunnanensis. The method is suitable for the screening of diosgenin resources from plants. D. zingiberensis is an important resource for diosgenin harvesting.

A comparative assessment of the role of energy in Qatar's East Asian foreign relations: case studies on China, Japan and South Korea

OpenAIRE

Park, Rebekah

2017-01-01

Energy is an important factor in international relations and recently the global energy paradigm has been seen to be shifting towards the East. In light of such change, a comparative assessment of the role of energy in Qatar’ East Asian foreign relations will be conducted by taking China, Japan and South Korea as case studies. The research aimed to assess each of the bilateral relationship in terms of their origin and development in the energy sector generating an interpretation of their grow...

Modular envelopes, OSFT and nonsymmetric (non-$\\sum$) modular operads

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Markl, Martin

2016-01-01

Roč. 10, č. 2 (2016), s. 775-809 ISSN 1661-6952 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : open string * surface * modular completion Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.625, year: 2016 http://www.ems-ph.org/journals/show_abstract.php?issn=1661-6952&vol=10&iss=2&rank=12

Synthesis of symmetrical and non-symmetrical bivalent neurotransmitter ligands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stuhr-Hansen, Nicolai; Andersen, Jacob; Thygesen, Mikkel Boas

2016-01-01

A novel procedure for synthesis of bivalent neurotransmitter ligands was developed by reacting O-benzyl protected N-nosylated dopamine and serotonin with alkyl- or PEG-linked diols under Fukuyama-Mitsunobu conditions in the presence of DIAD/PPh3 generating three different bivalent neurotransmitte...

Nonsymmetric dynamical thin-shell wormhole in Robinson-Trautman class

Science.gov (United States)

Svítek, O.; Tahamtan, T.

2018-02-01

The thin-shell wormhole created using the Darmois-Israel formalism applied to Robinson-Trautman family of spacetimes is presented. The stress energy tensor created on the throat is interpreted in terms of two dust streams and it is shown that asymptotically this wormhole settles to the Schwarzschild wormhole with a throat located at the position of the horizon. This behavior shows a nonlinear stability (within the Robinson-Trautman class) of this spherically symmetric wormhole. The gravitational radiation emitted by the Robinson-Trautman wormhole during the transition to spherical symmetry is indistinguishable from that of the corresponding black hole Robinson-Trautman spacetime. Subsequently, we show that the higher-dimensional generalization of Robinson-Trautman geometry offers a possibility of constructing wormholes without the need to violate the energy conditions for matter induced on the throat.

Variational Iterative Methods for Nonsymmetric Systems of Linear Equations.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-08-01

With a third matrix-vector product, b(i) can be computed as i j ( ATAr i+l’pj)/ApjpApj), and the previous (Apj) need not be saved. Page 8 I OCR I Orthomin... Economics and Mathematical Systems, Volume 134, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1976. [51 Paul Concus, Gene H. Golub, and Dianne P. O’Leary. A generalized

A Sparse Approximate Inverse Preconditioner for Nonsymmetric Linear Systems

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Benzi, M.; Tůma, Miroslav

1998-01-01

Roč. 19, č. 3 (1998), s. 968-994 ISSN 1064-8275 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/93/0067; GA AV ČR IAA230401 Keywords : large sparse systems * interative methods * preconditioning * approximate inverse * sparse linear systems * sparse matrices * incomplete factorizations * conjugate gradient -type methods Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.378, year: 1998

Nonsymmetric dynamical thin-shell wormhole in Robinson-Trautman class

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Svitek, O. [Charles University, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Prague (Czech Republic); Tahamtan, T. [Charles University, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Prague (Czech Republic); Czech Academy of Sciences, Astronomical Institute, Prague (Czech Republic)

2018-02-15

The thin-shell wormhole created using the Darmois-Israel formalism applied to Robinson-Trautman family of spacetimes is presented. The stress energy tensor created on the throat is interpreted in terms of two dust streams and it is shown that asymptotically this wormhole settles to the Schwarzschild wormhole with a throat located at the position of the horizon. This behavior shows a nonlinear stability (within the Robinson-Trautman class) of this spherically symmetric wormhole. The gravitational radiation emitted by the Robinson-Trautman wormhole during the transition to spherical symmetry is indistinguishable from that of the corresponding black hole Robinson-Trautman spacetime. Subsequently, we show that the higher-dimensional generalization of Robinson-Trautman geometry offers a possibility of constructing wormholes without the need to violate the energy conditions for matter induced on the throat. (orig.)

Aggregated journal–journal citation relations in scopus and web of science matched and compared in terms of networks, maps, and interactive overlays

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leydesdorff, L.; de Moya-Anegón, F.; de Nooy, W.

We compare the network of aggregated journal–journal citation relations provided by the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) 2012 of the Science Citation Index (SCI) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) with similar data based on Scopus 2012. First, global and overlay maps were developed for the 2

Comparing assessments of the decision-making competencies of psychiatric inpatients as provided by physicians, nurses, relatives and an assessment tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Aydin Er, Rahime; Sehiralti, Mine

2014-07-01

To compare assessments of the decision-making competencies of psychiatric inpatients as provided by physicians, nurses, relatives and an assessment tool. This study was carried out at the psychiatry clinic of Kocaeli University Hospital from June 2007 to February 2008. The decision-making competence of the 83 patients who participated in the study was assessed by physicians, nurses, relatives and MacCAT-T. Of the 83 patients, the relatives of 73.8% of them, including the parents of 47.7%, were interviewed during the study. A moderately good consistency between the competency assessments of the nurses versus those of the physicians, but a poor consistency between the assessments of the physicians and nurses versus those of the patients' relatives, was determined. The differences in the competency assessment obtained with the MacCAT-T versus the evaluations of the physicians, nurses and patients' relatives were statistically significant. Our findings demonstrate those physicians, nurses and the patients' relatives have difficulty in identifying patients lacking decision-making competence. Therefore, an objective competence assessment tool should be used along with the assessments of physicians and nurses, both of whom can provide clinical data, as well as those of relatives, who can offer insights into the patient's moral values and expectations. 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.

Catalyst activity or stability: the dilemma in Pd-catalyzed polyketone synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Amoroso, Francesco; Zangrando, Ennio; Carfagna, Carla; Müller, Christian; Vogt, Dieter; Hagar, Mohamed; Ragaini, Fabio; Milani, Barbara

2013-10-28

A series of Pd-complexes containing nonsymmetrical bis(aryl-imino)acenaphthene (Ar-BIAN) ligands, characterized by substituents on the meta positions of the aryl rings, have been synthesized, characterized and applied in CO/vinyl arene copolymerization reactions. Crystal structures of two neutral Pd-complexes have been solved allowing comparison of the bonding properties of the ligand. Kinetic and mechanistic investigations on these complexes have been performed. The kinetic investigations indicate that in general ligands with electron-withdrawing substituents give more active, but less stable, catalytic systems, although steric effects also play a role. The good performance observed with nonsymmetrical ligands is at least in part due to a compromise between catalyst activity and lifetime, leading to a higher overall productivity with respect to catalysts based on their symmetrical counterparts. Additionally, careful analysis of the reaction profiles provided information on the catalyst deactivation pathway. The latter begins with the reduction of a Pd(II) Ar-BIAN complex to the corresponding Pd(0) species, a reaction that can be reverted by the action of benzoquinone. Then the ligand is lost, a process that appears to be facilitated by the contemporary coordination of an olefin or a CO molecule. The so formed Pd(0) complex immediately reacts with another molecule of the initial Pd(II) complex to give a Pd(I) dimeric species that irreversibly evolves to metallic palladium. Mechanistic investigations performed on the complex with a nonsymmetrical Ar-BIAN probe evidence that the detected intermediates are characterized by the Pd-C bond trans to the Pd-N bond of the aryl ring bearing electron-withdrawing substituents. In addition, the intermediate resulting from the insertion of 4-methylstyrene into the Pd-acyl bond is a five-member palladacycle and not the open-chain η(3)-allylic species observed for complexes with Ar-BIANs substituted in ortho position.

Fulltext PDF

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

as local deterministic ontological (LDO) model with empty wave(s). The aim of their analysis is to prove that any dualistic models that are able to justify their gedanken experiments are necessarily nonlocal. The reasoning of [1] is the following: For a nonsymmetric interferometer, if a particle moves along the shorter path S, ...

Computational Experience with Globally Convergent Descent Methods for Large Sparse Systems of Nonlinear Equations

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lukšan, Ladislav; Vlček, Jan

1998-01-01

Roč. 8, č. 3-4 (1998), s. 201-223 ISSN 1055-6788 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/96/0918 Keywords : nonlinear equations * Armijo-type descent methods * Newton-like methods * truncated methods * global convergence * nonsymmetric linear systems * conjugate gradient -type methods * residual smoothing * computational experiments Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research

Angular dependence of neutron yield and of spectrum of neutrons producted in pA and π-A interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayukov, Yu.D.; Gavrilov, V.B.; Goryainov, N.A.

1982-01-01

Neutron spectra are measured in the T kinetic energy range from 6 up to 20a MeV. Neutrons escape from C, Cu, Pb, U nuclei under the angles of THETA=10 deg + 160 deg in p+A → n+x reaction at 7.5 GeV/c and in π - +A → n+x reaction at 5.0 GeV/c. In the 80-200 MeV secondary neutron energy range the obtained data are compared with the results of simultaneous measurements of proton spectra. The effect of itopic symmetry of fast nucleon yield from non-symmetric nuclei are under considereation. Division of contributions of quasi-free and deep inelastic nuclear processes to fast neutron formation is carried out on the basis of the data obtained

An ion-optical design study of a carbon-ion rotating gantry with a superconducting final bending magnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bokor, J.; Pavlovič, M.

2016-01-01

Ion-optical designs of an isocentric ion gantry with a compact curved superconducting final bending magnet are presented. The gantry is designed for transporting carbon-therapy beams with nominal kinetic energy of 400 MeV/u, which corresponds to the penetration range of C"6"+ beam in water of about 28 cm. In contrast to other existing designs, we present a “hybrid” beam transport system containing a single superconducting element – the last bending magnet. All other elements are based on conventional warm technology. Ion-optical properties of such a hybrid system are investigated in case of transporting non-symmetric (i.e. different emittance patterns in the horizontal and vertical plane) beams. Different conditions for transporting the non-symmetric beams are analyzed aiming at finding the optimal, i.e. the most compact, gantry version. The final gantry layout is presented including a 2D parallel scanning. The ion-optical and scanning properties of the final gantry design are described, discussed and illustrated by computer simulations performed by WinAGILE.

A uniaxial cyclic elastoplastic constitutive law with a discrete memory variable

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taheri, S.

1991-01-01

At present, the study on cyclic elastoplastic constitutive laws is focused on nonproportional loading, but for uniaxial loading, some problems still exist. For example, the possibility for a law to describe simultaneously the ratcheting in nonsymmetrical load-controlled test, elastic and plastic shakedown in symmetrical and nonsymmetrical ones. Here a law is presented, which in addition to previous phenomena, describes the cyclic hardening in a pushpull test, the cyclic softening after overloading and also the dependence of cyclic strain-stress curves on the history of loading. These are the usual properties of 316 stainless steel at room temperature. This law uses an internal discrete memory variable: the plastic strain at the last unloading. On the other hand, the choice of all macroscopic variables is justified by a microscopic analysis. This law has been also extended to a three-dimensional case. Regarding the microstructure under cyclic loading, plastic shakedown and ratcheting are discussed. The definition of macroscopic variables taking account of microstructure and uniaxial constitutive law are described. (K.I.)

Zero-Sum Flows in Designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akbari, S.; Khosrovshahi, G.B.; Mofidi, A.

2010-07-01

Let D be a t-(v, k, λ) design and let N i (D), for 1 ≤ i ≤ t, be the higher incidence matrix of D, a (0, 1)-matrix of size (v/i) x b, where b is the number of blocks of D. A zero-sum flow of D is a nowhere-zero real vector in the null space of N 1 (D). A zero-sum k-flow of D is a zero-sum flow with values in {±,...,±(k-1)}. In this paper we show that every non-symmetric design admits an integral zero-sum flow, and consequently we conjecture that every non-symmetric design admits a zero-sum 5-flow. Similarly, the definition of zero-sum flow can be extended to N i (D), 1 ≤ i ≤ t. Let D = t-(v,k, (v-t/k-t)) be the complete design. We conjecture that N t (D) admits a zero-sum 3-flow and prove this conjecture for t = 2. (author)

Efficient block preconditioned eigensolvers for linear response time-dependent density functional theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vecharynski, Eugene [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Computational Research Division; Brabec, Jiri [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Computational Research Division; Shao, Meiyue [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Computational Research Division; Govind, Niranjan [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab.; Yang, Chao [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Computational Research Division

2017-12-01

We present two efficient iterative algorithms for solving the linear response eigen- value problem arising from the time dependent density functional theory. Although the matrix to be diagonalized is nonsymmetric, it has a special structure that can be exploited to save both memory and floating point operations. In particular, the nonsymmetric eigenvalue problem can be transformed into a product eigenvalue problem that is self-adjoint with respect to a K-inner product. This product eigenvalue problem can be solved efficiently by a modified Davidson algorithm and a modified locally optimal block preconditioned conjugate gradient (LOBPCG) algorithm that make use of the K-inner product. The solution of the product eigenvalue problem yields one component of the eigenvector associated with the original eigenvalue problem. However, the other component of the eigenvector can be easily recovered in a postprocessing procedure. Therefore, the algorithms we present here are more efficient than existing algorithms that try to approximate both components of the eigenvectors simultaneously. The efficiency of the new algorithms is demonstrated by numerical examples.

Severity and pattern of bone mineral loss in endocrine causes of osteoporosis as compared to age-related bone mineral loss

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D Dutta

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Data are scant on bone health in endocrinopathies from India. This study evaluated bone mineral density (BMD loss in endocrinopathies [Graves′ disease (GD, type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM, hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (HypoH, hypergonadotropic hypogonadism (HyperH, hypopituitarism, primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT] as compared to age-related BMD loss [postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO, andropause]. Materials and Methods: Retrospective audit of records of patients >30 years age attending a bone clinic from August 2014 to January 2016 was done. Results: Five-hundred and seven records were screened, out of which 420 (females:male = 294:126 were analyzed. A significantly higher occurrence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency was noted in T1DM (89.09%, HyperH (85%, and HypoH (79.59% compared to age-related BMD loss (60.02%; P < 0.001. The occurrence of osteoporosis among females and males was 55.41% and 53.97%, respectively, and of osteopenia among females and males was 28.91% and 32.54%, respectively. In females, osteoporosis was significantly higher in T1DM (92%, HyperH (85%, and HypoH (59.26% compared to PMO (49.34%; P < 0.001. Z score at LS, TF, NOF, and greater trochanter (GT was consistently lowest in T1DM women. Among men, osteoporosis was significantly higher in T1DM (76.67% and HypoH (54.55% compared to andropause (45.45%; P = 0.001. Z score at LS, TF, NOF, GT, and TR was consistently lowest in T1DM men. In GD, the burden of osteoporosis was similar to PMO and andropause. BMD difference among the study groups was not significantly different after adjusting for body mass index (BMI and vitamin D. Conclusion: Low bone mass is extremely common in endocrinopathies, warranting routine screening and intervention. Concomitant vitamin D deficiency compounds the problem. Calcium and vitamin D supplementations may improve bone health in this setting.

A preliminary comparative treatment planning study for radiotherapy of age-related maculopathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazal, A.; Schwartz, L.; Lacroix, F.; Mammar, H.; Delacroix, S.; Ferrand, R.; Nauraye, C.; Desjardins, L.; Schlienger, P.; D'Hermies, F.; Frau, E.; Habrand, J.-L.; Rosenwald, J.-C.

1998-01-01

Purpose: We present a comparative planning of different approaches for external radiotherapy in age-related maculopathies. Materials and methods: Calculated dose distributions and dose-volume histograms for (a) bilateral irradiation with 6 MV photons, (b) a single lateral-oblique beam using either photons, electrons or protons and (c) an anterior circular proton beam. Results: For lateral photon or electron beams the dose to the lens is usually lower than 10% of the dose to the macula. The entrance doses for bilateral photon beams are about 50% which increase up to 100% at the orbital bone. About 5 mm of optic nerves are irradiated at the maximal dose while the optic chiasma is spared. A single photon beam gives 50% of the dose to the fellow eye. The electron beam spares the fellow eye but gives a rather inhomogeneous dose to the target volume. For a lateral proton beam, 4 mm of optic nerve receives 90% of the dose, the skin dose is at least 70% of the dose to the macula and the lens and the fellow eye are spared. An anterior proton beam gives 90% of the dose to 1 mm of optic nerve and the 50% isodose approaches the periphery of the lens. Conclusion: Doses to the critical structures can be dramatically diminished for all the techniques by reducing the beam size, but only if very precise set-up techniques are used. Proton beams are an attractive solution, but the impact of such a choice on the use of proton facilities and on the national health system should be carefully evaluated, as well as the risk of radio-induced secondary neoplasias. (Copyright (c) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Comparative Transcriptomics Reveals Jasmonic Acid-Associated Metabolism Related to Cotton Fiber Initiation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liman Wang

Full Text Available Analysis of mutants and gene expression patterns provides a powerful approach for investigating genes involved in key stages of plant fiber development. In this study, lintless-fuzzless XinWX and linted-fuzzless XinFLM with a single genetic locus difference for lint were used to identify differentially expressed genes. Scanning electron microscopy showed fiber initiation in XinFLM at 0 days post anthesis (DPA. Fiber transcriptional profiling of the lines at three initiation developmental stages (-1, 0, 1 DPA was performed using an oligonucleotide microarray. Loop comparisons of the differentially expressed genes within and between the lines was carried out, and functional classification and enrichment analysis showed that gene expression patterns during fiber initiation were heavily associated with hormone metabolism, transcription factor regulation, lipid transport, and asparagine biosynthetic processes, as previously reported. Further, four members of the allene-oxide cyclase (AOC family that function in jasmonate biosynthesis were parallel up-regulation in fiber initiation, especially at -1 DPA, compared to other tissues and organs in linted-fuzzed TM-1. Real time-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR analysis in different fiber mutant lines revealed that AOCs were up-regulated higher at -1 DPA in lintless-fuzzless than that in linted-fuzzless and linted-fuzzed materials, and transcription of the AOCs was increased under jasmonic acid (JA treatment. Expression analysis of JA biosynthesis-associated genes between XinWX and XinFLM showed that they were up-regulated during fiber initiation in the fuzzless-lintless mutant. Taken together, jasmonic acid-associated metabolism was related to cotton fiber initiation. Parallel up-regulation of AOCs expression may be important for normal fiber initiation development, while overproduction of AOCs might disrupt normal fiber development.

A Comparative Analysis of Internal Communication and Public Relations Audits. State of the Art.

Science.gov (United States)

Dozier, David M.; Hellweg, Susan A.

A review of current literature regarding the state of the art in the conduct of internal communication and public relations audits by public relations practitioners reveals that these two related measurement activities are of considerable importance to the practice of public relations. Public relations audits are concerned with exploratory…

Comparing relative abundance, lengths, and habitat of temperate reef fishes using simultaneous underwater visual census, video, and trap sampling

KAUST Repository

Bacheler, NM

2017-04-28

Unbiased counts of individuals or species are often impossible given the prevalence of cryptic or mobile species. We used 77 simultaneous multi-gear deployments to make inferences about relative abundance, diversity, length composition, and habitat of the reef fish community along the southeastern US Atlantic coast. In total, 117 taxa were observed by underwater visual census (UVC), stationary video, and chevron fish traps, with more taxa being observed by UVC (100) than video (82) or traps (20). Frequency of occurrence of focal species was similar among all sampling approaches for tomtate Haemulon aurolineatum and black sea bass Centropristis striata, higher for UVC and video compared to traps for red snapper Lutjanus campechanus, vermilion snapper Rhomboplites aurorubens, and gray triggerfish Balistes capriscus, and higher for UVC compared to video or traps for gray snapper L. griseus and lionfish Pterois spp. For 6 of 7 focal species, correlations of relative abundance among gears were strongest between UVC and video, but there was substantial variability among species. The number of recorded species between UVC and video was correlated (ρ = 0.59), but relationships between traps and the other 2 methods were weaker. Lengths of fish visually estimated by UVC were similar to lengths of fish caught in traps, as were habitat characterizations from UVC and video. No gear provided a complete census for any species in our study, suggesting that analytical methods accounting for imperfect detection are necessary to make unbiased inferences about fish abundance.

Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry Compared with Anthropometry in Relation to Cardio-Metabolic Risk Factors in a Young Adult Population: Is the 'Gold Standard' Tarnished?

Science.gov (United States)

Demmer, Denise L; Beilin, Lawrence J; Hands, Beth; Burrows, Sally; Pennell, Craig E; Lye, Stephen J; Mountain, Jennifer A; Mori, Trevor A

2016-01-01

Assessment of adiposity using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) has been considered more advantageous in comparison to anthropometry for predicting cardio-metabolic risk in the older population, by virtue of its ability to distinguish total and regional fat. Nonetheless, there is increasing uncertainty regarding the relative superiority of DXA and little comparative data exist in young adults. This study aimed to identify which measure of adiposity determined by either DXA or anthropometry is optimal within a range of cardio-metabolic risk factors in young adults. 1138 adults aged 20 years were assessed by DXA and standard anthropometry from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Cross-sectional linear regression analyses were performed. Waist to height ratio was superior to any DXA measure with HDL-C. BMI was the superior model in relation to blood pressure than any DXA measure. Midriff fat mass (DXA) and waist circumference were comparable in relation to glucose. For all the other cardio-metabolic variables, anthropometric and DXA measures were comparable. DXA midriff fat mass compared with BMI or waist hip ratio was the superior measure for triglycerides, insulin and HOMA-IR. Although midriff fat mass (measured by DXA) was the superior measure with insulin sensitivity and triglycerides, the anthropometric measures were better or equal with various DXA measures for majority of the cardio-metabolic risk factors. Our findings suggest, clinical anthropometry is generally as useful as DXA in the evaluation of the individual cardio-metabolic risk factors in young adults.

Usage of emergency contraception between medical related and non-medical related students.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Khalid, A K

2009-04-01

Teenagers and young adultshave the most risk of unplanned pregnancy, due to lack of awareness to see a family planning provider after unprotected sexual intercourse. In addition, nearly one in five physicians is reluctant to provide information regarding Emergency Contraception (EC) to women and this may contribute to their lack of awareness. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding the use of EC between medical related students compared to non-medical related students. Data collection was done using questionnaires distributed among students in University College Cork (UCC). 93% of medically related students were aware of EC compared to only 73.5% of non-medically related students. Medical related students also were more aware about the mechanism of action and detailed knowledge of EC compared to the non-medical students. This study has proven that medically related students have more detailed knowledge regarding EC compared to non-medical related students. However, there was no significant difference noted regarding the attitude and practice between the two groups.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Candidate Genes Related to Skin Color Differentiation in Red Tilapia.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wenbin; Wang, Lanmei; Dong, Zaijie; Chen, Xingting; Song, Feibiao; Liu, Nian; Yang, Hui; Fu, Jianjun

2016-08-11

Red tilapia is becoming more popular for aquaculture production in China in recent years. However, the pigmentation differentiation in genetic breeding is the main problem limiting its development of commercial red tilapia culture and the genetic basis of skin color variation is still unknown. In this study, we conducted Illumina sequencing of transcriptome on three color variety red tilapia. A total of 224,895,758 reads were generated, resulting in 160,762 assembled contigs that were used as reference contigs. The contigs of red tilapia transcriptome had hits in the range of 53.4% to 86.7% of the unique proteins of zebrafish, fugu, medaka, three-spined stickleback and tilapia. And 44,723 contigs containing 77,423 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified, with 16,646 contigs containing more than one SSR. Three skin transcriptomes were compared pairwise and the results revealed that there were 148 common significantly differentially expressed unigenes and several key genes related to pigment synthesis, i.e. tyr, tyrp1, silv, sox10, slc24a5, cbs and slc7a11, were included. The results will facilitate understanding the molecular mechanisms of skin pigmentation differentiation in red tilapia and accelerate the molecular selection of the specific strain with consistent skin colors.

Conformational and tautomeric eccentricities of 2-acetyl-1,8-dihydroxynaphthalenes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Poul Erik; Kamounah, Fadhil S.; Hansen, Bjarke Knud Vilster

2007-01-01

-range hydrogen-hydrogen coupling between the OH-1 and the OH-8 and by the isotope effects on 13C caused by deuteration at the CH3C=O methyl group. Compound 2 participates in a degenerate equilibrium between two equivalent nonsymmetrical rotamers (2A and 2B) , each having two intramolecular O...HO hydrogen bonds...

Frequency and time variable parametric forces in a generalized linear aero-elastic model with two degrees of freedom

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Náprstek, Jiří; Pospíšil, Stanislav

2013-01-01

Roč. 20, č. 5 (2013), s. 355-367 ISSN 1802-1484 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA103/09/0094; GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA200710902 Institutional support: RVO:68378297 Keywords : flutter derivatives * indicial functions * non-symmetric systems * dynamic stability Subject RIV: JM - Building Engineering http://www.engineeringmechanics.cz/obsahy.html?R=20&C=5

Determination of star bodies from p-centroid bodies

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this paper, we prove that an origin-symmetric star body is uniquely determined by its -centroid body. Furthermore, using spherical harmonics, we establish a result for non-symmetric star bodies. As an application, we show that there is a unique member of p ⟨ K ⟩ characterized by having larger volume than any other ...

A general approach to analyse preconditioners two-by-two block matrices

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Axelsson, Owe

2012-01-01

Roč. 19, č. 2 (2012), s. 1-20 ISSN 1070-5325 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA105/09/1830 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30860518 Keywords : block preconditioning * nonsymmetric matrices * saddle point systems Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.202, year: 2012 http://www.quosafulltext.com/sc_ddm/sc_ddm.jsp

Super-geometrodynamics [Journal of High Energy Physics (Online), ISSN 1029-8479, 5 Mar 2015, v. 2015(03)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cvetič, M.; Gibbons, G.W.; Pope, C.N.

2015-01-01

We present explicit solutions of the time-symmetric initial value constraints, expressed in terms of freely specifiable harmonic functions for examples of supergravity theories, which emerge as effective theories of compactified string theory. These results are a prerequisite for the study of the time-evolution of topologically non-trivial initial data for supergravity theories, thus generalising the “Geometrodynamics” program of Einstein-Maxwell theory to that of supergravity theories. Specifically, we focus on examples of multiple electric Maxwell and scalar fields, and analyse the initial data problem for the general Einstein-Maxwell-Dilaton theory both with one and two Maxwell fields, and the STU model. The solutions are given in terms of up to eight arbitrary harmonic functions in the STU model. As a by-product, in order compare our results with known static solutions, the metric in isotropic coordinates and all the sources of the non-extremal black holes are expressed entirely in terms of harmonic functions. We also comment on generalizations to time-nonsymmetric initial data and their relation to cosmological solutions of gauged so-called fake supergravities with positive cosmological constant.

Comparative genome analysis of Lactobacillus plantarum GB-LP3 provides candidates of survival-related genetic factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Soomin; Jung, Jaehoon; Kim, Kwondo; Yoo, DongAhn; Lee, Chanho; Kang, Jungsun; Cho, Kyungjin; Kang, Dae-Kyung; Kwak, Woori; Yoon, Sook Hee; Kim, Heebal; Cho, Seoae

2017-09-01

Lactobacillus plantarum is found in various environmental niches such as in the gastrointestinal tract of an animal host or a fermented food. This species isolated from a certain environment is known to possess a variety of properties according to inhabited environment's adaptation. However, a causal relationship of a genetic factor and phenotype affected by a specific environment has not been systematically comprehended. L. plantarum GB-LP3 strain was isolated from Korean traditional fermented vegetable and the whole genome of GB-LP3 was sequenced. Comparative genome analysis of GB-LP3, with other 14 L. plantarum strains, was conducted. In addition, genomic island regions were investigated. The assembled whole GB-LP3 genome contained a single circular chromosome of 3,206,111bp with the GC content of 44.7%. In the phylogenetic tree analysis, GB-LP3 was in the closest distance from ZJ316. The genomes of GB-LP3 and ZJ316 have the high level of synteny. Functional genes that are related to prophage, bacteriocin, and quorum sensing were found through comparative genomic analysis with ZJ316 and investigation of genomic islands. dN/dS analysis identified that the gene coding for phosphonate ABC transporter ATP-binding protein is evolutionarily accelerated in GB-LP3. Our study found that potential candidate genes that are affected by environmental adaptation in Korea traditional fermented vegetable. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Dietary patterns as compared with physical activity in relation to metabolic syndrome among Chinese adults.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Y; Li, Y; Lai, J; Wang, D; Zhang, J; Fu, P; Yang, X; Qi, L

2013-10-01

To examine the nationally-representative dietary patterns and their joint effects with physical activity on the likelihood of metabolic syndrome (MS) among 20,827 Chinese adults. CNNHS was a nationally representative cross-sectional observational study. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the Joint Interim Statement definition. The "Green Water" dietary pattern, characterized by high intakes of rice and vegetables and moderate intakes in animal foods was related to the lowest prevalence of MS (15.9%). Compared to the "Green Water" dietary pattern, the "Yellow Earth" dietary pattern, characterized by high intakes of refined cereal products, tubers, cooking salt and salted vegetable was associated with a significantly elevated odds of MS (odds ratio 1.66, 95%CI: 1.40-1.96), after adjustment of age, sex, socioeconomic status and lifestyle factors. The "Western/new affluence" dietary pattern characterized by higher consumption of beef/lamb, fruit, eggs, poultry and seafood also significantly associated with MS (odds ratio: 1.37, 95%CI: 1.13-1.67). Physical activity showed significant interactions with the dietary patterns in relation to MS risk (P for interaction = 0.008). In the joint analysis, participants with the combination of sedentary activity with the "Yellow Earth" dietary pattern or the "Western/new affluence" dietary pattern both had more than three times (95%CI: 2.8-6.1) higher odds of MS than those with active activity and the "Green Water" dietary pattern. Our findings from the large Chinese national representative data indicate that dietary patterns affect the likelihood of MS. Combining healthy dietary pattern with active lifestyle may benefit more in prevention of MS. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

HOLLYWOOD: a comparative relational database of alternative splicing.

Science.gov (United States)

Holste, Dirk; Huo, George; Tung, Vivian; Burge, Christopher B

2006-01-01

RNA splicing is an essential step in gene expression, and is often variable, giving rise to multiple alternatively spliced mRNA and protein isoforms from a single gene locus. The design of effective databases to support experimental and computational investigations of alternative splicing (AS) is a significant challenge. In an effort to integrate accurate exon and splice site annotation with current knowledge about splicing regulatory elements and predicted AS events, and to link information about the splicing of orthologous genes in different species, we have developed the Hollywood system. This database was built upon genomic annotation of splicing patterns of known genes derived from spliced alignment of complementary DNAs (cDNAs) and expressed sequence tags, and links features such as splice site sequence and strength, exonic splicing enhancers and silencers, conserved and non-conserved patterns of splicing, and cDNA library information for inferred alternative exons. Hollywood was implemented as a relational database and currently contains comprehensive information for human and mouse. It is accompanied by a web query tool that allows searches for sets of exons with specific splicing characteristics or splicing regulatory element composition, or gives a graphical or sequence-level summary of splicing patterns for a specific gene. A streamlined graphical representation of gene splicing patterns is provided, and these patterns can alternatively be layered onto existing information in the UCSC Genome Browser. The database is accessible at http://hollywood.mit.edu.

Women Build Long Bones With Less Cortical Mass Relative to Body Size and Bone Size Compared With Men.

Science.gov (United States)

Jepsen, Karl J; Bigelow, Erin M R; Schlecht, Stephen H

2015-08-01

The twofold greater lifetime risk of fracturing a bone for white women compared with white men and black women has been attributed in part to differences in how the skeletal system accumulates bone mass during growth. On average, women build more slender long bones with less cortical area compared with men. Although slender bones are known to have a naturally lower cortical area compared with wider bones, it remains unclear whether the relatively lower cortical area of women is consistent with their increased slenderness or is reduced beyond that expected for the sex-specific differences in bone size and body size. Whether this sexual dimorphism is consistent with ethnic background and is recapitulated in the widely used mouse model also remains unclear. We asked (1) do black women build bones with reduced cortical area compared with black men; (2) do white women build bones with reduced cortical area compared with white men; and (3) do female mice build bones with reduced cortical area compared with male mice? Bone strength and cross-sectional morphology of adult human and mouse bone were calculated from quantitative CT images of the femoral midshaft. The data were tested for normality and regression analyses were used to test for differences in cortical area between men and women after adjusting for body size and bone size by general linear model (GLM). Linear regression analysis showed that the femurs of black women had 11% lower cortical area compared with those of black men after adjusting for body size and bone size (women: mean=357.7 mm2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 347.9-367.5 mm2; men: mean=400.1 mm2; 95% CI, 391.5-408.7 mm2; effect size=1.2; pbone size (women: mean=350.1 mm2; 95% CI, 340.4-359.8 mm2; men: mean=394.3 mm2; 95% CI, 386.5-402.1 mm2; effect size=1.3; pbone size (female: mean=0.73 mm2; 95% CI, 0.71-0.74 mm2; male: mean=0.70 mm2; 95% CI, 0.68-0.71 mm2; effect size=0.74; p=0.04, GLM). Female femurs are not simply a more slender version of male

Comparative physiology and relative swimming performance of three redhorse (Moxostoma spp.) species: associations with fishway passage success.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatry, Charles; Thiem, Jason D; Binder, Thomas R; Hatin, Daniel; Dumont, Pierre; Stamplecoskie, Keith M; Molina, Juan M; Smokorowski, Karen E; Cooke, Steven J

2014-01-01

Our understanding of biological criteria to inform fish passage design is limited, partially due to the lack of understanding of biological motivators, cues, and constraints, as well as a lack of biological performance evaluations of structures once they are built. The Vianney-Legendre vertical slot fishway on the Richelieu River, Quebec, Canada, passes large numbers of migrating redhorse (Moxostoma spp.) upriver to spawning grounds each year. We evaluated the physiological capacity and relative swimming ability of three redhorse species (Moxostoma anisurum, Moxostoma carinatum, Moxostoma macrolepidotum; silver, river, and shorthead redhorse, respectively) to determine how these biotic factors relate to variation in fishway passage success and duration. Shorthead redhorse had higher maximum metabolic rates and were faster swimmers than silver and river redhorse at their species-specific peak migration temperatures. Blood lactate and glucose concentrations recovered more quickly for river redhorse than for silver and shorthead redhorse, and river redhorse placed second in terms of metabolic recovery and swim speed. Interestingly, fish sampled from the top of the fishway had nearly identical lactate, glucose, and pH values compared to control fish. Using passive integrated transponders in 2010 and 2012, we observed that passage success and duration were highly variable among redhorse species and were not consistent among years, suggesting that other factors such as water temperature and river flows may modulate passage success. Clearly, additional research is needed to understand how organismal performance, environmental conditions, and other factors (including abundance of conspecifics and other comigrants) interact with fishway features to dictate which fish will be successful and to inform research of future fishways. Our research suggests that there may be an opportunity for a rapid assessment approach where fish chased to exhaustion to determine maximal values

Meaningful Memory in Acute Anorexia Nervosa Patients-Comparing Recall, Learning, and Recognition of Semantically Related and Semantically Unrelated Word Stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Terhoeven, Valentin; Kallen, Ursula; Ingenerf, Katrin; Aschenbrenner, Steffen; Weisbrod, Matthias; Herzog, Wolfgang; Brockmeyer, Timo; Friederich, Hans-Christoph; Nikendei, Christoph

2017-03-01

It is unclear whether observed memory impairment in anorexia nervosa (AN) depends on the semantic structure (categorized words) of material to be encoded. We aimed to investigate the processing of semantically related information in AN. Memory performance was assessed in a recall, learning, and recognition test in 27 adult women with AN (19 restricting, 8 binge-eating/purging subtype; average disease duration: 9.32 years) and 30 healthy controls using an extended version of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, applying semantically related and unrelated word stimuli. Short-term memory (immediate recall, learning), regardless of semantics of the words, was significantly worse in AN patients, whereas long-term memory (delayed recall, recognition) did not differ between AN patients and controls. Semantics of stimuli do not have a better effect on memory recall in AN compared to CO. Impaired short-term versus long-term memory is discussed in relation to dysfunctional working memory in AN. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Social stigma related to halitosis in Saudi and British population: A comparative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Yunis Saleem Bhat

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Oral malodor or halitosis is a common problem in the general population throughout the world. Results of previous research findings suggest that there is a relationship between oral malodor and social anxiety disorder. Halitosis can be very damaging to someone psychologically due to the social stigma. In this study, we tried to assess the social stigma related to halitosis and compare that in Saudi and British population. Methodology: A pretested questionnaire was distributed among Saudi and British population. Responses were obtained from 308 (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and 304 (United Kingdom participants. The purpose of this study was explained to the participants before distributing questionnaire form and the information was collected accordingly. Results: A total of 612 participants, 308 (Jeddah and Abha and 304 (Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Glasgow were selected and all the participants were aware of their halitosis. Selected Saudi population assessed their halitosis as mild (50.6%, moderate (30.12% and severe (19.28%. Selected British population assessed their halitosis as mild (39.71%, moderate (36.76%, and severe (23.53%. 71.2% of the Saudi population selected and 56.6% of the United Kingdom population selected responded that they encountered individuals with halitosis. 76.9% of Saudi population selected and 55.8% of United Kingdom population selected encountered social embarrassment due to halitosis. Conclusion: Considerable amount of stigma associated with halitosis persists in both countries. Though there are no significant differences in the social stigma attached with halitosis between the United Kingdom and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it is still a matter of concern.

Molecular phylogeny and comparative morphology indicate that odontostomatids (Alveolata, Ciliophora) form a distinct class-level taxon related to Armophorea.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Noemi M; Vizzoni, Vinicius F; Borges, Bárbara do N; A G Soares, Carlos; Silva-Neto, Inácio D da; S Paiva, Thiago da

2018-04-18

The odontostomatids are among the least studied ciliates, possibly due to their small sizes, restriction to anaerobic environments and difficulty in culturing. Consequently, their phylogenetic affinities to other ciliate taxa are still poorly understood. In the present study, we analyzed newly obtained ribosomal gene sequences of the odontostomatids Discomorphella pedroeneasi and Saprodinium dentatum, together with sequences from the literature, including Epalxella antiquorum and a large assemblage of ciliate sequences representing the major recognized classes. The results show that D. pedroeneasi and S. dentatum form a deep-diverging branch related to metopid and clevelandellid armophoreans, corroborating the old literature. However E. antiquorum clustered with the morphologically discrepant plagiopylids, indicating that either the complex odontostomatid body architecture evolved convergently, or the positioning of E. antiquorum as a plagiopylid is artifactual. A new ciliate class, Odontostomatea n. cl., is proposed based on molecular analyses and comparative morphology of odontostomatids with related taxa. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Magic Coset Decompositions

CERN Document Server

Cacciatori, Sergio L; Marrani, Alessio

2013-01-01

By exploiting a "mixed" non-symmetric Freudenthal-Rozenfeld-Tits magic square, two types of coset decompositions are analyzed for the non-compact special K\\"ahler symmetric rank-3 coset E7(-25)/[(E6(-78) x U(1))/Z_3], occurring in supergravity as the vector multiplets' scalar manifold in N=2, D=4 exceptional Maxwell-Einstein theory. The first decomposition exhibits maximal manifest covariance, whereas the second (triality-symmetric) one is of Iwasawa type, with maximal SO(8) covariance. Generalizations to conformal non-compact, real forms of non-degenerate, simple groups "of type E7" are presented for both classes of coset parametrizations, and relations to rank-3 simple Euclidean Jordan algebras and normed trialities over division algebras are also discussed.

Risk factors related to suicidal ideation and attempted suicide: comparative study of Korean and American youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Sung Suk; Joung, Kyoung Hwa

2012-12-01

Suicidal trends and related characteristics such as sociodemographic factors, psychological factors, and health behaviors can differ between countries. This study investigated the predictors of suicidal ideation and attempted suicide including health behaviors among American and Korean youth from two national representative data sets. In both countries, depression was the most predominant predictor to suicidal ideation and attempted suicide. Unique predictors of suicidal youth in each country were also found. In America, attempted suicide was predicted by poor body image, whereas in Korea attempted suicide was predicted by medical diagnosis such as asthma, concern about weight, and alcohol consumption. The value of our approach lies in the comparative analysis of analogous and unique characteristics of suicidal youths in these two huge data sets from different countries. These results should be helpful for school and mental health care providers to plan interventions for youth at risk of suicide to prevent suicidal completion in these nations.

Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry Compared with Anthropometry in Relation to Cardio-Metabolic Risk Factors in a Young Adult Population: Is the 'Gold Standard' Tarnished?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denise L Demmer

Full Text Available Assessment of adiposity using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA has been considered more advantageous in comparison to anthropometry for predicting cardio-metabolic risk in the older population, by virtue of its ability to distinguish total and regional fat. Nonetheless, there is increasing uncertainty regarding the relative superiority of DXA and little comparative data exist in young adults. This study aimed to identify which measure of adiposity determined by either DXA or anthropometry is optimal within a range of cardio-metabolic risk factors in young adults.1138 adults aged 20 years were assessed by DXA and standard anthropometry from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine Study. Cross-sectional linear regression analyses were performed. Waist to height ratio was superior to any DXA measure with HDL-C. BMI was the superior model in relation to blood pressure than any DXA measure. Midriff fat mass (DXA and waist circumference were comparable in relation to glucose. For all the other cardio-metabolic variables, anthropometric and DXA measures were comparable. DXA midriff fat mass compared with BMI or waist hip ratio was the superior measure for triglycerides, insulin and HOMA-IR.Although midriff fat mass (measured by DXA was the superior measure with insulin sensitivity and triglycerides, the anthropometric measures were better or equal with various DXA measures for majority of the cardio-metabolic risk factors. Our findings suggest, clinical anthropometry is generally as useful as DXA in the evaluation of the individual cardio-metabolic risk factors in young adults.

Comparative evaluation of the efficacy of occlusal splints fabricated in centric relation or maximum intercuspation in temporomandibular disorders patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo Matida Hamata

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Fabrication of occlusal splints in centric relation for temporomandibular disorders (TMD patients is arguable, since this position has been defined for asymptomatic stomatognathic system. Thus, maximum intercuspation might be employed in patients with occlusal stability, eliminating the need for interocclusal records. This study compared occlusal splints fabricated in centric relation and maximum intercuspation in muscle pain reduction of TMD patients. Twenty patients with TMD of myogenous origin and bruxism were divided into 2 groups treated with splints in maximum intercuspation (I or centric relation (II. Clinical, electrognathographic and electromyographic examinations were performed before and 3 months after therapy. Data were analyzed by the Student's t test. Differences at 5% level of probability were considered statistically significant. There was a remarkable reduction in pain symptomatology, without statistically significant differences (p>0.05 between the groups. There was mandibular repositioning during therapy, as demonstrated by the change in occlusal contacts on the splints. Electrognathographic examination demonstrated a significant increase in maximum left lateral movement for group I and right lateral movement for group II (p0.05 in the electromyographic activities at rest after utilization of both splints. In conclusion, both occlusal splints were effective for pain control and presented similar action. The results suggest that maximum intercuspation may be used for fabrication of occlusal splints in patients with occlusal stability without large discrepancies between centric relation and maximum intercuspation. Moreover, this technique is simpler and less expensive.

Comparative evaluation of the efficacy of occlusal splints fabricated in centric relation or maximum intercuspation in temporomandibular disorders patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamata, Marcelo Matida; Zuim, Paulo Renato Junqueira; Garcia, Alicio Rosalino

2009-01-01

Fabrication of occlusal splints in centric relation for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) patients is arguable, since this position has been defined for asymptomatic stomatognathic system. Thus, maximum intercuspation might be employed in patients with occlusal stability, eliminating the need for interocclusal records. This study compared occlusal splints fabricated in centric relation and maximum intercuspation in muscle pain reduction of TMD patients. Twenty patients with TMD of myogenous origin and bruxism were divided into 2 groups treated with splints in maximum intercuspation (I) or centric relation (II). Clinical, electrognathographic and electromyographic examinations were performed before and 3 months after therapy. Data were analyzed by the Student's t test. Differences at 5% level of probability were considered statistically significant. There was a remarkable reduction in pain symptomatology, without statistically significant differences (p>0.05) between the groups. There was mandibular repositioning during therapy, as demonstrated by the change in occlusal contacts on the splints. Electrognathographic examination demonstrated a significant increase in maximum left lateral movement for group I and right lateral movement for group II (p0.05) in the electromyographic activities at rest after utilization of both splints. In conclusion, both occlusal splints were effective for pain control and presented similar action. The results suggest that maximum intercuspation may be used for fabrication of occlusal splints in patients with occlusal stability without large discrepancies between centric relation and maximum intercuspation. Moreover, this technique is simpler and less expensive.

Comparable Efficacy of Abatacept Used as First-line or Second-line Biological Agent for Severe Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-related Uveitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Birolo, Carolina; Zannin, Maria Elisabetta; Arsenyeva, Svetlana; Cimaz, Rolando; Miserocchi, Elisabetta; Dubko, Margarita; Deslandre, Chantal Job; Falcini, Fernanda; Alessio, Maria; La Torre, Francesco; Denisova, Ekaterina; Martini, Giorgia; Nikishina, Irina; Zulian, Francesco

2016-11-01

Abatacept (ABA) has recently been proposed as second-line treatment in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-associated uveitis refractory to anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (anti-TNF) agents, but little is known about its efficacy as a first-line approach. The aim of the present study was to compare the safety and efficacy of ABA as a first-line biological agent (ABA-1) with that of ABA as a second-line treatment after 1 or more anti-TNF agents (ABA-2), in patients with severe JIA-related uveitis. In this multicenter study, we collected data on patients with severe JIA-related uveitis treated with ABA as a first-line or second-line biological agent. Changes in frequency of uveitis flares/year and ocular complications before and after ABA treatment, clinical remission, and side effects were recorded. Thirty-five patients with a mean age of 10.8 years were treated with ABA for a mean period of 19.6 months. In 4 patients, ABA administration was discontinued, owing to inefficacy on arthritis in 3 cases and allergic reaction in 1. Thirty-one patients, 14 in the ABA-1 group and 17 in the ABA-2 group, completed the 12-month followup period; of these, 17 (54.8%) had clinical remission. The mean frequency of uveitis flares decreased from 4.1 to 1.2 in the ABA-1 group (p = 0.002) and from 3.7 to 1.2 in the ABA-2 group (p = 0.004). Preexisting ocular complications improved or remained stable in all but 5 patients, all in the ABA-2 group. No significant difference was found between the efficacy of the 2 treatment modalities. ABA confirmed its good safety profile. ABA, used as first-line biological treatment or after 1 or more anti-TNF agents, induces a comparable improvement in severe refractory JIA-related uveitis.

Absolute or relative? A comparative analysis of the relationship between poverty and mortality.

Science.gov (United States)

Fritzell, Johan; Rehnberg, Johan; Bacchus Hertzman, Jennie; Blomgren, Jenni

2015-01-01

We aimed to examine the cross-national and cross-temporal association between poverty and mortality, in particular differentiating the impact of absolute and relative poverty. We employed pooled cross-sectional time series analysis. Our measure of relative poverty was based upon the standard 60% of median income. The measure of absolute, or fixed, poverty was based upon the US poverty threshold. Our analyses were conducted on data for 30 countries between 1978 and 2010, a total of 149 data points. We separately studied infant, child, and adult mortality. Our findings highlight the importance of relative poverty for mortality. Especially for infant and child mortality, we found that our estimates of fixed poverty is close to zero either in the crude models, or when adjusting for gross domestic product. Conversely, the relative poverty estimates increased when adjusting for confounders. Our results seemed robust to a number of sensitivity tests. If we agree that risk of death is important, the public policy implication of our findings is that relative poverty, which has close associations to overall inequality, should be a major concern also among rich countries.

A comparative study of age-related hearing loss in wild type and insulin-like growth factor I deficient mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raquel Riquelme

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I belongs to the family of insulin-related peptides that fulfils a key role during the late development of the nervous system. Human IGF1 mutations cause profound deafness, poor growth and mental retardation. Accordingly, Igf1−/− null mice are dwarfs that have low survival rates, cochlear alterations and severe sensorineural deafness. Presbycusis (age-related hearing loss is a common disorder associated with aging that causes social and cognitive problems. Aging is also associated with a decrease in circulating IGF-I levels and this reduction has been related to cognitive and brain alterations, although there is no information as yet regarding the relationship between presbycusis and IGF-I biodisponibility. Here we present a longitudinal study of wild type Igf1+/+ and null Igf1−/− mice from 2 to 12 months of age comparing the temporal progression of several parameters: hearing, brain morphology, cochlear cytoarchitecture, insulin-related factors and IGF gene expression and IGF-I serum levels. Complementary invasive and non-invasive techniques were used, including auditory brainstem-evoked response (ABR recordings and in vivo MRI brain imaging. Igf1−/− null mice presented profound deafness at all the ages studied, without any obvious worsening of hearing parameters with aging. Igf1+/+ wild type mice suffered significant age-related hearing loss, their auditory thresholds and peak I latencies augmenting as they aged, in parallel with a decrease in the circulating levels of IGF-I. Accordingly, there was an age-related spiral ganglion degeneration in wild type mice that was not evident in the Igf1 null mice. However, the Igf1−/− null mice in turn developed a prematurely aged stria vascularis reminiscent of the diabetic strial phenotype. Our data indicate that IGF-I is required for the correct development and maintenance of hearing, supporting the idea that IGF-I-based therapies could contribute to

Which Triple Aim related measures are being used to evaluate population management initiatives? An international comparative analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendrikx, Roy J P; Drewes, Hanneke W; Spreeuwenberg, Marieke; Ruwaard, Dirk; Struijs, Jeroen N; Baan, Caroline A

2016-05-01

Population management (PM) initiatives are introduced in order to create sustainable health care systems. These initiatives should focus on the continuum of health and well-being of a population by introducing interventions that integrate various services. To be successful they should pursue the Triple Aim, i.e. simultaneously improve population health and quality of care while reducing costs per capita. This study explores how PM initiatives measure the Triple Aim in practice. An exploratory search was combined with expert consultations to identify relevant PM initiatives. These were analyzed based on general characteristics, utilized measures and related selection criteria. In total 865 measures were used by 20 PM initiatives. All quality of care domains were included by at least 11 PM initiatives, while most domains of population health and costs were included by less than 7 PM initiatives. Although their goals showed substantial overlap, the measures applied showed few similarities between PM initiatives and were predominantly selected based on local priority areas and data availability. Most PM initiatives do not measure the full scope of the Triple Aim. Additionally, variety between measures limits comparability between PM initiatives. Consensus on the coverage of Triple Aim domains and a set of standardized measures could further both the inclusion of the various domains as well as the comparability between PM initiatives. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drug-related police encounters across the globe: How do they compare?

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Caitlin E; Barratt, Monica J; Ferris, Jason A; Maier, Larissa J; Winstock, Adam R

2018-06-01

Drug law enforcement subsumes the majority of drug policy expenditure across the globe. Fuelled by knowledge that much of this investment is ineffective or counter-productive there have been increasing calls for cross-national comparisons to identify where policing approaches differ and what types of approaches may be more effective. Yet, to date cross-national comparison of drug law enforcement has proven a methodologically hazardous affair. Using a new drug policing module added to the 2017 Global Drug Survey, this study seeks to provide the first cross-national comparison of the incidence, nature and intensity of illicit drug-related police encounters amongst people who use drugs. The Global Drug Survey was administered in late 2016. Across 26 countries including Australia, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, the UK and the USA a total of 45,942 people who had recently used drugs completed the drug policing module. Key variables assessed included the incidence and frequency of drug-related police encounters in the last 12 months that involved: a) being stopped and searched; b) encountering a drug detection dog; c) being given a caution or warning; d) being charged and arrested; and e) paying a bribe. Multi-level models were used to control for pre-existing national differences in drug use prevalence and non-drug specific policing (including the total number of police personnel in each country). Drug-related police encounters were most commonly reported in Italy and Scotland. Conversely, police encounters were most likely to lead to arrest in Norway, Finland and Sweden. The type and locations of encounters further differed across countries, with for example stop and search most reported in Greece and Colombia, and encounters with drug detection dogs most reported in Scotland, Italy, UK and Australia. Multi-level models showed that the incidence of reported policing encounters continued to differ significantly across countries after controlling for pre

Comparative Evaluations and Microstructure: Mechanical Property Relations of Sintered Silicon Carbide Consolidated by Various Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Barick, Prasenjit; Chatterjee, Arya; Majumdar, Bhaskar; Saha, Bhaskar Prasad; Mitra, Rahul

2018-04-01

A comparative evaluation between pressureless or self-sintered silicon carbide (SSiC), hot-pressed silicon carbide (HP-SiC), and spark plasma-sintered silicon carbide (SPS-SiC) has been carried out with emphasis on examination of their microstructures and mechanical properties. The effect of sample dimensions on density and properties of SPS-SiC has been also examined. Elastic modulus, flexural strength, and fracture toughness measured by indentation or testing of single-edge notched beam specimens have been found to follow the following trend, HP-SiC > SSiC > SPS-SiC. The SPS-SiC samples have shown size-dependent densification and mechanical properties, with the smaller sample exhibiting superior properties. The mechanical properties of sintered SiC samples appear to be influenced by relative density, grain size, and morphology, as well as the existence of intergranular glassy phase. Studies of fracture surface morphologies have revealed the mechanism of failure to be transgranular in SSiC or HP-SiC, and intergranular in case of SPS-SiC, indicating the dominating influence of grain size and α-SiC formation with high aspect ratio.

Solidarity and ambivalence: comparing two perspectives on intergenerational relations using longitudinal panel data.

Science.gov (United States)

Hogerbrugge, Martijn J A; Komter, Aafke E

2012-05-01

Research on family relations has extensively used the intergenerational solidarity model proposed by Bengtson and colleagues. Recently, the relevance of this model for explaining changes in family relations has been questioned, and the concept of intergenerational ambivalence has been proposed as a relevant addition to the model, supposedly acting as a catalyst, and thus serving as an explanation for changes in family relations. This study tests both the viability of the intergenerational solidarity model and the hypothesized effect of ambivalence employing longitudinal data. We use data from 2 waves of the Netherlands' Kinship Panel Study on parent-adult child relationships to estimate latent variable structural equation models. Affection, association, and support between family members are core, mutually reinforcing dimensions of solidarity. The hypothesis that ambivalence is a catalyst for change in family relations was not confirmed. Adding conflict separately revealed that it only affects the core solidarity dimensions but is itself, like normative and structural solidarity, not influenced by them. The relevance of the concept of intergenerational ambivalence for studying changes in family relations can be questioned. The viability of the intergenerational solidarity model is, however, confirmed. The concept of intergenerational ambivalence might be further explored in qualitative studies on family change.

Dying to starve: A comparative analysis of legal aspects relating to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The authors explore the legal complexities surrounding the force-feeding of anorexic patients. Due to the myriad of difficulties relating to anorexia nervosa, treatment is intricate. The aim of this exposition is to clarify legal issues of consent and self-determination, with regard to both adult and minor patients. In addition, the ...

Academic Public Relations Curricula: How They Compare with the Bateman-Cutlip Commission Standards.

Science.gov (United States)

McCartney, Hunter P.

To see what effect the 1975 Bateman-Cutlip Commission's recommendations have had on improving public relations education in the United States, 173 questionnaires were sent to colleges or universities with accredited or comprehensive programs in public relations. Responding to five basic assumptions underlying the commission's recommendations,…

Comparative analysis estimates the relative frequencies of co-divergence and cross-species transmission within viral families.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jemma L Geoghegan

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The cross-species transmission of viruses from one host species to another is responsible for the majority of emerging infections. However, it is unclear whether some virus families have a greater propensity to jump host species than others. If related viruses have an evolutionary history of co-divergence with their hosts there should be evidence of topological similarities between the virus and host phylogenetic trees, whereas host jumping generates incongruent tree topologies. By analyzing co-phylogenetic processes in 19 virus families and their eukaryotic hosts we provide a quantitative and comparative estimate of the relative frequency of virus-host co-divergence versus cross-species transmission among virus families. Notably, our analysis reveals that cross-species transmission is a near universal feature of the viruses analyzed here, with virus-host co-divergence occurring less frequently and always on a subset of viruses. Despite the overall high topological incongruence among virus and host phylogenies, the Hepadnaviridae, Polyomaviridae, Poxviridae, Papillomaviridae and Adenoviridae, all of which possess double-stranded DNA genomes, exhibited more frequent co-divergence than the other virus families studied here. At the other extreme, the virus and host trees for all the RNA viruses studied here, particularly the Rhabdoviridae and the Picornaviridae, displayed high levels of topological incongruence, indicative of frequent host switching. Overall, we show that cross-species transmission plays a major role in virus evolution, with all the virus families studied here having the potential to jump host species, and that increased sampling will likely reveal more instances of host jumping.

More on Generalizations and Modifications of Iterative Methods for Solving Large Sparse Indefinite Linear Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jen-Yuan Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Continuing from the works of Li et al. (2014, Li (2007, and Kincaid et al. (2000, we present more generalizations and modifications of iterative methods for solving large sparse symmetric and nonsymmetric indefinite systems of linear equations. We discuss a variety of iterative methods such as GMRES, MGMRES, MINRES, LQ-MINRES, QR MINRES, MMINRES, MGRES, and others.

Visual search for feature conjunctions: an fMRI study comparing alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) to ADHD.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Conaill, Carrie R; Malisza, Krisztina L; Buss, Joan L; Bolster, R Bruce; Clancy, Christine; de Gervai, Patricia Dreessen; Chudley, Albert E; Longstaffe, Sally

2015-01-01

Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) falls under the umbrella of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Diagnosis of ARND is difficult because individuals do not demonstrate the characteristic facial features associated with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). While attentional problems in ARND are similar to those found in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the underlying impairment in attention pathways may be different. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was conducted at 3 T. Sixty-three children aged 10 to 14 years diagnosed with ARND, ADHD, and typically developing (TD) controls performed a single-feature and a feature-conjunction visual search task. Dorsal and ventral attention pathways were activated during both attention tasks in all groups. Significantly greater activation was observed in ARND subjects during a single-feature search as compared to TD and ADHD groups, suggesting ARND subjects require greater neural recruitment to perform this simple task. ARND subjects appear unable to effectively use the very efficient automatic perceptual 'pop-out' mechanism employed by TD and ADHD groups during presentation of the disjunction array. By comparison, activation was lower in ARND compared to TD and ADHD subjects during the more difficult conjunction search task as compared to the single-feature search. Analysis of DTI data using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) showed areas of significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA) and higher mean diffusivity (MD) in the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) in ARND compared to TD subjects. Damage to the white matter of the ILF may compromise the ventral attention pathway and may require subjects to use the dorsal attention pathway, which is associated with effortful top-down processing, for tasks that should be automatic. Decreased functional activity in the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) of ARND subjects may be due to a

GENDER BIAS IN THE PUBLIC RELATIONS INDUSTRY IN MALAYSIA: COMPARING PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTITIONERS’ JOB FUNCTIONS, INCOMES, AND CAREER PROSPECTS

OpenAIRE

Yesuselvi Manickam; Tan Soon Chin; Suffian Hadi Ayub

2016-01-01

Today, there is an increase in women working outside their home to sustain themselves economically and socially, but the working experiences can be problematic for women when gender discrimination exists in the workplace. In the early 1960s, women were entering the public relations industry at a rate faster than their male counterparts, but gender bias was a sore issue in the industry. Numerous studies have been conducted on gender bias, and the findings indicate that female public relations ...

Health-related quality of life of prostate cancer patients compared to the general German population: age-specific results.

Science.gov (United States)

Zenger, Markus; Hinz, Andreas; Stolzenburg, Jens-Uwe; Rabenalt, Robert; Schwalenberg, Thilo; Schwarz, Reinhold

2009-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the age-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of prostate cancer patients (PCPs). 387 PCPs were asked to self-assess their HRQOL with the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Patients' data were compared with those of the general German population. The reported global health/QOL scores of the study group and the general German population are nearly equal. However, most of the subdomains of HRQOL are negatively affected in PCPs, especially in younger patients (

Instabilities in electromagnetic quasilevitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Spragg, Kirk; Letout, Sebastien; Ernst, R; Sneyd, Alfred; Fautrelle, Yves

2014-05-01

We investigate free-surface instabilities occurring in various industrial processes involving liquid metal. Of particular interest is the behavior of the free surface of a pool of liquid metal when it is submitted to an alternating magnetic field. Experimentally, we study the effect of a vertical alternating medium-frequency magnetic field on an initially circular pool. We observe various types of behavior according to magnetic field amplitude, e.g., axisymmetric deformations, azimuthal mode structures, slow radial oscillation of the pool perimeter, and random rotation of the pool around its center. Drop rotation could be attributed to nonsymmetric shape deformations. The effect of oxidation leads to drastic changes in pool behavior. The experimental results are then compared to a linear stability analysis of the free surface of a circular liquid drop.

Comparing different kinds of words and word-word relations to test an habituation model of priming.

Science.gov (United States)

Rieth, Cory A; Huber, David E

2017-06-01

Huber and O'Reilly (2003) proposed that neural habituation exists to solve a temporal parsing problem, minimizing blending between one word and the next when words are visually presented in rapid succession. They developed a neural dynamics habituation model, explaining the finding that short duration primes produce positive priming whereas long duration primes produce negative repetition priming. The model contains three layers of processing, including a visual input layer, an orthographic layer, and a lexical-semantic layer. The predicted effect of prime duration depends both on this assumed representational hierarchy and the assumption that synaptic depression underlies habituation. The current study tested these assumptions by comparing different kinds of words (e.g., words versus non-words) and different kinds of word-word relations (e.g., associative versus repetition). For each experiment, the predictions of the original model were compared to an alternative model with different representational assumptions. Experiment 1 confirmed the prediction that non-words and inverted words require longer prime durations to eliminate positive repetition priming (i.e., a slower transition from positive to negative priming). Experiment 2 confirmed the prediction that associative priming increases and then decreases with increasing prime duration, but remains positive even with long duration primes. Experiment 3 replicated the effects of repetition and associative priming using a within-subjects design and combined these effects by examining target words that were expected to repeat (e.g., viewing the target word 'BACK' after the prime phrase 'back to'). These results support the originally assumed representational hierarchy and more generally the role of habituation in temporal parsing and priming. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparing Demonstratives in Kwa

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper is a comparative study of demonstrative forms in three K wa languages, ... relative distance from the deictic centre, such as English this and that, here and there. ... Mostly, the referents of demonstratives are 'activated' or at least.

Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry Compared with Anthropometry in Relation to Cardio-Metabolic Risk Factors in a Young Adult Population: Is the ‘Gold Standard’ Tarnished?

Science.gov (United States)

Hands, Beth; Pennell, Craig E.; Lye, Stephen J.; Mountain, Jennifer A.

2016-01-01

Background and Aims Assessment of adiposity using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) has been considered more advantageous in comparison to anthropometry for predicting cardio-metabolic risk in the older population, by virtue of its ability to distinguish total and regional fat. Nonetheless, there is increasing uncertainty regarding the relative superiority of DXA and little comparative data exist in young adults. This study aimed to identify which measure of adiposity determined by either DXA or anthropometry is optimal within a range of cardio-metabolic risk factors in young adults. Methods and Results 1138 adults aged 20 years were assessed by DXA and standard anthropometry from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Cross-sectional linear regression analyses were performed. Waist to height ratio was superior to any DXA measure with HDL-C. BMI was the superior model in relation to blood pressure than any DXA measure. Midriff fat mass (DXA) and waist circumference were comparable in relation to glucose. For all the other cardio-metabolic variables, anthropometric and DXA measures were comparable. DXA midriff fat mass compared with BMI or waist hip ratio was the superior measure for triglycerides, insulin and HOMA-IR. Conclusion Although midriff fat mass (measured by DXA) was the superior measure with insulin sensitivity and triglycerides, the anthropometric measures were better or equal with various DXA measures for majority of the cardio-metabolic risk factors. Our findings suggest, clinical anthropometry is generally as useful as DXA in the evaluation of the individual cardio-metabolic risk factors in young adults. PMID:27622523

The role of objects and effects in action imitation: Comparing the imitation of object-related actions vs. gestures in 18-month-old infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ziyon; Óturai, Gabriella; Király, Ildikó; Knopf, Monika

2015-11-01

This study aimed to systematically investigate 18-month-old infants' imitation of object-related actions compared to motorically similar gestures. An additional goal of the study was to examine the role of action effects on infants' imitation of target actions. One group of infants (n=17) observed object-related actions and gestures leading to salient effects (sounds or visual resp. social effects), and the other group (n=16) watched the same actions without effects. Furthermore, this study examined whether infants show a consistent imitation ability for object-related actions and gestures. First, the present study showed that 18-month-old infants imitated object-related actions more frequently than gestures. Second, the presence of an effect significantly increased the imitation rate of object-related actions; however, this difference was not found for gestures. Third, indications for a general imitation ability were found as results on an individual level showed that object-related action imitation significantly correlated with gesture imitation. Implications of the results for theory and future studies are discussed with a focus on the role of objects and effects in 18-month-old infants' action imitation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Depression and work related stress problems, with notes of comparative law.

Science.gov (United States)

Amorosi, Marilisa; Pettinelli, Roberto

2013-09-01

This paper supplies both a medical and legal analysis of work related stress problems, by going throught the role of prevention in the European legal system. The Authors, after reviewing the negative role that stress has in the management of the employment relationship, describe the main steps that have brought Europe to recognize the importance of the role of prevention, and to recognize the role of well-being in the workplace.

Relational Factors of Vulnerability and Protection for Adolescent Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study of Portuguese Pregnant and Nonpregnant Adolescents of Low Socioeconomic Status

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Ana I. F.; Canavarro, Maria C.; Cardoso, Margarida F.; Mendonca, Denisa

2005-01-01

This study explores multiple relational contexts that promote vulnerability and protection against early pregnancy in a potential risk group of Portuguese adolescents. A comparative analysis was made between two groups of female adolescents of low socioeconomic status: pregnant adolescents (n = 57) and adolescents without a history of pregnancy (n…

A homogeneous interior-point algorithm for nonsymmetric convex conic optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skajaa, Anders; Ye, Yinyu

2014-01-01

-centered primal–dual point. Features of the algorithm include that it makes use only of the primal barrier function, that it is able to detect infeasibilities in the problem and that no phase-I method is needed. We prove convergence to TeX -accuracy in TeX iterations. To improve performance, the algorithm employs...

Anticipated chaos in a nonsymmetric coupled external-cavity-laser system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rees, Paul; Spencer, Paul S.; Pierce, Iestyn; Sivaprakasam, S.; Shore, K. Alan

2003-01-01

We explain how the anticipation of chaos in a coupled external cavity laser system described by Sivaprakasam, Shahverdiev, Spencer, and Shore [Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 154101 (2001)] is obtained. We show that the external cavity induces the required symmetry breaking necessary for the existence of a time delay between the synchronized output of the two laser diodes. The inclusion of a detuning between the two lasers causes one laser to anticipate the chaotic dynamics of the other

Postural reconfiguration and cycle-to-cycle variability in patients with work-related musculoskeletal disorders compared to healthy controls and in relation to pain emerging during a repetitive movement task.

Science.gov (United States)

Longo, Alessia; Meulenbroek, Ruud; Haid, Thomas; Federolf, Peter

2018-05-01

Movement variability in sustained repetitive tasks is an important factor in the context of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. While a popular hypothesis suggests that movement variability can prevent overuse injuries, pain evolving during task execution may also cause variability. The aim of the current study was to investigate, first, differences in movement behavior between volunteers with and without work-related pain and, second, the influence of emerging pain on movement variability. Upper-body 3D kinematics were collected as 22 subjects with musculoskeletal disorders and 19 healthy volunteers performed a bimanual repetitive tapping task with a self-chosen and a given rhythm. Three subgroups were formed within the patient group according to the level of pain the participants experienced during the task. Principal component analysis was applied to 30 joint angle coordinates to characterize in a combined analysis the movement variability associated with reconfigurations of the volunteers' postures and the cycle-to-cycle variability that occurred during the execution of the task. Patients with no task-related pain showed lower cycle-to-cycle variability compared to healthy controls. Findings also indicated an increase in movement variability as pain emerged, manifesting both as frequent postural changes and large cycle-to-cycle variability. The findings suggested a relationship between work-related musculoskeletal disorders and movement variability but further investigation is needed on this issue. Additionally, the findings provided clear evidence that pain increased motor variability. Postural reconfigurations and cycle-to-cycle variability should be considered jointly when investigating movement variability and musculoskeletal disorders. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative in vitro study for orthodontic adhesives relatively to sorption and solubility

Science.gov (United States)

Muntean, A.; Mesaros, A.; Festila, D.; Moldovan, M.; Boboia, S.; Mesaros, M.

2015-12-01

Water sorption and solubility correspond to undesirable physical characteristics because it may cause micro leakage and dissolution for composite materials used for orthodontic attachment bonding. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of four composite materials employed in orthodontic as adhesives, relatively to water and 50% alcoholic solution, by means of in vitro tests of sorption and solubility. We used an experimental composite sealer SO® (ICCRR Cluj Napoca) and 3 commercial products already on the market: Blugloo® (Ormco), Opal Bond MV® (Ultradent) and Bond It® (DB orthodontics). Data were recorded and specific statistic tests were performed, revealing significant differences for all materials relatively to tested solutions. The materials expressed an adequate performance in terms of sorption and solubility, offering various alternatives for orthodontists.

A Comparative Study of Continental vs. Intraoceanic Arc Mantle Melting: Experimentally Determined Phase Relations of Hydrous, Primitive Melts

Science.gov (United States)

Weaver, S.; Johnston, A.; Wallace, P. J.

2009-12-01

It is widely recognized that H2O and other volatiles play a crucial role in mantle melting in subduction zones. This work is a comparative study focused on determining the H2O-undersaturated, near-liquidus phase relations for two primitive subduction related compositions with the goal of determining the P-T-H2O conditions of mantle melting beneath arcs. These samples, JR-28, a calc-alkaline basalt from Volcan Jorullo, Mexico, and ID-16, a tholeiitic basalt from Okmok Volcano, Aleutian Islands, have major element compositions that indicate they are primary, mantle-derived melts. H2O-undersaturated piston cylinder experiments have been carried out at upper mantle pressures and temperatures (1.0-2.0 GPa and 1100-1350°C). The near-liquidus mineralogy of these two compositions has been mapped in P-T- H2O space in order to constrain the conditions under which these melts are multiply saturated with a mantle residue (lherzolite or harzburgite). Previous studies of dissolved volatiles in olivine-hosted melt inclusions have provided an estimate of pre-eruptive H2O-contents for JR-28 at ≥5 wt% H2O and experiments have been carried out accordingly. Preliminary results for JR-28 at 5 wt% H2O show olivine ± Cr-rich spinel on the liquidus at 1.0 GPa and enstatite as the liquidus phase at higher pressures (1.3 to 2.0 GPa). Ca-rich pyroxene appears in only one experiment 50°C below the liquidus at 1.5 GPa. These data show that JR-28 melts are multiply saturated with a harzburgite assemblage at ~1175°C and ~1.2 GPa at 5 wt% H2O. Experiments at 7 wt% H2O show similar results, although the olivine/Cr-spinel stability field expands at the expense of the enstatite stability field. Consequently, the olivine-enstatite cotectic is shifted to higher pressures and slightly cooler temperatures. The relatively high SiO2 content in the bulk rock (~52 wt% SiO2) supports the hypothesis that JR-28 last equilibrated with a depleted or harzburgite residue rather than a more fertile mantle

Controlling Charged Particles with Inhomogeneous Electrostatic Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Herrero, Federico A. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

An energy analyzer for a charged-particle spectrometer may include a top deflection plate and a bottom deflection plate. The top and bottom deflection plates may be non-symmetric and configured to generate an inhomogeneous electrostatic field when a voltage is applied to one of the top or bottom deflection plates. In some instances, the top and bottom deflection plates may be L-shaped deflection plates.

A numerical solution of the equation of the computerized tomography and its application in astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krastev, A.; Nedialkov, J.

1983-01-01

A method for numerical solving the equation of the computerized tomography is proposed. The method, is based on the Cormack's formulae and is applied for studying media with central symmetry. The generalization for the nonsymmetric case does not lead to complications. The method is applied for the investigation of the density distribution of the Earth, the other planets and the Sun by means of neutrino experiments

Milestones Toward 50% Efficient Solar Cell Modules

Science.gov (United States)

2007-09-01

efficiency, both at solar cells and module level. The optical system consists of a tiled nonimaging concentrating system, coupled with a spectral...which combines a nonimaging optical concentrator (which does not require tracking and is called a static concentrator) with spectral splitting...DESIGN AND RESULTS The optical design is based on non-symmetric, nonimaging optics, tiled into an array. The central issues in the optical system

Applications of implicit restarting in optimization and control Dan Sorensen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sorensen, D. [Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)

1996-12-31

Implicit restarting is a technique for combining the implicitly shifted QR mechanism with a k-step Arnoldi or Lanczos factorization to obtain a truncated form of the implicitly shifted QR-iteration suitable for large scale eigenvalue problems. The software package ARPACK based upon this technique has been successfully used to solve large scale symmetric and nonsymmetric (generalized) eigenvalue problems arising from a variety of applications.

Comparative genomics of four closely related Clostridium perfringens bacteriophages reveals variable evolution among core genes with therapeutic potential

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siragusa Gregory R

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Because biotechnological uses of bacteriophage gene products as alternatives to conventional antibiotics will require a thorough understanding of their genomic context, we sequenced and analyzed the genomes of four closely related phages isolated from Clostridium perfringens, an important agricultural and human pathogen. Results Phage whole-genome tetra-nucleotide signatures and proteomic tree topologies correlated closely with host phylogeny. Comparisons of our phage genomes to 26 others revealed three shared COGs; of particular interest within this core genome was an endolysin (PF01520, an N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase and a holin (PF04531. Comparative analyses of the evolutionary history and genomic context of these common phage proteins revealed two important results: 1 strongly significant host-specific sequence variation within the endolysin, and 2 a protein domain architecture apparently unique to our phage genomes in which the endolysin is located upstream of its associated holin. Endolysin sequences from our phages were one of two very distinct genotypes distinguished by variability within the putative enzymatically-active domain. The shared or core genome was comprised of genes with multiple sequence types belonging to five pfam families, and genes belonging to 12 pfam families, including the holin genes, which were nearly identical. Conclusions Significant genomic diversity exists even among closely-related bacteriophages. Holins and endolysins represent conserved functions across divergent phage genomes and, as we demonstrate here, endolysins can have significant variability and host-specificity even among closely-related genomes. Endolysins in our phage genomes may be subject to different selective pressures than the rest of the genome. These findings may have important implications for potential biotechnological applications of phage gene products.

The emergence of industrial relations in regional trade blocks: a comparative analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kaminska, M.E.; Visser, J.

2011-01-01

This article analyses the emergence and institutionalization of regional industrial relations arrangements in six regional integration agreements (European Union, North American Free Trade Association, Mercado Común del Sur, Economic Community of West African States, Southern African Development

An inexact Newton method for fully-coupled solution of the Navier-Stokes equations with heat and mass transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shadid, J.N.; Tuminaro, R.S. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Walker, H.F. [Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States). Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics

1997-02-01

The solution of the governing steady transport equations for momentum, heat and mass transfer in flowing fluids can be very difficult. These difficulties arise from the nonlinear, coupled, nonsymmetric nature of the system of algebraic equations that results from spatial discretization of the PDEs. In this manuscript the authors focus on evaluating a proposed nonlinear solution method based on an inexact Newton method with backtracking. In this context they use a particular spatial discretization based on a pressure stabilized Petrov-Galerkin finite element formulation of the low Mach number Navier-Stokes equations with heat and mass transport. The discussion considers computational efficiency, robustness and some implementation issues related to the proposed nonlinear solution scheme. Computational results are presented for several challenging CFD benchmark problems as well as two large scale 3D flow simulations.

A randomized controlled study comparing omeprazole and cimetidine for the prophylaxis of stress-related upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bo-lin; Li, Bing; Zhang, Xiang; Fei, Zhou; Hu, Shi-jie; Lin, Wei; Gao, Da-kuan; Zhang, Li

2013-01-01

Patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) are at high risk for severe stress-related upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding, which is predictive of higher mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of omeprazole and cimetidine compared with a placebo in the prevention and management of stress-related UGI bleeding in patients with ICH. In a single-center, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 184 surgically treated patients with CT-proven ICH within 72 hours of ictus and negative results for gastric occult blood testing were included. Of these patients, 165 who were qualified upon further evaluation were randomized into 3 groups: 58 patients received 40 mg intravenous omeprazole every 12 hours, 54 patients received 300 mg intravenous cimetidine every 6 hours, and 53 patients received a placebo. Patients whose gastric occult blood tests were positive at admission (n = 70) and during/after the prophylaxis procedure (n = 48) were treated with high-dose omeprazole at 80 mg bolus plus 8 mg/hr infusion for 3 days, followed by 40 mg intravenous omeprazole every 12 hours for 7 days. Of the 165 assessable patients, stress-related UGI bleeding occurred in 9 (15.5%) in the omeprazole group compared with 15 patients (27.8%) in the cimetidine group and 24 patients (45.3%) in the placebo group (p = 0.003). The occurrence of UGI bleeding was significantly related to death (p = 0.022). Nosocomial pneumonia occurred in 14 patients (24.1%) receiving omeprazole, 12 (22.2%) receiving cimetidine, and 8 (15.1%) receiving placebo (p > 0.05). In patients with UGI bleeding in which high-dose omeprazole was initiated, UGI bleeding arrested within the first 3 days in 103 patients (87.3%). Omeprazole significantly reduced the morbidity of stress-related UGI bleeding in patients with ICH due to its effective prophylactic effect without increasing the risk of nosocomial pneumonia, but it did not reduce the 1-month mortality or ICU stay. Further evaluation of high

Health-related quality of life in lower-risk MDS patients compared with age- and sex-matched reference populations: a European LeukemiaNet study.

Science.gov (United States)

Stauder, Reinhard; Yu, Ge; Koinig, Karin A; Bagguley, Tim; Fenaux, Pierre; Symeonidis, Argiris; Sanz, Guillermo; Cermak, Jaroslav; Mittelman, Moshe; Hellström-Lindberg, Eva; Langemeijer, Saskia; Holm, Mette Skov; Mądry, Krzysztof; Malcovati, Luca; Tatic, Aurelia; Germing, Ulrich; Savic, Aleksandar; van Marrewijk, Corine; Guerci-Bresler, Agnès; Luño, Elisa; Droste, Jackie; Efficace, Fabio; Smith, Alex; Bowen, David; de Witte, Theo

2018-03-06

In myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), health-related quality of life (HRQoL) represents a relevant patient-reported outcome, which is essential in individualized therapy planning. Prospective data on HRQoL in lower-risk MDS remain rare. We assessed HRQOL by EQ-5D questionnaire at initial diagnosis in 1690 consecutive IPSS-Low/Int-1 MDS patients from the European LeukemiaNet Registry. Impairments were compared with age- and sex-matched EuroQol Group norms. A significant proportion of MDS patients reported moderate/severe problems in the dimensions pain/discomfort (49.5%), mobility (41.0%), anxiety/depression (37.9%), and usual activities (36.1%). Limitations in mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and EQ-VAS were significantly more frequent in the old, in females, and in those with high co-morbidity burden, low haemoglobin levels, or red blood cells transfusion need (p MDS patients (p MDS-related restrictions in the dimension mobility were most prominent in males, and in older people (p MDS experience a pronounced reduction in HRQoL and a clustering of restrictions in distinct dimensions of HRQoL as compared with reference populations.

Comparative studies on the increase of uterine weight and related mechanisms of cadmium and p-nonylphenol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Wenchang; Yang Jinsong; Wang Jiali; Xia Pincang; Xu Youqiong; Jia Haimei; Chen Yongshan

2007-01-01

The research was designed to compare the effect of cadmium and p-nonylphenol on the increase of uterine weight and to study the related mechanisms. It provided basic evidence for us to understand the possible different mechanisms among different EEDs. In this study, both ovaries of 60 Wistar rats (28 days age) were ectomized, and after 21 days recovery, the rats were randomly assigned into six groups and exposed to cadmium (0.12, 1.20 mg/kg), NP (100, 200 mg/kg), control (sterile PBS), and positive control (17β-estradiol) per day for 3 days, respectively, then related indexes were detected. The results showed that the increase of uterine weight induced by cadmium was accompanied by the increase of the thickness of luminal epithelium cell and endometrium but the decrease of nuclear/cytoplasm of luminal epithelium cell and endometrium, while the increase of uterine weight induced by p-nonylphenol was accompanied by the increase of the thickness of luminal epithelium cell, endometrium, and myometrium but the decrease of nuclear/cytoplasm of luminal epithelium cell and endometrium. Cadmium could inhibit the positive expression of PCNA while p-nonylphenol prompted it. Exposure to cadmium and NP both could also stimulate phosphorylation of ERK mitogen-activated protein kinases, implying that this signal pathway had an effect on the increase of the uterine weight induced by cadmium and p-nonylphenol. The results indicate that cadmium may induce the increase of uterine weight, which is accompanied with toxic effect on endometrium, while NP's effect of the increase of uterine weight is due to cell proliferation of endometrium, the mechanisms of which are the same as estrogen, but they may both activate ERK signal pathway

The effect of supervised Tai Chi intervention compared to a physiotherapy program on fall-related clinical outcomes: a randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Tousignant, Michel; Corriveau, Hélène; Roy, Pierre-Michel; Desrosiers, Johanne; Dubuc, Nicole; Hébert, Réjean; Tremblay-Boudreault, Valérie; Beaudoin, Audrée-Jeanne

2012-01-01

To assess some fall-related clinical variables (balance, gait, fear of falling, functional autonomy, self-actualization and self-efficacy) that might explain the fact that supervised Tai Chi has a better impact on preventing falls compared to a conventional physiotherapy program. The participants (152 older adults over 65 who were admitted to a geriatric day hospital program) were randomly assigned to either a supervised Tai Chi group or the usual physiotherapy. The presence of the clinical variables related to falls was evaluated before the intervention (T1), immediately after (T2), and 12 months after the end of the intervention (T3). Both exercise programs significantly improved fall-related outcomes but only the Tai Chi intervention group decreased the incidence of falls. For both groups, most variables followed the same pattern, i.e. showed significant improvement with the intervention between T1 and T2, and followed by a statistically significant decrease at the T3 evaluation. However, self-efficacy was the only variable that improved solely with the Tai Chi intervention (p = 0.001). The impact of supervised Tai Chi on fall prevention can not be explained by a differential effect on balance, gait and fear of falling. It appeared to be related to an increase of general self-efficacy, a phenomenon which is not seen in the conventional physiotherapy program.

Land valuation and marginalization processes in cultural landscapes - a comparative study of valuation systems related to natural and semi-natural areas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Andreas Aagaard; Svenningsen, Stig Roar; Brandt, Jesper

2012-01-01

awareness that the behavior of rural landscape managers reflect culture, and that cultural valuation systems need to be included in research addressing such themes as sustainability and multifunctionality which is often difficult to regulate effectively and depend directly on local decision behavior. Two......, their preferences for different areas and their valuation procedures related to landscape and land cover. The maps developed with the interviewees were compared with maps delineating the 205 Natura-2000 habitat areas in the nature park which were designated by the Danish Nature Agency in 2006. Results...

A comparative study on component volumes from outer to inner dental enamel in relation to enamel tufts.

Science.gov (United States)

Setally Azevedo Macena, Marcus; de Alencar e Silva Leite, Maria Luísa; de Lima Gouveia, Cíntia; de Lima, Tamires Alcoforado Sena; Athayde, Priscilla Alves Aguiar; de Sousa, Frederico Barbosa

2014-06-01

Dental enamel presents marked mechanical properties gradients from outer to inner enamel, a region lacking component volumes profiles. Tufts, structures of inner enamel, have been shown to play a role in enamel resilience. We aimed at comparing component volumes from inner to outer enamel in relation to enamel tufts. Transversal ground sections from the cervical half of unerupted human third molars (n=10) were prepared and histological points were selected along transversal lines (extending from innermost to outer enamel) traced across tufts and adjacent control areas without tufts. Component volumes were measured at each histological point. Component volumes ranges were: 70.6-98.5% (mineral), 0.02-20.78% (organic), 3.8-9.8% (total water), 3-9% (firmly bound water), and 0.02-3.3% (loosely bound water). Inner enamel presented the lowest mineral volumes and the highest non-mineral volumes. Mineral, water and organic contents differed as a function of the distance from innermost enamel but not between the tuft and control lines. Tufts presented opaqueness in polarizing microscopy (feature of fracture lines). Organic volume gradient correlated with a relatively flat profile of loosely bound water. Inner, but not outer enamel, rehydrated after air-dried enamel was heated to 50°C and re-exposed to room conditions, as predicted by the organic/water gradient profiles. Component volumes vary markedly from outer to inner enamel, but not between areas with or without tufts (that behave like fracture lines under polarizing microscopy). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Symmetric configurations highlighted by collective quantum coherence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Obster, Dennis [Radboud University, Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Kyoto University, Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto (Japan); Sasakura, Naoki [Kyoto University, Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto (Japan)

2017-11-15

Recent developments in quantum gravity have shown the Lorentzian treatment to be a fruitful approach towards the emergence of macroscopic space-times. In this paper, we discuss another related aspect of the Lorentzian treatment: we argue that collective quantum coherence may provide a simple mechanism for highlighting symmetric configurations over generic non-symmetric ones. After presenting the general framework of the mechanism, we show the phenomenon in some concrete simple examples in the randomly connected tensor network, which is tightly related to a certain model of quantum gravity, i.e., the canonical tensor model. We find large peaks at configurations invariant under Lie-group symmetries as well as a preference for charge quantization, even in the Abelian case. In future study, this simple mechanism may provide a way to analyze the emergence of macroscopic space-times with global symmetries as well as various other symmetries existing in nature, which are usually postulated. (orig.)

Two updating methods for dissipative models with non symmetric matrices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Billet, L.; Moine, P.; Aubry, D.

1997-01-01

In this paper the feasibility of the extension of two updating methods to rotating machinery models is considered, the particularity of rotating machinery models is to use non-symmetric stiffness and damping matrices. It is shown that the two methods described here, the inverse Eigen-sensitivity method and the error in constitutive relation method can be adapted to such models given some modification.As far as inverse sensitivity method is concerned, an error function based on the difference between right hand calculated and measured Eigen mode shapes and calculated and measured Eigen values is used. Concerning the error in constitutive relation method, the equation which defines the error has to be modified due to the non definite positiveness of the stiffness matrix. The advantage of this modification is that, in some cases, it is possible to focus the updating process on some specific model parameters. Both methods were validated on a simple test model consisting in a two-bearing and disc rotor system. (author)

Comparative optimism about healthy eating.

Science.gov (United States)

Sproesser, Gudrun; Klusmann, Verena; Schupp, Harald T; Renner, Britta

2015-07-01

The present study investigated people's perception of their own as compared to their peers' healthy eating and related these perceptions to actual healthy eating, BMI, and subsequent healthy eating behavior. Data were collected within the framework of the longitudinal cohort study Konstanz Life Study (T1: N = 770; T2: N = 510). Our results demonstrated an optimistic bias on the group level. Specifically, people rated their own eating behavior as healthier on average than that of their average peers. This comparative optimism occurred even when actual healthy eating was unfavorable and BMI was high. However, it increased with actual healthy eating behavior. Importantly, optimistic perceptions were positively related to the intention to eat healthily and healthy eating six months later. Hence, the results suggest that an optimistic comparative view of one's own healthy eating is grounded in reality and boosts rather than deters subsequent health behavior. This implies that there might not be a need to reduce optimistic perceptions of healthy eating behavior. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Work-related behaviour and experience patterns of physicians compared to other professions.

Science.gov (United States)

Voltmer, Edgar; Kieschke, Ulf; Spahn, Claudia

2007-08-11

To identify health risk factors and resources of physicians in comparison with other professions. Data of cross-sectional mail surveys conducted among German physicians (n = 344), teachers (n = 5169), policemen (n = 851), prison officers (n = 3653), and starting entrepreneurs (n = 632) were analysed regarding eleven health-relevant dimensions and four behaviour patterns examined by the questionnaire "Work-Related Behaviour and Experience Pattern (AVEM)". Only 17% of the physicians showed healthy behaviour and experience patterns. With 43%, they scored highest in terms of reduced working motivation. Together with the teachers, they also had the highest scores for resignation and burnout (27%). Satisfaction with life and work as well as social support showed medium scores. Starting entrepreneurs showed the healthiest patterns (45%), but also the highest risk pattern for overexertion (38%). It was possible to identify clear risk patterns for profession-related psychosocial symptoms and impairments. The high scores for reduced working motivation demonstrate the need for interventions to improve organisation of health care and individual coping strategies.

Comparative Price Levels of New EU Member Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taušer Josef

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This article analyzes comparative price levels of 10 new EU member countries from Central, East, and South-East Europe and discusses their main determinants. A comparison of comparative price levels is logically followed by a comparison of relative GDP per capita in purchasing power parities. Further, the Balassa-Samuelson efect is theoretically explained and empirically tested using a sample of EU27 countries (excluding Luxemburg. The results of simple regression analysis confrm that diferences in comparative price levels can be explained by the diferences in relative GDP per capita in purchasing power parities. Besides the Balassa-Samuelson efect there are, however, many other factors that have an impact on comparative price levels. Tey are related to the lower competitiveness of domestic companies on international markets as the result of such factors as a lower quality of production, inefcient organizational structures and management styles, insufcient marketing and business skills, or a poor approach to international distribution channels.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): neutrophils, macrophages and lymphocytes in patients with anterior tuberculosis compared to tobacco related COPD.

Science.gov (United States)

Guiedem, Elise; Ikomey, George Mondinde; Nkenfou, Céline; Walter, Pefura-Yone Eric; Mesembe, Martha; Chegou, Novel Njweipi; Jacobs, Graeme Brendon; Okomo Assoumou, Marie Claire

2018-03-27

The inflammatory profile of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) related to tobacco is known in certain studies while that of the post tuberculosis form is not yet known. This study aimed to evaluate the levels of neutrophils, macrophages and lymphocytes cells in sputum of COPD patients with history of smoking or anterior tuberculosis. Enumeration of cells in samples was analyzed using standard microscopy. We enrolled 92 participants, 46 (50%) were COPD subjects comprising 22 (47.83%) smokers and 24 (52.17%) with anterior tuberculosis while 46 (50%) healthy persons constituted the control group. The levels of neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes were statistically higher in COPD patients compared to the control group with p-values of 0.0001 respectively. Neutrophils levels were higher in COPD patients with history of tobacco than in COPD patients with anterior tuberculosis with a mean rate of 4.72 × 10 6 /ml and 2.48 × 10 6 /ml respectively (p = 0.04). The monocytes and lymphocytes levels were not statistically different between the two sub-groups of COPD patients with p-value of 0.052 and 0.91 respectively. Neutrophils are the only inflammatory cells that were significantly higher in COPD patients with history of smoking as compared to COPD patients with anterior tuberculosis.

Comparative skull analysis suggests species-specific captivity-related malformation in lions (Panthera leo).

Science.gov (United States)

Saragusty, Joseph; Shavit-Meyrav, Anat; Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki; Nadler, Rona; Bdolah-Abram, Tali; Gibeon, Laura; Hildebrandt, Thomas B; Shamir, Merav H

2014-01-01

Lion (Panthera leo) populations have dramatically decreased worldwide with a surviving population estimated at 32,000 across the African savannah. Lions have been kept in captivity for centuries and, although they reproduce well, high rates of stillbirths as well as morbidity and mortality of neonate and young lions are reported. Many of these cases are associated with bone malformations, including foramen magnum (FM) stenosis and thickened tentorium cerebelli. The precise causes of these malformations and whether they are unique to captive lions remain unclear. To test whether captivity is associated with FM stenosis, we evaluated 575 lion skulls of wild (N = 512) and captive (N = 63) origin. Tiger skulls (N = 276; 56 captive, 220 wild) were measured for comparison. While no differences were found between males and females or between subadults and adults in FM height (FMH), FMH of captive lions (17.36±3.20 mm) was significantly smaller and with greater variability when compared to that in wild lions (19.77±2.11 mm). There was no difference between wild (18.47±1.26 mm) and captive (18.56±1.64 mm) tigers in FMH. Birth origin (wild vs. captive) as a factor for FMH remained significant in lions even after controlling for age and sex. Whereas only 20/473 wild lions (4.2%) had FMH equal to or smaller than the 5th percentile of the wild population (16.60 mm), this was evident in 40.4% (23/57) of captive lion skulls. Similar comparison for tigers found no differences between the captive and wild populations. Lions with FMH equal to or smaller than the 5th percentile had wider skulls with smaller cranial volume. Cranial volume remained smaller in both male and female captive lions when controlled for skull size. These findings suggest species- and captivity-related predisposition for the pathology in lions.

Comparative skull analysis suggests species-specific captivity-related malformation in lions (Panthera leo.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph Saragusty

Full Text Available Lion (Panthera leo populations have dramatically decreased worldwide with a surviving population estimated at 32,000 across the African savannah. Lions have been kept in captivity for centuries and, although they reproduce well, high rates of stillbirths as well as morbidity and mortality of neonate and young lions are reported. Many of these cases are associated with bone malformations, including foramen magnum (FM stenosis and thickened tentorium cerebelli. The precise causes of these malformations and whether they are unique to captive lions remain unclear. To test whether captivity is associated with FM stenosis, we evaluated 575 lion skulls of wild (N = 512 and captive (N = 63 origin. Tiger skulls (N = 276; 56 captive, 220 wild were measured for comparison. While no differences were found between males and females or between subadults and adults in FM height (FMH, FMH of captive lions (17.36±3.20 mm was significantly smaller and with greater variability when compared to that in wild lions (19.77±2.11 mm. There was no difference between wild (18.47±1.26 mm and captive (18.56±1.64 mm tigers in FMH. Birth origin (wild vs. captive as a factor for FMH remained significant in lions even after controlling for age and sex. Whereas only 20/473 wild lions (4.2% had FMH equal to or smaller than the 5th percentile of the wild population (16.60 mm, this was evident in 40.4% (23/57 of captive lion skulls. Similar comparison for tigers found no differences between the captive and wild populations. Lions with FMH equal to or smaller than the 5th percentile had wider skulls with smaller cranial volume. Cranial volume remained smaller in both male and female captive lions when controlled for skull size. These findings suggest species- and captivity-related predisposition for the pathology in lions.

Comparative analysis of the current payment system for hospital services in Serbia and projected payments under diagnostic related groups system in urology.

Science.gov (United States)

Babić, Uroš; Soldatović, Ivan; Vuković, Dejana; Milićević, Milena Šantrić; Stjepanović, Mihailo; Kojić, Dejan; Argirović, Aleksandar; Vukotić, Vinka

2015-03-01

Global budget per calendar year is a traditional method of funding hospitals in Serbia. Diagnose related groups (DGR) is a method of hospital payment based on classification of patients into groups with clinically similar problems and similar utilization of hospital resources. The aim of this study was to compare current methods of hospital services payment with the projected costs by DRG payment method in urology. The data were obtained from the information system used in the Clinical Hospital Center "Dr. Dragiša Mišović"--Dedinje in Belgrade, Serbia. The implemented hospital information system was the main criterion for selection of healthcare institutions. The study included 994 randomly selected patients treated surgically and conservatively in 2012. Average costs under the current payment method were slightly higher than those projected by DRG, however, the variability was twice as high (54,111 ± 69,789 compared to 53,434 ± 32,509, p payment method as well as with the projected one by DRG was observed in relation to the number of days of hospitalization (ρ = 0.842, p payment system (β = 0.843, p payment system (β = 0.737, p payment method and the pro- jected DRG payment methods (β = 0.501, p Payment under the DRG system is administratively more complex because it requires detailed and standardized coding of diagnoses and procedures, as well as the information on the average consumption of resources (costs) per DRG. Given that aggregate costs of treatment under two hospital payment methods compared in the study are not significantly different, the focus on minor surgeries both under the current hospital payment method and under the introduced DRG system would be far more cost-effective for a hospital as great variations in treatment performance (reductions of days of hospitalization and complications), and consequently invoiced amounts would be reduced.

Cancer-Related Fatigue and Rehabilitation : A Randomized Controlled Multicenter Trial Comparing Physical Training Combined With Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy With Physical Training Only and With No Intervention

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Weert, E.; May, A.M.; Korstjens, I.; Post, W.J.; van der Schans, C.P.; van den Borne, B.; Mesters, I.; Ros, W.J.G.; Hoekstra-Weebers, J.E.H.M.

2010-01-01

Background. Research suggests that cancer rehabilitation reduces fatigue in survivors of cancer. To date, it is unclear what type of rehabilitation is most beneficial. Objective. This randomized controlled trial compared the effect on cancer-related fatigue of physical training combined with

School Performance, School Segregation, and Stress-Related Symptoms: Comparing Helsinki and Stockholm

Science.gov (United States)

Modin, Bitte; Karvonen, Sakari; Rahkonen, Ossi; Östberg, Viveca

2015-01-01

This study investigates cross-cultural differences in the interrelation between school performance, school segregation, and stress-related health among 9th-grade students in the greater Stockholm and Helsinki areas. Contrary to the Swedish case, it has been proposed that school performance in Finland is largely independent of the specific school…

Application of Conjugate Gradient methods to tidal simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Barragy, E.; Carey, G.F.; Walters, R.A.

1993-01-01

A harmonic decomposition technique is applied to the shallow water equations to yield a complex, nonsymmetric, nonlinear, Helmholtz type problem for the sea surface and an accompanying complex, nonlinear diagonal problem for the velocities. The equation for the sea surface is linearized using successive approximation and then discretized with linear, triangular finite elements. The study focuses on applying iterative methods to solve the resulting complex linear systems. The comparative evaluation includes both standard iterative methods for the real subsystems and complex versions of the well known Bi-Conjugate Gradient and Bi-Conjugate Gradient Squared methods. Several Incomplete LU type preconditioners are discussed, and the effects of node ordering, rejection strategy, domain geometry and Coriolis parameter (affecting asymmetry) are investigated. Implementation details for the complex case are discussed. Performance studies are presented and comparisons made with a frontal solver. ?? 1993.

Comparative analysis of purified Pacific and Caribbean ciguatoxin congeners and related marine toxins using a modified ELISA technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Campora, Cara E; Hokama, Y; Ebesu, Joanne S M

2006-01-01

The monoclonal antibody to ciguatoxin (CTX) produced from a hybridoma cell line was assayed for the detection of four congeners of CTX: Pacific ciguatoxin-1 (P-CTX-1), Pacific ciguatoxin-2 (P-CTX-2), Pacific ciguatoxin-3 (P-CTX-3), and Caribbean ciguatoxin-1 (C-CTX-1) and related marine toxins, including domoic acid, palytoxin, and okadaic acid, using a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Lower detection limits were assessed and linearity was statistically established (P<0.05) for P-CTX-1, P-CTX-2, and P-CTX-3 and C-CTX-1 at concentrations ranging from 0 to 5.00 ng, while the other marine toxins showed statistically insignificant cross-reactivities at similar concentrations. Thus, the monoclonal antibody to CTX is able to specifically detect various CTX congeners at levels comparable to those naturally occurring in ciguatoxic fish. (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Compactification over coset spaces with torsion and vanishing cosmological constant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Batakis, N.A.; Farakos, K.; Koutsoumbas, G.; Zoupanos, G.; Kapetanakis, D.

1989-04-13

We consider the compactification of ten-dimensional Einstein-Yang-Mills theories over non-symmetric, six-dimensional homogeneous coset spaces with torsion. We examine the Einstein-Yang-Mills equations of motion requiring vanishing cosmological constant at ten and four dimensions and we present examples of compactifying solutions. It appears that the introduction of more than one radii in the coset space, when possible, may be mandatory for the existence of compactifying solutions.

Normal and pathologically altered oculomotoric muscles in CT picture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kvicala, V.; Balakova, H. (Karlova Univ., Prague (Czechoslovakia). Fakulta Vseobecneho Lekarstvi)

1984-03-01

Computerized tomography reliably visualizes oculomotoric muscles, particularly in coronary projection. 21 patients were examined where computerized tomography of the orbit showed disorders of oculomotoric muscles. Thyreoprivic ophthalmopathy (8 patients) was manifest by non-symmetric irregular thickening of muscles, whose density was unhomogeneously higher. In acromegaly (3 patients) the thickening of the muscles was less, affecting all muscles to a similar degree. Inflammatory and tumorous processes always affected only one oculomotoric muscle.

Analysis of the three dimensional flow in a turbine scroll

Science.gov (United States)

Hamed, A.; Baskharone, E.

1979-01-01

The present analysis describes the three-dimensional compressible inviscid flow in the scroll and the vaneless nozzle of a radial inflow turbine. The solution to this flow field, which is further complicated by the geometrical shape of the boundaries, is obtained using the finite element method. Symmetric and nonsymmetric scroll cross sectional geometries are investigated to determine their effect on the general flow field and on the exit flow conditions.

The political economy of external exploitation. A comparative investigation of China's foreign relations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bader, J.

2015-01-01

On the basis of the selectorate theory, this article examines the link between distributional policies, autocratic cooperation, and its potential for autocratic stability. It compares to what extent Cambodia, Myanmar, and Mongolia complied with China's key external interests in the period 1990-2010.

Uncooked rice of relatively low gelatinization degree resulted in lower metabolic glucose and insulin responses compared with cooked rice in female college students.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Eun Young; Suh, Hyung Joo; Hong, Wan Soo; Kim, Dong Geon; Hong, Yang Hee; Hong, In Sun; Chang, Un Jae

2009-07-01

Cooking processes that gelatinize granules or disrupt structure might increase the glucose and insulin responses because a disruption of the structure of starch by gelatinization increases its availability for digestion and absorption in the small intestine. We hypothesized that the uncooked form of rice, which has a relatively low degree of gelatinization even though in powder form, would result in lower metabolic glucose and insulin responses compared with cooked rice (CR). To assess the effects of the gelatinization of rice on metabolic response of glucose and insulin, we investigated the glucose and insulin responses to 3 rice meals of different gelatinization degree in female college students (n = 12): CR (76.9% gelatinized), uncooked rice powder (UP; 3.5% gelatinized), and uncooked freeze-dried rice powder (UFP; 5.4% gelatinized). Uncooked rice powders (UP and UFP) induced lower glucose and insulin responses compared with CR. The relatively low gelatinization degree of UPs resulted in low metabolic responses in terms of the glycemic index (CR: 72.4% vs UP: 49.7%, UFP: 59.8%) and insulin index (CR: 94.8% vs UP: 74.4%, UFP: 68.0%). In summary, UPs that were less gelatinized than CR induced low postprandial glucose and insulin responses.

UK and Twenty Comparable Countries GDP-Expenditure-on-Health 1980-2013: The Historic and Continued Low Priority of UK Health-Related Expenditure.

Science.gov (United States)

Harding, Andrew J E; Pritchard, Colin

2016-07-10

It is well-established that for a considerable period the United Kingdom has spent proportionally less of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health-related services than almost any other comparable country. Average European spending on health (as a % of GDP) in the period 1980 to 2013 has been 19% higher than the United Kingdom, indicating that comparable countries give far greater fiscal priority to its health services, irrespective of its actual fiscal value or configuration. While the UK National Health Service (NHS) is a comparatively lean healthcare system, it is often regarded to be at a 'crisis' point on account of low levels of funding. Indeed, many state that currently the NHS has a sizeable funding gap, in part due to its recently reduced GDP devoted to health but mainly the challenges around increases in longevity, expectation and new medical costs. The right level of health funding is a political value judgement. As the data in this paper outline, if the UK 'afforded' the same proportional level of funding as the mean average European country, total expenditure would currently increase by one-fifth. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children is found to be related to the occurrence of ADHD in siblings and the male gender, but not to birth order, when compared to healthy controls.

Science.gov (United States)

Keshavarzi, Zahra; Bajoghli, Hafez; Mohamadi, Mohammad Reza; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Brand, Serge

2014-10-01

The aim of the present study was to explore the extent to which the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in childhood is associated with birth order and gender, and the prevalence of ADHD and mental retardation (MR) in siblings, as compared to healthy controls. Methods. Data from 200 children diagnosed with ADHD (mean age: 11.13 years; 10.5% females) were compared to data from 200 healthy controls (mean age: 11.0 years; 27.5% females). The data were related to symptoms of ADHD, birth order, gender, family size, and the occurrence of ADHD and MR in siblings. Compared to controls, the occurrence of ADHD was found to be related to the male gender and to the occurrence of ADHD-related symptoms in siblings (odds ratio: 13.50). Birth order and MR were not associated with the occurrence of ADHD and ADHD-related symptoms. ADHD- related symptoms increased if a further sibling also suffered from ADHD. Conclusions. Among a sample of Iranian children suffering from ADHD, the ADHD and ADHD-related symptoms in childhood were found to be related to the male gender and to the occurrence of ADHD in siblings. Moreover, birth order was found to be unrelated. The fact that symptoms of ADHD-related symptoms increased if a further sibling was suffering from ADHD, and decreased if a further sibling was suffering from MR, is intriguing and needs further explanation.

Relating Language and Music Skills in Young Children: A First Approach to Systemize and Compare Distinct Competencies on Different Levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohrdes, Caroline; Grolig, Lorenz; Schroeder, Sascha

2016-01-01

Children in transition from kindergarten to school develop fundamental skills important for the acquisition of reading and writing. Previous research pointed toward substantial correlations between specific language- and music-related competencies as well as positive transfer effects from music on pre-literacy skills. However, until now the relationship between diverse music and language competencies remains unclear. In the present study, we used a comprehensive approach to clarify the relationships between a broad variety of language and music skills on different levels, not only between but also within domains. In order to do so, we selected representative language- and music-related competencies and systematically compared the performance of N = 44 5- to 7-year-old children with a control group of N = 20 young adults aged from 20 to 30. Competencies were organized in distinct levels according to varying units of vowels/sounds, words or syllables/short melodic or rhythmic phrases, syntax/harmony and context of a whole story/song to test for their interrelatedness within each domain. Following this, we conducted systematic correlation analyses between the competencies of both domains. Overall, selected competencies appeared to be appropriate for the measurement of language and music skills in young children with reference to comprehension, difficulty and a developmental perspective. In line with a hierarchical model of skill acquisition, performance on lower levels was predictive for the performance on higher levels within domains. Moreover, correlations between domains were stronger for competencies reflecting a similar level of cognitive processing, as expected. In conclusion, a systematic comparison of various competencies on distinct levels according to varying units turned out to be appropriate regarding comparability and interrelatedness. Results are discussed with regard to similarities and differences in the development of language and music skills as well

Relating language and music skills in young children: a first approach to systemize and compare distinct competencies on different levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caroline Cohrdes

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Children in transition from kindergarten to school develop fundamental skills important for the acquisition of reading and writing. Previous research pointed towards substantial correlations between specific language- and music-related competencies as well as positive transfer effects from music on pre-literacy skills. However, until now the relationship between diverse music and language competencies remains unclear. In the present study we used a comprehensive approach to clarify the relationships between a broad variety of language and music skills on different levels, not only between but also within domains. In order to do so, we selected representative language- and music-related competencies and systematically compared the performance of N = 44 5- to 7-year-old children with a control group of N = 20 young adults aged from 20 to 30. Competencies were organized in distinct levels according to varying units of vowels/sounds, words or syllables/short melodic or rhythmic phrases, syntax/harmony and context of a whole story/song to test for their interrelatedness within each domain. Following this, we conducted systematic correlation analyses between the competencies of both domains. Overall, selected competencies appeared to be appropriate for the measurement of language and music skills in young children with reference to comprehension, difficulty and a developmental perspective. In line with a hierarchical model of skill acquisition, performance on lower levels was predictive for the performance on higher levels within domains. Moreover, correlations between domains were stronger for competencies reflecting a similar level of cognitive processing, as expected. In conclusion, a systematic comparison of various competencies on distinct levels according to varying units turned out to be appropriate regarding comparability and interrelatedness. Results are discussed with regard to similarities and differences in the development of language and

Comparing Analytic Hierarchy Process and Discrete-Choice Experiment to Elicit Patient Preferences for Treatment Characteristics in Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Danner, Marion; Vennedey, Vera; Hiligsmann, Mickaël; Fauser, Sascha; Gross, Christian; Stock, Stephanie

2017-09-01

In this study, we conducted an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to elicit the preferences of patients with age-related macular degeneration using identical attributes and levels. To compare preference-based weights for age-related macular degeneration treatment attributes and levels generated by two elicitation methods. The properties of both methods were assessed, including ease of instrument use. A DCE and an AHP experiment were designed on the basis of five attributes. Preference-based weights were generated using the matrix multiplication method for attributes and levels in AHP and a mixed multinomial logit model for levels in the DCE. Attribute importance was further compared using coefficient (DCE) and weight (AHP) level ranges. The questionnaire difficulty was rated on a qualitative scale. Patients were asked to think aloud while providing their judgments. AHP and DCE generated similar results regarding levels, stressing a preference for visual improvement, frequent monitoring, on-demand and less frequent injection schemes, approved drugs, and mild side effects. Attribute weights derived on the basis of level ranges led to a ranking that was opposite to the AHP directly calculated attribute weights. For example, visual function ranked first in the AHP and last on the basis of level ranges. The results across the methods were similar, with one exception: the directly measured AHP attribute weights were different from the level-based interpretation of attribute importance in both DCE and AHP. The dependence/independence of attribute importance on level ranges in DCE and AHP, respectively, should be taken into account when choosing a method to support decision making. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Children of non-Western origin with end-stage renal disease in the Netherlands, Belgium and a part of Germany have impaired health-related quality of life compared with Western children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schoenmaker, N.J.; Haverman, L.; Tromp, W.F.; Lee, J.H. van der; Offringa, M.; Adams, B.; Bouts, A.H.M.; Collard, L.; Cransberg, K.; Dyck, M. van; Godefroid, N.; Hoeck, K. van; Koster-Kamphuis, L.; Lilien, M.R.; Raes, A.; Taylan, C.; Grootenhuis, M.A.; Groothoff, J.W.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Many children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) living in Western Europe are of non-Western European origin. They have unfavourable somatic outcomes compared with ESRD children of Western origin. In this study, we compared the Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of both groups.

Palmoplantar psoriasis is associated with greater impairment of health-related quality of life compared to moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Jina; Duffin, Kristina Callis; Takeshita, Junko; Shin, Daniel B.; Krueger, Gerald G.; Robertson, Andrew D.; Troxel, Andrea B.; Van Voorhees, Abby S.; Edson-Heredia, Emily; Gelfand, Joel M.

2014-01-01

Background The impact of palmoplantar psoriasis on health-related quality of life (QoL) is largely unknown. Objective To compare clinical characteristics and patient-reported outcomes between patients with palmoplantar psoriasis and moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients with plaque psoriasis (N=1,153) and palmoplantar psoriasis (N=66) currently receiving systemic or light treatment for psoriasis. Results Patients with palmoplantar psoriasis were more likely to report Dermatology Life Quality Index scores that correspond to at least a moderate impact on QoL (odds ratio [OR] 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-3.61); problems with mobility (OR 1.98; 95% CI, 1.10-3.58), self-care (OR 3.12; 95% CI, 1.24-7.86), and usual activities (OR 2.47; 95% CI, 1.44-4.22) on the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions questionnaire; and heavy topical prescription use of at least twice daily in the preceding week (OR 2.81; 95% CI, 1.63-4.85) than those with plaque psoriasis. Limitations Our assessment tools may not account for all dimensions of health-related QoL affected by palmoplantar disease, and these results may not be generalizable to patients with milder forms of psoriasis. Conclusion Patients with palmoplantar psoriasis suffer from greater health-related QoL impairment and are more likely to report heavy use of topical prescriptions than those with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. PMID:24894455

Health-related quality of life in patients with Burnout on sick leave: descriptive and comparative results from a clinical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Grensman, Astrid; Acharya, Bikash Dev; Wändell, Per; Nilsson, Gunnar; Werner, Sigbritt

2016-02-01

To explore the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), the cause of being ill, and the pharmacological treatment in patients on sick leave because of Burnout. The HRQoL among these patients was also compared with that of individuals who were working full time. HRQoL was measured using the SWED-QUAL questionnaire, comprising 67 items grouped into 13 subscales, scored from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) points, and covering aspects of physical and emotional well-being, cognitive function, sleep, general health, social, and sexual functioning. The Burnout group (n = 94), mean age 43 years, were on 50% sick leave or more. The comparison group consisted of healthy persons (n = 88) of similar age and educational level who were working full time. The Burnout group had markedly low scores in general. The cause of illness was mainly work-related. Psychotropic medication was prescribed for 55%. Significantly lower scores were found in the Burnout group than in the comparison group in all subscales, p Patients on sick leave because of Burnout rated their HRQoL as very low in general, their cause of being ill was mainly work-related, and psychotropic medication was prescribed for a majority. Their scores were markedly lower in all subscales in comparison with healthy individuals working full time. The study adds to our understanding of the situation of patients with Burnout. The results can be useful in clinical work and future research.

Children of non-Western origin with end-stage renal disease in the Netherlands, Belgium and a part of Germany have impaired health-related quality of life compared with Western children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schoenmaker, Nikki J.; Haverman, Lotte; Tromp, Wilma F.; van der Lee, Johanna H.; Offringa, Martin; Adams, Brigitte; Bouts, Antonia H. M.; Collard, Laure; Cransberg, Karlien; van Dyck, Maria; Godefroid, Nathalie; van Hoeck, Koenraad; Koster-Kamphuis, Linda; Lilien, Marc R.; Raes, Ann; Taylan, Christina; Grootenhuis, Martha A.; Groothoff, Jaap W.

2014-01-01

Many children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) living in Western Europe are of non-Western European origin. They have unfavourable somatic outcomes compared with ESRD children of Western origin. In this study, we compared the Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of both groups. All children

Comparative leaf and root anatomy of two Dendrobium species (Orchidaceae) from different habitat in relation to their potential adaptation to drought

Science.gov (United States)

Metusala, D.; Supriatna, J.; Nisyawati, Sopandie, D.

2017-07-01

Dendrobium capra and Dendrobium arcuatum are closely related in phylogeny, but they have very contrasting vegetative morphology and habitats. D. capra is known as a species that is well-adapted to dry lowland teak forest habitat in East Java, where most trees drop their leaves in summer, while D. arcuatum has adapted to mid or high land moist forest at elevation up to 800 m dpl. In order to investigate their potential adaptation to drought stress in the climate change era, we have compared and analyzed the leaf and root anatomical characteristics of both species. Transversal sections were made using hand mini microtome, dehydrated in graded alcohol series and stained with safranin 1 % and fastgreen 1 %. Leaf scraping technique has been used to prepare paradermal sections, and then dehydrated in graded alcohol series and stained with safranin 1 %. Quantitative anatomical characteristics between D. capra and D. arcuatum have been compared using a t-test. The result showed that there were significant differences on anatomical characters between both species. Compared to D. arcuatum, D. capra shows more developed anatomical features for adapting to drought and dry condition. These anatomical features were a thicker cuticle, thicker epidermis, presence of hypodermis, thicker mesophyll, broader primary vascular bundle, well developed xylem's sclerenchyma, lower stomatal density, thicker and high proportion of velamen.

Usage of Production Functions in the Comparative Analysis of Transport Related Fuel Consumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Torok Adam

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This contribution aims to examine the relationship between the transport sector and the macroeconomy, particularly in fossil energy use, capital and labour relations. The authors have investigated the transport related fossil fuel consumption 2003 -2010 in a macroeconomic context in Hungary and Germany. The Cobb-Douglas type of production function could be justified empirically, while originating from the general CES (Constant Elasticity of Substitution production function. Furthermore, as a policy implication, the results suggest that a solution for the for the reduction of anthropogenic CO2 driven by the combustion of fossil fuels presupposes technological innovation to reach emission reduction targets. Other measures, such as increasing the fossil fuel price by levying taxes, would consequently lead to an undesirable GDP decline.

A Comparative Assessment of the Role of Energy in Qatar's East Asian Foreign Relations: Case Studies on China, Japan and South Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Rebekah

Energy is an important factor in international relations and recently the global energy paradigm has been seen to be shifting towards the East. In light of such change, a comparative assessment of the role of energy in Qatar' East Asian foreign relations will be conducted by taking China, Japan and South Korea as case studies. The research aimed to assess each of the bilateral relationship in terms of their origin and development in the energy sector generating an interpretation of their growing interdependence, taking into consideration the various domestic, regional and international influencing factors. At this level, LNG development and trade was adopted to see the extent of energy cooperation. In general, energy cooperation played the leading role in the three relationships, but to different degrees. Furthermore, all three bilateral relationship pertain to the 'complex interdependence approach' that is supported by the use of institutionalism and soft power.

Comparative Analysis of Competitive Strategy Implementation

OpenAIRE

Maina A. S. Waweru

2011-01-01

This paper presents research findings on Competitive Strategy Implementation which compared the levels of strategy implementation achieved by different generic strategy groups, comprising firms inclined towards low cost leadership, differentiation or dual strategic advantage. The study sought to determine the preferences for use of implementation armaments and compared how such armaments related to the level of implementation achieved. Respondents comprised 71 top executives from 59 companies...

Comparably improved health-related quality of life after total arterial revascularization versus conventional coronary surgery--Copenhagen arterial revascularization randomized patency and outcome trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damgaard, Sune; Lund, Jens T; Lilleør, Nikolaj B

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVE: We compared health-related quality of life up to 11 months after coronary artery bypass grafting using total arterial revascularization versus conventional coronary surgery. METHODS: In this randomized single-center trial, 161 patients underwent total arterial revascularization using.......01). For total arterial revascularization, there were also not statistically significant improvements for 'physical component summary' (P=0.09), 'bodily pain' (P=0.07) and 'vitality' (P=0.08). CONCLUSION: Health-related quality of life up to 1 year after total arterial revascularization is equal or slightly...... of the general Danish population. On all scales of the SF-36, there was statistically significant improvement at 3 and 11 months in both groups. For 'social functioning', the improvement following total arterial revascularization was significantly higher than following conventional revascularization (P=0...

Comparing endophenotypes in adult-onset primary torsion dystonia.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Bradley, David

2012-02-01

Adult-onset primary torsion dystonia (AOPTD) has an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance with markedly reduced penetrance; the genetic causes of most forms of AOPTD remain unknown. Endophenotypes, markers of sub-clinical gene carriage, may be of use detecting non-manifesting gene carriers in relatives of AOPTD patients. The aim of this study was to compare the utility of the spatial discrimination threshold (SDT) and temporal discrimination threshold (TDT) as potential endophenotypes in AOPTD. Data on other published candidate endophenotypes are also considered. Both SDT and TDT testing were performed in 24 AOPTD patients and 34 of their unaffected first degree relatives; results were compared with normal values from a control population. Of the 24 AOPTD patients 5 (21%) had abnormal SDTs and 20 (83%) had abnormal TDTs. Of the 34 first degree relatives 17 (50%) had abnormal SDTs and 14 (41%) had abnormal TDTs. Discordant results on SDT and TDT testing were found in 16 (67%) AOPTD patients and 21 (62%) first degree relatives. TDT testing has superior sensitivity compared to SDT testing in AOPTD patients; although false positive TDTs are recognised, the specificity of TDT testing in unaffected relatives is not determinable. The high level of discordance between the two tests probably relates methodological difficulties with SDT testing. The SDT is an unreliable AOPTD endophenotype; TDT testing fulfils criteria for a reliable endophenotype with a high sensitivity.

Comparative transcriptome analysis and identification of candidate effectors in two related rust species (Gymnosporangium yamadae and Gymnosporangium asiaticum).

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Si-Qi; Cao, Bin; Tian, Cheng-Ming; Liang, Ying-Mei

2017-08-23

Rust fungi constitute the largest group of plant fungal pathogens. However, a paucity of data, including genomic sequences, transcriptome sequences, and associated molecular markers, hinders the development of inhibitory compounds and prevents their analysis from an evolutionary perspective. Gymnosporangium yamadae and G. asiaticum are two closely related rust fungal species, which are ecologically and economically important pathogens that cause apple rust and pear rust, respectively, proved to be devastating to orchards. In this study, we investigated the transcriptomes of these two Gymnosporangium species during the telial stage of their lifecycles. The aim of this study was to understand the evolutionary patterns of these two related fungi and to identify genes that developed by selection. The transcriptomes of G. yamadae and G. asiaticum were generated from a mixture of RNA from three biological replicates of each species. We obtained 49,318 and 54,742 transcripts, with N50 values of 1957 and 1664, for G. yamadae and G. asiaticum, respectively. We also identified a repertoire of candidate effectors and other gene families associated with pathogenicity. A total of 4947 pairs of putative orthologues between the two species were identified. Estimation of the non-synonymous/synonymous substitution rate ratios for these orthologues identified 116 pairs with Ka/Ks values greater than1 that are under positive selection and 170 pairs with Ka/Ks values of 1 that are under neutral selection, whereas the remaining 4661 genes are subjected to purifying selection. We estimate that the divergence time between the two species is approximately 5.2 Mya. This study constitutes a de novo assembly and comparative analysis between the transcriptomes of the two rust species G. yamadae and G. asiaticum. The results identified several orthologous genes, and many expressed genes were identified by annotation. Our analysis of Ka/Ks ratios identified orthologous genes subjected to

Direct Vinylation of Alcohols or Aldehydes Employing Alkynes as Vinyl Donors: A Ruthenium Catalyzed C-C Bond Forming Transfer Hydrogenation

Science.gov (United States)

Patman, Ryan L.; Chaulagain, Mani Raj; Williams, Vanessa M.; Krische, Michael J.

2011-01-01

Under the conditions of ruthenium catalyzed transfer hydrogenation, 2-butyne couples to benzylic and aliphatic alcohols 1a–1i to furnish allylic alcohols 2a–2i, constituting a direct C-H vinylation of alcohols employing alkynes as vinyl donors. Under related transfer hydrogenation conditions employing formic acid as terminal reductant, 2-butyne couples to aldehydes 4a, 4b, and 4e to furnish identical products of carbonyl vinylation 2a, 2b, and 2e. Thus, carbonyl vinylation is achieved from the alcohol or the aldehyde oxidation level in the absence of any stoichiometric metallic reagents. Nonsymmetric alkynes 6a–6c couple efficiently to aldehyde 4b to provide allylic alcohols 2m–2o as single regioisomers. Acetylenic aldehyde 7a engages in efficient intramolecular coupling to deliver cyclic allylic alcohol 8a. PMID:19173651

Influence of Rotational Transform and Magnetic Shear on the Energy Content of TJ-II Plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Estrada, T.; Ascasibar, E.; Castejon, F.; Jimenez, J. A.; Lopez-Bruna, D.; Pastor, I.

2002-07-01

In the magnetic configuration scans performed in TJ-II stellarator, low plasma energy content is found to be related to the presence of low order rational surfaces within the confinement region in low plasma density experiments. Plasma currents of about-1 kA (mainly bootstrap driven) can substantially increase the magnetic shear in TJ-II and under these conditions the confinement is no longer deteriorated by low order rational surfaces. Experiments with higher plasma currents (OH induced currents up to +/-10 kA) show a non-symmetric dependence on the sign of the magnetic shear. Preliminary results show a substantial improvement of the confinement in the case of negative plasma current, while minor changes are observed in the plasma energy content when positive current is induced in magnetic configurations that in vacuum exclude low order rational surfaces. (Author) 12 refs.

Influence of Rotational Transform and Magnetic Shear on the Energy Content of TJ-II Plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Estrada, T.; Ascasibar, E.; Castejon, F.; Jimenez, J. A.; Lopez-Bruna, D.; Pastor, I.

2002-01-01

In the magnetic configuration scans performed in TJ-II stellarator, low plasma energy content is found to be related to the presence of low order rational surfaces within the confinement region in low plasma density experiments. Plasma currents of about-1 kA (mainly bootstrap driven) can substantially increase the magnetic shear in TJ-II and under these conditions the confinement is no longer deteriorated by low order rational surfaces. Experiments with higher plasma currents (OH induced currents up to +/-10 kA) show a non-symmetric dependence on the sign of the magnetic shear. Preliminary results show a substantial improvement of the confinement in the case of negative plasma current, while minor changes are observed in the plasma energy content when positive current is induced in magnetic configurations that in vacuum exclude low order rational surfaces. (Author) 12 refs

Evaluation of optical coherence tomography in the diagnosis of age related macula degeneration compared with fluorescence angiography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fröschl, Barbara

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Background: In industrialised nations age-related macular degeneration (AMD is the most common cause of blindness and severe visual impairment. AMD is a disease of the retina characterized by the accumulation of metabolic products in the macula. In early stages drusen and pigment disorders occur, in late stages a dry form is distinguished from the exsudative form with choroidal neovascularisation. AMD causes vision disorders such as blurred vision of the central part of the visual field, leading finally to a dark spot. Several therapies are available for the exsudative form, however an exact diagnosis is partially essential. The gold standard for the diagnosis of AMD is fluorescein angiography (FA, an invasive investigation with intravenous application of a dye. Optical coherence tomography (OCT is a more recent non-invasive procedure. Objectives: The aim of this HTA report is to investigate the efficacy and efficiency of OCT compared to FA. Ethical, societal and legal aspects are also considered. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in 34 international databases which yielded 2324 articles. Eight publications were included for assessment, according to predefined selection criteria. Results: The number of studies investigating OCT compared to FA in patients with AMD is presently very limited and the quality of the studies is generally low. The number of investigated patients is below 35 in four publications and in only one publication it is above 100. Moreover in most of the articles very selected patient groups are studied. Economic studies concerning the efficiency of OCT compared to FA cannot be identified. DiscussionEven though the patient groups investigated and the objectives of the studies are very heterogenous, all publications uniformly show that OCT cannot replace FA. However, OCT yields additional diagnostic findings and may verify unclear findings of FA. Therefore the application of OCT in addition to FA is useful in

A Comparative Study of Coping Strategies and the Features of Interpersonal Relations and Life Orientations of People with Congenital and Acquired Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System

Science.gov (United States)

Romanova, E. V.; Tolkacheva, O. N.

2016-01-01

The article presents the results of a comparative study of the features of the coping strategies, life orientations, and interpersonal relations of disabled people with acquired and congenital diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The authors discovered differences in interpersonal behavior in the area of control, and they revealed factors that…

Remarks on G-Metric Spaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bessem Samet

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In 2005, Mustafa and Sims (2006 introduced and studied a new class of generalized metric spaces, which are called G-metric spaces, as a generalization of metric spaces. We establish some useful propositions to show that many fixed point theorems on (nonsymmetric G-metric spaces given recently by many authors follow directly from well-known theorems on metric spaces. Our technique can be easily extended to other results as shown in application.

Failure analysis of edge flat-slab column connections with shear reinforcement

OpenAIRE

Bompa, Dan V.; Muttoni, Aurelio

2013-01-01

Flat-slab column connections are susceptible to brittle failure, which lead to the necessity of improving ductility and ultimate strength. In case of edge connections, the behaviour at ultimate state is highly influenced by nonsymmetrical distribution of stresses originated by a moment transfer between the slab and the column. The paper presents the test results of three full-scale reinforced concrete flat-slab edge connections with stud-rail shear reinforcement subjected to concentrated load...

Isoxazole derivatives as new nitric oxide elicitors in plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anca Oancea

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Several 3,5-disubstituted isoxazoles were obtained in good yields by regiospecific 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions between aromatic nitrile oxides, generated in situ from the corresponding hydroxyimidoyl chlorides, with non-symmetrical activated alkynes in the presence of catalytic amounts of copper(I iodide. Effects of 3,5-disubstituted isoxazoles on nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species generation in Arabidopsis tissues was studied using specific diaminofluoresceine dyes as fluorescence indicators.

Compactification over coset spaces with torsion and vanishing cosmological constant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batakis, N.A.

1989-01-01

We consider the compactification of ten-dimensional Einstein-Yang-Mills theories over non-symmetric, six-dimensional homogeneous coset spaces with torsion. We examine the Einstein-Yang-Mills equations of motion requiring vanishing cosmological constant at ten and four dimensions and we present examples of compactifying solutions. It appears that the introduction of more than one radii in the coset space, when possible, may be mandatory for the existence of compactifying solutions. (orig.)

Unsteady Helical Flows of a Size-Dependent Couple-Stress Fluid

OpenAIRE

Rubbab, Qammar; Mirza, Itrat Abbas; Siddique, Imran; Irshad, Saadia

2017-01-01

The helical flows of couple-stress fluids in a straight circular cylinder are studied in the framework of the newly developed, fully determinate linear couple-stress theory. The fluid flow is generated by the helical motion of the cylinder with time-dependent velocity. Also, the couple-stress vector is given on the cylindrical surface and the nonslip condition is considered. Using the integral transform method, analytical solutions to the axial velocity, azimuthal velocity, nonsymmetric force...

Schottky-Gated Probe-Free ZnO Nanowire Biosensor

KAUST Repository

Yeh, Ping-Hung

2009-12-28

(Figure Presented) A nanowire-based nanosensor for detecting biologically and chemically charged molecules that is probe-free and highly sensitive is demonstrated. The device relies on the nonsymmetrical Schottky contact under reverse bias (see figure) and is much more sensitive than the device based on the symmetric ohmic contact. This approach serves as a guideline for designing more practical chemical and biochemical sensors. © 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Analysis and design of optimized truncated scarfed nozzles subject to external flow effects

Science.gov (United States)

Shyne, Rickey J.; Keith, Theo G., Jr.

1990-01-01

Rao's method for computing optimum thrust nozzles is modified to study the effects of external flow on the performance of a class of exhaust nozzles. Members of this class are termed scarfed nozzles. These are two-dimensional, nonsymmetric nozzles with a flat lower wall. The lower wall (the cowl) is truncated in order to save weight. Results from a parametric investigation are presented to show the effects of the external flowfield on performance.

Theoretical background and implementation of the finite element method for multi-dimensional Fokker-Planck equation analysis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Král, Radomil; Náprstek, Jiří

2017-01-01

Roč. 113, November (2017), s. 54-75 ISSN 0965-9978 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GP14-34467P; GA ČR(CZ) GA15-01035S Institutional support: RVO:68378297 Keywords : Fokker-Planck equation * finite element method * simplex element * multi-dimensional problem * non-symmetric operator Subject RIV: JM - Building Engineering OBOR OECD: Mechanical engineering Impact factor: 3.000, year: 2016 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article /pii/S0965997817301904

Colorado Conference on iterative methods. Volume 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-12-31

The conference provided a forum on many aspects of iterative methods. Volume I topics were:Session: domain decomposition, nonlinear problems, integral equations and inverse problems, eigenvalue problems, iterative software kernels. Volume II presents nonsymmetric solvers, parallel computation, theory of iterative methods, software and programming environment, ODE solvers, multigrid and multilevel methods, applications, robust iterative methods, preconditioners, Toeplitz and circulation solvers, and saddle point problems. Individual papers are indexed separately on the EDB.

Using Vignette Methodology to research the process of breach comparatively

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boone, M.M.; Beyens, K.; Maguire, N.; Laurinavicius, A.; Persson, A.

2015-01-01

Comparative research related to any aspect of the process of breach in either the pre-trial, sentencing or release phases is relatively rare. Comparative studies of decision making in the specific context of breach process are particularly lacking. One reason for the dearth of research in this area

Comparative genomic and transcriptomic analysis revealed genetic characteristics related to solvent formation and xylose utilization in Clostridium acetobutylicum EA 2018

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Shengyue

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Clostridium acetobutylicum, a gram-positive and spore-forming anaerobe, is a major strain for the fermentative production of acetone, butanol and ethanol. But a previously isolated hyper-butanol producing strain C. acetobutylicum EA 2018 does not produce spores and has greater capability of solvent production, especially for butanol, than the type strain C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824. Results Complete genome of C. acetobutylicum EA 2018 was sequenced using Roche 454 pyrosequencing. Genomic comparison with ATCC 824 identified many variations which may contribute to the hyper-butanol producing characteristics in the EA 2018 strain, including a total of 46 deletion sites and 26 insertion sites. In addition, transcriptomic profiling of gene expression in EA 2018 relative to that of ATCC824 revealed expression-level changes of several key genes related to solvent formation. For example, spo0A and adhEII have higher expression level, and most of the acid formation related genes have lower expression level in EA 2018. Interestingly, the results also showed that the variation in CEA_G2622 (CAC2613 in ATCC 824, a putative transcriptional regulator involved in xylose utilization, might accelerate utilization of substrate xylose. Conclusions Comparative analysis of C. acetobutylicum hyper-butanol producing strain EA 2018 and type strain ATCC 824 at both genomic and transcriptomic levels, for the first time, provides molecular-level understanding of non-sporulation, higher solvent production and enhanced xylose utilization in the mutant EA 2018. The information could be valuable for further genetic modification of C. acetobutylicum for more effective butanol production.

Health-Related Quality of Life Measures for Physically Active Elderly in Community Exercise Programs in Catalonia: Comparative Analysis with Sedentary People

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesús Fortuño-Godes

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To evaluate Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL, medication used, and Stock of Health Capital (SHC in physically active elderly participants in Community Exercise Programs (CEPs compared to a sedentary group. Methods. EuroQol standardized instrument was completed by physically active elderly (n = 2,185 who participated in CEPs. Common items were compared to HRQoL data of 1,874 sedentary elderly people, taken from the Catalan Health Survey 2006 (CHS’06. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS outcomes and medication used were assessed through parametric statistics. Dimensions of health conditions were compared, between sedentary people and physically active elderly participants in CEPs. SHC results were obtained combining the EuroQol scores and Life Expectancy (LE values. An economic value of €34,858.70 was assigned to these years of LE. Results. Physically active subjects had better HRQoL values (75.36 in males and 70.71 in females than CHS’06 sedentary subjects (58.35 in males and 50.59 in females. Medication used was different between physically active subjects (1.89 in males and 2.87 in females and CHS’06 sedentary subjects (4.34 in males and 4.21 in females. SHC data for physically active elderly (€465,988.31/QALY in males and €522,550.31/QALY in females were higher than for CHS’06 sedentary subjects (€363,689.33/QALY in males and €346,615.91/QALY in females.

A comparative study of relational learning capacity in honeybees (Apis mellifera and stingless bees (Melipona rufiventris.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Mauricio Moreno

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Learning of arbitrary relations is the capacity to acquire knowledge about associations between events or stimuli that do not share any similarities, and use this knowledge to make behavioural choices. This capacity is well documented in humans and vertebrates, and there is some evidence it exists in the honeybee (Apis mellifera. However, little is known about whether the ability for relational learning extends to other invertebrates, although many insects have been shown to possess excellent learning capacities in spite of their small brains. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using a symbolic matching-to-sample procedure, we show that the honeybee Apis mellifera rapidly learns arbitrary relations between colours and patterns, reaching 68.2% correct choice for pattern-colour relations and 73.3% for colour-pattern relations. However, Apis mellifera does not transfer this knowledge to the symmetrical relations when the stimulus order is reversed. A second bee species, the stingless bee Melipona rufiventris from Brazil, seems unable to learn the same arbitrary relations between colours and patterns, although it exhibits excellent discrimination learning. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results confirm that the capacity for learning arbitrary relations is not limited to vertebrates, but even insects with small brains can perform this learning task. Interestingly, it seems to be a species-specific ability. The disparity in relational learning performance between the two bee species we tested may be linked to their specific foraging and recruitment strategies, which evolved in adaptation to different environments.

A comparative study of relational learning capacity in honeybees (Apis mellifera) and stingless bees (Melipona rufiventris).

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Antonio Mauricio; de Souza, Deisy das Graças; Reinhard, Judith

2012-01-01

Learning of arbitrary relations is the capacity to acquire knowledge about associations between events or stimuli that do not share any similarities, and use this knowledge to make behavioural choices. This capacity is well documented in humans and vertebrates, and there is some evidence it exists in the honeybee (Apis mellifera). However, little is known about whether the ability for relational learning extends to other invertebrates, although many insects have been shown to possess excellent learning capacities in spite of their small brains. Using a symbolic matching-to-sample procedure, we show that the honeybee Apis mellifera rapidly learns arbitrary relations between colours and patterns, reaching 68.2% correct choice for pattern-colour relations and 73.3% for colour-pattern relations. However, Apis mellifera does not transfer this knowledge to the symmetrical relations when the stimulus order is reversed. A second bee species, the stingless bee Melipona rufiventris from Brazil, seems unable to learn the same arbitrary relations between colours and patterns, although it exhibits excellent discrimination learning. Our results confirm that the capacity for learning arbitrary relations is not limited to vertebrates, but even insects with small brains can perform this learning task. Interestingly, it seems to be a species-specific ability. The disparity in relational learning performance between the two bee species we tested may be linked to their specific foraging and recruitment strategies, which evolved in adaptation to different environments.

A Comparative Study of Relational Learning Capacity in Honeybees (Apis mellifera) and Stingless Bees (Melipona rufiventris)

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Antonio Mauricio; de Souza, Deisy das Graças; Reinhard, Judith

2012-01-01

Background Learning of arbitrary relations is the capacity to acquire knowledge about associations between events or stimuli that do not share any similarities, and use this knowledge to make behavioural choices. This capacity is well documented in humans and vertebrates, and there is some evidence it exists in the honeybee (Apis mellifera). However, little is known about whether the ability for relational learning extends to other invertebrates, although many insects have been shown to possess excellent learning capacities in spite of their small brains. Methodology/Principal Findings Using a symbolic matching-to-sample procedure, we show that the honeybee Apis mellifera rapidly learns arbitrary relations between colours and patterns, reaching 68.2% correct choice for pattern-colour relations and 73.3% for colour-pattern relations. However, Apis mellifera does not transfer this knowledge to the symmetrical relations when the stimulus order is reversed. A second bee species, the stingless bee Melipona rufiventris from Brazil, seems unable to learn the same arbitrary relations between colours and patterns, although it exhibits excellent discrimination learning. Conclusions/Significance Our results confirm that the capacity for learning arbitrary relations is not limited to vertebrates, but even insects with small brains can perform this learning task. Interestingly, it seems to be a species-specific ability. The disparity in relational learning performance between the two bee species we tested may be linked to their specific foraging and recruitment strategies, which evolved in adaptation to different environments. PMID:23251542

Comparative fate of an organochlorine, chlordecone, and a related compound, chlordecone-5b-hydro, in soils and plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Clostre, Florence; Cattan, Philippe; Gaude, Jean-Marie; Carles, Céline; Letourmy, Philippe; Lesueur-Jannoyer, Magalie

2015-11-01

We address the problem of the comparative environmental fate of a pesticide, chlordecone (CLD), and a related compound, chlordecone-5b-hydro (CLD-5b-hydro). We used a large database including data from two types of contaminated volcanic soils, andosol and nitisol, and thirteen crops grown in the French West Indies in historically polluted soils. We performed in-depth statistical analysis of the effect of different parameters (soil type, crop, organ, etc.) on the ratio of CLD-5b-hydro to CLD in both soils and plants. The environmental fate of the two compounds differed depending on the type of soil. Proportionally, more CLD-5b-hydro than CLD was measured in nitisols than in andosols. Compared to CLD, we also found a preferential transfer of CLD-5b-hydro from the soil to the plant. Finally, mobilization of the two compounds differed according to the species of crop but also within the plant, with increasing ratios from the roots to the top of the plant. The properties of the compound played a key role in the underlying processes. Because CLD-5b-hydro is more soluble in water and has a lower K(ow) than CLD, CLD-5b-hydro (1) was more easily absorbed from soils by plants, (2) was less adsorbed onto plant tissues and (3) was transported in greater quantities through the transpiration stream. Due to the amounts of CLD-5b-hydro we measured in some plant parts such as cucurbit fruits, an assessment of the toxicity of this CLD monodechlorinated product is recommended. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative mapping of powdery mildew resistance gene Pm21 and functional characterization of resistance-related genes in wheat.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Huagang; Zhu, Shanying; Jiang, Zhengning; Ji, Yaoyong; Wang, Feng; Zhao, Renhui; Bie, Tongde

2016-04-01

The powdery mildew resistance gene Pm21 was physically and comparatively mapped by newly developed markers. Seven candidate genes were verified to be required for Pm21 -mediated resistance to wheat powdery mildew. Pm21, a gene derived from wheat wild relative Dasypyrum villosum, has been transferred into common wheat and widely utilized in wheat resistance breeding for powdery mildew. Previously, Pm21 has been located to the bin FL0.45-0.58 of 6VS by using deletion stocks. However, its fine mapping is still a hard work. In the present study, 30 gene-derived 6VS-specific markers were obtained based on the collinearity among genomes of Brachypodium distachyon, Oryza and Triticeae, and then physically and comparatively mapped in the bin FL0.45-0.58 and its nearby chromosome region. According to the maps, the bin FL0.45-0.58 carrying Pm21 was closely flanked by the markers 6VS-03 and 6VS-23, which further narrowed the orthologous regions to 1.06 Mb in Brachypodium and 1.38 Mb in rice, respectively. Among the conserved genes shared by Brachypodium and rice, four serine/threonine protein kinase genes (DvMPK1, DvMLPK, DvUPK and DvPSYR1), one protein phosphatase gene (DvPP2C) and two transcription factor genes (DvGATA and DvWHY) were confirmed to be required for Pm21-mediated resistance to wheat powdery mildew by barley stripe mosaic virus-induced gene silencing (BSMV-VIGS) and transcriptional pattern analyses. In summary, this study gives new insights into the genetic basis of the Pm21 locus and the disease resistance pathways mediated by Pm21.

Health-related quality of life and health care use in cancer survivors compared with patients with chronic diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Heins, Marianne J; Korevaar, Joke C; Hopman, Petra E P C; Donker, Gé A; Schellevis, François G; Rijken, Mieke P M

2016-03-15

The number of cancer survivors is steadily increasing and these patients often experience long-lasting health problems. To make care for cancer survivors sustainable for the future, it would be relevant to put the effects of cancer in this phase into perspective. Therefore, the authors compared health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and health care use among cancer survivors with that of patients with chronic diseases. Patients diagnosed at age >18 years with a cancer with a 5-year survival rate > 20% and no distant metastases at the time of diagnosis and patients aged >18 years with physician-diagnosed somatic chronic diseases without cancer were sent a questionnaire. HRQOL was measured with the RAND-36, a measure of HRQOL. Self-reported health care use was measured for general practitioner care, specialist care, rehabilitative care, physical therapy, ambulatory mental health care, and occupational health care. A total of 601 cancer survivors and 1052 patients with chronic diseases without cancer were included in the current study. Multimorbidity was observed in 63% of the cancer survivors and 61% of the patients with chronic diseases. The HRQOL of the cancer survivors was significantly better than that of patients with chronic diseases after adjustment for age and sex. For the mental functioning subscale, no significant differences were found between the 2 groups. Cancer survivors were found to be less likely to have visited a general practitioner or cardiologist compared with patients with chronic diseases. When considering physical HRQOL and health care use, cancer survivors appear to fare better than the average patient with chronic diseases. No difference in mental functioning was observed in the current study. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Comparing the Effectiveness of Bevacizumab to Ranibizumab in Patients with Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration. The BRAMD Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A M E Schauwvlieghe

Full Text Available To compare the effectiveness of bevacizumab and ranibizumab in the treatment of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD.Multicentre, randomized, controlled, double-masked clinical trial in 327 patients. The non-inferiority margin was 4 letters.Patients ≥ 60 years of age with primary or recurrent sub- or juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV secondary to AMD with a total area of CNV < 12 disc areas and a best corrected visual acuity (BCVA score between 20 and 78 letters on an EDTRS like chart in the study eye.Monthly intravitreal injections with 1.25 mg bevacizumab or 0.5 mg ranibizumab were given during one year. Intention to treat with last observation carried forward analysis was performed.Primary outcome was the change in BCVA in the study eye from baseline to 12 months.The mean gain in BCVA was 5.1 (±14.1 letters in the bevacizumab group (n = 161 and 6.4 (±12.2 letters in the ranibizumab group (n = 166 (p = 0.37. The lower limit of the 95% confidence interval of the difference in BCVA gain was 3.72. The response to bevacizumab was more varied; 24% of patients showed a gain of ≥15 letters, 11% a loss of ≥15 letters and 65% a gain or loss < 15 letters compared to 19%, 5% and 76% respectively for ranibizumab (p = 0.038. No significant differences in absolute CRT and CRT change (p = 0.13 or in the presence of subretinal or intraretinal fluid (p = 0.14 and 0.10, respectively were observed. However, the presence of any fluid on SD-OCT (subretinal and/or intraretinal differed significantly (p = 0.020, with definite fluid on SD-OCT in 45% of the patients for bevacizumab versus 31% for ranibizumab. The occurrence of serious adverse events and adverse events was similar, with 34 SAEs and 256 AEs in the bevacizumab group and 37 SAEs and 299 AEs in the ranibizumab group (p = 0.87 and p = 0.48, respectively.Bevacizumab was not inferior to ranibizumab. The response to bevacizumab was more varied with higher percentages of both

Method of investigation of nuclear reactions in charge-nonsymmetrical muonic complexes

CERN Document Server

Bystritsky, V M; Penkov, F M

1999-01-01

A method for experimental determination of the nuclear fusion rates in the d mu He molecules in the states with J=0 and J=1 (J is the orbital moment of the system) and of the effective rate of transition between these states (rotational transition 1-0) is proposed. It is shown that information on the desired characteristics can be found from joint analysis of the time distribution and yield of products of nuclear fusion reactions in deuterium-helium muonic molecules and muonic X-ray obtained in experiments with the D sub 2 +He mixture at three (and more) appreciably different densities. The planned experiments with the D sub 2 +He mixture at the meson facility PSI (Switzerland) are optimized to gain more accurate information about the desired parameters on the assumption that different mechanisms for the 1-0 transition of the d mu He complex are realized. (author)

Non-symmetric elliptic operators on bounded Lipschitz domains in the plane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David J. Rule

2007-10-01

Full Text Available We consider divergence form elliptic operators $L = mathop{ m div} A abla$ in $mathbb{R}^2$ with a coefficient matrix $A = A(x$ of bounded measurable functions independent of the $t$-direction. The aim of this note is to demonstrate how the proof of the main theorem in [4] can be modified to bounded Lipschitz domains. The original theorem states that the $L^p$ Neumann and regularity problems are solvable for $1 < p < p_0$ for some $p_0$ in domains of the form ${(x,t : phi(x < t}$, where $phi$ is a Lipschitz function. The exponent $p_0$ depends only on the ellipticity constants and the Lipschitz constant of $phi$. The principal modification of the argument for the original result is to prove the boundedness of the layer potentials on domains of the form ${X = (x,t : phi(mathbf{e}cdot X < mathbf{e}^perpcdot X }$, for a fixed unit vector $mathbf{e} = (e_1,e_2$ and $mathbf{e}^perp = (-e_2,e_1$. This is proved in [4] only in the case $mathbf{e} = (1,0$. A simple localisation argument then completes the proof.

Limiting Accuracy of Segregated Solution Methods for Nonsymmetric Saddle Point Problems

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Jiránek, P.; Rozložník, Miroslav

Roc. 215, c. 1 (2008), s. 28-37 ISSN 0377-0427 R&D Projects: GA MŠk 1M0554; GA AV ČR 1ET400300415 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : saddle point problems * Schur complement reduction method * null-space projection method * rounding error analysis Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.048, year: 2008

Increased sensitivity to age-related differences in brain functional connectivity during continuous multiple object tracking compared to resting-state.

Science.gov (United States)

Dørum, Erlend S; Kaufmann, Tobias; Alnæs, Dag; Andreassen, Ole A; Richard, Geneviève; Kolskår, Knut K; Nordvik, Jan Egil; Westlye, Lars T

2017-03-01

Age-related differences in cognitive agility vary greatly between individuals and cognitive functions. This heterogeneity is partly mirrored in individual differences in brain network connectivity as revealed using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), suggesting potential imaging biomarkers for age-related cognitive decline. However, although convenient in its simplicity, the resting state is essentially an unconstrained paradigm with minimal experimental control. Here, based on the conception that the magnitude and characteristics of age-related differences in brain connectivity is dependent on cognitive context and effort, we tested the hypothesis that experimentally increasing cognitive load boosts the sensitivity to age and changes the discriminative network configurations. To this end, we obtained fMRI data from younger (n=25, mean age 24.16±5.11) and older (n=22, mean age 65.09±7.53) healthy adults during rest and two load levels of continuous multiple object tracking (MOT). Brain network nodes and their time-series were estimated using independent component analysis (ICA) and dual regression, and the edges in the brain networks were defined as the regularized partial temporal correlations between each of the node pairs at the individual level. Using machine learning based on a cross-validated regularized linear discriminant analysis (rLDA) we attempted to classify groups and cognitive load from the full set of edge-wise functional connectivity indices. While group classification using resting-state data was highly above chance (approx. 70% accuracy), functional connectivity (FC) obtained during MOT strongly increased classification performance, with 82% accuracy for the young and 95% accuracy for the old group at the highest load level. Further, machine learning revealed stronger differentiation between rest and task in young compared to older individuals, supporting the notion of network dedifferentiation in cognitive aging. Task

High-Frequency Guided Wave Scattering by a Partly Through-Thickness Hole Based on 3D Theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Hai-Yan; Xu Jian; Ma Shi-Wei

2015-01-01

We present a theoretical investigation of the scattering of high frequency S0 Lamb mode from a circular blind hole defect in a plate based on the 3D theory. The S0 wave is incident at the frequency above the A1 mode cut-off frequency, in which the popular approximate plate theories are inapplicable. Due to the non-symmetric blind hole defect, the scattered fields will contain higher order converted modes in addition to the fundamental S0 and A0 modes. The far-field scattering amplitudes of various propagating Lamb modes for different hole sizes are inspected. The results are compared with those of lower frequencies and some different phenomena are found. Two-dimensional Fourier transform (2DFT) results of transient scattered Lamb and SH wave signals agree well with the analytical dispersion curves, which check the validity of the solutions from another point of view. (paper)

A Comparative Study of the Cell Wall Structure of Basidiomycetous and Related Yeasts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kreger-van Rij, N.J.W.; Veenhuis, M.

1971-01-01

The wall of basidiomycetous and related yeasts showed a lamellar structure in sections of both budding cells and hyphae fixed with potassium permanganate. The yeasts also had a typical way of bud formation and septation. These features differ from those recorded for ascomycetous yeasts. In the

Comparative assessment of three different indices of multimorbidity for studies on health-related quality of life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dubois Marie-France

2005-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Measures of multimorbidity are often applied to source data, populations or outcomes outside the scope of their original developmental work. As the development of a multimorbidity measure is influenced by the population and outcome used, these influences should be taken into account when selecting a multimorbidity index. The aim of this study was to compare the strength of the association of health-related quality of life (HRQOL with three multimorbidity indices: the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS, the Charlson index (Charlson and the Functional Comorbidity Index (FCI. The first two indices were not developed in light of HRQOL. Methods We used data on chronic diseases and on the SF-36 questionnaire assessing HRQOL of 238 adult primary care patients who participated in a previous study. We extracted all the diagnoses for every patient from chart review to score the CIRS, the FCI and the Charlson. Data for potential confounders (age, sex, self-perceived economic status and self-perceived social support were also collected. We calculated the Pearson correlation coefficients (r of the SF-36 scores with the three measures of multimorbidity, as well as the coefficient of determination, R2, while controlling for confounders. Results The r values for the CIRS (range: -0.55 to -0.18 were always higher than those for the FCI (-0.47 to -0.10 and Charlson (-0.31 to -0.04 indices. The CIRS explained the highest percent of variation in all scores of the SF-36, except for the Mental Component Summary Score where the variation was not significant. Variations explained by the FCI were significant in all scores of SF-36 measuring physical health and in two scales evaluating mental health. Variations explained by the Charlson were significant in only three scores measuring physical health. Conclusion The CIRS is a better choice as a measure of multimorbidity than the FCI and the Charlson when HRQOL is the outcome of interest. However

Comparative performance measures of relational and object-oriented databases using High Energy Physics data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marstaller, J.

1993-12-01

The major experiments at the SSC are expected to produce up to 1 Petabyte of data per year. The use of database techniques can significantly reduce the time it takes to access data. The goal of this project was to test which underlying data model, the relational or the object-oriented, would be better suited for archival and accessing high energy data. We describe the relational and the object-oriented data model and their implementation in commercial database management systems. To determine scalability we tested both implementations for 10-MB and 100-MB databases using storage and timing criteria

Comparative risk assessment of total energy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soerensen, B.

1982-01-01

The paper discusses a methodology for total impact assessment of energy systems, ideally evaluating all the impacts that a given energy system has on the society in which it is imbedded or into which its introduction is being considered. Impacts from the entire energy conversion chain ('fuel cycle' if the system is fuel-based), including energy storage, transport and transmission, as well as the institutions formed in order to manage the system, should be compared on the basis of the energy service provided. A number of impacts are considered, broadly classified as impacts on satisfaction of biological needs, on health, on environment, on social relations and on the structure of society. Further considerations include impacts related to cost and resilience, and, last but not least, impacts on global relations. The paper discusses a number of published energy studies in the light of the comparative impact assessment methodology outlined above. (author)

Similar or Different?: A Comparative Analysis of Higher Education Research in Political Science and International Relations between the United States of America and the United Kingdom

Science.gov (United States)

Blair, Alasdair

2015-01-01

This article focuses on the nature of the writing in 73 articles published in six U.S. and U.K. political science and international relations journals that focus on teaching and learning. A comparative analysis is made of the articles through a review of the characteristics of the authors, the themes researched, the analytical focus, the research…

Relation between visual function index and falls-related factors in patients with age-related cataract

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mei-Na Huang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available AIM:To investigate the relation between vision function index and falls-related factors in patients with age-related cataract.METHODS:Ninety-six patients with age-related cataract were interviewed using a seven-item visual function questionnaire(VF-7, then classified into poor, moderate, or good visual function group. The differences of the three groups on visual acuity, balance and mobility function, cognition, depressive symptoms, self-reported fear of falling were analyzed. RESULTS:The patients in poor visual function group had older age, tendency to depression, was more afraid of falling, compared with groups with higher score in VF-7, and they had worse visual acuity, performed worse on all balance and mobility tests. CONCLUSION:Poor visual function is related to worse visual acuity, weaker balance and mobility performance in patients with age-related cataract. The VF-7, as a simple and convenient self-reported method, can be used as a falling risk monitoring in patients with age-related cataract.

The Public Stigma of Problem Gambling: Its Nature and Relative Intensity Compared to Other Health Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hing, Nerilee; Russell, Alex M T; Gainsbury, Sally M; Nuske, Elaine

2016-09-01

Problem gambling attracts considerable public stigma, with deleterious effects on mental health and use of healthcare services amongst those affected. However, no research has examined the extent of stigma towards problem gambling within the general population. This study aimed to examine the stigma-related dimensions of problem gambling as perceived by the general public compared to other health conditions, and determine whether the publicly perceived dimensions of problem gambling predict its stigmatisation. A sample of 2000 Australian adults was surveyed, weighted to be representative of the state population by gender, age and location. Based on vignettes, the online survey measured perceived origin, peril, concealability, course and disruptiveness of problem gambling and four other health conditions, and desired social distance from each. Problem gambling was perceived as caused mainly by stressful life circumstances, and highly disruptive, recoverable and noticeable, but not particularly perilous. Respondents stigmatised problem gambling more than sub-clinical distress and recreational gambling, but less than alcohol use disorder and schizophrenia. Predictors of stronger stigma towards problem gambling were perceptions it is caused by bad character, is perilous, non-recoverable, disruptive and noticeable, but not due to stressful life circumstances, genetic/inherited problem, or chemical imbalance in the brain. This new foundational knowledge can advance understanding and reduction of problem gambling stigma through countering inaccurate perceptions that problem gambling is caused by bad character, that people with gambling problems are likely to be violent to other people, and that people cannot recover from problem gambling.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIOURS RELATED TO FUNCTIONAL FOODS AMONG SELECTED YOUNG CONSUMERS IN POLAND AND GERMANY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdalena Zegan

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Nutrition is one of the key factors infl uencing human health. Consuming foods that either naturally contain or have been enriched with bioactive substances may aid the organism’s proper development and functioning and, most importantly, be a vital element in the prophylaxis of many non-communicable diseases as well as improve general sense of well-being. The aim of the study was to compare behaviours related to functional foods among a selected group of young people. The survey was conducted among 153 purposively selected young consumers from Poland and Germany in March/April 2015. An original survey questionnaire was employed. IBM SPSS Statistics ver. 23 software was used for statistical analysis (chi-squared test p < 0.05. The term “functional foods” was largely unknown among the respondents. A defi nite majority of the survey participants reported having bought and consumed products that, in fact, belong to this group of foods. The main source of information on the topic of functional foods was the Internet. While buying these products, respondents from both countries chiefl y took into account the price, the quality and the list of ingredients. The results point to the need to popularize information about functional foods using trustworthy sources, in order to foster nutritional awareness. Consumer knowledge is the basis for the positive perception and acceptance of health-promoting foods and for making rational dietary choices. 

Advanced multi-evaporator loop thermosyphon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mameli, M.; Mangini, D.; Vanoli, G.F.T.; Araneo, L.; Filippeschi, S.; Marengo, M.

2016-01-01

A novel prototype of multi-evaporator closed loop thermosyphon is designed and tested at different heaters position, inclinations and heat input levels, in order to prove that a peculiar arrangement of multiple heaters may be used in order to enhance the flow motion and consequently the thermal performance. The device consists in an aluminum tube (Inner/Outer tube diameter 3.0 mm/5.0 mm), bent into a planar serpentine with five U-turns and partially filled with FC-72, 50% vol. The evaporator zone is equipped with five heated patches (one for each U-turn) in series with respect to the flow path. In the first arrangement, heaters are wrapped on each bend symmetrically, while in the second layout heaters are located on the branch just above the U-turn, non-symmetrical with respect to the gravity direction, in order to promote the fluid circulation in a preferential direction. The condenser zone is cooled by forced air and equipped with a 50 mm transparent section for the flow pattern visualization. The non-symmetrical heater arrangement effectively promotes a stable fluid circulation and a reliable operation for a wider range of heat input levels and orientations with respect to the symmetrical case. In vertical position, the heat flux dissipation exceeds the pool boiling heat transfer limit for FC-72 by 75% and the tube wall temperatures in the evaporator zone are kept lower than 80 °C. Furthermore, the heat flux capability is up to five times larger with respect to the other existing wickless heat pipe technologies demonstrating the attractiveness of the new concept for electronic cooling thermal management. - Highlights: • A novel passive heat transfer device named Multi-Evaporator Loop Thermosyphon is tested. • The loop is investigated at different heating patterns, inclinations and heat power levels. • The non-symmetrical heating configuration promotes the fluid circulation within the loop. • The performance in terms of maximum heat flux exceeds the

Risks for the development of outcomes related to occupational allergies: an application of the asthma-specific job exposure matrix compared with self-reports and investigator scores on job-training-related exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Suarthana, E; Heederik, D; Ghezzo, H; Malo, J-L; Kennedy, S M; Gautrin, D

2009-04-01

Risks for development of occupational sensitisation, bronchial hyper-responsiveness, rhinoconjunctival and chest symptoms at work associated with continued exposure to high molecular weight (HMW) allergens were estimated with three exposure assessment methods. A Cox regression analysis with adjustment for atopy and smoking habit was carried out in 408 apprentices in animal health technology, pastry making, and dental hygiene technology with an 8-year follow-up after training. The risk of continued exposure after training, estimated by the asthma-specific job exposure matrix (JEM), was compared with self-reports and investigator scores on job-training-related exposure. Associations between outcomes and work duration in job(s) related to training were also evaluated. Exposure to animal-derived HMW allergens, subsequent to the apprenticeship period, as estimated by the JEM, was associated with a significantly increased risk for occupational sensitisation (hazard ratio (HR) 6.4; 95% CI 2.3 to 18.2) and rhinoconjunctival symptoms at work (HR 2.6; 95% CI 1.1 to 6.2). Exposure to low molecular weight (LMW) agents significantly increased the risk of developing bronchial hyper-responsiveness (HR 2.3; 95% CI 1.1 to 5.4). Exposure verification appeared to be important to optimise the sensitivity and the specificity, as well as HRs produced by the JEM. Self-reports and investigator scores also indicated that further exposure to HMW allergens increased the risk of developing occupational allergies. The agreement between self-reports, investigator scores, and the JEM were moderate to good. There was no significant association between respiratory outcomes and work duration in jobs related to training. The asthma-specific JEM could estimate the risk of various outcomes of occupational allergies associated with exposure to HMW and LMW allergens, but it is relatively labour intensive. Exposure verification is an important integrated step in the JEM that optimised the performance of

A comparative analysis of health-related quality of life for residents of U.S. counties with and without coal mining.

Science.gov (United States)

Zullig, Keith J; Hendryx, Michael

2010-01-01

We compared health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in mining and non-mining counties in and out of Appalachia using the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. Dependent variables included self-rated health, the number of poor physical and mental health days, the number of activity limitation days (in the last 30 days), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthy Days Index. Independent variables included the presence of coal mining, Appalachian region residence, metropolitan status, primary care physician supply, and BRFSS behavioral (e.g., smoking, body mass index, and alcohol consumption) and demographic (e.g., age, gender, race, and income) variables. We compared dependent variables across a four-category variable: Appalachia (yes/ no) and coal mining (yes/no). We used SUDAAN Multilog and multiple linear regression models with post-hoc least-squares means to test for Appalachian coal-mining effects after adjusting for covariates. Residents of coal-mining counties inside and outside of Appalachia reported significantly fewer healthy days for both physical and mental health, and poorer self-rated health (p mining counties, but disparities were greatest for people residing in Appalachian coal-mining areas. Furthermore, results remained consistent in separate analyses by gender and age. Coal-mining areas are characterized by greater socioeconomic disadvantage, riskier health behaviors, and environmental degradation that are associated with reduced HRQOL.

Comparing greenhouse gases for policy purposes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmalensee, R.

1993-01-01

In order to derive optimal policies for greenhouse gas emissions control, the discounted marginal damages of emissions from different gases must be compared. The greenhouse warming potential (GWP) index, which is most often used to compare greenhouse gases, is not based on such a damage comparison. This essay presents assumptions under which ratios of gas-specific discounted marginal damages reduce to ratios of discounted marginal contributions to radiative forcing, where the discount rate is the difference between the discount rate relevant to climate-related damages and the rate of growth of marginal climate-related damages over time. If there are important gas-specific costs or benefits not tied to radiative forcing, however, such as direct effects of carbon dioxide on plant growth, there is in general no shortcut around explicit comparison of discounted net marginal damages. 16 refs

Endothelial cell markers in vascular neoplasms: an immunohistochemical study comparing factor VIII-related antigen, blood group specific antigens, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, and Ulex europaeus 1 lectin.

Science.gov (United States)

Little, D; Said, J W; Siegel, R J; Fealy, M; Fishbein, M C

1986-06-01

Markers for endothelial cells including Ulex europaeus 1 lectin, blood group A, B, and H, and the prostaglandin metabolite 6-keto-PGF1 alpha were evaluated in paraffin secretions from formalin-fixed benign and malignant vascular neoplasms using a variety of immunohistochemical techniques, and results compared with staining for factor VIII-related antigen. Staining for Ulex appeared more sensitive than factor VIII-related antigen in identifying poorly differentiated neoplasms including haemangiosarcomas and spindle cell proliferations in Kaposi's sarcoma. Staining for blood group related antigens correlated with blood group in all cases. Ulex europaeus 1 lectin was the only marker for endothelial cells in lymphangiomas.

Comparative analysis of current payment system for hospital services in Serbia and projected payments under diagnostic related groups system in urology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Babić Uroš

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim. Global budget per calendar year is a traditional method of funding hospitals in Serbia. Diagnose related groups (DGR is a method of hospital payment based on classification of patients into groups with clinically similar problems and similar utilization of hospital resources. The aim of this study was to compare current methods of hospital services payment with the projected costs by DRG payment method in urology. Methods. The data were obtained from the information system used in the Clinical Hospital Center “Dr. Dragiša Mišović” - Dedinje in Belgrade, Serbia. The implemented hospital information system was the main criterion for selection of healthcare institutions. The study included 994 randomly selected patients treated surgically and conservatively in 2012. Results. Average costs under the current payment method were slightly higher than those projected by DRG, however, the variability was twice as high (54,111 ± 69,789 compared to 53,434 ± 32,509, p < 0,001 respectively. The univariate analysis showed that the highest correlation with the current payment method as well as with the projected one by DRG was observed in relation to the number of days of hospitalization (ρ = 0.842, p < 0.001, and ρ = 0.637, p < 0.001, respectively. Multivariate regression models confirmed the influence of the number of hospitalization days to costs under the current payment system (β = 0.843, p < 0.001 as well as under the projected DRG payment system (β = 0.737, p < 0.001. The same predictor was crucial for the difference in the current payment method and the projected DRG payment methods (β = 0.501, p <0.001. Conclusion. Payment under the DRG system is administratively more complex because it requires detailed and standardized coding of diagnoses and procedures, as well as the information on the average consumption of resources (costs per DRG. Given that aggregate costs of treatment under two hospital payment methods compared

Comparative Studies: historical, epistemological and methodological notes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Ignacio Piovani

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In this article some historical, epistemological and methodological issues related to comparative studies in the social sciences are addressed, with specific reference to the field of education. The starting point is a discussion of the meaning of comparison, its logical structure and its presence in science and in everyday life. It follows the presentation and critical appraisal of the perspectives regarding comparison as a scientific method. It is argued that, even rejecting this restrictive meaning of comparison as a method, there is some consensus on the specificity of comparative studies within the social sciences. And in relation to them, the article address in more detail those studies that can be defined as trans-contextual (cross-national and cross-cultural, with emphasis on the main methodological and technical challenges they face. The socio-historical comparative perspective, which has gained importance in recent years in the field of education, is also discussed.

Comparative Studies of Two-Dimensional Electrophoresis on Galactosidase Relating to Bombyx Lectin Activity

OpenAIRE

加藤, 靖夫; カトウ, ヤスオ; Yasuo, Kato

2005-01-01

"Comparative two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE) analysis on the haemolymph of the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori and Fraction II obtained by gel filtration from the haemolymph of B. mori was performed using the 2-D mini-slab system (Atto Co.) (the first method of 2-D PAGE) and the Mini-PROTEAN mini tube gel 2-D PAGE system (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.) (the second method). Moreover, two-dimensionnal electrophoresis analysis on standard β-galactosidase, grade III ...

Banking System Shocks and REIT Performance

OpenAIRE

Olliges, Jan-Willem; Raudszus, Malte H.; Mueller, Glenn R.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to directly contrast the REIT market’s stock return response to bank failures versus bank bailouts. The non-negativity constraints of the GARCH model measuring risk dynamics are mitigated by the use of the EGARCH model. EGARCH accounts for non-symmetrical effects of risk adjustments in response to return shocks. Previous research shows that bank failures cause a positive abnormal return effect for REITs. This confirms the expectation that during crises, market par...

Improved Balanced Incomplete Factorization

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bru, R.; Marín, J.; Mas, J.; Tůma, Miroslav

2010-01-01

Roč. 31, č. 5 (2010), s. 2431-2452 ISSN 0895-4798 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100300802 Grant - others:GA AV ČR(CZ) M100300902 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Source of funding: I - inštitucionálna podpora na rozvoj VO Keywords : preconditioned iterative methods * sparse matrices * incomplete decompositions * approximate inverses * Sherman-Morrison formula * nonsymmetric matrices Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.725, year: 2010

Ghost properties of generalized theories of gravitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mann, R.B.; Moffat, J.W.

1982-01-01

We investigate theories of gravitation, in which spacetime is non-Riemannian and the metric g/sub munu/ is nonsymmetric, for ghosts and tachyons, using a spin-projection operator formalism. Ghosts are removed not by gauge invariance but by a Lagrange multiplier W/sub μ/, which occurs due to the breaking of projective invariance in the theory. Unified theories based on a Lagrangian containing a term lambdag/sup munu/g/sub / are proved to contain ghosts or tachyons

Obsessive compulsive and related disorders: comparing DSM-5 and ICD-11.

Science.gov (United States)

Marras, Anna; Fineberg, Naomi; Pallanti, Stefano

2016-08-01

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been recognized as mainly characterized by compulsivity rather than anxiety and, therefore, was removed from the anxiety disorders chapter and given its own in both the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and the Beta Draft Version of the 11th revision of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). This revised clustering is based on increasing evidence of common affected neurocircuits between disorders, differently from previous classification systems based on interrater agreement. In this article, we focus on the classification of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRDs), examining the differences in approach adopted by these 2 nosological systems, with particular attention to the proposed changes in the forthcoming ICD-11. At this stage, notable differences in the ICD classification are emerging from the previous revision, apparently converging toward a reformulation of OCRDs that is closer to the DSM-5.

The Transition from RDBMS to NoSQL. A Comparative Analysis of Three Popular Non-Relational Solutions: Cassandra, MongoDB and Couchbase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina BAZAR

2014-09-01

Full Text Available NoSQL databases were built in the need to deal with the increasing amount of complex data (Big Data, required in real-time web applications, and are mostly addressing some of these points: the focus on availability over consistency, horizontally scalable, distributed architecture, and open-source. The purpose of this paper is to present the reasons for a transition from RDBMS to NoSQL databases, to describe the main characteristics of non-relational databases and to compare and analyze three popular NoSQL solutions - Cassandra, MongoDB and CouchBase, outlining the results obtained during performance comparison tests. Each solution is optimized for different workloads and different use cases. Therefore, each has its own strong points and weaknesses.

Nasogastric tube versus gastrostomy tube for gastric decompression in abdominal surgery: a prospective, randomized trial comparing patients' tube-related inconvenience.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, S; Koller, M; Plaul, U; Stinner, B; Gerdes, B; Lorenz, W; Rothmund, M

2001-11-01

Perioperative decompression of the stomach is still a common procedure and can be achieved using either nasogastric tubes (NTs) or gastrostomy tubes (GTs). While both procedures appear to be equally effective, some authors believe that NTs are less convenient for patients than GTs. However, to date, no reliable prospective data are available on this issue. We conducted a prospective, randomized trial comparing NTs versus GTs with a total of 110 patients undergoing elective colon surgery. The primary outcome measure was the patient's tube-related inconvenience and pain, assessed in a standardized interview on day 2 after surgery and quantified by means of a visual-analog scale (VAS). A questionnaire including the EORTC QLQ-C30 and additional items regarding retrospective tube-related judgements was administered on the day of discharge and 4 weeks after discharge. Secondary endpoints were the therapy-related morbidity and general complications. When patients were asked which of their drainage tubes (all patients had three or four drainage tubes, such as decompression drains, urinary drains, central venous line) was most inconvenient, 43% (CI 33-53%) in the NT group reported that the NT was most inconvenient, while only 4% (CI 1-10%) of the GT patients judged the GT most inconvenient ( Ptube system (day 2 p.o.: 71%, CI 61-80%; 4 weeks p.o.: 66%, CI 56-75%) than did GT patients (day 2 p.o.: 94%, CI 88-98%; 4 weeks p.o.: 91% CI 84-96%); again, these differences were statistically significant ( Ptube system have to weigh up the possibilities of different averse clinical as well as subjective outcomes. It is then preferable to include patients' preferences in the individual decision making process (shared-decision making).

Passion, self-esteem, and the role of comparative performance evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Stenseng, Frode; Dalskau, Lina Harvold

2010-12-01

Two studies were conducted to investigate the paradoxical behavior of obsessively passionate individuals: they tend to continue involvement in their passion activity despite reporting the activity as a source of ill-being. We suggested that elevated self-esteem in activity engagement could be one such persistence-promoting factor. In Study 1, we found that obsessively passionate individuals reported lower levels of global self-esteem compared with harmoniously passionate individuals, whereas they reported similar levels of activity-related self-esteem. We suggest that this indicates that obsessively passionate individuals try to compensate for low global self-esteem by utilizing self-esteem contingencies in their passion activity. Study 2 showed that activity-related self-esteem among obsessively passionate individuals was found to be strongly related to comparative performance evaluations, whereas no such relationship was found among harmoniously passionate individuals. We suggest that self-esteem contingencies related to comparative performance criteria represent a persistence-promoting factor among obsessively passionate individuals.

Quasicomplex N=2, d=1 Supersymmetric Sigma Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evgeny A. Ivanov

2013-11-01

Full Text Available We derive and discuss a new type of N=2 supersymmetric quantum mechanical sigma models which appear when the superfield action of the (1,2,1 multiplets is modified by adding an imaginary antisymmetric tensor to the target space metric, thus completing the latter to a non-symmetric Hermitian metric. These models are not equivalent to the standard de Rham sigma models, but are related to them through a certain special similarity transformation of the supercharges. On the other hand, they can be obtained by a Hamiltonian reduction from the complex supersymmetric N=2 sigma models built on the multiplets (2,2,0 and describing the Dolbeault complex on the manifolds with proper isometries. We study in detail the extremal two-dimensional case, when the target space metric is defined solely by the antisymmetric tensor, and show that the corresponding quantum systems reveal a hidden N=4 supersymmetry.

Study of causal relationships among indicators of academic performance in the freshman year of Computer Science by using modal implicative analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larisa Zamora-Matamoros

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The Statistical Implicative Analysis (SIA is a method of non-symmetrical analysis of data whose main objective is the structuring of data, interrelating individuals and variables, the extraction of inductive rules among the variables and from their contingency, the explanation and in consequence a certain prediction in different knowledge branches. The SIA holds two techniques of analysis of data, the cohesive analysis and the implicative analysis, along with the classificatory or similarity analysis. The objective of the present research is to reveal possible similarity, propensity and cohesion relationships among the academic results of students coming from high schools that enter to Computer Science career and the results that they show in undergraduate courses related to Mathematics and Programming, which they receive in the first year of the mentioned career. The gathered data were processed using the software SIASI for modal data.

Comparative proteomics and protein profile related to phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in germinated Oryza sativa 'KDML105' and Thai brown rice 'Mali Daeng' for better nutritional value.

Science.gov (United States)

Maksup, Sarunyaporn; Pongpakpian, Sarintip; Roytrakul, Sittiruk; Cha-Um, Suriyan; Supaibulwatana, Kanyaratt

2018-01-01

Brown rice (BR) and germinated brown rice (GBR) are considered as prime sources of carbohydrate and bioactive compounds for more than half of the populations worldwide. Several studies have reported on the proteomics of BR and GBR; however, the proteomic profiles related to the synthesis of bioactive compounds are less well documented. In the present study, BR and GBR were used in a comparative analysis of the proteomic and bioactive compound profiles for two famous Thai rice varieties: Khao Dawk Mali 105 (KDML) and Mali Daeng (MD). The proteomes of KDML and MD revealed differences in the expression patterns of proteins after germination. Total phenolic compound content, anthocyanin contents and antioxidant activity of red rice MD was approximately 2.6-, 2.2- and 9.2-fold higher, respectively, compared to that of the white rice KDML. Moreover, GBR of MD showed higher total anthocyanin content and greater antioxidant activity, which is consistent with the increase expression of several proteins involved in the biosynthesis of phenolic compounds and protection against oxidative stress. Red rice MD exhibits higher nutrient values compared to white rice KDML and the appropriate germination of brown rice could represent a method for improving health-related benefits. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparative Phenolic Fingerprint and LC-ESI+QTOF-MS Composition of Oregano and Rosemary Hydrophilic Extracts in Relation to their Antibacterial Effect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florina Bunghez

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis and oregano (Origanum vulgare are known aromatic plants used as spice, with good flavoring, preservative, antioxidant and antibacterial activity. Beside their known terpenoid content responsible for the antibacterial activity, the water-soluble compounds (phenolic derivatives are of high interest not only for their antioxidant activity but as a good alternative or as a hydrophilic new antibacterial solution. Two hydrophilic extracts from each plant were obtained (15% plant in hot water and the phytochemicals were fingerprinted by UV-Vis and FTIR spectrometry and quantified. The total phenolic content was higher in case of oregano (54.2 mg GAE/g DW comparing to rosemary (54.25 vs 15.35 mg GAE/g dry matter. By LC-ESI+QTOF-MS analysis there were identified mainly, in both extracts, flavonoid and diterpene derivatives, mainly carnosol, carnosic acid, rosmarinic acid, kaempferol 3-O-glucuronide. Other flavonoid glucuronides were more specific to one or the other plant, e.g. Luteolin 3'-(4''-acetylglucuronide for rosemary and Apigenin 7-O-glucuronide for oregano. Water favorized increased extraction of flavonoid derivatives and soluble diterpenes, but not non-soluble  terpenes. The antibacterial activity of both extracts was tested against B.cereus, L. monocytogenes, Salmonella, S. aureus and E.coli. Both oregano and rosemary extracts showed a slight antibacterial activity, which can be related to the low concentration of terpenoids, known to have the most important antibacterial activity in these plants. Nevertheless, the antibacterial activity seems to be strain dependent, Bacillus cereus being the most sensitive bacterial strain comparing with the other four bacteria, the oregano extract having a slightly superior activity comparing to the rosemary extract.

Charge density waves as the origin of dip-hump structures in the differential tunneling conductance of cuprates: The case of d-wave superconductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gabovich, Alexander M., E-mail: gabovich@iop.kiev.ua; Voitenko, Alexander I., E-mail: voitenko@iop.kiev.ua

2014-08-15

Highlights: • d-Wave superconductivity and charge-density waves compete for the Fermi surface. • Charge-density waves induce pseudogaps and peak-dip-hump structures in cuprates. • Tunnel spectra are non-symmetric due to the dielectric order-parameter phase fixation. • Scatter of the dielectric order parameter smears the tunnel spectra peculiarities. - Abstract: Quasiparticle differential current–voltage characteristics (CVCs) G(V) of non-symmetric tunnel junctions between d-wave superconductors with charge-density waves (CDWs) and normal metals were calculated. The dependences G(V) were shown to have a V-like form at small voltages V and low temperatures, and to be asymmetric at larger V owing to the presence of CDW peak in either of the V-branches. The spatial scatter of the dielectric (CDW) order parameter smears the CDW peak into a hump and induces a peak-dip-hump structure (PDHS) typical of CVCs observed for such junctions. At temperatures larger than the superconducting critical one, the PDHS evolves into a pseudogap depression. The results agree well with the scanning tunneling microscopy data for Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8+δ} and YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−δ}. The results differ substantially from those obtained earlier for CDW s-wave superconductors.

Structure of Maryland Spheromak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hess, R.; Chinfatt, C.; Cote, C.; DeSilva, A.; Filuk, A.; Goldenbaum, G.; Gauvreau, J.; Hwang, Fukwun

1990-01-01

Recent efforts on the Maryland Spheromak (MS) have concentrated on detailed measurement of magnetic field structures in order to better understand the formation and evolution of the spheromak configuration. These efforts were prompted by results showing a very rapid decay of the magnetic field under certain conditions. It was not known if this loss was a rapid movement of the plasma to the walls of the vacuum vessel, or by some mechanism causing a rapid decay of a more or less stationary field. To investigate the magnetic field structure in more detail, an array of magnetic probes was built that could be moved from shot to shot so as to acquire a complete map of the three magnetic field components in a plane containing the symmetry axis of the machine. Data taken with these probes in a case where the rapid loss of field occurs is given. Further analysis of the data shows that the instability that forms is a combination of tilt and shift. The initial asymmetry of the magnetic field is possibly due to the non-symmetric configuration of the reversal field coils, or the non-symmetric cabling to the I z electrodes. Future work will concentrate on eliminating the initial plasma asymmetry by eliminating any asymmetries in the machine, and on stopping the tilt/shift instability by different configurations for the passive stabilization coils

Racial Discipline Disproportionality in Montessori and Traditional Public Schools: A Comparative Study Using the Relative Rate Index

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katie E. Brown

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Research from the past 40 years indicates that African American students are subjected to exclusionary discipline, including suspension and expulsion, at rates two to three times higher than their White peers (Children’s Defense Fund, 1975; Skiba, Michael, Nardo, & Peterson, 2002. Although this phenomenon has been studied extensively in traditional public schools, rates of racially disproportionate discipline in public Montessori schools have not been examined. The purpose of this study is to examine racial discipline disproportionality in Montessori public elementary schools as compared to traditional elementary schools. The Relative Rate Index (RRI is used as a measure of racially disproportionate use of out-of-school suspensions (Tobin & Vincent, 2011. Suspension data from the Office of Civil Rights Data Collection was used to generate RRIs for Montessori and traditional elementary schools in a large urban district in the Southeast. While statistically significant levels of racial discipline disproportionality are found in both the Montessori and traditional schools, the effect is substantially less pronounced in Montessori settings. These findings suggest that Montessori schools are not immune to racially disproportionate discipline and should work to incorporate more culturally responsive classroom management techniques. Conversely, the lower levels of racially disproportionate discipline in the Montessori schools suggests that further study of discipline in Montessori environments may provide lessons for traditional schools to promote equitable discipline.

Why does the giant panda eat bamboo? A comparative analysis of appetite-reward-related genes among mammals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ke Jin

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The giant panda has an interesting bamboo diet unlike the other species in the order of Carnivora. The umami taste receptor gene T1R1 has been identified as a pseudogene during its genome sequencing project and confirmed using a different giant panda sample. The estimated mutation time for this gene is about 4.2 Myr. Such mutation coincided with the giant panda's dietary change and also reinforced its herbivorous life style. However, as this gene is preserved in herbivores such as cow and horse, we need to look for other reasons behind the giant panda's diet switch. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Since taste is part of the reward properties of food related to its energy and nutrition contents, we did a systematic analysis on those genes involved in the appetite-reward system for the giant panda. We extracted the giant panda sequence information for those genes and compared with the human sequence first and then with seven other species including chimpanzee, mouse, rat, dog, cat, horse, and cow. Orthologs in panda were further analyzed based on the coding region, Kozak consensus sequence, and potential microRNA binding of those genes. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results revealed an interesting dopamine metabolic involvement in the panda's food choice. This finding suggests a new direction for molecular evolution studies behind the panda's dietary switch.

Comparison of potentially preventable hospitalizations related to diabetes among Native Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, and Japanese elderly compared with whites, Hawai'i, December 2006-December 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Sentell, Tetine L; Ahn, Hyeong Jun; Juarez, Deborah T; Tseng, Chien-Wen; Chen, John J; Salvail, Florentina R; Miyamura, Jill; Mau, Marjorie L M

2013-07-25

Approximately 25% of individuals aged 65 years or older in the United States have diabetes mellitus. Diabetes rates in this age group are higher for Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AA/PI) than for whites. We examined racial/ethnic differences in diabetes-related potentially preventable hospitalizations (DRPH) among people aged 65 years or older for Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, Native Hawaiians, and whites. Discharge data for hospitalizations in Hawai'i for people aged 65 years or older from December 2006 through December 2010 were compared. Annual rates of DRPH by patient were calculated for each racial/ethnic group by sex. Rate ratios (RRs) were calculated relative to whites. Multivariable models controlling for insurer, comorbidity, diabetes prevalence, age, and residence location provided final adjusted rates and RRs. A total of 1,815 DRPH were seen from 1,515 unique individuals. Unadjusted RRs for DRPH by patient were greater than 1 in all AA/PI study groups compared with whites, but were highest among Native Hawaiians and Filipinos [corrected]. In fully adjusted models accounting for higher diabetes prevalence in AA/PI groups, Native Hawaiian (adjusted rate ratio [aRR] = 1.59), Filipino (aRR = 2.26), and Japanese (aRR = 1.86) men retained significantly higher rates of diabetes-related potentially preventable hospitalizations than whites, as did Filipino women (aRR = 1.61). Native Hawaiian, Filipino, and Japanese men and Filipino women aged 65 years or older have a higher risk than whites for DRPH. Health care providers and public health programs for elderly patients should consider effective programs to reduce potentially preventable hospitalizations among Native Hawaiian, Filipino, and Japanese men and Filipino women aged 65 years or older.

Assessment of abuse-related injuries: a comparative study of forensic physicians, emergency room physicians, emergency room nurses and medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Reijnders, Udo J L; Giannakopoulos, Georgios F; de Bruin, Kim H

2008-01-01

A comparative study was made investigating whether emergency room physicians, emergency room nurses, forensic physicians, and interns are competent in describing, recognising and determining the possible cause of injuries. The injury assessment scores varied from good--adequate--fail and remained blank in various participant groups. Forensic physicians scored significantly better than emergency room staff and interns in the assessment of abuse-related injuries. There were almost no differences noted between emergency room physicians and emergency room nurses. For the functional group with more or less than 4 to 6 years of experience, no significant differences were noted for scoring good in all 5 cases. The fact that forensic physicians scored better than the emergency room staff is probably explained by the fact that almost all practicing forensic physicians have been officially qualified. Training in this field for all professionals involved in such assessment should be mandatory.

Comparing outcomes of matched related donor and matched unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplants in adults with B-Cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Segal, Eric; Martens, Michael; Wang, Hai-Lin; Brazauskas, Ruta; Weisdorf, Daniel; Sandmaier, Brenda M; Khoury, H Jean; de Lima, Marcos; Saber, Wael

2017-09-01

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) using human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched related donors (RDs) and allogeneic HCT using HLA-matched unrelated donors (URDs) produce similar outcomes for patients with acute myelogenous leukemia, whereas the donor source has been reported to be a predictor of outcomes in myelodysplastic syndrome. Post-HCT outcomes for 1458 acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients from 2000 to 2011 were analyzed, and RD and URD transplants were compared. The median age was 37 years (range, 18-69 years). In the multivariate analysis, HLA 8/8 allele-matched URD recipients had similar transplant-related mortality (TRM) and all-cause mortality in comparison with RD recipients (hazard ratios [HRs], 1.16 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.91-1.48] and 1.01 [95% CI, 0.85-1.19], respectively); 7/8 URD recipients had a greater risk of TRM and all-cause mortality in comparison with RD recipients (HRs, 1.92 [95% CI, 1.47-2.52] and 1.29 [95% CI, 1.05-1.58], respectively). The risk of TRM and all-cause mortality was also greater for 7/8 URD recipients versus 8/8 URD recipients. Compared with RD recipients, both 8/8 and 7/8 URD recipients had a lower risk of relapse (HRs, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.62-0.97] and 0.75 [95% CI, 0.56-1.00], respectively). Both 8/8 and 7/8 URD recipients had a greater risk of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD; HRs, 2.18 [95% CI, 1.76-2.70] and 2.65 [95% CI, 2.06-3.42], respectively) and chronic GVHD (HRs, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.06-1.55] and 1.46 [95% CI, 1.14-1.88], respectively) in comparison with RD recipients. In the absence of RD transplantation, 8/8 URD transplantation is a viable alternative with similar survival outcomes, whereas 7/8 URD transplantation is associated with poorer overall survival. Cancer 2017;123:3346-55. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Compare the Safety and Efficacy of Tadalafil and Tamsulosin in Relieving Double J Stent Related Symptoms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satinder Pal Aggarwal

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Tadalafil and Tamsulosin in treating Double J stent related symptoms. Methods. In a prospective study, 161 patients with DJ related symptoms were randomized into 3 groups: Group A patients (54, Group B patients (53, and Group C patients (54. They were given Tadalafil, Tamsulosin, and placebo, respectively, at 1st week till removal of DJ stent at 3rd week. All patients completed Ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire (USSQ at 1st week and at 3rd week. The statistical significant difference among groups was determined by the t-test, Kruskal-Wallis test and multivariate analysis were used to assess association of the variables within the three groups, and the level of significance was set at P<0.05. Results. Tadalafil and Tamsulosin were comparable in relieving urinary symptoms, general health, and work performance (OR = 0.65, 1.8, and 0.92. But Tadalafil was more effective in relieving body pain, sexual problems, and additional problems than Tamsulosin (OR = 5.95, 19.25, and 2.69 and was statistically significant as P<0.05. Conclusion. Tadalafil was as effective as Tamsulosin in relieving urinary symptom but more effective in relieving sexual symptoms and body pain.

Appraising and comparing pressure ulcer guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Wimpenny, Peter; van Zelm, Ruben

2007-01-01

Whilst considerable activity has been related to guideline development for nurses regarding pressure ulcer prevention and management, no attempt has been made to comparatively evaluate these guidelines against some form of quality indicators. To compare and contrast four national pressure ulcer guidelines, and identify similarities and differences in their quality and content. An international comparative appraisal method, using the AGREE (Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation) instrument, was undertaken to appraise four published pressure ulcer guidelines. Two further domains were added to the AGREE instrument to assess comparability of the guidelines and their perceived contribution to practice. An international group undertook the comparative appraisal. The domain scores for each guideline show some but not total agreement among reviewers. One particular set of guidelines was identified as scoring highest in a majority of AGREE domains. Overall, evidence of variability exists between pressure ulcer guidelines and common areas of development to consider for all guidelines. The results raise many questions concerning the "best" pressure ulcer guideline to use, particularly related to the AGREE scoring. Some notable shortcomings exist in all the pressure ulcer guidelines reviewed and these shortcomings need to be addressed from a quality perspective. However, other issues such as style of reporting and potential contribution to practice might more fully affect choice by practitioners as opposed to guideline developers. Notable differences exist among the four guidelines that are possibly explained by different approaches to development and also because of different cultural factors and intentions for use. Whilst the AGREE tool identifies the quality of the guideline development process it still requires local engagement with practitioners to determine which guideline should be implemented.

Magnetism in Pd: Magnetoconductance and transport spectroscopy of atomic contacts

Science.gov (United States)

Strigl, F.; Keller, M.; Weber, D.; Pietsch, T.; Scheer, E.

2016-10-01

Since the rapid technological progress demands for ever smaller storage units, the emergence of stable magnetic order in nanomaterials down to the single-atom regime has attracted huge scientific attention to date. Electronic transport spectroscopy has been proven to be a versatile tool for the investigation of electronic, magnetic, and mechanical properties of atomic contacts. Here we report a comprehensive experimental study of the magnetoconductance and electronic properties of Pd atomic contacts at low temperature. The analysis of electronic transport (d I /d V ) spectra and the magnetoconductance curves yields a diverse behavior of Pd single-atom contacts, which is attributed to different contact configurations. The magnetoconductance shows a nonmonotonous but mostly continuous behavior, comparable to those found in atomic contacts of band ferromagnets. In the d I /d V spectra, frequently, a pronounced zero-bias anomaly (ZBA) as well as an aperiodic and nonsymmetric fluctuation pattern are observed. While the ZBA can be interpreted as a sign of the Kondo effect, suggesting the presence of magnetic impurity, the fluctuations are evaluated in the framework of conductance fluctuations in relation to the magnetoconductance traces and to previous findings in Au atomic contacts. This thorough analysis reveals that the magnetoconductance and transport spectrum of Au atomic contacts can completely be accounted for by conductance fluctuations, while in Pd contacts the presence of local magnetic order is required.

Comparing Online Algorithms for Bin Packing Problems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Epstein, Leah; Favrholdt, Lene Monrad; Kohrt, Jens Svalgaard

2012-01-01

The relative worst-order ratio is a measure of the quality of online algorithms. In contrast to the competitive ratio, this measure compares two online algorithms directly instead of using an intermediate comparison with an optimal offline algorithm. In this paper, we apply the relative worst-ord......-order ratio to online algorithms for several common variants of the bin packing problem. We mainly consider pairs of algorithms that are not distinguished by the competitive ratio and show that the relative worst-order ratio prefers the intuitively better algorithm of each pair....

Patterns of civilian and child deaths due to war-related violence in Syria: a comparative analysis from the Violation Documentation Center dataset, 2011-16.

Science.gov (United States)

Guha-Sapir, Debarati; Schlüter, Benjamin; Rodriguez-Llanes, Jose Manuel; Lillywhite, Louis; Hicks, Madelyn Hsiao-Rei

2018-01-01

Since March, 2011, the Syrian civil war has lowered life expectancy by as much as 20 years. We describe demographic, spatial, and temporal patterns of direct deaths of civilians and opposition combatants from conflict-related violence in 6 years of war. We analysed conflict-related violent deaths with complete information on date, place, and cause of death and demographic group occurring from March 18, 2011, to Dec 31, 2016, recorded by the Violation Documentation Center (VDC). We included civilian and combatant deaths in all Syrian governorates, excluding government-controlled areas. We did not include detainees and missing persons, nor deaths from siege conditions or insufficient medical care. We categorised deaths based on VDC weapon type. We used χ 2 testing to compare deaths from different weapons in civilian men, women, boys, and girls and adult and child combatants. We analysed deaths by governorate and over time. The VDC recorded 143 630 conflict-related violent deaths with complete information between March 18, 2011, and Dec 31, 2016. Syrian civilians constituted 101 453 (70·6%) of the deaths compared with 42 177 (29·4%) opposition combatants. Direct deaths were caused by wide-area weapons of shelling and air bombardments in 58 099 (57·3%) civilians, including 8285 (74·6%) civilian women and 13 810 (79·4%) civilian children, and in 4058 (9·6%) opposition combatants. Proportions of children among civilian deaths increased from 8·9% (388 of 4254 civilian deaths) in 2011 to 19·0% (4927 of 25 972) in 2013 and to 23·3% (2662 of 11 444) in 2016. Of 7566 deaths from barrel bombs, 7351 (97·2%) were civilians, of whom 2007 (27·3%) were children. Of 20 281 deaths by execution, 18 747 (92·4%) were civilians and 1534 (7·6%) were opposition combatants. Compared with opposition child soldiers who were male (n=333), deaths of civilian male children (n=11 730) were caused more often by air bombardments (39·2% vs 5·4%, pwar crime. None

Some anemonefish lack personality: a comparative assessment of behavioral variation and repeatability in relation to environmental and social factors

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Marian Y. L.; Beasley, Amanda L.; Douglass, Tasman; Whalan, Steve; Scott, Anna

2017-12-01

Determining the extent of repeatable differences in the behavior of animals and the factors that influence behavioral expression is important for understanding individual fitness and population processes, thereby aiding in species conservation. However, little is known about the causes of variation in the repeatability of behavioral differences among species because rarely have comparative studies been undertaken to examine the repeatability of behavioral differences among individuals within their natural ecological settings. Using two species of endemic subtropical anemonefishes, Amphiprion mccullochi and A. latezonatus at Lord Howe and North Solitary Islands, Australia, we conducted an in situ comparative analysis of personality traits, examining the repeatability of boldness, sociability and aggression as well as the potential role of environmental and social factors on behavioral expression. For A. mccullochi, only boldness and aggression were highly repeatable and these behaviors formed a behavioral syndrome. For A. latezonatus, none of the three behaviors were repeatable due to low-inter-individual variation in behavior. We suggest that the harsher and more variable environmental and social conditions experienced by A. latezonatus have resulted in reduced repeatability in behavior, in contrast to A. mccullochi which typically inhabits a more stable lagoonal reef environment. Additionally, group size and size rank, rather than nearest-neighbor distance and anemone size, influenced the expression of these behaviors in both species, suggesting that behavioral variation was more sensitive to social than environmental factors. Overall, differences in repeatability between these closely related species likely reflect adaptations to contrasting environmental and social conditions, although alternative explanations must be considered. The differences in behavioral consistency between these two endemic anemonefishes could lead to disparity in their resilience to

Comparative analysis for the measured and the predicted relative sensitivity of rhodium In core detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Sang Rae; Cha, Kyoon Ho; Bae, Seong Man

2012-01-01

Self-powered neutron detector (SPND) is widely used as in-core flux monitoring in nuclear power plants. OPR1000 has applied a rhodium (Rh) as the emitter of the SPND. The SPND contains a neutron-sensitive metallic emitter surrounded by a ceramic insulator. When capturing a neutron, the Rh will be decayed by emitting some electrons which is crossing the sheath and produce current. This current can be measured externally using pico-ammeter. The sensitivity of detectors is closely related with the geometry and material of the detectors. The lifetime of in-core detector is determined by calculating the relative sensitivity of Rh detector. It is required that the Rh detector should be replaced before the burn-up of Rh detector has reached 66% of its original compositions. To predict Rh detector's relative sensitivity ANC code, advanced nodal code capable of two-dimensional and three-dimensional calculations, is used. It is determined that the Rh detectors should be replaced on the basis of the predicted sensitivity value calculated by ANC code. When evaluating the life of Rh detectors using ANC code, it is assumed that the uncertainty of the sensitivity calculation include the measurement error of 5%. As a result of the analysis of measured and predicted data for the Rh detector's relative sensitivity, it is possible to reduce the assumed uncertainty

Comparative analysis for the measured and the predicted relative sensitivity of rhodium In core detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moon, Sang Rae; Cha, Kyoon Ho; Bae, Seong Man [Nuclear Reactor Safety Lab., KHNP Central Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-10-15

Self-powered neutron detector (SPND) is widely used as in-core flux monitoring in nuclear power plants. OPR1000 has applied a rhodium (Rh) as the emitter of the SPND. The SPND contains a neutron-sensitive metallic emitter surrounded by a ceramic insulator. When capturing a neutron, the Rh will be decayed by emitting some electrons which is crossing the sheath and produce current. This current can be measured externally using pico-ammeter. The sensitivity of detectors is closely related with the geometry and material of the detectors. The lifetime of in-core detector is determined by calculating the relative sensitivity of Rh detector. It is required that the Rh detector should be replaced before the burn-up of Rh detector has reached 66% of its original compositions. To predict Rh detector's relative sensitivity ANC code, advanced nodal code capable of two-dimensional and three-dimensional calculations, is used. It is determined that the Rh detectors should be replaced on the basis of the predicted sensitivity value calculated by ANC code. When evaluating the life of Rh detectors using ANC code, it is assumed that the uncertainty of the sensitivity calculation include the measurement error of 5%. As a result of the analysis of measured and predicted data for the Rh detector's relative sensitivity, it is possible to reduce the assumed uncertainty.

Artemis and ACT: viewing, annotating and comparing sequences stored in a relational database.

Science.gov (United States)

Carver, Tim; Berriman, Matthew; Tivey, Adrian; Patel, Chinmay; Böhme, Ulrike; Barrell, Barclay G; Parkhill, Julian; Rajandream, Marie-Adèle

2008-12-01

Artemis and Artemis Comparison Tool (ACT) have become mainstream tools for viewing and annotating sequence data, particularly for microbial genomes. Since its first release, Artemis has been continuously developed and supported with additional functionality for editing and analysing sequences based on feedback from an active user community of laboratory biologists and professional annotators. Nevertheless, its utility has been somewhat restricted by its limitation to reading and writing from flat files. Therefore, a new version of Artemis has been developed, which reads from and writes to a relational database schema, and allows users to annotate more complex, often large and fragmented, genome sequences. Artemis and ACT have now been extended to read and write directly to the Generic Model Organism Database (GMOD, http://www.gmod.org) Chado relational database schema. In addition, a Gene Builder tool has been developed to provide structured forms and tables to edit coordinates of gene models and edit functional annotation, based on standard ontologies, controlled vocabularies and free text. Artemis and ACT are freely available (under a GPL licence) for download (for MacOSX, UNIX and Windows) at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute web sites: http://www.sanger.ac.uk/Software/Artemis/ http://www.sanger.ac.uk/Software/ACT/

Music induces universal emotion-related psychophysiological responses: comparing Canadian listeners to Congolese Pygmies

Science.gov (United States)

Egermann, Hauke; Fernando, Nathalie; Chuen, Lorraine; McAdams, Stephen

2015-01-01

Subjective and psychophysiological emotional responses to music from two different cultures were compared within these two cultures. Two identical experiments were conducted: the first in the Congolese rainforest with an isolated population of Mebenzélé Pygmies without any exposure to Western music and culture, the second with a group of Western music listeners, with no experience with Congolese music. Forty Pygmies and 40 Canadians listened in pairs to 19 music excerpts of 29–99 s in duration in random order (eight from the Pygmy population and 11 Western instrumental excerpts). For both groups, emotion components were continuously measured: subjective feeling (using a two- dimensional valence and arousal rating interface), peripheral physiological activation, and facial expression. While Pygmy music was rated as positive and arousing by Pygmies, ratings of Western music by Westerners covered the range from arousing to calming and from positive to negative. Comparing psychophysiological responses to emotional qualities of Pygmy music across participant groups showed no similarities. However, Western stimuli, rated as high and low arousing by Canadians, created similar responses in both participant groups (with high arousal associated with increases in subjective and physiological activation). Several low-level acoustical features of the music presented (tempo, pitch, and timbre) were shown to affect subjective and physiological arousal similarly in both cultures. Results suggest that while the subjective dimension of emotional valence might be mediated by cultural learning, changes in arousal might involve a more basic, universal response to low-level acoustical characteristics of music. PMID:25620935

Music Induces Universal Emotion-Related Psychophysiological Responses: Comparing Canadian Listeners To Congolese Pygmies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hauke eEgermann

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Subjective and psychophysiological emotional responses to music from two different cultures were compared within these two cultures. Two identical experiments were conducted: the first in the Congolese rainforest with an isolated population of Mbenzélé Pygmies without any exposure to Western music and culture, the second with a group of Western music listeners, with no experience with Congolese music. Forty Pygmies and 40 Canadians listened in pairs to 19 music excerpts of 29 to 99 seconds in duration in random order (8 from the Pygmy population and 11 Western instrumental excerpts. For both groups, emotion components were continuously measured: subjective feeling (using a two- dimensional valence and arousal rating interface, peripheral physiological activation, and facial expression. While Pygmy music was rated as positive and arousing by Pygmies, ratings of Western music by Westerners covered the range from arousing to calming and from positive to negative. Comparing psychophysiological responses to emotional qualities of Pygmy music across participant groups showed no similarities. However, Western stimuli, rated as high and low arousing by Canadians, created similar responses in both participant groups (with high arousal associated with increases in subjective and physiological activation. Several low-level acoustical features of the music presented (tempo, pitch, and timbre were shown to affect subjective and physiological arousal similarly in both cultures. Results suggest that while the subjective dimension of emotional valence might be mediated by cultural learning, changes in arousal might involve a more basic, universal response to low-level acoustical characteristics of music.

On experimental determination of characteristics of nuclear fusion reactions from mu-molecular resonance states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bystritskij, V.M.; Pen'kov, F.M.

1997-01-01

Charge-nonsymmetrical deuterium-helium muon complexes (dμHe) are studied. A method is proposed for experimentally determining the rates of nuclear fusion reactions in dμHe molecules in the J=1 and J=0 states (J is the orbital moment of the system) and the partial rates for radiative decay of these complexes in these states. Experiments are supposed to be carried out at meson factories with gaseous and cryogenic targets filled with a mixture of deuterium and helium

Ring-shaped quasi-soliton solutions to the two-and three-dimensional Sine-Gordon equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christiansen, P.L.; Olsen, O.H.

1979-01-01

Ring-shaped solitary wave solutions to the Sine-Gordon equation in two and three spatial dimensions are investigated by numerical computation. Each expanding wave exhibits a return effect. The reflection of the shrinking wave at the singularity at the center of the wave is investigated in a particular case. Collision experiments in numero for expanding and shrinking concentric ring waves show that the solutions possess quasisoliton properties. A Baecklund transformation for the non-symmetric three-dimensional case is given. (Auth.)

International Conference on Computing Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering (9th) Held in Paris, France on 29 January-2 February 1990

Science.gov (United States)

1990-02-02

Brisman, and J. Reld, Direct Metiod for Sparse Matrices, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1986. [3] I.S. Duff, E.G. Grimes, and J.G. Lewis, Sparse matriz test...the N x m matrix with column vectors vl,...,v, and by Hm the m x m Hessenberg matriz whose nonzero entries are defined by the algorithm. Then the...class of methods reduces to the first one. In the nonsymmetric case, the biconjugate gradient method ( BCG ) due to Lanczos [21] and Fletcher [16] is a

Employment status and work-related difficulties in lung cancer survivors compared with the general population.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Young Ae; Yun, Young Ho; Chang, Yoon Jung; Lee, Jongmog; Kim, Moon Soo; Lee, Hyun-Sung; Zo, Jae Ill; Kim, Jhingook; Choi, Yong Soo; Shim, Young Mog; Yoon, Seok-Jun

2014-03-01

To investigate the employment status of lung cancer survivors and the work-related problems they face. Although the number of lung cancer survivors is increasing, little is known about their employment and work-related issues. We enrolled 830 lung cancer survivors 12 months after lung cancer curative surgery (median time after diagnosis, 4.11 years) and 1000 volunteers from the general population. All participants completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire, Core 30-item and a questionnaire that included items relating to their jobs. We used logistic regression analysis to identify independent predictors of unemployment. The employment rate of lung cancer survivors decreased from 68.6% at the time of diagnosis to 38.8% after treatment, which was significantly lower than the employment rate of the general population (63.5%; adjusted odds ratio = 2.31, 95% confidence interval: 1.66-3.22). The posttreatment unemployment rate was higher for women than for men. Among survivors, employment was inversely associated with older age, household income, number of comorbidities, and poor social functioning. Fatigue (78.6%) was the most common work-related problem reported by survivors. Lung cancer survivors experienced more difficulties in employment than did the general population. Age, monthly household income, number of comorbidities, and social functioning appear to be important factors influencing employment status. These findings suggest that lung cancer survivors need support to cope with the financial impact of cancer.

Health-related quality of life (EQ-5D) among homeless persons compared to a general population sample in Stockholm County, 2006.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Sun; Irestig, Robert; Burström, Bo; Beijer, Ulla; Burström, Kristina

2012-03-01

To describe and compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among homeless persons with a general population sample in Stockholm County, 2006, and to analyse the importance of certain social determinants of health among the homeless. Face-to-face interviews with 155 homeless persons and a postal survey to a general population sample, mainly based on the same questionnaire, including questions on social determinants of health and HRQoL measured with the EQ-5D. Chronic illness was three times more common among the homeless. HRQoL was worse among homeless persons than in the general population sample: the homeless reported more problems, especially more severe problems, in all the EQ-5D dimensions and had considerably lower EQ-5D(index) and EQ(VAS) score than the general population. Most problems were reported in the dimension anxiety/depression. Among the homeless, longer duration and more severe degree of homelessness lowered HRQoL, but few determinants were statistically significantly related to HRQoL. Having mental disease significantly lowered HRQoL. This study was an attempt to include hard-to-reach groups in an assessment of population health. Homeless persons had considerably worse HRQoL than the general population and reported most problems in the dimension anxiety/depression. Some diseases may contribute to causing homelessness; others may be seen as consequences. Homeless persons are a vulnerable group in society. Further interview studies are needed based on larger sample of homeless persons to explore health determinants such as sex, age, socioeconomic factors, duration and degree of homelessness, and health-related behaviours among the homeless persons.

Semantic Relations between Legal Terms. A Case Study of the Intralingual Relation of Synonymy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matulewska Aleksandra

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The author intends to present a possibility of parametrising legal terminology in order to reveal semantic and systemic relations at the intralingual and interlingual levels. The scope of the research comprises selected legal terminology from the following legal systems: Polish, British, American and European Union. The research methods used include: (i the analysis of comparable texts, (ii the method of parametrisation of the legal linguistic reality, (iii the concept of adjusting translation to the communicative needs and requirements of the recipient community. The research hypothesis is that parametrisation of legal terminology in respect of semantic and systemic relations may be a useful tool in organising and comparing terminology for the purpose of legal translation. First the relation of synonymy binding terms at the intralingual and interlingual levels in the light of systemic and genre-related relations is discussed. The proposal is illustrated with examples of legal terms and the networks of relations binding them in English and Polish. The conclusions are that such an approach is systematic and provides a translator with information necessary to render communicatively efficient translations.

Comparative assessment of university chemistry undergraduate ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A comparative analysis of the structure of undergraduate chemistry curricula of universities in the southwest of Nigeria with a view to establishing the relative proportion of the different areas of chemistry each curriculum accommodates. It is a qualitative research, involving content analysis with a partial quantitative analysis ...

Comparing diagnostic tests on benefit-risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Pennello, Gene; Pantoja-Galicia, Norberto; Evans, Scott

2016-01-01

Comparing diagnostic tests on accuracy alone can be inconclusive. For example, a test may have better sensitivity than another test yet worse specificity. Comparing tests on benefit risk may be more conclusive because clinical consequences of diagnostic error are considered. For benefit-risk evaluation, we propose diagnostic yield, the expected distribution of subjects with true positive, false positive, true negative, and false negative test results in a hypothetical population. We construct a table of diagnostic yield that includes the number of false positive subjects experiencing adverse consequences from unnecessary work-up. We then develop a decision theory for evaluating tests. The theory provides additional interpretation to quantities in the diagnostic yield table. It also indicates that the expected utility of a test relative to a perfect test is a weighted accuracy measure, the average of sensitivity and specificity weighted for prevalence and relative importance of false positive and false negative testing errors, also interpretable as the cost-benefit ratio of treating non-diseased and diseased subjects. We propose plots of diagnostic yield, weighted accuracy, and relative net benefit of tests as functions of prevalence or cost-benefit ratio. Concepts are illustrated with hypothetical screening tests for colorectal cancer with test positive subjects being referred to colonoscopy.

Radiation-Related New Primary Solid Cancers in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study: Comparative Radiation Dose Response and Modification of Treatment Effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inskip, Peter D.; Sigurdson, Alice J.; Veiga, Lene; Bhatti, Parveen; Ronckers, Cécile; Rajaraman, Preetha; Boukheris, Houda; Stovall, Marilyn; Smith, Susan; Hammond, Sue; Henderson, Tara O.

2016-01-01

Objectives: The majority of childhood cancer patients now achieve long-term survival, but the treatments that cured their malignancy often put them at risk of adverse health outcomes years later. New cancers are among the most serious of these late effects. The aims of this review are to compare and contrast radiation dose–response relationships for new solid cancers in a large cohort of childhood cancer survivors and to discuss interactions among treatment and host factors. Methods: This review is based on previously published site-specific analyses for subsequent primary cancers of the brain, breast, thyroid gland, bone and soft tissue, salivary glands, and skin among 12,268 5-year childhood cancer survivors in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Analyses included tumor site–specific, individual radiation dose reconstruction based on radiation therapy records. Radiation-related second cancer risks were estimated using conditional logistic or Poisson regression models for excess relative risk (ERR). Results: Linear dose–response relationships over a wide range of radiation dose (0-50 Gy) were seen for all cancer sites except the thyroid gland. The steepest slopes occurred for sarcoma, meningioma, and nonmelanoma skin cancer (ERR/Gy > 1.00), with glioma and cancers of the breast and salivary glands forming a second group (ERR/Gy = 0.27-0.36). The relative risk for thyroid cancer increased up to 15-20 Gy and then decreased with increasing dose. The risk of thyroid cancer also was positively associated with chemotherapy, but the chemotherapy effect was not seen among those who also received very high doses of radiation to the thyroid. The excess risk of radiation-related breast cancer was sharply reduced among women who received 5 Gy or more to the ovaries. Conclusions: The results suggest that the effect of high-dose irradiation is consistent with a linear dose–response for most organs, but they also reveal important organ-specific and host

Radiation-Related New Primary Solid Cancers in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study: Comparative Radiation Dose Response and Modification of Treatment Effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inskip, Peter D., E-mail: inskippeter@gmail.com [Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (United States); Sigurdson, Alice J.; Veiga, Lene [Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (United States); Bhatti, Parveen [Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (United States); Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington (United States); Ronckers, Cécile [Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (United States); Department of Pediatric Oncology, Emma Children' s Hospital/Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Rajaraman, Preetha [Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (United States); Boukheris, Houda [Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (United States); The University of Oran School of Medicine (Algeria); Stovall, Marilyn; Smith, Susan [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Hammond, Sue [Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Children' s Hospital and Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio (United States); Henderson, Tara O. [University of Chicago Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Chicago, Illinois (United States); and others

2016-03-15

Objectives: The majority of childhood cancer patients now achieve long-term survival, but the treatments that cured their malignancy often put them at risk of adverse health outcomes years later. New cancers are among the most serious of these late effects. The aims of this review are to compare and contrast radiation dose–response relationships for new solid cancers in a large cohort of childhood cancer survivors and to discuss interactions among treatment and host factors. Methods: This review is based on previously published site-specific analyses for subsequent primary cancers of the brain, breast, thyroid gland, bone and soft tissue, salivary glands, and skin among 12,268 5-year childhood cancer survivors in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Analyses included tumor site–specific, individual radiation dose reconstruction based on radiation therapy records. Radiation-related second cancer risks were estimated using conditional logistic or Poisson regression models for excess relative risk (ERR). Results: Linear dose–response relationships over a wide range of radiation dose (0-50 Gy) were seen for all cancer sites except the thyroid gland. The steepest slopes occurred for sarcoma, meningioma, and nonmelanoma skin cancer (ERR/Gy > 1.00), with glioma and cancers of the breast and salivary glands forming a second group (ERR/Gy = 0.27-0.36). The relative risk for thyroid cancer increased up to 15-20 Gy and then decreased with increasing dose. The risk of thyroid cancer also was positively associated with chemotherapy, but the chemotherapy effect was not seen among those who also received very high doses of radiation to the thyroid. The excess risk of radiation-related breast cancer was sharply reduced among women who received 5 Gy or more to the ovaries. Conclusions: The results suggest that the effect of high-dose irradiation is consistent with a linear dose–response for most organs, but they also reveal important organ-specific and host

Comparative Advertising in the Czech Republic: An Empirical Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petr Kral

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Comparative advertising had been traditionally banned in most EU countries and was allowed by the European law just relatively recently. That is why in the EU this form of advertising is relatively new, as opposed to the situation in the US, where comparative advertising has been widely used and well accepted by consumers for decades. The literature has been silent on the topic of the effectiveness of comparative advertising in the Czech Republic, as well as in other Central and Eastern European countries. The goal of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of comparative advertising campaigns in the Czech Republic. Using an online survey with 160 Czech respondents, we found that the attitude towards comparative advertising is rather positive in the Czech Republic. We also identified that the gender of the recipient influences the general perception of comparative advertising. On the other hand, the age of the recipient does not seem to be a moderator of the attitude towards comparative advertising, in general. The results also do not signal any impact of the gender and the age of the recipient on the change of the perception of any of the brands involved in the campaign. Managerial implications target mainly marketing and advertising managers responsible for Central European markets.

Comparative Transcriptional Analyses of Francisella tularensis and Francisella novicida.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siva T Sarva

Full Text Available Francisella tularensis is composed of a number of subspecies with varied geographic distribution, host ranges, and virulence. In view of these marked differences, comparative functional genomics may elucidate some of the molecular mechanism(s behind these differences. In this study a shared probe microarray was designed that could be used to compare the transcriptomes of Francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis Schu S4 (Ftt, Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica OR960246 (Fth, Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica LVS (LVS, and Francisella novicida U112 (Fn. To gain insight into expression differences that may be related to the differences in virulence of these subspecies, transcriptomes were measured from each strain grown in vitro under identical conditions, utilizing a shared probe microarray. The human avirulent Fn strain exhibited high levels of transcription of genes involved in general metabolism, which are pseudogenes in the human virulent Ftt and Fth strains, consistent with the process of genome decay in the virulent strains. Genes encoding an efflux system (emrA2 cluster of genes, siderophore (fsl operon, acid phosphatase, LPS synthesis, polyamine synthesis, and citrulline ureidase were all highly expressed in Ftt when compared to Fn, suggesting that some of these may contribute to the relative high virulence of Ftt. Genes expressed at a higher level in Ftt when compared to the relatively less virulent Fth included genes encoding isochorismatases, cholylglycine hydrolase, polyamine synthesis, citrulline ureidase, Type IV pilus subunit, and the Francisella Pathogenicity Island protein PdpD. Fth and LVS had very few expression differences, consistent with the derivation of LVS from Fth. This study demonstrated that a shared probe microarray designed to detect transcripts in multiple species/subspecies of Francisella enabled comparative transcriptional analyses that may highlight critical differences that underlie the relative

A prospective, randomized multicenter study comparing APD and CAPD treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bro, S; Bjorner, J B; Tofte-Jensen, P

2000-01-01

, dialysis-related complications, dialysis-related expenses. RESULTS: The quality-of-life studies showed that significantly more time for work, family, and social activities was available to patients on APD compared to those on CAPD (p ...) treatment with respect to quality of life and clinical outcomes in relation to therapy costs. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized multicenter study. SETTING: Three Danish CAPD units. PATIENTS: Thirty-four adequately dialyzed patients with high or high-average peritoneal transport characteristics were included...... were assessed at baseline and after 6 months by the self-administered short-form SF-36 generic health survey questionnaire supplemented with disease- and treatment-specific questions. Therapy costs were compared by evaluating dialysis-related expenses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Quality-of-life parameters...

Investigation of the design of a metal-lined fully wrapped composite vessel under high internal pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Kalaycıoğlu, Barış; Husnu Dirikolu, M.

2010-09-01

In this study, a Type III composite pressure vessel (ISO 11439:2000) loaded with high internal pressure is investigated in terms of the effect of the orientation of the element coordinate system while simulating the continuous variation of the fibre angle, the effect of symmetric and non-symmetric composite wall stacking sequences, and lastly, a stacking sequence evaluation for reducing the cylindrical section-end cap transition region stress concentration. The research was performed using an Ansys® model with 2.9 l volume, 6061 T6 aluminium liner/Kevlar® 49-Epoxy vessel material, and a service internal pressure loading of 22 MPa. The results show that symmetric stacking sequences give higher burst pressures by up to 15%. Stacking sequence evaluations provided a further 7% pressure-carrying capacity as well as reduced stress concentration in the transition region. Finally, the Type III vessel under consideration provides a 45% lighter construction as compared with an all metal (Type I) vessel.

Cointegration-based financial networks study in Chinese stock market

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Chengyi

2014-05-01

We propose a method based on cointegration instead of correlation to construct financial complex network in Chinese stock market. The network is obtained starting from the matrix of p-value calculated by Engle-Granger cointegration test between all pairs of stocks. Then some tools for filtering information in complex network are implemented to prune the complete graph described by the above matrix, such as setting a level of statistical significance as a threshold and Planar Maximally Filtered Graph. We also calculate Partial Correlation Planar Graph of these stocks to compare the above networks. Last, we analyze these directed, weighted and non-symmetric networks by using standard methods of network analysis, including degree centrality, PageRank, HITS, local clustering coefficient, K-shell and strongly and weakly connected components. The results shed a new light on the underlying mechanisms and driving forces in a financial market and deepen our understanding of financial complex network.

Simple Methods to Approximate CPC Shape to Preserve Collection Efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Jafrancesco

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The compound parabolic concentrator (CPC is the most efficient reflective geometry to collect light to an exit port. Anyway, to allow its actual use in solar plants or photovoltaic concentration systems, a tradeoff between system efficiency and cost reduction, the two key issues for sunlight exploitation, must be found. In this work, we analyze various methods to model an approximated CPC aimed to be simpler and more cost-effective than the ideal one, as well as to preserve the system efficiency. The manufacturing easiness arises from the use of truncated conic surfaces only, which can be realized by cheap machining techniques. We compare different configurations on the basis of their collection efficiency, evaluated by means of nonsequential ray-tracing software. Moreover, due to the fact that some configurations are beam dependent and for a closer approximation of a real case, the input beam is simulated as nonsymmetric, with a nonconstant irradiance on the CPC internal surface.

Strain energy storage and dissipation rate in active cell mechanics

Science.gov (United States)

Agosti, A.; Ambrosi, D.; Turzi, S.

2018-05-01

When living cells are observed at rest on a flat substrate, they can typically exhibit a rounded (symmetric) or an elongated (polarized) shape. Although the cells are apparently at rest, the active stress generated by the molecular motors continuously stretches and drifts the actin network, the cytoskeleton of the cell. In this paper we theoretically compare the energy stored and dissipated in this active system in two geometric configurations of interest: symmetric and polarized. We find that the stored energy is larger for a radially symmetric cell at low activation regime, while the polar configuration has larger strain energy when the active stress is beyond a critical threshold. Conversely, the dissipation of energy in a symmetric cell is always larger than that of a nonsymmetric one. By a combination of symmetry arguments and competition between surface and bulk stress, we argue that radial symmetry is an energetically expensive metastable state that provides access to an infinite number of lower-energy states, the polarized configurations.

eulerAPE: drawing area-proportional 3-Venn diagrams using ellipses.

Science.gov (United States)

Micallef, Luana; Rodgers, Peter

2014-01-01

Venn diagrams with three curves are used extensively in various medical and scientific disciplines to visualize relationships between data sets and facilitate data analysis. The area of the regions formed by the overlapping curves is often directly proportional to the cardinality of the depicted set relation or any other related quantitative data. Drawing these diagrams manually is difficult and current automatic drawing methods do not always produce appropriate diagrams. Most methods depict the data sets as circles, as they perceptually pop out as complete distinct objects due to their smoothness and regularity. However, circles cannot draw accurate diagrams for most 3-set data and so the generated diagrams often have misleading region areas. Other methods use polygons to draw accurate diagrams. However, polygons are non-smooth and non-symmetric, so the curves are not easily distinguishable and the diagrams are difficult to comprehend. Ellipses are more flexible than circles and are similarly smooth, but none of the current automatic drawing methods use ellipses. We present eulerAPE as the first method and software that uses ellipses for automatically drawing accurate area-proportional Venn diagrams for 3-set data. We describe the drawing method adopted by eulerAPE and we discuss our evaluation of the effectiveness of eulerAPE and ellipses for drawing random 3-set data. We compare eulerAPE and various other methods that are currently available and we discuss differences between their generated diagrams in terms of accuracy and ease of understanding for real world data.

eulerAPE: drawing area-proportional 3-Venn diagrams using ellipses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luana Micallef

Full Text Available Venn diagrams with three curves are used extensively in various medical and scientific disciplines to visualize relationships between data sets and facilitate data analysis. The area of the regions formed by the overlapping curves is often directly proportional to the cardinality of the depicted set relation or any other related quantitative data. Drawing these diagrams manually is difficult and current automatic drawing methods do not always produce appropriate diagrams. Most methods depict the data sets as circles, as they perceptually pop out as complete distinct objects due to their smoothness and regularity. However, circles cannot draw accurate diagrams for most 3-set data and so the generated diagrams often have misleading region areas. Other methods use polygons to draw accurate diagrams. However, polygons are non-smooth and non-symmetric, so the curves are not easily distinguishable and the diagrams are difficult to comprehend. Ellipses are more flexible than circles and are similarly smooth, but none of the current automatic drawing methods use ellipses. We present eulerAPE as the first method and software that uses ellipses for automatically drawing accurate area-proportional Venn diagrams for 3-set data. We describe the drawing method adopted by eulerAPE and we discuss our evaluation of the effectiveness of eulerAPE and ellipses for drawing random 3-set data. We compare eulerAPE and various other methods that are currently available and we discuss differences between their generated diagrams in terms of accuracy and ease of understanding for real world data.

Disruption of transitional stages in 24-h blood pressure in renal transplant recipients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo E Katz

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Patients with kidney replacement exhibit disrupted circadian rhythms. Most studies measuring blood pressure use the dipper/non-dipper classification, which does not consider analysis of transitional stages between low and high blood pressure, confidence intervals nor shifts in the time of peak, while assuming subjective onsets of night and day phases. In order to better understand the nature of daily variation of blood pressure in these patients, we analyzed 24h recordings from 41 renal transplant recipients using the non-symmetrical double-logistic fitting assessment which does not assume abruptness nor symmetry in ascending and descending stages of the blood pressure profile, and a cosine best-fitting regression method (Cosinor. Compared with matched controls, double-logistic fitting showed that the times for most of transitional stages (ascending systolic and descending systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure had a wider distribution along the 24 h. The proportion of individuals without daily blood pressure rhythm in the transplanted group was larger only for systolic arterial pressure, and the amplitude showed no significant difference. Furthermore, the transplant recipient group had a less pronounced slope in descending systolic and ascending mean blood pressure. Cosinor analysis confirmed the phase related changes, showing a wider distribution of times of peak (acrophases. We conclude that daily disruptions in renal transplant recipients can be explained not only by absence in diurnal variation, but also in changes in waveform-related parameters of the rhythm, and that distortions in the phase of the rhythm are the most consistent finding for the patients.

Comparative Medicine: An Inclusive Crossover Discipline.

Science.gov (United States)

Macy, James; Horvath, Tamas L

2017-09-01

Comparative Medicine is typically defined as a discipline which relates and leverages the biological similarities and differences among animal species to better understand the mechanism of human and animal disease. It has also been defined as a field of study concentrating on similarities and differences between human and veterinary medicine and is increasingly associated with animal models of human disease, including the critical role veterinarians, animal resource centers, and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees play in facilitating and ensuring humane and reproducible laboratory animal care and use. To this end, comparative medicine plays a pivotal role in reduction, refinement, and replacement in animals in biomedical research. On many levels, comparative medicine facilitates the translation of basic science knowledge into clinical applications; applying comparative medicine concepts throughout the translation process is critical for success. In addition to the supportive role of comparative medicine in the research enterprise, its role as a distinct and independent scientific discipline should not be lost. Although comparative medicine's research "niche" is not one particular discipline or disease process, rather, it is the investigative mindset that seeks to reveal common threads that weave different pathophysiologic processes into translatable approaches and outcomes using various models.

Artemis and ACT: viewing, annotating and comparing sequences stored in a relational database

Science.gov (United States)

Carver, Tim; Berriman, Matthew; Tivey, Adrian; Patel, Chinmay; Böhme, Ulrike; Barrell, Barclay G.; Parkhill, Julian; Rajandream, Marie-Adèle

2008-01-01

Motivation: Artemis and Artemis Comparison Tool (ACT) have become mainstream tools for viewing and annotating sequence data, particularly for microbial genomes. Since its first release, Artemis has been continuously developed and supported with additional functionality for editing and analysing sequences based on feedback from an active user community of laboratory biologists and professional annotators. Nevertheless, its utility has been somewhat restricted by its limitation to reading and writing from flat files. Therefore, a new version of Artemis has been developed, which reads from and writes to a relational database schema, and allows users to annotate more complex, often large and fragmented, genome sequences. Results: Artemis and ACT have now been extended to read and write directly to the Generic Model Organism Database (GMOD, http://www.gmod.org) Chado relational database schema. In addition, a Gene Builder tool has been developed to provide structured forms and tables to edit coordinates of gene models and edit functional annotation, based on standard ontologies, controlled vocabularies and free text. Availability: Artemis and ACT are freely available (under a GPL licence) for download (for MacOSX, UNIX and Windows) at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute web sites: http://www.sanger.ac.uk/Software/Artemis/ http://www.sanger.ac.uk/Software/ACT/ Contact: artemis@sanger.ac.uk Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:18845581

Greenlandic adoptees' psychiatric inpatient contact. A comparative register-based study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laubjerg, Merete; Petersson, Birgit

2010-01-01

  The aim is to highlight adoptees' and stepchildren's psychiatric contact and diagnoses compared to non-adoptees. The setting is Greenland and the methodology is a comparative in-ward patient register-based study. The background is the Greenlandic tradition for adoption and community child care...... and international research stressing that adoptees demonstrate reverse health outcomes. The cohort is in-ward patients (> 24 hours), born between 1973 and 2005. Correlation between various dependent and independent variables are analysed. The research makes different comparative statements of psychiatric admissions...... and diagnoses related to adoptees and stepchildren compared to non-adoptees with respect to demographic and socio-economic indicators. The psychiatric data material is collected from 1992 to 2008 and the socio-economic indicators are included from 1996. The findings show, contrary to findings related...