Rapid assessment of Wreathed Hornbill Aceros undulates (Aves: Bucerotidae populations and conservation issues in fragmented lowland tropical forests of Arunachal Pradesh, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C.M. Krishna

2012-11-01

Full Text Available A rapid assessment of Wreathed Hornbills, their distribution and abundance was carried out in fragmented lowland tropical forests of Lower Dibang Valley District, Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India from October 2010 to April 2011 using the total count method. A total of 62km distance was covered on foot to survey four study sites: Horupahar, Delo, Koronu and Injunu. Nine flocks of 172 hornbills were sighted. Aceros undulatus flock size ranged from 8-38 individuals with a mean of about 19.1 plus or minus 2.6. Illegal logging, hunting for bushmeat and other body parts (feathers, beak etc. for decorating the head gear and house interiors by the local tribals were observed as the major threats to the species in the study areas.

Gadolinium oxysulfide nanoprobes with both persistent luminescent and magnetic properties for multimodal imaging

OpenAIRE

ROSTICHER , C.; Viana , Bruno; Fortin , M.-A.; Lagueux , J.; Faucher , L.; Chanéac , Corinne

2016-01-01

International audience; Persistent luminescence and magnetic properties of Gd2O2S: Eu 3+ , Ti 4+ , Mg 2+ nanoparticles have been studied to attest the relevance of such nanoparticles as nanoprobes for multimodal imaging. The development of new imaging tools is required to improve the quality of medical images and then to diagnose some disorders as quickly as possible in order to ensure more effective treatment. Multimodal imaging agents here developed combine the high resolution abilities of ...

Persistent detwinning of EuFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} by small magnetic fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maiwald, Jannis; Stingl, Christian; Bach, Nora; Jeevan, H.S.; Gegenwart, Philipp [Experimentalphysik VI, Universitaet Augsburg (Germany); Zapf, Sina; Jiang, Shuai; Neubauer, David; Loehle, Anja; Clauss, Conrad; Dressel, Martin [1. Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet Stuttgart (Germany); Post, Kirk; Basov, Dimitri [Department of Physics, UC San Diego (United States)

2015-07-01

The formation of twin domains in the orthorhombic phase of high-temperature superconductors is impeding the investigation of the in-plane anisotropy of these materials. Recently, we have shown how the brief application of a small magnetic field of ∝ 1 Tesla in the EuFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} iron pnictide leads to a substantial detwinning of the system, which is persistent up to the structural transition at ∝ 190 K even after the magnetic field has been switched off. This offers researchers the opportunity to investigate the detwinned iron arsenide without the application of any external symmetry breaking force, like the pressure of a mechanical clamp, or a magnetic field present during measurement. We will present angular dependent magnetoresistance, magnetostriction, thermal expansion and thermoelectric power measurements on the EuFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} parent compound as well as on various doped variants in order to shed further light on the mechanism behind the field induced detwinning, i.e. the interplay of the involved magnetic moments stemming form the Eu and Fe atoms in these compounds.

A Cryogenic Magnetostrictive Actuator using a Persistent High Temperature Superconducting Magnet, Part 1: Concept and Design. Part 1; Concept and Design

Science.gov (United States)

Horner, Garnett C.; Bromberg, Leslie; Teter, J. P.

2001-01-01

Cryogenic magnetostrictive materials, such as rare earth zinc crystals, offer high strains and high forces with minimally applied magnetic fields, making the material ideally suited for deformable optics applications. For cryogenic temperature applications, such as Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST), the use of superconducting magnets offer the possibility of a persistent mode of operation, i.e., the magnetostrictive material will maintain a strain field without power. High temperature superconductors (HTS) are attractive options if the temperature of operation is higher than 10 degrees Kelvin (K) and below 77 K. However, HTS wires have constraints that limit the minimum radius of winding, and even if good wires can be produced, the technology for joining superconducting wires does not exist. In this paper, the design and capabilities of a rare earth zinc magnetostrictive actuator using bulk HTS is described. Bulk superconductors can be fabricated in the sizes required with excellent superconducting properties. Equivalent permanent magnets, made with this inexpensive material, are persistent, do not require a persistent switch as in HTS wires, and can be made very small. These devices are charged using a technique which is similar to the one used for charging permanent magnets, e.g., by driving them into saturation. A small normal conducting coil can be used for charging or discharging. Very fast charging and discharging of HTS tubes, as short as 100 microseconds, has been demonstrated. Because of the magnetic field capability of the superconductor material, a very small amount of superconducting magnet material is needed to actuate the rare earth zinc. In this paper, several designs of actuators using YBCO and BSCCO 2212 superconducting materials are presented. Designs that include magnetic shielding to prevent interaction between adjacent actuators will also be described. Preliminary experimental results and comparison with theory for BSSCO 2212 with a

Trends in Cable Magnetization and Persistent Currents during the Production of the Main Dipoles of the Large Hadron Collider

CERN Document Server

Bellesia, B; Granata, V; Le Naour, S; Oberli, L; Sanfilippo, S; Santoni, C; Scandale, Walter; Schwerg, N; Todesco, Ezio; Völlinger, C

2005-01-01

The production of more than 60% of superconducting cables for the main dipoles of the Large Hadron Collider has been completed. The results of the measurements of cable magnetization and the dependence on the manufacturers are presented. The strand magnetization produces field errors that have been measured in a large number of dipoles (approximately 100 to date) tested in cold conditions. We examine here the correlation between the available magnetic measurements and the large database of cable magnetization. The analysis is based on models documented elsewhere in the literature. Finally, a forecast of the persistent current effects to be expected in the LHC main dipoles is presented, and the more critical parameters for beam dynamics are singled out.

Nanohybrids with Magnetic and Persistent Luminescence Properties for Cell Labeling, Tracking, In Vivo Real-Time Imaging, and Magnetic Vectorization.

Science.gov (United States)

Teston, Eliott; Maldiney, Thomas; Marangon, Iris; Volatron, Jeanne; Lalatonne, Yoann; Motte, Laurence; Boisson-Vidal, Catherine; Autret, Gwennhael; Clément, Olivier; Scherman, Daniel; Gazeau, Florence; Richard, Cyrille

2018-04-01

Once injected into a living organism, cells diffuse or migrate around the initial injection point and become impossible to be visualized and tracked in vivo. The present work concerns the development of a new technique for therapeutic cell labeling and subsequent in vivo visualization and magnetic retention. It is hypothesized and subsequently demonstrated that nanohybrids made of persistent luminescence nanoparticles and ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles incorporated into a silica matrix can be used as an effective nanoplatform to label therapeutic cells in a nontoxic way in order to dynamically track them in real-time in vitro and in living mice. As a proof-of-concept, it is shown that once injected, these labeled cells can be visualized and attracted in vivo using a magnet. This first step suggests that these nanohybrids represent efficient multifunctional nanoprobes for further imaging guided cell therapies development. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Compensation of the Persistent Current Multipoles in the LHC Dipoles by making the Coil Protection Sheet from Soft Magnetic Material

CERN Document Server

Völlinger, C

2000-01-01

This note presents a scheme for compensating the persistent current multipole errors of the LHC dipoles by making the coil protection sheets from soft magnetic material of 0.5 mm thickness. The material properties assumed in this study are those of iron sheets with a very low content of impurities (99.99% pure Fe). The non-linearities in the upramp cycle on the b3 multipole component can be reduced by the factor of four (while decreasing the b5 variation by the factor of two. Using sheets of slightly different thicknesses offers a tuning possibility for the series magnet coils and can compensate deviations arising from cables of different suppliers. The calculation method is based on a semi-analytical hysteresis model for hard superconductors and an M(B) - iteration using the method of coupled boundary elements - finite elements (BEM - FEM). It is now possible to compute persistent current multipole errors of geometries with arbitrarily shaped iron yokes and thin layers of soft magnetic material such as tunin...

Beam-based measurements of persistent current decay in the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Fischer

2001-04-01

Full Text Available The two rings of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider are equipped with superconducting dipole magnets. At injection, induced persistent currents in these magnets lead to a sextupole component. As the persistent currents decay with time, the horizontal and vertical chromaticities change. From magnet measurements of persistent current decays, chromaticity changes in the machine are estimated and compared with chromaticity measurements.

Incentive Processing in Persistent Disruptive Behavior and Psychopathic Traits: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study in Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohn, Moran D; Veltman, Dick J; Pape, Louise E; van Lith, Koen; Vermeiren, Robert R J M; van den Brink, Wim; Doreleijers, Theo A H; Popma, Arne

2015-11-01

Children with early-onset disruptive behavior disorder (DBD), especially those with callous-unemotional traits, are at risk of developing persistent and severe adult antisocial behavior. One possible underlying mechanism for persistence is deficient reward and loss sensitivity, i.e., deficient incentive processing. However, little is known about the relation between deficient incentive processing and persistence of antisocial behavior into adulthood or its relation with callous-unemotional and other psychopathic traits. In this study, we investigate the relationship between the neural correlates of incentive processing and both DBD persistence and psychopathic traits. In a sample of 128 adolescents (mean age 17.7) with a history of criminal offending before age 12, functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed during a monetary incentive delay task designed to assess neural responses during incentive processing. Neural activation during incentive processing was then associated with DBD persistence and psychopathic traits, measured with the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory. Compared with both healthy control subjects and youths who had desisted from DBD, persistent DBD subjects showed lower neural responses in the ventral striatum during reward outcomes and higher neural responses in the amygdala during loss outcomes. Callous-unemotional traits were related to lower neural responses in the amygdala during reward outcomes, while other psychopathic traits were not related to incentive processing. In the current study, aberrant incentive processing is related to persistence of childhood antisocial behavior into late adolescence and to callous-unemotional traits. This mechanism may underlie treatment resistance in a subgroup of antisocial youth and provide a target for intervention. Copyright © 2015 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inspection method of cable-stayed bridge using magnetic flux leakage detection: principle, sensor design, and signal processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Fengyu; Wang, Xingsong; Wu, Hongtao

2012-01-01

A nondestructive testing technique based on magnetic flux leakage is presented to inspect automatically the stay cables with large diameters of a cable-stayed bridge. Using the proposed inspection method, an online nondestructive testing (NDT) modular sensor is developed. The wreath-like sensor is composed of several sensor units that embrace the cable at equal angles. Each sensor unit consists of two permanent magnets and a hall sensor to detect the magnetic flux density. The modular sensor can be installed conveniently on cables with various diameters by increasing the number of sensor units and adjusting the relative distances between adjacent sensor units. Results of the experiments performed on a man-made cable with faults prove that the proposed sensor can inspect the status signals of the inner wires of the cables. To filter the interfering signals, three processing algorithms are discussed, including the moving average method, improved detrending algorithm, and signal processing based on a digital filter. Results show that the developed NDT sensor carried by a cable inspection robot can move along the cable and monitor the state of the stay cables

Quantum nano ring composed of quantum dots as a source of pure persistent spin or charge current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eslami, L.; Faizabadi, E.; Ahmadi, S.

2016-01-01

Spin-dependent persistent current in a quantum ring constituted by two normal and one magnetic quantum dots, in the presence of Rashba spin–orbit interaction is studied by using Green function technique. It is shown that the presence of the magnetic quantum dot breaks the degeneracy of the density of states of electrons with different spin states. Besides, the Rashba spin–orbit interaction along with the magnetic quantum dot develops tunable persistent spin and charge currents. Moreover, the persistent charge current induces a fully adjustable magnetic flux whose direction and magnitude can be tuned by altering the strength of the Rashba spin–orbit interaction. - Highlights: • An array of normal and magnetic quantum dots with Rashba effect is studied. • Spin-dependent persistent current and DOS are studied using Green function method. • The magnetic quantum dot breaks degeneracy of DOS of up and down spin electrons. • The persistent spin and charge currents are tuned by adjusting the Rashba constant. • The persistent charge current induces tunable magnetic field at the center of ring.

Electronic States and Persistent Currents in Nanowire Quantum Ring

Science.gov (United States)

Kokurin, I. A.

2018-04-01

The new model of a quantum ring (QR) defined inside a nanowire (NW) is proposed. The one-particle Hamiltonian for electron in [111]-oriented NW QR is constructed taking into account both Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling (SOC). The energy levels as a function of magnetic field are found using the exact numerical diagonalization. The persistent currents (both charge and spin) are calculated. The specificity of SOC and arising anticrossings in energy spectrum lead to unusual features in persistent current behavior. The variation of magnetic field or carrier concentration by means of gate can lead to pure spin persistent current with the charge current being zero.

Nonequilibrium spin transport in integrable spin chains: Persistent currents and emergence of magnetic domains

Science.gov (United States)

De Luca, Andrea; Collura, Mario; De Nardis, Jacopo

2017-07-01

We construct exact steady states of unitary nonequilibrium time evolution in the gapless XXZ spin-1/2 chain where integrability preserves ballistic spin transport at long times. We characterize the quasilocal conserved quantities responsible for this feature and introduce a computationally effective way to evaluate their expectation values on generic matrix product initial states. We employ this approach to reproduce the long-time limit of local observables in all quantum quenches which explicitly break particle-hole or time-reversal symmetry. We focus on a class of initial states supporting persistent spin currents and our predictions remarkably agree with numerical simulations at long times. Furthermore, we propose a protocol for this model where interactions, even when antiferromagnetic, are responsible for the unbounded growth of a macroscopic magnetic domain.

"Role magnets"? An empirical investigation of popularity trajectories for life-course persistent individuals during adolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Jacob T N

2014-01-01

Recent scholarship has focused on the role of social status in peer groups to explain the fact that delinquency is disproportionately committed during adolescence. Yet, the precise mechanism linking adolescence, social status, and antisocial behavior is not well understood. Dual-taxonomy postulates a testable mechanism that links the sudden increase in risky behavior among adolescents to the social magnetism of a small group of persistently antisocial individuals, referred to here as the "role magnet" hypothesis. Using semi-parametric group-based trajectory modeling and growth-curve modeling, this study provides the first test of this hypothesis by examining physical violence and popularity trajectories for 1,845 male respondents age 11-32 from a nationally representative sample (54 % non-Hispanic White; 21 % non-Hispanic African American; 17 % Hispanic; 8 % Asian). Individuals assigned to a "chronic violence" trajectory group showed consistently lower average levels of popularity from 11 to 19. But, these same individuals experienced increases in popularity during early adolescence and subsequent declines in late adolescence. These findings are linked to current research examining social status as a mechanism generating antisocial behavior during adolescence and the consequences of delayed entry into adult roles.

Persistent currents in an ensemble of isolated mesoscopic rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altland, A.; Iida, S.; Mueller-Groelling, A.; Weidenmueller, H.A.

1992-01-01

In this work, the authors calculate the persistent current induced at zero temperature by an external, constant, and homogeneous magnetic field in an ensemble of isolated mesoscopic rings. In each ring, the electrons are assumed to move independently under the influence of a Gaussian white noise random impurity potential. They account for the magnetic field only in terms of the flux threading each ring, without considering the field present in the body of the ring. Particular attention is paid to the constraint of integer particle number on each ring. The authors evaluate the persistent current non-perturbatively, using a generating functional involving Grassmann integration. The magnetic flux threading each ring breaks the orthogonal symmetry of the formalism; forcing us to calculate explicitly the orthogonal-unitary crossover. 24 refs., 1 fig

Novel Approach to Linear Accelerator Superconducting Magnet System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashikhin, Vladimir

2011-01-01

Superconducting Linear Accelerators include a superconducting magnet system for particle beam transportation that provides the beam focusing and steering. This system consists of a large number of quadrupole magnets and dipole correctors mounted inside or between cryomodules with SCRF cavities. Each magnet has current leads and powered from its own power supply. The paper proposes a novel approach to magnet powering based on using superconducting persistent current switches. A group of magnets is powered from the same power supply through the common, for the group of cryomodules, electrical bus and pair of current leads. Superconducting switches direct the current to the chosen magnet and close the circuit providing the magnet operation in a persistent current mode. Two persistent current switches were fabricated and tested. In the paper also presented the results of magnetic field simulations, decay time constants analysis, and a way of improving quadrupole magnetic center stability. Such approach substantially reduces the magnet system cost and increases the reliability.

Development of high electrical resistance persistent current switch for high speed energization system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jizo, Y.; Furuta, Y.; Nakashima, H.

1986-01-01

Japanese National Railways is now developing a superconducting magnetically-levitated train system. A persistent current switch is incorporated in the super-conducting magnet used in the magnetically-levitated train. In recent years, the switch has been required to have higher electrical resistance during its off-state in order to realize the high speed energization/de-energization system of the superconducting magnets. The system aims to decrease evaporation volume of liquid helium during the energization/de-energization of the magnet, by means of energizing the superconducting magnet with high current increasing/decreasing rate. Consequently, it would be possible to decrease the dependence of the on-board magnet system upon the ground cooling system. Through the development of a stable superconductive wire material and a coil structure for the persistent current switch using many small model switches which were produced in order to improve their current carrying capacities, the authors have succeeded in manufacturing the high electrical resistance persistent current switch whose electrical resistance was 5 ohms. The switch, of cylindrical shape, has a diameter of about 100mm, a length of about 100mm. These 5 ohm PCSs are now functioning in stable conditions being incorporated in the superconducting magnets of No.2 vehicle of MLU001 at the JNR's Miyazaki test track. Further, the authors are now developing the PCS of still higher resistance values, such as 50 ohms, through studies for stabilization in structural aspects of the winding and obtaining results therefrom

The Minnesota approach to non-timber forest product marketing: the balsam bough industry and other examples

Science.gov (United States)

John. Krantz

2001-01-01

Minnesota is a leading state in the production of holiday wreaths. It is estimated that the companies producing wreaths in Minnesota have total sales exceeding $20 million and growing. Wreaths are sold in all states in the U.S., mainly by non-profit groups for fundraising. The boughs harvested from the balsam fir (Abies balsamea) are used in 98...

Possibility of persistent voltage observation in a system of asymmetric superconducting rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burlakov, A.A.; Gurtovoi, V.L.; Ilin, A.I.; Nikulov, A.V.; Tulin, V.A.

2012-01-01

The possibility of observing persistent voltage in superconducting rings of different arm widths is experimentally investigated. It was previously found that switching of the arms between superconducting and normal states by an AC current induces DC voltage oscillation in the magnetic field with a period corresponding to the flux quantum inside the ring. We used systems with a large number of asymmetric rings connected in series to investigate the possibility of observing this quantum phenomenon near the superconducting transition, where thermal fluctuations lead to switching of ring segments without an external influence and the persistent current is much smaller than in the superconducting state. -- Highlights: ► A possibility to observe the persistent voltage is investigated experimentally. ► The persistent voltage is a DC voltage observed at thermodynamic equilibrium. ► It oscillates in magnetic field like the persistent current in superconducting ring. ► The period of the oscillations corresponds to the flux quantum inside the ring. ► The quantum oscillations of the DC voltage were observed on asymmetric rings.

Dual Aharonov-Casher effect and persistent dipole current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yi, J.; Jeon, G.S.; Choi, M.Y.

1995-01-01

An electric dipole moving in a magnetic field acquires a nontrivial quantum phase in the appropriate configuration. It is shown that this phase is manifested by the persistent dipole current induced on a ring pierced by a line of magnetic monopoles. Such a current depends on the statistics of the dipoles, which may have interesting implications for experiments. It is also pointed out that the dipole current cannot be self-sustained

Persistent current and transmission probability in the Aharonov-Bohm ring with an embedded quantum dot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Suzhi; Li Ning; Jin Guojun; Ma Yuqiang

2008-01-01

Persistent current and transmission probability in the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) ring with an embedded quantum dot (QD) are studied using the technique of the scattering matrix. For the first time, we find that the persistent current can arise in the absence of magnetic flux in the ring with an embedded QD. The persistent current and the transmission probability are sensitive to the lead-ring coupling and the short-range potential barrier. It is shown that increasing the lead-ring coupling or the short-range potential barrier causes the suppression of the persistent current and the increasing resonance width of the transmission probability. The effect of the potential barrier on the number of the transmission peaks is also investigated. The dependence of the persistent current and the transmission probability on the magnetic flux exhibits a periodic property with period of the flux quantum

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Myocarditis Reveals Persistent Disease Activity Despite Normalization of Cardiac Enzymes and Inflammatory Parameters at 3-Month Follow-Up.

Science.gov (United States)

Berg, Jan; Kottwitz, Jan; Baltensperger, Nora; Kissel, Christine K; Lovrinovic, Marina; Mehra, Tarun; Scherff, Frank; Schmied, Christian; Templin, Christian; Lüscher, Thomas F; Heidecker, Bettina; Manka, Robert

2017-11-01

There is a major unmet need to identify high-risk patients in myocarditis. Although decreasing cardiac and inflammatory markers are commonly interpreted as resolving myocarditis, this assumption has not been confirmed as of today. We sought to evaluate whether routine laboratory parameters at diagnosis predict dynamic of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) as persistent LGE has been shown to be a risk marker in myocarditis. Myocarditis was diagnosed based on clinical presentation, high-sensitivity troponin T, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, after exclusion of obstructive coronary artery disease by angiography. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was repeated at 3 months. LGE extent was analyzed with the software GT Volume. Change in LGE >20% was considered significant. Investigated cardiac and inflammatory markers included high-sensitivity troponin T, creatine kinase, myoglobin, N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide, C-reactive protein, and leukocyte count. Twenty-four patients were enrolled. Absolute levels of cardiac enzymes and inflammatory markers at baseline did not predict change in LGE at 3 months. Cardiac and inflammatory markers had normalized in 21 patients (88%). LGE significantly improved in 16 patients (67%); however, it persisted to a lesser degree in 17 of them (71%) and increased in a small percentage (21%) despite normalization of cardiac enzymes. This is the first study reporting that cardiac enzymes and inflammatory parameters do not sufficiently reflect LGE in myocarditis. Although a majority of patients with normalizing laboratory markers experienced improved LGE, in a small percentage LGE worsened. These data suggest that cardiac magnetic resonance imaging might add value to currently existing diagnostic tools for risk assessment in myocarditis. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Numerical simulation of quench protection for a 1.5 T persistent mode MgB2 conduction-cooled MRI magnet

Science.gov (United States)

Deissler, Robert J.; Baig, Tanvir; Poole, Charles; Amin, Abdullah; Doll, David; Tomsic, Michael; Martens, Michael

2017-02-01

The active quench protection of a 1.5 T MgB2 conduction-cooled MRI magnet operating in persistent current mode is considered. An active quench protection system relies on the detection of the resistive voltage developed in the magnet, which is used to trigger the external energizing of quench heaters located on the surfaces of all ten coil bundles. A numerical integration of the heat equation is used to determine the development of the temperature profile and the maximum temperature in the coil at the origin, or ‘hot spot’, of the quench. Both n-value of the superconductor and magnetoresistance of the wire are included in the simulations. An MgB2 wire manufactured by Hyper Tech Research, Inc. was used as the basis to model the wire for the simulations. With the proposed active quench protection system, the maximum temperature was limited to 200 K or less, which is considered low enough to prevent damage to the magnet. By substituting Glidcop for the Monel in the wire sheath or by increasing the thermal conductivity of the insulation, the margin for safe operation was further increased, the maximum temperature decreasing by more than 40 K. The strain on the MgB2 filaments is calculated using ANSYS, verifying that the stress and strain limits in the MgB2 superconductor and epoxy insulation are not exceeded.

Fano resonance and persistent current of a quantum ring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong Yongjian; Liang Xianting

2004-01-01

We investigate electron transport and persistent current of a quantum ring weakly attached to current leads. Assuming there is direct coupling (weakly or strongly) between two leads, electrons can transmit by the inter-lead coupling or tunneling through the quantum ring. The interference between the two paths yields asymmetric Fano line shape for conductance. In presence of interior magnetic flux, there is persistent current along the ring with narrow resonance peaks. The positions of the conductance resonances and the persistent current peaks correspond to the quasibound levels of the closed ring. This feature is helpful to determine the energy spectrum of the quantum ring. Our results show that the proposed setup provides a tunable Fano system

Oscillatory persistent currents in self-assembled quantum rings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kleemans, N.A.J.M.; Bominaar-Silkens, I.M.A.; Fomin, V.; Gladilin, V.N.; Granados, D.; Taboada, A.G.; Garcia, J.M.; Offermans, P.; Zeitler, U.; Christianen, P.C.M.; Maan, J.C.; Devreese, J.T.; Koenraad, P.M.

2007-01-01

We report the direct measurement of the persistent current carried by a single electron by means of magnetization experiments on self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum rings. We measured the first Aharonov-Bohm oscillation at a field of 14 T, in perfect agreement with our model based on the structural

Oscillatory persistent currents in self-assembled quantum rings.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleemans, N A J M; Bominaar-Silkens, I M A; Fomin, V M; Gladilin, V N; Granados, D; Taboada, A G; García, J M; Offermans, P; Zeitler, U; Christianen, P C M; Maan, J C; Devreese, J T; Koenraad, P M

2007-10-05

We report the direct measurement of the persistent current carried by a single electron by means of magnetization experiments on self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum rings. We measured the first Aharonov-Bohm oscillation at a field of 14 T, in perfect agreement with our model based on the structural properties determined by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy measurements. The observed oscillation magnitude of the magnetic moment per electron is remarkably large for the topology of our nanostructures, which are singly connected and exhibit a pronounced shape asymmetry.

Spontaneous and persistent currents in superconductive and mesoscopic structures (Review)

Science.gov (United States)

Kulik, I. O.

2004-07-01

We briefly review aspects of superconductive persistent currents in Josephson junctions of the S/I/S, S/O/S and S/N/S types, focusing on the origin of jumps in the current versus phase dependences, and discuss in more detail the persistent and the "spontaneous" currents in Aharonov-Bohm mesoscopic and nanoscopic (macromolecular) structures. A fixed-number-of-electrons mesoscopic or macromolecular conducting ring is shown to be unstable against structural transformation removing spatial symmetry (in particular, azimuthal periodicity) of its electron-lattice Hamiltonian. In the case when the transformation is blocked by strong coupling to an external azimuthally symmetric environment, the system becomes bistable in its electronic configuration at a certain number of electrons. Under such a condition, the persistent current has a nonzero value even at an (almost) zero applied Aharonov-Bohm flux and results in very high magnetic susceptibility dM/dH at small nonzero fields, followed by an oscillatory dependence at larger fields. We tentatively assume that previously observed oscillatory magnetization in cyclic metallo-organic molecules by Gatteschi et al. can be attributed to persistent currents. If this proves correct, it may present an opportunity for (and, more generally, macromolecular cyclic structures may suggest the possibility of) engineering quantum computational tools based on the Aharonov-Bohm effect in ballistic nanostructures and macromolecular cyclic aggregates.

Stabilization of a Nb3Sn persistent current switch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urata, M.; Maeda, H.; Nakayama, S.; Yoneda, E.; Oda, Y.; Kumano, T.; Aoki, N.; Tomisaki, T.; Kabashima, S.

1993-01-01

A 2000 A class Nb 3 Sn persistent current switch has been successfully fabricated in the Toshiba R and D Center. The Nb tube processed conductor with Cu-10 wt.% Ni matrix has been developed for the switch in the Showa Electric Wire and Cable Co. Ltd. The magnetic instability which was observed in the previous 35 Ω Nb 3 Sn persistent current switch was improved in the present switch. The problem of quench current degradation and flux jump on magnetization, emerged in the previous switch, were confirmed to be solved. In the fast ramp, however, the switch degrades from the calculated results assuming the self field ac loss. In the Nb 3 Sn reaction process, Sn in the bronze diffuses into the Nb tube, which decreases the switch resistance. It was observed by a computer aided micro analysis (CMA) that Ni in the CuNi matrix precipitated on the Nb tube, which slightly reduced the switch resistance. (orig.)

Spontaneous and persistent currents in superconductive and mesoscopic structures (Review Article)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulik, I.O.

2004-01-01

We briefly review aspects of superconductive persistent currents in Josephson junctions of the S/I/S, S/O/S and S/N/S types, focusing on the origin of jumps in the current versus phase dependences, and discuss in more detail the persistent as well as 'spontaneous' currents in the Aharonov-Bohm mesoscopic and nanoscopic (macromolecular) structures. A fixed-number-of-electrons mesoscopic or macromolecular conducting ring is shown to be unstable against structural transformation removing spatial symmetry (in particular, azimuthal periodicity) of its electron- lattice Hamiltonian. In case when the transformation is blocked by strong coupling to an external azimuthally symmetric environment, the system becomes bistable in its electronic configuration at certain number of electrons. At such a condition, the persistent current has a nonzero value even at the (almost) zero applied Aharonov-Bohm flux, and results in very high magnetic susceptibility dM/dH at small nonzero fields, followed by an oscillatory dependence at larger fields. We tentatively assume that previously observed oscillatory magnetization in cyclic metallo-organic molecules by Gatteschi et al. can be attributed to persistent currents. If this proves correct, it may open an opportunity (and, more generally, macromolecular cyclic structures may suggest the possibility) of engineering quantum computational tools based on the Aharonov-Bohm effect in ballistic nanostructures and macromolecular cyclic aggregates

Design and Test of a Thermal Triggered Persistent Current System using High Temperature Superconducting Tapes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Dong Keun [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Shinchon-Dong 134, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Hyoungku [Electro-Mechanical Research Institute, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Yongin (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, Min Cheol [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Shinchon-Dong 134, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Seong Eun [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Shinchon-Dong 134, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Yong Soo [Department of Electrical Engineering, Ansan College of Technology, 671 Choji-Dong, Danwon-Gu, Ansan, 425-792 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sang Jin [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Shinchon-Dong 134, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Ko, Tae Kuk [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Shinchon-Dong 134, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

2006-06-01

A superconducting magnet which is operated in persistent current mode in SMES, NMR, MRI and MAGLEV has many advantages such as high uniformity of magnetic field and reduced thermal loss. A high temperature superconducting (HTS) persistent current switch (PCS) system was designed and tested in this research. The HTS PCS was optimally designed using two different HTS tapes, second generation coated conductor (CC) HTS tape and Bi-2223 HTS tape by the finite element method (FEM) in thermal quench characteristic view. The CC tape is more prospective applicable wire in these days for its high n value and critical current independency from external magnetic field than Bi-2223 tape. Also a prototype PCS system using Bi-2223 tape was manufactured and tested. The PCS system consists of a PCS part, a heater which induces the PCS to quench, and a superconducting magnet. The test was performed in various conditions of transport current. An initial current decay appeared when the superconducting magnet was energized in a PCS system was analyzed. This paper would be foundation of HTS PCS researches.

Bilateral Persistent Sciatic Artery Aneurysm Discovered by Atypical Sciatica: A Case Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazet, Nathalie; Soulier-Guerin, Karine; Ruivard, Marc; Garcier, Jean-Marc; Boyer, Louis

2006-01-01

We report a case of a bilateral persistent sciatic artery aneurysm, diagnosed by atypical sciatica on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The different variants, the revealing features, and possible treatment are discussed

Superconducting pulsed magnets

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2006-01-01

Lecture 1. Introduction to Superconducting Materials Type 1,2 and high temperature superconductors; their critical temperature, field & current density. Persistent screening currents and the critical state model. Lecture 2. Magnetization and AC Loss How screening currents cause irreversible magnetization and hysteresis loops. Field errors caused by screening currents. Flux jumping. The general formulation of ac loss in terms of magnetization. AC losses caused by screening currents. Lecture 3. Twisted Wires and Cables Filamentary composite wires and the losses caused by coupling currents between filaments, the need for twisting. Why we need cables and how the coupling currents in cables contribute more ac loss. Field errors caused by coupling currents. Lecture 4. AC Losses in Magnets, Cooling and Measurement Summary of all loss mechanisms and calculation of total losses in the magnet. The need for cooling to minimize temperature rise in a magnet. Measuring ac losses in wires and in magnets. Lecture 5. Stab...

Superconducting magnet for a Ku-band maser.

Science.gov (United States)

Berwin, R.; Wiebe, E.; Dachel, P.

1972-01-01

A superconducting magnet to provide a uniform magnetic field of up to 8000 G in a 1.14-cm gap for the 15.3-GHz (Ku-band) traveling wave maser is described. The magnet operates in a persistent mode in the vacuum environment of a closed-cycle helium refrigerator (4.5 K). The features of a superconducting switch, which has both leads connected to 4.5 K heat stations and thereby does not receive heat generated by the magnet charging leads, are described.

Modulation of persistent magnetoresistance by piezo-strain effect in manganite-based heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Li, W.; Yan, H.; Chai, X. J.; Wang, S. H.; Dong, X. L.; Ren, L. X.; Chen, C. L.; Jin, K. X.

2017-05-01

Persistent magnetoresistance effects in the phase-separated Pr0.65(Ca0.25Sr0.75)0.35MnO3/SrTiO3 and Pr0.65(Ca0.25Sr0.75)0.35MnO3/0.7PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3-0.3PbTiO3 heterostructures under a low magnetic field are investigated. It is observed that the persistent magnetoresistance effects decrease with increasing temperatures and the values for the heterostructures on 0.7Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.3PbTiO3 and SrTiO3 substrates are about 86.6% and 33.2% at 40 K, respectively. More interestingly, the applied electric field on the 0.7PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3-0.3PbTiO3 substrate can suppress the persistent magnetoresistance effect, indicating that different energy landscapes can be dramatically modulated by the piezo-strain. These results are discussed in terms of the strain-induced competition in the ferromagnetic state and the charge-ordering phase by the energy scenario, which provide a promising approach for designing devices of electric-magnetic memories in all-oxide heterostructures.

Persistence and origin of the lunar core dynamo

Science.gov (United States)

Suavet, Clément; Weiss, Benjamin P.; Cassata, William S.; Shuster, David L.; Gattacceca, Jérôme; Chan, Lindsey; Garrick-Bethell, Ian; Head, James W.; Grove, Timothy L.; Fuller, Michael D.

2013-01-01

The lifetime of the ancient lunar core dynamo has implications for its power source and the mechanism of field generation. Here, we report analyses of two 3.56-Gy-old mare basalts demonstrating that they were magnetized in a stable and surprisingly intense dynamo magnetic field of at least ∼13 μT. These data extend the known lifetime of the lunar dynamo by ∼160 My and indicate that the field was likely continuously active until well after the final large basin-forming impact. This likely excludes impact-driven changes in rotation rate as the source of the dynamo at this time in lunar history. Rather, our results require a persistent power source like precession of the lunar mantle or a compositional convection dynamo. PMID:23650386

Superconducting Accelerator Magnets

CERN Document Server

Mess, K H; Wolff, S

1996-01-01

The main topic of the book are the superconducting dipole and quadrupole magnets needed in high-energy accelerators and storage rings for protons, antiprotons or heavy ions. The basic principles of low-temperature superconductivity are outlined with special emphasis on the effects which are relevant for accelerator magnets. Properties and fabrication methods of practical superconductors are described. Analytical methods for field calculation and multipole expansion are presented for coils without and with iron yoke. The effect of yoke saturation and geometric distortions on field quality is studied. Persistent magnetization currents in the superconductor and eddy currents the copper part of the cable are analyzed in detail and their influence on field quality and magnet performance is investigated. Superconductor stability, quench origins and propagation and magnet protection are addressed. Some important concepts of accelerator physics are introduced which are needed to appreciate the demanding requirements ...

Runaway electrons and magnetic island confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boozer, Allen H.

2016-01-01

The breakup of magnetic surfaces is a central feature of ITER planning for the avoidance of damage due to runaway electrons. Rapid thermal quenches, which lead to large accelerating voltages, are thought to be due to magnetic surface breakup. Impurity injection to avoid and to mitigate both halo and runaway electron currents utilizes massive gas injection or shattered pellets. The actual deposition is away from the plasma center, and the breakup of magnetic surfaces is thought to spread the effects of the impurities across the plasma cross section. The breakup of magnetic surfaces would prevent runaway electrons from reaching relativistic energies were it not for the persistence of non-intercepting flux tubes. These are tubes of magnetic field lines that do not intercept the walls. In simulations and in magnetic field models, non-intercepting flux tubes are found to persist near the magnetic axis and in the cores of magnetic islands even when a large scale magnetic surface breakup occurs. As long as a few magnetic surfaces reform before all of the non-intercepting flux tubes dissipate, energetic electrons confined and accelerated in these flux tubes can serve as the seed electrons for a transfer of the overall plasma current from thermal to relativistic carriers. The acceleration of electrons is particularly strong because of the sudden changes in the poloidal flux that naturally occur in a rapid magnetic relaxation. The physics of magnetic islands as non-intercepting flux tubes is studied. Expressions are derived for (1) the size of islands required to confine energetic runaway electrons, (2) the accelerating electric field in an island, (3) the increase or reduction in the size of an island by the runaway electron current, (4) the approximate magnitude of the runaway current in an island, and (5) the time scale for the evolution of an island.

Runaway electrons and magnetic island confinement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boozer, Allen H., E-mail: ahb17@columbia.edu [Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States)

2016-08-15

The breakup of magnetic surfaces is a central feature of ITER planning for the avoidance of damage due to runaway electrons. Rapid thermal quenches, which lead to large accelerating voltages, are thought to be due to magnetic surface breakup. Impurity injection to avoid and to mitigate both halo and runaway electron currents utilizes massive gas injection or shattered pellets. The actual deposition is away from the plasma center, and the breakup of magnetic surfaces is thought to spread the effects of the impurities across the plasma cross section. The breakup of magnetic surfaces would prevent runaway electrons from reaching relativistic energies were it not for the persistence of non-intercepting flux tubes. These are tubes of magnetic field lines that do not intercept the walls. In simulations and in magnetic field models, non-intercepting flux tubes are found to persist near the magnetic axis and in the cores of magnetic islands even when a large scale magnetic surface breakup occurs. As long as a few magnetic surfaces reform before all of the non-intercepting flux tubes dissipate, energetic electrons confined and accelerated in these flux tubes can serve as the seed electrons for a transfer of the overall plasma current from thermal to relativistic carriers. The acceleration of electrons is particularly strong because of the sudden changes in the poloidal flux that naturally occur in a rapid magnetic relaxation. The physics of magnetic islands as non-intercepting flux tubes is studied. Expressions are derived for (1) the size of islands required to confine energetic runaway electrons, (2) the accelerating electric field in an island, (3) the increase or reduction in the size of an island by the runaway electron current, (4) the approximate magnitude of the runaway current in an island, and (5) the time scale for the evolution of an island.

Persistent current analysis of superconducting coils in a linear synchronous motor for maglev passenger transport system. Fujoshiki tetsudoyo linear doki motor ni okeru teijisoku mode chodendo coil denryu no kaiseki

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azusawa, T [Toshiba Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

1994-05-20

The simple analysis method of persistent current induced in on-board superconducting coils was proposed for the vehicle of a superconducting magnetically-suspended train which is running in the magnetic field generated by armature coil current of a linear synchronous motor installed along a guideway, and the performance of the method is discussed through calculation based on typical models. As fluctuation of persistent current due to running was calculated with various parameter values under a normal running condition, fluctuation of persistent current induced was less then 1% of an initial magnetomotive force, having no adverse effect on the stability and reliability of superconducting magnets. Electromagnetic forces under a normal running condition could be predicted accurately enough by relatively easy-to-calculate constant current mode analysis. Double-layered armature coils were preferred to single-layered ones to enhance the stability of superconducting magnets by reducing fluctuation of persistent current. 10 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.

Energy of magnetic moment of superconducting current in magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurtovoi, V.L.; Nikulov, A.V.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Quantization effects observed in superconducting loops are considered. • The energy of magnetic moment in magnetic field can not be deduced from Hamiltonian. • This energy is deduced from a history of the current state in the classical case. • It can not be deduced directly in the quantum case. • Taking this energy into account demolishes agreement between theory and experiment. - Abstract: The energy of magnetic moment of the persistent current circulating in superconducting loop in an externally produced magnetic field is not taken into account in the theory of quantization effects because of identification of the Hamiltonian with the energy. This identification misleads if, in accordance with the conservation law, the energy of a state is the energy expended for its creation. The energy of magnetic moment is deduced from a creation history of the current state in magnetic field both in the classical and quantum case. But taking this energy into account demolishes the agreement between theory and experiment. Impartial consideration of this problem discovers the contradiction both in theory and experiment

Brain differences between persistent and remitted attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattfeld, Aaron T; Gabrieli, John D E; Biederman, Joseph; Spencer, Thomas; Brown, Ariel; Kotte, Amelia; Kagan, Elana; Whitfield-Gabrieli, Susan

2014-09-01

Previous resting state studies examining the brain basis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have not distinguished between patients who persist versus those who remit from the diagnosis as adults. To characterize the neurobiological differences and similarities of persistence and remittance, we performed resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging in individuals who had been longitudinally and uniformly characterized as having or not having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in childhood and again in adulthood (16 years after baseline assessment). Intrinsic functional brain organization was measured in patients who had a persistent diagnosis in childhood and adulthood (n = 13), in patients who met diagnosis in childhood but not in adulthood (n = 22), and in control participants who never had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (n = 17). A positive functional correlation between posterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortices, major components of the default-mode network, was reduced only in patients whose diagnosis persisted into adulthood. A negative functional correlation between medial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices was reduced in both persistent and remitted patients. The neurobiological dissociation between the persistence and remittance of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may provide a framework for the relation between the clinical diagnosis, which indicates the need for treatment, and additional deficits that are common, such as executive dysfunctions. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Persistent atrial fibrillation vs paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: differences in management.

Science.gov (United States)

Margulescu, Andrei D; Mont, Lluis

2017-08-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common human arrhythmia. AF is a progressive disease, initially being nonsustained and induced by trigger activity, and progressing towards persistent AF through alteration of the atrial myocardial substrate. Treatment of AF aims to decrease the risk of stroke and improve the quality of life, by preventing recurrences (rhythm control) or controlling the heart rate during AF (rate control). In the last 20 years, catheter-based and, less frequently, surgical and hybrid ablation techniques have proven more successful compared with drug therapy in achieving rhythm control in patients with AF. However, the efficiency of ablation techniques varies greatly, being highest in paroxysmal and lowest in long-term persistent AF. Areas covered: In this review, we discuss the fundamental differences between paroxysmal and persistent AF and the potential impact of those differences on patient management, emphasizing the available therapeutic strategies to achieve rhythm control. Expert commentary: Treatment to prevent AF recurrences is suboptimal, particularly in patients with persistent AF. Emerging technologies, such as documentation of atrial fibrosis using magnetic resonance imaging and documentation of electrical substrate using advanced electrocardiographic imaging techniques are likely to provide valuable insights about patient-specific tailoring of treatments.

Superconducting Magnets for Accelerators

Science.gov (United States)

Brianti, G.; Tortschanoff, T.

1993-03-01

This chapter describes the main features of superconducting magnets for high energy synchrotrons and colliders. It refers to magnets presently used and under development for the most advanced accelerators projects, both recently constructed or in the preparatory phase. These magnets, using the technology mainly based on the NbTi conductor, are described from the aspect of design, materials, construction and performance. The trend toward higher performance can be gauged from the doubling of design field in less than a decade from about 4 T for the Tevatron to 10 T for the LHC. Special properties of the superconducting accelerator magnets, such as their general layout and the need of extensive computational treatment, the limits of performance inherent to the available conductors, the requirements on the structural design are described. The contribution is completed by elaborating on persistent current effects, quench protection and the cryostat design. As examples the main magnets for HERA and SSC, as well as the twin-aperture magnets for LHC, are presented.

Unusual case of persistent Horner′s syndrome following epidural anaesthesia and caesarean section

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shubhra Goel

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This is a rare case of persistent Horner′s syndrome following epidural anesthesia and Caesarean section. A 33-year-old female presented with persistent ptosis and miosis following epidural anesthesia and Caesarian section several months prior. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI/magnetic resonance angiography (MRA of head, neck, and chest were unremarkable. Medline search using terms Horner′s, epidural, spinal anesthesia, delivery, childbirth, Caesarian, and pregnancy identified 31 articles describing Horner′s syndrome in obstetric epidural anesthesia, of which 11 were following Caesarean section. The increased incidence of Horner′s syndrome in the setting of epidural anesthesia in pregnancy may be related to epidural venous engorgement and cephalic spread of the local anaesthetic, with disruption in the oculosympathetic pathway. It is important to include recent epidural anesthesia within the differential diagnosis of acute Horner′s syndrome in a postpartum female. Rarely, the ptosis may be permanent and require surgical intervention.

Magic-Angle-Spinning NMR Magnet Development: Field Analysis and Prototypes

Science.gov (United States)

Voccio, John; Hahn, Seungyong; Park, Dong Keun; Ling, Jiayin; Kim, Youngjae; Bascuñán, Juan; Iwasa, Yukikazu

2013-01-01

We are currently working on a program to complete a 1.5 T/75 mm RT bore magic-angle-spinning nuclear magnetic resonance magnet. The magic-angle-spinning magnet comprises a z-axis 0.866-T solenoid and an x-axis 1.225-T dipole, each to be wound with NbTi wire and operated at 4.2 K in persistent mode. A combination of the fields creates a 1.5-T field pointed at 54.74 degrees (magic angle) from the rotation (z) axis. In the first year of this 3-year program, we have completed magnetic analysis and design of both coils. Also, using a winding machine of our own design and fabrication, we have wound several prototype dipole coils with NbTi wire. As part of this development, we have repeatedly made successful persistent NbTi-NbTi joints with this multifilamentary NbTi wire. PMID:24058275

Superconductive magnet having shim coils and quench protection circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwall, R.E.

1987-01-01

A superconductive magnet is described comprising: a first persistent current loop comprising a first superconductor and a main coil connected to the first superconductor, the main coil being operative in response to superconduction therein to generate a primary magnetic field; a second persistent current loop comprising a second superconductor and a shim coil connected thereto, the shim coil being operative in response to superconduction therein to generate a corrective field for correcting aberrations in a predetermined gradient in the primary magnetic field, the shim coil having fewer turns than the main coil and being inductively coupled therewith whereby small changes in the current in the main coil cause much greater changes in the current in the shim coil. The magnet is characterized by an improvement which consists of: a first heater connected across the second persistent loop in parallel with the shim coil, the first heater being normally inoperative to carry current while the shim coil and the second superconductor are superconducting, the first heater being operative in response to current therein to heat the shim coil to a resistive state; and protective circuit means comprising a second heater connected to the main coil for carrying current from the main coil upon quenching of the main coil, the second heater being disposed in thermal contact with the second superconductor to heat the second superconductor to a resistive state in response to the current from the main coil to thereby divert current in the second persistent loop through the second heater causing it to heat the shim coil to a resistive state and resistively dissipate energy therein

Properties and practical performance of SC magnets in accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmueser, P.

1992-01-01

A report is given on the properties and performance of superconducting accelerator magnets in the 5-6 Tesla regime. Most of the information stems from the industrially produced HERA magnets which were thoroughly tested both at industry and at DESY; data from prototype magnets for RHIC and SSC are also included. Persistent current effects were studied in detail. During the commissioning of the proton-electron collider HERA the superconducting magnets worked with high reliability and their properties were exactly as predicted from the magnetic measurements. (author) 11 refs.; 8 figs

Note: Progress on the use of MgB2 superconducting joint technique for the development of MgB2 magnets for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Y G; Song, J B; Kim, J C; Kim, J M; Yoo, B H; Yun, S B; Hwang, D Y; Lee, H G

2017-08-01

This note presents a superconducting joint technique for the development of MgB 2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) magnets. The MgB 2 superconducting joint was fabricated by a powder processing method using Mg and B powders to establish a wire-bulk-wire connection. The joint resistance measured using a field-decay method was magnets operating in the persistent current mode.

Magnetism and magnetic mineralogy of ash flow tuffs from Yucca Mountain, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlinger, C.M.; Veblen, D.R.; Rosenbaum, J.G.

1991-01-01

The magnetic susceptibility χ and remanent magnetization of an ash flow sheet are profoundly influenced by cooling history after emplacement. Maxima and minima in χ measured along profiles at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, identify persistent magnetic marker horizons within vitric portions of the Tiva Canyon and underlying Topopah Spring Members of the Paintbrush Tuff. The observed stratigraphic changes in magnetic properties reflect variations in amounts and mineralogy of Fe-Ti oxide phenocrysts, and the presence, shape, size, and mineralogy of magnetic Fe-oxide microcrystals that precipitated at high temperature after emplacement of each sheet. The size variations of the precipitated Fe-oxides, which were established using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and petrographic observation, are consistent both with variations in magnetic susceptibility measured at the outcrop and with variations in the intensity of remanent magnetization. Several interpretations of the shape anisotropy of the precipitated Fe-oxide are possible, including growth by a dislocation mechanism. Additionally, the observed elongation of precipitated microcrystals is consistent with theoretical predictions for growth in a uniaxial stress field. Susceptibility variations as established at the outcrop, as well as in the borehole, offer a potentially useful tool for stratigraphic correlation of ash flow sheets

Magnetic resonance imaging of muscle tears

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Smet, A.A.; Fisher, D.R.; Heiner, J.P.; Keene, J.S.

1990-01-01

Magnetic resonance scans were obtained on 17 patients with acute, subacute, or chronic muscle tears. These patients presented with complaints of persistent pain or a palpable mass. Magnetic resonance findings were characterized according to alterations in muscle shape and the presence of abnormal high signal within the injured muscle. These areas of high signal were noted on both T1-weighted and T2-weighted scans and were presumed to represent areas of intramuscular hemorrhage. (orig.)

From pre-storm activity to magnetic storms: a transition described in terms of fractal dynamics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Balasis

2006-12-01

Full Text Available We show that distinct changes in scaling parameters of the Dst index time series occur as an intense magnetic storm approaches, revealing a gradual reduction in complexity. The remarkable acceleration of energy release – manifested in the increase in susceptibility – couples to the transition from anti-persistent (negative feedback to persistent (positive feedback behavior and indicates that the occurence of an intense magnetic storm is imminent. The main driver of the Dst index, the VBSouth electric field component, does not reveal a similar transition to persistency prior to the storm. This indicates that while the magnetosphere is mostly driven by the solar wind the critical feature of persistency in the magnetosphere is the result of a combination of solar wind and internal magnetospheric activity rather than solar wind variations alone. Our results suggest that the development of an intense magnetic storm can be studied in terms of "intermittent criticality" that is of a more general character than the classical self-organized criticality phenomena, implying the predictability of the magnetosphere.

[Persistent diarrhea

Science.gov (United States)

Andrade, J A; Moreira, C; Fagundes Neto, U

2000-07-01

INTRODUCTION: Persistent diarrhea has high impact on infantile morbidity and mortality rates in developing countries. Several studies have shown that 3 to 20% of acute diarrheal episodes in children under 5 years of age become persistent. DEFINITION: Persistent diarrhea is defined as an episode that lasts more than 14 days. ETIOLOGY: The most important agents isolated in persistent diarrhea are: Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), Salmonella, Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), Klebisiella and Cryptosporidium. CLINICAL ASPECTS: In general, the clinical characteristics of patients with persistent diarrhea do not change with the pathogenic agent. Persistent diarrhea seems to represent the final result of a several insults a infant suffers that predisposes to a more severe episode of diarrhea due to a combination of host factors and high rates of enviromental contamination. Therefore, efforts should be made to promptly treat all episodes of diarrhea with apropriate follow-up. THERAPY: The aim of the treatment is to restore hydroelectrolytic deficits and to replace losses until the diarrheal ceases. It is possible in the majority of the cases, using oral rehydration therapy and erly an appropriate type of diet. PREVENTION: It is imperative that management strategies also focus on preventive aspects. The most effective diarrheal prevention strategy in young infants worldwide is promotion of exclusive breast feeding.

Non-superconducting persistent currents. Des courants permanents mais pas supraconducteurs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benoit, A; Mailly, D

1993-03-01

Forecasted ten years ago a quantum effect is evidenced: persistent currents in small non-superconducting loops in a magnetic field at low temperature. The loop (diameter 2.5 micrometer) is etched in a semiconducting structure GaAs/GaAlAs, where the coherence length is 25 [mu]m, the current is measured with a squid on the same chip, a value of 4 nano amps is found which agrees well with the theoretical value of 5 nA.

Major prognostic impact of persistent microvascular obstruction as assessed by contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance in reperfused acute myocardial infarction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cochet, Alexandre A.; Lalande, Alain; Walker, Paul M.; Touzery, Claude; Brunotte, Francois; Lorgis, Luc; Beer, Jean-Claude; Cottin, Yves; Zeller, Marianne; Wolf, Jean-Eric

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the prognostic significance of microvascular obstruction (MO) and persistent microvascular obstruction (PMO) as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). CMR was performed in 184 patients within the week following successfully reperfused first AMI. First-pass images were performed to evaluate extent of MO and late gadolinium-enhanced images to assess PMO and infarct size (IS). Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were collected at 1-year follow-up. MO and PMO were found in 127 (69%) and 87 (47%) patients, respectively. By using univariate logistic regression analysis, high Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk score (odds ratio [OR] 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.6 [1.8-7.4], p < 0.001), IS greater than 10% (OR [95% CI]: 2.7 [1.1-6.9], p = 0.036), left ventricular ejection fraction less than 40% (OR [95% CI]: 2.4 [1.1-5.2], p = 0.027), presence of MO (OR [95% CI]: 3.1 [1.3-7.3], p = 0.004) and presence of PMO (OR [95% CI]:10 [4.1-23.9], p < 0.001) were shown to be significantly associated with the outcome. By using multivariate analysis, presence of MO (OR [95% CI]: 2.5 [1.0-6.2], p = 0.045) or of PMO (OR [95% CI]: 8.7 [3.6-21.1], p < 0.001), associated with GRACE score, were predictors of MACE. Presence of microvascular obstruction and persistent microvascular obstruction is very common in AMI patients even after successful reperfusion and is associated with a dramatically higher risk of subsequent cardiovascular events, beyond established prognostic markers. Moreover, our data suggest that the prognostic impact of PMO might be superior to MO. (orig.)

Convection and magnetism of solar-type stars (G and K)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Do-Cao, Olivier Long

2013-01-01

account the dynamical coupling with the underlying radiative zone. We show that the dynamics is mainly driven by the Rossby number, and that the flow characteristics qualitatively change when the Rossby number is above unity. We also derive scaling laws for the global flows properties (differential rotation, meridional circulation, etc.) as function of mass and rotation rate. The last part sums up the main results and the perspectives of the work presented above. We are developing 3D numerical simulations involving magnetic dynamo action in rapidly rotating stars. In these stars, the magnetic field is self-organized in strong wreathes close to the equator extracting its energy from the convective kinetic energy but also from the strong differential rotation. Finally, we explain the benefits of a combined approach that uses both 2D and 3D models. (author) [fr

Circulating persistent current and induced magnetic field in a fractal network

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saha, Srilekha [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Sector-I, Block-AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700 064 (India); Maiti, Santanu K., E-mail: santanu.maiti@isical.ac.in [Physics and Applied Mathematics Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203 Barrackpore Trunk Road, Kolkata 700 108 (India); Karmakar, S.N. [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Sector-I, Block-AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700 064 (India)

2016-04-29

We present the overall conductance as well as the circulating currents in individual loops of a Sierpinski gasket (SPG) as we apply bias voltage via the side attached electrodes. SPG being a self-similar structure, its manifestation on loop currents and magnetic fields is examined in various generations of this fractal and it has been observed that for a given configuration of the electrodes, the physical quantities exhibit certain regularity as we go from one generation to another. Also a notable feature is the introduction of anisotropy in hopping causes an increase in magnitude of overall transport current. These features are a subject of interest in this article. - Highlights: • Voltage driven circular current is analyzed in a fractal network. • Current induced magnetic field is strong enough to flip a spin. • Anisotropy in hopping enhances overall transport current.

Controlled parity switch of persistent currents in quantum ladders

Science.gov (United States)

Filippone, Michele; Bardyn, Charles-Edouard; Giamarchi, Thierry

2018-05-01

We investigate the behavior of persistent currents for a fixed number of noninteracting fermions in a periodic quantum ladder threaded by Aharonov-Bohm and transverse magnetic fluxes Φ and χ . We show that the coupling between ladder legs provides a way to effectively change the ground-state fermion-number parity, by varying χ . Specifically, we demonstrate that varying χ by 2 π (one flux quantum) leads to an apparent fermion-number parity switch. We find that persistent currents exhibit a robust 4 π periodicity as a function of χ , despite the fact that χ →χ +2 π leads to modifications of order 1 /N of the energy spectrum, where N is the number of sites in each ladder leg. We show that these parity-switch and 4 π periodicity effects are robust with respect to temperature and disorder, and outline potential physical realizations using cold atomic gases and photonic lattices, for bosonic analogs of the effects.

The Neurobiological Grounding of Persistent Stuttering: from Structure to Function.

Science.gov (United States)

Neef, Nicole E; Anwander, Alfred; Friederici, Angela D

2015-09-01

Neuroimaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation provide insights into the neuronal mechanisms underlying speech disfluencies in chronic persistent stuttering. In the present paper, the goal is not to provide an exhaustive review of existing literature, but rather to highlight robust findings. We, therefore, conducted a meta-analysis of diffusion tensor imaging studies which have recently implicated disrupted white matter connectivity in stuttering. A reduction of fractional anisotropy in persistent stuttering has been reported at several different loci. Our meta-analysis revealed consistent deficits in the left dorsal stream and in the interhemispheric connections between the sensorimotor cortices. In addition, recent fMRI meta-analyses link stuttering to reduced left fronto-parieto-temporal activation while greater fluency is associated with boosted co-activations of right fronto-parieto-temporal areas. However, the physiological foundation of these irregularities is not accessible with MRI. Complementary, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) reveals local excitatory and inhibitory regulation of cortical dynamics. Applied to a speech motor area, TMS revealed reduced speech-planning-related neuronal dynamics at the level of the primary motor cortex in stuttering. Together, this review provides a focused view of the neurobiology of stuttering to date and may guide the rational design of future research. This future needs to account for the perpetual dynamic interactions between auditory, somatosensory, and speech motor circuits that shape fluent speech.

Passive force balancing of an active magnetic regenerative liquefier

Science.gov (United States)

Teyber, R.; Meinhardt, K.; Thomsen, E.; Polikarpov, E.; Cui, J.; Rowe, A.; Holladay, J.; Barclay, J.

2018-04-01

Active magnetic regenerators (AMR) have the potential for high efficiency cryogen liquefaction. One active magnetic regenerative liquefier (AMRL) configuration consists of dual magnetocaloric regenerators that reciprocate in a persistent-mode superconducting solenoid. Issues with this configuration are the spatial and temporal magnetization gradients that induce large magnetic forces and winding currents. To solve the coupled problem, we present a force minimization approach using passive magnetic material to balance a dual-regenerator AMR. A magnetostatic model is developed and simulated force waveforms are compared with experimental measurements. A genetic algorithm identifies force-minimizing passive structures with virtually ideal balancing characteristics. Implementation details are investigated which affirm the potential of the proposed methodology.

Academic Training - Pulsed SC Magnets

CERN Multimedia

Françoise Benz

2006-01-01

2005-2006 ACADEMIC TRAINING PROGRAMME LECTURE SERIES 2, 3, June 29, 30, 31 May, 1, 2 June 11:00-12:00 - Auditorium, bldg 500 Pulsed SC Magnets by M. Wilson Lecture 1. Introduction to Superconducting Materials Type 1,2 and high temperature superconductors; their critical temperature, field & current density. Persistent screening currents and the critical state model. Lecture 2. Magnetization and AC Loss How screening currents cause irreversible magnetization and hysteresis loops. Field errors caused by screening currents. Flux jumping. The general formulation of ac loss in terms of magnetization. AC losses caused by screening currents. Lecture 3. Twisted Wires and Cables Filamentary composite wires and the losses caused by coupling currents between filaments, the need for twisting. Why we need cables and how the coupling currents in cables contribute more ac loss. Field errors caused by coupling currents. Lecture 4. AC Losses in Magnets, Cooling and Measurement Summary of all loss mech...

PERSISTENT CURRENT EFFECT IN 15-16 T NB3SN ACCELERATOR DIPOLES AND ITS CORRECTION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kashikhin, V. V. [Fermilab; Zlobin, A. V. [Fermilab

2016-11-08

Nb3Sn magnets with operating fields of 15-16 T are considered for the LHC Energy Doubler and a future Very High Energy pp Collider. Due to large coil volume, high critical current density and large superconducting (SC) filament size the persistent current effect is very large in Nb3Sn dipoles al low fields. This paper presents the results of analysis of the persistent current effect in the 15 T Nb3Sn dipole demonstrator being developed at FNAL, and describes different possibilities of its correction including passive SC wires, iron shims and coil geometry.

Magnetism and superconductivity in Eu-based iron pnictides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zapf, Sina [1. Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet Stuttgart (Germany)

2015-07-01

EuFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} is an extraordinary parent compound of the iron pnictides, as it exhibits at low temperatures - additional to the Fe spin density wave - long-range magnetic order of the Eu{sup 2+} local moments. Nevertheless, bulk superconductivity around 30 K can be induced by mechanical pressure or chemical substitution. In this talk we review the remarkable interplay of unconventional superconductivity, itinerant and local magnetism in Eu based iron pnictides. We focus on the appearance of a re-entrant spin glass phase that coexists with superconductivity and an indirect magneto-elastic coupling, enabling the persistent magnetic detwinning by small magnetic fields.

Simplified magnetic circuit for the calculation of the stray magnetic flux through the shell gaps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Collarin, P.; Piovan, R. [Associazioni EURATOM-ENEA-CNR-Univ. di Padova (Italy). Gruppo di Padova per Ricerche sulla Fusione

1995-12-31

Significant toroidal magnetic field perturbations, stray flux at the shell gaps and current mismatching in the coils of the toroidal field winding are measured during the start-up and the flat-top phases of RFX. These phenomena are consistent with large and wall locked MHD modes: at first some m = 1 modes evolve separately one after the other, afterwards they concur to a wide and localized plasma perturbation that persists during the flat-top. These perturbations are heavily influenced by the stray magnetic flux through the shell gaps. Hence a magnetic circuit that mainly considers the magnetic reluctance of the conducting shell gaps has been developed in order to estimate this stray flux and, therefore, to evaluate the stabilizing capability of the shell. The observation of the MHD modes, the description of the equivalent magnetic network, the estimation of the stray flux and the comparison with the experimental measurements are reported in the paper.

Simplified magnetic circuit for the calculation of the stray magnetic flux through the shell gaps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collarin, P.; Piovan, R.

1995-01-01

Significant toroidal magnetic field perturbations, stray flux at the shell gaps and current mismatching in the coils of the toroidal field winding are measured during the start-up and the flat-top phases of RFX. These phenomena are consistent with large and wall locked MHD modes: at first some m = 1 modes evolve separately one after the other, afterwards they concur to a wide and localized plasma perturbation that persists during the flat-top. These perturbations are heavily influenced by the stray magnetic flux through the shell gaps. Hence a magnetic circuit that mainly considers the magnetic reluctance of the conducting shell gaps has been developed in order to estimate this stray flux and, therefore, to evaluate the stabilizing capability of the shell. The observation of the MHD modes, the description of the equivalent magnetic network, the estimation of the stray flux and the comparison with the experimental measurements are reported in the paper

Ferrimagnetic resonance study on photo-induced magnetism in hybrid magnetic semiconductor V(TCNE)x, x ˜2 film

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Jung-Woo; Shima Edelstein, R.; Lincoln, D. M.; Epstein, A. J.

2007-03-01

The V(TCNE)x, x˜2 is a fully spin-polarized magnetic semiconductor, whose magnetic order exceeds room temperature (Tc > 350 K), and electronic transport follows hopping mechanism through the Coulomb energy split &*circ; subband. In addition, it was determined that this material has thermally reversible persistent change in both magnetism and conductivity driven by the optical excitation [1]. Here, we report detailed investigation on photo-induced magnetism in V(TCNE)x by employing ferrimagnetic resonance (PIFMR) study with an in-situ light illumination. Upon optical excitation (λ˜ 457.9 nm), the FMR spectra display substantial change in their linewidth and resonance field. Angular dependence analyses of line shift indicate the increase of unixial anisotropy field in the film caused by the light irradiation. The results demonstrated that the change in overall magnetic anisotropy by the illumination plays an important role in inducing photo- induced magnetism in (TCNE) class magnet. [1] J.-W. Yoo, et al. to be published in Phys. Rev. Lett.

Disc pathology after whiplash injury. A prospective magnetic resonance imaging and clinical investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pettersson, K; Hildingsson, C; Toolanen, G; Fagerlund, M; Björnebrink, J

1997-02-01

This study was used to evaluate the relationship between magnetic resonance imaging findings and clinical findings after whiplash injury. To identify initial soft-tissue damage after whiplash injury, the development of disc pathology, and the relationship of disc pathology to clinical findings. Although a few studies have reported pathological magnetic resonance imaging findings after whiplash injuries, there is no prospective study published to our knowledge. Thirty-nine patients, 20 women and 19 men with a mean age of 32 years, were treated for whiplash injury. Magnetic resonance imaging and clinical examination were performed in a blinded manner at a mean of 11 days after trauma. The procedure was repeated at a 2-year follow-up visit. Two patients could not be examined with the second magnetic resonance imaging because of claustrophobia and pregnancy, respectively. The authors found 13 patients (33%) with disc herniations with medullary (six cases) or dura (seven cases) impingement over the 2-year follow-up period. At the follow-up examination all patients with medullary impingement had persistent or increased symptoms, and three of 27 patients (11%) with no or slight changes on magnetic resonance imaging had persistent symptoms. No ligament injuries were diagnosed. Although disc pathology seems to be one contributing factor in the development of chronic symptoms after whiplash injury, it may be unnecessary to examine these patients in the acute phase with magnetic resonance imaging; correlating initial symptoms and signs to magnetic resonance imaging findings is difficult because of the relatively high proportion of false-positive results. Magnetic resonance imaging is indicated later in the course of treatment in patients with persistent arm pain, neurologic deficits or clinical signs of nerve root compression to diagnose disc herniations requiring surgery.

Lightweight superconducting magnet for a test facility of magnetic suspension for vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akiyama, S; Fujino, H; Onodera, K; Hirai, K

1973-01-01

Light weight superconducting magnets are required in the magnetic suspension of high speed trains. A ring shaped magnet consisting of two C-shaped superconducting coils was manufactured and tested. Twisted multifilament Nb-TI wires were used for the superconducting coils and the concept of the pipe structure for a cryostat was adopted. These improved the reliability and reduced the weight. In order to minimize the amount of heat leak into the cryostat, and FRP support with a hinge structure was used against the lift force. The superconducting coil generates a magnetomotive force of 200 kAT at a rated current of 855 A and the dimensions and weight of the whole unit are 1540 mm (outer diameter) and 560 mm (height), and 650 kG, respectively. The suspension test was done in the persistent current mode. The suspension height of 80 mm was observed at an exciting current of 800 A.

A Successful Treatment of Thromboembolic Ischemia in Persistent Sciatic Artery Through Surgical and Endovascular Intervention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

İsa Coşkun

2012-12-01

Full Text Available A 50-year-old man, presented with sudden onset of right leg coldness, numbness and pain for 1.5 months. It was found that the right superficial femoral artery was thrombosed, which ended at the mid-thigh level and a continued as the popliteal artery in magnetic resonance angiography. Persistence of the sciatic artery is extremely rare vascular anomaly. It is prone to undergo early atherosclerotic changes, occlusive embolism, and aneurysm formation. In this article we report a patient with acute artery occlusion developed in popliteal and crural arteries in a patient with persistent sciatic artery which was successfully treated through surgical and endovascular intervention.

Magnetic resonance angiography and CT angiography of persistent primitive olfactory artery: Incidence and association rate with aneurysm in Korea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwon, Bo Ra; Yeo, Soo Hyun; Chang, Hyuk Won; Kim, Mi Jeong; Lee, Sung Moon; Kim, Ealmaan; Kim, Mi Kyung; Cho, Ho Chan; Kim, Hye Soon [Keimyung University College of Medicine, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

2012-06-15

Japanese data indicates an incidence of persistent primitive olfactory artery (PPOA) of 0.14%. We studied the incidence of PPOA and associated cerebral vascular variation or anomalies in Korea. We retrospectively reviewed cranial magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) images of a total of 9841 patients of our institution. The diagnostic criterion of PPOA is extreme anterioinferior course of the proximal anterior cerebral artery, with a hairpin turn of the lateral projection. We found 29 cases (0.29%) with PPOA. The PPOA location was on the left in 19 cases, bilateral in 3 cases, and on the right in 7 cases. An aneurysm was found at the hairpin turn in 2 patients. There were aneurysms in other sites in 3 cases. There were hypoplasia of anterior cerebral artery in 3 cases, and fenestration of intracranial artery in 1 case. In Korean populations, the incidence of PPOA found in MRA and CTA was twice as high as that shown in the previous Japanese data. Within Korea, left side laterality is more common than right side or bilalterality. Aneurysmal dilatations at the hairpin turning point and aneurysms at other sites were found, and other vascular variations were observed in several cases.

Circular swimming in mice after exposure to a high magnetic field.

Science.gov (United States)

Houpt, Thomas A; Houpt, Charles E

2010-06-16

There is increasing evidence that exposure to high magnetic fields of 4T and above perturbs the vestibular system of rodents and humans. Performance in a swim test is a sensitive test of vestibular function. In order to determine the effect of magnet field exposure on swimming in mice, mice were exposed for 30 min within a 14.1T superconducting magnet and then tested at different times after exposure in a 2-min swim test. As previously observed in open field tests, mice swam in tight counter-clockwise circles when tested immediately after magnet exposure. The counter-clockwise orientation persisted throughout the 2-min swim test. The tendency to circle was transient, because no significant circling was observed when mice were tested at 3 min or later after magnet exposure. However, mice did show a decrease in total distance swum when tested between 3 and 40 min after magnet exposure. The decrease in swimming distance was accompanied by a pronounced postural change involving a counter-clockwise twist of the pelvis and hindlimbs that was particularly severe in the first 15s of the swim test. Finally, no persistent difference from sham-exposed mice was seen in the swimming of magnet-exposed mice when tested 60 min, 24h, or 96 h after magnet exposure. This suggests that there is no long-lasting effect of magnet exposure on the ability of mice to orient or swim. The transient deficits in swimming and posture seen shortly after magnet exposure are consistent with an acute perturbation of the vestibular system by the high magnetic field. (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quasi permanent superconducting magnet of very high field

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Y.; Liu, J.; Weinstein, R.; Chen, I. G.; Parks, D.; Xu, J.; Obot, V.; Foster, C.

1993-01-01

We report on persistent field in a quasi-permanent magnet made of high temperature superconductor. The material has an average of 40 percent molar excess of Y, relative to Y1Ba2Cu3O7 and has been irradiated with high energy light ions at 200 MeV. The magnet, which traps 1.52 T at 77.3 K, traps nearly 4 T at 64.5 K. No evidence of giant flux jump or sample cracking was observed.

Remanent magnetization stratigraphy of lunar cores

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, S. K.; Gingrich, D.; Marvin, J. A.

1977-01-01

Depth dependent fluctuations have been observed in the natural remanent magnetizations (NRM) of drive cores and drill strings from Apollo 16 and 17 missions. Partial demagnetization of unstable secondary magnetizations and identification of characteristic error signals from a core which is known to have been recently disturbed allow us to identify and isolate the stable NRM stratigraphy in double drive core 60010/60009 and drill strings 60002-60004. The observed magnetization fluctuations persist after normalization to take into account depth dependent variations in the carriers of stable NRM. We tentatively ascribe the stable NRM stratigraphy to instantaneous records of past magnetic fields at the lunar surface and suggest that the stable NRM stratigraphy technique could develop as a new relative time-stratigraphic tool, to be used with other physical measurements such as relative intensity of ferromagnetic resonance and charged particle track density to study the evolution of the lunar regolith.

Incidental findings of persistent primitive trigeminal artery on 3-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography at 3.0 T: an analysis of 25 cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yuan-Chang; Li, Ming-Hua; Chen, Shi-Wen; Hu, Ding-Jun; Qiao, Rui-Hua

2011-04-01

Currently, the presence of persistent primitive trigeminal artery (PPTA) is detected by digital subtraction angiography (DSA); most publications on this cerebrovascular variation have been individual case reports. This study is to evaluate the efficacy of 3-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (3D-TOF MRA) at 3.0 T for the detection and classification of PPTA based on a large case series. Between June 2007 and October 2008, 4,650 patients underwent magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) examination at 3.0 T in our hospital. MRA was performed using 3D-TOF with volume rendering (VR) and maximum intensity projection (MIP) technique. The PPTA was classified according to the Saltzman classification system. The occurrence of cerebral vascular diseases accompanying PPTA was studied. Among the 4,650 patients with MRA examined, 25 were identified as having PPTA; the prevalence of PPTA was .54%. The Saltzman classification of PPTAs was as follows: type I, 24%; type II, 16%; type III, 60%. Sixteen percent of the cases with PPTA were accompanied with intracranial aneurysm. A 3D-TOF MRA at 3.0 T can be used for the detection of PPTA and making a classification of PPTA indirectly. The incidence of PPTA with type III was greater than that of other types of PPTA. Intracranial aneurysm appeared to be associated with PPTA. Copyright © 2010 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

Magnetic Properties of Electron-Doped LaCoO3

Science.gov (United States)

Tomiyasu, Keisuke; Sato, Mika; Koyama, Shun-Ichi; Nojima, Tsutomu; Kajimoto, Ryoichi; Ji, Sungdae; Iwasa, Kazuaki

2017-09-01

We studied electron-doped LaCo1 - yTey6 + O3 by magnetization measurements and neutron scattering. The effective Bohr magneton, estimated by Curie-Weiss fitting around room temperature, is independent of y. This suggests that magnetic Co3+(HS), not nonmagnetic Co3+(LS), is mainly replaced by doped magnetic Co2+(HS). At the lowest temperatures, a Brillouin-function-like saturating behavior persists in the magnetization curves even in the high-y samples, and neither a clear magnetic reflection nor magnetic dispersion is observed by neutron scattering. These findings indicate that the magnetic correlation is very weak, in contrast to the well-known hole-doped LaCoO3 accompanied by a drastic transition to a ferromagnetic metal. However, we also found that the low-y samples exhibit nonnegligible enhancement of the saturated magnetization by ˜2μB per a doped electron. All these characteristics are discussed in the light of the activation and inactivation of a spin-state blockade.

MRI of persistent cloaca: Can it substitute conventional imaging?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohammad, Shaimaa Abdelsattar, E-mail: shaimaa96@hotmail.com [Department of Radiodiagnosis, Faculty of Medicine, Ain-Shams University (Egypt); AbouZeid, Amr Abdelhamid, E-mail: amrabdelhamid@hotmail.com [Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ain-Shams University (Egypt)

2013-02-15

Purpose: To define the role of MRI in the preoperative assessment of patients with persistent cloaca and whether it can substitute other imaging modalities. Methods: We prospectively examined eleven patients with persistent cloaca between July 2007 and March 2012. Non contrast MRI examinations were performed on 1.5 T magnet using head coil. Multiple pulse sequences (T1WI, T2WI, fat suppression) were obtained in axial, sagittal and coronal planes of the pelvis, abdomen, and spine. The scans were reviewed for the following: the level and type of rectal termination, the developmental state of striated muscle complex (SMC), associated genitourinary and spinal anomalies. MRI findings were compared to conventional fluoroscopic imaging, operative and endoscopic findings. We applied novel MRI parameters (urethral length, relative hiatal distance and vaginal volume). The relation between different parameters was tested statistically using Pearson correlation test. Results: MRI could accurately demonstrate the level of bowel termination in patients with persistent cloaca, in addition to its high sensitivity for detection of mullerian anomalies which were present in 73% of patients. Furthermore, MRI could disclose associating renal and spinal anomalies, and assess the developmental state of SMC. The shorter the urethra (higher urogenital confluence), the narrower the pelvic hiatus, and the more was the obstruction (vaginal distension). Conclusion: MRI is a valuable tool in exploring the different internal anatomical features of the cloacal anomaly; and when combined with endoscopy, MRI can make other preoperative conventional imaging unnecessary.

Magnetic structures of erbium under high pressure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kawano, S.; Lebech, B.; Achiwa, N.

1993-01-01

Neutron diffraction studies of the magnetic structures of erbium metal at 4.5 K and 11.5 kbar hydrostatic pressure have revealed that the transition to a conical structure at low temperatures is suppressed and that the cycloidal structure, with modulation vector Q congruent-to (2/7 2pi/c)c persists...

Numeric invariants from multidimensional persistence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skryzalin, Jacek [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Carlsson, Gunnar [Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States)

2017-05-19

In this paper, we analyze the space of multidimensional persistence modules from the perspectives of algebraic geometry. We first build a moduli space of a certain subclass of easily analyzed multidimensional persistence modules, which we construct specifically to capture much of the information which can be gained by using multidimensional persistence over one-dimensional persistence. We argue that the global sections of this space provide interesting numeric invariants when evaluated against our subclass of multidimensional persistence modules. Lastly, we extend these global sections to the space of all multidimensional persistence modules and discuss how the resulting numeric invariants might be used to study data.

Persistent Aerial Tracking

KAUST Repository

Mueller, Matthias

2016-01-01

persistent, robust and autonomous object tracking system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) called Persistent Aerial Tracking (PAT). A computer vision and control strategy is applied to a diverse set of moving objects (e.g. humans, animals, cars, boats, etc

Persistent angina

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jespersen, L.; Abildstrom, S. Z.; Hvelplund, Anders

2013-01-01

To evaluate persistent angina in stable angina pectoris with no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) compared to obstructive CAD and its relation to long-term anxiety, depression, quality of life (QOL), and physical functioning. We invited 357 patients (men = 191; women = 166; response rate 83......-obstructive CAD or normal coronary arteries than in patients with obstructive CAD. Persistent angina symptoms were associated with long-term anxiety, depression, impaired physical functioning, and QOL irrespective of the degree of CAD. Contrary to common perception, excluding obstructive CAD in stable angina does...... %) with no prior cardiovascular disease who had a first-time coronary angiography (CAG) in 2008-2009 due to suspected stable angina to participate in a questionnaire survey in 2011 with the Seattle Angina Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale as key elements. Long-term persistent angina (i...

Variable Persister Gene Interactions with (pppGpp for Persister Formation in Escherichia coli

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuang Liu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Persisters comprise a group of phenotypically heterogeneous metabolically quiescent bacteria with multidrug tolerance and contribute to the recalcitrance of chronic infections. Although recent work has shown that toxin-antitoxin (TA system HipAB depends on stringent response effector (pppGppin persister formation, whether other persister pathways are also dependent on stringent response has not been explored. Here we examined the relationship of (pppGpp with 15 common persister genes (dnaK, clpB, rpoS, pspF, tnaA, sucB, ssrA, smpB, recA, umuD, uvrA, hipA, mqsR, relE, dinJ using Escherichia coli as a model. By comparing the persister levels of wild type with their single gene knockout and double knockout mutants with relA, we divided their interactions into five types, namely A “dependent” (dnaK, recA, B “positive reinforcement” (rpoS, pspF, ssrA, recA, C “antagonistic” (clpB, sucB, umuD, uvrA, hipA, mqsR, relE, dinJ, D “epistasis” (clpB, rpoS, tnaA, ssrA, smpB, hipA, and E “irrelevant” (dnaK, clpB, rpoS, tnaA, sucB, smpB, umuD, uvrA, hipA, mqsR, relE, dinJ. We found that the persister gene interactions are intimately dependent on bacterial culture age, cell concentrations (diluted versus undiluted culture, and drug classifications, where the same gene may belong to different groups with varying antibiotics, culture age or cell concentrations. Together, this study represents the first attempt to systematically characterize the intricate relationships among the different mechanisms of persistence and as such provide new insights into the complexity of the persistence phenomenon at the level of persister gene network interactions.

On field line resonances of hydromagnetic Alfven waves in dipole magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Liu; Cowley, S.C.

1989-07-01

Using the dipole magnetic field model, we have developed the theory of field line resonances of hydromagnetic Alfven waves in general magnetic field geometries. In this model, the Alfven speed thus varies both perpendicular and parallel to the magnetic field. Specifically, it is found that field line resonances do persist in the dipole model. The corresponding singular solutions near the resonant field lines as well as the natural definition of standing shear Alfven eigenfunctions have also been systematically derived. 11 refs

Permanent magnets composed of high temperature superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Weinstein, Roy; Chen, In-Gann; Liu, Jay; Lau, Kwong

1991-01-01

A study of persistent, trapped magnetic field has been pursued with high-temperature superconducting (HTS) materials. The main effort is to study the feasibility of utilization of HTS to fabricate magnets for various devices. The trapped field, when not in saturation, is proportional to the applied field. Thus, it should be possible to replicate complicated field configurations with melt-textured YBa2Cu3O7 (MT-Y123) material, bypassing the need for HTS wires. Presently, materials have been developed from which magnets of 1.5 T, at 77 K, can be fabricated. Much higher field is available at lower operating temperature. Stability of a few percent per year is readily attainable. Results of studies on prototype motors and minimagnets are reported.

Coaxial magnetic brakes using single-domain YBCO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Putman, P.T.; Salama, K.

2008-01-01

In coaxial magnetic brakes, the changing field produced by movement of a solenoidal magnet induces a current in the wall of a conductive tube. The interaction of the field and current leads to a repulsive force that slows the motion of the magnet. For brake applications that require high force density, melt-textured YBCO is a clear choice of material for the magnet because it can carry high currents at a given field and temperature, and is inherently capable of operating in persistent current mode. We present calculations of the performance of this type of brake as a function of magnet current density for catch tubes composed of aluminum and titanium. These results are validated with low speed (20 m/s) tests. Calculations indicate that melt-textured magnets can decelerate projectiles with a mass of 1 kg from 2000 m/s to rest in distances on the order of 10 m. This suggests that this type of brake is suitable for use in hypervelocity experiments, which sometimes requires nondestructive deceleration of projectiles for diagnostic purposes

Two dimensional topological insulator in quantizing magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Olshanetsky, E. B.; Kvon, Z. D.; Gusev, G. M.; Mikhailov, N. N.; Dvoretsky, S. A.

2018-05-01

The effect of quantizing magnetic field on the electron transport is investigated in a two dimensional topological insulator (2D TI) based on a 8 nm (013) HgTe quantum well (QW). The local resistance behavior is indicative of a metal-insulator transition at B ≈ 6 T. On the whole the experimental data agrees with the theory according to which the helical edge states transport in a 2D TI persists from zero up to a critical magnetic field Bc after which a gap opens up in the 2D TI spectrum.

Impaired reward processing in the human prefrontal cortex distinguishes between persistent and remittent attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Wetterling, Friedrich; McCarthy, Hazel; Tozzi, Leonardo; Skokauskas, Norbert; O'Doherty, John P; Mulligan, Aisling; Meaney, James; Fagan, Andrew J; Gill, Michael; Frodl, Thomas

2015-11-01

Symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children often persist into adulthood and can lead to severe antisocial behavior. However, to-date it remains unclear whether neuro-functional abnormalities cause ADHD, which in turn can then provide a marker of persistent ADHD. Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we measured blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal changes in subjects during a reversal learning task in which choice of the correct stimulus led to a probabilistically determined 'monetary' reward or punishment. Participants were diagnosed with ADHD during their childhood (N=32) and were paired with age, gender, and education matched healthy controls (N=32). Reassessment of the ADHD group as adults resulted in a split between either persistent (persisters, N=17) or remitted ADHDs (remitters, N=15). All three groups showed significantly decreased activation in the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the left striatum during punished correct responses, however only remitters and controls presented significant psycho-physiological interaction between these fronto-striatal reward and outcome valence networks. Comparing persisters to remitters and controls showed significantly inverted responses to punishment (Pdifferent areas of the PFC for remitters compared with controls, suggesting that remitters might have learned compensation strategies to overcome their ADHD symptoms. Thus, fMRI helps understanding the neuro-functional basis of ADHD related behavior differences and differentiates between persistent and remittent ADHD. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Physics and application of persistent spin helix state in semiconductor heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Kohda, Makoto; Salis, Gian

2017-07-01

In order to utilize the spin degree of freedom in semiconductors, control of spin states and transfer of the spin information are fundamental requirements for future spintronic devices and quantum computing. Spin orbit (SO) interaction generates an effective magnetic field for moving electrons and enables spin generation, spin manipulation and spin detection without using external magnetic field and magnetic materials. However, spin relaxation also takes place due to a momentum dependent SO-induced effective magnetic field. As a result, SO interaction is considered to be a double-edged sword facilitating spin control but preventing spin transport over long distances. The persistent spin helix (PSH) state solves this problem since uniaxial alignment of the SO field with SU(2) symmetry enables the suppression of spin relaxation while spin precession can still be controlled. Consequently, understanding the PSH becomes an important step towards future spintronic technologies for classical and quantum applications. Here, we review recent progress of PSH in semiconductor heterostructures and its device application. Fundamental physics of SO interaction and the conditions of a PSH state in semiconductor heterostructures are discussed. We introduce experimental techniques to observe a PSH and explain both optical and electrical measurements for detecting a long spin relaxation time and the formation of a helical spin texture. After emphasizing the bulk Dresselhaus SO coefficient γ, the application of PSH states for spin transistors and logic circuits are discussed.

Magnetic Polarons in Anisotropic Quantum Dots

Science.gov (United States)

Oszwaldowski, Rafal; Petukhov, Andre; Zutic, Igor

2010-03-01

Tunability of confinement in magnetically-doped quantum dots (QDs) allows to tailor magnetism to an extent not available in bulk semiconductors. Versatile control of magnetic ordering, along with piezomagnetism, has been predicted even at a fixed number of carriers [1]. Recent experiments on colloidal QDs revealed strongly bound magnetic polarons (MPs) [2]. Previous studies of MPs in bulk semiconductors showed that the mean-field theory predicts a spurious magnetic phase transition, which is removed by taking into account spin fluctuations [3]. Here we present our theoretical results for MPs forming in QDs with pronounced magnetic anisotropy, which influences the spin fluctuations. We apply our findings to explain some peculiarities of the magnetic behavior of type-II ZnSe/(Zn,Mn)Te QDs, where magnetic polarons are found to persist to at least 200K [4]. Supported by ONR, AFOSR, and NSF-ECCS CAREER. [4pt] [1] R. M. Abolfath, A. G. Petukhov, and I. Zutic, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 207202 (2008); I. Zutic and A. G. Petukhov, Nature Mater.4, 623 (2009). [0pt] [2] R. Beaulac et al., Science 325, 973 (2009). [0pt] [3] T. Dietl and J. Spalek, Phys. Rev. Lett. 48, 355 (1982). [0pt] [4] I. R. Sellers, R. Oszwaldowski, et al., preprint; I. R. Sellers et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 136405 (2008).

Altered morphology of the nucleus accumbens in persistent developmental stuttering.

Science.gov (United States)

Neef, Nicole E; Bütfering, Christoph; Auer, Tibor; Metzger, F Luise; Euler, Harald A; Frahm, Jens; Paulus, Walter; Sommer, Martin

2018-03-01

Neuroimaging studies in persistent developmental stuttering repeatedly report altered basal ganglia functions. Together with thalamus and cerebellum, these structures mediate sensorimotor functions and thus represent a plausible link between stuttering and neuroanatomy. However, stuttering is a complex, multifactorial disorder. Besides sensorimotor functions, emotional and social-motivational factors constitute major aspects of the disorder. Here, we investigated cortical and subcortical gray matter regions to study whether persistent developmental stuttering is also linked to alterations of limbic structures. The study included 33 right-handed participants who stutter and 34 right-handed control participants matched for sex, age, and education. Structural images were acquired using magnetic resonance imaging to estimate volumetric characteristics of the nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, amygdala, pallidum, putamen, caudate nucleus, and thalamus. Volumetric comparisons and vertex-based shape comparisons revealed structural differences. The right nucleus accumbens was larger in participants who stutter compared to controls. Recent theories of basal ganglia functions suggest that the nucleus accumbens is a motivation-to-movement interface. A speaker intends to reach communicative goals, but stuttering can derail these efforts. It is therefore highly plausible to find alterations in the motivation-to-movement interface in stuttering. While behavioral studies of stuttering sought to find links between the limbic and sensorimotor system, we provide the first neuroimaging evidence of alterations in the limbic system. Thus, our findings might initialize a unified neurobiological framework of persistent developmental stuttering that integrates sensorimotor and social-motivational neuroanatomical circuitries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of temporal synchrony as a binding cue for visual persistence in early visual areas: an fMRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Yvonne J; Aldcroft, Adrian J; Large, Mary-Ellen; Culham, Jody C; Vilis, Tutis

2009-12-01

We examined the role of temporal synchrony-the simultaneous appearance of visual features-in the perceptual and neural processes underlying object persistence. When a binding cue (such as color or motion) momentarily exposes an object from a background of similar elements, viewers remain aware of the object for several seconds before it perceptually fades into the background, a phenomenon known as object persistence. We showed that persistence from temporal stimulus synchrony, like that arising from motion and color, is associated with activation in the lateral occipital (LO) area, as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging. We also compared the distribution of occipital cortex activity related to persistence to that of iconic visual memory. Although activation related to iconic memory was largely confined to LO, activation related to object persistence was present across V1 to LO, peaking in V3 and V4, regardless of the binding cue (temporal synchrony, motion, or color). Although persistence from motion cues was not associated with higher activation in the MT+ motion complex, persistence from color cues was associated with increased activation in V4. Taken together, these results demonstrate that although persistence is a form of visual memory, it relies on neural mechanisms different from those of iconic memory. That is, persistence not only activates LO in a cue-independent manner, it also recruits visual areas that may be necessary to maintain binding between object elements.

Sextupole correction magnets for the Large Hadron Collider

CERN Document Server

Meinke, R B; Senti, M; Op de Beeck, W J; De Ryck, C; MacKay, W W

1999-01-01

About 2500 superconducting sextupole corrector magnets (MCS) are needed for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN to compensate persistent current sextupole fields of the main dipoles. The MCS is a cold bore magnet with iron yoke. The coils are made from a NbTi conductor, which is cooled to 1.9 K. In the original CERN design 6 individual sub-coils, made from a monolithic composite conductor, are assembled and spliced together to form the sextupole. The coils are individually wound around precision-machined central islands and stabilized with matching saddle pieces at both ends. The Advanced Magnet Lab, Inc. (AML) has produced an alternative design, which gives improved performance and reliability at reduced manufacturing cost. In the AML design, the magnet consists of three splice-free sub-coils, which are placed with an automated winding process into pockets of prefabricated G-11 support cylinders. Any assembly process of sub-coils with potential misalignment is eliminated. The AML magnet uses a Kapton-wra...

Permanent magnet with MgB{sub 2} bulk superconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamamoto, Akiyasu, E-mail: yamamoto@appchem.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp [The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); JST-PRESTO, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012 (Japan); Ishihara, Atsushi; Tomita, Masaru [Railway Technical Research Institute, 2-8-38 Hikari, Kokubunji, Tokyo 185-8540 (Japan); Kishio, Kohji [The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan)

2014-07-21

Superconductors with persistent zero-resistance currents serve as permanent magnets for high-field applications requiring a strong and stable magnetic field, such as magnetic resonance imaging. The recent global helium shortage has quickened research into high-temperature superconductors (HTSs)—materials that can be used without conventional liquid-helium cooling to 4.2 K. Herein, we demonstrate that 40-K-class metallic HTS magnesium diboride (MgB{sub 2}) makes an excellent permanent bulk magnet, maintaining 3 T at 20 K for 1 week with an extremely high stability (<0.1 ppm/h). The magnetic field trapped in this magnet is uniformly distributed, as for single-crystalline neodymium-iron-boron. Magnetic hysteresis loop of the MgB{sub 2} permanent bulk magnet was determined. Because MgB{sub 2} is a simple-binary-line compound that does not contain rare-earth metals, polycrystalline bulk material can be industrially fabricated at low cost and with high yield to serve as strong magnets that are compatible with conventional compact cryocoolers, making MgB{sub 2} bulks promising for the next generation of Tesla-class permanent-magnet applications.

Inflation persistence and flexible prices

OpenAIRE

Robert Dittmar; William T. Gavin; Finn E. Kydland

2004-01-01

If the central bank follows an interest rate rule, then inflation is likely to be persistence, even when prices are fully flexible. Any shock, whether persistent or not, may lead to inflation persistence. In equilibrium, the dynamics of inflation are determined by the evolution of the spread between the real interest rate and the central bank’s target. Inflation persistence in U.S. data can be characterized by a vector autocorrelation function relating inflation and deviations of output from ...

Physical trust-based persistent authentication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fujita, Masahiro; Jensen, Christian D.; Arimura, Shiori

2015-01-01

propose a new type of persistent authentication, called Persistent Authentication Based On physical Trust (PABOT). PABOT uses a context of “physical trust relationship” that is built by visual contact between users, and thus can offer a persistent authentication mechanism with better usability and higher...

New-found fundamentals of bacterial persistence.

Science.gov (United States)

Kint, Cyrielle I; Verstraeten, Natalie; Fauvart, Maarten; Michiels, Jan

2012-12-01

Persister cells display tolerance to high doses of bactericidal antibiotics and typically comprise a small fraction of a bacterial population. Recently, evidence was provided for a causal link between therapy failure and the presence of persister cells in chronic infections, underscoring the need for research on bacterial persistence. A series of recent breakthroughs have shed light on the multiplicity of persister genes, the contribution of gene expression noise to persister formation, the importance of active responses to antibiotic tolerance and heterogeneity among persister cells. Moreover, the development of in vivo model systems has highlighted the clinical relevance of persistence. This review discusses these recent advances and how this knowledge fundamentally changes the way in which we will perceive the problem of antibiotic tolerance in years to come. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Persistent homology of complex networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horak, Danijela; Maletić, Slobodan; Rajković, Milan

2009-01-01

Long-lived topological features are distinguished from short-lived ones (considered as topological noise) in simplicial complexes constructed from complex networks. A new topological invariant, persistent homology, is determined and presented as a parameterized version of a Betti number. Complex networks with distinct degree distributions exhibit distinct persistent topological features. Persistent topological attributes, shown to be related to the robust quality of networks, also reflect the deficiency in certain connectivity properties of networks. Random networks, networks with exponential connectivity distribution and scale-free networks were considered for homological persistency analysis

Soft x-ray resonant diffraction study of magnetic structure in magnetoelectric Y-type hexaferrite

Science.gov (United States)

Ueda, H.; Tanaka, Y.; Wakabayashi, Y.; Kimura, T.

2018-05-01

The effect of magnetic field on the magnetic structure associated with magnetoelectric properties in a Y-type hexaferrite, Ba1.3Sr0.7CoZnFe11AlO22, was investigated by utilizing the soft x-ray resonant diffraction technique. In this hexaferrite, the so-called alternating longitudinal conical phase is stabilized at room temperature and zero magnetic field. Below room temperature, however, this phase is transformed into the so-called transverse conical phase by applying an in-plane magnetic field (≈ 0.3 T). The transverse conical phase persists even after removing the magnetic field. The magnetoelectricity, which is magnetically-induced electric polarization, observed in the hexaferrite is discussed in terms of the temperature-dependent magnetic structure at zero field.

The Astromag superconducting magnet facility configured for a free-flying satellite

Science.gov (United States)

Green, M. A.; Smoot, G. F.

1992-01-01

The magnet parameters of a free-flying version of Astromag and the parameters of the space cryogenic system for the magnet are presented. Consideration is given to the free-flyer version of the Astromag magnet. The diameter of the magnet, its cryostat, the satellite and the two instruments is limited by the 4.27-m shroud diameter of the Atlas IIa. The magnet coil must use a stable reliable superconductor which can carry the full magnet current at 4.2 K at a peak induction in the coil of 7.5 T. The magnet must operate in the persistent mode. The changes in the overall design and operating requirements for the free-flying-design Astromag suggest that the coils, the cryogenic system, and the charging system can be simplified without a loss of required magnet function. Attention is given to switches, trim coils, and plumbing in the low field region between the coils; the magnet charging system and the quench protection system; and cooled helium supply to the magnet gas-cooled electrical leads.

Persistent myalgia following whiplash.

Science.gov (United States)

Dommerholt, Jan

2005-10-01

Persistent myalgia following whiplash is commonly considered the result of poor psychosocial status, illness behavior, or failing coping skills. However, there is much evidence that persistent myalgia may be due to neurophysiologic mechanisms involving peripheral and central sensitization. Myofascial trigger points may play a crucial role in maintaining sensitization. Recent research suggests that the chemical environment of myofascial trigger points is an important factor. Several consequences are reviewed when central pain mechanisms and myofascial trigger points are included in the differential diagnosis and in the management of patients with persistent pain following whiplash.

Persistent luminescence nanothermometers

Science.gov (United States)

Martín Rodríguez, Emma; López-Peña, Gabriel; Montes, Eduardo; Lifante, Ginés; García Solé, José; Jaque, Daniel; Diaz-Torres, Luis Armando; Salas, Pedro

2017-08-01

Persistent phosphorescence nanoparticles emitting in the red and near-infrared spectral regions are strongly demanded as contrast nanoprobes for autofluorescence free bioimaging and biosensing. In this work, we have developed Sr4Al14O25:Eu2+, Cr3+, Nd3+ nanopowders that produce persistent red phosphorescence peaking at 694 nm generated by Cr3+ ions. This emission displays temperature sensitivity in the physiological temperature range (20-60 °C), which makes these nanoparticles potentially useful as fluorescence (contactless) nanothermometers operating without requiring optical excitation. Nd3+ ions, which act as shallow electron traps for the red Cr3+ persistent emission, also display infrared emission bands, extending the fluorescence imaging capability to the second biological window. This unique combination of properties makes these nanoparticles multifunctional luminescent probes with great potential applications in nanomedicine.

Localizing studies in patients with persistent or recurrent hyperparathyroidism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, K.E.; Gooding, G.A.; Okerlund, M.

1987-01-01

Preoperative localizing studies are essential for patients with persistent or recurrent hyperparathyroidism requiring reoperation, because of loss of normal tissue planes and because the hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue that remains is more likely to be situated in an ectopic position. The value of noninvasive and invasive localizing techniques was evaluated in 59 consecutive patients undergoing reoperation for persistent (40 patients) or recurrent (19 patients) hyperparathyroidism. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 17 patients; 11 results (65%) were positive, 3 (18%) were negative, and 3 (18%) were false-positive. Ultrasonography was performed in 52 patients; 29 (56%) were positive, 16 (31%) were negative, and 7 (13%) were false-positive. Computed tomography was performed on 41 patients; 19 (46%) were positive, 16 (39%) were negative, and 6 (15%) were false-positive. Thallium chloride 201-technetium 99m pertechnetate scans were used in 39 patients; 19 (49%) were positive, 11 (28%) were negative, and 9 (13%) were false-positive. One or more of these noninvasive tests was positive in 78% of the cases. Highly selective venous catheterization with measurement of immunoreactive parathyroid hormone concentration localized the abnormal parathyroid gland in 20 of 28 patients (71%) overall and in 8 of the 14 patients (57%) whose tumors were not identified by the noninvasive techniques. Since false-positive results were common, a combination of localizing studies was helpful in identifying the abnormal gland. Fifty-three of the 59 patients (90%) were successfully treated at the initial reoperation and three were successfully treated at a second reoperation. Advances in parathyroid localization have contributed to the improved surgical results in patients with persistent or recurrent hyperparathyroidism

Distributed design approach in persistent identifiers systems

Science.gov (United States)

Golodoniuc, Pavel; Car, Nicholas; Klump, Jens

2017-04-01

The need to identify both digital and physical objects is ubiquitous in our society. Past and present persistent identifier (PID) systems, of which there is a great variety in terms of technical and social implementations, have evolved with the advent of the Internet, which has allowed for globally unique and globally resolvable identifiers. PID systems have catered for identifier uniqueness, integrity, persistence, and trustworthiness, regardless of the identifier's application domain, the scope of which has expanded significantly in the past two decades. Since many PID systems have been largely conceived and developed by small communities, or even a single organisation, they have faced challenges in gaining widespread adoption and, most importantly, the ability to survive change of technology. This has left a legacy of identifiers that still exist and are being used but which have lost their resolution service. We believe that one of the causes of once successful PID systems fading is their reliance on a centralised technical infrastructure or a governing authority. Golodoniuc et al. (2016) proposed an approach to the development of PID systems that combines the use of (a) the Handle system, as a distributed system for the registration and first-degree resolution of persistent identifiers, and (b) the PID Service (Golodoniuc et al., 2015), to enable fine-grained resolution to different information object representations. The proposed approach solved the problem of guaranteed first-degree resolution of identifiers, but left fine-grained resolution and information delivery under the control of a single authoritative source, posing risk to the long-term availability of information resources. Herein, we develop these approaches further and explore the potential of large-scale decentralisation at all levels: (i) persistent identifiers and information resources registration; (ii) identifier resolution; and (iii) data delivery. To achieve large-scale decentralisation

Magnetic susceptibility in the edged topological disordered nanoscopic cylinder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faizabadi, Edris; Omidi, Mahboubeh

2011-01-01

The effects of edged topological disorder on magnetic susceptibility are investigated in a nanoscopic cylinder threaded by a magnetic flux. Persistent current versus even or odd number of electrons shows different signs in ordered and disordered cylinders and also in short or long ones. In addition, temperature-averaged susceptibility has only diamagnetic signs in strong regimes and it is associated with paramagnetic signs in ordered and weak disordered ones. Besides, in an edged topological disordered cylinder, the temperature-averaged susceptibility decreases by raising the temperature somewhat and then increasing initiates and finally at high temperature tends to zero as the ordered one. - Research highlights: → Magnetic susceptibility in one-dimensional topological disordered quantum ring. → Edged topological disorder effect on magnetic susceptibility in nanoscopic cylinder. → Edged topological disorder effect on temperature-averaged susceptibility in cylinder.

Disc pathology after whiplash injury. A prospective magnetic resonance imaging and clinical investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pettersson, K.; Hildingsson, C.; Toolanen, G.; Fagerlund, M.; Bjornebrink, J.

1997-01-01

Although disc pathology seems to be one contributing factor in the development of chronic symptoms after whiplash injury, it may be unnecessary to examine these patients in the acute phase with magnetic resonance imaging ; correlating initial symptoms and signs to magnetic resonance imaging findings is difficult because of the relatively high proportion of false-positive results. Magnetic resonance imaging is indicated later in the course of treatment in patients with persistent arm pain, neurologic deficits, or clinical signs of nerve root compression to diagnose disc herniations requiring surgery. (authors)

Is bacterial persistence a social trait?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andy Gardner

Full Text Available The ability of bacteria to evolve resistance to antibiotics has been much reported in recent years. It is less well-known that within populations of bacteria there are cells which are resistant due to a non-inherited phenotypic switch to a slow-growing state. Although such 'persister' cells are receiving increasing attention, the evolutionary forces involved have been relatively ignored. Persistence has a direct benefit to cells because it allows survival during catastrophes-a form of bet-hedging. However, persistence can also provide an indirect benefit to other individuals, because the reduced growth rate can reduce competition for limiting resources. This raises the possibility that persistence is a social trait, which can be influenced by kin selection. We develop a theoretical model to investigate the social consequences of persistence. We predict that selection for persistence is increased when: (a cells are related (e.g. a single, clonal lineage; and (b resources are scarce. Our model allows us to predict how the level of persistence should vary with time, across populations, in response to intervention strategies and the level of competition. More generally, our results clarify the links between persistence and other bet-hedging or social behaviours.

Performance of a superconducting large-angle magnetic suspension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Downer, J.R.; Bushko, D.A.; Gondhalekar, V.; Torti, R.P.

1992-01-01

SatCon Technology Corporation is working toward the development of an advanced-concept Control Moment Gyro (CMG). The advanced-concept CMG is sized for use as a slewing actuator for large space-based payloads. The design features a magnetically suspended composite rotor which contains a persistent-mode superconducting solenoid magnet. The rotor is suspended and gimballed by the interaction of the fields produced by the superconductor and an array of cryoresistive coils. The rotor spins in a liquid helium environment, while the control coils are liquid-hydrogen cooled. This design is capable of meeting the requirements of many high-performance slewing applications (27,000 Nm). The use of the magnetic suspension as rotor bearings, gimbal bearings, and gimbal torquers also substantially reduces the mass of the CMG system

submitter Status of the EuCARD 5.4-T REBCO Dipole Magnet

CERN Document Server

Borgnolutti, F; Debray, F; Rifflet, J -M; De Rijk, G; Tixador, P; Tudela, J -M

2016-01-01

A 5.4-T REBCO insert dipole magnet is being built at CEA Saclay to study the viability of hybrid accelerator magnets made of high- and low-temperature superconductors to generate magnetic fields in the range of 20 T, which is a field level of interest for future circular colliders. In this paper, we present the electromechanical design of the insert. It is a mechanically more robust version of the baseline design, which was produced in the framework of the former EuCARD program. The fabrication of a prototype made with dummy coils is discussed, and the impact of persistent currents on the central magnetic field is estimated using a 2-D electromagnetic model

Superconducting magnet and cryostat for a space application

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, W. L.; Smoot, G. F.; Smith, L. H.; Taylor, C. E.

1975-01-01

The paper describes the design concepts, development, and testing of a superconducting coil and cryostat for an orbiting superconducting magnetic spectrometer. Several coils were subject to overall thermal performance and coil charging tests. The coils have low but persistent currents and have proven themselves to be rugged and reliable for mobile balloon flights. Satellite experiments will be conducted on a new, similar design.

A comparative study of magnetic field induced meta-magnetic transition in nanocrystalline and bulk Pr0.65(Ca0.7Sr0.3)0.35MnO3 compound

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Suvayan; Das, Kalipada; Bandyopadhyay, Sudipta; Das, I.

2017-06-01

In our present study we highlight the observations of external magnetic field induced sharp meta-magnetic transition in polycrystalline bulk as well as nanocrystalline form of Pr0.65(Ca0.7Sr0.7)0.35MnO3 compound. Interestingly, such behavior persists in the nanoparticles regardless of the disorder broadened transition. However, higher magnetic field is required for nanoparticles having average particle size ∼40 nm for such meta-magnetic transition, which differs from the general trends of the pure charge ordered nano materials. The interfacial strain between the different magnetic domains plays the important role in magnetic isothermal properties of nanoparticles, when the samples are cooled down in different cooling field. Additionally, both the bulk and nanoparticle compounds exhibit spontaneous phase separation and significantly large magnetoresistance at the low temperature region due to the melting of charge ordered fraction.

Dualities in persistent (co)homology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Silva, Vin; Morozov, Dmitriy; Vejdemo-Johansson, Mikael

2011-01-01

We consider sequences of absolute and relative homology and cohomology groups that arise naturally for a filtered cell complex. We establish algebraic relationships between their persistence modules, and show that they contain equivalent information. We explain how one can use the existing algorithm for persistent homology to process any of the four modules, and relate it to a recently introduced persistent cohomology algorithm. We present experimental evidence for the practical efficiency of the latter algorithm

The role of metabolism in bacterial persistence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie M. Amato

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Bacterial persisters are phenotypic variants with extraordinary tolerances toward antibiotics. Persister survival has been attributed to inhibition of essential cell functions during antibiotic stress, followed by reversal of the process and resumption of growth upon removal of the antibiotic. Metabolism plays a critical role in this process, since it participates in the entry, maintenance, and exit from the persister phenotype. Here, we review the experimental evidence that demonstrates the importance of metabolism to persistence, highlight the successes and potential for targeting metabolism in the search for anti-persister therapies, and discuss the current methods and challenges to understand persister physiology.

Introduction: Persistent Modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ayres, Phil

2012-01-01

This introduction to 'Persistent Modelling – an extended role for architectural representation' identifies how the book probes the relationship between representation and the represented, in an architectural context. It discusses how the book presents an examination and discussion of historical......, familiar contemporary and, perhaps, not so familiar emerging manifestations of this relation. What persists from this probing, fully intact, is that representation and the represented remain inextricably related in our contemporary and emerging practices. What comes into focus is that the nature...

An update on passive correctors for the SSC dipole magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, M.A.

1991-05-01

The concept of correction of the magnetization sextupole became a topic of discussion as soon as it was realized that superconductor magnetization could have a serious effect on the SSC beam during injection. Several methods of correction were proposed. These included (1) correction with active bore tube windings like those on the HERA machine which correct out magnetization sextupole and the sextupole due to iron saturation, (2) correction with persistent sextupole windings mounted on the bore tube (3) correction using passive superconductor (4) correction using ferromagnetic material, and (5) correction using oriented magnetized materials. This report deals with the use of passive superconductor to correct the magnetization sextupole. Two basic methods are explored in this report: (1) One can correct the magnetization sextupole by changing the diameter of the superconductor filaments in one or more blocks of the SSC dipole. (2) One can correct the magnetization sextupole and decapole by mounting passive superconducting wires on the inside of the SSC dipole coil bore. In addition, an assessment of the contribution of each conductor in the dipole to the magnetization sextupole and decapole is shown. 38 refs, 25 figs., 15 tabs

Atrial and ventricular volume and function in persistent and permanent atrial fibrillation, a magnetic resonance imaging study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Therkelsen, Susette Krohn; Groenning, Bjoern Aaris; Svendsen, Jesper Hastrup

2005-01-01

the inter-study reproducibility of the measurements. Nineteen healthy volunteers, 19 patients with permanent AF, and 58 patients with persistent AF had cardiac dimensions evaluated by 6-mm cinematographic breath-hold MRI scans using a 1.5 Tesla Siemens Vision Magnetom scanner with a phased array chest coil...

Testing the Young Neutron Star Scenario with Persistent Radio Emission Associated with FRB 121102

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashiyama, Kazumi; Murase, Kohta

2017-01-01

Recently a repeating fast radio burst (FRB) 121102 has been confirmed to be an extragalactic event and a persistent radio counterpart has been identified. While other possibilities are not ruled out, the emission properties are broadly consistent with Murase et al. that theoretically proposed quasi-steady radio emission as a counterpart of both FRBs and pulsar-driven supernovae. Here, we constrain the model parameters of such a young neutron star scenario for FRB 121102. If the associated supernova has a conventional ejecta mass of M ej ≳ a few M ⊙ , a neutron star with an age of t age ∼ 10–100 years, an initial spin period of P i ≲ a few ms, and a dipole magnetic field of B dip ≲ a few × 10 13 G can be compatible with the observations. However, in this case, the magnetically powered scenario may be favored as an FRB energy source because of the efficiency problem in the rotation-powered scenario. On the other hand, if the associated supernova is an ultra-stripped one or the neutron star is born by the accretion-induced collapse with M ej ∼ 0.1 M ⊙ , a younger neutron star with t age ∼ 1–10 years can be the persistent radio source and might produce FRBs with the spin-down power. These possibilities can be distinguished by the decline rate of the quasi-steady radio counterpart.

Testing the Young Neutron Star Scenario with Persistent Radio Emission Associated with FRB 121102

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kashiyama, Kazumi [Department of Physics, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Murase, Kohta [Department of Physics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

2017-04-10

Recently a repeating fast radio burst (FRB) 121102 has been confirmed to be an extragalactic event and a persistent radio counterpart has been identified. While other possibilities are not ruled out, the emission properties are broadly consistent with Murase et al. that theoretically proposed quasi-steady radio emission as a counterpart of both FRBs and pulsar-driven supernovae. Here, we constrain the model parameters of such a young neutron star scenario for FRB 121102. If the associated supernova has a conventional ejecta mass of M {sub ej} ≳ a few M {sub ⊙}, a neutron star with an age of t {sub age} ∼ 10–100 years, an initial spin period of P{sub i} ≲ a few ms, and a dipole magnetic field of B {sub dip} ≲ a few × 10{sup 13} G can be compatible with the observations. However, in this case, the magnetically powered scenario may be favored as an FRB energy source because of the efficiency problem in the rotation-powered scenario. On the other hand, if the associated supernova is an ultra-stripped one or the neutron star is born by the accretion-induced collapse with M {sub ej} ∼ 0.1 M {sub ⊙}, a younger neutron star with t {sub age} ∼ 1–10 years can be the persistent radio source and might produce FRBs with the spin-down power. These possibilities can be distinguished by the decline rate of the quasi-steady radio counterpart.

Theoretical study of magnetic layers of nickel on copper; dead or alive?

Science.gov (United States)

Ernst, A.; Lueders, M.; Temmerman, W. M.; Szotek, Z.; van der Laan, G.

2000-07-01

We studied the persistence of magnetism in ultrathin nickel films on copper. Layer-dependent magnetic moments in Ni films on the (001), (110) and (111) surfaces of Cu have been calculated using the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker Green's function method. The results show that, at temperature T = 0, a single nickel monolayer is ferromagnetic on Cu(001) and Cu(110) but magnetically `dead' on the more closely packed Cu(111) surface. Films of two and more layers of Ni are always ferromagnetic, with the magnetic moment enhanced in the surface layer but strongly reduced in the interface layer. Due to the short screening length, both the effect of the interface and that of the surface are confined to only a few atomic layers.

The effect of k-cubic Dresselhaus spin—orbit coupling on the decay time of persistent spin helix states in semiconductor two-dimensional electron gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chai Zheng; Hu Mao-Jin; Wang Rui-Qiang; Hu Liang-Bin

2014-01-01

We study the theoretical effect of k-cubic (i.e. cubic-in-momentum) Dresselhaus spin—orbit coupling on the decay time of persistent spin helix states in semiconductor two-dimensional electron gases. We show that the decay time of persistent spin helix states may be suppressed substantially by k-cubic Dresselhaus spin—orbit coupling, and after taking the effect of k-cubic Dresselhaus spin—orbit interaction into account, the theoretical results obtained accord both qualitatively and quantitatively with other recent experimental results. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Influence of Magnetic Field Decay on Electron Capture in Magnetars ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. The de-excited energy of electron capture (EC) induced by magnetic field decay may be a new source for heating magnetar crust, so we do a quantitative calculation on EC process near the outer crust and analyse their influence on persistent X-ray radiation of magnetars, adopt- ing the experimental data or the ...

Persistent post-traumatic headache vs. migraine: an MRI study demonstrating differences in brain structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwedt, Todd J; Chong, Catherine D; Peplinski, Jacob; Ross, Katherine; Berisha, Visar

2017-08-22

The majority of individuals with post-traumatic headache have symptoms that are indistinguishable from migraine. The overlap in symptoms amongst these individuals raises the question as to whether post-traumatic headache has a unique pathophysiology or if head trauma triggers migraine. The objective of this study was to compare brain structure in individuals with persistent post-traumatic headache (i.e. headache lasting at least 3 months following a traumatic brain injury) attributed to mild traumatic brain injury to that of individuals with migraine. Twenty-eight individuals with persistent post-traumatic headache attributed to mild traumatic brain injury and 28 individuals with migraine underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging on a 3 T scanner. Regional volumes, cortical thickness, surface area and curvature measurements were calculated from T1-weighted sequences and compared between subject groups using ANCOVA. MRI data from 28 healthy control subjects were used to interpret the differences in brain structure between migraine and persistent post-traumatic headache. Differences in regional volumes, cortical thickness, surface area and brain curvature were identified when comparing the group of individuals with persistent post-traumatic headache to the group with migraine. Structure was different between groups for regions within the right lateral orbitofrontal lobe, left caudal middle frontal lobe, left superior frontal lobe, left precuneus and right supramarginal gyrus (p right lateral orbitofrontal lobe, right supramarginal gyrus, and left superior frontal lobe and no differences when comparing the migraine cohort to healthy controls. In conclusion, persistent post-traumatic headache and migraine are associated with differences in brain structure, perhaps suggesting differences in their underlying pathophysiology. Additional studies are needed to further delineate similarities and differences in brain structure and function that are associated with post

Characteristics of Men Who Report Persistent Sexual Symptoms After Finasteride Use for Hair Loss

Science.gov (United States)

Basaria, Shehzad; Jasuja, Ravi; Huang, Grace; Wharton, Whitney; Pan, Hong; Pencina, Karol; Li, Zhuoying; Travison, Thomas G.; Bhawan, Jag; Gonthier, Renaud; Labrie, Fernand; Dury, Alain Y.; Serra, Carlo; Papazian, Allen; O'Leary, Michael; Amr, Sami; Storer, Thomas W.; Stern, Emily

2016-01-01

Context: Some men who use finasteride for hair loss report persistent sexual and other symptoms after discontinuing finasteride therapy. Objective: To determine whether these persistent symptoms after discontinuation of finasteride use are due to androgen deficiency, decreased peripheral androgen action, or persistent inhibition of steroid 5α-reductase (SRD5A) enzymes. Participants: Finasteride users, who reported persistent sexual symptoms after discontinuing finasteride (group 1); age-matched finasteride users who did not report sexual symptoms (group 2); and healthy men who had never used finasteride (group 3). Outcomes: Sexual function, mood, affect, cognition, hormone levels, body composition, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) response to sexually and affectively valenced stimuli, nucleotide sequences of androgen receptor (AR), SRD5A1, and SRD5A2; expression levels of androgen-dependent genes in skin. Setting: Academic medical center. Results: Symptomatic finasteride users were similar in body composition, strength, and nucleotide sequences of AR, SRD5A1, and SRD5A2 genes to asymptomatic finasteride users and nonusers. Symptomatic finasteride users had impaired sexual function, higher depression scores, a more negative affectivity balance, and more cognitive complaints than men in groups 2 and 3 but had normal objectively assessed cognitive function. Testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol-glucuronide, testosterone to dihydrotestosterone and androsterone glucuronide to etiocholanolone glucuronide ratios, and markers of peripheral androgen action and expression levels of AR-dependent genes in skin did not differ among groups. fMRI blood oxygen level-dependent responses to erotic and nonerotic stimuli revealed abnormal function in brain circuitry linked to sexual arousal and major depression. Conclusions: We found no evidence of androgen deficiency, decreased peripheral androgen action, or persistent peripheral inhibition of

Persistent and recurrent hyperparathyroidism.

Science.gov (United States)

Guerin, Carole; Paladino, Nunzia Cinzia; Lowery, Aoife; Castinetti, Fréderic; Taieb, David; Sebag, Fréderic

2017-06-01

Despite remarkable progress in imaging modalities and surgical management, persistence or recurrence of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) still occurs in 2.5-5% of cases of PHPT. The aim of this review is to expose the management of persistent and recurrent hyperparathyroidism. A literature search was performed on MEDLINE using the search terms "recurrent" or "persistent" and "hyperparathyroidism" within the past 10 years. We also searched the reference lists of articles identified by this search strategy and selected those we judged relevant. Before considering reoperation, the surgeon must confirm the diagnosis of PHPT. Then, the patient must be evaluated with new imaging modalities. A single adenoma is found in 68% of cases, multiglandular disease in 28%, and parathyroid carcinoma in 3%. Others causes (<1%) include parathyromatosis and graft recurrence. The surgeon must balance the benefits against the risks of a reoperation (permanent hypocalcemia and recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy). If surgery is necessary, a focused approach can be considered in cases of significant imaging foci, but in the case of multiglandular disease, a bilateral neck exploration could be necessary. Patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes are at high risk of recurrence and should be managed regarding their hereditary pathology. The cure rate of persistent-PHPT or recurrent-PHPT in expert centers is estimated from 93 to 97%. After confirming the diagnosis of PHPT, patients with persistent-PHPT and recurrent-PHPT should be managed in an expert center with all dedicated competencies.

Persistence of interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics: An analysis of persisting and non-persisting students

Science.gov (United States)

White, Jeffry L.

While there has been an increase in enrollment, interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been declining on college campuses since 1967. Higher enrollment does not transfer to an increase in the number of minorities in the STEM fields. The majority-minority enrollment ratio is nearly 2:1 but the gap widens to 4:1 when it comes to graduation. In fact, underrepresented minorities (URM) earned only 12% of the STEM degrees awarded in 1998. When the higher attrition and lower graduation rates of URM are scrutinized, upwards of 60% changed majors or dropped out of STEM. Further investigation reveals the most frequently cited reasons for departure were loss of initial interest, developed a greater interest in another field, or were turned off by the STEM disciplines. A primarily exploratory study was conducted into the conditions necessary for academic interest in the STEM fields to persist. A model based on student engagement (Astin, 1977) and interest operations (Prenzel, 1988a) theories was used with a random sample of URM at universities participating in the Ohio Science and Engineering Alliance. Survey research was employed to investigate interest development and the effect of student retention programs and activities on such interest. The latter part of the study could not be fully examined when 95% reported not utilizing retention services. For the section on interest, an online survey using a 5-point Likert scale was validated using principal components analysis. A binominal logistic regression was used to predict membership in one of two possible groups: persisters and students at-risk for not persisting. The major conclusions are: (1) While 3 variables (feelings, learning and difficulty) were statistically significant only one, feelings was substantively significant. (2) Persistence increased 80.9% for each 1-unit increase in feelings and 9.9% for learning. (3) Persistence decreased 19.8% for each one-unit increase in difficulty

Persistence Characteristics of Australian Rainfall Anomalies

Science.gov (United States)

Simmonds, Ian; Hope, Pandora

1997-05-01

Using 79 years (1913-1991) of Australian monthly precipitation data we examined the nature of the persistence of rainfall anomalies. Analyses were performed for four climate regions covering the country, as well as for the entire Australian continent. We show that rainfall over these regions has high temporal variability and that annual rainfall amounts over all five sectors vary in phase and are, with the exception of the north-west region, significantly correlated with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). These relationships were particularly strong during the spring season.It is demonstrated that Australian rainfall exhibits statistically significant persistence on monthly, seasonal, and (to a limited extent) annual time-scales, up to lags of 3 months and one season and 1 year. The persistence showed strong seasonal dependence, with each of the five regions showing memory out to 4 or 5 months from winter and spring. Many aspects of climate in the Australasian region are known to have undergone considerable changes about 1950. We show this to be true for persistence also; its characteristics identified for the entire record were present during the 1951--1980 period, but virtually disappeared in the previous 30-year period.Much of the seasonal distribution of rainfall persistence on monthly time-scales, particularly in the east, is due to the influence of the SOI. However, most of the persistence identified in winter and spring in the north-west is independent of the ENSO phenomenon.Rainfall anomalies following extreme dry and wet months, seasons and years (lowest and highest two deciles) persisted more than would be expected by chance. For monthly extreme events this was more marked in the winter semester for the wet events, except in the south-east region. In general, less persistence was found for the extreme seasons. Although the persistence of dry years was less than would have been expected by chance, the wet years appear to display persistence.

On the vertigo due to static magnetic fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Mian, Omar S; Li, Yan; Antunes, Andre; Glover, Paul M; Day, Brian L

2013-01-01

Vertigo is sometimes experienced in and around MRI scanners. Mechanisms involving stimulation of the vestibular system by movement in magnetic fields or magnetic field spatial gradients have been proposed. However, it was recently shown that vestibular-dependent ocular nystagmus is evoked when stationary in homogenous static magnetic fields. The proposed mechanism involves Lorentz forces acting on endolymph to deflect semicircular canal (SCC) cupulae. To investigate whether vertigo arises from a similar mechanism we recorded qualitative and quantitative aspects of vertigo and 2D eye movements from supine healthy adults (n = 25) deprived of vision while pushed into the 7T static field of an MRI scanner. Exposures were variable and included up to 135s stationary at 7T. Nystagmus was mainly horizontal, persisted during long-exposures with partial decline, and reversed upon withdrawal. The dominant vertiginous perception with the head facing up was rotation in the horizontal plane (85% incidence) with a consistent direction across participants. With the head turned 90 degrees in yaw the perception did not transform into equivalent vertical plane rotation, indicating a context-dependency of the perception. During long exposures, illusory rotation lasted on average 50 s, including 42 s whilst stationary at 7T. Upon withdrawal, perception re-emerged and reversed, lasting on average 30 s. Onset fields for nystagmus and perception were significantly correlated (p<.05). Although perception did not persist as long as nystagmus, this is a known feature of continuous SSC stimulation. These observations, and others in the paper, are compatible with magnetic-field evoked-vertigo and nystagmus sharing a common mechanism. With this interpretation, response decay and reversal upon withdrawal from the field, are due to adaptation to continuous vestibular input. Although the study does not entirely exclude the possibility of mechanisms involving transient vestibular stimulation

Coronal ``Wave'': Magnetic Footprint of a Coronal Mass Ejection?

Science.gov (United States)

Attrill, Gemma D. R.; Harra, Louise K.; van Driel-Gesztelyi, Lidia; Démoulin, Pascal

2007-02-01

We investigate the properties of two ``classical'' EUV Imaging Telescope (EIT) coronal waves. The two source regions of the associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) possess opposite helicities, and the coronal waves display rotations in opposite senses. We observe deep core dimmings near the flare site and also widespread diffuse dimming, accompanying the expansion of the EIT wave. We also report a new property of these EIT waves, namely, that they display dual brightenings: persistent ones at the outermost edge of the core dimming regions and simultaneously diffuse brightenings constituting the leading edge of the coronal wave, surrounding the expanding diffuse dimmings. We show that such behavior is consistent with a diffuse EIT wave being the magnetic footprint of a CME. We propose a new mechanism where driven magnetic reconnections between the skirt of the expanding CME magnetic field and quiet-Sun magnetic loops generate the observed bright diffuse front. The dual brightenings and the widespread diffuse dimming are identified as innate characteristics of this process.

Spatially Resolved Large Magnetization in Ultrathin BiFeO3

KAUST Repository

Guo, Er-Jia

2017-06-19

Here, a quantitative magnetic depth profile across the planar interfaces in BiFeO3 /La0.7 Sr0.3 MnO3 (BFO/LSMO) superlattices using polarized neutron reflectometry is obtained. An enhanced magnetization of 1.83 ± 0.16 μB /Fe in BFO layers is observed when they are interleaved between two manganite layers. The enhanced magnetic order in BFO persists up to 200 K. The depth dependence of magnetic moments in BFO/LSMO superlattices as a function of the BFO layer thickness is also explored. The results show the enhanced net magnetic moment in BFO from the LSMO/BFO interface extends 3-4 unit cells into BFO. The interior part of a thicker BFO layer has a much smaller magnetization, suggesting it still keeps the small canted AFM state. The results exclude charge transfer, intermixing, epitaxial strain, and octahedral rotations/tilts as dominating mechanisms for the large net magnetization in BFO. An explanation-one suggested by others previously and consistent with the observations-attributes the temperature dependence of the net magnetization of BFO to strong orbital hybridization between Fe and Mn across the interfaces. Such orbital reconstruction would establish an upper temperature limit for magnetic ordering of BFO.

Contributions to Persistence Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Du Dong

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Persistence theory discussed in this paper is an application of algebraic topology (Morse Theory [29] to Data Analysis, precisely to qualitative understanding of point cloud data, or PCD for short. PCD can be geometrized as a filtration of simplicial complexes (Vietoris-Rips complex [25] [36] and the homology changes of these complexes provide qualitative information about the data. Bar codes describe the changes in homology with coefficients in a fixed field. When the coefficient field is ℤ2, the calculation of bar codes is done by ELZ algorithm (named after H. Edelsbrunner, D. Letscher, and A. Zomorodian [20]. When the coefficient field is ℝ, we propose an algorithm based on the Hodge decomposition [17]. With Dan Burghelea and Tamal K. Dey we developed a persistence theory which involves level sets discussed in Section 4. We introduce and discuss new computable invariants, the “relevant level persistence numbers” and the “positive and negative bar codes”, and explain how they are related to the bar codes for level persistence. We provide enhancements and modifications of ELZ algorithm to calculate such invariants and illustrate them by examples.

Theory of electromagnetic fluctuations for magnetized multi-species plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Navarro, Roberto E., E-mail: roberto.navarro@ug.uchile.cl; Muñoz, Víctor [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago (Chile); Araneda, Jaime [Departamento de Física, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4070386 (Chile); Moya, Pablo S. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Heliophysics Science Division, Geospace Physics Laboratory, Mail Code 673, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 (United States); Department of Physics, Catholic University of America, Washington, D. C. 20064 (United States); Viñas, Adolfo F. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Heliophysics Science Division, Geospace Physics Laboratory, Mail Code 673, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 (United States); Valdivia, Juan A. [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago (Chile); Centro de Estudios Interdisciplinarios Básicos y Aplicados en Complejidad, CEIBA complejidad, Bogotá (Colombia)

2014-09-15

Analysis of electromagnetic fluctuations in plasma provides relevant information about the plasma state and its macroscopic properties. In particular, the solar wind persistently sustains a small but detectable level of magnetic fluctuation power even near thermal equilibrium. These fluctuations may be related to spontaneous electromagnetic fluctuations arising from the discreteness of charged particles. Here, we derive general expressions for the plasma fluctuations in a multi-species plasma following arbitrary distribution functions. This formalism, which generalizes and includes previous works on the subject, is then applied to the generation of electromagnetic fluctuations propagating along a background magnetic field in a plasma of two proton populations described by drifting bi-Maxwellians.

Gate-controlled switching between persistent and inverse persistent spin helix states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshizumi, K.; Sasaki, A.; Kohda, M.; Nitta, J.

2016-01-01

We demonstrate gate-controlled switching between persistent spin helix (PSH) state and inverse PSH state, which are detected by quantum interference effect on magneto-conductance. These special symmetric spin states showing weak localization effect give rise to a long spin coherence when the strength of Rashba spin-orbit interaction (SOI) is close to that of Dresselhaus SOI. Furthermore, in the middle of two persistent spin helix states, where the Rashba SOI can be negligible, the bulk Dresselhaus SOI parameter in a modulation doped InGaAs/InAlAs quantum well is determined.

Gate-controlled switching between persistent and inverse persistent spin helix states

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoshizumi, K.; Sasaki, A.; Kohda, M.; Nitta, J. [Department of Materials Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579 (Japan)

2016-03-28

We demonstrate gate-controlled switching between persistent spin helix (PSH) state and inverse PSH state, which are detected by quantum interference effect on magneto-conductance. These special symmetric spin states showing weak localization effect give rise to a long spin coherence when the strength of Rashba spin-orbit interaction (SOI) is close to that of Dresselhaus SOI. Furthermore, in the middle of two persistent spin helix states, where the Rashba SOI can be negligible, the bulk Dresselhaus SOI parameter in a modulation doped InGaAs/InAlAs quantum well is determined.

Towards a beyond 1 GHz solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance: External lock operation in an external current mode for a 500 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Masato; Maeda, Hideaki; Ebisawa, Yusuke; Tennmei, Konosuke; Yanagisawa, Yoshinori; Nakagome, Hideki; Hosono, Masami; Takasugi, Kenji; Hase, Takashi; Miyazaki, Takayoshi; Fujito, Teruaki; Kiyoshi, Tsukasa; Yamazaki, Toshio

2012-01-01

Achieving a higher magnetic field is important for solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). But a conventional low temperature superconducting (LTS) magnet cannot exceed 1 GHz (23.5 T) due to the critical magnetic field. Thus, we started a project to replace the Nb 3 Sn innermost coil of an existing 920 MHz NMR (21.6 T) with a Bi-2223 high temperature superconducting (HTS) innermost coil. Unfortunately, the HTS magnet cannot be operated in persistent current mode; an external dc power supply is required to operate the NMR magnet, causing magnetic field fluctuations. These fluctuations can be stabilized by a field-frequency lock system based on an external NMR detection coil. We demonstrate here such a field-frequency lock system in a 500 MHz LTS NMR magnet operated in an external current mode. The system uses a 7 Li sample in a microcoil as external NMR detection system. The required field compensation is calculated from the frequency of the FID as measured with a frequency counter. The system detects the FID signal, determining the FID frequency, and calculates the required compensation coil current to stabilize the sample magnetic field. The magnetic field was stabilized at 0.05 ppm/3 h for magnetic field fluctuations of around 10 ppm. This method is especially effective for a magnet with large magnetic field fluctuations. The magnetic field of the compensation coil is relatively inhomogeneous in these cases and the inhomogeneity of the compensation coil can be taken into account.

A Compressed Sensing Framework for Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting

OpenAIRE

Davies, Mike; Puy, Gilles; Vandergheynst, Pierre; Wiaux, Yves

2013-01-01

Inspired by the recently proposed Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (MRF) technique, we develop a principled compressed sensing framework for quantitative MRI. The three key components are: a random pulse excitation sequence following the MRF technique; a random EPI subsampling strategy and an iterative projection algorithm that imposes consistency with the Bloch equations. We show that theoretically, as long as the excitation sequence possesses an appropriate form of persistent excitation, w...

Demographics of antibiotic persistence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kollerova, Silvia; Jouvet, Lionel; Steiner, Ulrich

Persister cells, cells that can survive antibiotic exposure but lack heritable antibiotic resistance, are assumed to play a crucial role for the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Persistence is a stage associated with reduced metabolic activity. Most previous studies have been done on batch...... even play a more prominent role for the evolution of resistance and failures of medical treatment by antibiotics as currently assumed....

Magnetization of two coupled rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avishai, Y; Luck, J M

2009-01-01

We investigate the persistent currents and magnetization of a mesoscopic system consisting of two clean metallic rings sharing a single contact point in a magnetic field. Many novel features with respect to the single-ring geometry are underlined, including the explicit dependence of wavefunctions on the Aharonov-Bohm fluxes, the complex pattern of two-fold and three-fold degeneracies, the key role of length and flux commensurability, and in the case of commensurate ring lengths the occurrence of idle levels which do not carry any current. Spin-orbit interactions, induced by the electric fields of charged wires threading the rings, give rise to a peculiar version of the Aharonov-Casher effect where, unlike for a single ring, spin is not conserved. Remarkably enough, this can only be realized when the Aharonov-Bohm fluxes in both rings are neither integer nor half-integer multiples of the flux quantum

Using Benchmarking To Strengthen the Assessment of Persistence.

Science.gov (United States)

McLachlan, Michael S; Zou, Hongyan; Gouin, Todd

2017-01-03

Chemical persistence is a key property for assessing chemical risk and chemical hazard. Current methods for evaluating persistence are based on laboratory tests. The relationship between the laboratory based estimates and persistence in the environment is often unclear, in which case the current methods for evaluating persistence can be questioned. Chemical benchmarking opens new possibilities to measure persistence in the field. In this paper we explore how the benchmarking approach can be applied in both the laboratory and the field to deepen our understanding of chemical persistence in the environment and create a firmer scientific basis for laboratory to field extrapolation of persistence test results.

Mastering NServiceBus and persistence

CERN Document Server

Helton, Rich

2014-01-01

This book is intended for developers, designers, and architects alike who wish to build C# NServiceBus enterprise architectures and learn how ESB persists data and messages to help them attain their goals. No prior knowledge of persistence in NServiceBus is required.

Magnetic excitations in thulium metal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez-Baca, J.A.; Nicklow, R.M.; Rhyne, J.J.

1989-01-01

We have performed inelastic neutron scattering measurements on a single crystal specimen of Tm at wavevectors rvec κ = (1,1, ζ) and (0,0,2 + ζ) (ζ = 0, hor-ellipsis, 1). Most of the measurements have been made at T = 5K, where Tm exhibits a seven layer ferrimagnetic-antiphase-domain structure (four moments up, parallel to the c-axis, followed by three moments down). At this temperature the excitation spectra consist of three peaks. The two lower energy excitations have been identified as originating from magneto-vibrational scattering from the TA phonon, while the higher energy excitation is magnetic and exhibits only a weak dispersion (between 8.3 and 9.6 meV). At T = 50K, a temperature at which the system exhibits a c-axis sinusoidally modulated structure, the magnetic mode shows significant softening and broadening. The magneto-vibrational scattering vanishes above the Neel temperature (T N = 58.5K) while the magnetic mode persists at least up to T = 70K. These results suggest that the Hamiltonian in this system is dominated by the crystal-field-anistropy energy, and that the exchange interaction is relatively weak. 9 refs., 2 figs

The persistence of depression score

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spijker, J.; de Graaf, R.; Ormel, J.; Nolen, W. A.; Grobbee, D. E.; Burger, H.

2006-01-01

Objective: To construct a score that allows prediction of major depressive episode (MDE) persistence in individuals with MDE using determinants of persistence identified in previous research. Method: Data were derived from 250 subjects from the general population with new MDE according to DSM-III-R.

Persistent sciatica induced by quadratus femoris muscle tear and treated by surgical decompression: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tzanakakis George

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Quadratus femoris tear is an uncommon injury, which is only rarely reported in the literature. In the majority of cases the correct diagnosis is delayed due to non-specific symptoms and signs. A magnetic resonance imaging scan is crucial in the differential diagnosis since injuries to contiguous soft tissues may present with similar symptoms. Presentation with sciatica is not reported in the few cases existing in the English literature and the reported treatment has always been conservative. Case presentation We report here on a case of quadratus femoris tear in a 22-year-old Greek woman who presented with persistent sciatica. She was unresponsive to conservative measures and so was treated with surgical decompression. Conclusion The correct diagnosis of quadratus muscle tear is a challenge for physicians. The treatment is usually conservative, but in cases of persistent sciatica surgical decompression is an alternative option.

Drought Persistence Errors in Global Climate Models

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, H.; Gudmundsson, L.; Seneviratne, S. I.

2018-04-01

The persistence of drought events largely determines the severity of socioeconomic and ecological impacts, but the capability of current global climate models (GCMs) to simulate such events is subject to large uncertainties. In this study, the representation of drought persistence in GCMs is assessed by comparing state-of-the-art GCM model simulations to observation-based data sets. For doing so, we consider dry-to-dry transition probabilities at monthly and annual scales as estimates for drought persistence, where a dry status is defined as negative precipitation anomaly. Though there is a substantial spread in the drought persistence bias, most of the simulations show systematic underestimation of drought persistence at global scale. Subsequently, we analyzed to which degree (i) inaccurate observations, (ii) differences among models, (iii) internal climate variability, and (iv) uncertainty of the employed statistical methods contribute to the spread in drought persistence errors using an analysis of variance approach. The results show that at monthly scale, model uncertainty and observational uncertainty dominate, while the contribution from internal variability is small in most cases. At annual scale, the spread of the drought persistence error is dominated by the statistical estimation error of drought persistence, indicating that the partitioning of the error is impaired by the limited number of considered time steps. These findings reveal systematic errors in the representation of drought persistence in current GCMs and suggest directions for further model improvement.

Stochastic convergence of persistence landscapes and silhouettes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frédéric Chazal

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Persistent homology is a widely used tool in Topological Data Analysis that encodes multi-scale topological information as a multiset of points in the plane called a persistence diagram. It is difficult to apply statistical theory directly to a random sample of diagrams. Instead, we summarize persistent homology with a persistence landscape, introduced by Bubenik, which converts a diagram into a well-behaved real-valued function. We investigate the statistical properties of landscapes, such as weak convergence of the average landscapes and convergence of the bootstrap. In addition, we introduce an alternate functional summary of persistent homology, which we call the silhouette, and derive an analogous statistical theory.

Evolution of open magnetic structures on the sun: the Skylab period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levine, R.H.

1977-01-01

High-resolution harmonic analysis of the measured photospheric magnetic field of the Sun is used to construct models of open magnetic structures over a period of 11 solar rotations. The models successfully reproduce the surface location and topology of all coronal holes during the Skylab period. In addition, there is persistent evidence in the models that open field lines are associated with active regions in a systematic way. These associations are listed for the period studied; they suggest that open field lines are a basic feature of solar magnetism. Specific examples of the evolution of coronal holes and of calculated open structures are presented. Quantitative study of the measured field strength within and neighboring a hole confirms the fact that coronal hole regions are indistinguishable by local magnetic properties. However, the calculated field strengths at the footpoints of open field lines within coronal holes show distinct evolutionary patterns and may indicate that, at least in young coronal holes, a significant amount of magnetic flux is closed. Problems of studying magnetic field divergence by using these models are discussed

Missed diagnosis-persistent delirium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aseem Mehra

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Delirium is in general considered as an acute short lasting reversible neuropsychiatric syndrome. However, there is some evidence to suggest that in a small proportion of cases delirium may be a chronic or persistent condition. However, making this diagnosis requires clinical suspicion and ruling other differential diagnosis. In this report, we present a case of a 55-year-old man who had cognitive symptoms, psychotic symptoms and depressive symptoms along with persistent hypokalemia and glucose intolerance. He was seen by 3 psychiatrists with these symptoms and was initially diagnosed as having depressive disorder and later diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder (current episode mania, and psychosis were considered by the third psychiatrist. However, despite the presence of persistent neurocognitive deficits, evening worsening of symptoms, hypokalemia and glucose intolerance diagnosis of delirium was not suspected.

Bacterial persistence

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

PRAKASH KUMAR

Drug indifference versus persistence. Studies on the mode of ... is a special case of drug indifference, restricted to a small ... to his model (outlined in detail in Lewis 2008), treatment .... belong to the heat and cold shock response family; many.

Smaller hippocampal volume as a vulnerability factor for the persistence of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

van Rooij, S J H; Kennis, M; Sjouwerman, R; van den Heuvel, M P; Kahn, R S; Geuze, E

2015-10-01

Smaller hippocampal volume has often been observed in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, there is no consensus whether this is a result of stress/trauma exposure, or constitutes a vulnerability factor for the development of PTSD. Second, it is unclear whether hippocampal volume normalizes with successful treatment of PTSD, or whether a smaller hippocampus is a risk factor for the persistence of PTSD. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and clinical interviews were collected from 47 war veterans with PTSD, 25 healthy war veterans (combat controls) and 25 healthy non-military controls. All veterans were scanned a second time with a 6- to 8-month interval, during which PTSD patients received trauma-focused therapy. Based on post-treatment PTSD symptoms, patients were divided into a PTSD group who was in remission (n = 22) and a group in whom PTSD symptoms persisted (n = 22). MRI data were analysed with Freesurfer. Smaller left hippocampal volume was observed in PTSD patients compared with both control groups. Hippocampal volume of the combat controls did not differ from healthy controls. Second, pre- and post-treatment analyses of the PTSD patients and combat controls revealed reduced (left) hippocampal volume only in the persistent patients at both time points. Importantly, hippocampal volume did not change with treatment. Our findings suggest that a smaller (left) hippocampus is not the result of stress/trauma exposure. Furthermore, hippocampal volume does not increase with successful treatment. Instead, we demonstrate for the first time that a smaller (left) hippocampus constitutes a risk factor for the persistence of PTSD.

Persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous: imaging evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacob, Beatriz Mahmud; Teixeira, Kim-Ir-Sen Santos; Figueiredo, Sizenildo da Silva; Nobrega, Bruno Barcelos da

2003-01-01

Persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV) is a congenital developmental anomaly of the eye that primarily affects premature infants. PHPV results from failure of regression of the embryogenic primary vitreous and hyaloid vasculature, and proliferation of connective tissue. Three types of PHPV may be found: anterior, posterior and a combination of anterior and posterior. The clinical findings include leukocoria (white pupillary reflex) and microphthalmic eye. This anomaly is usually unilateral and unassociated with other systemic findings. The differential diagnosis between PHPV and other ocular diseases may be difficult due to similar features such as leukocoria, detached retina, retinal folds and cataract. Other diseases with similar features include retinoblastoma, isolated congenital cataract, retinopathy of prematurity and pseudo gliomas or leukocorias. Direct visualization of the remnants of the fetal hyaloid vascular system offers the best evidence of PHPV. However, diagnosis using the ophthalmoscope is sometimes impossible because of opaque tissues. In this circumstance an indirect visualization by ultrasound, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging may be useful. These imaging methods provide valuable information for the differentiation from other diseases, particularly retinoblastoma. The authors present a review of the literature and an iconographic study of the imaging findings in patients with PHPV. (author)

Ranking of persister genes in the same Escherichia coli genetic background demonstrates varying importance of individual persister genes in tolerance to different antibiotics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nan eWu

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Despite the identification of many genes and pathways involved in the persistence phenomenon of bacteria, the relative importance of these genes in a single organism remains unclear. Here, using Escherichia coli as a model, we generated mutants of 21 known candidate persister genes and compared the relative importance of these mutants in persistence to various antibiotics (ampicillin, gentamicin, norfloxacin, and trimethoprim at different times. We found that oxyR, dnaK, sucB, relA, rpoS, clpB, mqsR, and recA were prominent persister genes involved in persistence to multiple antibiotics. These genes map to the following pathways: antioxidative defense pathway (oxyR, global regulators (dnaK, clpB, and rpoS, energy production (sucB, stringent response (relA, toxin–antitoxin (TA module (mqsR, and SOS response (recA. Among the TA modules, the ranking order was mqsR, lon, relE, tisAB, hipA, and dinJ. Intriguingly, rpoS deletion caused a defect in persistence to gentamicin but increased persistence to ampicillin and norfloxacin. Mutants demonstrated dramatic differences in persistence to different antibiotics at different time points: some mutants (oxyR, dnaK, phoU, lon, recA, mqsR, and tisAB displayed defect in persistence from early time points, while other mutants (relE, smpB, glpD, umuD, and tnaA showed defect only at later time points. These results indicate that varying hierarchy and importance of persister genes exist and that persister genes can be divided into those involved in shallow persistence and those involved in deep persistence. Our findings suggest that the persistence phenomenon is a dynamic process with different persister genes playing roles of variable significance at different times. These findings have implications for improved understanding of persistence phenomenon and developing new drugs targeting persisters for more effective cure of persistent infections.

How to decode Unemployment Persistence: An econometric framework for identifying and comparing the sources of persistence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Niels Framroze

2016-01-01

Most econometric analyses of persistence focus on the existence of non-stationary unemployment but not the origin of this. The present research contains a multivariate econometric framework for identifying and comparing different sources of unemployment persistence (e.g. hysteresis versus a slowly...... moving equilibrium rate). A small example, considering historical data (1988-2006) for the UK, demonstrates how the method can be applied in practice. Although this primarily serves as an illustration, the evidence clearly suggests that persistence was due to a slowly moving equilibrium (driven...

Gyre-driven decay of the Earth's magnetic dipole

Science.gov (United States)

Finlay, Christopher C.; Aubert, Julien; Gillet, Nicolas

2016-01-01

Direct observations indicate that the magnitude of the Earth's magnetic axial dipole has decreased over the past 175 years; it is now 9% weaker than it was in 1840. Here we show how the rate of dipole decay may be controlled by a planetary-scale gyre in the liquid metal outer core. The gyre's meridional limbs on average transport normal polarity magnetic flux equatorward and reverse polarity flux poleward. Asymmetry in the geomagnetic field, due to the South Atlantic Anomaly, is essential to the proposed mechanism. We find that meridional flux advection accounts for the majority of the dipole decay since 1840, especially during times of rapid decline, with magnetic diffusion making an almost steady contribution generally of smaller magnitude. Based on the morphology of the present field, and the persistent nature of the gyre, the current episode of dipole decay looks set to continue, at least for the next few decades. PMID:26814368

Prevalence of degenerative and spondyloarthritis-related magnetic resonance imaging findings in the spine and sacroiliac joints in patients with persistent low back pain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnbak, Bodil; Jensen, Tue S.; Manniche, Claus [Hospital Lillebaelt, Research Department, Spine Centre of Southern Denmark, Middelfart (Denmark); University of Southern Denmark, Institute of Regional Health Research, Odense C (Denmark); Egund, Niels; Zejden, Anna [Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Aarhus C (Denmark); Hoerslev-Petersen, Kim [University of Southern Denmark, Institute of Regional Health Research, Odense C (Denmark); King Christian 10th Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Graasten, Graasten (Denmark); Jurik, Anne G. [Hospital Lillebaelt, Research Department, Spine Centre of Southern Denmark, Middelfart (Denmark); University of Southern Denmark, Institute of Regional Health Research, Odense C (Denmark); Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Aarhus C (Denmark)

2016-04-15

To estimate the prevalence of degenerative and spondyloarthritis (SpA)-related magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in the spine and sacroiliac joints (SIJs) and analyse their association with gender and age in persistent low back pain (LBP) patients. Degenerative and SpA-related MRI findings in the whole spine and SIJs were evaluated in Spine Centre patients aged 18-40 years with LBP. Among the 1,037 patients, the prevalence of disc degeneration, disc contour changes and vertebral endplate signal (Modic) changes were 87 % (±SEM 1.1), 82 % (±1.2) and 48 % (±1.6). All degenerative spinal findings were most frequent in men and patients aged 30-40 years. Spinal SpA-related MRI findings were rare. In the SIJs, 28 % (±1.4) had at least one MRI finding, with bone marrow oedema being the most common (21 % (±1.3)). SIJ erosions were most prevalent in patients aged 18-29 years and bone marrow oedema in patients aged 30-40 years. SIJ sclerosis and fatty marrow deposition were most common in women. SIJ bone marrow oedema, sclerosis and erosions were most frequent in women indicating pregnancy-related LBP. The high prevalence of SIJ MRI findings associated with age, gender, and pregnancy-related LBP need further investigation of their clinical importance in LBP patients. (orig.)

Prevalence of degenerative and spondyloarthritis-related magnetic resonance imaging findings in the spine and sacroiliac joints in patients with persistent low back pain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnbak, Bodil; Jensen, Tue S.; Manniche, Claus; Egund, Niels; Zejden, Anna; Hoerslev-Petersen, Kim; Jurik, Anne G.

2016-01-01

To estimate the prevalence of degenerative and spondyloarthritis (SpA)-related magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in the spine and sacroiliac joints (SIJs) and analyse their association with gender and age in persistent low back pain (LBP) patients. Degenerative and SpA-related MRI findings in the whole spine and SIJs were evaluated in Spine Centre patients aged 18-40 years with LBP. Among the 1,037 patients, the prevalence of disc degeneration, disc contour changes and vertebral endplate signal (Modic) changes were 87 % (±SEM 1.1), 82 % (±1.2) and 48 % (±1.6). All degenerative spinal findings were most frequent in men and patients aged 30-40 years. Spinal SpA-related MRI findings were rare. In the SIJs, 28 % (±1.4) had at least one MRI finding, with bone marrow oedema being the most common (21 % (±1.3)). SIJ erosions were most prevalent in patients aged 18-29 years and bone marrow oedema in patients aged 30-40 years. SIJ sclerosis and fatty marrow deposition were most common in women. SIJ bone marrow oedema, sclerosis and erosions were most frequent in women indicating pregnancy-related LBP. The high prevalence of SIJ MRI findings associated with age, gender, and pregnancy-related LBP need further investigation of their clinical importance in LBP patients. (orig.)

Molecular magnetic hysteresis at 60 kelvin in dysprosocenium

Science.gov (United States)

Goodwin, Conrad A. P.; Ortu, Fabrizio; Reta, Daniel; Chilton, Nicholas F.; Mills, David P.

2017-08-01

Lanthanides have been investigated extensively for potential applications in quantum information processing and high-density data storage at the molecular and atomic scale. Experimental achievements include reading and manipulating single nuclear spins, exploiting atomic clock transitions for robust qubits and, most recently, magnetic data storage in single atoms. Single-molecule magnets exhibit magnetic hysteresis of molecular origin—a magnetic memory effect and a prerequisite of data storage—and so far lanthanide examples have exhibited this phenomenon at the highest temperatures. However, in the nearly 25 years since the discovery of single-molecule magnets, hysteresis temperatures have increased from 4 kelvin to only about 14 kelvin using a consistent magnetic field sweep rate of about 20 oersted per second, although higher temperatures have been achieved by using very fast sweep rates (for example, 30 kelvin with 200 oersted per second). Here we report a hexa-tert-butyldysprosocenium complex—[Dy(Cpttt)2][B(C6F5)4], with Cpttt = {C5H2tBu3-1,2,4} and tBu = C(CH3)3—which exhibits magnetic hysteresis at temperatures of up to 60 kelvin at a sweep rate of 22 oersted per second. We observe a clear change in the relaxation dynamics at this temperature, which persists in magnetically diluted samples, suggesting that the origin of the hysteresis is the localized metal-ligand vibrational modes that are unique to dysprosocenium. Ab initio calculations of spin dynamics demonstrate that magnetic relaxation at high temperatures is due to local molecular vibrations. These results indicate that, with judicious molecular design, magnetic data storage in single molecules at temperatures above liquid nitrogen should be possible.

Persistence of Women in Online Degree-Completion Programs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Terry Müller

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Although online courses at postsecondary institutions promise adults access, flexibility, and convenience, many barriers to online learning remain. This article presents findings from a qualitative case study, which explored the phenomenon of undergraduate and graduate women learners’ persistence in online degree-completion programs at a college in the Northeast of the United States. Research questions asked why women learners persisted or failed to persist, and how factors supporting or hindering persistence influenced learners. Interviews with a purposeful sample of 20 participants revealed the complexity of variables affecting learners’ persistence to graduation. Findings suggested that multiple responsibilities, insufficient interaction with faculty, technology, and coursework ranked highest as barriers to women’s persistence. Strong motivation to complete degrees, engagement in the learning community, and appreciation for the convenience of an online degree-completion option facilitated persistence.

Muscular Strength Gains and Sensory Perception Changes: A Comparison of Electrical and Combined Electrical/Magnetic Stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

1992-04-10

1128. 70. Binder A, Parr G, Hazleman B, et al. Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy of persistent rotator cuff tendinitis . Lancet. 1984;1:695-698. 71...Lunt M, Barker AT. Pulsed magnetic fields - for rotator cuff tendinitis . Lancet. 1984;1:1295. 72. Warnke U. The possible role of pulsating magnetic...with rotator cuff tendonitis of greater than 3 months duration. At the end of the eight-week trial, significant improvements in pain level, range of

Interplanetary Parameters Leading to Relativistic Electron Enhancement and Persistent Depletion Events at Geosynchronous Orbit and Potential for Prediction

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto, Victor A.; Kim, Hee-Jeong; Lyons, Larry R.; Bortnik, Jacob

2018-02-01

We have identified 61 relativistic electron enhancement events and 21 relativistic electron persistent depletion events during 1996 to 2006 from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) 8 and 10 using data from the Energetic Particle Sensor (EPS) >2 MeV fluxes. We then performed a superposed epoch time analysis of the events to find the characteristic solar wind parameters that determine the occurrence of such events, using the OMNI database. We found that there are clear differences between the enhancement events and the persistent depletion events, and we used these to establish a set of threshold values in solar wind speed, proton density and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Bz that can potentially be useful to predict sudden increases in flux. Persistent depletion events are characterized by a low solar wind speed, a sudden increase in proton density that remains elevated for a few days, and a northward turning of IMF Bz shortly after the depletion starts. We have also found that all relativistic electron enhancement or persistent depletion events occur when some geomagnetic disturbance is present, either a coronal mass ejection or a corotational interaction region; however, the storm index, SYM-H, does not show a strong connection with relativistic electron enhancement events or persistent depletion events. We have tested a simple threshold method for predictability of relativistic electron enhancement events using data from GOES 11 for the years 2007-2010 and found that around 90% of large increases in electron fluxes can be identified with this method.

Laboratory diagnosis of persistent human chlamydial infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirja ePuolakkainen

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Diagnostic assays for persistent chlamydial infection are much needed to conduct high-quality, large-scale studies investigating the persistent state in vivo, its disease associations and the response to therapy. Yet in most studies the distinction between acute and persistent infection is based on the interpretation of the data obtained by the assays developed to diagnose acute infections or on complex assays available for research only and/or difficult to establish for clinical use. Novel biomarkers for detection of persistent chlamydial infection are urgently needed. Chlamydial whole genome proteome arrays are now available and they can identify chlamydial antigens that are differentially expressed between acute infection and persistent infection. Utilizing these data will lead to the development of novel diagnostic assays. Carefully selected specimens from well-studied patient populations are clearly needed in the process of translating the proteomic data into assays useful for clinical practice. Before such antigens are identified and validated assays become available, we face a challenge of deciding whether the persistent infection truly induced appearance of the proposed marker or do we just base our diagnosis of persistent infection on the presence of the suggested markers. Consequently, we must bear this in mind when interpreting the available data.

Spontaneous transfer of magnetically stored energy to Kinetic energy by electric double layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindberg, L.; Torven, S.

1983-05-01

Current disruptions are investigated in a magnetized plasma column with an inductive external electric circuit. It is found that they persist in spite of the fact that each disruption gives rise to a large inductive over-voltage. This drops off at an electric double layer formed in the plasma where most of the magnetic energy, initially stored in the circuit inductance, is released as particle energy. Simultanously as the current disrupts, the potential level at a local potential minimum in the plasma decreases. This is expected to cause the disruption by reflection of electrons. (authors)

A 4-Tesla superconducting whole-body magnet for MR imaging and spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vetter, J.; Ries, G.; Reichert, T.

1988-01-01

Since January 87 a 4 tesla MR magnet with a 1.25 m diameter warm bore is in operation at the Siemens Research Laboratories. The magnet weighing 10 tons is part of a whole-body MR device devoted to in-vivo research studies at magnetic fields significantly higher than 2 tesla; the highest field strength presently used in standard MR whole-body systems. The stored energy of the adiabatically stable six-coil system is 39 MJ at 4 tesla. The rated current is 376 A. Superconducting and resistive shim-coils together with iron shims reduce the bare magnet inhomogeneity of 100 ppm down to less than 5 ppm in a 50 cm diameter spherical volume. The magnet operates in persistent mode with the current leads retracted. The field drift is less than 3 x 10/sup -8//h. A small helium refrigerator is used to cool both the two radiation shields of the cryostat and the current leads and to reliquify the evaporating helium gas. Results of coil design, analysis of forces and stresses, quench protection, cryostat design and magnet operation are reported

Exploring Non-Traditional Adult Undergraduate Student Persistence and Non-Persistence in Higher Education: A Stress and Coping Model Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Maroney, Barbara R.

2010-01-01

This study explores persistence and non-persistence among adult undergraduate students with particular focus on these students' lives, their stressors, their coping resources including academic supports, and their styles of coping. The study approaches the issue of non-persistence not as a personal failure but rather as a consequence of multiple…

Persistent insomnia is associated with mortality risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Parthasarathy, Sairam; Vasquez, Monica M; Halonen, Marilyn; Bootzin, Richard; Quan, Stuart F; Martinez, Fernando D; Guerra, Stefano

2015-03-01

Insomnia has been associated with mortality risk, but whether this association is different in subjects with persistent vs intermittent insomnia is unclear. Additionally, the role of systemic inflammation in such an association is unknown. We used data from a community-based cohort to determine whether persistent or intermittent insomnia, defined based on persistence of symptoms over a 6-year period, was associated with death during the following 20 years of follow-up. We also determined whether changes in serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels measured over 2 decades between study initiation and insomnia determination were different for the persistent, intermittent, and never insomnia groups. The results were adjusted for confounders such as age, sex, body mass index, smoking, physical activity, alcohol, and sedatives. Of the 1409 adult participants, 249 (18%) had intermittent and 128 (9%) had persistent insomnia. During a 20-year follow-up period, 318 participants died (118 due to cardiopulmonary disease). In adjusted Cox proportional-hazards models, participants with persistent insomnia (adjusted hazards ratio [HR] 1.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-2.45) but not intermittent insomnia (HR 1.22; 95% CI, 0.86-1.74) were more likely to die than participants without insomnia. Serum CRP levels were higher and increased at a steeper rate in subjects with persistent insomnia as compared with intermittent (P = .04) or never (P = .004) insomnia. Although CRP levels were themselves associated with increased mortality (adjusted HR 1.36; 95% CI, 1.01-1.82; P = .04), adjustment for CRP levels did not notably change the association between persistent insomnia and mortality. In a population-based cohort, persistent, and not intermittent, insomnia was associated with increased risk for all-cause and cardiopulmonary mortality and was associated with a steeper increase in inflammation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MOOCs and Persistence: Definitions and Predictors

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Brent J.; Baker, Rachel B.

2016-01-01

The chapter argues for redefining the term "persistence" as it relates to MOOCs and considers how different measures produce different results in the research; it closes with a review of research on persistence in MOOCs.

Final Report: MATERIALS, STRANDS, AND CABLES FOR SUPERCONDUCTING ACCELERATOR MAGNETS [Grant Number DE-SC0010312

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sumption, Mike D. [The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). Center for Superconducting and Magnetic Materials (CSMM); Collings, Edward W. [The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). Center for Superconducting and Magnetic Materials (CSMM)

2014-10-29

Our program consisted of the two components: Strand Research and Cable Research, with a focus on Nb3Sn, Bi2212, and YBCO for accelerator magnet applications. We demonstrated a method to refine the grains in Nb3Sn by a factor of two, reaching 45 nm grain sizes, and layer Jcs of 6 kA/mm2 at 12 T. W also measured conductor magnetization for field quality. This has been done both with Nb3Sn conductor, as well as Bi:2212 strand. Work in support of quench studies of YBCO coils was also performed. Cable loss studies in Nb3Sn focused on connecting and comparing persistent magnetization and coupling magnetization for considering their relative impact on HEP machines. In the area of HTS cables, we have investigated both the quench in multistrand YBCO CORC cables, as well as the magnetization of these cables for use in high field magnets. In addition, we examined the magnetic and thermal properties of large (50 T) solenoids.

Habit persistence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vinther Møller, Stig

2009-01-01

This paper uses an iterated GMM approach to estimate and test the consumption based habit persistence model of Campbell and Cochrane (1999) on the US stock market. The empirical evidence shows that the model is able to explain the size premium, but fails to explain the value premium. Further...

Test Station for Magnetization Measurements on Large Quantities of Superconducting Strands

CERN Document Server

Le Naour, S; Billan, J; Genest, J

2001-01-01

In the superconducting main magnets of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), persistent currents in the superconductor determine the field quality at injection field. For this reason it is necessary to check the magnetization of the cable strands during their production. During four years, this requires measurements of the width of the strand magnetization hysteresis loop at 0.5 T, 1.9 K, at a rate of up to eight samples per day. This paper describes the design, construction and the first results of a magnetization test station built for this purpose. The samples are cooled in a cryostat, with a 2-m long elliptic tail. This tail is inserted in a normal conducting dipole magnet with a field between ± 1.5 T. Racetrack pick-up coils, integrated in the cryostat, detect the voltage due to flux change, which is then integrated numerically. The sample holder can contain eight strand samples, each 20 cm long. The test station operates in two modes: either the sample is fixed while the external field is changed, or the sa...

On the vertigo due to static magnetic fields.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omar S Mian

Full Text Available Vertigo is sometimes experienced in and around MRI scanners. Mechanisms involving stimulation of the vestibular system by movement in magnetic fields or magnetic field spatial gradients have been proposed. However, it was recently shown that vestibular-dependent ocular nystagmus is evoked when stationary in homogenous static magnetic fields. The proposed mechanism involves Lorentz forces acting on endolymph to deflect semicircular canal (SCC cupulae. To investigate whether vertigo arises from a similar mechanism we recorded qualitative and quantitative aspects of vertigo and 2D eye movements from supine healthy adults (n = 25 deprived of vision while pushed into the 7T static field of an MRI scanner. Exposures were variable and included up to 135s stationary at 7T. Nystagmus was mainly horizontal, persisted during long-exposures with partial decline, and reversed upon withdrawal. The dominant vertiginous perception with the head facing up was rotation in the horizontal plane (85% incidence with a consistent direction across participants. With the head turned 90 degrees in yaw the perception did not transform into equivalent vertical plane rotation, indicating a context-dependency of the perception. During long exposures, illusory rotation lasted on average 50 s, including 42 s whilst stationary at 7T. Upon withdrawal, perception re-emerged and reversed, lasting on average 30 s. Onset fields for nystagmus and perception were significantly correlated (p<.05. Although perception did not persist as long as nystagmus, this is a known feature of continuous SSC stimulation. These observations, and others in the paper, are compatible with magnetic-field evoked-vertigo and nystagmus sharing a common mechanism. With this interpretation, response decay and reversal upon withdrawal from the field, are due to adaptation to continuous vestibular input. Although the study does not entirely exclude the possibility of mechanisms involving transient

Effect of intraarticular osmic acid on synovial membrane volume and inflammation, determined by magnetic resonance imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Mikkel; Stoltenberg, M; Gideon, P

1995-01-01

The changes in MR-determined synovial membrane volume, early synovial enhancement, and cartilage and bone erosions after osmic acid knee synovectomy were studied. Gadolinium-DTPA enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 18 knees with persistent arthritis was performed before and 1 month after...

The nonlinear coupling between gyroradius scale turbulence and mesoscale magnetic islands in fusion plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hornsby, W. A.; Peeters, A. G.; Snodin, A. P.; Casson, F. J.; Camenen, Y.; Szepesi, G.; Siccinio, M.; Poli, E.

2010-01-01

The interaction between small scale turbulence (of the order of the ion Larmor radius) and mesoscale magnetic islands is investigated within the gyrokinetic framework. Turbulence, driven by background temperature and density gradients, over nonlinear mode coupling, pumps energy into long wavelength modes, and can result in an electrostatic vortex mode that coincides with the magnetic island. The strength of the vortex is strongly enhanced by the modified plasma flow response connected with the change in topology, and the transport it generates can compete with the parallel motion along the perturbed magnetic field. Despite the stabilizing effect of sheared plasma flows in and around the island, the net effect of the island is a degradation of the confinement. When density and temperature gradients inside the island are below the threshold for turbulence generation, turbulent fluctuations still persist through turbulence convection and spreading. The latter mechanisms then generate a finite transport flux and, consequently, a finite pressure gradient in the island. A finite radial temperature gradient inside the island is also shown to persist due to the trapped particles, which do not move along the field around the island. In the low collisionality regime, the finite gradient in the trapped population leads to the generation of a bootstrap current, which reduces the neoclassical drive.

Magnetic field profiles of NbTi tapes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Migliori, A.; Taylor, R.D.; Bartlett, R.D.

1976-01-01

Magnetic field profile measurements were performed on stabilized NbTi tapes in zero applied field carrying large transport current densities. Field profile data were taken on large diameter superconducting sample loops at temperatures between 2 0 K and T/sub c/ (about 9.2 0 K) and several persistent currents up to I/sub c/(T), the maximum. The field profiles scaled with current, independent of temperature, at temperatures below 8.5 0 K and were well described by an elliptical shell approximation which left a current-free, field-free central region. Critical state models applied to this self-field situation proved inadequate. Complex profiles produced by trapped flux in the tape loop were described quantitatively by assuming concentric elliptical shells each with a different current density. The maximum current which could be persisted in the loop at each temperature was linear from 4 to 8.5 K. The effective resistance of the superconducting loop including its joint was less than 10 -13 ohms

SPINDOWN OF ISOLATED NEUTRON STARS: GRAVITATIONAL WAVES OR MAGNETIC BRAKING?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staff, Jan E.; Jaikumar, Prashanth; Chan, Vincent; Ouyed, Rachid

2012-01-01

We study the spindown of isolated neutron stars from initially rapid rotation rates, driven by two factors: (1) gravitational wave emission due to r-modes and (2) magnetic braking. In the context of isolated neutron stars, we present the first study including self-consistently the magnetic damping of r-modes in the spin evolution. We track the spin evolution employing the RNS code, which accounts for the rotating structure of neutron stars for various equations of state. We find that, despite the strong damping due to the magnetic field, r-modes alter the braking rate from pure magnetic braking for B ≤ 10 13 G. For realistic values of the saturation amplitude α sat , the r-mode can also decrease the time to reach the threshold central density for quark deconfinement. Within a phenomenological model, we assess the gravitational waveform that would result from r-mode-driven spindown of a magnetized neutron star. To contrast with the persistent signal during the spindown phase, we also present a preliminary estimate of the transient gravitational wave signal from an explosive quark-hadron phase transition, which can be a signal for the deconfinement of quarks inside neutron stars.

A design approach to achieving the field uniformity requirements for the SSC dipole magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavlik, D.; Krefta, M.P.; Johnson, D.C.

1991-01-01

This work describes a design approach for the calculation of the magnetic field quality in the SSC dipole magnets. A description of different analytical techniques including two and three dimensional finite element, finite difference and closed form methods is presented. Their application to the field quality problem is discussed showing how each can be relevant to a portion of the problem. Sources of field quality error and their impact on magnet operation are presented. Included are geometric variations of the conductors, yoke and collar, variabilities in material properties, persistent currents, saturation effects and the influence of boundary conditions. An approach to integrating the analytical methods and codes into a comprehensive design plan and set of manufacturing specifications is described

Letters persistence after physical offset: visual word form area and left planum temporale. An fMRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Barban, Francesco; Zannino, Gian Daniele; Macaluso, Emiliano; Caltagirone, Carlo; Carlesimo, Giovanni A

2013-06-01

Iconic memory is a high-capacity low-duration visual memory store that allows the persistence of a visual stimulus after its offset. The categorical nature of this store has been extensively debated. This study provides functional magnetic resonance imaging evidence for brain regions underlying the persistence of postcategorical representations of visual stimuli. In a partial report paradigm, subjects matched a cued row of a 3 × 3 array of letters (postcategorical stimuli) or false fonts (precategorical stimuli) with a subsequent triplet of stimuli. The cued row was indicated by two visual flankers presented at the onset (physical stimulus readout) or after the offset of the array (iconic memory readout). The left planum temporale showed a greater modulation of the source of readout (iconic memory vs. physical stimulus) when letters were presented compared to false fonts. This is a multimodal brain region responsible for matching incoming acoustic and visual patterns with acoustic pattern templates. These findings suggest that letters persist after their physical offset in an abstract postcategorical representation. A targeted region of interest analysis revealed a similar pattern of activation in the Visual Word Form Area. These results suggest that multiple higher-order visual areas mediate iconic memory for postcategorical stimuli. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Magnetic Ordering in Sr3YCo4O10+x.

Science.gov (United States)

Kishida, Takayoshi; Kapetanakis, Myron D; Yan, Jiaqiang; Sales, Brian C; Pantelides, Sokrates T; Pennycook, Stephen J; Chisholm, Matthew F

2016-01-28

Transition-metal oxides often exhibit complex magnetic behavior due to the strong interplay between atomic-structure, electronic and magnetic degrees of freedom. Cobaltates, especially, exhibit complex behavior because of cobalt's ability to adopt various valence and spin state configurations. The case of the oxygen-deficient perovskite Sr3YCo4O10+x (SYCO) has attracted considerable attention because of persisting uncertainties about its structure and the origin of the observed room temperature ferromagnetism. Here we report a combined investigation of SYCO using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and density functional theory calculations. Guided by theoretical results on Co-O distances projected on different planes, the atomic-scale images of several different orientations, especially of the fully oxygenated planes, allow the unambiguous extraction of the underlying structure. The calculated magnetic properties of the new structure are in excellent agreement with the experimental data.

DNA-crosslinker cisplatin eradicates bacterial persister cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chowdhury, Nityananda; Wood, Thammajun L; Martínez-Vázquez, Mariano; García-Contreras, Rodolfo; Wood, Thomas K

2016-09-01

For all bacteria, nearly every antimicrobial fails since a subpopulation of the bacteria enter a dormant state known as persistence, in which the antimicrobials are rendered ineffective due to the lack of metabolism. This tolerance to antibiotics makes microbial infections the leading cause of death worldwide and makes treating chronic infections, including those of wounds problematic. Here, we show that the FDA-approved anti-cancer drug cisplatin [cis-diamminodichloroplatinum(II)], which mainly forms intra-strand DNA crosslinks, eradicates Escherichia coli K-12 persister cells through a growth-independent mechanism. Additionally, cisplatin is more effective at killing Pseudomonas aeruginosa persister cells than mitomycin C, which forms inter-strand DNA crosslinks, and cisplatin eradicates the persister cells of several pathogens including enterohemorrhagic E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and P. aeruginosa. Cisplatin was also highly effective against clinical isolates of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Therefore, cisplatin has broad spectrum activity against persister cells. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1984-1992. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

On persistence interfaces for scientific data stores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malon, D.M.; May, E.N.

1996-01-01

A common dilemma among builders of large scientific data stores is whether to use a lightweight object persistence manager or a genuine object-oriented database. There are often good reasons to consider each of these strategies; a few are described in this paper. Too often, however, electing to use a lightweight approach has meant programming to an interface that is entirely different than that expected by commercial object-oriented databases. With the emergence of object database standards, it is possible to provide an interface to persistence managers that does not needlessly inhibit coexistence with (and, perhaps, eventual migration to) object-oriented databases. This paper describes an implementation of a substantial subset of the ODMG-93[1]C++ specification that allows clients to use many of today's lightweight object persistence managers through an interface that conforms to the ODMG standard. We also describe a minimal interface that persistence software should support in order to provide persistence services for ODMG implementations

Closed and open magnetic fields in stellar winds

Science.gov (United States)

Mullan, D. J.; Steinolfson, R. S.

1983-01-01

A numerical study of the interaction between a thermal wind and a global dipole field in the sun and in a giant star is reported. In order for closed field lines to persist near the equator (where a helmet-streamer-like configuration appears), the coronal temperature must be less than a critical value Tc, which scales as M/R. This condition is found to be equivalent to the following: for a static helmet streamer to persist, the sonic point above the helmet must not approach closer to the star than 2.2-2.6 stellar radii. Implications for rapid mass loss and X-ray emission from cool giants are pointed out. The results strengthen the case for identifying empirical dividing lines in the H-R diagram with a magnetic topology transition locus (MTTL). Support for the MTTL concept is also provided by considerations of the breakdown of magnetostatic equilibrium.

Persistence of stapedial artery: a case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, Bruna Vilaca de; Gaiotti, Juliana Oggioni; Diniz, Renata Lopes Furletti Caldeira; Ribeiro, Marcelo Almeida; Motta, Emilia Guerra Pinto Coelho; Moreira, Wanderval

2013-01-01

Persistent stapedial artery is a rare congenital anomaly that occurs by a failure in the involution of such artery. Most patients with persistent stapedial artery are asymptomatic. The imaging diagnosis is made principally by means of multidetector computed tomography. In the present case, persistent stapedial artery was an incidental computed tomography finding. The authors discuss the embryogenesis, computed tomography findings and the importance of an early diagnosis of such anomaly. (author)

Teriparatide Induced Delayed Persistent Hypercalcemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nirosshan Thiruchelvam

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Teriparatide, a recombinant PTH, is an anabolic treatment for osteoporosis that increases bone density. Transient hypercalcemia is a reported side effect of teriparatide that is seen few hours following administration of teriparatide and resolves usually within 16 hours of drug administration. Persistent hypercalcemia, although not observed in clinical trials, is rarely reported. The current case describes a rare complication of teriparatide induced delayed persistent hypercalcemia.

Low-Grade Persistent Hyperparathyroidism After Pediatric Renal Transplant.

Science.gov (United States)

Gulleroglu, Kaan; Baskin, Esra; Moray, Gokhan; Haberal, Mehmet

2016-06-01

Hyperparathyroidism, a frequent complication of chronic kidney disease, persists after renal transplant. Our aims were to examine the status of parathyroid hormone levels and to determine the clinical and biochemical risk factors of persistent hyperparathyroidism after transplant. Our study included 44 pediatric renal transplant recipients with stable graft function. Median follow-up after transplant was 17.5 months (range, 12-126 mo). Patients did not receive routine vitamin D or calcium supplements after transplant, and none had undergone previous parathyroidectomy. Bone mineral densitometry of the lumbar spine was measured. Fifteen patients (34%) had parathyroid hormone levels greater than 70 pg/mL (normal range, 10-70 pg/mL). Duration of dialysis before transplant was longer in patients with persistent hyperparathyroidism. Mean serum bicarbonate levels were significantly lower in patients with persistent hyperparathyroidism than in patients without persistent hyperparathyroidism after transplant. A significant negative correlation was noted between parathyroid hormone level and serum bicarbonate level. Another significant negative correlation was shown between parathyroid hormone level and z score. We found that persistent hyperparathyroidism is related to longer dialysis duration, lower serum bicarbonate level, and lower z score. Pretransplant dialysis duration is an important predictor of persistent hyperparathyroidism. Early identification of factors that contribute to persistent hyperparathyroidism after transplant could lead to treatment strategies to minimize or prevent its detrimental effects on bone health and growth in pediatric transplant recipients.

{sup 29}Si nuclear magnetic resonance study of URu{sub 2}Si{sub 2} under pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shirer, K.R., E-mail: krshirer@ucdavis.edu [Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Dioguardi, A.P.; Bush, B.T.; Crocker, J.; Lin, C.H.; Klavins, P. [Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Cooley, J.C. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Maple, M.B. [Department of Physics and Institute for Pure and Applied Physical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0319 (United States); Chang, K.B.; Poeppelmeier, K.R. [Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Curro, N.J. [Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (United States)

2016-01-15

We report {sup 29}Si nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of single crystals and aligned powders of URu{sub 2}Si{sub 2} under pressure in the hidden order and paramagnetic phases. We find that the Knight shift decreases with applied pressure, consistent with previous measurements of the static magnetic susceptibility. Previous measurements of the spin lattice relaxation time revealed a partial suppression of the density of states below 30 K. This suppression persists under pressure, and the onset temperature is mildly enhanced.

Fundamental bound on the persistence and capacity of short-term memory stored as graded persistent activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Koyluoglu, Onur Ozan; Pertzov, Yoni; Manohar, Sanjay; Husain, Masud; Fiete, Ila R

2017-09-07

It is widely believed that persistent neural activity underlies short-term memory. Yet, as we show, the degradation of information stored directly in such networks behaves differently from human short-term memory performance. We build a more general framework where memory is viewed as a problem of passing information through noisy channels whose degradation characteristics resemble those of persistent activity networks. If the brain first encoded the information appropriately before passing the information into such networks, the information can be stored substantially more faithfully. Within this framework, we derive a fundamental lower-bound on recall precision, which declines with storage duration and number of stored items. We show that human performance, though inconsistent with models involving direct (uncoded) storage in persistent activity networks, can be well-fit by the theoretical bound. This finding is consistent with the view that if the brain stores information in patterns of persistent activity, it might use codes that minimize the effects of noise, motivating the search for such codes in the brain.

Novel protocol for persister cells isolation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia J Cañas-Duarte

Full Text Available Bacterial persistence, where a fraction of a population presents a transient resistance to bactericidal substances, has great medical importance due to its relation with the appearance of antibiotic resistances and untreatable bacterial chronic infections. The mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain largely unknown in spite of recent advances, in great part because of the difficulty in isolating the very small fraction of the population that is in this state at any given time. Current protocols for persister isolation have resulted in possible biases because of the induction of this state by the protocol itself. Here we present a novel protocol that allows rapid isolation of persister cells both from exponential and stationary phase. Moreover, it is capable of differentiating between type I and type II persister cells, which should allow the field to move beyond its current state of studying only one type. While this protocol prompts a revision of many of the current results, it should greatly facilitate further advances in the field.

Spin currents and magnon dynamics in insulating magnets

Science.gov (United States)

Nakata, Kouki; Simon, Pascal; Loss, Daniel

2017-03-01

Nambu-Goldstone theorem provides gapless modes to both relativistic and nonrelativistic systems. The Nambu-Goldstone bosons in insulating magnets are called magnons or spin-waves and play a key role in magnetization transport. We review here our past works on magnetization transport in insulating magnets and also add new insights, with a particular focus on magnon transport. We summarize in detail the magnon counterparts of electron transport, such as the Wiedemann-Franz law, the Onsager reciprocal relation between the Seebeck and Peltier coefficients, the Hall effects, the superconducting state, the Josephson effects, and the persistent quantized current in a ring to list a few. Focusing on the electromagnetism of moving magnons, i.e. magnetic dipoles, we theoretically propose a way to directly measure magnon currents. As a consequence of the Mermin-Wagner-Hohenberg theorem, spin transport is drastically altered in one-dimensional antiferromagnetic (AF) spin-1/2 chains; where the Néel order is destroyed by quantum fluctuations and a quasiparticle magnon-like picture breaks down. Instead, the low-energy collective excitations of the AF spin chain are described by a Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid (TLL) which provides the spin transport properties in such antiferromagnets some universal features at low enough temperature. Finally, we enumerate open issues and provide a platform to discuss the future directions of magnonics.

Spin currents and magnon dynamics in insulating magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakata, Kouki; Loss, Daniel; Simon, Pascal

2017-01-01

Nambu–Goldstone theorem provides gapless modes to both relativistic and nonrelativistic systems. The Nambu–Goldstone bosons in insulating magnets are called magnons or spin-waves and play a key role in magnetization transport. We review here our past works on magnetization transport in insulating magnets and also add new insights, with a particular focus on magnon transport. We summarize in detail the magnon counterparts of electron transport, such as the Wiedemann–Franz law, the Onsager reciprocal relation between the Seebeck and Peltier coefficients, the Hall effects, the superconducting state, the Josephson effects, and the persistent quantized current in a ring to list a few. Focusing on the electromagnetism of moving magnons, i.e. magnetic dipoles, we theoretically propose a way to directly measure magnon currents. As a consequence of the Mermin–Wagner–Hohenberg theorem, spin transport is drastically altered in one-dimensional antiferromagnetic (AF) spin-1/2 chains; where the Néel order is destroyed by quantum fluctuations and a quasiparticle magnon-like picture breaks down. Instead, the low-energy collective excitations of the AF spin chain are described by a Tomonaga–Luttinger liquid (TLL) which provides the spin transport properties in such antiferromagnets some universal features at low enough temperature. Finally, we enumerate open issues and provide a platform to discuss the future directions of magnonics. (paper)

Persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy in 38 children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bin-Abbas, Bassam S.; Al-Mulhim, Abdulmohsin N.; Sakati, Nadia A.; Al-Ashwal, Abdullah A.

2003-01-01

To describe the clinical, biochemical,radiological and electrophysiological features of 38 Saudi children with persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia(PHH) that have been followed sine 1983. Data from 38 patients followed at King Faisal Specialist Hospital,Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 1983-2002 were analyzed. PHH of infancy was diagnosed on the basis of high intravenous glucose requirement,high insulin to glucose ratio, negative urinary ketones and normal tandem mass spectrometry. Patients were assessed radiologically by brain magnetic resonance imaging and computerized tomography. Patients were severely hypoglycaemic and intolerance to fast hypoglycaemic convulsion was the most commonly presenting complaint. 18 patients were developmentally delayed and 14 of them had brain atrophy.All patients except 9 did not respond to medical treatment and had surgery. Four of the pancreatectomized patients developed diabetes and 2 had malabsorption. PHH of infancy is relatively common and serious disease in Saudi children. Early medical intervention is necessary to avoid neurological damage. Surgically and probably medically treated patients are at a high risk of developing diabetes that could be the natural outcome of this disease. (author)

Herbicide Persistence in Seawater Simulation Experiments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philip Mercurio

Full Text Available Herbicides are detected year-round in marine waters, including those of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef (GBR. The few previous studies that have investigated herbicide persistence in seawater generally reported half-lives in the order of months, and several studies were too short to detect significant degradation. Here we investigated the persistence of eight herbicides commonly detected in the GBR or its catchments in standard OECD simulation flask experiments, but with the aim to mimic natural conditions similar to those found on the GBR (i.e., relatively low herbicide concentrations, typical temperatures, light and microbial communities. Very little degradation was recorded over the standard 60 d period (Experiment 1 so a second experiment was extended to 365 d. Half-lives of PSII herbicides ametryn, atrazine, diuron, hexazinone and tebuthiuron were consistently greater than a year, indicating high persistence. The detection of atrazine and diuron metabolites and longer persistence in mercuric chloride-treated seawater confirmed that biodegradation contributed to the breakdown of herbicides. The shortest half-life recorded was 88 d for growth-regulating herbicide 2,4-D at 31°C in the dark, while the fatty acid-inhibitor metolachlor exhibited a minimum half-life of 281 d. The presence of moderate light and elevated temperatures affected the persistence of most of the herbicides; however, the scale and direction of the differences were not predictable and were likely due to changes in microbial community composition. The persistence estimates here represent some of the first appropriate data for application in risk assessments for herbicide exposure in tropical marine systems. The long persistence of herbicides identified in the present study helps explain detection of herbicides in nearshore waters of the GBR year round. Little degradation of these herbicides would be expected during the wet season with runoff and associated

Herbicide Persistence in Seawater Simulation Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Mercurio, Philip; Mueller, Jochen F.; Eaglesham, Geoff; Flores, Florita; Negri, Andrew P.

2015-01-01

Herbicides are detected year-round in marine waters, including those of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The few previous studies that have investigated herbicide persistence in seawater generally reported half-lives in the order of months, and several studies were too short to detect significant degradation. Here we investigated the persistence of eight herbicides commonly detected in the GBR or its catchments in standard OECD simulation flask experiments, but with the aim to mimic natural conditions similar to those found on the GBR (i.e., relatively low herbicide concentrations, typical temperatures, light and microbial communities). Very little degradation was recorded over the standard 60 d period (Experiment 1) so a second experiment was extended to 365 d. Half-lives of PSII herbicides ametryn, atrazine, diuron, hexazinone and tebuthiuron were consistently greater than a year, indicating high persistence. The detection of atrazine and diuron metabolites and longer persistence in mercuric chloride-treated seawater confirmed that biodegradation contributed to the breakdown of herbicides. The shortest half-life recorded was 88 d for growth-regulating herbicide 2,4-D at 31°C in the dark, while the fatty acid-inhibitor metolachlor exhibited a minimum half-life of 281 d. The presence of moderate light and elevated temperatures affected the persistence of most of the herbicides; however, the scale and direction of the differences were not predictable and were likely due to changes in microbial community composition. The persistence estimates here represent some of the first appropriate data for application in risk assessments for herbicide exposure in tropical marine systems. The long persistence of herbicides identified in the present study helps explain detection of herbicides in nearshore waters of the GBR year round. Little degradation of these herbicides would be expected during the wet season with runoff and associated flood plumes

Impact of a high magnetic field on the orientation of gravitactic unicellular organisms--a critical consideration about the application of magnetic fields to mimic functional weightlessness.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemmersbach, Ruth; Simon, Anja; Waßer, Kai; Hauslage, Jens; Christianen, Peter C M; Albers, Peter W; Lebert, Michael; Richter, Peter; Alt, Wolfgang; Anken, Ralf

2014-03-01

The gravity-dependent behavior of Paramecium biaurelia and Euglena gracilis have previously been studied on ground and in real microgravity. To validate whether high magnetic field exposure indeed provides a ground-based facility to mimic functional weightlessness, as has been suggested earlier, both cell types were observed during exposure in a strong homogeneous magnetic field (up to 30 T) and a strong magnetic field gradient. While swimming, Paramecium cells were aligned along the magnetic field lines; orientation of Euglena was perpendicular, demonstrating that the magnetic field determines the orientation and thus prevents the organisms from the random swimming known to occur in real microgravity. Exposing Astasia longa, a flagellate that is closely related to Euglena but lacks chloroplasts and the photoreceptor, as well as the chloroplast-free mutant E. gracilis 1F, to a high magnetic field revealed no reorientation to the perpendicular direction as in the case of wild-type E. gracilis, indicating the existence of an anisotropic structure (chloroplasts) that determines the direction of passive orientation. Immobilized Euglena and Paramecium cells could not be levitated even in the highest available magnetic field gradient as sedimentation persisted with little impact of the field on the sedimentation velocities. We conclude that magnetic fields are not suited as a microgravity simulation for gravitactic unicellular organisms due to the strong effect of the magnetic field itself, which masks the effects known from experiments in real microgravity.

GRAND MINIMA AND EQUATORWARD PROPAGATION IN A CYCLING STELLAR CONVECTIVE DYNAMO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Augustson, Kyle; Miesch, Mark [High Altitude Observatory, Center Green 1, Boulder, CO 80301 (United States); Brun, Allan Sacha [Laboratoire AIM Paris-Saclay, CEA/DSM–CNRS–Université Paris Diderot, IRFU/SAp, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Toomre, Juri [JILA and Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States)

2015-08-20

The 3D MHD Anelastic Spherical Harmonic code, using slope-limited diffusion, is employed to capture convective and dynamo processes achieved in a global-scale stellar convection simulation for a model solar-mass star rotating at three times the solar rate. The dynamo-generated magnetic fields possesses many timescales, with a prominent polarity cycle occurring roughly every 6.2 years. The magnetic field forms large-scale toroidal wreaths, whose formation is tied to the low Rossby number of the convection in this simulation. The polarity reversals are linked to the weakened differential rotation and a resistive collapse of the large-scale magnetic field. An equatorial migration of the magnetic field is seen, which is due to the strong modulation of the differential rotation rather than a dynamo wave. A poleward migration of magnetic flux from the equator eventually leads to the reversal of the polarity of the high-latitude magnetic field. This simulation also enters an interval with reduced magnetic energy at low latitudes lasting roughly 16 years (about 2.5 polarity cycles), during which the polarity cycles are disrupted and after which the dynamo recovers its regular polarity cycles. An analysis of this grand minimum reveals that it likely arises through the interplay of symmetric and antisymmetric dynamo families. This intermittent dynamo state potentially results from the simulation’s relatively low magnetic Prandtl number. A mean-field-based analysis of this dynamo simulation demonstrates that it is of the α-Ω type. The timescales that appear to be relevant to the magnetic polarity reversal are also identified.

Further Development of the Sextupole Dipole Corrector (MSCB) Magnet for the LHC

CERN Document Server

Ang, Z; Bajko, M; Bottura, L; Coxill, D; Giloux, C; Ijspeert, Albert; Karppinen, M; Landgrebe, D; Walckiers, L

2000-01-01

Combined sextupole-dipole corrector magnets (MSCB) will be mounted in each half cell of the new Large Hadron Collider (LHC) being built at CERN. The dipole part, used for particle orbit corrections, will be powered individually and is designed for low current, originally 30 A but now 55 A. The sextupole part, used for chromaticity corrections, is connected via cold busbars in families of 12 or 13 magnets and is powered with 550 A. Several versions of this corrector magnet were tested as model magnets in order to develop the final design for the series. In the first design the coils are nested, with the dipole coil wound around the sextupole coil to obtain as short a magnet as possible, accepting the slight cross-talk between the coils due to persistent currents, and increased saturation effects. The design has evolved and an alternative design, in which the dipole and sextupole coils are separated, is now favored. Tests at 4.5 K and at 1.9 K were conducted to determine the training behavior, the field qualit...

Optical decoherence and persistent spectral hole burning in Tm3+:LiNbO3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thiel, C.W.; Sun, Y.; Boettger, T.; Babbitt, W.R.; Cone, R.L.

2010-01-01

We report studies of decoherence and spectral hole burning for the 794 nm optical transition of thulium-doped lithium niobate. In addition to transient spectral holes due to the 3 H 4 and 3 F 4 excited states of Tm 3+ , persistent spectral holes with lifetimes of up to minutes were observed when a magnetic field of a few hundred Gauss was applied. The observed anti-hole structure identified the hole burning mechanism as population storage in the 169 Tm nuclear hyperfine levels. In addition, the magnetic field was effective in suppressing spectral diffusion, increasing the phase memory lifetime from 11 μs at zero field to 23 μs in a field of 320 Gauss applied along the crystal's c-axis. Coupling between Tm 3+ and the 7 Li and 93 Nb spins in the host lattice was also observed and a quadrupole shift of 22 kHz was measured for 7 Li at 1.7 K. A Stark shift of 18 kHz cm/V was measured for the optical transition with the electric field applied parallel to the c-axis.

A comparative study of magnetic field induced meta-magnetic transition in nanocrystalline and bulk Pr{sub 0.65}(Ca{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}){sub 0.35}MnO{sub 3} compound

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saha, Suvayan [CMP Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700 064 (India); Center for Research in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Calcutta, JD-2, Salt Lake City, Kolkata 700098, West Bengal (India); Department of Physics, University of Calcutta, 92 A.P.C. Road, Kolkata 700009 (India); Das, Kalipada, E-mail: kalipadadasphysics@gmail.com [Department of Materials Science, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A and 2B Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032 (India); Bandyopadhyay, Sudipta [Center for Research in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Calcutta, JD-2, Salt Lake City, Kolkata 700098, West Bengal (India); Department of Physics, University of Calcutta, 92 A.P.C. Road, Kolkata 700009 (India); Das, I. [CMP Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700 064 (India)

2017-06-15

Highlights: • Field induced sharp meta-magnetic transition appears even in nanocrystalline sample. • Magnetic field for the meta-magnetic transition enhances depending upon the cooling field. • This unusual behavior is addressed by the effect of the interfacial strains. - Abstract: In our present study we highlight the observations of external magnetic field induced sharp meta-magnetic transition in polycrystalline bulk as well as nanocrystalline form of Pr{sub 0.65}(Ca{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.7}){sub 0.35}MnO{sub 3} compound. Interestingly, such behavior persists in the nanoparticles regardless of the disorder broadened transition. However, higher magnetic field is required for nanoparticles having average particle size ∼40 nm for such meta-magnetic transition, which differs from the general trends of the pure charge ordered nano materials. The interfacial strain between the different magnetic domains plays the important role in magnetic isothermal properties of nanoparticles, when the samples are cooled down in different cooling field. Additionally, both the bulk and nanoparticle compounds exhibit spontaneous phase separation and significantly large magnetoresistance at the low temperature region due to the melting of charge ordered fraction.

Magnetic resonance imaging for pain after surgical treatment for athletic pubalgia and the "sports hernia".

Science.gov (United States)

Zoga, Adam C; Meyers, William C

2011-09-01

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique and findings in the setting of athletic pubalgia, including injury at the rectus abdominis/adductor aponeurosis, are becoming widely recognized. A subset of these patients is treated with various pelvic floor repairs, mesh reinforcements, and tendon releases. Most of these patients do well after intervention, but some have persistent or refractory groin pain, and others eventually develop new injuries in the pubic region or elsewhere about the pelvic girdle. This review describes the expected and some unexpected MRI findings in patients with recurrent or persistent groin pain after a "sports hernia" repair. © Thieme Medical Publishers.

Migraine and magnetic resonance spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Younis, Samaira; Hougaard, Anders; Vestergaard, Mark B.

2017-01-01

Purpose of review: To present an updated and streamlined overview of the metabolic and biochemical aspect of the migraine pathophysiology based on findings from phosphorous (31P) and hydrogen (1H) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies. Recent findings: Despite of the variation in the meth......Purpose of review: To present an updated and streamlined overview of the metabolic and biochemical aspect of the migraine pathophysiology based on findings from phosphorous (31P) and hydrogen (1H) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies. Recent findings: Despite of the variation...... in the methodology and quality of the MRS migraine studies over time, some results were consistent and reproducible. 31P-MRS studies suggested reduced availability of neuronal energy and implied a mitochondrial dysfunction in the migraine brain. 1H-MRS studies reported interictal abnormalities in the excitatory...... and inhibitory neurotransmitters, glutamate and g-aminobutyric acid (GABA), suggesting persistent altered excitability in migraine patients. N-Acetylaspartate levels were decreased in migraine, probably due to a mitochondrial dysfunction and abnormal energy metabolism. The reported abnormalities may increase...

HEMISPHERIC ASYMMETRIES OF SOLAR PHOTOSPHERIC MAGNETISM: RADIATIVE, PARTICULATE, AND HELIOSPHERIC IMPACTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McIntosh, Scott W.; Burkepile, Joan; Miesch, Mark; Markel, Robert S.; Sitongia, Leonard; Leamon, Robert J.; Gurman, Joseph B.; Olive, Jean-Philippe; Cirtain, Jonathan W.; Hathaway, David H.

2013-01-01

Among many other measurable quantities, the summer of 2009 saw a considerable low in the radiative output of the Sun that was temporally coincident with the largest cosmic-ray flux ever measured at 1 AU. Combining measurements and observations made by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft we begin to explore the complexities of the descending phase of solar cycle 23, through the 2009 minimum into the ascending phase of solar cycle 24. A hemispheric asymmetry in magnetic activity is clearly observed and its evolution monitored and the resulting (prolonged) magnetic imbalance must have had a considerable impact on the structure and energetics of the heliosphere. While we cannot uniquely tie the variance and scale of the surface magnetism to the dwindling radiative and particulate output of the star, or the increased cosmic-ray flux through the 2009 minimum, the timing of the decline and rapid recovery in early 2010 would appear to inextricably link them. These observations support a picture where the Sun's hemispheres are significantly out of phase with each other. Studying historical sunspot records with this picture in mind shows that the northern hemisphere has been leading since the middle of the last century and that the hemispheric ''dominance'' has changed twice in the past 130 years. The observations presented give clear cause for concern, especially with respect to our present understanding of the processes that produce the surface magnetism in the (hidden) solar interior—hemispheric asymmetry is the normal state—the strong symmetry shown in 1996 was abnormal. Further, these observations show that the mechanism(s) which create and transport the magnetic flux are slowly changing with time and, it appears, with only loose coupling across the equator such that those asymmetries can persist for a considerable time. As the current asymmetry persists and the basal energetics of the system continue to

HEMISPHERIC ASYMMETRIES OF SOLAR PHOTOSPHERIC MAGNETISM: RADIATIVE, PARTICULATE, AND HELIOSPHERIC IMPACTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McIntosh, Scott W.; Burkepile, Joan; Miesch, Mark; Markel, Robert S.; Sitongia, Leonard [High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307 (United States); Leamon, Robert J. [Department of Physics, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 (United States); Gurman, Joseph B. [Solar Physics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Olive, Jean-Philippe [Astrium SAS, 6 rue Laurent Pichat, F-75016 Paris (France); Cirtain, Jonathan W.; Hathaway, David H. [Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States)

2013-03-10

Among many other measurable quantities, the summer of 2009 saw a considerable low in the radiative output of the Sun that was temporally coincident with the largest cosmic-ray flux ever measured at 1 AU. Combining measurements and observations made by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft we begin to explore the complexities of the descending phase of solar cycle 23, through the 2009 minimum into the ascending phase of solar cycle 24. A hemispheric asymmetry in magnetic activity is clearly observed and its evolution monitored and the resulting (prolonged) magnetic imbalance must have had a considerable impact on the structure and energetics of the heliosphere. While we cannot uniquely tie the variance and scale of the surface magnetism to the dwindling radiative and particulate output of the star, or the increased cosmic-ray flux through the 2009 minimum, the timing of the decline and rapid recovery in early 2010 would appear to inextricably link them. These observations support a picture where the Sun's hemispheres are significantly out of phase with each other. Studying historical sunspot records with this picture in mind shows that the northern hemisphere has been leading since the middle of the last century and that the hemispheric ''dominance'' has changed twice in the past 130 years. The observations presented give clear cause for concern, especially with respect to our present understanding of the processes that produce the surface magnetism in the (hidden) solar interior-hemispheric asymmetry is the normal state-the strong symmetry shown in 1996 was abnormal. Further, these observations show that the mechanism(s) which create and transport the magnetic flux are slowly changing with time and, it appears, with only loose coupling across the equator such that those asymmetries can persist for a considerable time. As the current asymmetry persists and the basal energetics of the

Performance Persistence of Equity Funds in Hungary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dariusz Filip

2011-03-01

Full Text Available This study examines the phenomenon of performance persistence of equity funds in Hungary in two time perspectives: 1-year and 6-month perspectives. The empirical results confirm the occurrence of performance dependence in consecutive periods. There is also a strong evidence of short-term persistence in the total horizon of the study (from the beginning of 2000 to the end of 2009, and in several sub-periods. The 1-year persistence was also found in the tested sample and, in general, depended on the measure applied. Furthermore, I observed performance reversal, which can be partly explained by trend changes in the financial markets. The persistence of equity funds performance in Hungary is shaped by market factors rather than the diversity of managerial characteristics.

Atrial and ventricular volume and function in persistent and permanent atrial fibrillation, a magnetic resonance imaging study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Therkelsen, Susette Krohn; Groenning, Bjoern Aaris; Svendsen, Jesper Hastrup

2005-01-01

the inter-study reproducibility of the measurements. Nineteen healthy volunteers, 19 patients with permanent AF, and 58 patients with persistent AF had cardiac dimensions evaluated by 6-mm cinematographic breath-hold MRI scans using a 1.5 Tesla Siemens Vision Magnetom scanner with a phased array chest coil....... Our results suggest that atrial dilatation appears within the first months of AF and stays more or less unchanged thereafter. The LV appears to dilate early as a response to AF, but later seems to adapt....

Persistent agents in Axelrod's social dynamics model

Science.gov (United States)

Reia, Sandro M.; Neves, Ubiraci P. C.

2016-01-01

Axelrod's model of social dynamics has been studied under the effect of external media. Here we study the formation of cultural domains in the model by introducing persistent agents. These are agents whose cultural traits are not allowed to change but may be spread through local neighborhood. In the absence of persistent agents, the system is known to present a transition from a monocultural to a multicultural regime at some critical Q (number of traits). Our results reveal a dependence of critical Q on the occupation probability p of persistent agents and we obtain the phase diagram of the model in the (p,Q) -plane. The critical locus is explained by the competition of two opposite forces named here barrier and bonding effects. Such forces are verified to be caused by non-persistent agents which adhere (adherent agents) to the set of traits of persistent ones. The adherence (concentration of adherent agents) as a function of p is found to decay for constant Q. Furthermore, adherence as a function of Q is found to decay as a power law with constant p.

Persistent bone marrow edema after osteochondral autograft transplantation in the knee joint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemec, Stefan Franz; Marlovits, Stefan; Trattnig, Siegfried

2009-01-01

Background and objective: The assessment of bone marrow edema-like signal intensity in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients after osteochondral autograft transplantation (OCT) in the knee joint is a parameter of yet indefinite value. This study determines the prevalence of persistent edema-like signal intensity in OCT patients and evaluates the correlation between edema and morphological imaging findings of the graft and clinical pain symptoms. Materials and methods: In this longitudinal observational study, 10 patients after OCT were followed by MRI prospectively 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months post-operatively. All MR examinations were performed on a 1.0 T MR unit with the same protocol using a modified scoring system (magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue-MOCART) for evaluation. Edema-like signal intensity in and beneath the osteochondral graft was assessed in its prevalence and graded using a coronal short tau inversion recovery fast spin echo (STIR-FSE) sequence: grade 1, normal; grade 2, moderate (diameter 2 cm). The finding of edema-like signal intensity was correlated with graded parameters describing the morphology of the repair tissue assessed in a sagittal dual FSE sequence including: (a) surface of repair tissue: grade 1, intact; grade 2, damaged. (b) Cartilage interface: grade 1, complete; grade 2, incomplete. (c) Bone interface: grade 1, complete; grade 2, delamination. The finding of edema-like signal intensity was also correlated with the KOOS pain score assessing knee pain after 12 months. Results: Initially, after 1 month the prevalence of edema-like signal intensity was 70% (7/10 patients) and finally after 24 months 60% (6/10 patients). We found no significant relationship between the prevalence and degree of edema-like signal intensity and parameters describing the morphology of the repair tissue. Also the clinical pain score did not show significant correlation with edema. Conclusion

Persistence in the Cryptocurrency Market

OpenAIRE

Caporale, Guglielmo Maria; Gil-Alaña, Luis A.; Plastun, Alex

2017-01-01

This paper examines persistence in the cryptocurrency market. Two different long-memory methods (R/S analysis and fractional integration) are used to analyse it in the case of the four main cryptocurrencies (BitCoin, LiteCoin, Ripple, Dash) over the sample period 2013-2017. The findings indicate that this market exhibits persistence (there is a positive correlation between its past and future values), and that its degree changes over time. Such predictability represents evidence of market ine...

Treatment of acral persistent papular mucinosis with electrocoagulation.

Science.gov (United States)

André Jorge, Flávia; Mimura Cortez, Tatiana; Guadalini Mendes, Fabiana; Esther Alencar Marques, Mariângela; Amante Miot, Hélio

2011-01-01

Acral persistent papular mucinosis is a rare localized form of lichen myxedematosus with few case reports and no documented therapeutic options. To report full resolution of acral persistent papular mucinosis after electrocoagulation. Case report of a 51-year-old white female diagnosed with an acral persistent papular mucinosis. The clinical and histopathologic features, treatment provided, and response to treatment are detailed. Acral persistent papular mucinosis presented as multiple asymptomatic normochromic papules on the wrists. Treatment with topical and intralesional steroids was unsatisfactory. Gentle electrocoagulation led to complete resolution of the lesions and negligible scarring. The favorable results remained for 6 months of follow-up, and no new lesions have emerged. Our case of acral persistent papular mucinosis was successfully treated with electrocoagulation and long-lasting, excellent cosmetic results.

Mercury's Surface Magnetic Field Determined from Proton-Reflection Magnetometry

Science.gov (United States)

Winslow, Reka M.; Johnson, Catherine L.; Anderson, Brian J.; Gershman, Daniel J.; Raines, Jim M.; Lillis, Robert J.; Korth, Haje; Slavin, James A.; Solomon, Sean C.; Zurbuchen, Thomas H.;

Spatial patterns of drought persistence in East China

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, L.; Ford, T.

2017-12-01

East China has experienced a number of severe droughts in recent decades. Understanding the characteristics of droughts and their persistence will provide operational guidelines for water resource management and agricultural production. This study uses a logistic regression model to measure the probability of drought occurrence in the current season given the previous season's Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) as well as drought persistence. Results reveal large spatial and seasonal variations in the relationship between the previous season's SPI and the drought occurrence probability in a given season. The drought persistence averaged over the entire study area for all the four seasons is approximately 34% with large variations from season to season and from region to region. The East and Northeast regions have the largest summer drought persistence ( 40%) and lowest fall drought persistence ( 28%). The spatial pattern in winter and spring drought persistence is dissimilar with stronger winter and weaker spring drought persistence in the Southwest and Northeast relative to other regions. Logistic regression analysis indicates a stronger negative relationship in summer-to-fall (or between fall drought occurrence and summer SPI) than other inter-season relationships. This study demonstrates that the impact of previous season SPI and SOI on current season drought varies substantially from region to region and from season to season. This study also shows stronger drought persistence in summer than in other seasons. In other words, the probability of fall drought occurrence is closely related to summer moisture conditions in the East China.

Persistence in the WFC3 IR Detector: Intrinsic Variability

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Knox S.; Baggett, Sylvia M.

2018-03-01

When the WFC3 IR detector is exposed to a bright source or sources, the sources can appear as afterimages in subsequent exposures, a phenomenon known as persistence. This can affect the science obtained with the IR channel. We have been involved in an effort to predict the brightness of the afterimages so that users can (at a minimum) flag the affected pixels and remove them from their analysis or (even better) subtract the afterimages from their science images to salvage the data. The ability of any model to remove afterimages depends on the degree to which persistence is the same for identical sets of exposures. We investigate possible time variability of persistence in the WFC3 detector using sets of (almost) identical visits comprised of single exposures of Omega Cen followed by a series of darks in which persistence is measured. We analyze 8 data sets, each consisting of two or three identical visits, with stimulus exposures between 49 and 1199 s, and find clear evidence of variability in several of the datasets in darks taken within 1000 s of the stimulus exposure. In most of the datasets, the difference in persistence for saturated pixels in the stimulus exposure is a power law decay; the visit with higher persistence has a higher power law amplitude. There was nothing unusual about the observing conditions preceding and during each of these visits that can explain the discrepancy in persistence levels. Variation in persistence implies that: (1) Unless and until the source of the variability is understood, any persistence model for the WFC3 array will be limited in its ability to predict persistence in a single observation, and, (2) as a consequence, users should always carefully inspect the results of any attempt to subtract persistence from WFC3 IR data based on a model prediction.

Non-persistent pesticides removal in constructed wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Yue; Jiang, Lei; Li, Haixiang

2018-03-01

The heavy use of non-persistent pesticides, resulting in the accumulation of environment and destroy the aquatic environment. This paper presents the research status of using CWs to treat non-persistent pesticides in water. The removal mechanisms are mainly physical deposition, chemical hydrolysis and plant absorption. Analysis of the factors that affect the removal effect are mainly the nature of pesticides, HRT, plants. Some scholars have proposed that secondary products of non-persistent pesticides may be more harmful to the environment, However, the relevant reports are scarce.

Near-Infrared Quantum Cutting Long Persistent Luminescence

OpenAIRE

Zou, Zehua; Feng, Lin; Cao, Cheng; Zhang, Jiachi; Wang, Yuhua

2016-01-01

By combining the unique features of the quantum cutting luminescence and long persistent luminescence, we design a new concept called ?near-infrared quantum cutting long persistent luminescence (NQPL)?, which makes it possible for us to obtain highly efficient (>100%) near-infrared long persistent luminescence in theory. Guided by the NQPL concept, we fabricate the first NQPL phosphor Ca2Ga2GeO7:Pr3+,Yb3+. It reveals that both the two-step energy transfer of model (I) and the one-step energy ...

A configurable component-based software system for magnetic field measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nogiec, J.M.; DiMarco, J.; Kotelnikov, S.; Trombly-Freytag, K.; Walbridge, D.; Tartaglia, M.; /Fermilab

2005-09-01

A new software system to test accelerator magnets has been developed at Fermilab. The magnetic measurement technique involved employs a single stretched wire to measure alignment parameters and magnetic field strength. The software for the system is built on top of a flexible component-based framework, which allows for easy reconfiguration and runtime modification. Various user interface, data acquisition, analysis, and data persistence components can be configured to form different measurement systems that are tailored to specific requirements (e.g., involving magnet type or test stand). The system can also be configured with various measurement sequences or tests, each of them controlled by a dedicated script. It is capable of working interactively as well as executing a preselected sequence of tests. Each test can be parameterized to fit the specific magnet type or test stand requirements. The system has been designed with portability in mind and is capable of working on various platforms, such as Linux, Solaris, and Windows. It can be configured to use a local data acquisition subsystem or a remote data acquisition computer, such as a VME processor running VxWorks. All hardware-oriented components have been developed with a simulation option that allows for running and testing measurements in the absence of data acquisition hardware.

Prediction of antibody persistency from antibody titres to natalizumab

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Poul Erik H; Koch-Henriksen, Nils; Sellebjerg, Finn

2012-01-01

In a subgroup of patients with multiple sclerosis natalizumab therapy causes generation of anti-natalizumab antibodies that may be transient or persistent. It is recommended to discontinue natalizumab therapy in persistently antibody-positive patients.......In a subgroup of patients with multiple sclerosis natalizumab therapy causes generation of anti-natalizumab antibodies that may be transient or persistent. It is recommended to discontinue natalizumab therapy in persistently antibody-positive patients....

Unexpected Magnetic Semiconductor Behavior in Zigzag Phosphorene Nanoribbons Driven by Half-Filled One Dimensional Band

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Yongping; Liu, Huimei; Xu, Bo; Sheng, Li; Yin, Jiang; Duan, Chun-Gang; Wan, Xiangang

2015-01-01

Phosphorene, as a novel two-dimensional material, has attracted a great interest due to its novel electronic structure. The pursuit of controlled magnetism in Phosphorene in particular has been persisting goal in this area. In this paper, an antiferromagnetic insulating state has been found in the zigzag phosphorene nanoribbons (ZPNRs) from the comprehensive density functional theory calculations. Comparing with other one-dimensional systems, the magnetism in ZPNRs display several surprising characteristics: (i) the magnetic moments are antiparallel arranged at each zigzag edge; (ii) the magnetism is quite stable in energy (about 29 meV/magnetic-ion) and the band gap is big (about 0.7 eV); (iii) the electronic and magnetic properties is almost independent on the width of nanoribbons; (iv) a moderate compressive strain will induce a magnetic to nonmagnetic as well as semiconductor to metal transition. All of these phenomena arise naturally due to one unique mechanism, namely the electronic instability induced by the half-filled one-dimensional bands which cross the Fermi level at around π/2a. The unusual electronic and magnetic properties in ZPNRs endow them possible potential for the applications in nanoelectronic devices. PMID:25747727

Persistent Hiccups Following Stapedectomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aidonis I

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Objective: We report a case of a 37 year-old man who developed persistent hiccups after elective stapedectomy. Method and Results: The diagnostic approach is discussed as well as the non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic treatments and overall management. The aim is to stress that there is a variety of potential factors that can induce hiccups perioperatively and in cases like this a step by step approach must be taken. Conclusion: Persistent hiccups are very rare following stapedectomy, control of them is crucial for the successful outcome. The trigger may be more than one factors and the good response to treatment may be due to dealing successfully with more than one thing.

Characteristics of persistent spin current components in a quasi-periodic Fibonacci ring with spin–orbit interactions: Prediction of spin–orbit coupling and on-site energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patra, Moumita; Maiti, Santanu K.

2016-01-01

In the present work we investigate the behavior of all three components of persistent spin current in a quasi-periodic Fibonacci ring subjected to Rashba and Dresselhaus spin–orbit interactions. Analogous to persistent charge current in a conducting ring where electrons gain a Berry phase in presence of magnetic flux, spin Berry phase is associated during the motion of electrons in presence of a spin–orbit field which is responsible for the generation of spin current. The interplay between two spin–orbit fields along with quasi-periodic Fibonacci sequence on persistent spin current is described elaborately, and from our analysis, we can estimate the strength of any one of two spin–orbit couplings together with on-site energy, provided the other is known. - Highlights: • Determination of Rashba and Dresselhaus spin–orbit fields is discussed. • Characteristics of all three components of spin current are explored. • Possibility of estimating on-site energy is given. • Results can be generalized to any lattice models.

Characteristics of persistent spin current components in a quasi-periodic Fibonacci ring with spin–orbit interactions: Prediction of spin–orbit coupling and on-site energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patra, Moumita; Maiti, Santanu K., E-mail: santanu.maiti@isical.ac.in

2016-12-15

In the present work we investigate the behavior of all three components of persistent spin current in a quasi-periodic Fibonacci ring subjected to Rashba and Dresselhaus spin–orbit interactions. Analogous to persistent charge current in a conducting ring where electrons gain a Berry phase in presence of magnetic flux, spin Berry phase is associated during the motion of electrons in presence of a spin–orbit field which is responsible for the generation of spin current. The interplay between two spin–orbit fields along with quasi-periodic Fibonacci sequence on persistent spin current is described elaborately, and from our analysis, we can estimate the strength of any one of two spin–orbit couplings together with on-site energy, provided the other is known. - Highlights: • Determination of Rashba and Dresselhaus spin–orbit fields is discussed. • Characteristics of all three components of spin current are explored. • Possibility of estimating on-site energy is given. • Results can be generalized to any lattice models.

Lesion-to-ventricle distance and other risk factors for the persistence of newly formed black holes in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Papadopoulou, Athina; Menegola, Milena; Kuhle, Jens; Ramagopalan, Sreeram V; D'Souza, Marcus; Sprenger, Till; Radue, Ernst-Wilhelm; Kappos, Ludwig; Yaldizli, Özgür

2014-03-01

Progenitor cells from the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles are assumed to contribute to remyelination and resolution of black holes (BHs) in multiple sclerosis (MS). This process may depend on the distance between the lesion and the SVZ. The objective of this paper is to investigate the relationship between lesion-to-ventricle (LV) distance and persistence of new BHs. We analysed the magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of 289 relapsing-remitting (RR) MS patients, obtained during a multi-centre, placebo-controlled phase II trial over one year. Overall, 112/289 patients showed 367 new BHs at the beginning of the trial. Of these, 225 were located in 94/112 patients at the level of the lateral ventricles on axial MRIs and included in this analysis. In total, 86/225 (38%) BHs persisted at month 12. LV distance in persistent BHs (PBHs) was not longer than in transient BHs. In fact PBHs tended to be closer to the SVZ than transient BHs. A generalised linear mixed multivariate model adjusted for BHs clustered within a patient and including patient- as well as lesion-specific factors revealed size, ring contrast enhancement, and shorter LV distance as independent predictors for BH persistence. Location of BHs close to the lateral ventricles does not appear to favourably influence the resolution of new BHs in RRMS.

Persistence and drug tolerance in pathogenic yeast

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bojsen, Rasmus Kenneth; Regenberg, Birgitte; Folkesson, Sven Anders

2017-01-01

In this review, we briefly summarize the current understanding of how fungal pathogens can persist antifungal treatment without heritable resistance mutations by forming tolerant persister cells. Fungal infections tolerant to antifungal treatment have become a major medical problem. One mechanism...

Offset coil designs for superconducting magnets, a logical development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, T.

1986-03-01

Dipoles and quadrupoles for any new, large proton ring must be stronger, smaller and have better field shape (systematic error) than those used in the Doubler. The present two-shell designs are rigid in that the coils are too thin but cannot be relatively fatter without destroying the field quality. An examination of the coil shapes for dipoles and quadrupoles which produce perfect fields from a uniform current density shows clearly that our persistent use of a circular form for the inner surface of the coils is a poor approximation. When this is corrected by ''offsets'' there is a striking improvement both in the strength of fields and in the field quality. The same analysis makes clear that the efficient use of superconductor and the overall magnet size is determined by the perfect coil shapes. Any reasonable magnet will not differ significantly from the ideal for these parameters. This will be particularly helpful in setting design goals for very large quadrupoles. The offset two-shell dipole design preserves the mechanical features of the highly successful, resilient doubler magnets while greatly extending the performance

Magnetizing of permanent magnet using HTS bulk magnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oka, Tetsuo; Muraya, Tomoki; Kawasaki, Nobutaka; Fukui, Satoshi; Ogawa, Jun; Sato, Takao; Terasawa, Toshihisa

2011-01-01

A demagnetized Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet was scanned just above the magnetic pole containing the HTS bulk magnet, generating a magnetic field of 3.27 T. The magnet sample was subsequently found to be fully magnetized in the open space of the static magnetic fields. We examined the magnetic field distributions when the magnetic poles were scanned twice to activate the magnetic plates inversely with various overlap distances between the tracks of the HTS bulk magnet. The magnetic field of the 'rewritten' magnet reached the values of the magnetically saturated region of the material, showing steep gradients at the border of each magnetic pole. As a replacement for conventional pulse field magnetizing methods, this technique is proposed to expand the degree of freedom in the design of electromagnetic devices, and is proposed as a novel practical method for magnetizing rare-earth magnets, which have excellent magnetic performance and require intense fields of more than 3 T to be activated. (author)

Persistent and non-persistent strains of Listeria monocytogenes: A focus on growth kinetics under different temperature, salt, and pH conditions and their sensitivity to sanitizers.

Science.gov (United States)

Magalhães, R; Ferreira, V; Brandão, T R S; Palencia, R Casquete; Almeida, G; Teixeira, P

2016-08-01

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different conditions, including temperature (37 °C, 22 °C, and 4 °C), NaCl concentrations (2.5%, 4%, and 8%), and acidity (pH = 5), on the growth response of persistent and non-persistent isolates of Listeria monocytogenes. The resistance to two common sanitizers (benzalkonium chloride and hydrogen peroxide) was also investigated. A selected group of 41 persistent and non-persistent L. monocytogenes isolates recovered from three cheese processing plants during a previous longitudinal study was assembled. Average lag time was similar for persistent and non-persistent isolates grown at 37 °C, 22 °C and 4 °C but significantly shorter (p < 0.05) for persistent isolates grown at 2.5%, 4% and 8% NaCl, and at pH 5. Average growth rates were significantly higher (p < 0.05) for persistent than for non-persistent isolates when grown at 22 °C, 2.5%, 4% and 8% NaCl, and at pH 5. These results suggest that persistent strains may be better adapted to grow under stressful conditions frequently encountered in food processing environments than non-persistent strains. No relation between persistence and resistance to the tested sanitizers was found. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

THE SYMBOLS OF PRIDE AND PRIVILEGE IN OTTOMAN POETRY “WREATH” “OTAGA” “AIGRETTE” / OSMANLI ŞİİRİNDE İFTİHAR VE İMTİYAZ SİMGELERİ “ÇELENK” “OTAGA” ve “SORGUÇ”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neslihan KOÇ KESKİN (M.A.H.

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Ottoman Poets have studied the Turkish cultural history with a lyrical expression in their poems and tried to adapt this culturel accumulation to the readers through their poems in an aesthetical way. In this paper, wreath, otaga and aigrette which are the symbols of pride/boast and privilege/exclusivity and can be qaulified as a type of medal have been studied. At first putting the feathers of precious animals such as a heron, a peacock and a crane and then valuable jewels to the head, kavuk and turbans have also been thought as the sign of sovereignity. At the same time, these correspond to the medals and badges of the kings in the west . In our paper, how wreath, otaka and aigrette are taken in hand in Ottoman poetry will be presented in a historically supported frame.

The Persistence of Mutual Fund Performance.

OpenAIRE

Grinblatt, Mark; Titman, Sheridan

1992-01-01

This paper analyzes how mutual fund performance relates to past performance. These tests are based on a multiple portfolio benchmark that was formed on the basis of securities characteristics. The authors find evidence that differences in performance between funds persist over time and that this persistence is consistent with the ability of fund managers to earn abnormal returns. Copyright 1992 by American Finance Association.

Statistical Inference for Porous Materials using Persistent Homology.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moon, Chul [Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); Heath, Jason E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Mitchell, Scott A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-12-01

We propose a porous materials analysis pipeline using persistent homology. We rst compute persistent homology of binarized 3D images of sampled material subvolumes. For each image we compute sets of homology intervals, which are represented as summary graphics called persistence diagrams. We convert persistence diagrams into image vectors in order to analyze the similarity of the homology of the material images using the mature tools for image analysis. Each image is treated as a vector and we compute its principal components to extract features. We t a statistical model using the loadings of principal components to estimate material porosity, permeability, anisotropy, and tortuosity. We also propose an adaptive version of the structural similarity index (SSIM), a similarity metric for images, as a measure to determine the statistical representative elementary volumes (sREV) for persistence homology. Thus we provide a capability for making a statistical inference of the uid ow and transport properties of porous materials based on their geometry and connectivity.

Magnetic and electrical properties of Pr-doped Bi(Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malik, A.I.; Halim, S.A.; Mohammed, S.B.; Khalid, K.; Hassan, Z.A.

1999-01-01

The effect of Praseodymium doping on the electrical and magnetic properties of the bismuth-based superconductors has been investigated. The doping was done on the Calcium site ranging from x=0.00 to 0.10. For low doping percentages x<0.03, the 2223 phase still persists. However beyond this concentration the samples were dominated by 2212 phase. These results were obtained from the measurements of temperature dependence of electrical resistance and ac susceptibility of the samples. The magnetic behavior of the doping element, Pr, (a 4f rare earth magnetic element) seemed to have deteriorated the superconducting properties of the system by breaking the electron pairing mechanism. Pr doping also deteriorates the coupling of the superconducting rains, as observed by the abrupt shift of the loss peaks towards lower temperatures. (author)

Modelling asymmetric persistence over the business cycle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ph.H.B.F. Franses (Philip Hans); R. Paap (Richard)

1998-01-01

textabstractWe address the issue of time varying persistence of shocks to macroeconomic time series variables by proposing a new and parsimonious time series model. Our model assumes that this time varying persistence depends on a linear combination of lagged explanatory variables, where this

Understanding mild persistent asthma in children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bisgaard, Hans; Szefler, Stanley J

2005-01-01

Limitations in asthma prevalence studies and difficulties in diagnosing pediatric asthma lead to uncertainty over the full extent of mild persistent asthma in children and adolescents. Although recent surveys have reported that the majority of pediatric patients with asthma in the United States...... and Europe have symptoms consistent with mild disease, these surveys have limitations in design. Thus, the true prevalence of mild asthma remains unknown. It is unclear whether children with mild persistent asthma progress to more severe asthma, but the risk of severe asthma exacerbations seems...... to be unrelated to the symptom severity. Clinical studies restricted to pediatric patients with mild asthma are limited, but available data do suggest substantial morbidity of mild persistent asthma in this population and support inhaled corticosteroid intervention. There is a need for further investigation...

International perspectives on retention and persistence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gary Burkholder

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Access to higher education globally is increasing dramatically; attainment of tertiary degrees is a high priority, as educational attainment is associated with increased personal incomes as well as growth of the middle class in developing countries. The purpose of this essay is to briefly examine retention and persistence issues from a global perspective, review some retention strategies that have been employed at schools outside the United States, and to identify several key factors that related to retention and persistence globally, including access, infrastructure, financial consideration, and readiness for tertiary education.  There exists an opportunity to utilize knowledge gained in the evolution of the higher education system in the United States to help address the problems associated with retention and persistence.   DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v4i2.208

Persistent facial pain conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Forssell, Heli; Alstergren, Per; Bakke, Merete

2016-01-01

Persistent facial pains, especially temporomandibular disorders (TMD), are common conditions. As dentists are responsible for the treatment of most of these disorders, up-to date knowledge on the latest advances in the field is essential for successful diagnosis and management. The review covers...... TMD, and different neuropathic or putative neuropathic facial pains such as persistent idiopathic facial pain and atypical odontalgia, trigeminal neuralgia and painful posttraumatic trigeminal neuropathy. The article presents an overview of TMD pain as a biopsychosocial condition, its prevalence......, clinical features, consequences, central and peripheral mechanisms, diagnostic criteria (DC/TMD), and principles of management. For each of the neuropathic facial pain entities, the definitions, prevalence, clinical features, and diagnostics are described. The current understanding of the pathophysiology...

Persistent Structural Priming from Language Comprehension to Language Production

Science.gov (United States)

Bock, Kathryn; Dell, Gary S.; Chang, Franklin; Onishi, Kristine H.

2007-01-01

To examine the relationship between syntactic processes in language comprehension and language production, we compared structural persistence from sentence primes that speakers heard to persistence from primes that speakers produced. [Bock, J. K., & Griffin, Z. M. (2000). The persistence of structural priming: transient activation or implicit…

Review of core technologies for development of 2G HTS NMR/MRI magnet: A status report of progress in Korea University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.B. Song

Full Text Available In this paper, we briefly review our recent progress on development of core technologies for 2G HTS NMR/MRI magnets at Korea University. To outperform the current state-of-art NMR/MRI magnet systems, we have developed the following technologies: 1 a REBCO-REBCO superconducting joint for operation of persistent current mode; 2 partial and grease-insulation winding techniques for self-protection of the HTS magnets; 3 pre-shimming to reduce the screening-current-induced-field; and 4 optimization of multi-width winding to minimize conductor consumption and volume of the HTS magnets. The test results demonstrated the feasibility of employing the developed techniques to achieve ultra-high-field and LHe-free 2G NMR/MRI magnets possessing self-protecting feature.

Measurements of flux pumping activation of trapped field magnets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weinstein, Roy; Parks, Drew; Sawh, Ravi-Persad [Texas Center for Superconductivity, 202 Houston Science Center, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5002 (United States); Davey, Kent [Physics Department, 617 Science and Research Building I, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5005 (United States)

2010-11-15

Large grains of high temperature superconducting (HTS) material can be utilized as trapped field magnets (TFMs). Persistent currents are set up in the HTS when it is cooled in a magnetic field, or exposed to a magnetic field after cooling. TFMs have been improved over the past two decades by the efforts of a large number of worldwide research groups. However, applications using TFMs have lagged, in part due to the problem of high fields needed for activation. We describe herein experiments designed to observe the behaviour of TFM activation using repeated applications of low fields (called 'pumping'). Significant partial activation is obtained using a non-uniform pumping field (e.g., a small permanent magnet) which is higher in the centre of the HTS than at the periphery. Cooling in zero field followed by pumping with such a field results in trapping the full applied field, in comparison to half of the applied field being trapped by cooling in zero field followed by application of a uniform field. We find that for partial activation by cooling in a field and subsequent activation by pumping, the resulting fields are additive. We also conclude that for activation by fluxoid pumping, creep assists the process.

THE ROLE OF PERSISTENCE IN STUDENTS’ SELF-REALIZATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergey I. Kudinov

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The paper analyzes the results of an empirical research obtained with the help of a sample of students. The research of persistence was carried out within the framework of the dispositional concept of personality traits and individuality by A. I. Krupnov. The techniques developed by A. I. Krupnov as well as the author’s test of persistence were used in the study. After allocating the levels of persistence, the features of self-realization were analyzed in each group of the respondents. The specificity of self-realization was revealed in the context of the author’s polysystemic concept, the author’s multidimensional questionnaire on personality’s self-realization (MQPSR was used as a diagnostic tool. The empirical study revealed statistically significant differences in the specifics of self-realization of the students with different levels of persistence manifestation. The respondents with a high level of persistence realize themselves more successfully in different spheres of life due to the obvious active behaviour, optimistic attitude, high motivation, creative methods and techniques of self-expression, internal self-regulation and constructive behavior. The students with low persistence lack successful self-realization because of passivity, pessimism, external locus of self-control, a high level of barriers and standard simple schemes of self-expression.

Inefficiency persistence and heterogeneity in Colombian electricity utilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galán, Jorge E.; Pollitt, Michael G.

2014-01-01

The electricity reform in Colombia has exhibited gains in terms of reliability but its effects on firm efficiency and service quality have not been clear. Previous studies evaluating the performance of distribution companies after the reform have not found evidence of improvements, although large differences in efficiency have been found among firms. This suggests high inefficiency persistence and heterogeneity in the Colombian distribution sector. In this paper, we propose an extension of dynamic stochastic frontier models that accounts for unobserved heterogeneity in the inefficiency persistence and in the technology. The model incorporates total expenses, service quality and energy losses in an efficiency analysis of Colombian distributors over fifteen years after the reform. We identify the presence of high inefficiency persistence in the sector, and important differences between firms. In particular, rural companies and firms with small customers present low persistence and evidence the largest gains in efficiency during the period. However, increases in efficiency are only manifested during thelast five years when the main improvements in service quality and energy losses are presented. Overall, inefficiency persistence, customer density and consumption density are found to be important criteria to be considered for regulatory purposes. - Highlights: • We evaluate efficiency of Colombian electricity distributors after the reform. • We use a stochastic frontier model with dynamic effects and heterogeneity. • We find high inefficiency persistence but important differences among firms. • High persistent and low efficient firms should draw the attention of the regulator. • Recent regulation in quality has increased not only efficiency but also tariffs

Persistence among Minority STEM Majors: A Phenomenological Study

Science.gov (United States)

Williams-Watson, Stacey

The United States needs to increase the number of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) graduates to remain competitive in the global market and maintain national security. Minority students, specifically African-American and Hispanic, are underrepresented in STEM fields. As the minority population continues to grow it is essential that higher education institutions improve minority students' persistence in STEM education. This study examined the problem of minority students' lack of persistence in STEM programs. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences that minority students perceived as contributing to their persistence in STEM. The central research question was: What are the lived experiences of minority STEM students that have contributed to their persistence in a STEM program? The sub-questions were: a) What led participants to majors in STEM?; b) What contributed to students' success and persistence in STEM?; and c) What advice do students have to offer? The researcher interviewed 12 minority STEM students and uncovered 10 themes that described the lived experiences of minority students' persistence in STEM programs. The themes were 1) Childhood experiences and interests; 2) Positive educational experiences in secondary school; 3) Self- motivation; 4) Positive experiences with professors; 5) Family encouragement and values; 6) Lack of minorities; 7) Lack of educational preparation; 8) The need for financial assistance; 9) Clubs and organizations; and 10) Friends within the major. The significance of these findings is the potential to produce changes in curricula, programs, and retention methods that may improve the persistence of minority students in STEM programs.

Persistence of Mycoplasma genitalium following azithromycin therapy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catriona S Bradshaw

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: To determine clinical outcomes and cure rates for M.genitalium genital infection in men and women following azithromycin 1 g. METHODOLOGY: Patients attending Melbourne Sexual Health Centre between March 2005 and November 2007 with urethritis/epididymitis, cervicitis/pelvic inflammatory disease and sexual contacts of M.genitalium were tested for M.genitalium by polymerase chain reaction (PCR. M.genitalium-infection was treated with 1 g of azithromycin and a test-of-cure (toc was performed one month post-azithromycin. Response to azithromycin, and response to moxifloxacin (400 mg daily for 10 days in individuals with persistent infection post-azithromycin, was determined. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Of 1538 males and 313 females tested, 161 males (11% and 30 females (10% were infected with M.genitalium. A toc was available on 131 (69% infected individuals (median = 36 days [range 12-373]. Of 120 individuals prescribed azithromycin only pre-toc, M.genitalium was eradicated in 101 (84%, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 77-90% and persisted in 19 (16%, 95% CI: 10-23%. Eleven individuals with persistent infection (9%, 95% CI: 5-15% had no risk of reinfection from untreated-partners, while eight (7%, 95% CI: 3-12% may have been at risk of reinfection from doxycycline-treated or untreated-partners. Moxifloxacin was effective in eradicating persistent infection in all cases not responding to azithromycin. Patients with persistent-M.genitalium were more likely to experience persistent symptoms (91%, compared to patients in whom M.genitalium was eradicated (17%, p<0.0001. CONCLUSION: Use of azithromycin 1 g in M.genitalium-infected patients was associated with unacceptable rates of persistent infection, which was eradicated with moxifloxacin. These findings highlight the importance of follow-up in M.genitalium-infected patients prescribed azithromycin, and the need to monitor for the development of resistance. Research to determine optimal first and

Persistence of undergraduate women in STEM fields

Science.gov (United States)

Pedone, Maggie Helene

The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a complex problem that continues to persist at the postsecondary level, particularly in computer science and engineering fields. This dissertation explored the pre-college and college level factors that influenced undergraduate women's persistence in STEM. This study also examined and compared the characteristics of undergraduate women who entered STEM fields and non-STEM fields in 2003-2004. The nationally representative Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/09) data set was used for analysis. BPS:04/09 study respondents were surveyed three times (NPSAS:04, BPS:04/06, BPS:04/09) over a six-year period, which enabled me to explore factors related to long-term persistence. Astin's Input-Environment-Output (I-E-O) model was used as the framework to examine student inputs and college environmental factors that predict female student persistence (output) in STEM. Chi-square tests revealed significant differences between undergraduate women who entered STEM and non-STEM fields in 2003-2004. Differences in student demographics, prior academic achievement, high school course-taking patterns, and student involvement in college such as participation in study groups and school clubs were found. Notably, inferential statistics showed that a significantly higher proportion of female minority students entered STEM fields than non-STEM fields. These findings challenge the myth that underrepresented female minorities are less inclined to enter STEM fields. Logistic regression analyses revealed thirteen significant predictors of persistence for undergraduate women in STEM. Findings showed that undergraduate women who were younger, more academically prepared, and academically and socially involved in college (e.g., lived on campus, interacted with faculty, participated in study groups, fine arts activities, and school sports) were more likely to persist in STEM

The Iseult/Inumac whole body 11.7 T MRI magnet design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schild, Th.; Aubert, G.; Berriaud, C.; Bredy, Ph.; Juster, F.P.; Meuris, C.; Nunio, F.; Quettier, L.; Rey, J.M.; Vedrine, P.

2008-01-01

A neuroscience research center with very high field MRI equipments has been opened in November 2006 by the CEA life science division. One of the imaging systems will require a 11.75 T magnet with a 900 mm warm bore. Regarding the large aperture and field strength, this magnet is a real challenge as compared to the largest MRI systems ever built, and is then developed within an ambitious R and D program, Iseult, focus on high field MRI. The conservative MRI magnet design principles are not readily applicable and other concepts taken from high energy physics or fusion experiments, namely the Tore Supra tokamak magnet system, will be used. The coil will thus be made of a niobium-titanium conductor cooled by a He II bath at 1.8 K, permanently connected to a cryo-plant. Due to the high level of stored energy, about 340 MJ, and a relatively high nominal current, about 1500 A, the magnet will be operated in a non-persistent mode with a conveniently stabilized power supply. In order to take advantage of superfluid helium properties and regarding the high electromagnetic stresses on the conductors, the winding will be made of wetted double pancakes meeting the Stekly criterion for cryo-stability. The magnet will be actively shielded to fulfill the specifications regarding the stray field. (authors)

Demonstration of persistent contamination of a cooked egg product production facility with Salmonella enterica serovar Tennessee and characterization of the persistent strain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakociune, D.; Bisgaard, M.; Pedersen, Karl

2014-01-01

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate whether continuous contamination of light pasteurized egg products with Salmonella enterica serovar Tennessee (S. Tennessee) at a large European producer of industrial egg products was caused by persistent contamination of the production facility......, members of the persistent clone were weak producers of H2S in laboratory medium. S. Tennessee isolated from the case was able to grow better in pasteurized egg product compared with other serovars investigated. Conclusions: It was concluded that the contamination was caused by a persistent strain...... in the production facility and that this strain apparently had adapted to grow in the relevant egg product. Significance and Impact of the Study: S. Tennessee has previously been associated with persistence in hatching facilities. This is the first report of persistent contamination of an egg production facility...

Design and test of a superconducting magnet in a linear accelerator for an Accelerator Driven Subcritical System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng, Quanling; Xu, Fengyu; Wang, Ting; Yang, Xiangchen; Chen, Anbin; Wei, Xiaotao; Gao, Yao; Hou, Zhenhua; Wang, Bing; Chen, Yuan; Chen, Haoshu

2014-01-01

A batch superconducting solenoid magnet for the ADS proton linear accelerator has been designed, fabricated, and tested in a vertical dewar in Sept. 2013. A total of ten superconducting magnets will be installed into two separate cryomodules. Each cryomodule contains six superconducting spoke RF cavities for beam acceleration and five solenoid magnets for beam focusing. The multifunction superconducting magnet contains a solenoid for beam focusing and two correctors for orbit correction. The design current for the solenoid magnet is 182 A. A quench performance test shows that the operating current of the solenoid magnet can reach above 300 A after natural quenching on three occasions during current ramping (260 A, 268 A, 308 A). The integrated field strength and leakage field at the nearby superconducting spoke cavities all meet the design requirements. The vertical test checked the reliability of the test dewar and the quench detection system. This paper presents the physical and mechanical design of the batch magnets, the quench detection technique, field measurements, and a discussion of the residual field resulting from persistent current effects

A model for persistency of egg production

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grossman, M.; Gossman, T.N.; Koops, W.J.

2000-01-01

The objectives of our study were to propose a new definition for persistency of egg production and to develop a mathematical model to describe the egg production curve, one that includes a new measure for persistency, based on the proposed definition, for use as a selection criterion to improve

The origins of lactase persistence in Europe.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuval Itan

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Lactase persistence (LP is common among people of European ancestry, but with the exception of some African, Middle Eastern and southern Asian groups, is rare or absent elsewhere in the world. Lactase gene haplotype conservation around a polymorphism strongly associated with LP in Europeans (-13,910 C/T indicates that the derived allele is recent in origin and has been subject to strong positive selection. Furthermore, ancient DNA work has shown that the--13,910*T (derived allele was very rare or absent in early Neolithic central Europeans. It is unlikely that LP would provide a selective advantage without a supply of fresh milk, and this has lead to a gene-culture coevolutionary model where lactase persistence is only favoured in cultures practicing dairying, and dairying is more favoured in lactase persistent populations. We have developed a flexible demic computer simulation model to explore the spread of lactase persistence, dairying, other subsistence practices and unlinked genetic markers in Europe and western Asia's geographic space. Using data on--13,910*T allele frequency and farming arrival dates across Europe, and approximate Bayesian computation to estimate parameters of interest, we infer that the--13,910*T allele first underwent selection among dairying farmers around 7,500 years ago in a region between the central Balkans and central Europe, possibly in association with the dissemination of the Neolithic Linearbandkeramik culture over Central Europe. Furthermore, our results suggest that natural selection favouring a lactase persistence allele was not higher in northern latitudes through an increased requirement for dietary vitamin D. Our results provide a coherent and spatially explicit picture of the coevolution of lactase persistence and dairying in Europe.

The origins of lactase persistence in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Itan, Yuval; Powell, Adam; Beaumont, Mark A; Burger, Joachim; Thomas, Mark G

2009-08-01

Lactase persistence (LP) is common among people of European ancestry, but with the exception of some African, Middle Eastern and southern Asian groups, is rare or absent elsewhere in the world. Lactase gene haplotype conservation around a polymorphism strongly associated with LP in Europeans (-13,910 C/T) indicates that the derived allele is recent in origin and has been subject to strong positive selection. Furthermore, ancient DNA work has shown that the--13,910*T (derived) allele was very rare or absent in early Neolithic central Europeans. It is unlikely that LP would provide a selective advantage without a supply of fresh milk, and this has lead to a gene-culture coevolutionary model where lactase persistence is only favoured in cultures practicing dairying, and dairying is more favoured in lactase persistent populations. We have developed a flexible demic computer simulation model to explore the spread of lactase persistence, dairying, other subsistence practices and unlinked genetic markers in Europe and western Asia's geographic space. Using data on--13,910*T allele frequency and farming arrival dates across Europe, and approximate Bayesian computation to estimate parameters of interest, we infer that the--13,910*T allele first underwent selection among dairying farmers around 7,500 years ago in a region between the central Balkans and central Europe, possibly in association with the dissemination of the Neolithic Linearbandkeramik culture over Central Europe. Furthermore, our results suggest that natural selection favouring a lactase persistence allele was not higher in northern latitudes through an increased requirement for dietary vitamin D. Our results provide a coherent and spatially explicit picture of the coevolution of lactase persistence and dairying in Europe.

Rotenone persistence model for montane streams

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Peter J.; Zale, Alexander V.

2012-01-01

The efficient and effective use of rotenone is hindered by its unknown persistence in streams. Environmental conditions degrade rotenone, but current label instructions suggest fortifying the chemical along a stream based on linear distance or travel time rather than environmental conditions. Our objective was to develop models that use measurements of environmental conditions to predict rotenone persistence in streams. Detailed measurements of ultraviolet radiation, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids (TDS), conductivity, pH, oxidation–reduction potential (ORP), substrate composition, amount of organic matter, channel slope, and travel time were made along stream segments located between rotenone treatment stations and cages containing bioassay fish in six streams. The amount of fine organic matter, biofilm, sand, gravel, cobble, rubble, small boulders, slope, pH, TDS, ORP, light reaching the stream, energy dissipated, discharge, and cumulative travel time were each significantly correlated with fish death. By using logistic regression, measurements of environmental conditions were paired with the responses of bioassay fish to develop a model that predicted the persistence of rotenone toxicity in streams. This model was validated with data from two additional stream treatment reaches. Rotenone persistence was predicted by a model that used travel time, rubble, and ORP. When this model predicts a probability of less than 0.95, those who apply rotenone can expect incomplete eradication and should plan on fortifying rotenone concentrations. The significance of travel time has been previously identified and is currently used to predict rotenone persistence. However, rubble substrate, which may be associated with the degradation of rotenone by adsorption and volatilization in turbulent environments, was not previously considered.

Persistent organic pollutants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dungen, van den M.W.

2016-01-01

Wild caught fish, especially marine fish, can contain high levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). In the Netherlands, especially eel from the main rivers have high POP levels. This led to a ban in 2011 on eel fishing due to health concerns. Many of the marine POPs have been related to

Bacterial persistence: some new insights into an old phenomenon

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

PRAKASH KUMAR

the involvement of the alarmone (p) ppGpp in the generation of persisters. However, the precise mechanisms are ... Bigger noticed that treatment of cultures of Staphylococcus aureus with high concentrations of ...... Li Y and Zhang Y 2007 pho U is a persister switch involved in persister formation and tolerance to multiple ...

Persistent infection caused by Hobi-like pestivirus.

Science.gov (United States)

Decaro, Nicola; Losurdo, Michele; Lucente, Maria Stella; Sciarretta, Rossana; Mari, Viviana; Larocca, Vittorio; Elia, Gabriella; Cavaliere, Nicola; Martella, Vito; Fasanella, Antonio; Buonavoglia, Canio

2013-04-01

A calf persistently infected by Hobi-like pestivirus was monitored for about 6 months, displaying clinical signs typical of bovine viral diarrhea virus persistent infection and shedding the virus through all body secretions, with maximal titers detected in urine. This report provides new insights into the pathogenesis of the emerging pestivirus.

Presynaptic learning and memory with a persistent firing neuron and a habituating synapse: a model of short term persistent habituation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramanathan, Kiruthika; Ning, Ning; Dhanasekar, Dhiviya; Li, Guoqi; Shi, Luping; Vadakkepat, Prahlad

2012-08-01

Our paper explores the interaction of persistent firing axonal and presynaptic processes in the generation of short term memory for habituation. We first propose a model of a sensory neuron whose axon is able to switch between passive conduction and persistent firing states, thereby triggering short term retention to the stimulus. Then we propose a model of a habituating synapse and explore all nine of the behavioral characteristics of short term habituation in a two neuron circuit. We couple the persistent firing neuron to the habituation synapse and investigate the behavior of short term retention of habituating response. Simulations show that, depending on the amount of synaptic resources, persistent firing either results in continued habituation or maintains the response, both leading to longer recovery times. The effectiveness of the model as an element in a bio-inspired memory system is discussed.

Impact of persistence and non-persistence in leisure time physical activity on coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schnohr, Peter; O'Keefe, James H.; Lange, Peter

2017-01-01

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of persistence and non-persistence in leisure time physical activity on coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality. Methods and results: In the Copenhagen City Heart Study, we prospectively followed 12,314 healthy subjects for 33 years...

Generating Dynamic Persistence in the Time Domain

Science.gov (United States)

Guerrero, A.; Smith, L. A.; Smith, L. A.; Kaplan, D. T.

2001-12-01

Many dynamical systems present long-range correlations. Physically, these systems vary from biological to economical, including geological or urban systems. Important geophysical candidates for this type of behaviour include weather (or climate) and earthquake sequences. Persistence is characterised by slowly decaying correlation function; that, in theory, never dies out. The Persistence exponent reflects the degree of memory in the system and much effort has been expended creating and analysing methods that successfully estimate this parameter and model data that exhibits persistence. The most widely used methods for generating long correlated time series are not dynamical systems in the time domain, but instead are derived from a given spectral density. Little attention has been drawn to modelling persistence in the time domain. The time domain approach has the advantage that an observation at certain time can be calculated using previous observations which is particularly suitable when investigating the predictability of a long memory process. We will describe two of these methods in the time domain. One is a traditional approach using fractional ARIMA (autoregressive and moving average) models; the second uses a novel approach to extending a given series using random Fourier basis functions. The statistical quality of the two methods is compared, and they are contrasted with weather data which shows, reportedly, persistence. The suitability of this approach both for estimating predictability and for making predictions is discussed.

High field magnetic behavior in Boron doped Fe{sub 2}VAl Heusler alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venkatesh, Ch., E-mail: venkyphysicsiitm@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (India); DCMP & MS, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai (India); Vasundhara, M., E-mail: vasu.mutta@gmail.com [Materials Science and Technology Division, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, CSIR, Trivandrum 695019 (India); Srinivas, V. [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai (India); Rao, V.V. [Cryogenic Engineering Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (India)

2016-11-15

We have investigated the magnetic behavior of Fe{sub 2}VAl{sub 1−x}B{sub x} (x=0, 0.03, 0.06 and 0.1) alloys under high temperature and high magnetic field conditions separately. Although, the low temperature DC magnetization data for the alloys above x>0 show clear magnetic transitions, the zero field cooled (ZFC) and field cooled (FC) curves indicate the presence of spin cluster like features. Further, critical exponent (γ) deduced from the initial susceptibility above the T{sub c}, does not agree with standard models derived for 3 dimensional long range magnetic systems. The deviation in γ values are consistent with the short range magnetic nature of these alloys. We further extend the analysis of magnetic behavior by carrying the magnetization measurements at high temperatures and high magnetic fields distinctly. We mainly emphasize the following observations; (i) The magnetic hysteresis loops show sharp upturns at lower fields even at 900 K for all the alloys. (ii) High temperature inverse susceptibility do not overlap until T=900 K, indicating the persistent short range magnetic correlations even at high temperatures. (iii) The Arrott's plot of magnetization data shows spontaneous moment (M{sub S}) for the x=0 alloy at higher magnetic fields which is absent at lower fields (<50 kOe), while the Boron doped samples show feeble M{sub S} at lower fields. The origin of this short range correlation is due to presence of dilute magnetic heterogeneous phases which are not detected from the X-ray diffraction method. - Highlights: • Short range magnetic character has been confirmed by the critical exponents analysis. • Magnetoresistace is about −14% with non-saturating tendency even at 150 kOe for Fe{sub 2}VAl alloy. • Boron doped Fe{sub 2}VAl alloys show a weak magnetism even at T=900 K.

Using latent selection difference to model persistence in a declining population.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mara E Erickson

Full Text Available Population persistence is a direct measure of the viability of a population. Monitoring the distribution of declining populations or subpopulations over time can yield estimates of persistence, which we show can be modeled as a latent selection difference (LSD contrasting attributes of sites where populations have persisted versus those that have not. Predicted persistence can be modeled with predictor covariates to identify factors correlated with species persistence. We demonstrate how to model persistence based on changes in occupancy that can include adjustments for detection probability. Using a known historical distribution of the western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis, we adapted methods originally developed for occupancy modeling to evaluate how environmental covariates including emergent vegetation and human developments have affected western grebe persistence in Alberta. The relative probability of persistence was correlated with the extent of shoreline bulrush (Scirpus lacustris, which is important vegetation for nesting cover. We also documented that western grebe populations were less likely to persist on lakes in the boreal forest, primarily located on the northern boundary of the species' range. Factors influencing occupancy were different than those determining persistence by western grebes; persistence and occupancy were not correlated. Persistence was more likely on lakes with recreational development, reflecting reliance by grebes on the larger, fish-bearing waterbodies that also are attractive for lakeshore development. Unfortunately, the correlation with recreational development on Alberta's lakes puts grebes at risk for loss of brood-rearing habitats--primary threats to altricial birds--if steps are not taken to prevent disturbance to bulrush stands. Identifying factors related to the persistence of a species--especially one in decline--is a fundamental step in conservation management.

Persistent Visual Aura following Catheter Ablation in a Patient with WPW Syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shinichi Koyama

2007-01-01

Full Text Available We report a patient who has had persistent visual disturbances since she underwent catheter ablation to treat her Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW syndrome. We examined her visual symptoms carefully and quantitatively by means of our newly developed method combining image-processing and psychophysics. We first simulated the patient’s visual symptoms using image-processing techniques. Since the simulation indicated that she would be very sensitive to the edges of the visual stimuli, we evaluated her sensitivity to the edges using psychophysics. The results indicated that she was hypersensitive to the clear-cut edges of the visual stimuli. Her visual symptoms were very similar to those of visual aura of migraine, rather than those of photosensitive epilepsy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT, electroenchepalogram (EEG, and visual-evoked potentials (VEP in the patient were normal. No abnormalities in her fundus, visual field, or electroretinogram were found, either. Transesophageal echocardiography with bubble study indicated that she had a preexisting right-to-left shunt. We hypothesize that visual aura of migraine was triggered and made persistent by the catheter ablation in this patient. Although the relationship between migraine, catheter ablation, and right-to-left shunts is unknown, previous studies on the transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale suggest a possible link between them. Catheter ablation in patients with migraine and preexisting shunts may lead to exacerbations in migraine symptoms.

Optical properties of semiconductor nanostructures in magnetic field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grochol, M.

2007-04-03

In this work, the near bandgap linear optical properties of semiconductor quantum structures under applied magnetic field are investigated. First, the exciton theory is developed starting with the one-electron Hamiltonian in a crystal, continuing with the Luttinger and Bir-Pikus Hamiltonian, and ending with the exciton Hamiltonian in the envelope function approximation. Further, concentrating on the quantum well and thus assuming strong confinement in the growth direction, the motion parallel and perpendicular to the xy-plane is factorized leading to the well-known single sublevel approximation. A magnetic field perpendicular to the xy-plane is applied, and a general theorem describing the behavior of the energy eigenvalues is derived. The strain calculation within the isotropic elasticity approach is described in detail. The Schroedinger equation is solved numerically for both the full model and the factorization with artificially generated disorder potentials. Furthermore the statistical properties of the disorder in a real quantum well have been analyzed. In particular, temperature dependent photoluminescence spectra and diamagnetic shift statistics, have been compared with the experimental ones and very good agreement has been found. The second part of this thesis deals predominantly with highly symmetrical structures embedded in the quantum well: namely quantum rings and dots. First, adopting an ansatz for the wave function, the Hamiltonian matrix is derived discussing which matrix elements are non-zero according to the symmetry of the potential. Additionally, the expectation values of the current and magnetization operators are evaluated. Then, concentrating on the case of the highest (circular) symmetry, the model of zero width ring is introduced. Within this model the close relation between the oscillatory component of the exciton energy (exciton Aharonov-Bohm effect) and the persistent current is revealed. Examples for different material systems follow

Structure and magnetism of transition-metal implanted dilute magnetic semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Pereira, Lino; Temst, K; Araújo, JP; Wahl, U

The discovery of a dilute magnetic semiconductor (DMS) in which ferromagnetism is carrier-mediated and persists above room temperature is a critical step towards the development of semiconductor-based spintronics. Among the many types of DMS materials which have been investigated, the current research interest can be narrowed down to two main classes of materials: (1) narrow-gap III-V semiconductors, mostly GaAs and InAs, doped with Mn; (2) wide-gap oxides and nitrides doped with 3d transition metals, mostly Mn- and Co-doped ZnO and Mn-doped GaN. With a number of interesting functionalities deriving from the carrier-mediated ferromagnetism and demonstrated in various proof-of-concept devices, Mn-doped GaAs has become, among DMS materials, one of the best candidates for technological application. However, despite major developments over the last 15 years, the maximum Curie temperature (185 K) remains well below room temperature. On the other hand, wide-gap DMS materials appear to exhibit ferromagnetic behavior...

Quantification of image persistence in a digital angiography system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okkalides, D.P.; Raptou, P.D.

1993-01-01

Image persistence, as a characteristic of video imaging systems affecting the quality of fast moving fluoroscopic images, is shown to vary considerably. A simple quantitative method for measuring image persistence in a digital angiography system is presented, together with a series of image intensifier exposure-response curves. For the Saticon tube, used with the Siemens 3VA Digitron, it was found that persistence increased for low exposure rates and may increase to 31% at a 120 ms interval. In addition, a sharp increase in image persistence, from 8.3% to 33%, was observed within 18 months from installation of the system. (author)

Prevalence of degenerative and spondyloarthritis-related magnetic resonance imaging findings in the spine and sacroiliac joints in patients with persistent low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnbak, Bodil; Jensen, Tue S; Egund, Niels; Zejden, Anna; Hørslev-Petersen, Kim; Manniche, Claus; Jurik, Anne G

2016-04-01

To estimate the prevalence of degenerative and spondyloarthritis (SpA)-related magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in the spine and sacroiliac joints (SIJs) and analyse their association with gender and age in persistent low back pain (LBP) patients. Degenerative and SpA-related MRI findings in the whole spine and SIJs were evaluated in Spine Centre patients aged 18-40 years with LBP. Among the 1,037 patients, the prevalence of disc degeneration, disc contour changes and vertebral endplate signal (Modic) changes were 87 % (±SEM 1.1), 82 % (±1.2) and 48 % (±1.6). All degenerative spinal findings were most frequent in men and patients aged 30-40 years. Spinal SpA-related MRI findings were rare. In the SIJs, 28 % (±1.4) had at least one MRI finding, with bone marrow oedema being the most common (21 % (±1.3)). SIJ erosions were most prevalent in patients aged 18-29 years and bone marrow oedema in patients aged 30-40 years. SIJ sclerosis and fatty marrow deposition were most common in women. SIJ bone marrow oedema, sclerosis and erosions were most frequent in women indicating pregnancy-related LBP. The high prevalence of SIJ MRI findings associated with age, gender, and pregnancy-related LBP need further investigation of their clinical importance in LBP patients. • The location of vertebral endplate signal changes supports a mechanical aetiology. • Several sacroiliac joint findings were associated with female gender and pregnancy-related back pain. • Sacroiliac joint bone marrow oedema was frequent and age-associated, indicating a possible degenerative aetiology. • More knowledge of the clinical importance of sacroiliac joint MRI findings is needed.

Altered Modulation of Silent Period in Tongue Motor Cortex of Persistent Developmental Stuttering in Relation to Stuttering Severity.

Science.gov (United States)

Busan, Pierpaolo; Del Ben, Giovanni; Bernardini, Simona; Natarelli, Giulia; Bencich, Marco; Monti, Fabrizio; Manganotti, Paolo; Battaglini, Piero Paolo

2016-01-01

Motor balance in developmental stuttering (DS) was investigated with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), with the aim to define novel neural markers of persistent DS in adulthood. Eleven DS adult males were evaluated with TMS on tongue primary motor cortex, compared to 15 matched fluent speakers, in a "state" condition (i.e. stutterers vs. fluent speakers, no overt stuttering). Motor and silent period thresholds (SPT), recruitment curves, and silent period durations were acquired by recording tongue motor evoked potentials. Tongue silent period duration was increased in DS, especially in the left hemisphere (Pstuttering severity. Pre-TMS electromyography data gave overlapping evidence. Findings suggest the existence of a complex intracortical balance in DS tongue primary motor cortex, with a particular interplay between excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms, also in neural substrates related to silent periods. Findings are discussed with respect to functional and structural impairments in stuttering, and are also proposed as novel neural markers of a stuttering "state" in persistent DS, helping to define more focused treatments (e.g. neuro-modulation).

Collapsed tetragonal phase as a strongly covalent and fully nonmagnetic state: Persistent magnetism with interlayer As-As bond formation in Rh-doped Ca0 .8Sr0 .2Fe2As2

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, K.; Glasbrenner, J. K.; Gretarsson, H.; Schmitz, D.; Bednarcik, J.; Etter, M.; Sun, J. P.; Manna, R. S.; Al-Zein, A.; Lafuerza, S.; Scherer, W.; Cheng, J. G.; Gegenwart, P.

2018-02-01

A well-known feature of the CaFe2As2 -based superconductors is the pressure-induced collapsed tetragonal phase that is commonly ascribed to the formation of an interlayer As-As bond. Using detailed x-ray scattering and spectroscopy, we find that Rh-doped Ca0.8Sr0.2Fe2As2 does not undergo a first-order phase transition and that local Fe moments persist despite the formation of interlayer As-As bonds. Our density functional theory calculations reveal that the Fe-As bond geometry is critical for stabilizing magnetism and the pressure-induced drop in the c lattice parameter observed in pure CaFe2As2 is mostly due to a constriction within the FeAs planes. The collapsed tetragonal phase emerges when covalent bonding of strongly hybridized Fe 3 d and As 4 p states completely wins out over their exchange splitting. Thus the collapsed tetragonal phase is properly understood as a strong covalent phase that is fully nonmagnetic with the As-As bond forming as a by-product.

Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome with Transverse Testicular ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Eastham JA, McEvoy K, Sullivan R, Chandrasoma P. A case of simultaneous bilateral nonseminomatous testicular tumors in persistent müllerian duct syndrome. J Urol 1992;148:407-8. 8. Shinmura Y, Yokoi T, Tsutsui Y. A case of clear cell adenocarcinoma of the müllerian duct in persistent müllerian duct syndrome: The first ...

Lymphogranuloma venereum causing a persistent genital ulcer.

Science.gov (United States)

Marcotte, Terrence; Lee, Yer; Pandori, Mark; Jain, Vivek; Cohen, Stephanie Elise

2014-04-01

Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) is a sexually transmitted cause of inguinal lymphadenopathy and proctocolitis. We report a patient with a persistent genital ulcer due to LGV (serovar L2b), an unusual presentation among US men who have sex with men. Lymphogranuloma venereum should be considered when evaluating persistent genital ulcers, and LGV-specific testing should be sought.

Persistent ovarian masses and pregnancy outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Goh, William A; Rincon, Monica; Bohrer, Justin; Tolosa, Jorge E; Sohaey, Roya; Riaño, Rene; Davis, James; Zalud, Ivica

2013-07-01

To determine if persistent ovarian masses in pregnancy are associated with increased adverse outcomes. This is a retrospective cohort of 126 pregnant women with a persistent ovarian mass measuring 5 cm or greater who delivered at two university hospitals between 2001 and 2009. Maternal outcomes included gestational age (GA) at diagnosis, delivery and surgery as well as miscarriage, preterm birth (PTB), ovarian torsion and hospital admission for pain. Neonatal outcomes included birth weight, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), intra-ventricular hemorrhage (IVH), death and sepsis. A total of 1225 ovarian masses were identified (4.9%) in 24,868 patients. A persistent ovarian mass was found in 0.7%. Average GA at diagnosis was 17.8 weeks. Miscarriage rate was 3.3%. Average GA at delivery was 37.9 weeks. Of the patients, 8.5% had ovarian torsion, 10.3% had admission for pain and 9.3% had PTBs. The mean cesarean delivery rate was 46.3%. The average neonatal weight was 3273 g. There was one neonatal death in this cohort. The rate of RDS was 2.8%, IVH 0.9% and neonatal sepsis 1.9%. The most common surgical pathologic diagnosis was dermoids (37.6%). No overt malignancies were seen. A persistent ovarian mass in pregnancy does not confer an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Developing the Precision Magnetic Field for the E989 Muon g{2 Experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Matthias W. [Washington U., Seattle

2017-01-01

The experimental value of $(g\\hbox{--}2)_\\mu$ historically has been and contemporarily remains an important probe into the Standard Model and proposed extensions. Previous measurements of $(g\\hbox{--}2)_\\mu$ exhibit a persistent statistical tension with calculations using the Standard Model implying that the theory may be incomplete and constraining possible extensions. The Fermilab Muon g-2 experiment, E989, endeavors to increase the precision over previous experiments by a factor of four and probe more deeply into the tension with the Standard Model. The $(g\\hbox{--}2)_\\mu$ experimental implementation measures two spin precession frequencies defined by the magnetic field, proton precession and muon precession. The value of $(g\\hbox{--}2)_\\mu$ is derived from a relationship between the two frequencies. The precision of magnetic field measurements and the overall magnetic field uniformity achieved over the muon storage volume are then two undeniably important aspects of the e xperiment in minimizing uncertainty. The current thesis details the methods employed to achieve magnetic field goals and results of the effort.

Lesion progression in post-treatment persistent endodontic lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Victoria Soo Hoon; Messer, Harold Henry; Shen, Liang; Yee, Robert; Hsu, Chin-ying Stephen

2012-10-01

Radiographic lesions related to root-filled teeth may persist for long periods after treatment and are considered to indicate failure of initial treatment. Persistent lesions are found in a proportion of cases, but information on lesion progression is lacking. This study examined the incidence of lesion improvement, remaining unchanged, and deterioration among persistent lesions in a group of patients recruited from a university-based clinic and identified potential predictors for lesion progression. Patients of a university clinic with persistent endodontic lesions at least 4 years since treatment and with original treatment radiographs available were recruited with informed consent. Data were obtained by interview and from dental records and clinical and radiographic examinations. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were carried out by using SPSS (version 19). One hundred fifty-one persistent lesions were identified in 114 patients. A majority of the lesions (107, 70.9%) received treatment between 4 and 5 years prior. Eighty-six lesions (57.0%) improved, 18 (11.9%) remained unchanged, and 47 (31.1%) deteriorated since treatment. Potential predictors for lesions that did not improve included recall lesion size, pain on biting at recall examination, history of a postobturation flare-up, and a non-ideal root-filling length (P < .05). Lesions that had persisted for a longer period appeared less likely to be improving (relative risk, 1.038; 95% confidence interval, 1.000-1.077). A specific time interval alone should not be used to conclude that a lesion will not resolve without intervention. This study identified several clinical factors that are associated with deteriorating persistent lesions, which should aid in identifying lesions that require further intervention. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Living with persistent rheumatoid arthritis: a BARFOT study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bala, Sidona-Valentina; Samuelson, Karin; Hagell, Peter; Fridlund, Bengt; Forslind, Kristina; Svensson, Björn; Thomé, Bibbi

2017-09-01

To describe and understand the meaning of living with persistent rheumatoid arthritis. A considerable number of patients with rheumatoid arthritis live with an ongoing active and symptomatic illness despite access to potent antirheumatic treatment. There is, however, a lack of knowledge about the meaning of living with this severe long-term illness, defined as persistent rheumatoid arthritis. A descriptive design based on a hermeneutic phenomenological method was used. Ten adults with persistent rheumatoid arthritis and at least five years disease duration were interviewed. The interviews were analysed according to van Manen's method. Living with persistent rheumatoid arthritis revealed four overall themes: an existence dominated by painful symptoms and treatment, radical changes and limitations in one's life, a continual struggle to cope with one's life and to master the illness, and a dependency on those who are close by and the world around. The lifeworld was affected to a varying extent and in various ways by the illness but also by the dependence on its treatment and care that was not experienced as sufficiently meeting needs in terms of security, access to and coordination of care as well as team and rehabilitation services. Persistent rheumatoid arthritis and its treatment entail a radical effect on the person's life and quality of life. Current ordinary rheumatology care does not seem to meet the individual needs of the person with persistent rheumatoid arthritis in an optimal way. A greater knowledge about and understanding of the person who lives with persistent rheumatoid arthritis is important for facilitating the development of care and the relief of suffering. A holistic alternative to conventional clinical practice, such as person-centred care, could be tested as an innovative model of care. Our findings might serve as material for educational and counselling purposes for healthcare professionals. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Transposon mutagenesis identifies novel genes associated with Staphylococcus aureus persister formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang ewenjie

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Pathogenic bacterial persisters are responsible for the recalcitrance of chronic and persistent infections to antimicrobial therapy. Although the mechanisms of persister formation and survival have been widely studied in Escherichia coli, persistence mechanisms in S. aureus remain largely unknown. Here, we screened a transposon mutant library of a clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus（MRSA）strain, USA500 (ST8, under antibiotic pressure and identified 13 genes whose insertion mutations resulted in a defect in persistence. These candidate genes were further confirmed by evaluating the survival of the mutants upon exposure to levofloxacin and several other stress conditions. We found 13 insertion mutants with significantly lower persister numbers under several stress conditions, including sdhA, sdhB, ureG, mnhG1, fbaA, ctaB, clpX, parE, HOU_0223, HOU_0587, HOU_2091, HOU_2315 and HOU_2346, which mapped into pathways of oxidative phosphorylation, TCA cycle, glycolysis, cell cycle and ABC transporters, suggesting that these genes and pathways may play an important role in persister formation and survival. The newly constructed knockout strains of ureG, sdhA and sdhB and their complemented strains were also tested for defect in persisters following exposure to levofloxacin and several other stress conditions. The results from these experiments were consistent with the screening results, which indicated that deletion of these genes in MRSA USA500 leads to persister defect. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms of persister formation and survival in S. aureus and offer new targets for the development of persister-directed antibiotics for the improved treatment of chronic and persistent infections.

Starquake-induced Magnetic Field and Torque Evolution in Neutron Stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Link, B.; Franco, L.M.; Epstein, R.I.

1998-01-01

The persistent increases in spin-down rate (offsets) seen to accompany glitches in the Crab and other pulsars suggest increases in the spin-down torque. We interpret these offsets as due to starquakes occurring as the star spins down and the rigid crust becomes less oblate. We study the evolution of strain in the crust, the initiation of starquakes, and possible consequences for magnetic field and torque evolution. Crust cracking occurs as equatorial material shears under the compressive forces arising from the star's decreasing circumference and as matter moves to higher latitudes along a fault inclined to the equator. A starquake is most likely to originate near one of the two points on the rotational equator farthest from the magnetic poles. The material breaks along a fault approximately aligned with the magnetic poles. We suggest that the observed offsets come about when a starquake perturbs the star's mass distribution, producing a misalignment of the angular momentum and spin axes. Subsequently, damped precession to a new rotational state increases the angle α between the rotation and magnetic axes. The resulting increase in external torque appears as a permanent increase in the spin-down rate. Repeated starquakes would continue to increase α, making the pulsar more of an orthogonal rotator. copyright copyright 1998. The American Astronomical Society

The Persistence of Long Work Hours

OpenAIRE

Robert Drago; David Black; Mark Wooden

2005-01-01

Previous research hypothesizes that long working hours are related to consumerism, the ideal worker norm, high levels of human capital, and a high cost-of-job-loss. The authors test these hypotheses using panel data on working hours for an Australian sample of full-time employed workers. Analyses include a static cross-sectional model and a persistence model for long hours over time. The results suggest that long hours (50 or more hours in a usual week) are often persistent, and provide stron...

The Persistence of Profits in Azerbaijan's Banking System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Batu TUNAY

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In this research, the persistence of profits in Azerbaijan's banking sector in the short-run and the long-run is investigated. Although there are a lot of researches done in the case of different countries, enough study has been implemented for the case of Azerbaijan despite of its high speed economic growth. This research analysis continuity of profits by using system panel data method. Obtained results indicate that profits demonstrate no persistence or a little persistence. In this context, existence of competitive powers in the sector can be stated.

Nutrient transitions are a source of persisters in Escherichia coli biofilms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie M Amato

Full Text Available Chronic and recurrent infections have been attributed to persisters in biofilms, and despite this importance, the mechanisms of persister formation in biofilms remain unclear. The plethora of biofilm characteristics that could give rise to persisters, including slower growth, quorum signaling, oxidative stress, and nutrient heterogeneity, have complicated efforts to delineate formation pathways that generate persisters during biofilm development. Here we sought to specifically determine whether nutrient transitions, which are a common metabolic stress encountered within surface-attached communities, stimulate persister formation in biofilms and if so, to then identify the pathway. To accomplish this, we established an experimental methodology where nutrient availability to biofilm cells could be controlled exogenously, and then used that method to discover that diauxic carbon source transitions stimulated persister formation in Escherichia coli biofilms. Previously, we found that carbon source transitions stimulate persister formation in planktonic E. coli cultures, through a pathway that involved ppGpp and nucleoid-associated proteins, and therefore, tested the functionality of that pathway in biofilms. Biofilm persister formation was also found to be dependent on ppGpp and nucleoid-associated proteins, but the importance of specific proteins and enzymes between biofilm and planktonic lifestyles was significantly different. Data presented here support the increasingly appreciated role of ppGpp as a central mediator of bacterial persistence and demonstrate that nutrient transitions can be a source of persisters in biofilms.

Nutrient transitions are a source of persisters in Escherichia coli biofilms.

Science.gov (United States)

Amato, Stephanie M; Brynildsen, Mark P

2014-01-01

Chronic and recurrent infections have been attributed to persisters in biofilms, and despite this importance, the mechanisms of persister formation in biofilms remain unclear. The plethora of biofilm characteristics that could give rise to persisters, including slower growth, quorum signaling, oxidative stress, and nutrient heterogeneity, have complicated efforts to delineate formation pathways that generate persisters during biofilm development. Here we sought to specifically determine whether nutrient transitions, which are a common metabolic stress encountered within surface-attached communities, stimulate persister formation in biofilms and if so, to then identify the pathway. To accomplish this, we established an experimental methodology where nutrient availability to biofilm cells could be controlled exogenously, and then used that method to discover that diauxic carbon source transitions stimulated persister formation in Escherichia coli biofilms. Previously, we found that carbon source transitions stimulate persister formation in planktonic E. coli cultures, through a pathway that involved ppGpp and nucleoid-associated proteins, and therefore, tested the functionality of that pathway in biofilms. Biofilm persister formation was also found to be dependent on ppGpp and nucleoid-associated proteins, but the importance of specific proteins and enzymes between biofilm and planktonic lifestyles was significantly different. Data presented here support the increasingly appreciated role of ppGpp as a central mediator of bacterial persistence and demonstrate that nutrient transitions can be a source of persisters in biofilms.

Persistent genital arousal disorder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eibye, Simone; Jensen, Hans Mørch

2014-01-01

We report a case of a woman suffering from persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) after paroxetine cessation. She was admitted to a psychiatric department and diagnosed with agitated depression. Physical investigation showed no gynaecological or neurological explanation; however, a pelvic MRI...

On the causes of persistent apical periodontitis: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, P N R

2006-04-01

Apical periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder of periradicular tissues caused by aetiological agents of endodontic origin. Persistent apical periodontitis occurs when root canal treatment of apical periodontitis has not adequately eliminated intraradicular infection. Problems that lead to persistent apical periodontitis include: inadequate aseptic control, poor access cavity design, missed canals, inadequate instrumentation, debridement and leaking temporary or permanent restorations. Even when the most stringent procedures are followed, apical periodontitis may still persist as asymptomatic radiolucencies, because of the complexity of the root canal system formed by the main and accessory canals, their ramifications and anastomoses where residual infection can persist. Further, there are extraradicular factors -- located within the inflamed periapical tissue -- that can interfere with post-treatment healing of apical periodontitis. The causes of apical periodontitis persisting after root canal treatment have not been well characterized. During the 1990s, a series of investigations have shown that there are six biological factors that lead to asymptomatic radiolucencies persisting after root canal treatment. These are: (i) intraradicular infection persisting in the complex apical root canal system; (ii) extraradicular infection, generally in the form of periapical actinomycosis; (iii) extruded root canal filling or other exogenous materials that cause a foreign body reaction; (iv) accumulation of endogenous cholesterol crystals that irritate periapical tissues; (v) true cystic lesions, and (vi) scar tissue healing of the lesion. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the causative factors of non-resolving periapical lesions that are seen as asymptomatic radiolucencies post-treatment.

Modeling Real Exchange Rate Persistence in Chile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonardo Salazar

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The long and persistent swings in the real exchange rate have for a long time puzzled economists. Recent models built on imperfect knowledge economics seem to provide a theoretical explanation for this persistence. Empirical results, based on a cointegrated vector autoregressive (CVAR model, provide evidence of error-increasing behavior in prices and interest rates, which is consistent with the persistence observed in the data. The movements in the real exchange rate are compensated by movements in the interest rate spread, which restores the equilibrium in the product market when the real exchange rate moves away from its long-run benchmark value. Fluctuations in the copper price also explain the deviations of the real exchange rate from its long-run equilibrium value.

29 CFR 780.1000 - Scope and significance of interpretative bulletin.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... STANDARDS ACT Employment of Home- workers in Making Wreaths; Exemption From Minimum Wage, Overtime... minimum wage, overtime pay, and child labor provisions of the Act for certain homeworkers employed in... Section 780.1000 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF...

Inflation persistence in African countries: Does inflation targeting matter?

OpenAIRE

Phiri, Andrew

2016-01-01

This study investigates inflation persistence in annual CPI inflation collected between 1994 and 2014 for 46 African countries. We group these countries into panels according to whether they are inflation targeters or not and conduct estimations for pre and post inflation targeting periods. Interestingly enough, we find that inflation persistence was much higher for inflation targeters in periods before adopting their inflation targeting regimes and inflation persistence dropped by 40 percent...

Salt stress-induced transcription of σB- and CtsR-regulated genes in persistent and non-persistent Listeria monocytogenes strains from food processing plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Ringus, Daina L; Ivy, Reid A; Wiedmann, Martin; Boor, Kathryn J

2012-03-01

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that can persist in food processing environments. Six persistent and six non-persistent strains from fish processing plants and one persistent strain from a meat plant were selected to determine if expression of genes in the regulons of two stress response regulators, σ(B) and CtsR, under salt stress conditions is associated with the ability of L. monocytogenes to persist in food processing environments. Subtype data were also used to categorize the strains into genetic lineages I or II. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to measure transcript levels for two σ(B)-regulated genes, inlA and gadD3, and two CtsR-regulated genes, lmo1138 and clpB, before and after (t=10 min) salt shock (i.e., exposure of exponential phase cells to BHI+6% NaCl for 10 min at 37°C). Exposure to salt stress induced higher transcript levels relative to levels under non-stress conditions for all four stress and virulence genes across all wildtype strains tested. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of induction data revealed that transcript levels for one gene (clpB) were induced at significantly higher levels in non-persistent strains compared to persistent strains (p=0.020; two-way ANOVA). Significantly higher transcript levels of gadD3 (p=0.024; two-way ANOVA) and clpB (p=0.053; two-way ANOVA) were observed after salt shock in lineage I strains compared to lineage II strains. No clear association between stress gene transcript levels and persistence was detected. Our data are consistent with an emerging model that proposes that establishment of L. monocytogenes persistence in a specific environment occurs as a random, stochastic event, rather than as a consequence of specific bacterial strain characteristics.

Is corruption really persistent?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seldadyo, H.; de Haan, J.

Theoretical and empirical research on corruption generally concludes that corruption is persistent. However, using International Country Risk Guide data for the period 1984-2008 for 101 countries, we find strong evidence that corruption changes over time. In the present study, corruption levels of

The Default Mode Network as a Biomarker of Persistent Complaints after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Longitudinal Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Horn, Harm J; Scheenen, Myrthe E; de Koning, Myrthe E; Liemburg, Edith J; Spikman, Jacoba M; van der Naalt, Joukje

2017-12-01

The objective of this study was to examine longitudinal functional connectivity of resting-state networks in patients with and without complaints after uncomplicated mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Second, we aimed to determine the value of network connectivity in predicting persistent complaints, anxiety, depression and long-term outcome. Thirty mTBI patients with three or more post-traumatic complaints at 2 weeks post-injury, 19 without complaints, and 20 matched healthy controls were selected for this study. Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) was performed in patients at 1 month and 3 months post-injury, and once in healthy controls. Independent component analysis (ICA) was used to investigate the default mode, executive and salience networks. Persistent post-traumatic complaints, anxiety, and depression were measured at 3 months post-injury, and outcome was determined at 1 year post-injury. Within the group with complaints, higher functional connectivity between the anterior and posterior components of the default mode network at 1 month post-injury was associated with a greater number of complaints at 3 months post-injury (ρ = 0.59, p = 0.001). Minor longitudinal changes in functional connectivity were found for patients with and without complaints after mTBI, which were limited to connectivity within the precuneus component of the default mode network. No significant results were found for the executive and salience networks. Current results suggest that the default mode network may serve as a biomarker of persistent complaints in patients with uncomplicated mTBI.

Persistence of environmental DNA in freshwater ecosystems.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tony Dejean

Full Text Available The precise knowledge of species distribution is a key step in conservation biology. However, species detection can be extremely difficult in many environments, specific life stages and in populations at very low density. The aim of this study was to improve the knowledge on DNA persistence in water in order to confirm the presence of the focus species in freshwater ecosystems. Aquatic vertebrates (fish: Siberian sturgeon and amphibian: Bullfrog tadpoles were used as target species. In control conditions (tanks and in the field (ponds, the DNA detectability decreases with time after the removal of the species source of DNA. DNA was detectable for less than one month in both conditions. The density of individuals also influences the dynamics of DNA detectability in water samples. The dynamics of detectability reflects the persistence of DNA fragments in freshwater ecosystems. The short time persistence of detectable amounts of DNA opens perspectives in conservation biology, by allowing access to the presence or absence of species e.g. rare, secretive, potentially invasive, or at low density. This knowledge of DNA persistence will greatly influence planning of biodiversity inventories and biosecurity surveys.

Energy Savings Lifetimes and Persistence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffman, Ian M. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Schiller, Steven R. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Todd, Annika [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Billingsley, Megan A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Goldman, Charles A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Schwartz, Lisa C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2016-02-01

This technical brief explains the concepts of energy savings lifetimes and savings persistence and discusses how program administrators use these factors to calculate savings for efficiency measures, programs and portfolios. Savings lifetime is the length of time that one or more energy efficiency measures or activities save energy, and savings persistence is the change in savings throughout the functional life of a given efficiency measure or activity. Savings lifetimes are essential for assessing the lifecycle benefits and cost effectiveness of efficiency activities and for forecasting loads in resource planning. The brief also provides estimates of savings lifetimes derived from a national collection of costs and savings for electric efficiency programs and portfolios.

Search along persistent random walks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedrich, Benjamin M

2008-01-01

Optimal search strategies and their implementations in biological systems are a subject of active research. Here we study a search problem which is motivated by the hunt of sperm cells for the egg. We ask for the probability for an active swimmer to find a target under the condition that the swimmer starts at a certain distance from the target. We find that success probability is maximal for a certain level of fluctuations characterized by the persistence length of the swimming path of the swimmer. We derive a scaling law for the optimal persistence length as a function of the initial target distance and search time by mapping the search on a polymer physics problem

Stimulating Conversation: Enhancement of Elicited Propositional Speech in a Patient with Chronic Non-Fluent Aphasia following Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, Roy H.; Sanders, Linda; Benson, Jennifer; Faseyitan, Olufunsho; Norise, Catherine; Naeser, Margaret; Martin, Paula; Coslett, H. Branch

2010-01-01

Although evidence suggests that patients with left hemisphere strokes and non-fluent aphasia who receive 1Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the intact right inferior frontal gyrus experience persistent benefits in naming, it remains unclear whether the effects of rTMS in these patients generalize to other language…

Existence of a component corotating with the earth in high-latitude disturbance magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, A.; Kim, J. S.; Sugiura, M.

1982-01-01

A study of the data from the high-latitude North American IMS network of magnetic stations suggests that there is a component in substorm perturbations that corotates with the earth. It is as yet not certain whether the existence of this component stems from the corotation of a part of the magnetospheric plasma involved in the substorm mechanism or if it is a 'phase change' resulting from the control of the substorm manifestations by the earth's main magnetic field which is not axially symmetric. There are other geophysical phenomena showing a persistence of longitudinal variations corotating with the earth. These phenomena are of significance for a better understanding of ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling.

A bi-stable SOC model for Earth's magnetic field reversals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papa, A.R.R.; Espírito Santo, M.A. do; Barbosa, C.S.; Oliva, D.

2013-01-01

We introduce a simple model for Earth's magnetic field reversals. The model consists in random nodes simulating vortices in the liquid core which through a simple updating algorithm converge to a self-organized critical state, with inter-reversal time probability distributions functions in the form of power-laws for long persistence times (as supposed to be in actual reversals). A detailed description of reversals should not be expected. However, we hope to reach a profounder knowledge on reversals through some of the basic characteristic that are well reproduced. The work opens several future research trends.

Anomalous behavior of cutoff rigidity variation in the region of the Mexico station during a magnetic superstorm on 20 November 2003

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. V. Pchelkin

2007-08-01

Full Text Available The pioneering storm-time model of magnetospheric magnetic field T01S made possible trajectory calculations for the events of giant magnetic storms. We have performed such calculations for a unique magnetic storm on 20 November 2003. In our previous paper, Belov et al. (2005, dedicated to the magnetospheric effects of cosmic rays (CR during this storm, we revealed an anomalous behavior of a cutoff rigidity variation at the Mexico station. Here, by trajectory calculations, we demonstrate that this peculiarity persists in the latitudinal and longitudinal curves of cutoff rigidity (Rc for both quiet and storm-time conditions and thus should be considered as physically meaningful.

The Enigmatic Persistence of Anorexia Nervosa

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, B. Timothy

2014-01-01

Objective In this review, based on recent advances in cognitive neuroscience, the author presents a formulation in which the marked persistence of anorexia nervosa can be usefully understood as a well-ingrained maladaptive habit. Method The author reviewed the relevant literature on the development and course of anorexia nervosa and interpreted critical features in light of developments in cognitive neuroscience. Results Anorexia nervosa is a well characterized disorder with remarkable persistence both across history and among affected individuals. Food restriction, the salient behavioral feature of the disorder, often begins innocently but gradually takes on a life of its own. Over time, it becomes highly entrenched and resistant to change through either psychological or pharmacological treatment. Cognitive neuroscience has described two related but distinct processes that underlie the acquisition of new patterns of behavior, namely, action-outcome and stimulus-response learning. It is likely that both processes are engaged in the development of anorexia nervosa and that stimulus-response learning (that is, habit formation) is critical to the persistence of the dieting behavior. Conclusions The formulation of the dieting behavior characteristic of anorexia nervosa as a well-entrenched habit provides a basis for understanding the striking persistence of this disorder. This model helps explain the resistance of anorexia nervosa to interventions that have established efficacy in related disorders and implies that addressing the dieting behavior is critical, especially early in the course of the illness, before it has become ingrained. PMID:23429750

Extending and implementing the Persistent ID pillars

Science.gov (United States)

Car, Nicholas; Golodoniuc, Pavel; Klump, Jens

2017-04-01

The recent double decade anniversary of scholarly persistent identifier use has triggered journal special editions such as "20 Years of Persistent Identifiers". For such a publication, it is apt to consider the longevity of some persistent identifier (PID) mechanisms (Digital Object Identifiers) and the partial disappearance of others (Life Sciences IDs). We have previously postulated a set of "PID Pillars" [1] which are design principles aimed at ensuring PIDs can survive technology and social change and thus persist for the long term that we have drawn from our observations of PIDs at work over many years. The principles: describe how to ensure identifiers' system and organisation independence; codify the delivery of essential PID system functions; mandate a separation of PID functions from data delivery mechanisms; and require generation of policies detailing how change is handled. In this presentation, first we extend on our previous work of introducing the pillars by refining their descriptions, giving specific suggestions for each and presenting some work that addresses them. Second, we propose a baseline data model for persistent identifiers that, if used, would assist the separation of PID metadata and PID system functioning. This would allow PID system function specifics to change over time (e.g. resolver services or even resolution protocols) and yet preserve the PIDs themselves. Third, we detail our existing PID system — the PID Service [2] — that partially implements the pillars and describe both its successes and shortcomings. Finally, we describe our planned next-generation system that will aim to use the baseline data model and fully implement the pillars.

Reflections on Student Persistence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent Tinto

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The Feature for this issue Reflections on Student Persistence has been prepared by Professor Vincent Tinto, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at Syracuse University, United States of America (USA and a longtime friend and supporter of STARS. Vincent explores the case for motivation to be considered as a significant aspect of the tertiary student psyche by drawing on theoretical frameworks, research and practical experiences related to the issue. He synthesises this extensive, detailed, rich but often somewhat impenetrable data into a trilogy of clear and credible key dimensions of the motivation construct student self efficacy, sense of belonging and perceived value of the curriculum. This interpretation of the literature is a personal but informed reflection and is a timely piece which highlights the breadth and profundity of the presentations at this year's conference in Adelaide, Australia where students in all their diversity are central to our focus on enhancing the student experience. In this opening article, Vincent refers directly to the STARS papers selected for this Conference issue of the Journal which also address the importance of student persistence, self-efficacy and building the sense of belonging within their own institutional communities (Fernandes, Ford, Rayner & Pretorius; Kahu, Nelson, & Picton; McFarlane, Spes-Skrbis & Taib; Naylor; Smallhorn. Echoing his position on social justice and his advocacy for underserved students, Vincent reminds us that educational equity gaps still exist, and he encourages us to see the issue of persistence through the eyes of the students to support their perseverance and completion and thereby help reduce educational disadvantage.

Entropy measurements in paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cervigón, R; Moreno, J; Pérez-Villacastín, J; Reilly, R B; Millet, J; Castells, F

2010-01-01

Recent studies on atrial fibrillation (AF) have identified different activation patterns in paroxysmal and persistent AF. In this study, bipolar intra-atrial registers from 28 patients (14 paroxysmal AF and 14 persistent AF) were analyzed in order to find out regional differences in the organization in both types of arrhythmias. The organization of atrial electrical activity was assessed in terms of nonlinear parameters, such as entropy measurements. Results showed differences between the atrial chambers with a higher disorganization in the left atrium in paroxysmal AF patients and a more homogenous behavior along the atria in persistent AF patients

Solar Coronal Loops Associated with Small-scale Mixed Polarity Surface Magnetic Fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chitta, L. P.; Peter, H.; Solanki, S. K.; Barthol, P.; Gandorfer, A.; Gizon, L.; Hirzberger, J.; Riethmüller, T. L.; Noort, M. van; Rodríguez, J. Blanco; Iniesta, J. C. Del Toro; Suárez, D. Orozco; Schmidt, W.; Pillet, V. Martínez; Knölker, M.

2017-01-01

How and where are coronal loops rooted in the solar lower atmosphere? The details of the magnetic environment and its evolution at the footpoints of coronal loops are crucial to understanding the processes of mass and energy supply to the solar corona. To address the above question, we use high-resolution line-of-sight magnetic field data from the Imaging Magnetograph eXperiment instrument on the Sunrise balloon-borne observatory and coronal observations from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory of an emerging active region. We find that the coronal loops are often rooted at the locations with minor small-scale but persistent opposite-polarity magnetic elements very close to the larger dominant polarity. These opposite-polarity small-scale elements continually interact with the dominant polarity underlying the coronal loop through flux cancellation. At these locations we detect small inverse Y-shaped jets in chromospheric Ca ii H images obtained from the Sunrise Filter Imager during the flux cancellation. Our results indicate that magnetic flux cancellation and reconnection at the base of coronal loops due to mixed polarity fields might be a crucial feature for the supply of mass and energy into the corona.

Solar Coronal Loops Associated with Small-scale Mixed Polarity Surface Magnetic Fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chitta, L. P.; Peter, H.; Solanki, S. K.; Barthol, P.; Gandorfer, A.; Gizon, L.; Hirzberger, J.; Riethmüller, T. L.; Noort, M. van [Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen (Germany); Rodríguez, J. Blanco [Grupo de Astronomía y Ciencias del Espacio, Universidad de Valencia, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia (Spain); Iniesta, J. C. Del Toro; Suárez, D. Orozco [Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC), Apartado de Correos 3004, E-18080 Granada (Spain); Schmidt, W. [Kiepenheuer-Institut für Sonnenphysik, Schöneckstr. 6, D-79104 Freiburg (Germany); Pillet, V. Martínez [National Solar Observatory, 3665 Discovery Drive, Boulder, CO 80303 (United States); Knölker, M., E-mail: chitta@mps.mpg.de [High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000 (United States)

2017-03-01

How and where are coronal loops rooted in the solar lower atmosphere? The details of the magnetic environment and its evolution at the footpoints of coronal loops are crucial to understanding the processes of mass and energy supply to the solar corona. To address the above question, we use high-resolution line-of-sight magnetic field data from the Imaging Magnetograph eXperiment instrument on the Sunrise balloon-borne observatory and coronal observations from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory of an emerging active region. We find that the coronal loops are often rooted at the locations with minor small-scale but persistent opposite-polarity magnetic elements very close to the larger dominant polarity. These opposite-polarity small-scale elements continually interact with the dominant polarity underlying the coronal loop through flux cancellation. At these locations we detect small inverse Y-shaped jets in chromospheric Ca ii H images obtained from the Sunrise Filter Imager during the flux cancellation. Our results indicate that magnetic flux cancellation and reconnection at the base of coronal loops due to mixed polarity fields might be a crucial feature for the supply of mass and energy into the corona.

Multiresolution persistent homology for excessively large biomolecular datasets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xia, Kelin; Zhao, Zhixiong [Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (United States); Wei, Guo-Wei, E-mail: wei@math.msu.edu [Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (United States); Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (United States); Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (United States)

2015-10-07

Although persistent homology has emerged as a promising tool for the topological simplification of complex data, it is computationally intractable for large datasets. We introduce multiresolution persistent homology to handle excessively large datasets. We match the resolution with the scale of interest so as to represent large scale datasets with appropriate resolution. We utilize flexibility-rigidity index to access the topological connectivity of the data set and define a rigidity density for the filtration analysis. By appropriately tuning the resolution of the rigidity density, we are able to focus the topological lens on the scale of interest. The proposed multiresolution topological analysis is validated by a hexagonal fractal image which has three distinct scales. We further demonstrate the proposed method for extracting topological fingerprints from DNA molecules. In particular, the topological persistence of a virus capsid with 273 780 atoms is successfully analyzed which would otherwise be inaccessible to the normal point cloud method and unreliable by using coarse-grained multiscale persistent homology. The proposed method has also been successfully applied to the protein domain classification, which is the first time that persistent homology is used for practical protein domain analysis, to our knowledge. The proposed multiresolution topological method has potential applications in arbitrary data sets, such as social networks, biological networks, and graphs.

Hyperthyroidism as a cause of persistent vomiting.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoogendoorn, E H; Cools, B M

2004-09-01

A 32-year-old woman presented with persistent vomiting, epigastric pain and weight loss. A sinus tachycardia was the clue to the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease. On treatment with propylthiouracil and a beta-blocking agent, her symptoms resolved within one day, even though her free thyroxine level was still high. Hyperthyroidism is an uncommon, but previously reported cause of persistent vomiting.

Hyperthyroidism as a cause of persistent vomiting.

OpenAIRE

Hoogendoorn, E.H.; Cools, B.M.

2004-01-01

A 32-year-old woman presented with persistent vomiting, epigastric pain and weight loss. A sinus tachycardia was the clue to the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease. On treatment with propylthiouracil and a beta-blocking agent, her symptoms resolved within one day, even though her free thyroxine level was still high. Hyperthyroidism is an uncommon, but previously reported cause of persistent vomiting.

Multiscale Persistent Functions for Biomolecular Structure Characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xia, Kelin [Nanyang Technological University (Singapore). Division of Mathematical Sciences, School of Physical, Mathematical Sciences and School of Biological Sciences; Li, Zhiming [Central China Normal University, Wuhan (China). Key Laboratory of Quark and Lepton Physics (MOE) and Institute of Particle Physics; Mu, Lin [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Computer Science and Mathematics Division

2017-11-02

Here in this paper, we introduce multiscale persistent functions for biomolecular structure characterization. The essential idea is to combine our multiscale rigidity functions (MRFs) with persistent homology analysis, so as to construct a series of multiscale persistent functions, particularly multiscale persistent entropies, for structure characterization. To clarify the fundamental idea of our method, the multiscale persistent entropy (MPE) model is discussed in great detail. Mathematically, unlike the previous persistent entropy (Chintakunta et al. in Pattern Recognit 48(2):391–401, 2015; Merelli et al. in Entropy 17(10):6872–6892, 2015; Rucco et al. in: Proceedings of ECCS 2014, Springer, pp 117–128, 2016), a special resolution parameter is incorporated into our model. Various scales can be achieved by tuning its value. Physically, our MPE can be used in conformational entropy evaluation. More specifically, it is found that our method incorporates in it a natural classification scheme. This is achieved through a density filtration of an MRF built from angular distributions. To further validate our model, a systematical comparison with the traditional entropy evaluation model is done. Additionally, it is found that our model is able to preserve the intrinsic topological features of biomolecular data much better than traditional approaches, particularly for resolutions in the intermediate range. Moreover, by comparing with traditional entropies from various grid sizes, bond angle-based methods and a persistent homology-based support vector machine method (Cang et al. in Mol Based Math Biol 3:140–162, 2015), we find that our MPE method gives the best results in terms of average true positive rate in a classic protein structure classification test. More interestingly, all-alpha and all-beta protein classes can be clearly separated from each other with zero error only in our model. Finally, a special protein structure index (PSI) is proposed, for the first

The Economy of Persistence: Mario the Tailor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prudence Black

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Mario Conte has had a tailor shop in King Street, Newtown since the mid 1960s. Taking an interview with Mario as its point of departure, this article describes the persistence of a skilled worker whose practices and techniques remain the same in a world that has long changed. While inattentive to what rules might be used to decorate a shop window, Mario continues to make and sew in the way that he learnt in post-war Italy. Mario’s persistence could be described as all the skills and other elements that need to be in place to keep him working, in particular the tradition of tailoring techniques he has remained true to over the last fifty years. The hand stitching of his tailoring is like a metronome of that persistence.

Association of Hospitalization for Neurosurgical Operations in Magnet Hospitals With Mortality and Length of Stay.

Science.gov (United States)

Missios, Symeon; Bekelis, Kimon

2018-03-01

The association of Magnet hospital status with improved surgical outcomes remains an issue of debate. To investigate whether hospitalization in a Magnet hospital is associated with improved outcomes for patients undergoing neurosurgical operations. A cohort study was executed using all patients undergoing neurosurgical operations in New York registered in the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database from 2009 to 2013. We examined the association of Magnet status hospitalization after neurosurgical operations with inpatient case fatality and length of stay (LOS). We employed an instrumental variable analysis to simulate a randomized trial. Overall, 190 787 patients underwent neurosurgical operations. Of these, 68 046 (35.7%) were hospitalized in Magnet hospitals, and 122 741 (64.3%) in non-Magnet institutions. Instrumental variable analysis demonstrated that hospitalization in Magnet hospitals was associated with decreased case fatality (adjusted difference, -0.8%; -95% confidence interval, -0.7% to -0.6%), and LOS (adjusted difference, -1.9; 95% confidence interval, -2.2 to -1.5) in comparison to non-Magnet hospitals. These associations were also observed in propensity score adjusted mixed effects models. These associations persisted in prespecified subgroups of patients undergoing spine surgery, craniotomy for tumor resection, or neurovascular interventions. We identified an association of Magnet hospitals with lower case fatality, and shorter LOS in a comprehensive New York State patient cohort undergoing neurosurgical procedures. Copyright © 2017 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons

Cortical dynamics of feature binding and reset: control of visual persistence.

Science.gov (United States)

Francis, G; Grossberg, S; Mingolla, E

1994-04-01

An analysis of the reset of visual cortical circuits responsible for the binding or segmentation of visual features into coherent visual forms yields a model that explains properties of visual persistence. The reset mechanisms prevent massive smearing of visual percepts in response to rapidly moving images. The model simulates relationships among psychophysical data showing inverse relations of persistence to flash luminance and duration, greater persistence of illusory contours than real contours, a U-shaped temporal function for persistence of illusory contours, a reduction of persistence due to adaptation with a stimulus of like orientation, an increase of persistence with spatial separation of a masking stimulus. The model suggests that a combination of habituative, opponent, and endstopping mechanisms prevent smearing and limit persistence. Earlier work with the model has analyzed data about boundary formation, texture segregation, shape-from-shading, and figure-ground separation. Thus, several types of data support each model mechanism and new predictions are made.

Speed Sensorless Control of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors in Mine Electric Locomotive Drive

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yudong LI

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel sensorless control method of permanent magnet synchronous motors a low speed based on a high-frequency voltage signal injection. The approach superimposes a persistent HF voltage signal into the estimated d-axis to get the rotor position error angle-related signal by detecting the corresponding voltage response and current response. Then the rotor position and motor speed are obtained. Theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate that the approach can achieve sensorless control of permanent magnet synchronous motors at zero and low speed, ensure good dynamic and static performances, and achieve effective control when applied to servo system. Finally, a test prototype system which used a digital signal processor and space vector pulse width modulation technology has been developed. Experimental results show that the system has better static, the effectiveness and dynamic performance of the adaptive test signals in a sensorless controlled surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous machines.

Persistent puhnonary hypertension ofthe neonate in a developing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

'PFC syndrome (persistence ofthe feral circulation). Circulation 1969; 40: Ill. 2. Fox WW, Duara S. Persistent pulmonary hypertension in the neonate: diagnosis and management. J Pediatr 1983; 103: 505-. 508. 3. Dworetz AR, Moya FR, Sabo B, Gladstone I, Gross 1. Survival of infants with persisteot pulmonary hypertension ...

Persistence and vulnerability: retaining biodiversity in the landscape ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

An objective of biodiversity conservation activities is to minimize the exposure of biodiversity features to threatening processes and to ensure, as far as possible, that biodiversity persists in the landscape. We discuss how issues of vulnerability and persistence can and should be addressed at all stages of the conservation.

Supporting Academic Persistence in Low-Skilled Adult Learners

Science.gov (United States)

O'Neill, Susan; Thomson, Margareta Maria

2013-01-01

The current literature review explores the factors that contribute to academic persistence for adult learners. The aim of the study is to identify current research-based strategies aimed at supporting learner persistence, particularly for low-skilled adults. Elements of three theoretical frameworks, namely, expectancy-value theory (EVT), goal…

Cyclotron resonance in InAs/AlSb quantum wells in magnetic fields up to 45 T

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spirin, K. E., E-mail: spirink@ipmras.ru; Krishtopenko, S. S. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Physics of Microstructures (Russian Federation); Sadofyev, Yu. G. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Lebedev Physical Institute (Russian Federation); Drachenko, O. [Laboratoire National des Champs Magn’etiques Intenses (France); Helm, M. [Forschungszentrum Dresden–Rossendorf, Dresden High-Magnetic-Field Laboratory and Institute of Ion-Beam Physics and Materials Research (Germany); Teppe, F.; Knap, W. [GIS-TERALAB Universite Montpellier II, Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR CNRS 5221 (L2C) (France); Gavrilenko, V. I. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Physics of Microstructures (Russian Federation)

2015-12-15

Electron cyclotron resonance in InAs/AlSb heterostructures with quantum wells of various widths in pulsed magnetic fields up to 45 T are investigated. Our experimental cyclotron energies are in satisfactory agreement with the results of theoretical calculations performed using the eight-band kp Hamiltonian. The shift of the cyclotron resonance (CR) line, which corresponds to the transition from the lowest Landau level to the low magnetic-field region, is found upon varying the electron concentration due to the negative persistent photoconductivity effect. It is shown that the observed shift of the CR lines is associated with the finite width of the density of states at the Landau levels.

Persistence of slow fluctuations in the overdoped regime of Ba(Fe_1-xRh_x)₂As₂ superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bossoni, L. [Univ. of Pavia (Italy); Leiden Univ. (Netherlands); Moroni, M. [Univ. of Pavia (Italy); Julien, M. H. [Leiden Univ. (Netherlands); Canfield, Paul C. [Ames Lab. and Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States); Mayaffre, H. [Leiden Univ. (Netherlands); Reyes, A. [National High Magnetic Field Lab., Tallahassee, FL (United States); Halperin, W. P. [Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States); Carretta, P. [Univ. of Pavia (Italy)

2016-04-15

We present nuclear magnetic resonance evidence that very slow (1 MHz) spin fluctuations persist into the overdoped regime of Ba(Fe_1-xRh_x)₂As₂ superconductors. Measurements of the ⁷⁵As spin echo decay rate, obtained both with Hahn Echo and Carr Purcell Meiboom Gill pulse sequences, show that the slowing down of spin uctuations can be described by short-range diffusive dynamics, likely involving domain walls motions separating (π/a, 0) from (0, π/a) correlated regions. This slowing down of the fluctuations is weakly sensitive to the external magnetic field and, although fading away with doping, it extends deeply into the overdoped regime.

Coral reef fish populations can persist without immigration

KAUST Repository

Salles, Océane C.

2015-11-18

Determining the conditions under which populations may persist requires accurate estimates of demographic parameters, including immigration, local reproductive success, and mortality rates. In marine populations, empirical estimates of these parameters are rare, due at least in part to the pelagic dispersal stage common to most marine organisms. Here, we evaluate population persistence and turnover for a population of orange clownfish, Amphiprion percula, at Kimbe Island in Papua New Guinea. All fish in the population were sampled and genotyped on five occasions at 2-year intervals spanning eight years. The genetic data enabled estimates of reproductive success retained in the same population (reproductive success to self-recruitment), reproductive success exported to other subpopulations (reproductive success to local connectivity), and immigration and mortality rates of sub-adults and adults. Approximately 50% of the recruits were assigned to parents from the Kimbe Island population and this was stable through the sampling period. Stability in the proportion of local and immigrant settlers is likely due to: low annual mortality rates and stable egg production rates, and the short larval stages and sensory capacities of reef fish larvae. Biannual mortality rates ranged from 0.09 to 0.55 and varied significantly spatially. We used these data to parametrize a model that estimated the probability of the Kimbe Island population persisting in the absence of immigration. The Kimbe Island population was found to persist without significant immigration. Model results suggest the island population persists because the largest of the subpopulations are maintained due to having low mortality and high self-recruitment rates. Our results enable managers to appropriately target and scale actions to maximize persistence likelihood as disturbance frequencies increase.

Neural processes underlying cultural differences in cognitive persistence.

Science.gov (United States)

Telzer, Eva H; Qu, Yang; Lin, Lynda C

2017-08-01

Self-improvement motivation, which occurs when individuals seek to improve upon their competence by gaining new knowledge and improving upon their skills, is critical for cognitive, social, and educational adjustment. While many studies have delineated the neural mechanisms supporting extrinsic motivation induced by monetary rewards, less work has examined the neural processes that support intrinsically motivated behaviors, such as self-improvement motivation. Because cultural groups traditionally vary in terms of their self-improvement motivation, we examined cultural differences in the behavioral and neural processes underlying motivated behaviors during cognitive persistence in the absence of extrinsic rewards. In Study 1, 71 American (47 females, M=19.68 years) and 68 Chinese (38 females, M=19.37 years) students completed a behavioral cognitive control task that required cognitive persistence across time. In Study 2, 14 American and 15 Chinese students completed the same cognitive persistence task during an fMRI scan. Across both studies, American students showed significant declines in cognitive performance across time, whereas Chinese participants demonstrated effective cognitive persistence. These behavioral effects were explained by cultural differences in self-improvement motivation and paralleled by increasing activation and functional coupling between the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and ventral striatum (VS) across the task among Chinese participants, neural activation and coupling that remained low in American participants. These findings suggest a potential neural mechanism by which the VS and IFG work in concert to promote cognitive persistence in the absence of extrinsic rewards. Thus, frontostriatal circuitry may be a neurobiological signal representing intrinsic motivation for self-improvement that serves an adaptive function, increasing Chinese students' motivation to engage in cognitive persistence. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights

Demonstration of persistent contamination of a cooked egg product production facility with Salmonella enterica serovar Tennessee and characterization of the persistent strain.

Science.gov (United States)

Jakočiūnė, D; Bisgaard, M; Pedersen, K; Olsen, J E

2014-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether continuous contamination of light pasteurized egg products with Salmonella enterica serovar Tennessee (S. Tennessee) at a large European producer of industrial egg products was caused by persistent contamination of the production facility and to characterize the persistent strains. Seventy-three S. Tennessee isolates collected from products over a 3-year period with intermittent contamination, and 15 control strains were compared by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using two enzymes. Forty-five case isolates distributed throughout the full period were shown to belong to one profile type. Isolates representing different PFGE profiles were all assigned to ST 319 by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The case isolates did not show a higher ability to form biofilm on a plastic surface than noncase isolates. Characteristically, members of the persistent clone were weak producers of H2 S in laboratory medium. S. Tennessee isolated from the case was able to grow better in pasteurized egg product compared with other serovars investigated. It was concluded that the contamination was caused by a persistent strain in the production facility and that this strain apparently had adapted to grow in the relevant egg product. S. Tennessee has previously been associated with persistence in hatching facilities. This is the first report of persistent contamination of an egg production facility with this serovar. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Ferrian Ilmenites: Investigating the Magnetic Phase Diagram

Science.gov (United States)

Lagroix, F.

2007-12-01

-dependent quadrature susceptbility peak at 30K which is most likely associated with the spin glass like state. Time-dependant DC and AC induced magnetization experiments provide convincing evidence and help define the range of temperatures over which the behaviour persists.

L^2-Betti numbers of rigid C*-tensor categories and discrete quantum groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kyed, David; Raum, Sven; Vaes, Stefaan

2017-01-01

of the representation category $Rep(G)$ and thus, in particular, invariant under monoidal equivalence. As an application, we obtain several new computations of $L^2$-Betti numbers for discrete quantum groups, including the quantum permutation groups and the free wreath product groups. Finally, we obtain upper bounds...

Lactase Non-persistence and Lactose Intolerance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayless, Theodore M; Brown, Elizabeth; Paige, David M

2017-05-01

To evaluate the clinical and nutritional significance of genetically determined lactase non-persistence and potential lactose and milk intolerance in 65-70% of the world's adult population. Milk consumption is decreasing in the USA and is the lowest in countries with a high prevalence of lactase non-persistence. The dairy industry and Minnesota investigators have made efforts to minimize the influence of lactose intolerance on milk consumption. Some lactose intolerant individuals, without co-existent irritable bowel syndrome, are able to consume a glass of milk with a meal with no or minor symptoms. The high frequency of lactase persistence in offspring of Northern European countries and in some nomadic African tribes is due to mutations in the promoter of the lactase gene in association with survival advantage of milk drinking. Educational and commercial efforts to improve calcium and Vitamin D intake have focused on urging consumption of tolerable amounts of milk with a meal, use of lowered lactose-content foods including hard cheeses, yogurt, and lactose-hydrolyzed milk products.

Persistent physical symptoms as perceptual dysregulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henningsen, Peter; Gündel, Harald; Kop, Willem J

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The mechanisms underlying the perception and experience of persistent physical symptoms are not well understood, and in the models, the specific relevance of peripheral input versus central processing, or of neurobiological versus psychosocial factors in general, is not clear.In this a......OBJECTIVE: The mechanisms underlying the perception and experience of persistent physical symptoms are not well understood, and in the models, the specific relevance of peripheral input versus central processing, or of neurobiological versus psychosocial factors in general, is not clear.......In this article, we propose a model for this clinical phenomenon that is designed to be coherent with an underlying, relatively new model of the normal brain functions involved in the experience of bodily signals. METHODS: Based on a review of recent literature we describe central elements of this model and its...... of predictions and sensory input. Two possibilities exist: adaptation of the generative model underlying the predictions or alteration of the sensory input via autonomic nervous activation (in the case of interoception). Following this model, persistent physical symptoms can be described as "failures...

Adolescents' experience of complex persistent pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Sørensen, Kari; Christiansen, Bjørg

2017-04-01

Persistent (chronic) pain is a common phenomenon in adolescents. When young people are referred to a pain clinic, they usually have amplified pain signals, with pain syndromes of unconfirmed ethology, such as fibromyalgia and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Pain is complex and seems to be related to a combination of illness, injury, psychological distress, and environmental factors. These young people are found to have higher levels of distress, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and lower mood than their peers and may be in danger of entering adulthood with mental and physical problems. In order to understand the complexity of persistent pain in adolescents, there seems to be a need for further qualitative research into their lived experiences. The aim of this study was to explore adolescents' experiences of complex persistent pain and its impact on everyday life. The study has an exploratory design with individual in-depth interviews with six youths aged 12-19, recruited from a pain clinic at a main referral hospital in Norway. A narrative approach allowed the informants to give voice to their experiences concerning complex persistent pain. A hermeneutic analysis was used, where the research question was the basis for a reflective interpretation. Three main themes were identified: (1) a life with pain and unpleasant bodily expressions; (2) an altered emotional wellbeing; and (3) the struggle to keep up with everyday life. The pain was experienced as extremely strong, emerging from a minor injury or without any obvious causation, and not always being recognised by healthcare providers. The pain intensity increased as the suffering got worse, and the sensation was hard to describe with words. Parts of their body could change in appearance, and some described having pain-attacks or fainting. The feeling of anxiety was strongly connected to the pain. Despair and uncertainty contributed to physical disability, major sleep problems, school absence, and withdrawal from

Screening of the field of a static charge in an anisotropic magnetized plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arsenin, V.V.; Puzitskii, M.L.

1991-01-01

The field of a static charge placed in an equilibrium plasma is screened at a distance of the order of the Debye radius. Debye screening occurs both with and without an external magnetic field. This property also persists when the plasma is not an equilibrium plasma but the velocity distribution function of the particles is isotropic (the screening radius in this case contains the characteristic value of the energy instead of the temperature). The situation can change if the distribution is anisotropic. First, the drop in the field can become non-Debye. In particular, in an unmagnetized plasma some distribution functions are characterized by a power-law decrease of the field. Second, a static test charge induces a magnetic as well as an electrostatic field in an anisotropic plasma. In this communication the authors describe the anomalies of screening of the field of a static charge in a magnetized plasma. For definiteness they consider a situation (typical, e.g., of magnetic mirror systems) when the ionic component is anisotropic. The simplifications for the sake of computations are limited to the case of a charge which extends along the magnetic field and only harmonics much longer than the Debye length are significant in the Fourier expansion of the density of this charge in the longitudinal coordinate

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in Mn2VIn (001) films: An ab initio study

Science.gov (United States)

Zipporah, Muthui; Robinson, Musembi; Julius, Mwabora; Arti, Kashyap

2018-05-01

First principles study of the magnetic anisotropy of Mn2VIn (001) films show perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), which increases as a function of the thickness of the film. Density functional theory (DFT) as implemented in the Vienna Ab initio simulation package (VASP) is employed here to perform a comprehensive theoretical investigation of the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of the Mn2VIn(001) films of varying thickness. Our calculations were performed on fully relaxed structures, with five to seventeen mono layers (ML). The degree of spin polarization is higher in the (001) Mn2VIn thin films as compared to the bulk in contrast to what is usually the case and as in Mn2VAl, which is isoelectronic to Mn2VIn as well as inCo2VIn (001) films studied for comparison. Tetragonal distortions are found in all the systems after relaxation. The distortion in the Mn2VIn system persists even for the 17ML thin film, resulting in PMA in the Mn2VIn system. This significant finding has potential to contribute to spin transfer torque (STT) and magnetic random access memory MRAM applications, as materials with PMA derived from volume magnetocrystalline anisotropy are being proposed as ideal magnetic electrodes.

Prevalence of Persistent Proteinuria using Urine Protein/Creatinine ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Age and social class did not contribute significantly to having persistent proteinuria. Conclusion: The prevalence of persistent proteinuria in these asymptomatic children using UPC ratio was almost similar to the repeat urinalysis done after two weeks. It is hereby recommended that where UPC ratio is not available a positive ...

Persistence and extinction for a stochastic logistic model with infinite delay

OpenAIRE

Chun Lu; Xiaohua Ding

2013-01-01

This article, studies a stochastic logistic model with infinite delay. Using a phase space, we establish sufficient conditions for the extinction, nonpersistence in the mean, weak persistence, and stochastic permanence. A threshold between weak persistence and extinction is obtained. Our results state that different types of environmental noises have different effects on the persistence and extinction, and that the delay has no impact on the persistence and ext...

Trends in prescribing and persistence with antihypertensive therapy: results of the study PAPEETE (Population-based Analysis of Persistence and Economics of treatment with telmisartan study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Vittorio Costa

2009-12-01

Full Text Available This paper summarizes the results of the PAPEETE study (Population-based Analysis of PErsistence with treatment and Economics of TElmisartan that assessed trends in prescriptions, determinants and timing of treatment discontinuation and/or changes in antihypertensive drug therapy in a cohort of hypertensive patients living in Pavia. In the study were included all new users 18 years old or over receiving a first prescription for diuretics, beta-blockers, calcium channel-blockers, ACE inhibitors (ACEi or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2006. The follow-up period for each patient was 12 months starting from enrolment date. Based in the presence of continuous therapy, patients were defined as persistent and non-persistent users. A total of 61,493 patients was included in the study of whom 11.2% were persistent. Persistence with the treatment seems to be associated with patient-related factors and with the class of anti-hypertensive drug initially prescribed with the lowest persistence to antihypertensive treatment with diuretics (3.0% and the highest with ARBs (18.8%.

Optical decoherence and persistent spectral hole burning in Tm{sup 3+}:LiNbO{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thiel, C.W., E-mail: thiel@physics.montana.ed [Department of Physics, Montana State University, EPS 264, Bozeman, MT 59717 (United States); Spectrum Lab, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 (United States); Sun, Y. [Department of Physics, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 (United States); Boettger, T. [Department of Physics, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94117 (United States); Babbitt, W.R. [Department of Physics, Montana State University, EPS 264, Bozeman, MT 59717 (United States); Spectrum Lab, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 (United States); Cone, R.L. [Department of Physics, Montana State University, EPS 264, Bozeman, MT 59717 (United States)

2010-09-15

We report studies of decoherence and spectral hole burning for the 794 nm optical transition of thulium-doped lithium niobate. In addition to transient spectral holes due to the {sup 3}H{sub 4} and {sup 3}F{sub 4} excited states of Tm{sup 3+}, persistent spectral holes with lifetimes of up to minutes were observed when a magnetic field of a few hundred Gauss was applied. The observed anti-hole structure identified the hole burning mechanism as population storage in the {sup 169}Tm nuclear hyperfine levels. In addition, the magnetic field was effective in suppressing spectral diffusion, increasing the phase memory lifetime from 11 {mu}s at zero field to 23 {mu}s in a field of 320 Gauss applied along the crystal's c-axis. Coupling between Tm{sup 3+} and the {sup 7}Li and {sup 93}Nb spins in the host lattice was also observed and a quadrupole shift of 22 kHz was measured for {sup 7}Li at 1.7 K. A Stark shift of 18 kHz cm/V was measured for the optical transition with the electric field applied parallel to the c-axis.

Persistence of metastable vortex lattice domains in MgB2 in the presence of vortex motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Rastovski, C; Schlesinger, K J; Gannon, W J; Dewhurst, C D; DeBeer-Schmitt, L; Zhigadlo, N D; Karpinski, J; Eskildsen, M R

2013-09-06

Recently, extensive vortex lattice metastability was reported in MgB2 in connection with a second-order rotational phase transition. However, the mechanism responsible for these well-ordered metastable vortex lattice phases is not well understood. Using small-angle neutron scattering, we studied the vortex lattice in MgB2 as it was driven from a metastable to the ground state through a series of small changes in the applied magnetic field. Our results show that metastable vortex lattice domains persist in the presence of substantial vortex motion and directly demonstrate that the metastability is not due to vortex pinning. Instead, we propose that it is due to the jamming of counterrotated vortex lattice domains which prevents a rotation to the ground state orientation.

Toward Rechargeable Persistent Luminescence for the First and Third Biological Windows via Persistent Energy Transfer and Electron Trap Redistribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jian; Murata, Daisuke; Ueda, Jumpei; Viana, Bruno; Tanabe, Setsuhisa

2018-05-07

Persistent luminescence (PersL) imaging without real-time external excitation has been regarded as the next generation of autofluorescence-free optical imaging technology. However, to achieve improved imaging resolution and deep tissue penetration, developing new near-infrared (NIR) persistent phosphors with intense and long duration PersL over 1000 nm is still a challenging but urgent task in this field. Herein, making use of the persistent energy transfer process from Cr 3+ to Er 3+ , we report a novel garnet persistent phosphor of Y 3 Al 2 Ga 3 O 12 codoped with Er 3+ and Cr 3+ (YAG G:Er-Cr), which shows intense Cr 3+ PersL (∼690 nm) in the deep red region matching well with the first biological window (NIR-I, 650-950 nm) and Er 3+ PersL (∼1532 nm) in the NIR region matching well with the third biological window (NIR-III, 1500-1800 nm). The optical imaging through raw-pork tissues (thickness of 1 cm) suggests that the emission band of Er 3+ can achieve higher spatial resolution and more accurate signal location than that of Cr 3+ due to the reduced light scattering at longer wavelengths. Furthermore, by utilizing two independent electron traps with two different trap depths in YAG G:Er-Cr, the Cr 3+ /Er 3+ PersL can even be recharged in situ by photostimulation with 660 nm LED thanks to the redistribution of trapped electrons from the deep trap to the shallow one. Our results serve as a guide in developing promising NIR (>1000 nm) persistent phosphors for long-term optical imaging.

Persistence extends reciprocity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurokawa, Shun

2017-04-01

One key potential explanation for the evolution of cooperation is conditional cooperation. This allows cooperation to evolve for cooperators who switch their behavior on the basis of information about the opponent's behavior or reputation. However, information about the opponent's behavior or reputation is sometimes unavailable, and previous studies have assumed that a player cooperates with some default probability when no information about the opponent's previous behavior or reputation is available. This default probability has been interpreted as the player's "optimism". Here, we make use of the fact that even if a player cannot observe the opponent's previous behavior or reputation, he may still condition his future behavior based on his own past behavior and in such a case, he can behave persistently. In this paper, we especially consider the case where information about the opponent's "behavior" is sometimes absent and the iterated prisoner's dilemma game between the same two individuals is played. Here, we examine the evolution of strategies that can refer to the own behavior in the previous round. Using evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) analysis and analyzing replicator dynamics, we find that conditioning his future behavior based on his own past behavior is beneficial for the evolution. Persistence facilitates the evolution of cooperation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Persistency of milk yield in Indonesian Holstein cows

Science.gov (United States)

Widyas, N.; Putra, F. Y.; Nugroho, T.; Pramono, A.; Susilowati, A.; Sutarno; Prastowo, S.

2018-03-01

Milk yield is an important trait in dairy industry; thus, information regarding this phenotype is essential to measure the productivity of a farm. Total milk yield in one lactation period was often predicted using information from samples collected within certain time intervals. The rate of change of milk production between two-time intervals is defined as persistency. This article aims to estimate the persistency of milk yield between lactation 1, 2 and 3 in Indonesian Friesian Holstein (IFH) cows. Data was collected from Limpakuwus stable, Baturraden Dairy Cattle Breeding Centre, Central Java Indonesia. Records were obtained from cows which started lactating on 2013 until the end of third lactation around the beginning of 2016. Milk yield from the first (L1), second (L2) and third (L3) lactations of 21 cows were recorded in kilograms. Samples were collected in 30 days basis interval started from the 10th day of lactation up to the 10th month. In this population, the cows first calving was around February – April 2013; while the second and third calving occurred all over the relevant year. The mean of milk yield for L1, L2 and L3 were 17.77±3.70, 16.09±5.17 and 13.73±4.02 Kg respectively. The peak of milk yields was achieved at the second month of the lactation for L1, L2 and L3. The persistency from the second to the tenth test days were 97, 93 and 94% for L1, L2 and L3, respectively. Milk yield persistency is representing ability of cow in maintain milk production after peak during lactation period. The more persistent shows better performance of dairy cattle as well as farm management. For that, persistency value could be used as valuable information in evaluating the management in Indonesian dairy farms.

Connectivity, cycles, and persistence thresholds in metapopulation networks.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yael Artzy-Randrup

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Synthesising the relationships between complexity, connectivity, and the stability of large biological systems has been a longstanding fundamental quest in theoretical biology and ecology. With the many exciting developments in modern network theory, interest in these issues has recently come to the forefront in a range of multidisciplinary areas. Here we outline a new theoretical analysis specifically relevant for the study of ecological metapopulations focusing primarily on marine systems, where subpopulations are generally connected via larval dispersal. Our work determines the qualitative and quantitative conditions by which dispersal and network structure control the persistence of a set of age-structured patch populations. Mathematical modelling combined with a graph theoretic analysis demonstrates that persistence depends crucially on the topology of cycles in the dispersal network which tend to enhance the effect of larvae "returning home." Our method clarifies the impact directly due to network structure, but this almost by definition can only be achieved by examining the simplified case in which patches are identical; an assumption that we later relax. The methodology identifies critical migration routes, whose presence are vital to overall stability, and therefore should have high conservation priority. In contrast, "lonely links," or links in the network that do not participate in a cyclical component, have no impact on persistence and thus have low conservation priority. A number of other intriguing criteria for persistence are derived. Our modelling framework reveals new insights regarding the determinants of persistence, stability, and thresholds in complex metapopulations. In particular, while theoretical arguments have, in the past, suggested that increasing connectivity is a destabilizing feature in complex systems, this is not evident in metapopulation networks where connectivity, cycles, coherency, and heterogeneity all tend

EUV and Magnetic Activities Associated with Type-I Solar Radio Bursts

Science.gov (United States)

Li, C. Y.; Chen, Y.; Wang, B.; Ruan, G. P.; Feng, S. W.; Du, G. H.; Kong, X. L.

2017-06-01

Type-I bursts ( i.e. noise storms) are the earliest-known type of solar radio emission at the meter wavelength. They are believed to be excited by non-thermal energetic electrons accelerated in the corona. The underlying dynamic process and exact emission mechanism still remain unresolved. Here, with a combined analysis of extreme ultraviolet (EUV), radio and photospheric magnetic field data of unprecedented quality recorded during a type-I storm on 30 July 2011, we identify a good correlation between the radio bursts and the co-spatial EUV and magnetic activities. The EUV activities manifest themselves as three major brightening stripes above a region adjacent to a compact sunspot, while the magnetic field there presents multiple moving magnetic features (MMFs) with persistent coalescence or cancelation and a morphologically similar three-part distribution. We find that the type-I intensities are correlated with those of the EUV emissions at various wavelengths with a correlation coefficient of 0.7 - 0.8. In addition, in the region between the brightening EUV stripes and the radio sources there appear consistent dynamic motions with a series of bi-directional flows, suggesting ongoing small-scale reconnection there. Mainly based on the induced connection between the magnetic motion at the photosphere and the EUV and radio activities in the corona, we suggest that the observed type-I noise storms and the EUV brightening activities are the consequence of small-scale magnetic reconnection driven by MMFs. This is in support of the original proposal made by Bentley et al. ( Solar Phys. 193, 227, 2000).

Immunological aspects of persistent hepatitis B in children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harsoyo Notoatmojo

2006-08-01

Full Text Available We studied the immunological status of 203 children having persistence Hepatitis B (positive HBsAg ranging in age from 6 to 14 years in Semarang Municipality. The results of humoral immunity examination (IgM Anti-HBc showed that all were negative, indicating that they are not in acute phase of hepatitis B infection. Cellular immunity examination, i.e., CMI skin test has shown positive result in 64.9% on persistent and 65.2% in non persistent hepatitis B (p>0.05. T cell examination showed statistically significant difference (p<0.01 between persistenct and non persistent hepatitis B patients, there was is also significant difference (p<0.01 on CD4 cell examination. These findings indicated that there was difference in immunoregulation function and response repression of antivirus between both groups of patients. On the other hand CD4/ CD8 ratio and T cell function showed no significant difference between the two gorups of patients; similarly the specific function of cytotoxic T cell was not significantly difference.

Immune Evasion Strategies and Persistence of Helicobacter pylori.

Science.gov (United States)

Mejías-Luque, Raquel; Gerhard, Markus

Helicobacter pylori infection is commonly acquired during childhood, can persist lifelong if not treated, and can cause different gastric pathologies, including chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and eventually gastric cancer. H. pylori has developed a number of strategies in order to cope with the hostile conditions found in the human stomach as well as successful mechanisms to evade the strong innate and adaptive immune responses elicited upon infection. Thus, by manipulating innate immune receptors and related signaling pathways, inducing tolerogenic dendritic cells and inhibiting effector T cell responses, H. pylori ensures low recognition by the host immune system as well as its persistence in the gastric epithelium. Bacterial virulence factors such as cytotoxin-associated gene A, vacuolating cytotoxin A, or gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase have been extensively studied in the context of bacterial immune escape and persistence. Further, the bacterium possesses other factors that contribute to immune evasion. In this chapter, we discuss in detail the main evasion and persistence strategies evolved by the bacterium as well as the specific bacterial virulence factors involved.

PAQ: Persistent Adaptive Query Middleware for Dynamic Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Rajamani, Vasanth; Julien, Christine; Payton, Jamie; Roman, Gruia-Catalin

Pervasive computing applications often entail continuous monitoring tasks, issuing persistent queries that return continuously updated views of the operational environment. We present PAQ, a middleware that supports applications' needs by approximating a persistent query as a sequence of one-time queries. PAQ introduces an integration strategy abstraction that allows composition of one-time query responses into streams representing sophisticated spatio-temporal phenomena of interest. A distinguishing feature of our middleware is the realization that the suitability of a persistent query's result is a function of the application's tolerance for accuracy weighed against the associated overhead costs. In PAQ, programmers can specify an inquiry strategy that dictates how information is gathered. Since network dynamics impact the suitability of a particular inquiry strategy, PAQ associates an introspection strategy with a persistent query, that evaluates the quality of the query's results. The result of introspection can trigger application-defined adaptation strategies that alter the nature of the query. PAQ's simple API makes developing adaptive querying systems easily realizable. We present the key abstractions, describe their implementations, and demonstrate the middleware's usefulness through application examples and evaluation.

Persister formation in Staphylococcus aureus is associated with ATP depletion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conlon, Brian P.; Rowe, Sarah E.; Gandt, Autumn Brown; Nuxoll, Austin S.; Donegan, Niles P.; Zalis, Eliza A.; Clair, Geremy; Adkins, Joshua N.; Cheung, Ambrose L.; Lewis, Kim

2016-04-18

Persisters are dormant phenotypic variants of bacterial cells that are tolerant to killing by antibiotics1. Persisters are associated with chronic bacterial infection and antibiotic treatment failure. In Escherichia coli, toxin/antitoxin (TA) modules are responsible for persister formation. The mechanism of persister formation in Gram positive bacteria is unknown. Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen, responsible for a variety of chronic and relapsing infections such as osteomyelitis, endocarditis and infections of implanted devices. Deleting TA modules in S. aureus did not affect the level of persisters. Here we show that S. aureus persisters are produced due to a stochastic entrance to stationary phase accompanied by a drop in intracellular ATP. Cells expressing stationary state markers are present throughout the growth phase, increasing in frequency with cell density. Cell sorting revealed that expression of stationary markers was associated with a 100-1000 fold increased likelihood of survival to antibiotic challenge. We find that the antibiotic tolerance of these cells is due to a drop in intracellular ATP. The ATP level of the cell is predictive of bactericidal antibiotic efficacy and explains bacterial tolerance to antibiotic treatment.

Persistent increased PKMζ in long-term and remote spatial memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Changchi; Tsokas, Panayiotis; Serrano, Peter; Hernández, A Iván; Tian, Dezhi; Cottrell, James E; Shouval, Harel Z; Fenton, André Antonio; Sacktor, Todd Charlton

2017-02-01

PKMζ is an autonomously active PKC isoform that is thought to maintain both LTP and long-term memory. Whereas persistent increases in PKMζ protein sustain the kinase's action in LTP, the molecular mechanism for the persistent action of PKMζ during long-term memory has not been characterized. PKMζ inhibitors disrupt spatial memory when introduced into the dorsal hippocampus from 1day to 1month after training. Therefore, if the mechanisms of PKMζ's persistent action in LTP maintenance and long-term memory were similar, persistent increases in PKMζ would last for the duration of the memory, far longer than most other learning-induced gene products. Here we find that spatial conditioning by aversive active place avoidance or appetitive radial arm maze induces PKMζ increases in dorsal hippocampus that persist from 1day to 1month, coinciding with the strength and duration of memory retention. Suppressing the increase by intrahippocampal injections of PKMζ-antisense oligodeoxynucleotides prevents the formation of long-term memory. Thus, similar to LTP maintenance, the persistent increase in the amount of autonomously active PKMζ sustains the kinase's action during long-term and remote spatial memory maintenance. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Persistent spin helices in 2D electron systems

Science.gov (United States)

Kozulin, A. S.; Malyshev, A. I.; Konakov, A. A.

2017-03-01

We present a theoretical investigation of persistent spin helices in two-dimensional electron systems with spin-orbit coupling. For this purpose, we consider a single-particle effective mass Hamiltonian with a generalized linear-in- k spin-orbit coupling term corresponding to a quantum well grown in an arbitrary crystallographic direction, and derive the general condition for the formation of the persistent spin helix. This condition applied for the Hamiltonians describing quantum wells with different growth directions indicates the possibility of existence of the persistent spin helix in a wide class of 2D systems apart from the [001] model with equal Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling strengths and the [110] Dresselhaus model.

Multispectral brain morphometry in Tourette syndrome persisting into adulthood

Science.gov (United States)

Martino, Davide; Cavanna, Andrea E.; Hutton, Chloe; Orth, Michael; Robertson, Mary M.; Critchley, Hugo D.; Frackowiak, Richard S.

2010-01-01

Tourette syndrome is a childhood-onset neuropsychiatric disorder with a high prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity and obsessive-compulsive disorder co-morbidities. Structural changes have been found in frontal cortex and striatum in children and adolescents. A limited number of morphometric studies in Tourette syndrome persisting into adulthood suggest ongoing structural alterations affecting frontostriatal circuits. Using cortical thickness estimation and voxel-based analysis of T1- and diffusion-weighted structural magnetic resonance images, we examined 40 adults with Tourette syndrome in comparison with 40 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Patients with Tourette syndrome showed relative grey matter volume reduction in orbitofrontal, anterior cingulate and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices bilaterally. Cortical thinning extended into the limbic mesial temporal lobe. The grey matter changes were modulated additionally by the presence of co-morbidities and symptom severity. Prefrontal cortical thickness reduction correlated negatively with tic severity, while volume increase in primary somatosensory cortex depended on the intensity of premonitory sensations. Orbitofrontal cortex volume changes were further associated with abnormal water diffusivity within grey matter. White matter analysis revealed changes in fibre coherence in patients with Tourette syndrome within anterior parts of the corpus callosum. The severity of motor tics and premonitory urges had an impact on the integrity of tracts corresponding to cortico-cortical and cortico-subcortical connections. Our results provide empirical support for a patho-aetiological model of Tourette syndrome based on developmental abnormalities, with perturbation of compensatory systems marking persistence of symptoms into adulthood. We interpret the symptom severity related grey matter volume increase in distinct functional brain areas as evidence of ongoing structural plasticity. The convergence of

Persistent Model #2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2013-01-01

Tensegrity structures and Inflatable membranes can be considered analogous. They can both be described as pressure based systems in which a coherent envelope is tensioned through compressive force in order to achieve a state of self-equilibrium. Persistent Model #2 is a full-scale speculative pro...... Modelling and a sustained critical investigation of the roles digital tools can play in extending the ways in which we think, design, realise and experience architecture....

Persistent fluctuations in stride intervals under fractal auditory stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Marmelat, Vivien; Torre, Kjerstin; Beek, Peter J; Daffertshofer, Andreas

2014-01-01

Stride sequences of healthy gait are characterized by persistent long-range correlations, which become anti-persistent in the presence of an isochronous metronome. The latter phenomenon is of particular interest because auditory cueing is generally considered to reduce stride variability and may hence be beneficial for stabilizing gait. Complex systems tend to match their correlation structure when synchronizing. In gait training, can one capitalize on this tendency by using a fractal metronome rather than an isochronous one? We examined whether auditory cues with fractal variations in inter-beat intervals yield similar fractal inter-stride interval variability as isochronous auditory cueing in two complementary experiments. In Experiment 1, participants walked on a treadmill while being paced by either an isochronous or a fractal metronome with different variation strengths between beats in order to test whether participants managed to synchronize with a fractal metronome and to determine the necessary amount of variability for participants to switch from anti-persistent to persistent inter-stride intervals. Participants did synchronize with the metronome despite its fractal randomness. The corresponding coefficient of variation of inter-beat intervals was fixed in Experiment 2, in which participants walked on a treadmill while being paced by non-isochronous metronomes with different scaling exponents. As expected, inter-stride intervals showed persistent correlations similar to self-paced walking only when cueing contained persistent correlations. Our results open up a new window to optimize rhythmic auditory cueing for gait stabilization by integrating fractal fluctuations in the inter-beat intervals.

Persisting nutritional neuropathy amongst former war prisoners.

OpenAIRE

Gill, G V; Bell, D R

1982-01-01

Of 898 former Far East prisoners of war, assessed between 1968 and 1981, 49 (5.5%) had evidence of persisting symptomatic neurological disease dating back to their periods of malnutrition in captivity. The commonest syndromes were peripheral neuropathy (often of "burning foot" type), optic atrophy, and sensori-neural deafness. Though nutritional neuropathies disappeared soon after release in most ex-Far East prisoners of war, in some they have persisted up to 36 years since exposure to the nu...

Studying internal and external magnetic fields in Japan using MAGSAT data

Science.gov (United States)

Fukushima, N. (Principal Investigator); Maeda, H.; Yukutake, T.; Tanaka, M.; Oshima, S.; Ogawa, K.; Kawamura, M.; Miyazaki, Y.; Uyeda, S.; Kobayashi, K.

1980-01-01

Examination of the total intensity data of CHRONIT on a few paths over Japan and its neighboring sea shows MAGSAT is extremely useful for studying the local magnetic anomaly. In high latitudes, the signatures of field aligned currents are clearly recognized. These include (1) the persistent basic pattern of current flow; (2) the more intense currents in the summer hemisphere than in the winter hemisphere; (3) more fluctuations in current intensities in summer dawn hours; and (4) apparent dawn-dusk asymmetry in the field-aligned current intensity between the north and south polar regions.

Magnetic elements for switching magnetization magnetic force microscopy tips

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cambel, V.; Elias, P.; Gregusova, D.; Martaus, J.; Fedor, J.; Karapetrov, G.; Novosad, V.

2010-01-01

Using combination of micromagnetic calculations and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) imaging we find optimal parameters for novel magnetic tips suitable for switching magnetization MFM. Switching magnetization MFM is based on two-pass scanning atomic force microscopy with reversed tip magnetization between the scans. Within the technique the sum of the scanned data with reversed tip magnetization depicts local atomic forces, while their difference maps the local magnetic forces. Here we propose the design and calculate the magnetic properties of tips suitable for this scanning probe technique. We find that for best performance the spin-polarized tips must exhibit low magnetic moment, low switching fields, and single-domain state at remanence. The switching field of such tips is calculated and optimum shape of the Permalloy elements for the tips is found. We show excellent correspondence between calculated and experimental results for Py elements.

A minimally invasive option for the treatment of persistent ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

. Hospital, King Saud ... We present two patients with persistent esophageal leak after compli- .... easy, and quite effective in the management of persistent ... 6 Rakocz M, Mazar A, Varon D, Spierer S, Blinder D, Martinowitz U. Dental extractions ...

Ratio-based estimators for a change point in persistence.

Science.gov (United States)

Halunga, Andreea G; Osborn, Denise R

2012-11-01

We study estimation of the date of change in persistence, from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] or vice versa. Contrary to statements in the original papers, our analytical results establish that the ratio-based break point estimators of Kim [Kim, J.Y., 2000. Detection of change in persistence of a linear time series. Journal of Econometrics 95, 97-116], Kim et al. [Kim, J.Y., Belaire-Franch, J., Badillo Amador, R., 2002. Corringendum to "Detection of change in persistence of a linear time series". Journal of Econometrics 109, 389-392] and Busetti and Taylor [Busetti, F., Taylor, A.M.R., 2004. Tests of stationarity against a change in persistence. Journal of Econometrics 123, 33-66] are inconsistent when a mean (or other deterministic component) is estimated for the process. In such cases, the estimators converge to random variables with upper bound given by the true break date when persistence changes from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text]. A Monte Carlo study confirms the large sample downward bias and also finds substantial biases in moderate sized samples, partly due to properties at the end points of the search interval.

Persistence drives gene clustering in bacterial genomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rocha Eduardo PC

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene clustering plays an important role in the organization of the bacterial chromosome and several mechanisms have been proposed to explain its extent. However, the controversies raised about the validity of each of these mechanisms remind us that the cause of this gene organization remains an open question. Models proposed to explain clustering did not take into account the function of the gene products nor the likely presence or absence of a given gene in a genome. However, genomes harbor two very different categories of genes: those genes present in a majority of organisms – persistent genes – and those present in very few organisms – rare genes. Results We show that two classes of genes are significantly clustered in bacterial genomes: the highly persistent and the rare genes. The clustering of rare genes is readily explained by the selfish operon theory. Yet, genes persistently present in bacterial genomes are also clustered and we try to understand why. We propose a model accounting specifically for such clustering, and show that indispensability in a genome with frequent gene deletion and insertion leads to the transient clustering of these genes. The model describes how clusters are created via the gene flux that continuously introduces new genes while deleting others. We then test if known selective processes, such as co-transcription, physical interaction or functional neighborhood, account for the stabilization of these clusters. Conclusion We show that the strong selective pressure acting on the function of persistent genes, in a permanent state of flux of genes in bacterial genomes, maintaining their size fairly constant, that drives persistent genes clustering. A further selective stabilization process might contribute to maintaining the clustering.

Magnetic resonance in the preoperative localization of parathyroid adenomas in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabada, M.T.; Gomez, M.N.; Friera, A.; Carvajal, I.; Garcia, A.

1995-01-01

We assess the role of magnetic resonance (MR) as an imaging method for the preoperative localization of pathological parathyroid glands in a series of 14 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism secondary to parathyroid adenoma who underwent surgical resection. We selected 14 patients diagnosed as having primary hyperparathyroidism who underwent preoperative MR. All the studies were carried out with a toshiba MRT 50 MR unit with a 0.5 T superconductor magnet. MR located the adenoma in nine of the 14 patients (64%), including the only two who had previously undergone surgery. Our results indicate that MR without contrast is not effective in the preoperative localization of parathyroid adenomas and should be performed only in patients with recurrent hyperparathyroidism or that persisting after surgical treatment. (Author)

Real exchange rate persistence and the excess return puzzle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juselius, Katarina; Assenmacher, Katrin

2017-01-01

The PPP puzzle refers to the wide swings of nominal exchange rates around their long-run equilibrium values whereas the excess return puzzle represents the persistent deviation of the domestic-foreign interest rate differential from the expected change in the nominal exchange rate. Using the I(2......) cointegrated VAR model, much of the excess return puzzle disappears when an uncertainty premium in the foreign exchange market, proxied by the persistent PPP gap, is introduced. Self-reinforcing feedback mechanisms seem to cause the persistence in the Swiss-US parity conditions. These results support imperfect...

Postnatal persistent infection with classical Swine Fever virus and its immunological implications.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Muñoz-González

Full Text Available It is well established that trans-placental transmission of classical swine fever virus (CSFV during mid-gestation can lead to persistently infected offspring. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of CSFV to induce viral persistence upon early postnatal infection. Two litters of 10 piglets each were infected intranasally on the day of birth with low and moderate virulence CSFV isolates, respectively. During six weeks after postnatal infection, most of the piglets remained clinically healthy, despite persistent high virus titres in the serum. Importantly, these animals were unable to mount any detectable humoral and cellular immune response. At necropsy, the most prominent gross pathological lesion was a severe thymus atrophy. Four weeks after infection, PBMCs from the persistently infected seronegative piglets were unresponsive to both, specific CSFV and non-specific PHA stimulation in terms of IFN-γ-producing cells. These results suggested the development of a state of immunosuppression in these postnatally persistently infected pigs. However, IL-10 was undetectable in the sera of the persistently infected animals. Interestingly, CSFV-stimulated PBMCs from the persistently infected piglets produced IL-10. Nevertheless, despite the addition of the anti-IL-10 antibody in the PBMC culture from persistently infected piglets, the response of the IFN-γ producing cells was not restored. Therefore, other factors than IL-10 may be involved in the general suppression of the T-cell responses upon CSFV and mitogen activation. Interestingly, bone marrow immature granulocytes were increased and targeted by the virus in persistently infected piglets. Taken together, we provided the first data demonstrating the feasibility of CSFV in generating a postnatal persistent disease, which has not been shown for other members of the Pestivirus genus yet. Since serological methods are routinely used in CSFV surveillance, persistently infected pigs

Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging in predicting progression of enhancing lesions persisting after standard treatment in glioblastoma patients: a prospective study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoo, Roh-Eul; Choi, Hye Jeong; You, Sung-Hye; Kang, Koung Mi; Yun, Tae Jin; Kim, Ji-Hoon; Sohn, Chul-Ho [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Seung Hong [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Seoul National University, Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science, and School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Seoul National University, School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Tae Min [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Chul-Kee [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Sung-Hye; Won, Jae-Kyung [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Il Han [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Soon Tae [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-08-15

To prospectively explore the value of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in predicting the progression of enhancing lesions persisting after standard treatment in patients with surgically resected glioblastoma (GBM). Forty-seven GBM patients, who underwent near-total tumorectomy followed by concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) with temozolomide (TMZ) between May 2014 and February 2016, were enrolled. Twenty-four patients were finally analyzed for measurable enhancing lesions persisting after standard treatment. DCE-MRI parameters were calculated at enhancing lesions. Mann-Whitney U tests and multivariable stepwise logistic regression were used to compare parameters between progression (n = 16) and non-progression (n = 8) groups. Mean K{sup trans} and v{sub e} were significantly lower in progression than in non-progression (P = 0.037 and P = 0.037, respectively). The 5th percentile of the cumulative K{sup trans} histogram was also significantly lower in the progression than in non-progression group (P = 0.017). Mean v{sub e} was the only independent predictor of progression (P = 0.007), with a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 63%, and an overall accuracy of 88% at a cut-off value of 0.873. DCE-MRI may help predict the progression of enhancing lesions persisting after the completion of standard treatment in patients with surgically resected GBM, with mean v{sub e} serving as an independent predictor of progression. (orig.)

Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging in predicting progression of enhancing lesions persisting after standard treatment in glioblastoma patients: a prospective study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoo, Roh-Eul; Choi, Hye Jeong; You, Sung-Hye; Kang, Koung Mi; Yun, Tae Jin; Kim, Ji-Hoon; Sohn, Chul-Ho; Choi, Seung Hong; Kim, Tae Min; Park, Chul-Kee; Park, Sung-Hye; Won, Jae-Kyung; Kim, Il Han; Lee, Soon Tae

2017-01-01

To prospectively explore the value of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in predicting the progression of enhancing lesions persisting after standard treatment in patients with surgically resected glioblastoma (GBM). Forty-seven GBM patients, who underwent near-total tumorectomy followed by concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) with temozolomide (TMZ) between May 2014 and February 2016, were enrolled. Twenty-four patients were finally analyzed for measurable enhancing lesions persisting after standard treatment. DCE-MRI parameters were calculated at enhancing lesions. Mann-Whitney U tests and multivariable stepwise logistic regression were used to compare parameters between progression (n = 16) and non-progression (n = 8) groups. Mean K trans and v e were significantly lower in progression than in non-progression (P = 0.037 and P = 0.037, respectively). The 5th percentile of the cumulative K trans histogram was also significantly lower in the progression than in non-progression group (P = 0.017). Mean v e was the only independent predictor of progression (P = 0.007), with a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 63%, and an overall accuracy of 88% at a cut-off value of 0.873. DCE-MRI may help predict the progression of enhancing lesions persisting after the completion of standard treatment in patients with surgically resected GBM, with mean v e serving as an independent predictor of progression. (orig.)

Transient, but not persistent, adult food insecurity influences toddler development.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez, Daphne C; Jacknowitz, Alison

2009-08-01

In this study, we examined characteristics associated with experiencing persistent and transitional adult food insecurity and how persistent and transitional adult food insecurity influences toddler cognitive and motor development, along with toddler's weight and health status. Using the first 2 waves of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort, 4 mutually exclusive variables capturing persistent and transitional adult food insecurity were created to capture those adults that experience adult food insecurity in the following: both waves, in 1 wave (at 9 or 24 mo after birth), and never experience food insecurity. We used logistic regression models to estimate characteristics associated with the likelihood of experiencing persistent and transitional adult food insecurity. Ordinary least squares regression models were used to estimate how persistent and transitional adult food insecurity influences toddler development. Similar factors influenced one's likelihood of experiencing adult transitional and persistent food insecurity; individuals who experienced any food insecurity were more economically disadvantaged. Thus, outreach efforts do not need to vary by duration of food insecurity. Whereas negative effects of food insecurity on school-aged children are found in the literature, it appears toddlers are buffered from the effects of persistent adult food insecurity. Our findings suggest that toddlers residing with a temporarily food-insecure adult compared with a never food-insecure adult experienced immediate, but small, negative effects on their development. Hence, outreach and assistance may lessen immediate impacts of food insecurity on toddler development.

Magnetization as a critical defining parameter for strand in precision dipole applications implications for field error and F-J stability

CERN Document Server

Collings, E W; Lee, E

2001-01-01

In hadron accelerators, between low energy particle injection and beam accumulation, the guiding dipoles are ramped at some rate dB/dt. Both at injection and during ramping the static and dynamic magnetizations of the magnet windings introduce multipolar distortions into the beam-line field. Dynamic magnetization, controllable by cable design, is estimated and used to provide a criterion against which to evaluate the allowable magnitude of static (persistent-current) magnetization, M, from a field-quality standpoint. The it is of NbTi and advanced Nb/sub 3/Sn conductors are compared and with regard to the latter the question of flux-jump stability is explored. A magnetization criterion for such stability is presented and compared to experiment. It is noted that since Delta M is proportional to critical current density, J/sub c/, and the strand's effective filament diameter, d/sub eff/, the latter has frequently been specified as a critical parameter, although it will need to be re-specified with every increas...

Information persistence using XML database technology

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Thomas A.; Lipa, Brian E. G.; Macera, Anthony R.; Staskevich, Gennady R.

2005-05-01

The Joint Battlespace Infosphere (JBI) Information Management (IM) services provide information exchange and persistence capabilities that support tailored, dynamic, and timely access to required information, enabling near real-time planning, control, and execution for DoD decision making. JBI IM services will be built on a substrate of network centric core enterprise services and when transitioned, will establish an interoperable information space that aggregates, integrates, fuses, and intelligently disseminates relevant information to support effective warfighter business processes. This virtual information space provides individual users with information tailored to their specific functional responsibilities and provides a highly tailored repository of, or access to, information that is designed to support a specific Community of Interest (COI), geographic area or mission. Critical to effective operation of JBI IM services is the implementation of repositories, where data, represented as information, is represented and persisted for quick and easy retrieval. This paper will address information representation, persistence and retrieval using existing database technologies to manage structured data in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format as well as unstructured data in an IM services-oriented environment. Three basic categories of database technologies will be compared and contrasted: Relational, XML-Enabled, and Native XML. These technologies have diverse properties such as maturity, performance, query language specifications, indexing, and retrieval methods. We will describe our application of these evolving technologies within the context of a JBI Reference Implementation (RI) by providing some hopefully insightful anecdotes and lessons learned along the way. This paper will also outline future directions, promising technologies and emerging COTS products that can offer more powerful information management representations, better persistence mechanisms and

Factors associated with persistent airflow limitation in severe asthma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ten Brinke, A.; Zwinderman, A. H.; Sterk, P. J.; Rabe, K. F.; Bel, E. H.

2001-01-01

Persistent airflow limitation can develop in nonsmoking patients with asthma. However, the prevalence and risk factors for airways obstruction with incomplete reversibility in asthma are unknown. We assessed the prevalence of persistent airflow limitation (defined as postbronchodilator FEV(1) or

Designing a magnet for magnetic refrigeration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bjoerk, R

2010-03-15

This thesis investigates the design and optimization of a permanent magnet assembly for use in a magnetic refrigeration device. The heart of magnetic refrigeration is the adiabatic temperature change in the magnetocaloric material which is caused by the magnetic field. In order to design an ideal magnet assembly the magnetocaloric materials and the refrigeration process itself and their properties and performance as a function of magnetic field are investigated. For the magnetocaloric materials it is the magnetization, specific heat capacity and adiabatic temperature that are investigated as functions of the magnetic field. Following this the process utilized by a magnetic refrigerator to provide cooling is investigated using a publicly available one dimensional numerical model. This process is called active magnetic regeneration (AMR). The aim is to determine the performance of the AMR as a function of the magnetic field in order to learn the properties of the optimal magnet assembly. The performance of the AMR as a function of the synchronization and width of the magnetic field with respect to the AMR cycle, the ramp rate and maximum value of the magnetic field are investigated. Other published magnet designs used in magnetic refrigeration devices are also evaluated, using a figure of merit based on the properties of the investigated magnetocaloric materials, to learn the properties of the best magnet designs to date. Following this investigation the Halbach cylinder, which is a hollow permanent magnet cylinder with a rotating remanent flux density, is investigated in detail as it forms the basis of many magnet designs used in magnetic refrigeration. Here the optimal dimensions of a Halbach cylinder, as well as analytical calculations of the magnetic field for a Halbach cylinder of infinite length, are presented. Once it has been determined which properties are desirable for a magnet used in magnetic refrigeration the design of a new magnet is described. This is

Engineering success: Undergraduate Latina women's persistence in an undergradute engineering program

Science.gov (United States)

Rosbottom, Steven R.

The purpose and focus of this narrative inquiry case study were to explore the personal stories of four undergraduate Latina students who persist in their engineering programs. This study was guided by two overarching research questions: a) What are the lived experiences of undergraduate Latina engineering students? b) What are the contributing factors that influence undergraduate Latina students to persist in an undergraduate engineering program? Yosso's (2005) community cultural wealth was used to the analyze data. Findings suggest through Yosso's (2005) aspirational capital, familial capital, social capital, navigational capital, and resistant capital the Latina student persisted in their engineering programs. These contributing factors brought to light five themes that emerged, the discovery of academic passions, guidance and support of family and teachers, preparation for and commitment to persistence, the power of community and collective engagement, and commitment to helping others. The themes supported their persistence in their engineering programs. Thus, this study informs policies, practices, and programs that support undergraduate Latina engineering student's persistence in engineering programs.

Investigation of magnetic and transport properties of PrCa(MnCo)O prepared by solid state process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khelifi, M. [Laboratoire de Physique des Matériaux et des Nanomatériaux appliquée à l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences de Gabès cité Erriadh, Université de Gabès, 6079 Gabès (Tunisia); M’nassri, R. [Unité de recherche Matériaux Avancés et Nanotechnologies (URMAN), Institut Supérieur des Sciences Appliquées et de Technologie de Kasserine, Kairouan University, BP 471, Kasserine 1200 (Tunisia); Selmi, A. [Laboratory of Physics of Materials, Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, Sfax University, BP 1171, 3000 Sfax (Tunisia); Rahmouni, H., E-mail: rahmounihedi@yahoo.fr [Unité de recherche Matériaux Avancés et Nanotechnologies (URMAN), Institut Supérieur des Sciences Appliquées et de Technologie de Kasserine, Kairouan University, BP 471, Kasserine 1200 (Tunisia); Khirouni, K. [Laboratoire de Physique des Matériaux et des Nanomatériaux appliquée à l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences de Gabès cité Erriadh, Université de Gabès, 6079 Gabès (Tunisia); and others

2017-02-01

Magnetic, magnetocaloric and electrical properties in distorted orthorhombic system Pr{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}Mn{sub 0.98}Co{sub 0.02}O{sub 3} has been studied. Complex impedance analysis confirms the contribution of grain boundary on the conduction process. The latter is dominated by thermally activated hopping mechanism. The sample exhibits two relaxations phenomena. Only one process persists at higher temperatures. Conductivity analysis indicates that the investigated compound exhibits a semiconductor behavior. The material reveals a dielectric transition and the experimental results are well fitted by Curie-Weiss law. The magnetic measurements show a clear paramagnetic–ferromagnetic transition with a large magnetic entropy change over a wide range of temperature. Furthermore, Banerjee's criteria and Landau theory of phase transitions are also studied to access magnetic ordering in the sample. A maximum magnetic entropy change increases from 0.5 to 2.18 J kg{sup −1} K{sup −1} when magnetic field rises from 1 T to 5 T. For the higher applied magnetic field, the material exhibits a high relative cooling power RCP=268.14 J/kg with a large temperature full-width at half maximum δ{sub TFWHM}=123 K.

Amnestically Induced Persistence in Random Walks

Science.gov (United States)

Cressoni, J. C.; da Silva, Marco Antonio Alves; Viswanathan, G. M.

2007-02-01

We study how the Hurst exponent α depends on the fraction f of the total time t remembered by non-Markovian random walkers that recall only the distant past. We find that otherwise nonpersistent random walkers switch to persistent behavior when inflicted with significant memory loss. Such memory losses induce the probability density function of the walker’s position to undergo a transition from Gaussian to non-Gaussian. We interpret these findings of persistence in terms of a breakdown of self-regulation mechanisms and discuss their possible relevance to some of the burdensome behavioral and psychological symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

The persistence in a Lotka-Volterra competition systems with impulsive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhen Jin; Han Maoan; Li Guihua

2005-01-01

In this paper, a nonautonomous two-dimensional competitive Lotka-Volterra system with impulsive is considered. we study the persistence and extinction, giving two inequalities involving averages of the growth rates and impulsive value, which guarantees persistence of the system. An extension of the principle of competition exclusion is obtained in this paper. Moreover, several examples are also worked out, they show that the impulsive can change the persistence of the system

Effects of interferon on cultured cells persistently infected with viruses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crespi, M

1986-01-01

The role of interferon (IFN) in viral persistence at the cellular level was investigated. Two types of persistent infections were chosen. The first type was cell lines which contained hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA (PLC/PRF/5 and Hep 3B cells) uninfected control hepatoma cells, (Mahlavu, HA22T and Hep G2 cells) or simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA (C2, C6, C11 cells) and control uninfected (CV-1 cells). In the second type of infection Vero cells persistently infected with SSPE or Sendai virus were used. The aim of this work was to determine what effect IFN had in these infections in terms of its antiviral and antiproliferative effects; which of the two major IFN-induced pathways, E enzyme or protein kinase were induced; whether there were any differences in sensitivity to IFN between the DNA and RNA virus persistent infections. The anti-viral effect of IFN was examined by its ability to inhibit Sindbis virus replication using a radioimmunoassay system. The antiproliferative effect of IFN was determined by cell counting and /sup 3/H-thymidine incorporation. The activation of the ribonuclease F, determined by the inhibition of /sup 3/H-leucine incorporation after introduction of 2-5 actin into the cells, was variable, being activated in all cell lines with the exception of the PLC/PRF/5, Hep 3B and Hep G2 cells. Major differences between the two DNA persistent infections and the two RNA persistent infections were found. No correlation was found between the presence of HBV or SV40 persistent infections and the sensitivity of the cell lines to IFN. Both the SSPE and Sendai virus persistent infections were resistant to the antiviral and antiproliferative effect of IFN.

Persisting nutritional neuropathy amongst former war prisoners.

Science.gov (United States)

Gill, G V; Bell, D R

1982-01-01

Of 898 former Far East prisoners of war, assessed between 1968 and 1981, 49 (5.5%) had evidence of persisting symptomatic neurological disease dating back to their periods of malnutrition in captivity. The commonest syndromes were peripheral neuropathy (often of "burning foot" type), optic atrophy, and sensori-neural deafness. Though nutritional neuropathies disappeared soon after release in most ex-Far East prisoners of war, in some they have persisted up to 36 years since exposure to the nutritional insult. PMID:6292369

Long - Memory Persistence in African Stock Markets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emmanuel Numapau Gyamfi

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Emerging stock markets are said to become efficient with time. This study seeks to investigate this assertion by analyzing long - memory persistence in 8 African stock markets covering the period from 28 August 2000 to 28 August 2015. The Hurst exponent is used as our efficiency measure which is evaluated by the Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA. Our findings show strong evidence of long - memory persistence in the markets studied therefore violating the weak - form Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH.

Persistence of airline accidents.

Science.gov (United States)

Barros, Carlos Pestana; Faria, Joao Ricardo; Gil-Alana, Luis Alberiko

2010-10-01

This paper expands on air travel accident research by examining the relationship between air travel accidents and airline traffic or volume in the period from 1927-2006. The theoretical model is based on a representative airline company that aims to maximise its profits, and it utilises a fractional integration approach in order to determine whether there is a persistent pattern over time with respect to air accidents and air traffic. Furthermore, the paper analyses how airline accidents are related to traffic using a fractional cointegration approach. It finds that airline accidents are persistent and that a (non-stationary) fractional cointegration relationship exists between total airline accidents and airline passengers, airline miles and airline revenues, with shocks that affect the long-run equilibrium disappearing in the very long term. Moreover, this relation is negative, which might be due to the fact that air travel is becoming safer and there is greater competition in the airline industry. Policy implications are derived for countering accident events, based on competition and regulation. © 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation © Overseas Development Institute, 2010.

Persistence and extinction for a stochastic logistic model with infinite delay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chun Lu

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This article, studies a stochastic logistic model with infinite delay. Using a phase space, we establish sufficient conditions for the extinction, nonpersistence in the mean, weak persistence, and stochastic permanence. A threshold between weak persistence and extinction is obtained. Our results state that different types of environmental noises have different effects on the persistence and extinction, and that the delay has no impact on the persistence and extinction for the stochastic model in the autonomous case. Numerical simulations illustrate the theoretical results.

Ionospheric midlatitude electric current density inferred from multiple magnetic satellites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shore, R. M.; Whaler, K. A.; Macmillan, S.

2013-01-01

A method for inferring zonal electric current density in the mid-to-low latitude F region ionosphere is presented. We describe a method of using near-simultaneous overflights of the Ørsted and CHAMP satellites to define a closed circuit for an application of Ampère's integral law to magnetic data...... for estimates of main and crustal magnetic fields. Current density in the range ±0.1 μA/m2 is resolved, with the distribution of electric current largely matching known features such as the Appleton anomaly. The currents appear unmodulated at times of either high-negative Dst or high F10.7, which has...... implications for any future efforts to model their effects. We resolve persistent current intensifications between geomagnetic latitudes of 30 and 50° in the postmidnight, predawn sector, a region typically thought to be relatively free of electric currents. The cause of these unexpected intensifications...

Persistent fluctuations in stride intervals under fractal auditory stimulation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marmelat, V.C.M.; Torre, K.; Beek, P.J.; Daffertshofer, A.

2014-01-01

Stride sequences of healthy gait are characterized by persistent long-range correlations, which become anti-persistent in the presence of an isochronous metronome. The latter phenomenon is of particular interest because auditory cueing is generally considered to reduce stride variability and may

Localized persistent spin currents in defect-free quasiperiodic rings with Aharonov–Casher effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu, R.Z.; Chen, C.H.; Cheng, Y.H.; Hsueh, W.J.

2015-01-01

We propose strongly localized persistent spin current in one-dimensional defect-free quasiperiodic Thue–Morse rings with Aharonov–Casher effect. The results show that the characteristics of these localized persistent currents depend not only on the radius filling factor, but also on the strength of the spin–orbit interaction. The maximum persistent spin currents in systems always appear in the ring near the middle position of the system array whether or not the Thue–Morse rings array is symmetrical. The magnitude of the persistent currents is proportional to the sharpness of the resonance peak, which is dependent on the bandwidth of the allowed band in the band structure. The maximum persistent spin currents also increase exponentially as the generation order of the system increases. - Highlights: • Strongly localized persistent spin current in quasiperiodic AC rings is proposed. • Localized persistent spin currents are much larger than those produced by traditional mesoscopic rings. • Characteristics of the localized persistent currents depend on the radius filling factor and SOI strength. • The maximum persistent current increases exponentially with the system order. • The magnitude of the persistent currents is related to the sharpness of the resonance

Persistent currents in three-dimensional shell-doped nanorings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ning, Xu; Jian-Wen, Ding; Hong-Bo, Chen; Ming-Ming, Ma

2009-01-01

The persistent current in three-dimensional (P × N 2 ) nanorings as a function of the unit cell number (P), the channel number (M = N 2 ), surface disorder (ξ), and temperature (T) is theoretically investigated in terms of rotational symmetry. On the whole, the typical current increases linearly with √M but decreases exponentially with P, while wide fluctuations exist therein. In the presence of surface disorder, the persistent current decreases with ξ in the regime of weak disorder but increases in the regime of strong disorder. In addition, it is found that the persistent current in perfect rings decreases exponentially with temperature even at T * , while in most disorder rings, the typical current decreases slightly with temperature at T *

On spurious anti-persistence in the US stock indices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kristoufek, Ladislav

2010-01-01

We reexamine the results of Serletis and Rosenberg [Serletis A, Rosenberg A. Mean reversion in the US stock market. Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 2009;40:2007-2015.] who claim that the returns of the most important US stock indices (DJI, NASDAQ, NYSE and S and P500) are strongly anti-persistent and thus mean reverting. We apply various methods to detect long-range dependence - detrending moving average, detrended fluctuation analysis, generalized Hurst exponent approach, classical rescaled range analysis and modified rescaled range analysis. We show that there are no signs of anti-persistence in any of the indices. Moreover, we discuss that the authors did not find any anti-persistence but rather showed returns of the said assets do not follow the scaling power law around their moving average with varying window length. Anti-persistence is thus spurious and due to wrong application of detrending moving average method.

Improving persistence in red clover: Insights from QTL analysis and comparative phenotypic evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herrmann, Dorris; Boller, Beat; Studer, Bruno

2008-01-01

, persistence is difficult to improve. The objectives of this study were to optimize the phenotypic evaluation of persistence, to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for this important trait, and to investigate the association of persistence with other important traits. A weighted average of vigor scores...... assessed during two winters and three growing seasons was identified as the optimal method to phenotype persistence. For this index, one QTL explaining 12.2% of the total phenotypic variation was identified. While there was no negative correlation between persistence and seed yield, persistence...

Persistent toxic substances: sources, fates and effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Ming H; Armour, Margaret-Ann; Naidu, Ravi; Man, Ming

2012-01-01

Persistent toxic substances (PTS) include the Stockholm persistent organic pollutants, like dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxin/furan, etc., and organometallic compounds, like organomercury, organotin, and organolead, which all share the same characteristics of being persistent, toxic, bioaccumulative, and able to travel long distances through different media. The adverse health effects of some of the emerging chemicals like pentabromodiphenyl ether, bisphenol A, and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, which are widely used in daily appliances (e.g., TVs, computers, mobile phones, plastic baby bottles), have become a public health concern due to more evidence now available showing their adverse effects like disturbance of the endocrine system and cancer. This article is an attempt to review the current status of PTS in our environment, citing case studies in China and North America, and whether our existing drinking water treatment and wastewater treatment processes are adequate in removing them from water. Some management issues of these emerging chemicals of concern are also discussed.

Persistent Identifiers for Dutch cultural heritage institutions

Science.gov (United States)

Ras, Marcel; Kruithof, Gijsbert

2016-04-01

Over the past years, more and more collections belonging to archives, libraries, media, museums, and knowledge institutes are being digitised and made available online. These are exciting times for ALM institutions. They are realising that, in the information society, their collections are goldmines. Unfortunately most heritage institutions in the Netherlands do not yet meet the basic preconditions for long-term availability of their collections. The digital objects often have no long lasting fixed reference yet. URL's and web addresses change. Some digital objects that were referenced in Europeana and other portals can no longer be found. References in scientific articles have a very short life span, which is damaging for scholarly research. In 2015, the Dutch Digital Heritage Network (NDE) has started a two-year work program to co-ordinate existing initiatives in order to improve the (long-term) accessibility of the Dutch digital heritage for a wide range of users, anytime, anyplace. The Digital Heritage Network is a partnership established on the initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The members of the NDE are large, national institutions that strive to professionally preserve and manage digital data, e.g. the National Library, The Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, the Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Archive of the Netherlands and the DEN Foundation, and a growing number of associations and individuals both within and outside the heritage sector. By means of three work programmes the goals of the Network should be accomplished and improve the visibility, the usability and the sustainability of digital heritage. Each programme contains of a set of projects. Within the sustainability program a project on creating a model for persistent identifiers is taking place. The main goals of the project are (1) raise awareness among cultural heritage institutions on the

Long-term persistence of pioneer species in tropical forest soil seed banks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dalling, J W; Brown, T A

2008-10-05

In tropical forests, pioneer species regenerate from seeds dispersed directly into canopy gaps, and from seeds that persisted in soil seed banks before gap formation. However, life-history models suggest that selection for long-term persistence of seeds in soil should be weak, as persistence incurs a fitness cost resulting from prolonged generation time. We use a carbon dating technique to provide the first direct measurements of seed persistence in undisturbed tropical forest seed banks. We show that seeds germinate successfully from surface soil microsites up to 38 years after dispersal. Decades-long persistence may be common in pioneers with relatively large mass, and appears to be unrelated to specific regeneration requirements. In Croton billbergianus, a sub-canopy tree that recruits in abundant small gaps, long-term persistence is associated with short-distance ballistic seed dispersal. In Trema micrantha, a canopy tree with widespread dispersal, persistence is associated with a requirement for large gaps that form infrequently in old-growth forest.

Persistent fluctuations in stride intervals under fractal auditory stimulation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vivien Marmelat

Full Text Available Stride sequences of healthy gait are characterized by persistent long-range correlations, which become anti-persistent in the presence of an isochronous metronome. The latter phenomenon is of particular interest because auditory cueing is generally considered to reduce stride variability and may hence be beneficial for stabilizing gait. Complex systems tend to match their correlation structure when synchronizing. In gait training, can one capitalize on this tendency by using a fractal metronome rather than an isochronous one? We examined whether auditory cues with fractal variations in inter-beat intervals yield similar fractal inter-stride interval variability as isochronous auditory cueing in two complementary experiments. In Experiment 1, participants walked on a treadmill while being paced by either an isochronous or a fractal metronome with different variation strengths between beats in order to test whether participants managed to synchronize with a fractal metronome and to determine the necessary amount of variability for participants to switch from anti-persistent to persistent inter-stride intervals. Participants did synchronize with the metronome despite its fractal randomness. The corresponding coefficient of variation of inter-beat intervals was fixed in Experiment 2, in which participants walked on a treadmill while being paced by non-isochronous metronomes with different scaling exponents. As expected, inter-stride intervals showed persistent correlations similar to self-paced walking only when cueing contained persistent correlations. Our results open up a new window to optimize rhythmic auditory cueing for gait stabilization by integrating fractal fluctuations in the inter-beat intervals.

Impact of innate and environmental factors on wheezing persistence during childhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Just, Jocelyne; Belfar, Samira; Wanin, Stéphanie; Pribil, Céline; Grimfeld, Alain; Duru, Gérard

2010-05-01

Persistent asthma in adults starts often early in childhood and is associated with alterations in respiratory function that occur early in life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of innate and environmental factors associated with occurrence of asthma during childhood in a population of recurrent wheezing infants followed prospectively. A cohort of infants less than 30 months old with recurrent wheezing was established in order to assess severity of respiratory symptoms and to look for the presence of atopy and environmental risk factors. At the age of 6 years, they were reevaluated with respect to remission or persistence of wheezing over the previous 12-month period. Data were available for 219 subjects aged 15 +/- 5 months. In 27% of the infants with recurrent wheeze, wheezing persisted until the age of 6 years. In multivariate analysis, stepwise logit analysis showed that the risk factors for persistent wheezing are eosinophilia >or=470/mm(3), allergenic sensitization, and a father with asthma. Environmental factors present during the first year of life that protect from persistence of wheezing are ( 1 ) breastfeeding for longer than 3 months, ( 2 ) pets at home, and ( 3 ) >or=3 siblings. The detection rate for persistent wheezing in this model is 72%. The persistence score showed good specificity 91% but low sensitivity 35%. This study confirms the role of atopic host factors on wheezing persistence during childhood and detected protective environmental factors.

Magnetic Measurements on the First CERN-Built Models of the Insertion Quadrupole MQXF for HL-LHC

CERN Document Server

Fiscarelli, L; Dunkel, O; Ferracin, P; Izquierdo Bermudez, S; Russenschuck, S; Todesco, E; Ambrosio, G

2018-01-01

The high-luminosity upgrade of the large hadron collider (HL-LHC) requires new high-field and large-aperture quadrupole magnets for the low-beta inner triplets (MQXF). CERN and LARP are currently collaborating to develop a 150-mm-aperture quadrupole based on Nb$_3$Sn superconducting cables for the coils, and an aluminum shell with the bladder-key technology for the support structure. This paper presents the test setup for magnetic measurements, both at ambient and cryogenic temperatures, and the instrumentation being used for the first two short-models of MQXF built and tested at CERN. Finally, the measurement results, in terms of field quality, effects of persistent currents, and iron saturation are reported and discussed.

Lidocaine Patch (5%) in Treatment of Persistent Inguinal Postherniorrhaphy Pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bischoff, Joakim M; Petersen, Marian; Uçeyler, Nurcan

2013-01-01

Evidence-based pharmacological treatment options for patients with persistent inguinal postherniorrhaphy pain are lacking.......Evidence-based pharmacological treatment options for patients with persistent inguinal postherniorrhaphy pain are lacking....

Large-Scale Flows and Magnetic Fields Produced by Rotating Convection in a Quasi-Geostrophic Model of Planetary Cores

Science.gov (United States)

Guervilly, C.; Cardin, P.

2017-12-01

Convection is the main heat transport process in the liquid cores of planets. The convective flows are thought to be turbulent and constrained by rotation (corresponding to high Reynolds numbers Re and low Rossby numbers Ro). Under these conditions, and in the absence of magnetic fields, the convective flows can produce coherent Reynolds stresses that drive persistent large-scale zonal flows. The formation of large-scale flows has crucial implications for the thermal evolution of planets and the generation of large-scale magnetic fields. In this work, we explore this problem with numerical simulations using a quasi-geostrophic approximation to model convective and zonal flows at Re 104 and Ro 10-4 for Prandtl numbers relevant for liquid metals (Pr 0.1). The formation of intense multiple zonal jets strongly affects the convective heat transport, leading to the formation of a mean temperature staircase. We also study the generation of magnetic fields by the quasi-geostrophic flows at low magnetic Prandtl numbers.

7 CFR 301.50-2 - Regulated articles.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Regulated articles. 301.50-2 Section 301.50-2... articles. The following are regulated articles: (a) Pine products (Pinus spp.), as follows: Bark products... pine wreaths and garlands; and stumps. (b) Any article, product, or means of conveyance not covered by...

29 CFR 570.103 - Comparison with wage and hour provisions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... requirements as well. This is the exemption for employees engaged in the delivery of newspapers to the consumer... amended by revising paragraph (c), effective July 19, 2010. For the convenience of the user, the revised... consumer and homeworkers engaged in the making of wreaths composed principally of evergreens.3 Apart from...

Assessing the persistence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment: Challenges and needs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingwei Bu

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Chemical’s persistence is known to be an important parameter applied for decades to identify persistent organic pollutants in hazard and/or risk assessments. Nevertheless it is greatly challenged in the case of emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals because the persistence of these chemicals could be more affected by environmental conditions. This fact brings more challenges to the current system for evaluating the persistence of chemical contaminants. In this paper, challenges in assessing the persistence of pharmaceuticals were identified, and more importantly research needs were addressed based on the existing data and knowledge.

Persistence of Salmonid Redds

Science.gov (United States)

Buffington, J. M.; Buxton, T.; Fremier, A. K.; Hassan, M. A.; Yager, E.

2013-12-01

The construction of redds by spawning salmonids modifies fluvial processes in ways that are beneficial to egg and embryo survival. Redd topography induces hyporheic flow that oxygenates embryos incubating within the streambed and creates form drag that reduces bed mobility and scour of salmonid eggs. Winnowing of fine material during redd construction also coarsens the streambed, increasing bed porosity and hyporheic flow and reducing bed mobility. In addition to the biological benefits, redds may influence channel morphology by altering channel hydraulics and bed load transport rates depending on the size and extent of redds relative to the size of the channel. A key question is how long do the physical and biological effects of redds last? Field observations indicate that in some basins redds are ephemeral, with redd topography rapidly erased by subsequent floods, while in other basins, redds can persist for years. We hypothesize that redd persistence is a function of basin hydrology, sediment supply, and characteristics of the spawning fish. Hydrology controls the frequency and magnitude of bed mobilizing flows following spawning, while bed load supply (volume and caliber) controls the degree of textural fining and consequent bed mobility after spawning, as well as the potential for burial of redd features. The effectiveness of flows in terms of their magnitude and duration depend on hydroclimate (i.e., snowmelt, rainfall, or transitional hydrographs), while bed load supply depends on basin geology, land use, and natural disturbance regimes (e.g., wildfire). Location within the stream network may also influence redd persistence. In particular, lakes effectively trap sediment and regulate downstream flow, which may promote long-lived redds in stream reaches below lakes. These geomorphic controls are modulated by biological factors: fish species (size of fish controls size of redds and magnitude of streambed coarsening); life history (timing of spawning and

Changes in persistence, spurious regressions and the Fisher hypothesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kruse, Robinson; Ventosa-Santaulària, Daniel; Noriega, Antonio E.

Declining inflation persistence has been documented in numerous studies. When such series are analyzed in a regression framework in conjunction with other persistent time series, spurious regressions are likely to occur. We propose to use the coefficient of determination R2 as a test statistic to...

In-situ magnetization of NdFeB magnets for permanent magnet machines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, L.; Eastham, T.R.; Dawson, G.E.

1991-01-01

In-situ magnetizers are needed to facilitate the assembly of permanent magnet machines and to remagnetize the magnets after weakening due to a fault condition. The air-core magnetizer in association with the silicon steel lamination structure of the rotor has advantages over its iron-core counterpart. This novel method has been used to magnetize the NdFeB magnets in a 30-hp permanent magnet synchronous motor. The magnetizing capability for different magnetizer geometries was investigated for the magnetization of NdFeB material. The design, testing, and operation of this magnetizer are reported in this paper

Superposition of DC magnetic fields by cascading multiple magnets in magnetic loops

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fei Sun

2015-09-01

Full Text Available A novel method that can effectively collect the DC magnetic field produced by multiple separated magnets is proposed. With the proposed idea of a magnetic loop, the DC magnetic field produced by these separated magnets can be effectively superimposed together. The separated magnets can be cascaded in series or in parallel. A novel nested magnetic loop is also proposed to achieve a higher DC magnetic field in the common air region without increasing the DC magnetic field in each magnetic loop. The magnetic loop can be made by a magnetic hose, which is designed by transformation optics and can be realized by the combination of super-conductors and ferromagnetic materials.

Reduced Inferior and Orbital Frontal Thickness in Adolescent Bulimia Nervosa Persists Over Two-Year Follow-Up.

Science.gov (United States)

Cyr, Marilyn; Kopala-Sibley, Daniel C; Lee, Seonjoo; Chen, Chen; Stefan, Mihaela; Fontaine, Martine; Terranova, Kate; Berner, Laura A; Marsh, Rachel

2017-10-01

Cross-sectional data suggest functional and anatomical disturbances in inferior and orbital frontal regions in bulimia nervosa (BN). Using longitudinal data, we investigated whether reduced cortical thickness (CT) in these regions arises early and persists over adolescence in BN, independent of symptom remission, and whether CT reductions are markers of BN symptoms. A total of 33 adolescent females with BN symptoms (BN or other specified feeding or eating disorder) and 28 healthy adolescents participated in this study. Anatomical magnetic resonance imaging and clinical data were acquired at 3 time points within 2-year intervals over adolescence, with 31% average attrition between assessments. Using a region-of-interest approach, we assessed group differences in CT at baseline and over time, and tested whether between- and within-subject variations in CT were associated with the frequency of BN symptoms. Reduced CT in the right inferior frontal gyrus persisted over adolescence in BN compared to healthy adolescents, even in those who achieved full or partial remission. Within the BN group, between-subject variations in CT in the inferior and orbital frontal regions were inversely associated with specific BN symptoms, suggesting, on average over time, greater CT reductions in individuals with more frequent BN symptoms. Reduced CT in inferior frontal regions may contribute to illness persistence into adulthood. Reductions in the thickness of the inferior and orbital frontal regions may be markers of specific BN symptoms. Because our sample size precluded correcting for multiple comparisons, these findings should be replicated in a larger sample. Future study of functional changes in associated fronto-striatal circuits could identify potential circuit-based intervention targets. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rapid Elimination of the Persistent Synergid through a Cell Fusion Mechanism

KAUST Repository

Maruyama, Daisuke

2015-05-01

In flowering plants, fertilization-dependent degeneration of the persistent synergid cell ensures one-on-one pairings of male and female gametes. Here, we report that the fusion of the persistent synergid cell and the endosperm selectively inactivates the persistent synergid cell in Arabidopsis thaliana. The synergid-endosperm fusion causes rapid dilution of pre-secreted pollen tube attractant in the persistent synergid cell and selective disorganization of the synergid nucleus during the endosperm proliferation, preventing attractions of excess number of pollen tubes (polytubey). The synergid-endosperm fusion is induced by fertilization of the central cell, while the egg cell fertilization predominantly activates ethylene signaling, an inducer of the synergid nuclear disorganization. Therefore, two female gametes (the egg and the central cell) control independent pathways yet coordinately accomplish the elimination of the persistent synergid cell by double fertilization. Two female gametes (the egg cell and the central cell) in flowering plants coordinately prevent attractions of excess number of pollen tubes via two mechanisms to inactivate persistent synergid cell. © 2015 Elsevier Inc.

Coupling effect of nodes popularity and similarity on social network persistence.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Xiaogang; Jin, Cheng; Huang, Jiaxuan; Min, Yong

2017-02-21

Network robustness represents the ability of networks to withstand failures and perturbations. In social networks, maintenance of individual activities, also called persistence, is significant towards understanding robustness. Previous works usually consider persistence on pre-generated network structures; while in social networks, the network structure is growing with the cascading inactivity of existed individuals. Here, we address this challenge through analysis for nodes under a coevolution model, which characterizes individual activity changes under three network growth modes: following the descending order of nodes' popularity, similarity or uniform random. We show that when nodes possess high spontaneous activities, a popularity-first growth mode obtains highly persistent networks; otherwise, with low spontaneous activities, a similarity-first mode does better. Moreover, a compound growth mode, with the consecutive joining of similar nodes in a short period and mixing a few high popularity nodes, obtains the highest persistence. Therefore, nodes similarity is essential for persistent social networks, while properly coupling popularity with similarity further optimizes the persistence. This demonstrates the evolution of nodes activity not only depends on network topology, but also their connective typology.

Metal organic framework Cu9Cl2(cpa)6 as tunable molecular magnet

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, Heather S. C.; Farmer, William M.; Skinner, Samuel F.; ter Haar, Leonard W.

2018-05-01

Chemical modifications of the magnetic metal organic framework (MOF) Cu9X2(cpa)6.42H2O (X = F, Cl, Br; cpa = anion of 2-carboxypentonicacid) have been investigated as a means of modifying, in a tunable manner, the magnetism of this 2-D material best described as a triangles-in-triangles (TIT) or triangulated-Kagomé-latttice (TKL). Since numerous theoretical studies have already attempted to describe the enigmatic ground state of this Heisenberg lattice, tunable chemical modifications should provide an excellent opportunity to expand this class of materials for studies concerning fundamental physics of frustrated spins, and applications such as adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration (ADR) that depend on the magnetocaloric effect (MCE). The chemical modification investigated is the intercalation of d- and f-orbital ions into the voids of the framework (channels of nearly 20 Å diameter). Magnetic measurements in the temperature range 1.8 - 300 K confirm signature features of TKL magnetism in intercalated samples persist, specifically: i) large negative Weiss constant (θCW); ii) absence of a phase transition down to 1.8 K; iii) minimum in χMT; iv) low temperature χMT values increasingly divergent at low fields indicating net ferromagnetic correlations; and, v) increasing field dependence of magnetization at low temperatures suggestive of intermediate plateaus, or ferrimagnetism, not saturation.

An Updated Global Picture of Cigarette Smoking Persistence among Adults

Science.gov (United States)

Troost, Jonathan P.; Barondess, David A.; Storr, Carla L.; Wells, J. Elisabeth; Al-Hamzawi, Ali Obaid; Andrade, Laura Helena; Bromet, Evelyn; Bruffaerts, Ronny; Florescu, Silvia; de Girolamo, Giovanni; de Graaf, Ron; Gureje, Oye; Haro, Josep Maria; Hu, Chiyi; Huang, Yueqin; Karam, Aimee N.; Kessler, Ronald C.; Lepine, Jean-Pierre; Matschinger, Herbert; Medina-Mora, Maria Elena; O'Neill, Siobhan; Posada-Villa, Jose; Sagar, Rajesh; Takeshima, Tadashi; Tomov, Toma; Williams, David R.; Anthony, James C.

2012-01-01

Background Cross-national variance in smoking prevalence is relatively well documented. The aim of this study is to estimate levels of smoking persistence across 21 countries with a hypothesized inverse relationship between country income level and smoking persistence. Methods Data from the World Health Organization World Mental Health Survey Initiative were used to estimate cross-national differences in smoking persistence–the proportion of adults who started to smoke and persisted in smoking by the date of the survey. Result There is large variation in smoking persistence from 25% (Nigeria) to 85% (China), with a random-effects meta-analytic summary estimate of 55% with considerable cross-national variation. (Cochran's heterogeneity Q statistic=6,845; p<0.001). Meta-regressions indicated observed differences are not attributable to differences in country income level, age distribution of smokers, or how recent the onset of smoking began within each country. Conclusion While smoking should remain an important public health issue in any country where smokers are present, this report identifies several countries with higher levels of smoking persistence (namely, China and India). PMID:23626929

Activated ClpP kills persisters and eradicates a chronic biofilm infection.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conlon, Brian P.; Nakayasu, Ernesto S.; Fleck, Laura E.; LaFleur, Michael D.; Isabella, Vincent M.; Coleman, K.; Leonard, Steve N.; Smith, Richard D.; Adkins, Joshua N.; Lewis, Kim

2013-11-21

The current antibiotic crisis stems from two distinct phenomena-drug resistance, and drug tolerance. Resistance mechanisms such as drug efflux or modification prevent antibiotics from binding to their targets 1, allowing pathogens to grow. Antibiotic tolerance is the property of persister cells, phenotypic variants of regular bacteria 2. Antibiotics kill by corrupting targets, but these are inactive in dormant persisters, leading to tolerance. Persisters were first identified by Joseph Bigger in 1944, when he discovered a surviving sub-population of Staphylococcus following treatment with penicillin3. Persisters are largely responsible for recalcitrance of chronic diseases such as tuberculosis, and various infections associated with biofilms - endocarditis, osteomyelitis, infections of catheters and indwelling devices, and deep-seated infections of soft tissues 4. There are a number of redundant pathways involved in persister formation5,6 precluding development of drugs inhibiting their formation. The acyldepsipeptide antibiotic (ADEP 4) has been shown to activate the ClpP protease resulting in death of growing cells 7. Here we show that ADEP4 activated ClpP becomes a fairly non-specific protease and kills persister cells by degradation of over 400 intracellular targets. clpP mutants are resistant to ADEP4 7, but we find that they display increased susceptibility to killing by a range of conventional antibiotics. Combining ADEP4 with rifampicin leads to eradication of persisters, stationary and biofilm populations of Staphylococcus aureus in vitro and in a deep-seated murine infection. Target corruption/activation provides an approach to killing persisters and eradicating chronic infections.

Optical decoherence and persistent spectral hole burning in Er3+:LiNbO3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thiel, C.W.; Macfarlane, R.M.; Boettger, T.; Sun, Y.; Cone, R.L.; Babbitt, W.R.

2010-01-01

Developing new resonant optical materials for spatial-spectral holography and quantum information applications requires detailed knowledge of the decoherence and population relaxation dynamics for the quantum states involved in the optical transitions, motivating the need for fundamental material studies. We report recent progress in studying these properties in erbium-doped lithium niobate at liquid helium temperatures. The influence of temperature, applied magnetic fields, measurement timescale, and dopant concentration were probed using photon echo spectroscopy and time-resolved spectral hole burning on the 1532 nm transition of Er 3+ :LiNbO 3 . Effects of spectral diffusion due to interactions between Er 3+ ions and between the Er 3+ ion and 7 Li and 93 Nb nuclear spins in the host lattice were observed. In addition, long-lived persistent spectral storage of seconds to minutes was observed due to non-equilibrium population redistribution among superhyperfine states.

Rare earth permanent magnet with easy magnetization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, A.S.; Camp, F.E.

1998-01-01

Rare earth permanent magnets have high energy products and coercivities, and thus the volume miniaturization of magnetic devices has been possible with improved magnetic performance. Although the high energy products of these rare earth permanent magnets provide substantial advantages for magnetic design and application, the strong magnetic force of the magnetized magnets makes assembly difficult. Therefore, a special device is needed to assemble the magnetized magnets. On the other hand, unmagnetized magnets are assembled and then they are magnetized. The assembled magnets are generally more difficult to magnetize than unassembled magnets because a much less effective magnetic field may be applied to them. This is particularly true for the rare earth permanent magnets because they usually need a much higher magnetic field to be fully magnetized than alnico or ferrite magnets. To obtain optimum magnetic properties, the required minimum magnetizing fields for SmCo 5 , Sm 2 TM 17 and Nd 2 Fe 14 B magnets were reported as 25-30 kOe, 45-60 kOe and 25-30 kOe, respectively. If the required magnetizing field for full saturation could be lowered, the effective utilization of magnetic properties would be maximized and the magnetic design option could be expanded with reduced restrictions. To meet this demand, we have sought to lower the field required for full magnetic saturation, and found that an increase in Dy content in R-(Fe,Co,Cu)-B type magnets lowers the field required for full saturation as well as improves the temperature stability. By increasing the H ci with Dy addition from 14 kOe to 24 and 34 kOe, the field required for full magnetic saturation decreases from about 20 to 15 and 10 kOe, respectively. This dual benefit will open up new application areas with more freedom for magnet design options. The mechanism for the lower magnetizing fields will be discussed. (orig.)

Why They Stay: Women Persisting in US Engineering Careers

Science.gov (United States)

Buse, Kathleen; Bilimoria, Diana; Perelli, Sheri

2013-01-01

Purpose: Women remain dramatically underrepresented in the engineering profession and far fewer women than men persist in the field. This study aims to identify individual and contextual factors that distinguish women who persist in engineering careers in the US. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative research was conducted based on…

PERSISTENCY ANALYSIS OF PARTICIPANTS OF PENSION PLANS

OpenAIRE

ROBERTA DE SOUZA CHUN

2007-01-01

O tema central deste trabalho é apresentar modelos de persistência. As probabilidades de persistência na carteira de um produto de determinada empresa de seguros e previdência serão estudadas de forma agregada, de tal forma que se torna possível a elaboração de outros estudos, como por exemplo, de análise de lucratividade, mesmo com poucos dados, o que inviabiliza a elaboração de tábuas de múltiplos decrementos. Serão avaliadas as possíveis causas de saí...

Disc pathology after whiplash injury. A prospective magnetic resonance imaging and clinical investigation; Pathologie vertebrale apres le coup du lapin. Une investigation clinique et d` imagerie prospective par resonance magnetique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pettersson, K.; Hildingsson, C.; Toolanen, G.; Fagerlund, M.; Bjornebrink, J. [University Hospital of Northem (Sweden)

1997-09-01

Although disc pathology seems to be one contributing factor in the development of chronic symptoms after whiplash injury, it may be unnecessary to examine these patients in the acute phase with magnetic resonance imaging ; correlating initial symptoms and signs to magnetic resonance imaging findings is difficult because of the relatively high proportion of false-positive results. Magnetic resonance imaging is indicated later in the course of treatment in patients with persistent arm pain, neurologic deficits, or clinical signs of nerve root compression to diagnose disc herniations requiring surgery. (authors).

Environmental Persistence Influences Infection Dynamics for a Butterfly Pathogen.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dara A Satterfield

Full Text Available Many pathogens, including those infecting insects, are transmitted via dormant stages shed into the environment, where they must persist until encountering a susceptible host. Understanding how abiotic conditions influence environmental persistence and how these factors influence pathogen spread are crucial for predicting patterns of infection risk. Here, we explored the consequences of environmental transmission for infection dynamics of a debilitating protozoan parasite (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha that infects monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus. We first conducted an experiment to observe the persistence of protozoan spores exposed to natural conditions. Experimental results showed that, contrary to our expectations, pathogen doses maintained high infectivity even after 16 days in the environment, although pathogens did yield infections with lower parasite loads after environmental exposure. Because pathogen longevity exceeded the time span of our experiment, we developed a mechanistic model to better explore environmental persistence for this host-pathogen system. Model analysis showed that, in general, longer spore persistence led to higher infection prevalence and slightly smaller monarch population sizes. The model indicated that typical parasite doses shed onto milkweed plants must remain viable for a minimum of 3 weeks for prevalence to increase during the summer-breeding season, and for 11 weeks or longer to match levels of infection commonly reported from the wild, assuming moderate values for parasite shedding rate. Our findings showed that transmission stages of this butterfly pathogen are long-lived and indicated that this is a necessary condition for the protozoan to persist in local monarch populations. This study provides a modeling framework for future work examining the dynamics of an ecologically important pathogen in an iconic insect.

Persistence Mechanisms of Conjugative Plasmids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bahl, Martin Iain; Hansen, Lars H.; Sørensen, Søren Johannes

2009-01-01

Are plasmids selfish parasitic DNA molecules or an integrated part of the bacterial genome? This chapter reviews the current understanding of the persistence mechanisms of conjugative plasmids harbored by bacterial cells and populations. The diversity and intricacy of mechanisms affecting the suc...

Sputum Neutrophilia in Severe Persistent Asthmatics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naseem, A.; Zaidi, S. B. H.; Liaqat, J.; Iftikhar, R.

2014-01-01

Objective: To determine the frequency of sputum neutrophilia in patients with severe persistent bronchial asthma. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medicine, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, from November 2009 to November 2010. Methodology: Cases of severe persistent bronchial asthma, aged between 12 and 40 years, were included. Sputum samples were collected by induction with hypertonic saline (4.5%). All samples were centrifuged and differential neutrophil count was calculated. Data was analyzed using SPSS 11. Results: Out of 195 patients, there were 129 (66.2%) males and 66 (33.8%) females. The mean age was 27.01 A +- 6.92 years. Mean sputum neutrophilic count was 126.47 A +- 16.52 x 106/ml and the mean neutrophilic percentage was 63.187 A +- 8.3363. Sputum neutrophilia was present in 84 patients (43.1%), out of whom, 56 were males and 28 females. In patients with sputum neutrophilia, mean neutrophilic count was 142.40 A +- 8.49 x 106/ml and the mean neutrophilic percentage was 71.2024 A +- 4.2441%. Conclusion: Sputum neutrophilia is a frequent finding in cases with severe persistent bronchial asthma. Presence of sputum neutrophilia in such cases can lessen the inappropriate use of corticosteroids with their associated long-term side effects. (author)

Atmospheric circulation associated with extreme generalized frosts persistence in central-southern South America

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, Gabriela V. [Centro de Investigaciones Cientificas y Transferencia de Tecnologia a la Produccion, Diamante (CICYTTTP-CONICET), Diamante, Entre Rios (Argentina); Berri, Guillermo J. [Servicio Meteorologico Nacional - CONICET, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2012-03-15

Generalized frosts (GF) in central-southern South America have a strong impact due to their spatial extension, and they are especially important when they become persistent. This paper aims at identifying the atmospheric circulation features that determine the extreme GF persistence, i.e. very persistent and without persistence, and the differences between them, during the 1961-1990 winters. Since the GF without persistence group outnumbers the other one, two subgroups are composed with events selected from winters with maximum and minimum frequency of GF occurrence, respectively. Additionally, the individual event of July 1988 within the very persistent GF group is analyzed due to its exceptional persistence. GF persistence is mainly conditioned by two large-scale dynamic factors. One is the Rossby wave train propagation across the Pacific Ocean, and the other one is the location with respect to the continent and the magnitude of the confluence in the jet entrance region in subtropical latitudes. A predominantly meridional Rossby wave train propagation with a confluence region to the west of the continent prior to the event favors GF with intermediate (null) persistence depending on the greater (lesser) jet acceleration. This is conditioned by the magnitude of the confluence, which, in turn, depends on the disposition of the wave train propagation pattern. Instead, an essentially zonal propagation with a confluence region to the east of the continent favors the GF persistence for several days, yet if there is no confluence the event does not persist. The greatest persistence of an event combines the confluence/diffluence of the jet entrance/exit region, which depends on the disposition with respect to the continent of the zonally propagating Rossby wave trains. (orig.)

Micro magnetic modeling of magnetization reversal in permanent magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toussaint, J.C.; Kevorkian, B.; Givord, D.; Rossignol, M.F.

1996-01-01

Micro magnetic numerical 3 D calculation is presented in this paper to investigate the effect of a soft magnetic heterogeneity on the magnetization reversal of a single hard magnetic grain. Both equilibrium and transient magnetization configurations are obtained by solving the dynamic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (L.L.G.) equation. A modified forward difference method is used to integrate the time dependent L.L.G. equation without conflicting with the constraint of constant magnetic moment. A continuum view of the material medium is adopted and the spatial finite difference method is used to describe the system as a set of cubic elements. In each element the magnetization is interpolated with quadratic polynomial functions and constrained to follow the Brown condition at the surface. A multigrid approach is developed to calculate the magnetic potential and the resulting stray field associated with a given microstructure. The calculated properties are compared to actual properties of Nd Fe B sintered magnets. Assuming a soft nucleus of 160 angstrom diameter and 80 angstrom depth, the calculated coercive field is about 1.45 T, close to experimental values and the calculated angular dependence of H c resembles experimental behaviours. (author)

Designing a magnet for magnetic refrigeration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjørk, Rasmus

This thesis investigates the design and optimization of a permanent magnet assembly for use in a magnetic refrigeration device. The heart of magnetic refrigeration is the adiabatic temperature change in the magnetocaloric material which is caused by the magnetic field. In order to design an ideal...... magnet assembly the magnetocaloric materials and the refrigeration process itself and their properties and performance as a function of magnetic field are investigated. For the magnetocaloric materials it is the magnetization, specific heat capacity and adiabatic temperature that are investigated...... as a function of the magnetic field in order to learn the properties of the optimal magnet assembly. The performance of the AMR as a function of the synchronization and width of the magnetic field with respect to the AMR cycle, the ramp rate and maximum value of the magnetic field are investigated. Other...

Persistence-Driven Durotaxis: Generic, Directed Motility in Rigidity Gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Novikova, Elizaveta A.; Raab, Matthew; Discher, Dennis E.; Storm, Cornelis

2017-02-01

Cells move differently on substrates with different rigidities: the persistence time of their motion is higher on stiffer substrates. We show that this behavior—in and of itself—results in a net flux of cells directed up a soft-to-stiff gradient. Using simple random walk models with varying persistence and stochastic simulations, we characterize the propensity to move in terms of the durotactic index also measured in experiments. A one-dimensional model captures the essential features and highlights the competition between diffusive spreading and linear, wavelike propagation. Persistence-driven durokinesis is generic and may be of use in the design of instructive environments for cells and other motile, mechanosensitive objects.

Impaired insula functional connectivity associated with persistent pain perception in patients with complex regional pain syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Joon Hwan; Lee, Do-Hyeong; Lee, Kyung-Jun; Lee, Won Joon; Moon, Jee Youn; Kim, Yong Chul

2017-01-01

Given that the insula plays a contributory role in the perception of chronic pain, we examined the resting-state functional connectivity between the insular cortex and other brain regions to investigate neural underpinnings of persisting perception of background pain in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). A total of 25 patients with CRPS and 25 matched healthy controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging at rest. With the anterior and posterior insular cortices as seed regions, we compared the strength of the resting-state functional connectivity between the two groups. Functional connectivity between the anterior and posterior insular cortices and the postcentral and inferior frontal gyri, cingulate cortices was reduced in patients with CRPS compared with controls. Additionally, greater reductions in functional connectivity between the anterior insula and right postcentral gyrus were associated with more severe sensory pain in patients with CRPS (short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire sensory subscores, r = -.517, P = .023). The present results imply a possible role of the insula in aberrant processing of pain information in patients with CRPS. The findings suggest that a functional derangement of the connection between one of the somatosensory cortical functions of perception and one of the insular functions of awareness can play a significant role in the persistent experience of regional pain that is not confined to a specific nerve territory. PMID:28692702

Lactase persistence genotypes and malaria susceptibility in Fulani of Mali

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dolo Amagana

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Fulani are a widely spread African ethnic group characterized by lower susceptibility to Plasmodium falciparum, clinical malaria morbidity and higher rate of lactase persistence compared to sympatric tribes. Lactase non-persistence, often called lactose intolerance, is the normal condition where lactase activity in the intestinal wall declines after weaning. Lactase persistence, common in Europe, and in certain African people with traditions of raising cattle, is caused by polymorphisms in the enhancer region approximately 14 kb upstream of the lactase gene. Methods To evaluate the relationship between malaria and lactase persistence genotypes, a 400 bp region surrounding the main European C/T-13910 polymorphism upstream of the lactase gene was sequenced. DNA samples used in the study originated from 162 Fulani and 79 Dogon individuals from Mali. Results Among 79 Dogon only one heterozygote of the lactase enhancer polymorphism was detected, whereas all others were homozygous for the ancestral C allele. Among the Fulani, the main European polymorphism at locus C/T-13910 was by far the most common polymorphism, with an allele frequency of 37%. Three other single-nucleotide polymorphisms were found with allele frequencies of 3.7%, 1.9% and 0.6% each. The novel DNA polymorphism T/C-13906 was seen in six heterozygous Fulani. Among the Fulani with lactase non-persistence CC genotypes at the C/T-13910 locus, 24% had malaria parasites detectable by microscopy compared to 18% for lactase persistent genotypes (P = 0.29. Pooling the lactase enhancer polymorphisms to a common presumptive genotype gave 28% microscopy positives for non-persistent and 17% for others (P = 0.11. Conclusions Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia in asymptomatic Fulani is more common in individuals with lactase non-persistence genotypes, but this difference is not statistically significant. The potential immunoprotective properties of dietary cow milk as a reason

Persistent fetal vasculature: ocular features, management of cataract and outcomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcia Beatriz Tartarella

2013-06-01

Full Text Available PURPOSES: To describe ocular features, management of cataract and functional outcomes in patients with persistent fetal vasculature. METHODS: Retrospective, descriptive case series of patients with persistent fetal vasculature. Data were recorded from the Congenital Cataract Section of Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil from 2001 to 2012. All patients were evaluated for sex, age at diagnosis, systemic findings, laterality, age at surgery, and initial and final follow-up visual acuities. Follow-up and complications after cataract surgery were recorded. Ultrasound was performed in all cases and ocular eco-Doppler was performed in most. RESULTS: The study comprised 53 eyes from 46 patients. Age at diagnosis ranged from 5 days of life to 10 years-old (mean 22.7 months. Twenty-seven patients were male (58.7%. Persistent fetal vasculature was bilateral in 7 patients (15.2%. Forty-two eyes (79.2% had combined (anterior and posterior forms PFV presentation, 5 eyes (9.4% had only anterior persistent fetal vasculature presentation and 6 eyes (11.3% had posterior persistent fetal vasculature presentation. Thirty-eight eyes (71.7% were submitted to cataract surgery. Lensectomy combined with anterior vitrectomy was performed in 18 eyes (47.4%. Phacoaspiration with intraocular lens implantation was performed in 15 eyes (39.5%, and without lens implantation in 5 eyes (13.2%. Mean follow-up after surgery was 44 months. Postoperative complications were posterior synechiae (3 cases, retinal detachment (2 cases, phthisis (3 cases, posterior capsular opacification (8 cases, inflammatory pupillary membrane (5 cases, glaucoma (4 cases, intraocular lens implantation displacement (1 case and vitreous hemorrhage (2 cases. Complications were identified in 19 (50% of the 38 operated eyes. Visual acuity improved after cataract surgery in 83% of the eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with persistent fetal vasculature have variable clinical presentation. There is an

PERSISTENCE AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN NATURAL SCIENCES STUDENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandr I Krupnov

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the results of empirical study of the association between variables of persistence and academic achievement in foreign languages. The sample includes students of the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Science at the RUDN University ( n = 115, divided into 5 subsamples, two of which are featured in the present study (the most and the least successful students subsamples. Persistence as a personality trait is studied within A.I. Krupnov’s system-functional approach. A.I. Krupnov’s paper-and-pencil test was used to measure persistence variables. Academic achievement was measured according to the four parameters: Phonetics, Grammar, Speaking and Political vocabulary based on the grades students received during the academic year. The analysis revealed that persistence displays different associations with academic achievement variables in more and less successful students subsamples, the general prominence of this trait is more important for unsuccessful students. Phonetics is the academic achievement variable most associated with persistence due to its nature, a skill one can acquire through hard work and practice which is the definition of persistence. Grammar as an academic achievement variable is not associated with persistence and probably relates to other factors. Unsuccessful students may have difficulties in separating various aspects of language acquisition from each other which should be taken into consideration by the teachers.

Bifurcation magnetic resonance in films magnetized along hard magnetization axis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vasilevskaya, Tatiana M., E-mail: t_vasilevs@mail.ru [Ulyanovsk State University, Leo Tolstoy 42, 432017 Ulyanovsk (Russian Federation); Sementsov, Dmitriy I.; Shutyi, Anatoliy M. [Ulyanovsk State University, Leo Tolstoy 42, 432017 Ulyanovsk (Russian Federation)

2012-09-15

We study low-frequency ferromagnetic resonance in a thin film magnetized along the hard magnetization axis performing an analysis of magnetization precession dynamics equations and numerical simulation. Two types of films are considered: polycrystalline uniaxial films and single-crystal films with cubic magnetic anisotropy. An additional (bifurcation) resonance initiated by the bistability, i.e. appearance of two closely spaced equilibrium magnetization states is registered. The modification of dynamic modes provoked by variation of the frequency, amplitude, and magnetic bias value of the ac field is studied. Both steady and chaotic magnetization precession modes are registered in the bifurcation resonance range. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer An additional bifurcation resonance arises in a case of a thin film magnetized along HMA. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Bifurcation resonance occurs due to the presence of two closely spaced equilibrium magnetization states. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Both regular and chaotic precession modes are realized within bifurcation resonance range. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Appearance of dynamic bistability is typical for bifurcation resonance.

Bifurcation magnetic resonance in films magnetized along hard magnetization axis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasilevskaya, Tatiana M.; Sementsov, Dmitriy I.; Shutyi, Anatoliy M.

2012-01-01

We study low-frequency ferromagnetic resonance in a thin film magnetized along the hard magnetization axis performing an analysis of magnetization precession dynamics equations and numerical simulation. Two types of films are considered: polycrystalline uniaxial films and single-crystal films with cubic magnetic anisotropy. An additional (bifurcation) resonance initiated by the bistability, i.e. appearance of two closely spaced equilibrium magnetization states is registered. The modification of dynamic modes provoked by variation of the frequency, amplitude, and magnetic bias value of the ac field is studied. Both steady and chaotic magnetization precession modes are registered in the bifurcation resonance range. - Highlights: ► An additional bifurcation resonance arises in a case of a thin film magnetized along HMA. ► Bifurcation resonance occurs due to the presence of two closely spaced equilibrium magnetization states. ► Both regular and chaotic precession modes are realized within bifurcation resonance range. ► Appearance of dynamic bistability is typical for bifurcation resonance.

Bioindicator demonstrates high persistence of sulfentrazone in dry soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renato Coradello Lourenço

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In sugarcane crop areas, the application of preemergence herbicides with long residual effect in the soil has been frequently necessary. The herbicide persistence in the soil must be high especially because of applications during the dry season of the year, after sugarcane harvest. This study aimed at estimating the sulfentrazone persistence and dissipation in dry soil using bioindicator. Five experiments were carried out, divided into two phases. In the first phase, three dose-response curves were adjusted to select the best bioindicator to be adopted in the second phase. Niger was adopted due to its lower sensibility to sulfentrazone. In the second phase, a new dose-response curve was carried out, with six doses of sulfentrazone, in order to standardize the bioindicator sensibility to sulfentrazone. At the end, another experiment with six periods of sulfentrazone persistence in dry clay soil was developed. Persistence periods were: 182, 154, 125, 98 and 30 days. The bioindicator was seeded at the application day in treated plots and control. In this experiment, the sulfentrazone dose applied was 800 g ha-1. Niger was considered a good species to estimate the sulfentrazone persistence in dry soil. The sulfentrazone phytotoxic activity was identified up to 182 days after application, and its average dissipation rate was 2.15 g ha-1 day-1, with half-life higher than 182 days.

Tracking the Evolution of Cerebral Gadolinium-Enhancing Lesions to Persistent T1 Black Holes in Multiple Sclerosis: Validation of a Semiautomated Pipeline.

Science.gov (United States)

Andermatt, Simon; Papadopoulou, Athina; Radue, Ernst-Wilhelm; Sprenger, Till; Cattin, Philippe

2017-09-01

Some gadolinium-enhancing multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions remain T1-hypointense over months ("persistent black holes, BHs") and represent areas of pronounced tissue loss. A reduced conversion of enhancing lesions to persistent BHs could suggest a favorable effect of a medication on tissue repair. However, the individual tracking of enhancing lesions can be very time-consuming in large clinical trials. We created a semiautomated workflow for tracking the evolution of individual MS lesions, to calculate the proportion of enhancing lesions becoming persistent BHs at follow-up. Our workflow automatically coregisters, compares, and detects overlaps between lesion masks at different time points. We tested the algorithm in a data set of Magnetic Resonance images (1.5 and 3T; spin-echo T1-sequences) from a phase 3 clinical trial (n = 1,272), in which all enhancing lesions and all BHs had been previously segmented at baseline and year 2. The algorithm analyzed the segmentation masks in a longitudinal fashion to determine which enhancing lesions at baseline turned into BHs at year 2. Images of 50 patients (192 enhancing lesions) were also reviewed by an experienced MRI rater, blinded to the algorithm results. In this MRI data set, there were no cases that could not be processed by the algorithm. At year 2, 417 lesions were classified as persistent BHs (417/1,613 = 25.9%). The agreement between the rater and the algorithm was > 98%. Due to the semiautomated procedure, this algorithm can be of great value in the analysis of large clinical trials, when a rater-based analysis would be time-consuming. Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

Overview of persistent pain in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Molton, Ivan R; Terrill, Alexandra L

2014-01-01

With the shifting age demographics of the U.S. population, more psychologists will be asked to provide clinical services to older adults. Given the high prevalence of persistent pain in aging, in many cases this will mean providing empirically supported interventions for pain and the interference it creates. The purpose of this review is to provide a broad overview of the scope and impact of persistent pain in older people and to discuss mechanisms by which persistent geriatric pain can lead to suffering and disability. We consider the unique context of pain in older adulthood and review differences between older and younger people in terms of pain perception, the social network, beliefs about pain, pain-related coping, and adherence to pain medication. Finally, we discuss special issues affecting pain management in older adults, including dementia, polypharmacy, and barriers to accessing adequate pain care. This review also highlights a need for greater provider training in pain management to meet the needs of a changing U.S. population. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Trustworthy persistent identifier systems of the future

Science.gov (United States)

Golodoniuc, Pavel; Klump, Jens; Car, Nicholas

2016-04-01

Over the last two decades, persistent identifier (PID) systems have seen some significant changes in their governance policies, system capabilities, and technology. The development of most systems was driven by two main application areas, namely archives and libraries. Guidelines and criteria for trustworthy PID systems have been clearly devised (Bütikofer, 2009) and many PID system implementations for the identification of static digital objects have been built (e.g., PURL). However systems delivering persistent identifiers for dynamic datasets are not yet mature. There has been a rapid proliferation of different PID systems caused by the specific technical or organisational requirements of various communities that could not be met by existing systems such as DOI, ISBN, and EAN. Many of these different systems were limited by their inability to provide native means of persistent identifier resolution. This has prompted a decoupling of PID-associated data from the resolution service and this is where the Handle system has played a significant role. The Handle allowed to build a distributed system of independently managed resolver services. A trustworthy PID system must be designed to outlive the objects it provides persistent identifiers for, which may cease to exist or otherwise be deprecated, and the technology used to implement it, which will certainly need to change with time. We propose that such a system should rest on four pillars of agreements - (i) definitions, (ii) policies, (iii) services, and (iv) data services, to ensure longevity. While we believe all four pillars are equally important, we intentionally leave regulating aspects of issuing of identifiers and their registration out of the scope of this paper and focus on the agreements that have to be established between PID resolver services and the data sources indicated by the persistent identifiers. We propose an approach to development of PID systems that combines the use of (a) the Handle system

Persistent phosphors for painting, medical and biological applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazarov, M.

2013-01-01

Multiphase micro and nanoparticle persistent phosphors are synthesized and applied for different fields including painting, medical and biological investigations. A lot of examples show a broad range of applications of persistent luminescence from bulk materials to high tech products, especially in medicine. The development of high efficiency nanosized phosphor makes it possible to propose persistent materials as very good candidates for photodynamic therapy of cancer. An artificial block from slag, concrete, and sand covered with SrAl 2 O 4 :Eu 2+ , Dy 3+ based phosphor is prepared, and a new direction in biology for algae cultivation and artificial reef is discussed. For the first time, underwater luminescence is experimentally studied under real sea conditions. Bright blue-green long-lasting afterglow is registered at a depth of 5 m. The fishes are attracted by the light of the artificial reef. (author)

Saffold Virus Type 3 (SAFV-3) Persists in HeLa Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Himeda, Toshiki; Hosomi, Takushi; Okuwa, Takako; Muraki, Yasushi; Ohara, Yoshiro

2013-01-01

Saffold virus (SAFV) was identified as a human cardiovirus in 2007. Although several epidemiological studies have been reported, they have failed to provide a clear picture of the relationship between SAFV and human diseases. SAFV genotype 3 has been isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid specimen of patient with aseptic meningitis. This finding is of interest since Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV), which is the closely related virus, is known to cause a multiple sclerosis-like syndrome in mice. TMEV persistently infects in mouse macrophage cells in vivo and in vitro, and the viral persistence is essential in TMEV-induced demyelinating disease. The precise mechanism(s) of SAFV infection still remain unclear. In order to clarify the SAFV pathogenicity, in the present study, we studied the possibilities of the in vitro persistent infection of SAFV. The two distinct phenotypes of HeLa cells, HeLa-N and HeLa-R, were identified. In these cells, the type of SAFV-3 infection was clearly different. HeLa-N cells were lyticly infected with SAFV-3 and the host suitable for the efficient growth. On the other hand, HeLa-R cells were persistently infected with SAFV-3. In addition, the SAFV persistence in HeLa-R cells is independent of type I IFN response of host cells although the TMEV persistence in mouse macrophage cells depends on the response. Furthermore, it was suggested that SAFV persistence may be influenced by the expression of receptor(s) for SAFV infection on the host cells. The present findings on SAFV persistence will provide the important information to encourage the research of SAFV pathogenicity. PMID:23308162

Impact of persistent cytomegalovirus infection on human neuroblastoma cell gene expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoever, Gerold; Vogel, Jens-Uwe; Lukashenko, Polina; Hofmann, Wolf-Karsten; Komor, Martina; Doerr, Hans Wilhelm; Cinatl, Jindrich

2005-01-01

In a model of human neuroblastoma (NB) cell lines persistently infected with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) we previously showed that persistent HCMV infection is associated with an increased malignant phenotype, enhanced drug resistance, and invasive properties. To gain insights into the mechanisms of increased malignancy we analyzed the global changes in cellular gene expression induced by persistent HCMV infection of human neuroblastoma cells by use of high-density oligonucleotide microarrays (HG-U133A, Affymetrix) and RT-PCR. Comparing the gene expression of different NB cell lines with persistently infected cell sub-lines revealed 11 host cell genes regulated in a similar manner throughout all infected samples. Nine of these 11 genes may contribute to the previously observed changes in malignant phenotype of persistently HCMV infected NB cells by influencing invasive growth, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and proliferation. Thus, this work provides the basis for further functional studies

Role of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of intramuscular cysticercosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tripathy, Sujit Kumar [Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Department of Orthopedics, Chandigarh (India); Friarage Hospital, Department of Orthopedics, Northallerton (United Kingdom); Sen, Ramesh Kumar; Akkina, Narendranadh; Hampannavar, Aravind; Tahasildar, Naveen [Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Department of Orthopedics, Chandigarh (India); Limaye, Rajiv [Friarage Hospital, Department of Orthopedics, Northallerton (United Kingdom)

2012-09-15

Nonspecific clinical presentations often lead to misdiagnosis of focal cysticercal myositis. This report emphasizes the role of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of solitary intramuscular cysticercosis. Six patients with persistent post-traumatic isolated muscular swelling were treated with analgesic and antibiotics, but the swelling did not subside. Radiographs showed soft tissue swelling with no bony abnormalities. Laboratory markers were inconclusive. Ultrasonographic and magnetic resonance images (MRI) showed typical features of intramuscular cysticercosis. Clinical, radiological, and fundoscopic evaluation of brain and eyes could not isolate any cysticercosis focus in these organs. Patients were treated with 3 weeks albendazole therapy. The identifying sonographic features of intramuscular cysticercosis, as evident from this case series, included an intramuscular elliptical or oval anechoic lesion with echogenic intralesional focus likely to be scolex. Magnetic resonance images showed orientation of the cyst along the direction of muscle fibers with T2W hyperintense signal and post-contrast perilesional enhancement. All patients responded to medical treatment. Cysticercosis may manifest as isolated muscular swelling without neurological or ocular involvement. Clinicians should be aware of this clinical condition to avoid misdiagnosis. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging are good diagnostic aids to establish soft tissue cysticercosis. (orig.)

Role of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of intramuscular cysticercosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tripathy, Sujit Kumar; Sen, Ramesh Kumar; Akkina, Narendranadh; Hampannavar, Aravind; Tahasildar, Naveen; Limaye, Rajiv

2012-01-01

Nonspecific clinical presentations often lead to misdiagnosis of focal cysticercal myositis. This report emphasizes the role of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of solitary intramuscular cysticercosis. Six patients with persistent post-traumatic isolated muscular swelling were treated with analgesic and antibiotics, but the swelling did not subside. Radiographs showed soft tissue swelling with no bony abnormalities. Laboratory markers were inconclusive. Ultrasonographic and magnetic resonance images (MRI) showed typical features of intramuscular cysticercosis. Clinical, radiological, and fundoscopic evaluation of brain and eyes could not isolate any cysticercosis focus in these organs. Patients were treated with 3 weeks albendazole therapy. The identifying sonographic features of intramuscular cysticercosis, as evident from this case series, included an intramuscular elliptical or oval anechoic lesion with echogenic intralesional focus likely to be scolex. Magnetic resonance images showed orientation of the cyst along the direction of muscle fibers with T2W hyperintense signal and post-contrast perilesional enhancement. All patients responded to medical treatment. Cysticercosis may manifest as isolated muscular swelling without neurological or ocular involvement. Clinicians should be aware of this clinical condition to avoid misdiagnosis. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging are good diagnostic aids to establish soft tissue cysticercosis. (orig.)

THE POSSIBLE IMPACT OF L5 MAGNETOGRAMS ON NON-POTENTIAL SOLAR CORONAL MAGNETIC FIELD SIMULATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weinzierl, Marion; Yeates, Anthony R. [Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University South Road, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom); Mackay, Duncan H. [School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St. Andrews North Haugh, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); Pevtsov, Alexei A., E-mail: marion.weinzierl@durham.ac.uk [National Solar Observatory 3010 Coronal Loop, sunspot NM 88349 (United States)

2016-09-10

The proposed Carrington-L5 mission would bring instruments to the L5 Lagrange point to provide us with crucial data for space weather prediction. To assess the importance of including a magnetograph, we consider the possible differences in non-potential solar coronal magnetic field simulations when magnetograph observations are available from the L5 point, compared with an L1-based field of view (FOV). A timeseries of synoptic radial magnetic field maps is constructed to capture the emergence of two active regions from the L5 FOV. These regions are initially absent in the L1 magnetic field maps, but are included once they rotate into the L1 FOV. Non-potential simulations for these two sets of input data are compared in detail. Within the bipolar active regions themselves, differences in the magnetic field structure can exist between the two simulations once the active regions are included in both. These differences tend to reduce within 5 days of the active region being included in L1. The delayed emergence in L1 can, however, lead to significant persistent differences in long-range connectivity between the active regions and the surrounding fields, and also in the global magnetic energy. In particular, the open magnetic flux and the location of open magnetic footpoints, are sensitive to capturing the real-time of emergence. These results suggest that a magnetograph at L5 could significantly improve predictions of the non-potential corona, the interplanetary magnetic field, and of solar wind source regions on the Sun.

The existence and persistence of household financial hardship

OpenAIRE

Brown, S.; Ghosh, P.; Taylor, K.

2012-01-01

We investigate the existence and persistence of financial hardship at the household level using data from the British Household Panel Survey. Our modelling strategy makes three important contributions to the existing literature on household finances. Firstly, we model nine different types of household financial problems within a joint framework, allowing for correlation in the random effects across the nine equations. Secondly, we develop a dynamic framework in order to model the persistence ...

Professional Role Confidence and Gendered Persistence in Engineering

OpenAIRE

Cech, Erin; Rubineau, Brian; Seron, Caroll; Silbey, Susan S.

2011-01-01

Social psychological research on gendered persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions is dominated by two explanations: women leave because they perceive their family plans to be at odds with demands of STEM careers, and women leave due to low self-assessment of their skills in STEM’s intellectual tasks, net of their performance. This study uses original panel data to examine behavioral and intentional persistence among students who enter an engineering...

Autologous Blood Pleurodesis In Patients With Persistent Air Leaks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agkajanzadeh M

2003-10-01

Full Text Available Persistent air leaks occur after Spontaneous pneumothorax both primary and secondary, and after lungs trauma and lung surgeries are sever problems encountered chest surgeons with. Persistent air leak causes longer patients hospitalization."nMaterials and Methods: We used autologous blood pleurodesis in patients with persistent air leak for 30patients with more than 8 days air leaks, during a three years period 1377-1380 (1999-2002."nResults: The patients had 19 years up to 70 years old. Eight patients had thoracotomy and lobectomy and /or segmentectomies 6 with primary pneumothorax, 10 with secondary pneumothorax, and four with penetrated or blunt thoracic traumas. Blood was obtained from femoral or brachial veins and 70-150 mis. Injected in chest tubes. Chest bottle was first lied 80cm higher than body levels. After 24 hours repositioned in normal levels, and patients were supervised. Via chest tube we injected blood 70-100ml.for young patients, and 100-150 ml for older patients into intra pleural space. There were no clamped chest tubes. There were no pain, respiratory distress, fever, or cough in pleurodesized patients. The only patient's complaint was local pain in femoral vein or brachial vein because blood sampling and blood obtaining, although there was no local visible complication as hematoma or bleeding. After 48 hours in 24 patients air leak ceased. In six patients because persistent air leak autologous blood pleurodesis repeated, two patients after 48hours"nair leak ceased, remaining four patients underwent for thoracotomies, success rate"nwas 86.6%."nConclusion: According above success rate we suggest autologous blood pleurodesis in patients with persistent air leak is a reliable, effective, and no complicated procedure for persistent air leaks.

Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome (PMDS With Large Intraabdominal Seminoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Della Harigovind

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome, a form of male pseudohermaphroditism is characterized by the presence of the Mullerian duct derivatives in an otherwise phenotypically as well as genotypically normal male. We report a case of large intra abdominal seminoma in a male patient with cryptorchidism, along with persistence of Mullerian duct derivatives (uterus.

Higher persistence with valsartan compared with enalapril in daily practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satu J Siiskonen

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Satu J Siiskonen1, Nancy S Breekveldt-Postma1, Gábor Vincze2, Zeba M Khan3, Joëlle A Erkens1, Ron MC Herings11PHARMO Institute for Drug Outcomes Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands; 2Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland; 3Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ, USAObjective: To compare persistence with valsartan and enalapril in daily practice.Methods: The PHARMO Record Linkage System includes various data registries including drug dispensing and hospitalizations for ≥2 million subjects in the Netherlands. Patients newly treated with valsartan or enalapril in the period of 1999–2002 were selected. Persistence was calculated by summing up the number of days of continuous treatment. Patients who remained on therapy with valsartan or enalapril for 12 or 24 months were defined as persistent at 1 or 2 years, respectively.Results: 3364 patients received valsartan and 9103 patients received enalapril. About 62% of patients treated with valsartan and 55% of patients treated with enalapril remained on therapy at 12 months after the initial dispensing, while 48% of patients treated with valsartan and 43% of patients treated with enalapril were persistent at 24 months. Patients treated with valsartan were about 20% more likely to stay on treatment than patients treated with enalapril (1 year RRadj: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.16–1.32; 2 years RRadj: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.11–1.23.Conclusions: Real-life persistence is higher with valsartan than with enalapril. The results of this and other studies on persistence in daily practice should be taken into account when deciding upon drug treatment for hypertension.Keywords: persistence, antihypertensive, valsartan, enalapril, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin-2-receptor blockers

Persistent renal enhancement after intra-arterial versus intravenous iodixanol administration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, Shinn-Huey; Wang, Zhen J.; Kuo, Jonathan; Cabarrus, Miguel; Fu Yanjun; Aslam, Rizwan; Yee, Judy; Zimmet, Jeffrey M.; Shunk, Kendrick; Elicker, Brett; Yeh, Benjamin M.

2011-01-01

Purpose: To examine the clinical significance of persistent renal enhancement after iodixanol administration. Methods: We retrospectively studied 166 consecutive patients who underwent non-enhanced abdominopelvic CT within 7 days after receiving intra-arterial (n = 99) or intravenous (n = 67) iodixanol. Renal attenuation was measured for each non-enhanced CT scan. Persistent renal enhancement was defined as CT attenuation >55 Hounsfield units (HU). Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) was defined as a rise in serum creatinine >0.5 mg/dL within 5 days after contrast administration. Results: While the intensity and frequency of persistent renal enhancement was higher after intra-arterial (mean CT attenuation of 73.7 HU, seen in 54 of 99 patients, or 55%) than intravenous contrast material administration (51.8 HU, seen in 21 of 67, or 31%, p < 0.005), a multivariate regression model showed that the independent predictors of persistent renal enhancement were a shorter time interval until the subsequent non-enhanced CT (p < 0.001); higher contrast dose (p < 0.001); higher baseline serum creatinine (p < 0.01); and older age (p < 0.05). The route of contrast administration was not a predictor of persistent renal enhancement in this model. Contrast-induced nephropathy was noted in 9 patients who received intra-arterial (9%) versus 3 who received intravenous iodixanol (4%), and was more common in patients with persistent renal enhancement (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Persistent renal enhancement at follow-up non-contrast CT suggests a greater risk for contrast-induced nephropathy, but the increased frequency of striking renal enhancement in patients who received intra-arterial rather than intravenous contrast material also reflects the larger doses of contrast and shorter time to subsequent follow-up CT scanning for such patients.

On persistently positively expansive maps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Arbieto

2010-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we prove that any C¹-persistently positively expansive map is expanding. This improves a result due to Sakai (Sakai 2004.Neste artigo, mostramos que todo mapa C¹-persistentemente positivamente expansivo e expansor. Isto melhora um resultado devido a Sakai (Sakai 2004.

An optimized magnet for magnetic refrigeration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjørk, Rasmus; Bahl, Christian Robert Haffenden; Smith, Anders

2010-01-01

A magnet designed for use in a magnetic refrigeration device is presented. The magnet is designed by applying two general schemes for improving a magnet design to a concentric Halbach cylinder magnet design and dimensioning and segmenting this design in an optimum way followed by the construction...... of the actual magnet. The final design generates a peak value of 1.24 T, an average flux density of 0.9 T in a volume of 2 L using only 7.3 L of magnet, and has an average low flux density of 0.08 T also in a 2 L volume. The working point of all the permanent magnet blocks in the design is very close...... to the maximum energy density. The final design is characterized in terms of a performance parameter, and it is shown that it is one of the best performing magnet designs published for magnetic refrigeration....

An optimized magnet for magnetic refrigeration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bjork, R.; Bahl, C.R.H.; Smith, A.; Christensen, D.V.; Pryds, N.

2010-01-01

A magnet designed for use in a magnetic refrigeration device is presented. The magnet is designed by applying two general schemes for improving a magnet design to a concentric Halbach cylinder magnet design and dimensioning and segmenting this design in an optimum way followed by the construction of the actual magnet. The final design generates a peak value of 1.24 T, an average flux density of 0.9 T in a volume of 2 L using only 7.3 L of magnet, and has an average low flux density of 0.08 T also in a 2 L volume. The working point of all the permanent magnet blocks in the design is very close to the maximum energy density. The final design is characterized in terms of a performance parameter, and it is shown that it is one of the best performing magnet designs published for magnetic refrigeration.

Term Structure Persistence

OpenAIRE

Abbritti, M. (Mirko); Gil-Alana, L.A. (Luis A.); Lovcha, Y. (Yuliya); Moreno, A. (Antonio)

2012-01-01

Stationary I(0) models employed in yield curve analysis typically imply an unrealistically low degree of volatility in long-run short-rate expectations due to fast mean reversion. In this paper we propose a novel multivariate affine term structure model with a two-fold source of persistence in the yield curve: Long-memory and short-memory. Our model, based on an I(d) specification, nests the I(0) and I(1) models as special cases and the I(0) model is decisively rejected by the data. Our model...

Persistent postsurgical pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Werner, Mads Utke; Bischoff, Joakim Mutahi

2014-01-01

The prevalences of severe persistent postsurgical pain (PPP) following breast cancer surgery (BCS), groin hernia repair (GHR), and lung cancer surgery (LCS) are 13, 2, and 4-12 %, respectively. Estimates indicate that 80,000 patients each year in the U.S.A. are affected by severe pain...... duration of surgery, repeat surgery, more invasive surgical techniques, and intraoperative nerve lesion have been associated with PPP. One of the most consistent predictive factors for PPP is high intensity acute postsurgical pain, but also psychological factors including anxiety, catastrophizing trait...

Persistent hyperthyroidism and de novo Graves' ophthalmopathy after total thyroidectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tay, Wei Lin; Loh, Wann Jia; Lee, Lianne Ai Ling; Chng, Chiaw Ling

2017-01-01

We report a patient with Graves' disease who remained persistently hyperthyroid after a total thyroidectomy and also developed de novo Graves' ophthalmopathy 5 months after surgery. She was subsequently found to have a mature cystic teratoma containing struma ovarii after undergoing a total hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy for an incidental ovarian lesion. It is important to investigate for other causes of primary hyperthyroidism when thyrotoxicosis persists after total thyroidectomy.TSH receptor antibody may persist after total thyroidectomy and may potentially contribute to the development of de novo Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Role of Prefrontal Persistent Activity in Working Memory

Science.gov (United States)

Riley, Mitchell R.; Constantinidis, Christos

2016-01-01

The prefrontal cortex is activated during working memory, as evidenced by fMRI results in human studies and neurophysiological recordings in animal models. Persistent activity during the delay period of working memory tasks, after the offset of stimuli that subjects are required to remember, has traditionally been thought of as the neural correlate of working memory. In the last few years several findings have cast doubt on the role of this activity. By some accounts, activity in other brain areas, such as the primary visual and posterior parietal cortex, is a better predictor of information maintained in visual working memory and working memory performance; dynamic patterns of activity may convey information without requiring persistent activity at all; and prefrontal neurons may be ill-suited to represent non-spatial information about the features and identity of remembered stimuli. Alternative interpretations about the role of the prefrontal cortex have thus been suggested, such as that it provides a top-down control of information represented in other brain areas, rather than maintaining a working memory trace itself. Here we review evidence for and against the role of prefrontal persistent activity, with a focus on visual neurophysiology. We show that persistent activity predicts behavioral parameters precisely in working memory tasks. We illustrate that prefrontal cortex represents features of stimuli other than their spatial location, and that this information is largely absent from early cortical areas during working memory. We examine memory models not dependent on persistent activity, and conclude that each of those models could mediate only a limited range of memory-dependent behaviors. We review activity decoded from brain areas other than the prefrontal cortex during working memory and demonstrate that these areas alone cannot mediate working memory maintenance, particularly in the presence of distractors. We finally discuss the discrepancy between

Sequencing of Escherichia coli that cause persistent and transient Mastitis

Science.gov (United States)

The genomes of two strains of Escherichia coli that cause bovine mastitis were sequenced. These strains are known to be associated with persistent and transient mastitis: strain ECA-B causes a transient infection, and ECC-M leads to a persistent infection....

Persistent organic pollutants–are our methods sensitive and selective enough?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Boer, J.

2012-01-01

Due to the exponential growth of the world population and a strong worldwide economic development, humans are increasingly exposed to chemicals. This is particularly true for persistent, toxic chemicals that accumulate in organisms including humans. The presence of these persistent organic

Considerations of persistence and security in CHOICES, an object-oriented operating system

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Roy H.; Madany, Peter W.

1990-01-01

The current design of the CHOICES persistent object implementation is summarized, and research in progress is outlined. CHOICES is implemented as an object-oriented system, and persistent objects appear to simplify and unify many functions of the system. It is demonstrated that persistent data can be accessed through an object-oriented file system model as efficiently as by an existing optimized commercial file system. The object-oriented file system can be specialized to provide an object store for persistent objects. The problems that arise in building an efficient persistent object scheme in a 32-bit virtual address space that only uses paging are described. Despite its limitations, the solution presented allows quite large numbers of objects to be active simultaneously, and permits sharing and efficient method calls.

Survival of Bactericidal Antibiotic Treatment by a Persister Subpopulation of Listeria monocytogenes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Gitte Maegaard; Ng, Yin; Gram, Lone

2013-01-01

Listeria monocytogenes can cause the serious infection listeriosis, which despite antibiotic treatment has a high mortality. Understanding the response of L. monocytogenes to antibiotic exposure is therefore important to ensure treatment success. Some bacteria survive antibiotic treatment...... by formation of persisters, which are a dormant antibiotic-tolerant subpopulation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether L. monocytogenes can form persisters and how bacterial physiology affects the number of persisters in the population. A stationary-phase culture of L. monocytogenes was adjusted...... that eradication of persisters is possible. Our study adds L. monocytogenes to the list of bacterial species capable of surviving bactericidal antibiotics in a dormant stage, and this persister phenomenon should be borne in mind when developing treatment regimens....

NH125 kills methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus persisters by lipid bilayer disruption.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Wooseong; Fricke, Nico; Conery, Annie L; Fuchs, Beth Burgwyn; Rajamuthiah, Rajmohan; Jayamani, Elamparithi; Vlahovska, Petia M; Ausubel, Frederick M; Mylonakis, Eleftherios

2016-01-01

NH125, a known WalK inhibitor kills MRSA persisters. However, its precise mode of action is still unknown. The mode of action of NH125 was investigated by comparing its spectrum of antimicrobial activity and its effects on membrane permeability and giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) with walrycin B, a WalR inhibitor and benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium chloride (16-BAC), a cationic surfactant. NH125 killed persister cells of a variety of Staphylococcus aureus strains. Similar to 16-BAC, NH125 killed MRSA persisters by inducing rapid membrane permeabilization and caused the rupture of GUVs, whereas walrycin B did not kill MRSA persisters or induce membrane permeabilization and did not affect GUVs. NH125 kills MRSA persisters by interacting with and disrupting membranes in a detergent-like manner.

Persistent schema-dependent hippocampal-neocortical connectivity during memory encoding and postencoding rest in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

van Kesteren, Marlieke T R; Fernández, Guillén; Norris, David G; Hermans, Erno J

2010-04-20

The hippocampus is thought to promote gradual incorporation of novel information into long-term memory by binding, reactivating, and strengthening distributed cortical-cortical connections. Recent studies implicate a key role in this process for hippocampally driven crosstalk with the (ventro)medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), which is proposed to become a central node in such representational networks over time. The existence of a relevant prior associative network, or schema, may moreover facilitate this process. Thus, hippocampal-vmPFC crosstalk may support integration of new memories, particularly in the absence of a relevant prior schema. To address this issue, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and prior schema manipulation to track hippocampal-vmPFC connectivity during encoding and postencoding rest. We manipulated prior schema knowledge by exposing 30 participants to the first part of a movie that was temporally scrambled for 15 participants. The next day, participants underwent fMRI while encoding the movie's final 15 min in original order and, subsequently, while resting. Schema knowledge and item recognition performance show that prior schema was successfully and selectively manipulated. Intersubject synchronization (ISS) and interregional partial correlation analyses furthermore show that stronger prior schema was associated with more vmPFC ISS and less hippocampal-vmPFC interregional connectivity during encoding. Notably, this connectivity pattern persisted during postencoding rest. These findings suggest that additional crosstalk between hippocampus and vmPFC is required to compensate for difficulty integrating novel information during encoding and provide tentative support for the notion that functionally relevant hippocampal-neocortical crosstalk persists during off-line periods after learning.

Marilyn Nelson: Poetic Justice

Science.gov (United States)

Pierpont, Katherine

2006-01-01

This article features some of the books written by Marilyn Nelson. Here, the author discusses how she has written a children's book of poetry about lynching, entitled "A Wreath for Emmitt Till." The author discusses how her books for children honor and memorialize history-changing African Americans. Among other things, the author discusses some of…

Persistent Modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2012-01-01

The relationship between representation and the represented is examined here through the notion of persistent modelling. This notion is not novel to the activity of architectural design if it is considered as describing a continued active and iterative engagement with design concerns – an evident....... It also provides critical insight into the use of contemporary modelling tools and methods, together with an examination of the implications their use has within the territories of architectural design, realisation and experience....... on this subject, this book makes essential reading for anyone considering new ways of thinking about architecture. In drawing upon both historical and contemporary perspectives this book provides evidence of the ways in which relations between representation and the represented continue to be reconsidered...

Persistent Modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

The relationship between representation and the represented is examined here through the notion of persistent modelling. This notion is not novel to the activity of architectural design if it is considered as describing a continued active and iterative engagement with design concerns – an evident....... It also provides critical insight into the use of contemporary modelling tools and methods, together with an examination of the implications their use has within the territories of architectural design, realisation and experience....... on this subject, this book makes essential reading for anyone considering new ways of thinking about architecture. In drawing upon both historical and contemporary perspectives this book provides evidence of the ways in which relations between representation and the represented continue to be reconsidered...

Systematic magnetization measurements on single crystalline Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ with columnar defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, Kazuhiro; Koshida, Ryo; Kwok, W.K.; Crabtree, G.W.; Okayasu, Satoru; Sataka, Masao; Kazumata, Yukio; Kadowaki, Kazuo

1999-01-01

The authors have performed systematic magnetization measurements on single crystalline Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ with columnar defects of B Φ = 0.005 to 1 T by using a SQUID magnetometer. Magnetization hysteresis curves of the pristine sample show a weak irreversible behavior in the vortex liquid state, suggesting the existence of the new vortex state in the vortex liquid state. This weak irreversible region persists systematically in the samples with columnar defects even up to B Φ = 1 T. It is shown that the weak hysteresis of magnetization is sensitive to the disorder level of the sample and shifts systematically to higher temperature and field region with increasing the number of columnar defects. This behavior clearly indicates that effective pinning mechanism exists even in the vortex liquid state and generates a finite critical current

Persistent pain and sensory disturbances after treatment for breast cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mejdahl, Mathias Kvist; Andersen, Kenneth Geving; Gärtner, Rune

2013-01-01

To examine the development of persistent pain after treatment for breast cancer and to examine risk factors associated with continuing pain.......To examine the development of persistent pain after treatment for breast cancer and to examine risk factors associated with continuing pain....

Photocarcinogenesis and persistent hyperplasia in UV-irradiated SENCAR mouse skin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strickland, P.T.

1986-01-01

Susceptibility to photocarcinogenesis has been examined in several mouse strains and stocks including SENCAR, CD-1, BALB/c, C3H, C57Bl, and NZB. SENCAR mice are hypersusceptible to tumorigenesis caused by single high dose exposures to ultraviolet (UV) radiation but not by chronic low-dose exposures. SENCAR mice also exhibit an exaggerated and persistent epidermal hyperplasia in response to UV-induced tissue damage. The persistent hyperplasia is apparently due to a sustained proliferation of the epithelial basal cells, rather than to delayed cell differentiation. SENCAR mice did not exhibit persistent hyperplasia following other forms of tissue damage (surgical or thermal). In related studies, the levels of thymine dimers induced in SENCAR epidermis by UV radiation were comparable to those observed in BALB/c epidermis. In addition, no differences were found in the tissue distribution or persistence of thymine dimers in SENCAR and BALB/c skin

Persistent Notochord in a Fetus with COL2A1 Mutation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisabeth Codsi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Multiple anomalies including micromelia, poor mineralization of the vertebrae, and a persistent notochord were identified on second trimester ultrasound in a fetus with a COL2A1 mutation. To our knowledge, this represents the first case of a persistent notochord associated with a COL2A1 mutation in humans. In this case report, we describe ultrasound and postmortem findings and review the pathogenesis associated with a persistent notochord.

The existence and persistence of long work hours

OpenAIRE

Drago, Robert William; Black, David; Wooden, Mark

2005-01-01

Previous research hypothesizes that long working hours are related to consumerism, the ideal worker norm, high levels of human capital, and a high cost-of-job-loss. The authors test these hypotheses using panel data on working hours for an Australian sample of full-time employed workers. Analyses include a static cross-sectional model and a persistence model for long hours over time. The results suggest that long hours (50 or more hours in a usual week) are often persistent, and provide stron...

Perfusion-weighted MR imaging in persistent hemiplegic migraine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mourand, Isabelle; Menjot de Champfleur, Nicolas; Carra-Dalliere, Clarisse; Le Bars, Emmanuelle; Bonafe, Alain; Thouvenot, Eric [Hopital Gui de Chauliac, Service de Neuroradiologie, Montpellier (France); Roubertie, Agathe [Hopital Gui de Chauliac, Service de Neuropediatrie, Montpellier (France)

2012-03-15

Hemiplegic migraine is a rare type of migraine that has an aura characterized by the presence of motor weakness, which may occasionally last up to several days, and then resolve without sequela. Pathogenesis of migraine remains unclear and, recently, perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) has provided a non-invasive method to study hemodynamic changes during acute attacks. Two female patients were admitted in our hospital suffering from prolonged hemiparesis. In both cases, they underwent MRI examination using a 1.5 T magnet including axial diffusion-weighted and perfusion sequences. From each perfusion MRI acquisition two regions of interest were delineated on each hemisphere and, the index of flow, cerebral blood volume, mean transit time, and time to peak were recorded and asymmetry indices from each perfusion parameter were calculated. Perfusion alterations were detected during the attacks. In one case, we observed, after 3 h of left hemiparesia, hypoperfusion of the right hemisphere. In the other case, who presented a familial hemiplegic migraine attack, on the third day of a persistent aura consisting of right hemiplegia and aphasia, PWI revealed hyperperfusion of the left hemisphere. Asymmetry indices for temporal parameters (mean transit time and time to peak) were the most sensitive. These findings resolved spontaneously after the attacks without any permanent sequel or signs of cerebral ischemia on follow-up MRI. PWI should be indicated for patients with migraine attacks accompanied by auras to assess the sequential changes in cerebral perfusion and to better understand its pathogenesis. (orig.)

Perfusion-weighted MR imaging in persistent hemiplegic migraine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mourand, Isabelle; Menjot de Champfleur, Nicolas; Carra-Dalliere, Clarisse; Le Bars, Emmanuelle; Bonafe, Alain; Thouvenot, Eric; Roubertie, Agathe

2012-01-01

Hemiplegic migraine is a rare type of migraine that has an aura characterized by the presence of motor weakness, which may occasionally last up to several days, and then resolve without sequela. Pathogenesis of migraine remains unclear and, recently, perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) has provided a non-invasive method to study hemodynamic changes during acute attacks. Two female patients were admitted in our hospital suffering from prolonged hemiparesis. In both cases, they underwent MRI examination using a 1.5 T magnet including axial diffusion-weighted and perfusion sequences. From each perfusion MRI acquisition two regions of interest were delineated on each hemisphere and, the index of flow, cerebral blood volume, mean transit time, and time to peak were recorded and asymmetry indices from each perfusion parameter were calculated. Perfusion alterations were detected during the attacks. In one case, we observed, after 3 h of left hemiparesia, hypoperfusion of the right hemisphere. In the other case, who presented a familial hemiplegic migraine attack, on the third day of a persistent aura consisting of right hemiplegia and aphasia, PWI revealed hyperperfusion of the left hemisphere. Asymmetry indices for temporal parameters (mean transit time and time to peak) were the most sensitive. These findings resolved spontaneously after the attacks without any permanent sequel or signs of cerebral ischemia on follow-up MRI. PWI should be indicated for patients with migraine attacks accompanied by auras to assess the sequential changes in cerebral perfusion and to better understand its pathogenesis. (orig.)

Magnetization reversal in ultrashort magnetic field pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauer, M.; Lopusnik, R.; Fassbender, J.; Hillebrands, B.

2000-01-01

We report the switching properties of a thin magnetic film subject to an ultrashort, laterally localized magnetic field pulse, obtained by numerical investigations. The magnetization distribution in the film is calculated on a grid assuming Stoner-like coherent rotation within the grid square size. Perpendicularly and in-plane magnetized films exhibit a magnetization reversal due to a 4 ps magnetic field pulse. Outside the central region the pulse duration is short compared to the precession period. In this area the evolution of the magnetization during the field pulse does not depend strongly on magnetic damping and/or pulse shape. However, the final magnetization distribution is affected by the magnetic damping. Although the pulse duration is short compared to the precession period, the time needed for the relaxation of the magnetization to the equilibrium state is rather large. The influence of the different magnetic anisotropy contributions and the magnetic damping parameter enters into the magnetization reversal process. Comparing the case of perpendicular anisotropy with different kinds of in-plane anisotropies, a principal difference is found due to the symmetry of the shape anisotropy with respect to the anisotropy in question

Persistence of, and interrelation between, horizontal and vertical technology alliances

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Belderbos, R.; Gilsing, V.A.; Lokshin, B.

2012-01-01

The authors explore to what extent there is persistence in, and interrelation between, alliance strategies with different partner types (customers, suppliers, competitors). In a panel data set of innovation-active firms in the Netherlands from 1996 to 2004, the authors find persistence in alliance

Persistent Breech Presentation in a Bicornuate Uterus: A Case Report

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We report a case of persistent breech presentation in a primigravida with bicornuate uterus that was initially diagnosed by early ultrasound scan. Persistent breech presentation later in the pregnancy necessitated an elective caesarean section at term. The diagnosis was confirmed intraoperatively by exteriorizing the uterus.

Study on microbial persistence in end-stage idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leeuw, N. de; Melchers, W.J.G.; Balk, A.H.M.M.; Jonge, N. de; Galama, J.M.D.

1999-01-01

Microbial persistence may be involved in the pathogenesis of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC). Therefore, we evaluated the role of various cardiopathogenic microorganisms in patients with end-stage IDC. In a previous study, we did not find evidence for the persistence of enterovirus RNA in

Near-total pancreatectomy for persistent hyperinsulinemic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

of persistent hypoglycemia in infancy with consequences ... (PHHI) is the most common cause of recurrent and per- sistent hypoglycemia in infancy and childhood. Causes .... a high rate of pancreatic surgery in the neonatal-onset group.

Persistent current through a semiconductor quantum dot with Gaussian confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyacioglu, Bahadir; Chatterjee, Ashok

2012-01-01

The persistent diamagnetic current in a GaAs quantum dot with Gaussian confinement is calculated. It is shown that except at very low temperature or at high temperature, the persistent current increases with decreasing temperature. It is also shown that as a function of the dot size, the diamagnetic current exhibits a maximum at a certain confinement length. It is furthermore shown that for a shallow potential, the persistent current shows an interesting maximum structure as a function of the depth of the potential. At low temperature, the peak structure is pretty sharp but becomes broader and broader with increasing temperature.

The effects of acute stress on the calibration of persistence.

Science.gov (United States)

Lempert, Karolina M; McGuire, Joseph T; Hazeltine, Danielle B; Phelps, Elizabeth A; Kable, Joseph W

2018-02-01

People frequently fail to wait for delayed rewards after choosing them. These preference reversals are sometimes thought to reflect self-control failure. Other times, however, continuing to wait for a delayed reward may be counterproductive (e.g., when reward timing uncertainty is high). Research has demonstrated that people can calibrate how long to wait for rewards in a given environment. Thus, the role of self-control might be to integrate information about the environment to flexibly adapt behavior, not merely to promote waiting. Here we tested effects of acute stress, which has been shown to tax control processes, on persistence, and the calibration of persistence, in young adult human participants. Half the participants (n = 60) performed a task in which persistence was optimal, and the other half (n = 60) performed a task in which it was optimal to quit waiting for reward soon after each trial began. Each participant completed the task either after cold pressor stress or no stress. Stress did not influence persistence or optimal calibration of persistence. Nevertheless, an exploratory analysis revealed an "inverted-U" relationship between cortisol increase and performance in the stress groups, suggesting that choosing the adaptive waiting policy may be facilitated with some stress and impaired with severe stress.

THE ROLE OF EARNINGS PERSISTENCE IN VALUATION ACCURACY AND THE TIME HORIZON

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)