WorldWideScience

Sample records for pre-historical human displacements

  1. Unemployment in Iraqi Refugees: The Interaction of Pre and Post-Displacement Trauma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, A. Michelle; Dhalimi, Abir; Lumley, Mark A.; Jamil, Hikmet; Pole, Nnamdi; Arnetz, Judith E.; Arnetz, Bengt B.

    2016-01-01

    Previous refugee research has been unable to link pre-displacement trauma with unemployment in the host country. The current study assessed the role of pre-displacement trauma, post-displacement trauma, and the interaction of both trauma types to prospectively examine unemployment in a random sample of newly-arrived Iraqi refugees. Participants (N=286) were interviewed three times over the first two years post-arrival. Refugees were assessed for pre-displacement trauma exposure, post-displacement trauma exposure, a history of unemployment in the country of origin and host country, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Analyses found that neither pre-displacement nor post-displacement trauma independently predicted unemployment 2 years post-arrival; however, the interaction of pre and post-displacement trauma predicted 2-year unemployment. Refugees with high levels of both pre and post-displacement trauma had a 91% predicted probability of unemployment, whereas those with low levels of both traumas had a 20% predicted probability. This interaction remained significant after controlling for sociodemographic variables and mental health upon arrival to the U.S. Resettlement agencies and community organizations should consider the interactive effect of encountering additional trauma after escaping the hardships of the refugee's country of origin. PMID:27535348

  2. Luminescence dating of some historical/pre-historical natural hazards of India

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gartia, R.K.

    2008-01-01

    The Indian sub-continent is characterized by host of natural hazards like earthquake, tsunami, cyclones, floods, landslides/mudflows. It is necessary to build-up a database of historical/pre-historical natural hazards for planning scenarios for emergency response to various them. In short, there is a vast scope of providing chronology to hazardous events by using known techniques of dating including luminescence dating which has an excellent window span down from few hundred years to one hundred thousand years. In this work we report the dates of some historical/pre-historical natural hazards of India. In particular we focus on three kinds of natural hazards namely, earthquakes, tsunami, and mudflows. For example of earthquake we cover a historical earthquake of Manipur that created two massive fissures at Kumbi, 25 km from the state capital, Imphal. For pre-historical ones, we cover Assam-Shillong area known for its highest levels of seismicity in India. We demonstrate the evidence of a paleo-tsunami that devastated Mahabalipuram near Chennai. Incidentally, Mahabalipuram was badly affected by the great tsunami of 26th Dec 2004. Finally, luminescence dating technique has been applied to some historical/pre-historical mudflows of Manipur. A recent mudflow on 10th July 2004 damaged more than 90 houses, block National Highway-39, the life-line of Manipur for more than a fort-night. (author)

  3. Earth building materials in pre-historic domestic architectures on the south of Portugal

    OpenAIRE

    Bruno, Patrícia; Faria, Paulina

    2008-01-01

    HERITAGE 2008 - World Heritage and Sustainable Development. Barcelos: Green Lines Institute for Sustainable Development, Vol. 2, p. 571-579 Pre-historic architectures reveal a profound knowledge of building materials and their selection and application. Depending on each geographical context or functional needs, pre-historic man developed and applied different building techniques. Archaeological vestiges from several pre-historic settlements of southwest Iberia has shown that s...

  4. The Displacement of the Possible: Popular Experience and Gentrification at Historic Center of Mexico City

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vicente Moctezuma Mendoza

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper studies the displacement of popular sectors in the Historic Center of Mexico City as part of the gentrification process in this space. Particularly, it analyzes a form of displacement that the author defines as ‘the displacement in popular horizons of the possible’, and supposes a reinterpretation – from the characteristics of the gentrification processes in Latin America and the anthropologic fieldwork- of the definition of ‘exclusionary displacement’ proposed by Peter Marcuse. Displacement is analyzed through an ethnographic approach to some residential itineraries that account for popular sectors different rooting constructions during the second half of the twentieth century and the review of the permanence or disappearance of such conditions in the contemporary context.

  5. Effect of historical earthquakes on pre-stressed anchor tie back diaphragm wall and on near-by building

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamal Mohamed Hafez Ismail Ibrahim

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Pre-stressed tie back anchored diaphragm walls are considered one of the safest lateral supports which help in overall stability when there is a significant difference in land level between back and front of these walls. Permanent lateral supports to these walls are frequently represented by supporting it laterally with foundation and floor slabs of the building. In this paper a special study of one raw anchor diaphragm wall subjected to different earthquake dynamic loads will be presented. The wall retains an excavation of 9.5 m and supports laterally a near-by 5 floor building. Five historical strong motions with different fundamental frequencies are subjected on the wall. The wall displacement, straining actions, anchor extreme force and the influence of variation of anchor stiffness are calculated using a dynamic Plaxis finite element program. The soil is considered as elasto-plastic material and represented using Mohr–Coulomb criteria, the wall and the anchor are considered to behave elastically. Prescribed displacement at the lower bottom boundary represents the earthquake motion. Far left and right absorbent boundaries are assumed to prevent dynamic wave reflection. Four static phases representing construction procedure and one dynamic loading phase are considered. It is found that the straining actions of different historical earthquakes match in shape with each other, the only change is in the amplitude which is affected by earthquake fundamental frequency and its intensity. The maximum dynamic lateral displacement of the wall is at its free top. The near-by building shows a differential settlement towards the wall which causes a change in the sign and amplitude of the straining actions. Increasing the stiffness of anchor was also studied and it was found that it reduces too much the maximum dynamic top wall lateral displacement.

  6. Neoliberalism in Historical Light: How Business Models Displaced Science Education Goals in Two Eras

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayes, Kathryn N.

    2016-01-01

    Although a growing body of work addresses the current role of neoliberalism in displacing democratic equality as a goal of public education, attempts to parse such impacts rarely draw from historical accounts. At least one tenet of neoliberalism--the application of business models to public institutions--was also pervasive at the turn of the 20th…

  7. Opinions of Pre-service Social Studies Teachers about Using Historical Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aslı AVCI AKÇALI

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This research aimed to identify the knowledge, attitude and skill levels of pre-service social studies teachers about using historical environment in teaching. Based on this aim it can be included in the scope of the survey research. Participants of the research which was realized in 2015-2016 academic year were 75 senior grade pre-service teachers in the department of social studies teaching of a university from the north of Turkey. In the research, qualitative approach was followed in data collection. A questionnaire including open-ended questions and semi-structured interview technique were used. The data were analyzed according to the content analysis method. As the result of the study, it was identified that pre-service social studies teachers had knowledge to a certain extent about the definition of the historical environment, elements of it, educational attainments it might provide and the method and techniques which can be applied to use it. Moreover, they did not have enough knowledge about the nearby historical environment. Furthermore, it was propounded that attitude levels of the participants about using historical environment in social studies teaching were high whereas the skill levels were low.

  8. Determining a pre-mining radiological baseline from historic airborne gamma surveys: A case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bollhöfer, Andreas; Beraldo, Annamarie; Pfitzner, Kirrilly; Esparon, Andrew; Doering, Che

    2014-01-01

    Knowing the baseline level of radioactivity in areas naturally enriched in radionuclides is important in the uranium mining context to assess radiation doses to humans and the environment both during and after mining. This information is particularly useful in rehabilitation planning and developing closure criteria for uranium mines as only radiation doses additional to the natural background are usually considered ‘controllable’ for radiation protection purposes. In this case study we have tested whether the method of contemporary groundtruthing of a historic airborne gamma survey could be used to determine the pre-mining radiological conditions at the Ranger mine in northern Australia. The airborne gamma survey was flown in 1976 before mining started and groundtruthed using ground gamma dose rate measurements made between 2007 and 2009 at an undisturbed area naturally enriched in uranium (Anomaly 2) located nearby the Ranger mine. Measurements of 226 Ra soil activity concentration and 222 Rn exhalation flux density at Anomaly 2 were made concurrent with the ground gamma dose rate measurements. Algorithms were developed to upscale the ground gamma data to the same spatial resolution as the historic airborne gamma survey data using a geographic information system, allowing comparison of the datasets. Linear correlation models were developed to estimate the pre-mining gamma dose rates, 226 Ra soil activity concentrations, and 222 Rn exhalation flux densities at selected areas in the greater Ranger region. The modelled levels agreed with measurements made at the Ranger Orebodies 1 and 3 before mining started, and at environmental sites in the region. The conclusion is that our approach can be used to determine baseline radiation levels, and provide a benchmark for rehabilitation of uranium mines or industrial sites where historical airborne gamma survey data are available and an undisturbed radiological analogue exists to groundtruth the data. - Highlights:

  9. Semen Displacement as a Sperm Competition Strategy in Humans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gordon G. Gallup

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available We examine some of the implications of the possibility that the human penis may have evolved to compete with sperm from other males by displacing rival semen from the cervical end of the vagina prior to ejaculation. The semen displacement hypothesis integrates considerable information about genital morphology and human reproductive behavior, and can be used to generate a number of interesting predictions.

  10. Intra-fraction prostate displacement in radiotherapy estimated from pre- and post-treatment imaging of patients with implanted fiducial markers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kron, Tomas; Thomas, Jessica; Fox, Chris; Thompson, Ann; Owen, Rebecca; Herschtal, Alan; Haworth, Annette; Tai, Keen-Hun; Foroudi, Farshad

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: To determine intra-fraction displacement of the prostate gland from imaging pre- and post-radiotherapy delivery of prostate cancer patients with three implanted fiducial markers. Methods and materials: Data were collected from 184 patients who had two orthogonal X-rays pre- and post-delivery on at least 20 occasions using a Varian On Board kV Imaging system. A total of 5778 image pairs covering time intervals between 3 and 30 min between pre- and post-imaging were evaluated for intra-fraction prostate displacement. Results: The mean three dimensional vector shift between images was 1.7 mm ranging from 0 to 25 mm. No preferential direction of displacement was found; however, there was an increase of prostate displacement with time between images. There was a large variation in typical shifts between patients (range 1 ± 1 to 6 ± 2 mm) with no apparent trends throughout the treatment course. Images acquired in the first five fractions of treatment could be used to predict displacement patterns for individual patients. Conclusion: Intra-fraction motion of the prostate gland appears to be a limiting factor when considering margins for radiotherapy. Given the variation between patients, a uniform set of margins for all patients may not be satisfactory when high target doses are to be delivered.

  11. 40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart IIIi of... - Emission Standards for Stationary Pre-2007 Model Year Engines With a Displacement of

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ...-2007 Model Year Engines With a Displacement of 1 Table 1 to Subpart IIII of Part 60 Protection of... NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Stationary Compression Ignition Internal... Stationary Pre-2007 Model Year Engines With a Displacement of 2,237 KW (3,000 HP) and With a Displacement of...

  12. Learning Other People's History: Pre-Service Teachers' Developing African American Historical Knowledge

    Science.gov (United States)

    King, LaGarrett Jarriel

    2014-01-01

    Drawing from the historical lens of cultural memory, I examined the development of three social studies pre-service teachers' African American history knowledge. The participants were engaged in a rigorous summer reading program dedicated to learning African American history. This qualitative case study examined both pre and post interpretations…

  13. DNA fork displacement rates in human cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kapp, L.N.; Painter, R.B.

    1981-01-01

    DNA fork displacement rates were measured in 20 human cell lines by a bromodeoxyuridine-313 nm photolysis technique. Cell lines included representatives of normal diploid, Fanconi's anemia, ataxia telangiectasia, xeroderma pigmentosum, trisomy-21 and several transformed lines. The average value for all the cell lines was 0.53 +- 0.08 μm/min. The average value for individual cell lines, however, displayed a 30% variation. Less than 10% of variation in the fork displacement rate appears to be due to the experimental technique; the remainder is probably due to true variation among the cell types and to culture conditions. (Auth.)

  14. DNA fork displacement rates in human cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kapp, L.N.; Painter, R.B. (California Univ., San Francisco (USA). Lab. of Radiobiology)

    1981-11-27

    DNA fork displacement rates were measured in 20 human cell lines by a bromodeoxyuridine-313 nm photolysis technique. Cell lines included representatives of normal diploid, Fanconi's anemia, ataxia telangiectasia, xeroderma pigmentosum, trisomy-21 and several transformed lines. The average value for all the cell lines was 0.53 +- 0.08 ..mu..m/min. The average value for individual cell lines, however, displayed a 30% variation. Less than 10% of variation in the fork displacement rate appears to be due to the experimental technique; the remainder is probably due to true variation among the cell types and to culture conditions.

  15. Ekhaya : Human displacement and the yearning for familial ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ekhaya : Human displacement and the yearning for familial homecoming. From Throne (Cathedra) to Home ( Oikos ) in a grassroots ecclesiology of place and space: Fides Quaerens Domum et Locum [Faith Seeking Home and Space

  16. Human response to ductless personalized ventilation coupled with displacement ventilation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalewski, Mariusz; Veselý, Michal; Melikov, Arsen K.

    2012-01-01

    A human subject experiment was carried out to investigate the extent to which ductless personalized ventilation (DPV) in conjunction with displacement ventilation can improve perceived air quality (PAQ) and thermal comfort at elevated room air temperature in comparison with displacement ventilation...... alone. The experimental conditions comprised displacement ventilation alone (room air temperature of 23 °C, 26 °C, 29 °C) and DPV with displacement ventilation (26 °C, 29 °C), both operating at supply air temperatures 3, 5 or 6K lower than room air temperature, as well as mixing ventilation (23 °C, 3 K......). During one hour exposure participants answered questionnaires regarding PAQ and thermal comfort. PAQ was significantly better with DPV than without DPV at the same background conditions. Thermal comfort improved when DPV was used. Combining DPV with displacement ventilation showed the potential...

  17. The effect of pre-cure bracket movement on shear bond strength during placement of orthodontic brackets, an in vitro study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tam, Byron; Bollu, Prashanti; Chaudhry, Kishore; Subramani, Karthikeyan

    2017-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of linear and rotational pre-cure bracket displacement during the bonding procedure on shear bond strength (SBS) of orthodontic brackets. Stainless steel orthodontic premolar brackets were bonded to the buccal surfaces of 50 human pre-molars with a conventional two-step bonding protocol. Extracted human pre-molars were divided into 5 groups (n=10/group). In the Control Group, the brackets were bonded with no pre-cure bracket displacement or rotation. The Rotation Group was bonded with 45 degrees of pre-cure rotation. The Displacement Group was bonded with 2mm pre-cure linear displacement. The Rotation-Displacement Group was bonded with pre-cure movements of 45º counter-clockwise rotation and 2mm displacement. The Slippage Group was bonded with 2mm each of mesial and distal pre-cure linear displacement. Photo-activation was carried out on the lateral sides of the bracket. Shear debonding force was measured, 24 hours after initial bonding, with an Instron universal testing machine using a knife-edged chisel. Data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA test. Adhesive Remnant Index (ARI) was scored under 15x magnification. The ARI data was analyzed using the Chi-square test ( p -value bracket displacements do not appear to effect the shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets. Key words: Shear bond strength, orthodontic bracket, displacement, rotation, adhesive remnant index, pre-cure movement.

  18. The historical character of human nature in Freud's theories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zilbersheid, Uri

    2013-06-01

    In Freud' theories of human development, human nature is described and analyzed as essentially historical. At the core of human history is the restructuring of the sexual instinct and the death instinct (or its unique form as destructive impulses). The conscious, asked-for shaping of these two instincts, under the rule of the "reality principle", forms the basis of human society at all stages. This conscious restructuring has also unintended, unasked-for results, which are part of the historically developing human nature. The historical choice has been the building of human society as a social complex based on the de-eroticization of both the individual and society. Freud suggested that the historical process of changing human nature and maintaining the achieved new structure has mainly been an enterprise of enlightened political elite, which has imposed (in all societies) the various elements of the new nature upon the ordinary people. Human history is essentially a deed of the political sphere. In viewing human nature as consisting of both asked-for and unasked-for results of human conscious purposeful activity Freud belongs to the same historical school as Marx.

  19. Environmentally-induced displacement and human security

    OpenAIRE

    Terminski, Bogumil

    2012-01-01

    We can distinguish two general causes of internal displacement worldwide: 1. the impact of threats to and ensuing decline in the level of human security below that needed for normal existence in the homeland territory, 2. administrative compulsion to leave the current place of residence. Every year, at least tens of millions of people on all continents are forced to leave their places of residence. The predominant cause is the occurrence of natural disasters, creating the most dynamic categor...

  20. Molecular displacement of warfarin from human serum albumin by flavonoid aglycones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poór, Miklós; Li, Yin; Kunsági-Máté, Sándor; Petrik, József; Vladimir-Knežević, Sanda; Kőszegi, Tamás

    2013-01-01

    The well-known 4-hydroxycoumarin derivative warfarin is a widespread anticoagulant drug. Besides its strong albumin binding property warfarin has a narrow therapeutic window. Therefore, a few percent of displacement from albumin can result in serious biological consequences. The flavonoid molecular group also shows very strong plasma albumin binding characteristics occupying the same binding site. It is plausible to hypothesize that flavonoid aglycones may be able to displace warfarin from human serum albumin (HSA). In our study the competing activities of different flavone (acacetin, apigenin, chrysin, luteolin), flavonol (galangin, quercetin) and flavanone (hesperetin, naringenin) aglycones were investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy. Our results represent that flavonoids are able to displace warfarin from the surface of HSA. On the other hand, when comparing flavone or flavonol groups to flavanones the latter group seems to be much weaker competitor. These observations were also supported by calculation of stability constants. Our investigations strongly suggest that we should reckon with the described molecular displacement. However, further in vivo studies are needed to support the findings of our model system. -- Highlights: • Various flavonoids are able to displace warfarin from human serum albumin. • Flavones and flavonols are much more effective competitors than flavanones. • Even 300 nM aglycone concentrations show the interaction with 3 μM warfarin. • Flavonoid pairs show quasi-additive desorbing property. • Flavones and flavonols are much stronger competitors than the examined drugs

  1. Molecular displacement of warfarin from human serum albumin by flavonoid aglycones

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Poór, Miklós [Institute of Laboratory Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs H-7624 (Hungary); Li, Yin; Kunsági-Máté, Sándor [Department of General and Physical Chemistry, University of Pécs, Pécs H-7624 (Hungary); János Szentágothai Research Center, H-7624 Pécs (Hungary); Petrik, József [Department of Medical Biochemistry and Hematology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, HR-10000 Zagreb (Croatia); Vladimir-Knežević, Sanda [Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, HR-10000 Zagreb (Croatia); Kőszegi, Tamás, E-mail: koszegit@freemail.hu [Institute of Laboratory Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs H-7624 (Hungary)

    2013-10-15

    The well-known 4-hydroxycoumarin derivative warfarin is a widespread anticoagulant drug. Besides its strong albumin binding property warfarin has a narrow therapeutic window. Therefore, a few percent of displacement from albumin can result in serious biological consequences. The flavonoid molecular group also shows very strong plasma albumin binding characteristics occupying the same binding site. It is plausible to hypothesize that flavonoid aglycones may be able to displace warfarin from human serum albumin (HSA). In our study the competing activities of different flavone (acacetin, apigenin, chrysin, luteolin), flavonol (galangin, quercetin) and flavanone (hesperetin, naringenin) aglycones were investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy. Our results represent that flavonoids are able to displace warfarin from the surface of HSA. On the other hand, when comparing flavone or flavonol groups to flavanones the latter group seems to be much weaker competitor. These observations were also supported by calculation of stability constants. Our investigations strongly suggest that we should reckon with the described molecular displacement. However, further in vivo studies are needed to support the findings of our model system. -- Highlights: • Various flavonoids are able to displace warfarin from human serum albumin. • Flavones and flavonols are much more effective competitors than flavanones. • Even 300 nM aglycone concentrations show the interaction with 3 μM warfarin. • Flavonoid pairs show quasi-additive desorbing property. • Flavones and flavonols are much stronger competitors than the examined drugs.

  2. Hermeneutics and the Historicity of Human Understanding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gholamreza Jamshidnia

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Whether objectivity in the understanding of history is achivable? Putting  in another way, whether it is possible to account a historical event purely objectively, and free of one's own values, attitudes, and interests? Whether it is possible to have a "complete history'' and a complete explanation of any historical matter? If it is not possible, then it necessarily leads to a relativistic approach which finds any historical narrative acceptable? Are there any criteria according to which one could compare truthfulness of various historical narratives? The present study approach these questions hermeneutically. However, not all hermeneutical approaches answer them alike. Denying the relativist approach, this study attempts to analyze historicity of the human understanding and that of the interpreter him/herself.

  3. Influences of pre-crash braking induced dummy - forward displacements on dummy behaviour during EuroNCAP frontal crashtest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woitsch, Gernot; Sinz, Wolfgang

    2014-01-01

    Combination of active and passive safety systems is a future key to further improvement in vehicle safety. Autonomous braking systems are able to reduce collision speeds, and therefore severity levels significantly. Passengers change their position due to pre-impact vehicle motion, a fact, which has not yet been considered in common crash tests. For this paper, finite elements simulations of crash tests were performed to show that forward displacements due to pre-crash braking do not necessarily increase dummy load levels. So the influence of different pre-crash scenarios, all leading to equal closing speeds in the crash phase, are considered in terms of vehicle motion (pitching, deceleration) and restraint system configurations (belt load limiter, pretensioner). The influence is evaluated by dummy loads as well as contact risk between the dummy and the interior. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Enhancement of Pre-Service Teachers' Teaching Interventions with the Aid of Historical Examples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spiliotopoulou-Papantoniou, Vasiliki; Agelopoulos, Konstantinos

    2009-09-01

    This paper focuses on the attempt to include a historical perspective in a pre-service teacher education course. It is based on the design research approach and the main aim is the development of a product, a module for student-teachers’ actual involvement in the historic teaching design process. Student-teachers were presented and familiarized with the reasons for including a historical component in teaching, and with the meaning and teaching function of three historical examples. They were asked to search for historical materials on the basis of which they had to design teaching interventions justifying their choices. Total of 74 teaching interventions have been analyzed and a systemic network has been produced with the identified categories of their characteristics. Two case studies of students’ interventions with their historical materials are also discussed. Findings show that the group of student-teachers studied was able to develop a range of interesting materials. Traditional models of teaching that are held by student-teachers are obstacles for substantiating the historical perspective. Only a few student-teachers succeed in stating meaningful epistemic goals, while some others lack awareness of the potential of their own material for communicating aspects of the nature of science to students. Results appear that can lead to a future module’s revision, and further research steps.

  5. Blaming the Environment: Ethnic Violence and the Political Economy of Displacement in Kenya

    OpenAIRE

    Kagwanja, Peter

    2002-01-01

    Within the context of historical and political economy, this paper examines the link between environmental stress and the contemporary problems of ethnic violence and forced migrations, specifically internal displacement in Kenya. It examines the various theoretical links to political and ethnic persecution which cause displacement and environmental stress. Examining the historical antecedents of the phenomenon of displacement in Kenya, the paper argues that environmental stress per se cannot...

  6. Biodeterioration agents: Bacterial and fungal diversity dwelling in or on the pre-historic rock-paints of Kabra-pahad, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biswas, Jayant; Sharma, Kavita; Harris, K K; Rajput, Yogita

    2013-09-01

    In the last few decades, losses of our cultural heritage due to biodeteriorationare beinghighly recognized. From museum objects to rock monuments, the microbial biodeterioration agents are found to be the most destructive. Possibilities for proper preservative measure(s) are always more when it is only a monument, statue, museum article, or pre-historic art in any small subterranean cave. Nevertheless, preservation/protection of the footprints occupying a big area, lying scattered in a very negligible manner requires safeguard against several deterioration factors; right from various physical, chemical and biological agents which are indeed interrelated to each other. In the present study, some microbial communities possibly responsible for deteriorating the rocks of Kabra-pahad, where the most famous pre-historic rock paints of India prevail have been identified. The diversity of fungi and bacteria present in the stone crust of the infected areas has been studied by employing standard laboratory methods. The cultivated cultures confirmed total fifteen fungal species, among which Aspergillus group were the most dominant. Among bacteria, total 80 numbers of colonies were observed that dominated by two major groups; Micrococcus.spp and Staphylococcus spp. The pre-historic footprint in the form of rock paints in Kabra-pahad of district Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, India is lying in a very deteriorated manner. In the present study, we have tried to identify few major deteriorating factors that are responsible for such degradation of our existing pre-historic footprints.

  7. Prolegomena of Human Rights. Historical Roots and Globalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana-Alina Dumitrache-Ionescu

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper Prolegomena of Human Rights. Historical Roots and Globalization analyses the complexity of the history of human rights which revolve around an incessant struggle for the awareness of the value of the human being. It is the history which defends the man, the human being, regarded individually or collectively, who was subjected in the course of time to some atrocities and abuses, confronting itself with exploitation, discrimination, oppression, slavery, torture and even extermination. Moreover, the historical evolution of human rights knows halting places in which the concepts of human rights are accompanied by ambiguity, by different meanings for different people and vary in accordance with the context. By way of resemblance, the problem of human rights in the context of globalization which transforms human rights into rights of the global citizen, rights which acquire new dimensions and significances imposed by the economic, politic and social changes specific of globalization is approached in this paper. The global vision of the new human rights involves both the opportunity to have a say when they are infringed for example, when they are subjected to torture or terror, and where human rights abuses are carried out by the people, for example, trafficking in human beings. (Ritzer, & Dean, 2015, p. 115

  8. The Pb isotopic record of historical to modern human lead exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamenov, George D.; Gulson, Brian L.

    2014-01-01

    Human teeth and bones incorporate trace amounts of lead (Pb) from the local environment during growth and remodeling. Anthropogenic activities have caused changes in the natural Pb isotopic background since historical times and this is reflected in the Pb isotopes of historical European teeth. Lead mining and use increased exponentially during the last century and the isotopic compositions of modern human teeth reflect the modern anthropogenic Pb. USA teeth show the most radiogenic Pb and Australian teeth show the least radiogenic Pb, a result of different Pb ores used in the two regions. During the last century the Australian Pb was exported to Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa, resulting in swamping of the local environmental Pb signal by the imported Pb. As a result, the modern human teeth in Europe show a significant drop to lower isotopic values compared with historical times. Similarly, modern human teeth in other regions of the world show similar Pb isotopic ratios to modern European teeth reflecting the Pb imports. The specific pattern of human Pb exposure allows us to use the Pb isotopic signal recorded in the skeleton as a geo-referencing tool. As historical European teeth show a distinct Pb signal, we can identify early European skeletal remains in the New World and likely elsewhere. In modern forensic investigations we can discriminate to some extent Eastern Europeans from Western and Northern Europeans. Australians can be identified to some extent in any region in the world, although there is some overlap with Western European individuals. Lead isotopes can be used to easily identify foreigners in the USA, as modern USA teeth are distinct from any other region of the world. By analogy, USA individuals can be identified virtually in any other region of the world. - Highlights: • We present high-precision Pb isotope data for historical and modern human teeth. • Human teeth reflect human Pb exposure since historical times. • Modern teeth show

  9. The Pb isotopic record of historical to modern human lead exposure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kamenov, George D., E-mail: kamenov@ufl.edu [Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, 241 Williamson Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States); Gulson, Brian L. [Graduate School of the Environment, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 (Australia)

    2014-08-15

    Human teeth and bones incorporate trace amounts of lead (Pb) from the local environment during growth and remodeling. Anthropogenic activities have caused changes in the natural Pb isotopic background since historical times and this is reflected in the Pb isotopes of historical European teeth. Lead mining and use increased exponentially during the last century and the isotopic compositions of modern human teeth reflect the modern anthropogenic Pb. USA teeth show the most radiogenic Pb and Australian teeth show the least radiogenic Pb, a result of different Pb ores used in the two regions. During the last century the Australian Pb was exported to Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa, resulting in swamping of the local environmental Pb signal by the imported Pb. As a result, the modern human teeth in Europe show a significant drop to lower isotopic values compared with historical times. Similarly, modern human teeth in other regions of the world show similar Pb isotopic ratios to modern European teeth reflecting the Pb imports. The specific pattern of human Pb exposure allows us to use the Pb isotopic signal recorded in the skeleton as a geo-referencing tool. As historical European teeth show a distinct Pb signal, we can identify early European skeletal remains in the New World and likely elsewhere. In modern forensic investigations we can discriminate to some extent Eastern Europeans from Western and Northern Europeans. Australians can be identified to some extent in any region in the world, although there is some overlap with Western European individuals. Lead isotopes can be used to easily identify foreigners in the USA, as modern USA teeth are distinct from any other region of the world. By analogy, USA individuals can be identified virtually in any other region of the world. - Highlights: • We present high-precision Pb isotope data for historical and modern human teeth. • Human teeth reflect human Pb exposure since historical times. • Modern teeth show

  10. The Force-Displacement Relationship in Commonly Used Resuscitation Manikins: Not Very Human

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Jakob E; Stærk, Mathilde; Løfgren, Bo

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Manikins are widely used for CPR training and designed to simulate a human in cardiac arrest. Previous studies show a non-linear force-displacement relationship in the human chest. This may not be the case for resuscitation manikins. The aim of this study was to investigate the force......-displacement relationship in commonly used resuscitation manikins.Methods: Commonly used infant and adult manikins for resuscitation training were included in the study. Manikins were tested by placing them in a material testing machine (ProLine Z050, Zwick/Roell, Ulm, Germany). A piston was placed on lower half...... (Laerdal) and CPR Anytime® Infant (inflatable; American Heart Association) and five adult manikins: Mini Anne (inflatable), Little Anne®, Resusci Anne, Resusci Anne Advanced(Laerdal) and Ambu® Man (Ambu). Infant manikins required a force of 57 N and 34 N to compress the chest 3 cm. The force required...

  11. Initial studies on the variations of load-displacement curves of in vivo human healthy heel pads

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Matteoli, Sara; Wilhjelm, Jens E.; Virga, Antonio

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study was to quantify on the measurement variation of in vivo load-displacement curves by using a group of human healthy heel pads. The recordings were done with a compression device measuring force and displacement. Twenty three heel pads, one from each of 23 subjects aged 20...

  12. Guidelines for system modeling: pre-accident human errors, rev.0

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kang, Dae Il; Jung, W. D.; Lee, Y. H.; Hwang, M. J.; Yang, J. E

    2004-01-01

    The evaluation results of Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) of pre-accident human errors in the probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) for the Korea Standard Nuclear Power Plant (KSNP) using the ASME PRA standard show that more than 50% of 10 items to be improved are related to the identification and screening analysis for them. Thus, we developed a guideline for modeling pre-accident human errors for the system analyst to resolve some items to be improved for them. The developed guideline consists of modeling criteria for the pre-accident human errors (identification, qualitative screening, and common restoration errors) and detailed guidelines for pre-accident human errors relating to testing, maintenance, and calibration works of nuclear power plants (NPPs). The system analyst use the developed guideline and he or she applies it to the system which he or she takes care of. The HRA analyst review the application results of the system analyst. We applied the developed guideline to the auxiliary feed water system of the KSNP to show the usefulness of it. The application results of the developed guideline show that more than 50% of the items to be improved for pre-accident human errors of auxiliary feed water system are resolved. The guideline for modeling pre-accident human errors developed in this study can be used for other NPPs as well as the KSNP. It is expected that both use of the detailed procedure, to be developed in the future, for the quantification of pre-accident human errors and the guideline developed in this study will greatly enhance the PSA quality in the HRA of pre-accident human errors.

  13. Guidelines for system modeling: pre-accident human errors, rev.0

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Dae Il; Jung, W. D.; Lee, Y. H.; Hwang, M. J.; Yang, J. E.

    2004-01-01

    The evaluation results of Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) of pre-accident human errors in the probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) for the Korea Standard Nuclear Power Plant (KSNP) using the ASME PRA standard show that more than 50% of 10 items to be improved are related to the identification and screening analysis for them. Thus, we developed a guideline for modeling pre-accident human errors for the system analyst to resolve some items to be improved for them. The developed guideline consists of modeling criteria for the pre-accident human errors (identification, qualitative screening, and common restoration errors) and detailed guidelines for pre-accident human errors relating to testing, maintenance, and calibration works of nuclear power plants (NPPs). The system analyst use the developed guideline and he or she applies it to the system which he or she takes care of. The HRA analyst review the application results of the system analyst. We applied the developed guideline to the auxiliary feed water system of the KSNP to show the usefulness of it. The application results of the developed guideline show that more than 50% of the items to be improved for pre-accident human errors of auxiliary feed water system are resolved. The guideline for modeling pre-accident human errors developed in this study can be used for other NPPs as well as the KSNP. It is expected that both use of the detailed procedure, to be developed in the future, for the quantification of pre-accident human errors and the guideline developed in this study will greatly enhance the PSA quality in the HRA of pre-accident human errors

  14. Impact of balancing-side tooth contact on clenching induced mandibular displacements in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baba, K; Yugami, K; Yaka, T; Ai, M

    2001-08-01

    This study investigated mandibular displacements during clenching in the lateral mandibular position in relation to lateral occlusal relationships. Twelve healthy human subjects (mean=26.7 years) volunteered for this study. Acrylic occlusal devices were fabricated for the lower working-side canine, working-side second molar and balancing-side second molar in order to simulate a dominant canine guidance, working-side interference (WI), balancing-side interference (BI) and bilateral balanced occlusion (BO). Vertical displacements of the mandible were recorded by linear variable differential transformers during submaximal clenching in the right lateral position. The four experimental occlusal conditions were revealed to have a significant effect on mandibular displacement patterns (ANOVA, P experimental conditions. These results suggest that the nature of reaction forces at the temporomandibular (TM) joints caused by the elevation of the mandible varies in a predictable manner depending upon lateral occlusal relationships.

  15. Pre-historic eating patterns in Latin America and protective effects of plant-based diets on cardiovascular risk factors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julio C. Acosta Navarro

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available In this review, we present the contributions to nutrition science from Latin American native peoples and scientists, appreciated from a historic point of view since pre-historic times to the modern age. Additionally, we present epidemiological and clinical studies on the area of plant-based diets and their relation with the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases conducted in recent decades, and we discuss challenges and perspectives regarding aspects of nutrition in the region

  16. Displacement of Drugs from Human Serum Albumin: From Molecular Interactions to Clinical Significance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rimac, Hrvoje; Debeljak, Željko; Bojić, Mirza; Miller, Larisa

    2017-01-01

    Human serum albumin (HSA) is the most abundant protein in human serum. It has numerous functions, one of which is transport of small hydrophobic molecules, including drugs, toxins, nutrients, hormones and metabolites. HSA has the ability to interact with a wide variety of structurally different compounds. This promiscuous, nonspecific affinity can lead to sudden changes in concentrations caused by displacement, when two or more compounds compete for binding to the same molecular site. It is important to consider drug combinations and their binding to HSA when defining dosing regimens, as this can directly influence drug's free, active concentration in blood. In present paper we review drug interactions with potential for displacement from HSA, situations in which they are likely to occur and their clinical significance. We also offer guidelines in designing drugs with decreased binding to HSA. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  17. Exonuclease of human DNA polymerase gamma disengages its strand displacement function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Quan; Shumate, Christie K; White, Mark A; Molineux, Ian J; Yin, Y Whitney

    2013-11-01

    Pol γ, the only DNA polymerase found in human mitochondria, functions in both mtDNA repair and replication. During mtDNA base-excision repair, gaps are created after damaged base excision. Here we show that Pol γ efficiently gap-fills except when the gap is only a single nucleotide. Although wild-type Pol γ has very limited ability for strand displacement DNA synthesis, exo(-) (3'-5' exonuclease-deficient) Pol γ has significantly high activity and rapidly unwinds downstream DNA, synthesizing DNA at a rate comparable to that of the wild-type enzyme on a primer-template. The catalytic subunit Pol γA alone, even when exo(-), is unable to synthesize by strand displacement, making this the only known reaction of Pol γ holoenzyme that has an absolute requirement for the accessory subunit Pol γB. © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. Re-inventing the living past from the utilitarian values of pre-historic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper argues that the past material culture of any human society should always be subjected to criticisms and interpretive analysis based on archaeological evidence. It opines that in the interest of historical scholarship, certain inherent distortions that characterize oral and written histories should be re-evaluated, ...

  19. Conflict, displacement and health in the Middle East.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mowafi, Hani

    2011-01-01

    Displacement is a hallmark of modern humanitarian emergencies. Displacement itself is a traumatic event that can result in illness or death. Survivors face challenges including lack of adequate shelter, decreased access to health services, food insecurity, loss of livelihoods, social marginalisation as well as economic and sexual exploitation. Displacement takes many forms in the Middle East and the Arab World. Historical conflicts have resulted in long-term displacement of Palestinians. Internal conflicts have driven millions of Somalis and Sudanese from their homes. Iraqis have been displaced throughout the region by invasion and civil strife. In addition, large numbers of migrants transit Middle Eastern countries or live there illegally and suffer similar conditions as forcibly displaced people. Displacement in the Middle East is an urban phenomenon. Many displaced people live hidden among host country populations in poor urban neighbourhoods - often without legal status. This represents a challenge for groups attempting to access displaced populations. Furthermore, health information systems in host countries often do not collect data on displaced people, making it difficult to gather data needed to target interventions towards these vulnerable populations. The following is a discussion of the health impacts of conflict and displacement in the Middle East. A review was conducted of published literature on migration and displacement in the region. Different cases are discussed with an emphasis on the recent, large-scale and urban displacement of Iraqis to illustrate aspects of displacement in this region.

  20. Using Video Vignettes of Historical Episodes for Promoting Pre-Service Teachers' Ideas about the Nature of Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cakmakci, Gultekin

    2017-01-01

    This study used video vignettes of historical episodes from documentary films as a context and instructional tool to promote pre-service science teachers' (PSTs) conceptions of the nature of science (NOS). The participants received explicit-reflective NOS instruction, and were introduced to techniques to be able to use scenes from documentary…

  1. Attention effects at auditory periphery derived from human scalp potentials: displacement measure of potentials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikeda, Kazunari; Hayashi, Akiko; Sekiguchi, Takahiro; Era, Shukichi

    2006-10-01

    It is known in humans that electrophysiological measures such as the auditory brainstem response (ABR) are difficult to identify the attention effect at the auditory periphery, whereas the centrifugal effect has been detected by measuring otoacoustic emissions. This research developed a measure responsive to the shift of human scalp potentials within a brief post-stimulus period (13 ms), that is, displacement percentage, and applied it to an experiment to retrieve the peripheral attention effect. In the present experimental paradigm, tone pips were exposed to the left ear whereas the other ear was masked by white noise. Twelve participants each conducted two conditions of either ignoring or attending to the tone pips. Relative to averaged scalp potentials in the ignoring condition, the shift of the potentials was found within early component range during the attentive condition, and displacement percentage then revealed a significant magnitude difference between the two conditions. These results suggest that, using a measure representing the potential shift itself, the peripheral effect of attention can be detected from human scalp potentials.

  2. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, COGNITION AND SCHOOL EDUCATION: REFLECTIONS BELOW THE HISTORICAL-CULTURAL APPROACH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Solange Maria Alves

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available This text is fruit of studies, reflections and dialogues developed with graduate and post-graduate students inteaching and research coordinated by me, allocated in the research group: Human Development, Culture and Education, in rows : Language, Learning and Development and Imaginary Production and Creative Education. Over several years, the task of educational coordinating processes of teaching and research, allowed the construction of synthesis (always provisional, presented here. Having as a foundation the historic-cultural theory of Vygotsky and collaborators, the text reflects about human development, cognition and school education, pursuing the thesis that cognition is human development. To do this, search, in theoretical foundations of historical-cultural conception, the key elements that explain the process by which the biological becomes socio-historical, it takes up more carefully in the explicit about Vygotsky translates as plans or genetic fields of human development, increase the reflection articulating the categories: labor and language.

  3. Measuring vulnerability to disaster displacement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brink, Susan A.; Khazai, Bijan; Power, Christopher; Wenzel, Friedemann

    2015-04-01

    Large scale disasters can cause devastating impacts in terms of population displacement. Between 2008 and 2013, on average 27 million people were displaced annually by disasters (Yonetani 2014). After large events such as hurricane Katrina or the Port-au-Prince earthquake, images of inadequate public shelter and concerns about large scale and often inequitable migration have been broadcast around the world. Population displacement can often be one of the most devastating and visible impacts of a natural disaster. Despite the importance of population displacement in disaster events, measures to understand the socio-economic vulnerability of a community often use broad metrics to estimate the total socio-economic risk of an event rather than focusing on the specific impacts that a community faces in a disaster. Population displacement is complex and multi-causal with the physical impact of a disaster interacting with vulnerability arising from the response, environmental issues (e.g., weather), cultural concerns (e.g., expectations of adequate shelter), and many individual factors (e.g., mobility, risk perception). In addition to the complexity of the causes, population displacement is difficult to measure because of the wide variety of different terms and definitions and its multi-dimensional nature. When we speak of severe population displacement, we may refer to a large number of displaced people, an extended length of displacement or associated difficulties such as poor shelter quality, risk of violence and crime in shelter communities, discrimination in aid, a lack of access to employment or other difficulties that can be associated with large scale population displacement. We have completed a thorough review of the literature on disaster population displacement. Research has been conducted on historic events to understand the types of negative impacts associated with population displacement and also the vulnerability of different groups to these impacts. We

  4. Earthquake damage to underground facilities and earthquake related displacement fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pratt, H.R.; Stephenson, D.E.; Zandt, G.; Bouchon, M.; Hustrulid, W.A.

    1982-01-01

    The potential seismic risk for an underground facility is considered in the evaluation of its location and design. The possible damage resulting from either large-scale displacements or high accelerations should be considered in evaluating potential sites of underground facilities. Scattered through the available literature are statements to the effect that below a few hundred meters shaking and damage in mines is less than at the surface; however, data for decreased damage underground have not been completely reported or explained. In order to assess the seismic risk for an underground facility, a data base was established and analyzed to evaluate the potential for seismic disturbance. Substantial damage to underground facilities is usually the result of displacements primarily along pre-existing faults and fractures, or at the surface entrance to these facilities. Evidence of this comes from both earthquakes as a function of depth is important in the evaluation of the hazard to underground facilities. To evaluate potential displacements due to seismic effects of block motions along pre-existing or induced fractures, the displacement fields surrounding two types of faults were investigated. Analytical models were used to determine relative displacements of shafts and near-surface displacement of large rock masses. Numerical methods were used to determine the displacement fields associated with pure strike-slip and vertical normal faults. Results are presented as displacements for various fault lengths as a function of depth and distance. This provides input to determine potential displacements in terms of depth and distance for underground facilities, important for assessing potential sites and design parameters

  5. Epitaxial growth by monolayer restricted galvanic displacement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vasilić Rastko

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The development of a new method for epitaxial growth of metals in solution by galvanic displacement of layers pre-deposited by underpotential deposition (UPD was discussed and experimentally illustrated throughout the lecture. Cyclic voltammetry (CV and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM are employed to carry out and monitor a “quasi-perfect”, two-dimensional growth of Ag on Au(111, Cu on Ag(111, and Cu on Au(111 by repetitive galvanic displacement of underpotentially deposited monolayers. A comparative study emphasizes the displacement stoichiometry as an efficient tool for thickness control during the deposition process and as a key parameter that affects the deposit morphology. The excellent quality of layers deposited by monolayer-restricted galvanic displacement is manifested by a steady UPD voltammetry and ascertained by a flat and uniform surface morphology maintained during the entire growth process.

  6. Human Rights Education in Japan: An Historical Account, Characteristics and Suggestions for a Better-Balanced Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeda, Sachiko

    2012-01-01

    Although human rights are often expressed as universal tenets, the concept was conceived in a particular socio-political and historical context. Conceptualisations and practice of human rights vary across societies, and face numerous challenges. After providing an historical account of the conceptualisation of human rights in Japanese society,…

  7. Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Against Human Immunodeficiency Virus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Güle ÇINAR

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, there were 2.1 million new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV cases reported worldwide in 2015, which shows that siginificant work needs to be done to prevent the transmission of HIV. Research to date has focused mainly on high-risk men who have sex with men, but many women around the world are also at a high risk for HIV transmissions. In studies conducted, the incidence of HIV infection in high-risk individuals decreases over 90% when high-risk individuals use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PreP HIV, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-emtricitabine (TDF-FTC safely. Current data and studies on pre-exposure prophylaxis were discussed in this review.

  8. THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: CONTRIBUTIONS OF HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL PEDAGOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julia Malanchen

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This work points to the articulations between the fundamentals of cultural-historical psychology and the historical-critical pedagogy, in regard the issue of content that should compose the curriculum. The correct organization of the teaching process by the teacher, through scientific knowledge, as well as the appropriation of classic content, by students, promotes mental development to raise the development of higher psychological functions at their highest possibilities. Thus, we affirm the cultural-historical psychology and the historical-critical pedagogy align themselves both with regard to the Marxist perspective of socialist revolution, as in respect to concept of formation of individuality and the role of schooling in human emancipation.

  9. Pre-failure behaviour of an unstable limestone cliff from displacement and seismic data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.-L. Got

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available We monitored the displacement and seismic activity of an unstable vertical rock slice in a natural limestone cliff of the southeast Vercors massif, southeast France, during the months preceding its collapse. Displacement measurements showed an average acceleration of the movement of its top, with clear increases in the displacement velocity and in the discrete seismic event production rate during periods where temperature falls, with more activity when rainfall or frost occurs. Crises of discrete seismic events produce high amplitudes in periodograms, but do not change the high frequency base noise level rate. We infer that these crises express the critical crack growth induced by water weakening (from water vapor condensation or rain of the rock strength rather than to a rapid change in applied stresses. Seismic noise analysis showed a steady increase in the high frequency base noise level and the emergence of spectral modes in the signal recorded by the sensor installed on the unstable rock slice during the weeks preceding the collapse. High frequency seismic noise base level seems to represent subcritical crack growth. It is a smooth and robust parameter whose variations are related to generalized changes in the rupture process. Drop of the seismic noise amplitude was concomitant with the emergence of spectral modes – that are compatible with high-order eigenmodes of the unstable rock slice – during the later stages of its instability. Seismic noise analysis, especially high frequency base noise level analysis may complement that of inverse displacement velocity in early-warning approaches when strong displacement fluctuations occur.

  10. Pre-maxillary complex morphology in bilateral cleft and hypothesis on laterality of deviated pre-maxilla

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jyotsna Murthy

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Pre-maxillary complex (pre-maxilla [PMX] + vomer morphology in bilateral complete cleft of primary and secondary palate (BCLCP is very complex and less reviewed in literature. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 200 consecutive BCLCP patients were selected. Their pre-operative clinical photographs and dental casts were evaluated by a single investigator at two different points of time, to study the morphology of PMX and vomer with special emphasis on deviation of vomer and rotation of PMX. Results: It is found that in above 70% of patients, PMX and vomer both displaced or deviated towards left side in horizontal plane and PMX rotated anticlockwise at PMX vomerine suture (PVS. In 10% of cases, both PMX and vomer are displaced towards the right side, PMX rotated clockwise at PVS. In 11% of cases, vomer is displaced towards the left side, but PMX rotated clockwise at PVS. In 5% of cases, vomer is displaced towards the right side, but PMX rotated anticlockwise at PVS. Both PMX and vomer are in midline in 4% of cases. Conclusion: Specific morphological deviation of vomer and PMX has been studied. We put forward the probable hypothesis to explain the deviation and rotation of PMX.

  11. Food and fitness: associations between crop yields and life-history traits in a longitudinally monitored pre-industrial human population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayward, Adam D; Holopainen, Jari; Pettay, Jenni E; Lummaa, Virpi

    2012-10-22

    Severe food shortage is associated with increased mortality and reduced reproductive success in contemporary and historical human populations. Studies of wild animal populations have shown that subtle variation in environmental conditions can influence patterns of mortality, fecundity and natural selection, but the fitness implications of such subtle variation on human populations are unclear. Here, we use longitudinal data on local grain production, births, marriages and mortality so as to assess the impact of crop yield variation on individual age-specific mortality and fecundity in two pre-industrial Finnish populations. Although crop yields and fitness traits showed profound year-to-year variation across the 70-year study period, associations between crop yields and mortality or fecundity were generally weak. However, post-reproductive individuals of both sexes, and individuals of lower socio-economic status experienced higher mortality when crop yields were low. This is the first longitudinal, individual-based study of the associations between environmental variation and fitness traits in pre-industrial humans, which emphasizes the importance of a portfolio of mechanisms for coping with low food availability in such populations. The results are consistent with evolutionary ecological predictions that natural selection for resilience to food shortage is likely to weaken with age and be most severe on those with the fewest resources.

  12. Human serum albumin binding assay based on displacement of a non selective fluorescent inhibitor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorarensen, Atli; Sarver, Ronald W; Tian, Fang; Ho, Andrea; Romero, Donna L; Marotti, Keith R

    2007-08-15

    In this paper, we describe a fluorescent antibacterial analog, 6, with utility as a competition probe to determine affinities of other antibacterial analogs for human serum albumin (HSA). Analog 6 bound to HSA with an affinity of 400+/-100 nM and the fluorescence was environmentally sensitive. With 370 nm excitation, environmental sensitivity was indicated by a quenching of the 530 nm emission when the probe bound to HSA. Displacement of dansylsarcosine from HSA by 6 indicated it competed with compounds that bound at site II (ibuprofen binding site) on HSA. Analog 6 also shifted the NMR peaks of an HSA bound oleic acid molecule that itself was affected by compounds that bound at site II. In addition to binding at site II, 6 interacted at site I (warfarin binding site) as indicated by displacement of dansylamide and the shifting of NMR peaks of an HSA bound oleic acid molecule affected by warfarin site binding. Additional evidence for multiple site interaction was discovered when a percentage of 6 could be displaced by either ibuprofen or phenylbutazone. A competition assay was established using 6 to determine relative affinities of other antibacterial inhibitors for HSA.

  13. THE HUMAN ACTIVITY AS AFFECTIVE-COGNITIVE UNIT: A HISTORIC-CULTURAL APPROACH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lígia Márcia Martins

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This article puts in question the affectional-cognitive unit which sustains the human activity, with the purpose to light incorrectness of approaches which dichotomize reason and emotion. It asserts that such dissociations are founded in theorical-methodological principles which set bounds for explanations about the human psychism, so that the overcoming of referred dualisms puts on as a method matter. For making explicit that assertion, it resorted to Historic-Cultural Psychology, based on that it explains about the psychism as subjective image of objective reality, of Vygotskyan criticisms to Cartesian dualism and the need of a historic-cultural approach on emotion studies, intend to analyzing the human activity as a affective-cognitive unit and the imbricated relations that are waged, within it, among affections, emotions, feelings and thoughts. Once presented the interrelations between emotions and cognitions this exhibition argues that the concepts are necessary as a minimum unit of analysis both of thought and feelings.

  14. Displacement of the medial meniscus within the passive motion characteristics of the human knee joint: an RSA study in human cadaver knees.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tienen, T. van; Buma, P.; Scholten, J.G.; Kampen, A. van; Veth, R.P.H.; Verdonschot, N.J.J.

    2005-01-01

    The objective of this study was to validate an in vitro human cadaver knee-joint model for the evaluation of the meniscal movement during knee-joint flexion. The question was whether our model showed comparable meniscal displacements to those found in earlier meniscal movement studies in vivo.

  15. Dissecting historical changes of selective pressures in the evolution of human pigmentation

    OpenAIRE

    Huang, Xin; Wang, Sijia; Jin, Li; He, Yungang

    2018-01-01

    Human pigmentation is a highly diverse trait among populations, and has drawn particular attention from both academic and non-academic investigators for thousands of years. To explain the diversity of human pigmentation, researchers have proposed that human pigmentation is adapted for ultraviolet radiation and driven by natural selection. Although studies have detected signals of natural selection in several human pigmentation genes, none have quantitatively investigated the historical select...

  16. International Emergency Psychiatry Challenges: Disaster Medicine, War, Human Trafficking, Displaced Persons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaung, Michael; Jani, Suni; Banu, Sophia; Mackey, Joy M

    2017-09-01

    Mental health disorders are a major cause of morbidity and a growing burden in low-income and middle-income countries; but there is little existing literature on the detailed epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment in low-resource settings. Special situations with vulnerable populations, such as those created by international humanitarian emergencies, refugees or internally displaced people, and victims of human trafficking, are increasing in prevalence. These victims are often resettled in developed countries and come to the emergency department seeking care. To better care for these populations, knowledge of specialized psychosocial and cultural considerations should inform the comprehensive psychiatric assessment and treatment plan. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Monitoring roof beam lateral displacement at the waste isolation pilot plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terrill, L.J.; Lewis, R.E.

    1996-01-01

    Lateral displacement in the immediate roof beam at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a significant factor in assessment of excavation performance for the design of ground control systems. Information on roof beam lateral displacement, expansion, fracture formation, as well as excavation convergence, is gathered using a variety of manually and remotely read instruments. Visual observations are also used when possible. This paper describes the methods used to measure lateral displacement, or offset, at the WIPP. Offset magnitudes are determined by the degree of occlusion in drillholes that intersect the offset plane. The Borehole Lateral Displacement Sensor (BLDS) was developed for installation at WIPP to monitor offset at a high degree of accuracy at a short reading frequency. Offset measurements have historically been obtained by visual estimation of borehole occlusion. Use of the BLDS will enable relationships between time dependent roof beam lateral displacement and expansion to be established in much shorter periods than is possible using visual observations. The instrument will also allow remote monitoring of roof beam displacement in areas where visual estimations are not possible. Continued monitoring of roof beam displacement, convergence, and expansion, is integral to timely and pertinent assessments of WIPP excavation performance

  18. Monitoring roof beam lateral displacement at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terrill, L.J.; Lewis, R.E.

    1996-01-01

    Lateral displacement in the immediate roof beam at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a significant factor in assessment of excavation performance for the design of ground control systems. Information on roof beam lateral displacement, expansion, fracture formation, as well as excavation convergence, is gathered using a variety of manually and remotely read instruments. Visual observations are also used when possible. This paper describes the methods used to measure lateral displacement, or offset, at the WIPP. Offset magnitudes are determined by the degree of occlusion in drillholes that intersect the offset plane. The Borehole Lateral Displacement Sensor (BLDS) was developed for installation at WIPP to monitor offset at a high degree of accuracy at a short reading frequency. Offset measurements have historically been obtained by visual estimation of borehole conclusion. Use of the BLDS will enable relationships between time dependent roof beam lateral displacement and expansion to be established in much shorter periods than is possible using visual observations. The instrument will also allow remote monitoring of roof beam displacement in areas where visual estimations are not possible. Continued monitoring of roof beam displacement, convergence, and expansion, is integral to timely and pertinent assessments of WIPP excavation performance

  19. Strand displacement amplification for ultrasensitive detection of human pluripotent stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Wei; Mao, Yiping; Zhao, Shiming; Lu, Xuewen; Liang, Xingguo; Zeng, Lingwen

    2015-06-30

    Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), provide a powerful model system for studies of cellular identity and early mammalian development, which hold great promise for regenerative medicine. It is necessary to develop a convenient method to discriminate hPSCs from other cells in clinics and basic research. Herein, a simple and reliable biosensor for stem cell detection was established. In this biosensor system, stage-specific embryonic antigen-3 (SSEA-3) and stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 (SSEA-4) were used to mark human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Antibody specific for SSEA-3 was coated onto magnetic beads for hPSCs enrichment, and antibody specific for SSEA-4 was conjugated with carboxyl-modified tDNA sequence which was used as template for strand displacement amplification (SDA). The amplified single strand DNA (ssDNA) was detected with a lateral flow biosensor (LFB). This biosensor is capable of detecting a minimum of 19 human embryonic stem cells by a strip reader and 100 human embryonic stem cells by the naked eye within 80min. This approach has also shown excellent specificity to distinguish hPSCs from other types of cells, showing that it is promising for specific and handy detection of human pluripotent stem cells. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Displacer Diameter Effect in Displacer Pulse Tube Refrigerator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Shaowei

    2017-12-01

    Gas driving displacer pulse tube refrigerators are one of the work recovery type of pulse tube refrigerators whose theoretical efficiency is the same as Stirling refrigerators'. Its cooling power is from the displacement of the displacer. Displace diameter, rod diameter and pressure drop of the regenerator influence the displacement, which are investigated by numerical simulation. It is shown that the displacement ratio of the displacer over the piston is almost not affected by the displacer diameter at the same rod diameter ratio, or displacer with different diameters almost has the same performance.

  1. Trends and causes of historical wetland loss in coastal Louisiana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernier, Julie

    2013-01-01

    Wetland losses in the northern Gulf Coast region of the United States are so extensive that they represent critical concerns to government environmental agencies and natural resource managers. In Louisiana, almost 3,000 square kilometers (km2) of low-lying wetlands converted to open water between 1956 and 2004, and billions of dollars in State and Federal funding have been allocated for coastal restoration projects intended to compensate for some of those wetland losses. Recent research at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) focused on understanding the physical processes and human activities that contributed to historical wetland loss in coastal Louisiana and the spatial and temporal trends of that loss. The physical processes (land-surface subsidence and sediment erosion) responsible for historical wetland loss were quantified by comparing marsh-surface elevations, water depths, and vertical displacements of stratigraphic contacts at 10 study areas in the Mississippi River delta plain and 6 sites at Sabine National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) in the western chenier plain. The timing and extent of land loss at the study areas was determined by comparing historical maps, aerial photographs, and satellite imagery; the temporal and spatial trends of those losses were compared with historical subsidence rates and hydrocarbon production trends.

  2. Really old-palaeoimmunology: immunohistochemical analysis of extracellular matrix proteins in historic and pre-historic material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wick, G; Kalischnig, G; Maurer, H; Mayerl, C; Müller, P U

    2001-09-01

    In this review, we summarize data concerning the respective preservation and deterioration of antigenic determinants of various collagenous and non-collagenous extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in palaeontologic material of different ages. ECM proteins are the major quantitative constituents of mammalian organisms and were, therefore, selected as important representative proteins for these analyses. The specimens, studied by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical techniques, included the skin of 500-1500 year-old human mummies from Peru, skin and striated muscle from the 5300-year-old glacier mummy ("Iceman") from Tyrol, Austria, and a 50-million-year-old bat with preserved soft body parts from the fossil excavation site of Messel, Germany. In frozen sections of the former two sources, epitopes recognized by specific antibodies for triple-helical antigenic determinants of different types of collagen resistant against conventional proteases were preserved, while non-helical domains, as well as the non-collagenous ECM proteins, could no longer be demonstrated. The fossil bat, although showing evidence of fibrous, collagen-like structures in conventional histology, revealed no collagenous or non-collagenous ECM proteins by any technique. It later turned out that this was due to the replacement of the original soft parts in these fossils by lawns of bacteria. These studies introduced immunological techniques into palaeontology and opened new approaches for studying physiologically- and pathologically-altered structures in tissues of animals and humans of considerable historical age.

  3. DNA-mediated strand displacement facilitates sensitive electronic detection of antibodies in human serums.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dou, Baoting; Yang, Jianmei; Shi, Kai; Yuan, Ruo; Xiang, Yun

    2016-09-15

    We describe here the development of a sensitive and convenient electronic sensor for the detection of antibodies in human serums. The sensor is constructed by self-assembly formation of a mixed monolayer containing the small molecule epitope conjugated double stranded DNA probes on gold electrode. The target antibody binds the epitope on the dsDNA probe and lowers the melting temperature of the duplex, which facilitates the displacement of the antibody-linked strand of the duplex probe by an invading methylene blue-tagged single stranded DNA (MB-ssDNA) through the strand displacement reaction and leads to the capture of many MB-ssDNA on the sensor surface. Subsequent electrochemical oxidation of the methylene blue labels results in amplified current response for sensitive monitoring of the antibodies. The antibody assay conditions are optimized and the sensor exhibits a linear range between 1.0 and 25.0nM with a detection limit of 0.67nM for the target antibody. The sensor is also selective and can be employed to detect the target antibodies in human serum samples. With the advantages of using small molecule epitope as the antibody recognition element over traditional antigen, the versatile manipulability of the DNA probes and the unique properties of the electrochemical transduction technique, the developed sensor thus hold great potential for simple and sensitive detection of different antibodies and other proteins in real samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. The human impact of tsunamis: a historical review of events 1900-2009 and systematic literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doocy, Shannon; Daniels, Amy; Dick, Anna; Kirsch, Thomas D

    2013-04-16

    Introduction. Although rare, tsunamis have the potential to cause considerable loss of life and injury as well as widespread damage to the natural and built environments. The objectives of this review were to describe the impact of tsunamis on human populations in terms of mortality, injury, and displacement and, to the extent possible, identify risk factors associated with these outcomes. This is one of five reviews on the human impact of natural disasters. Methods. Data on the impact of tsunamis were compiled using two methods, a historical review from 1900 to mid 2009 of tsunami events from multiple databases and a systematic literature review to October 2012 of publications. Analysis included descriptive statistics and bivariate tests for associations between tsunami mortality and characteristics using STATA 11. Findings. There were 255,195 deaths (range 252,619-275,784) and 48,462 injuries (range 45,466-51,457) as a result of tsunamis from 1900 to 2009. The majority of deaths (89%) and injuries reported during this time period were attributed to a single event -the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Findings from the systematic literature review indicate that the primary cause of tsunami-related mortality is drowning, and that females, children and the elderly are at increased mortality risk. The few studies that reported on tsunami-related injury suggest that males and young adults are at increased injury-risk. Conclusions. Early warning systems may help mitigate tsunami-related loss of life.

  5. Marginal greenhouse gas emissions displacement of wind power in Great Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomson, R. Camilla; Harrison, Gareth P.; Chick, John P.

    2017-01-01

    There is considerable uncertainty over the effect of wind power on the operation of power systems, and the consequent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions displacement; this is used to project emissions reductions that inform energy policy. Currently, it is approximated as the average emissions of the whole system, despite an acknowledgement that wind will actually displace only the generators operating on the margin. This article presents a methodology to isolate the marginal emissions displacement of wind power from historical empirical data, taking into account the impact on the operating efficiency of coal and CCGT plants. For Great Britain over 2009–2014, it was found that marginal emissions displacement has generally been underestimated with, for example, the emissions displacement factor for wind being 21% higher than that the average emissions factor in 2010. The actual displacement depends upon the relative merit of coal and CCGT, with a greater discrepancy between marginal displacement and average emissions during more normal system operation, suggesting that policies to penalise high-carbon generation can increase the effectiveness of wind at reducing GHG emissions. Furthermore, it was also identified that wind power is almost as technically effective as demand-side reductions at decreasing GHG emissions from power generation. - Highlights: • Marginal emissions displacement was calculated from operational data for 2009–2014. • Existing estimates of emissions displacement are generally low. • Emissions displacement is a function of the relative merit of coal and CCGT plants. • Policies to penalise high-carbon generation should increase emissions displacement. • Wind almost as effective as demand-reduction at reducing emissions.

  6. Rotational displacement skills in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, Kelly D; Santos, Laurie R

    2012-11-01

    Rotational displacement tasks, in which participants must track an object at a hiding location within an array while the array rotates, exhibit a puzzling developmental pattern in humans. Human children take an unusually long time to master this task and tend to solve rotational problems through the use of nongeometric features or landmarks as opposed to other kinds of spatial cues. We investigated whether these developmental characteristics are unique to humans by testing rotational displacement skills in a monkey species, the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), using a looking-time method. Monkeys first saw food hidden in two differently colored boxes within an array. The array was then rotated 180° and the boxes reopened to reveal the food in an expected or unexpected location. Our first two experiments explored the developmental time-course of performance on this rotational displacement task. We found that adult macaques looked longer at the unexpected event, but such performance was not mirrored in younger-aged macaques. In a third study, we systematically varied featural information and visible access to the array to investigate which strategies adult macaques used in solving rotational displacements. Our results show that adult macaques need both sets of information to solve the task. Taken together, these results suggest both similarities and differences in mechanisms by which human and nonhuman primates develop this spatial skill.

  7. Forced displacement and women's security in Colombia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meertens, Donny

    2010-04-01

    In the protracted Colombian conflict, assistance to internally displaced persons has developed in the context of contradictory political processes. The Colombian government's launching of a transitional justice process in the midst of armed conflict has generated a complex situation displaying both conflict and post-conflict characteristics. The progressive Constitutional Court rulings on internal displacement, in particular the gender-sensitive Auto 092, constitute an attempt to bring together humanitarian interventions and transitional justice measures in a rights-based framework. However, the national government is reluctant to adopt them fully and local realities still hamper their integrated implementation. Displaced women, therefore, remain in an especially vulnerable position. This paper argues that gender-sensitive humanitarian interventions must take into account all of these complexities of scale and political process in order to make legal frameworks more effective at the local level. In these contexts, interventions should pay particular attention to strategies that contribute to transforming pre-existing gender regimes.

  8. The political ecology of human-wildlife conflict: Producing wilderness, insecurity, and displacement in the Limpopo National Park

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francis Massé

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Like conservation-induced displacement, human-wildlife conflict (HWC has potentially negative implications for communities in and around protected areas. While the ways in which displacement emerges from the creation of 'wilderness' conservation landscapes are well documented, how the production of 'wilderness' articulates with intensifications in HWC remains under examined both empirically and conceptually. Using a political-ecological approach, I analyse increases of HWC in Mozambique's Limpopo National Park (LNP and the subsequent losses of fields and livestock, as well as forms of physical displacement suffered by resident communities. While intensifications of encounters between wildlife on the one hand and people and livestock on the other result in part from increases in wildlife populations, I argue that HWC and the ways in which it constitutes and contributes to various forms of displacement results more centrally from changing relations between wildlife and people and the power and authority to manage conflict between them. Both of these contributing factors, moreover, are the consequence of practices that aim to transform the LNP into a wilderness landscape of conservation and tourism. HWC and its negative impacts are thus not natural phenomena, but are the result of political decisions to create a particular type of conservation landscape.

  9. 3ircular dichroism simulation shows a site-II-to-site-I displacement of human serum albumin-bound diclofenac by ibuprofen

    OpenAIRE

    Yamasaki, Keishi; Rahman, Mohammed Hablbur; Tsutsumi, Yasuhiro; Maruyama, Toru; Ahmed, Shamim; Kragh-Hansen; Otagiri, Masaki

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to confirm the hypothesis that a site-II-to-site-I displacement takes place when some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are displaced by another drug from their high-affinity binding site to a site of lower affinity on human serum albumin (HSA).Methods: Diclofenac, sodium salt, was used as a representative example because of its prominent reversal of the Cotton effect. Effects of site-specific drugs on the free fraction of diclofenac were determined b...

  10. Comparing Teaching Approaches About Maxwell's Displacement Current

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karam, Ricardo; Coimbra, Debora; Pietrocola, Maurício

    2014-08-01

    Due to its fundamental role for the consolidation of Maxwell's equations, the displacement current is one of the most important topics of any introductory course on electromagnetism. Moreover, this episode is widely used by historians and philosophers of science as a case study to investigate several issues (e.g. the theory-experiment relationship). Despite the consensus among physics educators concerning the relevance of the topic, there are many possible ways to interpret and justify the need for the displacement current term. With the goal of understanding the didactical transposition of this topic more deeply, we investigate three of its domains: (1) The historical development of Maxwell's reasoning; (2) Different approaches to justify the term insertion in physics textbooks; and (3) Four lectures devoted to introduce the topic in undergraduate level given by four different professors. By reflecting on the differences between these three domains, significant evidence for the knowledge transformation caused by the didactization of this episode is provided. The main purpose of this comparative analysis is to assist physics educators in developing an epistemological surveillance regarding the teaching and learning of the displacement current.

  11. Measurement of the force–displacement response of in vivo human skin under a rich set of deformations

    KAUST Repository

    Flynn, Cormac; Taberner, Andrew; Nielsen, Poul

    2011-01-01

    The non-linear, anisotropic, and viscoelastic properties of human skin vary according to location on the body, age, and individual. The measurement of skin's mechanical properties is important in several fields including medicine, cosmetics, and forensics. In this study, a novel force-sensitive micro-robot applied a rich set of three-dimensional deformations to the skin surface of different areas of the arms of 20 volunteers. The force-displacement response of each area in different directions was measured. All tested areas exhibited a non-linear, viscoelastic, and anisotropic force-displacement response. There was a wide quantitative variation in the stiffness of the response. For the right anterior forearm, the ratio of the maximum probe reaction force to maximum probe displacement ranged from 0.44Nmm-1 to 1.45Nmm-1. All volunteers exhibited similar qualitative anisotropic characteristics. For the anterior right forearm, the stiffest force-displacement response was when the probe displaced along the longitudinal axis of the forearm. The response of the anterior left forearm was stiffest in a direction 20° to the longitudinal axis of the forearm. The posterior upper arm was stiffest in a direction 90° to the longitudinal axis of the arm. The averaged posterior upper arm response was less stiff than the averaged anterior forearm response. The maximum probe force at 1.3mm probe displacement was 0.69N for the posterior upper arm and 1.1N for the right anterior forearm. The average energy loss during the loading-unloading cycle ranged from 11.9% to 34.2%. This data will be very useful for studying the non-linear, anisotropic, and viscoelastic behaviour of skin and also for generating material parameters for appropriate constitutive models. © 2011 IPEM.

  12. Measurement of the force–displacement response of in vivo human skin under a rich set of deformations

    KAUST Repository

    Flynn, Cormac

    2011-06-01

    The non-linear, anisotropic, and viscoelastic properties of human skin vary according to location on the body, age, and individual. The measurement of skin\\'s mechanical properties is important in several fields including medicine, cosmetics, and forensics. In this study, a novel force-sensitive micro-robot applied a rich set of three-dimensional deformations to the skin surface of different areas of the arms of 20 volunteers. The force-displacement response of each area in different directions was measured. All tested areas exhibited a non-linear, viscoelastic, and anisotropic force-displacement response. There was a wide quantitative variation in the stiffness of the response. For the right anterior forearm, the ratio of the maximum probe reaction force to maximum probe displacement ranged from 0.44Nmm-1 to 1.45Nmm-1. All volunteers exhibited similar qualitative anisotropic characteristics. For the anterior right forearm, the stiffest force-displacement response was when the probe displaced along the longitudinal axis of the forearm. The response of the anterior left forearm was stiffest in a direction 20° to the longitudinal axis of the forearm. The posterior upper arm was stiffest in a direction 90° to the longitudinal axis of the arm. The averaged posterior upper arm response was less stiff than the averaged anterior forearm response. The maximum probe force at 1.3mm probe displacement was 0.69N for the posterior upper arm and 1.1N for the right anterior forearm. The average energy loss during the loading-unloading cycle ranged from 11.9% to 34.2%. This data will be very useful for studying the non-linear, anisotropic, and viscoelastic behaviour of skin and also for generating material parameters for appropriate constitutive models. © 2011 IPEM.

  13. [Medical Humanities--the Historical Significance and Mission in Medical Education].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujino, Akihiro

    2015-12-01

    In this paper we consider the significance and mission of medical humanities in medical education from the following six viewpoints: (1) misunderstanding of the medical humanities; (2) its historical development; (3) the criteria for the ideal physician; (4) the contents of current Medical Humanities education; (5) the basic philosophy; and (6) its relation to medical professionalism. Medical humanities consists of the three academic components of bioethics, clinical ethics and medical anthropology, and it is a philosophy and an art which penetrate to the fundamental essence of medicine. The purpose of medical humanities is to develop one's own humanity and spirituality through medical practice and contemplation by empathizing with patients' illness narratives through spiritual self-awakening and by understanding the mutual healing powers of human relations by way of the realization of primordial life. The basic philosophy is "the coincidence of contraries". The ultimate mission of medical humanities is to cultivate physicians to educate themselves and have a life-long philosophy of devotion to understanding, through experience, the coincidence of contraries.

  14. Effect of displaced versus non-displaced pelvic fractures on long-term racing performance in 31 Thoroughbred racehorses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hennessy, S E; Muurlink, M A; Anderson, G A; Puksmann, T N; Whitton, R C

    2013-06-01

    To evaluate the long-term racing prognosis for Thoroughbred racehorses with displaced versus non-displaced fractures of the pelvis identified by scintigraphy. Retrospective case analysis. Medical records of 31 Thoroughbred racehorses presenting to the University of Melbourne Equine Centre with fractures of the pelvis that were identified by scintigraphy were reviewed. Pelvic fracture site was determined and defined as displaced or non-displaced based on ultrasound and/or radiographic findings. Race records were analysed for each horse, with a minimum of 24 months' follow-up, and correlated with fracture type to determine long-term prognosis for racing. Results are expressed as median and range. Fractures at a single site were more common (n = 22) than fractures involving two sites (n = 9) and the ilial wing was the most commonly affected (n = 12). Thoroughbred racehorses with displaced pelvic fractures at any site (n = 12) raced fewer times within 24 months of diagnosis than horses with non-displaced fractures (n = 19) (median 0.5, range 0-13 vs 7, 0-24; P = 0.037), but there was no clear statistical difference in race earnings between the two groups (median A$0, range A$0-$123,250 vs A$14,440, A$0-$325,500, respectively; P = 0.080). Four horses with displaced fractures (33%) were euthanased on humane grounds because of persistent severe pain. When these horses were excluded from the analysis, there were no differences in performance variables between horses with a displaced or non-displaced pelvic fracture. Thoroughbred racehorses with a displaced or non-displaced pelvic fracture that survive the initial post-injury period have a good prognosis for racing. © 2013 The Authors. Australian Veterinary Journal © 2013 Australian Veterinary Association.

  15. Reconstructing the eruption magnitude and energy budgets for the pre-historic eruption of the monogenetic ˜5 ka Mt. Gambier Volcanic Complex, south-eastern Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Otterloo, Jozua; Cas, Raymond A. F.

    2013-12-01

    Understanding explosive volcanic eruptions, especially phreatomagmatic eruptions, their intensities and energy budgets is of major importance when it comes to risk and hazard studies. With only a few historic occurrences of phreatomagmatic activity, a large amount of our understanding comes from the study of pre-historic volcanic centres, which causes issues when it comes to preservation and vegetation. In this research, we show that using 3D geometrical modelling it is possible to obtain volume estimates for different deposits of a pre-historic, complex, monogenetic centre, the Mt. Gambier Volcanic Complex, south-eastern Australia. Using these volumes, we further explore the energy budgets and the magnitude of this eruption (VEI 4), including dispersal patterns (eruption columns varying between 5 and 10 km, dispersed towards north-east to south), to further our understanding of intraplate, monogenetic eruptions involving phreatomagmatic activity. We also compare which thermodynamic model fits best in the creation of the maar crater of Mt. Gambier: the major-explosion-dominated model or the incremental growth model. In this case, the formation of most of the craters can best be explained by the latter model.

  16. Performance of displacement ventilation in practice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Naidenov, K.; Pitchurov, G.; Langkilde, Gunnar

    2002-01-01

    This paper presents results of a field study in offices with displacement ventilation. It comprises detailed physical measurements of the thermal environment and collection of occupants´ response at 227 workplaces. The results, both physical measurements and human response, identified draught...... as the major local discomfort in the rooms with displacement ventilation. Twenty-three percent of the occupants were daily bothered by draught. In some buildings the maintenance personnel tried to improve occupants´ thermal comfort by raising the supply air temperature or office workers themselves blocked...

  17. Applications of human hepatitis B virus preS domain in bio- and nanotechnology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toita, Riki; Kawano, Takahito; Kang, Jeong-Hun; Murata, Masaharu

    2015-06-28

    Human hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a member of the family Hepadnaviridae, and causes acute and chronic infections of the liver. The hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) contains the large (L), middle (M), and small (S) surface proteins. The L protein consists of the S protein, preS1, and preS2. In HBsAg, the preS domain (preS1 + preS2) plays a key role in the infection of hepatocytic cells by HBV and has several immunogenic epitopes. Based on these characteristics of preS, several preS-based diagnostic and therapeutic materials and systems have been developed. PreS1-specific monoclonal antibodies (e.g., MA18/7 and KR127) can be used to inhibit HBV infection. A myristoylated preS1 peptide (amino acids 2-48) also inhibits the attachment of HBV to HepaRG cells, primary human hepatocytes, and primary tupaia hepatocytes. Antibodies and antigens related to the components of HBsAg, preS (preS1 + preS2), or preS1 can be available as diagnostic markers of acute and chronic HBV infections. Hepatocyte-targeting delivery systems for therapeutic molecules (drugs, genes, or proteins) are very important for increasing the clinical efficacy of these molecules and in reducing their adverse effects on other organs. The selective delivery of diagnostic molecules to target hepatocytic cells can also improve the efficiency of diagnosis. In addition to the full-length HBV vector, preS (preS1 + preS2), preS1, and preS1-derived fragments can be useful in hepatocyte-specific targeting. In this review, we discuss the literature concerning the applications of the HBV preS domain in bio- and nanotechnology.

  18. Cultural Landscape Analysis of Existing Historic Districts: Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-03-01

    prehistory or history is made clear”.15 The landscape at PICA can be divided into three general periods: (1) pre- historic subsistence activities; (2) pre...Information Potential—yielded, or is likely to yield, information im- portant in prehistory or history. 2.5 Aspects of historic integrity Integrity...period in history or prehistory . Feeling Feeling is a property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a par- ticular time period

  19. Mechanical Design and Analysis of a Unilateral Cervical Spinal Cord Contusion Injury Model in Non-Human Primates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sparrey, Carolyn J; Salegio, Ernesto A; Camisa, William; Tam, Horace; Beattie, Michael S; Bresnahan, Jacqueline C

    2016-06-15

    Non-human primate (NHP) models of spinal cord injury better reflect human injury and provide a better foundation to evaluate potential treatments and functional outcomes. We combined finite element (FE) and surrogate models with impact data derived from in vivo experiments to define the impact mechanics needed to generate a moderate severity unilateral cervical contusion injury in NHPs (Macaca mulatta). Three independent variables (impactor displacement, alignment, and pre-load) were examined to determine their effects on tissue level stresses and strains. Mechanical measures of peak force, peak displacement, peak energy, and tissue stiffness were analyzed as potential determinants of injury severity. Data generated from FE simulations predicted a lateral shift of the spinal cord at high levels of compression (>64%) during impact. Submillimeter changes in mediolateral impactor position over the midline increased peak impact forces (>50%). Surrogate cords established a 0.5 N pre-load protocol for positioning the impactor tip onto the dural surface to define a consistent dorsoventral baseline position before impact, which corresponded with cerebrospinal fluid displacement and entrapment of the spinal cord against the vertebral canal. Based on our simulations, impactor alignment and pre-load were strong contributors to the variable mechanical and functional outcomes observed in in vivo experiments. Peak displacement of 4 mm after a 0.5N pre-load aligned 0.5-1.0 mm over the midline should result in a moderate severity injury; however, the observed peak force and calculated peak energy and tissue stiffness are required to properly characterize the severity and variability of in vivo NHP contusion injuries.

  20. Social-ecological resilience of communities displaced by hydroelectric dams in the Amazon: the case of Nova Mutum Paraná, Rondônia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Berenice Perpetua Simão

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an interdisciplinary study of processes of adaptation and cultural resilience in situations of displacement and forced relocation of social groups for hydroelectric dams in the Amazon. We present results of participatory research carried out among the Nova Mutum Paraná community in Rondônia, after forced displacement and resettlement due to the construction of the Jirau hydroelectric plant. The theoretical approach integrates concepts from theories of complex social-ecological systems with approaches from anthropology of development. Methods included participant observation, participatory workshops and focus groups, conducted for nearly three years immediately after community relocation. We analyzed social re-organization and strategies of negotiation between the community and the construction company, related to access to two spaces of cultural importance for leisure: natural bathing area and soccer field. Results suggest that the social capital existing in the community in the early stages of planning and decision making for the construction of hydroelectric projects is a critical factor for negotiating mitigation actions. The involvement and support of municipal representatives was also an important element for strengthening community social organization. Despite the obstacles and difficulties, the community persists in reconstructing their social and common living spaces, seeking to maintain their historical roots through the habits and customs practiced in the pre-displacement riverine site.

  1. Conservation-induced displacement: A comparative study of two Indian protected areas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kabra Asmita

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Attempts at ′preservation via displacement′ are an extreme manifestation of the ′fortress′ or an exclusionary conservation paradigm, support for which has increased lately due to escalating conservation threats. While the policies and processes emanating from this paradigm have produced positive conservation outcomes for some Protected Areas, livelihood outcomes for the displaced people have seldom been as positive. This article examines whether the impoverishment risks arising from conservation-induced displacement tend to vary with the degree of marginalisation of the displaced community. In this light, this article examines in detail the impact on livelihood of conservation-induced displacement in two Protected Areas (PAs of India. The article posits that understanding the dynamic livelihood context of displaced communities, especially the ecological base of their livelihoods, is critical to any assessment of their pre- and post-displacement livelihood strategies and livelihood outcomes (such as income, poverty, food security and health. A variety of livelihood parameters, including compensation received, consumption flows, agricultural production, monetary income, food security, headcount ratio of poverty and overall poverty indices have been studied, to understand the extent to which key livelihood risks arising out of displacement are addressed by the rehabilitation package and process in the two PAs. The Sahariya is a forest-dependent Adivasi community living in and around the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in the semi-arid tropical region of Madhya Pradesh. The Sahariya Adivasis of the Kuno Sanctuary were a socially, politically and economically marginalised community, whose lives and livelihoods were intricately linked to their ecological base. We found that inadequate attention was paid to this factor while designing and implementing a suitable rehabilitation package for the 1650 Sahariya households displaced from this PA. As a result

  2. Displacement of the pelvis during human walking : experimental data and model predictions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zijlstra, W; Hof, AL

    1997-01-01

    Displacements of the pelvis during treadmill walking were studied in dependence of walking speed, stride frequency and stride length. Displacement curves per stride cycle were described by means of harmonic analysis. Simple mechanical, or geometrical models of the body's center of mass (COM)

  3. Pre-stimulus thalamic theta power predicts human memory formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweeney-Reed, Catherine M; Zaehle, Tino; Voges, Jürgen; Schmitt, Friedhelm C; Buentjen, Lars; Kopitzki, Klaus; Richardson-Klavehn, Alan; Hinrichs, Hermann; Heinze, Hans-Jochen; Knight, Robert T; Rugg, Michael D

    2016-09-01

    Pre-stimulus theta (4-8Hz) power in the hippocampus and neocortex predicts whether a memory for a subsequent event will be formed. Anatomical studies reveal thalamus-hippocampal connectivity, and lesion, neuroimaging, and electrophysiological studies show that memory processing involves the dorsomedial (DMTN) and anterior thalamic nuclei (ATN). The small size and deep location of these nuclei have limited real-time study of their activity, however, and it is unknown whether pre-stimulus theta power predictive of successful memory formation is also found in these subcortical structures. We recorded human electrophysiological data from the DMTN and ATN of 7 patients receiving deep brain stimulation for refractory epilepsy. We found that greater pre-stimulus theta power in the right DMTN was associated with successful memory encoding, predicting both behavioral outcome and post-stimulus correlates of successful memory formation. In particular, significant correlations were observed between right DMTN theta power and both frontal theta and right ATN gamma (32-50Hz) phase alignment, and frontal-ATN theta-gamma cross-frequency coupling. We draw the following primary conclusions. Our results provide direct electrophysiological evidence in humans of a role for the DMTN as well as the ATN in memory formation. Furthermore, prediction of subsequent memory performance by pre-stimulus thalamic oscillations provides evidence that post-stimulus differences in thalamic activity that index successful and unsuccessful encoding reflect brain processes specifically underpinning memory formation. Finally, the findings broaden the understanding of brain states that facilitate memory encoding to include subcortical as well as cortical structures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Displacing use

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kelly, Janet; Matthews, Ben

    2014-01-01

    -centred design process. We identified alternative design-relevant relationships between people and devices that are not specifically tied to the functions/uses of the devices, e.g. relationships between the healthcare professional and the device, between doctors and patients, and between patients and their own......This paper critically discusses the concept of use in design, suggesting that relevant relationships other than use are sometimes obscured by the usercentredness of design processes. We present a design case from the medical device domain that displaced the concept of use from the centre of a human...

  5. Human Capital or Humane Talent? Rethinking the Nature of Education in China from a Comparative Historical Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Limin

    2010-01-01

    In order to analyze the impact of human capital theory on contemporary Chinese education, this paper first draws a conceptual outline of how this theory was introduced and interpreted to suit the Chinese quest for modernization. The study then adopts a comparative historical approach to the points of similarity between Neo-Confucian educational…

  6. Navigating the Paradoxes of Neoliberalism: Quiet Subversion in Mentored Service-Learning for the Pre-Health Humanities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fletcher, Erica Hua; Piemonte, Nicole M

    2017-12-01

    In describing the foundations of our pedagogical approaches to service-learning, we seek to go beyond the navel-gazing-at times, paralyzing-paradoxes of neoliberal forces, which can do "good" for students and their communities, yet which also call students into further calculative frameworks for understanding the "value" of pre-health humanities education and social engagement. We discuss methods to create quiet forms of subversion that call for a moral imagination in extending an ethics of care to students as well as to the communities with which they engage. While we recognize the partiality and limitations of our attempts, framing mentored service-learning in unexpected ways can help students and practitioners to understand their role within broader social, historical, cultural, and emotional contexts and encourage them to act intentionally toward the communities they seek to serve in response to this new self-knowledge. To that end, we outline an academically rigorous service-learning intervention at one of our universities.

  7. Revisiting the ants of Melanesia and the taxon cycle: historical and human-mediated invasions of a tropical archipelago.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Economo, Evan P; Sarnat, Eli M

    2012-07-01

    Understanding the historical evolution of biotas and the dynamics of contemporary human-mediated species introductions are two central tasks of biology. One hypothesis may address both-the taxon cycle. Taxon cycles are phases of range expansion and contraction coupled to ecological and evolutionary niche shifts. These historical invasion processes resemble human-mediated invasions in pattern and possibly mechanism, but both the existence of historical cycles and the roles of recent introductions are in question. We return to the system that originally inspired the taxon cycle-Melanesian ants-and perform novel tests of the hypothesis. We analyze (i) the habitat distributions of Fiji's entire ant fauna (183 species), (ii) ecological shifts associated with the in situ radiation of Fijian Pheidole in a phylogenetic context, and (iii) the ecological structure of a massive exotic ant invasion of the archipelago. Our analyses indicate lineages shift toward primary habitats, higher elevation, rarity, and ecological specialization with increasing level of endemism, consistent with taxon cycle predictions. The marginal habitats that historically formed a dispersal conduit in the Pacific are now mostly replaced by human-modified habitats dominated by a colonization pulse of exotic species. We propose this may represent the first phase of an incipient global cycle of human-mediated colonization, ecological shifts, and diversification.

  8. Antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis prevents vaginal transmission of HIV-1 in humanized BLT mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul W Denton

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Worldwide, vaginal transmission now accounts for more than half of newly acquired HIV-1 infections. Despite the urgency to develop and implement novel approaches capable of preventing HIV transmission, this process has been hindered by the lack of adequate small animal models for preclinical efficacy and safety testing. Given the importance of this route of transmission, we investigated the susceptibility of humanized mice to intravaginal HIV-1 infection.We show that the female reproductive tract of humanized bone marrow-liver-thymus (BLT mice is reconstituted with human CD4+ T and other relevant human cells, rendering these humanized mice susceptible to intravaginal infection by HIV-1. Effects of HIV-1 infection include CD4+ T cell depletion in gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT that closely mimics what is observed in HIV-1-infected humans. We also show that pre-exposure prophylaxis with antiretroviral drugs is a highly effective method for preventing vaginal HIV-1 transmission. Whereas 88% (7/8 of BLT mice inoculated vaginally with HIV-1 became infected, none of the animals (0/5 given pre-exposure prophylaxis of emtricitabine (FTC/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF showed evidence of infection (Chi square = 7.5, df = 1, p = 0.006.The fact that humanized BLT mice are susceptible to intravaginal infection makes this system an excellent candidate for preclinical evaluation of both microbicides and pre-exposure prophylactic regimens. The utility of humanized mice to study intravaginal HIV-1 transmission is particularly highlighted by the demonstration that pre-exposure prophylaxis can prevent intravaginal HIV-1 transmission in the BLT mouse model.

  9. Public policy to address displacement in Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Ramón Cossío Díaz

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available At hearings of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in November 2013 on the human rights situation in Mexico, the issue of the internally displaced in particular caught my attention, both due to its current serious level and for its potential impact in the not too distant future.

  10. Displaced Sense: Displacement, Religion and Sense-making

    OpenAIRE

    Naidu, Maheshvari

    2016-01-01

    Whether formally categorized as refugees or not, displaced migrants experience varying degrees of vulnerability in relation to where they find themselves displaced. The internally displaced furthermore squat invisibly and outside the boundaries of the legal framework and incentive structures accorded to those classified as 'refugee'. They are thus arguably, by and large, left to source sustaining solutions for themselves. This article works through the theoretical prism of sense-making theory...

  11. The human impact of volcanoes: a historical review of events 1900-2009 and systematic literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doocy, Shannon; Daniels, Amy; Dooling, Shayna; Gorokhovich, Yuri

    2013-04-16

    Introduction. More than 500 million people live within the potential exposure range of a volcano. The risk of catastrophic losses in future eruptions is significant given population growth, proximities of major cities to volcanoes, and the possibility of larger eruptions. The objectives of this review are to describe the impact of volcanoes on the human population, in terms of mortality, injury, and displacement and, to the extent possible, identify risk factors associated with these outcomes. This is one of five reviews on the human impact of natural disasters. Methods. Data on the impact of volcanoes were compiled using two methods, a historical review of volcano events from 1900 to 2009 from multiple databases and a systematic literature review of publications ending in October 2012. Analysis included descriptive statistics and bivariate tests for associations between volcano mortality and characteristics using STATA 11. Findings. There were a total of 91,789 deaths (range: 81,703-102,372), 14,068 injuries (range 11,541-17,922), and 4.72 million people affected by volcanic events between 1900 and 2008. Inconsistent reporting suggests this is an underestimate, particularly in terms of numbers injured and affected. The primary causes of mortality in recent volcanic eruptions were ash asphyxiation, thermal injuries from pyroclastic flow, and trauma. Mortality was concentrated with the ten deadliest eruptions accounting for more than 80% of deaths; 84% of fatalities occurred in four locations (the Island of Martinique (France), Colombia, Indonesia, and Guatemala). Conclusions. Changes in land use practices and population growth provide a background for increasing risk; in conjunction with increasing urbanization in at risk areas, this poses a challenge for future volcano preparedness and mitigation efforts.

  12. Future climate change driven sea-level rise: secondary consequences from human displacement for island biodiversity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wetzel, Florian T; Kissling, W Daniel; Beissmann, Helmut; Penn, Dustin J

    2012-09-01

    Sea-level rise (SLR) due to global warming will result in the loss of many coastal areas. The direct or primary effects due to inundation and erosion from SLR are currently being assessed; however, the indirect or secondary ecological effects, such as changes caused by the displacement of human populations, have not been previously evaluated. We examined the potential ecological consequences of future SLR on >1,200 islands in the Southeast Asian and the Pacific region. Using three SLR scenarios (1, 3, and 6 m elevation, where 1 m approximates most predictions by the end of this century), we assessed the consequences of primary and secondary SLR effects from human displacement on habitat availability and distributions of selected mammal species. We estimate that between 3-32% of the coastal zone of these islands could be lost from primary effects, and consequently 8-52 million people would become SLR refugees. Assuming that inundated urban and intensive agricultural areas will be relocated with an equal area of habitat loss in the hinterland, we project that secondary SLR effects can lead to an equal or even higher percent range loss than primary effects for at least 10-18% of the sample mammals in a moderate range loss scenario and for 22-46% in a maximum range loss scenario. In addition, we found some species to be more vulnerable to secondary than primary effects. Finally, we found high spatial variation in vulnerability: species on islands in Oceania are more vulnerable to primary SLR effects, whereas species on islands in Indo-Malaysia, with potentially 7-48 million SLR refugees, are more vulnerable to secondary effects. Our findings show that primary and secondary SLR effects can have enormous consequences for human inhabitants and island biodiversity, and that both need to be incorporated into ecological risk assessment, conservation, and regional planning. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  13. Displacement of the abomasum in dairy cows: risk factors and pre-clinical alterations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Winden, Stefanus Cornelis Leonardus van

    2002-01-01

    Displacement of the abomasum (DA) in dairy cows is a disorder described since the fifties of the previous century. Since then, a considerable amount of research concerning DA is conducted. The normal, healthy abomasum is positioned in the ventral part of the abdominal cavity. As a result of

  14. A human breast cell model of pre-invasive to invasive transition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bissell, Mina J; Rizki, Aylin; Weaver, Valerie M.; Lee, Sun-Young; Rozenberg, Gabriela I.; Chin, Koei; Myers, Connie A.; Bascom, Jamie L.; Mott, Joni D.; Semeiks, Jeremy R.; Grate, Leslie R.; Mian, I. Saira; Borowsky, Alexander D.; Jensen, Roy A.; Idowu, Michael O.; Chen, Fanqing; Chen, David J.; Petersen, Ole W.; Gray, Joe W.; Bissell, Mina J.

    2008-03-10

    A crucial step in human breast cancer progression is the acquisition of invasiveness. There is a distinct lack of human cell culture models to study the transition from pre-invasive to invasive phenotype as it may occur 'spontaneously' in vivo. To delineate molecular alterations important for this transition, we isolated human breast epithelial cell lines that showed partial loss of tissue polarity in three-dimensional reconstituted-basement membrane cultures. These cells remained non-invasive; however, unlike their non-malignant counterparts, they exhibited a high propensity to acquire invasiveness through basement membrane in culture. The genomic aberrations and gene expression profiles of the cells in this model showed a high degree of similarity to primary breast tumor profiles. The xenograft tumors formed by the cell lines in three different microenvironments in nude mice displayed metaplastic phenotypes, including squamous and basal characteristics, with invasive cells exhibiting features of higher grade tumors. To find functionally significant changes in transition from pre-invasive to invasive phenotype, we performed attribute profile clustering analysis on the list of genes differentially expressed between pre-invasive and invasive cells. We found integral membrane proteins, transcription factors, kinases, transport molecules, and chemokines to be highly represented. In addition, expression of matrix metalloproteinases MMP-9,-13,-15,-17 was up regulated in the invasive cells. Using siRNA based approaches, we found these MMPs to be required for the invasive phenotype. This model provides a new tool for dissection of mechanisms by which pre-invasive breast cells could acquire invasiveness in a metaplastic context.

  15. Contactless sub-millimeter displacement measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sliepen, Guus; Jägers, Aswin P. L.; Bettonvil, Felix C. M.; Hammerschlag, Robert H.

    2008-07-01

    Weather effects on foldable domes, as used at the DOT and GREGOR, are investigated, in particular the correlation between the wind field and the stresses caused to both metal framework and tent clothing. Camera systems measure contactless the displacement of several dome points. The stresses follow from the measured deformation pattern. The cameras placed near the dome floor do not disturb telescope operations. In the set-ups of DOT and GREGOR, these cameras are up to 8 meters away from the measured points and must be able to detect displacements of less than 0.1 mm. The cameras have a FireWire (IEEE1394) interface to eliminate the need for frame grabbers. Each camera captures 15 images of 640 × 480 pixels per second. All data is processed on-site in real-time. In order to get the best estimate for the displacement within the constraints of available processing power, all image processing is done in Fourier-space, with all convolution operations being pre-computed once. A sub-pixel estimate of the peak of the correlation function is made. This enables to process the images of four cameras using only one commodity PC with a dual-core processor, and achieve an effective sensitivity of up to 0.01 mm. The deformation measurements are well correlated to the simultaneous wind measurements. The results are of high interest to upscaling the dome design (ELTs and solar telescopes).

  16. Inferring recent historic abundance from current genetic diversity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Palsboll, Per J.; Peery, M. Zachariah; Olsen, Morten T.; Beissinger, Steven R.; Berube, Martine

    Recent historic abundance is an elusive parameter of great importance for conserving endangered species and understanding the pre-anthropogenic state of the biosphere. The number of studies that have used population genetic theory to estimate recent historic abundance from contemporary levels of

  17. Livestock Animal Displacement on Rural Tourism Destinations: Placing Livestock's “Pest” Role in the Background

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guorong Tang

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Rural tourism is becoming increasingly embedded in the livestock animal management in rural areas. Drawing on a multi-methods approach, this exploratory research shows how to construct the livestock animal displacement actor-networks. As is found, human actors (local governments, tourists, and local residents, non-human animal (livestock and quasi-object (human dwellings construct an interaction network in a structured way. The critical action route of livestock animal displacement demonstrated in this research is aimed to improve residents' participation willingness and further to change the local livestock feeding model and traditional dwelling by rural environment governance and rural tourism landscape consumption. Through the process of translation, problematization, interest, enrollment, mobilization and opposition, the livestock displacement actor-networks were constructed to build a heterogeneous network of the local government, tourists, local residents, livestock and human dwelling. The ultimate goal is to change the traditional human dwelling to a dis-dwelling; the most important thing is to promote residents’ participation willingness in the livestock displacement actor-networks. This article attempts to perform compelling exploratory research to elucidate the livestock displacement actor-networks in hope to provide a meaningful contribution to the epistemology and methodology of livestock management on rural tourism destination and open a new path for research on rural livestock-human relations.

  18. Analysis of Driven Pile Capacity within Pre-Bored Soil : Research Project Capsule

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    Pre-boring is a method used to facilitate large displacement pile driving in hard/dense soils (see Figure 1). By pre-boring a pilot hole, the end bearing and side friction within the pre-bored zone are reduced, thus aiding pile driving installation. ...

  19. PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL IMAGE REPOSITORIES FOR VIRTUAL RECONSTRUCTION IN THE FIELD OF DIGITAL HUMANITIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. Maiwald

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Historical photographs contain high density of information and are of great importance as sources in humanities research. In addition to the semantic indexing of historical images based on metadata, it is also possible to reconstruct geometric information about the depicted objects or the camera position at the time of the recording by employing photogrammetric methods. The approach presented here is intended to investigate (semi- automated photogrammetric reconstruction methods for heterogeneous collections of historical (city photographs and photographic documentation for the use in the humanities, urban research and history sciences. From a photogrammetric point of view, these images are mostly digitized photographs. For a photogrammetric evaluation, therefore, the characteristics of scanned analog images with mostly unknown camera geometry, missing or minimal object information and low radiometric and geometric resolution have to be considered. In addition, these photographs have not been created specifically for documentation purposes and so the focus of these images is often not on the object to be evaluated. The image repositories must therefore be subjected to a preprocessing analysis of their photogrammetric usability. Investigations are carried out on the basis of a repository containing historical images of the Kronentor ("crown gate" of the Dresden Zwinger. The initial step was to assess the quality and condition of available images determining their appropriateness for generating three-dimensional point clouds from historical photos using a structure-from-motion evaluation (SfM. Then, the generated point clouds were assessed by comparing them with current measurement data of the same object.

  20. Development of a Historical Hydrological online research and application platform for Switzerland - Historical Hydrological Atlas of Switzerland (HHAS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wetter, Oliver

    2017-04-01

    It is planned to develop and maintain a historical hydrological online platform for Switzerland, which shall be specially designed for the needs of research and federal, cantonal or private institutions being interested in hydrological risk assessment and protection measures. The aim is on the one hand to facilitate the access to raw data which generally is needed for further historical hydrological reconstruction and quantification, so that future research will be achieved in significantly shorter time. On the other hand, new historical hydrological research results shall be continuously included in order to establish this platform as a useful tool for the assessment of hydrological risk by including the long term experience of reconstructed pre-instrumental hydrological extreme events like floods and droughts. Meteorological parameters that may trigger extreme hydrological events, like monthly or seasonally resolved reconstructions of temperature and precipitation shall be made accessible in this platform as well. The ultimate goal will be to homogenise the reconstructed hydrological extreme events which usually appeared in the pre anthropogenic influence period under different climatological as well as different hydrological regimes and topographical conditions with the present day state. Long term changes of reconstructed small- to extreme flood seasonality, based on municipal accounting records, will be included in the platform as well. This helps - in combination with the before mentioned meteorological parameters - to provide an increased understanding of the major changes in the generally complex overall system that finally causes hydrological extreme events. The goal of my presentation at the Historical Climatology session is to give an overview about the applied historical climatological and historical hydrological methodologies that are applied on the historical raw data (evidence) to reconstruct pre instrumental hydrological events and meteorological

  1. Evidence, exaggeration, and error in historical accounts of chaparral wildfires in California.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goforth, Brett R; Minnich, Richard A

    2007-04-01

    For more than half a century, ecologists and historians have been integrating the contemporary study of ecosystems with data gathered from historical sources to evaluate change over broad temporal and spatial scales. This approach is especially useful where ecosystems were altered before formal study as a result of natural resources management, land development, environmental pollution, and climate change. Yet, in many places, historical documents do not provide precise information, and pre-historical evidence is unavailable or has ambiguous interpretation. There are similar challenges in evaluating how the fire regime of chaparral in California has changed as a result of fire suppression management initiated at the beginning of the 20th century. Although the firestorm of October 2003 was the largest officially recorded in California (approximately 300,000 ha), historical accounts of pre-suppression wildfires have been cited as evidence that such a scale of burning was not unprecedented, suggesting the fire regime and patch mosaic in chaparral have not substantially changed. We find that the data do not support pre-suppression megafires, and that the impression of large historical wildfires is a result of imprecision and inaccuracy in the original reports, as well as a parlance that is beset with hyperbole. We underscore themes of importance for critically analyzing historical documents to evaluate ecological change. A putative 100 mile long by 10 mile wide (160 x 16 km) wildfire reported in 1889 was reconstructed to an area of chaparral approximately 40 times smaller by linking local accounts to property tax records, voter registration rolls, claimed insurance, and place names mapped with a geographical information system (GIS) which includes data from historical vegetation surveys. We also show that historical sources cited as evidence of other large chaparral wildfires are either demonstrably inaccurate or provide anecdotal information that is immaterial in the

  2. State of the Art Review on Theoretical Tribology of Fluid Power Displacement Machines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cerimagic, Remzija; Johansen, Per; Andersen, Torben O.

    2016-01-01

    machines, and also the work done to validate the theoretical models. This review is not a complete historical account, but aim to describe current trends in fluid power displacement machine tribology. The review considers the rheological models used in the theoretical approaches, the modeling...... and wear mechanisms in the lubricating gaps in fluid power machines is confined to simulation models, as experimental treatments of these mechanisms are very difficult. The aim of this paper is a state of the art review on the theoretical work for the design and optimization of fluid power displacement...... of elastohydrodynamic effects, the modeling of thermal effects, and finally the experimental validation of the theoretical models....

  3. Historic Landscape Survey, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-01

    signifies Maxwell AFB’s historic landscapes. 2.1 The pre-military landscape Prehistory in the southeastern United States is generally designated as...the period of Native American occupation before Spanish explorers made contact in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In Alabama, the prehistory ... prehistory or history is made clear.56 A historic property is determined to be either significant or not significant by applying standardized National

  4. Preparation of biologically active 32P-labeled human relaxin. Displaceable binding to rat uterus, cervix, and brain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osheroff, P.L.; Ling, V.T.; Vandlen, R.L.; Cronin, M.J.; Lofgren, J.A.

    1990-01-01

    Relaxin is a member of the insulin family of polypeptide hormones and is known to exert its biological effects on various parts of the mammalian reproductive system. Biologically active human relaxin has been chemically synthesized based on the nucleotide sequence obtained from an ovarian cDNA clone. In the present study synthetic human relaxin was radiolabled by phosphorylation with cAMP-dependent protein kinase and [gamma-32P]ATP to a specific activity of 5000 Ci/mmol. The phosphorylated relaxin was purified on cation exchange high performance liquid chromatography and was shown to co-migrate with relaxin on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Mass spectrometry revealed a single phosphorylated site on the B chain of relaxin. The 32P-relaxin was able to bind to a goat anti-relaxin antibody, and this binding could be displaced by unlabeled relaxin in a concentration-dependent manner. A comparison of the concentration responses of cellular cAMP production stimulated by relaxin and phosphorylated relaxin in a primary human uterine cell line showed that phosphorylation did not affect the in vitro biological efficacy of relaxin. This made it suitable for in situ autoradiographic localization of relaxin binding sites in rat uterine, cervical, and brain tissue sections. Displacement of the binding of 100 pM 32P-relaxin by 100, 10, and 3 nM unlabeled relaxin, but not by 100 nM insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I, and an insulin-like growth factor-I analog, demonstrated the high affinity and specificity of such binding. We conclude that 32P-labeled human relaxin is biologically and immunologically active and that this novel probe binds reversibly and with high affinity to classical (e.g. uterus) and unpredicted (e.g. brain) tissues

  5. PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE HISTORICAL CRITICAL PEDAGOGY AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATIONAL OF PSYCHOLOGY HISTORICAL-CULTURAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ligia Marcia Martins

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This article presents the theoretical and methodological unity between the historical-critical pedagogy and cultural-historical psychology. It highlights, in addition to the membership of both theories to historical-dialectical materialism, the basic premises that point toward the affirmation of school education as a condition of humanization of individuals, as well as the transmission of historically systematized knowledge as one of the requirements for the achieving this purpose. In this direction, we aim to demonstrate that the historical-critical pedagogy contains, in its innerness, a solid psychological foundation, consistently built by a cultural-historical conception of man, society and educative nature that guides the relationship between them through the human vital activity, that is, through the work. It is in the core of those fundamentals that the alliance between this pedagogical theory and cultural-historical psychology is evident.

  6. Displacement-length scaling of brittle faults in ductile shear.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grasemann, Bernhard; Exner, Ulrike; Tschegg, Cornelius

    2011-11-01

    Within a low-grade ductile shear zone, we investigated exceptionally well exposed brittle faults, which accumulated antithetic slip and rotated into the shearing direction. The foliation planes of the mylonitic host rock intersect the faults approximately at their centre and exhibit ductile reverse drag. Three types of brittle faults can be distinguished: (i) Faults developing on pre-existing K-feldspar/mica veins that are oblique to the shear direction. These faults have triclinic flanking structures. (ii) Wing cracks opening as mode I fractures at the tips of the triclinic flanking structures, perpendicular to the shear direction. These cracks are reactivated as faults with antithetic shear, extend from the parent K-feldspar/mica veins and form a complex linked flanking structure system. (iii) Joints forming perpendicular to the shearing direction are deformed to form monoclinic flanking structures. Triclinic and monoclinic flanking structures record elliptical displacement-distance profiles with steep displacement gradients at the fault tips by ductile flow in the host rocks, resulting in reverse drag of the foliation planes. These structures record one of the greatest maximum displacement/length ratios reported from natural fault structures. These exceptionally high ratios can be explained by localized antithetic displacement along brittle slip surfaces, which did not propagate during their rotation during surrounding ductile flow.

  7. Page | 187 DISPLACEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Fr. Ikenga

    development remain one of the greatest concerns of human beings globally.4. This urbanization which most often result in conflicts, ethnic violence, communal rife and clashes, and incessant tussle for natural and artificial resources, has also contributed to the displacement of persons. * By Obinna MBANUGO, LLM, BL, ...

  8. Human Brucellosis in Maghreb: Existence of a Lineage Related to Socio-Historical Connections with Europe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lounes, Nedjma; Cherfa, Moulay-Ali; Le Carrou, Gilles; Bouyoucef, Abdellah; Jay, Maryne; Garin-Bastuji, Bruno; Mick, Virginie

    2014-01-01

    Despite control/eradication programs, brucellosis, major worldwide zoonosis due to the Brucella genus, is endemic in Northern Africa and remains a major public health problem in the Maghreb region (Algeria/Morocco/Tunisia). Brucella melitensis biovar 3 is mostly involved in human infections and infects mainly small ruminants. Human and animal brucellosis occurrence in the Maghreb seems still underestimated and its epidemiological situation remains hazy. This study summarizes official data, regarding Brucella melitensis infections in Algeria, from 1989 to 2012, with the purpose to provide appropriate insights concerning the epidemiological situation of human and small ruminant brucellosis in Maghreb. Algeria and Europe are closely linked for historical and economical reasons. These historical connections raise the question of their possible impact on the genetic variability of Brucella strains circulating in the Maghreb. Other purpose of this study was to assess the genetic diversity among Maghreb B. melitensis biovar 3 strains, and to investigate their possible epidemiological relationship with European strains, especially with French strains. A total of 90 B. melitensis biovar 3 Maghreb strains isolated over a 25 year-period (1989–2014), mainly from humans, were analysed by MLVA-16. The obtained results were compared with genotypes of European B. melitensis biovar 3 strains. Molecular assays showed that Algerian strains were mainly distributed into two distinct clusters, one Algerian cluster related to European sub-cluster. These results led to suggest the existence of a lineage resulting from socio-historical connections between Algeria and Europe that might have evolved distinctly from the Maghreb autochthonous group. This study provides insights regarding the epidemiological situation of human brucellosis in the Maghreb and is the first molecular investigation regarding B. melitensis biovar 3 strains circulating in the Maghreb. PMID:25517901

  9. Displacement Parameter Inversion for a Novel Electromagnetic Underground Displacement Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nanying Shentu

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Underground displacement monitoring is an effective method to explore deep into rock and soil masses for execution of subsurface displacement measurements. It is not only an important means of geological hazards prediction and forecasting, but also a forefront, hot and sophisticated subject in current geological disaster monitoring. In previous research, the authors had designed a novel electromagnetic underground horizontal displacement sensor (called the H-type sensor by combining basic electromagnetic induction principles with modern sensing techniques and established a mutual voltage measurement theoretical model called the Equation-based Equivalent Loop Approach (EELA. Based on that work, this paper presents an underground displacement inversion approach named “EELA forward modeling-approximate inversion method”. Combining the EELA forward simulation approach with the approximate optimization inversion theory, it can deduce the underground horizontal displacement through parameter inversion of the H-type sensor. Comprehensive and comparative studies have been conducted between the experimentally measured and theoretically inversed values of horizontal displacement under counterpart conditions. The results show when the measured horizontal displacements are in the 0–100 mm range, the horizontal displacement inversion discrepancy is generally tested to be less than 3 mm under varied tilt angles and initial axial distances conditions, which indicates that our proposed parameter inversion method can predict underground horizontal displacement measurements effectively and robustly for the H-type sensor and the technique is applicable for practical geo-engineering applications.

  10. The potential of historical hydrology in Switzerland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wetter, Oliver

    2017-01-01

    Historical hydrology is based on data derived from historical written, pictorial and epigraphic documentary sources. It lies at the interface between hydrology and environmental history, using methodologies from both disciplines basically with the goal of significantly extending the instrumental measurement period with experience from the pre-instrumental past. Recently this field of research has gained increased recognition as a tool to improve current flood risk estimations when EU guidelines regulated by law the quantitative consideration of previous floods.1 Awareness to consider pre-instrumental experience in flood risk analysis seems to have risen at the level of local and federal authorities in Switzerland as well. The 2011 Fukushima catastrophe probably fostered this rethinking process, when pressure from the media, society and politics as well as the regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) forced the authorities to reassess the current flood risk analysis for Swiss nuclear power plants. In 2015 a historical hydrological study was commissioned by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) to assess the magnitudes of pre-instrumental Aare River flood discharges, including the most important tributaries (the Saane, Emme, Reuss and Limmat rivers). The results of the historical hydrological study serve now as the basis for the main study, EXAR (commissioned under the lead of FOEN in cooperation with the Swiss Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI), the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), and the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss)), which combines historical and climatological analysis with statistical approaches and mathematical models with the goal of better understanding the hazards and possible interactions that can be caused by extreme flood events. In a second phase the catchment of the River Rhine will be targeted as well. More recently several local historical

  11. The potential of historical hydrology in Switzerland

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wetter, Oliver [Bern Univ. (Switzerland). Section of Economic, Social and Environmental History (WSU)

    2017-07-01

    Historical hydrology is based on data derived from historical written, pictorial and epigraphic documentary sources. It lies at the interface between hydrology and environmental history, using methodologies from both disciplines basically with the goal of significantly extending the instrumental measurement period with experience from the pre-instrumental past. Recently this field of research has gained increased recognition as a tool to improve current flood risk estimations when EU guidelines regulated by law the quantitative consideration of previous floods.1 Awareness to consider pre-instrumental experience in flood risk analysis seems to have risen at the level of local and federal authorities in Switzerland as well. The 2011 Fukushima catastrophe probably fostered this rethinking process, when pressure from the media, society and politics as well as the regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) forced the authorities to reassess the current flood risk analysis for Swiss nuclear power plants. In 2015 a historical hydrological study was commissioned by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) to assess the magnitudes of pre-instrumental Aare River flood discharges, including the most important tributaries (the Saane, Emme, Reuss and Limmat rivers). The results of the historical hydrological study serve now as the basis for the main study, EXAR (commissioned under the lead of FOEN in cooperation with the Swiss Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI), the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), and the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss)), which combines historical and climatological analysis with statistical approaches and mathematical models with the goal of better understanding the hazards and possible interactions that can be caused by extreme flood events. In a second phase the catchment of the River Rhine will be targeted as well. More recently several local historical

  12. Seismic Evaluation of A Historical Structure In Kastamonu - Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pınar, USTA; Işıl ÇARHOĞLU, Asuman; EVCİ, Ahmet

    2018-01-01

    The Kastomonu province is a seismically active zone. the city has many historical buildings made of stone-masonry. In case of any probable future earthquakes, existing buildings may suffer substantial or heavy damages. In the present study, one of the historical traditional house located in Kastamonu were structurally investigated through probabilistic seismic risk assessment methodology. In the study, the building was modeled by using the Finite Element Modeling (FEM) software, SAP2000. Time history analyses were carried out using 10 different ground motion data on the FEM models. Displacements were interpreted, and the results were displayed graphically and discussed.

  13. Internally displaced "victims of armed conflict" in Colombia: the trajectory and trauma signature of forced migration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shultz, James M; Garfin, Dana Rose; Espinel, Zelde; Araya, Ricardo; Oquendo, Maria A; Wainberg, Milton L; Chaskel, Roberto; Gaviria, Silvia L; Ordóñez, Anna E; Espinola, Maria; Wilson, Fiona E; Muñoz García, Natalia; Gómez Ceballos, Angela Milena; Garcia-Barcena, Yanira; Verdeli, Helen; Neria, Yuval

    2014-10-01

    While conflict-induced forced migration is a global phenomenon, the situation in Colombia, South America, is distinctive. Colombia has ranked either first or second in the number of internally displaced persons for 10 years, a consequence of decades of armed conflict compounded by high prevalence of drug trafficking. The displacement trajectory for displaced persons in Colombia proceeds through a sequence of stages: (1) pre-expulsion threats and vulnerability, (2) expulsion, (3) migration, (4) initial adaptation to relocation, (5) protracted resettlement (the end point for most forced migrants), and, rarely, (6) return to the community of origin. Trauma signature analysis, an evidence-based method that elucidates the physical and psychological consequences associated with exposures to harm and loss during disasters and complex emergencies, was used to identify the psychological risk factors and potentially traumatic events experienced by conflict-displaced persons in Colombia, stratified across the phases of displacement. Trauma and loss are experienced differentially throughout the pathway of displacement.

  14. Typology of historical sources and the reconstruction of long-term historical changes of riverine fish: a case study of the Austrian Danube and northern Russian rivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haidvogl, Gertrud; Lajus, Dmitry; Pont, Didier; Schmid, Martin; Jungwirth, Mathias; Lajus, Julia

    2014-01-01

    Historical data are widely used in river ecology to define reference conditions or to investigate the evolution of aquatic systems. Most studies rely on printed documents from the 19th century, thus missing pre-industrial states and human impacts. This article discusses historical sources that can be used to reconstruct the development of riverine fish communities from the Late Middle Ages until the mid-20th century. Based on the studies of the Austrian Danube and northern Russian rivers, we propose a classification scheme of printed and archival sources and describe their fish ecological contents. Five types of sources were identified using the origin of sources as the first criterion: (i) early scientific surveys, (ii) fishery sources, (iii) fish trading sources, (iv) fish consumption sources and (v) cultural representations of fish. Except for early scientific surveys, all these sources were produced within economic and administrative contexts. They did not aim to report about historical fish communities, but do contain information about commercial fish and their exploitation. All historical data need further analysis for a fish ecological interpretation. Three case studies from the investigated Austrian and Russian rivers demonstrate the use of different source types and underline the necessity for a combination of different sources and a methodology combining different disciplinary approaches. Using a large variety of historical sources to reconstruct the development of past fish ecological conditions can support future river management by going beyond the usual approach of static historical reference conditions. PMID:25284959

  15. Small Displacement Coupled Analysis of Concrete Gravity Dam Foundations: Static and Dynamic Conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farinha, Maria Luísa Braga; Azevedo, Nuno Monteiro; Candeias, Mariline

    2017-02-01

    The explicit formulation of a small displacement model for the coupled hydro-mechanical analysis of concrete gravity dam foundations based on joint finite elements is presented. The proposed coupled model requires a thorough pre-processing stage in order to ensure that the interaction between the various blocks which represent both the rock mass foundation and the dam is always edge to edge. The mechanical part of the model, though limited to small displacements, has the advantage of allowing an accurate representation of the stress distribution along the interfaces, such as rock mass joints. The hydraulic part and the mechanical part of the model are fully compatible. The coupled model is validated using a real case of a dam in operation, by comparison of the results with those obtained with a large displacement discrete model. It is shown that it is possible to assess the sliding stability of concrete gravity dams using small displacement models under both static and dynamic conditions.

  16. Displacement ventilation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kosonen, Risto; Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Mundt, Elisabeth

    The aim of this Guidebook is to give the state-of-the art knowledge of the displacement ventilation technology, and to simplify and improve the practical design procedure. The Guidebook discusses methods of total volume ventilation by mixing ventilation and displacement ventilation and it gives...... insights of the performance of the displacement ventilation. It also shows practical case studies in some typical applications and the latest research findings to create good local micro-climatic conditions....

  17. Autonomous spacecraft landing through human pre-attentive vision

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schiavone, Giuseppina; Izzo, Dario; Simões, Luís F; De Croon, Guido C H E

    2012-01-01

    In this work, we exploit a computational model of human pre-attentive vision to guide the descent of a spacecraft on extraterrestrial bodies. Providing the spacecraft with high degrees of autonomy is a challenge for future space missions. Up to present, major effort in this research field has been concentrated in hazard avoidance algorithms and landmark detection, often by reference to a priori maps, ranked by scientists according to specific scientific criteria. Here, we present a bio-inspired approach based on the human ability to quickly select intrinsically salient targets in the visual scene; this ability is fundamental for fast decision-making processes in unpredictable and unknown circumstances. The proposed system integrates a simple model of the spacecraft and optimality principles which guarantee minimum fuel consumption during the landing procedure; detected salient sites are used for retargeting the spacecraft trajectory, under safety and reachability conditions. We compare the decisions taken by the proposed algorithm with that of a number of human subjects tested under the same conditions. Our results show how the developed algorithm is indistinguishable from the human subjects with respect to areas, occurrence and timing of the retargeting. (paper)

  18. Advancing Pre-Health Humanities as Intensive Research Practice: Principles and Recommendations from a Cross-Divisional Baccalaureate Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singer, Sarah Ann; Weed, Kym; Edwell, Jennifer; Jack, Jordynn; Thrailkill, Jane F

    2017-12-01

    This essay argues that pre-health humanities programs should focus on intensive research practice for baccalaureate students and provides three guiding principles for implementing it. Although the interdisciplinary nature of health humanities permits baccalaureate students to use research methods from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, pre-health humanities coursework tends to force students to adopt only one of many disciplinary identities. Alternatively, an intensive research approach invites students to critically select and combine methods from multiple (and seemingly opposing) disciplines to ask and answer questions about health problems more innovatively. Using the authors' experiences with implementing health humanities baccalaureate research initiatives at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the authors contend that pre-health humanities programs should teach and study multiple disciplinary research methods and their values; examine how health humanities research might transfer across disciplines; and focus on mentoring opportunities for funding, presenting, and publishing research. These recommendations have the potential to create unprecedented research experiences for baccalaureate students as they prepare to enter careers within and beyond the allied health professions.

  19. Soul, mind and brain in pre-history and early human civilizations / Alma, mente e cérebro na pré-história e nas primeiras civilizações humanas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabiano dos Santos Castro

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Currently, the debate about the nature of the human mind is taking new directions through the development of several studies in the field of neuroscience which investigates the location of brain functions. These studies have contributed to a better understanding of the neural substrates of mental functions and the etiology of various mental disorders. However, the knowledge developed by neuroscience did not occur abruptly. Indeed, the study of mind-brain relationship is not new. From pre-history to the present days, various different types of inquiries have been made about the possible materiality and location of human mental functions. This paper presents, in a historic manner, how prehistoric populations as well as early civilizations located in Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and China developed and employed concepts related to the soul, the mind and the human brain.

  20. Job Displacement and Crime

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bennett, Patrick; Ouazad, Amine

    We use a detailed employer-employee data set matched with detailed crime information (timing of crime, fines, convictions, crime type) to estimate the impact of job loss on an individual's probability to commit crime. We focus on job losses due to displacement, i.e. job losses in firms losing...... a substantial share of their workers, for workers with at least three years of tenure. Displaced workers are more likely to commit offenses leading to conviction (probation, prison terms) for property crimes and for alcohol-related traffic violations in the two years following displacement. We find no evidence...... that displaced workers' propensity to commit crime is higher than non-displaced workers before the displacement event; but it is significantly higher afterwards. Displacement impacts crime over and above what is explained by earnings losses and weeks of unemployment following displacement....

  1. In Situ Observation of Hard Surrounding Rock Displacement at 2400-m-Deep Tunnels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Xia-Ting; Yao, Zhi-Bin; Li, Shao-Jun; Wu, Shi-Yong; Yang, Cheng-Xiang; Guo, Hao-Sen; Zhong, Shan

    2018-03-01

    This paper presents the results of in situ investigation of the internal displacement of hard surrounding rock masses within deep tunnels at China's Jinping Underground Laboratory Phase II. The displacement evolution of the surrounding rock during the entire excavation processes was monitored continuously using pre-installed continuous-recording multi-point extensometers. The evolution of excavation-damaged zones and fractures in rock masses were also observed using acoustic velocity testing and digital borehole cameras, respectively. The results show four kinds of displacement behaviours of the hard surrounding rock masses during the excavation process. The displacement in the inner region of the surrounding rock was found to be greater than that of the rock masses near the tunnel's side walls in some excavation stages. This leads to a multi-modal distribution characteristic of internal displacement for hard surrounding rock masses within deep tunnels. A further analysis of the evolution information on the damages and fractures inside the surrounding rock masses reveals the effects of excavation disturbances and local geological conditions. This recognition can be used as the reference for excavation and supporting design and stability evaluations of hard-rock tunnels under high-stress conditions.

  2. Internally Displaced “Victims of Armed Conflict” in Colombia: The Trajectory and Trauma Signature of Forced Migration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shultz, James M.; Garfin, Dana Rose; Espinel, Zelde; Araya, Ricardo; Oquendo, Maria A.; Wainberg, Milton L.; Chaskel, Roberto; Gaviria, Silvia L.; Ordóñez, Anna E.; Espinola, Maria; Wilson, Fiona E.; García, Natalia Muñoz; Ceballos, Ángela Milena Gómez; Garcia-Barcena, Yanira; Verdeli, Helen; Neria, Yuval

    2016-01-01

    While conflict-induced forced migration is a global phenomenon, the situation in Colombia, South America, is distinctive. Colombia has ranked either first or second in the number of internally displaced persons for 10 years, a consequence of decades of armed conflict compounded by high prevalence of drug trafficking. The displacement trajectory for displaced persons in Colombia proceeds through a sequence of stages: (1) pre-expulsion threats and vulnerability, (2) expulsion, (3) migration, (4) initial adaptation to relocation, (5) protracted resettlement (the end point for most forced migrants), and, rarely, (6) return to the community of origin. Trauma signature analysis, an evidence-based method that elucidates the physical and psychological consequences associated with exposures to harm and loss during disasters and complex emergencies, was used to identify the psychological risk factors and potentially traumatic events experienced by conflict-displaced persons in Colombia, stratified across the phases of displacement. Trauma and loss are experienced differentially throughout the pathway of displacement. PMID:25135775

  3. The potential of historical hydrology in Switzerland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. Wetter

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Historical hydrology is based on data derived from historical written, pictorial and epigraphic documentary sources. It lies at the interface between hydrology and environmental history, using methodologies from both disciplines basically with the goal of significantly extending the instrumental measurement period with experience from the pre-instrumental past. Recently this field of research has gained increased recognition as a tool to improve current flood risk estimations when EU guidelines regulated by law the quantitative consideration of previous floods.1 Awareness to consider pre-instrumental experience in flood risk analysis seems to have risen at the level of local and federal authorities in Switzerland as well. The 2011 Fukushima catastrophe probably fostered this rethinking process, when pressure from the media, society and politics as well as the regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA forced the authorities to reassess the current flood risk analysis for Swiss nuclear power plants. In 2015 a historical hydrological study was commissioned by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN to assess the magnitudes of pre-instrumental Aare River flood discharges, including the most important tributaries (the Saane, Emme, Reuss and Limmat rivers. The results of the historical hydrological study serve now as the basis for the main study, EXAR (commissioned under the lead of FOEN in cooperation with the Swiss Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE, the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP, and the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss, which combines historical and climatological analysis with statistical approaches and mathematical models with the goal of better understanding the hazards and possible interactions that can be caused by extreme flood events. In a second phase the catchment of the River Rhine will be targeted as well. More recently several local

  4. The potential of historical hydrology in Switzerland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wetter, Oliver

    2017-11-01

    Historical hydrology is based on data derived from historical written, pictorial and epigraphic documentary sources. It lies at the interface between hydrology and environmental history, using methodologies from both disciplines basically with the goal of significantly extending the instrumental measurement period with experience from the pre-instrumental past. Recently this field of research has gained increased recognition as a tool to improve current flood risk estimations when EU guidelines regulated by law the quantitative consideration of previous floods.1 Awareness to consider pre-instrumental experience in flood risk analysis seems to have risen at the level of local and federal authorities in Switzerland as well. The 2011 Fukushima catastrophe probably fostered this rethinking process, when pressure from the media, society and politics as well as the regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) forced the authorities to reassess the current flood risk analysis for Swiss nuclear power plants. In 2015 a historical hydrological study was commissioned by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) to assess the magnitudes of pre-instrumental Aare River flood discharges, including the most important tributaries (the Saane, Emme, Reuss and Limmat rivers). The results of the historical hydrological study serve now as the basis for the main study, EXAR (commissioned under the lead of FOEN in cooperation with the Swiss Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI), the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), and the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss)), which combines historical and climatological analysis with statistical approaches and mathematical models with the goal of better understanding the hazards and possible interactions that can be caused by extreme flood events. In a second phase the catchment of the River Rhine will be targeted as well. More recently several local historical

  5. Libyan armed conflict 2011: Mortality, injury and population displacement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed A. Daw

    2015-09-01

    Conclusion: The Libyan armed conflict resulted in great human loss and social damage mirrored by high rates of mortality, injury and human displacement. Such parameters peaked as the conflict escalated and differed according to the Libyan regions and provinces involved. National and international efforts should be combined to overcome the consequences of these conflicts.

  6. Human impacts on riparian ecosystems of the Middle Rio Grande Valley during historic times

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frank E. Wozniak

    1996-01-01

    The development of irrigation agriculture in historic times has profoundly impacted riparian ecosystems in the Middle Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico. A vital relationship has existed between water resources and settlement in the semi-arid Southwest since prehistoric times. Levels of technology have influenced human generated changes in the riparian ecosystems of the...

  7. Displacement Ventilation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Peter Vilhelm

    Displacement ventilation is an interesting new type of air distribution principle which should be considered in connection with design of comfort ventilation in both smal1 and large spaces. Research activities on displacement ventilation are large all over the world and new knowledge of design...... methods appears continuously. This book gives an easy introduction to the basis of displacement ventilation and the chapters are written in the order which is used in a design procedure. The main text is extended by five appendices which show some of the new research activities taking place at Aalborg...

  8. FILM AS A RESOURCE FOR DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT: LINKS OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY AND HISTORICAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silvana Calvo Tuleski

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the methodological process and results of a research project in which the main objective was to verify the development of scientific concepts in participants by analyzing human history using movies from different historical periods. The discussions hereby exposed are a product of seven years of teaching, researching and extracurricular activities. The study was based on the foundations of Cultural-Historical Psychology and Critical-Historical Pedagogy, defending the idea that the educational work is the main element for promotion of human development. It is also understood that art and science present themselves as human products that are possible of being appropriated by man, in order to promote maximum psychological development. We concluded that the systematization of the pedagogic work offered conditions for the research subjects to achieve conceptual progress.

  9. The Challenges and Success of Implementing Climate Studies Lessons for Pre-Professional Teachers at a Small Historically Black College to Engage Student Teaching of Science Pedagogy and Content Skill Based Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnold, J.; Wider-Lewis, F.; Miller-Jenkins, A.

    2017-12-01

    This poster is a description of the challenges and success of implementing climate studies lessons for pre-service teachers to engage student teaching pedagogy and content skill based learning. Edward Waters College is a historical black college with an elementary education teacher program focused on urban elementary school teaching and learning. Pre-Service Elementary Educator Students often have difficulty with science and mathematics content and pedagogy. This poster will highlight the barriers and successes of using climate studies lessons to develop and enhance pre-service teachers' knowledge of elementary science principles particularly related to climate studies, physical and earth space science.

  10. Comparing the impact of time displaced and biased precipitation estimates for online updated urban runoff models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borup, Morten; Grum, Morten; Mikkelsen, Peter Steen

    2013-01-01

    When an online runoff model is updated from system measurements, the requirements of the precipitation input change. Using rain gauge data as precipitation input there will be a displacement between the time when the rain hits the gauge and the time where the rain hits the actual catchment, due to the time it takes for the rain cell to travel from the rain gauge to the catchment. Since this time displacement is not present for system measurements the data assimilation scheme might already have updated the model to include the impact from the particular rain cell when the rain data is forced upon the model, which therefore will end up including the same rain twice in the model run. This paper compares forecast accuracy of updated models when using time displaced rain input to that of rain input with constant biases. This is done using a simple time-area model and historic rain series that are either displaced in time or affected with a bias. The results show that for a 10 minute forecast, time displacements of 5 and 10 minutes compare to biases of 60 and 100%, respectively, independent of the catchments time of concentration.

  11. Study of oxide film formed in a pre cracked CT specimen of AISI 304L during a rising displacement test in 288 C water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diaz S, A.; Castano M, V.

    2007-01-01

    A study of oxide film formed inside pre cracked CT specimens during a rising displacement test in high temperature water (288 C) was performed in this study, The environmental conditions used during the experiments were similar to these found in Boiling Water Reactors (BWR): Normal Water Condition (NWC - 200 ppb O 2 ) and Hydrogen Water Chemistry (HWC - 125 ppb H2). The oxide films formed were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In both cases the oxide film consisted of two layers identified as magnetite. In the case of HWC the results agree with previous reports that mention magnetite as a stable phase in reducing conditions. However the stable phase in oxidant conditions is hematite and this work shows the presence of magnetite crystals in the narrow crack of CT specimens in spite of the oxidant environmental condition. This situation confirms that inside the pre-cracked CT specimens the environmental conditions were different from the oxidant bulk, and probably a poor oxygen access and stagnant conditions within the narrow crack promoted a localized reducing environment that permitted the magnetite formation. Is evident that the crack growth studies should consider the conditions inside crack because they are significantly different. (Author)

  12. Internal population displacement and its aftermath on Nigerian ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The paper interrogated the corporate existence of Nigeria and raised some fundamental questions regarding reasons for discontent, violent conflicts and internal population displacement in Nigeria given her enormous resources, both human and material. The paper through intensive content analysis provided answers to ...

  13. The Human Footprint in Mexico: Physical Geography and Historical Legacies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortega-Rubio, Alfredo; Kolb, Melanie; Bezaury Creel, Juan E.

    2015-01-01

    Using publicly available data on land use and transportation corridors we calculated the human footprint index for the whole of Mexico to identify large-scale spatial patterns in the anthropogenic transformation of the land surface. We developed a map of the human footprint for the whole country and identified the ecological regions that have most transformed by human action. Additionally, we analyzed the extent to which (a) physical geography, expressed spatially in the form of biomes and ecoregions, compared to (b) historical geography, expressed as the spatial distribution of past human settlements, have driven the patterns of human modification of the land. Overall Mexico still has 56% of its land surface with low impact from human activities, but these areas are not evenly distributed. The lowest values are on the arid north and northwest, and the tropical southeast, while the highest values run along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and from there inland along an east-to-west corridor that follows the Mexican transversal volcanic ranges and the associated upland plateau. The distribution of low- and high footprint areas within ecoregions forms a complex mosaic: the generally well-conserved Mexican deserts have some highly transformed agro-industrial areas, while many well-conserved, low footprint areas still persist in the highly-transformed ecoregions of central Mexico. We conclude that the spatial spread of the human footprint in Mexico is both the result of the limitations imposed by physical geography to human development at the biome level, and, within different biomes, of a complex history of past civilizations and technologies, including the 20th Century demographic explosion but also the spatial pattern of ancient settlements that were occupied by the Spanish Colony. PMID:25803839

  14. The human footprint in Mexico: physical geography and historical legacies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-Abraham, Charlotte; Ezcurra, Exequiel; Garcillán, Pedro P; Ortega-Rubio, Alfredo; Kolb, Melanie; Bezaury Creel, Juan E

    2015-01-01

    Using publicly available data on land use and transportation corridors we calculated the human footprint index for the whole of Mexico to identify large-scale spatial patterns in the anthropogenic transformation of the land surface. We developed a map of the human footprint for the whole country and identified the ecological regions that have most transformed by human action. Additionally, we analyzed the extent to which (a) physical geography, expressed spatially in the form of biomes and ecoregions, compared to (b) historical geography, expressed as the spatial distribution of past human settlements, have driven the patterns of human modification of the land. Overall Mexico still has 56% of its land surface with low impact from human activities, but these areas are not evenly distributed. The lowest values are on the arid north and northwest, and the tropical southeast, while the highest values run along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and from there inland along an east-to-west corridor that follows the Mexican transversal volcanic ranges and the associated upland plateau. The distribution of low- and high footprint areas within ecoregions forms a complex mosaic: the generally well-conserved Mexican deserts have some highly transformed agro-industrial areas, while many well-conserved, low footprint areas still persist in the highly-transformed ecoregions of central Mexico. We conclude that the spatial spread of the human footprint in Mexico is both the result of the limitations imposed by physical geography to human development at the biome level, and, within different biomes, of a complex history of past civilizations and technologies, including the 20th Century demographic explosion but also the spatial pattern of ancient settlements that were occupied by the Spanish Colony.

  15. A historical overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dan Scurlock; Deborah M. Finch

    1997-01-01

    This chapter reviews the historical: 1) occupancy, use of and impacts on ponderosa pine forests by early American Indians and European settlers; and 2) the human use of and impacts on birds in ponderosa pine forests. Contemporary ecology and human use of ponderosa pine forests are described in this publication by Moir et al. and Raish et al. Recent human impacts on...

  16. The human nucleolar protein FTSJ3 associates with NIP7 and functions in pre-rRNA processing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis G Morello

    Full Text Available NIP7 is one of the many trans-acting factors required for eukaryotic ribosome biogenesis, which interacts with nascent pre-ribosomal particles and dissociates as they complete maturation and are exported to the cytoplasm. By using conditional knockdown, we have shown previously that yeast Nip7p is required primarily for 60S subunit synthesis while human NIP7 is involved in the biogenesis of 40S subunit. This raised the possibility that human NIP7 interacts with a different set of proteins as compared to the yeast protein. By using the yeast two-hybrid system we identified FTSJ3, a putative ortholog of yeast Spb1p, as a human NIP7-interacting protein. A functional association between NIP7 and FTSJ3 is further supported by colocalization and coimmunoprecipitation analyses. Conditional knockdown revealed that depletion of FTSJ3 affects cell proliferation and causes pre-rRNA processing defects. The major pre-rRNA processing defect involves accumulation of the 34S pre-rRNA encompassing from site A' to site 2b. Accumulation of this pre-rRNA indicates that processing of sites A0, 1 and 2 are slower in cells depleted of FTSJ3 and implicates FTSJ3 in the pathway leading to 18S rRNA maturation as observed previously for NIP7. The results presented in this work indicate a close functional interaction between NIP7 and FTSJ3 during pre-rRNA processing and show that FTSJ3 participates in ribosome synthesis in human cells.

  17. Perceived Air Quality in a Displacement Ventilated Room

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brohus, Henrik; Knudsen, Henrik Nellemose; Nielsen, Peter V.

    in a displacement ventilated room was determined directly by asking humans about how they perceived the air quality. A trained sensory panel comprising 12 subjects assessed the perceived air quality immediately after entering a climate chamber. The experiments showed that the perceived air quality...

  18. The social implications of population displacement and resettlement in the Middle East. Conference report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shami, S; Mccann, L

    1993-01-01

    The focus was on a conference on population displacement and resettlement in the Middle East and on brief summaries of 8 papers in the first study group and 9 papers in the second study group. The conference was held at the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Yarmouk University in Ibid, Jordan, on February 21-24, 1990, and on July 29-31, 1991. Scholars from diverse disciplines gathered to fill a gap in the literature on displacement in the Middle East and to develop a regional theoretical and comparative framework for the study of population movement. A concluding definition of displacement and/or resettlement was determined. The first study group determined that labor or seasonal migration and displacement were both on a continuum with intersecting characteristics, and not divergent. Research should account for the nature, the forcing agents, the underlying causes, the implications, and the outcome of the displacement. The second study group had a more empirical agenda and included the first study group as discussants. The first study group began with a presentation by Dr. Seteney Shami, which reviewed existing literature, outlined unique characteristics for displacement in the Middle East, and discussed the literature on the Nubians, Palestinians, and Bedouins. Other topics included the official settlement of peasants in Iraq and the impact on women and work, the political and economic roles of class among the Palestinian coastal bourgeoisie and other classes, migratory cycles of the Bedouin and disruption by the oil exploration, and historical displacement in Turkey. The second study group focused on migration to the Khartoum area in Sudan among nine unplanned settlements, the two-stage displacement of low-income households from rent-controlled buildings in Cairo and its impact on community structure and employment and social supports, migration from the Suez Canal to Zagazig City in Egypt, displacement due to the Gulf crisis (a case study, the

  19. Finding the displacement of wood structure in heritage building by 3D laser scanner

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, M. C.; Tsai, Y. L.; Wang, R. Z.; Lin, M. L.

    2015-08-01

    Heritage buildings are highly prone to long term damage from the microclimate, scourge and vandalism, which can result in damaged materials, structures, painting and cultural heritage items. This study will focus on finding the displacement of wood structural members through the use of a 3D laser scanner and the 4D concept of time. The results will compare the scans from different periods to find the difference (if any) in the structural member position. Wood structures usually consist of numerous wood members connected to form the structure. However, these members can be damaged in various ways such as physical mechanisms, chemical reactions, and biological corrosion. When damage to the wood structure occurs, the structural displacement can be affected, and if affected severely, can lead to a building collapse. Monitoring of the structural displacement is the best way to discover damage immediately and to preserve the heritage building. However, the Cultural Heritage Preservation Law in Taiwan prohibits the installation of monitoring instruments (e.g strain gauge, accelerometer) in historic structures (heritage buildings). Scanning the wood structure with 3D lasers is the most non-intrusive method and quickly achieves displacement through visualization. The displacement scan results can be compared with different periods and different members to analyze the severity of damage. Once the 3D scanner is installed, the whole building is scanned, and point clouds created to build the visual building model. The structural displacement can be checked via the building model and the differences are measured between each member to find the high risk damaged areas or members with large displacement. Early detection of structural damage is the most effective way means of preservation.

  20. Displacement characteristics of a piezoactuator-based prototype microactuator with a hydraulic displacement amplification system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muralidhara [NMAMIT, Nitte (India); Rao, Rathnamala [NITK, Surathkal (India)

    2015-11-15

    In this study, a new piezoactuator-based prototype microactuator is proposed with a hydraulic displacement amplification system. A piezoactuator is used to deflect a diaphragm which displaces a certain volume of hydraulic fluid into a smaller-diameter piston chamber, thereby amplifying the displacement at the other end of the piston. An electro-mechanical model is implemented to estimate the displacement of a multilayer piezoelectric actuator for the applied input voltage considering the hysteresis behavior. The displacement characteristics of the proposed microactuator are studied for triangular actuation voltage signal. Results of the experiments and simulation of the displacement behavior of the stacked piezoactuator and the amplified displacement of the prototype actuator were compared. Experimental results suggest that the mathematical model developed for the new piezoactuator-based prototype actuator is capable of estimating its displacement behavior accurately, within an error of 1.2%.

  1. Displacement characteristics of a piezoactuator-based prototype microactuator with a hydraulic displacement amplification system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muralidhara; Rao, Rathnamala

    2015-01-01

    In this study, a new piezoactuator-based prototype microactuator is proposed with a hydraulic displacement amplification system. A piezoactuator is used to deflect a diaphragm which displaces a certain volume of hydraulic fluid into a smaller-diameter piston chamber, thereby amplifying the displacement at the other end of the piston. An electro-mechanical model is implemented to estimate the displacement of a multilayer piezoelectric actuator for the applied input voltage considering the hysteresis behavior. The displacement characteristics of the proposed microactuator are studied for triangular actuation voltage signal. Results of the experiments and simulation of the displacement behavior of the stacked piezoactuator and the amplified displacement of the prototype actuator were compared. Experimental results suggest that the mathematical model developed for the new piezoactuator-based prototype actuator is capable of estimating its displacement behavior accurately, within an error of 1.2%.

  2. Historical ecology: past, present and future

    OpenAIRE

    Szabó, Péter

    2014-01-01

    The term ‘historical ecology’ has been used with various meanings since the first half of the 20th century. Studies labelled as historical ecology have been produced in at least four academic disciplines: history, ecology, geography and anthropology. Although all those involved seem to agree that historical ecology concerns the historical interconnectedness of nature and human culture, this field of study has no unified methodology, specialized institutional background and c...

  3. Development of Displacement Gages Exposed to Solid Rocket Motor Internal Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolton, D. E.; Cook, D. J.

    2003-01-01

    The Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) has three non-vented segment-to-segment case field joints. These joints use an interference fit J-joint that is bonded at assembly with a Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) inboard of redundant O-ring seals. Full-scale motor and sub-scale test article experience has shown that the ability to preclude gas leakage past the J-joint is a function of PSA type, joint moisture from pre-assembly humidity exposure, and the magnitude of joint displacement during motor operation. To more accurately determine the axial displacements at the J-joints, two thermally durable displacement gages (one mechanical and one electrical) were designed and developed. The mechanical displacement gage concept was generated first as a non-electrical, self-contained gage to capture the maximum magnitude of the J-joint motion. When it became feasible, the electrical displacement gage concept was generated second as a real-time linear displacement gage. Both of these gages were refined in development testing that included hot internal solid rocket motor environments and simulated vibration environments. As a result of this gage development effort, joint motions have been measured in static fired RSRM J-joints where intentional venting was produced (Flight Support Motor #8, FSM-8) and nominal non-vented behavior occurred (FSM-9 and FSM-10). This data gives new insight into the nominal characteristics of the three case J-joint positions (forward, center and aft) and characteristics of some case J-joints that became vented during motor operation. The data supports previous structural model predictions. These gages will also be useful in evaluating J-joint motion differences in a five-segment Space Shuttle solid rocket motor.

  4. Personal Exposure in Displacement Ventilated Rooms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brohus, Henrik; Nielsen, Peter Vilhelm

    1996-01-01

    in the lower part of the room close to the occupant. A personal exposure model for displacement ventilated rooms is proposed. The model takes the influence of gradients and the human thermal boundary layer into account. Two new quantities describing the interaction between a person and the ventilation......Personal exposure in a displacement ventilated room is examined. The stratified flow and the considerable concentration gradients necessitate an improvement of the widely used fully mixing compartmental approach. The exposure of a seated and a standing person in proportion to the stratification...... contaminant sources, this entrainment improves the indoor air quality. Measurements of exposure due to a passive contaminant source show a significant dependence on the flow field as well as on the contaminant source location. Poor system performance is found in the case of a passive contaminant released...

  5. Historic Preservation, History, and the African American: A Discussion and Framework for Change

    Science.gov (United States)

    1992-03-01

    gentrification or new development in historic inner-city areas. These newer tools, though troublesome, are now recognized for what they are, and are being met with...rezonings, and promises of new housing were 3 among the means. Destruction of neighborhoods, displacement, gentrification , and loss of cultural

  6. In vivo neutralization of hepatitis B virus infection by an anti-preS1 humanized antibody in chimpanzees

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, Hyo Jeong; Ryu, Chun Jeih; Hur, Hyangsuk; Kim, Seho; Oh, Han Kyu; Oh, Mee Sook; Park, Song Yong

    2004-01-01

    Previously, we generated a murine monoclonal antibody (mAb), KR127, that recognizes amino acids (aa) 37-45 of the preS1 of hepatitis B virus (HBV). In this study, we have constructed a humanized version of KR127 and evaluated its HBV-neutralizing activity in chimpanzees. A study chimpanzee was given a single intravenous dose of the humanized antibody, followed by intravenous challenge with adr subtype of wild type HBV, while a control chimpanzee was only challenged with the virus. The result showed that the study chimpanzee did not develop HBV infection during 1 year, while the control chimpanzee was infected, indicating that the humanized antibody exhibited in vivo virus-neutralizing activity and thus protected the chimpanzee from HBV infection. In addition, the humanized antibody bound to the preS1 of all subtypes of HBV. We first demonstrate that an anti-preS1 mAb can neutralize HBV infection in vivo. This humanized antibody will be useful for the immunoprophylaxis of HBV infection

  7. Human induced prehistoric and historical soil erosion and landscape development in Southwestern USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dotterweich, Markus; Ivester, Andrew H.; Hanson, Paul R.; Daniel, Larsen; Dye, David H.; Foster, Thomas H., II

    2015-04-01

    The significance of soil erosion due to pre-historic land use and possible feedback mechanisms had been hardly recognized in the Southeastern USA. Here, the agricultural practices only began in the second half of the Holocene. Sedentary hunters and gatherers started to domesticate squash and sunflowers. Associated with the expansion of maize cultivation in the Mississippian period between AD 800 and 1100, significant forest clearings took place on the river floodplains. During this time, central settlements with up to 30,000 residences existed and the surrounding ridge and furrow fields extended to up to 30 ha. It is still open to question why these groups already declined in the 14/15th centuries already before the arrival of the Europeans. However, around AD 1540 the conquistador de Soto still reports extended fields with intensive cultivation of maize in the uplands of Northern Mississippi. Despite of this intensive land use by Native Americans, current research gives no indication that these activities had any significant impact on river channel form. Also, no clear evidence exists for distinct channel change occurring in response to any sort of middle Holocene Hypsithermal, Medieval warm period, or the Little Ice Age. We will present results of a project which aims to explore erosion forms, colluvial sediments and buried soils in selected 0-order and 1st-order watersheds in the southeastern USA in order to gain, solidify, and evaluate general data on soil erosion during the Native American land use period and its respective long-term effects on the environment. This will be achieved by 1) recording the stratigraphy of colluvial and alluvial sediments and buried soils, 2) mapping the extent of erosional and colluvial forms, 3) analyzing chemical and physical soil and sediment properties, 4) establishing chronological control using various dating techniques including radiocarbon and OSL dating, and 5) quantifying soil erosion using hillslope sediments. The

  8. Homing in humans: A different look.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bovet, J

    1994-08-01

    A current model holds that the long-distance homing abilities of free-ranging mammals rest primarily on a strategy of course reversal, based on outward journey information. In this study, I measured the ability to orient toward home in humans displaced under conditions that promote the use of this strategy, namely along an outward route that was direct, and the main bearing of which could be extrapolated by reference to a pre-existant mental map and by visual backup during the outward journey. Even though the individual course estimates obtained did show a certain amount of dispersion and/or error, they were more accurate and less dispersed than in experiments by other authors, where subjects could not use this strategy, because they were displaced blindfolded and/or along circuitous routes. Copyright © 1994. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  9. Resonant neutron-induced atomic displacements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elmaghraby, Elsayed K., E-mail: e.m.k.elmaghraby@gmail.com

    2017-05-01

    Highlights: • Neutron induced atomic displacements was investigated based on scattering of energy of neutron. • Model for cascade function (multiplication of displacements with increasing energy transfer) was proposed and justified. • Parameterizations for the dpa induced in all elements were performed. • Table containing all necessary parameters to calculate the displacement density induced by neutron is given. • Contribution of non resonance displacement and resonant-neutron induced displacements are distinguished. - Abstract: A model for displacement cascade function was modified to account for the continuous variation of displacement density in the material in response to neutron exposure. The model is based on the Gaussian distribution of displacement energies of atoms in a material. Analytical treatment for moderated epithermal neutron field was given in which the displacement density was divided into two terms, discrete-resonance term and continuum term. Calculation are done for all isotopes using ENDF/B VII.1 data files and temperature dependent cross section library. Weighted elemental values were reported a fitting was performed to obtain energy-dependent formula of displacement density and reduce the number of parameters. Results relevant the present specification of the cascade function are tabulated for each element to enable calculation of displacement density at any value of displacement energy in the between 5 eV and 55 eV.

  10. The UN Security Council and prevention of displacement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanjula Weerasinghe

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Respecting the prohibitions against forced and arbitrary displacementcould significantly reduce the risk of, or prevent, displacement insituations of armed conflict, as could insisting on accountabilityfor violations of these prohibitions that amount to war crimes orcrimes against humanity. The UN Security Council has only partiallyaddressed these issues.

  11. Improved multiple displacement amplification (iMDA) and ultraclean reagents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Motley, S Timothy; Picuri, John M; Crowder, Chris D; Minich, Jeremiah J; Hofstadler, Steven A; Eshoo, Mark W

    2014-06-06

    and representation of the genome. The iMDA protocol in combination with DNA-free laboratory consumables, significantly improved the ability to sequence specimens with low levels of DNA. iMDA has broad utility in metagenomics, diagnostics, ancient DNA analysis, pre-implantation embryo screening, single-cell genomics, whole genome sequencing of unculturable organisms, and forensic applications for both human and microbial targets.

  12. Job Displacement and Crime

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bennett, Patrick; Ouazad, Amine

    theory of crime. Marital dissolution is more likely post-displacement, and we find small intra-family externalities of adult displacement on younger family members’ crime. The impact of displacement on crime is stronger in municipalities with higher capital and labor income inequalities....

  13. Historical legacies, information and contemporary water science and management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bain, Daniel J.; Arrigo, Jennifer A.S.; Green, Mark B.; Pellerin, Brian A.; Vörösmarty, Charles J.

    2011-01-01

    Hydrologic science has largely built its understanding of the hydrologic cycle using contemporary data sources (i.e., last 100 years). However, as we try to meet water demand over the next 100 years at scales from local to global, we need to expand our scope and embrace other data that address human activities and the alteration of hydrologic systems. For example, the accumulation of human impacts on water systems requires exploration of incompletely documented eras. When examining these historical periods, basic questions relevant to modern systems arise: (1) How is better information incorporated into water management strategies? (2) Does any point in the past (e.g., colonial/pre-European conditions in North America) provide a suitable restoration target? and (3) How can understanding legacies improve our ability to plan for future conditions? Beginning to answer these questions indicates the vital need to incorporate disparate data and less accepted methods to meet looming water management challenges.

  14. Combination of High Rate, Real-time GNSS and Accelerometer Observations - Preliminary Results Using a Shake Table and Historic Earthquake Events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Michael; Passmore, Paul; Zimakov, Leonid; Raczka, Jared

    2014-05-01

    One of the fundamental requirements of an Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system (and other mission critical applications) is to quickly detect and process the information from the strong motion event, i.e. event detection and location, magnitude estimation, and the peak ground motion estimation at the defined targeted site, thus allowing the civil protection authorities to provide pre-programmed emergency response actions: Slow down or stop rapid transit trains and high-speed trains; shutoff of gas pipelines and chemical facilities; stop elevators at the nearest floor; send alarms to hospitals, schools and other civil institutions. An important question associated with the EEW system is: can we measure displacements in real time with sufficient accuracy? Scientific GNSS networks are moving towards a model of real-time data acquisition, storage integrity, and real-time position and displacement calculations. This new paradigm allows the integration of real-time, high-rate GNSS displacement information with acceleration and velocity data to create very high-rate displacement records. The mating of these two instruments allows the creation of a new, very high-rate (200 Hz) displacement observable that has the full-scale displacement characteristics of GNSS and high-precision dynamic motions of seismic technologies. It is envisioned that these new observables can be used for earthquake early warning studies and other mission critical applications, such as volcano monitoring, building, bridge and dam monitoring systems. REF TEK a Division of Trimble has developed the integrated GNSS/Accelerograph system, model 160-09SG, which consists of REF TEK's fourth generation electronics, a 147-01 high-resolution ANSS Class A accelerometer, and Trimble GNSS receiver and antenna capable of real time, on board Precise Point Positioning (PPP) techniques with satellite clock and orbit corrections delivered to the receiver directly via L-band satellite communications. The test we

  15. Specific activity of 210Pb and historical changes of lead levels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jaworowski, Zbigniew

    1986-01-01

    A discussion of the published data on historical changes of lead levels in human bones and the environmental lead levels throughout the world is given. The discussion demonstrates that 1) there exists a substantial number of published data on 210 Pb content in man and in environment which support the claim that only a small fraction of the total Pb uptake in humans is contributed from vehicle emissions; 2) the current Pb levels in the majority of Europeans and in the global environment are probably dominated by the natural sources of Pb. In several European countries, the Pb level in man is now much lower than before the industrial revolution; and 3) the claim that the Pb content in man currently increased 500 times above the pre-technological level is based on a misleading interpretation of nonrepresentative data. (U.K.)

  16. Heeding the warning signs: further displacement predicted for Afghanistan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susanne Schmeidl

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available There is currently much evidence pointing to another wave of displacement likely to occur in Afghanistan. Ignoring these early warning signs and failing to act may mean paying a higher price in the future, both financially and in human terms.

  17. Biomechanical model-based displacement estimation in micro-sensor motion capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meng, X L; Sun, S Y; Wu, J K; Zhang, Z Q; 3 Building, 21 Heng Mui Keng Terrace (Singapore))" data-affiliation=" (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS), 02-02-10 I3 Building, 21 Heng Mui Keng Terrace (Singapore))" >Wong, W C

    2012-01-01

    In micro-sensor motion capture systems, the estimation of the body displacement in the global coordinate system remains a challenge due to lack of external references. This paper proposes a self-contained displacement estimation method based on a human biomechanical model to track the position of walking subjects in the global coordinate system without any additional supporting infrastructures. The proposed approach makes use of the biomechanics of the lower body segments and the assumption that during walking there is always at least one foot in contact with the ground. The ground contact joint is detected based on walking gait characteristics and used as the external references of the human body. The relative positions of the other joints are obtained from hierarchical transformations based on the biomechanical model. Anatomical constraints are proposed to apply to some specific joints of the lower body to further improve the accuracy of the algorithm. Performance of the proposed algorithm is compared with an optical motion capture system. The method is also demonstrated in outdoor and indoor long distance walking scenarios. The experimental results demonstrate clearly that the biomechanical model improves the displacement accuracy within the proposed framework. (paper)

  18. BASIC LAWS OF FORMATION OF INNOVATION HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURE AND TOWN PLANNING FACILITIES IN URBAN ENVIRONMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SMIRNOVA O. V.

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract. Formulation of the problem. Innovative buildings and structures are architectural objects, the distinguishing feature of which is the presence of certain levels of their formation - material and functional (provided certain functional purpose object and its material embodiment, art-shaped (the presence of an individual artistic image structural and process (use of new technologies and fundamentally new design; communication and of environmental (harmonious integration of the object in the environment. Absence of analogues - a prerequisite for innovative buildings. Innovative architectural and urban objects created in the development of civilization. Innovations in design and construction of architectural and urban facilities - this is the final result of the creation (design and development (implementation of a fundamentally new or modified facility satisfies human needs. Purpose. Consider the historical features of formation of innovative architectural and urban facilities in the urban environment. The main objectives - to identify the main types of innovative historical objects and identify patterns of their formation. Conclusions. The main historical innovative architectural and urban facilities were buildings and structures formed during two periods of historical development: in the pre-industrial period and during the industrial revolution.

  19. Interleukin-2 production by human leukemia cell lines of pre-B cell origin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holan, V.; Minowada, J.

    1993-01-01

    Cells of 7 tested human leukemia cell lines of pre-B cell origin (as characterized by immunophenotyping and by the expression of cytoplasmic micro chains, but not by surface immunoglobulins) produced after stimulation with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) a lymphokine activity which supported the growth of the interleukin-2 (IL-2)-dependent CTLL-2 cell line. Three pieces of evidence indicate that the secreted lymphokine was functionally and antigenically very similar, if not identical, to human IL-2: (1) The lymphokine supported the growth of murine IL-2-dependent CTLL-2 cells, which did not respond to human lymphokines other than IL-2, but it did not stimulate the growth of murine IL-3-dependent FDC-P2 cells, (2) the biological activity of the lymphokine was was inhibited by monoclonal antibody (mAb) anti-human-IL-2, and (3) the proliferation of IL-2-dependent cells in the presence of the active materials was completely inhibited by the inclusion of the anti-mouse-IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) mAb. Since leukemia cells of immature B-cell origin also synthesize IL-2R, the human pre-B cell leukemias could represent another type of hematological malignancy where the autocrine processes of IL-2 production and utilization are involved in the expansion of the disease. (author)

  20. Historizing epistemology in psychology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jovanović, Gordana

    2010-12-01

    The conflict between the psychometric methodological framework and the particularities of human experiences reported in psychotherapeutic context led Michael Schwarz to raise the question whether psychology is based on a methodological error. I take this conflict as a heuristic tool for the reconstruction of the early history of psychology, which bears witness to similar epistemological conflicts, though the dominant historiography of psychology has largely forgotten alternative conceptions and their valuable insights into complexities of psychic phenomena. In order to work against the historical amnesia in psychology I suggest to look at cultural-historical contexts which decisively shaped epistemological choices in psychology. Instead of keeping epistemology and history of psychology separate, which nurtures individualism and naturalism in psychology, I argue for historizing epistemology and for historical psychology. From such a historically reflected perspective psychology in contemporary world can be approached more critically.

  1. In situ longitudinal pre-stretch in the human femoropopliteal artery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamenskiy, Alexey; Seas, Andreas; Bowen, Grant; Deegan, Paul; Desyatova, Anastasia; Bohlim, Nick; Poulson, William; MacTaggart, Jason

    2016-03-01

    In situ longitudinal (axial) pre-stretch (LPS) plays a fundamental role in the mechanics of the femoropopliteal artery (FPA). It conserves energy during pulsation and prevents buckling of the artery during limb movement. We investigated how LPS is affected by demographics and risk factors, and how these patient characteristics associate with the structural and physiologic features of the FPA. LPS was measured in n=148 fresh human FPAs (14-80 years old). Mechanical properties were characterized with biaxial extension and histopathological characteristics were quantified with Verhoeff-Van Gieson Staining. Constitutive modeling was used to calculate physiological stresses and stretches which were then analyzed in the context of demographics, risk factors and structural characteristics. Age had the strongest negative effect (r=-0.812, p<0.01) on LPS and could alone explain 66% of LPS variability. Male gender, higher body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, dyslipidemia and tobacco use had negative effects on LPS, but only the effect of tobacco was not associated with aging. FPAs with less pre-stretch had thicker medial layers, but thinner intramural elastic fibers with less dense and more fragmented external elastic laminae. Elastin degradation was associated with decreased physiological tethering force and longitudinal stress, while circumferential stress remained constant. FPA wall pathology was negatively associated with LPS (r=-0.553, p<0.01), but the effect was due primarily to aging. LPS in the FPA may serve as an energy reserve for adaptive remodeling. Reduction of LPS due to degradation and fragmentation of intramural longitudinal elastin during aging can be accelerated in tobacco users. This work studies in situ longitudinal pre-stretch (LPS) in the human femoropopliteal artery. LPS has a fundamental role in arterial mechanics, but is rather poorly studied due to lack of direct in vivo measurement method. We have investigated LPS in

  2. Good practices of european towns and organisms. Development policies of enterprises displacement plans; Bonnes pratiques de villes et organismes europeen. Politique de developpement des plans de deplacements d'entreprises

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vallar, J P

    2003-07-01

    The enterprises displacement plans (PDE) aim to rationalize the employees displacements on the distances home-work and during the occupational displacements. This study presents the action of different structures in Europe, aiming to reduce these motorized individual displacements. For each case, the historical or/and political context in which the plan is organized, is presented. The results are then detailed in four main themes: elaboration and planning of the project, realization and measures, communication actions and information, evaluation of the initiatives and evolution perspectives. The financial aspects are also presented and the final evaluation. (A.L.B.)

  3. Silencing Deafness: Displacing Disability in the Nineteenth Century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esme Cleall

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available This article traces the way in which the language of displacement and silence were used in nineteenth-century discussions of deafness and connects this tendency to the marginalised place deaf experience occupies historically. Throughout the nineteenth century, a period which saw the consolidation of ‘the deaf and dumb’ as a social category, the word ‘forgetting’ crept into numerous discussions of deafness by both deaf and hearing commentators. Some, such as the educationalist Alexander Graeme Bell, were overt in their desire to forget deafness, demanding disability was ‘bred out’ and deaf culture condemned to the forgotten past. Others used the term ambivalently and sometimes metaphorically discussing the deaf as ‘forgotten’ by society, and ‘children of silence’. Some even pleaded that people who were deaf were not forgotten. But, though varied, the use of the imagery of forgetting and silence to evoke deafness is recurrent, and may, therefore, be seen to reveal something about how deaf experience can be approached as a displacement where deafness was spatially and imaginatively marginalised. I argue that one of the consequences of the conceptual framing of deafness through the language of forgetting was actively to silence deafness and to neutralise the idea that disability should be marginal and could be forgotten.

  4. Clonal evolution of pre-leukemic hematopoietic stem cells precedes human acute myeloid leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majeti, Ravindra

    2014-01-01

    Massively parallel DNA sequencing has uncovered recurrent mutations in many human cancers. In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), cancer genome/exome resequencing has identified numerous recurrently mutated genes with an average of 5 mutations in each case of de novo AML. In order for these multiple mutations to accumulate in a single lineage of cells, they are serially acquired in clones of self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), termed pre-leukemic HSC. Isolation and characterization of pre-leukemic HSC have shown that their mutations are enriched in genes involved in regulating DNA methylation, chromatin modifications, and the cohesin complex. On the other hand, genes involved in regulating activated signaling are generally absent. Pre-leukemic HSC have been found to persist in clinical remission and may ultimately give rise to relapsed disease through the acquisition of novel mutations. Thus, pre-leukemic HSC may constitute a key cellular reservoir that must be eradicated for long-term cures. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. How Can Cultural-Historical Theory Be Used as a Methodological Dialectic?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ridgway, Avis

    2010-01-01

    How can we better understand childhood learning in its historical development? How do institutions (including family) influence and shape what is possible in early childhood? As part of a wider study in an Australian community pre-school, this paper focuses on how cultural-historical methodology can be used to understand institutional influences…

  6. Myocardial strains from 3D displacement encoded magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kindberg, Katarina; Haraldsson, Henrik; Sigfridsson, Andreas; Engvall, Jan; Ingels, Neil B Jr; Ebbers, Tino; Karlsson, Matts

    2012-01-01

    The ability to measure and quantify myocardial motion and deformation provides a useful tool to assist in the diagnosis, prognosis and management of heart disease. The recent development of magnetic resonance imaging methods, such as harmonic phase analysis of tagging and displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE), make detailed non-invasive 3D kinematic analyses of human myocardium possible in the clinic and for research purposes. A robust analysis method is required, however. We propose to estimate strain using a polynomial function which produces local models of the displacement field obtained with DENSE. Given a specific polynomial order, the model is obtained as the least squares fit of the acquired displacement field. These local models are subsequently used to produce estimates of the full strain tensor. The proposed method is evaluated on a numerical phantom as well as in vivo on a healthy human heart. The evaluation showed that the proposed method produced accurate results and showed low sensitivity to noise in the numerical phantom. The method was also demonstrated in vivo by assessment of the full strain tensor and to resolve transmural strain variations. Strain estimation within a 3D myocardial volume based on polynomial functions yields accurate and robust results when validated on an analytical model. The polynomial field is capable of resolving the measured material positions from the in vivo data, and the obtained in vivo strains values agree with previously reported myocardial strains in normal human hearts

  7. Internal Displacement: Livelihood saving responses

    OpenAIRE

    Deborah Hines

    2001-01-01

    Deborah Hines explores how to assist the internally displaced and those prone to displacement. She considers the major causes of internal displacement, making the case for a more comprehensive set of policy and operational actions in response to situations of internal displacement. Development (2001) 44, 34–39. doi:10.1057/palgrave.development.1110289

  8. Good practices of european towns and organisms. Development policies of enterprises displacement plans; Bonnes pratiques de villes et organismes europeen. Politique de developpement des plans de deplacements d'entreprises

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vallar, J.P.

    2003-07-01

    The enterprises displacement plans (PDE) aim to rationalize the employees displacements on the distances home-work and during the occupational displacements. This study presents the action of different structures in Europe, aiming to reduce these motorized individual displacements. For each case, the historical or/and political context in which the plan is organized, is presented. The results are then detailed in four main themes: elaboration and planning of the project, realization and measures, communication actions and information, evaluation of the initiatives and evolution perspectives. The financial aspects are also presented and the final evaluation. (A.L.B.)

  9. Generalized q-sampling imaging fiber tractography reveals displacement and infiltration of fiber tracts in low-grade gliomas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Celtikci, Pinar; Fernandes-Cabral, David T.; Yeh, Fang-Cheng; Panesar, Sandip S.; Fernandez-Miranda, Juan C. [University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Department of Neurological Surgery, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

    2018-03-15

    Low-grade gliomas (LGGs) are slow growing brain tumors that often cause displacement and/or infiltration of the surrounding white matter pathways. Differentiation between infiltration and displacement of fiber tracts remains a challenge. Currently, there is no reliable noninvasive imaging method capable of revealing such white matter alteration patterns. We employed quantitative anisotropy (QA) derived from generalized q-sampling imaging (GQI) to identify patterns of fiber tract alterations by LGGs. Sixteen patients with a neuropathological diagnosis of LGG (WHO grade II) were enrolled. Peritumoral fiber tracts underwent qualitative and quantitative evaluation. Contralateral hemisphere counterparts were used for comparison. Tracts were qualitatively classified as unaffected, displaced, infiltrated or displaced, and infiltrated at once. The average QA of whole tract (W), peritumoral tract segment (S), and their ratio (S/W) were obtained and compared to the healthy side for quantitative evaluation. Qualitative analysis revealed 9 (13.8%) unaffected, 24 (36.9%) displaced, 13 (20%) infiltrated, and 19 (29.2%) tracts with a combination of displacement and infiltration. There were no disrupted tracts. There was a significant increase in S/W ratio among displaced tracts in the pre-operative scans in comparison with the contralateral side. QA values of peritumoral tract segments (S) were significantly lower in infiltrated tracts. WHO grade II LGGs might displace, infiltrate, or cause a combination of displacement and infiltration of WM tracts. QA derived from GQI provides valuable information that helps to differentiate infiltration from displacement. Anisotropy changes correlate with qualitative alterations, which may serve as a potential biomarker of fiber tract integrity. (orig.)

  10. An experimental and numerical investigation of crossflow effects in two-phase displacements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cinar, Y.; Jessen, Kristian; Berenblyum, Roman

    2006-01-01

    In this paper, we present flow visualization experiments and numerical simulations that demonstrate the combined effects of viscous and capillary forces and gravity segregation on crossflow that occurs in two-phase displacements in layered porous media. We report results of a series of immiscible...... flooding experiments in 2D, two-layered glass bead models. Favorable mobility-ratio imbibition and unfavorable mobility-ratio drainage experiments were performed. We used pre-equilibrated immiscible phases from a ternary isooctane/isopropanol/water system, which allowed control of the interfacial tension....... The experiments also illustrate the complex interplay of capillary, gravity, and viscous forces that controls crossflow. The experimental results confirm that the transition ranges of scaling groups suggested by Zhou et al. (1994) are appropriate/valid. We report also results of simulations of the displacement...

  11. In vitro transfection of the hepatitis B virus PreS2 gene into the human hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2 induces upregulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Hua; Luan Fang; Ju Ying; Shen Hongyu; Gao Lifen; Wang Xiaoyan; Liu Suxia; Zhang Lining; Sun Wensheng; Ma Chunhong

    2007-01-01

    The preS2 domain is the minimal functional unit of transcription activators that is encoded by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface (S) gene. It is present in more than one-third of the HBV-integrates in HBV induced hepatocarcinoma (HCC). To further understand the functional role of PreS2 in hepatocytes, a PreS2 expression plasmid, pcS2, was constructed and stably transfected into HepG2 cells. We conducted growth curve and colony-forming assays to study the impact of PreS2 expression on cell proliferation. Cells transfected with PreS2 proliferated more rapidly and formed colonies in soft agar. PreS2 expressing cells also induced upregulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and telomerase activation by RT-PCR and the modified TRAP assay. Blocking expression of hTERT with antisense oligonuleotide reversed the growth rate in cells stably transfected with PreS2. Our data suggest that PreS2 may increase the malignant transformation of human HCC cell line HepG2 by upregulating hTERT and inducing telomerase activation

  12. In vitro transfection of the hepatitis B virus PreS2 gene into the human hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2 induces upregulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hua, Liu [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Fang, Luan [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Ying, Ju [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Hongyu, Shen [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Lifen, Gao [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Xiaoyan, Wang [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Suxia, Liu [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Lining, Zhang [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Wensheng, Sun [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Chunhong, Ma [Institute of Immunology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan 250012 (China); Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology, Ministry of Education (China)]. E-mail: machunhong@sdu.edu.cn

    2007-04-06

    The preS2 domain is the minimal functional unit of transcription activators that is encoded by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface (S) gene. It is present in more than one-third of the HBV-integrates in HBV induced hepatocarcinoma (HCC). To further understand the functional role of PreS2 in hepatocytes, a PreS2 expression plasmid, pcS2, was constructed and stably transfected into HepG2 cells. We conducted growth curve and colony-forming assays to study the impact of PreS2 expression on cell proliferation. Cells transfected with PreS2 proliferated more rapidly and formed colonies in soft agar. PreS2 expressing cells also induced upregulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and telomerase activation by RT-PCR and the modified TRAP assay. Blocking expression of hTERT with antisense oligonuleotide reversed the growth rate in cells stably transfected with PreS2. Our data suggest that PreS2 may increase the malignant transformation of human HCC cell line HepG2 by upregulating hTERT and inducing telomerase activation.

  13. Effect of various pre-crash braking strategies on simulated human kinematic response with varying levels of driver attention

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rooij, L. van

    2011-01-01

    In this study, human kinematic response resulting from various pre-crash braking scenarios is quantified. The underlying question is what kind of effect do pre-crash braking systems have on the driver or the front seat passenger.

  14. Temporary organ displacement coupled with image-guided, intensity-modulated radiotherapy for paraspinal tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katsoulakis, Evangelia; Thornton, Raymond H; Yamada, Yoshiya; Solomon, Stephen B; Maybody, Majid; Housman, Douglas; Niyazov, Greg; Riaz, Nadeem; Lovelock, Michael; Spratt, Daniel E; Erinjeri, Joseph P

    2013-01-01

    To investigate the feasibility and dosimetric improvements of a novel technique to temporarily displace critical structures in the pelvis and abdomen from tumor during high-dose radiotherapy. Between 2010 and 2012, 11 patients received high-dose image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy with temporary organ displacement (TOD) at our institution. In all cases, imaging revealed tumor abutting critical structures. An all-purpose drainage catheter was introduced between the gross tumor volume (GTV) and critical organs at risk (OAR) and infused with normal saline (NS) containing 5-10% iohexol. Radiation planning was performed with the displaced OARs and positional reproducibility was confirmed with cone-beam CT (CBCT). Patients were treated within 36 hours of catheter placement. Radiation plans were re-optimized using pre-TOD OARs to the same prescription and dosimetrically compared with post-TOD plans. A two-tailed permutation test was performed on each dosimetric measure. The bowel/rectum was displaced in six patients and kidney in four patients. One patient was excluded due to poor visualization of the OAR; thus 10 patients were analyzed. A mean of 229 ml (range, 80–1000) of NS 5-10% iohexol infusion resulted in OAR mean displacement of 17.5 mm (range, 7–32). The median dose prescribed was 2400 cGy in one fraction (range, 2100–3000 in 3 fractions). The mean GTV D min and PTV D min pre- and post-bowel TOD IG-IMRT dosimetry significantly increased from 1473 cGy to 2086 cGy (p=0.015) and 714 cGy to 1214 cGy (p=0.021), respectively. TOD increased mean PTV D95 by 27.14% of prescription (p=0.014) while the PTV D05 decreased by 9.2% (p=0.011). TOD of the bowel resulted in a 39% decrease in mean bowel D max (p=0.008) confirmed by CBCT. TOD of the kidney significantly decreased mean kidney dose and D max by 25% (0.022). TOD was well tolerated, reproducible, and facilitated dose escalation to previously radioresistant tumors abutting critical structures while

  15. Games to familiarize children of 7-9 years old with the displacements of Badminton

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayran Arencibia Moreno

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available In order that Badminton’s athlete manages to join the technical elements displacements are indispensable, that´s why this research shows the experience carried out to a group of 7-9 year-old children to familiarize them with the displacements in the sport Badminton, considering the difficulties they presented to dominate them. The purpose of the work focuses in proposing games that contribute to improve the assimilation of the displacements technique in Badminton teaching – learning process in these ages. To get the purpose theoretical and empiric methods were used, among the empirical ones the observation and the interview were used. In the content of the work some theoretical referents on the games and their use in the teaching of these sport basic technical skills are assumed, also it is given the physiologic and psychological characteristics of the group studied, as well as a group of 10 pre-sport games for the teaching of the displacements. The application of these games in the practice, starting from their structure, understanding and easy performance has allowed a better assimilation of the technical contents taught to the group studied.

  16. Population‐based survey methods to quantify associations between human rights violations and health outcomes among internally displaced persons in eastern Burma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullany, Luke C; Richards, Adam K; Lee, Catherine I; Suwanvanichkij, Voravit; Maung, Cynthia; Mahn; Beyrer, Chris; Lee, Thomas J

    2007-01-01

    Background Case reports of human rights violations have focused on individuals' experiences. Population‐based quantification of associations between rights indicators and health outcomes is rare and has not been documented in eastern Burma. Objective We describe the association between mortality and morbidity and the household‐level experience of human rights violations among internally displaced persons in eastern Burma. Methods Mobile health workers in conflict zones of eastern Burma conducted 1834 retrospective household surveys in 2004. Workers recorded data on vital events, mid‐upper arm circumference of young children, malaria parasitaemia status of respondents and household experience of various human rights violations during the previous 12 months. Results Under‐5 mortality was 218 (95% confidence interval 135 to 301) per 1000 live births. Almost one‐third of households reported forced labour (32.6%). Forced displacement (8.9% of households) was associated with increased child mortality (odds ratio = 2.80), child malnutrition (odds ratio = 3.22) and landmine injury (odds ratio = 3.89). Theft or destruction of the food supply (reported by 25.2% of households) was associated with increased crude mortality (odds ratio = 1.58), malaria parasitaemia (odds ratio = 1.82), child malnutrition (odds ratio = 1.94) and landmine injury (odds ratio = 4.55). Multiple rights violations (14.4% of households) increased the risk of child (incidence rate ratio = 2.18) and crude (incidence rate ratio = 1.75) mortality and the odds of landmine injury (odds ratio = 19.8). Child mortality risk was increased more than fivefold (incidence rate ratio = 5.23) among families reporting three or more rights violations. Conclusions Widespread human rights violations in conflict zones in eastern Burma are associated with significantly increased morbidity and mortality. Population‐level associations can be quantified using standard

  17. If Maxwell Had Worked between Ampere and Faraday: An Historical Fable with a Pedagogical Moral.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jammer, Max; Stachel, John

    1980-01-01

    Describes a new pedagogical approach to electromagnetic theory, in which the displacement current and the Galilean relativity principle are introduced before discussion of the Faraday induction term. Rationale for the alternate order of introducing these concepts and laws is explained, relative to their historical development. (CS)

  18. Trade routes and plague transmission in pre-industrial Europe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Ricci P H; Lee, Harry F; Wu, Connor Y H

    2017-10-11

    Numerous historical works have mentioned that trade routes were to blame for the spread of plague in European history, yet this relationship has never been tested by quantitative evidence. Here, we resolve the hypothetical role of trade routes through statistical analysis on the geo-referenced major trade routes in the early modern period and the 6,656 geo-referenced plague outbreak records in AD1347-1760. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) estimation results show that major trade routes played a dominant role in spreading plague in pre-industrial Europe. Furthermore, the negative correlation between plague outbreaks and their distance from major trade ports indicates the absence of a permanent plague focus in the inland areas of Europe. Major trade routes decided the major plague outbreak hotspots, while navigable rivers determined the geographic pattern of sporadic plague cases. A case study in Germany indicates that plague penetrated further into Europe through the local trade route network. Based on our findings, we propose the mechanism of plague transmission in historical Europe, which is imperative in demonstrating how pandemics were spread in recent human history.

  19. Historical evidence for a pre-Columbian presence of Datura

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2007-12-04

    Dec 4, 2007 ... Further, the textual evidence traditionally cited in support of a pre-Columbian Old World presence of Datura species is suggested to be due to the misreading of classical Greek and Arabic sources. As a result, botanists generally accept the opinion that Datura species were transferred into the Old World in ...

  20. The Right to Inhabit. Reflection on Forced Displacement and Social Movements.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reyna Sánchez Estévez

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper exposes initial data from an investigation into the protests and social struggles against forced displacement of people from Mexico, it is given to know the places where protests are developed, the reasons which originate them and the characteristics of the participant subjects, a first analysis of the resistance objectives is also done and some elements of their repertoires of protest are offered. A reflection on the damage caused by these displacements in human beings and on the notions of risk and vulnerability is made.Keywords: Social movements, evictions, vulnerability

  1. Intensity estimation of historical earthquakes through seismic analysis of wooden house

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, I. K.; Soe, J. M.

    1999-01-01

    The intensity of historical earthquake records related with house collapses are estimated by the seismic analyses of traditional three-bay-straw-roof house. Eighteen artificial time histories for magnitudes 6-8, epicentral distances 5 km - 350 km and hard and soft soil condition were generated for the analyses. Nonlinear dynamic analyses were performed for a traditional three-bay-roof house. Damage level of the wooden house according to the input earthquake motions and the MM intensity were estimated by maximum displacement response at the top of columns. Considering the structural characteristics of the three-bay-straw-roof house, the largest historical earthquake record related to the house collapse is about MMI VIII

  2. Pre-test analysis results of a PWR steel lined pre-stressed concrete containment model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basha, S.M.; Ghosh, Barnali; Patnaik, R.; Ramanujam, S.; Singh, R.K.; Kushwaha, H.S.; Venkat Raj, V.

    2000-02-01

    Pre-stressed concrete nuclear containment serves as the ultimate barrier against the release of radioactivity to the environment. This ultimate barrier must be checked for its ultimate load carrying capacity. BARC participated in a Round Robin analysis activity which is co-sponsored by Sandia National Laboratory, USA and Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation Japan for the pre-test prediction of a 1:4 size Pre-stressed Concrete Containment Vessel. In house finite element code ULCA was used to make the test predictions of displacements and strains at the standard output locations. The present report focuses on the important landmarks of the pre-test results, in sequential terms of first crack appearance, loss of pre-stress, first through thickness crack, rebar and liner yielding and finally liner tearing at the ultimate load. Global and local failure modes of the containment have been obtained from the analysis. Finally sensitivity of the numerical results with respect to different types of liners and different constitutive models in terms of bond strength between concrete and steel and tension-stiffening parameters are examined. The report highlights the important features which could be observed during the test and guidelines are given for improving the prediction in the post test computation after the test data is available. (author)

  3. The Historical Background to the Pseudo-Senecan Octavia

    OpenAIRE

    Alenka Cedilnik

    2011-01-01

    The paper presents the historical background of the Pseudo-Senecan play Octavia. The work of an unknown author, it depicts the sad fate of Nero's first wife and daughter of Claudius, Octavia, who was exiled because of Nero's impending marriage to Poppaea Sabina and soon executed in exile. As to the protagonists' destinies, the basic plot largely follows the accounts of the extant historical sources, except for the length of the action, which is reduced to three days; in point of fact, the pre...

  4. Historical earthquake research in Austria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammerl, Christa

    2017-12-01

    Austria has a moderate seismicity, and on average the population feels 40 earthquakes per year or approximately three earthquakes per month. A severe earthquake with light building damage is expected roughly every 2 to 3 years in Austria. Severe damage to buildings ( I 0 > 8° EMS) occurs significantly less frequently, the average period of recurrence is about 75 years. For this reason the historical earthquake research has been of special importance in Austria. The interest in historical earthquakes in the past in the Austro-Hungarian Empire is outlined, beginning with an initiative of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the development of historical earthquake research as an independent research field after the 1978 "Zwentendorf plebiscite" on whether the nuclear power plant will start up. The applied methods are introduced briefly along with the most important studies and last but not least as an example of a recently carried out case study, one of the strongest past earthquakes in Austria, the earthquake of 17 July 1670, is presented. The research into historical earthquakes in Austria concentrates on seismic events of the pre-instrumental period. The investigations are not only of historical interest, but also contribute to the completeness and correctness of the Austrian earthquake catalogue, which is the basis for seismic hazard analysis and as such benefits the public, communities, civil engineers, architects, civil protection, and many others.

  5. Myocardial strains from 3D displacement encoded magnetic resonance imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kindberg Katarina

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The ability to measure and quantify myocardial motion and deformation provides a useful tool to assist in the diagnosis, prognosis and management of heart disease. The recent development of magnetic resonance imaging methods, such as harmonic phase analysis of tagging and displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE, make detailed non-invasive 3D kinematic analyses of human myocardium possible in the clinic and for research purposes. A robust analysis method is required, however. Methods We propose to estimate strain using a polynomial function which produces local models of the displacement field obtained with DENSE. Given a specific polynomial order, the model is obtained as the least squares fit of the acquired displacement field. These local models are subsequently used to produce estimates of the full strain tensor. Results The proposed method is evaluated on a numerical phantom as well as in vivo on a healthy human heart. The evaluation showed that the proposed method produced accurate results and showed low sensitivity to noise in the numerical phantom. The method was also demonstrated in vivo by assessment of the full strain tensor and to resolve transmural strain variations. Conclusions Strain estimation within a 3D myocardial volume based on polynomial functions yields accurate and robust results when validated on an analytical model. The polynomial field is capable of resolving the measured material positions from the in vivo data, and the obtained in vivo strains values agree with previously reported myocardial strains in normal human hearts.

  6. Risk factors for mental disorders in women survivors of human trafficking: a historical cohort study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Previous studies have found high levels of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder among women survivors of human trafficking. No previous research has described risk factors for diagnosed mental disorders in this population. Methods A historical cohort study of women survivors of trafficked women aged 18 and over who returned to Moldova and registered for assistance with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Women were approached by IOM social workers and, if they gave informed consented to participate in the study, interviewed by the research team. At 2–12 months post-return to Moldova, a psychiatrist assessed DSM-IV mental disorders blind to information about women’s pre-trafficking and post-trafficking experiences using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). A backwards stepwise selection procedure was used to create a multivariable regression model of risk factors for DSM-IV mental disorder measured at an average of 6 months post-return. Results 120/176 (68%) eligible women participated. At an average of 6 months post-return, 54% met criteria for any DSM-IV mental disorder: 35.8% of women had PTSD (alone or co-morbid), 12.5% had depression without PTSD and 5.8% had another anxiety disorder. Multivariable regression analysis found that childhood sexual abuse (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 4.68, 95% CI 1.04-20.92), increased number of post-trafficking unmet needs (AOR 1.80; 95% CI 1.28-2.52) and post-trafficking social support (AOR 0.64; 95% CI 0.52-0.79) were independent risk factors for mental disorder, and that duration of trafficking showed a borderline association with mental disorder (AOR 1.12, 95% CI 0.98-1.29). Conclusions Assessment for mental disorders should be part of re-integration follow-up care for women survivors of human trafficking. Mental disorders at that time, most commonly PTSD and depression, are likely to be influenced by a range of predisposing, precipitating and

  7. Risk factors for mental disorders in women survivors of human trafficking: a historical cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abas, Melanie; Ostrovschi, Nicolae V; Prince, Martin; Gorceag, Viorel I; Trigub, Carolina; Oram, Siân

    2013-08-03

    Previous studies have found high levels of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder among women survivors of human trafficking. No previous research has described risk factors for diagnosed mental disorders in this population. A historical cohort study of women survivors of trafficked women aged 18 and over who returned to Moldova and registered for assistance with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Women were approached by IOM social workers and, if they gave informed consented to participate in the study, interviewed by the research team. At 2-12 months post-return to Moldova, a psychiatrist assessed DSM-IV mental disorders blind to information about women's pre-trafficking and post-trafficking experiences using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). A backwards stepwise selection procedure was used to create a multivariable regression model of risk factors for DSM-IV mental disorder measured at an average of 6 months post-return. 120/176 (68%) eligible women participated. At an average of 6 months post-return, 54% met criteria for any DSM-IV mental disorder: 35.8% of women had PTSD (alone or co-morbid), 12.5% had depression without PTSD and 5.8% had another anxiety disorder. Multivariable regression analysis found that childhood sexual abuse (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 4.68, 95% CI 1.04-20.92), increased number of post-trafficking unmet needs (AOR 1.80; 95% CI 1.28-2.52) and post-trafficking social support (AOR 0.64; 95% CI 0.52-0.79) were independent risk factors for mental disorder, and that duration of trafficking showed a borderline association with mental disorder (AOR 1.12, 95% CI 0.98-1.29). Assessment for mental disorders should be part of re-integration follow-up care for women survivors of human trafficking. Mental disorders at that time, most commonly PTSD and depression, are likely to be influenced by a range of predisposing, precipitating and maintaining factors. Care plans for survivors of

  8. Environmental Displacements: The Case of Small Island States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marina R. Martins Mattar

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available The human displacement caused by adverse weather conditions is, and has been for a long time, a natural strategy to adapt to environmental changes. However, the frequency of natural disasters and the negative impact of climate change have increased significantly affecting a growing number of people. Internal and external tensions caused by large-scale displacements, conflicts generated by resource scarcity, increased spread of diseases and geopolitical reordering are among the consequences linked to this phenomenon. The case of the small island nations that will be submerged by the sea level rise is an extreme example that raises fascinating questions. This article aims at analyzing the links of climate change on the dynamics of migration and exploring legal and political implications and possible solutions, in particular, for the populations from small island nations.

  9. Premier Hospital Historical Data

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — To provide a historical overview of the participating hospitals, before the first project report, Premier Healthcare Informatics has used data already available for...

  10. Target motion predictions for pre-operative planning during needle-based interventions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    op den Buijs, J.; Abayazid, Momen; de Korte, Chris L.; Misra, Sarthak

    During biopsies, breast tissue is subjected to displacement upon needle indentation, puncture, and penetration. Thus, accurate needle placement requires pre-operative predictions of the target motions. In this paper, we used ultrasound elastography measurements to non-invasively predict elastic

  11. Arctic development and historical analysis: the use of historical methodology in addressing current issues in the Arctic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Douglas, Vasiliki Kravariotis

    2008-06-01

    To demonstrate the applicability of historical methodology to current issues in the Canadian Arctic. This is a literature-based analytical historical study, which draws on material from database searches of MEDLINE, Anthropology Plus, POLARInfo, the Arctic Blue Books and Historical Abstracts. Material was also obtained from physical searches of the University of Alberta Libraries and Library and Archives Canada collections, as well as from field research in the records of the Inuulitsivik Maternities. The historical technique of tracing epistemological change over time, pioneered by Michel Foucault and further developed by Ian Hacking, was applied to the history of Canadian authority in the Arctic. This was linked with epistemological changes occurring throughout Western/Southern culture in this period. The applicability of this historical analysis for current issues in the region was then evaluated. An epistemological shift in Western society has moved authority from traditional human actors in government, medicine and, increasingly, science to statistics, which is seen as both impartial and accurate. Human authorities now routinely appeal to statistical authority to validate policy decisions. This change is as apparent in the Arctic as elsewhere, but it has also opened a space for Inuit practices, rooted in traditional Inuit epistemology, to reassert themselves, provided they can satisfy demands for statistical validity. Historical analysis provides a means to identify the spaces which epistemological change and historical contingency have opened in which social and cultural change can occur.

  12. Earthquake recovery of historic buildings: exploring cost and time needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Nammari, Fatima M; Lindell, Michael K

    2009-07-01

    Disaster recovery of historic buildings has rarely been investigated even though the available literature indicates that they face special challenges. This study examines buildings' recovery time and cost to determine whether their functions (that is, their use) and their status (historic or non-historic) affect these outcomes. The study uses data from the city of San Francisco after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake to examine the recovery of historic buildings owned by public agencies and non-governmental organisations. The results show that recovery cost is affected by damage level, construction type and historic status, whereas recovery time is affected by the same variables and also by building function. The study points to the importance of pre-incident recovery planning, especially for building functions that have shown delayed recovery. Also, the study calls attention to the importance of further investigations into the challenges facing historic building recovery.

  13. Predictors for Long-Term Hip Survivorship Following Acetabular Fracture Surgery: Importance of Gap Compared with Step Displacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verbeek, Diederik O; van der List, Jelle P; Tissue, Camden M; Helfet, David L

    2018-06-06

    Historically, the greatest residual (gap or step) displacement is used to predict clinical outcome following acetabular fracture surgery. Gap and step displacement may, however, impact the outcome to different degrees. We assessed the individual relationship between gap or step displacement and hip survivorship and determined their independent association with conversion to total hip arthroplasty. Patients who had acetabular fracture fixation (from 1992 through 2014), follow-up of ≥2 years (or early conversion to total hip arthroplasty), and postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans were included. Of 227 patients, 55 (24.2%) had conversion to total hip arthroplasty at a mean follow-up (and standard deviation) of 8.7 ± 5.6 years. Residual gap and step displacement were measured using a standardized CT-based method, and assessors were blinded to the outcome. Kaplan-Meier survivorship curves for the hips were plotted and compared (log-rank test) using critical cutoff values for gap and step displacement. These values were identified using receiver operating characteristic curves. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify independent variables associated with conversion to total hip arthroplasty. Subgroup analysis was performed in younger patients (step displacement. Hip survivorship at 10 years was 82.0% for patients with a gap of step of step of ≥1.0 mm (p = 0.012). A gap of ≥5 mm (hazard ratio [HR], 2.3; p = 0.012) and an age of ≥50 years (HR, 4.2; p step of ≥1 mm (HR, 6.4; p = 0.017) was an independent factor for conversion to total hip arthroplasty. Residual gap and step displacement as measured on CT scans are both related to long-term hip survivorship, but step displacement (1 mm) is tolerated less than gap displacement (5 mm). Of the 2 types of displacement, only a large gap displacement (≥5 mm) was independently associated with conversion to total hip arthroplasty. In younger patients who had less articular impaction with smaller residual

  14. The role of human error in risk analysis: Application to pre- and post-maintenance procedures of process facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noroozi, Alireza; Khakzad, Nima; Khan, Faisal; MacKinnon, Scott; Abbassi, Rouzbeh

    2013-01-01

    Human factors play an important role in the safe operation of a facility. Human factors include the systematic application of information about human characteristics and behavior to increase the safety of a process system. A significant proportion of human errors occur during the maintenance phase. However, the quantification of human error probabilities in the maintenance phase has not been given the amount of attention it deserves. This paper focuses on a human factors analysis in pre-and post- pump maintenance operations. The procedures for removing process equipment from service (pre-maintenance) and returning the equipment to service (post-maintenance) are considered for possible failure scenarios. For each scenario, human error probability is calculated for each activity using the Success Likelihood Index Method (SLIM). Consequences are also assessed in this methodology. The risk assessment is conducted for each component and the overall risk is estimated by adding individual risks. The present study is aimed at highlighting the importance of considering human error in quantitative risk analyses. The developed methodology has been applied to a case study of an offshore process facility

  15. Modeling, Analysis, and Preservation Techniques for Historic Reinforced Concrete Structures in Seismic Prone Regions Case Study: Augusta Airship Hangar, Sicily

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cronin, Kelly; Whyte, Catherine; Reiner, Tom

    2008-01-01

    Throughout the world there are hundreds of historic monuments and structures considered to be invaluable and irreplaceable. They are symbols of cultural identity and a means of educating people about history. Preservation of historic monuments and structures is therefore an important part of safeguarding these cultural heritage sites so that they retain their value for future generations.This report discusses a procedure for the investigation of seismic hazards in existing buildings and possible steps that can be taken to avoid damage caused by these hazards. The Augusta Airship Hangar located in Sicily, will be used as a case study however the topics addressed in this paper can be applied to other structures of historic value around the world.First state-of-the-art scanning procedures were used to create scale digital models that were imported into a structural analysis program. Within this program dynamic analyses were performed on the model based on actual ground motions taken close to the site. This data was used to determine the period and mode shapes of the structure. Then a nonlinear analysis, including a static pushover analysis, was implemented on a two-dimensional model of the structural frame. From this analysis the failure mechanisms of the structure were revealed with relation to an allowable roof displacement. The structural integrity of the structure was evaluated based on pre-defined performance goals. Finally multiple suggestions were made how the Augusta Airship Hangar might be repaired and strengthened so that this structure will not be destroyed should an earthquake occur.The results of our study show that historic structures, despite their age, can still be strong and ductile. Also there are a multitude of effective preservation and retrofit techniques that can be used to strengthen these historic structures, should an earthquake occur. Through this study, the Augusta Airship Hangar has proven to be not only a historic symbol for Sicily but

  16. The use of a displacement device negatively affects the performance of dogs (Canis familiaris) in visible object displacement tasks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller, Corsin A; Riemer, Stefanie; Range, Friederike; Huber, Ludwig

    2014-08-01

    Visible and invisible displacement tasks have been used widely for comparative studies of animals' understanding of object permanence, with evidence accumulating that some species can solve invisible displacement tasks and, thus, reach Piagetian stage 6 of object permanence. In contrast, dogs appear to rely on associative cues, such as the location of the displacement device, during invisible displacement tasks. It remains unclear, however, whether dogs, and other species that failed in invisible displacement tasks, do so because of their inability to form a mental representation of the target object, or simply because of the involvement of a more salient but potentially misleading associative cue, the displacement device. Here we show that the use of a displacement device impairs the performance of dogs also in visible displacement tasks: their search accuracy was significantly lower when a visible displacement was performed with a displacement device, and only two of initially 42 dogs passed the sham-baiting control conditions. The negative influence of the displacement device in visible displacement tasks may be explained by strong associative cues overriding explicit information about the target object's location, reminiscent of an overshadowing effect, and/or object individuation errors as the target object is placed within the displacement device and moves along a spatiotemporally identical trajectory. Our data suggest that a comprehensive appraisal of a species' performance in object permanence tasks should include visible displacement tasks with the same displacement device used in invisible displacements, which typically has not been done in the past.

  17. Thermodynamic signatures of fragment binding: Validation of direct versus displacement ITC titrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rühmann, Eggert; Betz, Michael; Fricke, Marie; Heine, Andreas; Schäfer, Martina; Klebe, Gerhard

    2015-04-01

    Detailed characterization of the thermodynamic signature of weak binding fragments to proteins is essential to support the decision making process which fragments to take further for the hit-to-lead optimization. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is the method of choice to record thermodynamic data, however, weak binding ligands such as fragments require the development of meaningful and reliable measuring protocols as usually sigmoidal titration curves are hardly possible to record due to limited solubility. Fragments can be titrated either directly under low c-value conditions (no sigmoidal curve) or indirectly by use of a strong binding ligand displacing the pre-incubated weak fragment from the protein. The determination of Gibbs free energy is reliable and rather independent of the applied titration protocol. Even though the displacement method achieves higher accuracy, the obtained enthalpy-entropy profile depends on the properties of the used displacement ligand. The relative enthalpy differences across different displacement experiments reveal a constant signature and can serve as a thermodynamic fingerprint for fragments. Low c-value titrations are only reliable if the final concentration of the fragment in the sample cell exceeds 2-10 fold its K(D) value. Limited solubility often prevents this strategy. The present study suggests an applicable protocol to characterize the thermodynamic signature of protein-fragment binding. It shows however, that such measurements are limited by protein and fragment solubility. Deviating profiles obtained by use of different displacement ligands indicate that changes in the solvation pattern and protein dynamics most likely take influence on the resulting overall binding signature. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Characterization of ancient teeth and bones from animal and pre-historic human by nuclear methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pimjun, Surapong; Chongkum, Somporn; Asvavinijkulchai, Chanchai; Khaweerat, Sasiphan; Pramankij, Somsak; Subhavan, Vadhana

    2004-01-01

    The search for the evidence of the oldest homonid in Thailand was carried out in the upper northern part of the country consisting of Lampang, Chiang Mai, Phayao, Phrae, Nan, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son and Lampang was set up as a center. Three nuclear analytical techniques, i.e. X-ray fluorescence using X-ray tube and isotopic sources, neutron activation analysis and low-background gamma spectroscopy were employed to investigate the samples. The results of elemental composition in fossilised teeth can be used to classify the type of human and animal as it is related to the dietary behaviour. The relationship between elements in fossils and soil or rock can be used to identify the location where the fossils came from. The level of natural radioactivity in soil samples from different locations will be helpful in defining the surveyed region. All of the knowledge will support the development of nuclear analytical technique in archeological study. Besides, the research team found four pieces of fossils which assembled the right frontal region of a calvaria. It appears to be the first indication of a Homo Erectus partial cranial vault ever discovered in Thailand. This discovery is very important in human evolution study

  19. Displacement data assimilation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosenthal, W. Steven [Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354 (United States); Venkataramani, Shankar [Department of Mathematics and Program in Applied Mathematics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Mariano, Arthur J. [Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149 (United States); Restrepo, Juan M., E-mail: restrepo@math.oregonstate.edu [Department of Mathematics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331 (United States)

    2017-02-01

    We show that modifying a Bayesian data assimilation scheme by incorporating kinematically-consistent displacement corrections produces a scheme that is demonstrably better at estimating partially observed state vectors in a setting where feature information is important. While the displacement transformation is generic, here we implement it within an ensemble Kalman Filter framework and demonstrate its effectiveness in tracking stochastically perturbed vortices.

  20. Pre-Acting Control for Shock and Impact Isolation Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D.V. Balandin

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Pre-acting control in shock/impact isolation systems is studied. With pre-acting control, the isolation system begins to respond to an impact before this impact has been applied to the base. The limiting performance of the isolator with pre-acting control is investigated for a single-degree-of-freedom system subject to an instantaneous impact. The isolation performance index is defined as the maximum of the absolute value of the displacement of the object to be isolated relative to the base, provided that the magnitude of the control force transmitted to the object does not exceed a prescribed value. It is shown that there is a substantial advantage in the use of pre-acting isolators over isolators without pre-action. Particular attention is given to a pre-acting isolator based on a passive elastic element (a spring separating the object to be protected from the base. An example illustrates the calculation of the design parameters of such an isolator.

  1. How to avoid simulation sickness in virtual environments during user displacement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kemeny, A.; Colombet, F.; Denoual, T.

    2015-03-01

    Driving simulation (DS) and Virtual Reality (VR) share the same technologies for visualization and 3D vision and may use the same technics for head movement tracking. They experience also similar difficulties when rendering the displacements of the observer in virtual environments, especially when these displacements are carried out using driver commands, including steering wheels, joysticks and nomad devices. High values for transport delay, the time lag between the action and the corresponding rendering cues and/or visual-vestibular conflict, due to the discrepancies perceived by the human visual and vestibular systems when driving or displacing using a control device, induces the so-called simulation sickness. While the visual transport delay can be efficiently reduced using high frequency frame rate, the visual-vestibular conflict is inherent to VR, when not using motion platforms. In order to study the impact of displacements on simulation sickness, we have tested various driving scenarios in Renault's 5-sided ultra-high resolution CAVE. First results indicate that low speed displacements with longitudinal and lateral accelerations under a given perception thresholds are well accepted by a large number of users and relatively high values are only accepted by experienced users and induce VR induced symptoms and effects (VRISE) for novice users, with a worst case scenario corresponding to rotational displacements. These results will be used for optimization technics at Arts et Métiers ParisTech for motion sickness reduction in virtual environments for industrial, research, educational or gaming applications.

  2. Displacement cascades in diatomic materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parkin, D.M.; Coulter, C.A.

    1981-01-01

    A new function, the specified-projectile displacement function p/sub ijk/ (E), is introduced to describe displacement cascades in polyatomic materials. This function describes the specific collision events that produce displacements and hence adds new information not previously available. Calculations of p/sub ijk/ (E) for MgO, Al 2 O 3 and TaO are presented and discussed. Results show that the parameters that have the largest effect on displacement collision events are the PKA energy and the mass ratio of the atom types in the material. It is further shown that the microscopic nature of the displacement events changes over the entire recoil energy range relevant to fusion neutron spectra and that these changes are different in materials whose mass ratio is near one than in those where it is far from one

  3. Effective use of pre-job briefing as tool for the prevention of human error

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schlump, Ansgar

    2015-01-01

    There is a fundamental demand to minimise the risks for workers and facilities while executing maintenance work. To ensure that facilities are secure and reliable, any deviation from normal operation behaviour has to be avoided. Accurate planning is the basis for minimising mistakes and making work more secure. All workers involved should understand how the work should be done and what is expected to avoid human errors. Especially in nuclear power plants, the human performance tools (HPT) have proved to be an effective instrument to minimise human errors. These human performance tools consist of numerous different tools that complement each other (e.g. pre-job briefing). The safety culture of the plants is also characterised by these tools. The choice of using the right HP-Tool is often a difficult task for the work planer. On the one hand, he wants to avoid mistakes during the execution of work but on the other hand he does not want to irritate the workers with unnecessary requirements. The proposed concept uses a simple risk analysis to take into account the complexity of the task, the experience of the past and the consequences of failure in to account. One main result of this risk analysis is a recommendation of the detailing of the pre-job briefing, to reduce the risks for the involved staff to a minimum.

  4. Environmental degradation, population displacement and global security: An overview of the issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-12-01

    An initial investigation is presented on the interrelationship between environmental degradation and population displacements, in the broader context of how this linkage affects human security. Emphasis is placed on both the causes and effects of population movements, with specific examples drawn from Southeast Asia. Types of migrants, the importance of environmental degradation with respect to other contributing factors, and the effects on origin and destination regions are considered. A key issue is the multi-causality of population displacements and the importance of improving understanding of the issues in order to develop appropriate policies. It is clear from the study that the discussion of environment as a cause or contributing factor to population displacement has, to date, been speculative, and the information provided largely anecdotal. 58 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs

  5. Promoting Conceptual Development in Physics Teacher Education: Cognitive-Historical Reconstruction of Electromagnetic Induction Law

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mantyla, Terhi

    2013-01-01

    In teaching physics, the history of physics offers fruitful starting points for designing instruction. I introduce here an approach that uses historical cognitive processes to enhance the conceptual development of pre-service physics teachers' knowledge. It applies a method called cognitive-historical approach, introduced to the cognitive sciences…

  6. Synchrotron Radiation and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Applications on Elemental Distribution in Human Hair and Bones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carvalho, M.L.; Marques, A.F.; Brito, J.

    2003-01-01

    This work is an application of synchrotron microprobe X- Ray fluorescence in order to study elemental distribution along human hair samples of contemporary citizens. Furthermore, X-Ray fluorescence spectrometry is also used to analyse human bones of different historical periods: Neolithic and contemporary subjects. The elemental content in the bones allowed us to conclude about environmental contamination, dietary habits and health status influence in the corresponding citizens. All samples were collected post-mortem. Quantitative analysis was performed for Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr and Pb. Mn and Fe concentration were much higher in bones from pre-historic periods. On the contrary, Pb bone concentrations of contemporary subjects are much higher than in pre-historical ones, reaching 100 μg g-1, in some cases. Very low concentrations for Co, Ni, Br and Rb were found in all the analysed samples. Cu concentrations, allows to distinguish Chalcolithic bones from the Neolithic ones. The distribution of trace elements along human hair was studied for Pb and the obtained pattern was consistent with the theoretical model, based on the diffusion of this element from the root and along the hair. Therefore, the higher concentrations in hair for Pb of contemporary individuals were also observed in the bones of citizens of the same sampling sites. All samples were analysed directly without any chemical treatment

  7. Book Review: The Architecture of Concepts: The Historical Formation of Human Rights

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scott Nicholas Romaniuk

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available How do concepts come to be? And, in particular, how current conceptions of international human rights are built upon a particular conceptual architecture? Peter de Bolla, author of The Architecture of Concepts: The Historical Formation of Human Rights, addresses these questions in incremental steps, building on what scholars currently understand when it comes to concepts more generally. The methodology is based on the use of the Eighteenth Century Collection Online (ECCO digital archives predominantly, with the aim of constructing data-dependent descriptions of conceptual architectures. The author, thus, looks at conceptual networks and the extensive relationships found within them so as to direct researchers in conducting future plotting of connectivities within networks. The opening chapter looks at concepts as a way of thinking. Concepts are treated as a metaphorical “subway or tube maps project into multiple dimensions.” The author then focuses on the eighteenth century and its printed materials. The use of large data allows the author to extrapolate matters of language spanning large communities. The following chapters combine the issue of creating conceptual dispositions with poignant debates about rights that pervaded the First Continental Congress during the 1770s, while repositioning the items of inquiry, mentioned previously, by challenging the assumption of the origin(s of human rights.

  8. A psycho-educational HIV/STI prevention intervention for internally displaced women in Leogane, Haiti: results from a non-randomized cohort pilot study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmen H Logie

    Full Text Available Little evidence exists regarding efficacious HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI prevention interventions with internally displaced populations. Internally displaced women are at elevated risk for HIV/STI due to limited access to health services, heightened poverty and social network breakdown. The FASY (Famn an Aksyon Pou Sante' Yo (Women Taking Action For Their Health study examined the effectiveness of a peer health worker (PHW delivered psycho-educational HIV/STI pilot study with internally displaced women in Leogane, Haiti.This was a non-randomized cohort pilot study. Participants completed a computer-assisted pre-test programmed on Android tablet PCs followed by an HIV/STI educational video-based session and a 6-week psycho-educational group program of weekly meetings. Participants completed a post-test upon completion of group sessions. The primary outcome was HIV knowledge; our pre-specified index of clinically significant change was an effect size of 0.30. Secondary outcomes included: STI knowledge, condom use, social support, resilient coping, depression and relationship control. We used mixed-effects regression to calculate mean outcome pre-post score change. This study was registered (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01492829.Between January 1-April 30, 2012 we assigned 200 participants to the study. The majority of participants (n = 176, 88% completed the study and were followed up at 8 weeks, finishing April 30, 2012. Adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics, HIV knowledge (β = 4.81; 95% CI 4.36-5.26, STI knowledge (β = 0.84; 95% CI 0.70-0.99, condom use (AOR = 4.05, 95% CI 1.86-8.83, and depression (β = -0.63, 95% CI -0.88--0.39 scores showed statistically significant change post-intervention (p<0.05.This pilot study evaluated a PHW psycho-educational HIV/STI prevention intervention among internally displaced women in post-earthquake Haiti. Pilot studies are an important approach to understand feasibility and scientific

  9. Modelling toehold-mediated RNA strand displacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Šulc, Petr; Ouldridge, Thomas E; Romano, Flavio; Doye, Jonathan P K; Louis, Ard A

    2015-03-10

    We study the thermodynamics and kinetics of an RNA toehold-mediated strand displacement reaction with a recently developed coarse-grained model of RNA. Strand displacement, during which a single strand displaces a different strand previously bound to a complementary substrate strand, is an essential mechanism in active nucleic acid nanotechnology and has also been hypothesized to occur in vivo. We study the rate of displacement reactions as a function of the length of the toehold and temperature and make two experimentally testable predictions: that the displacement is faster if the toehold is placed at the 5' end of the substrate; and that the displacement slows down with increasing temperature for longer toeholds. Copyright © 2015 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Evaluating the attractiveness of a new light rail extension: Testing simple change and displacement change hypotheses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werner, Carol M; Brown, Barbara B; Tribby, Calvin P; Tharp, Doug; Flick, Kristi; Miller, Harvey J; Smith, Ken R; Jensen, Wyatt

    2016-01-01

    Many communities in the United States have been adding new light rail to bus-predominant public transit systems. However, there is disagreement as to whether opening light rail lines attracts new ridership or merely draws ridership from existing transit users. We study a new light rail line in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, which is part of a complete street redevelopment. We utilize a pre-test post-test control group quasi-experimental design to test two different measures of ridership change. The first measure is calculated from stops along the light rail route; the second assumes that nearby bus stops might be displaced by the rail and calculates ridership change with those stops included as baseline. Both the simple measure (transit use changes on the complete street light rail corridor) and the "displacement" measure (transit use changes in the one-quarter mile catchment areas around new light rail stops) showed significant ( p rail bus users. In particular, the displacement analysis discredits a common challenge that when a new light rail line opens, most passengers are simply former bus riders whose routes were canceled in favor of light rail. The study suggests that light rail services can attract additional ridership to public transit systems. In addition, although pre-post control-group designs require time and effort, this project underscores the benefits of such quasi-experimental designs in terms of the strength of the inferences that can be drawn about the impacts of new transit infrastructure and services.

  11. Prediction of lung tumour position based on spirometry and on abdominal displacement: Accuracy and reproducibility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoisak, Jeremy D.P.; Sixel, Katharina E.; Tirona, Romeo; Cheung, Patrick C.F.; Pignol, Jean-Philippe

    2006-01-01

    Background and purpose: A simulation investigating the accuracy and reproducibility of a tumour motion prediction model over clinical time frames is presented. The model is formed from surrogate and tumour motion measurements, and used to predict the future position of the tumour from surrogate measurements alone. Patients and methods: Data were acquired from five non-small cell lung cancer patients, on 3 days. Measurements of respiratory volume by spirometry and abdominal displacement by a real-time position tracking system were acquired simultaneously with X-ray fluoroscopy measurements of superior-inferior tumour displacement. A model of tumour motion was established and used to predict future tumour position, based on surrogate input data. The calculated position was compared against true tumour motion as seen on fluoroscopy. Three different imaging strategies, pre-treatment, pre-fraction and intrafractional imaging, were employed in establishing the fitting parameters of the prediction model. The impact of each imaging strategy upon accuracy and reproducibility was quantified. Results: When establishing the predictive model using pre-treatment imaging, four of five patients exhibited poor interfractional reproducibility for either surrogate in subsequent sessions. Simulating the formulation of the predictive model prior to each fraction resulted in improved interfractional reproducibility. The accuracy of the prediction model was only improved in one of five patients when intrafractional imaging was used. Conclusions: Employing a prediction model established from measurements acquired at planning resulted in localization errors. Pre-fractional imaging improved the accuracy and reproducibility of the prediction model. Intrafractional imaging was of less value, suggesting that the accuracy limit of a surrogate-based prediction model is reached with once-daily imaging

  12. Research ethics I: Responsible conduct of research (RCR)--historical and contemporary issues pertaining to human and animal experimentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horner, Jennifer; Minifie, Fred D

    2011-02-01

    In this series of articles--Research Ethics I, Research Ethics II, and Research Ethics III--the authors provide a comprehensive review of the 9 core domains for the responsible conduct of research (RCR) as articulated by the Office of Research Integrity. In Research Ethics I, they present a historical overview of the evolution of RCR in the United States then examine the evolution of human and animal experimentation from the birth of scientific medicine through World War II to the present day. They relied on authoritative documents, both historical and contemporary, insightful commentary, and empirical research in order to identify current issues and controversies of potential interest to both faculty and students. The authors have written this article from a historical perspective because they think all readers interested in RCR should appreciate how the history of science and all the good--and harm--it has produced can inform how researchers practice responsible research in the 21st century and beyond.

  13. A psycho-educational HIV/STI prevention intervention for internally displaced women in Leogane, Haiti: results from a non-randomized cohort pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Logie, Carmen H; Daniel, CarolAnn; Newman, Peter A; Weaver, James; Loutfy, Mona R

    2014-01-01

    Little evidence exists regarding efficacious HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) prevention interventions with internally displaced populations. Internally displaced women are at elevated risk for HIV/STI due to limited access to health services, heightened poverty and social network breakdown. The FASY (Famn an Aksyon Pou Sante' Yo) (Women Taking Action For Their Health) study examined the effectiveness of a peer health worker (PHW) delivered psycho-educational HIV/STI pilot study with internally displaced women in Leogane, Haiti. This was a non-randomized cohort pilot study. Participants completed a computer-assisted pre-test programmed on Android tablet PCs followed by an HIV/STI educational video-based session and a 6-week psycho-educational group program of weekly meetings. Participants completed a post-test upon completion of group sessions. The primary outcome was HIV knowledge; our pre-specified index of clinically significant change was an effect size of 0.30. Secondary outcomes included: STI knowledge, condom use, social support, resilient coping, depression and relationship control. We used mixed-effects regression to calculate mean outcome pre-post score change. This study was registered (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01492829). Between January 1-April 30, 2012 we assigned 200 participants to the study. The majority of participants (n = 176, 88%) completed the study and were followed up at 8 weeks, finishing April 30, 2012. Adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics, HIV knowledge (β = 4.81; 95% CI 4.36-5.26), STI knowledge (β = 0.84; 95% CI 0.70-0.99), condom use (AOR = 4.05, 95% CI 1.86-8.83), and depression (β = -0.63, 95% CI -0.88--0.39) scores showed statistically significant change post-intervention (pHaiti. Pilot studies are an important approach to understand feasibility and scientific impacts of HIV prevention strategies in disaster contexts. Study results may inform HIV prevention interventions among internally displaced women in

  14. Human geminin promotes pre-RC formation and DNA replication by stabilizing CDT1 in mitosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ballabeni, Andrea; Melixetian, Marina; Zamponi, Raffaella

    2004-01-01

    -mediated degradation by inhibiting its ubiquitination. In particular, Geminin ensures basal levels of CDT1 during S phase and its accumulation during mitosis. Consistently, inhibition of Geminin synthesis during M phase leads to impairment of pre-RC formation and DNA replication during the following cell cycle....... Moreover, we show that inhibition of CDK1 during mitosis, and not Geminin depletion, is sufficient for premature formation of pre-RCs, indicating that CDK activity is the major mitotic inhibitor of licensing in human cells. Taken together with recent data from our laboratory, our results demonstrate...

  15. MRI of displaced meniscal fragments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dunoski, Brian; Zbojniewicz, Andrew M.; Laor, Tal

    2012-01-01

    A torn meniscus frequently requires surgical fixation or debridement as definitive treatment. Meniscal tears with associated fragment displacement, such as bucket handle and flap tears, can be difficult to recognize and accurately describe on MRI, and displaced fragments can be challenging to identify at surgery. A displaced meniscal fragment can be obscured by synovium or be in a location not usually evaluated at arthroscopy. We present a pictorial essay of meniscal tears with displaced fragments in patients referred to a pediatric hospital in order to increase recognition and accurate interpretation by the radiologist, who in turn can help assist the surgeon in planning appropriate therapy. (orig.)

  16. MRI of displaced meniscal fragments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dunoski, Brian [University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Children' s Hospital of Michigan, Department of Radiology, Detroit, MI (United States); Zbojniewicz, Andrew M.; Laor, Tal [University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH (United States)

    2012-01-15

    A torn meniscus frequently requires surgical fixation or debridement as definitive treatment. Meniscal tears with associated fragment displacement, such as bucket handle and flap tears, can be difficult to recognize and accurately describe on MRI, and displaced fragments can be challenging to identify at surgery. A displaced meniscal fragment can be obscured by synovium or be in a location not usually evaluated at arthroscopy. We present a pictorial essay of meniscal tears with displaced fragments in patients referred to a pediatric hospital in order to increase recognition and accurate interpretation by the radiologist, who in turn can help assist the surgeon in planning appropriate therapy. (orig.)

  17. Skin displacement analysis (SDA: a tool for the quantitative evaluation of skin movements elicited by underlying muscles in the face and neck area

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Proebstle TM

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Thomas M ProebstleDepartment of Dermatology, University Clinic of Mainz, Mainz, GermanyBackground: Quantitative numerical analysis of skin displacement triggered by muscles inserting the overlaying skin would be useful for monitoring the inhibition of mimetic muscles.Methods: By using removable grid markings and digital photographs, skin displacement analysis (SDA was performed on 13 patients pre-treatment and on Days 1, 2, 3, and 7 after injection of 18 units of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A in the fronto-glabellar area.Results: At baseline, amplitudes of horizontal skin displacement with fronto-glabellar contraction showed a linear increase along the eyebrow laterally from the midline; mean values (±standard deviation [SD] 15 and 30 mm lateral to the midline were 3.2 ± 1.0 mm (range, 1.9–4.9 mm and 6.5 ± 1.4 mm (range 4.0–8.5 mm, respectively. After injection of BoNT/A, maximum horizontal skin displacement 30 mm lateral to the midline showed a mean reduction (±SD to 62% ± 23% at Day 2 and to 17% ± 16% at Day 7; corresponding values 15 mm lateral to the midline were 62% ± 29% and 15% ± 20%, respectively. In all cases, the reduction in horizontal skin displacement compared with pre-injection levels was statistically significant (P < 0.001.Conclusion: SDA is a feasible method for the quantitative evaluation of skin movements elicited by muscles inserting the overlaying skin in the face and neck area.Keywords: botulinum toxin type A, fronto-glabellar contraction, skin displacement analysis, glabellar lines

  18. 3D imaging of magnetic particles using the 7-channel magnetoencephalography device without pre-magnetization or displacement of the sample

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Polikarpov, M.A., E-mail: polikarpov_imp@mail.ru [National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow (Russian Federation); Ustinin, M.N.; Rykunov, S.D. [Institute of Mathematical Problems of Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino (Russian Federation); Yurenya, A.Y. [National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow (Russian Federation); Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow (Russian Federation); Naurzakov, S.P.; Grebenkin, A.P. [National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow (Russian Federation); Panchenko, V.Y. [National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow (Russian Federation); Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2017-04-01

    SQUID-based magnetoencephalography device was used for the measurement of a magnetic noise generated by ferrofluid in the stationary standing vial. It was found that a free surface of the ferrofluid generates spontaneous magnetic field sufficient to detect the presence of nanoparticles in the experimental setup. The spatial distribution of elementary magnetic sources was reconstructed by the frequency-pattern analysis of multichannel time series. The localization of ferrofluids was performed based on the analysis of quasirandom time series in two cases of oscillation source. One of them was infrasound from outer noise, and another one was the human heartbeat. These results are prospective for 3D imaging of magnetic particles without pre-magnetization. - Highlights: • A new method of imaging of magnetic nanoparticles in human body is proposed. • The method uses quasi-random fluctuations of the particles in geomagnetic field. • The use of heartbeats as a source of such fluctuations is demonstrated.

  19. Assessing historical fish community composition using surveys, historical collection data, and species distribution models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Labay, Ben; Cohen, Adam E; Sissel, Blake; Hendrickson, Dean A; Martin, F Douglas; Sarkar, Sahotra

    2011-01-01

    Accurate establishment of baseline conditions is critical to successful management and habitat restoration. We demonstrate the ability to robustly estimate historical fish community composition and assess the current status of the urbanized Barton Creek watershed in central Texas, U.S.A. Fish species were surveyed in 2008 and the resulting data compared to three sources of fish occurrence information: (i) historical records from a museum specimen database and literature searches; (ii) a nearly identical survey conducted 15 years earlier; and (iii) a modeled historical community constructed with species distribution models (SDMs). This holistic approach, and especially the application of SDMs, allowed us to discover that the fish community in Barton Creek was more diverse than the historical data and survey methods alone indicated. Sixteen native species with high modeled probability of occurrence within the watershed were not found in the 2008 survey, seven of these were not found in either survey or in any of the historical collection records. Our approach allowed us to more rigorously establish the true baseline for the pre-development fish fauna and then to more accurately assess trends and develop hypotheses regarding factors driving current fish community composition to better inform management decisions and future restoration efforts. Smaller, urbanized freshwater systems, like Barton Creek, typically have a relatively poor historical biodiversity inventory coupled with long histories of alteration, and thus there is a propensity for land managers and researchers to apply inaccurate baseline standards. Our methods provide a way around that limitation by using SDMs derived from larger and richer biodiversity databases of a broader geographic scope. Broadly applied, we propose that this technique has potential to overcome limitations of popular bioassessment metrics (e.g., IBI) to become a versatile and robust management tool for determining status of

  20. Can artificial parthenogenesis sidestep ethical pitfalls in human therapeutic cloning? An historical perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fangerau, H

    2005-01-01

    The aim of regenerative medicine is to reconstruct tissue that has been lost or pathologically altered. Therapeutic cloning seems to offer a method of achieving this aim; however, the ethical debate surrounding human therapeutic cloning is highly controversial. Artificial parthenogenesis—obtaining embryos from unfertilised eggs—seems to offer a way to sidestep these ethical pitfalls. Jacques Loeb (1859–1924), the founding father of artificial parthogenesis, faced negative public opinion when he published his research in 1899. His research, the public's response to his findings, and his ethical foundations serve as an historical argument both for the communication of science and compromise in biological research. PMID:16319240

  1. Measuring selection for genes that promote long life in a historical human population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moorad, Jacob A; Walling, Craig A

    2017-11-01

    The unusually long lifespans of humans and the persistence of post-reproductive lifespans in women represent evolutionary puzzles because natural selection cannot directly favour continued living in post-menopausal women or elderly men. Suggested sources of indirect selection require genetic correlations between fitness and survival or reproduction at younger ages, reproduction in the opposite sex, or late-life contributions to offspring or grandoffspring fitness. Here we apply quantitative genetic analyses to data from a historical human population to explicitly test these evolutionary genetic hypotheses. Total genetic selection increased the male post-50 lifespans by 0.138 years per generation; 94% of this arose from indirect selection acting to favour early-life fitness in both sexes. These results argue strongly against life-history models of ageing that depend on trade-offs between reproduction and late-life survival. No source of indirect selection for female post-50 lifespan was detected, deepening the mystery of why female post-reproductive survival persists. This result is probably due to recent changes in the genetic architecture of female lifespan, and it highlights the need for similar quantitative genetic analyses of human populations at other points along demographic transitions.

  2. Effects of threshold displacement energy on defect production by displacement cascades in α, β and γ-LiAlO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsuchihira, H.; Oda, T.; Tanaka, S.

    2013-01-01

    Threshold displacement energy evaluation and a series of displacement cascade simulations in α, β, and γ-LiAlO 2 were performed using molecular dynamics. Threshold displacement energy evaluations indicated that higher absolute ionic charge values and larger densities both increase threshold displacement energy. The displacement cascade simulations suggest that the influence of different crystal structures on the number of interstitial atoms generated in a displacement cascade is explainable almost entirely by the difference of the threshold displacement energy

  3. Cytogenetic adaptive response induced by pre-exposure in human lymphocytes and marrow cells of mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Lianzhen; Deng Zhicheng

    1993-01-01

    The cytogenetic adaptive response induced by pre-exposure in human lymphocytes and marrow cells of mice were studied. The results of this study showed that human lymphocytes in vitro and mouse marrow cells in vivo can become adapted to low-level irradiation from 3 H-TdR or exposure to a low dose of X-or γ-irradiation, so that they become less sensitive to the chromosomal damage effects of subsequent exposures. (4 tabs.)

  4. Spatial and volumetric changes of retroperitoneal sarcomas during pre-operative radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, Philip; Dickie, Colleen; Lee, David; Chung, Peter; O’Sullivan, Brian; Letourneau, Daniel; Xu, Wei; Swallow, Carol; Gladdy, Rebecca; Catton, Charles

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the positional and volumetric changes of retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS) during pre-operative external beam radiotherapy (PreRT). Material and methods: After excluding 2 patients who received chemotherapy prior to PreRT and 15 RPS that were larger than the field-of-view of cone-beam CT (CBCT), the positional and volumetric changes of RPS throughout PreRT were characterized in 19 patients treated with IMRT using CBCT image guidance. Analysis was performed on 118 CBCT images representing one image per week of those acquired daily during treatment. Intra-fraction breathing motions of the gross tumor volume (GTV) and kidneys were measured in 22 RPS patients simulated using 4D-CT. Fifteen other patients were excluded whose tumors were incompletely imaged on CBCT or who received pre-RT chemotherapy. Results: A GTV volumetric increase (mean: 6.6%, p = 0.035) during the first 2 weeks (CBCT1 vs. CBCT2) of treatment was followed by GTV volumetric decrease (mean: 4%, p = 0.009) by completion of radiotherapy (CBCT1 vs. CBCT6). Internal margins of 8.6, 15 and 15 mm in the lateral, anterior/posterior and superior/inferior directions would be required to account for inter-fraction displacements. The extent of GTV respiratory motion was significantly (p < 0.0001) correlated with more superiorly positioned tumors. Conclusion: Inter-fraction CBCT provides important volumetric and positional information of RPS which may improve PreRT quality and prompt re-planning. Planning target volume may be reduced using online soft-tissue matching to account for interfractional displacements of GTVs. Important breathing motion occurred in superiorly placed RPS supporting the utility of 4D-CT planning

  5. Robustness of IPSA optimized high-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy treatment plans to catheter displacements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poder, Joel; Whitaker, May

    2016-06-01

    Inverse planning simulated annealing (IPSA) optimized brachytherapy treatment plans are characterized with large isolated dwell times at the first or last dwell position of each catheter. The potential of catheter shifts relative to the target and organs at risk in these plans may lead to a more significant change in delivered dose to the volumes of interest relative to plans with more uniform dwell times. This study aims to determine if the Nucletron Oncentra dwell time deviation constraint (DTDC) parameter can be optimized to improve the robustness of high-dose-rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy plans to catheter displacements. A set of 10 clinically acceptable prostate plans were re-optimized with a DTDC parameter of 0 and 0.4. For each plan, catheter displacements of 3, 7, and 14 mm were retrospectively applied and the change in dose volume histogram (DVH) indices and conformity indices analyzed. The robustness of clinically acceptable prostate plans to catheter displacements in the caudal direction was found to be dependent on the DTDC parameter. A DTDC value of 0 improves the robustness of planning target volume (PTV) coverage to catheter displacements, whereas a DTDC value of 0.4 improves the robustness of the plans to changes in hotspots. The results indicate that if used in conjunction with a pre-treatment catheter displacement correction protocol and a tolerance of 3 mm, a DTDC value of 0.4 may produce clinically superior plans. However, the effect of the DTDC parameter in plan robustness was not observed to be as strong as initially suspected.

  6. Fundamentals of displacement production in irradiated metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doran, D.G.

    1975-09-01

    Radioinduced displacement damage in metals is described. Discussions are included on the displacement event itself, calculation of displacement rates in general, the manner in which different types of radiation interact with metals to produce displacements, the similarities and differences in the types of damage produced, the current status of computer simulations of displacement cascades, experimental evidence regarding cascades, and aspects of correlating damage produced by different types of radiation

  7. Modelling Toehold-Mediated RNA Strand Displacement

    OpenAIRE

    Šulc, Petr; Ouldridge, Thomas E.; Romano, Flavio; Doye, Jonathan P.K.; Louis, Ard A.

    2015-01-01

    We study the thermodynamics and kinetics of an RNA toehold-mediated strand displacement reaction with a recently developed coarse-grained model of RNA. Strand displacement, during which a single strand displaces a different strand previously bound to a complementary substrate strand, is an essential mechanism in active nucleic acid nanotechnology and has also been hypothesized to occur in vivo. We study the rate of displacement reactions as a function of the length of the toehold and temperat...

  8. Increased mortality exposure within the family rather than individual mortality experiences triggers faster life-history strategies in historic human populations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Störmer, Charlotte; Lummaa, Virpi

    2014-01-01

    impact of family versus individual-level effects of mortality exposure on two central life-history parameters, ages at first marriage and first birth, in three historical human populations (Germany, Finland, Canada). Mortality experience is measured as the confrontation with sibling deaths within

  9. Viral diseases and human evolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leal Élcio de Souza

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available The interaction of man with viral agents was possibly a key factor shaping human evolution, culture and civilization from its outset. Evidence of the effect of disease, since the early stages of human speciation, through pre-historical times to the present suggest that the types of viruses associated with man changed in time. As human populations progressed technologically, they grew in numbers and density. As a consequence different viruses found suitable conditions to thrive and establish long-lasting associations with man. Although not all viral agents cause disease and some may in fact be considered beneficial, the present situation of overpopulation, poverty and ecological inbalance may have devastating effets on human progress. Recently emerged diseases causing massive pandemics (eg., HIV-1 and HCV, dengue, etc. are becoming formidable challenges, which may have a direct impact on the fate of our species.

  10. Measurement of interfacial displacement of a liquid film in microchannels using laser focus displacement meter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hazuku, Tatsuya; Fukamachi, Norihiro; Takamasa, Tomoji; Hibiki, Takashi

    2004-01-01

    This paper presents a new method for measuring the interfacial displacement of a liquid film in microchannels using a laser focus displacement meter (LFD). The purpose of the study is to clarify the effectiveness of the new method for obtaining detailed information concerning interfacial displacement, especially in the case of a thin liquid film, in micro- and mini-channels. To prevent the tube wall signal from disturbing that of the gas-liquid interface, a fluorocarbon tube with water box was used; the refraction index of this device is same as that for water. With this method, accurate instantaneous measurements of interfacial displacement of the liquid film were achieved. The error caused by refraction of the laser beam passing through the acrylic water box and fluorocarbon tube was estimated analytically and experimentally. The formulated analytical equation can estimate the real interface displacement using measured displacement in a fluorocarbon tube of 25 μm to 2.0 mm I.D. A preliminary test using fluorocarbon tubes of 1 and 2 mm I.D. showed that the corrected interface displacement calculated by the equation agreed with real displacement within a 1% margin of error. It was also confirmed that the LFD in the system could measure a liquid film of 0.25 μm at the thinnest. We made simultaneous measurements of the interface in fluorocarbon tubes of 0.5 and 1 mm I.D. using the LFD and a high-speed video camera with a microscope. These showed that the LFD could measure the interface of a liquid film with high spatial and temporal resolution during annular, slug, and piston flow regimes. The data also clarified the existence of a thin liquid film less than 1 μm in thickness in slug and annular flow regions. (author)

  11. Historical ecology: past, present and future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szabó, Péter

    2015-11-01

    The term 'historical ecology' has been used with various meanings since the first half of the 20th century. Studies labelled as historical ecology have been produced in at least four academic disciplines: history, ecology, geography and anthropology. Although all those involved seem to agree that historical ecology concerns the historical interconnectedness of nature and human culture, this field of study has no unified methodology, specialized institutional background and common publication forums. Knowledge of the development of historical ecology is also limited. As a result, the current multitude of definitions of historical ecology is accompanied by divergent opinions as to where the origins of the field are to be sought. In this review, I follow the development of historical ecology from the 18th century to the present. In the first part, I briefly describe some early examples of historical ecological investigations, followed by a description of the various scientific strands in the 20th century that contributed to the formation of historical ecology. In the second part, I discuss the past five decades of historical ecological investigations in more detail, focusing mostly (but not exclusively) on works that their respective authors identified as historical ecology. I also examine the appearance and interconnectedness of the two main trends (ecological and anthropological) in historical ecological research. In the last part, I attempt to outline the future of historical ecology based on common features in existing research. It appears that at present historical ecology is at a crossroads. With rapidly growing interest in historical ecological research, it may move towards institutionalization or remain an umbrella term. © 2014 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2014 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

  12. A course for developing interprofessional skills in pre-professional honor students using humanities and media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poirier, Therese I; Stamper-Carr, Connie; Newman, Kate

    2017-09-01

    To design and implement an undergraduate honors course for pre-health professional students that develops interpersonal skills through use of a variety of humanities. A three credit hour course in an honors seminar sequence was developed by pharmacy practice faculty and with input from faculty in mass communications, philosophy, applied communication studies and history. The course utilized a variety of media such as literature, film, and podcasts to foster student discussion about a variety of health-related topics. Topics included public health, stigmatization, portrayals of health care providers, patient experiences, health care ethics, aging, and death and dying. Students were assessed using pre-class assignments and reflective writings as well as a formal written and oral presentation on a selected health-related book. A quasi-experimental design was used to assess the impact of the course on desired course outcomes. The first course offering was to 22 undergraduate pre-health professional honors students. Pre- and post-course surveys on students' perceptions and students' reflective writings revealed achievement of desired course outcomes. Post-course evaluations also revealed positive perceptions about the course. The design of this course provided an outlet for students to read and enjoy various forms of media, while also meeting its goal of exposing students to a variety of humanities. The course allowed students to think critically about various health care issues, and to begin to develop interpersonal skills. The course could be adapted for pharmacy by developing affective domains of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standards. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Refugees and displaced persons. War, hunger, and public health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toole, M J; Waldman, R J

    1993-08-04

    The number of refugees and internally displaced persons in need of protection and assistance has increased from 30 million in 1990 to more than 43 million today. War and civil strife have been largely responsible for this epidemic of mass migration that has affected almost every region of the world, including Europe. Since 1990, crude death rates (CDRs) during the early influx of refugees who crossed international borders have been somewhat lower than CDRs reported earlier among Cambodian and Ethiopian refugees. Nevertheless, CDRs among refugees arriving in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Malawi, and Zimbabwe since 1990 ranged from five to 12 times the baseline CDRs in the countries of origin. Among internally displaced populations in northern Iraq, Somalia, and Sudan, CDRs were extremely high, ranging from 12 to 25 times the baseline CDRs for the nondisplaced. Among both refugees and internally displaced persons, death rates among children less than 5 years of age were far higher than among older children and adults. In Bangladesh, the death rate in female Rohingya refugees was several times higher than in males. Preventable conditions such as diarrheal disease, measles, and acute respiratory infections, exacerbated often by malnutrition, caused most deaths. Although relief programs for refugees have improved since 1990, the situation among the internally displaced may have worsened. The international community should intervene earlier in the evolution of complex disasters involving civil war, human rights abuses, food shortages, and mass displacement. Relief programs need to be based on sound health and nutrition information and should focus on the provision of adequate shelter, food, water, sanitation, and public health programs that prevent mortality from diarrhea, measles, and other communicable diseases, especially among young children and women.

  14. Historical human footprint on modern tree species composition in the Purus-Madeira interfluve, central Amazonia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolina Levis

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Native Amazonian populations managed forest resources in numerous ways, often creating oligarchic forests dominated by useful trees. The scale and spatial distribution of forest modification beyond pre-Columbian settlements is still unknown, although recent studies propose that human impact away from rivers was minimal. We tested the hypothesis that past human management of the useful tree community decreases with distance from rivers. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In six sites, we inventoried trees and palms with DBH≥10 cm and collected soil for charcoal analysis; we also mapped archaeological evidence around the sites. To quantify forest manipulation, we measured the relative abundance, richness and basal area of useful trees and palms. We found a strong negative exponential relationship between forest manipulation and distance to large rivers. Plots located from 10 to 20 km from a main river had 20-40% useful arboreal species, plots between 20 and 40 km had 12-23%, plots more than 40 km had less than 15%. Soil charcoal abundance was high in the two sites closest to secondary rivers, suggesting past agricultural practices. The shortest distance between archaeological evidence and plots was found in sites near rivers. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results strongly suggest that past forest manipulation was not limited to the pre-Columbian settlements along major rivers, but extended over interfluvial areas considered to be primary forest today. The sustainable use of Amazonian forests will be most effective if it considers the degree of past landscape domestication, as human-modified landscapes concentrate useful plants for human sustainable use and management today.

  15. Highly sensitive chemiluminescent point mutation detection by circular strand-displacement amplification reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Chao; Ge, Yujie; Gu, Hongxi; Ma, Cuiping

    2011-08-15

    Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping is attracting extensive attentions owing to its direct connections with human diseases including cancers. Here, we have developed a highly sensitive chemiluminescence biosensor based on circular strand-displacement amplification and the separation by magnetic beads reducing the background signal for point mutation detection at room temperature. This method took advantage of both the T4 DNA ligase recognizing single-base mismatch with high selectivity and the strand-displacement reaction of polymerase to perform signal amplification. The detection limit of this method was 1.3 × 10(-16)M, which showed better sensitivity than that of most of those reported detection methods of SNP. Additionally, the magnetic beads as carrier of immobility was not only to reduce the background signal, but also may have potential apply in high through-put screening of SNP detection in human genome. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Relative brain displacement and deformation during constrained mild frontal head impact.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Y; Abney, T M; Okamoto, R J; Pless, R B; Genin, G M; Bayly, P V

    2010-12-06

    This study describes the measurement of fields of relative displacement between the brain and the skull in vivo by tagged magnetic resonance imaging and digital image analysis. Motion of the brain relative to the skull occurs during normal activity, but if the head undergoes high accelerations, the resulting large and rapid deformation of neuronal and axonal tissue can lead to long-term disability or death. Mathematical modelling and computer simulation of acceleration-induced traumatic brain injury promise to illuminate the mechanisms of axonal and neuronal pathology, but numerical studies require knowledge of boundary conditions at the brain-skull interface, material properties and experimental data for validation. The current study provides a dense set of displacement measurements in the human brain during mild frontal skull impact constrained to the sagittal plane. Although head motion is dominated by translation, these data show that the brain rotates relative to the skull. For these mild events, characterized by linear decelerations near 1.5g (g = 9.81 m s⁻²) and angular accelerations of 120-140 rad s⁻², relative brain-skull displacements of 2-3 mm are typical; regions of smaller displacements reflect the tethering effects of brain-skull connections. Strain fields exhibit significant areas with maximal principal strains of 5 per cent or greater. These displacement and strain fields illuminate the skull-brain boundary conditions, and can be used to validate simulations of brain biomechanics.

  17. [On the origin and spread of cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis, based on pre- and post- colombian historical source].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altamirano-Enciso, Alfredo J; Marzochi, Mauro C A; Moreira, João S; Schubach, Armando O; Marzochi, Keyla B F

    2003-01-01

    Drawing from four sixteenth-century sources, the article reports some apparent incidents of American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis within the territory of the Andes. Reinterpretation of these sources affords a look at the longstanding issue of the origin of espundia,or mucosal Leishmaniasis (ML). The study reinforces the hypothesis that ML originated in the western Amazon region, from there climbing into the high forests and later into hot inter-Andean lands via Bolivia's and Peru's borders with Brazil, above al through human migration. dating to archeological times, this process intensified during the Inca period under the social policies of the mitmaq or mitimaes. These events transpired within the historical and social context of the fall of the Inca Empire and the advent of Spanish colonization.

  18. A heuristic model for computational prediction of human branch point sequence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Jia; Wang, Jue; Zhang, Qing; Guo, Dianjing

    2017-10-24

    Pre-mRNA splicing is the removal of introns from precursor mRNAs (pre-mRNAs) and the concurrent ligation of the flanking exons to generate mature mRNA. This process is catalyzed by the spliceosome, where the splicing factor 1 (SF1) specifically recognizes the seven-nucleotide branch point sequence (BPS) and the U2 snRNP later displaces the SF1 and binds to the BPS. In mammals, the degeneracy of BPS motifs together with the lack of a large set of experimentally verified BPSs complicates the task of BPS prediction in silico. In this paper, we develop a simple and yet efficient heuristic model for human BPS prediction based on a novel scoring scheme, which quantifies the splicing strength of putative BPSs. The candidate BPS is restricted exclusively within a defined BPS search region to avoid the influences of other elements in the intron and therefore the prediction accuracy is improved. Moreover, using two types of relative frequencies for human BPS prediction, we demonstrate our model outperformed other current implementations on experimentally verified human introns. We propose that the binding energy contributes to the molecular recognition involved in human pre-mRNA splicing. In addition, a genome-wide human BPS prediction is carried out. The characteristics of predicted BPSs are in accordance with experimentally verified human BPSs, and branch site positions relative to the 3'ss and the 5'end of the shortened AGEZ are consistent with the results of published papers. Meanwhile, a webserver for BPS predictor is freely available at http://biocomputer.bio.cuhk.edu.hk/BPS .

  19. The Historical Significance of the Universal Declaration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eide, Asbjorn

    1998-01-01

    Explains the historical significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Focuses on the initiative for the Declaration and its elaboration, the precursors to modern human rights, the foundation of the Declaration, the rights contained in the Universal Declaration, three modes of human rights analysis, and global governance and human…

  20. Taxonomic and predicted metabolic profiles of the human gut microbiome in pre-Columbian mummies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santiago-Rodriguez, Tasha M; Fornaciari, Gino; Luciani, Stefania; Dowd, Scot E; Toranzos, Gary A; Marota, Isolina; Cano, Raul J

    2016-11-01

    Characterization of naturally mummified human gut remains could potentially provide insights into the preservation and evolution of commensal and pathogenic microorganisms, and metabolic profiles. We characterized the gut microbiome of two pre-Columbian Andean mummies dating to the 10-15th centuries using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing and metagenomics, and compared them to a previously characterized gut microbiome of an 11th century AD pre-Columbian Andean mummy. Our previous study showed that the Clostridiales represented the majority of the bacterial communities in the mummified gut remains, but that other microbial communities were also preserved during the process of natural mummification, as shown with the metagenomics analyses. The gut microbiome of the other two mummies were mainly comprised by Clostridiales or Bacillales, as demonstrated with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, many of which are facultative anaerobes, possibly consistent with the process of natural mummification requiring low oxygen levels. Metagenome analyses showed the presence of other microbial groups that were positively or negatively correlated with specific metabolic profiles. The presence of sequences similar to both Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania donovani could suggest that these pathogens were prevalent in pre-Columbian individuals. Taxonomic and functional profiling of mummified human gut remains will aid in the understanding of the microbial ecology of the process of natural mummification. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  1. Displacement functions for diatomic materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Panrkin, D.M.; Coulter, C.A.

    1979-01-01

    An extension of the methods of Lindhard et at. was used to calculate the total displacement function n/sub ij/(E) for a number of diatomic materials, where n/sub ij/(E) is defined to be the average number of atoms of type j which are displaced from their sites in a displacement cascade initiated by a PKA of type i and energy E. From the n/sub ij/(E) one can calculate the fraction n/sub ij/(E) of the displacements produced by a type i PKA with energy E which are of type j. Values of the n/sub ij/ for MgO, CaO, Al 2 O 3 , and TaO are presented. It is shown that for diatomic materials with mass ratios reasonably near one (e.g., MgO, Al 2 O 3 ) and equal displacement thresholds for the two species the n/sub ij/ become independent of the PKA type i at energies only a few times threshold. However, for larger mass ratios the n/sub ij/ do not become independent of i until much larger, energies are reached - e.g. > 10 5 eV for TaO. In addition, it is found that the n/sub ij/ depend sensitively on the displacement thresholds, with very dramatic charges occuring when the two thresholds become significantly different from one another

  2. Maillard Conjugation of Sodium Alginate to Whey Protein for Enhanced Resistance to Surfactant-Induced Competitive Displacement from Air-Water Interfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Bingqing; Saito, Anna; Ikeda, Shinya

    2018-01-24

    Whey protein adsorbed to an interface forms a viscoelastic interfacial film but is displaced competitively from the interface by a small-molecule surfactant added afterward. The present study evaluated the impact of the covalent conjugation of high- or low-molecular-weight sodium alginate (HA or LA) to whey protein isolate (WPI) via the Maillard reaction on the ability of whey protein to resist surfactant-induced competitive displacement from the air-water interface. Surfactant added after the pre-adsorption of conjugate to the interface increased surface pressure. At a given surface pressure, the WPI-LA conjugate showed a significantly higher interfacial area coverage and lower interfacial film thickness compared to those of the WPI-HA conjugate or unconjugated WPI. The addition of LA to the aqueous phase had little effect on the interfacial area and thickness of pre-adsorbed WPI. These results suggest the importance of the molecular weight of the polysaccharide moiety in determining interfacial properties of whey protein-alginate conjugates.

  3. Etiopathogenesis of abomasal displacement in cattle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Šamanc Horea

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Abomasal displacement presents topographic gastropathy, where this organ has changed its position, and there is simultaneous dilatation which can vary in intensity. The incidence of this disorder in herds of high-yield dairy cows varies to a great degree (1 to 18 %. Abomasal displacement was established in herds of East-Frisian cows in 1 to 3% animals, and in Holstein cow herds in 5 to 18 % animals. The most frequent abomasal displacement is to the left (88%. There is significant seasonal variation in the incidence of abomasal displacement. About two-thirds of cases of abomasal displacement are diagnosed from October until April. The disorder appears more frequently in cows with repeated lactations. It has been established that it appears after the first calving in 27.8% cases, after the second to fifth calving in 66.7% cases, and after the sixth and seventh calving in 5.5% of the cows. The response of endocrine pancreas B-cells for insulin secretion to hyperglycaemia caused by applying an excess-glucose test is reduced in cows with left abomasal displacement, and there is constant hyperglycaemia in cows with right abomasal displacement. The excess-glucose test indicates a disrupted function of the endocrine pancreas in diseased animals. It has been determined through examinations of Aml genotypes in Holstein cow herds in connection with the appearance of abomasal displacement, that the occurrence of this disorder cannot be attributed to a genetic predisposition.

  4. Manipulation of pre-target activity on the right frontal eye field enhances conscious visual perception in humans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorena Chanes

    Full Text Available The right Frontal Eye Field (FEF is a region of the human brain, which has been consistently involved in visuo-spatial attention and access to consciousness. Nonetheless, the extent of this cortical site's ability to influence specific aspects of visual performance remains debated. We hereby manipulated pre-target activity on the right FEF and explored its influence on the detection and categorization of low-contrast near-threshold visual stimuli. Our data show that pre-target frontal neurostimulation has the potential when used alone to induce enhancements of conscious visual detection. More interestingly, when FEF stimulation was combined with visuo-spatial cues, improvements remained present only for trials in which the cue correctly predicted the location of the subsequent target. Our data provide evidence for the causal role of the right FEF pre-target activity in the modulation of human conscious vision and reveal the dependence of such neurostimulatory effects on the state of activity set up by cue validity in the dorsal attentional orienting network.

  5. Gender-based violence in conflict and displacement: qualitative findings from displaced women in Colombia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wirtz, Andrea L; Pham, Kiemanh; Glass, Nancy; Loochkartt, Saskia; Kidane, Teemar; Cuspoca, Decssy; Rubenstein, Leonard S; Singh, Sonal; Vu, Alexander

    2014-01-01

    Gender-based violence (GBV) is prevalent among, though not specific to, conflict affected populations and related to multifarious levels of vulnerability of conflict and displacement. Colombia has been marked with decades of conflict, with an estimated 5.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and ongoing violence. We conducted qualitative research to understand the contexts of conflict, displacement and dynamics with GBV. This as part of a multi-phase, mixed method study, in collaboration with UNHCR, to develop a screening tool to confidentially identify cases of GBV for referral among IDP women who were survivors of GBV. Qualitative research was used to identify the range of GBV, perpetrators, contexts in conflict and displacement, barriers to reporting and service uptake, as well as to understand experiences of service providers. Thirty-five female IDPs, aged 18 years and older, who self-identified as survivors of GBV were enrolled for in-depth interviews in San Jose de Guaviare and Quibdo, Colombia in June 2012. Thirty-one service providers participated in six focus group discussions and four interviews across these sites. Survivors described a range of GBV across conflict and displacement settings. Armed actors in conflict settings perpetrated threats of violence and harm to family members, child recruitment, and, to a lesser degree, rape and forced abortion. Opportunistic violence, including abduction, rape, and few accounts of trafficking were more commonly reported to occur in the displacement setting, often perpetrated by unknown individuals. Intrafamilial violence, intimate partner violence, including physical and sexual violence and reproductive control were salient across settings and may be exacerbated by conflict and displacement. Barriers to reporting and services seeking were reported by survivors and providers alike. Findings highlight the need for early identification of GBV cases, with emphasis on confidential approaches and active

  6. A highly invasive human glioblastoma pre-clinical model for testing therapeutics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cao Brian

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Animal models greatly facilitate understanding of cancer and importantly, serve pre-clinically for evaluating potential anti-cancer therapies. We developed an invasive orthotopic human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM mouse model that enables real-time tumor ultrasound imaging and pre-clinical evaluation of anti-neoplastic drugs such as 17-(allylamino-17-demethoxy geldanamycin (17AAG. Clinically, GBM metastasis rarely happen, but unexpectedly most human GBM tumor cell lines intrinsically possess metastatic potential. We used an experimental lung metastasis assay (ELM to enrich for metastatic cells and three of four commonly used GBM lines were highly metastatic after repeated ELM selection (M2. These GBM-M2 lines grew more aggressively orthotopically and all showed dramatic multifold increases in IL6, IL8, MCP-1 and GM-CSF expression, cytokines and factors that are associated with GBM and poor prognosis. DBM2 cells, which were derived from the DBTRG-05MG cell line were used to test the efficacy of 17AAG for treatment of intracranial tumors. The DMB2 orthotopic xenografts form highly invasive tumors with areas of central necrosis, vascular hyperplasia and intracranial dissemination. In addition, the orthotopic tumors caused osteolysis and the skull opening correlated to the tumor size, permitting the use of real-time ultrasound imaging to evaluate antitumor drug activity. We show that 17AAG significantly inhibits DBM2 tumor growth with significant drug responses in subcutaneous, lung and orthotopic tumor locations. This model has multiple unique features for investigating the pathobiology of intracranial tumor growth and for monitoring systemic and intracranial responses to antitumor agents.

  7. Demonstration of Vibrational Braille Code Display Using Large Displacement Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems Actuators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Junpei; Ishikawa, Hiroaki; Arouette, Xavier; Matsumoto, Yasuaki; Miki, Norihisa

    2012-06-01

    In this paper, we present a vibrational Braille code display with large-displacement micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) actuator arrays. Tactile receptors are more sensitive to vibrational stimuli than to static ones. Therefore, when each cell of the Braille code vibrates at optimal frequencies, subjects can recognize the codes more efficiently. We fabricated a vibrational Braille code display that used actuators consisting of piezoelectric actuators and a hydraulic displacement amplification mechanism (HDAM) as cells. The HDAM that encapsulated incompressible liquids in microchambers with two flexible polymer membranes could amplify the displacement of the MEMS actuator. We investigated the voltage required for subjects to recognize Braille codes when each cell, i.e., the large-displacement MEMS actuator, vibrated at various frequencies. Lower voltages were required at vibration frequencies higher than 50 Hz than at vibration frequencies lower than 50 Hz, which verified that the proposed vibrational Braille code display is efficient by successfully exploiting the characteristics of human tactile receptors.

  8. A comparison of radiological and historical findings in osteosarcomas following pre-operative chemotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sommer, H.J.; Riebel, T.; Winkler, K.; Heise, U.; Delling, G.; Hamburg Univ.; Hamburg Univ.

    1985-01-01

    Since the introduction of pre-operative chemotherapy, osteosarcomas have shown a more favourable prognosis. Reaction of the tumour due to chemotherapy is judged pre-operative primarily by radiology (plain films, angiography, CT, scintigraphy). There is little evidence concerning the radiological appearances after pre-operative chemotherapy and morphological changes, particularly in respect of tumour regression. Specific radiological changes were therefore compared with pathological findings following chemotherapy and operation in 17 patients with osteosarcomas. Tumours were examined which showed radiological evidence of intra- and extra-osseous sclerosis or lysis and which still were classified as vital tumour tissue. Tumour planes were reconstructed from large histological sections of the operative specimen and compared with the radiological appearances. Sclerosis was found to be due to reactive new bone formation or to mineralisation of the osteosarcomatous tissue. Lysis correlated with persistent vital tumour, or in connective tissue. Nine out of ten cases, regarded as vital on radiological evidence, showed vital tumour cells on histological section. Lyses and scleroses were not reliable indications of the pre-operative state of the osteosarcoma following chemotherapy. On the other hand, combined qualitative radiological criteria for assesing tumour vitality, proved to be helpful. (orig.) [de

  9. Displacement sensing system and method

    Science.gov (United States)

    VunKannon, Jr., Robert S

    2006-08-08

    A displacement sensing system and method addresses demanding requirements for high precision sensing of displacement of a shaft, for use typically in a linear electro-dynamic machine, having low failure rates over multi-year unattended operation in hostile environments. Applications include outer space travel by spacecraft having high-temperature, sealed environments without opportunity for servicing over many years of operation. The displacement sensing system uses a three coil sensor configuration, including a reference and sense coils, to provide a pair of ratio-metric signals, which are inputted into a synchronous comparison circuit, which is synchronously processed for a resultant displacement determination. The pair of ratio-metric signals are similarly affected by environmental conditions so that the comparison circuit is able to subtract or nullify environmental conditions that would otherwise cause changes in accuracy to occur.

  10. Linking Glaciochemical and Historical Evidence to Study the Impact of Climate Change and Air Pollution on Human Populations in the Last Millennium

    Science.gov (United States)

    More, A.; Chaplin, J. E.

    2017-12-01

    A transdisciplinary approach to study the impact of climate change and air pollution has already yielded significant results, where the detail afforded by historical records has linked glaciochemical data with major economic, epidemiological and climatic events (e.g. More et al., Geohealth, 2017). Historical data has allowed for more accurate calibration of ice-core chronologies, reaching sub-annual accuracy. In turn, more precise chronologies and higher resolution glaciochemical data has added a new dimension to our understanding of the environment and human experience in the last millennium of the Common Era. In this paper we propose examples of the benefits of linking highly detailed and large historical datasets with ultra-high-resolution glaciochemical data obtained through laser ablation, inductively coupled mass spectrometry. We will first examine the signature left in the ice-core record by documented, catastrophic epidemiological and economic events. Epidemics reduced population size, thus affecting economic productivity and therefore atmospheric pollution, especially from labor intensive activities such as the mining of metals (copper, iron, silver, lead), or the consumption of firewood. We will then turn our attention to the impact of increased precipitation and severe climate change on human subsistence and stability. We link glaciochemical signals associated with increased precipitation and temperature decreases with multiple, large datasets of historical records of population collapse and increased civil strife in the middle of the Little Ice Age. In particular, we will focus on how in concomitance with severe climate deterioration European countries began prosecuting citizens—by the thousands—for crimes associated with poor harvests. These prosecutions were often the result of an increase in baseless accusations of supernatural influences of thousands of individuals on phenomena such as incessant rain, unseasonal temperature decreases, frosts

  11. Geomorphological insights on human-volcano interactions and use of volcanic materials in pre-Hispanic cultures of Costa Rica through the Holocene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz, Paulo; Mana, Sara; Gutiérrez, Amalia; Alarcón, Gerardo; Garro, José; Soto, Gerardo J.

    2018-02-01

    Critical Zones in tropical environments, especially near active volcanoes, are rich in resources such as water, food and construction materials. In Central America, people have lived near volcanic centers for thousands of years and learned to take advantage of these resources. Understanding how pre-Hispanic societies lived in this type of Critical Zones and interacted with volcanoes, provides us with insights on how to reduce the negative impact derived from volcanic activity in modern cities. In this multidisciplinary approach we focus on two case studies in Costa Rica near Poás and Turrialba volcanoes, which are currently active, in order to obtain a comprehensive view of human-volcano interactions through time. We use a methodology based on historical accounts, geological and archaeological fieldwork, geomorphological characterization based on remote sensing techniques and past (pre-Hispanic), and present land use analysis. The northern Poás region represents a case of a poorly developed pre-Hispanic society, which subsisted mainly on hunting and gathering activities, had no permanent settlements and was probably affected by the activity of the Hule and Río Cuarto maars. In spite of their vulnerability and lack of infrastructure, they used geomorphology to their advantage, achieving natural protection. Conversely, the Guayabo National Monument near Turrialba Volcano represents a cultural peak in pre-Hispanic societies in Costa Rica. Archaeological remains and structures at this site indicate that this society had a good understanding of physical and geological processes and was therefore able to take advantage of natural resources for water and food supply, construction, and protection as well as hazard prevention and mitigation. The use of new technologies, some accessible and low-cost such as Google Earth and others with restricted access and higher costs such as LiDAR, allowed us to complete a rapid and efficient characterization of land use and

  12. A displacement-based approach for determining non-linear effects on pre-tensioned-cable cross-braced structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giaccu, Gian Felice; Caracoglia, Luca

    2017-04-01

    Pre-tensioned-cable bracing systems are widely employed in structural engineering to limit lateral deflections and stabilize structures. A suitable configuration of the pre-tensioned-cable bracing systems in a structure is an important issue since the internal force distribution, emerging from the interaction with the existing structure, significantly affects the structural dynamic behavior. The design, however, is often based on the intuition and the previous experience of the engineer. In recent years, the authors have been investigating the non-linear dynamic response of cable systems, installed on cable-stayed bridges, and in particular the so-called "cable-cross-tie systems" forming a cable network. The bracing cables (cross-ties) can exhibit slackening or snapping. Therefore, a non-linear unilateral model, combined with the taut-cable theory, is required to simulate the incipient slackening conditions in the stays. Capitalizing from this work on non-linear cable dynamics, this paper proposes a new approach to analyze, in laterally- braced truss structures, the unilateral effects and dynamic response accounting for the loss in the pre-tensioning force imparted to the bracing cables. This effect leads to non-linear vibration of the structure. In this preliminary study, the free vibrations of the structure are investigated by using the "Equivalent Linearization Method". A performance coefficient, a real positive number between 0.5 and 1.0, is defined and employed to monitor the relative reduction in the apparent stiffness of the braces during structural vibration, "mode by mode". It is shown that the system can exhibit alternate unilateral behavior of the cross-braces. A reduction of the performance coefficient close to fifty percent is observed in the braces when the initial pre-tensioning force is small. On the other hand the performance coefficient tends to one in the case of a high level of pre-stress. It is concluded that the performance coefficient may

  13. Conflict and Cooperation in the Global Arena: A Historical ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This article reviews the periods of crises and rapprochement in Nigeria's relations with France. The historical landmarks in their diplomatic ties are suggestive of the iron laws that govern international relations. These laws favour the strong and sanction the weak. France's pre-eminent status in the international arena during ...

  14. Effects of Fault Displacement on Emplacement Drifts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duan, F.

    2000-01-01

    The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate potential effects of fault displacement on emplacement drifts, including drip shields and waste packages emplaced in emplacement drifts. The output from this analysis not only provides data for the evaluation of long-term drift stability but also supports the Engineered Barrier System (EBS) process model report (PMR) and Disruptive Events Report currently under development. The primary scope of this analysis includes (1) examining fault displacement effects in terms of induced stresses and displacements in the rock mass surrounding an emplacement drift and (2 ) predicting fault displacement effects on the drip shield and waste package. The magnitude of the fault displacement analyzed in this analysis bounds the mean fault displacement corresponding to an annual frequency of exceedance of 10 -5 adopted for the preclosure period of the repository and also supports the postclosure performance assessment. This analysis is performed following the development plan prepared for analyzing effects of fault displacement on emplacement drifts (CRWMS M and O 2000). The analysis will begin with the identification and preparation of requirements, criteria, and inputs. A literature survey on accommodating fault displacements encountered in underground structures such as buried oil and gas pipelines will be conducted. For a given fault displacement, the least favorable scenario in term of the spatial relation of a fault to an emplacement drift is chosen, and the analysis is then performed analytically. Based on the analysis results, conclusions are made regarding the effects and consequences of fault displacement on emplacement drifts. Specifically, the analysis will discuss loads which can be induced by fault displacement on emplacement drifts, drip shield and/or waste packages during the time period of postclosure

  15. Is human placenta proteoglycan remodeling involved in pre-eclampsia?

    OpenAIRE

    Warda, Mohamad; Zhang, Fuming; Radwan, Moustafa; Zhang, Zhenqing; Kim, Nari; Kim, Young Nam; Linhardt, Robert J.; Han, Jin

    2007-01-01

    Impaired placento-fetal communication is a coherent symptom of exaggerated pre-eclampsia. The impact of the cellular expression of different glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in this event on the placenta in pre-eclampsia is still obscure. This is the first study aimed at discovering the relationship between structural alterations of different sulfated GAGs at the molecular level and the development of pre-eclampsia in inflicted placenta. Sulfated GAGs were isolated and purified from control and pre-...

  16. High-displacement spiral piezoelectric actuators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammadi, F.; Kholkin, A. L.; Jadidian, B.; Safari, A.

    1999-10-01

    A high-displacement piezoelectric actuator, employing spiral geometry of a curved piezoelectric strip is described. The monolithic actuators are fabricated using a layered manufacturing technique, fused deposition of ceramics, which is capable of prototyping electroceramic components with complex shapes. The spiral actuators (2-3 cm in diameter) consisted of 4-5 turns of a lead zirconate titanate ceramic strip with an effective length up to 28 cm. The width was varied from 0.9 to 1.75 mm with a height of 3 mm. When driven by the electric field applied across the width of the spiral wall, the tip of the actuator was found to displace in both radial and tangential directions. The tangential displacement of the tip was about 210 μm under the field of 5 kV/cm. Both the displacement and resonant frequency of the spirals could be tailored by changing the effective length and wall width. The blocking force of the actuator in tangential direction was about 1 N under the field of 5 kV/cm. These properties are advantageous for high-displacement low-force applications where bimorph or monomorph actuators are currently employed.

  17. Data Mining of Historical Human Data to Assess the Risk of Injury due to Dynamic Loads

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wells, Jesica; Somers, Jeffrey T.; Newby, N.; Gernhardt, Michael

    2014-01-01

    deflection was determined from motion capture video of the impact test. HIC- 15 and BRIC were calculated from head acceleration responses. Given the number of human subjects for each test condition a confidence interval of injury probability will be obtained. RESULTS: Results will be discussed in terms of injury-risk probability estimates based on the human data set evaluated. Also, gaps in the data set will be identified. These gaps could be one of two types. One is areas where additional THOR testing would increase the comparable human data set, thereby improving confidence in the injury probability rate. The other is where additional human testing would assist in obtaining information on other acceleration levels or directions. DISCUSSION: The historical human data showed validity of the THOR ATD for supplemental testing. The historical human data are limited in scope, however. Further data are needed to characterize the effects of sex, age, anthropometry, and deconditioning due to spaceflight on risk of injury

  18. Reimagining the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Environment: Exposing Race Secrets and the Binding Chains of Respectability and Othermothering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Njoku, Nadrea; Butler, Malika; Beatty, Cameron C.

    2017-01-01

    This article investigates how the intersections of gender, race, policy, and student differences at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) can impact student experience. Such an environment can displace and penalize those who do not adhere to the uniformity of heteronormative gender roles or respectability politics. Using…

  19. Learning attention for historical text normalization by learning to pronounce

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bollmann, Marcel; Bingel, Joachim; Søgaard, Anders

    2017-01-01

    Automated processing of historical texts often relies on pre-normalization to modern word forms. Training encoder-decoder architectures to solve such problems typically requires a lot of training data, which is not available for the named task. We address this problem by using several novel encoder...

  20. Brodmann area 12: an historical puzzle relevant to FTLD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawamura, M; Miller, M W; Ichikawa, H; Ishihara, K; Sugimoto, A

    2011-05-03

    Brodmann brain maps, assembled in 1909, are still in use, but understanding of their animal-human homology is uncertain. Furthermore, in 1909, Brodmann did not identify human area 12 (BA12), a location now important to understanding of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). We re-examined Brodmann's areas, both animal and human, in his 1909 monograph and other literature, both historical and contemporary, and projected BA12 onto the medial surface of a fixed human brain to show its location. We found Brodmann did identify human BA12 in later maps (1910 and 1914), but that his brain areas, contrary to his own aims as a comparative anatomist, are now used as physiologic loci in human brain. Because of its current link with frontotemporal dementia, BA12's transition from animal (1909) to human (1910 and 1914) is not only an historical puzzle. It impacts how Brodmann's areas, based on comparative animal-human cytoarchitecture, are widely used in current research as functional loci in human brain.

  1. Fulltext PDF

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    M. Senthilkumar (Newgen Imaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

    Behaviour of masonry structures during the Bhuj earthquake of January 2001. 431. Jade Sridevi. Pre-seismic, co-seismic and post-seismic displace- ments associated with the Bhuj 2001 earthquake derived from recent and historic geodetic data 331. Jain Sanjay see Kumar Ashwani. 391. James V V see Madhusoodanan P.

  2. Herbarium specimens reveal a historical shift in phylogeographic structure of common ragweed during native range disturbance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Michael D; Zimmer, Elizabeth A; Olsen, Morten T; Foote, Andrew D; Gilbert, M Thomas P; Brush, Grace S

    2014-04-01

    Invasive plants provide ample opportunity to study evolutionary shifts that occur after introduction to novel environments. However, although genetic characters pre-dating introduction can be important determinants of later success, large-scale investigations of historical genetic structure have not been feasible. Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) is an invasive weed native to North America that is known for its allergenic pollen. Palynological records from sediment cores indicate that this species was uncommon before European colonization of North America, and ragweed populations expanded rapidly as settlers deforested the landscape on a massive scale, later becoming an aggressive invasive with populations established globally. Towards a direct comparison of genetic structure now and during intense anthropogenic disturbance of the late 19th century, we sampled 45 natural populations of common ragweed across its native range as well as historical herbarium specimens collected up to 140 years ago. Bayesian clustering analyses of 453 modern and 473 historical samples genotyped at three chloroplast spacer regions and six nuclear microsatellite loci reveal that historical ragweed's spatial genetic structure mirrors both the palaeo-record of Ambrosia pollen deposition and the historical pattern of agricultural density across the landscape. Furthermore, for unknown reasons, this spatial genetic pattern has changed substantially in the intervening years. Following on previous work relating morphology and genetic expression between plants collected from eastern North America and Western Europe, we speculate that the cluster associated with humans' rapid transformation of the landscape is a likely source of these aggressive invasive populations. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Axiological Significance of Historical Pedagogic Expertise of Foreign Language Teaching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. V. Bulygina

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with one of the most urgent problems of language teaching in Russia – the need for raising the quality of foreign language and culture teaching in compulsory secondary school. By analyzing the current normative documents and perspectives of further development, the basic values of language teaching were highlighted, correlated with the teaching experience and achievements of the pre- revolutionary era. For the first time, the issue was discussed at the regional level of one of the remote Russian territories–to the south of the Urals. The basic research methods include the historical, logical and comparative analysis of language teaching in the pre-revolutionary era reflected in some previously unknown archives documents. The updating of the historic pedagogical experience emphasized in the paper could, on the one hand, preserve the national language teaching traditions, and on the other hand, give way to innovative regional projects facilitating the language teaching, multilingualism and multicultural trends in society. 

  4. Peroneal tendon displacement accompanying intra-articular calcaneal fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toussaint, Rull James; Lin, Darius; Ehrlichman, Lauren K; Ellington, J Kent; Strasser, Nicholas; Kwon, John Y

    2014-02-19

    Peroneal tendon displacement (subluxation or dislocation) accompanying an intra-articular calcaneal fracture is often undetected and under-treated. The goals of this study were to determine (1) the prevalence of peroneal tendon displacement accompanying intra-articular calcaneal fractures, (2) the association of tendon displacement with fracture classifications, (3) the association of tendon displacement with heel width, and (4) the rate of missed diagnosis of the tendon displacement on radiographs and computed tomography (CT) scans and the resulting treatment rate. A retrospective radiographic review of all calcaneal fractures presenting at three institutions from June 30, 2006, to June 30, 2011, was performed. CT imaging of 421 intra-articular calcaneal fractures involving the posterior facet was available for review. The prevalence of peroneal tendon displacement was noted and its associations with fracture classification and heel width were evaluated. Peroneal tendon displacement was identified in 118 (28.0%) of the 421 calcaneal fracture cases. The presence of tendon displacement was significantly associated with joint-depression fractures compared with tongue-type fractures (p displacement had been identified in the radiology reports. Although sixty-five (55.1%) of the fractures with tendon displacement had been treated with internal fixation, the tendon displacement was treated surgically in only seven (10.8%) of these cases. Analysis of CT images showed a 28% prevalence of peroneal tendon displacement accompanying intra-articular calcaneal fractures. Surgeons and radiologists are encouraged to consider this association.

  5. Pre-Columbian mycobacterial genomes reveal seals as a source of New World human tuberculosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bos, Kirsten I.; Harkins, Kelly M.; Herbig, Alexander; Coscolla, Mireia; Weber, Nico; Comas, Iñaki; Forrest, Stephen A.; Bryant, Josephine M.; Harris, Simon R.; Schuenemann, Verena J.; Campbell, Tessa J.; Majander, Kerrtu; Wilbur, Alicia K.; Guichon, Ricardo A.; Wolfe Steadman, Dawnie L.; Cook, Della Collins; Niemann, Stefan; Behr, Marcel A.; Zumarraga, Martin; Bastida, Ricardo; Huson, Daniel; Nieselt, Kay; Young, Douglas; Parkhill, Julian; Buikstra, Jane E.; Gagneux, Sebastien; Stone, Anne C.; Krause, Johannes

    2015-01-01

    Modern strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from the Americas are closely related to those from Europe, supporting the assumption that human tuberculosis was introduced post-contact1. This notion, however, is incompatible with archaeological evidence of pre-contact tuberculosis in the New World2. Comparative genomics of modern isolates suggests that M. tuberculosis attained its worldwide distribution following human dispersals out of Africa during the Pleistocene epoch3, although this has yet to be confirmed with ancient calibration points. Here we present three 1,000-year-old mycobacterial genomes from Peruvian human skeletons, revealing that a member of the M. tuberculosis complex caused human disease before contact. The ancient strains are distinct from known human-adapted forms and are most closely related to those adapted to seals and sea lions. Two independent dating approaches suggest a most recent common ancestor for the M. tuberculosis complex less than 6,000 years ago, which supports a Holocene dispersal of the disease. Our results implicate sea mammals as having played a role in transmitting the disease to humans across the ocean. PMID:25141181

  6. How to compare cultures? The case of historical thinking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Rüsen

    2005-07-01

    Full Text Available Comparative studies in historiography are rare. In most cases authors use a pre-given idea of the essentials of historical thinking and historiography to compare Western with non-Western phenomena in the field of historical representation in general, and historiography in particular. This approach to comparison is very problematic since the presupposed paradigm of historiography is an abstraction in the Western tradition. As a consequence this comparison brings about knowledge on non-Western historical thinking and historio-graphy in so far as it is similar to or different from the Western one. Difference normally imply deviation or a lack of historicity. However, comparing Western historiography with Chinese historiography, does not bring about such a big difference as we witness in the case of for example India. Nevertheless, a cultural bias in the comparative work exists that makes the results of comparative work problematic. The article proposes a theoretical means of intercultural comparison that is grounded in a general theory of historical thinking, presented in the form of its matrix. This matrix is explicated, discussed and differentiated into a set of items which can be used as criteria of comparison.

  7. A Human Rights and History Education Model for Teaching about Historical Events of Mass Violence: The 1947 British India Partition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chhabra, Meenakshi

    2017-01-01

    This article examines singular historical narratives of the 1947 British India Partition in four history textbooks from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Britain, respectively. Drawing on analysis and work in the field, this study proposes a seven-module "integrated snail model" with a human rights orientation that can be applied to…

  8. Controlling our destinies: Historical, philosophical, social and ethical perspectives on the Human Genome Project: Final report, July 1, 1995-June 30, 1996

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sloan, P.R.

    1996-09-25

    This report briefly describes the efforts by the organizing committee in preparation for the conference entitled Controlling Our Destinies: Historical, Philosophical, Social, and Ethical Perspectives on the Human Genome Project. The conference was held October 5-8, 1995.

  9. Project-induced displacement, secondary stressors, and health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Yue; Hwang, Sean-Shong; Xi, Juan

    2012-04-01

    It has been estimated that about 15 million people are displaced by development projects around the world each year. Despite the magnitude of people affected, research on the health and other impacts of project-induced displacement is rare. This study extends existing knowledge by exploring the short-term health impact of a large scale population displacement resulting from China's Three Gorges Dam Project. The study is theoretically guided by the stress process model, but we supplement it with Cernea's impoverishment risks and reconstruction (IRR) model widely used in displacement literature. Our panel analysis indicates that the displacement is associated positively with relocatees' depression level, and negatively with their self-rated health measured against a control group. In addition, a path analysis suggests that displacement also affects depression and self-rated health indirectly by changing social integration, socioeconomic status, and community resources. The importance of social integration as a protective mechanism, a factor that has been overlooked in past studies of population displacement, is highlighted in this study. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. Simultaneous Detection of Displacement, Rotation Angle, and Contact Pressure Using Sandpaper Molded Elastomer Based Triple Electrode Sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Eunsuk; Sul, Onejae; Lee, Seung-Beck

    2017-09-06

    In this article, we report on a flexible sensor based on a sandpaper molded elastomer that simultaneously detects planar displacement, rotation angle, and vertical contact pressure. When displacement, rotation, and contact pressure are applied, the contact area between the translating top elastomer electrode and the stationary three bottom electrodes change characteristically depending on the movement, making it possible to distinguish between them. The sandpaper molded undulating surface of the elastomer reduces friction at the contact allowing the sensor not to affect the movement during measurement. The sensor showed a 0.25 mm −1 displacement sensitivity with a ±33 μm accuracy, a 0.027 degree −1 of rotation sensitivity with ~0.95 degree accuracy, and a 4.96 kP −1 of pressure sensitivity. For possible application to joint movement detection, we demonstrated that our sensor effectively detected the up-and-down motion of a human forefinger and the bending and straightening motion of a human arm.

  11. Historical collections reveal patterns of diffusion of sweet potato in Oceania obscured by modern plant movements and recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roullier, Caroline; Benoit, Laure; McKey, Doyle B; Lebot, Vincent

    2013-02-05

    The history of sweet potato in the Pacific has long been an enigma. Archaeological, linguistic, and ethnobotanical data suggest that prehistoric human-mediated dispersal events contributed to the distribution in Oceania of this American domesticate. According to the "tripartite hypothesis," sweet potato was introduced into Oceania from South America in pre-Columbian times and was then later newly introduced, and diffused widely across the Pacific, by Europeans via two historically documented routes from Mexico and the Caribbean. Although sweet potato is the most convincing example of putative pre-Columbian connections between human occupants of Polynesia and South America, the search for genetic evidence of pre-Columbian dispersal of sweet potato into Oceania has been inconclusive. Our study attempts to fill this gap. Using complementary sets of markers (chloroplast and nuclear microsatellites) and both modern and herbarium samples, we test the tripartite hypothesis. Our results provide strong support for prehistoric transfer(s) of sweet potato from South America (Peru-Ecuador region) into Polynesia. Our results also document a temporal shift in the pattern of distribution of genetic variation in sweet potato in Oceania. Later reintroductions, accompanied by recombination between distinct sweet potato gene pools, have reshuffled the crop's initial genetic base, obscuring primary patterns of diffusion and, at the same time, giving rise to an impressive number of local variants. Moreover, our study shows that phenotypes, names, and neutral genes do not necessarily share completely parallel evolutionary histories. Multidisciplinary approaches, thus, appear necessary for accurate reconstruction of the intertwined histories of plants and humans.

  12. Historical versus contemporary medicinal plant uses in the US Virgin Islands

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Soelberg, Jens; Davis, Olasee; Jäger, Anna K

    2016-01-01

    West Indies (now US Virgin Islands), we identify pre-1900 medicinal plants and their historical uses, and trace their status in the traditional medicine of St. Croix today (2014). By a combined historical and ethnobotanical approach we assess the scale of loss and preservation of traditional medicinal...... knowledge on St. Croix, and explore the drivers involved in the disappearance of knowledge in the oral tradition of medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Names, uses and identities of 18th and 19th century medicinal plant uses in the Danish West Indies were derived from manuscripts and publications of Von Rohr...... (1757/58), Oldendorp (1777), West (1793), Benzon (1822), Riise (1853), Eggers (1876;1879) and Berg and Eggers (1888). The presence of the plant species in the pre-1900 Danish West Indies was confirmed by review of herbarium specimens in the University of Copenhagen Herbarium (C). The same species were...

  13. Emittance growth rates for displaced beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, O.A.

    1993-05-01

    Emittance growth rates have been previously analyzed for nonuniform beams in linear channels and for initially uniform mismatched beams in nonlinear channels. These studies were for centered beams. Additional emittance growth can arise in cases where the beam is initially displaced. The purpose of this study is to obtain growth rates for displaced beams. This work differs from studies involving random displacement of electrodes. Our analysis assumes instead that the focusing system is perfectly aligned but that the beam is initially displaced with respect to the equilibrium axis. If the focusing force is slightly nonlinear, we find a gradual transfer of the potential energy of beam displacement into kinetic energy associated with emittance growth. We present explicit results for the emittance growth distance as a function of the nonlinearity of the channel. These results will have practical importance for designers of accelerators and transport systems when setting realistic tolerances for initial beam alignment. These tolerances will depend on the nonlinearity and the length of the system

  14. Is Fibular Fracture Displacement Consistent with Tibiotalar Displacement?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Bekerom, Michel P. J.; van Dijk, C. Niek

    2010-01-01

    We believed open reduction with internal fixation is required for supination-external rotation ankle fractures located at the level of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis (Lauge-Hanssen SER II and Weber B) with 2 mm or more fibular fracture displacement. The rationale for surgery for these ankle

  15. Phenomenon of displacement in Arabic language

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Displacement is one of the characteristics of language and common phenomena in the Arabic language. Not only is this phenomenon limited to Arabic poetry and prose, but it is also broadened, so we can see examples of this in the Qur'an. Because of this phenomenon extensively in Arabic literature and also because of its essence that leads to the transmission of the elements for the first visibility to the other visibility in the sentence and sometimes had to change the grammatical role of the words, its identify helps us in a better understanding of text and the correct translation of it and protects the reader from mistakes. This paper in the descriptive analytical approach tries studying of the phenomenon of the displacement in the Arabic language and bringing its instances in Arabic poetry and prose as well as verses contained in the Holy Quran, to show that through the types and characteristics in the Arabic language and to response to several questions, including: how important is the displacement and what is its types in rhetoric, and the reasons of the displacement, and etc... Of the most important results of this study may refer to the undeniable role of the displacement as a rhetorical method to better understanding of the texts including: one of the most important reasons of the displacement in the use of language is to improve speech verbally and morally, and violation of the standard language and create a poetic atmosphere, and the recognition of the occurrence of the phenomenon of displacement in the Arabic language that uphold different interpretations remote and estimates when faced with the displacement in the text and help us to understand it and etc...

  16. UBL5 is essential for pre-mRNA splicing and sister chromatid cohesion in human cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Oka, Yasuyoshi; Varmark, Hanne; Vitting-Seerup, Kristoffer

    2014-01-01

    UBL5 is an atypical ubiquitin-like protein, whose function in metazoans remains largely unexplored. We show that UBL5 is required for sister chromatid cohesion maintenance in human cells. UBL5 primarily associates with spliceosomal proteins, and UBL5 depletion decreases pre-mRNA splicing efficien...

  17. Virus load in chimpanzees infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1: effect of pre-exposure vaccination

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    ten Haaft, P.; Cornelissen, M.; Goudsmit, J.; Koornstra, W.; Dubbes, R.; Niphuis, H.; Peeters, M.; Thiriart, C.; Bruck, C.; Heeney, J. L.

    1995-01-01

    Many reports indicate that a long-term asymptomatic state following human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is associated with a low amount of circulating virus. To evaluate the possible effect of stabilizing a low virus load by non-sterilizing pre-exposure vaccination, a quantitative

  18. Earthquake related displacement fields near underground facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pratt, H.R.; Zandt, G.; Bouchon, M.

    1979-04-01

    Relative displacements of rock masses are evaluated in terms of geological evidence, seismological evidence, data from simulation experiments, and analytical predictive models. Numerical models have been developed to determine displacement fields as a function of depth, distance, and azimuth from an earthquake source. Computer calculations for several types of faults indicate that displacements decrease rapidly with distance from the fault, but that displacements can either increase or decrease as a function of depth depending on the type and geometry of the fault. For long shallow vertical strike-slip faults the displacement decreases markedly with depth. For square strike slip faults and for dip slip faults displacement does not decrease as markedly with depth. Geologic structure, material properties, and depth affect the seismic source spectrum. Amplification of the high frequencies of shear waves is larger by a factor of about 2 for layered geologic models than for an elastic half space

  19. Job Loss in the Great Recession: Historical Perspective from the Displaced Workers Survey, 1984-2010. NBER Working Paper No. 17040

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farber, Henry S.

    2011-01-01

    The Great Recession from December 2007 to June 2009 is associated with a dramatic weakening of the labor market from which the labor market is now only slowly recovering. The unemployment rate remains stubbornly high and durations of unemployment are unprecedentedly long. I use data from the Displaced Workers Survey (DWS) from 1984-2010 to…

  20. The Graduate Pedagogical Process in the Comprehensive General Medicine Specialization: towards a Practice based on the Cultural-historical Approach to Human Development

    OpenAIRE

    Ana Teresa Fernández Vidal; José Aurelio Díaz Quiñones; Silvia Enrique Vilaplana

    2016-01-01

    Cuban educators conceive programs and processes using the cultural-historical approach to human development, since this is the theory that, thanks to its founder Lev Semiónovich Vygotsky, could overcome the approaches that fragmented the analysis and understanding of the human development. Such currents of thought hyperbolized the different conditioning factors of this development and ignored the dialectical relationship between them in terms of personality formation and development, its proc...

  1. Human rights barriers for displaced persons in southern Sudan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavlish, Carol; Ho, Anita

    2009-01-01

    This community-based research explores community perspectives on human rights barriers that women encounter in a postconflict setting of southern Sudan. An ethnographic design was used to guide data collection in five focus groups with community members and during in-depth interviews with nine key informants. A constant comparison method of data analysis was used. Atlas.ti data management software facilitated the inductive coding and sorting of data. Participants identified three formal and one set of informal community structures for human rights. Human rights barriers included shifting legal frameworks, doubt about human rights, weak government infrastructure, and poverty. The evolving government infrastructure cannot currently provide adequate human rights protection, especially for women. The nature of living in poverty without development opportunities includes human rights abuses. Good governance, protection, and human development opportunities were emphasized as priority human rights concerns. Human rights framework could serve as a powerful integrator of health and development work with community-based organizations. Results help nurses understand the intersection between health and human rights as well as approaches to advancing rights in a culturally attuned manner.

  2. Does boat traffic cause displacement of fish in estuaries?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Alistair; Whitfield, Alan K; Cowley, Paul D; Järnegren, Johanna; Næsje, Tor F

    2013-10-15

    Estuaries are increasingly under threat from a variety of human impacts. Recreational and commercial boat traffic in urban areas may represent a significant disturbance to fish populations and have particularly adverse effects in spatially restricted systems such as estuaries. We examined the effects of passing boats on the abundance of different sized fish within the main navigation channel of an estuary using high resolution sonar (DIDSON). Both the smallest (100-300 mm) and largest (>501 mm) size classes had no change in their abundance following the passage of boats. However, a decrease in abundance of mid-sized fish (301-500 mm) occurred following the passage of boats. This displacement may be attributed to a number of factors including noise, bubbles and the rapidly approaching object of the boat itself. In highly urbanised estuarine systems, regular displacement by boat traffic has the potential to have major negative population level effects on fish assemblages. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. The Archaeomagnetic Field and the Historical Field: Never the Twain Shall Meet?

    OpenAIRE

    A. Lodge; Monika Korte; R. Holme

    2008-01-01

    We compare predictions of the geomagnetic field in Europe from 1590 to 1800 AD from a field model from archaeomagnetic data in Europe, developed for archaeomagnetic dating and from the historical field model gufm1 (Jackson et al., 2000). A consistent discrepancy pre-1800 AD is observed in inclination (I), with gufm1 producing higher values of I than those predicted from archaeomagnetic data. Between 1590 and 1800 AD there are 354 archaeomagnetic data and 133 historical data; in general, the a...

  4. SOCIAL CAPITAL IN INVOLUNTARY DISPLACEMENT AND RESETTLEMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melissa Quetulio-Navarra

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Social capital is often seen as a substitute for lack of other types of capital amongpoor people. Because of the recognized applicability of the social capital conceptand its correlation with the different dimensions of poverty, it has been used inevaluating the adaptation and integration of involuntarily displaced individualsinto their new environment. This paper presents insights based on a review of thefindings of studies that looked into the role of social capital in conflict- anddevelopment-induced displacement contexts. Althoughboth types of displace-ments are involuntary or forced in nature, they differ in terms of the role of socialcapital regarding its main sources, the formation pattern and its determinants.Social capital studies in forced resettlement appear to be relatively small innumber and are heavily concentrated on first worldcountries and conflict- anddevelopment-induced displacements. The conduct of similar studies in developingcountries and in a disaster-induced resettlement context, the third type ofinvoluntary displacement, should generate new and relevant findings regardingthe role of social capital in resettlement communities.

  5. War, forced displacement and growth in Laotian adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarkin, Patrick F

    2012-01-01

    Evidence from several populations suggests that war negatively impacts civilian nutrition, physical growth and overall health. This effect is often enduring or permanent, particularly if experienced early in life. To assess whether the number of lifetime displacement experiences and being displaced in infancy were associated with adult height, sitting height, leg length and the sitting height ratio. Retrospective questionnaires on displacement and resettlement experiences and anthropometric data were collected from a sample of Laotian adult refugees (ethnic Hmong and Lao; n = 365). All were born in Laos or Thailand and had resettled in French Guiana or the US. Many had been displaced several times by military conflict in Laos. In bivariate analyses, being displaced in infancy and the number of lifetime displacement experiences one had were negatively associated with final adult height and leg length in both sexes. The association was stronger in females, particularly Hmong females. There was no significant association between total displacement experiences and the sitting height ratio. In multiple regression analyses, linear growth in males was negatively associated with being displaced in infancy; in females, the number of lifetime displacement experiences was a significant predictor. Forced displacement from war appears to have a lasting effect on final adult height, sitting height and leg length, although not necessarily on the sitting height ratio in this sample.

  6. Insecticide-mediated apparent displacement between two invasive species of leafminer fly.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yulin Gao

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Closely related invasive species may often displace one another, but it is often difficult to determine mechanisms because of the historical nature of these events. The leafmining flies Liriomyza sativae and Liriomyza trifolii have become serious invasive agricultural pests throughout the world. Where both species have invaded the same region, one predominates over the other. Although L. sativae invaded Hainan Island of China first, it recently has been displaced by the newly invasive L. trifolii. We hypothesized that differential susceptibilities to insecticides could be causing this demographic shift. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Avermectin and cyromazine are the most commonly used insecticides to manage leafminers, with laboratory bioassays demonstrating that L. trifolii is significantly less susceptible to these key insecticides than is L. sativae. In trials where similar numbers of larvae of both species infested plants, which subsequently were treated with the insecticides, the eclosing adults were predominately L. trifolii, yet similar numbers of adults of both species eclosed from control plants. The species composition was then surveyed in two regions where L. trifolii has just begun to invade and both species are still common. In field trials, both species occurred in similar proportions before insecticide treatments began. Following applications of avermectin and cyromazine, almost all eclosing adults were L. trifolii in those treatment plots. In control plots, similar numbers of adults of the two species eclosed, lending further credence to the hypothesis that differential insecticide susceptibilities could be driving the ongoing displacement of L. sativae by L. trifolii. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results show that differential insecticide susceptibility can lead to rapid shifts in the demographics of pest complexes. Thus, successful pest management requires the identification of pest species to understand the

  7. Validation of DWI pre-processing procedures for reliable differentiation between human brain gliomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vellmer, Sebastian; Tonoyan, Aram S; Suter, Dieter; Pronin, Igor N; Maximov, Ivan I

    2018-02-01

    Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) is a powerful tool in clinical applications, in particular, in oncology screening. dMRI demonstrated its benefit and efficiency in the localisation and detection of different types of human brain tumours. Clinical dMRI data suffer from multiple artefacts such as motion and eddy-current distortions, contamination by noise, outliers etc. In order to increase the image quality of the derived diffusion scalar metrics and the accuracy of the subsequent data analysis, various pre-processing approaches are actively developed and used. In the present work we assess the effect of different pre-processing procedures such as a noise correction, different smoothing algorithms and spatial interpolation of raw diffusion data, with respect to the accuracy of brain glioma differentiation. As a set of sensitive biomarkers of the glioma malignancy grades we chose the derived scalar metrics from diffusion and kurtosis tensor imaging as well as the neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) biophysical model. Our results show that the application of noise correction, anisotropic diffusion filtering, and cubic-order spline interpolation resulted in the highest sensitivity and specificity for glioma malignancy grading. Thus, these pre-processing steps are recommended for the statistical analysis in brain tumour studies. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

  8. Neuroleptics and β-carbolines displace (3H)imipramine from its binding sites in human and rat tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rommelspacher, H.; Strauss, S.

    1985-01-01

    Most investigations dealing with the pharmacological characterization of ( 3 H)imipramine binding sites focus on tricyclic antidepressants (TCA). This approach seemed to be justified since imipramine belongs to that chemical group. Langer and coworkers, however, introduced a tetrahydro-β-carboline (THβC) as a possible endogenous ligand. Thus, the high affinity of imipramine towards the binding sites might not be due to its special chemical structure but due to its tricyclic nature. In the present paper the structure-activity-relationships of neuroleptics and β-carbolines were investigated and compared with that of tricyclic antidepressants. Among the tricyclic neuroleptics those with an electron attracting substituent (-Cl) exerted highest affinity. The effect was attenuated by a long, cyclic side chain. The affinity of tricyclic neuroleptics was only slightly weaker than that of 6-Meo-THβC the suggested endogenous ligand. The experiments with other THβCs supported the observation that an electron attracting substituent increases the affinity of a compound to the ( 3 H)imipramine binding sites. Comparison of the binding characteristics of ( 3 H)imipramine to membranes of human brain and thrombocytes as well as those of rat brain and thrombocytes revealed no differences among both species. Furthermore, the displacing potencies of neuroleptics were very similar with only slightly more activity in human tissue. As a methodological aspect the applicability of the 'Lowry' method to determine the protein concentration is discussed. (Author)

  9. COGNITIVE ASPECTS OF MODERN PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Spartak Sh. Aytov

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. The aim of this work is the intelligent reconstruction and the analysis of the various methodological approaches to cognitive areas of modern philosophy of history and determines their cognitive and academic relationships with conceptual terms of such branches of historical knowledge as historical anthropology. Methodology. Methodological tools of this work are such scientific approaches as methods of philosophy of science, interdisciplinary approach, methods of source and system analysis. Scientific novelty. Reproduced and analyzed was a number of methodological approaches inherent in the natural sciences and the social - the humanities. The latter, in accordance with the principles of interdisciplinary paradigm, is very widely applied by the modern philosophy of historical knowledge, in particular in the analysis of the historical process and its main elements: the mentality, attitudes and norms of socially significant and personal behavior of individuals and societies of the past. The influence of research on various historical and historical anthropological problems such concepts implanted in the methodology of modern philosophy of history scientific disciplines as chaos theory, synergetics, mathematical biology, ethnology, social psychology, etc. Focuses on intellectual connections are used in the philosophy of history, historical knowledge interdisciplinary methodology, theory and concepts of natural science and social - humanities. They are used to analyze and understand the complex and multifaceted historical events and processes. Conclusions. The result of the analysis of the cognitive dynamics applications in the philosophy of history of conceptual approaches of a very wide range of scientific disciplines has been the allocation of a number of phases of the mining process. Each of them has special logic - methodological and socio cultural characteristics ("Data". Internal, cognitive science dynamics of this unity was not the

  10. Cognitive Aspects of Modern Philosophy of Historical Knowledge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Spartak Sh. Aytov

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. The aim of this work is the intelligent reconstruction and the analysis of the various methodological approaches to cognitive areas of modern philosophy of history and determines their cognitive and academic relationships with conceptual terms of such branches of historical knowledge as historical anthropology. Methodology. Methodological tools of this work are such scientific approaches as methods of philosophy of science, interdisciplinary approach, methods of source and system analysis. Scientific novelty. Reproduced and analyzed was a number of methodological approaches inherent in the natural sciences and the social - the humanities. The latter, in accordance with the principles of interdisciplinary paradigm, is very widely applied by the modern philosophy of historical knowledge, in particular in the analysis of the historical process and its main elements: the mentality, attitudes and norms of socially significant and personal behavior of individuals and societies of the past. The influence of research on various historical and historical anthropological problems such concepts implanted in the methodology of modern philosophy of history scientific disciplines as chaos theory, synergetics, mathematical biology, ethnology, social psychology, etc. Focuses on intellectual connections are used in the philosophy of history, historical knowledge interdisciplinary methodology, theory and concepts of natural science and social - humanities. They are used to analyze and understand the complex and multifaceted historical events and processes. Conclusions. The result of the analysis of the cognitive dynamics applications in the philosophy of history of conceptual approaches of a very wide range of scientific disciplines has been the allocation of a number of phases of the mining process. Each of them has special logic - methodological and socio cultural characteristics ("Data". Internal, cognitive science dynamics of this unity was not the

  11. Displacement Ventilation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjørn, Erik; Mattsson, Magnus; Sandberg, Mats

    Full-scale experiments were made in a displacement ventilated room with two breathing thermal manikins to study the effect of movements and breathing on the vertical contaminant distribution, and on the personal exposure of occupants. Concentrations were measured with tracer gas equipment...

  12. Adventive Vertebrates and Historical Ecology in the Pre-Columbian Neotropics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter W. Stahl

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available The arrival of Europeans in the Western Hemisphere (ca. AD 1500 is generally used as a convenient reference point for signaling the early appearance of invasive faunas. Although use of this date embraces an implicit belief in benign landscape management by pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Americas, substantial evidence for the anthropogenic movement of domesticated, wild, and synanthropic vertebrates throughout the Neotropics suggests that it may be an exaggerated and erroneous reference point for the aims of ecological restoration and biological conservation.

  13. Historical epistemology of space from primate cognition to spacetime physics

    CERN Document Server

    Schemmel, Matthias

    2016-01-01

    This monograph investigates the development of human spatial knowledge by analyzing its elementary structures and studying how it is further shaped by various societal conditions. By taking a thoroughly historical perspective on knowledge and integrating results from various disciplines, this work throws new light on long-standing problems in epistemology such as the relation between experience and preformed structures of cognition. What do the orientation of apes and the theory of relativity have to do with each other? Readers will learn how different forms of spatial thinking are related in a long-term history of knowledge. Scientific concepts of space such as Newton’s absolute space or Einstein’s curved spacetime are shown to be rooted in pre-scientific structures of knowledge, while at the same time enabling the integration of an ever expanding corpus of experiential knowledge. This work addresses all readers interested in questions of epistemology, in particular philosophers and historians of scie...

  14. THE MANAGEMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES IN THE PRE-UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luminita, ANDONE

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Through the management of the human resources it is provided the necessity of the workforce in an institution, on staff categories with the view of achieving the activities and the obtaining of the expected results. The descentralization of the budget institutions makes the obtaining of some principles of the human resources management to be essential so that they create the conditions of involving and participating in the institution activity, as we wish to live in a society where the fundamental values are creativity, liberty, pluralism and tolerance. The pre-university education institution(kindergartens, schools and high schools are not provided with a human resources manager. The descentralized management of the human resources level of the School County Inspectorate, the lack of a clear policy in the domain of the human resources ( at the level of the School County Inspectorate even if there is a management department of the human resources, those who work in this department do not have the necessary qualification, being selected teaching staff on certain criteria, and the unprofessional involvement of the local authorities, these being disruptive factors of the training-educational process.

  15. THE MANAGEMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES IN THE PRE-UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luminita, ANDONE

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Through the management of the human resources it is provided the necessity of the workforce in an institution, on staff categories with the view of achieving the activities and the obtaining of the expected results. The descentralization of the budget institutions makes the obtaining of some principles of the human resources management to be essential so that they create the conditions of involving and participating in the institution activity, as we wish to live in a society where the fundamental values are creativity, liberty, pluralism and tolerance. The pre-university education institution(kindergartens, schools and high schools are not provided with a human resources manager. The descentralized management of the human resources level of the School County Inspectorate, the lack of a clear policy in the domain of the human resources ( at the level of the School County Inspectorate even if there is a management department of the human resources, those who work in this department do not have the necessary qualification, being selected teaching staff on certain criteria, and the unprofessional involvement of the local authorities, these being disruptive factors of the training-educational process.

  16. Tracking speckle displacement by double Kalman filtering

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Donghui Li; Li Guo

    2006-01-01

    @@ A tracking technique using two sequentially-connected Kalman filter for tracking laser speckle displacement is presented. One Kalman filter tracks temporal speckle displacement, while another Kalman filter tracks spatial speckle displacement. The temporal Kalman filter provides a prior for the spatial Kalman filter, and the spatial Kalman filter provides measurements for the temporal Kalman filter. The contribution of a prior to estimations of the spatial Kalman filter is analyzed. An optical analysis system was set up to verify the double-Kalman-filter tracker's ability of tracking laser speckle's constant displacement.

  17. Displaced epithelium after liposuction for gynecomastia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLaughlin, Cristina S; Petrey, Chris; Grant, Shawn; Ransdell, Jill S; Reynolds, Carol

    2011-08-01

    The authors describe the case of a 36-year-old man with gynecomastia who was previously treated with liposuction of the breast for cosmetic purposes. Histologic examination of a subsequent excisional biopsy revealed nests of displaced epithelial cells in adipose tissue. Epithelial cell displacement is a well-known risk of core needle biopsies and fine-needle aspirations of breast lesions. However, to the authors' knowledge, epithelial displacement in gynecomastia after liposuction, mimicking invasive ductal carcinoma, has not previously been reported.

  18. The Human Splicing Factor ASF/SF2 can Specifically Recognize Pre-mRNA 5' Splice Sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuo, Ping; Manley, James L.

    1994-04-01

    ASF/SF2 is a human protein previously shown to function in in vitro pre-mRNA splicing as an essential factor necessary for all splices and also as an alternative splicing factor, capable of switching selection of 5' splice sites. To begin to study the protein's mechanism of action, we have investigated the RNA binding properties of purified recombinant ASF/SF2. Using UV crosslinking and gel shift assays, we demonstrate that the RNA binding region of ASF/SF2 can interact with RNA in a sequence-specific manner, recognizing the 5' splice site in each of two different pre-mRNAs. Point mutations in the 5' splice site consensus can reduce binding by as much as a factor of 100, with the largest effects observed in competition assays. These findings support a model in which ASF/SF2 aids in the recognition of pre-mRNA 5' splice sites.

  19. Advancing the management and control of typhoid fever: a review of the historical role of human challenge studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waddington, Claire S; Darton, Thomas C; Woodward, William E; Angus, Brian; Levine, Myron M; Pollard, Andrew J

    2014-05-01

    Typhoid infection causes considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly in settings where lack of clean water and inadequate sanitation facilitate disease spread through faecal-oral transmission. Improved understanding of the pathogenesis, immune control and microbiology of Salmonella Typhi infection can help accelerate the development of improved vaccines and diagnostic tests necessary for disease control. S. Typhi is a human-restricted pathogen; therefore animal models are limited in their relevance to human infection. During the latter half of the 20th century, induced human infection ("challenge") studies with S. Typhi were used effectively to assess quantitatively the human host response to challenge and to measure directly the efficacy of typhoid vaccines in preventing clinical illness. Here, the findings of these historic challenge studies are reviewed, highlighting the pivotal role that challenge studies have had in improving our understanding of the host-pathogen interaction, and illustrating issues relevant to modern typhoid challenge model design. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Water displacement mercury pump

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, M.G.

    1984-04-20

    A water displacement mercury pump has a fluid inlet conduit and diffuser, a valve, a pressure cannister, and a fluid outlet conduit. The valve has a valve head which seats in an opening in the cannister. The entire assembly is readily insertable into a process vessel which produces mercury as a product. As the mercury settles, it flows into the opening in the cannister displacing lighter material. When the valve is in a closed position, the pressure cannister is sealed except for the fluid inlet conduit and the fluid outlet conduit. Introduction of a lighter fluid into the cannister will act to displace a heavier fluid from the cannister via the fluid outlet conduit. The entire pump assembly penetrates only a top wall of the process vessel, and not the sides or the bottom wall of the process vessel. This insures a leak-proof environment and is especially suitable for processing of hazardous materials.

  1. Historical Meadow Dynamics in Southwest British Columbia: a Multidisciplinary Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dana Lepofsky

    2003-12-01

    Full Text Available The recent encroachment of woody species threatening many western North American meadows has been attributed to diverse factors. We used a suite of methods in Chittenden Meadow, southwestern British Columbia, Canada, to identify the human, ecological, and physical factors responsible for its historical dynamics and current encroachment by woody vegetation. We evaluated three hypotheses about the origin and processes maintaining the meadow: the meadow is (1 of recent human origin; (2 of ancient human origin, maintained by aboriginal burning; and (3 of ancient non-human origin, not maintained by aboriginal burning. Our data supported the idea that the meadow had ancient non-human origins and its recent history and current status have resulted from complex interactions among landform, climate, and fire. Soil properties (both horizonation and charcoal content indicate that the meadow is of ancient, non-human origin. Tree ages in the meadow and surrounding forest indicate that encroachment is recent, not related to a variety of recent human activities, and is probably a result of increasing spring temperature and decreasing spring snow depth. Although ethnographic surveys and historical documents revealed indigenous use of the general area over millennia, including the use of fire as a management tool, we found little direct evidence of indigenous use of the meadow. However, there was no proxy record of fire frequency in the meadow that we could have used to determine the role of fire in maintaining the meadow in the past, or the role of humans in igniting those fires. Thus, the historical role of humans in the maintenance of the meadow by prescribed fire remains indeterminate. Based on these conclusions, we combined hypotheses (2 and (3 into an a posteriori hypothesis that reflects changing interactions among people, fire, and climate over time. Without management intervention, we expect that tree encroachment will continue. Several general lessons

  2. Identification of the meta-instability stage via synergy of fault displacement: An experimental study based on the digital image correlation method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuo, Yan-Qun; Ma, Jin; Guo, Yan-Shuang; Ji, Yun-Tao

    In stick-slip experiments modeling the occurrence of earthquakes, the meta-instability stage (MIS) is the process that occurs between the peak differential stress and the onset of sudden stress drop. The MIS is the final stage before a fault becomes unstable. Thus, identification of the MIS can help to assess the proximity of the fault to the earthquake critical time. A series of stick-slip experiments on a simulated strike-slip fault were conducted using a biaxial servo-controlled press machine. Digital images of the sample surface were obtained via a high speed camera and processed using a digital image correlation method for analysis of the fault displacement field. Two parameters, A and S, are defined based on fault displacement. A, the normalized length of local pre-slip areas identified by the strike-slip component of fault displacement, is the ratio of the total length of the local pre-slip areas to the length of the fault within the observed areas and quantifies the growth of local unstable areas along the fault. S, the normalized entropy of fault displacement directions, is derived from Shannon entropy and quantifies the disorder of fault displacement directions along the fault. Based on the fault displacement field of three stick-slip events under different loading rates, the experimental results show the following: (1) Both A and S can be expressed as power functions of the normalized time during the non-linearity stage and the MIS. The peak curvatures of A and S represent the onsets of the distinct increase of A and the distinct reduction of S, respectively. (2) During each stick-slip event, the fault evolves into the MIS soon after the curvatures of both A and S reach their peak values, which indicates that the MIS is a synergetic process from independent to cooperative behavior among various parts of a fault and can be approximately identified via the peak curvatures of A and S. A possible application of these experimental results to field conditions

  3. Human parvovirus B19-induced anaemia in pre-school children in Ilorin, Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agbede, Olajide O.; Omoare, Adesuyi A.; Ernest, Samuel K.

    2018-01-01

    Sera collected from 57 anaemic and 115 non-anaemic age-matched pre-school children in Ilorin, Nigeria, between November 2014 and December 2015 were assayed for human parvovirus B19-specific IgM antibodies by using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay technique. A total of 17 (29.8%) anaemic children and 18 (15.7%) non-anaemic children were positive for parvovirus B19 infection. Infection with parvovirus B19 is common in this population, and screening for the virus during differential diagnosis is recommended. PMID:29850435

  4. Prolonged displacement may compromise resilience in Eritrean mothers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almedom, Astier; Tesfamichael, Berhe; Mohammed, Zein; Mascie-Taylor, Nick; Muller, Jocelyn; Alemu, Zemui

    2005-12-01

    to assess the impact of prolonged displacement on the resilience of Eritrean mothers. an adapted SOC scale (short form) was administered. Complementary qualitative data were gathered from study participants' spontaneous reactions to and commentaries on the SOC scale. Displaced women's SOC scores were significantly less than those of the non-displaced: Mean = 54.84; SD = 6.48 in internally displaced person (IDP) camps, compared to non-displaced urban and rural/pastoralist: Mean = 48. 94, SD = 11.99; t = 3.831, p urban (non-displaced). Rural but traditionally mobile (pastoralist or transhumant) communities scored more or less the same as the urban non-displaced--i.e., significantly higher than those in IDP camps (p urban and pastoralist/transhumant groups were similar, while women in IDP camps were lower scoring--RR = .268, p < .001. The implications of these findings for health policy are critical. It is incumbent on the international health institutions including the World Health Organization and regional as well as local players to address the plight of internally displaced women, their families and communities in Eritrea and other places of dire conditions such as, for example Darfur in the Sudan.

  5. First trimester serum placental growth factor and hyperglycosylated human chorionic gonadotropin are associated with pre-eclampsia: a case control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keikkala, Elina; Koskinen, Sini; Vuorela, Piia; Laivuori, Hannele; Romppanen, Jarkko; Heinonen, Seppo; Stenman, Ulf-Håkan

    2016-11-25

    To study whether maternal serum hyperglycosylated human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG-h) improves first trimester prediction of pre-eclampsia when combined with placental growth factor (PlGF), pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and maternal risk factors. Gestational-age-adjusted concentrations of hCG, hCG-h, PlGF and PAPP-A were analysed in serum samples by time-resolved immunofluorometric assays at 8-13 weeks of gestation. The case-control study included 98 women who developed pre-eclampsia, 25 who developed gestational hypertension, 41 normotensive women with small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants and 177 controls. Of 98 women with pre-eclampsia, 24 women developed preterm pre-eclampsia (diagnosis factors.

  6. Subsidence and Fault Displacement Along the Long Point Fault Derived from Continuous GPS Observations (2012-2017)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsibanos, V.; Wang, G.

    2017-12-01

    The Long Point Fault located in Houston Texas is a complex system of normal faults which causes significant damage to urban infrastructure on both private and public property. This case study focuses on the 20-km long fault using high accuracy continuously operating global positioning satellite (GPS) stations to delineate fault movement over five years (2012 - 2017). The Long Point Fault is the longest active fault in the greater Houston area that damages roads, buried pipes, concrete structures and buildings and creates a financial burden for the city of Houston and the residents who live in close vicinity to the fault trace. In order to monitor fault displacement along the surface 11 permanent and continuously operating GPS stations were installed 6 on the hanging wall and 5 on the footwall. This study is an overview of the GPS observations from 2013 to 2017. GPS positions were processed with both relative (double differencing) and absolute Precise Point Positioning (PPP) techniques. The PPP solutions that are referred to IGS08 reference frame were transformed to the Stable Houston Reference Frame (SHRF16). Our results show no considerable horizontal displacements across the fault, but do show uneven vertical displacement attributed to regional subsidence in the range of (5 - 10 mm/yr). This subsidence can be associated to compaction of silty clays in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers whose water depths are approximately 50m and 80m below the land surface (bls). These levels are below the regional pre-consolidation head that is about 30 to 40m bls. Recent research indicates subsidence will continue to occur until the aquifer levels reach the pre-consolidation head. With further GPS observations both the Long Point Fault and regional land subsidence can be monitored providing important geological data to the Houston community.

  7. Policy implications of the widespread practice of 'pre-drinking' or 'pre-gaming' before going to public drinking establishments: are current prevention strategies backfiring?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wells, Samantha; Graham, Kathryn; Purcell, John

    2009-01-01

    To describe the research, policy and prevention implications of pre-drinking or pre-gaming; that is, planned heavy drinking prior to going to a public drinking establishment. The authors describe the phenomenon of pre-drinking, motivations for pre-drinking and its associated risks using available research literature, media and popular internet vehicles. Heavy drinking prior to going out has emerged as a common and celebrated practice among young adults around the world. Apparent motivations are: (i) to avoid paying for high priced drinks at commercial drinking establishments; (ii) to achieve drunkenness and enhance and extend the night out; and (iii) to socialize with friends, reduce social anxiety or enhance male group bonding before going out. Limited existing research on pre-drinking suggests that it is associated with heavy drinking and harmful consequences. We argue that policies focused upon reducing drinking in licensed premises may have the unintended consequence of displacing drinking to pre-drinking environments, possibly resulting in greater harms. Effective policy and prevention for drinking in licensed premises requires a comprehensive approach that takes into account the entire drinking occasion (not just drinking that occurs in the licensed environment), as well as the 'determined drunkenness' goal of some young people.

  8. Displaced and non-displaced Colombian children's evaluations of moral transgressions, retaliation, and reconciliation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ardila-Rey, Alicia; Killen, Melanie; Brenick, Alaina

    2015-01-01

    In order to assess the effects of displacement and exposure to violence on children's moral reasoning, Colombian children exposed to minimal violence (non-displaced or low-risk) (N = 99) and to extreme violence (displaced or high-risk) (N = 94), evenly divided by gender, at 6-, 9-, and 12 - years of age, were interviewed regarding their evaluation of peer-oriented moral transgressions (hitting and not sharing toys). The vast majority of children evaluated moral transgressions as wrong. Group and age differences were revealed, however, regarding provocation and retaliation. Children who were exposed to violence, in contrast to those with minimum exposure, judged it more legitimate to inflict harm or deny resources when provoked and judged it more okay to retaliate for reasons of retribution. Surprisingly, and somewhat hopefully, all children viewed reconciliation as feasible. The results are informative regarding theories of morality, culture, and the effects of violence on children's social development. PMID:25722543

  9. Displacement of location in illusory line motion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hubbard, Timothy L; Ruppel, Susan E

    2013-05-01

    Six experiments examined displacement in memory for the location of the line in illusory line motion (ILM; appearance or disappearance of a stationary cue is followed by appearance of a stationary line that is presented all at once, but the stationary line is perceived to "unfold" or "be drawn" from the end closest to the cue to the end most distant from the cue). If ILM was induced by having a single cue appear, then memory for the location of the line was displaced toward the cue, and displacement was larger if the line was closer to the cue. If ILM was induced by having one of two previously visible cues vanish, then memory for the location of the line was displaced away from the cue that vanished. In general, the magnitude of displacement increased and then decreased as retention interval increased from 50 to 250 ms and from 250 to 450 ms, respectively. Displacement of the line (a) is consistent with a combination of a spatial averaging of the locations of the cue and the line with a relatively weaker dynamic in the direction of illusory motion, (b) might be implemented in a spreading activation network similar to networks previously suggested to implement displacement resulting from implied or apparent motion, and (c) provides constraints and challenges for theories of ILM.

  10. Historical floods in flood frequency analysis: Is this game worth the candle?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strupczewski, Witold G.; Kochanek, Krzysztof; Bogdanowicz, Ewa

    2017-11-01

    In flood frequency analysis (FFA) the profit from inclusion of historical information on the largest historical pre-instrumental floods depends primarily on reliability of the information, i.e. the accuracy of magnitude and return period of floods. This study is focused on possible theoretical maximum gain in accuracy of estimates of upper quantiles, that can be obtained by incorporating the largest historical floods of known return periods into the FFA. We assumed a simple case: N years of systematic records of annual maximum flows and either one largest (XM1) or two largest (XM1 and XM2) flood peak flows in a historical M-year long period. The problem is explored by Monte Carlo simulations with the maximum likelihood (ML) method. Both correct and false distributional assumptions are considered. In the first case the two-parameter extreme value models (Gumbel, log-Gumbel, Weibull) with various coefficients of variation serve as parent distributions. In the case of unknown parent distribution, the Weibull distribution was assumed as estimating model and the truncated Gumbel as parent distribution. The return periods of XM1 and XM2 are determined from the parent distribution. The results are then compared with the case, when return periods of XM1 and XM2 are defined by their plotting positions. The results are presented in terms of bias, root mean square error and the probability of overestimation of the quantile with 100-year return period. The results of the research indicate that the maximal profit of inclusion of pre-instrumental foods in the FFA may prove smaller than the cost of reconstruction of historical hydrological information.

  11. THE INTEGRATION OF THE EDUCATIONAL SPACE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES AS A PRE-REQUISITE FOR THE FORMATION OF HISTORICAL THINKING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lyudmila V. Shukshina

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: features and ways of historical thinking development of a student as a subject of educational and professional activity are analyzed. The aim of the research is to monitor the degree of formation of the features of historical thinking in the system of higher educati on.. Materials and Methods: the psycho-diagnostic methods were used during the study. These techniques aimed at identifying special aspects of historical thinking among students-historians. The correlation analysis was used for statistical processing of the obtained results. Results: the experimental research of specifics of historical thinking among students and historians revealed the influential factors on the formation. The skills of reading and interpreting of historical sources are the most important and sometimes the main means of the historical thinking formation. Historical document is the point of departure for the analysis of the historical situation, and social phenomena. Discussion and Conclusions: professional historical thinking is a mental activity aimed at solving social problems and drawn to understanding the past, present and projected future. It does not simply reproduce reality, but reconstructs and models it. Unlike other academic disciplines, history does not deal with existing at the moment object rather its reconstruction. While thinking of the history involves critical perception, and synthesis of sources, imagination, play, simulation development, and personal empathy (entering into the situation, understanding of phenomena identification and rationale of their position. The historical thinking skills consist of philosophical, logical and specific historical intellectual operations. The development of historical thinking can be realised only on the general laws of thought, knowledge of general methodological principles and properties of historical knowledge. The properties of thinking are realised through substantive content of stories, which

  12. Variable displacement alpha-type Stirling engine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Homutescu, V. M.; Bălănescu, D. T.; Panaite, C. E.; Atanasiu, M. V.

    2016-08-01

    The basic design and construction of an alpha-type Stirling engine with on load variable displacement is presented. The variable displacement is obtained through a planar quadrilateral linkage with one on load movable ground link. The physico-mathematical model used for analyzing the variable displacement alpha-type Stirling engine behavior is an isothermal model that takes into account the real movement of the pistons. Performances and power adjustment capabilities of such alpha-type Stirling engine are calculated and analyzed. An exemplification through the use of the numerical simulation was performed in this regard.

  13. A Right’s Story: The Historical Roots of the Right to Work as a Human Right

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azadeh Al- Sadat Taheri

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The right to work has been recognized in many international instruments. According to this right, everybody deserves to enjoy decent and appropriate job opportunities.On the other hand this right includes states’ obligations to provide enough opportunities. This article seeks to explain historical roots of the right to work. The study shows that industrial revolution, workers’ movements, recession in some periods of time and deep changes after the Second World War were the most important factors in emerging the right, which later was accepted as a welfare right in the context of human rights.

  14. Current State of the Art Historic Building Information Modelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dore, C.; Murphy, M.

    2017-08-01

    In an extensive review of existing literature a number of observations were made in relation to the current approaches for recording and modelling existing buildings and environments: Data collection and pre-processing techniques are becoming increasingly automated to allow for near real-time data capture and fast processing of this data for later modelling applications. Current BIM software is almost completely focused on new buildings and has very limited tools and pre-defined libraries for modelling existing and historic buildings. The development of reusable parametric library objects for existing and historic buildings supports modelling with high levels of detail while decreasing the modelling time. Mapping these parametric objects to survey data, however, is still a time-consuming task that requires further research. Promising developments have been made towards automatic object recognition and feature extraction from point clouds for as-built BIM. However, results are currently limited to simple and planar features. Further work is required for automatic accurate and reliable reconstruction of complex geometries from point cloud data. Procedural modelling can provide an automated solution for generating 3D geometries but lacks the detail and accuracy required for most as-built applications in AEC and heritage fields.

  15. Assessing neurodevelopmental effects of arsenolipids in pre-differentiated human neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Witt, Barbara; Ebert, Franziska; Meyer, Sören; Francesconi, Kevin A; Schwerdtle, Tanja

    2017-11-01

    In the general population exposure to arsenic occurs mainly via diet. Highest arsenic concentrations are found in seafood, where arsenic is present predominantly in its organic forms including arsenolipids. Since recent studies have provided evidence that arsenolipids could reach the brain of an organism and exert toxicity in fully differentiated human neurons, this work aims to assess the neurodevelopmental toxicity of arsenolipids. Neurodevelopmental effects of three arsenic-containing hydrocarbons (AsHC), two arsenic-containing fatty acids (AsFA), arsenite and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA V ) were characterized in pre-differentiated human neurons. AsHCs and arsenite caused substantial cytotoxicity in a similar, low concentration range, whereas AsFAs and DMA V were less toxic. AsHCs were highly accessible for cells and exerted pronounced neurodevelopmental effects, with neurite outgrowth and the mitochondrial membrane potential being sensitive endpoints; arsenite did not substantially decrease those two endpoints. In fully differentiated neurons, arsenite and AsHCs caused neurite toxicity. These results indicate for a neurodevelopmental potential of AsHCs. Taken into account the possibility that AsHCs might easily reach the developing brain when exposed during early life, neurotoxicity and neurodevelopmental toxicity cannot be excluded. Further studies are needed in order to progress the urgently needed risk assessment. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Increased mortality exposure within the family rather than individual mortality experiences triggers faster life-history strategies in historic human populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Störmer, Charlotte; Lummaa, Virpi

    2014-01-01

    Life History Theory predicts that extrinsic mortality risk is one of the most important factors shaping (human) life histories. Evidence from contemporary populations suggests that individuals confronted with high mortality environments show characteristic traits of fast life-history strategies: they marry and reproduce earlier, have shorter birth intervals and invest less in their offspring. However, little is known of the impact of mortality experiences on the speed of life histories in historical human populations with generally higher mortality risk, and on male life histories in particular. Furthermore, it remains unknown whether individual-level mortality experiences within the family have a greater effect on life-history decisions or family membership explains life-history variation. In a comparative approach using event history analyses, we study the impact of family versus individual-level effects of mortality exposure on two central life-history parameters, ages at first marriage and first birth, in three historical human populations (Germany, Finland, Canada). Mortality experience is measured as the confrontation with sibling deaths within the natal family up to an individual's age of 15. Results show that the speed of life histories is not adjusted according to individual-level mortality experiences but is due to family-level effects. The general finding of lower ages at marriage/reproduction after exposure to higher mortality in the family holds for both females and males. This study provides evidence for the importance of the family environment for reproductive timing while individual-level mortality experiences seem to play only a minor role in reproductive life history decisions in humans.

  17. Neutron displacement damage cross sections for SiC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Hanchen; Ghoniem, N.

    1993-01-01

    Calculations of neutron displacement damage cross sections for SiC are presented. We use Biersack and Haggmark's empirical formula in constructing the electronic stopping power, which combines Lindhard's model at low PKA energies and Bethe-Bloch's model at high PKA energies. The electronic stopping power for polyatomic materials is computed on the basis of Bragg's Additivity Rule. A continuous form of the inverse power law potential is used for nuclear scattering. Coupled integro-differential equations for the number of displaced atoms j, caused by PKA i, are then derived. The procedure outlined above gives partial displacement cross sections, displacement cross sections for each specie of the lattice, and for each PKA type. The corresponding damage rates for several fusion and fission neutron spectra are calculated. The stoichiometry of the irradiated material is investigated by finding the ratio of displacements among various atomic species. The role of each specie in displacing atoms is also investigated by calculating the fraction of displacements caused by each PKA type. The study shows that neutron displacement damage rates of SiC in typical magnetic fusion reactor first walls will be ∝10-15 dpa MW -1 m 2 ; in typical lead-protected inertial confinement fusion reactor first walls they will be ∝15-20 dpa MW -1 m 2 . For fission spectra, we find that the neutron displacement damage rate of SiC is ∝74 dpa per 10 27 n/m 2 in FFTF, ∝39 dpa per 10 27 n/m 2 in HFIR, and 25 dpa per 10 27 n/m 2 in NRU. Approximately 80% of displacement atoms are shown to be of the carbon-type. (orig.)

  18. Historical ecology: past, present and future

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Szabó, Péter

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 90, č. 4 (2015), s. 997-1014 ISSN 1464-7931 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 278065 - LONGWOOD Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : interdisciplinarity * human -nature interactions * historical ecology Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 10.725, year: 2015

  19. A new human (psycho)pharmacology tool: the multiple organs coincidences counter (MOCC).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malizia, A; Forse, G; Haida, A; Gunn, R; Melichar, J; Poole, K; Bateman, D; Fahy, D; Schnorr, L; Brown, D; Rhodes, C; Nutt, D J; Jones, T

    1995-01-01

    We describe a novel instrument which is capable of measuring the uptake of radioligand in human organs in vivo with the administration of very small doses of positron-emitting radioligands. This technique readily detects the displacement or reduced uptake of radioligand when a competitive agonist or antagonist is administered. This system provides no tomographic information, but the small radioactive doses involved mean that investigations can be repeated at regular intervals and that female volunteers can also participate. We administered [(11) C]flumazenil, [(11)C]diprenorphine, [(11)C]meta -hydroxyephedrine (MHED) and [(11)C]RTI 55 to healthy male volunteers and performed control, pre-loading and displacement experiments. These demonstrate the feasibility of using this technique to investigate benzodiazepine and opiate receptor occupancy, as well as occupancy at dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin (5-HT) re-uptake sites. This method is likely to be useful in pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic experiments, in drug development and discovery and in the development of novel imaging radioligands.

  20. Climate Variability and Human Migration in the Netherlands, 1865–1937

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jennings, Julia A.; Gray, Clark L.

    2014-01-01

    Human migration is frequently cited as a potential social outcome of climate change and variability, and these effects are often assumed to be stronger in the past when economies were less developed and markets more localized. Yet, few studies have used historical data to test the relationship between climate and migration directly. In addition, the results of recent studies that link demographic and climate data are not consistent with conventional narratives of displacement responses. Using longitudinal individual-level demographic data from the Historical Sample of the Netherlands (HSN) and climate data that cover the same period, we examine the effects of climate variability on migration using event history models. Only internal moves in the later period and for certain social groups are associated with negative climate conditions, and the strength and direction of the observed effects change over time. International moves decrease with extreme rainfall, suggesting that the complex relationships between climate and migration that have been observed for contemporary populations extend into the nineteenth century. PMID:25937689

  1. Asymmetric SOL Current in Vertically Displaced Plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabrera, J. D.; Navratil, G. A.; Hanson, J. M.

    2017-10-01

    Experiments at the DIII-D tokamak demonstrate a non-monotonic relationship between measured scrape-off layer (SOL) currents and vertical displacement event (VDE) rates with SOL currents becoming largely n=1 dominant as plasma is displaced by the plasma control system (PCS) at faster rates. The DIII-D PCS is used to displace the magnetic axis 10x slower than the intrinsic growth time of similar instabilities in lower single-null plasmas. Low order (n VDE instabilities observed when vertical control is disabled. Previous inquiry shows VDE asymmetry characterized by SOL current fraction and geometric parameters of tokamak plasmas. We note that, of plasmas displaced by the PCS, short displacement time scales near the limit of the PCS temporal control appear to result in larger n=1/n=2 asymmetries. Work supported under USDOE Cooperative Agreement DE-FC02-04ER54698 and DE-FG02-04ER54761.

  2. Internal displacement in Colombia: Fifteen distinguishing features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shultz, James M; Ceballos, Ángela Milena Gómez; Espinel, Zelde; Oliveros, Sofia Rios; Fonseca, Maria Fernanda; Florez, Luis Jorge Hernandez

    2014-01-01

    This commentary aims to delineate the distinguishing features of conflict-induced internal displacement in the nation of Colombia, South America. Even as Colombia is currently implementing a spectrum of legal, social, economic, and health programs for "victims of armed conflict," with particular focus on internally displaced persons (IDPs), the dynamics of forced migration on a mass scale within this country are little known beyond national borders.   The authors of this commentary are embarking on a global mental health research program in Bogota, Colombia to define best practices for reaching the displaced population and implementing sustainable, evidence-based screening and intervention for common mental disorders. Presenting the defining characteristics of internal displacement in Colombia provides the context for our work and, more importantly, conveys the compelling and complex nature of this humanitarian crisis. We attempt to demonstrate Colombia's unique position within the global patterning of internal displacement.

  3. Superior infectivity for mosquito vectors contributes to competitive displacement among strains of dengue virus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schirtzinger Erin E

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Competitive displacement of a weakly virulent pathogen strain by a more virulent strain is one route to disease emergence. However the mechanisms by which pathogens compete for access to hosts are poorly understood. Among vector-borne pathogens, variation in the ability to infect vectors may effect displacement. The current study focused on competitive displacement in dengue virus serotype 3 (DENV3, a mosquito-borne pathogen of humans. In Sri Lanka in the 1980's, a native DENV3 strain associated with relatively mild dengue disease was displaced by an invasive DENV3 strain associated with the most severe disease manifestations, dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS, resulting in an outbreak of DHF/DSS. Here we tested the hypothesis that differences between the invasive and native strain in their infectivity for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the primary vector of DENV, contributed to the competitive success of the invasive strain Results To be transmitted by a mosquito, DENV must infect and replicate in the midgut, disseminate into the hemocoel, infect the salivary glands, and be released into the saliva. The ability of the native and invasive DENV3 strains to complete the first three steps of this process in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes was measured in vivo. The invasive strain infected a similar proportion of mosquitoes as the native strain but replicated to significantly higher titers in the midgut and disseminated with significantly greater efficiency than the native strain. In contrast, the native and invasive strain showed no significant difference in replication in cultured mosquito, monkey or human cells. Conclusion The invasive DENV3 strain infects and disseminates in Ae. aegypti more efficiently than the displaced native DENV3 strain, suggesting that the invasive strain is transmitted more efficiently. Replication in cultured cells did not adequately characterize the known phenotypic differences between

  4. Targeting Human Papillomavirus to Reduce the Burden of Cervical, Vulvar and Vaginal Cancer and Pre-Invasive Neoplasia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nygard, Mari; Hansen, Bo Terning; Dillner, Joakim

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is causally related to cervical, vulvar and vaginal pre-invasive neoplasias and cancers. Highly effective vaccines against HPV types 16/18 have been available since 2006, and are currently used in many countries in combination...... with cervical cancer screening to control the burden of cervical cancer. We estimated the overall and age-specific incidence rate (IR) of cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancer and pre-invasive neoplasia in Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden in 2004-2006, prior to the availability of HPV vaccines, in order...... to establish a baseline for surveillance. We also estimated the population attributable fraction to determine roughly the expected effect of HPV16/18 vaccination on the incidence of these diseases. METHODS: Information on incident cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers and high-grade pre-invasive neoplasias...

  5. Signal displacement in spiral-in acquisitions: simulations and implications for imaging in SFG regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brewer, Kimberly D; Rioux, James A; Klassen, Martyn; Bowen, Chris V; Beyea, Steven D

    2012-07-01

    Susceptibility field gradients (SFGs) cause problems for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in regions like the orbital frontal lobes, leading to signal loss and image artifacts (signal displacement and "pile-up"). Pulse sequences with spiral-in k-space trajectories are often used when acquiring fMRI in SFG regions such as inferior/medial temporal cortex because it is believed that they have improved signal recovery and decreased signal displacement properties. Previously postulated theories explain differing reasons why spiral-in appears to perform better than spiral-out; however it is clear that multiple mechanisms are occurring in parallel. This study explores differences in spiral-in and spiral-out images using human and phantom empirical data, as well as simulations consistent with the phantom model. Using image simulations, the displacement of signal was characterized using point spread functions (PSFs) and target maps, the latter of which are conceptually inverse PSFs describing which spatial locations contribute signal to a particular voxel. The magnitude of both PSFs and target maps was found to be identical for spiral-out and spiral-in acquisitions, with signal in target maps being displaced from distant regions in both cases. However, differences in the phase of the signal displacement patterns that consequently lead to changes in the intervoxel phase coherence were found to be a significant mechanism explaining differences between the spiral sequences. The results demonstrate that spiral-in trajectories do preserve more total signal in SFG regions than spiral-out; however, spiral-in does not in fact exhibit decreased signal displacement. Given that this signal can be displaced by significant distances, its recovery may not be preferable for all fMRI applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Force transmissibility versus displacement transmissibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lage, Y. E.; Neves, M. M.; Maia, N. M. M.; Tcherniak, D.

    2014-10-01

    It is well-known that when a single-degree-of-freedom (sdof) system is excited by a continuous motion of the foundation, the force transmissibility, relating the force transmitted to the foundation to the applied force, equals the displacement transmissibility. Recent developments in the generalization of the transmissibility to multiple-degree-of-freedom (mdof) systems have shown that similar simple and direct relations between both types of transmissibility do not appear naturally from the definitions, as happens in the sdof case. In this paper, the authors present their studies on the conditions under which it is possible to establish a relation between force transmissibility and displacement transmissibility for mdof systems. As far as the authors are aware, such a relation is not currently found in the literature, which is justified by being based on recent developments in the transmissibility concept for mdof systems. Indeed, it does not appear naturally, but the authors observed that the needed link is present when the displacement transmissibility is obtained between the same coordinates where the applied and reaction forces are considered in the force transmissibility case; this implies that the boundary conditions are not exactly the same and instead follow some rules. This work presents a formal derivation of the explicit relation between the force and displacement transmissibilities for mdof systems, and discusses its potential and limitations. The authors show that it is possible to obtain the displacement transmissibility from measured forces, and the force transmissibility from measured displacements, opening new perspectives, for example, in the identification of applied or transmitted forces. With this novel relation, it becomes possible, for example, to estimate the force transmissibility matrix with the structure off its supports, in free boundary conditions, and without measuring the forces. As far as force identification is concerned, this

  7. The Chinese Export Displacement Effect Revisited

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elleby, Christian; Yu, Wusheng; Yu, Qian

    China’s global export share has increased dramatically over the past decades. This development has prompted an empirical literature on whether Chinese exports displace those originated from elsewhere in various destination markets. In this paper we focus on the growth of China’s exports to the East...... African Community (EAC) countries and show how it has affected exports from the European Union (EU) to the EAC. Our main contribution to the literature on the displacement effect of Chinese exports is a set of total and relative displacement estimates based on different specifications of the gravity model...... where we control for country-year fixed effects so as to avoid the “gold medal mistake” of not accounting for time varying “multilateral resistance”. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that Chinese exports have displaced exports from other countries in general. Nor do they support the hypothesis...

  8. The Three Gorges: the unexamined toll of development-induced displacement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Stein

    1998-04-01

    Full Text Available In China, the context of forced displacement in its broadest sense centres on four issues: (1 coercive displacement for development; (2 political persecution resulting in controlled displacement; (3 massive labour dislocations; and (4 disaster-induced displacement. This article looks at the role of the state in displacement, focusing on the first of these issues: development-induced displacement.

  9. Attentive novelty detection in humans is governed by pre-attentive sensory memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiitinen, H; May, P; Reinikainen, K; Näätänen, R

    1994-11-03

    Being able to detect unusual, possibly dangerous events in the environment is a fundamental ability that helps ensure the survival of biological organisms. Novelty detection requires a memory system that models (builds neural representations of) events in the environment, so that changes are detected because they violate the predictions of the model. The earliest physiologically measurable brain response to novel auditory stimuli is the mismatch negativity, MMN, a component of the event-related potential. It is elicited when a predictable series of unvarying stimuli is unexpectedly followed by a deviating stimulus. As the occurrence of MMN is not usually affected by the direction of attention, MMN reflects the operation of automatic sensory (echoic) memory, the earliest memory system that builds traces of the acoustic environment against which new stimuli can be compared. The dependence of attentive novelty detection on earlier, pre-attentive processes, however, has remained elusive. Previous, related studies seem to suggest a relationship between MMN and attentive processes, although no conclusive evidence has so far been shown. Here we address novelty detection in humans both on a physiological and behavioural level, and show how attentive novelty detection is governed by a pre-attentive sensory memory mechanism.

  10. Looking at sexual education in pre-school education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Estrella García Quintero

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper provides the framework supporting the training of educative agents to influence upon sexual education of boys and girls in pre-school age as a way to attain high quality standard in the education. These rationale starts from the assumption that it is possible to favor the training process of educative agents on the topic by means of integrating actions with a gender centered approach. The proposal is the result of a thorough study based on the socio-historical cultural approach resulting from the doctoral dissertation already presented by the first authoress. At the same time, these results contribute to the research project “Training the family for the intellectual stimulus of pre-school children. Additionally it offers the stages of sexual education at pre-school age.

  11. Moral Education: Its Historical and Phenomenological Foundations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skorpen, Erling

    1984-01-01

    Presents a historically based outline of six stages of human normative development. Elucidates this outline phenomenologically and derives a hierarchical scheme of normative behavior from which to develop programs of moral education. (SK)

  12. Historic perspective: Prebiotics, probiotics, and other alternatives to antibiotics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antibiotic applications in agricultural and human medical arenas have resulted in tremendous increases in food animal production and historically unprecedented gains in human health protection. Successes attributed to wide-spread antibiotic use have been accompanied by the inadvertent emergence of r...

  13. Displaced Homemakers: Vo-Tech Workshop Guide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peltier, Wanda Jo

    Written for displaced homemaker programs in vocational-technical schools, this curriculum contains material designed so that instructors can prepare student manuals appropriate to almost any educational support situation for displaced homemakers. An overview provides information on special needs groups, curriculum use, and resources and sample…

  14. The Throw-and-Catch Model of Human Gait: Evidence from Coupling of Pre-Step Postural Activity and Step Location

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bancroft, Matthew J.; Day, Brian L.

    2016-01-01

    Postural activity normally precedes the lift of a foot from the ground when taking a step, but its function is unclear. The throw-and-catch hypothesis of human gait proposes that the pre-step activity is organized to generate momentum for the body to fall ballistically along a specific trajectory during the step. The trajectory is appropriate for the stepping foot to land at its intended location while at the same time being optimally placed to catch the body and regain balance. The hypothesis therefore predicts a strong coupling between the pre-step activity and step location. Here we examine this coupling when stepping to visually-presented targets at different locations. Ten healthy, young subjects were instructed to step as accurately as possible onto targets placed in five locations that required either different step directions or different step lengths. In 75% of trials, the target location remained constant throughout the step. In the remaining 25% of trials, the intended step location was changed by making the target jump to a new location 96 ms ± 43 ms after initiation of the pre-step activity, long before foot lift. As predicted by the throw-and-catch hypothesis, when the target location remained constant, the pre-step activity led to body momentum at foot lift that was coupled to the intended step location. When the target location jumped, the pre-step activity was adjusted (median latency 223 ms) and prolonged (on average by 69 ms), which altered the body’s momentum at foot lift according to where the target had moved. We conclude that whenever possible the coupling between the pre-step activity and the step location is maintained. This provides further support for the throw-and-catch hypothesis of human gait. PMID:28066208

  15. The Throw-and-Catch Model of Human Gait: Evidence from Coupling of Pre-Step Postural Activity and Step Location.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bancroft, Matthew J; Day, Brian L

    2016-01-01

    Postural activity normally precedes the lift of a foot from the ground when taking a step, but its function is unclear. The throw-and-catch hypothesis of human gait proposes that the pre-step activity is organized to generate momentum for the body to fall ballistically along a specific trajectory during the step. The trajectory is appropriate for the stepping foot to land at its intended location while at the same time being optimally placed to catch the body and regain balance. The hypothesis therefore predicts a strong coupling between the pre-step activity and step location. Here we examine this coupling when stepping to visually-presented targets at different locations. Ten healthy, young subjects were instructed to step as accurately as possible onto targets placed in five locations that required either different step directions or different step lengths. In 75% of trials, the target location remained constant throughout the step. In the remaining 25% of trials, the intended step location was changed by making the target jump to a new location 96 ms ± 43 ms after initiation of the pre-step activity, long before foot lift. As predicted by the throw-and-catch hypothesis, when the target location remained constant, the pre-step activity led to body momentum at foot lift that was coupled to the intended step location. When the target location jumped, the pre-step activity was adjusted (median latency 223 ms) and prolonged (on average by 69 ms), which altered the body's momentum at foot lift according to where the target had moved. We conclude that whenever possible the coupling between the pre-step activity and the step location is maintained. This provides further support for the throw-and-catch hypothesis of human gait.

  16. 76 FR 17444 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Colorado Historical Society (History Colorado), Denver, CO

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-29

    ... Culture, Colorado Historical Society (History Colorado), 1560 Broadway, Suite 400, Denver, CO 80202...: Colorado Historical Society (History Colorado), Denver, CO AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION... control of the Colorado Historical Society (History Colorado), Denver, CO. The human remains were removed...

  17. External fixation for displaced intra-articular fractures of the calcaneum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magnan, B; Bortolazzi, R; Marangon, A; Marino, M; Dall'Oca, C; Bartolozzi, P

    2006-11-01

    A minimally-invasive procedure using percutaneous reduction and external fixation can be carried out for Sanders' type II, III and IV fractures of the os calcis. We have treated 54 consecutive closed displaced fractures of the calcaneum involving the articular surface in 52 patients with the Orthofix Calcaneal Mini-Fixator. Patients were followed up for a mean of 49 months (27 to 94) and assessed clinically with the Maryland Foot Score and radiologically with radiographs and CT scans, evaluated according to the Score Analysis of Verona. The clinical results at follow-up were excellent or good in 49 cases (90.7%), fair in two (3.7%) and poor in three (5.6%). The mean pre-operative Böhler's angle was 6.98 degrees (5.95 degrees to 19.86 degrees), whereas after surgery the mean value was 21.94 degrees (12.58 degrees to 31.30 degrees) (p fair in three (5.6%) and poor in two (3.7%). Transient local osteoporosis was observed in ten patients (18.5%), superficial pin track infection in three (5.6%), and three patients (5.6%) showed thalamic displacement following unadvised early weight-bearing. The clinical results appear to be comparable with those obtainable with open reduction and internal fixation, with the advantages of reduced risk using a minimally-invasive technique.

  18. 5 CFR 330.706 - Notification of displaced employees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Notification of displaced employees. 330... RECRUITMENT, SELECTION, AND PLACEMENT (GENERAL) Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan for Displaced Employees § 330.706 Notification of displaced employees. (a) In addition to meeting the requirements of...

  19. Application of a novel Kalman filter based block matching method to ultrasound images for hand tendon displacement estimation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Ting-Yu; Chen, Hsiao-I; Shih, Cho-Chiang; Kuo, Li-Chieh; Hsu, Hsiu-Yun; Huang, Chih-Chung

    2016-01-01

    Information about tendon displacement is important for allowing clinicians to not only quantify preoperative tendon injuries but also to identify any adhesive scaring between tendon and adjacent tissue. The Fisher-Tippett (FT) similarity measure has recently been shown to be more accurate than the Laplacian sum of absolute differences (SAD) and Gaussian sum of squared differences (SSD) similarity measures for tracking tendon displacement in ultrasound B-mode images. However, all of these similarity measures can easily be influenced by the quality of the ultrasound image, particularly its signal-to-noise ratio. Ultrasound images of injured hands are unfortunately often of poor quality due to the presence of adhesive scars. The present study investigated a novel Kalman-filter scheme for overcoming this problem. Three state-of-the-art tracking methods (FT, SAD, and SSD) were used to track the displacements of phantom and cadaver tendons, while FT was used to track human tendons. These three tracking methods were combined individually with the proposed Kalman-filter (K1) scheme and another Kalman-filter scheme used in a previous study to optimize the displacement trajectories of the phantom and cadaver tendons. The motion of the human extensor digitorum communis tendon was measured in the present study using the FT-K1 scheme. The experimental results indicated that SSD exhibited better accuracy in the phantom experiments, whereas FT exhibited better performance for tracking real tendon motion in the cadaver experiments. All three tracking methods were influenced by the signal-to-noise ratio of the images. On the other hand, the K1 scheme was able to optimize the tracking trajectory of displacement in all experiments, even from a location with a poor image quality. The human experimental data indicated that the normal tendons were displaced more than the injured tendons, and that the motion ability of the injured tendon was restored after appropriate rehabilitation

  20. 40 CFR 205.153 - Engine displacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ..., in accordance with American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) E 29-67. (b) For rotary engines... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Engine displacement. 205.153 Section... TRANSPORTATION EQUIPMENT NOISE EMISSION CONTROLS Motorcycles § 205.153 Engine displacement. (a) Engine...

  1. On the human capital of Inca Indios before and after the Spanish conquest: Was there a "pre-colonial legacy"?

    OpenAIRE

    Juif, Dácil-Tania; Baten, Joerg

    2012-01-01

    Not only the colonial period, but also the pre-colonial times might have influenced later development patterns. In this study we assess a potential pre-colonial legacy hypothesis for the case of the Andean region. In order to analyze the hypothesis, we study the human capital of Inca Indios, using age-heaping-based techniques to estimate basic numeracy skills. We find that Peruvian Inca Indios had only around half the numeracy level of the Spanish invaders. The hypothesis holds even after adj...

  2. Dissolved oxygen detection by galvanic displacement-induced

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Dissolved oxygen detection by galvanic displacement-induced graphene/silver nanocomposite ... dissolved oxygen (DO) detection based on a galvanic displacement synthesized reduced graphene oxide–silver nanoparticles ... Current Issue

  3. Gondeshapur Revisited; What Historical Evidence?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nayernouri, Touraj

    2017-04-01

    In recent years, in European academic circles, there has been a trend to dismiss Gondeshapur as a myth perpetrated by the Bokhtishu family in early Islamic era, despite many historiographical attestations. The writings of Islamic historians such as Al-Qifti and Ibn Abi Usaibia have been discounted as exaggerations by non-contemporary historians, and the lack of primary Pahlavi sources blamed for historical hyperbole. In this essay, I have attempted to show through primary Syriac Christian texts, that there was both a medical school and a bimarestan in Gondeshapur in pre-Islamic Sassanid era, and that Galenic medical texts had been translated and taught in that institution.

  4. Quantitative historical analysis uncovers a single dimension of complexity that structures global variation in human social organization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turchin, Peter; Currie, Thomas E.; Whitehouse, Harvey; François, Pieter; Feeney, Kevin; Mullins, Daniel; Hoyer, Daniel; Collins, Christina; Grohmann, Stephanie; Mendel-Gleason, Gavin; Turner, Edward; Dupeyron, Agathe; Cioni, Enrico; Reddish, Jenny; Levine, Jill; Jordan, Greine; Brandl, Eva; Williams, Alice; Cesaretti, Rudolf; Krueger, Marta; Ceccarelli, Alessandro; Figliulo-Rosswurm, Joe; Tuan, Po-Ju; Peregrine, Peter; Marciniak, Arkadiusz; Preiser-Kapeller, Johannes; Kradin, Nikolay; Korotayev, Andrey; Palmisano, Alessio; Baker, David; Bidmead, Julye; Bol, Peter; Christian, David; Cook, Connie; Covey, Alan; Feinman, Gary; Júlíusson, Árni Daníel; Kristinsson, Axel; Miksic, John; Mostern, Ruth; Petrie, Cameron; Rudiak-Gould, Peter; ter Haar, Barend; Wallace, Vesna; Mair, Victor; Xie, Liye; Baines, John; Bridges, Elizabeth; Manning, Joseph; Lockhart, Bruce; Bogaard, Amy; Spencer, Charles

    2018-01-01

    Do human societies from around the world exhibit similarities in the way that they are structured, and show commonalities in the ways that they have evolved? These are long-standing questions that have proven difficult to answer. To test between competing hypotheses, we constructed a massive repository of historical and archaeological information known as “Seshat: Global History Databank.” We systematically coded data on 414 societies from 30 regions around the world spanning the last 10,000 years. We were able to capture information on 51 variables reflecting nine characteristics of human societies, such as social scale, economy, features of governance, and information systems. Our analyses revealed that these different characteristics show strong relationships with each other and that a single principal component captures around three-quarters of the observed variation. Furthermore, we found that different characteristics of social complexity are highly predictable across different world regions. These results suggest that key aspects of social organization are functionally related and do indeed coevolve in predictable ways. Our findings highlight the power of the sciences and humanities working together to rigorously test hypotheses about general rules that may have shaped human history. PMID:29269395

  5. A phenomenological model for pre-stressed piezoelectric ceramic stack actuators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, D H; Zhu, W

    2011-01-01

    In order to characterize the hysteretic characteristics between the output displacement and applied voltage of pre-stressed piezoelectric ceramic stack actuators (PCSAs), this paper considers that a linear force and a hysteretic force will be generated by a linear extension and a hysteretic extension, respectively, due to the applied voltage to a pre-stressed PCSA and the total force will result in the forced vibration of the single-degree-of-freedom (DOF) system composed of the mass of the pre-stressed PCSA and the equivalent spring and damper of the pre-stressed mechanism, which lets the PCSA be pre-stressed to endure enough tension. On this basis, the phenomenological model to characterize the hysteretic behavior of the pre-stressed PCSA is put forward by using the Bouc–Wen hysteresis operator to model the hysteretic extension. The parameter identification method in a least-squares sense is established by identifying the parameters for the linear and hysteretic components separately with the step and periodic responses of the pre-stressed PCSA, respectively. The performance of the proposed phenomenological model with the corresponding parameter identification method is experimentally verified by the established experimental set-up. The research results show that the phenomenological model for the pre-stressed PCSA with the corresponding parameter identification method can accurately portray the hysteretic characteristics of the pre-stressed PCSA. In addition, the phenomenological model for PCSAs can be deduced from the phenomenological model for pre-stressed PCSAs by removing the terms related to the pre-stressed mechanisms

  6. National Register of Historic Places multiple property documentation form -- Historic, archaeological, and traditional cultural properties of the Hanford Site, Washington

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nickens, P.R.

    1997-08-01

    The US Department of Energy`s Hanford Site encompasses an area of 560 square miles on the Columbia River in southeastern Washington. Since 1943, the Hanford Site has existed as a protected area for activities primarily related to the production of radioactive materials for national defense uses. For cultural resources on the Hanford Site, establishment of the nuclear reservation as a high security area, with public access restricted, has resulted in a well-protected status, although no deliberate resource protection measures were in effect to mitigate effects of facilities construction and associated activities. Thus, the Hanford Site contains an extensive record of aboriginal archaeological sites and Native American cultural properties, along with pre-Hanford Euro-American sites (primarily archaeological in nature with the removal of most pre-1943 structures), and a considerable number of Manhattan Project/Cold War era buildings and structures. The recent mission change from production to clean up and disposal of DOE lands created a critical need for development and implementation of new and different cultural resource management strategies. DOE-RL has undertaken a preservation planning effort for the Hanford Site. The intent of this Plan is to enable DOE-RL to organize data and develop goals, objectives, and priorities for the identification, evaluation, registration, protection, preservation, and enhancement of the Site`s historical and cultural properties. Decisions made about the identification, evaluation, registration and treatment of historic properties are most aptly made when relationships between individual properties and other similar properties are considered. The historic context and the multiple property documentation (NTD) process provides DOE-RL the organizational framework for these decisions. Once significant patterns are identified, contexts developed, and expected properties are defined, the NTD process provides the foundation for future

  7. Actuators Using Piezoelectric Stacks and Displacement Enhancers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Sherrit, Stewart; Bao, Xiaoqi; Badescu, Mircea; Lee, Hyeong Jae; Walkenmeyer, Phillip; Lih, Shyh-Shiuh

    2015-01-01

    Actuators are used to drive all active mechanisms including machines, robots, and manipulators to name a few. The actuators are responsible for moving, manipulating, displacing, pushing and executing any action that is needed by the mechanism. There are many types and principles of actuation that are responsible for these movements ranging from electromagnetic, electroactive, thermo-mechanic, piezoelectric, electrostrictive etc. Actuators are readily available from commercial producers but there is a great need for reducing their size, increasing their efficiency and reducing their weight. Studies at JPL’s Non Destructive Evaluation and Advanced Actuators (NDEAA) Laboratory have been focused on the use of piezoelectric stacks and novel designs taking advantage of piezoelectric’s potential to provide high torque/force density actuation and high electromechanical conversion efficiency. The actuators/motors that have been developed and reviewed in this paper are operated by various horn configurations as well as the use of pre-stress flexures that make them thermally stable and increases their coupling efficiency. The use of monolithic designs that pre-stress the piezoelectric stack eliminates the use of compression stress bolt. These designs enable the embedding of developed solid-state motors/actuators in any structure with the only macroscopically moving parts are the rotor or the linear translator. Finite element modeling and design tools were used to determine the requirements and operation parameters and the results were used to simulate, design and fabricate novel actuators/motors. The developed actuators and performance will be described and discussed in this paper.

  8. Displacement in new economy labor markets: Post-displacement wage loss in high tech versus low tech cities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Daniel J; Rubin, Beth A

    2016-11-01

    While scholars and politicians tout education as the salve to employment disruptions, we argue that the geography of the new economy, and the social closure mechanisms that geography creates, may be just as important as individuals' characteristics for predicting post-displacement wage loss (or gain). We use data from the 2012 Displaced Workers ement of the Current Population Survey and from the 2010 United States Census to test hypotheses linking local labor markets in different industrial contexts to post-displacement wage loss. Our results point to age as a closure mechanism, and to the partially protective effect of education in high-tech versus low-tech economic sectors. This study is the first to use national level data to examine how employment in high-tech cities influences post-displacement wages. These findings are relevant both for theorizing about the new economy and for public policy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. The trauma of ongoing conflict and displacement in Chechnya: quantitative assessment of living conditions, and psychosocial and general health status among war displaced in Chechnya and Ingushetia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Jong, Kaz; van der Kam, Saskia; Ford, Nathan; Hargreaves, Sally; van Oosten, Richard; Cunningham, Debbie; Boots, Gerry; Andrault, Elodie; Kleber, Rolf

    2007-03-13

    Conflict in Chechnya has resulted in over a decade of violence, human rights abuses, criminality and poverty, and a steady flow of displaced seeking refuge throughout the region. At the beginning of 2004 MSF undertook quantitative surveys among the displaced populations in Chechnya and neighbouring Ingushetia. Surveys were carried out in Ingushetia (January 2004) and Chechnya (February 2004) through systematic sampling. Various conflict-related factors contributing to ill health were researched to obtain information on displacement history, living conditions, and psychosocial and general health status. The average length of displacement was five years. Conditions in both locations were poor, and people in both locations indicated food shortages (Chechnya (C): 13.3%, Ingushetia (I): 11.3%), and there was a high degree of dependency on outside help (C: 95.4%, I: 94.3%). Most people (C: 94%, I: 98%) were confronted with violence in the past. Many respondents had witnessed the killing of people (C: 22.7%, I: 24.1%) and nearly half of people interviewed witnessed arrests (C: 53.1%, I: 48.4%) and maltreatment (C: 56.2%, I: 44.5%). Approximately one third of those interviewed had directly experienced war-related violence. A substantial number of people interviewed - one third in Ingushetia (37.5%) and two-thirds in Chechnya (66.8%) - rarely felt safe. The violence was ongoing, with respondents reporting violence in the month before the survey (C: 12.5%, I: 4.6%). Results of the general health questionnaire (GHQ 28) showed that nearly all internally displaced persons interviewed were suffering from health complaints such as somatic complaints, anxiety/insomnia, depressive feelings or social dysfunction (C: 201, 78.5%, CI: 73.0% - 83.4%; I: 230, 81.3%, CI: 76.2% - 85.6%). Poor health status was reflected in other survey questions, but health services were difficult to access for around half the population (C: 54.3%, I: 46.6%). The study demonstrates that the health needs of

  10. The trauma of ongoing conflict and displacement in Chechnya: quantitative assessment of living conditions, and psychosocial and general health status among war displaced in Chechnya and Ingushetia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boots Gerry

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Conflict in Chechnya has resulted in over a decade of violence, human rights abuses, criminality and poverty, and a steady flow of displaced seeking refuge throughout the region. At the beginning of 2004 MSF undertook quantitative surveys among the displaced populations in Chechnya and neighbouring Ingushetia. Methods Surveys were carried out in Ingushetia (January 2004 and Chechnya (February 2004 through systematic sampling. Various conflict-related factors contributing to ill health were researched to obtain information on displacement history, living conditions, and psychosocial and general health status. Results The average length of displacement was five years. Conditions in both locations were poor, and people in both locations indicated food shortages (Chechnya (C: 13.3%, Ingushetia (I: 11.3%, and there was a high degree of dependency on outside help (C: 95.4%, I: 94.3%. Most people (C: 94%, I: 98% were confronted with violence in the past. Many respondents had witnessed the killing of people (C: 22.7%, I: 24.1% and nearly half of people interviewed witnessed arrests (C: 53.1%, I: 48.4% and maltreatment (C: 56.2%, I: 44.5%. Approximately one third of those interviewed had directly experienced war-related violence. A substantial number of people interviewed – one third in Ingushetia (37.5% and two-thirds in Chechnya (66.8% – rarely felt safe. The violence was ongoing, with respondents reporting violence in the month before the survey (C: 12.5%, I: 4.6%. Results of the general health questionnaire (GHQ 28 showed that nearly all internally displaced persons interviewed were suffering from health complaints such as somatic complaints, anxiety/insomnia, depressive feelings or social dysfunction (C: 201, 78.5%, CI: 73.0% – 83.4%; I: 230, 81.3%, CI: 76.2% – 85.6%. Poor health status was reflected in other survey questions, but health services were difficult to access for around half the population (C: 54.3%, I: 46

  11. Analysis of relative displacement between the HX wearable robotic exoskeleton and the user's hand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cempini, Marco; Marzegan, Alberto; Rabuffetti, Marco; Cortese, Mario; Vitiello, Nicola; Ferrarin, Maurizio

    2014-10-18

    Advances in technology are allowing for the production of several viable wearable robotic devices to assist with activities of daily living and with rehabilitation. One of the most pressing limitations to user satisfaction is the lack of consistency in motion between the user and the robotic device. The displacement between the robot and the body segment may not correspond because of differences in skin and tissue compliance, mechanical backlash, and/or incorrect fit. This report presents the results of an analysis of relative displacement between the user's hand and a wearable exoskeleton, the HX. HX has been designed to maximize comfort, wearability and user safety, exploiting chains with multiple degrees-of-freedom with a modular architecture. These appealing features may introduce several uncertainties in the kinematic performances, especially when considering the anthropometry, morphology and degree of mobility of the human hand. The small relative displacements between the hand and the exoskeleton were measured with a video-based motion capture system, while the user executed several different grips in different exoskeleton modes. The analysis furnished quantitative results about the device performance, differentiated among device modules and test conditions. In general, the global relative displacement for the distal part of the device was in the range 0.5-1.5 mm, while within 3 mm (worse but still acceptable) for displacements nearest to the hand dorsum. Conclusions over the HX design principles have been drawn, as well as guidelines for future developments.

  12. Educational Excursions in Technical Schools of Pre-revolutionary Russia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Timur A. Magsumov

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The author, using the data of pre-revolutionary technical schools, traces the genesis and trends of educational excursions development in the Russian Empire. Special attention is attached to the types, organizational forms and methods of excursion activities, educational policy, concerning its development. The article presents author’s classification of educational excursions, notes that educational excursions have become traditional and were operated systematically by the early XX century. Field excursions, which in fact displaced introductive training, prevailed in technical schools

  13. Exogenous Alpha-Synuclein Alters Pre- and Post-Synaptic Activity by Fragmenting Lipid Rafts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Emanuele

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Alpha-synuclein (αSyn interferes with multiple steps of synaptic activity at pre-and post-synaptic terminals, however the mechanism/s by which αSyn alters neurotransmitter release and synaptic potentiation is unclear. By atomic force microscopy we show that human αSyn, when incubated with reconstituted membrane bilayer, induces lipid rafts' fragmentation. As a consequence, ion channels and receptors are displaced from lipid rafts with consequent changes in their activity. The enhanced calcium entry leads to acute mobilization of synaptic vesicles, and exhaustion of neurotransmission at later stages. At the post-synaptic terminal, an acute increase in glutamatergic transmission, with increased density of PSD-95 puncta, is followed by disruption of the interaction between N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR and PSD-95 with ensuing decrease of long term potentiation. While cholesterol loading prevents the acute effect of αSyn at the presynapse; inhibition of casein kinase 2, which appears activated by reduction of cholesterol, restores the correct localization and clustering of NMDARs.

  14. A Missed Opportunity for U.S. Perinatal Human Immunodeficiency Virus Elimination: Pre-exposure Prophylaxis During Pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fruhauf, Timothee; Coleman, Jenell S

    2017-10-01

    To estimate the proportion of women at increased risk of sexual human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition during pregnancy in a high HIV incidence urban setting to identify those who may be eligible for pre-exposure prophylaxis. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of women who received prenatal care at a large academic center in 2012. Univariable analyses and multiple logistic regression models were built to identify correlates for pre-exposure prophylaxis eligibility. Among 1,637 pregnant women, mean age was 27.6 years (SD 6.3), 59.7% were African American, and 56.0% were single. Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines, more than 10% of women were at increased risk for HIV acquisition during pregnancy and eligible for pre-exposure prophylaxis. Younger [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.9/1-year increase, 95% CI 0.8-0.9], single (adjusted OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-4.8), African American women (adjusted OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.6-6.7) with higher parity (adjusted OR 1.3/one-child increase, 95% CI 1.1-1.5), and who smoked regularly during pregnancy (adjusted OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0-3.0) had greater odds of being eligible for pre-exposure prophylaxis at any time during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a vulnerable period during which some heterosexual women in urban settings have a high risk for HIV acquisition and stand to benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis.

  15. Displacement measurement system for linear array detector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Pengchong; Chen Ziyu; Shen Ji

    2011-01-01

    It presents a set of linear displacement measurement system based on encoder. The system includes displacement encoders, optical lens and read out circuit. Displacement read out unit includes linear CCD and its drive circuit, two amplifier circuits, second order Butterworth low-pass filter and the binarization circuit. The coding way is introduced, and various parts of the experimental signal waveforms are given, and finally a linear experimental test results are given. The experimental results are satisfactory. (authors)

  16. URBAN DISPLACEMENT AND LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES: THE CASE OF THE AMERICAN CITY FROM THE LATE TWENTIETH CENTURY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jason Knight

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available How can urban redevelopment benefit existing low-income communities? The history of urban redevelopment is one of disruption of poor communities. Renewal historically offered benefits to the place while pushing out the people. In some cases, displacement is intentional, in others it is unintentional. Often, it is the byproduct of the quest for profits. Regardless of motives, traditional communities, defined by cultural connections, are often disrupted. Disadvantaged neighborhoods include vacant units, which diminish the community and hold back investment. In the postwar period, American cities entered into a program of urban renewal. While this program cleared blight, it also drove displacement among the cities’ poorest and was particularly hard on minority populations clustered in downtown slums. The consequences of these decisions continue to play out today. Concentration of poverty is increasing and American cities are becoming more segregated. As neighborhoods improve, poorer residents are uprooted and forced into even more distressed conditions, elsewhere. This paper examines the history of events impacting urban communities. It further reviews the successes and failures of efforts to benefit low-income communities.

  17. Human skulls with turquoise inlays: pre hispanic origin or replicas?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva V, Y.; Castillo M, M.T.; Bautista M, J.P.; Arenas A, J.

    2006-01-01

    The lack of archaeological context determining if the manufacture of two human skulls adorned with turquoise inlays have pre-Columbian origin or not (replicas), led to perform other studies. Under these conditions, besides orthodox methodology commonly used to assign chronology and cultural aspects as form, style, decoration, iconography, etc., it was necessary to obtain more results based on the use of characterization techniques. The techniques employed were Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), in order to determine the manufacture techniques and chemical composition of the materials used for the cementant. SEM analysis showed the presence of zones composed by Ca, O, C and Al. In some cases Mg, Cl, Fe and Pb were identified. High concentration of Cu was present in all samples, due to residues of turquoise inlays (CuAI 6 (PO 4 ) 4 (OH) 8 (H 2 O) 4 ) with which the skulls were decorated. In the cementant was identified the Ca as base element of the cementant, as well as particles < 100 nm with irregular morphology and other amorphous zones. FTIR spectrums indicated the presence of organic substances that could be used as agglutinating in the cementant. The current work shows a progress identifying involved techniques in the manufacturing of two human skulls with turquoise inlays. (Author)

  18. An integrated approach to historical population assessment of the great whales: case of the New Zealand southern right whale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Jennifer A; Carroll, Emma L; Smith, Tim D; Zerbini, Alexandre N; Patenaude, Nathalie J; Baker, C Scott

    2016-03-01

    Accurate estimation of historical abundance provides an essential baseline for judging the recovery of the great whales. This is particularly challenging for whales hunted prior to twentieth century modern whaling, as population-level catch records are often incomplete. Assessments of whale recovery using pre-modern exploitation indices are therefore rare, despite the intensive, global nature of nineteenth century whaling. Right whales (Eubalaena spp.) were particularly exploited: slow swimmers with strong fidelity to sheltered calving bays, the species made predictable and easy targets. Here, we present the first integrated population-level assessment of the whaling impact and pre-exploitation abundance of a right whale, the New Zealand southern right whale (E. australis). In this assessment, we use a Bayesian population dynamics model integrating multiple data sources: nineteenth century catches, genetic constraints on bottleneck size and individual sightings histories informing abundance and trend. Different catch allocation scenarios are explored to account for uncertainty in the population's offshore distribution. From a pre-exploitation abundance of 28 800-47 100 whales, nineteenth century hunting reduced the population to approximately 30-40 mature females between 1914 and 1926. Today, it stands at less than 12% of pre-exploitation abundance. Despite the challenges of reconstructing historical catches and population boundaries, conservation efforts of historically exploited species benefit from targets for ecological restoration.

  19. The electric theories of J. Clerk Maxwell a historical and critical study

    CERN Document Server

    Duhem, Pierre Maurice Marie

    2015-01-01

    In this volume Pierre Duhem first gives an overview of 19th century electricity and magnetism. Next, he applies his keen historical, philosophical, and physical intuition to critiquing Maxwell's theories, especially his electromagnetic theory of light and the ad hoc introduction of displacement current, which he considers too much a product of the "esprit de géométrie" than the "esprit de finesse," as Pascal calls it. In this book, Duhem is guided by the principle that a theory that offers contradictions, even if the theory is posed by a genius, needs to be analysed and discussed until a c

  20. Crack displacement sensing and measurement in concrete using circular grating moire fringes and pattern matching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, H. M.; Yen, K. S.; Ratnam, M. M.

    2008-09-01

    The moire method has been extensively studied in the past and applied in various engineering applications. Several techniques are available for generating the moire fringes in these applications, which include moire interferometry, projection moire, shadow moire, moire deflectometry etc. Most of these methods use the superposition of linear gratings to generate the moire patterns. The use of non-linear gratings, such as circular, radial and elongated gratings has received less attention from the research community. The potential of non-linear gratings in engineering measurement has been realized in a limited number of applications, such as rotation measurement, measurement of linear displacement, measurement of expansion coefficients of materials and measurement of strain distribution. In this work, circular gratings of different pitch were applied to the sensing and measurement of crack displacement in concrete structures. Gratings of pitch 0.50 mm and 0.55 mm were generated using computer software and attached to two overlapping acrylic plates that were bonded to either side of the crack. The resulting moire patterns were captured using a standard digital camera and compared with a set of reference patterns generated using a precision positioning stage. Using several image pre-processing stages, such as filtering and morphological operations, and pattern matching the magnitude displacements along two orthogonal axes can be detected with a resolution of 0.05 mm.

  1. Evaluation of human health risk from in situ recovery uranium mining, pre-and post-mining, and post-restoration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ruedig, E.; Bhattacharyya, A.; Borch, T.; Johnson, T. [Colorado State University (United States); Till, J. [Risk Assessment Corporation (United States)

    2014-07-01

    In the United States, the restoration of in situ recovery (ISR) uranium mines is aimed at returning sites to pre-mining conditions. While this may seem an appropriate goal, little or no scientific information is available to justify utilizing baseline conditions for regulatory compliance. The chemical and radiological contaminants monitored for restoration compliance have not been evaluated to ensure they are proper indicators of the mitigation of risk. Pre-mining aquifers do not meet minimum United States drinking water standards, and must have an aquifer exemption in place prior to mining. Under these conditions, returning groundwater to near the original concentrations of contaminants may be unnecessary. Post-mining groundwater is also unlikely to meet standards for drinking water, but may be depleted in at least some toxic species as a result of the mining process. Here, we examine the risk to representative person from the personal use of groundwater sourced from an Uranium ISR mine. Water samples were collected from Cameco Resource's Smith Ranch-Highlands ISR Uranium mine near Casper, Wyoming, USA. Samples were acquired pre-mining, post-mining, and post-restoration. Concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides were assessed by appropriate analytical techniques (e.g., mass spectroscopy or alpha spectroscopy) and these concentrations were used to estimate human health risk for three exposure scenarios: a scenario with high exposure, a scenario with medium exposure, and a scenario with low exposure. A simple biosphere transport model was constructed for each scenario to estimate the risk to humans from the use of contaminated waters for subsistence-related activities. Chemical and radiological risks were harmonized according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency's guidance for superfund sites. Each exposure scenario and its subsequent risk were evaluated individually for pre-mining, post-mining, and post-restoration aquifer waters

  2. Job Displacement and First Birth Over the Business Cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hofmann, Barbara; Kreyenfeld, Michaela; Uhlendorff, Arne

    2017-06-01

    In this article, we investigate the impact of job displacement on women's first-birth rates as well as the variation in this effect over the business cycle. We use mass layoffs to estimate the causal effects of involuntary job loss on fertility in the short and medium term, up to five years after displacement. Our analysis is based on rich administrative data from Germany, with an observation period spanning more than 20 years. We apply inverse probability weighting (IPW) to flexibly control for the observed differences between women who were and were not displaced. To account for the differences in the composition of the women who were displaced in a downturn and the women who were displaced in an upswing, we use a double weighting estimator. Results show that the extent to which job displacement has adverse effects on fertility depends on the business cycle. The first-birth rates were much lower for women who were displaced in an economic downturn than for those who lost a job in an economic upturn. This result cannot be explained by changes in the observed characteristics of the displaced women over the business cycle.

  3. Human mobility in space from three modes of public transportation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Shixiong; Guan, Wei; Zhang, Wenyi; Chen, Xu; Yang, Liu

    2017-10-01

    The human mobility patterns have drew much attention from researchers for decades, considering about its importance for urban planning and traffic management. In this study, the taxi GPS trajectories, smart card transaction data of subway and bus from Beijing are utilized to model human mobility in space. The original datasets are cleaned and processed to attain the displacement of each trip according to the origin and destination locations. Then, the Akaike information criterion is adopted to screen out the best fitting distribution for each mode from candidate ones. The results indicate that displacements of taxi trips follow the exponential distribution. Besides, the exponential distribution also fits displacements of bus trips well. However, their exponents are significantly different. Displacements of subway trips show great specialties and can be well fitted by the gamma distribution. It is obvious that human mobility of each mode is different. To explore the overall human mobility, the three datasets are mixed up to form a fusion dataset according to the annual ridership proportions. Finally, the fusion displacements follow the power-law distribution with an exponential cutoff. It is innovative to combine different transportation modes to model human mobility in the city.

  4. Pre-frailty and frailty of elderly residents in a municipality with a low Human Development Index

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wanderley Matos Reis Júnior

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: to identify the prevalence of the factors associated with pre-frailty and frailty of elderly residents in a municipality with a low Human Development IndexMETHOD: Cross-sectional study with a populational and household framework conducted with 316 elderly people. Frailty was determined from the presence of three or more of the following factors: (i self-reported unintentional weight loss; (ii lack of strength and energy; (iii weakness; (iv slowness; (v low level of physical activity. The association between frailty and socio-demographic, behavioral and health factors was measured using the multinomial logistic regression technique.RESULTS: The prevalence of pre-frailty and frailty was 58.7% and 23.8%, respectively. The adjusted regression model showed that the state of pre-frailty was associated with gender, age group and BMI, and frailty was associated with gender, age group, hospitalization, functional capacity, and self-perceived health.CONCLUSION: The evidence presented in this study demonstrates more variables associated with the frailty condition, reinforcing the concept of a multifactorial clinical syndrome that may result in the loss of functionality.

  5. Stability of Miscible Displacements Across Stratified Porous Media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shariati, Maryam; Yortsos, Yanis C.

    2000-09-11

    This report studied macro-scale heterogeneity effects. Reflecting on their importance, current simulation practices of flow and displacement in porous media were invariably based on heterogeneous permeability fields. Here, it was focused on a specific aspect of such problems, namely the stability of miscible displacements in stratified porous media, where the displacement is perpendicular to the direction of stratification.

  6. Pro-Resolving Effects of Resolvin D2 in LTD4 and TNF-α Pre-Treated Human Bronchi.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rayan Khaddaj-Mallat

    Full Text Available Inflammation is a major burden in respiratory diseases, resulting in airway hyperresponsiveness. Our hypothesis is that resolution of inflammation may represent a long-term solution in preventing human bronchial dysfunctions. The aim of the present study was to assess the anti-inflammatory effects of RvD2, a member of the D-series resolving family, with concomitant effects on ASM mechanical reactivity. The role and mode of action of RvD2 were assessed in an in vitro model of human bronchi under pro-inflammatory conditions, induced either by 1 μM LTD4 or 10 ng/ml TNF-α pre-treatment for 48h. TNF-α and LTD4 both induced hyperreactivity in response to pharmacological stimuli. Enhanced 5-Lipoxygenase (5-LOX and cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 (CysLTR1 detection was documented in LTD4 or TNF-α pre-treated human bronchi when compared to control (untreated human bronchi. In contrast, RvD2 treatments reversed 5-LOX/β-actin and CysLTR1/β-actin ratios and decreased the phosphorylation levels of AP-1 subunits (c-Fos, c-Jun and p38-MAP kinase, while increasing the detection of the ALX/FPR2 receptor. Moreover, various pharmacological agents revealed the blunting effects of RvD2 on LTD4 or TNF-α induced hyper-responsiveness. Combined treatment with 300 nM RvD2 and 1 μM WRW4 (an ALX/FPR2 receptor inhibitor blunted the pro-resolving and broncho-modulatory effects of RvD2. The present data provide new evidence regarding the role of RvD2 in a human model of airway inflammation and hyperrresponsiveness.

  7. Feral Cat Globetrotters: genetic traces of historical human-mediated dispersal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koch, Katrin; Algar, Dave; Schwenk, Klaus

    2016-08-01

    Endemic species on islands are highly susceptible to local extinction, in particular if they are exposed to invasive species. Invasive predators, such as feral cats, have been introduced to islands around the world, causing major losses in local biodiversity. In order to control and manage invasive species successfully, information about source populations and level of gene flow is essential. Here, we investigate the origin of feral cats of Hawaiian and Australian islands to verify their European ancestry and a potential pattern of isolation by distance. We analyzed the genetic structure and diversity of feral cats from eleven islands as well as samples from Malaysia and Europe using mitochondrial DNA (ND5 and ND6 regions) and microsatellite DNA data. Our results suggest an overall European origin of Hawaiian cats with no pattern of isolation by distance between Australian, Malaysian, and Hawaiian populations. Instead, we found low levels of genetic differentiation between samples from Tasman Island, Lana'i, Kaho'olawe, Cocos (Keeling) Island, and Asia. As these populations are separated by up to 10,000 kilometers, we assume an extensive passive dispersal event along global maritime trade routes in the beginning of the 19th century, connecting Australian, Asian, and Hawaiian islands. Thus, islands populations, which are characterized by low levels of current gene flow, represent valuable sources of information on historical, human-mediated global dispersal patterns of feral cats.

  8. Driver kinematic and muscle responses in braking events with standard and reversible pre-tensioned restraints: validation data for human models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osth, Jonas; Olafsdóttir, Jóna Marín; Davidsson, Johan; Brolin, Karin

    2013-11-01

    The objectives of this study are to generate validation data for human models intended for simulation of occupant kinematics in a pre-crash phase, and to evaluate the effect of an integrated safety system on driver kinematics and muscle responses. Eleven male and nine female volunteers, driving a passenger car on ordinary roads, performed maximum voluntary braking; they were also subjected to autonomous braking events with both standard and reversible pre-tensioned restraints. Kinematic data was acquired through film analysis, and surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded bilaterally for muscles in the neck, the upper extremities, and lumbar region. Maximum voluntary contractions (MVCs) were carried out in a driving posture for normalization of the EMG. Seat belt positions, interaction forces, and seat indentions were measured. During normal driving, all muscle activity was below 5% of MVC for females and 9% for males. The range of activity during steady state braking for males and females was 13-44% in the cervical and lumbar extensors, while antagonistic muscles showed a co-contraction of 2.3-19%. Seat belt pre-tension affects both the kinematic and muscle responses of drivers. In autonomous braking with standard restraints, muscle activation occurred in response to the inertial load. With pre-tensioned seat belts, EMG onset occurred earlier; between 71 ms and 176 ms after belt pre-tension. The EMG onset times decreased with repeated trials and were shorter for females than for males. With the results from this study, further improvement and validation of human models that incorporate active musculature will be made possible.

  9. Analysis of La Dehesa paleo-landslide. Central Pre-Andes of Argentina

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tapia Baldis, Carla; Rothis, Luis Martín; Perucca, Laura; Esper Angillieri, María; Vargas, Horacio; Ponce, David; Allis, Carlos

    2018-04-01

    The main objective of this paper is to consider the influence of Quaternary faults as likely triggering factor for rockslides occurrence in the Central Pre-Andes, a region with intense shallow seismic activity. A rockslide deposit was selected as study case, placed in the western flank of La Dehesa and Talacasto (DT) range (31°3‧37″ S and 68°46‧ 8″ W). Applied methodology includes the characterization of main discontinuities, reconstruction of the topography using a high-resolution digital elevation model, safety factor calculation along the sliding surface and, Newmark displacements estimation for three different hypothetical seismic scenarios, recreated from existing neotectonic local information. Equilibrium-limit method's results confirm that study case, La Dehesa rockslide (LDR), had a stable and safe slope's configuration under static conditions. However, a seismic horizontal coefficient between 0.2 and 0.3 decreases safety factor below the safety threshold. Newmark's displacements for different seismic reconstructed scenarios varies between 4.1 and 15.9 cm, values that agreed with a coherent failure process, likely triggered by Pleistocene to Holocene seismogenic sources in Central Pre-Andes. LDR trigger could be assigned mainly to an earthquake related to La Dehesa Quaternary fault (LDF) activity; however, similar movements produced by neighboring faults should not be discarded. LDR triggering related to climatic conditions is despised. Finally, the methodology presented in this work is easy to reproduce and may be applied to other rockslides located in the mountainous areas of the Central Pre-Andes of Argentina.

  10. Autonomy and heteronomy of the judiciary - a historical approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pia Letto-Vanamo

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available In the paper, I will discuss about historical dimensions of heteronomy and autonomy of the judiciary. As an introduction, historical narratives (histories of main legal actors (the legislator, the judiciary, and legal scholarship will be discussed. In Section 2 characteristics of “pre modern” conflict resolution and the legitimacy of judicial decision making will be studied. I will argue that during the era of non state law and in circumstances without an authoritative judiciary (like in rural areas in the Nordic Countries the participation of the conflicting parties and the local community played an important role for guaranteeing legitimacy and acceptance of conflict resolution and judicial decision making in local courts. In addition, various - and historically determined - justifications of lay participation will be analyzed. Hence, questions of public / democratic control over the judiciary, and those of social background of judges will be enlightened. In Section 3 the interplay between and interdependence of various legal actors will be in focus. I will argue for the importance of historical-comparative studies on legal scholarship, through which one can better understand variations in functions and roles of the judiciary, and particularities of judicial argumentation in certain times and geographical/ cultural areas, as well.

  11. Investigation of possibility of surface rupture derived from PFDHA and calculation of surface displacement based on dislocation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inoue, N.; Kitada, N.; Irikura, K.

    2013-12-01

    A probability of surface rupture is important to configure the seismic source, such as area sources or fault models, for a seismic hazard evaluation. In Japan, Takemura (1998) estimated the probability based on the historical earthquake data. Kagawa et al. (2004) evaluated the probability based on a numerical simulation of surface displacements. The estimated probability indicates a sigmoid curve and increases between Mj (the local magnitude defined and calculated by Japan Meteorological Agency) =6.5 and Mj=7.0. The probability of surface rupture is also used in a probabilistic fault displacement analysis (PFDHA). The probability is determined from the collected earthquake catalog, which were classified into two categories: with surface rupture or without surface rupture. The logistic regression is performed for the classified earthquake data. Youngs et al. (2003), Ross and Moss (2011) and Petersen et al. (2011) indicate the logistic curves of the probability of surface rupture by normal, reverse and strike-slip faults, respectively. Takao et al. (2013) shows the logistic curve derived from only Japanese earthquake data. The Japanese probability curve shows the sharply increasing in narrow magnitude range by comparison with other curves. In this study, we estimated the probability of surface rupture applying the logistic analysis to the surface displacement derived from a surface displacement calculation. A source fault was defined in according to the procedure of Kagawa et al. (2004), which determined a seismic moment from a magnitude and estimated the area size of the asperity and the amount of slip. Strike slip and reverse faults were considered as source faults. We applied Wang et al. (2003) for calculations. The surface displacements with defined source faults were calculated by varying the depth of the fault. A threshold value as 5cm of surface displacement was used to evaluate whether a surface rupture reach or do not reach to the surface. We carried out the

  12. Atomic displacements in bcc dilute alloys

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    We present here a systematic investigation of the atomic displacements in bcc transition metal (TM) dilute alloys. We have calculated the atomic displacements in bcc (V, Cr, Fe, Nb, Mo, Ta and W) transition metals (TMs) due to 3d, 4d and 5d TMs at the substitutional site using the Kanzaki lattice static method. Wills and ...

  13. From subjects to relations: Bioethics and the articulation of postcolonial politics in the Cambodia Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, Jenna M

    2016-04-01

    Controversies about global clinical trials, particularly HIV trials, tend to be framed in terms of ethics. In this article, I explore debates about ethics in the Cambodia Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis trial, which was designed to test the safety and efficacy of tenofovir as a prevention for HIV infection. Bringing together studies of public participation in science with studies of bioethics, I show how activists around the Cambodian Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis trial circulated and provoked debates about standards of research ethics, as opposed to research methodology. This postcolonial bioethics was configured through the circulation of and debate about ethics guidelines, and historically and culturally specific relations of vulnerability and responsibility between foreigners and Cambodians and between Cambodian leaders and Cambodian subjects. I argue that this shift in the object of ethical concern, from the experimental human subject to the relation between subjects and researchers, illustrates how a postcolonial field of articulation reformulates classical bioethics.

  14. Internal Displacement, the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, the Principles Normative Status, and the Need for their Effective Domestic Implementation in Colombia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert K. Goldman

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper briefly examines the phenomenon of internal displacement world-wide and the genesis of the United Nation’s mandate to deal with this problem. It examines key conclusions of a UN sponsored study which found that existing international law contained signifi cant gaps and grey areas in terms of meeting the needs of internally displaced persons. It also examines the origins and the content of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and the normative status of these Principles. It suggests that, while not binding as such on states, the Guiding Principles have nonetheless become the most authoritative expression of minimum international standards applicable to the internally displaced and that based on state practice many, if not all, of these principles may eventually become part of customary international law. The paper also discusses the need for effective domestic implementation of the Guiding Principles, and examines how governmental authorities, the Constitutional Court and civil society organizations in Colombia, as well as inter-governmental bodies, have responded to the crisis of internal displacement in the country. While noting the adequacy of Colombia’s legislative framework on internal displacement, the paper concludes that the State has not taken the measures required to prevent future displacement or to effectively meet the protection and assistance needs of its displaced citizens.

  15. The Effect of Basepair Mismatch on DNA Strand Displacement

    OpenAIRE

    Broadwater, D.?W.?Bo; Kim, Harold?D.

    2016-01-01

    DNA strand displacement is a key reaction in DNA homologous recombination and DNA mismatch repair and is also heavily utilized in DNA-based computation and locomotion. Despite its ubiquity in science and engineering, sequence-dependent effects of displacement kinetics have not been extensively characterized. Here, we measured toehold-mediated strand displacement kinetics using single-molecule fluorescence in the presence of a single base pair mismatch. The apparent displacement rate varied si...

  16. The role of environmental degradation in population displacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lonergan, S

    1998-01-01

    This article answers a series of questions about the role of environmental degradation in population displacement, refugee movement, and migration. The environment tends not to be included in the reasons for migration. Roger's indicators of migration potential include population growth, economic restructuring, increased economic disparities, and increased refugee flows. Myers (1993) estimated that international displacement and internal displacement may amount to about 25 million and may rise to 150 million by 2050. The role of the environment in displacement must be examined in the broader political and cultural context. Definitions of environmental refugees are ambiguous and inconsistent, and research has not answered why people continue to move to Mexico City and Chongqing, China, which both have very high levels of pollution. El-Hinnawi (1985) defined 3 groups of environmental refugees: those displaced due to natural disasters; those displaced due to permanent habitat changes; and those displaced who migrated from areas that cannot support their basic needs and who desire an improved quality of life. Lonergan (1994) identified environmental stresses as natural disasters, cumulative or slow-onset changes, accidental disruptions or industrial accidents, development projects, and conflict and warfare. These 5 causes must be treated separately and not lumped together as environmental degradation. Shoreline erosion, coastal flooding, and agricultural disruption associated with climate change may increase migration. Global measures must address world poverty and promote sustainable development.

  17. Associations of Filaggrin Gene Loss-of-Function Variants and Human Papillomavirus-Related Cancer and PreCancer in Danish Adults

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skaaby, Tea; Husemoen, Lise Lotte N; Jørgensen, Torben

    2014-01-01

    to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and thus a higher risk of HPV-related cancer and pre-cancer. We investigated the association of the FLG genotype with incidence of HPV-related cancer of cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, anus and head and neck, and pre-cancer of the cervix. METHODS: We included 13......,376 persons from four population-based studies conducted in the same background population in Copenhagen, Denmark. Participants were genotyped for the most common FLG mutations in Europeans. Information on cancer was obtained from The Danish Cancer Registry until 11 July 2011. RESULTS: There were 489 cases...... of prevalent and 97 cases of incident HPV-related cancer and pre-cancer (median follow-up 11.5 years). There was a statistically significant association between FLG genotype and incident HPV-related cancer and pre-cancer with a hazard ratio, HR = 2.1 (95% confidence intervals, CI: 1.2, 3.7) for FLG mutation...

  18. PV microgrid business models for energy-delivery services in camps for displaced peoples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Irene Feria Cerrada

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Energy services are essential for the protection of basic human rights and dignity. Since 2014, energy issues have been incorporated in United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees global protection strategies. Off-grid solar photovoltaics power solutions can now provide cost-effective clean electricity in camps comprised large populations of displaced peoples, internally displaced and/or refugees. Through microgrid modelling and risk analysis, we outline business models that could provide affordable and appropriate energy to displaced communities. Our proposed PV microgrid build-own-operate business models for camps of displaced populations consider providing household demands, institutional demands, and a combination of the two. We find that sustainable energy services can be provided to humanitarian agencies to power their compounds and community services such as health clinics and administrative centres. A fixed tariff of US$ 1 /kWh is viable provided: the local fuel prices are greater than US$ 0.6 /L at the point of use, and the capital costs of a backup or existing diesel generator are already covered. A fixed price tariff, mitigates running costs for humanitarian agencies. In addition, by leveraging the institutional energy demands, basic electricity services to up to 500 households for mobile phone charging and lighting could be provided for a monthly tariff of US$ 1.5 per household, which is favourable compared to the estimated of US$ 4 monthly cost of kerosene for a typical refugee household. The solutions we propose will reduce costs and improve the sustainability of humanitarian operations while achieving the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees goals by providing electricity to displaced persons for lighting and communications.

  19. [Vygotsky's Social-Historic Constructivism and nursing].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thofehrn, Maira Buss; Leopardi, Maria Tereza

    2006-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to reflect, in the theoretical scope, about the Vygotsky's socio-historical constructivism and the contributions from this Russian researcher to build the nursing knowledge. The Vygotskian approach has as its philosophical, epistemological and methodological purposes, the principles of the historical materialism, it emphasizes the social and cultural context in the working process, also in the use of instruments and in the dialectical interaction between human beings and environment. We understand that the ideas preconized by Vygotsky can represent an alternative method to the practical and theoretical studies, specially, as the subjective dimension of the working process near by the nursing staff.

  20. Historical and idealized climate model experiments: an EMIC intercomparison

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eby, M.; Weaver, A. J.; Alexander, K.

    2012-01-01

    Both historical and idealized climate model experiments are performed with a variety of Earth System Models of Intermediate Complexity (EMICs) as part of a community contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report. Historical simulations start at 850 CE...... and continue through to 2005. The standard simulations include changes in forcing from solar luminosity, Earth's orbital configuration, CO2, additional greenhouse gases, land-use, and sulphate and volcanic aerosols. In spite of very different modelled pre-industrial global surface air temperatures...... the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age estimated from paleoclimate reconstructions. This in turn could be a result of errors in the reconstructions of volcanic and/or solar radiative forcing used to drive the models or the incomplete representation of certain processes or variability within...

  1. Historical and idealized climate model experiments: an EMIC intercomparison

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eby, M.; Weaver, A. J.; Alexander, K.

    2012-01-01

    Both historical and idealized climate model experiments are performed with a variety of Earth System Models of Intermediate Complexity (EMICs) as part of a community contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report. Historical simulations start at 850 CE......, are used to assess the contributions of different climate forcings to the overall climate and carbon cycle response. The response of surface air temperature is the linear sum of the individual forcings, while the carbon cycle response shows considerable synergy between land-use change and CO2... and continue through to 2005. The standard simulations include changes in forcing from solar luminosity, Earth's orbital configuration, CO2, additional greenhouse gases, land-use, and sulphate and volcanic aerosols. In spite of very different modelled pre-industrial global surface air temperatures...

  2. Displacement laser interferometry with sub-nanometer uncertainty

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cosijns, S.J.A.G.

    2004-01-01

    Development in industry is asking for improved resolution and higher accuracy in mechanical measurement. Together with miniaturization the demand for sub nanometer uncertainty on dimensional metrology is increasing rapidly. Displacement laser interferometers are used widely as precision displacement

  3. Efficiency of a variable displacement open circuit floating cup pump

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vael, G.E.M.; Achten, P.A.J.; Brink, van den T.L.

    2009-01-01

    The Floating Cup Displacement principle is a relatively new axial piston displacement principle for hydrostatic pumps, motors and transformers. Since its origin in 2001, it has been mainly applied in fixed displacement pump prototypes. At the SICFP’05, a design for a variable displacement open

  4. History, Historical and Historicity in Heidegger

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Manuel CHILLÓN

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In order to the “Historie” is possible as “Geschichte”, that is, so that the events are more than mere collections of past vestiges, it is necessary that the historical (geschichtlich of history is understood as enshrined in the historicity, in Geschichtlichkeit. In § 6 of the Introduction to ‘Being and Time’ Heidegger understands that the historicity refers to the temporality of Dasein, to its finitude. Thiking of the historicity requires, as its main task, overcoming history as history of entities, in terms of history of forgotten being. And, of course, to think the being, the happening of being and Dasein which, as such event, is being, is occurring , it is historicizing .

  5. Event-driven control of a speed varying digital displacement machine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Niels Henrik; Johansen, Per; Andersen, Torben O.

    2017-01-01

    . The controller synthesis is carried out as a discrete optimal deterministic problem with full state feedback. Based on a linear analysis of the feedback control system, stability is proven in a pre-specified operation region. Simulation of a non-linear evaluation model with the controller implemented shows great...... be treated as a Discrete Linear Time Invariant control problem with synchronous sampling rate. To make synchronous linear control theory applicable for a variable speed digital displacement machine, a method based on event-driven control is presented. Using this method, the time domain differential equations...... are converted into the spatial (position) domain to obtain a constant sampling rate and thus allowing for use of classical control theory. The method is applied to a down scaled digital fluid power motor, where the motor speed is controlled at varying references under varying pressure and load torque conditions...

  6. The Displaced ‘Dispositif’

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guy Edmonds

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available “Dispositif” is a term used in film studies since the 1970s to describe the entire system of mechanical and human factors which together bring about the cinema experience. It therefore refers to (amongst other things the space of the auditorium, the screen, the projection technology and the physiology of the spectator. Many of its qualifying components are masked from the view of participants in the system. The dispositif’s purpose is to set up the conditions for a specific type of cognitive experience, one which mirrors and extends (and in some readings, controls the experience of its participants. The Displaced Dispositif is a performance designed for the space of a cinema theatre, but featuring the projection of fragments of early silent cinema on a coeval (1910s film projector from the auditorium. The film fragments are live-scored by the sound artist, Shaun Lewin, using a combination of closely mic’d sources on the projector itself, luminance data from the projected image and EEG brainwave data recorded from participants during previous projections of the film. Displacing elements in the dispositif in this way, by shifting modalities, situating in parallel, feeding back and layering, draws attention to its hidden existence and creates the potential for a more knowing and informed participation in the cinema experience. It also serves to demonstrate the degree to which dispositifs of modern cinema spectatorship, which have morphed and proliferated since the widespread digitization of film heritage, have radically altered both the technological and experiential qualities of the medium. By integrating EEG data, the performance adds the dimension of electrophysiological experience to the long tradition within experimental cinema of artists calling attention to Cinema’s hidden structures. As well as challenging the dominance of the worldview propagated by the film industry, the performance also signals a means of re-engaging with the

  7. Historic perspective: prebiotics, probiotics, and other alternatives to antibiotics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hume, M E

    2011-11-01

    Applications of antimicrobials in food production and human health have found favor throughout human history. Antibiotic applications in agricultural and human medical arenas have resulted in tremendous increases in food animal production and historically unprecedented gains in human health protection. Successes attributed to widespread antibiotic use have been accompanied by the inadvertent emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A major problem associated with this emerging resistance is the crossover use of some antibiotics in agricultural settings as well as in the prevention and treatment of human disease. This outcome led to calls to restrict the use of human health-related antibiotics in food animal production. Calls for restricted antibiotic use have heightened existing searches for alternatives to antibiotics that give similar or enhanced production qualities as highly reliable as the antibiotics currently provided to food animals. Agricultural and scientific advances, mainly within the last 100 yr, have given us insights into sources, structures, and actions of materials that have found widespread application in our modern world. The purpose of this presentation is to provide a historic perspective on the search for what are generally known as antibiotics and alternative antimicrobials, probiotics, prebiotics, bacteriophages, bacteriocins, and phytotherapeutics.

  8. Protected DNA strand displacement for enhanced single nucleotide discrimination in double-stranded DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khodakov, Dmitriy A; Khodakova, Anastasia S; Huang, David M; Linacre, Adrian; Ellis, Amanda V

    2015-03-04

    Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are a prime source of genetic diversity. Discriminating between different SNPs provides an enormous leap towards the better understanding of the uniqueness of biological systems. Here we report on a new approach for SNP discrimination using toehold-mediated DNA strand displacement. The distinctiveness of the approach is based on the combination of both 3- and 4-way branch migration mechanisms, which allows for reliable discrimination of SNPs within double-stranded DNA generated from real-life human mitochondrial DNA samples. Aside from the potential diagnostic value, the current study represents an additional way to control the strand displacement reaction rate without altering other reaction parameters and provides new insights into the influence of single nucleotide substitutions on 3- and 4-way branch migration efficiency and kinetics.

  9. Shore displacement in northern Uppland during the last 6500 calender years

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hedenstroem, Anna; Risberg, Jan [Stockholm Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology

    2003-10-01

    This report describes the shore displacement in northern Uppland, Sweden. Four lake basins were investigated regarding elevation and age of their isolation events. The methods applied were diatom stratigraphy and AMS radiocarbon datings of terrestrial macrofossils, together with analysis of water, organic carbon and calcium carbonate in the sediment. Lake Barsjoe (22.5 masl -meters above sea level) was isolated 3,200 cal yrs BP, Lake Landholmssjoen (16.0 masl) 2,200 cal yrs BP, Lake Soedra Aassjoen (10.8 masl) 1,400 cal yrs BP and Lake Eckarfjaerden (5.5 masl) 850 cal yrs BP. Combined with six basins located at approximately the 70 m Litorina Limit isobase it was concluded that the shore displacement during the last 6500 calendar years was regressive in nature. The isolation processes, however, seem to have been prolonged at 4750-4150 cal yrs BP, 2500-2200 cal yrs Bp and 1100-850 cal yrs BP. These events can be correlated with eustatic sea level rises recorded in the Stockholm area. The diatom succession during the formation of the oligotrophic hardwater Lakes Barsjoe, Landholmssjoen and Eckarfjaerden differs from the brownwater Lake Soedra Aasjoen. Short pre-isolation sequences indicate that erosion has affected the four basins investigated. Accumulation rates in the lake basins vary between 0.5 mm/year in Lake Barsjoe and 1.5 mm/year in Lake Soedra Aasjoen.

  10. Shore displacement in northern Uppland during the last 6500 calender years

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hedenstroem, Anna; Risberg, Jan

    2003-10-01

    This report describes the shore displacement in northern Uppland, Sweden. Four lake basins were investigated regarding elevation and age of their isolation events. The methods applied were diatom stratigraphy and AMS radiocarbon datings of terrestrial macrofossils, together with analysis of water, organic carbon and calcium carbonate in the sediment. Lake Barsjoe (22.5 masl -meters above sea level) was isolated 3,200 cal yrs BP, Lake Landholmssjoen (16.0 masl) 2,200 cal yrs BP, Lake Soedra Aassjoen (10.8 masl) 1,400 cal yrs BP and Lake Eckarfjaerden (5.5 masl) 850 cal yrs BP. Combined with six basins located at approximately the 70 m Litorina Limit isobase it was concluded that the shore displacement during the last 6500 calendar years was regressive in nature. The isolation processes, however, seem to have been prolonged at 4750-4150 cal yrs BP, 2500-2200 cal yrs Bp and 1100-850 cal yrs BP. These events can be correlated with eustatic sea level rises recorded in the Stockholm area. The diatom succession during the formation of the oligotrophic hardwater Lakes Barsjoe, Landholmssjoen and Eckarfjaerden differs from the brownwater Lake Soedra Aasjoen. Short pre-isolation sequences indicate that erosion has affected the four basins investigated. Accumulation rates in the lake basins vary between 0.5 mm/year in Lake Barsjoe and 1.5 mm/year in Lake Soedra Aasjoen

  11. Urban sprawl and body mass index among displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arcaya, Mariana; James, Peter; Rhodes, Jean E; Waters, Mary C; Subramanian, S V

    2014-08-01

    Existing research suggests that walkable environments are protective against weight gain, while sprawling neighborhoods may pose health risks. Using prospective data on displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors, we provide the first natural experimental data on sprawl and body mass index (BMI). The analysis uses prospectively collected pre- (2003-2005) and post-hurricane (2006-2007) data from the Resilience in Survivors of Katrina (RISK) project on 280 displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors who had little control over their neighborhood placement immediately after the disaster. The county sprawl index, a standardized measure of built environment, was used to predict BMI at follow-up, adjusted for baseline BMI and sprawl; hurricane-related trauma; and demographic and economic characteristics. Respondents from 8 New Orleans-area counties were dispersed to 76 counties post-Katrina. Sprawl increased by an average of 1.5 standard deviations (30 points) on the county sprawl index. Each one point increase in sprawl was associated with approximately .05kg/m(2) higher BMI in unadjusted models (95%CI: .01-.08), and the relationship was not attenuated after covariate adjustment. We find a robust association between residence in a sprawling county and higher BMI unlikely to be caused by self-selection into neighborhoods, suggesting that the built environment may foster changes in weight. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. What was historical about natural history? Contingency and explanation in the science of living things.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, Peter

    2016-08-01

    There is a long-standing distinction in Western thought between scientific and historical modes of explanation. According to Aristotle's influential account of scientific knowledge there cannot be an explanatory science of what is contingent and accidental, such things being the purview of a descriptive history. This distinction between scientia and historia continued to inform assumptions about scientific explanation into the nineteenth century and is particularly significant when considering the emergence of biology and its displacement of the more traditional discipline of natural history. One of the consequences of this nineteenth-century transition was that while modern evolutionary theory retained significant, if often implicit, historical components, these were often overlooked as evolutionary biology sought to accommodate itself to a model of scientific explanation that involved appeals to laws of nature. These scientific aspirations of evolutionary biology sometimes sit uncomfortably with its historical dimension. This tension lies beneath recent philosophical critiques of evolutionary theory and its modes of explanation. Such critiques, however, overlook the fact that there are legitimate modes of historical explanation that do not require recourse to laws of nature. But responding to these criticisms calls for a more explicit recognition of the affinities between evolutionary biology and history. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Intelligence: Pre-Theory and Post-Theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James R. Flynn

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Defining “intelligence” exemplifies a mistake that has historical precedent: confusing the role of pre-theory and post-theory definitions. In every area, pre-theory concepts give broad directions for investigation: are the movements of heavenly bodies affected by the existence of other heavenly bodies? Post-theory concepts add precision and predictability. The mistake occurs when a successful theory like Newton’s demands that its peculiar and precise theory-imbedded concept forbids competing theories: Einstein was impossible (warping of space so long as it was assumed that all theories must be in accord with Newton’s concept (attraction across space. In psychology, Arthur Jensen made the same mistake. He gave his theory-embedded concept of g the role of executioner: the significance of every phenomenon had to be interpreted by its compatibility with g; and thus trivialized the significance of IQ gains over time. This is only one instance of a perennial demand: give us a precise definition of “intelligence” to guide our research. However, precision comes after research has generated a theory and its very precision stifles competing research. Be happy with a broad definition on the pre-theory level that lets many competing theories bloom: pre-theory precision equals post-theory poverty.

  14. Geographies of displacement: Latina/os, oral history, and the politics of gentrification in San Francisco's Mission District.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirabal, Nancy Raquel

    2009-05-01

    During the 1990s and early 2000s, working-class and poor neighborhoods in San Francisco underwent dramatic economic and racial changes. One of the most heavily gentrified neighborhoods was the Mission District. As a result of local politics, housing and rental policies, real estate speculation, and development, thousands of Latina/o families were displaced. Using oral historical and ethnographic methodologies, print media, archival sources, and policy papers, this article traces the gentrification of the Mission District from the perspective of the Latina/o community. It also examines how gentrification was articulated as a positive turn within the larger public discourse on space and access.

  15. Structural and antimicrobial properties of human pre-elafin/trappin-2 and derived peptides against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gagné Stéphane M

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Pre-elafin/trappin-2 is a human innate defense molecule initially described as a potent inhibitor of neutrophil elastase. The full-length protein as well as the N-terminal "cementoin" and C-terminal "elafin" domains were also shown to possess broad antimicrobial activity, namely against the opportunistic pathogen P. aeruginosa. The mode of action of these peptides has, however, yet to be fully elucidated. Both domains of pre-elafin/trappin-2 are polycationic, but only the structure of the elafin domain is currently known. The aim of the present study was to determine the secondary structures of the cementoin domain and to characterize the antibacterial properties of these peptides against P. aeruginosa. Results We show here that the cementoin domain adopts an α-helical conformation both by circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses in the presence of membrane mimetics, a characteristic shared with a large number of linear polycationic antimicrobial peptides. However, pre-elafin/trappin-2 and its domains display only weak lytic properties, as assessed by scanning electron micrography, outer and inner membrane depolarization studies with P. aeruginosa and leakage of liposome-entrapped calcein. Confocal microscopy of fluorescein-labeled pre-elafin/trappin-2 suggests that this protein possesses the ability to translocate across membranes. This correlates with the finding that pre-elafin/trappin-2 and elafin bind to DNA in vitro and attenuate the expression of some P. aeruginosa virulence factors, namely the biofilm formation and the secretion of pyoverdine. Conclusions The N-terminal cementoin domain adopts α-helical secondary structures in a membrane mimetic environment, which is common in antimicrobial peptides. However, unlike numerous linear polycationic antimicrobial peptides, membrane disruption does not appear to be the main function of either cementoin, elafin or full-length pre-elafin/trappin-2 against

  16. Human Rights, Human Needs, Human Development, Human Security - Relationships between four international human discourses.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    D.R. Gasper (Des)

    2007-01-01

    markdownabstractAbstract: Human rights, human development and human security form increasingly important, partly interconnected, partly competitive and misunderstood ethical and policy discourses. Each tries to humanize a pre-existing and unavoidable major discourse of everyday life, policy and

  17. Fiber-optic couplers as displacement sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baruch, Martin C.; Gerdt, David W.; Adkins, Charles M.

    2003-04-01

    We introduce the novel concept of using a fiber-optic coupler as a versatile displacement sensor. Comparatively long fiber-optic couplers, with a coupling region of approximately 10 mm, are manufactured using standard communication SM fiber and placed in a looped-back configuration. The result is a displacement sensor, which is robust and highly sensitive over a wide dynamic range. This displacement sensor resolves 1-2 μm over distances of 1-1.5 mm and is characterized by the essential absence of a 'spring constant' plaguing other strain gauge-type sensors. Consequently, it is possible to couple to extremely weak vibrations, such as the skin displacement affected by arterial heart beat pulsations. Used as a wrist-worn heartbeat monitor, the fidelity of the arterial pulse signal has been shown to be so high that it is possible to not only determine heartbeat and breathing rates, but to implement a new single-point blood pressure measurement scheme which does not squeeze the arm. In an application as a floor vibration sensor for the non-intrusive monitoring of independently living elderly, the sensor has been shown to resolve the distinct vibration spectra of different persons and different events.

  18. Topology synthesis of large-displacement compliant mechanisms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Claus B. Wittendorf; Buhl, Thomas; Sigmund, Ole

    2001-01-01

    This paper describes the use of topology optimization as a synthesis tool for the design of large-displacement compliant mechanisms. An objective function for the synthesis of large-displacement mechanisms is proposed together with a formulation for synthesis of path-generating compliant mechanisms...

  19. Prolonged displacement may compromise resilience in Eritrean ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective: to assess the impact of prolonged displacement on the resilience of Eritrean mothers. Methods: an adapted SOC scale (short form) was administered. Complementary qualitative data were gathered from study participants' spontaneous reactions to and commentaries on the SOC scale. Results: Displaced ...

  20. Job displacement and stress-related health outcomes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Browning, Martin; Danø, Anne Møller; Heinesen, Eskil

    2006-01-01

    We investigate whether job loss as the result of displacement causes hospitalization for stress-related diseases which are widely thought to be associated with unemployment. In doing this, we use much better data than any previous investigators. Our data are a random 10% sample of the male...... group of displaced workers if they had not in fact been displaced. Our results indicate unequivocally that being displaced in Denmark does not cause hospitalization for stress-related disease. An analysis of the power of our test suggests that even though we are looking for a relatively rare outcome...... population of Denmark for the years 1981-1999 with full records on demographics, health and work status for each person, and with a link from every working person to a plant. We use the method of matching on observables to estimate the counter-factual of what would have happened to the health of a particular...

  1. Human Rights, Human Needs, Human Development, Human Security : Relationships between four international 'human' discourses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    D.R. Gasper (Des)

    2007-01-01

    textabstractHuman rights, human development and human security form increasingly important, partly interconnected, partly competitive and misunderstood ethical and policy discourses. Each tries to humanize a pre-existing and unavoidable major discourse of everyday life, policy and politics; each

  2. Long-term deformation analysis of historical buildings through the advanced SBAS-DInSAR technique: the case study of the city of Rome, Italy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeni, G; Bonano, M; Casu, F; Manunta, M; Manzo, M; Pepe, A; Lanari, R; Marsella, M

    2011-01-01

    Monitoring of deformation phenomena affecting urban areas and man-made structures is of key relevance for the preservation of the artistic, archaeological and architectural heritage. The differential SAR interferometry (DInSAR) technique has already been demonstrated to be an effective tool for non-invasive deformation analyses over large areas by producing spatially dense deformation maps with centimetre to millimetre accuracy. Moreover, by exploiting long sequences of SAR data acquired by different sensors, the advanced DInSAR technique referred to as the small baseline subset (SBAS) approach allows providing long-term deformation time series, which are strategic for guaranteeing the monitoring of urban area displacements. In this work, we investigate the effectiveness of the two-scale multi-sensor SBAS-DInSAR approach to detect and monitor displacements affecting historical and artistic monuments. The presented results, achieved by applying the full resolution SBAS technique to a huge set of ERS-1/2 and ENVISAT data, spanning the 1992–2010 time interval and relevant to the city of Rome (Italy), show the capability of this approach to detect and analyse the temporal evolution of possible deformation phenomena affecting historical buildings and archaeological sites. Accordingly, our analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of the full resolution multi-sensor SBAS approach to operate as a surface deformation tool for supporting the study and conservation strategies of the historical, cultural and artistic heritage

  3. On virtual displacement and virtual work in Lagrangian dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ray, Subhankar; Shamanna, J

    2006-01-01

    The confusion and ambiguity encountered by students in understanding virtual displacement and virtual work is discussed in this paper. A definition of virtual displacement is presented that allows one to express them explicitly for holonomic (velocity independent), non-holonomic (velocity dependent), scleronomous (time independent) and rheonomous (time dependent) constraints. It is observed that for holonomic, scleronomous constraints, the virtual displacements are the displacements allowed by the constraints. However, this is not so for a general class of constraints. For simple physical systems, it is shown that the work done by the constraint forces on virtual displacements is zero. This motivates Lagrange's extension of d'Alembert's principle to a system of particles in constrained motion. However, a similar zero work principle does not hold for the allowed displacements. It is also demonstrated that d'Alembert's principle of zero virtual work is necessary for the solvability of a constrained mechanical problem. We identify this special class of constraints, physically realized and solvable, as the ideal constraints. The concept of virtual displacement and the principle of zero virtual work by constraint forces are central to both Lagrange's method of undetermined multipliers and Lagrange's equations in generalized coordinates

  4. The visual-landscape analysis during the integration of high-rise buildings within the historic urban environment

    OpenAIRE

    Akristiniy Vera A.; Dikova Elena A.

    2018-01-01

    The article is devoted to one of the types of urban planning studies - the visual-landscape analysis during the integration of high-rise buildings within the historic urban environment for the purposes of providing pre-design and design studies in terms of preserving the historical urban environment and the implementation of the reconstructional resource of the area. In the article formed and systematized the stages and methods of conducting the visual-landscape analysis taking into account t...

  5. 2014 and beyond: implications for displacement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aidan O’Leary

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available 2014 marks a watershed for Afghanistan, with the withdrawal of the International Security Assistance Force after twelve years, and the very real risks this withdrawal poses to the capacity of the Afghan state to meet the many internal and external challenges faced by the country. These challenges have significant implications for displaced and returning Afghans and for the potential for displacement in the future.

  6. PBMC: Pre-conditioned Backward Monte Carlo code for radiative transport in planetary atmospheres

    Science.gov (United States)

    García Muñoz, A.; Mills, F. P.

    2017-08-01

    PBMC (Pre-Conditioned Backward Monte Carlo) solves the vector Radiative Transport Equation (vRTE) and can be applied to planetary atmospheres irradiated from above. The code builds the solution by simulating the photon trajectories from the detector towards the radiation source, i.e. in the reverse order of the actual photon displacements. In accounting for the polarization in the sampling of photon propagation directions and pre-conditioning the scattering matrix with information from the scattering matrices of prior (in the BMC integration order) photon collisions, PBMC avoids the unstable and biased solutions of classical BMC algorithms for conservative, optically-thick, strongly-polarizing media such as Rayleigh atmospheres.

  7. Displacement Ventilation in a Room with Low-Level Diffusers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Peter V.

    Ventilation systems with vertical displacement flow have been used in industrial areas with high thermal loads for many years. Quite resently the vertical displacement flow systems have grown popular as comfort ventilation in rooms with thermal loads e.g. offices.......Ventilation systems with vertical displacement flow have been used in industrial areas with high thermal loads for many years. Quite resently the vertical displacement flow systems have grown popular as comfort ventilation in rooms with thermal loads e.g. offices....

  8. Tendência histórica de preços pagos ao produtor de hortifrutigranjeiros do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil Historical Tendency of prices paid to the horticultural farmers in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Garibaldi Almeida Viana

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a evolução histórica dos preços pagos ao produtor de hortifrutigranjeiros do Rio Grande do Sul no período de 1973 a 2006, dando especial atenção ao período anterior e posterior à estabilização monetária alcançada com o Plano Real de 1994. As séries históricas de preços nominais mensais dos produtos hortifrutigranjeiros analisados (aipim, batata, cebola, tomate, laranja, bergamota, maçã, pêssego e uva foram disponibilizadas pela EMATER-RS. O trabalho permitiu concluir que todos os produtos analisados apresentaram desvalorização significativa em seus preços de 1973 a 2006. Constatou-se que a década de 1980 foi o período de maior desvalorização para a horticultura, e o período pós-Plano Real foi o de maior desvalorização para a fruticultura.The aim of this study is to analyze the historical evolution of prices paid to the horticultural farmers in Rio Grande do Sul, between 1973 and 2006, paying especial attention to the period before and after the monetary stabilization achieved through the Plano Real, in 1994. The historical series of nominal monthly prices of the analyzed horticultural products (cassava, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, oranges, satsumas, apples, peaches and grapes were obtained from EMATER-RS. Through this study it was possible to conclude that all of the products analyzed had a significant decline in their prices from 1973 to 2006. It was verified that the eighties represent the period with the highest price drops for horticulture, and the period after the implementation of the Plano Real had the strongest price reductions for fruits.

  9. Pre-motor and motor activities in early handwriting

    OpenAIRE

    van Zwieten, Koos Jaap

    2011-01-01

    Behavioural studies make use of handwritten letters’ characteristics like strokes, roundedness, etcetera. In consequence, Fisher et al. (2010) studying brain activation during rejected love, noticed typical pre-motor activity patterns, as suggested by irregular writing patterns as well, due to basal ganglia dysfunction (Mergl et al., 2004). A short historical text written in a presumably depressed mood was checked on such characteristics in the light of hypothesised finger-, and hand movement...

  10. Foundation Content Knowledge: Pre-Service Teachers as Half-Empty or Becoming Fluent?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anakin, Megan; Linsell, Chris

    2014-01-01

    The concept of a growth-oriented disposition framed the analysis of theoretical and practical dimensions of pre-service teachers' mathematics content knowledge. We identify historical hangovers, tacit habits, and pedagogical strangleholds that present challenges to the way mathematics education researchers interact with the mathematics content…

  11. MRI of radial displacement of the meniscus in the knee

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Jian; Lv Houshan; Lao Shan; Guan Zhenpeng; Hong Nan; Liang Hao

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To describe the phenomenon of radial displacement of the meniscus of the knees in the study population with MR imaging, and to establish MRI diagnostic criteria for radial displacement of the meniscus and displacement index. Methods: MR signs of radial displacement of the meniscus were evaluated retrospectively in 398 patients with knee symptoms who were examined with non- weight bearing MR images from Jan. 2000 to Feb. 2004. The patients younger than 18 years old, with joint effusion or serious arthropathy were excluded and 312 patients were eligible to be enrolled in this study. The criterion for radial displacement of the meniscus was defined as the location of the edge of meniscal body beyond the femoral and tibial outer border line. A displacement index, defined as the ratio of meniscal overhang to meniscal width, was used to quantify meniscal displacement. Results: The prevalence of radial displacement of the meniscus was 16.7% (52/312) and 13.9% (21/151) in right knee and 19.3% (31/161 )in left knee, respectively. There was no significant difference between left and right knee (χ 2 =1.60, P>0.05) and the ratio between medial and lateral meniscus was 7.8:1. The average displacement index was 0.54±0.24. The displacement indices were significant higher in older group (F=3.63, P<0.05). The incidence and indices of radial displacement of the meniscus for patients under or above 50 year older were 12.0%(17/142), 0.46±0.22 and 20.6% (35/170), 0.64±0.20, respectively. Difference was highly significant (t=0.84, P<0.01). Conclusion: It was concluded that radial displacement of the meniscus in knees was not a rare finding with MR imaging in patients with knee symptoms. The incidence increased in older age group. Further investigations were recommended to understand the etiology and clinical significance of the phenomenon of radial displacement of the meniscus. (authors)

  12. Overtreatment of displaced midshaft clavicle fractures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ban, Ilija; Nowak, Jan; Virtanen, Kaisa

    2016-01-01

    Background and purpose - The best treatment for displaced clavicle fractures has been debated for decades. Operative treatment has become more common. However, several randomized trials comparing non-operative and operative treatment have not shown any compelling evidence in favor of surgery. We...... identified the preferred treatment of displaced midshaft clavicle fractures at public hospitals in 3 countries in Scandinavia. Patients and methods - A purpose-made multiple-choice questionnaire in English was sent to all public hospitals in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. This was addressed to the orthopedic...... surgeon responsible for treatment of clavicle fractures, and completed questionnaires were obtained from 85 of 118 hospitals. Results - In the 3 countries, 69 of the 85 hospitals that responded would treat displaced clavicle fractures operatively. Clear criteria for treatment allocation were used at 58...

  13. Constraints on pre-big-bang parameter space from CMBR anisotropies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bozza, V.; Gasperini, M.; Giovannini, M.; Veneziano, G.

    2003-01-01

    The so-called curvaton mechanism--a way to convert isocurvature perturbations into adiabatic ones--is investigated both analytically and numerically in a pre-big-bang scenario where the role of the curvaton is played by a sufficiently massive Kalb-Ramond axion of superstring theory. When combined with observations of CMBR anisotropies at large and moderate angular scales, the present analysis allows us to constrain quite considerably the parameter space of the model: in particular, the initial displacement of the axion from the minimum of its potential and the rate of evolution of the compactification volume during pre-big-bang inflation. The combination of theoretical and experimental constraints favors a slightly blue spectrum of scalar perturbations, and/or a value of the string scale in the vicinity of the SUSY GUT scale

  14. Constraints on pre-big bang parameter space from CMBR anisotropies

    CERN Document Server

    Bozza, Valerio; Giovannini, Massimo; Veneziano, Gabriele

    2003-01-01

    The so-called curvaton mechanism --a way to convert isocurvature perturbations into adiabatic ones-- is investigated both analytically and numerically in a pre-big bang scenario where the role of the curvaton is played by a sufficiently massive Kalb--Ramond axion of superstring theory. When combined with observations of CMBR anisotropies at large and moderate angular scales, the present analysis allows us to constrain quite considerably the parameter space of the model: in particular, the initial displacement of the axion from the minimum of its potential and the rate of evolution of the compactification volume during pre-big bang inflation. The combination of theoretical and experimental constraints favours a slightly blue spectrum of scalar perturbations, and/or a value of the string scale in the vicinity of the SUSY-GUT scale.

  15. Hypervitaminosis A-induced premature closure of epiphyses (physeal obliteration) in humans and calves (hyena disease): a historical review of the human and veterinary literature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rothenberg, Alexis B.; Berdon, Walter E.; Woodard, J.C.; Cowles, Robert A.

    2007-01-01

    Vitamin A toxicity in the infant, which now occurs rarely from dietary overdosage, was recognized in the 1940s as painful periostitis with rare progression to premature closure of the lower limb epiphyses. Decades later, most cases of vitamin A-induced premature epiphyseal closure (physeal obliteration) occur in pediatric dermatologic patients given vitamin A analogues. This phenomenon resembles a strange disease discovered in more recent years in calves with closed epiphyses of the hind limbs, known as hyena disease. This was a mystery until proved to be caused by vitamin A toxicity from enriched grain that causes the calves to have short hind limbs that resemble those of a hyena and gait disturbance. This historical review links the human and veterinary literature in terms of vitamin A-induced epiphyseal closure using a case report format of a 16-month-old human infant with closed knee epiphyses and gait disturbance that is reminiscent of hyena disease seen in calves. (orig.)

  16. Axial displacements in external and internal implant-abutment connection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ji-Hye; Kim, Dae-Gon; Park, Chan-Jin; Cho, Lee-Ra

    2014-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the axial displacement of the abutments during clinical procedures by the tightening torque and cyclic loading. Two different implant-abutment connection systems were used (external butt joint connection [EXT]; internal tapered conical connection [INT]). The master casts with two implant replicas, angulated 10° from each other, were fabricated for each implant connection system. Four types of impression copings were assembled and tightened with the corresponding implants (hex transfer impression coping, non-hex transfer impression coping, hex pick-up impression coping, non-hex pick-up impression coping). Resin splinted abutments and final prosthesis were assembled. The axial displacement was measured from the length of each assembly, which was evaluated repeatedly, after 30 Ncm torque tightening. After 250 N cyclic loading of final prosthesis for 1,000,000 cycles, additional axial displacement was recorded. The mean axial displacement was statistically analyzed (repeated measured ANOVA). There was more axial displacement in the INT group than that of the EXT group in impression copings, resin splinted abutments, and final prosthesis. Less axial displacement was found at 1-piece non-hex transfer type impression coping than other type of impression copings in the INT group. There was more axial displacement at the final prosthesis than resin splinted abutments in the INT and the EXT groups. After 250 N cyclic loading of final prosthesis, the INT group showed more axial displacement than that of the EXT group. Internal tapered conical connection demonstrated a varying amount of axial displacement with tightening torque and cyclic loading. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  17. Employment protection and the consequences for displaced workers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Albæk, Karsten; van Audenrode, Marc; Browning, Martin

    We compare the wage and employment consequences of a job displacement in Belgium and Denmark. These two countries both have generous unemployment insurance schemes but job protection laws vary dramatically between the two. Using comparable data we find that the incidence of displacement and the c...... and the consequences for wages are similar in the two countries. The consequences for employment are very different with Danish workers experiencing much less unemployment after a displacement...

  18. Bucky gel actuator displacement: experiment and model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghamsari, A K; Zegeye, E; Woldesenbet, E; Jin, Y

    2013-01-01

    Bucky gel actuator (BGA) is a dry electroactive nanocomposite which is driven with a few volts. BGA’s remarkable features make this tri-layered actuator a potential candidate for morphing applications. However, most of these applications would require a better understanding of the effective parameters that influence the BGA displacement. In this study, various sets of experiments were designed to investigate the effect of several parameters on the maximum lateral displacement of BGA. Two input parameters, voltage and frequency, and three material/design parameters, carbon nanotube type, thickness, and weight fraction of constituents were selected. A new thickness ratio term was also introduced to study the role of individual layers on BGA displacement. A model was established to predict BGA maximum displacement based on the effect of these parameters. This model showed good agreement with reported results from the literature. In addition, an important factor in the design of BGA-based devices, lifetime, was investigated. (paper)

  19. Historical and idealized climate model experiments: an intercomparison of Earth system models of intermediate complexity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eby, M.; Weaver, A. J.; Alexander, K.

    2013-01-01

    Both historical and idealized climate model experiments are performed with a variety of Earth system models of intermediate complexity (EMICs) as part of a community contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report. Historical simulations start at 850 CE...... and continue through to 2005. The standard simulations include changes in forcing from solar luminosity, Earth's orbital configuration, CO2, additional greenhouse gases, land use, and sulphate and volcanic aerosols. In spite of very different modelled pre-industrial global surface air temperatures, overall 20...

  20. Review on pre-eclampsia

    OpenAIRE

    Schlembach, Dietmar

    2003-01-01

    Pre-eclampsia is still one of the leading causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Despite active research for many decades, the etiology of this disorder exclusive to human pregnancy is an enigma. Recent evidence suggests there may be several underlying causes or predispositions leading to endothelial dysfunction and causing the signs of hypertension, proteinuria, and edema--findings that allow us to make the diagnosis of the "syndrome" of pre-eclampsia. It is obvious that a sin...

  1. Wundt, Vygotsky and Bandura: a cultural-historical science of consciousness in three acts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrari, Michel; Robinson, David K; Yasnitsky, Anton

    2010-01-01

    This article looks at three historical efforts to coordinate the scientific study of biological and cultural aspects of human consciousness into a single comprehensive theory of human development that includes the evolution of the human body, cultural evolution and personal development: specifically, the research programs of Wilhelm Wundt, Lev Vygotsky and Albert Bandura. The lack of historical relations between these similar efforts is striking, and suggests that the effort to promote cultural and personal sources of consciousness arises as a natural foil to an overemphasis on the biological basis of consciousness, sometimes associated with biological determinism.

  2. Historical aspects and causes of the synergy beginning as a science

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yakimtsov V. V.

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The article is dedicated to the historical aspects of the beginning and development of a new popular science – synergy, as a means of interdisciplinary communication among scholars. Using methodological apparatus of synergy here were considered the basics of studies. Historical aspects of the origin, beginning and formation of synergy as a science and its application in all aspects of human life were analyzed. Current research areas within synergy and nonlinear dynamics were presented. Was presented a question of order and organization of global issues (energetic, environmental, social and economic and systems, that were developed by human using synergy. The conclusion was made on the need for a synergistic approach to all aspects of human life and especially to the economy – it is undeniable in the science of human development in society and especially within the manufacturing process.

  3. Pre- and post-synaptic sympathetic function in human hibernating myocardium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    John, Anna S.; Pepper, John R.; Dreyfus, Gilles D.; Pennell, Dudley J.; Mongillo, Marco; Khan, Muhammad T.; Depre, Christophe; Rimoldi, Ornella E.; Camici, Paolo G.

    2007-01-01

    Impaired pre-synaptic noradrenaline uptake-1 mechanism has been reported in a swine model of hibernating myocardium (HM). To ascertain whether adrenergic neuroeffector abnormalities are present in human HM, we combined functional measurements in vivo using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and positron emission tomography (PET) to assess pre- and post-synaptic sympathetic function. Twelve patients with coronary artery disease and chronic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction underwent CMR at baseline and 6 months after bypass for assessment of regional and global LV function and identification of segments with reversible dysfunction. Before surgery, myocardial noradrenaline uptake-1 ([ 11 C]meta-hydroxy-ephedrine; HED) and β-adrenoceptor (β-AR) density ([ 11 C]CGP-12177) were measured with PET. Patient PET data were compared with those in 18 healthy controls. The volume of distribution (V d ) of HED in HM (47.95±28.05 ml/g) and infarcted myocardium (42.69±25.76 ml/g) was significantly reduced compared with controls (66.09±14.48 ml/g). The V d of HED in normal myocardium (49.93±20.48 ml/g) of patients was also lower than that in controls and the difference was close to statistical significance (p=0.06). Myocardial β-AR density was significantly lower in HM (5.49±2.35 pmol/g), infarcted (4.82±2.61 pmol/g) and normal (5.86±1.81 pmol/g) segments of patients compared with healthy controls (8.61±1.32 pmol/g). Noradrenaline uptake-1 mechanism and β-AR density are reduced in the myocardium of patients with chronic LV dysfunction and evidence of HM. The increased sympathetic activity to the heart in these patients is a generalised rather than regional phenomenon which is likely to contribute to the remodelling process of the whole LV rather than playing a causative role in HM. (orig.)

  4. Pre- and post-synaptic sympathetic function in human hibernating myocardium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    John, Anna S.; Pepper, John R.; Dreyfus, Gilles D.; Pennell, Dudley J. [Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, National Heart and Lung Institute, London (United Kingdom); Mongillo, Marco; Khan, Muhammad T. [Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, London (United Kingdom); Depre, Christophe [University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, New Jersey, NJ (United States); University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, New Jersey, NJ (United States); Rimoldi, Ornella E. [Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, National Heart and Lung Institute, London (United Kingdom); Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, London (United Kingdom); New York Medical College, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Valhalla, NY (United States); Camici, Paolo G. [Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, National Heart and Lung Institute, London (United Kingdom); Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, London (United Kingdom)

    2007-12-15

    Impaired pre-synaptic noradrenaline uptake-1 mechanism has been reported in a swine model of hibernating myocardium (HM). To ascertain whether adrenergic neuroeffector abnormalities are present in human HM, we combined functional measurements in vivo using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and positron emission tomography (PET) to assess pre- and post-synaptic sympathetic function. Twelve patients with coronary artery disease and chronic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction underwent CMR at baseline and 6 months after bypass for assessment of regional and global LV function and identification of segments with reversible dysfunction. Before surgery, myocardial noradrenaline uptake-1 ([{sup 11}C]meta-hydroxy-ephedrine; HED) and {beta}-adrenoceptor ({beta}-AR) density ([{sup 11}C]CGP-12177) were measured with PET. Patient PET data were compared with those in 18 healthy controls. The volume of distribution (V{sub d}) of HED in HM (47.95{+-}28.05 ml/g) and infarcted myocardium (42.69{+-}25.76 ml/g) was significantly reduced compared with controls (66.09{+-}14.48 ml/g). The V{sub d} of HED in normal myocardium (49.93{+-}20.48 ml/g) of patients was also lower than that in controls and the difference was close to statistical significance (p=0.06). Myocardial {beta}-AR density was significantly lower in HM (5.49{+-}2.35 pmol/g), infarcted (4.82{+-}2.61 pmol/g) and normal (5.86{+-}1.81 pmol/g) segments of patients compared with healthy controls (8.61{+-}1.32 pmol/g). Noradrenaline uptake-1 mechanism and {beta}-AR density are reduced in the myocardium of patients with chronic LV dysfunction and evidence of HM. The increased sympathetic activity to the heart in these patients is a generalised rather than regional phenomenon which is likely to contribute to the remodelling process of the whole LV rather than playing a causative role in HM. (orig.)

  5. A Vision-Based Sensor for Noncontact Structural Displacement Measurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Dongming; Feng, Maria Q.; Ozer, Ekin; Fukuda, Yoshio

    2015-01-01

    Conventional displacement sensors have limitations in practical applications. This paper develops a vision sensor system for remote measurement of structural displacements. An advanced template matching algorithm, referred to as the upsampled cross correlation, is adopted and further developed into a software package for real-time displacement extraction from video images. By simply adjusting the upsampling factor, better subpixel resolution can be easily achieved to improve the measurement accuracy. The performance of the vision sensor is first evaluated through a laboratory shaking table test of a frame structure, in which the displacements at all the floors are measured by using one camera to track either high-contrast artificial targets or low-contrast natural targets on the structural surface such as bolts and nuts. Satisfactory agreements are observed between the displacements measured by the single camera and those measured by high-performance laser displacement sensors. Then field tests are carried out on a railway bridge and a pedestrian bridge, through which the accuracy of the vision sensor in both time and frequency domains is further confirmed in realistic field environments. Significant advantages of the noncontact vision sensor include its low cost, ease of operation, and flexibility to extract structural displacement at any point from a single measurement. PMID:26184197

  6. Neutron-induced displacement damage analysis (with particular reference to zirconium)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woo, C.H.

    1978-10-01

    Neutron irradiation produces damage in a solid, initially in the form of atomic displacements. As a first step to understanding the effects of irradiation damage in reactor structural materials, information on the initial atomic displacements is necessary. The computer program DISPKAN, based on an extension and generalization of the program RICE, written at ORNL for such calculations, has been developed and installed on the CDC system at CRNL. Using neutron scattering data from ENDF/B files, DISPKAN performs a displacement and PKO analysis on the initial damage caused by neutrons from a given spectrum. The following quantities are calculated: the displacement rate per unit neutron flux, the PKO spectrum, the displacement spectrum, the fraction of PKO's with energy above T, the fraction of displacements produced by PKO's with energy above T, the average PKO energy, the average number of displacements produced per PKO, and the total number of PKO's produced per atom of the solid per unit fluence. The input and output formats of the program are explained. Sample runs are demonstrated. Results for zirconium, exposed to five neutron spectra typically available to experimentalist, are given to illustrate the spectral dependence of the initial displacement events. (author)

  7. Discriminating impacts of geomorphological and human factors on vineyard soil erosion (Burgundy, France)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chevigny, Emmanuel; Quiquerez, Amélie; Petit, Christophe; Curmi, Pierre

    2014-05-01

    The Burgundy vineyards have been recognized for the high diversity of Terroirs, controlled by complex interactions between natural features, historical parameters and soil management practices. Vineyards are known to undergo substantial soil loss in comparison with other types of agricultural land. Hydric erosion on vineyards is controlled by complex interactions of natural and anthropogenic factors leading to intra-plot spatial heterogeneities of topsoil at a scale of a metre. Studying the relationship between soils and their degradation is crucial in this situation where soil sustainability is threatened. This study explores the relative influences of historical and present-day anthropogenic factors and geomorphological processes controlling soil erosion on vineyard hillslopes. The selected area was located in the Monthelie vineyard (Côte de Beaune, France) where intensive erosion occurred during high-intensity rainfall events. Soil erosion quantification was performed at a square-metre scale using dendrogeomorphology. This method is based on the measurement of the unearthing of the stock located on the vine plants, considered as a passive marker of soil-surface vertical displacement since the year of plantation. The obtained maps, together with various complementary datasets, such as geological and geomorphological data, but also historical documents (cadastral plans, cadastral matrices and old aerial photographs) allow landscape evolution to be assessed. The combination of all these data shows that spatial distribution and intensity of erosion are controlled mainly by lithology and slope value. However, our study highlights that the sediment dynamics in this vineyard plot is highly related to historical former plot limits and present-day management practices. Nonetheless, quantification of sediment dynamic for the last decade reveals that the impacts of historical structures are disappearing gradually, in response to present-day management practices and

  8. Diagnosing displaced four-part fractures of the proximal humerus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brorson, Stig; Bagger, Jens; Sylvest, Annette

    2009-01-01

    Displaced four-part fractures comprise 2-10 % of all proximal humeral fractures. The optimal treatment is unclear and randomised trials are needed. The conduct and interpretation of such trials is facilitated by a reproducible fracture classification. We aimed at quantifying observer agreement...... on the classification of displaced four-part fractures according to the Neer system. Published and unpublished data from five observer studies were reviewed. Observers agreed less on displaced four-part fractures than on the overall Neer classification. Mean kappa values for interobserver agreement ranged from 0.......16 to 0.48. Specialists agreed slightly more than fellows and residents. Advanced imaging modalities (CT and 3D CT) seemed to contribute more to classification of displaced four-part patterns than in less complex fracture patterns. Low observer agreement may challenge the clinical approach to displaced...

  9. Land Restitution and Prevention of Forced Displacement in Colombia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felipe Gómez-Isa

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available The armed conflict in Colombia, which has generated over three million internally displaced persons, has dramatic humanitarian consequences and raises serious issues regarding the protection of displaced peoples’ rights. The underlying reasons for the displacement often lie in the dynamics associated with territorial control and land seizures undertaken for strategic, military or purely economic purposes. Domestic and international legal provisions have established the victims’ right to the restitution of their homes and property as the “preferred remedy” in cases of displacement. However, policies dealing with displacement, both those of the Colombian government and of several international institutions, fail to take this sufficiently into account. A comprehensive reparation policy for victims must necessarily entail the reversion of lands, territories and goods seized in Colombia under the pretext of the internal armed conflict.

  10. Method of making self-calibrated displacement measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pedersen, H.N.

    1977-01-01

    A method for monitoring the displacement of an object having an acoustically reflective surface at least partially submerged in an acoustically conductive medium is described. The reflective surface is designed to have a stepped interface responsive to an incident acoustic pulse to provide separate discrete reflected pulses to a receiving transducer. The difference in the time of flight of the reflected acoustic signals corresponds to the known step height and the time of travel of the signals to the receiving transducer provides a measure of the displacement of the object. Accordingly, the reference step length enables simultaneous calibration of each displacement measurement. 3 claims, 3 figures

  11. Pre-existing hypertension dominates γδT cell reduction in human ischemic stroke.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mateusz G Adamski

    Full Text Available T lymphocytes may play an important role in the evolution of ischemic stroke. Depletion of γδT cells has been found to abrogate ischemia reperfusion injury in murine stroke. However, the role of γδT cells in human ischemic stroke is unknown. We aimed to determine γδT cell counts and γδT cell interleukin 17A (IL-17A production in the clinical setting of ischemic stroke. We also aimed to determine the associations of γδT cell counts with ischemic lesion volume, measures of clinical severity and with major stroke risk factors. Peripheral blood samples from 43 acute ischemic stroke patients and 26 control subjects matched on race and gender were used for flow cytometry and complete blood count analyses. Subsequently, cytokine levels and gene expression were measured in γδT cells. The number of circulating γδT cells was decreased by almost 50% (p = 0.005 in the stroke patients. γδT cell counts did not correlate with lesion volume on magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging or with clinical severity in the stroke patients, but γδT cells showed elevated levels of IL-17A (p = 0.048. Decreased γδT cell counts were also associated with older age (p = 0.004, pre-existing hypertension (p = 0.0005 and prevalent coronary artery disease (p = 0.03, with pre-existing hypertension being the most significant predictor of γδT cell counts in a multivariable analysis. γδT cells in human ischemic stroke are reduced in number and show elevated levels of IL-17A. A major reduction in γδT lymphocytes also occurs in hypertension and may contribute to the development of hypertension-mediated stroke and vascular disease.

  12. Mental health of internally displaced persons in Jalozai camp, Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mujeeb, Arooj

    2015-11-01

    Internal displacement has been a distressing issue of Pakistan for last one decade. Few research works have been conducted on the psychological issues of internally displaced persons in Pakistan. The current research was aimed at determining the psychological effects of internal displacement, that is, psychological well-being, depression, anxiety and stress (internalizing problems) of the individuals who were displaced as a result of an armed conflict in Swat. A sample of 126 internally displaced persons was taken from Jalozai camp which included females (n = 65) and males (n = 61). Age of the sample ranged from 20 to 75 years with a mean of 47.5 years. Translated and adapted versions of Well-Being Affectometer-2 Scale and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale were used in the current research. Results of the study indicated differences between males and females, females being higher on internalizing problems and lower on psychological well-being, whereas family loss during displacement affected the results in the same way. Well-being, gender and family loss emerged as significant predictors of internalizing problems, and gender moderated the relationship between well-being and internalizing problems. Internal displacement may bring psychological issues for internally displaced persons, that is, their well-being may decrease and depression, anxiety and stress may increase during displacement. Limitations and implications of the study were discussed further. © The Author(s) 2015.

  13. Herbarium specimens reveal a historical shift in phylogeographic structure of common ragweed during native range disturbance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Martin, Michael David; Zimmer, Elizabeth A.; Olsen, Morten Tange

    2014-01-01

    Invasive plants provide ample opportunity to study evolutionary shifts that occur after introduction to novel environments. However, although genetic characters pre-dating introduction can be important determinants of later success, large-scale investigations of historical genetic structure have......'s spatial genetic structure mirrors both the palaeo-record of Ambrosia pollen deposition and the historical pattern of agricultural density across the landscape. Furthermore, for unknown reasons, this spatial genetic pattern has changed substantially in the intervening years. Following on previous work...

  14. Can currently available non-animal methods detect pre and ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Predictive testing to identify and characterise substances for their skin sensitisation potential has historically been based on animal tests such as the Local Lymph Node Assay (LLNA). In recent years, regulations in the cosmetics and chemicals sectors has provided a strong impetus to develop and evaluate non-animal alternative methods. The AOP for skin sensitisation provides a framework to anchor non-animal test methods to key events in the pathway to help identify what tests can be combined together to generate the potency information required for risk assessment. The 3 test methods that have undergone extensive development and validation are the direct peptide reactivity assay (DPRA), the KeratinoSensTM and the human Cell Line Activation Test (h-CLAT). Whilst these methods have been shown to perform relatively well in predicting LLNA results (accuracy ~ 80%), a particular concern that has been raised is their ability to predict chemicals that need to be activated to act as sensitisers (either abiotically on the skin (pre-hapten) or metabolically in the skin (pro-hapten)). The DPRA is a cell free system whereas the other two methods make use of cells that do not fully represent the in vivo metabolic situation. Based on previously published datasets of LLNA data, it has been found that approximately 25% of sensitisers are pre- and/or pro-haptens. This study reviewed an EURL ECVAM dataset of 127 substances for which information was available in the LLNA and the

  15. "'I Am Canada': Exploring Social Responsibility in Social Studies Using Young Adult Historical Fiction"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horton, Todd A.

    2014-01-01

    This paper explores educating for democratic citizenship with a focus on the intersection between reading and values, specifically the nurturing of social responsibility. Using a pre-designed framework for teaching for social responsibility, excerpts from a young adult historical fiction series are used to consider learning possibilities in the…

  16. [Displacement of the posterior part of the eyeball in myopia].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akizawa, Yasuko; Masahiro, Ida

    2006-12-01

    The principal aim of this study was to investigate displacement of the posterior part of the eyeball within the muscle cone in myopic eyes, particularly in moderately myopic subjects as well as in high myopes. Secondly, the correlation of the amount of displacement and the outer axial length of the globe was studied. The direction of displacement was also examined to clarify whether the eyeball tends to shift toward a certain direction. Seven patients with moderate myopia (moderate myopia group), fifteen patients with high myopia without esotropia (high myopia group), five patients with high myopia and esotropia (myopic esotropia group), and twenty-two controls (control group) were examined. Using magnetic resonance imaging, the outer axial length and the displacement of the posterior portion of the eyeball in the muscle cone were measured. In order to eliminate interindividual differences in the facial configuration, the coronal scanning was done perpendicularly to the orbital axis. The displacement was measured in a plane 4 mm anterior to the globe-optic nerve junction. The displacement was represented by the distance and direction of the globe center from the center of the muscle cone. In the moderate myopia group, there was no displacement of the posterior part of the eyeball in the muscle cone. It was the same as in the control group. But among the three groups, the displacement (mean standard deviation) was significantly greater in the myopic esotropia group (1.53 +/- 0.49 mm) and the high myopia group (0.94 +/- 0.52 mm) than in the control group (0.11 +/- 0.18 mm) (one way ANOVA and multiple comparison). The outer axial length and the distance of the displacement in all cases was significantly correlated (r = 0.87, p = 0.01). Moreover, the posterior part of the eyeball of the myopic esotropia group and the high myopia group was displaced superiorly and temporally. The posterior part of the eyeball of myopic eyes was displaced superotemporally in the muscle

  17. Quantification of the vocal folds’ dynamic displacements

    Science.gov (United States)

    del Socorro Hernández-Montes, María; Muñoz, Silvino; De La Torre, Manuel; Flores, Mauricio; Pérez, Carlos; Mendoza-Santoyo, Fernando

    2016-05-01

    Fast dynamic data acquisition techniques are required to investigate the motional behavior of the vocal folds (VFs) when they are subjected to a steady air-flow through the trachea. High-speed digital holographic interferometry (DHI) is a non-invasive full-field-of-view technique that has proved its usefulness to study rapid and non-repetitive object movements. Hence it is an ideal technique used here to measure VF displacements and vibration patterns at 2000 fps. Analyses from a set of 200 displacement images showed that VFs’ vibration cycles are established along their width (y) and length (x). Furthermore, the maximum deformation for the right and left VFs’ area may be quantified from these images, which in itself represents an important result in the characterization of this structure. At a controlled air pressure, VF displacements fall within the range ~100-1740 nm, with a calculated precision and accuracy that yields a variation coefficient of 1.91%. High-speed acquisition of full-field images of VFs and their displacement quantification are on their own significant data in the study of their functional and physiological behavior since voice quality and production depend on how they vibrate, i.e. their displacement amplitude and frequency. Additionally, the use of high speed DHI avoids prolonged examinations and represents a significant scientific and technological alternative contribution in advancing the knowledge and working mechanisms of these tissues.

  18. What’s the time? About the pertinence to speak of historical time

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio GÓMEZ RAMOS

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper wants to suggest a defininition of the philosophy of history as a determination of historical time, or at the question about what is the present time. I draw on Norbert Elias’ sociological conception of time, which aims at desontologizing time and considering it as an instrument which humans use for organizing their actions. I suggest that historical time, and philosophy of history, is also a conceptual instrument for organizing and understanding the complexity of human interactions in Modernity. This means that there is a double sensitivity for time in modern society: as consciousness of qualitative time and as technically measured time. Finally, I argue that Heidegger’s and Benjamin’s are the most adequate theories in the Xxth century for approaching a definition of historical time

  19. Lateral vibration analysis of continuous bridges utilizing equal displacement rule

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Biao Wei

    Full Text Available The application of equal displacement rule simplifies the evaluation of lateral displacement demand forSDOF system. For complex multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF structures such as continuous bridge systems, however, it requires more investigations. In this paper, a comprehensive parametric study of the ratio of maximum inelastic displacement to maximum elastic displacement for typical continuous bridges is performedto advance the application of equal displacement rule to MDOF systems. Particurlarly for the bridges with long periods, this adapted methodlogy is further simplified. It is concluded that equal displacement rule of MDOF is applicable to continuous bridges when the periods of the main modes are no less than the limiting period, which usually serves as an indication to the level of inelastic deformation for a bridge subjected to an earthquake.

  20. Mind's historicity: its hidden history.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pizarroso, Noemí

    2013-02-01

    Whereas psychological research can hardly accept the idea of a changing psychological architecture, mind's historicity seems to be commonplace among historians of psychology, at least in recent decades. Attempts to promote a convergence between psychology and history have always existed, though mainly in the margins of both disciplines. Among these attempts, there is a tradition in French psychology that remains quite marginal even to the history of the discipline and is practically unknown out of the French context. Our goal is to introduce this approach, through the work of its main architect, Ignace Meyerson, to an English speaking reader, in the light of current pleas for historicity. Developed within the core of the discipline of psychology, though in dialogue with many others disciplines, Meyerson's historical psychology appears to be more ambitious than other attempts, as it aims at studying psychological activity itself, beyond the history of its conceptualizations. It is concerned not with the analysis of fragmented, isolated, and mechanistic behaviors or cognitive process, but with the study of mind in its functioning through the multiple and changing fields of experience where human beings are involved.

  1. Posttranslational modifications of Rab proteins cause effective displacement of GDP dissociation inhibitor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oesterlin, Lena K; Goody, Roger S; Itzen, Aymelt

    2012-04-10

    Intracellular vesicular trafficking is regulated by approximately 60 members of the Rab subfamily of small Ras-like GDP/GTP binding proteins. Rab proteins cycle between inactive and active states as well as between cytosolic and membrane bound forms. Membrane extraction/delivery and cytosolic distribution of Rabs is mediated by interaction with the protein GDP dissociation inhibitor (GDI) that binds to prenylated inactive (GDP-bound) Rab proteins. Because the Rab:GDP:GDI complex is of high affinity, the question arises of how GDI can be displaced efficiently from Rab protein in order to allow the necessary recruitment of the Rab to its specific target membrane. While there is strong evidence that DrrA, as a bacterially encoded GDP/GTP exchange factor, contributes to this event, we show here that posttranslational modifications of Rabs can also modulate the affinity for GDI and thus cause effective displacement of GDI from Rab:GDI complexes. These activities have been found associated with the phosphocholination and adenylylation activities of the enzymes AnkX and DrrA/SidM, respectively, from the pathogenic bacterium Legionella pneumophila. Both modifications occur after spontaneous dissociation of Rab:GDI complexes within their natural equilibrium. Therefore, the effective GDI displacement that is observed is caused by inhibition of reformation of Rab:GDI complexes. Interestingly, in contrast to adenylylation by DrrA, AnkX can covalently modify inactive Rabs with high catalytic efficiency even when GDP is bound to the GTPase and hence can inhibit binding of GDI to Rab:GDP complexes. We therefore speculate that human cells could employ similar mechanisms in the absence of infection to effectively displace Rabs from GDI.

  2. The location of displaced New Orleans residents in the year after Hurricane Katrina.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sastry, Narayan; Gregory, Jesse

    2014-06-01

    Using individual data from the restricted version of the American Community Survey, we examined the displacement locations of pre-Hurricane Katrina adult residents of New Orleans in the year after the hurricane. More than one-half (53 %) of adults had returned to-or remained in-the New Orleans metropolitan area, with just under one-third of the total returning to the dwelling in which they resided prior to Hurricane Katrina. Among the remainder, Texas was the leading location of displaced residents, with almost 40 % of those living away from the metropolitan area (18 % of the total), followed by other locations in Louisiana (12 %), the South region of the United States other than Louisiana and Texas (12 %), and elsewhere in the United States (5 %). Black adults were considerably more likely than nonblack adults to be living elsewhere in Louisiana, in Texas, and elsewhere in the South. The observed race disparity was not accounted for by any of the demographic or socioeconomic covariates in the multinomial logistic regression models. Consistent with hypothesized effects, we found that following Hurricane Katrina, young adults (aged 25-39) were more likely to move further away from New Orleans and that adults born outside Louisiana were substantially more likely to have relocated away from the state.

  3. Culture media for human pre-implantation embryos in assisted reproductive technology cycles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youssef, Mohamed M A; Mantikou, Eleni; van Wely, Madelon; Van der Veen, Fulco; Al-Inany, Hesham G; Repping, Sjoerd; Mastenbroek, Sebastiaan

    2015-11-20

    Many media are commercially available for culturing pre-implantation human embryos in assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles. It is unknown which culture medium leads to the best success rates after ART. To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of different human pre-implantation embryo culture media in used for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. We searched the Cochrane Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility Group's Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, the National Research Register, the Medical Research Council's Clinical Trials Register and the NHS Center for Reviews and Dissemination databases from January 1985 to March 2015. We also examined the reference lists of all known primary studies, review articles, citation lists of relevant publications and abstracts of major scientific meetings. We included all randomised controlled trials which randomised women, oocytes or embryos and compared any two commercially available culture media for human pre-implantation embryos in an IVF or ICSI programme. Two review authors independently selected the studies, assessed their risk of bias and extracted data. We sought additional information from the authors if necessary. We assessed the quality of the evidence using Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methods. The primary review outcome was live birth or ongoing pregnancy. We included 32 studies in this review. Seventeen studies randomised women (total 3666), three randomised cycles (total 1018) and twelve randomised oocytes (over 15,230). It was not possible to pool any of the data because each study compared different culture media.Only seven studies reported live birth or ongoing pregnancy. Four of these studies found no evidence of a difference between the media compared, for either day three or day five embryo transfer. The data from the fifth study did not appear reliable

  4. Large scale chromatographic separations using continuous displacement chromatography (CDC)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taniguchi, V.T.; Doty, A.W.; Byers, C.H.

    1988-01-01

    A process for large scale chromatographic separations using a continuous chromatography technique is described. The process combines the advantages of large scale batch fixed column displacement chromatography with conventional analytical or elution continuous annular chromatography (CAC) to enable large scale displacement chromatography to be performed on a continuous basis (CDC). Such large scale, continuous displacement chromatography separations have not been reported in the literature. The process is demonstrated with the ion exchange separation of a binary lanthanide (Nd/Pr) mixture. The process is, however, applicable to any displacement chromatography separation that can be performed using conventional batch, fixed column chromatography

  5. Are the classical historical geography of the Byzantine world and Gis technology a contradiction? On the usage of contemporary technologies in the humanities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Popović St. Mihailo

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The article highlights the latest developments in the field of Digital Humanities. It indicates in which ways these technologies are already used in the historical and geographical science throughout the world and how they could be integrated systematically into Byzantine Studies. In the first part of the article international projects, which are based on GIS (Geographic Information Systems, and their links in the World Wide Web are presented. In the second part the author shows on the basis of his scholarly results on the historical geography of Byzantine Macedonia, how medieval written sources can be transferred into digital format in order to achieve a higher level of spatial data analysis. The neglect of this important and recent scholarly approach in the 21st century could lead to the marginalisation of Byzantine Studies in general, and of the historical geography of the Byzantine Empire in particular. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 177015: Hrišćanska kultura na Balkanu u srednjem veku: Vizantijsko carstvo, Srbi i Bugari od 9. do 15. veka

  6. Effect of excavation method on rock mass displacement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Toshinori; Kikuchi, Tadashi; Sugihara, Kozo

    1998-01-01

    Rock mass displacement measurements have been performed to understand rock mass behavior and its dependence on excavation method during drift excavation at the Tono mine. Rock mass displacements of 1.46 mm and 0.67 mm have been measured at one meter (0.33D: blasting, 0.42D: machine, D: width of drift) from the walls of drifts excavated by the drill and blasting method and machine, respectively. Numerical analysis of rock mass displacements with Finite Element Method has been performed assuming an excavation disturbed zone. Measured and analysed rock mass displacements are consistent with each other for the drift excavation by the drill and blasting method. The excavation disturbed zone was narrower for the drift excavated by machine than for the drift excavated by the drill and blasting method. (author)

  7. Pitot-probe displacement in a supersonic turbulent boundary layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, J. M.

    1972-01-01

    Eight circular pitot probes ranging in size from 2 to 70 percent of the boundary-layer thickness were tested to provide experimental probe displacement results in a two-dimensional turbulent boundary layer at a nominal free-stream Mach number of 2 and unit Reynolds number of 8 million per meter. The displacement obtained in the study was larger than that reported by previous investigators in either an incompressible turbulent boundary layer or a supersonic laminar boundary layer. The large probes indicated distorted Mach number profiles, probably due to separation. When the probes were small enough to cause no appreciable distortion, the displacement was constant over most of the boundary layer. The displacement in the near-wall region decreased to negative displacement in some cases. This near-wall region was found to extend to about one probe diameter from the test surface.

  8. Miscible fluid displacement: an answer to increasing oil recovery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodriguez, N R; Rivera, R J

    1976-01-01

    This study presents the state of the art on miscible and miscible-type processes. It is well known that when these processes are applied under ideal laboratory conditions, the oil recovery obtained from linear cores approaches 100% of the total oil contained in the porous structure which is contacted by the displacing fluids. In the past few years, a worldwide shortage of crude oil supplies produced an increased interest in new oil recovery methods. Because of this situation, the oil industry turned its eyes back toward the miscible processes. This study discusses the following miscible fluid displacement processes: (1) high-pressure dry gas displacement; (2) enriched gas displacement; (3) GLP slug flooding; and (4) carbon dioxide displacement. In addition to the processes aforementioned, this work presents the main features of the micellar solution flooding process. (17 refs.)

  9. Georadar Archaeological Prospection at the Historical Center of the Merida City, Yucatan, Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barba, L.; Ortiz, A.; Blancas, J.; Ligorred, J.

    2007-05-01

    This paper shows the results of the georadar archaeological prospection carried out by the Laboratorio de Prospección Arqueologica from the Instituto de Investigaciones Antropologicas (IIA) of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) verifing the archaeological and historical information recovered by the Departamento de Patrimonio Arqueologico y Natural del Municipio (DPANM) del Ayuntamiento de Merida en el Centro Histerico de la Ciudad de Merida under a joint project. The Historical Center of Merida has been classified as a "zone of high patrimonial value" after the topographic data and the historical documents recovered showed a long-term occupation, non interrupted since pre-Columbian times, when T Ho was the great capital of the northern region of the Maya area. For the rehabilitation program of the Historical Center of Merida has been a great priority to verify the existence of archaeological remains, pre-Columbian or colonial, under the present streets, gardens and plazas that could be damaged during the public infrastructure works. In order to prevent any damage to the patrimony a large georadar study was carried out pulling 200 and 400 MHz antennas of the GSSI SIR System 2 for 16500 m of the city streets, focusing in the areas where infrastructure works were imminent. After the analysis of the radar data it was possible to build up a map with the location of the most noticeable archaeological remains under the pavement of the streets that confirmed many of the topographic and documental proposed places. As a final result, by the first time a city government has available information to take present urban decisions, while preventing the damage to the archaeological patrimony of the same city.

  10. Optimization of analytical and pre-analytical conditions for MALDI-TOF-MS human urine protein profiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calvano, C D; Aresta, A; Iacovone, M; De Benedetto, G E; Zambonin, C G; Battaglia, M; Ditonno, P; Rutigliano, M; Bettocchi, C

    2010-03-11

    Protein analysis in biological fluids, such as urine, by means of mass spectrometry (MS) still suffers for insufficient standardization in protocols for sample collection, storage and preparation. In this work, the influence of these variables on healthy donors human urine protein profiling performed by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) was studied. A screening of various urine sample pre-treatment procedures and different sample deposition approaches on the MALDI target was performed. The influence of urine samples storage time and temperature on spectral profiles was evaluated by means of principal component analysis (PCA). The whole optimized procedure was eventually applied to the MALDI-TOF-MS analysis of human urine samples taken from prostate cancer patients. The best results in terms of detected ions number and abundance in the MS spectra were obtained by using home-made microcolumns packed with hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) resin as sample pre-treatment method; this procedure was also less expensive and suitable for high throughput analyses. Afterwards, the spin coating approach for sample deposition on the MALDI target plate was optimized, obtaining homogenous and reproducible spots. Then, PCA indicated that low storage temperatures of acidified and centrifuged samples, together with short handling time, allowed to obtain reproducible profiles without artifacts contribution due to experimental conditions. Finally, interesting differences were found by comparing the MALDI-TOF-MS protein profiles of pooled urine samples of healthy donors and prostate cancer patients. The results showed that analytical and pre-analytical variables are crucial for the success of urine analysis, to obtain meaningful and reproducible data, even if the intra-patient variability is very difficult to avoid. It has been proven how pooled urine samples can be an interesting way to make easier the comparison between

  11. Modern historical epistemology through the prism of Paul Ricoeur’ transactions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trubnikova Natalia

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this article it is carried out the contribution of Paul Ricoeur, the leading theorist of modern humanitarian knowledge, in the elaboration of the modern historical epistemology problems. His diverse works affect all sense fields of history and historical perception. The article shows the place of Paul Ricoeur as a primary guide of philosophical hermeneutic tradition achievements in the sphere of historical research, moreover, as a thinker, who gives a principal possibility to surmount divisions of different historiographical trends and find a methodological consensus in regard to basic orientations of historical scholarship. On the basis of his works the dialectic of a historical objectivity and a personal subjectivity of historian, the interoperability issues of history and historical memory are traced. At the same time this paper touches principals dichotomies, basic for the Paul Ricoeur’s considerations, such as fiction and historical narration, structure and event, history and truth, memory and imagination, scientism and art of interpretation, human action and social constraint. The contents of a current debate on the theory of history, based on the development of the Ricoeur’s “defatalisation” of history concept and utopian future vision are shown.

  12. The Effect of Basepair Mismatch on DNA Strand Displacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broadwater, D W Bo; Kim, Harold D

    2016-04-12

    DNA strand displacement is a key reaction in DNA homologous recombination and DNA mismatch repair and is also heavily utilized in DNA-based computation and locomotion. Despite its ubiquity in science and engineering, sequence-dependent effects of displacement kinetics have not been extensively characterized. Here, we measured toehold-mediated strand displacement kinetics using single-molecule fluorescence in the presence of a single basepair mismatch. The apparent displacement rate varied significantly when the mismatch was introduced in the invading DNA strand. The rate generally decreased as the mismatch in the invader was encountered earlier in displacement. Our data indicate that a single base pair mismatch in the invader stalls branch migration and displacement occurs via direct dissociation of the destabilized incumbent strand from the substrate strand. We combined both branch migration and direct dissociation into a model, which we term the concurrent displacement model, and used the first passage time approach to quantitatively explain the salient features of the observed relationship. We also introduce the concept of splitting probabilities to justify that the concurrent model can be simplified into a three-step sequential model in the presence of an invader mismatch. We expect our model to become a powerful tool to design DNA-based reaction schemes with broad functionality. Copyright © 2016 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Histone displacement during nucleotide excision repair

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dinant, C.; Bartek, J.; Bekker-Jensen, S.

    2012-01-01

    Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is an important DNA repair mechanism required for cellular resistance against UV light and toxic chemicals such as those found in tobacco smoke. In living cells, NER efficiently detects and removes DNA lesions within the large nuclear macromolecular complex called...... of histone variants and histone displacement (including nucleosome sliding). Here we review current knowledge, and speculate about current unknowns, regarding those chromatin remodeling activities that physically displace histones before, during and after NER....

  14. Design Solutions for Sustainable Construction of Pre Engineered Steel Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Umair Saleem

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Sustainable construction of ecofriendly infrastructure has been the priority of worldwide researchers. The induction of modern technology in the steel manufacturing industry has enabled designers to get the desired control over the steel section shapes and profiles resulting in efficient use of construction material and manufacturing energy required to produce these materials. The current research study is focused on the optimization of steel building costs with the use of pre-engineered building construction technology. Construction of conventional steel buildings (CSB incorporates the use of hot rolled sections, which have uniform cross-section throughout the length. However, pre-engineered steel buildings (PEB utilize steel sections, which are tailored and profiled based on the required loading effects. In this research study, the performance of PEB steel frames in terms of optimum use of steel sections and its comparison with the conventional steel building is presented in detail. A series of PEB and CSB steel frames is selected and subjected to various loading conditions. Frames were analyzed using Finite Element Based analysis tool and design was performed using American Institute of Steel Construction design specifications. Comparison of the frames has been established in terms of frame weights, lateral displacements (sway and vertical displacements (deflection of the frames. The results have clearly indicated that PEB steel frames are not only the most economical solution due to lesser weight of construction but also have shown better performance compared to CSB frames.

  15. Regional and historical factors supplement current climate in shaping global forest canopy height

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Jian; Nielsen, Scott; Mao, Lingfeng

    2016-01-01

    on Light Detection and Ranging-derived maximum forest canopy height (Hmax) to test hypotheses relating Hmax to current climate (water availability, ambient energy and water–energy dynamics), regional evolutionary and biogeographic history, historical climate change, and human disturbance. We derived Hmax...... biogeographic regions, supporting the role of regional evolutionary and biogeographic history in structuring broad-scale patterns in canopy height. Furthermore, there were divergent relationships between climate and Hmax between the Southern and Northern Hemispheres, consistent with historical evolutionary...... contingencies modulating these relationships. Historical climate change was also related to Hmax, albeit not as strongly, with shorter canopy heights where late-Quaternary climate has been less stable. In contrast, human disturbance was only weakly related to Hmax at the scale (55 km) examined here. Synthesis...

  16. Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory project. Rock mechanical investigations measurement of the rock strain and displacement during shaft excavation at GL.-200m level of research galley

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirano, Toru; Seno, Yasuhiro; Hikima, Ryoichi; Matsui, Hiroya

    2011-09-01

    In order to establish the scientific and technical basis for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) is proceeding with the geoscientific research in the research galleries excavated at the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU). One of the scientific and technical objectives of this project is to understand the change of geological environment due to excavation of research galleries. The investigation described herein is the measurement of the rock strain / displacement while pre-excavation grouting or excavating of the shaft around the GL.-200m level of research gallery. A brief summary is presented as follows. 1) Apparent strain with pre-excavation grouting: Injection pressure during pre-excavation grouting could explain the observed strain. Maximum principal strain 'E1' (extension) was oriented to NS direction. The measured fracture system at the site includes a fracture set perpendicular to E1. We infer that these fracture expanded due to grout injection pressure. 2) Apparent strain during excavation of the shaft: Rock behavior of stress release was observed when the bottom of shaft passed by and lining of shaft was constructed. The observed strain was very small and almost same scale as the expected strain for elastic material. But the observed strain of radial direction was compression whereas the expected strain was extension. Therefore it was estimated that rock behavior was affected by cracks. 3) Applicability of the FBG sensors for in situ displacement measurement near the shaft: FBG sensors were stable and reliable in comparison to strain meters or inclinometers. There was no electrical equipment trouble nor large drift in measurements. FBG results can lead to understand bending mode of borehole. But we cannot specify the displacement direction from these data in some cases. (author)

  17. Historical biome distribution and recent human disturbance shape the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pärtel, Meelis; Öpik, Maarja; Moora, Mari; Tedersoo, Leho; Szava-Kovats, Robert; Rosendahl, Søren; Rillig, Matthias C; Lekberg, Ylva; Kreft, Holger; Helgason, Thorunn; Eriksson, Ove; Davison, John; de Bello, Francesco; Caruso, Tancredi; Zobel, Martin

    2017-10-01

    The availability of global microbial diversity data, collected using standardized metabarcoding techniques, makes microorganisms promising models for investigating the role of regional and local factors in driving biodiversity. Here we modelled the global diversity of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi using currently available data on AM fungal molecular diversity (small subunit (SSU) ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequences) in field samples. To differentiate between regional and local effects, we estimated species pools (sets of potentially suitable taxa) for each site, which are expected to reflect regional processes. We then calculated community completeness, an index showing the fraction of the species pool present, which is expected to reflect local processes. We found significant spatial variation, globally in species pool size, as well as in local and dark diversity (absent members of the species pool). Species pool size was larger close to areas containing tropical grasslands during the last glacial maximum, which are possible centres of diversification. Community completeness was greater in regions of high wilderness (remoteness from human disturbance). Local diversity was correlated with wilderness and current connectivity to mountain grasslands. Applying the species pool concept to symbiotic fungi facilitated a better understanding of how biodiversity can be jointly shaped by large-scale historical processes and recent human disturbance. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

  18. Various Political and Social Challenges Including Wars and Displacement in Empowering Women and Girls in Science

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nilüfer Narli

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Poor gender ratio in science and engineering has been a global concern, despite growing number of female scientists in the world. Women’s empowerment in science is key to achieve human progress and dignity and directly related to accomplishing SDG 16: "Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels". What are the challenges that hinder women and girls’ progress in science? Added to several challenges discussed below, wars and displaced population create obstacles for female education and women’s advancement in science and technology. There are some challenges that have prevailed for the last two decades (e.g. economic insecurity and new challenges that are the results of the new forms wars, civil wars and extremism (e.g., large scale armed conflicts that involves state and non-state actors which have produced large numbers of displaced women in the Middle East who lost their jobs and isolated elsewhere, many young displaced females and refugees and who have no access to formal education and who face health risks in conflict and displacement settings, and new forms of gender discrimination produced by religious extremism.......

  19. Historical thinking in clinical medicine: lessons from R.G. Collingwood's philosophy of history.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chin-Yee, Benjamin H; Upshur, Ross E G

    2015-06-01

    The aim of this article is to create a space for historical thinking in medical practice. To this end, we draw on the ideas of R.G. Collingwood (1889-1943), the renowned British philosopher of history, and explore the implications of his philosophy for clinical medicine. We show how Collingwood's philosophy provides a compelling argument for the re-centring of medical practice around the patient history as a means of restoring to the clinical encounter the human meaning that is too often lost in modern medicine. Furthermore, we examine how Collingwood's historical thinking offers a patient-centred epistemology and a more pluralistic concept of evidence that includes the qualitative, narrative evidence necessary for human understanding. We suggest that clinical medicine can benefit from Collingwood's historical thinking, and, more generally, illustrates how a philosophy of medicine that draws on diverse sources from the humanities offers a richer, more empathetic clinical practice. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. Stress and displacement patterns in the craniofacial skeleton with rapid maxillary expansion—a finite element method study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Priyadarshini

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Rapid maxillary expansion (RME, indicated in the treatment of maxillary deficiency directs high forces to maxillary basal bone and to other adjacent skeletal bones. The aim of this study is to (i evaluate stress distribution along craniofacial sutures and (ii study the displacement of various craniofacial structures with rapid maxillary expansion therapy by using a Finite Element model. Methods An analytical model was developed from a dried human skull of a 12 year old male. CT scan images of the skull were taken in axial direction parallel to the F-H plane at 1 mm interval, processed using Mimics software, required portion of the skull was exported into stereo-lithography model. ANSYS software was used to solve the mathematical equation. Contour plots of the displacement and stresses were obtained from the results of the analysis performed. Results At Node 47005, maximum X-displacement was 5.073 mm corresponding to the incisal edge of the upper central incisor. At Node 3971, maximum negative Y-displacement was -0.86 mm which corresponds to the anterior zygomatic arch, indicating posterior movement of craniofacial complex. At Node 32324, maximum negative Z-displacement was -0.92 mm representing the anterior and deepest convex portion of the nasal septum; indicating downward displacement of structures medial to the area of force application. Conclusions Pyramidal displacement of maxilla was evident. Apex of pyramid faced the nasal bone and base was located on the oral side. Posterosuperior part of nasal cavity moved minimally in lateral direction and width of nasal cavity at the floor of the nose increased, there was downward and forward movement of maxilla with a tendency toward posterior rotation. Maximum von Mises stresses were found along midpalatal, pterygomaxillary, nasomaxillary and frontomaxillary sutures.

  1. Video Games, Adolescents, and the Displacement Effect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher, Carla Christine

    2012-01-01

    The displacement effect (the idea that time spent in one activity displaces time spent in other activities) was examined within the lens of adolescents' video game use and their time spent reading, doing homework, in physically active sports and activities, in creative play, and with parents and friends. Data were drawn from the Panel Study…

  2. Pre-exposure to 50 Hz magnetic fields modifies menadione-induced genotoxic effects in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jukka Luukkonen

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Extremely low frequency (ELF magnetic fields (MF are generated by power lines and various electric appliances. They have been classified as possibly carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, but a mechanistic explanation for carcinogenic effects is lacking. A previous study in our laboratory showed that pre-exposure to ELF MF altered cancer-relevant cellular responses (cell cycle arrest, apoptosis to menadione-induced DNA damage, but it did not include endpoints measuring actual genetic damage. In the present study, we examined whether pre-exposure to ELF MF affects chemically induced DNA damage level, DNA repair rate, or micronucleus frequency in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Exposure to 50 Hz MF was conducted at 100 µT for 24 hours, followed by chemical exposure for 3 hours. The chemicals used for inducing DNA damage and subsequent micronucleus formation were menadione and methyl methanesulphonate (MMS. Pre-treatment with MF enhanced menadione-induced DNA damage, DNA repair rate, and micronucleus formation in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Although the results with MMS indicated similar effects, the differences were not statistically significant. No effects were observed after MF exposure alone. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm our previous findings showing that pre-exposure to MFs as low as 100 µT alters cellular responses to menadione, and show that increased genotoxicity results from such interaction. The present findings also indicate that complementary data at several chronological points may be critical for understanding the MF effects on DNA damage, repair, and post-repair integrity of the genome.

  3. Pre-exposure to 50 Hz magnetic fields modifies menadione-induced genotoxic effects in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luukkonen, Jukka; Liimatainen, Anu; Höytö, Anne; Juutilainen, Jukka; Naarala, Jonne

    2011-03-23

    Extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields (MF) are generated by power lines and various electric appliances. They have been classified as possibly carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, but a mechanistic explanation for carcinogenic effects is lacking. A previous study in our laboratory showed that pre-exposure to ELF MF altered cancer-relevant cellular responses (cell cycle arrest, apoptosis) to menadione-induced DNA damage, but it did not include endpoints measuring actual genetic damage. In the present study, we examined whether pre-exposure to ELF MF affects chemically induced DNA damage level, DNA repair rate, or micronucleus frequency in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Exposure to 50 Hz MF was conducted at 100 µT for 24 hours, followed by chemical exposure for 3 hours. The chemicals used for inducing DNA damage and subsequent micronucleus formation were menadione and methyl methanesulphonate (MMS). Pre-treatment with MF enhanced menadione-induced DNA damage, DNA repair rate, and micronucleus formation in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Although the results with MMS indicated similar effects, the differences were not statistically significant. No effects were observed after MF exposure alone. The results confirm our previous findings showing that pre-exposure to MFs as low as 100 µT alters cellular responses to menadione, and show that increased genotoxicity results from such interaction. The present findings also indicate that complementary data at several chronological points may be critical for understanding the MF effects on DNA damage, repair, and post-repair integrity of the genome.

  4. Clinical Outcomes of Virologically-Suppressed Patients with Pre-existing HIV-1 Drug Resistance Mutations Switching to Rilpivirine/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate in the SPIRIT Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porter, Danielle P; Toma, Jonathan; Tan, Yuping; Solberg, Owen; Cai, Suqin; Kulkarni, Rima; Andreatta, Kristen; Lie, Yolanda; Chuck, Susan K; Palella, Frank; Miller, Michael D; White, Kirsten L

    2016-02-01

    Antiretroviral regimen switching may be considered for HIV-1-infected, virologically-suppressed patients to enable treatment simplification or improve tolerability, but should be guided by knowledge of pre-existing drug resistance. The current study examined the impact of pre-existing drug resistance mutations on virologic outcomes among virologically-suppressed patients switching to Rilpivirine (RPV)/emtricitabine (FTC)/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). SPIRIT was a phase 3b study evaluating the safety and efficacy of switching to RPV/FTC/TDF in virologically-suppressed HIV-1-infected patients. Pre-existing drug resistance at baseline was determined by proviral DNA genotyping for 51 RPV/FTC/TDF-treated patients with known mutations by historical RNA genotype and matched controls and compared with clinical outcome at Week 48. Drug resistance mutations in protease or reverse transcriptase were detected in 62.7% of patients by historical RNA genotype and in 68.6% by proviral DNA genotyping at baseline. Proviral DNA sequencing detected 89% of occurrences of NRTI and NNRTI resistance-associated mutations reported by historical genotype. Mutations potentially affecting RPV activity, including E138A/G/K/Q, Y181C, and H221Y, were detected in isolates from 11 patients by one or both assays. None of the patients with single mutants had virologic failure through Week 48. One patient with pre-existing Y181Y/C and M184I by proviral DNA genotyping experienced virologic failure. Nineteen patients with K103N present by historical genotype were confirmed by proviral DNA sequencing and 18/19 remained virologically-suppressed. Virologic success rates were high among virologically-suppressed patients with pre-existing NRTI and NNRTI resistance-associated mutations who switched to RPV/FTC/TDF in the SPIRIT study. While plasma RNA genotyping remains preferred, proviral DNA genotyping may provide additional value in virologically-suppressed patients for whom historical resistance

  5. Neutron displacement cross-sections for tantalum and tungsten at energies up to 1 GeV

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Broeders, C.H.M. [Institut fuer Reaktorsicherheit, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, Postfach 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany)]. E-mail: cornelis.broeders@irs.fzk.de; Konobeyev, A.Yu. [Institut fuer Reaktorsicherheit, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, Postfach 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Institute of Nuclear and Power Engineering, 249020 Obninsk (Russian Federation); Villagrasa, C. [Institut fuer Reaktorsicherheit, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, Postfach 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany)

    2005-06-30

    The neutron displacement cross-section has been evaluated for tantalum and tungsten at energies from 10{sup -5} eV up to 1 GeV. The nuclear optical model, the intranuclear cascade model combined with the pre-equilibrium and evaporation models were used for the calculations. The number of defects produced by recoil atoms nuclei in materials was calculated by the Norgett, Robinson, Torrens model and by the approach combining calculations using the binary collision approximation model and the results of the molecular dynamics simulation. The numerical calculations were done using the NJOY code, the ECIS96 code, the MCNPX code and the IOTA code.

  6. Measuring displacement signal with an accelerometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Sang Bo

    2010-01-01

    An effective and simple way to reconstruct displacement signal from a measured acceleration signal is proposed in this paper. To reconstruct displacement signal by means of double-integrating the time domain acceleration signal, the Nyquist frequency of the digital sampling of the acceleration signal should be much higher than the highest frequency component of the signal. On the other hand, to reconstruct displacement signal by taking the inverse Fourier transform, the magnitude of the significant frequency components of the Fourier transform of the acceleration signal should be greater than the 6 dB increment line along the frequency axis. With a predetermined resolution in time and frequency domain, determined by the sampling rate to measure and record the original signal, reconstructing high-frequency signals in the time domain and reconstructing low-frequency signals in the frequency domain will produce biased errors. Furthermore, because of the DC components inevitably included in the sampling process, low-frequency components of the signals are overestimated when displacement signals are reconstructed from the Fourier transform of the acceleration signal. The proposed method utilizes curve-fitting around the significant frequency components of the Fourier transform of the acceleration signal before it is inverse-Fourier transformed. Curve-fitting around the dominant frequency components provides much better results than simply ignoring the insignificant frequency components of the signal

  7. Overhead Transmission Lines Deicing under Different Incentive Displacement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qing He

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Overhead transmission line icing is one of the main factors affecting safety and reliability of power grid. This paper proposed an excitation deicing method of iced wire and theoretically revealed the ice removal mechanism under displacement excitation conditions, by taking the LGJ-70/10 glaze icing wire as the 3D model and analyzing and studying its dynamic response under the effect of displacement excitation. The simulation results show that the stress of wire icing area is enlarged with the increase of excitation displacement and frequency. Through the comparison of the compression strength experimental results on a series of different iced wires in low temperature environment, the authors found out that the stress generated from the wire icing area is greater than the crushing strength of the ice within the scope of the calculation parameters, which proved the validity and the feasibility of the method, and finally the suitable excitation displacement is determined. Following studies show that, as far as possible, it is necessary to reduce the incentive displacement and also to select the appropriate constraint length in order to avoid the line jumping that may be caused by large span ice shedding.

  8. Particle displacement tracking for PIV

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wernet, Mark P.

    1990-01-01

    A new Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) data acquisition and analysis system, which is an order of magnitude faster than any previously proposed system has been constructed and tested. The new Particle Displacement Tracing (PDT) system is an all electronic technique employing a video camera and a large memory buffer frame-grabber board. Using a simple encoding scheme, a time sequence of single exposure images are time coded into a single image and then processed to track particle displacements and determine velocity vectors. Application of the PDT technique to a counter-rotating vortex flow produced over 1100 velocity vectors in 110 seconds when processed on an 80386 PC.

  9. Soft Pneumatic Bending Actuator with Integrated Carbon Nanotube Displacement Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tim Giffney

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The excellent compliance and large range of motion of soft actuators controlled by fluid pressure has lead to strong interest in applying devices of this type for biomimetic and human-robot interaction applications. However, in contrast to soft actuators fabricated from stretchable silicone materials, conventional technologies for position sensing are typically rigid or bulky and are not ideal for integration into soft robotic devices. Therefore, in order to facilitate the use of soft pneumatic actuators in applications where position sensing or closed loop control is required, a soft pneumatic bending actuator with an integrated carbon nanotube position sensor has been developed. The integrated carbon nanotube position sensor presented in this work is flexible and well suited to measuring the large displacements frequently encountered in soft robotics. The sensor is produced by a simple soft lithography process during the fabrication of the soft pneumatic actuator, with a greater than 30% resistance change between the relaxed state and the maximum displacement position. It is anticipated that integrated resistive position sensors using a similar design will be useful in a wide range of soft robotic systems.

  10. Displacement of the posterior part of the eyeball in myopia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akizawa, Yasuko; Ida, Masahiro

    2006-01-01

    The principal aim of this study was to investigate displacement of the posterior part of the eyeball within the muscle cone in myopic eyes, particularly in moderately myopic subjects as well as in high myopes. Secondly, the correlation of the amount of displacement and the outer axial length of the globe was studied. The direction of displacement was also examined to clarify whether the eyeball tends to shift toward a certain direction. Seven patients with moderate myopia (moderate myopia group), fifteen patients with high myopia without esotropia (high myopia group), five patients with high myopia and esotropia (myopic esotropia group), and twenty-two controls (control group) were examined. Using magnetic resonance imaging, the outer axial length and the displacement of the posterior portion of the eyeball in the muscle cone were measured. In order to eliminate interindividual differences in the facial configuration, the coronal scanning was done perpendicularly to the orbital axis. The displacement was measured in a plane 4 mm anterior to the globe-optic nerve junction. The displacement was represented by the distance and direction of the globe center from the center of the muscle cone. In the moderate myopia group, there was no displacement of the posterior part of the eyeball in the muscle cone. It was the same as in the control group. But among the three groups, the displacement (mean±standard deviation) was significantly greater in the myopic esotropia group (1.53±0.49 mm) and the high myopia group (0.94±0.52 mm) than in the control group (0.11±0.18 mm) (one way ANOVA and multiple comparison). The outer axial length and the distance of the displacement in all cases was significantly correlated (r=0.87, p=0.01). Moreover, the posterior part of the eyeball of the myopic esotropia group and the high myopia group was displaced superiorly and temporally. The posterior part of the eyeball of myopic eyes was displaced superotemporally in the muscle cone

  11. FEH Local: Improving flood estimates using historical data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prosdocimi Ilaria

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The traditional approach to design flood estimation (for example, to derive the 100-year flood is to apply a statistical model to time series of peak river flow measured by gauging stations. Such records are typically not very long, for example in the UK only about 10% of the stations have records that are more than 50 years in length. Along-explored way to augment the data available from a gauging station is to derive information about historical flood events and paleo-floods, which can be obtained from careful exploration of archives, old newspapers, flood marks or other signs of past flooding that are still discernible in the catchment, and the history of settlements. The inclusion of historical data in flood frequency estimation has been shown to substantially reduce the uncertainty around the estimated design events and is likely to provide insight into the rarest events which might have pre-dated the relatively short systematic records. Among other things, the FEH Local project funded by the Environment Agency aims to develop methods to easily incorporate historical information into the standard method of statistical flood frequency estimation in the UK. Different statistical estimation procedures are explored, namely maximum likelihood and partial probability weighted moments, and the strengths and weaknesses of each method are investigated. The project assesses the usefulness of historical data and aims to provide practitioners with useful guidelines to indicate in what circumstances the inclusion of historical data is likely to be beneficial in terms of reducing both the bias and the variability of the estimated flood frequency curves. The guidelines are based on the results of a large Monte Carlo simulation study, in which different estimation procedures and different data availability scenarios are studied. The study provides some indication of the situations under which different estimation procedures might give a better performance.

  12. From forest fires to fisheries management: anthropology, conservation biology, and historical ecology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braje, Todd J; Rick, Torben C

    2013-01-01

    Human-environmental relationships have long been of interest to a variety of scientists, including ecologists, biologists, anthropologists, and many others. In anthropology, this interest was especially prevalent among cultural ecologists of the 1970s and earlier, who tended to explain culture as the result of techno-environmental constraints. More recently researchers have used historical ecology, an approach that focuses on the long-term dialectical relationship between humans and their environments, as well as long-term prehuman ecological datasets. An important contribution of anthropology to historical ecology is that anthropological datasets dealing with ethnohistory, traditional ecological knowledge, and human skeletal analysis, as well as archeological datasets on faunal and floral remains, artifacts, geochemistry, and stratigraphic analysis, provide a deep time perspective (across decades, centuries, and millennia) on the evolution of ecosystems and the place of people in those larger systems. Historical ecological data also have an applied component that can provide important information on the relative abundances of flora and fauna, changes in biogeography, alternations in food webs, landscape evolution, and much more. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. The Banality of Displacement: Turning a (ColourBlind Eye on the Ethnic Representation of the Internally Displaced in Colombia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulrich Oslender

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Colombia has one of the highest numbers of internally displaced persons, or IDPs, world-wide. Yet, there exists a conundrum. While latest NGO figures put the total number of IDPs since 1985 at 4 million, Colombian government figures show much lower estimates of 1.9 million. In fact, there are significant discrepancies in the ways how IDPs are identified, counted and categorised. Moreover, whereas it is now commonly argued that displacement has affected black populations proportionately higher than mestizo populations, no data exists to sustain such a view. The displaced population has simply not been accounted for in terms of its ethnic composition. In this article, drawing on Hannah Arendt’s work on terror and evil, I propose the notion of the “banality of displacement” to explain such a colour-blind approach in the discourses and representation of displacement in Colombia. I will refer in particular to the case of the Afro-Colombian population, drawing on fieldwork data collected since 1996, when I begun to work with the social movement of black communities in Colombia

  14. Quantification of the vocal folds’ dynamic displacements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernández-Montes, María del Socorro; Muñoz, Silvino; De La Torre, Manuel; Flores, Mauricio; Pérez, Carlos; Mendoza-Santoyo, Fernando

    2016-01-01

    Fast dynamic data acquisition techniques are required to investigate the motional behavior of the vocal folds (VFs) when they are subjected to a steady air-flow through the trachea. High-speed digital holographic interferometry (DHI) is a non-invasive full-field-of-view technique that has proved its usefulness to study rapid and non-repetitive object movements. Hence it is an ideal technique used here to measure VF displacements and vibration patterns at 2000 fps. Analyses from a set of 200 displacement images showed that VFs’ vibration cycles are established along their width (y) and length (x). Furthermore, the maximum deformation for the right and left VFs’ area may be quantified from these images, which in itself represents an important result in the characterization of this structure. At a controlled air pressure, VF displacements fall within the range ∼100–1740 nm, with a calculated precision and accuracy that yields a variation coefficient of 1.91%. High-speed acquisition of full-field images of VFs and their displacement quantification are on their own significant data in the study of their functional and physiological behavior since voice quality and production depend on how they vibrate, i.e. their displacement amplitude and frequency. Additionally, the use of high speed DHI avoids prolonged examinations and represents a significant scientific and technological alternative contribution in advancing the knowledge and working mechanisms of these tissues. (paper)

  15. PRE: A framework for enterprise integration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Whiteside, R.A.; Friedman-Hill, E.J. [Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States); Detry, R.J. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    1998-03-01

    Sandia National Laboratories` Product Realization Environment (PRE) is a lightweight, CORBA based framework for the integration of a broad variety of applications. These applications are wrapped for use in the PRE framework as reusable components. For example, some of the PRE components currently available include: (1) product data management (PDM) system, (2) human resources database, several finite element analysis programs, and (3) a variety of image and document format converters. PRE enables the development of end user applications (as Java applets, for example) that use these components as building blocks. To aid such development, the PreLib library (available in both C++ and Java) permits both wrapping and using these components without knowledge of either CORBA or the security mechanisms used.

  16. Comparison of the South Florida Natural System Model with Pre-canal Everglades Hydrology Estimated from Historical Sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    McVoy, Christopher; Park, Winifred A.; Obeysekera, Jayantha

    1996-01-01

    Preservation and restoration of the remaining Everglades ecosystem is focussed on two aspects: improving upstream water quality and improving 'hydropatterns' - the timing, depth and flow of surface water. Restoration of hydropatterns requires knowledge of the original pre-canal drainage conditions as well as an understanding of the soil, topo-graphic, and vegetation changes that have taken place since canal drainage began in the 1880's. The Natural System Model (NSM), developed by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and Everglades National Park, uses estimates of pre-drainage vegetation and topography to estimate the pre-drainage hydrologic response of the Everglades. Sources of model uncertainty include: (1) the algorithms, (2) the parameters (particularly those relating to vegetation roughness and evapotranspiration), and (3) errors in the assumed pre-drainage vegetation distribution and pre-drainage topography. Other studies are concentrating on algorithmic and parameter sources of uncertainty. In this study we focus on the NSM output -- predicted hydropattern -- and evaluate this by comparison with all available direct and indirect information on pre-drainage hydropatterns. The unpublished and published literature is being searched exhaustively for observations of water depth, flow direction, flow velocity and hydroperiod, during the period prior and just after drainage (1840-1920). Additionally, a comprehensive map of soils in the Everglades region, prepared in the 1940's by personnel from the University of Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Everglades Drainage District, is being used to identify wetland soils and to infer the spatial distribution of pre-drainage hydrologic conditions. Detailed study of this map and other early soil and vegetation maps in light of the history of drainage activities will reveal patterns of change and possible errors in the input to the

  17. An investigation by LA-ICP-MS of possum tooth enamel as a model for identifying childhood geographical locations of historical and archaeological human remains from New Zealand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cameron, N.E.; Balks, M.; Littler, R.; Manley-Harris, M.; Te Awekotuku, N.

    2012-01-01

    LA-ICP-MS (laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry) has been used to analyse enamel from the teeth of brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) in order to model a method for identifying the childhood geographical origin of human remains within New Zealand. The model application of the method is promising for establishing locations of historical and archaeological human remains, including preserved heads, upoko tuhi. (author). 30 refs., 5 figs., 6 tabs.

  18. The effect of multi-component adsorption on selectivity in ion exchange displacement systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tugcu, N; Cramer, S M

    2005-01-21

    This paper examines chemically selective displacement chromatography using affinity ranking plots, batch displacer screening experiments, column displacements, multi-component adsorption isotherms and spectroscopy. The affinity ranking plot indicated that the displacers, sucrose octasulfate (SOS) and tatrazine, should possess sufficient affinity to displace the proteins amyloglucosidase and apoferritin over a wide range of operating conditions. In addition, the plots indicated that the separation of these proteins by displacement chromatography would be extremely difficult. Further, the two proteins were shown to have very similar retention times under shallow linear gradient conditions. When batch displacement experiments were carried out, both tartrazine and SOS exhibited significant selectivity differences with respect to their ability to displace these two proteins, in contrast to the affinity ranking plot results. Column displacement experiments carried out with sucrose octasulfate agreed with the predictions of the affinity ranking plots, with both proteins being displaced but poorly resolved under several column displacement conditions. On the other hand, column displacement with tartrazine as the displacer resulted in the selective displacement and partial purification of apoferritin. Single- and multi-component isotherms of the proteins with or without the presence of displacers were determined and were used to help explain the selectivity reversals observed in the column and batch displacement experiments. In addition, fluorescence and CD spectra suggested that the displacers did not induce any structural changes to either of the proteins. The results in this paper indicate that multi-component adsorption behavior can be exploited for creating chemically selective displacement separations.

  19. Studying Landslide Displacements in Megamendung (Indonesia Using GPS Survey Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hasanuddin Z. Abidin

    2004-11-01

    Full Text Available Landslide is one of prominent geohazards that frequently affects Indonesia, especially in the rainy season. It destroys not only environment and property, but usually also causes deaths. Landslide monitoring is therefore very crucial and should be continuously done. One of the methods that can have a contribution in studying landslide phenomena is repeated GPS survey method. This paper presents and discusses the operational performances, constraints and results of GPS surveys conducted in a well known landslide prone area in West Java (Indonesia, namely Megamendung, the hilly region close to Bogor. Three GPS surveys involving 8 GPS points have been conducted, namely on April 2002, May 2003 and May 2004, respectively. The estimated landslide displacements in the area are relatively quite large in the level of a few dm to a few m. Displacements up to about 2-3 m were detected in the April 2002 to May 2003 period, and up to about 3-4 dm in the May 2003 to May 2004 period. In both periods, landslides in general show the northwest direction of displacements. Displacements vary both spatially and temporally. This study also suggested that in order to conclude the existence of real and significant displacements of GPS points, the GPS estimated displacements should be subjected to three types of testing namely: the congruency test on spatial displacements, testing on the agreement between the horizontal distance changes with the predicted direction of landslide displacement, and testing on the consistency of displacement directions on two consecutive periods.

  20. The finding of Enterobius vermicularis eggs in pré-Columbian human coprolites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. J. G. de Araújo

    1985-06-01

    Full Text Available Enterobius vermicularis eggs were found in human coprolites collected in the archaeological site of Caserones, Tarapaca Valley, Chile, dating from 400 BC to 800 AD. The human pinworm had already been found in other pre-historic archaeological sites in America, and its introduction in this continent is discussed.Ovos de Enterobius vermicularis foram encontrados em coprólitos humanos coletados no sítio arqueológico de Caserones, Vale da Tarapaca, no Chile, com datações de 400 BC a 800 AD. Este parasito humano já foi encontrado em outros sítios arqueológicios nas Américas e, a partir desses achados, discute-se a sua introdução neste continente.

  1. Surface displacement imaging by interferometry with a light emitting diode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dilhaire, Stefan; Grauby, Stephane; Jorez, Sebastien; Lopez, Luis David Patino; Rampnoux, Jean-Michel; Claeys, Wilfrid

    2002-01-01

    We present an imaging technique to measure static surface displacements of electronic components. A device is supplied by a transient current that creates a variation of temperature, thus a surface displacement. To measure the latter, a setup that is based on a Michelson interferometer is used. To avoid the phenomenon of speckle and the drawbacks inherent to it, we use a light emitting diode as the light source for the interferometer. The detector is a visible CCD camera that analyzes the optical signal containing the information of surface displacement of the device. Combining images, we extract the amplitude of the surface displacement. Out-of-plane surface-displacement images of a thermoelectric device are presented

  2. Dispersal of Exhaled Air and Personal Exposure in Displacement Ventilated Rooms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjørn, Erik; Nielsen, Peter Vilhelm

    2002-01-01

    The influence of the human exhalation on flow fields, contaminant distributions, and personal exposures in displacement ventilated rooms is studied together with the effects of physical movement. Experiments are conducted in full-scale test rooms with life-sized breathing thermal manikins....... Numerical simulations support the experiments. Air exhaled through the mouth can lock in a thermally stratified layer, if the vertical temperature gradient in breathing zone height is sufficiently large. With exhalation through the nose, exhaled air flows to the upper part of the room. The exhalation flow...

  3. SV40-transformed human fibroblasts: evidence for cellular aging in pre-crisis cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stein, G H

    1985-10-01

    Pre-crisis SV40-transformed human diploid fibroblast (HDF) cultures have a finite proliferative lifespan, but they do not enter a viable senescent state at end of lifespan. Little is known about either the mechanism for this finite lifespan in SV40-transformed HDF or its relationship to finite lifespan in normal HDF. Recently we proposed that in normal HDF the phenomena of finite lifespan and arrest in a viable senescent state depend on two separate processes: 1) an age-related decrease in the ability of the cells to recognize or respond to serum and/or other mitogens such that the cells become functionally mitogen-deprived at the end of lifespan; and 2) the ability of the cells to enter a viable, G1-arrested state whenever they experience mitogen deprivation. In this paper, data are presented that suggest that pre-crisis SV40-transformed HDF retain the first process described above, but lack the second process. It is shown that SV40-transformed HDF have a progressively decreasing ability to respond to serum as they age, but they continue to traverse the cell cycle at the end of lifespan. Concomitantly, the rate of cell death increases steadily toward the end of lifespan, thereby causing the total population to cease growing and ultimately to decline. Previous studies have shown that when SV40-transformed HDF are environmentally serum deprived, they likewise exhibit continued cell cycle traverse coupled with increased cell death. Thus, these results support the hypothesis that pre-crisis SV40-transformed HDF still undergo the same aging process as do normal HDF, but they end their lifespan in crisis rather than in the normal G1-arrested senescent state because they have lost their ability to enter a viable, G1-arrested state in response to mitogen deprivation.

  4. Radiation displacement damage estimates for a radionuclide waste stabilization material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dolan, K.W.

    1977-01-01

    Estimates of the number of atomic displacements produced in pollucite by the radioactive decay of Cs-134 are made. Pollucite is a candidate material for radionuclide waste stabilization, while Cs-134 is one of the radionuclide products which would be chemically bound in the pollucite lattice. At the maximum concentration of Cs-134 in pollucite, assuming a threshold displacement energy of 15.0 eV, the displacement rate is estimated to be 4.3 x 10 12 atoms/cm 3 /second which includes all atomic species in the pollucite lattice. It was found that most of the displacements, 85 percent, were caused by elastic scattering of photoelectrons and Compton electrons which are products of γ-ray interactions in the material. Most of the remaining displacements are caused by elastic scattering of β-particles. Recoil energies of the Ba daughter product are insufficient to cause displacement. Atomic displacements of nearest neighbors, atoms within one lattice spacing of the decay site, are estimated to be 2.7 x 10 6 atoms/cm 3 /second. These estimates provide a starting point for assessing the long term stability of pollucite to radiation damage

  5. Use of cartography in historical seismicity analysis: a reliable tool to better apprehend the contextualization of the historical documents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thibault, Fradet; Grégory, Quenet; Kevin, Manchuel

    2014-05-01

    Historical studies, including historical seismicity analysis, deal with historical documents. Numerous factors, such as culture, social condition, demography, political situations and opinions or religious ones influence the way the events are transcribed in the archives. As a consequence, it is crucial to contextualize and compare the historical documents reporting on a given event in order to reduce the uncertainties affecting their analysis and interpretation. When studying historical seismic events it is often tricky to have a global view of all the information provided by the historical documents. It is also difficult to extract cross-correlated information from the documents and draw a precise historical context. Use of cartographic and geographic tools in GIS software is the best tool for the synthesis, interpretation and contextualization of the historical material. The main goal is to produce the most complete dataset of available information, in order to take into account all the components of the historical context and consequently improve the macroseismic analysis. The Entre-Deux-Mers earthquake (1759, Iepc= VII-VIII) [SISFRANCE 2013 - EDF-IRSN-BRGM] is well documented but has never benefited from a cross-analysis of historical documents and historical context elements. The map of available intensity data from SISFRANCE highlights a gap in macroseismic information within the estimated epicentral area. The aim of this study is to understand the origin of this gap by making a cartographic compilation of both, archive information and historical context elements. The results support the hypothesis that the lack of documents and macroseismic data in the epicentral area is related to a low human activity rather than low seismic effects in this zone. Topographic features, geographical position, flood hazard, roads and pathways locations, vineyards distribution and the forester coverage, mentioned in the archives and reported on the Cassini's map confirm this

  6. [Management of disk displacement with condylar fracture].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Shi-bin; Li, Zu-bing; Yang, Xue-wen; Zhao, Ji-hong; Dong, Yao-jun

    2003-07-01

    To investigate clinical features of disk displacement during the course of condylar fracture and to explore the techniques of disk reposition and suturation. 32 patients (10 females and 22 males) who had disk displacements with condylar fractures were followed up. Reduction and reposition of the dislocated disks simultaneously with fixation of fractures were performed. 7 patients underwent intermaxillary fixation with elastic bands for 1 to 2 weeks. The occlusions were satisfactory in all cases but one for the reason of ramus height loss. No TMJ symptom was found when examined 3 months post operation. Anterior disk displacements were most occurred with high condylar process fractures. Surgical reposition and suturation of disk play an important role for the later TMJ-function.

  7. Monitoring of pipe displacements in French LMFBR SUPERPHENIX

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foucher, N.; Debaene, J.P.; Renault, Y.; Blin, B.

    1993-01-01

    In order to check that pipe supports work properly and that the locking of snubbers or the loss of supports do not put a pipe in unacceptable loading conditions, a monitoring of the behaviour of the main pipes of SUPERPHENIX is planned. This monitoring system consists in measuring the displacements at selected points of the pipe by means of measuring rods and checking that these displacements remain inside allowable domains. These allowable domains are defined so that, if the displacements of the pipe are inside all these domains, the plant operator is sure that the stresses verify the allowable limits and then no additional inspection is carried out. In the opposite case, the operator will inspect the pipe in detail in order to determine the consequences and repair if necessary before restarting. Selection of points for monitoring was done with the to minimize the number of measures to be carried out and to use as far as possible the measuring rods that were installed to check that pipe displacements were consistent with what has been obtained in design calculations. However, it appears necessary to ensure that any incident occurring at any point of the pipe can be detected and, if necessary, additional measuring rods may be installed. An incident is said detectable if it induces on at least one measuring rod a deviation with respect to expected displacement not lower than 5 mm. It has been chosen so that small normal changes in measured displacements are not mistaken as incidents. The incidents that are supposed likely to occur are: 1) loss of a support which induces mainly primary stresses, 2) locking of a snubber which induces mainly secondary stresses. Monitoring of pipe displacements is a simple and effective way of checking that no damaging perturbation has occurred on the pipe. Calculations carried out on the DHR loops of SUPERPHENIX show that allowable domains of acceptable size may be obtained using a relatively small number of measuring rods. The method

  8. Course Descriptions in Environmental Studies Part One: Historical Courses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, Donald; And Others

    1984-01-01

    Presents descriptions (syllabi, outlines, goals) of selected environmental studies courses which approach the discipline from an historical and humanistic perspective. Areas explored in the courses include human ecology, American environmental history, environmental politics, and others. (JN)

  9. Sieve-based lateral displacement technology for suspension separation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dijkshoorn, J.P.; Wagterveld, R.M.; Boom, R.M.; Schutyser, M.A.I.

    2017-01-01

    Sparse lateral displacement arrays are easier to scale up than full deterministic lateral displacement arrays or deterministic ratchets, because they require lower pressure drop and simplify the construction of the device. However, the asymmetry of sparse arrays leads to a non-homogeneous pressure

  10. 100 group displacement cross sections from RECOIL data base

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gopalakrishnan, V.

    1995-01-01

    Displacement cross sections in 100 neutron energy groups were calculated from the RECOIL data base using the RECOIL program, for use in DPA (Displacement Per Atom) calculations for FBTR and PFBR materials. 100 group displacement cross sections were calculated using RECOIL-Data Base and RECOIL Program. Modifications were made in the data base to reduce space requirement, and in the program for easy handling on a PC. 2 refs

  11. MRI anatomy of anteriorly displaced anus: what obstructs defecation?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    AbouZeid, Amr Abdelhamid; Mohammad, Shaimaa Abdelsattar; Khairy, Khaled Talaat

    2014-01-01

    Anteriorly displaced anus is an anomaly that is debated with regard to its nomenclature, diagnosis and management. To describe MRI anatomy of the anal canal in children with anteriorly displaced anus and its impact on the process of defecation. We prospectively examined ten children (7 girls, 3 boys; age range 7 months to 8 years, mean 3 years) with anteriorly displaced anus between August 2009 and April 2012. Noncontrast MRI examinations were performed on a 1.5-T magnet. T1- and T2-weighted turbo spin-echo images were acquired in axial, sagittal and coronal planes of the pelvis. The anorectal angle and the relative hiatal distance were measured in mid-sagittal images, and compared with those of a control group using the Mann-Whitney test. In children with anteriorly displaced anus, no anatomical abnormality was depicted at the level of the proximal anal canal. However, the distal anal canal was displaced anteriorly, running out its external muscle cuff, which remained un-displaced at the usual site of the anus. This changes the orientation of the central axis of the anal canal by passing across instead of along the fibers of the longitudinal muscle coat. Children with anteriorly displaced anus had a more obtuse anorectal angle (mean 112.1 ), which was significantly greater than that of the control group (mean 86.2 ). MRI is a valuable tool in studying the anatomy of the anal canal in children with anteriorly displaced anus. The abnormal orientation of the longitudinal muscle across the anal canal can explain the obstructed defecation in these children. Based on this study, it might be of interest to use MRI in studying equivocal cases and children with unexplained constipation. (orig.)

  12. MRI anatomy of anteriorly displaced anus: what obstructs defecation?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    AbouZeid, Amr Abdelhamid [Ain-Shams University, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Cairo (Egypt); Mohammad, Shaimaa Abdelsattar; Khairy, Khaled Talaat [Ain-Shams University, Department of Radiodiagnosis, Cairo (Egypt)

    2014-07-15

    Anteriorly displaced anus is an anomaly that is debated with regard to its nomenclature, diagnosis and management. To describe MRI anatomy of the anal canal in children with anteriorly displaced anus and its impact on the process of defecation. We prospectively examined ten children (7 girls, 3 boys; age range 7 months to 8 years, mean 3 years) with anteriorly displaced anus between August 2009 and April 2012. Noncontrast MRI examinations were performed on a 1.5-T magnet. T1- and T2-weighted turbo spin-echo images were acquired in axial, sagittal and coronal planes of the pelvis. The anorectal angle and the relative hiatal distance were measured in mid-sagittal images, and compared with those of a control group using the Mann-Whitney test. In children with anteriorly displaced anus, no anatomical abnormality was depicted at the level of the proximal anal canal. However, the distal anal canal was displaced anteriorly, running out its external muscle cuff, which remained un-displaced at the usual site of the anus. This changes the orientation of the central axis of the anal canal by passing across instead of along the fibers of the longitudinal muscle coat. Children with anteriorly displaced anus had a more obtuse anorectal angle (mean 112.1 ), which was significantly greater than that of the control group (mean 86.2 ). MRI is a valuable tool in studying the anatomy of the anal canal in children with anteriorly displaced anus. The abnormal orientation of the longitudinal muscle across the anal canal can explain the obstructed defecation in these children. Based on this study, it might be of interest to use MRI in studying equivocal cases and children with unexplained constipation. (orig.)

  13. Human Rights, Human Needs, Human Development, Human Security

    OpenAIRE

    Gasper, Des

    2009-01-01

    Human rights, human development and human security form increasingly important, partly interconnected, partly competitive and misunderstood ethical and policy discourses. Each tries to humanize a pre-existing and unavoidable major discourse of everyday life, policy and politics; each has emerged within the United Nations world; each relies implicitly on a conceptualisation of human need; each has specific strengths. Yet mutual communication, understanding and co-operation are deficient, espec...

  14. Sustainable Cities and the Contribution of Historical Urban Green Spaces: A Case Study of Historical Persian Gardens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raheleh Rostami

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Growing populations and rapid worldwide urbanization are recognized as constituting one of the most complex processes in the world and have raised concerns about the sustainability of cities. Sustainable development, a widely accepted strategic framework in city planning, singles out urban green spaces as a primary solution for addressing these issues. Growing empirical evidences indicate that the presence of natural areas contributes to a better quality of life in many ways. Urban green spaces serve as places of identity, memory, and belonging; enrich human life with meaning and emotions by providing important social and psychological benefits; and enhance the quality of life of citizens, which is a key component of sustainability. Despite our understanding of the benefits of urban green spaces, little is known about the benefits of historical urban green spaces. To highlight their importance with regard to environmental sustainability and citizens’ well-being, this study analyzes a number of historical Persian gardens that are still actively used by urban residents. The findings suggest that historical Persian gardens could accommodate many social functions and address many of the psychological issues relating to urban dwelling. It has been generally acknowledged that sense of community and place attachment is pivotal to creating sustainable urban environments. Historical gardens as physical components can cohesively weave together many parts of cities of any cities while providing places for public congregation as well as attracting a variety of local economic activities. All these attributes can make historical Persian gardens as a valuable municipal resource and a key ingredient for city’s living sustainability.

  15. Large displacement haptic stimulus actuator using piezoelectric pump for wearable devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kodama, Taisuke; Izumi, Shintaro; Masaki, Kana; Kawaguchi, Hiroshi; Maenaka, Kazusuke; Yoshimoto, Masahiko

    2015-08-01

    Recently, given Japan's aging society background, wearable healthcare devices have increasingly attracted attention. Many devices have been developed, but most devices have only a sensing function. To expand the application area of wearable healthcare devices, an interactive communication function with the human body is required using an actuator. For example, a device must be useful for medication assistance, predictive alerts of a disease such as arrhythmia, and exercise. In this work, a haptic stimulus actuator using a piezoelectric pump is proposed to realize a large displacement in wearable devices. The proposed actuator drives tactile sensation of the human body. The measurement results obtained using a sensory examination demonstrate that the proposed actuator can generate sufficient stimuli even if adhered to the chest, which has fewer tactile receptors than either the fingertip or wrist.

  16. Distally displaced premolars: A dental anomaly associated with palatally displaced canines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baccetti, Tiziano; Leonardi, Maria; Giuntini, Veronica

    2010-09-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of association between distally displaced premolars (DDP) and palatally displaced canines (PDC) in the pattern of associated phenotypes of dental developmental disturbance. A sample of 2811 subjects (mean age, 9 years 7 months +/- 1 year 3 months) was divided randomly into 2 groups. The first group of 500 subjects was the control group. The reference prevalence rates for the examined parameters were calculated for this group: DDP (measured with the distal angle theta and the premolar-molar angle gamma); PDC; and other dental anomalies, specifically, aplasia of the third molars, aplasia of the contralateral mandibular second premolar, aplasia of the maxillary lateral incisors, and small maxillary lateral incisors. Of the remaining 2311 subjects, the first 100 with a diagnosis of DDP of at least 1 mandibular second premolar comprised experimental group 1 (DDP group). In addition to sex distribution, the same variables that were examined in the control group were analyzed. In the subgroup with the concurrent DDP and PDC (experimental group 2, or DDP-PDC group), the presence of other dental anomalies was investigated. The prevalence rate for PDC in experimental group 1 was compared with that in the control group. The same was done for the prevalence rates for the 4 other dental anomalies in the PDC-DDP group (experimental group 2) vs the prevalence rates for these anomalies in the control group. All comparisons were performed with chi-square tests with the Yates correction (P <0.05), as were the comparisons between the sexes in experimental groups 1 and 2. The values for theta and gamma angles in experimental group 1 were compared with the values for these angles in experimental group 2, as well as with those in the control group. These statistical comparisons were made with analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the Bonferroni post-hoc test (P <0.05). The prevalence rate for PDC in experimental group 1 (28%) was

  17. Internal displacement and the Syrian crisis: an analysis of trends from 2011-2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doocy, Shannon; Lyles, Emily; Delbiso, Tefera D; Robinson, Courtland W

    2015-01-01

    Since the start of the Syrian crisis in 2011, civil unrest and armed conflict in the country have resulted in a rapidly increasing number of people displaced both within and outside of Syria. Those displaced face immense challenges in meeting their basic needs. This study sought to characterize internal displacement in Syria, including trends in both time and place, and to provide insights on the association between displacement and selected measures of household well-being and humanitarian needs. This study presents findings from two complementary methods: a desk review of displaced population estimates and movements and a needs assessment of 3930 Syrian households affected by the crisis. The first method, a desk review of displaced population estimates and movements, provides a retrospective analysis of national trends in displacement from March 2011 through June 2014. The second method, analysis of findings from a 2014 needs assessment by displacement status, provides insight into the displaced population and the association between displacement and humanitarian needs. Findings indicate that while displacement often corresponds to conflict levels, such trends were not uniformly observed in governorate-level analysis. Governorate level IDP estimates do not provide information on a scale detailed enough to adequately plan humanitarian assistance. Furthermore, such estimates are often influenced by obstructed access to certain areas, unsubstantiated reports, and substantial discrepancies in reporting. Secondary displacement is not consistently reported across sources nor are additional details about displacement, including whether displaced individuals originated within the current governorate or outside of the governorate. More than half (56.4 %) of households reported being displaced more than once, with a majority displaced for more than one year (73.3 %). Some differences between displaced and non-displaced population were observed in residence crowding, food

  18. Associations of filaggrin gene loss-of-function variants and human papillomavirus-related cancer and pre-cancer in Danish adults.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tea Skaaby

    Full Text Available Filaggrin proteins are expressed in the skin, oral cavity, oesophagus, and cervical mucose. Loss-of-function mutations in the filaggrin gene (FLG reduce filaggrin expression and cause an impaired skin barrier function. We hypothesized that FLG mutation carriers would be more susceptible to human papillomavirus (HPV infection and thus a higher risk of HPV-related cancer and pre-cancer. We investigated the association of the FLG genotype with incidence of HPV-related cancer of cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, anus and head and neck, and pre-cancer of the cervix.We included 13,376 persons from four population-based studies conducted in the same background population in Copenhagen, Denmark. Participants were genotyped for the most common FLG mutations in Europeans. Information on cancer was obtained from The Danish Cancer Registry until 11 July 2011.There were 489 cases of prevalent and 97 cases of incident HPV-related cancer and pre-cancer (median follow-up 11.5 years. There was a statistically significant association between FLG genotype and incident HPV-related cancer and pre-cancer with a hazard ratio, HR = 2.1 (95% confidence intervals, CI: 1.2, 3.7 for FLG mutation carriers vs. wild types.FLG loss-of-function mutations were associated with higher incidence of HPV-related cancers and pre-cancers that are potentially screening and vaccine preventable.

  19. Expansion of a function about a displaced centre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rashid, M.A.

    1981-07-01

    We review the progress recently made in obtaining closed form expressions for the expansion of general orbitals about a displaced centre and establish the equivalence between different expansions. We also examine how these expressions do have the desired limit as the displacement approaches zero. (author)

  20. Nanomechanical displacement sensing using a quantum point contact

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cleland, A.N.; Aldridge, J.S.; Driscoll, D.C.; Gossard, A. C.

    2002-01-01

    We describe a radio frequency mechanical resonator that includes a quantum point contact, defined using electrostatic top gates. We can mechanically actuate the resonator using either electrostatic or magnetomotive forces. We demonstrate the use of the quantum point contact as a displacement sensor, operating as a radio frequency mixer at the mechanical resonance frequency of 1.5 MHz. We calculate a displacement sensitivity of about 3x10 -12 m/Hz 1/2 . This device will potentially permit quantum-limited displacement sensing of nanometer-scale resonators, allowing the quantum entanglement of the electronic and mechanical degrees of freedom of a nanoscale system